Fast food, tobacco and alcohol are pouring into India, promoting a consumer culture. India should beware. It must not repeat the mistakes of the West, says Andrée-Marie Dussault in his article entitled Cellphone and the Soul, in the Times of India, dated 24th January 2010. Andrée-Marie is a Delhi-based correspondent of a Swiss newspaper.

Nadaswaram (Nagaswaram) and the US

Partha Desikan

The nadaswaram (sometimes spelt nadhaswaram, and also called nagaswaram) is one of the most popular classical (Carnatic style) instruments of South India and acclaimed as the world's loudest non-brass acoustic instrument. It is similar to the North Indian wind instrument shehnai (shahnai), but larger in size. It has a hardwood body and a large flaring bell made of wood or metal.

To Encourage Autonomy

1. Let children make choices.
“Are you in a mood to go to painting class today or not?”

2. Show respect for a child’s struggle.
“Getting up early can be hard. If you come with me for a walk every morning you’ll feel better. Or have a cup of fresh juice as soon as you wake up. Or pour some water on your face.”

3. Don’t ask too many questions.
“Good morning.”

4. Don’t rush to answer questions.
“That’s a good question. What is your answer?”

5. Encourage children to use sources outside the home.
“Maybe Professor Shashi can offer an idea.”

This youth charter on Climate/ Climate Change is the outcome of the first Hyderabad Youth Summit on Climate Change held in the Deloitte Campus in Gachibowli, Hyderbad on June 20, 21st ’09. The summit was organized by the Indian Youth Climate Network (IYCN) with the support of WWF-India, Deloitte and APEC.

Since the charter is quite extensive, I have mentioned only the sailent points. For details on any of these, the charter can be downloaded from here.

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