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Even after half-a-century of Indian Independence, the fate of education, educators and students has hardly improved. The apathy of the power that be, including a large section of society, has not changed when it comes to human resource development and education. Even now there are more than four crore educated unemployed youths in India. India boasts of being world's third knowledge power but effectively this is the lowest when judged against per thousand-population base. Societal degradation, inflicted by political might, is reflected in educational institutions across India. Aberrations have become the rule on campuses that are infested with self-seekers and politicians. Democratization of higher educational institutions, though a noble concept, has in the past 20 years turned campuses into a cauldron of stinking filth. These are managed by affiliations charged with little regard for excellence, honesty and intellectual probity. Unethical and politically-motivated decisions serve...

Wild Edibles: Curly Dock Aka Yellow Dock Curly dock is a wild edible that can be found in many places. Yards, gardens, forest, and even desert areas; docks have different varieties according to where it is found. Curly dock in the south U.S can be found in fields and lawns that house weeds without being treated with chemicals to kill them. Its seen alongside highways as well. When foraging, you want to be sure you collect it from an area that is not treated with chemicals, or polluted by vehicles on the highways. If you do forage edibles near highways, be sure to scrub and thoroughly clean your foraged greens. Rumex crispus, the curly dock, curled dock or yellow dock, is a perennial flowering plant in the family Polygonaceae, native to Europe and Western Asia. Scientific name: Rumex crispus Higher classification: Dock Rank: Species Wikipedia Although this edible plant can be consumed by humans, the leaves of curly dock are poisonous to cattle and sheep. the seeds and vegetation of curl...

Squirrels Show The Way Humans are the only species on Earth that claim to possess the sixth sense but behave irrational. Might be that they think too much, get trapped in unwanted worries, and end up without enjoying the life. Nature is the best tutor as it throws up an infinite number of methods, tactics, and tricks on how to live happily without the botheration such as greed, enmity, and future. A careful observation of the happenings in Nature will amaze anyone about the simplicity and beauty woven around life itself. Among the animals, the squirrel is the most charming and the dog remains the most loyal friend of man. The unique characteristics of squirrel are listed here. There are over 250 species of squirrel worldwide, ranging from the smallest squirrel African Pygmy to the Indian giant squirrel measuring three feet long. The animal is said to have helped Lord Rama in laying the Sethu bridge across the Palk Strait and got a divine blessing-pat that left the mark of the three str...

The Easy Way to Stake a Tree We don't vaccinate ourselves against everything in the world because it helps our immune systems grow stronger and more resilient to infection as we grow older. The same applies to young trees experiencing wind and inclement weather. These external factors help trees grow strong and develop sturdy root systems. Which means that the majority of the time, newly planted or young trees are fine on their own, and grow without complications. On the other hand, sometimes it is necessary to provide temporary stabilization during a tree's first growth season, especially for trees growing on slopes or in wide open areas, or for trees with heavy canopies and small root balls. But without proper staking, trees can endure a wide range of damage, including death. If you have newly-planted or young-growing trees on your property, it is wise to consider tree staking to ensure they grow tall and strong for years to come. Continue reading to learn the truly easy way ...

How Do Male Bats Court Females to Mate? Bats will never let you down when it comes to learning something new and interesting. They are a fascinating species of mammal, and the only mammals capable of true flight. On top of this remarkable trait, bats also exhibit unique mating behaviors; many of which are not exhibited by any other mammals in the animal kingdom. For instance, not all bat species retain the same mating seasons and practices. Different species mate and breed at different times, as well as locations. Bats that live in temperate regions migrate from their summer homes to their winter hibernation spots. This behavior is called hibernacula and it is where breeding takes place. These bats generally mate toward the end of summer into early fall, and females will actually store the male bat's sperm for the next breeding season. But bats that live in hot or tropical regions don't migrate at all. In fact, their mating practices are based solely on seasonal variations of f...

The Dancing Sun Rays Of Twilight Every morning and every evening on planet Earth, when the sky is clear of obscuring clouds and the view of the horizon is not blocked by mountains, hills, trees, or buildings, nature's solar light show can be seen and enjoyed. This is morning or evening twilight. The orb of the sun is no longer visible, but its sun rays appear to dance for your pleasure. The color of the sun rays changes dramatically and quickly from yellow, to orange, to red, and even to pink as the sun's light moves through particles in the Earth's atmosphere. Even though the phenomenon is fast-moving, we see it in three distinct phases. These phases are known as civil twilight, nautical twilight, and astronomical twilight. However, astronauts in orbit around the Earth have a different view. They can see a shadow line of darkness, the point of transition from some natural light to total dark, then a line of red, white, and blue before the boundary of the darkness of deep s...

Zap! Watch Out - Lightning Safety in the Mountains I love hiking and camping in the Rocky Mountains and I have learned how important it is to plan all of my activities early in the day. This is because during the afternoons in the Rockies there are often storm clouds and lightning over the high peaks. You do not want to be anywhere high up in the mountains during a lightning storm because there is nowhere safe to go. Keeping that in mind, here are some general tips to minimize the risk and keep you safer when you are outside during a lightning storm. To begin with though, I want to give a little bit of background information so that the risk from lightning is clear. Every year in the United States there are about 49 people killed by lightning. That number may seem high, but compare that to the 90,000 people that die in car accidents every year. That is almost 1,500 times more than die from lightning. Yet, we do not let that keep us from driving in a car. Likewise, you shouldn't let...

The 3 Most Common Nuisance Bat Species in North America Right now it's winter, which means that most bats have already migrated or hibernated for the season. This means that winter is the perfect time to tackle all of your nuisance bat problems, like sealing up entry and exit points, replacing attic insulation, installing new drywall or ceiling boards, and more. This off-season for bats the best window of time for homeowners to begin the ultimate bat proofing system for their property. So when spring comes around, they won't have to worry so much about the common nuisance bats we deal with in North America. In fact, there are three! Continue reading to learn which bat species are the most common nuisance in our country, and how to get your bat prevention project off the ground. The Little Brown Bat The Little Brown bat is one of the most common nuisance bats dealt with in North America. Also called the Little Brown Myotis, and scientifically known as Myotis lucifugus, the Littl...

Different Types of Mulberry That Grow Into Tall Trees or Short Bushes Mulberry is the name given to plants in the Moraceae family which were introduced to the US from Asia. There are different types of mulberry that grow into tall trees or short bushes. White mulberry grows incredibly tall while the black type only grows into a 30 feet mulberry bush. Red mulberry lies somewhere in the middle but rarely grows beyond 70 feet. Mulberry fruits The tree's name might get you thinking that it produces berries but that isn't botanically correct. Mulberry trees and bushes produce a collective fruit that can be eaten raw. The type of tree doesn't dictate color of fruits produced. White mulberries can give you lavender, white or black fruit which is very sweet. Black mulberry fruits are highly regarded for the rare combination of sweet and tart but red trees produce fruit whose flavors are in between. Quality clones of the red mulberry often come close in flavor to the black types. Wh...

Check Out This Black Gum Tree Fact Sheet Gum trees may be popular among the Kookaburras, but they are not a high value tree here in the Northeastern parts of the United States. If you are looking to improve your property's value, Black Gum trees may not be the best landscaping choice; however, if you are simply looking to upgrade the look of your landscaping, they are a great choice for ornamental value. From their waxy foliage in the spring and their brilliant summer and fall colors, to their resilient winter form, Black Gum trees are stunning all year round. Continue reading to learn more about this interesting fruit tree. Black Gum Trees (Nyssa sylvatica) Tupelo Family (Nyssaceae) Habitat: Grows in acidic, moist soils that re well-drained. Found along the mid-Eastern and Eastern coastal parts of the United States. It is native to Kentucky. It is very adaptable and can even grow in swampy areas and dry uplands. Looks Like: The Common Persimmon, sourwood, Swamp Tupelo, and the Wat...

Lizard Eating Plant Tropical pitcher plants are the kings of the carnivore plants in the world. They are the only carnivore plants that can grow to large sizes big enough to swallow large insects to large rodents. Tropical pitcher plants are native to the old tropics, occurring around Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, and Sumatra. There are more than 150 different species of tropical pitcher plants and each one displays mother natures dark side of revenge against small mammals & insects. The biggest tropical pitcher plant up to date is "Nepenthes Rajah". Nepenthes means a plant of a genus that comprises the Old World pitcher plants. Although these plants are beautiful and create some of the most amazing looking flowers that are completely harmless, the fact that the flower was created because of all the nutrients it captured from the prey it devoured is frightening. To grow one of these king carnivore plants in your own backyard means to set up a death trap for any small critt...