Vinoo Mankad's Birth Anniversary

Mulvantrai Himmatlal Mankad or Vinoo Mankad, born on 12 April 1917, in Jamnagar, was one of the greatest all-rounders in the history of Indian cricket. Mankad, who represented India in 44 Tests, averaged 31.47 with the bat. He also scored 5 centuries and 6 fifties during the course of his Test career. Being a slow left-arm orthodox bowler, Mankad twice took 8-wickets in an innings. He ended his Test career with 162 wickets, striking at a rate of 90.6 balls per wicket.

His top performance as an all-rounder came against England at Lord's in 1952. He was the top scorer for India in both the innings, scoring 72 and 184 in first and second innings respectively. He also picked 5/196 during England's first innings, making his way to both the batting and bowling honours boards. Even though India ended the Test match and the series on the losing side, Mankad's performance was lauded all over.

During New Zealand's tour of India in 1955/56, Vinoo Mankad scored 231 at Chennai, the highest score in Tests by an Indian at that time. This record was only broken in 1983, after Sunil Gavaskar made 236 against the West Indies.

In the same innings against New Zealand, Mankad and his opening partner Pankaj Roy recorded the highest opening partnership of 413 runs, a record that stood for 52 years. This record was only broken by Neil McKenzie and Graeme Smith, who put on 415 runs for the first wicket against Bangladesh in 2008.

Vinoo Mankad will be remembered the most for what transpired during India's tour of Australia in 1947/48. In the second Test, he ran out Bill Brown, who was backing up too far at the non-striker's end. Mankad, who was the bowler, broke the wickets down after seeing Brown out of the crease in his bowling delivery. After this, a new term called 'Mankading' (because Vinoo Mankad used it for the first time) was coined to describe running someone out this way.

The BCCI commemorated Vinoo Mankad's contribution to Indian cricket, naming the domestic Under-19 One day tournament as the Vinoo Mankad Trophy.

 

 

International Day for Street Children

 

Every year on April 12, the International Day for Street Children is marked to raise awareness for kids who are frequently left out of statistics. This day strives to provide them with medical care, education, and skills training for a better quality of life.

According to UNICEF's definition, street children are boys and girls under the age of 18 who have made ‘the street’ their home and/or their place of employment and who are not given enough protection or supervision. Also, it has distinguished street children into three broad categories:

·        Children working on the street.

·        Children who live on the street with families.

·        Abandoned or Orphan kids.

International Day For Street Children: History

Around the world, 150 million children may be homeless, according to the latest figures from the United Nations. Street children can be found in most of the world's well-known cities, but the phenomenon is more common in highly populated metropolitan centres in developing or economically unstable regions, such as nations in Africa, South America, Eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia. And of course, these kids aren't allowed to exercise many of their fundamental human rights.

The United Nations organized a Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989. All children worldwide should have the following rights, according to what was debated at the convention: the right to a secure, adoring, and nurturing environment; healthcare and nourishment; clean water and electricity; equal chances; and the right to live in dignity and freedom. And the day later was recognized as International Day for Street Children.

International Day For Street Children: Significance

Street kids often do not have access to education, health care, and prospects for a life of dignity. To lessen the perils that street children face, organizations like the Consortium for Street Children (C.S.C.) are working to implement the Four Steps to Equality. These actions include committing to equality, guarding every child, granting access to services, and coming up with fresh ideas. The following are some additional key justifications for commemorating International Day for Street Children:

·        It is one of those exceptional occurrences that draws attention to the suffering of street children and upholds their rights.

·        The day seeks to create a world in which every child resides in a caring environment. It also attempts to guarantee the preservation of their human rights.

·        The day offers a chance to remind people of the importance of even the smallest deeds of kindness.