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Newness In Modern Bridal Wear

Wedding postponed? Take care of your wedding ensemble.
The New-Age Bride (Photo: Unsplash)

Lockdown may have forced the Big Fat Indian Wedding to become a leaner affair but a bride’s approach to fashion is more discerning than ever. Of course there will always be a feeling of tradition when it comes to bridal fashion, but brides also want their dress to feel special, unique and something that speaks of them- good bridal fashion always marries tradition with modernity…writes Sujata Assomull.

Over the last month or so designers from Tarun Tahiliani to Gaurav Gupta unveiled their new bridal collections via the digital medium. Designed at a time when we were learning how to co-exist with Covid-19, and after the time when the forced pause caused an upheaval wherein many socio-political issues came to the surface.

The New-Age Bride (Photo: Unsplash)

MESSAGE IN A BRIDAL OUTFIT
Fashion has always been driven by politics and social issues, but of late, consumption seems to have forced it to forget its voice. The pandemic is a reminder to fashion that it does drive change-and designers are now talking issues-even in their bridal collection.

Gaurav Gupta opened India Couture Week with a fashion film called, ‘Name is Love’; on the runway were a diverse cast- trans-female, non-binary, same sex, plus size and darker hued models. His presentation spoke of Gaurav’s own beliefs as a known campaigner for issues such as LGBTQ rights, Gupta was an active spokesperson during the #Metoo movement. “Brides today know what’s happening in the world, they just don’t want pretty clothes. They want to wear something that is more than that.”

As more Indian designers realise they have a readymade platform to address issues; brides-to-be will turn to designers whose messages speak to them. So if it’s conscious living, Anita Dongre might be your choice, if it’s issues of new age feminism perhaps Masaba Gupta is the designer for you, or if you’re looking to address issues of diversity and are a non-conformist, then Gaurav Gupta is the designer for you.

The New-Age Bride (Photo: Unsplash)

COMFORT COUTURE

Gone are the days where brides wanted to be weighed down with embroidery, heavy silks and adorned with rows of necklaces. Today’s bride wants to dance the night away, feel easy, yet be the belle of the ball. Which means there is a new lightness that has come into fashion-be it Tarun Tahiliani, JJ Valaya or Rahul Mishra this has been a common to all fashion shows of late, and explains the popularity of thread embroidery and lighter emblishment techniques such as chikankari and aari.

In fact one of Mishra’s most popular looks has been an easy fit hand embroidered A-line silk-organza circular gown-it talks of a bride who does not want to give into the convention of Indian bridal dressing. Says Mishra, “I remember the time when ‘Organza’ as a fabric was never used for Indian occasion-wear and it always took us an extra effort to sell our sheer hand embroidered jackets. Fast forward to today, ‘Organza’ is celebrated by everyone as ‘the’ fabric for lehengas and bridal wear in India.” Diaphanous fabrics such as organza, chiffon and light crepes are now preferred over brocades, charmeuse satins and velvets. This also points to a new practicality that has come into bridal wear.

READY TO RE-WEAR

Brides now longer want an outfit that hangs in their wardrobe as a memory-they want to be able to rewear their bridal outfit.

The New-Age Bride (Photo: Unsplash)

As fashion becomes more conscious and value driven, no one wants to spend on an outfit that they cannot wear again. Especially when it comes to the lehenga, which remains as the most popular choice for the actual wedding day outfit. So blouses from a bridal lehenga can be reworn with a plain saree for formal functions, dupattas can be thrown over a silk outfit for a first Diwali or Karva Chauth, and the lehenga skirt can be teamed with a shirt as a fusion option for a friend’s wedding.

Says Mishra, “Many brides order separate crop tops with their lehengas to re-wear for a different kind of an occasion or style their blouses with a pair of jeans later.” Designers no longer design a wedding outfit as a one-time ensemble but as a piece that can be mixed and matched. It is something that newer entrants into the bridal fashion market such as Amit Aggarwal and Nachiket Barve are very conscious off, and reflects in their design approach. “Nothing pains me more than a lehenga sitting in a mothball lined trunk or stashed away for decades,” says Barve.

It does seem that there is a newness and refreshing change coming into bridal wear.\

Also Read-Unique Combo Retains Heritage Of Hospitality

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Lifestyle Lite Blogs

Unique Combo Retains Heritage Of Hospitality

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and The Oberoi Group in strategic alliance. (Photo Courtesy: Oberoi Hotels & Resorts)
Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and The Oberoi Group in strategic alliance. (Photo Courtesy: Oberoi Hotels & Resorts)

The Oberoi Group and The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, today announced a long-term strategic alliance that will see the two jointly collaborating across a range of initiatives.

This global alliance between the two historic, multi-award-winning hotel groups has been designed to appeal to the loyal guests of both brands. The unique partnership creates a platform for the two organisations to work more closely together while retaining each brand’s unique heritage and identity.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and The Oberoi Group in strategic alliance. (Photo Courtesy: Oberoi Hotels & Resorts)

By working together across all facets of the guest experience, the two groups will curate new and exclusive experiences, available at Oberoi and Mandarin Oriental hotels. The alliance increases the global reach of both groups, providing guests with increased choice across the globe and in India…reports Asian Lite News.

“We are delighted to launch this innovative partnership with The Oberoi Group, setting the stage for us to push the boundaries of luxury hospitality. The Oberoi Group has a long established history and a wealth of expertise in providing exemplary service and I am confident that by working together both organisations will grow and create further differentiation in the industry that our guests will value. We look forward to working with The Oberoi Group to continue to develop and deepen this special partnership.” said James Riley, Mandarin Oriental’s Group Chief Executive.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and The Oberoi Group in strategic alliance. (Photo Courtesy: Oberoi Hotels & Resorts)

Members of Fans of M.O. and Oberoi One, the brands’ respective recognition programmes, will have privileged access to over 50 luxury hotels in sought after destinations, where they will receive superior recognition, exclusive experiences and offers, as well as invitations to bespoke events.

Tapping into the expertise of both brands, the alliance will work together to create unique culinary and wellness experiences and will also collaborate on innovation, sustainability and colleague learning and development? Joint efforts across these areas will provide synergies for both brands enabling both to further evolve the meaning of luxury hospitality.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and The Oberoi Group in strategic alliance. (Photo Courtesy: Oberoi Hotels & Resorts)

“We have long been fans’ of Mandarin Oriental,” said Vikram Oberoi, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of EIH Limited, the flagship company of The Oberoi Group. “Our brands complement each other extremely well as do our organisations values and culture. This exciting alliance will allow guests to experience new destinations and experiences in the legendary styles for which both companies are renowned.”

Also Read-Brexit breach: EU begins legal action against UK

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Arts & Culture Books Lite Blogs

Young Authors Speak On Pandemic Insights

Authors find a teacher in pandemic upheaval.(Photo: Unsplash)
“One Action: Towards Women’s Dreams and Ambitions”

Inspiration amid the ongoing global pandemic can be hard to come by. Taking on these bleak times as a challenge and opportunity for self-discovery, emerging or first-time authors are refining how they think, write and imagine…writes Siddhi Jain.
Young author Sanya Khurana, a Tedx speaker and author of “One Action: Towards Women’s Dreams and Ambitions” finds philosophy in chaos. She told: “History has shown that pandemics have always inspired artists to create art, musicians to write songs, and authors to write more books. Even today, as the world is going through difficult times, authors are using this opportunity to either express and vent out their feelings or escape into their world of imagination through writing. Some writers are also using the gift of time that this pandemic has given all of us to complete their books or start a new one. We all have gone through our own struggles during the pandemic and each one of us has a story to tell”.

‘Jean Angel’ author Atul Mohite explains how the lockdown allowed him the time and mind space to finally put pen to paper: “The pandemic allowed us all to have a lot of leisure time which helped in exploring the creativity which we had and I was no exception to that. The idea for ‘Jean Angel’ was on my mind for quite a long time yet never imagine that I will come up with a book about it someday. Lockdown gave me that opportunity and I am so glad I could write the book in such difficult times. I’ve been fortunate to have a job of my liking and busy routine associated with it. Being in a bank, I worked despite the pandemic.”

“Talking about reimagining their lives and getting inspired, Roopesh Bhole, author of ‘In Love You Fall, In Love You Rise’ says that it is not them who keep the writing alive, it is the writing that keeps them alive. Writing brings in the feeling of being liberated. It is a place where there were no rules, where the characters could be developed as per our own will, without bothering about the repercussions that otherwise could be so depressing in real life”. He also adds how creativity can bring sanity in life during pandemic, adding how he is already penning his next book.

For some authors the pandemic in itself is an inspiration. Author Sabarna Roy, author of ‘Etchings of the First Quarter of 2020’, feels that the pandemic has brought forward a plethora of subjects to the notice of Indian authors in a more acute manner: “Job losses, pay-cuts, shrinkage of economy and its social consequences, people restricted to homes in unrelenting fear, a sudden and critical switchover to the digital world in every form of human interaction and the very ingress of the disease to nooks and corners of the country”. To his mind, the chaos provides authors with a newer context to think in and write about.

Authors like Karan Puri discovered a new side to them. Author of ‘#Me Too’, Puri feels that the lockdown helped him discover the writer within. “It had been a long hiatus but I kept the passion of writing going through my journey as a blogger, now finally, I got ample time to step up and complete my second book. #Metoo Movement and the Nirbhaya case shook something inside me and I wanted to share short stories of these sexual abuse survivors in a positive light. To give hope to the women who still feel unsafe traveling at night or even at home”.

Ravi Valluri, Author of ‘Heartbreaks at Coffee Shops – An Array of Tales’, who juggles his writing with a job in North Central Railway, says he had a ringside view of transportation of migrant labour. “I was to witness stories of human suffering and valour. Some of these touching and heart rending incidents, I penned down for an anthology of articles to be published by an Australian author and IIM Bangalore. Some others found their way into a collection of short stories recently published in form of a book – ‘Heartbreak at Coffee Shop’.”

Rajendra Sarilla, an educator who wrote ‘Scarlet – Lost in the Five Lands’ concurs that the pandemic has been food for thought – and imagination. “The pandemic has shown us many things that we never imagined would happen. We are actually living in a science fiction story, all of us. Just soaking in information flowing in from all parts of the world and processing it is helping me evolve as a writer. It’s rich food for thought. The pandemic has taught us about things that truly matter and things that don’t. It’s teaching us about human tenacity, kindness, patience. It’s all education. What else does a writer need?”

Also Read-Sleep Apnea The Potential Cause Of Depression

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Health Lifestyle Lite Blogs

Sleep Apnea The Potential Cause Of Depression

All you need to know about perimenopause. (Photo Courtesy: pixabay)
Sleep apnea and depression – Is there a correlation?

Depression is often also connected with sleep-disordered breathing, and not only by conventional wisdom but by increasing clinical evidence day after day. ..writes Puja Gupta.

As the National Sleep Foundation (NSF) in the United States puts it, “depression may cause sleep problems and sleep problems may cause or contribute to depressive disorders,” noting that symptoms of depression seem to come before sleep problems just as frequently as the other way around…writes Puja Gupta.

Conversations around the subject only focus on insomnia but there are other sleep issues as well that are equally significant is disturbing our mental health. Issues like Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS) and sleep apnea have been gaining attention to be potential causes of depression.

(Photo Courtesy: pixabay)

So, what exactly is sleep apnea? What is it association with depression and what are the potential ways to manage it? Dr. Sibasish Dey, Head – Medical Affairs, India & South Asia, ResMed shares the 10 things about sleep apnea and its relation to depression that you need to know:

Sleep apnea is a sleep-disordered breathing condition where an individual may stop breathing for a few seconds during sleep. This phenomenon may occur multiple times while sleeping.

Due to repeated hypoxia and arousals, there is inflammation, oxidative stress and this results in imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain. This imbalance may result in different neuropsychiatric symptoms and depression.

Sleep.

National Sleep Foundation (NSF) points out to a study published by the National Library of Medicine that says that people suffering from depression are five times most likely to suffer from Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) – the most common form of sleep-disordered breathing.

It is to be noted that several studies have observed that patients suffering from depression also have issues related to sleep. In OSA, disturbed sleep leading to disturbances in neurotransmitters levels are believed to be the cause for its association with depression.

Sleep apnea manifests with symptoms like fatigue, lack of energy, morning headache, difficulty concentrating, irritability and sexual dysfunction, all of which may lead to depression.

In simpler words, sleep apnea disturbs sleep, causing micro-arousal all throughout the night. This disturbance in the sleep cycle is potentially harmful. So, such an individual will wake up tired in the morning and experience excessive daytime sleepiness

In addition, sleep apnea may also lead to road traffic accidents, loss of productivity at workplaces, difficulty in concentrating and accomplishing tasks and generally decreased psychomotor performance. All these may alter the work-life balance.

Now coming to solutions to deal with the issue – Continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device is a gold standard treatment for people who suffer from sleep-disordered breathing, such as OSA. It is also one of the most commonly used treatment method for OSA.

(Photo Courtesy: Pixabay)

Other non-pharmacological methods to reduce OSA includes quitting smoking and alcohol, reducing weight and following sleep hygiene tips.

The takeaway? If you’ve found yourself suffering from the effects of depression and sleep apnea, it is prudent to take sleep apnea into consideration. Adequate sleep apnea management may help alleviate the problems of both, and bring you closer to experiencing a healthier, more energetic lifestyle. Talk to your doctor about whether taking a sleep test may be a good option for you. ResMed’s home sleep tests have proven to be an effective tool for testing sleep apnea in the times of the pandemic as well because they can be undertaken at the comfort of your homes without having to visit a clinic/sleep lab.

Also Read-Crafting Pieces Into Modern Heirlooms

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Fashion Lite Blogs Woman

Crafting Pieces Into Modern Heirlooms

Collection By Designer Anju Modi @ FDCI ICW 2020.
Collection By Designer Anju Modi @ FDCI ICW 2020.

Designer Anju Modi’s latest couture collection titled ‘Sindoori’ ‘celebrates the beauty and complexities of a bride’ and the ceremony of getting ready for the occasion. Beginning with Haldi and ending with Sindoor (vermilion), it is a tribute to the solemn occasion and marks the festivities in the run up to the nuptials.

Collection By Designer Anju Modi @ FDCI ICW 2020.

The collection was launched on Wednesday through a fashion film, streamed online on the final day of the digital India Couture Week, by the Fashion Design Council of India.

Modi said the collection is inspired by the “unprecedented time” the world is facing today. Speaking about it, the couturier said: “This is an unprecedented kind of time which we all are facing and enduring. It has brought a whole new perspective and my inspiration comes from here. Very intimate weddings are happening (at present). So of course, the girls are in a state of anxiety. ‘How will I look, what should look the best on me?’ I suggest they opt for reds, the ‘Sindoori’ (vermilion) is my inspirational colour…”

Collection By Designer Anju Modi @ FDCI ICW 2020.

Modi has taken cues from the artworks of Raja Ravi Varma and the miniature painting tradition to create a line-up that comprises anarkali, lehengas and sarees. Giving a contemporary twist to archival textiles and heritage embroideries, she crafts pieces into modern heirlooms.

Collection By Designer Anju Modi @ FDCI ICW 2020.

The ensembles feature mashru, brocades, jamdani and pashminas, zardozi with dabka and mukaish and foil print to create the bridal ensembles. The colours of the outfits are inspired by various traditional items used in an Indian wedding– ‘haldi’ (turmeric), and deep wet ‘mehendi’ (henna) among others. There are hues of soft, creamy ivories and muted marble tones, culminating in red and purple.

Also Read-“Vaishnav Jan to” in Kashmiri language

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Bollywood Fashion Lite Blogs

Kangana Defines Fashion As Freedom Of Expression

Kangana: Fashion is nothing but freedom of expression

Actress Kangana Ranaut has shared how her fashion sense has evolved over the years, and defines fashion as freedom of expression.

Kangana took to Twitter and posted then and now photos. In one photo, she is seen wearing a frock and a pearl necklace. In another, she is sitting in the front row of a fashion show.

Explaining how her fashion has evolved over the years, she tweeted: “When I was a little girl I decorated myself with pearls, cut my own hair, wore thigh high socks and heels. People laughed at me.”

Kangana: Fashion is nothing but freedom of expression

“From being a village clown to attending front rows of London, Paris, New York Fashion weeks I realised fashion is nothing but freedom of expression,” she wrote.

Kangana has in the past used her stardom to promote Indian fashion. Earlier this month, she spoke about how we draw inspiration from Europe or Japan for fashion, but handlooms in India are often ignored.

Also Read-Tamannah Excited To Reprise Tabu

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Bollywood Films Lite Blogs

Tamannah Excited To Reprise Tabu

Mumbai: Actress Tamannah Bhatia at the shoot of celebrity make-up artist Lekha Gupta's Amazon Beauty Vanity Diaries show in Mumbai, on June 25, 2019. (Photo: IANS)
Mumbai: Actress Tamannah Bhatia (Photo: IANS)

Actress Tamannah Bhatia is excited to reprise the role of Tabu in the Telugu remake of the Hindi thriller, “Andhadhun”.

“I’ve always been an ardent fan of Tabu’s work and it is such an honour to reprise a role played by her. The original film has this psychological influence on people and succeeded in inducing a sense of curiosity. What I personally loved about the original film was the brilliance of the script and the screenplay. It had no hero or no villain,” she said.

Actor Nithin will reprise Ayushmann Khurrana’s National Award-winning role in the Telugu remake.

Tabu

“It is a very unconventional casting and I have always wanted to do a film that is entertaining, while it has moments of darkness. Lately, I have started taking an incline towards films that embody a sense of individualism, that are less scared of convention and much more stimulating. This is the first time I will be collaborating with Nithiin and he is one the few people in Telugu industry I have never worked with previously. So, I am quite looking forward to this project,” Tamannaah added.

“Andhadhun”, a black comedy crime thriller directed by Sriram Raghavan, has Ayushmann playing a piano player who pretends to be blind and whose life is thrown in a tizzy when he becomes witness to the murder of an aged film actor by the latter’s wife and her lover.

The Telugu version is being directed by Merlapaka Gandhi.

Also Read-‘Animation Is Simply fun’

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COVID-19 Lifestyle Lite Blogs

Engage Yourself Amid Covid

Women empowered by EWOK Society working with necessary precautions in COVID times at IIT Mandi.
Five screen-free ways to consume content.

This year has been a rollercoaster ride and has seen most of us adapting to the “new normal”. Remote working has become the order of the day, and people are spending longer periods of time in front of a screen, be it for work or entertainment…writes Siddhi Jain.

Due to this, screen fatigue has become a real concern, with experts suggesting that it is beginning to impact people’s health. In a recent report, a doctor practicing telemedicine said there was a 30 per cent increase in complaints of eye strain, dry or itchy eyes, headaches, blurred vision and physical and mental fatigue.

The challenge is to able to learn something new, pursue a hobby and keep yourself entertained without straining yourself on a screen. Here are five ways to keep yourself occupied and productive, without being glued to your screens:

COVID-19: 7 tips to defuse family conflict and preserve relationships. (Photo Courtesy: Pixabay)

Marie Kondo your personal space

Cleaning always comes across as a chore and we neglect it until that one chair can no longer bear the weight of the pile of clothes. A fun way to look at cleaning is decluttering and redecorating. Choose one room at a time, pick up things that don’t bring you joy and throw them into a giveaway pile. Pick out reusable items like empty water bottles, plastic boxes, worn-out clothes, shoe boxes, tin cans, light bulbs with which you can make DIY decorations. Not only will you be proud of your own creations, your home just got a whole lot prettier at no cost at all.

Hands busy, mind free

It is an established fact that listening to audiobooks is more emotionally engaging than watching TV or films. Whether you are looking for stories or simply want to experience some downtime, Audible and Audible Suno are the right places for you. Unleashing the power of the spoken word, these platforms offer an extensive library of audiobooks and audio series narrated by talented and celebrated personalities that are sure to inspire creativity.

Get active, get going

The lockdown has everyone stuck at home, which has led to the discovery of innovative ways to keep ourselves healthy and active. Whoever thought that working out with basic household items at home can give you a full-fledged gym experience? Here are few ideas to make your home workout more fun and efficient:

– Use cans and jars as small weights

– Use stairs as a cardio machine

– Use a bag of flour or rice as heavy weights

– Apart from these, you can do yoga, stretching, crossfit (workouts using bodyweight), all from the comfort of your home.

Women empowered by EWOK Society working with necessary precautions in COVID times at IIT Mandi.

Grow your plants, grow your soul

To be closer to nature is to be closer with your inner self. Indoor plants don’t just look good, they make you feel good mentally and physically, too. Growing and taking care of plants is a worthwhile hobby for anyone who is wondering what to do to keep oneself occupied. It is a simple activity that decorates your house and gives you unadulterated joy in an environmentally-friendly way. Get creative while making your space greener — think the kitchen slab, your window sill, the balcony, or even your bathroom where bamboo plants can be kept.

Awaken your inner Picasso

One needn’t be a trained artist to create art. All you need is a canvas, paint, a few brushes, some free time and your imagination. There are no rules when it comes to painting to unwind yourself. It has been said that painting has therapeutic qualities and with no prior training, you can just let the brushes play with the colours. You never know — you may just end up with something frame-worthy that brings you happiness and serenity.

Also Read-App For Children With SLDs

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Bollywood Films Lite Blogs

Divya Recalls Past 26 Years In B’wood

Mumbai: Actress Divya Dutta at a party organised to celebrate the success of the film "Andhadhun" after the film won Best Film award at the 66th National Film Awards, in Mumbai on Aug 21, 2019. (Photo: IANS)
Divya Dutta.

Actress Divya Dutta, who has completed 26 years in the entertainment industry, celebrated her birthday quietly with loved ones at home on September 25…reports Asian Lite News.

Divya started out as a mainstream Bollywood actress in the mid-nineties but made heads turn for the first time with a small but impactful role in Pamela Rooks’ 1998 screen adaptation of Khushwant Singh’s novel, “Train To Pakistan”. Over the years, she has carved a niche as a vesatile performer who can impress in commercial as well as arthouse cinema.

In conversation with IANS, the 2018 National Award (Best Supporting Actress) winner for her role in “Irada” looks back at the films that changed her career completely.

Veer Zaara (2004)

Recalling the Yash Chopra film, Divya said: “By that time I had worked in a few films but the amount of recognition that I got because of ‘Veer Zaara’, never happened before. Like many others, I have grown up watching Yash Chopra’s iconic films and in my dreams, I also wanted to be a YRF heroine! Of course, that did not happen with ‘Veer Zaara’ but the way Yash Chopra ji introduced me to the commercial cinema space and the recognition I got was surreal!”

“These days, everyone is doing substantial roles that are not so-called ‘lead roles’, nowadays the word ‘character actor’ is outdated. But 15 years ago, it was a risk for me — what if I get typecast? Everyone remembered Shabbo, though there were three superstars in the film.”

Delhi 6 (2009)

“That was the first time I have got a chance to work with Rakyesh Om Prakash Mehra and it was a completely different character from Shabbo. My look, my dialogues, the section of society that the character represents — everything was an integral part of the story. It was so satisfactory,” recalled Divya. In the film, she played a sweeper named Jalebi, who comes from a lower caste and is untouchable.

Mumbai: Actress Divya Dutta at Jio MAMI 21st Mumbai Film Festival, in Mumbai on Oct 22, 2019. (Photo: IANS)

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013)
“It was such a well-written character. It was the biopic on one man but the character of his sister and her contribution in his journey is so intertwined that it became a brother-sister story! I not only got positive reviews for that role but love, admiration and reverence.”

Badlapur (2013)

“The character graph of Shobha that I had in the film, some of the crucial scenes with Varun (Dhawan) in the story, and the way the equation between the two changes, was all so deliciously written! (Director) Sriram (Raghavan) is such a brilliant filmmaker. I think that film was also very important in my career because, again, with a superstar like Varun Dhawan in a film, we reached out to a different set of audience that otherwise I do not get a chance to with films that are close to my heart,” said the actress.

“Badlapur” also featured Yami Gautam, Radhika Apte, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Vinay Pathak.

“Special 26” (2013) and “Ramsingh Charlie” (2020)

Apart from these films that gave her a wide exposure to the mainstream audience, Divya cites two films that are very close to her heart — “Special 26” (2013) and “Ramsingh Charlie”, which dropped digitally a few weeks ago.

Mumbai: Actress Divya Dutta at a party organised to celebrate the success of the film “Andhadhun” after the film won Best Film award at the 66th National Film Awards, in Mumbai on Aug 21, 2019. (Photo: IANS)

“During the shoot of both these films I had to unlearn a lot in order to play these characters. Neeraj Pandey (director of ‘Special 26’) and Nitin Kakkar (‘Ramsingh Charlie’) have very different styles of working, and I had nervous energy on the first day of shoot. I think that is good energy, which made me push to an extent to bring out my best. So, these two films are very very special!” said Divya.

Also Read-App For Children With SLDs

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Education Lite Blogs

App For Children With SLDs

Anganwadi.

Late identification of learning disabilities could leave some children behind in their academic and mental development – something early screening can solve…writes Siddhi Jain.

Indigenous research studies have estimated the incidence of Specific Learning Disabilities (SLDs) in India to be between 10-12 percent of school-going children. In remote populations and Tier-II cities where there is negligible awareness or service available for identification, these kids slip through the cracks in the system, says Dr Geet Oberoi, who has developed a nine-domain screening app for timely detection of learning disabilities in children.

As academic success has become highly competitive in present days, anything less than peak performance in schools could lead to mislabeling of a child, without sparing a thought to the reasons behind it. Oberoi, is the President of Orkids Foundation, the organization behind ‘First Screen’ app, launched last month that aims at early identification of children who may be at the risk of developing SLD (Specific learning disabilities). It also allows for early intervention well before the formal age of diagnosis at 8 years. It is a free android app, available in Hindi and English.

Could your child have learning disabilities?.

According to her, in India, SLD was recognized as a disability only in 2016, and unfortunately before that most children with SLD had an extremely challenging school experience with many of them dropping out and opting for open schooling. Many parents also opted for home schooling for their children looking at the stress and anxiety the schools were causing the children.

“In a considerable number of cases instances of other mental health issues like depression, bullying, defiance, eating disorders were seen emerging along with SLD and its effects in adolescence,” she told in an email interview.

How does timely identification and screening help? “It ensures the learning gaps of children are curtailed early and with intervention, before the gaps become too large to be worked with. As the children grow up, the academic pressure on the child increases and this may lead to children dropping out of schools and/or becoming susceptible to other mental health issues like depression, defiance, bullying and so on. Early intervention helps the children to be mainstreamed as fast as possible with a greater chance of finding less or no difference in performance as compared to the classmates.”

The pioneering app covers nine major domains, namely- reading and spelling, written expression, oral language, motor skills, attention, social skills, mathematics, executive functions and memory. The app includes a test of 90 scoring items with 3-point answers (yes, maybe, no/NA).

Dr. Geet Oberoi, President Orkids Foundation.

It takes 20-25 minutes to complete the test after which a visual feedback (as opposed to text) is given with possible recommendations for the future. Sub-skills of each of the nine domains covered are also given. For accuracy purposes, the test must be filled by a parent, or a teacher who has known the child for at least 6 months.

The free-of-cost app comes as a screening tool which is not diagnostic and thus does not label, but only screens to identify kids that may be ‘at risk’ is the need of the hour. First Screen would ensure that the valuable five years – between ages three and eight – can be utilised by providing extra support in terms of training and providing resources to the kids to help their learning curve.

Orkids shared that it has reached out to all different education boards like CBSE, ISCE, the State Boards as well as NCERT have been made aware of the app and its efficacy. “An ideal way forward would be to make screening a must for children in all schools at the age of four-five, so as to catch them young and ensure no child is left behind.”

Also Read-September becomes India’s worst pandemic month