DU Notes

Sunday, 21 December 2014

Food Review: Natural Ice Cream, GK-2

For all those of us who had had a taste of this wonderfully whipped ice cream in cities like Mumbai and Bangalore, it was a delightful surprise. And for those uninitiated, all one needs to do is visit it on a regular evening to gauge the popularity of Natural Ice Cream.

Location and Ambience

The famous chain recently made its entry into Delhi with its first outlet in Kohinoor Mall in Greater Kailash-II. Natural Ice Cream, which was established in Mumbai in 1984, currently has its parlours in 36 cities, mostly in the Western and Southern parts of the country. Like any other ice-cream parlour, it is a little place with a couple of bar stools but one can sit outside in the food court seating area. What better joy than to sit in the biting cold digging into some scrumptious ice-cream!

The multitude of flavours!

Natural is known for using real fruits and other ingredients like cocoa and milk and no preservatives. Designed to suit the Indian palate, the parlour offers fresh ice-creams in regular flavours like mango and strawberry to the more earthy flavours like fig, jamun, jackfruit and even chikoo. It’s quite the case of your fruit orchard turning into a nice-cream parlour!

While the charm of Natural lies in its real fruit flavours, the ardent chocolate fans should also give it a try for the authentic choco-chip cup. Another interesting flavour is the malai ice-cream which has a taste quite distinct from that of malai kulfi but a rich and creamy texture nonetheless.
At the top of our recommended flavours would be the pineapple-papaya ice cream which is the perfect combination in spite of sounding like a very healthy salad. The custard-apple ice-cream is also worth a mention, as is the muskmelon flavour.

Easy on the pocket

While Natural is not your neighbourhood Mother Dairy outlet, it is quite affordable going by ice-cream parlour standards. With one scoop at Rs.55 (add 10 for a cone), it is definitely worth the lovely, if not rare, flavours. Being a reputed and professional ice-cream chain, hygiene is also not a worry.

Final verdict

Natural Ice Cream is perhaps India’s best answer to international brands like Baskin Robins and Gelato Roma with better prices and more palatable flavours.

World AIDS Day: 7 myths and misconceptions about HIV AIDS

World Health Organization (WHO) marks World AIDS Day as one of the official global public health campaigns among seven others. World AIDS Day is celebrated worldwide every year on December 1 and the theme for year 2014 is “Focus, Partner, Achieve: An AIDS-Free Generation.”

World AIDS Day draws attention to the current status of the Human Immunodeficiency Virus/Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (HIV/AIDS) epidemic worldwide.

What is HIV/AIDS?

HIV is a lot like other viruses, including those that cause the “flu”. HIV can hide for long periods in the cells of your body and that it attacks a key part of your immune system – your T-Cells or CD4 Cells. Your body has to have these cells to fight infections and disease, but HIV invades them, uses them to make more copies of itself, and then destroys them.

Over time, HIV can destroy so many of your CD4 cells that your body can’t fight infections and diseases anymore. When that happens, HIV infection can lead to AIDS. AIDS is the final stage of HIV infection, and not everyone who has HIV advances to this stage. People at this stage of HIV disease have badly damaged immune systems, which put them at risk for opportunistic infections.

Myths about HIV/AIDS

Picture by Newsound

Anjali Gopalan, founder of Naz Foundation clears the myths about the disease and provides contrary facts.

Naz Foundation (India) Trust is an NGO that works for HIV/AIDS and sexual health in the country. Naz provides a variety of services to those impacted by HIV/AIDS and uses a holistic rights-based approach to fight the disease, focusing on prevention and treatment.

DU Beat presents you the top seven myths and misconceptions about the disease of HIV AIDS.

1. You can catch the virus even if you just come in contact with an HIV positive person

This is the biggest myth related to HIV. Anjali Gopalan says, “HIV gets transmitted only through exchange of body fluids, unprotected penetration, unsafe blood, non sterilized syringes and breast feeding.”

It cannot be transmitted through physical contact unless you have an open wound which comes into contact with the body fluids (semen, vaginal fluids, breast milk, blood or pre-ejaculatory fluids) of an HIV-positive person.

Reasons behind HIV/AIDS (Photos by AIDS official website)

HIV cannot be transmitted through:

(i) toilet seats or door-knob handles.
(ii) touching, hugging, holding hands, or cheek kissing with an HIV-infected person.
(iii) Deep kissing (exchange of saliva)
(iv) sharing eating utensils with an HIV-infected person.
(v) mosquito bites.
(vi) Sharing exercise equipment or playing sports.
(vii) Contact with sweat or tears.

Myths regarding transmission | Photo courtesy : 8list.ph

2. The HIV virus spreads through mosquito bites

According to Anjali Gopalan, the virus cannot survive in insects, and hence HIV cannot be transmitted through mosquito bites.

When mosquitoes bite a person, they do not inject the blood of a previous victim into the person they bite next. Mosquitoes do, however, inject their saliva into their victims, which may carry diseases such as dengue fever, malaria or yellow fever and can infect a bitten person with these diseases. HIV is not transmitted in this manner.

3. The gay community is responsible for spreading HIV/ the disease is mostly rampant in the gay community

Due to lack of risk of pregnancy, gay people are more likely to engage in intercourse without condoms. This does not mean, though, that heterosexual people are risk-free: anyone can get AIDS from anyone through unprotected sex regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.

Myths regarding participants | Photo courtesy : 8list.ph

Anjali Gopalan says, “HIV affects immune system and the virus does not discriminate on basis of how you love. Everyone is at risk of getting HIV from blood-to-blood contact, sharing needles or unsafe sex. Worldwide, HIV is spread most often through heterosexual contact. In India too, 70% of the men are infected by contact with their female counterparts.”

4. HIV virus can’t spread through oral sex

According to Health Promotion Board, exchange of body fluids leads to infection by HIV. This exchange is possible during oral sex when there are open wounds. These include cuts, sores or abrasions in the mouth or gums, or infections in the throat or mouth that are inflamed. There may also be abrasions or sores on the penis or vagina.

Anjali Gopalan clearing this myth says, “The risk of contracting HIV through oral sex is not impossible, but it is lower than from penile-vaaginal intercourse. Oral sex can be harmful in certain cases and therefore, it is advised to use condoms.”

Myths regarding infection | Photo courtesy: 8list.php

5. The virus can’t spread from an HIV positive person undergoing antiretroviral treatment

Antiretroviral therapy can reduce the amount of HIV in the body. However, HIV remains in the body and can be transmitted to others.

Anjali Gopalan pointed out, “. Antiretroviral drugs don’t keep you from passing the virus to others. Therapy can keep the viral load down to undetectable levels. It is still essential to practice safe sex so you won’t make someone else become HIV-positive.

Myths regarding treatment | Photo Courtesy : 8list.php

6. If two people are already infected with the virus, it’s okay for them to have unprotected sex

Anjali Gopalan, says “If a couple having oral sex chooses not to use protection, they are exposed to have different strains of the disease, which means they can be subjected to subtypes of the virus.”

This therefore causes superinfection. This superinfection or strain may become more resistant to the current treatment taken, or cause the current treatment option to be ineffective. One might find the antiretroviral medicines useless by the time you get superinfected.

Myths regarding practice | Photo courtesy: 8list.php

7. HIV is a death sentence

HIV/AIDS has no cure, but it isn’t a ‘life-over’ scenario for the patient either. There has been tremendous progress in treatment for HIV over the years.

Anjali Gopalan remarks, “Medication is available and if the patient takes right medicines on proper time and regular intervals, he or she can live long and healthy life. However, HIV can not be cured. If someone is infected with HIV, he or she cannot get rid of the virus.”

With inputs from Anjali Gopalan, www.aids.gov and World AIDS Day (Wikipedia)Feature Image Credits: http://hiphopandpolitics.com/

LSR student awarded Rhodes Scholarship for University of Oxford

Mayanka Mukherji of Lady Sri Ram College has been included in the list of Rhodes Scholars for the batch of 2015. Mukherji, a final year student of Sociology has been chosen to pursue MPhil in Visual Material and Museum Anthropology. She has also been involved in theatre through directing, script-writing and acting, focusing on a corporeal dialogue with spaces.

Mayanka Mukherji and Sonali Chowdhry of Miranda House, who also won the scholarship will be heading to Oxford University in October 2015, along with three other candidates from India.

The Rhodes Scholarships are postgraduate awards supporting outstanding all-round students and enable two to three years of study at the University of Oxford, the oldest and amongst the most prestigious universities in the world. Along with coverage of the university and college fees at Oxford, the recipient of the scholarship also receives a monthly maintenance stipend to cover accommodation and living expenses that is funded by the Rhodes Trust. Although all scholars become affiliated with the residential college while at Oxford, they also enjoy access to Rhodes House, an early 20th century mansion with numerous public rooms, gardens, library, study areas and other facilities.

Alankrita: Your first reaction when you heard of it?

Mayanka: I was absolutely overwhelmed when I heard my name being called out. It seemed funny and strange to have pictured that one moment so many times in the past few months, and then finally experience it so tangibly. I was really, really glad. And more than anything, I was just dying to call my mother!

Alankrita: What are you going to pursue at Oxford and why?

Mayanka: I’ll be pursuing Visual, Material and Museum Anthropology, through with I hope to evolve newer and more creative methodologies within anthropology by combining material narratives, spoken word poetry along with my love for filmmaking.

Alankrita: How early should one start planning to apply for a scholarship like the Rhodes?

Mayanka: I don’t think one needs to plan for the Rhodes, if you don’t count the application process which can be long and tedious. It is important to know what you want and seek it, but it’s also important to do things purely to gain experience, to innovate or learn something new. However, in terms of concrete preparation, it is important to have a really good Statement of Purpose which really expressed who you are, and start collecting references from the very beginning!

Mayanka Mukherji’s profile | Source: Rhodes Scholarship Official Website

Alankrita: Tell us something about the interview, what kind of an interaction did you have with the board?

Mayanka: My final interview was actually tonnes of fun. I was asked to perform a poem. I did the one about my family, or rather the people and things and animals that live in my house. After that, I was asked several questions about my subject and my future goals through an extremely friendly discussion. The panel is diverse, and it is thus important for any candidate to be able to talk about their discipline in the simplest and yet complex ways, to be able to put it across in all its dimensions.

Alankrita: In college, apart from academics, what other areas have you been active in?

Mayanka: In college, I have been active in theatre, having acted in several plays, and currently directing the LSR annual production. I also write my own plays, and compose poetry with music, rhythm, pace and other sound devices. Forming a collective of spoken word poets, I also have my own small group, Mildly Offensive Content, and we perform all over Delhi, about twice a month. Out poetry deals with ideas of violence, gender, class, caste, communalism and often is extremely critical of the state and its ideas of development. In face one of my recurrent poems, called A Man with an Orange Heart, is a recollection of the Godra riots of 2002, based on my childhood doodles, hence, turning slam poetry into a project of documenting the repressed histories long silenced.

Alankrita: One Rhodes Scholar who inspires you/ who you have always respected or admired?

Mayanka: Girish Karnad, amongst others.

Alankrita: On graduating from Oxford, where do you see yourself next?

Mayanka: I’d probably want to pursue a D.Phil, but I am sure that I want to start travelling with my poetry, and hopefully my entire spoken word troop, Mildly Offensive Content, to be able to perform out poetry in different countries, weaving the poetic with the personal and the political.

DU Beat wishes Mayanka all the best for her future endeavors!

Arvind Kejriwal to Address Columbia University, Dine with AAP Supporters in New York

NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party convener Arvind Kejriwal is set to deliver a lecture at Columbia University in New York later this week and will also attend a dinner organised by the party's supporters where he is expected to raise funds for the party.

"He has been invited to deliver a lecture at Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA) at New York on December 7 and the dinner will be held on that night itself," a party source said. AAP said that the dinner event has been planned by party supporters based in New York.

Columbia University is an Ivy League college and SIPA is one of the leading public policy institutions in the world.

Sources said that the party hopes to collect a "substantial amount" from the dinner from those wishing to make donations.

"The dinner has been organised by party supporters. If anybody wishes to donate, they can do it online. Arvind will certainly encourage that," the source added. Of the donations coming from abroad, USA tops the chart.

During his two-day trip to the US, Mr Kejriwal's IIT batchmates and AAP supporters have planned interactions with the Indian community there.

Mr Kejriwal left for a five-day trip of Dubai and New York today afternoon. He will be in Dubai by Saturday evening before proceeding on to New York.

To encourage donations, AAP is tweeting its donors' names with the hashtag #IFundHonestPolitics.

After the Delhi Assembly elections in December last year, the party claims to have so far received donations from over 1 lakh donors. AAP aims to collect Rs. 30 crore to fund its campaign for fresh Assembly elections in Delhi.

Indian-American Doctor Rahul Gupta to Lead West Virginia Health Bureau

WASHINGTON: Dr Rahul Gupta, an Indian-American doctor with a medical degree from Delhi University, is set to lead West Virginia's Bureau for Public Health from January 1.

Gupta's appointment as Commissioner of Bureau for Public Health and State Health Officer was announced on Thursday by West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources Cabinet Secretary Karen L. Bowling.

He holds an MD from University College of Medical Sciences, University of Delhi and a master's degree in Public Health from the University of Alabama-Birmingham.

He has been certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine since 1999.

Gupta replaces Dr. Letitia E. Tierney, who is resigning effective Dec 31, just 13 months after her appointment.

Tierney was the target of criticism during the January 2014 Elk River chemical spill when crude MCHM was released from a facility in Charleston in West Virginia.

Critics claimed she wasn't giving the public enough information about how the chemical could effect humans, according to local news reports.

"Dr. Gupta is a well-respected and established public health professional," Bowling said.

"His vast experience and wealth of knowledge will greatly benefit DHHR, as will his relationships with officials in government and the medical community."

Since 2009, Gupta has served as the Executive Director and Health Office of the Kanawha-Charleston Health Department, the largest local health department in West Virginia.

He also serves as the Executive Director and Health Officer of the Putnam County Health Department.

Prior to that, he was Assistant Professor of Medicine of Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, and a primary care physician at Florida Medical Clinic.

"I am deeply honoured to be appointed to this position by Secretary Bowling," Gupta said.

"Working with professionals and partners across our great state, I look forward to the opportunity to help West Virginians build a healthier future by achieving positive and lasting health outcomes."

Arvind Kejriwal to Address Students at Columbia University

WASHINGTON: The Aam Admi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal will address the students of the prestigious Columbia University in New York on Sunday, his supporters in US said on Thursday.

Mr Kejriwal is scheduled to stay in the New York for less than 24 hours, during which he will interact with students at the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA), Columbia University on December 7, AAP volunteer from Chicago, Munish Raizada said.

Due to Mr Kejriwal's busy schedule in view of the Delhi Assembly elections, he is making a short visit to the US at the request of his supporters in that country.

"Otherwise, there is huge demand from the strong AAP support base in North America and United Kingdom to visit various cities," he said.

"Even this short trip has energised the AAP cadre in USA and the volunteers will redouble the efforts to participate in the Delhi elections," Raizada said, adding that Mr Kejriwal would also interact with AAP supporters in the US.

Observe Christmas as 'Good Governance Day': University Grants Commission to Varsities

University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked universities across the country to observe December 25 as 'Good Governance Day' amid the controversy over organising events on the occasion which requires physical presence of students in campus on Christmas.

However, in communication sent to all vice chancellors, UGC has made it clear the competition on oratory be organised before the universities and colleges go for Christmas vacation.

"...a competition on oratory be organised in such a manner that it does not disturb the Christmas holidays and all activities regarding this must be completed before the Christmas break of colleges and universities under your jurisdiction," it said.

The communication, though, does not mention about a seminar in connection with the observance of the 'Good Governance Day', a communication on which has been sent by the Ministry to all central universities.

The Union HRD Ministry courted controversy over a circular by Navodya Vidyalaya Samiti (NVS) asking all its schools to observe December 25 -- Christmas day -- as 'Good Governance Day' that led to an uproar in Parliament.

While HRD Minister Smriti Irani maintained that schools would remain closed on that day, Congress threatened to move privilege motion against Parliamentary Affairs Minister Venkaiah Naidu and Ms Irani, alleging that they had misled the Parliament over circulars issued to schools for events on December 25.