Dadasaheb Phalke's Birth Anniversary

  

Dadasaheb Phalke, born on 30 April 1870, in Trimbak, British India [now in Maharashtra, India], was a Motion picture director who is considered the father of the Indian cinema. Phalke was credited with making India’s first indigenous feature film and spawning the burgeoning Indian film industry today chiefly known through Bollywood productions.

As a child, Phalke displayed great interest in the creative arts. Determined to pursue his dreams, he joined the Sir J.J. School of Art, Bombay (now Mumbai), in 1885. While there he pursued a variety of interests, including photography, lithography, architecture, and amateur dramatics, and he became adept even at magic. He briefly worked as a painter, a theatrical set designer, and a photographer. While working at the lithography press of celebrated painter Ravi Varma, Phalke was significantly influenced by a series of Varma’s paintings of the Hindu gods, an impression that was evident in Phalke’s own portrayal of various gods and goddesses in the mythological films he later made.

In 1908 Phalke and a partner established Phalke’s Art Printing and Engraving Works, but the business failed because of differences between them. It was Phalke’s chance viewing of the silent film The Life of Christ (1910) that marked a turning point in his career. Deeply moved by the film, Phalke saw it as his mission to bring all that was Indian to the moving picture screen. He went to London in 1912 to learn the craft from British pioneer filmmaker Cecil Hepworth. In 1913 he released India’s first silent film, Raja Harishchandra, a work based on Hindu mythology. The film, scripted, produced, directed, and distributed by Phalke, was a huge success and an important milestone in Indian cinematic history. Likewise important, he introduced a female actor in the leading role in his film Bhasmasur Mohini (1913) at a time when professional acting was taboo for women.

Phalke, with the help of several partners, established the Hindustan Film Company in 1917 and went on to produce several films. A talented film technician, Phalke experimented with a variety of special effects. His employment of mythological themes and trick photography delighted his audience. Among his other successful films were Lanka dahan (1917), Shri Krishna janma (1918), Sairandari (1920), and Shakuntala (1920).

With the introduction of sound in cinema and the expansion of the film industry, Phalke’s work lost popularity. He left filmmaking in the 1930s and died lonely, embittered, and sick.

In recognition of Phalke’s contribution to the Indian cinema, the India government instituted the Dadasaheb Phalke Award in 1969, an award presented annually by the president of India for lifetime contribution to Indian cinema.

 

International Jazz Day

 

International Jazz Day is an International Day declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation in 2011 “to highlight jazz and its diplomatic role of uniting people in all corners of the globe.” It is celebrated annually on April 30. The brainchild of jazz pianist and UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Herbie Hancock, Jazz Day is chaired by Hancock along with the sitting UNESCO Director-General. The celebration is recognised on the calendars of both UNESCO and the United Nations.

The Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz, an American NGO also chaired by Hancock, is the lead organizational partner for Jazz Day. The Institute coordinates activities in the UNESCO member states as well as the Global Host Celebration. Events in the Host City culminate in an All-Star Global Concert, which typically involves over two-dozen high-profile jazz musicians from around the world performing in or around an historical landmark.

Raja Ravi Varma's Birth Anniversary

Raja Ravi Varma, born on 29 April 1848, at Kilimanoor Palace, near Trivandrum, Travancore princely state, British India [now Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India), was an Indian painter best known for uniting Hindu mythological subject matter with European realist historicist painting style. He was one of the first Indian artists to use oil paints and to master the art of lithographic reproduction of his work. In addition to incidents in Hindu mythology, Varma painted many portraits of both Indians and British in India.

Varma was born into an aristocratic family in Travancore state. He showed an interest in drawing from an early age, and his uncle Raja Raja Varma, noticing his passion for drawing on the palace walls, gave him his first rudimentary lessons in painting. When Varma was 14, Maharaja Ayilyam Thirunal, ruler of Travancore at the time, became a patron of his artistic career. Soon the royal painter Rama Swamy Naidu started teaching him to paint with watercolours. Three years later Varma began to study oil painting with Theodore Jensen, a Danish-born British artist.

Varma was the first Indian to use Western techniques of perspective and composition and to adapt them to Indian subjects, styles, and themes. He won the Governor’s Gold Medal in 1873 for the painting Nair Lady Adorning Her Hair. He became a much-sought-after artist among both the Indian nobility and the Europeans in India, who commissioned him to paint their portraits.

Though his portraits brought him fame, Varma increasingly painted subjects in Indian mythology. His representations of Hindu gods and goddesses and characters in the epics and the Puranas reflected his absorption in Indian culture. His paintings, including Harischandra in Distress, Jatayu Vadha, and Shri Rama Vanquishing the Sea, captured dramatic moments from Indian mythology. His depictions of Indian women drew such appreciation that a beautiful woman would often be described as looking “as if she had stepped out of a Varma canvas.”

Varma adapted Western realism to pioneer a new movement in Indian art. In 1894 he set up a lithographic press in order to mass-produce copies of his paintings as oleographs, enabling ordinary people to afford them. That innovation resulted in the tremendous popularity of his images, which became an integral part of popular Indian culture thereafter.

Varma was criticized severely by later artists who saw the content of his work as only superficially Indian because, despite depicting mythological Indian themes, it imitated Western styles of painting. That view was instrumental in the formation of the Bengal School of Art (or Bengal school), whose members explored ancient Indian artistic traditions with a modernist sensibility.

Despite the dismissal of Varma’s work by some as “calendar art,” interest in his work has remained constant. In 1997, for example, The Begum’s Bath sold for a record price for an Indian artist. Works such as The Maharashtrian Lady, Shakuntala, The Milkmaid, Expectation, and Pleasing exhibit Varma’s characteristic sense of beauty and grace.

 

 

Alfred Hitchcock's Death Anniversary

 

Alfred Hitchcock, who passed away on 29 April 1980, aged 80, was an English filmmaker known as the "Master of Suspense," who directed over 50 films and earned 46 Academy Award nominations. His films won six Oscars, though he never claimed the Best Director trophy.

His most well-known films include Strangers on a Train (1951), Dial M for Murder (1954), Vertigo (1958), Psycho (1960), and The Birds (1963). Hitchcock's films have been noted for their distinctive "Hitchcockian" style, including the use of camera movement to emulate a person's gaze.

International Dance Day

 

International Dance Day is observed annually on April 29. The day honours the artistry, diversity, and significance of dance in human expression. It pays homage to dancers, choreographers, and dance enthusiasts who enrich our lives with their creativity and dedication. From traditional folk dances to contemporary performances, dance serves as a powerful medium for storytelling, self-expression, and connection. 

History of International Dance Day

The Dance Committee of the International Theatre Institute (ITI) established April 29 as International Dance Day in 1982 to highlight the amazing diversity and talent of dancers all over the globe. This date was chosen because it marks the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre (1727-1810), the creator of modern ballet.

The International Theatre Institute created this holiday to promote dance across the world, to make people aware of the value of dance, and to enable the dance community to promote their work on a broad scale. The hope is for governments and opinion leaders to become increasingly aware of the value and importance of dance in all its forms and support it. On top of all this, International Dance Day was created for us to just enjoy dance for what it is and share the joy with others.

Every year the ITI selects an exemplary choreographer or dancer to write the official holiday message. Their website lists the location of their annual gala as well as other advertised events worldwide.

Evidence of dance has been found dating back 9,000 years and it has grown into a worldwide phenomenon. This holiday encourages people to celebrate their favourite type of dance while also learning new styles.  There are dance styles for people of all ages and rhythm capabilities; so, there’s no excuse for you not to get involved.

Saddam Hussein's Birth Anniversary

 

Saddam Hussein, born on 28 April 1937, in Al-Awja, Iraq, was an Iraqi President and Dictator.

A member of the Ba'ath political party, he was instrumental in its rise to power in Iraq in 1968. Throughout the 1970s he consolidated his power in the country, before formally taking over in 1979. His policies espoused a mixture of Arab nationalism and socialism.

Hussein's dictatorship was exceptionally brutal, with the total number of deaths from purges and genocide conservatively estimated at a quarter of a million people. In 1980 he invaded neighbouring Iran which started a ruinous eight-year war that led to no border changes and hundreds of thousands of war dead on both sides. In 1990 he started the Gulf War by invading and annexing Kuwait before being removed by an international coalition led by the United States.

Through the 1990s Iraq suffered from UN sanctions and isolation. Beginning in the early 2000s under the presidency of George W. Bush,

Hussein was accused of possessing weapons of mass destruction and was deposed in a 2003 invasion. Though no weapons were found, he was tried of crimes against humanity and executed in 2006.

António de Oliveira Salazar's Birth Anniversary

 

António de Oliveira Salazar, born on 28 April 1889, in Santa Comba Dão, Kingdom of Portugal, was a Dictator of Portugal.

António Salazar held power in Portugal for an incredible 40 years, only giving it up after he became too ill to continue in 1968.

Salazar rose to power after the 1926 military coup. He was initially asked to be the Finance Minister but refused the position after he wasn't given the full control of the country's finances. In 1928 General Antonio Oscar de Fragoso Carmona offered him the position again, this time giving him full control and Salazar accepted. His economic policies were successful in balancing the budget for the first time since 1910 and he became Prime Minister in 1932. In the same year he introduced a new constitution the Estado Novo or New State, bringing it in 1933.

Under Salazar's control Portugal supported other nationalist and fascist governments particularly Francisco Franco’s in Spain. However, Portugal remained neutral during WWII. Salazar refused to give up Portugal's foreign territories throughout his dictatorship and although forced to give up Goa in India, brutally repressed unrest that began in 1961 in Angola.

Aligning with the Catholic Church Salazar's government repressed opposition parties and was criticized for keeping his people poor and illiterate till a stroke and ill health ended his dictatorship. He was replaced by Marcello Caetano as Prime Minister.

Mumtaz Mahal's Birth Anniversary

 

Indian Telegraph

 

Zohra Sehgal's Birth Anniversary

Zohra Mumtaz Sehgal born Sahibzadi Zohra Mumtazullah Khan Begum on 27 April 1912, was an Indian actress, dancer, and choreographer. Having begun his career as a member of a contemporary dance troupe, she transitioned into acting roles beginning in the 1940s. Sehgal appeared in several British films, television shows, and Bollywood productions in a career that spanned over eight decades.

Sehgal's most notable films include Neeche Nagar, Afsar (1946), Bhaji on the Beach (1992), The Mystic Masseur (2001), Bend It Like Beckham (2002), Dil Se ..(1998), Saaya (2003), Veer-Zara (2004), Saawariya and Cheeni Kum (2007); and the TV serials The Jewel in the Crown (1984), Tandoori Nights (1985-87) and Amma and Family (1996). At the age of 90, she played the central character in the 2002 film Chalo Ishq Ladaaye. Considered the doyenne of Indian theatre, she acted with the Indian People's Theatre Association (IPTA) and Prithviraj Kapoor's Prithvi Theatre for 14 years. 

Sehgal was awarded the Padma Shri in 1998, Kalidas Samman in 2001, and in 2004 the Sangeet Natak Akademi (India's National Academy for Music, Dance and Drama) presented her with its highest award, the Sangeet Natak Akademi Fellowship for lifetime achievement. She received the Padma Vibhushan, India's second-highest civilian honour, in 2010. She died in a New Delhi hospital on 10 July 2014 due to cardiac arrest.

 

Ruth Handler's Death Anniversary

Ruth Marianna Handler, who passed away on 27 April 2002, aged 85, in Los Angeles, California, United States, was an American businesswoman and inventor. She is best known for inventing the Barbie doll in 1959, and being co-founder of toy manufacturer Mattel with her husband Elliot, as well as serving as the company's first president from 1945 to 1975.

The Handlers were forced to resign from Mattel in 1975 after the Securities and Exchange Commission investigated the company for falsifying financial documents.

Handler was prominently characterized in the 2023 film Barbie. 

World Tapir Day

World Tapir Day takes place annually on April 27 to raise awareness about these critically endangered species and to advocate for their protection for future generations. A cross between a pig and an elephant, these creatures, however, are directly related to horses as well as rhinoceroses in terms of genetics. Neither the tapir nor this eclectic ancestry is new to the world; both are centuries old. Researchers believe that these animals have remained essentially the same for millions of years.

In 2008, the first World Tapir Day was observed. Tapir populations are declining, which reflects the overall condition of their native ranges, as their extinction from these areas frequently denotes a "point of no return" for the environment. All indigenous species are impacted by the reduction of forests into sparse, isolated enclaves and the encroachment of human activities into pristine forests. Tapirs vanish without a trace along with numerous other species, despite being the largest and maybe the quietest mammal in their habitats.

About Tapir

Tapirs are large herbivorous animals found in the forests of Southeast Asia, South America, and Central America. They are among the last species to return to regrowth forests since they are huge herbivores and are almost always the first species to be impacted by human intrusion into their habitat. To keep their population genetically diverse, they need substantial amounts of undeveloped territory. Tapirs live in cloud forests, grasslands, swamps, and jungles, but each is endangered by human activities, including highways, villages, palm oil plantations, mining, and roads.

Srinivasa Ramanujan's Death Anniversary

Srinivasa Ramanujan, who passed away on 26 April 1920, aged 32, in Kumbakonam, was an Indian mathematician whose contributions to the theory of numbers include pioneering discoveries of the properties of the partition function.

When he was 15 years old, he obtained a copy of George Shoobridge Carr’s Synopsis of Elementary Results in Pure and Applied Mathematics, 2 vol. (1880–86). This collection of thousands of theorems, many presented with only the briefest of proofs and with no material newer than 1860, aroused his genius. Having verified the results in Carr’s book, Ramanujan went beyond it, developing his own theorems and ideas. In 1903 he secured a scholarship to the University of Madras but lost it the following year because he neglected all other studies in pursuit of mathematics.

Ramanujan continued his work, without employment and living in the poorest circumstances. After marrying in 1909 he began a search for permanent employment that culminated in an interview with a government official, Ramachandra Rao. Impressed by Ramanujan’s mathematical prowess, Rao supported his research for a time, but Ramanujan, unwilling to exist on charity, obtained a clerical post with the Madras Port Trust.

In 1911 Ramanujan published the first of his papers in the Journal of the Indian Mathematical Society. His genius slowly gained recognition, and in 1913 he began a correspondence with the British mathematician Godfrey H. Hardy that led to a special scholarship from the University of Madras and a grant from Trinity College, Cambridge. Overcoming his religious objections, Ramanujan traveled to England in 1914, where Hardy tutored him and collaborated with him in some research.

Ramanujan’s knowledge of mathematics (most of which he had worked out for himself) was startling. Although he was almost completely unaware of modern developments in mathematics, his mastery of continued fractions was unequaled by any living mathematician. He worked out the Riemann series, the elliptic integrals, hypergeometric series, the functional equations of the zeta function, and his own theory of divergent series, in which he found a value for the sum of such series using a technique he invented that came to be called Ramanujan summation. On the other hand, he knew nothing of doubly periodic functions, the classical theory of quadratic forms, or Cauchy’s theorem, and he had only the most nebulous idea of what constitutes a mathematical proof. Though brilliant, many of his theorems on the theory of prime numbers were wrong.

In England Ramanujan made further advances, especially in the partition of numbers (the number of ways that a positive integer can be expressed as the sum of positive integers; e.g., 4 can be expressed as 4, 3 + 1, 2 + 2, 2 + 1 + 1, and 1 + 1 + 1 + 1). His papers were published in English and European journals, and in 1918 he was elected to the Royal Society of London. In 1917 Ramanujan had contracted tuberculosis, but his condition improved sufficiently for him to return to India in 1919. He died the following year, generally unknown to the world at large but recognized by mathematicians as a phenomenal genius, without peer since Leonhard Fuler (1707–83) and Carl Jacobi (1804–51). Ramanujan left behind three notebooks and a sheaf of pages (also called the “lost notebook”) containing many unpublished results that mathematicians continued to verify long after his death.

Chernobyl Disaster in 1986

Chernobyl was the worst nuclear accident in the history of the world. On April 26, 1986 the number 4 reactor in the nuclear plant blew up, sending radiation spewing across Europe as far north as Sweden.

In the direct path of the immediate fallout was the town of Pripyat. In the hours after the disaster, dozens of people began to fall ill, but the town was not immediately evacuated by Soviet authorities. This happened a day later. Residents were told only to bring essentials and that they would return in three days. Details of the disaster were sketchy at the time; the Soviet Union did not admit an incident until two days later, and even then, the announcement was downplayed in state media.

Since 1986 a 'Zone of Exclusion' has been set up around the Chernobyl plant. The surrounding area will not be safe for at least another 20,000 years.

World Intellectual Property Day

Every year, the world celebrates World Intellectual Property Day on April 26 which aims to spread awareness about intellectual property (IP) rights and how it encourages innovation and creativity to drive human progress. The World Intellectual Property Office (WIPO) established this day in 2000. 

This day marks the opportunity to educate people on the need for IP protection to protect the creator's rights and copyright as well as the public interest.

World Intellectual Property Day: History

The WIPO came into existence in 1883 when the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property was signed. The convention was held to protect the Intellectual Property protections for inventors, trademarks and industrial designs. In 1970, the Convention establishing the World Intellectual Property Organisation entered into force, creating WIPO, which was the UN specialised agency in 1974.

WIPO is a specialised agency of the United Nations that works to promote the protection and advancement of intellectual property worldwide. The WIPO Convention, which came into force in 1970, provides a framework for cooperation among member states in the areas of intellectual property law, the registration of intellectual property, and the protection of intellectual property rights.

WIPO worked in the direction to promote the protection and advancement of Intellectual property across the world. The WIPO Convention provides a framework for cooperation among member states in the area of intellectual property law and intellectual property rights protections.

WIPO also provides various other services and resources aiming to promote intellectual property awareness and IP protection benefits. It includes registration and protection of intellectual property, the resolution of transboundary intellectual property disputes and the development of uniform standards and infrastructure for intellectual property protection.

World Intellectual Property Day: Significance

World Intellectual Property Day is an opportunity for both inventors and creators for people across the world to promote IP solutions that shape the world.

This day aims to educate people on the various ways of safeguarding intellectual property such as patents, trademarks, copyrights and others. 

World Penguin Day

 

World Penguin Day is celebrated every year on 25 April. This day is significant because it coincides with the start of the northern migration of Adelie penguins. Adelie penguins are one of the 17-20 species of penguins recognized worldwide. The southern hemisphere is home to most of the penguins, with a total of about 20 species known to humans.

The Emperor Penguin is the largest species of penguins. whereas the smallest are found along the coastal areas of New Zealand and Australia. Penguins are flightless birds, and their habitats are found in the southern hemisphere. One of the most popular and intriguing characteristics of penguins is that of them waddling with their group in icy lands. This has made them a popular subject for animated movies and cartoons.

History of World Penguin Day

World Penguin Day is celebrated on annually on 25 April. This day was established at McMurdo Station, an American research center situated on Ross Island. World Penguin Day is dedicated to Adélie Penguin, a species of penguins who start their migration north toward Antarctica around 25 April every year. This migration takes place so that the penguins can have access to food during the winter months. Researchers were quite intrigued by this fact, and therefore decided to celebrate World Penguin Day on 25 April to mark the occasion and raise awareness of these amazing and beautiful creatures.

Significance of World Penguin Day

The significance of World Penguin Day extends to highlighting the plight of endangered species. While the day was initially established to commemorate the Adélie Penguin's migration patterns, it now encompasses all species of penguins and emphasizes their vulnerability to extinction. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), 10 of the 17 species of penguin currently exist are endangered or threatened with extinction.

Penguins are highly social animals that spend up to three-quarters of their lives in the sea. They rely on the oceans for food. Overfishing and pollution are the major threats to their survival. Climate change is also a major concern for penguin species. As sea ice shrinks, it not only affects their habitat but also impinges on their chick hatching times and food availability. World Penguin Day provides an opportunity to appreciate these unique animals and take a stand against the threats they face. It is also a reminder of the importance of protecting the ocean and the environment for future generations.

World Penguin Day: Unknown Facts About Penguins

Following are some of the unique and unknown facts about Penguins that everyone must know.

• The Emperor Penguin is one of 17 species of penguin that live in the waters of Antarctica. It is the largest of these species, reaching an average size of 1m tall, weighing approximately 35kg.
• Instead of wings, penguins use their flippers for swimming, and they can drink salty sea water for up to 20 minutes without coming up for air.
• Majority of the penguins are monogamous except Emperor Penguins who are serially monogamous, meaning they have same partner for a season rather than life.
• Penguins have a sharp eyesight, which allows them to see clearly in and out of water. Like humans, penguins also have a binocular vision, meaning they can focus on a single object with both the eyes.
• The black and white colored body of penguins is a camouflage. The black markings protect them from the predators outside the water while as the white markings make them almost invisible inside the water.
• Penguins are carnivores, and eat small fishes and shrimps while swimming.
• Little Blue Penguin, also known as the Fairy Penguin is the smallest penguin. It weighs only 1 kg and is around 33 cm tall.
• Different species of penguins have different life spans, which may vary from 6 to 30 years.
• Out of 17-20 species of penguin, 10 species have been declared as vulnerable or endangered, and are currently enlisted on the IUCN’s red list.

 

World Malaria Day

World Malaria Day, annual observance held on April 25 to raise awareness of the global effort to control and ultimately eradicate malaria. World Malaria Day, which was first held in 2008, developed from Africa Malaria Day, an event that had been observed since 2001 by African governments. The observance served as a time to assess progress toward goals aimed at controlling malaria and reducing its mortality in African countries. In 2007, at the 60th session of the World Health Assembly (a meeting sponsored by the World Health Organization [WHO]), it was proposed that Africa Malaria Day be changed to World Malaria Day to recognize the existence of malaria in countries worldwide and to bring greater awareness to the global fight against the disease.

Malaria exists in more than 100 countries worldwide, and some 900,000 people die from the disease each year. However, malaria is preventable with the use of medicines and other precautionary measures, such as insecticide -treated bed nets and indoor insecticide spraying. On the first World Malaria Day the secretary-general of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, emphasized the need to increase the availability of bed nets, medicines, public health facilities, and trained health workers to people in areas of the world affected by malaria. Ban challenged global initiative programs, such as the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Roll Back Malaria Partnership, and the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, by stating that he expected such universal access to be in place by the end of 2010.

Ban’s call for action prompted the formation of the Global Malaria Action Plan (GMAP), an aggressive unified strategy designed to reduce the incidence of malaria worldwide. The three components of this strategy are control, elimination, and research. Research to develop new drugs and new approaches to prevention is fundamental to efforts aimed at first controlling and then eliminating malaria from areas severely affected by the disease. The long-term goal of the plan was global eradication of the disease by 2015. However, progress toward this goal slowed significantly because of inadequate funding and health care, particularly in difficult-to-reach areas, which had the highest proportion of cases. By 2019, infection rates in places with the greatest malaria burden remain largely unchanged, and an analysis of global trends in malaria incidence suggested that eradication could be achieved by 2050.

In addition to bringing together international agencies and research institutions to discuss the progress of the GMAP, World Malaria Day also provides health organizations and scientists with an opportunity to communicate information about the disease and about current research efforts to the public. This is accomplished through public educational programs, charity events, and other community activities.

Jamini Roy's Death Anniversary

 

Jamini Roy, who passed away on 24 April 1972, aged 85, was one of the best-known Indian artists of the 20th century. In the late 1920s and early ’30s he rejected his academic training and instead developed a linear, decorative, colourful style based on Bengali folk traditions. During the 1930s and ’40s the popularity of his paintings represented the passage of modern Indian art from its European academic leanings to a renewed interest in traditional iconography and abstract forms. Roy’s subject matter ranged from the Ramayana to Christ to portraits of contemporary figures such as Mahatma Gandhi.

 

National Panchayati Raj Day

 

National Panchayati Raj Day is celebrated on April 24 every year in India to commemorate the historic day when the Panchayati Raj System was introduced in the country. The Panchayati Raj System is a decentralized system of governance in India, where local bodies or Gram Panchayats are given the power to govern themselves and make decisions for the development of their respective areas. This system was introduced in 1993 by the 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act, which aimed at bringing democracy at the grassroots level and empowering people in rural areas.

History

The Panchayati Raj System has its roots in ancient India, where the village council or Panchayat was the primary unit of governance. The system was revived in the early 1950s when the first National Development Council recommended the establishment of a democratic system of governance at the grassroots level. However, it was not until 1993 that the Panchayati Raj System was given a constitutional status and made mandatory for all states in India.

Significance

The Panchayati Raj System has been instrumental in bringing about significant changes in the rural landscape of India. It has given people in rural areas a voice and an opportunity to participate in the decision-making process, leading to the overall development of their respective areas. The system has also helped in decentralizing power and reducing corruption at higher levels of government, as decisions are made at the local level. The system has been successful in bringing about socio-economic development, promoting social justice, and empowering women in rural areas.

International Guide Dog Day

 

International Guide Dog Day is celebrated on the last Wednesday in April each year, and this year on 24 April.  It marks the establishment of the International Federation of Guide Dog Associations on 26 April 1989. International Guide Dog Day is an opportunity to celebrate the work of guide dogs around the world and raise awareness of the importance of guide dog services to help people who are blind or have low vision live life on their terms.

International Guide Dog Day honours the work that these service dogs provide for people with visual disabilities everywhere. These dogs have skills leading a blind person around an area, assisting with a hobby, picking up dropped items, providing emotional comfort during their service and much more. This is why guide dogs are some of the best service dogs to have.

Sachin Tendulkar's Birthday

 

Sachin Tendulkar, born on 24 April 1973 in Bombay [Mumbai], is an Indian former international cricket player, considered by many to be one of the greatest batsmen of all time. In 2012 he became the first cricketer to score 100 centuries (100 runs in a single innings) in international play.

Tendulkar was given his first bat when he was 11 years of age. As a 14-year-old, he used it to score 329 out of a world-record stand of 664 in a school match. A year later he scored a century on his first-class debut for Bombay (Mumbai), and at age 16 years 205 days he became India’s youngest Test (international) cricketer, making his debut against Pakistan in Karachi in November 1989. When he was 18, he scored two centuries in Australia (148 in Sydney and 114 in Perth), and in 1994 he scored 179 against the West Indies. In August 1996, at age 23, Tendulkar was made captain of his country’s team.

Although India was defeated in the semifinals of the 1996 World Cup, Tendulkar emerged as the tournament’s top run scorer, with 523 runs. In 1998 he was chosen for the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, the highest award given to an Indian athlete, for his outstanding performance in the 1997–98 season. India was defeated by Australia in the 1999 World Cup, failing to advance past the round of six, and was soundly defeated by both Australia and South Africa in series later that year. In the 2003 World Cup, however, Tendulkar helped his team advance as far as the finals. Though India was again defeated by Australia, Tendulkar, who averaged 60.2, was named the man of the tournament.

Tendulkar made history in December 2005 when he scored his record-breaking 35th century in Test play against Sri Lanka. The feat was accomplished in a total of 125 Tests and allowed Tendulkar to surpass the prolific Indian run scorer Sunil Gavaskar. In June 2007 Tendulkar reached another major milestone when he became the first player to record 15,000 runs in one-day international (ODI) play, and in November 2011 he became the first batsman to score 15,000 runs in Test play. One month later he scored a historic “double century” in a contest against South Africa, becoming the first man in history to record 200 runs in a single innings of ODI play. He was named the 2010 International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricketer of the Year. In an ODI match against Bangladesh in March 2012, Tendulkar scored his record-setting 100th international century—which included both Test (51 centuries) and ODI (49 centuries) play. He retired from ODI cricket later that year, and in 2013 he ended a six-year stint with the Indian Premier League (as a member of the Mumbai Indians) and retired from Test cricket, ending his playing days with records for the most career international runs (34,357) and Test runs (15,921). Throughout his long career Tendulkar was consistently ranked among the game’s best batsmen. He was often likened to Australia’s Don Bradman in his single-minded dedication to scoring runs and the certainty of his strokeplay off both front and back foot.

In 2012 Tendulkar became a member of the Rajya Sabha, the upper chamber of the Indian parliament—the first active athlete to join that body; he was nominated to the post, and his term ended in 2018. In 2014 he became the first sportsman to receive India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna. Tendulkar was inducted into the International Cricket Council Hall of Fame in 2019.

World Table Tennis Day

 

World Table Tennis Day (WTTD) has been celebrated annually in April since 2015. It is the day we celebrate table tennis, as well as the universality and social inclusiveness the sport represents. World Table Tennis Day is celebrated on 23 April, honouring Ivor Montagu, organiser of the first World Table Tennis Championships in 1926 and the founder and first president of the ITTF. WTTD celebrates the joy of playing table tennis for fun, bringing people together, focusing less on competition and more on participation and enjoyment.

World Table Tennis Day: History

The history of table tennis dates back to the British military, when officers in India learned to play the game during their time in the country. The game was originally played with a golf ball, and books were used as racquets.

In 1901, James W. Gibb, a British table tennis enthusiast, discovered that the better-suited celluloid balls were more suitable for the game. The modern racquet was invented by E.C. Goode in the same year.

Despite the fact that there are two different bodies associated with table tennis, the Table Tennis Association was established in 1926, separate from the Ping-Pong Association.

The International Table Tennis Federation (I.T.T.F.) was also founded in the same year, and it is now the game's highest governing body. The first World Championship was held in London in 1926, with the United States Table Tennis Association (now known as USA Table Tennis) founded in the same year.

Health Benefits of playing Table Tennis

Beyond its competitive aspect, table tennis offers a multitude of health benefits that contribute to overall well-being. Scientific studies have shown that playing table tennis improves hand-eye coordination, develops mental acuity, enhances cognitive function, improves reflexes, improve your leg, arm and core strength without overtaxing joints, burns calories, helps to lose weight, keeps your brain sharp, improves coordination with others and boosts mental acuity.