The Commonwealth of Learning commends OUCHI Polytechnic and in particular the Centre for Gender Studies and the Centre for Flexible Skills Development for the innovation in providing flexible opportunities for women and girls to continue their education and training. Research from several countries has provided evidence that women prefer more flexible learning opportunities, which enable them to balance their academic pursuits with their family and social responsibilities. I wish you a very fruitful conference as you bring together researchers and practitioners in gender studies to debate these important issues. I would like to share with you my thoughts on girls' education to coincide with International Women's Day on 8th March. Women in Commonwealth countries face three major challenges – poverty, disempowerment, and poor health. Two-thirds of women in the Commonwealth live under $2 a day. Their productive role is constrained by lack of access and control over resources such as land, labour, capital organisation, and knowledge. Poverty and disempowerment have a direct impact on women's health. The 9th Women's Affairs Minister's meeting in Barbados pointed out that 66 out of the 100 deaths due to complications in pregnancy and childbirth take place in Commonwealth countries, and women account for 60% of those affected by HIV AIDS in the Commonwealth. Violence against women remains a critical issue affecting women's empowerment and needs priority attention. Gender equality is one of the fundamental principles of the Commonwealth, and an increasing number of governments are realising the value of investing in gender equality and improving the status of women. Most of the female heads of government in the Commonwealth, who are themselves powerful role models, have spoken of education and learning as a means of empowering women and girls. The Commonwealth of Learning, or CALL, recognises that in order to give meaning to its agenda of learning for development, gender equality and women's empowerment have to be integral to its work around the globe. CALL believes that learning and knowledge are the key to individual freedom and to social and economic development. The link between women's empowerment and development effectiveness has been clearly established. As Kofi Annan, the former Secretary General of the United Nations said, and I quote, it is impossible to realise our goals while discriminating against half the human race. CALL is an intergovernmental agency created by Commonwealth heads of government to promote the development and sharing of open learning and distance education knowledge, resources and technologies. CALL's purpose is to increase access to quality learning opportunities so that Commonwealth citizens, particularly women and girls, have the knowledge and skills to lead healthy and productive lives. The theme of International Women's Day this year is inspiring change. While we celebrate the economic, political and social achievements of women, this is also an opportunity for us to inspire positive change. The Commonwealth of Learning is doing its part in contributing to gender equality through the use of distance education and appropriate technologies. Let me share some of the inspiring success stories from around the Commonwealth. Through CALL's support, Eunice, a young woman from Kenya, was able to fulfil her dream of becoming a construction worker like her father by attending a training program at the Coast Institute of Technology. This enabled her to increase her income substantially, which meant that she could contribute to her family income and support her own further training in this field. Many girls like Eunice are benefitting from flexible skills development training. Let me go to the second example, Periyar Jakamal, an illiterate woman from a poor household in India, learnt about the modern techniques of goat rearing through the lifelong learning for farmers initiative of CALL. Using mobile phones and blended learning methods, she, along with other members of a microfinance group, learnt about business and credit planning, approached a bank for a loan and started an enterprise. She is now an active member of a Women's Federation, has started a primary school in the village and is a committee member managing the school. Her personal income through goat rearing has increased considerably. She is not only able to learn daily through her mobile phone, TV and radio, but also shares her experiences with thousands of other women using these media.  They are regular listeners of radio programs on maternal health from the community radio station facilitated by CALL. Two years ago, Hilda's sister died while giving birth because she had no professional support and did not make it to the hospital in time. Hilda got a group of women together who wanted to do something about the high level of maternal mortality in the area. With CALL support, they developed radio programs on issues related to pregnancy and delivery. Hilda smiles when songs on pregnancy and childbirth are aired. Hilda's group wrote and performed these songs. They listened to their own voices, their own stories and their own ideas, which can transform the lives of other women. These radio programs have had a major impact on the health seeking behaviors of the community. These then are the stories of some women who have changed their own lives and inspired others to do likewise. Let us continue to inspire change, not just by bringing about greater awareness of gender equality, but also by continuing to support positive action for girls and women's education and learning. Achieving gender equality is not just the responsibility of women alone. It must be the common concern of all humanity. Each one of us must contribute and, as Mahatma Gandhi said, let us be the change we want to see. Thank you very much.


Well, hi there. Thank you. So I'm Mallets Kaptaan, and I'm a social scientist. And what I study is people's online purchase behavior. Basically what I study is why did I buy this t-shirt? Why did I order this online and not something else? And let's start out. It's not the price. I mean, I paid 40 euros for this t-shirt, and that's something. I mean, it's a white t-shirt with a plain print. You can buy them for five euros. There's a bunch of other reasons why I bought this product. Basically, people in general, you and me, buy products because experts recommend them. Because some author, you know, some famous skateboarder wears this brand. Or because a lot of your friends wear that brand. Or because it's, you know, limitedly available. There's only a hundred of these shirts in the Netherlands. That makes me drive why I do these purchase decisions. Now, that's exactly what I study. I study persuasion, the ways in which we can sway you to make a purchase decision. Now, I'm not the first to study this. Lots of people have studied persuasion. However, when I first started looking into it, I found lots of theories. For example, theories that explain why authority arguments and experts endorsements work. However, we still have a super hard time predicting whether or not you would actually buy this t-shirt if some experts recommend it. And we have a hard time predicting this. Because in social science, we have been stealing methods from, for example, physics. We have been looking at a thing called average effects. Effects over groups of people. So just let me explain what I mean by average effects. If you look at physics, what physicists have done, for example, to measure the gravitational constant, is to drop a ball and measure how fast it went down. Now, you have some error in your measurement. So you drop that ball again, and again, and again, and again. And you average over all of those measurements. Social scientists took the same approach to actually examine persuasion. So what we did was offer a book to half of this audience, and offer that same book to the other half, but this time endorsed by the New York Times. Now, what we found is that on this half, more people would actually buy that book on average. That still doesn't mean, though, that if I showed this book to you, you would actually buy it. Now, over the last few years, I've been using interactive technologies, websites, to study people's responses to persuasion, to study individual-level responses to persuasion over longer periods of time. And what we found, the basic thing we found, was if I want to predict whether or not you will buy that book based on an endorsement by the New York Times, I'm better off knowing how you responded less time to the New York Times endorsement than how other people responded. So that brought us to the idea to build persuasion profiles, profiles for each individual of what are the things that make them tick, what drives their purchase decisions.  If you go to booking.com, what you see is a travel agency. What I see, though, is a tool. It's a tool to study your decision-making. It's a tool to track you as an individual over time and see how you respond to these expert endorsements, to the fact that other people do something, to special discounts. And from that, we can make a persuasion profile. The persuasion profile describes at an individual level for each of you what it is that makes you tick. And in the end, if I know your persuasion profile, I might actually be able to sell you this t-shirt. Thank you.


Good evening aspirants, welcome to Daily Hindu News Analysis brought to you by Shankarai's Academy for the date of 29th July 2023. Displayed here are the list of articles we are going to discuss today. So without any delay, let's get into our discussion. Take a look at this front page article. The news is that, yesterday Supreme Court has asked the central government and several state governments to respond to a petition about repeated mob lynchings and mob violence. The petition highlighted that, incidents of mob lynchings and cow vigilantism continue to happen in several states despite Supreme Court judgments. See in 2018, Supreme Court stated that, government machinery is wholly accountable for protecting the lives of victims in mob lynchings. But despite this judgment, the incidence of mob lynching is rising continuously. Because of this only, yesterday Supreme Court has asked the governments to respond to this petition about repeated lynchings and mob violence. This is all about the news. In this discussion, let us understand about mob lynchings and cow vigilantism and then we will see about 2018 Supreme Court judgment regarding this matter. Now first let us start with mob lynchings. Mob lynching refers to killing someone by aggressive crowd of people. See the mob kills a person based on the assumption that he is a criminal. Now the problem here is that, the mob kills a person based on mere assumption and there is no chance for legal trial. So an innocent person may also be killed by the crowd based on mere assumption. Now what is the reason for mob lynching in India? The first reason is intolerance. See some set of people in India are intolerant in accepting the acts of law. So they punish the alleged person themselves rather than relying on legal trial. The second reason for mob lynching is biases. As we all know, India is a diverse country with diversity in religion, caste, class and so on. Here arise the bias. See some people's mindset is oriented towards the religion or caste. So they don't tolerate another religion or caste. If any hatred arises then such people organize themselves and indulge in mob lynching. The third reason is lack of speedy justice. See in our country the courts are loaded with large number of cases. So it would take long years to get justice and it also undermines the efficient working of judicial system. Because of these reasons the people don't get afraid of judicial outcomes. So they take up the law in their hands and commit various offenses like lynchings. The final reason is inefficiency of police administration. As we all know the police officers plays an important role in protecting the life of people but there are no speedy investigative methods. Sometime it would take long time for police to complete an investigation. So such an ineffective investigation procedure does not create fear among the people who do mob violence. Because of this fact also the incidence of mob violence is rising day by day. Now coming to cow vigilantism. See cow vigilantism refers to lynching of an individual that is usually carried out in the names of cow protection. So why does cow vigilantism happen in India? In some states or parts of India cows are considered as sacked animals. In such states slaughter of cows or consumption of cow meat is prohibited or restricted by law. Here comes the cow vigilantes. Cow vigilantes refers to group of people who are committed to protect the cows. See in the areas where cows are considered as sacked animals the cow vigilantes volunteer themselves to monitor and enforce the laws related to protection of cows. This often results in violent activities like lynching and destruction of property. This is all about cow vigilantes. Now moving on to see about the 2018 Supreme Court judgment regarding mob lynching. See in 2018 a petition was filed against the mob lynchings by 3 individuals. The petition challenged the cow protection laws in 6 states such as Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. The petitioners wanted those 6 states to take necessary and instant actions against all cow protection groups who are involved in violence. They also wanted the states to take necessary steps to remove the violent content posted on social media by the cow protection groups. This is all about the petition. Now we will see about the Supreme Court's judgment. See the Supreme Court gave guidelines to take various measures like preventive, remedial and punitive measures regarding mob lynchings. Under the preventive measures Supreme Court asked the state governments to appoint a senior police officer. This police officer would act as a nodal officer in each district. He will hold regular meetings to identify any chances of mob lynching. Apart from this, the nodal officer should also take necessary steps to stop the spread of violent content on different social media platforms. And then the Supreme Court also gave the remedial measures. Under the remedial measures, the court advised that an FIR should be immediately lodged without any delay. Apart from this, it also directed to establish fast track codes to deal with the cases of mob lynching and mob violence. In addition to this, the Supreme Court also directed the government to take necessary steps to protect the identity of high witnesses regarding mob lynching. Now coming to the punitive measure, the Supreme Court said that if a police officer has failed to follow the directions of court regarding mob lynchings, then it means that the officer has acted out of deliberate negligence and misconduct. So the court said that such an act of negligence and misconduct must be punished by the government. Additionally, a departmental inquiry must be initiated against the individual. This is all about the 2018 Supreme Court judgment regarding mob lynching and mob violence. But the government is yet to follow these regulations and that's why Supreme Court has asked the government to take necessary steps. This is all about our discussion. Let us move to our next topic. Have a look at this article. Yesterday, heavy rains caused flooding in Munneru river and it overflowed on Vijayavada Hyderabad highway. This has cut off road transportation in Andhra Pradesh and trapped 48 villagers in the flash flood. The disaster management team quickly responded and rescued all the villagers. This is the crux of the news article. In this context, let us quickly go through National Disaster Response Force and State Disaster Response Force. Before we begin this discussion, let us know about this Munneru river which is in news. The Munneru river is a tributary of Krishna river and it flows in Andhra Pradesh state. It originates in Nallamala hills that is part of eastern gods. The river is prone to flooding especially during monsoon season. In recent years, Munneru river has been polluted by industrial effluents and agricultural runoff. Now, coming back to our discussion. Let's see about NDRF, National Disaster Response Force. NDRF is a specialized force under government of India to provide quick response to natural and manmade disasters. The NDRF was formed in 2006 under Disaster Management Act of 2005. The NDRF has been deployed to respond a number of disasters including floods, cyclones, earthquakes and terrorist attacks. Originally in 2006, NDRF has 8 battalions. At present, NDRF has a strength of 15 battalions. Of these 3 battalions, each from BSF and CRPF and 2 each from CASF, ITBP and SSB. Each battalion has specialized search and rescue teams including engineers, technicians, electricians, dog squads and paramedics. All 15 battalions have been equipped and trained to respond to all natural as well as manmade disasters. These battalions of NDRF are also trained and equipped for chemical, biological, radiological and also nuclear emergencies. Here in this image, you can see 16 different locations in country where the battalions are located. The locations are selected based on the vulnerability profile of the country and to cut down the response time for their deployment during disaster. Now let us see about the organizational setup. The apex body for disaster management in India is National Disaster Management Authority NDMA. The chairman of this NDMA is Prime Minister. NDRF functions under NDMA. The head of NDRF is designated as Director General. The Director Generals of NDRF are usually IPS Officers on Deputation from Indian Police Organizations. Now moving on to SDRF, State Disaster Response Force. See, as per the National Policy on Disaster Management 2009, the state governments are also required to raise their own SDRF for quick response to disasters. As for now, 24 states have raised their own SDRF. Similar to NDRF, these SDRF are also placed strategically at suitable locations. The SDRF are also involved in capacity building and awareness generation programs within the state. During these programs, SDRF can make themselves familiar with the terrain, critical buildings and other existing infrastructure. And simultaneously, they can work with the school children, village volunteers and other stakeholders on what to do during disasters. That's all about this topic. Let us move to our next discussion. Take a look at this article. According to the article, yesterday our Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on the G20 nations to work for ending the plastic pollution. While addressing the G20 Environment Minister's meeting, he referred to the small island states as large ocean countries. He also stressed the importance of responsible use and management of ocean resources. This is the crux of the article given here. In this context, let us quickly go through some of the measures taken by Indian government to curb the plastic pollution. First such measure is National Dashboard on Elimination of Single Use Plastic and Plastic Waste Management. India launched a nationwide awareness program on single use plastics. A mobile app for single use plastic grievance redressal was also launched to empower citizens on information about single use plastics. Secondly, certain changes were made to plastic waste management rules in 2022. The government has implemented EPR regulations, extended producer responsibility regulations for plastic manufacturers and businesses. This policy made them responsible for managing the plastic waste generated from their products including collection and recycling. The goal was to incentivize producers to use more sustainable and recyclable materials. This will establish a better waste management system. Thirdly, India Plastics Pact was officially launched at annual summit of Confederation of Indian Industry in 2021. This plastics pact is an ambitious and collaborative initiative to bring the stakeholders together to reduce, reuse and recycle the plastics within the materials value chain. Next important measure is ban on single use plastics. Indian government has imposed partial or complete ban on single use plastics in various cities and states. These bans aimed to reduce the consumption and disposal of items like plastic packs, straws, cups which were major contributors to plastic pollution. Finally, to spread awareness among masses, Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change launched the mascot called Prakrithi. That's all about this discussion. Let us move to the next topic. Look at this news Recently, a military coup happened in Niger. This was in news for several days, so we cannot miss this. In this discussion, we are going to see about Niger and what are the coups happening in that area and some important points about Sahel region. See, Niger is a landlocked country located in West Africa. It is bordered by 7 countries, Nigeria, Chad, Algeria, Libya, Benin, Burkina Faso and Mali. The capital of Niger is Niyame. Since 2020, many countries in West Africa are experiencing military coups, so this entire region is in conflict. In 2020, a coup happened in Mali, then it spread to Chad in 2021. Again in 2021, a military coup occurred in Guinea. Last year, a military coup happened in Burkina Faso. In addition to these successful coups, there has also been several failed coup attempts in West African countries since 2020. So the region is declining in democracy and is in constant conflict due to presence of several extremist and terrorist organizations. Niger is predominantly covered by Sahara desert and it also has Savannah grasslands. Niger River, one of the country's major water sources, flows through it. Niger faces security challenges due to presence of extremist groups linked to Al-Gaeda and Islamic State that are operating in Sahel region. Here, Sahel is one of the important regional names that we should study for Prelims exam. In previous year problems, UPSC has asked about the term Levant. This Levant refers to geographical area of eastern Mediterranean region. Likewise, Sahel is a transitional zone between Sahara desert and Savannah grasslands of Central Africa. The region stretches from Atlantic coast to Red Sea coast. So below the Sahara desert lies this region called Sahel. It extends for about 11 African countries. This is all about this discussion. Let us move to the next topic. Take a look at this article. Recently, there has been a news about Union government going to set up 16th finance commission by November this year. It is in this context the editorial is written. It is written by Mr. C. Rangarajan and Mr. D. K. Srivastava. As you all know, Rangarajan is a former governor of RBI and Srivastava served as a member of 12th finance commission. Through this editorial, two authors give various suggestions that can be taken into consideration for upcoming 16th finance commission. So in our discussion today, let us see about the basics of finance commission and also some points mentioned in the editorial. Before getting into the discussion, I have highlighted the syllabus regarding this discussion. You can go through it. Let us start with the basics. So first we will cover about the finance commission. A finance commission is constituted every five years by the president under article 280 of the constitution. This means it is a constitutional body. Besides this, it is also a quasi-judicial body. The main purpose of this body is to give recommendations on distribution of tax revenues. The commission basically determines the method and formula for distributing the tax proceeds between the center and the state. The finance commission also decides the share of taxes and grants to be given to local bodies in the states. Now we shall take a look at the composition of the commission. The finance commission has a chairman and four members, they are appointed by president. The members and the chairman serve for a length of time as determined by the president. Also note that they have a chance to be reappointed again. Now we shall see what are the main functions of the finance commission. According to article 280, the finance commission make recommendations to president on the distribution of net proceeds of tax which are to be divided between union and the states. The finance commission also make recommendations to the president on the allocation of net proceeds of tax between states that is between state governments. And secondly, finance commission gives suggestions regarding principles which should govern the grants in aid for the states out of consolidated fund of India. Thirdly, finance commission will also consider any other subject that the president refers to the panel in the interest of sound financial management. These are some of the important functions of finance commission. Here another important thing you have to note is the recommendations made by finance commission are only advisory in nature, they are not binding on the government, right? It is up to the government to implement its recommendations on granting money to the states. To put it in simple words, it is nowhere laid in the constitution that the recommendations of the commission are binding on government of India. These are some of the basic points you need to know about finance commission. Now coming back to the editorial, like I already mentioned, today's editorial is like a guide to 16th finance commission which is going to be set up in near future. So now let us see the important points mentioned in the editorial. The first important point is the share of taxes from the divisive tax pool. Here the divisive pool is the portion of gross tax revenue of the center which is distributed between center and the states. From tax, corporate tax, customs, duty, CGST, IGST are the part of divisive tax pool. The amount is shared between the center and the state based on the recommendations of finance commission. The 14th finance commission raised the share of states in divisive tax pool of central taxes to 42% from 32%. Then 15th finance commission reduced it a little bit. The 15th finance commission kept the share of taxes in divisive pool at 41%. Also the 15th finance commission argued that the reduction in share is due to Jammu and Kashmir losing its statehood. Now coming to 16th finance commission, the authors of the editorial state that the share should not be increased any further. This is because the financial condition of central government is not very good. The second suggestion is regarding the issues of SIS and surcharge. See the SIS and surcharge are not part of central divisive tax pool. The SIS and surcharge are collected and appropriated by the central government only. It need not to be shared with the states. For couple of years, the share of SIS and surcharge in the center's tax revenue has been increasing. It was 12.8% during 2015 to 2016 and it increased to 18.5% during 2021 and 2023. The authors feels that this increase is a worrying trend because an increase in share of SIS and surcharge decreases the amount in divisive tax pool. So the authors suggest placing the upper limit to share of SIS and surcharge as a percentage of central gross tax revenue. The authors suggest that the upper limit to be 10%. They also suggest that if the share of SIS and surcharge crosses the upper limit of 10%, then the vertical devolution between the center and state must be increased to 42%. These are the suggestions provided by the authors regarding SIS and surcharge. The next one is regarding GST. GST collections have maintained good buoyancy in last two years. Here the buoyancy refers to responsiveness in tax collection. The authors feels that even though GST collection has remained buoyant, the GST must be further simplified and restricted to reduce compliance burden. The next suggestion is regarding horizontal devolution. As I mentioned earlier, the Finance Commission gives recommendations regarding how the funds should be allocated between the states. Every Finance Commission gives different criteria to determine the fund collection for individual states. Here I have displayed the criteria by 15th and 14th Finance Commission. Here if you notice the income distance which carries the most weightage in both 14th and 15th Finance Commissions. Here the income criteria is a measure of relative backwardness of a state in terms of economic development. As the income distance has the highest weightage, poor states receive higher share from the center. Many of the richer states have argued for lowering this weightage so that they can get more funds. But the authors of the article suggested that the income distance must be maintained at current level. In addition to this, they also suggest that more funds should be given to poor states as a grants from the center. This will help India in long run as a poorer states will contribute relatively higher to India's demographic dividend in the future. The next suggestion of article is regarding the rationalization of criteria for horizontal allocation. Currently, the horizontal devolution is guided by various criteria like population, area, demographic performance, income distance, forest ecology and tax effort. This feels that it must be simplified and criteria should be limited to population, area and income distance. But this must be supplemented by a suitable scheme of grants. The authors also feel that the equalization principles in fund allocation must be followed to bring in equity. Here the equalization principle is the act of redistributing funds from wealthier governments to poorer governments in order to bring equity. The next suggestion is regarding the increase in debt to GDP ratio of center and states. The debt to GDP ratio for combined account of central and state governments was 89.8% in 2021 of which center's share was 58.7% and state's share was 31%. This is not in accordance with physical responsibility and budget management norms that is FRBM norms. According to FRBM 2018 amendment, the center's share should be within 40% and state's debt to share should be within 20%. But the current shares exceeds this limit as prescribed by FRBM Act. To address this issue and reduce the debt to burden of center and states, the authors of this article suggest setting up a loan council. This loan council was recommended by 12th finance commission. It is an independent body that would look after the debt to burden and financial profiles of center and state governments. The loan council will also provide suggestions about reducing the debt and limiting the non-merit subsidies. Lastly, the authors suggest that the steps should be taken by 16th finance commission to reduce the physical debt of the states. In this discussion, we saw the basics about finance commission and we also saw suggestions made by these authors regarding upcoming finance commission. This is all about this discussion. Let us move towards the next part of our discussion. Look at this article. It is about the ongoing climate crisis. In our discussion, we will see about important points mentioned in the article. United Nations Secretary General Antony Guterres recently mentioned that the world has moved from era of global warming to the era of global boiling. He mentioned this because this July is said to become the hottest month in last 12,000 years. According to world meteorological organization, the average July temperature so far reached 16.95 Celsius, which is 0.2 Celsius warmer than 2019.  Now let us see some impacts mentioned in the article. Firstly, the global temperatures are increasing. The ocean temperature is also on the rise. This has resulted in La Nina conditions turning into El Nino in Pacific Ocean. Secondly, the temperature in northwest China reached 52 degrees Celsius. The United States southwest also experienced some high temperatures this year. Then there were forest fires in Spain and Greece. In India, particularly in northern and northwestern region, there were floods this year. All these are direct result of increasing global temperatures. According to Mr. Guterres, if the world nations did not take immediate action, the global temperature would rise to more than 1.5 degrees Celsius. This could create future climate catastrophe. The United Nations mentioned that the developed countries should be more ambitious with the emission cuts to achieve the needed climate change goals. And finally, as India marches on to become the third largest economy, India must also have greater responsibility in greenhouse gas mitigation. This will also help in controlling the overall global warming of the world. This is all regarding this discussion. Let us move on to our next part of discussion. Take a look at this Pralim's practice question. The statement 1 is incorrect because the primary responsibility of disaster management lies with the states. The central government only supports the efforts of state governments by providing logistical and financial support. The statement 2 is correct because the nodal ministry for management of natural disasters is Ministry of Home Affairs. Look at the third statement. This statement is incorrect because the chairman of NDMA is prime minister as we have seen in the discussion. So the correct answer is option A, only one. Now moving on to our next Pralim's question. Which of the following project was launched by KVIC to make carry bags by mixing processed and treated plastic waste with cotton fiber racks? The correct answer is D, replant. Replant stands for reducing plastic in nature. In this project, plastic waste is collected and treated into new material. And this is mixed with the cotton fiber racks and processed into carry bags. So the answer is replant. Moving on to our next practice question. Consider the following statements. Kyoto Protocol, Montreal Protocol and Paris Agreements aims to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. This statement is incorrect because the Montreal Protocol was established to face out the substances that cause ozone depletion. See the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement deals with the reduction of greenhouse gas. So this statement is incorrect. Now the second statement. This statement is correct because this is the aim of Paris Agreement. It is to reduce the global greenhouse gas emissions within 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. So the correct answer is 2 only. This is the quiz question for today. Try to answer it and post the answer in comment section. Now moving on to the mainst practice questions. Displayed here are the mainst questions for today. Try to write the answer and post it in the comment section. We have come to the end of our discussion. If you like the video, please share it with your friends and don't forget to subscribe to Shankar Ayes YouTube channel. Thank you.


Whenever I stand here, I experience a sense of homecoming. Preeta, I'm really excited to see a galaxy of celebrated scholars and the patrons and promoters of Jainism in Great Vita. My subject is a serious subject. I'm going to speak on the art of death. While Ravishankar Guruji is speaking about the art of living, here is a paradox when the ancient Jain Acharyas have contemplated on the art of dying. Recently, it so happened, it is in 2015, last year, that the High Court of Rajasthan, when a client approached, has given the verdict that, post the judgment, that Santara is suicide and it is not permitted. Well, the entire Jain community, irrespective of sectarian differences, stood united and approached the Supreme Court of India. Well, the High Court judgment stands not cancelled. Now the status quo is there and with this in the background, a lot of discussion is going on on Santara or Salle Khana, whether it is a euthanasia or a suicide. Well, I'm going to discuss about that. Before that, I should draw to your kind notice one more factor. This is about how in Mumbai, an incident is very interesting. Well, my paper is printed, it is distributed and those who do not have the copies, I request them, the copies are kept outside on the table while going back, those who have taken, can take one more Please, you are free to take a copy of that as complimentary. The relevance of a talk on Santara or Salle Khana is of greater significance and needs no exaggeration since a debate on euthanasia is now of global interest. The article 21 of Indian Constitution states about the right to live with dignity and the debate is whether it also includes the right to die. The question is whether patients who are terminally ill and beyond the scope of medical revival be allowed to die with dignity. The case in reference that necessitated the legislation was that of nurse Aruna Shanbog, please listen to this, a nurse Aruna Shanbog who lay in a vegetative state in Mumbai hospital for an unbelievable prolonged period of 42 years between 1973 and 2015. Obviously, wise counselling thought it appropriate to avoid cruel and unwanted treatment. In fact, the Supreme Court of India, in its landmark verdict of 2011 after matured consideration had laid down a broad legal framework though has laid down a legal framework, a very broad legal framework though it did not back up active euthanasia such as injecting a patient with a lethal substance to put an end to patients a prolonged and a terrible suffering. The Supreme Court being aware and cautious allowed passive euthanasia that's withdrawal of life support but made it mandatory that every instance should get the approval of high court bench based on constitution with a panel of medical experts. Now, the Union government of India has informed a constitution bench of the Supreme Court stating its experts are examining a draft bill proposed by the law commission in its 241st report since the matter is pending before the court the law ministry has advised to hold back its enactment. Well, with this in background, we are all aware and most of you are very familiar with the Sanskrit quotations Jatasya Maranam Dhruva that is inevitable and Yamasya Karunam Nasti in the dictionary of Hema there is no word like concession he does not make any difference between the young and old man and woman nothing like that so death is a common subject, a global subject and let me illustrate with three or four examples as to how different countries have approached the death and hierarchical and chronological in the chronological order I would cite some three or four examples when Alexander the Great was on the verge of death and he instructed his office bearers that his dead body should be carried by doctors for doctors and then while being buried his hand should be kept outside well, the council of ministers asked him what's the reason? He said, I, not I, Alexander the Great well, I, being the emperor and paraphernalia the troop of ministers, generals so many wise doctors and they are all there in spite of that nobody could save me nobody could save me from death, from the jaws of death so let the world know and those who are under the impression doctors can postpone death that doctors also cannot save from the inevitable death and then the council of ministers asked why should, the hand should be kept out well, I had so much the entire empire was done, lot of wealth, my treasury was there but in spite of that when I left this world I did not take anything with me, I went bare handed this lesson the world should know like that he, Alexander the Great that is his approach to the death and then let me quote an instance from Shakespeare's Hamlet, the graveyard the worker was, he was digging the grave for one of the person who had died there and the corpse was to come and then Prince Hamlet was passing by the side of the same graveyard and he felt he wanted to know who has died therefore he asked the grave digger for what when you are digging this grave and without even lifting his head that worker said for no man sir then Hamlet felt that some lady must have died then he asked one more question then for what woman you are digging this grave he again simply said for no woman sir well Hamlet was a bit angry then for what thing you are digging this grave he said it's for a dead body sir well that's the Shakespeare's he has also written a sonnet come away, come away death take away, take away breath like that, that's a different thing and then when people become old many of us are like that in fact I should have been included in the previous session where it was an elder's session Professor Shah, Professor Jain I would have written very appropriately in that because with all our shining head we would have and well I just quote a Urdu shiree a couplet from Urdu, I'm not receding I'm not that familiar with Urdu but I will give the meaning, it's very interesting an old man he said when I was young women used to go around me even my perspiration I never used to apply perfume so attar, scent but even they used to come and meet me now I have become old even in spite of applying the perfume scent nobody comes near me that's the feeling when the death is approaching how we react to the reality that's one thing, considering all these aspects one of the famous which can also be considered as a canonical text the Aradanar text is very popular and it has many more names it is Aradanar of Sivarya he was a Pani Dalaboi he used to take his food in their palm and that means maybe Nirgrant naked Digambara monk but it is said that he belonged to the apaniya sect of second century of the current era Bhagavadana is also known as Bhrugadharadana Bhagavati Aradana Mool Aradana it is in Prakrit consists of about 2006 and the Gathas and then he has classified the variety of death he explains 17 varieties of death and ultimately he puts it in 5 varieties that is the Bala Bala Marana Bala Marana Bala Panditha Marana Panditha Panditha Marana that's the highest Bala Marana is committing suicide for one is disgusted or disappointed for various reasons many many are disappointed throughout centuries that's the history of the mankind and committing suicide like that it is Bala Bala Marana like that he goes on explaining the ideal death the highest death is Panditha Panditha Marana and who attains that Panditha Panditha Marana since it runs to 16 pages if I read it it will take only 2 hours since it is 30 minutes have been allotted to me to every one of us I want to say 5 5 minutes I will conclude it in 25 minutes therefore I am just keeping several pages here and there I am reading most interesting pages not like that because the whole text is interesting well the Aradhana text prescribes both nature of stories to be told to the aspirant who is willing to accept the Santara or Salekhana I am going to give more details about the usage of the technical words what does it mean what is the difference like that and how this the Santara or Salekhana is different from euthanasia and suicide suicide is well the Aradhana text prescribes both nature of stories to be told to the aspirant when the aspirant accepts the O of Santara observing well when once he accepts there is no question of going back to keep him in good mood the Apakacharya and his disciples they go on narrating stories stories of those monks who accepted earlier the similar Vrata or Salekhana or Santara but so boldly they faced it and whatever Svarga or Sarvartasiddhi attained because of observing and following that Santara all those details are narrated so that to keep in good mood and not giving room for him to go back and then the selected and illustrative narratives extoll and confirm that death by Santara is neither suicide nor euthanasia person who commits suicide does it in haste and all of a sudden without being noticed by others in secret there are many ways of committing suicide by consuming poison or by hanging or by drowning or by many other methods nobody encourages or appreciates the act of committing suicide but he who seeks Salekhana does not do it in haste he is cool and composed he does not do it in secret it has a methodical process people encourage and appreciate there are different ways and the only prescribed path is fasting these differences confirm that Santara is neither euthanasia nor suicide mental state circumstances leading to death the mode of committing the act materially employed or instruments used to die etc etc are different in the acts of suicide and Santara suicide is devoid of richest conduct and it is not a vratha whereas Salekhana is a vratha a vow a methodical process enjoined with the disciplined code of conduct pujipada acharya has clarified that Salekhana is neither atma vada suicide nor himsa violence contemplating on the nobility, dignity and sanctity of the vow he accepts it on his own and not out of someone's instigation or force without any love hatred or anger and without using poison or deadly instruments the aspirant happily submits himself to perform the vow and nobody compels him this is from Sarvarta Siddhi it is to be underlined that Santara is Tapa finance a Sarhana spiritual exercise an Aradhana worship Samyama control of fashion and Sambhama extreme joy the aspirant will harbor no violence he experiences Santrupti complete satisfaction and feels a sense of Santushti gratified these are all completely absent in the act of suicide in Jainism there is no room for suicide in the code of conduct prescribed for the recluse and householder committing suicide is a greater sin for the matter Jainism does not favor the system of observing Sati a wife performing self-immolation on the pyre along with her husband's dead body there is certain difference between self-immolation and Santara the wife after the death of her husband being secured a sense of orphanage distress fear of helplessness haunts her to get rid of possible trouble and turmoil she opts for Sati or self-immolation contrary by accepting and observing Santara one feels secured and elevated it is believed that such a death to a better rebirth and the soul leaving one body and assuming another body moves towards the state of sammam bonam the body and the soul are different the former is transient whereas the latter is permanent the body differs from man to man and human but the soul is similar in all living beings since all souls are equal there is no qualitative difference the soul has no caste class gender, nationality or race the path to eternal bliss is to become Vitaraga enlightened detachment each and every one desires to live therefore the soul is more important and hence it deserves more importance hence aspirants aspire for death in the holy manner prescribed by early masters the technical terminology need not confuses the words Santara Salekhana Sannyasana are all synonymous the words Santara and Salekhana are sectarian or regional variants in the sense the former is more employed in the northern that is in the Shwetambara tradition and texts where as the latter is frequently used in the southern text the etymological meaning of the word Santara is grass while observing the woe of death the aspirant will sleep on stock of dry grass this method of sleeping on grass and attaining Pandita Marana is called Santara we may recall the story of Ananda an ideal lay disciple of Mahavira who took the woe of himself without getting administered by a monk teacher Upasaka he renounced his family reached the fasting hall spread the bed of grass and slept on it he fasted for long and consequently became extremely thin according to Sivadja, Salekhana means simultaneously thinning out both the inner passions and the outer body Sivadja states to give up all juicy food which enrich physical strength and thus become weak is exterior Santara it includes Anasana Avomodarya Agha, Vrttipari Sankhya Kaya, Klesha and Vivitashayasana having realized that body and soul are separate the aspirant gradually will give up Khadya, Swadya, Lehiya hard food then soft food then milk juice and hot water and finally stops all intake of any type of food he remains nirahari completely abstaining from food the Pandita Pandita Marana is also one more synonym suggesting that it is the excellent mode of death preferred by the wise and matured the prakrit word Santarapayana deals with the topic of religious death and cites examples of Samara, Chanakya and Subandhya etc similarly the Marana Samahi another prakrit word also deals with Samadhi Marana death while in Dharmadhyana sacred meditation is frequently referred to as Samadhi Marana the word Salehana is a prakrit word equivalent to Sanskrit Salekhana the Marana or death by the Goa of Salekhana is technically described as Samadhi Marana death while in meditation in Kannada language the word Mudipu and in Telugu language Mudinja or Tulu language Mudinja and in Tamil or equivalent Dravidian words to Sanskrit Salekhana the words Mudipu and you have just 5 more minutes ok ok ok well, I would just read the last lines and conclude the ideal place for practicing Salehana or Jinalaya or temple premises Siddhakshetra on the top of similar hills of liberated souls and near tanks containing lotus pond however, willing aspirants can observe the wo Sagihe Jinalaya in their house or temple premises or on the top of the hill the Chikkabetta small hill, Olimchandragiri or Kalvapur Shauna Belgula and the Kopanadri hill they are all sepulchral hills well thank you very much Shasanaam Shasanaam Jinnaguna Sampatti Hovumajjam thank you


that's that's not true at all and we well myself and Ben you know who Ben is right yeah yeah yeah like we work with some very very successful coaches who have their own business and they make a lot of money and so you can do this full-time and you can make a living from this and but it always just depends on yourself are you willing to learn are you willing to make a commitment to it and and are you willing to see out the process because sometimes you're gonna have moments where everything's gonna go great other times you're gonna have moments where clients leave you or you can't find clients especially when you're at the start of business and you're trying to get your first client but everyone keeps saying no to you you know do you are you the what are you the one that quits or are you the one that continues to pursue the dream yeah and so you can make a living doing this and but it's it's your mindset you know your mindset is really important in business well and in coaching right because when you coach players you're coaching them to be strong to be more confident to keep going through adversity you know businesses is exactly the same there's ups and downs there's really good times they've really bad times but keep going


In this video, we will look at determining the center and radius of a circle and we'll consider the example 2x squared plus 2y squared plus 24x plus 12y plus 40 equals 0. Notice that this circle is given to us in general form and if we can convert to standard form, we can determine the center and radius. Recall that our standard form is x minus h squared plus y minus k squared equals r squared where hk is our center and r is the radius of the circle. And so now again, we want to write in this form, we know we want to end up with x plus or minus some numbers squared. And so if we think about multiplying that out, we'd have x plus n times x plus n which is x squared plus 2nx plus n squared. And so we want to get the x terms of our circle in this form x squared plus 2 times some number times x plus that same number squared. And so let's look at this. To start with, notice that we have a 2 in front of our x squared.  We want to remove that to get into this goal form. And so we're going to divide all terms by 2. When we divide by 2, we end up with x squared plus y squared plus 12x plus 6y plus 20. And we're going to rearrange this so that our x is together so we have x squared plus 12x. We rearrange so we have our y's together, y squared plus 6y. And we move the 20 to the other side which makes it negative 20. The next piece of the form we want to have is that 2nx. Notice that the number in front of x is 12. And so for us, we want that to be set equal to 2n. That's twice our number that we're looking for. And for our y value, we're looking at the number in front of y which is 6 which is our 2n value for y. And in our form, we have again x squared plus 2nx plus n squared. We need to find out what n squared is. Well, if 2n is 12 for x, we know that n is 6. And n squared would be 36. For y, we have that 2n is 6. And so n being half of that would be 3. And n squared 3 squared is 9. We want to add 36 to both sides of the equation to get our perfect square trinomial for x's. And we want to add the 9 to both sides of the equation for the y's. We now are going to factor. We have x squared plus 12x plus 36 and y squared plus 6y plus 9. And we're going to factor each of those independently. And then we add the constants on the right side of the equation. So we'd add the negative 20 to 36 to the 9. When we factor x squared plus 12x plus 36, we get x plus 6 times x plus 6 or x plus 6 squared. And for y, we'd have y plus 3 squared. And we add our three terms to get 25. And so now our center is going to be negative 6, negative 3. We're pulling out the h and k values from r. And the radius of our circle, square root of 25, is 5.


Hi, and welcome to the session. I am Deepika here. Let's discuss the question. Find the intervals in which the following function is strictly increasing or decreasing. 6 minus 9x minus x square. We know that a function is strictly increasing on an open interval where its derivative is positive and a function is strictly decreasing on an open interval where its derivative is negative. So let's start the solution. Given function is 6 minus 9x minus x square. Therefore, aft dash x is equal to minus 9 minus 2x. Now, aft dash x is equal to 0 implies x is equal to minus 9 by 2. Hence, x is equal to minus 9 by 2 divides the real line into two disjoint intervals. They are minus infinity to minus 9 by 2 and minus 9 by 2 to infinity.   Hence, the answer for the above question is function is strictly increasing for x less than minus 9 by 2 and strictly decreasing for x greater than minus 9 by 2. So, this is the answer for the above question. I hope the question is clear to you. Bye and take care.


Item No. SCP-2086 Object Class Keter Special Container Procedures News reports in all major towns and cities are to be monitored for missing persons that had recently irregularly used public transport. Agents are to be dispatched to high-threat regions on a semi-regular basis. All recently discovered SCP-2086 colonies are to be condemned and demolished with chemical explosives. Standard media suppression tactics are to be applied during this entire procedure. As of this writing, five specimens of SCP-2086 are in Foundation custody. All specimens are stored in what had previously been an aircraft hangar. Because of their short life spans and high reproduction rates, the number of SCP-2086 instances in Foundation custody shifts regularly. Terminated specimens formerly in Foundation custody are to be moved to a specialized cold storage container at site ██ for study. Description SCP-2086 is a species of arthropod that resembles various makes, models, and brandings of public transport vehicles, typically buses. Mature SCP-2086 instances weigh approximately 17,000 kg, although this number can vary greatly. Juveniles typically weigh less than 200 kg. A newborn specimen of SCP-2086 can be expected to grow to full size within one week. On average, SCP-2086 specimens live 12 to 15 days, with females producing up to 20 offspring after reaching reproduction age at approximately 8 days. Mature instances of SCP-2086 do not feed, instead living off of nutrients consumed as juveniles. However, only mature instances of SCP-2086 display foraging behaviors. In foraging, SCP-2086 are almost indistinguishable from standard automobiles, although closer examination revealed to steel, wood, plastic, and glass to be a specialized form of chitin. Vital organs such as the heart, brain, and stomach are stored beneath the flooring of SCP-2086's inner chamber. A human corpse, preserved in a shellic-like substance, typically serves as a decoy driver of wild SCP-2086 instances. Fibers appendages protrude into the corpse. SCP-2086 instances use these fibers to manipulate the corpse, providing a more lifelike appearance. SCP-2086 instances can unravel the roofs and the wings that are capable of lifting the entire organism in flight, which is their standard method of local motion when not foraging. In addition, the wheels can unravel into long gray or black legs while the headlights appear to serve as bioluminescent optical organs. Fibers appendages of SCP-2086 instances are abnormally apt at fine manipulation when compared to other species of arthropod. Specimens have been observed building crude shelters with the materials located at their nesting grounds. SCP-2086 typically nests in abandoned junk and scrapyards. Juvenile instances in the wild have been observed removing bus stop signposts and relocating them, typically in a route that leads back to the local colony. Several civilian observations of SCP-2086 instances engaging in its activity is minimized due to the significantly smaller size of juvenile specimens. The mature instances of SCP-2086 will drive along the route laid by the juveniles, picking up human passengers. Once a significant number of humans board an instance of SCP-2086, the organism will release a substance similar to chloroform to incapacitate its prey. Upon returning to the colony, juvenile SCP-2086 instances will enter the mature instances' internal chamber. Each passenger is then forcibly removed from the mature instance by a juvenile. The juvenile SCP-2086 instances will proceed to force the human through a sphincter located under their hood, linking to where the steering wheel and driver seat is typically located in mature specimens. Once consumed, hair-like appendages attached to the driver seat will pierce the trapped human's body. These appendages serve as feeding tubes draining blood from the prey. Once the prey has been drained of blood, the feeding tubes will begin to secrete a saline solution into the corpse. The internal compartment will then begin to fill with a shell-like-like substance, preserving the corpse.


Kim Zoltak is arguing back at her estranged husband, Kroy Bierman, stating his latest divorce request is a sham, and she wants to get it tossed, mainly because they're still hooking up like a lot. According to court documents, the former Real Housewives of Atlanta star says she's been repeatedly sleeping with Kroy ever since he filed for divorce from her, for the second time that is, in late summer 2023. So as of September, the pair was still fooling around, and not to mention the fact that Kim and Kroy still live under the same roof. The estranged couple shares a gorgeous mansion in El Faredo, Georgia, which boasts a nearly 7,000 square foot main house, along with epic amenities like a Hollywood room, an elevator, a hair salon, and much more. However, not only is Kim and Kroy's marriage seemingly riddled with drama, so is their real estate. This stunning property they call home has been the subject of foreclosure rumors since 2014, but it seems that they've managed to hang onto it. It's unsure if their marriage will be so lucky though, considering Kroy has reportedly filed for divorce twice, most recently on August 24th. He claims that Kim's gambling issues have led them to financial demise, and he can't handle any more. In March 2023, after some of the foreclosure rumors were still taking place, Kim Zolchuk decided to take her Instagram followers on a tour of her mansion in her stories. The Georgia mansion was supposedly set to be auctioned off last in February 2023, but Kim and her estranged husband, Kroy Bierman, defaulted on a $1.65 million loan, according to a notice issued by Fulton County. It was also confirmed by a source that the Bravo star took needed actions to clear any of this up, thus keeping their mansion. When Kim took her followers on a tour of her abode, she showed off a games room that looked like a throwback to the 90s, bolstering a neon pink, green, and yellow paint splatter-styled carpet. On one wall here, there was a pair of the 1994 car racing arcade game Cruise and World, which Kim is a self-proclaimed queen of. Elsewhere, there was an air hockey table, foosball table, and multiple other standing arcade games. Next, Kim tours the Man Cave bathroom where she has wallpaper with silver trees made of glass beads. Her IG tour further showcased the home movie theater and rooms full of clothing and shoes belonging to her and her kids, of course. There was an overflow of shoes, bags, hoodies, and more, hundreds of items hanging up too, many with the price tags still on them. This tour came weeks after the foreclosure was resolved, with Kim insisting that it was all a misunderstanding with the bank. She previously denied reports that their property was in foreclosure with a video posted on her IG story in November 2022, stating, Okay you guys, my house has not sold for $257,000.  For real. In 2012, Kim and Croy purchased their six by Dramachen for only $880,000 in Alpharetta, Georgia. Built in 2008, the 17,000 square foot estate features a majestic 6,907 square foot main property. Shortly after, the reality TV star moved into what would become her dream home and quickly took to gushing about the Lux residence that featured not only a home movie theater but a fully stocked gym, spa, basketball court, and man cave for her now estranged hubby. Located in the Manor Golf & Country Club right by the 18th hole near a lake, Kim's one-of-a-kind home includes a sprawling kitchen with wooden floors, marble countertops, and a huge stove complimented by some fancy wallpaper. The open-plan layout of the home also leads to a gigantic living room with dark furniture, wooden beam ceilings, a wet bar, and lots of wood panels. Meanwhile, another room on the ground floor is used as a study and includes a lavish throne-like armchair that's been placed next to dark wood cabinets as well as a grand fireplace. And if that isn't grand enough for you, how about this self-portrait of Kim hanging in a place of honor above the fireplace? Elsewhere, Kim's home features a space nicknamed the Candy Cane Room that not only boasts a red and white striped couch but a glamorous crystal chandelier hanging directly above it. As nice as that room looks, it's mainly not quite as glam as Kim's incredible dining room that not only comes with bling on the chairs and drapes, but some ultra-rare Versace china. It's just too bad Kim never gets around to using it. Then, in the central foyer of her home, there's a massive staircase that Kim likes to pose next to in a cream-colored chair that sits at the bottom of the steps. Speaking of steps, if you're not really feeling up to those, you could always hop on the home's elevator, although Kim apparently only likes to use it for a different kind of ride. All those amazing features and I haven't even touched upon her favorite parts yet, so let's check out those next. During a live tour of her home shortly after buying it, Kim revealed that her entertainment room, aka the Hollywood Room, is her favorite spot in the entire place. For the most part, this space acts as Kim's daughter's TV room where they often hang out with their friends, but it's also the perfect spot for Kim to chill out by herself on either the large wrap-around white sofa or those comfy cushions placed in front of the mounted TV. And if she's ever looking for a little peace and quiet, Kim can escape to her backyard, which includes an in-ground pool as well as a relaxing hot tub that she keeps at precisely the right temperature.  As mentioned though, Kim and Croy's finances haven't been doing all that hot lately. For starters, Croy was accused of owing his former NFL agent $22,000 in unpaid fees in October 2020. He even once admitted to losing $250,000 while gambling in the Bahamas. Then, when the Paris TV show was canceled, things really hit the fan. Following the cancellation of their show, Don't Be Tardy, reports would surface all around the internet that Kim had been forced to auction off her multi-million dollar home for $257,000, which is the same tale that Kim would ultimately deny. There is a report from Page Six which noted that while Kim's house did indeed face foreclosure in 2014, the family settled that debt. After that though, Kim and Croy also took out a $300,000 loan to finish renovating their home. And according to multiple sources, it's now this loan that caused the family foreclosure issues in 2022. Currently, with the latest divorce attempt, it's also said that Croy has filed to put he and his estranged wife's Georgia mansion on the market, hoping to sell quickly. Ehrman's lawyer said at the end of August 2023, he is asking that the court order the house to be placed on the market, and hopefully sold immediately. If the court orders it, then the court can enforce the order, just taking control out of the hands of the parties, and this is exactly what needs to be done at this point. When Kim and Croy filed for divorce for the first time in May, a source claimed their split was a result of their financial issues. That same month, TMZ reported the couple owed more than $1.1 million in unpaid taxes. The source said the financial burdens have been a strain on their relationship. Between the tax debt and other financial stresses, it's been difficult. The tax debt was a straw that broke the camel's back in their marriage.  But before we go, answer this question for me. Would you be able to live under the same roof as your estranged partner, or would you prefer one of you just leaves to live elsewhere? Let me know in the comments, and don't forget to like, subscribe, and follow me on Instagram to chat. Thanks for watching, I'm Kara The Vampire Slayer, and I'll see you all in another video. Bye!


A partnership project between the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe and the Rural Renewable Energy Alliance has won the 2018 Environmental Initiative Award for Clean Energy Efforts. After five solar arrays were designed and installed at the Leech Lake Tribal College, it is now the first 100% low-income community solar array in Minnesota and on tribal lands. The power generator will go to offset bills for local families through the Energy Assistance Program. This benefits them greatly and we're just so happy that it's here on the campus and our students participated with the professionals at Rural so they get training, they get to help their own community members and it's just been a wonderful project. The Environmental Initiative has awarded this partnership for their clean energy efforts. The group is one of five throughout the state of Minnesota to win the 2018 Environmental Initiative Award for Energy and Climate. It's really great to get recognized and to spread the word about what we're doing because our goal is to replicate this throughout the U.S. so more low-income families can be served. So it's a really great project and it's great to share the story with everyone. The Environmental Initiative Project Awards will be presented on May 23rd in Minneapolis. If you enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland PBS.