BE N N E T T, C OL E M A N & C O. LT D. | E S TA BLI S H E D 183 8 | T IM E S OF IN DI A .

C OM | N E W DE L HI

STUDENT EDITION
➤ Did you know ➤ An educationist charts ➤ La Liga: Villarreal
TODAY’S Shakespeare gave us 1,000 out how perseverance can beat Getafe as Gerard
MONDAY, APRIL 18, 2022
Newspaper in

EDITION
Education

new English words? Learn help one to reach his/her scores before being
more on ‘Language Lab’ goal despite obstacles injured Microblogging site Twitter is try-
ing to thwart billionaire Elon
PAGE 2 PAGE 3 PAGE 4 Musk's takeover attempt with a
'poison pill' — a financial device
that companies have been wielding
CLICK HERE: PAGE 1 AND 2 against unwelcome suitors for
decades...

POISON PILL
One Board exam or split X-PLAINED
terms: CBSE may restore
pre-pandemic format
for Board exams
WHAT ARE POISON PILLS SUPPOSED TO DO?
The ingredients of each poison pill vary, but they're all designed to give corporate boards an option
to flood the market with so-much newly-created stock that a takeover becomes prohibitively
expensive. In other words, the intent of poison pills is to make the acquisition a costly affair for
acquirers, thereby discouraging the takeover decision. The potential acquirer is compelled to nego-
tiate with the target’s board of directors, rather than proceed unilaterally. The strategy also gives a
company more time to evaluate an offer and can give the board leverage in trying to force a direct
negotiation with the potential acquirer.
f reports are to go by,

I the Central Board of

Secondary
Education(CBSE) is all set
to return to only one phase
For the academic
session 2021-22, the
CBSE has bifurcated
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Points to note WHAT DOES A POISON PILL ACTUALLY
LOOK LIKE?
the board exams A poison pill is officially known as a shareholder rights plan, and it can

1
of class X, XII Board exams, into two different appear in a company’s charter or bylaws or exist as a contract among shareholders.
like it was in the pre-pan- phases According to experts, the poison pill The strategy was pop-
ularised back in the
demic era. According to has gained prominence in the recent
reports, the education ministry is in favour of conducting
months, courtesy Covid, though it has
1980s when publicly-
held companies were being
Can a poison When else have poison pills
a single board exam for classes X and XII. Following
instructions from the ministry, the CBSE may restore the been used for over four decades in the stalked by corporate raiders pill be negoti- been used?
pre-ppandemic format of Board exams from next year.
stock markets. Experts say, as compa-
such as Carl Icahn, an ating ploy?  Netflix successfully fended off billionaire investor
Carl Icahn in November 2012, using a poison pill
Once the CBSE restores the old pattern of Board exams, American financier, now more Although they are supposed
neither two phases nor flexible practical pattern will be nies are reeling from market carnage frequently described as to help prevent an unso- that would have made it more expensive for Icahn,
or any other person or group, to accumulate more

available for students.
 For the present academic session, the first phase
of Board exams was completed in December last
year. According to CBSE, the second phase of exams
will start from April 26 in offline mode
 In 2020 and 2021, the Board exams could not be
conducted owing to the Covid-19 pandemic
POLLUTION FROM COOKING
EMISSIONS MAY STAY IN THE
AIR FOR SEVERAL DAYS: STUDY
due to wage cuts, furloughs, etc, their
valuations have eroded. This has
made otherwise sound companies vul-
nerable to hostile takeovers at beaten
down valuations by cash-rich rivals or
vulture funds. Plummeting stock
prices explain the sudden resurgence
in the adoption of poison pills
HOW DID ELON MUSK REACT TO
TWITTER'S ANNOUNCEMENT?
Musk, a prolific tweeter with 82 million
followers on Twitter, had no immediate
reaction to the company's poison pill.
2
"activist investors"
A takeover is a bid by a
potential acquirer to
obtain a block of
shares in a company that can
give it a controlling stake in the
target company. A hostile
takeover is a situation where
such takeover bids are mount-
ed without the consent of the
incumbent management
But on Thursday, he indicated that he
was ready to wage a legal battle. Musk
has publicly said that its $43 billion bid
is his best and final offer for Twitter,
but other corporate suitors have made
similar statements before ultimately
licited takeover, poison pills
shares of Netflix if they acquired 10% of the com-
also often open the door to
further negotiations that pany without the approval of its board
 The pizza chain Papa John’s adopted a poison pill
can force a bidder to
in July 2018 in a rare instance of a company trying
sweeten the deal. If a
higher price makes sense to to block its founder from taking over
the board, a poison pill can  In September 1985, in the wake of rumours that
the consumer goods company Philip Morris was
simply be cast aside along
targeting it, the McDonald’s Corporation said it
with the acrimony it pro-
voked, clearing the way for had adopted a poison pill plan to prevent “abusive
takeover tactics”
a sale to be completed.
upping the ante. With an estimated for-
tune of
$265 billion, Musk would seem to have
deep enough pockets to raise his offer,
although he is still working out how to
finance the proposed purchase

Moscow bars PM Boris Johnson, top WhatsApp launches

O British ministers from visiting Russia 'Communities' to
rganic aerosols, such as those released in cook-
ing, may stay in the atmosphere for several
days, because of nanostructures formed by fatty
acids as they are released into the air, finds a
ussia has barred PM Boris Johnson help users organise
R
study. Scientists say, these types of aerosols have long
and other senior British officials from Last month,
group chats
been associated with poor air quality in urban areas, but
entering the country over their sup-
their impact on human-made climate change was hard to
port for Ukraine, the Russian foreign
Russia said it
gauge. The latest study goes a step further and says,
ministry said on Saturday. The full list of 13 had placed
because of the diverse range of molecules found within
aerosols, and their varying interactions with the environ-
British politicians on the so-called “stop list” President
issued from Moscow includes Indian-origin minis-
ment, they increase pollution.
ters — UK chancellor Rishi Sunak, home secretary Biden, PM
Previous research suggests that gas cook-
Priti Patel and attorney general Suella Braverman Justin Trudeau
— as well as deputy PM Dominic Raab, foreign
ing produces about twice as much PM2.5 as secretary Liz Truss and defence secretary Ben
of Canada and
electric. It also produces nitrogen oxides Wallace. The Russian foreign ministry said the list a dozen top US
(NOx), including nitrogen oxide will be expanded in the “near future” to include officials on a
(NO) and nitrogen dioxide more British politicians and parliamentarians.
“stop list”
(NO2), carbon monoxide (CO),
and formaldehyde (CH2O or Britain has supplied Ukraine with new anti-ship missile systems, that barred
HCHO). All of these pollu- armoured vehicles and other military equipment. Besides, Johnson them from
entering the n a bid to make chats safer, Meta-owned

I
tants are health risks if not made a surprise visit last week to Kyiv, where he promised to send
more military equipment and missiles WhatsApp has announced a new feature called
properly managed country 'Communities' that will enable users to bring
together separate groups under one umbrella
and manage these busy conversations in a secure

World's coral reefs may disappear in 3 decades

and private way. The company said that
 With the new fea- 'Communities' are protected with end-to-end
ture, people can encryption.
receive updates

E
nvironmental scientists have warned that the
world's coral reefs — the 'canaries in the coal Coral reefs are home to over sent to the entire
ing announcement mes- groups about specific
'Community' and
mine' of climate change — may vanish in the a quarter of all ocean life. easily organise
sages that are sent to classes, extra-curricular
coming 30 years. Forecasts show that coral everyone and control activities or volunteer
reef eco-systems around the globe are likely to become
They are also a source of smaller discussion
over which groups can be needs
functionally degraded by 2050, if the goals of the Paris food, livelihoods, and cultural groups on what
included," said
matters to them  The company said, it
Agreement are not met. Even with drastic emission heritage for 500 million WhatsApp. For example,
is also making improve-
reductions to ensure that global warming is kept within  "Communities a school principal can
1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, up to 90 people, and protect coast- ments to how groups
will also contain bring all parents togeth-
per cent of the world's corals could still vanish in the lines and communities from powerful new tools er to share must-read
work on WhatsApp,
next three decades, leaving behind a reef structure that whether or not they are
will lose many of its functions, they added.
storms and erosion for admins, includ- updates and set up
part of a Community
 02
HAPPINESS WORDS 5
from around the world
We bring 10 untranslatable words spreading joy
and well-being that the world could really do
with right now...
A
lecturer at the University
of East London, Tim Lo-
mas specialises in a field
known as positive psy-
chology, the study of what
makes human beings happy. In 2015,
Lomas started the Positive Lexicogra-
phy Project, a crowdsourced treasury
of global terms of well-being. With the
help of far-flung strangers on the
internet, he’s since mined 140
languages to come up with a whopping
1,200 words. Each has its own unique
shades of meaning not fully captured
in English translation. He argues
that engaging with these “untranslat-
able” terms can help us imagine, and
3
Fjaka (Croatian): The sweetness of doing nothing. In a world that
prioritises the ability to multitask above all else, not trying to check the
next item off your to-do list can seem overindulgent or even
counterproductive. But if you do manage to surrender your whole mind and
body to not doing anything at all, it can feel almost euphoric. Croatians call this
all-encompassing relaxation fjaka.
WHAT IS AN
OXYMORON?
A
n oxymoron is a figure of speech, usually
one or two words, in which seemingly con-
tradictory terms appear side by side. This
contradiction is also known as
a paradox. In speech, oxy-
morons can lend a sense of
humour, irony, or sarcasm. The
word is derived from two
ancient Greek words: oxys,
which means “sharp,” and
moronos, which means “dull” or “stupid.”
SOME COMMON
EXAMPLES:
Same difference
Friendly fire
Virtual reality
Controlled chaos
Freezer burn Silent scream Terribly good 
Wise fool Close distance Stiff drink
Black light Clearly confused
Genuine fake
Queries relating to
language skills
Do you find grammar confusing? Do you get stuck with words
when writing a letter, an essay or a blog? Do you have a
fear of public speaking? Or do you simply want to improve
your communication skills? Times NIE is here to help
you to master the intricacies of the English language.
Just shoot us your queries on toinie175 @gmail.com
“Knowledge of languages is the doorway
to wisdom.”
Roger Bacon
ultimately experience, more types of
well-being.
1
Shinrin-Yoku (Japanese): For-
est bathing (or shinrin-yoku)
broadly means taking in, in all of
one’s senses, the forest atmosphere.
Not simply a walk in the woods, it is
the conscious and contemplative prac-
tice of being immersed in the sights,
sounds and smells of the forest.
2
Tarab (Arabic): Musically in-
duced ecstasy or enchantment. In
Arabic, this sense of losing your-
self in the music is called Tarab.
Though the specific songs, emotional
reactions, and reasons behind those re-
actions may vary from person to per-
son, being moved by music is a uni-
versal experience — even babies some-
times cry when they hear certain songs.
4
Charmolypi (Greek): It is a mix-
ture of the words “happiness” and
“sadness”. Thus, charmolypi is a
feeling that combines sorrow and joy. It
does not simply mean having mixed feel-
ings about something, however. The feel-
ings are integrated, in that joy springs
from right in the middle of sorrow.
5
Sprezzatura (Italian): It’s “stud-
ied carelessness,” a character of
effortlessness. Whether it pertains
to fashion, leadership style, or charm,
it’s an inherent grace that makes the
complex or difficult look — appear to
be — simple. Sprezzatura is an Italian
word that first appears in Baldassare
Castiglione’s 1528 ‘The Book of the
Courtier’, where it is defined by the
author as “a certain nonchalance, so
as to conceal all art and make what-
ever one does or says appear to be with-
out effort and almost without any
thought about it”.
6
Orka (Swedish): Completing a
task isn’t always just about hav-
ing enough physical energy for it
— you also have to care enough to
actually expend that energy. You might
have orka to throw a surprise birth
day party for your best friend, but
you might not have orka to study for a
quiz that probably won’t affect your
final grade.
7
Flâner (French): Perhaps
one of the most Parisian of all
French words, the verb "flâner"
was defined in the 19th century by the
LANGUAGE
QUIZ
1. What do you call a native of 4. What is
Kenya?
SOME EXAMPLES OF OXYMORON
IN LITERATURE: 2. What is the official language painting or
“I do here make humbly bold to present them in Kosovo?
with a short account of themselves...”
Jonathan Swift
“The bookful blockhead, ignorantly
read, / With loads of learned
lumber in his head...”
Alexander Pope
“He was now
sufficiently
composed to
order a funeral
of modest mag-
nificence...” Samuel
Johnson
“O anything of nothing first create! / O
heavy lightness, serious vanity! /
Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms! /
Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire,
sick health!” William Shakespeare,
Romeo and Juliet, Act 1, scene 1
“It was the best of times, It was the worst
of times.” Charles Dickens,
A Tale of Two Cities
LANGUAGE LAB MONDAY, APRIL 18, 2022
PICS: ISTOCK
Fun facts about the
ENGLISH LANGUAGE
1.’E’ IS EVERYWHERE! 4. A WORD FORMED BY JOINING
The most common letter in English is “e”.
According to ‘Readers Digest’, “In an analy-
TOGETHER PARTS OF EXISTING
sis of all 240,000 entries in the Concise WORDS IS CALLED A ‘BLEND’ (OR,
Oxford English Dictionary, editors found
that the letter E appears in approximately 11 LESS COMMONLY, A
per cent of all words in the common English ‘PORTMANTEAU WORD’)
vocabulary, about 6,000 more words than the Many new words enter the English
runner-up letter, A. What’s more: E is the
most commonly struck let-
language in this way. Examples are
“brunch” (breakfast +
ter on your keyboard, and
the second most popu-
lunch); “motel” (motorcar +
hotel); and “guesstimate”
lar key after the
s p a c e
(guess + estimate). Note that
blends are not the same as
bar. It’s one-third of compounds or compound
the single most-used word
nouns, which form when
in English —“the”— and two whole words join
appears in the most com-
together, for example:
mon English noun (“time”), website, blackboard,
the most common verb
darkroom.
(“be”), in ubiquitous pro-
nouns like he, she, me, and
we, not to mention tens of 5. SHAKESPEARE
thousands of words ending GAVE US 1,000 NEW
in -ed and -es.
ENGLISH WORDS
English language wouldn’t
2. THE LONGEST WORD YOU CAN be the same without William
MAKE USING ONLY FOUR LETTERS Shakespeare. The Bard invented over
1,000 words, which he incorporated into
IS ‘SENSELESS’ his writing. Just some of the fantastic
The letters B, A, and N can spell words and phrases invented by this
BANANA, which is six letters long, and famous poet include: ■ Addiction: Being
Paris literary crowd. It refers to the art the letters S, E, and D can spell SEEDED, psychologically or physically dependent
of leisurely strolling the streets of which is six letters long. The longest on something, usually a drug. ■
Paris without any goal or destination words with no repeated letters are “der- Bedazzled: Blinded by something incred-
simply for the pleasure of soaking up matoglyphics,” “misconjugatedly,” and ibly wonderful. ■ Cold-blooded: Either
the city's beauty. These aimless pedes- “uncopyrightables” (but we’re probably an animal with cold blood (like a reptile)
trians are known as "flâneurs." not going to use any of those words in a or a way to describe someone who’s cruel
8
Merak (Serbian): The Serbian sentence anytime soon!). and indifferent to emotion.
word merak is a wonderful little ■ Swagger: To walk in a way that shows
word that refers to a feeling of bliss
and the sense of oneness with the uni- 3. THERE ARE NINE DIFFERENT you’re boasting or disrespectful.
■ Break the ice: To
verse that comes from the simplest of WAYS TO PRONOUNCE ‘OUGH’ relieve the tension or
pleasures. It is the pursuit of small,
IN ENGLISH silence in a conver-
sation by talking.
This sentence contains all of them: “A
rough-coated, dough-faced, thoughtful
ploughman strode through the streets of
Scarborough; after falling into a slough, he
coughed and hiccoughed.
daily pleasures that all add up to a great
sense of happiness and fulfilment.
9
Mir (Russian): Mir is a short and
beautiful word that holds two very
different, yet equally important
meanings in modern Russian: “World”
and “Peace.”
10
Fika (Swedish): Fika means
‘a sociable coffee break’, but
it’s no coffee break as
we know it. Fika is an op-
portunity to ‘pause and
reconnect each day’.
3. Which weekday is 5. What does the 7. Which is the world’s
domingo in Latin proverb - second largest French-
Spanish and Errare speaking city?
dimanche Humanum 8. What is the meaning of the
in French? est - mean? Arab word Habibi?
6. What word is
another used in Hawaii Answer: 1. Kenyan 2. Albanian
3. Sunday 4. Fresco 5. Err is
word for wall both to greet and human 6. Aloha 7. Montreal
to say goodbye? Canada 8. Sweetheart
mural?
GAME FOR
Fun activities that
help develop
SOME FUN?
language learning
in children
W
ord games: Games offer a break
from tedious work, but not a
break from learning. There are
thousands of language games to make
education fun. Expand your children’s
vocabulary with word games. It can
be as simple as pointing out
items at home or during
a road trip e.g. “I am
now mixing the butter
into the batter” or
“Tall buildings are also
called skyscrapers”. You
might even give the definition or Riddles: Riddles are fun ways to use helping develop their communication
share background information about words and paint pictures of scenes or situ- skills. Exchange stories about daily
these words. Games like Scrabble, ations. Read or say riddles aloud to each events. Broaden their imagination with
Twenty Questions, Pictionary or a other and explain to your children the dif- fantastical stories and let their creativity
round of Charades also ferent definitions of a single word e.g. grow as you make up stories about any-
encourage vocabulary devel-
opment and communica-
school as in a place of learning or school
as in a group of fish to help them under-
thing and everything around them.
Songs: Aside from harnessing their musi-
tion skills.
Jokes: Telling age-appro-
stand the riddle better.
Rhymes: The repetitive chanting, reading,
cal abilities, songs also help children learn
new words. Lyrics have a sense of rhyme
priate puns also help foster writing, or hearing of rhymes promotes and rhythm so it will be easy and enter-
good humour and creativity in good listening skills and memory retention, taining for them to sing along.
aside from developing speech. You can Tongue twisters: Tongue twisters are an
children. This encourages wordplay
and imagination. You can read through also let your children tell you about their excellent and fun way to teach children
kid-friendly joke books and take turns favourite toys using rhyming words. correct pronunciation and enunciation of
telling witty stories. Avoid being too Storytelling: Sharing stories – whether words. It is a fun way to train their tongue
real or make-believe – can provide a good to pronounce words. Start with simple
critical of their gags, speech, or
articulation. bonding time with your children while ones and work your way up.

MONDAY, APRIL 18, 2022
Impact of Covid-19 on
different fields of work
SNIGDHA PAUL
T
he International Conference
of impact of COVID-19 on Ed-
ucation, Science, Engineering
and Management (ICCESEM),
organised by the Dunne’s Institute, Co-
laba was held recently at the K.R.
Cama Hall. People of various arenas
attended through offline and online on
zoom. The aim of the event as ex-
pressed by the principal was to discuss
the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
on different types of professions. The
event started with the lighting of the
lamp by the trustees of the Dunne’s
Institute, followed by a prayer.
The inaugural speech delivered by
Viraf Chiniwala (trustee) conveyed
the importance of this conference as,
“To learn from the struggle of these
very brave people”. Mr. Jowal, from
the Indian Army, spoke on the chal-
lenges faced while preparing sailors
for different championships and
Olympics. He expressed that, “Sports
and Education should go hand in
hand.” Surg Cdr Swati, from the Indi-
an Navy, talked about being a frontline
health worker during COVID-19. While
talking about the lessons learnt, she
advised that “positive choices today,
make meaningful differences tomor-
row”. Rahul Narwekar (lawyer/ MLA,
Colaba) talked about the social and
community work during COVID. He
expressed that “These crises have
taught us much more than medical
emergencies”, reminding us that In-
dia stands for gains beyond their own.
Afterwards, Mrs. Nautiyal,
(keynote speaker and principal of
Dunne’s Institute), delivered a beau-
tiful speech, revealing the challenges
that the education system faced dur-
BTS MESSAGE: MENTAL WELLBEING AND HEALTH
B
angtan Sonyeodan, popularly
known as BTS is the biggest
boy band on the planet. Ever
since their debut in 2013, they have
put out nine studio albums and won
numerous accolades. Their relatable
and raw lyricism which touches on
themes of mental health, salad days
and the journey towards loving and
accepting oneself etc. has connect-
ed them with millions worldwide and
earned them a following of loving
and loyal fans called the ARMY.
I discovered BTS during the lock-
down and I soon became an ARMY.
LAUGHTER HEALS THE MIND
T
he famous quote, “Laughter is the
best medicine,” was not found any-
where, but it is derived from the
proverb “A merry heart does good, like
medicine, but a broken spirit dries the
bones,” “A happy heart is a good medicine
and a cheerful mind works healing, but a
broken spirit dries up the bones” as per
the Holy Bible.
A person may laugh, and he does not
CLICK HERE: PAGE 3 AND 4
It’s not just a place where you get to learn Einstein’s Theory of
Relativity. It’s also a place where you can think beyond the
classroom. Hence we say, SCHOOL IS COOL!
ing these hard times, and admired In-
dia for its contributions, “I’m so proud
Emerging from of my country, which the world
thought was poor; look how rich we
December 2019 in are”. Next, Beatrix Hagmann, Coun-
sel and head of chancery, spoke about
Wuhan, China, the Swiss-India relation and coopera-
coronavirus disease tion during COVID. She believes the
pandemic has “made people more com-
passionate and responsible”. Anubhav
2019 (COVID-19) has Khanduri, senior manager at a popu-
lar TV news channel talked about the
posed one of the unsung hero: journalists. He revealed
the barriers faced by these frontline
greatest challenge workers and said that it was during
this time that “Value of human life
to humankind within was truly interpreted; it indeed is
priceless”. Dr. Indu Shahani expressed
75 years since that, “the spirit of young India was so
good that we continued with learning”.
World War Two Lastly, Shreyansh Pandey (ex head boy-
Dunne’s) said that “hardwork can beat
(UNDP, 2020) talent”. The event ended successfully
with the vote of thanks by Mr. Kumar
from IRAJ.
The lockdown was a challenging
time for all. I found solace in their
songs as I navigated one of the
most important years of my school
life. I am inspired by the honesty
and sincerity with which they create
their music. Undoubtedly, their
artistry and the message that they
spread through their
music will continue
to inspire genera-
tions to come.
Urvi Dhonde,
student
need any reason to do it. It comes from burns calories. It lightens the angry mood,
within one’s self. It is said that laughter is which in turn helps a person live longer. It
a powerful antidote to our stress, pain, relaxes one’s muscles and decreases the
and conflict. Laughter strengthens the pain that is present in our minds.
immune system, boosts mood, diminishes Laughter brings people
pain, and protects from the damaging together and strengthens
effects of stress. Nothing works faster or relationships. It brings
more dependably to bring mind and body people closer to others.
back into balance than a good laugh. Sarah Nadaf, class V, D.A.V.
It not only protects the heart but also Public School, Thane
Post pandemic, challenges abound
as schools gear up to overcome all
Principal of Delhi Public School, Panvel, Anita Dua, an experienced educator and able administrator narrates
her experiences of dealing with present day challenges in education in a chat with Sugandha Indulkar
Q As schools have resumed operations
post-pandemic what challenges do you
face on a regular basis?
While schools have done their best to
make sure learning is not disrupted and
students get access to top-quality educa-
tion in the form of online resources and
excellent mentorship, the harsh reality is
that even once the schools are functional
they will pose numerous challenges as
getting back to physical formal education
will not be easy.
Challenge of maintaining safety pre-
cautions, lack of practice of writing, loss
of interest and motivation, mental health
blocks, lack of social interaction, and fear
of alienation are a few of those chal-
lenges that every school has to bridge
during physical schooling to maintain a
balance between academics and co-cur-
ricular activities.
Q How do you overcome them?
Inculcating the habit of writing by hand
n standing and skills in an appropriate and
Exercising daily, following a balanced
n fair manner.
and healthy dietary regime
n Talking to a school counselor and being
in touch with teachers and friends
n Taking the vaccine and maintaining
social distancing at home
n Staying in touch with social circles in
schools/friends from part of school clubs
n Productively using time by signing up
for activities and courses online
n Staying positive and motivated by join-
ing organisations and clubs
n Developing new skills and hobbies
Q Should examinations be conducted in
PERSEVERANCE: A KEY TO SUCCESS
P
erseverance is defined
as the steadfast pursuit of a
mission, a task or a journey
despite the distraction, dis-
couragement and obstacles.
It is vital because it plays a
pivotal role in building
a character that
keeps on no matter
how hard things are.
Life is full of
complexities that
even students
can feel it
that way.
Practising
perseverance would help students to
excel in all the things that lie ahead
of them not just academically but
otherwise too.
For students the challenges can be
Impact of Covid -19 on kids
chool is a wonderful place for
S children to explore and learn
new things.
Apart from studies they can master
different activities like art, craft,
dance and singing. While children
were happily enduring the taste of
school, there came the bothering fear
for Covid.
They were very frustrated and an-
noyed as they were not allowed to meet
their friends due to the pandemic. It
was so boring for them and they start-
ed being obsessed with electronic
gadgets.
They were so dogged into it as they
were not able to exit from the gadget
world to talk and spend some time
with their parents. They were not
much interested in the virus and were
always ready to leave their house and
enjoy the outer world.
In the meantime, the government an-
nounced that children can at-
tend classes online. Stu-
Anita Dua, Principal
offline mode, when classes were
conducted online?
Examinations should be conducted online
only if there is a fear of infection. Offline
examinations assess students’ under-
Q What strategies should teachers
adopt to bridge the learning gap which
has taken place due to the pandemic?
Three key policy components of initiatives to complete tasks within specific windows
to address learning gaps may be cited as of time. Stay healthy.
follows:
n A personalised approach to learning is
highly sensitive to individual needs and
adapted to differences between learners. required for bridging these gaps.
It means that both collaborative and
autonomous learning opportunities are
responsive to the needs of each learner,
under the guidance of learning goals
physically like rummaging the leaves
out of school yard, staying strong
after an intense sports match,
preparing the mind to learn the new
math equation or staying focused
on subject matters or simply get-
ting ready to
come to school.
Following easy ways like
quitting and avoiding the situa-
tion can never make the
challenges go
away. These are
basic tips to
be followed when one has to
persevere. Don’t be afraid of
failures
as perseverance comes from
failing and getting up again.
Try to be a better person at
least to the barest level. Begin
dents were ready to experience new
activities, they were excited for on-
line sessions too, as they would be able
to meet and talk with their friends.
But it was not worth it, classes on-
line are not as effective as offline ones.
They had internet issues, besides con-
centration issues too. Other games dis-
tracted them from concentrating on
online classes.
It affected their studies and made
them lack in everything they were
good at. It mainly affected their health.
Spending most of their time in front
of gadgets affected their eyesight and
fixing themselves in one particular
position for hours made them lazy and
dependent on others for even doing
their daily routines. So, friends, let us
make use of our valuable time in a
fruitful way to reorient ourselves from
the past experiences. I wish this pan-
demic would soon come to an end and
kids would enjoy their beautiful child-
hood to the fullest.
P. VIDHATHRI,
Class 8, Bharatiya
Vidya Bhavan Sri
Venkateshwara
Vidyalaya, Tirupati
defined by education systems.
n In order to address a particular need at
the individual or small group level, educa-
tion systems may increase the instruc-
tional time or employ specially trained
professionals.
n To address inequalities in a way that is
more cost-efficient or in the context of
resource constraints, education systems
can direct additional financial or human
resources where demand is highest equal-
ising opportunities for learning and
achievement
Q What is your advice to students who
will be appearing for their Board exami-
nations in the near future, when
everything around them is so
unpredictable?
Tough times never last, but tough people
do. You’ve got to stay focused and strong
to be successful in tough times. The main
focus should be on written practice as the
term two offline examinations are based
on a subjective paper. Students will have
to independently work without easy ref-
erence from online websites, with no spell
checks and good speed of writing.
Practice till you get perfect. Create
daily goals and set reminders for yourself
# Identify and be attentive to the
learning gaps.
# Concentrate on the efforts which are
#Be responsible and ask yourself what
needs to be done in the ‘present’ and
what is the predictable future if no
action is taken.
to take risks. One has to understand
resistance.
The most important thing is to exer-
cise regularly. You never know who
you can help when you keep going
after what you want so it is important
to keep pushing yourself.
The benefits of perseverance are at
your fingertips but only if you are
willing to go after them. The realisa-
tion that there are 86,400 seconds
each day.
What are you doing
today so that tomor-
row you are a step
closer to where you
want to be, if not now
then when?
LYDIA D,
English faculty,
Shri Natesan Vidyasala
MHSS
Save water
“Water, water everywhere
but not a drop to drink”.
ou must have heard this sev-
Y eral times in your life. It
means that although there is
water all around us in rivers,
oceans, sea, wells, ponds, lakes,
which are all over the planet earth,
but it is polluted and cannot be used.
More than 70% of the earth’s sur-
face is covered by water. If water in
our planet earth runs out it will be
impossible for humans, plants, as
well as animals to survive. Water
pollution leads to water scarcity.
Follow practices to
avoid water pollution
and try to save water.
ANEKA BHADRINATH,
Class III A, NSN Memorial
School, Chitlapakkam,
Chennai

Andre Russell is the current
top-scorer for KKR with 179
runs from six matches and has
also contributed with five
wickets with the ball.
Photo: PTI
VILLARREAL SQUEEZE GETAFE
GERARD SCORES ONE GOAL, SETS UP ANOTHER; SUBSTITUTED DUE TO INJURY
G
erard Moreno
scored one goal
and set up another
before the Villar-
real striker was
substituted because of injury
during his team’s 2-1 win at
Getafe in the Spanish league
on Saturday.
Despite struggling with in-
juries this season, Gerard has
been a key player in Villarreal’s
impressive run to the Champi-
ons League semifinals after
ousting Juventus and, this
week, Bayern Munich in the
knockout rounds.
CLEAR TO BEAT
Gerard gave Villarreal the
lead in the seventh minute and
helped to make it 2-0 in the
16th when he stole the ball in
midfield to start a counterat-
tack. The Spain striker, who
also set up Samuel Chuk-
Q U IZ T IM E !
When was the Fed Cup
Q1: launched?
a) 1955 b) 1966
c) 1977 d) 1988
Who is the only female
Q2: British athlete to have
won titles in Olympics,
Commonwealth Games, European
Championships, and World
Championships?
a) Jessica Ennis-Hill
b) Sally Gunnell
c) Katarina Johnson-Thompson
d) Dina Asher-Smith
Never let your head hang down. Never give up and sit down and grieve.
Find another way.
Satchel Paige
Will need to boost campaign to get back on track after back-to-back losses
wueze’s late winner to topple
Bayern on Tuesday, again
Manuel
made the key pass by playing
Trigueros
Manuel Trigueros clear to
beat David Soria. Gerard had
to be substituted in the 61st af-
ter he was attended by team
doctors. He touched the back
of his right thigh before walk-
ing off gingerly.
UNLUCKY WITH
INJURY
Emery said Gerard had a
muscular injury but team doc-
tors had yet to determine how
long he would be out, leaving
in question his availability for
the European semifinals
against Liverpool in two weeks.
“He has not been unlucky with
injuries this season. We hope
this is not serious and that he
recovers quickly because we
really need him,’’ defender Pau
Q3: In a 400m hurdles race,
how many hurdles do
athletes have to jump over?
Q6:
a) 8 b) 10
c) 20 d) 6
Which cricketer scored
Q4:
1983?
175* against Zimbabwe in
a) Sunil Gavaskar
b) Kapil Dev
c) Ravi Shastri
d) Rahul Dravid
The regulation goal in
Q5:
a) 15 b) 10
basketball is __ feet high.
c) 5 d) 12
Photo: GETTY IMAGES
MONDAY, APRIL 18, 2022
heir confidence severely dented after Sanju
T
two comprehensive defeats on the trot, Samson
last edition’s runner-up side Kolkata
Knight Riders would seek to get their
inconsistent campaign back on track
when they face Rajasthan Royals in
Photo: PTI
an IPL match on Monday. KKR were
beaten by Delhi Capitals and Sunrisers Hyderabad
by 44 runs and seven wickets respectively in their last
two matches. They had earlier lost to Royal Chal-
lengers Bangalore.
With three wins and three losses, KKR are at the
mid-table while the Royals have won three matches
and lost two games till now.
NEED TO BOUNCE AGAIN
KKR had an impressive start to the league with
three wins from four matches but the back-to-back
losses had taken them down below the top-4 and they
would look to regain that slot. But to do that they will
have to pull themselves up in both batting and bowl-
ing. None of the batters, except for Andre Russell,
has been consistent so far while the likes of spinner
Varun Chakravarthy and pacer Pat Cummins have senior spin colleague Sunil Narine is also in the same
dished out average performances. boat with just four wickets. Australia Test captain
Russell is the current top-scorer for KKR with 179 Cummins, who joined late due to national commit-
runs from six matches and has also contributed with ment, also needs to step up and do better than his cur-
five wickets with the ball. Captain Shreyas lyer has rent figures of three wickets from as many matches.
not been in the best of form with just one half-cen-
tury in his name for a total of 151 runs in six match-
TO START AS FAVOURITES
es, Nitesh Rana and Venkatesh Iyer have been lack-
ing in consistency, while Sam Billings is struggling The Royals, on the other hand, will start as
to get runs. favourites in Monday’s match with the tournament’s
highest run-getter and wicket-taker in their ranks in
Jos Buttler and Yuzvendra Chahal. Chahal has been
NEED TO STEP UP in top form with 12 wickets from five matches, also
In the bowling department, none, except pacer with a fine economy of 6.80 and he would fancy to add
Umesh Yadav (10 wickets from 6 matches) has been more scalps to his name, especially against a strug-
up to expectations. Chakravarthy, KKR’s highest wick- gling KKR batting unit. Veteran New Zealand pacer
et-taker last season, has been struggling big time with Trent Boult (7 wickets from 4 matches) is the other
just four wickets from six matches. Chakravarthy’s Royals bowler who has been doing well. But senior
India spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is terribly out
of form. He picked up just one wicket from five match-
Upcoming IPL Matches es while conceding 143 runs and it remains to be seen
how long the team management will persist with him.
FAILING TO CLICK
vs The Royals, however, have not fired as a batting
unit with the likes of captain Sanju Samson (117 from
5 matches) and the hugely talented Devdutt Padikkal
(114 from 5 matches) failing to click so far. Their bat-
ting has revolved mainly around Buttler, who has set
the IPL on fire with 272 runs from five matches with
APRIL 18 7.30 PM one hundred and two fifties. Shimron Hetmyer has
been the only other Royals batter who has done well
so far with 197 runs from five matches with the help
Brabourne Stadium, Mumbai of one half-century. PTI
Gerard
Moreno
BJK CUP: SWIATEK POWERS
POLAND TO FINALS, CZECHS
PREVAIL AGAINST BRITAIN
Torres said. Enes Unal pulled one
back for Getafe three minutes
N
ew No. 1 Iga Swiatek
later with his 15th goal, sec- powered Poland into
ond only to Karim Benzema’s the Billie Jean King
league-leading 24. Cup Finals for the first time
But the end came for and they were joined by other
Getafe’s unbeaten run of 10 newcomers Italy and Kaza-
Photo: USA TODAY SPORTS
consecutive home games. khstan. Other winners in-
The previous loss was in cluded the Czech Republic -
late October at Alfonso six-time winners since 2011 -
Perez Coliseum in Madrid. Spain, Canada and the U.S.
Villarreal remained in sev- The finals are in November at
enth place, while Getafe slid a venue yet to be decided.
Iga Swiatek
into 15th. AGENCIES Swiatek overpowered Ro- three times since winning the
mania’s Andreea Prisacariu 2019 final. Kazakhstan upset
VALENCIA LOSES 6-0, 6-0 in the first reverse sin-
gles to secure Poland’s unas-
visiting Germany in Nur-Sul-
tan when Elena Rybakina
■ Valencia lost to Osasuna 2-1 sailable lead. She’s won 19 st- overhauled Angelique Kerber
raight matches, two as the 4-6, 6-3, 7-5. Kerber, trying to
in its second-to-last league game world No. 1 after Ash Barty’s keep Germany alive, broke for
before it played the final of the retirement. “It took us a few 5-3 in the decider but Rybaki-
Copa del Rey years, step by step, to progress na produced her best tennis in
and qualify,” Swiatek said. front of raucous support and
■ Valencia plays Villarreal on “Hopefully in the finals won the last four games.
Tuesday then faces Real Betis in we’re going to show even The Kazakhs won 3-1. The
the Copa final next Saturday more progress. I’m really Czechs were taken the dis-
proud of us.” Poland eventu- tance by Britain and prevailed
ally won 4-0. France has lost 3-2 in Prague. AGENCIES
Photos: AFP
What kind of bow does
archer Deepika Kumari
specialise in?
a) Compound Bow
b) Longbow
Q9: Who broke Pete Sampras’s
record of maximum Grand
Slams in tennis?
a) Rafael Nadal
c) Recurve Bow
d) Recurve Barebow b) Roger Federer
c) Daniil Medvedev
Q7: In a badminton game, the
winner is the first one to
d) Stefanos Tsitsipas
ANSWERS:
reach ____ points.
a) 11 b) 16 c) 21 d) 40
1 b. 1966
2 b. Sally Gunnell
3 b. 10
Q8:
a) Cricket
The national game of
China is ________
4 b. Kapil Dev
5 b. 10
6 c. Recurve Bow
Deepika
b) Table Tennis
c) Football
7 c. 21
8 b. Table Tennis
Kumari 9 b. Roger Federer
d) Karate