#Annual Holiday Redraw

[ferncassette]

Murr Crumbo

[msfate]

Holiday break annual Fate/EXTELLA replay and screenshot redraws

[skelefun-art]

my 6th annual nerin holiday sweater drawing yippee!!!

i did something a little different this year - instead of drawing neil and erin in matching hanukkah/christmas sweaters, i wanted to redraw this page from the book of bill with rebekah and oliver (my fan kids)!! it’s been WAY too long since i’ve drawn them :,) i can’t believe i’ve been doing these sweater drawings for 6 years now!! check out my instagram (@ skelefun) to see previous years :) merry christmas and happy hanukkah!🎄🕎

[fraxusgoldenheart]

My annual redrawing of art for Asexuals Day! Happy holiday to all!

[poupeesdecirque]

General Update

Just a heads up, I mainly write for those who got snippets the last days and are maybe (quite) concerned and worried about me.

So, the last few weeks at work have been literal hell.

More under the cut, this gets long.

This week especially, we worked with 6 people understaffed (out of 16, might be not that bad if you work in an office but if you work with humans, especially children/toddlers even it's... difficult), I won't get much into detail but weeks we have the bi-weekly meeting mondays before work mess me up already but then 3 more people calling in sick made everything worse. It didn't help that my annual employee-feedback talk was coming up on wednesday and that turns me into a pile of anxiety of its own.

The tuesday in before had me crying in the bathroom at work after just 1,5 hours of a 8+ hour day without real lunch break (just fyi last summer I went down with hours to be less stressed... I got in more than two days worth of work in overtime the last month). I work there for 10 years and this is the 2nd time I cried and this time it was just because of the pure stress. I won't go into detail here but I went beyond my limit so often the last weeks I am merely a shell and just do creative things to cope somehow.

The annual talk went .... good. No, good is an understatement, it was one of the best I had, there is basically zero critique on how I work, boss is very satisfied and the only thing is that I am told to tell my coworkers when their decisions stress me. haha. yeah.

Then there is our street... it's a construction site since February but now the whole thing is closed down, last week I almost didn't manage to get to work bc they closed down another road and I had no way to get through left q_q...

The work week was just 3 days (luckily) and we went into a long weekend bc of the public holiday. I decided to take the thursday slow but, yeah I know it better, the point here is when you go from 200% to maybe 10% your mind will crash and that's what I got.

I am so under stress my body has no idea where to put it and tries everything, I can't sleep well, just for a few hours and then I am wide awake.

Aside that I am basically done with the redraw project which took me almost a year, then my fic 'Warmth' is done too, it's just one final scene and that's the epilogue with the final conclusion, I have been working on this for 2,5 years now and it's part of my evening routine.. the redraws are part of my morning routine... I changed a few more things and well I managed to mess up my entire routine but I NEED IT TO FUNCTION.

I felt it coming but well.. you guessed it right, depression hit me hard on friday evening (I have seasonal depression, it gets worse the longer the days become, higher temperatures are often enough to trigger it, then the lack of sleep, two big projects ending, etc) and yesterday before the con I didn't even want to go there despite the Con being the only thing keeping me going the whole week.

I'm exhausted, tired but sleeping doesn't work as my body is "I DON'T KNOW WHERE TO PUT THE STRESS". I am really mean towards myself and I am trying hard not to be an ass and we don't talk about the fact that I need days to like... put away the laundry, put groceries into the cabinets or have crafting materials scattered around everywhere. It's just a real mess in here.

Overall I just... pour energy into crafts bc I have no idea where to put it. I would love to just go for a good old inline skate round but I don't want to carry my skates through the landscape for 10 minuted bc we have no streets q_q;

I know I stacked on a lot and less would be better (heck I challenged myself to cook more variety again and ofc I got competitive with myself but went out of my comfort zone and then wasn't able to estimate things anymore... if you know me closer you know what that means), but right now it's about finding the balance here as when i do nothing it just ... gets worse.

Concluding this means I am on a tightrope with things and there is not much needed to make me fall (again). I have projects to work on, but I get too invested and then overdo it which means ~ more stress~ ... good thing I can't work on Lenalee unless the new zippers arrive and sewing in general is not really appealing to me.

But I prepped everything for sewing for her and Maple, I have cut parts for the Allen Clown Cosplay, even started the buttons (& remade those already bc first attempt left me unsatisfied), I made the cover for the next fic update but I don't want to post everything at once.

Don't forget the situation at work made me an expert in how to get a lot of shit done in very little time and to use every minute I have to get the most results out of the time I have. Slowing down is a real issue I have to learn.

This entry doesn't make much sense but if you have read until here just know I thank you for your attention. This month is mainly DGM themed everything as the series turns 20. I have photos with OC dolls queued up and once I have the mind for more sewing I will work on Maple.

There is cosplay progress from a while ago, cosplay photos, drawings, lots of doll progress from Kanda to come and in general some very pretty photos I am found of.

Oh and the travel blog regarding the HanaCon is written I will post it soon, maybe not today bc it's enough already.

[willow-tea]

Every year I do a redraw of these two as my annual holiday art piece. This year marks 9 years of my OCs, Jude and Willy, being happy in the snow. I cannot believe I'm almost at 10 years, guys! Happy Holidays, all, hope you have a wonderful time celebrating!

[zu-is-here]

three years and beyond ♡

[theguildawards]

Term 3 2022 Winners!

Thank you to everyone who participated in the third term 2022 hosted by The Guild Awards! The mod-team is excited to see so much amazing fanwork and their creators recognized, as well as the love shown for this fandom! It is truly an awesome thing to see!

Without further delay, here we are!

Winners of The Guild Awards for Term 3 2022!

Best Action/Adventure Fiction: “The Phantom Fallacy” by @zal-eska Best Alternate Universe/Reality Fiction: “The Little Rain Witch” by AislingMorgan (FFN) Best Canon Fiction: “Changes” by Botan G (FFN) Best Angst Fiction: “Unseeing Slayer” by @appleciderr Best Dark Fiction: “Tear you Apart” by TheDiamondSword4000 (AO3) Best Drama Fiction: “Homeward Hours” by CrimsonStarbird (AO3) Best Humor/Parody Fiction: “Clueless” by Grace Buckley (FFN) Best Oneshot Fiction: “you don’t like apples?” by @newgeht Best Character Portrayal: “The Iron Bars of Restraint” (Natsu Dragneel) by Twilight Embers (FFN) Best Romance Fiction: “properly” by kikapea (FFN) Best Serial: “Early Spring Snow” by thecatastrophic (FFN) Best Ficlet: “Warmth” by @nalu-gifs Best Fluff Fiction: “I’m Here for You” by @nat-sul-ucy Best Completed Fiction: “Princess on Parade” by Raspberrysoda (AO3)

Best Action/Adventure Artwork (TIE): “Beauty the Beast” by @watcher-ofthe-sky and “ナツ ” by @junryou Best Alternate Universe/Reality Artwork: “Dragon Slayer Juvia” by @acnologias-ass Best Canon Artwork: “Gray Day” by @gymjunkie412 Best Angst Artwork: “Never Love an Anchor” by @pencilofawesomeness Best Dark Artwork: “Freed the Dark” by @watcher-ofthe-sky Best Humor/Parody Artwork: “Untitled” by @valdrift Best Kiss Artwork: “Happy San Valentine Day” by @crowind1 Best Romance Artwork: “NALU END” by 4stralfairy (DA) Best LGBTQ+ Romance Artwork: “The Lovers” by @zai-doodles Best Character Artwork: “War... even inside his own heart” by @crowind1 Best Duo/Pairing Artwork (TIE): “Edolas NALU” by @belleono and “Gajeel and Juvia” by @kiliinstinct Best Group Depiction Artwork: “Dragon Family Naptime” by @pencilofawesomeness Best Redraw: “phantom lord gajeel” by @heartonxions Best Overall Artwork: “War... even inside his own heart” by @crowind1

Congratulations to all the winners! Your awards are ready! Please send one of the mods or our ask box your preferred email address so we can send them to you!

As this term comes to a close, The Guild Awards will be taking a short hiatus. This time is always spent reviewing the process and seeing what can be revamped for the next term. We also love hearing from the fandom (ie: YOU!) for suggestions regarding any changes or additions. 

Due to low level of participation in recent terms, we will be decreasing the terms to celebrating bi-annually instead. Our new terms will be held in March and October. We hope this will allow for more time so participants can find pieces to nominate as well as enjoy content that has already been nominated in the past. Remember, this event is held to celebrate the fandom creators, and can only continue to be held if the fandom participates. 

We will officially be back in full swing on March 1st! We will still be around in case you have questions or concerns, but please take this time to read new fanfiction and find new fanart. We strongly encourage everyone to nominate different writes and artists for the next term, so to spread the love of this fandom around. 

As the day gets closer to the start of the next term, we will be keeping everyone in the loop when it comes to changes and updates. We wish you a wonderful rest of the holiday season! Thank you again for making this such a wonderful experience! See you soon!

- The Guild Awards

[pxstell3]

happy holidays tumblr! this is a 3rd annual redraw of a christmas themes toilet bound hanako drawing i started in 2020! it went from a doodle, to phone art, to full background procreate art! i hope yall have a great day :)

[escapetherent]

How to Find Real Estate Finance Services In Perth WA

Size of Loan and Deposit

The loan to value ratio, or LVR, is the percentage of the loan amount against the actual value of the property that you’re purchasing. While an LVR of 80% or less is generally considered low risk by lenders, an LVR above 80% is considered risky by lenders. In the latter case, you will have to pay Lenders Mortgage Insurance (LMI). In other words, you would also have to pay LMI if you have less than a 20% deposit. LMI is a premium that gives a protection layer to the lender against a potential loss in case you aren’t able to repay your loan.

Type of Home Loan

The choice of your home loan should be based on the reason why you need the loan. For instance,

if you need a loan to build a home, you should be looking at construction loans

if you have a low deposit, you should go for low deposit home loans

if you’re buying your first ever home, first home buyer loans should be your choice

if you have bad credit, you can look at bad credit home loan options

Interest Rate

You need to make a choice between fixed or variable loans. A fixed-rate home loan carries a specified interest rate for up to five years. In these loans, budgeting becomes easy since you know exactly the amount of repayments. These, however, offer less flexibility. A variable rate home loan carries a fluctuating interest rate; it depends on the current interest rate in the market. Here, your repayments can increase or decrease according to the market interest rate.

Fees

It is important to understand what fees are charged on the loan before you sign up for one. The fees include but are not limited to:

Application fees (one-off fee paid while applying)

Property valuation fees

Ongoing fees such as annual fees (for upkeep of loan)

Late payment fee (default fee)

Stamp duty

Discharge fee (charged when your mortgage is paid out in full)

Break fees (for switching loans during a fixed rate term)

Lender’s Mortgage Insurance (LMI) (if there’s a small deposit on your loan)

Features

You must also consider the features that different loans offer. These features include: The option of making extra repayments

The option of making lump sum repayments

The option to split the loan between fixed and variable

The option to get home loan pre-approval

A redraw facility that allows you to access any extra repayments you’ve made

An offset account that allows you to put money into another account, thus reducing the balance on which the interest is calculated

Repayment holidays that allow you to not make repayments on your home loan for a set period.

To navigate the complex world of real estate finance services, it’s recommended that you consult an expert in the field. We, at Escape The Rent, not only guide you to choose the type of home loan for you, but also help you avail the finance services along with government aid. Contact us here.

[natskys-w]

Duarte annual family meeting

Oriana: Okey we all know why we are here, its time to pick where our next family vacation's going to be. Everyone write down your choice and put it in the bowl, then Oak will pick the winner out of the bowl.

🥁*drum roll please*🥁

Oak: and the winner is disneyland! Cool 🤷‍♀️

(Chaos breaks out)

V: Its RIGGED, I tell ya!!! I bet that was his own paper. Hawaii you where so close.😭

T: l second that, we should have a redraw. l was really looking forward to a quiet peaceful holiday in the countryside with family, far away from everyone in court, just us.

Oak: Hey not true! And Taryn you just want to go there cuz you want to spend the whole time making kissy faces at Ghost in secret, muah mauh Garrett l lovve y-

Ori: Okey enough! This is unbecoming behaviour, you were raised to be ladies and gentlement of court so behave! I'm sure this Disneyland will be lovely.

J:Where's Disneyland?C:l'll do you one better who's Disneyland? J: that's it we need to stop watching to many movies.

M: What fresh hell is that...Can l bring my battle hammer? I was hoping for something a littile more educational for the kids-

Ori:Madoc we are not taking the kids to the Northern fae's battle grounds.

M: Why not my mother took me to my first battle when l was 3 months old, better then any ride in the human realm.

J: Well A because nobody does that anymore. B because all your children would still like to have their limbs in tact and C because your still banished

M:.... Well what about here, in the human world, someone must be at war. How is Roiben doing? Any issues with the solitary fae?

Everyone:Nooo!-

Taryn whispers: .....Well technically yes...but Jude gave him orders to keep an eye on you, and stop you if you continue to stage military coups in mortal shops. I heard his consort was the one who told Jude that you took over target and glamoured the CEO.

J: TARYN! Seriously come on!

T:What l can't help it, l'm the good child! I've always been the good child, l can't help it!

Oak: tattletale

Heather:l just wanna say, l'm not a part of this madness. I was told there would be free food.

[phantombrushy]

Q: what will you be doing for the holidays?

Here’s that annual redraw! It was the perfect opportunity to experiment with some new brushes!

#startrek #leonardmccoy #hisetesero #happyholidays #fanart https://www.instagram.com/p/B6eWXr7F_e-/?igshid=1anwyu61nqj5e

[browsingcopy]

Altogether Somewhere: On Growing Roots Amidst Shifting Sands and Moving Landscapes

A response to Charles Lim’s SEA STATE

I come from Singapore, a country plagued with “a history of amnesia,” in the words of poet Alfian Sa’at. One of our national day songs written by Dick Lee titled “Home” contains the line: “I will always recall the city, know every street and shore.” It is odd to sing this knowing that “every street and shore” is constantly shifting—the sounds of construction are pervasive, highways are ever-widening and the sea is constantly being reclaimed.

An oft-told narrative is one of Singapore’s growth from a third-world fishing village to a first-world smart nation within the span of 50 years. A lesser-known story is one of how our total land area has grown from 578 square kilometres in 1819 to 719 square kilometres today. The fact that 25% of our country’s land mass is reclaimed may have astounded German, French and Italian visitors to Charles Lim’s SEA STATE pavilion at the Venice Biennale. But they may be less of a surprise to our neighbours in Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam, whose sands we draw upon in dredges. Where there were fishing villages on stilts on the sea, now stand ports, airports, luxury hotels and casinos, built with sand imported both legally and illegally through smuggling and deals with corrupt officials. Riverbanks collapse, estuaries erode, mangrove wildlife and coastal livelihoods are lost. Yet, the drawing and redrawing of our coastline and skyline continually defer their political and ethical implications on both regional and national levels.

I only became more conscious of these realities when I encountered and engaged with the various phases of SEA STATE through sitting with the work, listening to its lulling siren-like voice, digesting the catalogue and attempting to grasp the rich curatorial and artistic research underpinning the decade-long project over the course of breakfast and dinner conversations with Charles and curator Shabbir Hussein Mustafa. Growing up in Singapore, I was always surrounded by rapid modernisation, the loss of significant cultural and heritage sites, and the strange resurrection of demolished buildings like the National Theatre and old National Library in the form of giant floats paraded at the annual Chingay parade, prolonging a nostalgia that no longer exists in present memory. I find it jarring to imagine a similar fate for architectural landmarks such as Golden Mile Complex and Tower—spaces that are significant and familiar to me, where I’ve built connections and friendships over Thai food and open-air rooftops.

Architect Tan Cheng Siong behind the iconic horseshoe-shaped Pearl Bank apartments recalled what it was like during the early days of Singapore’s post-independence urbanisation: “It was an interesting challenge for young people like us. I can remember thinking ‘very good, we are a free people now.’ But at the start, we were so badly informed and had nothing to hang on to. The neighbours, the community, the streets and the shops all these things were lost in some of the early apartments, but young people like me were rushing to fulfil our ambitions. Our parents were the ones that felt lonely every now and then.” The curved corridors of Pearl Bank were designed as an antidote to this growing loneliness and social dislocation, with kitchens facing inwards to encourage people to invite neighbours in for chicken curry. The physical structures in Singapore barely stay long enough. Pearl Bank is slated to be demolished in 2019. Memories attached to old buildings often exist only as projections of the mind or are glimpsed as superimpositions on current, newer replacements. In Between Stations, writer Boey Kim Cheng laments the loss of old spaces in Singapore’s Central Business District: “But in my mind, both the Arcade and Change Alley form a continuum of light and shade, an interim one that is neither outside nor inside, blurring interior and exterior, time and space, past and present.”

In one edition of OH! Open House, I was standing amongst a group in the garden of somebody’s house in Potong Pasir when ceramic artist Michelle Lim reflected as she shaped mud: “Nowhere is sacred, nowhere is permanent. Nowhere where you can build your stories over and over again.” OH! tells alternative stories of Singapore through art by working with artists to create site-specific works in unconventional locations such as strangers’ homes and under-utilised public spaces. I lived in Potong Pasir when it was under the stronghold of the opposition party. Residents of ground-floor HDB flats took great care in nurturing small gardens—trellises, patios, benches and swings spilled over onto public land. In the years that followed the change in hands during the 2011 General Elections, Potong Pasir’s landscape was no longer stuck in the 1980s and quickly evolved. Sidewalks were built, barricades erected, covered walkways constructed, bridges repainted, roads tarred, street lamps installed and lifts upgraded. For the first time, an NTUC FairPrice supermarket sprouted and POSB bank opened a branch. In describing her former hometown, Lim commented, “It’s changed so much that I wouldn’t even know if I’ve arrived.”

My father grew up in this neighbourhood and often went jogging through the quiet, hilly terrain of tombstones in Bidadari. He knew the dimly-lit streets well enough to walk home with his eyes closed. When my great grandmother passed away at the age of 93, we moved into her house. Like my father, I grew to develop my own memories of this neighbourhood. I learnt that several notable persons from Christian, Muslim, Hindu and Sinhalese communities were interred at Bidadari cemetery. The graves have since been exhumed, slopes flattened, trees uprooted, making way for Housing Development Board (HDB) flats in what is touted as “the new Bishan,” a bustling district which also occupies a plot of land built on a former cemetery. Bidadari, or “angel of paradise” in Malay, is derived from the Sanskrit word “widyadari,” an angelic being in Hindu mythology. It used to house kampong villages, the Japanese-style garden and lake Alkaff Gardens, and the istana or palace of Zubaidah binti Abdullah (née Cecilia Catharina Lange), the Danish second wife of Sultan Abu Bakar of Johor. Later in the OH! tour, as we were traversing through the former Bidadari cemetery at sunset, I smiled to myself when our guide warned us: “Be careful there are a lot of roots.”

How do we begin to unpeel the layers of our histories and uncover the rhizomic roots? Not too long ago Singapore separated from Malaysia, but between the tears and pregnant pauses, it remains to this day an issue that is still not fully talked about. To quote Josephine Chia, author of Kampong Spirit Gotong Royang: Life in Potong Pasir from 1955 to 1965, “The separation from Malaya was traumatic and no one really talks about this. But we had uncles and aunties and cousins who lived across the highway... I’m Peranakan so I had relatives in Penang and Melaka. And suddenly, you couldn’t be friends anymore.” This history is further complicated by the fact that most immigrants are divorced from Java, Sarawak, Yemen, Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, Punjab and other places where their ancestors came from.

Separations and traumas on a national scale often have large repercussions on the individual. In talking to a friend from Bayreuth, he described how even today, his parents only go on family holidays in West Germany and avoid the East at all costs. Even though it has been 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, the invisible wall lingers on in their minds. Differences in powers, ideologies, religions and races have resulted in crimes against humanity and acts of violence inflicted upon oppressed communities. Although Germany has recognised its role in the Holocaust, it is still coming to terms with the genocide in Namibia. Turkey continually refuses to recognise the Armenian genocide. Malaysia has only just begun a public inquiry into the mass graves of Rohingyas. While underlying traumas exist, they are often buried deep within our national consciousnesses. Yet, we feel their reverberations every day. We are at once connected yet isolated from our past, present and each other.

We all have an innate need for security and belonging. French philosopher Simone Weil once wrote that “to be rooted is perhaps the most important and least recognised need of the human soul.” The idea of home may be associated with a permanent residence. However, the reality is landscapes, cultures, lifestyles, populations, borders and national identities sometimes change faster than we can acclimatise. Political systems can disappear overnight. The only method to counteract against collective feelings of uprooting is our individual attempts at rooting, even if they are temporal. I recall our first 12 days in Venice, working almost non-stop from the moment we wake to the moment we sleep. In my journal, I wrote “SEA STATE submerges us in this endless underwater continuum that lingers even as we lie flat in bed. We call it the vaporetto effect, the feeling that you're bobbing on a platform floating on the sea, waiting for a boat to come.” For awhile, that felt like home, truly.

[tea-brain]

An assortment for my Pantomime Society’s Christmas show. The Christmas/holiday show is the annual G-rated show targeted at kids, and this year the proceeds go to the Starlight Children’s Foundation.

I’ve never drawn a dragon before, so this is kinda tricky haha.

[willow-tea]

It's a little late, but here's the annual redraw! Happy holidays, friends!

[iasshikshalove]

Daily Current Affairs 11th March 2020

Today’s  Important  Topic’s  For UPSC Preparation

1. GENDER BUDGETING.

2. KASURI RECALLS PLAN FOR SIR CREEK PACT.

3. PRADHAN MANTRI UJJWALA YOJANA.

4. THERMAL COAL IMPORTS FOR 2019 RISE 12.6%.

5. SHETTYHALLI: NOD FOR REDRAWING BOUNDARY.

6. VLADIMIR PUTIN BACKS AMENDMENT THAT WILL LET HIM REMAIN IN POWER.

GENDER BUDGETING

Ministry: Ministry of Women and Child Development:

Gender budgeting means preparing budgets or analyzing them from a gender perspective. Also referred to as gender-sensitive budgeting, this practice does not entail dividing budgets for women.

It aims at dealing with budgetary gender inequality issues, including gender hierarchies and the discrepancies between women’s and men’s salaries.

Gender Budgeting is concerned with gender sensitive formulation of legislation, programmes and schemes; allocation of resources; implementation and execution; audit and impact assessment of programmes and schemes; and follow-up corrective action to address gender disparities.

In Gender Budgeting, “Gender” means women and her empowerment.

Gender Budgeting in India:

Gender Budget Statement (GBS) was first introduced in the Indian Budget in 2005-06. This GB Statement comprises two parts–

Part Areflects Women Specific Schemes,e. those which have    100% allocation for women.

Part Breflects Pro Women Schemes,e. those where at least 30%   of the allocation is for women.

Gender Budgeting Cells (GBC)as an institutional mechanism have been mandated to be set up in all Ministries/Departments.

Why in News?

Despite the annual promise to improve women’s welfare, India’s gender budget remains skewed and ineffective.

According to an International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimate for 2016, at least 80 countries practised gender budgeting.

This list includes India, where gender budgets were launched in FY06 with the hope of tackling stark gender inequality.

In FY06, 4.8% of total spending was allocated for women-related schemes. This rose to around 5.5% of total spending in FY09, but has stagnated since then.

The government estimates these figures by adding all the spending on women-related schemes.

This comprises spending on schemes that only target women (Part A), such as Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao.

Part B schemes, which partially target women (where at least 30% of the scheme’s benefits go to women).

Between the two, Part B schemes, such as the Mid-Day Meal programme, dominates (around 80% of the gender budget in FY20).

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao:

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) was launched by the Prime Minister on 22nd January, 2015 at Panipat, Haryana.

BBBP addresses the declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) and related issues of women empowerment over a life-cycle continuum.

It is a tri-ministerial effort of Ministries of Women and Child Development, Health & Family Welfare and Human Resource Development.

Since the launch of Beti Bachao Beti Padhao , the multi-sectoral District Action Plans have been operationalized in almost all states.

Capacity-buiding programmes and Trainings have been imparted to Trainers to further strengthen capacities of district level officials and frontline workers.

Nine set of such trainings have been organized covering all States/UTs the Ministry of Women & Child Development from April-October, 2015.

Mansa district in Punjab has launched an initiative to inspire its girls to be educated. Under its ‘Udaan – Sapneya Di Duniya De Rubaru (Udaan- Live your Dream For One Day)’ scheme, the Mansa administration invites proposals from girls belonging to classes VI-XII.

These girls have the opportunity to spend one day with a professional they aspire to be — doctor, police official, engineer, IAS and PPS officers, among others.

Mid-Day Meal Scheme:

Mid-day meal (MDM) is a wholesome freshly-cooked lunch served to children in government and government-aided schools in India.

On 28 November 2001, the Supreme Court of India passed a mandate stating, “We direct the State Governments/Union Territories to implement the Mid-Day Meal Scheme by providing every child in every Government and Government assisted Primary School with a prepared midday meal.”

The Midday Meal Scheme comes under the HRD Ministry’s Department of School Education and Literacy.

Launched in the year 1995 as a centrally sponsored scheme, it provides that every child within the age group of six to fourteen years studying inclasses I to VIII who enrolls and attends the school, shall be provided hot cooked meal having nutritional standards of 450 calories and 12 gm of protein for primary (I- V class) and 700 calories and 20 gm protein for upper primary (VI-VIII class), free of charge every day except on school holidays.

The scheme covers all government and government aided schoolsand also Madarsa and Maqtabs supported under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA).

Tamilnadu is a pioneer in introducing Mid-Day meals in India.

India’s gender budget has stagnated in recent years:·       Overall spending includes part A programmes which are 100% women specific and Part B programmes which have at least 30% women specific expenditure.·       Gender budget as a share of total union government spending (in %).

Only a small proportion of the gender budget is allocated towards women-specific schemes:

Within women-specific schemes, bulk of spending goes towards rural housing:·       Despite 56 gender budgeting cells across ministries mandated to track spending towards women, publicly available disaggregated data on gender spending remains limited. ·       According to the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2020, gender equality in India is among the worst in the world. Across measures of women’s economic participation, education, health and political empowerment, it ranked 112th out of 153 nations.

KASURI RECALLS PLAN FOR SIR CREEK PACT·       Sir Creek originally Ban Ganga,is a 96 km (60 mi) tidal estuary in uninhabited marshlands of Indus river delta on the border of India and Pakistan.·       The creek opens up into the Arabian Sea and separates the Gujarat state of India from the Sindh province of Pakistan.·       Both Gujarat and Sindh were part of Bombay Presidency till 1936.

·       Sir Creek lies just to the west of the Great Rann of Kutch area of India.Indo-Pak border dispute:·       The dispute lies in the interpretation of the maritime boundary line between Pakistan and India.·       Before independence, the area was part of British India. After independence in 1947, Sindh became a part of Pakistan while Gujarat remained a part of India.What’s the importance of Sir Creek?·       Apart from the strategic location, Sir Creek’s core importance is fishing resources. Sir Creek is considered to be among the largest fishing grounds in Asia.·       Another vital reason for two countries locking horns over this creek is the possible presence of great oil and gas concentration under the sea, which ar