Nov 2022

THE OFFICIAL
CHIREC
THE INTERNATIONAL
SCHOOL
ERUDITE NEWSPAPER
National:
The murder of a woman by her

ISSUE #14 live-in partner in Delhi-can

crime shows truly inspire
criminals to act the way they
do?
International:
G20 2022 Summit Coverage
The murder of a woman by her live-in partner The 8 billion milestone-
celebration or warning?
in Delhi-can crime shows truly inspire Every vote counts - except
when it doesn’t
criminals to act the way they do? Technology
The Cryptocurrency Crash

Aadya Pochampally from C9 Entertainment:

Is Black Panther: Wakanda
Forever the first good project
to come out of Marvel in the
past year?
Adipursh: what went wrong
Social:
The dangers lurking under the
surface of India's giant pan
masala industry - Bolo Zubaan
Cancery
Sports:
FIFA chooses Qatar to host the
world cup despite a startling
amount of migrant
worker/human rights
violations in preparation for
the event.
How has this come to be?
The Discussion:
How long will India’s

We’ve all watched crime shows. From Dahmer to Dexter, these programs have relationship with Russia last?
Should India be Sitting on the
captivated viewers with their twists and turns, keeping us on the edge of our
Fence Regarding Russia’s War
seats constantly. For most people, true crime entertainment is just a way to get
on Ukraine
their adrenaline flowing, as Dr. Brock Kirwan says, “People may be drawn to true
Is spray-on fashion the future?
crime podcasts because it is a way of putting themselves in danger without
actually being in danger.” To other people, it is just a mere form of entertainment.
But for Aftab Poonawalla, this type of media ended up being a source of
inspiration. Inspiration to commit the unimaginable.

In 2019, Aftab, a food blogger and aspiring chef, met Shraddha Walkar, a
journalist. The two began a relationship which eventually took a toxic turn.
Despite this, the couple moved in together and Shraddha gradually ceased
contact with her family. In 2022, the pair made a radical decision to move to
Delhi amidst a pandemic, and to leave everything they had in Mumbai behind.

1

After the move, Shraddha started to sound different
online. The posts and messages she sent did not
embody her usual personality. The news of their move
was the last time Shraddha’s friends heard from her.
Finally, after more than a month of silence from her
side, a missing person’s report was filed. When the
police called Aftab, he said they had no contact with
each other and were not together anymore, but the
police found evidence that said otherwise. Aftab’s
mismatched timelines, large bank transfers, and other
circles of lies started to reveal the truth. When all his
lies collapsed, Aftab confessed to choking Shraddha to
death and mutilating her body into almost 35 different
parts.
"I am fond of watching web series and serials on crime
and it was while watching these shows that I came up
with ideas on preserving the body parts and keeping
Shraddha alive in the eyes of her family and friends. It
was to prevent any doubts or suspicions on her
whereabouts that I kept posting on Shraddha's
Instagram profile after the murder. I did it all by
myself," the accused told Delhi Police. Aftab was
arrested, but the investigation is ongoing.
It is clear that Aftab was “inspired” by crime shows,
even being called “The Delhi Dahmer '', but is this a
unique case, or do these shows actually help criminals
conceal their tracks better? When Wayne Farquhar, a
police officer with the San Jose, Calif. The Police
Department was asked about this topic, he said, "I see
criminals are more aware of protecting themselves
against leaving DNA, whether it's by using gloves or
masks, or the way they wipe things down and clean
things". The fact that the number of crime-related
media and the number of viewers is also on the rise
could attest to his statement. But the crime at its
rawest is often not solely triggered by influences; if it
was, everyone who watched these shows would be a
murderer, but to those that are truly capable of
committing crimes, these shows could potentially
guide them on how to cover their tracks and could
push them to finally acting on their violent thoughts.
Criminals are also not the only ones affected by these
shows; they desensitize normal viewers to crime too,
decreasing sensitivity and empathy from the public
when it comes to real cases.
If Aftab hadn’t watched these shows, would he still
have committed the murder? If Aftab hadn’t watched
these shows, would the police be able to find him as
the culprit sooner? If Aftab hadn’t watched these
shows, would an innocent life not be lost?
2
Nov 2022
G20 2022 Summit
Coverage
Tanvi Korupolu from IB 11
President Xi Jinping once said, “The G20 bears the
responsibility to chart the course for the world
economy and global governance at a crucial time, as
well as to inject confidence into the market and bring
hope to the people”. He has perfectly encapsulated the
role and importance of the “G20”, or more formally
known as the “Group of Twenty”. It is one of the most
vital intergovernmental forums and comprises twenty
of the largest economies in the world (including the
European Union), that meet regularly to discuss the
most pressing issues facing the global economy.
The idea of the G20 evolved from the Asian financial
crisis, as a forum for finance ministers and central bank
governors to discuss global financial issues. Years later,
amid the financial crisis in 2008, it grew into the
“leaders’ summit”, a place where presidents and prime
ministers of the world could get together for two days
to try to solve the world’s economic problems. The G20
manages to get leaders from both developed and
emerging economies around the table, representing a
far broader range of views.
The G20 “summit” is a multilateral forum in which
annual discussions take place in order to reach a
consensus on the world’s most compelling issues. It is
hosted by a new president every year which rotates
between members and is picked from different
regions. The latest and the 17th G20 Summit took
place in October 2022 at Bali, Indonesia. The
Indonesian Presidency took over the theme - ‘Recover
Together, Recover Stronger’.

The Summit took place at “the most pivotal, precarious
moment in generations,” in response to the urgency of
the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), to support
governments in tackling the climate crisis, prevent
famine and hunger, bolster the energy transition, and
promote digital transformation. On biodiversity and
food security, members will step up efforts to: halt and
reverse biodiversity loss, including through nature-
based solutions and ecosystem-based approaches as
well as ensure accessibility, affordability and
sustainability to maintain the effective functioning of
food supply chains. On climate, they further reaffirm
their commitment to strengthening “the full and
effective implementation” of the Paris Agreement on
climate change and its temperature goal. On energy,
leaders underscore the urgency to “rapidly transform
and diversify energy systems,” to advance energy
security and resilience and market stability, and stress
“the importance of ensuring that global energy
demand is matched by affordable energy supplies.” On
digital transformation, leaders recognize its
importance in reaching the SDGs and “encourage
international collaboration to further develop digital
skills and digital literacy to harness the positive
impacts of digital transformation, especially for
women, girls, and people in vulnerable situations.”
Furthermore, the meeting in Bali marked the
emergence of Xi Jinping from three years of self-
imposed pandemic isolation.
The 52-paragraph G20 Bali Leaders’ Declaration also
highlights the “unparalleled multidimensional crises”
emphasizing on the COVID-19 pandemic and the
Ukraine-Russia war.
In mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic,
leaders commit to support strong, sustainable,
balanced, and inclusive growth. They also “remain
committed to a human-centered, inclusive, fair,
sustainable approach that leads to greater social
justice, decent work, and social protection for all.” The
members of the G20 bloc declared that they "deplore
in the strongest terms" Russia's aggression against
Ukraine and its impacts on the global economy,
“constraining growth, increasing inflation, disrupting
supply chains, heightening energy and food insecurity,
and elevating financial stability risks.” The summit was
disrupted by an emergency meeting to discuss reports
of a missile hitting Polish territory near Ukraine after
which a joint statement of NATO and G7 Leaders on
the margins of the summit was released condemning
the above, providing support and offering
condolences.
3
Nov 2022
The Bali summit was marked by notable outcomes
and a utilitarian recovery plan covering global food
security, climate and energy, biodiversity, digital
transformation, a call to action on the Ukraine-Russia
war and post pandemic recovery. After two productive
days, the summit came to a close with India officially
taking over the G20 presidency for 2023.
The 8 billion milestone-
celebration or warning?
“Unless we bridge the yawning chasm between the
global haves and have-nots, we are setting ourselves
up for an 8-billion-strong world filled with tensions
and mistrust, crisis and conflict,”
UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
Ananyaa Sultania from C10
Let us take a chance to hit pause on our busy lives and
look around us. We might not be able to see it, but it is
ever-present. The looming fact that we are sharing this
planet and all of its resources with eight billion others.
Yes, eight billion. Eight billion humans breathing the
same air we breathe, living on the same land as us,
under the same sky, competing for the same fuel and
food. However, does this milestone that celebrates
technological advancements, cultural acceptance and
an increase in human capital, somehow hide the
inequitable allocation of limited resources among the
population? Does it veil the underlying fact of how
overconsumption, congestion and scarcity are going to
scar the face of this planet?
To gauge what happens ahead, we need to know what
got us here. With advancements in technology and
healthcare, and an increasing number of people
surviving till reproductive age, in 200 years the
population has grown eight fold. Economic
development in several countries has led to
accessibility to better public healthcare facilities,
nutrition and family planning aid. All these factors help
increase longevity and life expectancy of the citizens
there. While on one side, increased population is
backed by improvements in infrastructure, the other
side is just the opposite. Extreme poverty and
underdevelopment in several Southern and African
countries, coupled with the lack of education in these
regions has led to high birth rates, most times
exceeding death rates. Both sides of the coin
ultimately, however, lead to the same thing. An
increase in population, which has now surpassed eight
billion.

As previously established, there is a constant
competition for Earth's resources. Resources that are
being plundered and looted at rates faster than they
are being replenished. Undoubtedly, this is leading to
scarcity and unsustainability. Words that indicate that
most of these resources will not be spared for our
posterity. Human greed and the rapacity for money
and economic growth is getting the better of us. Large
companies and even small ones are eating up precious
supplies in volumes that may now also exceed the
usage of the human population. One may say that
economic growth is driven by the human population,
however, it is no secret that we are producing and
manufacturing more than what is merely needed. We
are producing to feed into our desires. Desires need to
be limited if we want our planet to be able to sustain
human life.
Sometimes we tend to forget that Earth can only take
on the burden of so many of us. Eventually, if the abuse
continues, it will break. Crack. Shatter and destroy not
just itself but us; the people living in it; humanity.
Scientific predictions, however, have a dual-sided view
of the fate of our planet. On one hand, experts state
that with falling birth rates, Earth's population will
peak in 2080, at around 10.5 billion individuals and
then start to shrink to 6 billion humans (“Peaking”). On
the other hand, predictions are that the population
will continue to rise and reach 11.2 billion by 2100, and
that “while the status quo might be comfortable, the
notion of a stable population is rather unrealistic”
(Herrmann). Both these forecasts fail to account for
any drastic pandemics, natural catastrophes, or global
crises that can have an unforeseeable impact on the
population.
It is time we realise, that while some experts say
otherwise, the possibility of Earth not being able to
sustain the weight of growing humanity is extremely
valid. Earth may very well be at its breaking point in
2080. To be able to sustain life on this planet, we must
turn to long-term solutions. Sustainable development
and population growth have a direct relation, and
hence the implementation of the Paris Agreement
along with the outlined UN SDGs must be prioritised.
Moreover, family planning and education must be
imparted in underdeveloped areas to bring down birth
rates. Planning and building infrastructure to support
the population is also key. There may be a time when
we will have to go beyond Earth, to be able to live and
scientists are already expediting that process to ensure
the continuity of the human race. It may be Mars, or
someplace even further. Let us hope that time never
comes.
4
Nov 2022
As humanity is growing, Earth is slowly but surely
dying. 15 billion humans is the predicted capacity of
this planet (Gillies), however with the rate at which we
are pillaging its resources, the true number may be
much lower. We must open our eyes and ask ourselves,
how many people are too many people? Is the eight
billion milestone truly a celebration or a warning?
Every vote counts -
except when it doesn’t
Nisha Sriram from 9A
Once every two years, Americans are inundated with
passionate rhetoric from incumbents and hopefuls
alike about how voting is not just their privilege, but
also their duty and their obligation. Of course, that
comes from a true premise - voting is powerful and
necessary. But how much can voters do, really, when
the system is established against them? Like the
famously corrupt Boss Tweed once asked: “As long as I
count the votes, what are you going to do about it?”
In these 2022 midterms, a lot was at stake. According
to CBS News polls, issues that most concerned voters
were those regarding the economy, the 2020
presidential election, gun policy, and abortion rights.
The various stances candidates took on these issues
were usually partisan, with Democrats typically
supporting gun control and reproductive rights and
most Republicans leaning into Trump’s ‘Big Lie’ while
blaming the Biden administration for the record-high
rates of inflation. Democrats campaigned to try and
retain their majority in Congress, while Republicans
fought to try and overturn enough seats for them to
gain control of it. Eventually, Democrats managed to
keep the Senate, but lost the House of Representatives.
On January 3rd, the new Congress will be sworn in -
this time with both institutions divided, each
controlled by a different party.

Ultimately, though, these elections were a win for
progressives - Democrats lost less than 10 seats in the
House, a number significantly lower than the average
number of seats lost by the party in power, 25.
Additionally, Maura Healey from Massachetsetts
became the first openly lesbian governor, Florida
elected Maxwell Frost, making him the first Gen-Z
member of congress, Trump-endorsed candidates like
Herschel Walker fared worse than expected,
Pennsylvania’s John Fetterman flipped a previously
Republican-held Senate seat, and AOC’s ‘Squad’
welcomed four new members. Essentially, the
forecasted ‘Red Wave’ never came. One of the main
factors behind these unexpected victories is high voter
turnout - specifically, according to data from Tufts, the
second-highest youth voter rate in 30 years. Young
voters, especially those that are female, queer, and/or
POC, are deeply blue. Historically, higher turnout has
mostly favored Democrats, and this time was no
exception.
Unfortunately, Republicans caught on, and have been
doing as much as they can to prevent more liberal
populations from making it to the polls. At least 56
new voting legislations have been passed since 2020
by them, all of which attempt to make it harder to
vote. Examples include closing polling places in areas
with denser populations of POC, limiting early voting
and mail-in ballots, introducing voter ID laws, enabling
police and vigilantes to intimidate and discourage
voters, purging ‘inactive’ voters, and, of course,
gerrymandering. This sort of voter suppression is
specially designed to propel Republican candidates to
triumphs in circumstances they otherwise would’ve
lost in. Many marginalized districts and communities
in red states face voter suppression, which makes it
difficult for them to get out the vote and overturn the
politicians they’re unhappy with.
While the recent high voter turnout is amazing, it still
coexists with high voter suppression, and that should
not be ignored. Voting is an opportunity for change, a
way for us to make our voices heard. When that is
taken away from us, so is democracy.
5
Nov 2022
The Cryptocurrency
Crash
Annapurna Voleti from C10
Cryptocurrency is a decentralized medium of digital or
virtual money, which means that it is not controlled by
a central authority such as a bank or government.
Cryptocurrencies are built on blockchain technology,
which is a decentralized database that records all
transactions across a network of computers. This
guarantees that the transaction record is correct and
cannot be changed. There are other cryptocurrencies,
the most well-known of which is Bitcoin. Ethereum,
Litecoin, and XRP are some more prominent
cryptocurrencies. Cryptocurrencies may be used to buy
goods and services, store wealth, and expedite
financial transactions.
Cryptocurrencies have grown in popularity because of
their decentralized structure, security, and anonymity
potential. They are, however, volatile and vulnerable to
regulatory hazards, and their usage is not yet common.
Despite these concerns, many individuals regard
cryptocurrencies as an exciting and creative
investment option that has the potential to change
the way we think about and use money.
The crypto market crash of 2021 was a major event
that had a significant impact on the cryptocurrency
industry. Multiple leading crypto exchanges, including
Binance and BitMEX, were either bankrupt or on the
verge of bankruptcy as a result of the crash. In this
article, we will analyze the reasons behind the crypto
market crash and explore its potential consequences
for the industry.
For a multitude of causes, the cryptocurrency market
can plummet. The overvaluation of cryptocurrencies is
one typical explanation. If investors grow too
optimistic about cryptocurrency's prospects and are
prepared to pay high prices for them, the market may
experience a bubble. When the bubble bursts, the
price of cryptocurrencies may plunge, resulting in a
market crash.

The growth of fake and illegal crypto exchanges was a
major contributor to the crypto market meltdown.
Many of these exchanges were run by unscrupulous
individuals who were more concerned with earning a
quick buck than with offering a safe and secure
trading environment. These exchanges frequently
participated in behaviours such as insider trading,
market manipulation, and other types of fraud, which
added to the market's overall insecurity.
Despite the difficulties that the cryptocurrency sector
has suffered in the aftermath of the crypto market
crash, it is crucial to remember that the underlying
technology of cryptocurrencies, blockchain, has the
potential to change a broad range of businesses. The
adoption of blockchain technology has the potential
to boost efficiency, cut costs, and promote
transparency in a variety of industries, from supply
chain management to financial services.
As the bitcoin business evolves and matures,
additional regulations and infrastructure will likely be
put in place to facilitate market expansion. This might
involve the creation of more secure and trustworthy
exchanges, as well as the installation of tighter
protections against fraud and manipulation.
Finally, the 2021 crypto market meltdown was a key
event in the history of cryptocurrencies. While the
meltdown was disastrous for many large
cryptocurrency exchanges, it also acted as a wake-up
call for the whole sector. It is conceivable for the
cryptocurrency sector to rebound and continue to
expand in the future if the fundamental flaws that
contributed to the crisis are addressed.
Black Panther: Wakanda
Forever - Marvel's Much-
Needed Redemption?
Has the highly anticipated sequel revived
the Marvel magic after a lacklustre year?
Gaayathri Haasini Potluri from IB 11D
6
Nov 2022
As a long-standing marvel fan myself, I hesitantly
walked into the theatre of Black Panther: Wakanda
Forever. The trailer showed great promise, however, I
was still put off by Marvel’s recent history of its
“quantity over quality” approach. So I walked in with an
open mind hoping not to get let down.
Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, directed by Ryan
Coogler, takes place in the fictitious country of
Wakanda amongst a few other locations. This sequel,
to the original Black Panther, was released on 11th
November 2022, and stars a predominantly female
cast of Letitia Wright, Angela Bassett, Lupita Nyong’o,
Tenoch Huerta and Dominique Thorne. After watching
it, I can gladly say that Blank Panther 2 is an
improvement to the recent underwhelming projects
Marvel has released.
“Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M'Baku, Okoye and the Dora
Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening
world powers in the wake of King T'Challa's death. As
the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter,
the heroes must band together with Nakia and Everett
Ross to forge a new path for their beloved kingdom.”
By this film synopsis, the shadow that looms over this
movie is made abundantly clear- the death of its main
character. Chadwick Boseman, the actor who played
Black Panther, passed away on 28 August 2020. His
loss was grieved amongst millions of fans, who had
resonated with him. Marvel didn't just have to fill the
hole left behind by him, they had to rewrite their
whole script and rethink their whole strategy towards
the character Black Panther. Chadwick will be missed
by many, and this movie definitely does not miss out
on telling us. This movie felt like the rightful tribute
that Chadwick deserved, remembering his legacy and
giving the movie a real sense of heart. I enjoyed the
fact that it didn't brush over his death or the
consequences of the loss of him or his beloved
character. It felt thought out and purposeful, unlike
recent marvel projects.
I did enjoy a lot of things about this movie. One of the
standout points of it was the acting. Every single actor
brought their A-game and it really showed through.
Angela Bassett's powerful acting and Letitia Wright
and Tenoch Huerta’s empathizing performances are
among many brilliant performances. Their
performance made the film richer and made it rise
above the ranks of what a Marvel movie usually is
these days, it also made the tribute to Chadwick so
much more heartfelt. Something that has improved
from the first movie is the visuals, and this movie looks
so beautiful. From the underwater scenes to the
scenes on Wakanda, they were all a delight to
experience. This film also dealt with many complex
themes,

I particularly enjoyed how they explored the idea of
power. Wakanada and Talokan both wield the power
of vibranium, however they both have very different
ways of protecting it. One chooses the path of peace
and safekeeping, while the other hopes to attack
before they are provoked.This ideology makes way for
a very compelling protagonist, Namor, who has
justifiable motives. His need to protect his home is
easy to resonate with, and his determination to do
absolutely anything to protect what is his creates a lot
of tension and stakes in the movie. The film also
effectively fleshes out and develops characters from
the last movie who have been pushed into the
limelight of this one. The character arc of Shuri is of full
focus, as she has contrasting thoughts with the people
closest to her and conflicting feelings that rise as she
grieves the death of her brother. Despite the climactic
battle falling flat, the climactic duel between our
antagonist and the protagonist has quite the opposite
effect. The culmination of the use of contrasting
ideologies, a compelling villain and a hero who is
unsure of the right decision creates an intense climax.
However, despite being a great tribute to Chadwick
Boseman and its strengths, there are a few weak
points in the film. One of my biggest issues was with
the soundtracks, though most of the themes were
pretty good and matched those of the first movie, the
songs that they had added didn't feel appropriate at
all. They always seemed to take me out of the movie,
despite them being played during scenes when
immersiveness was crucial. They didn’t fit the tone of
the movie that well, and were a bit too “pop” for me.
The film also introduces a new character, Riri Williams,
who is the newest addition to the MCU as Ironheart
and the comic relief for the film. Unfortunately, I barely
found any of her many one-liners funny, they seemed
unnecessary in some scenes and the jokes always fell
flat for me. It felt like “oh I’m supposed to laugh at this”
but I didn't really feel like laughing. Despite being
quite crucial to the plot in the first act, she felt quite
irrelevant later on. This connects to the issue I had with
how the film used its screen time. It didn't use it
sparingly, giving far too much screen time to trivial
side characters like Everett Ross. The movie had me
wishing it would focus on the main plot instead while
it wasted time repeating itself with redundant scenes.
The costumes in this film were really beautiful and
continued the trend of the first movie, however, one
suit, in particular, stood out like a sore thumb and that
was the “Angel” costume. They were gaudy, ugly and
unlike the African-modern style the rest of the
costuming had.
7
Nov 2022
Lastly, the ending climatic battle turned into a generic
Marvel face-off, with predictable twists and turns,
lacking much tension because everyone in the theatre
knows that the "good guys" were going to win.
In the end, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever was a very
good movie, but it did have a few setbacks that held it
back from being something greater. Many of its flaws
come from the fact that it is a Marvel movie, and some
choices that take priority make parts feel cliche and
conflict with the overall tone for the purpose of it
fitting into the bigger Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Despite its flaws, this movie was a beautiful and
earnest tribute to Chadwick Boseman. With many of
Marvel’s phase 4 projects being mediocre, or as the
Internet would like to call it “mid”, Black Panther:
Wakanda Forever was a fresh breath of air.
Adipursh: What went
wrong?
Tanvi Reddy from C10
Adipurush, one of the most anticipated movies of
2023, is a PAN Indian film based on the Indian epic,
Ramayan. It casts acclaimed actors, Prabhas playing
the role of Lord Rama, Saif Ali Khan portraying Ravan,
and Kriti Sanon as Sita. The director of the film, Om
Raut had been bearing high expectations upon the
film, ever since its announcement. Afterall, it is that
same director who had made Tanhaji, one of the best
films of Bollywood. Fanatics of the film, especially of
the Baahubali super star, had been going gaga all over
first look posters, behind the scenes clips, and any
announcement made by the team. Adipurush was
surely going to be astounding right?

On October 2nd 2022, in the holy city of Ayodhya, Lord
Rama’s place of birth, Adipurush’s teaser was
launched. However, it was not even 1% of what the
audience had expected. Within seconds, the internet
was filled with mocking comments against the film.
Some said,”Nothing but a cheap copy of the game of
thrones”, while some mocked the character's
appearance. ”Nice hairstyle Raavan bro”, read a
mockery comment.
Upset netizens have reached to such an extent where
they had even made efforts to try and completely ban
the film!
Nov 2022
Several authorities and veteran actors and actresses
have been reacting to the film as well. Shaktimaan
actor, Mukesh Khanna had pointed out the Hindu
goods aren’t handsome like Arnold Schwazzenegger
but are beautiful and have a soft and docile look which
is far away from what is displayed in the teaser.
He also finely pointed out the film’s title is also
misleading and refers to the stone age more than
Ramayan.
“Let me tell you that such a film will not work, because
you want to use the faith that the audience has in
Ramayan but you also challenge the faith”, he added.

But what exactly triggered the audience? The primary
reason according to media reports was the ludicrous
display of demons and other creatures with poor VFX
and editing, despite huge budget margins of about
400-600 crores, which is more than the budget of
Baahubali itself, both the parts combined! Netizens say
the teaser looks fan-made or even more like that of a
kid’s cartoon. The creatures depicted through VFX
have been compared to several others as well. For
example, Netizens say the monkeys and apes in the
film look like the failed replicas of the ones in the
popular game,”temple run”. Audiences were also
questioning the film's ‘live action’ genre. A popular
comment read,”a white hat junior alumni was behind
Adipurush’s VFX”. This particular comment has
received thousands of likes,indicating netizens’
collective agreement towards it.
Currently, according to reports, the film’s release has
been postponed as the makers of the film are now
busy, improving the film while audiences are passing
suggestions of working on the film’s VFX and character
scripts.
Regardless of Adipurush’s negative impression by the
audience, netizens still believe that the film must
receive a second chance. After all, this is our film. A
film that still has the potential to unite Indian Cinema
and show the world who we are and what makes us
Indians.

Moreover, the depiction of Lord Rama, both in terms of

appearance and personality is also wrong. For
example, Lord Rama was never described to have a
mustache but it was falsely added to the character,
making him look more aggressive which is ironic to his
personality. There is a lack of intricate details to the
character.

Similarly, the depiction of Ravan in terms of

appearance and personality is also wrong. According
to the epic, Ravan was a great devotee of lord shiva.
However, in the teaser, Ravan is portrayed as more of a
demon which is different from what is believed by
hindu devotees and others as well. Ravan is also said to
have had a vehicle called,’pushpaka vimanam’.
However, he is seen to be riding a dragon-like creature
instead.

All of these instances have made the audience unable

to connect to the film.

8

Uncovering the Toxic
Truth Behind India's Paan
Masala Industry - Bolo
Zubaan Cancery.
Ananya Mahesh C10
Not even the most talented movie director has been
able to get three of the biggest stars in the Bollywood
film industry - Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar and Shah
Rukh Khan - to work together. But a pan masala
company did.
Pan Masala is a mixture of nuts, seeds, herbs and
spices often sold in packets as something to chew on
to aid with digestion. It has been advertised on the
front pages of newspapers and in TV commercials
since the 1980s, and the roar surrounding it hasn’t died
down ever since. One could even say that the MCU
(Marvel Cinematic Universe) has competition now
from the ‘PMCU’ or ‘Pan Masala Cinematic Universe’, as
netizens have comically dubbed it, with dozens of
actors throughout India endorsing these
advertisements, to the shock of many. For example,
many people were thoroughly aghast when they saw
Tiger Shroff and Hrithik Roshan, actors renowned for
their passion for fitness, appear in pan masala ads
earlier this year.
These advertisements have a far and wide reach, airing
repetitively on top Indian channels that millions of
people watch daily. Its influence on the Indian society
and youth of our nation is colossal, so it comes as no
surprise that the Pan masala market in India is now
worth a whopping forty-three thousand crores, double
the worth of the Indian fruits and vegetable market or
the chocolate market, to put it into perspective.
Pan masala was originally called “gutka’, a mixture of
pan masala along with tobacco. In 2012, several states
banned the advertising of tobacco and nicotine-
containing substances, and this included gutka.
However, companies found a loophole - they could
promote pan masala without tobacco. This way, large
actors and events continued to endorse them, and
companies continued to rack up more than enough
money to be sponsored. This promotion of regulated
goods by focusing on the brand’s image is called
‘surrogate advertising’. But… what’s wrong with that?
Beyond the smoke and mirrors lies the real danger.
9
Nov 2022
When people actually visit roadside shops to purchase
pan masala, along with the packet of paan, they are
given a secret second packet. Filled with tobacco.
People consuming this paan can experience severe
heart problems, a feeling of nauseousness, several
types of cancer and even amnesia. Even without
containing tobacco, studies show that a person who
eats paan is more than 10 times more likely to acquire
oral cancer than somebody who doesn’t. But it
becomes even more serious when millions of people
who don’t even eat paan themselves are put at risk. For
example, out of the whopping 10.6 million people
diagnosed with tuberculosis annually, India homes
nearly a third of those cases. This is because germs
from tuberculosis and several other contagious
diseases and viruses are spread via infected droplets,
and after all, India is infamous for its ‘spitting industry'.
People that consume paan spit on an average of 20-30
times in just ten minutes. Just imagine, an infected
auto driver doing his daily work could spread
tuberculosis across an entire city within a day to
hundreds of uninvolved people. The Indian Railways
spend ₹1,200 crore cleaning spit stains by pan users
and this still isn't enough to prevent the germs from
being spread. So what really can be done?
Bollywood Stars should become more aware of the
gravity of their actions, and how the actions they take
to influence the entirety of India. No amount of money
is worth spreading harmful diseases to thousands of
innocent people each year. Local municipalities can
take positive action by advertising about the
detrimental effects of pan masala so that people could
possibly become more conscious of the effects of their
actions while purchasing paan. More trash cans and
signs telling people not to spit can be put up in areas
to reduce the chances of diseases being spread from
paan. Even legal action could be taken by the
government by placing strict sanctions on the
manufacture of paan masala and cracking down on
small, under-the-radar roadside stalls stashing packets
of tobacco along with their masala mixes.

Lastly, you, as an individual living in India, have a
responsibility to carry out. Spread the message to your
family members and other people you see consuming
or spitting paan. Make auto drivers think twice by
asking them if they spit out their paan before getting
on their auto. And finally, math bolo zubaan cancery.
How long will India’s
relationship with Russia
last?
Sidhant Tara from C10
The world has been in complete disarray these past
few years, with one international crisis breaking
headlines even before the previous one could be fully
deciphered. A global pandemic, military coups,
economic disasters, controversial presidential races -
the list seems endless. Undoubtedly, the ongoing
Russian invasion of Ukraine is one of the most decisive
events that have the potential to alter modern history.
Within this unholy mess, there is one story that has
come to the spotlight in a very controversial manner,
and it involves 2 of the world’s foremost superpowers.
India’s enigmatic relationship with Russia in these
times has been subject to a host of debates that have
cornered India into the tricky waters of international
relations. Why has India chosen to continue this
relationship in spite of the harsh criticism it has faced?
What are India’s motives? Does this put India on its
back foot? To find out the answers to these questions,
we must delve into the very roots of the origins of this
unlikely partnership.
10
Nov 2022
India post 1947 was a nation that was still reeling from
the massive challenges that any developing country
faces: poverty, food shortages, infrastructure, energy
and most importantly, security and defence. This was a
time when the Soviet Union and America were just in
the infancy of their enmity, and in order to gain more
influence around the world, each nation was giving
generous loans or were swooping down on
Governments around the world and making them
pledge their allegiance to one or the other. India
experienced a similar dilemma during the 1950s, when
Russian ‘donations’ to India were at an all time high. To
make matters worse, the US openly supported its next
door neighbour and sworn enemy: Pakistan. Left with
no choice, India had to lean heavily towards the Soviet
Union in the international forum.
Throughout the Cold War, this relationship rested on 3
pillars: Soviet arms sale to India, similar economic
philosophies and the extensive Soviet aid given so that
India could resist US expansion in the Indian ocean.
Russia was perhaps the only nation to back India up
during times of crisis and the wars against Pakistan.
However, with deepening US-India ties, the fall of the
Soviet Union, and the war against Ukraine have
somewhat jeopardised this relationship. Or so we
think. Amidst the ongoing international
condemnation of Russia, India has yet to explicitly
speak out against the war, indicating that there might
be more factors at play. India was part of the very few
countries that abstained from voting as part of a UN
Resolution that censured Russia for its military
activities against Ukraine. This did not go unnoticed,
and numerous Western countries like the UK and US
issued angry statements condemning India for their
actions. What's more, in the summer of 2021, India had
decided to go ahead with the purchase of Russian S-
400 missile systems in spite of the threat of US
sanctions. Many people were bewildered by the merit
of these decisions, was India capable of withstanding
USA's wrath?
Led by S. Jaishankar, the External Affairs Minister, India
tactfully manoeuvred around this tricky situation and
in the end, was able to procure both the missiles from
Russia and preserve its ties with the West. India often
chose products that were more economically
favourable rather than political allegiances. In the
aftermath of the Ukraine war, the world attempted to
put a stop on the use of Russian oil.
 But in doing so, many nations were left reeling and
their major reliance on Russian imports was exposed,
serving as a wake up call to many European nations. In
a recent CNN interview with the Indian petroleum
Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, he said that there was
‘absolutely no moral conflict (for India) to stop buying
oil from Russia’. But when pressed further, he said that
it was ironic how India had been called out several
times for ‘financing Russia’ through its imports, but
this was a fraction of the volume of oil that Europe
imported. In fact, what India imported in 1 quarter was
the same as what Europe consumed in one day!
Needless to say, it is impossible to balance out the
multitude of factors that play a part in determining
international relations. But we can say that India’s
relationship with Russia is one that is going to last. In
spite of continued international threats and sanctions,
India has gone ahead with certain decisions that it
declares were in the interest of its own agendas. It has
made it clear that it will stand firm on its ground, and
will not be bullied into making hasty policy changes.
While India has expressed concerns over the ongoing
war in Ukraine, it has solely been from a socio-
economic point of view; it has never taken any political
actions that explicitly blame Russia as the aggressor.
Some may argue that this relationship with Russia is
indispensable for India, as it has benefitted from
discounted oil prices, generous military aid and an ally
to use as a strong arm when it comes to China and its
national security. India should find the precise
equilibrium between its allegiances, within which it
can freely navigate its way to a secure and prosperous
future.
11
Nov 2022
Should India be Sitting
on the Fence Regarding
Russia’s War on Ukraine?
Atharva and Ahana from C8
On the 24th of February, 2022, The Russian Federation
began its ‘special military operation’ on its
neighbouring country, and former satellite state,
Ukraine. Since then, the attack developed into a full-
scale war – tens of thousands of casualties were
suffered, thousands of acres of land were destroyed,
and governments from all over the world have gotten
involved in the conflict. Major countries – such as the
United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany,
and many others – have been quick to condemn Russia
and take action to support Ukraine and sever links
with Russia. India, however, is not a part of this list of
countries and has famously avoided condemning
Putin for his actions. India has stayed neutral
throughout the entirety of this situation – and whether
India’s silence is due to Russia’s supply of military
weapons, it's supply of fuel, or the two countries’ long-
standing close ties with each other, India’s continued
positive relationship with Russia despite the Russo-
Ukrainian war has to stop.
Firstly, and most importantly, the people of Ukraine are
suffering. Russia’s regime has, since the ten months it
has been in place, benefitted no one but Vladimir
Putin and his administration’s delusions. The human
rights violations that Russia has committed in Ukraine
are disgusting. The Ukrainian people have experienced
great hardship in maintaining their regular lives after
this unwarranted assault by Russia. Any government
supporting Russia’s regime, directly and indirectly,
should feel ashamed of itself. Common day-to-day
tasks have become a considerable struggle; people are
scared to go out in the open for fear of the threat of
targeted missile strikes. These fears are not unjustified,
either; the Russian military has proved, time and time
again, that it does not lack the will or capability to use
excessive force against civilians. They do not
discriminate – men or women, the elderly or the
children; they have attacked. In a particular instance of
Russian war crimes, Russian troops executed around
500 civilians while retreating from the Kyiv suburb of
Bucha. Nine of them were children. Furthermore, the
Russian military has deported around 400,000
Ukrainian civilians to the far side of Siberia to work in
forced labour camps.
In addition to the growing list of atrocious Russian war
crimes, the Ukrainian military police discovered the
use of torture chambers in certain strategic towns.
These were many of the vast number of perpetrated
crimes against humanity conducted by the Russian
military. In addition, the Ukrainians aren’t the only
innocent civilians being impacted by Putin; in the
process of attacking Ukraine, the Russian president has
also lost sight of what should be his primary priority:
his citizens. Russian people have had to live through
sanctions, travel restrictions, and more – all for Putin’s
futile plan to invade and take control of Ukraine, for
reasons that he has still not been entirely transparent
about. Would India have the moral high ground by
supporting Russia? Should India, a free and democratic
country, be aligning itself with a government whose
military has such brutal disregard for the lives of
innocents? Or should the Republic of India honour its
name and do the morally correct thing: distance
themselves from Russia?
Furthermore, trade diplomacy with Russia cannot
continue any further. If the situation between India
and Russia continues, India would end up being
nothing but an Echo to a Narcissus. Simply put, the
Indian government is incorporating themselves into
the backbone of the Russian war effort; money and
goods (around $297 billions worth) are being traded
between India and Russia, the profits of which have
ended up funding and supporting the Russian arms
industry – and worse, the Russian military.While on the
subject of militaries, the Indian military is putting itself
at a disadvantage by relying on Russian equipment.
Owing to the fact that Russia is currently in a war, its
arms industry cannot be depended on; weapons or
equipment may not be produced as efficiently. How
would the Indian government be condemned if they
handed our soldiers possibly faulty equipment?
Finally, if the status quo continues, there is no
predicting how India’s relations with other countries
will change. There are very few countries that have
failed to condemn Russia – many powers on the global
stage, especially in the West, have publicly shown their
support towards Ukraine. After its attack, people and
nations all over the world started seeing Russia as
being in the wrong, morally and politically. India is
already under global scrutiny for its lack of
condemnation of Russian aggression, and many
Western nations are already feeling the need to
alienate India. If India continues its positive
relationship with Russia, India, too, will eventually be
perceived as a nation that should not be supported.
Russia is no longer the huge imperium it once was;
economically, it is not as strong as other Western
countries, and with ever weakening international
relations, as well as an unreliable president, the
chances of Russia ever regaining its immense
12
influence over foreign affairs are tenuous.
Nov 2022
Further proving this point, it has been speculated that
the true reason that Russia started its invasion was fear
of being attacked by NATO as Ukraine sought closer
ties with the organisation. Does this not show that
Russia is not a stable ally to have as a country?
Moreover, Russia has close ties with China and
Pakistan – and while the USA used to be one of
Pakistan’s strongest allies, the case is no longer so.
Indo-US relations, on the other hand, have
strengthened over time, and have become vital in
shaping world order in the 21st century. These relations
will almost certainly deteriorate if India doesn’t choose
a side. So, while there are limited benefits to
maintaining links with Russia, these benefits are far
from outweighing the disadvantages that the upkeep
of this relation would bring. Anything close to an
allyship with Russia would eventually disqualify India
from receiving support from a large number of far
stronger nations. Henceforth, maintaining friendly
relations with Russia and stepping away from the West
could be detrimental to India from a geopolitical
perspective.
India is impelling itself into a sinking ship by aligning
itself with Russia. by choosing to stay silent about
Russia and maintain neutral relations with the country.
Already, it is being scrutinised globally for its lack of
action – and is it not futile to go through this amount
of controversy when the solution is so clear? India
should sever ties with Russia. It might take fortnights,
and it might take months, but it is the only reasonable
and efficient solution. Not only would this mean that
the government of India would be doing its duty as a
body that cares about all innocent civilians, but it
would also mean that India would have the chance to
grow and build relationships with other countries –
ones that are drastically more dominant,
internationally, than Russia. Every reason that India
might have for maintaining its positive relationship
with Russia has a potent counter-point detailing why
India should break ties with the nation. It is imperative
that India does its part – everything it is able to – to
impede the Russian war effort. And so, with all points
considered, it is clear that India must discontinue its
positive relationship with Russia.

Is spray-on fashion the
future?
Gaayathri Haasini Potluri from IB 11D
The viral moment of Bella Hadid being sprayed on a
new dress in front of the whole audience at the
Coperni spring/summer 2023 makes you wonder
whether spray-on clothes are the path to the future.
This moment undoubtedly seemed to be the highlight
of the Paris fashion week, with people around the
world marvelling and wondering whether this is the
fate for fashion, in terms of sustainability and much
more.
Nov 2022
This phenomenon will definitely be documented in
the history books as an incredible innovation, despite
its uncertain fate. Fabrican could very easily be the
starting point to a future with more sustainable and
limitless fashion. For now, it certainly is entertaining to
the likes and sensibilities of people to watch these
innovations unfold.

Bella Hadid walked onto the runway for the finale of

the Coperni Spring/Summer 2023, at the Paris Fashion
Week, only wearing nude underwear. She proceeded
to be spray painted by a set of specialists, led by Dr
Manel Torres - the managing director of Fabrican Ltd.
and inventor of the spray-on fabric - to create a white,
form-sticking garment that was later styled and cut to
resemble a chic dress. This moment was the
collaborative effort of Dr Manel Torres, Sébastien Meyer
and Arnaud Vaillant - the creative director and co-
founders of Coperni.

Though many might confuse this solution to be body

paint, the liquid sprayed on the it-girl model was in
fact Fabrican. It marks the amalgamation of science
and fashion. Fabrican is a liquid fibre that is bound
together by polymers, biopolymers and greener
solvents, and evaporates when it comes in contact
with a surface. The fabric that has been sprayed on
Hadid resembles suede; however, the texture can be The Dark Side of Qatar's World
manipulated to duplicate other fabrics depending on
the fibres (natural or synthetic) and their application. It Cup Bid: Ignoring Human Rights
was invented by Torres in 2003.
for Sporting Glory
This is an extremely innovative product, but does it
have a future in fashion? The current plan for Fabrican Rochan Aeju from IB 11
is to bring it into the medical industry to be used to

The FIFA World Cup is a global spectacle that occurs

make casts or spray-on sterile bandages. However, it
different regions of the world. All
every 4 years in
might not have similar innovative utility in the fashion
other major events ground to a halt, and prime focus
industry. First of all, Fabrican may not end up being as
is put on this all-embracing tournament for a month.
sustainable as one might think. Even though it's
It brings together nations from 5 continents of all
reusable, it can be washed, worn or even put back in
races and backgrounds, to put together a festival of
the can and re-sprayed, it is likely to use up more
sorts that is embraced by the elites.
energy, and chemicals and produce more waste than
any other fabric. Being sold in aerosol would be more
The World Cup initially had 24 teams, which
wasteful as they cannot be recyclable. Torres himself
gradually expanded to 32 teams, allowing more
has said that it would not be quite practical for home
teams from Africa, Asia and North America to take
use, but most possibly for industrial use. Consequently,
part.
even though it cannot replace any fabric, it certainly
can be an addition.

13
 Nov 2022

Only eight nations have won the title. Brazil is the most
successful World Cup team, having won the The Qatari government has spent billions of dollars in
tournament 5 times. infrastructure projects to prepare for the World Cup.
These projects, which included constructing stadiums,
The hosts for each World Cup are chosen 8-9 years in hotels, highways, and expanding the airport in Doha,
advance. Each nation would have to place a bid, after largely relied on migrant labor. They also came at a
which the FIFA Executive Committee of 24 members deadly cost. In recent years, it has become clear that
would have to go through a bidding process. Voting is the basic human rights of migrant workers who
to be conducted according to the outcomes contributed to World Cup infrastructure projects were
determined by FIFA during their fact-finding trips to significantly violated.
each country. Competition to host these events is
fierce, as bringing the World Cup to a country spurs Reporting has documented grueling working
economic growth through tourism, broadcasting, conditions, long hours, unclean living situations, and
logistics, etc., and is also a great prestige for the wage-theft. The Guardian estimates that thousands of
government. migrant workers have died in Qatar since the country
was awarded the World Cup. And, while human rights
Qatar was selected to host the 22nd edition of the advocates have been calling on FIFA to provide
World Cup in December, 2010. But how did they get it? financial remedies to the families of the deceased,
How did this absolute monarchy of the Arabian that has yet to be realized.
Peninsula manage to pull off one of the most
compelling and controversial coups in football history?
Unfortunately, this horrific practice of exploiting
Australia, Japan, South Korea, and The United States
migrant labor is not new to Qatar. Migrant workers,
bid to host the 2022 World Cup. But Qatar was chosen
who make up 90% of the workforce, are constrained
for its democracy; rather the lack of democracy. It is an
by the country’s sponsorship system known as the
absolute monarchy, and FIFA finds monarchies,
kafala system. This is a colonial-era work visa
oligarchies and dictatorships easy to deal with. Easier,
sponsorship system that still exists in countries such as
even, than the Western-style democracies whose due
Jordan, Lebanon, and many Arab-Gulf states. The
process and debate create for slowed-down decision-
kafala system offers very few protections for laborers
making.
and essentially gives employers total control over
foreign workers including their wages, ability to travel,
Records of how much Qatar spent on preparations for
and immigration status.
the World Cup haven’t been made official yet, but The
Although Qatar announced major reforms to the
Guardian estimates the amount to have been slightly
kafala system in 2020, these changes in practice fell
less than $200 million in public funds. That's excluding
short of what was promised.
the private money that was spent, which is simply
untraceable. Australia, by comparison, spent just $42.7
million on its bid; the United States spent less than $5
million. England, in its 2018 bid, allocated $24 million
to the process—an amount that was widely decried for
being excessive. And it might have been, but far too
little to secure a World Cup.

Qatar at the time had 3 operational stadiums. FIFA

requires a minimum of eight playing venues, in turn,
Qatar proposed nine new stadia, and the renovation of
3, making a total of 12 venues in seven host cities. The
seven ‘state-of-the-art’ stadia have advanced open-air
cooling technology, being built from scratch
While those facilities were being built, the
international spotlight was not only on the football
matches being drawn up, but also Qatar’s harrowing
human rights record.

14

Human rights groups began sounding the alarm
about the potential for abuse of foreign workers
back when Qatar was awarded the right to host
the World Cup in 2010. Unfortunately, neither
FIFA nor Qatari authorities did much to provide
meaningful protections for migrant workers. In
2010, South Africa hosted the World Cup. When
awarded to host it in 2004, Nelson Mandela
smiled and said “I feel like a young man of 15”,
holding the World Cup trophy. Finance Minister
Trevor Manuel said it would be expensive to get
South Africa ready for the World Cup, with only
a few stadiums up to FIFA’s standards. South
Africa spent $2 billion, compared to Qatar’s $6
billion. No major worker abuse was reported
during or before the World Cup, and it turned
out to be one of the best, in terms of safety and
atmosphere with foreigners.
The World Cup which carries so much passion
and pride, however, was overshadowed by the
abuse of workers at every step of development.
No nation has even been stripped of the right
to host a World Cup. The consequences of
putting Qatar on that list would have been
enormous. An absolute monarchy in a nation of
just over 3 million, lesser in size than Beijing,
given the chance to show to the world that
their nation is open to the far west and east,
with growing ambitions like its fellow Arab-
Gulf states, it was the perfect chance for them
to lay their footprint in history and set a
precedent that Qatar was open to the World
for global events and could be the epicentre for
whatever was to come.
At the time of writing this article, the World
Cup has concluded, and it gave the World
something to cheer about, and in all honesty,
lived beyond anyone’s expectations. Argentina
will have another star above their emblem, and
Morocco will cherish every moment looking
back into the history books after a few years;
but the loss of life can never be indemnified,
even for what many say was the best World
Cup ever. The 2022 World Cup recorded 142
goals across 64 games, with heartbreaks and
jubilation along the way, but it's those
thousands of dead workers, upon which the
Qatar World Cup is being celebrated.
15
Nov 2022
Is mental well-being prioritized
enough at educational
institutions?
Examining the Education System's Neglect of
Mental Health: Are Students Paying the Price?
Ria Sinha from IB11
Decades ago, educational institutions were just places
where learning was provided to those who attended,
nothing more or less. In fact, mental health itself was a
foreign term for many – the thought that children’s
socioemotional health could be impacted by school was
strange in itself. Now, however, is a different story.
Is this to say that students back then didn’t face
complications in their social and emotional well-being?
Of course not. But the internet provided abundant
information on this topic for general awareness to
spread.
The internet, ironically, also provided the foundation for
mental health issues in most students. Social media,
according to parents and teachers (and even students),
is one of the leading causes of disruptions in student life.
Depression, anxiety, and low self-esteem are some of the
unfortunate problems experienced by students, which
have more consequences emotionally and physically,
such as low energy, paranoia and stress.
Now, more than ever, in the social media era, mental
health needs to be prioritized. And what better place to
start than at educational institutions? Places where
students spend nearly half the day, where everybody’s in
such close proximity that they rub off on each other.
It can be argued that educational institutions are trying
their best to ensure that all their students are doing well,
physically and mentally. Educational boards like CBSE
have made it mandatory for trained counsellors to be
present at school so that students can avail these
professionals in times of distress, and the effort is
commendable, but is it really effective?
Many students may agree implementation of awareness
programs and mental health experts isn’t as fruitful as it
could be. This isn’t due to a lack of enthusiasm on the
enforcers’ part – it’s due to a lack of enthusiasm on the
students’ part. Due to the stigma surrounding mental
health, students who seek help from these counsellors
are often looked down upon by their relatives as well as
their peers.
 Nov 2022
On top of that, there isn’t much involvement. It
all feels ‘external’ – all the mental health
awareness programs feel like they’re a separate
entity from school, and the students don’t get to
interact with the counsellors very often. This is
probably because there isn’t enough time spent
at school and there’s only so much school
management can fit in one school day but are
students truly productive at school if all their
worries are burdening their minds? Would
students be able to fully pay attention in the
classroom while worrying that other people are
judging them for the way they look or feeling Mental wellness won’t be promoted by holding
anxious about others’ reactions to their social seminars or hiring counselors because it’s
media posts? mandatory - institutions need to play a more
active role, they need to be more connected with
It's said that to learn, you need passion, but students and their needs. Of course, students
where will that passion emerge from within can’t be spoon fed or handheld all the time, this is
students if they are more focused on how an unreasonable expectation. But, simple actions
draining life is? like monthly check-ups or just creating a more
calming learning environment can go a long way.
To ensure that mental healthcare is more
efficiently incorporated into the school lifestyle,
nearly care for mental well-being would have to
be incorporated into every aspect of school. This
would mean it would have to come down to the
teachers, who are one of the main adult figures
in students’ lives. Teachers need to be trained
and equipped with the methods necessary to
cultivate a proper learning environment for
students. And, while teachers recognize this,
according to a survey, they often treat this as a
burden on their responsibilities.

On top of that, there’s also a stigma surrounding

mental health that’s followed by adults as well
as children. In India, poor understanding of
mental health has led to prejudice against
people with fragile mental well-being. A survey
by the World Economic Forum showed that 71%
of the respondents used stigmatic terms when
describing their understanding of mental
health, and 60% believed that lack of self-
discipline was one of the root causes of mental
illness.

For mental health to be prioritized within

educational institutions, the focus needs to
come from within children and from their
households. But, educational institutions also
need to step up.

16