Have you ever heard of virtual autism? It’s a concern emerging among children who spend an excessive amount of time in front a screen. Its symptoms include hyperactivity, attention deficiency, lack of interest in non-digital games, delay in speech, reluctance in interaction, irritability, mood swings, and difficulty in learning anything new. Virtual autism is not a diagnosis like Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) but a term encompassing symptoms that resemble ASD. However, the sooner kids move away from screens and become active in the real world, positive changes are visible.

Farmers in India face huge challenges in selling their crops profitably. So, they are demanding that the government should guarantee a Minimum Support Price (MSP) on all 23 crops that it provides for. MSP is the rate at which the government buys crops from farmers no matter what the crop’s prices prevail in the market. This assures an income to the farmers and offers them security. That is why they want that a legal guarantee should be provided for MSP.

Waste segregation is mandated in several states in India. But most of the plastic waste ends up in landfills instead of being recycled as barely 30 per cent of it is sorted correctly. Hence, the need of the hour is to educate people about segregating, composting, and recycling waste through aggressive awareness programs by community and self-help groups. So, don’t be a foolish donkey and dispose of your waste properly. 

Eat Healthy. Breathe Healthy. Stay...

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Zillions of vehicles are emitting a cocktail of poisonous gases. Industries spewing forth more of it. Burning crops, waste dumps on fire, construction and demolition dust, Diwali firecrackers... Winter is here with a host of triggers for a variety of ailments. Add to it, the gastronomic indulgence that the festive season occasions, a time when adulterated food assumes a particularly menacing appearance. The question is, will the Jawan in all of us be able to deal with this double jeopardy?

In the past 123 years, the warmest February of our country was in 2023. A little later, Biparjoy became the most long-lasting cyclone of our last half-century. Currently, Delhi has recorded the highest rainfall in four decades. Flash floods, landslides, and extreme weather events are wreaking havoc across the country. India's battle with natural disasters is reaching alarming proportions. As all this fury becomes the new normal, experts attribute it to the escalating levels of climate crisis and global warming.

Many of us love pets, especially dogs. But do you know that over the last five years, they have killed more than 300 people, mostly poor and rural children? Over 20,000 rabies deaths have been caused by homeless dogs and more than 30 endangered species have been hunted by them in the wild. The human-animal conflict between people and stray dogs in India has reached an alarming level. So, the next time you venture outdoors, please take care of yourself!