Solstice ring of fire solar eclipse, June 21st 2020, Top 5 states with the highest number of skilled yoga candidates, Dekho Apna Desh Webinar Series
1. Solstice ring of fire solar eclipse, June 21, 2020- Looking at it directly can cause severe damage to the eye and vision
- A rare celestial event, annular solar eclipse, popularly called as ring of fire eclipse will be visible this Sunday, June 21, 2020.
- The first solar eclipse of this year takes place on the summer solstice, which is the longest day in the Northern Hemisphere.
- While people living along the path annular eclipse passing through Anupgarh, Suratgarh, Sirsa, Jakhal, Kurukshetra, Yamunanagar, Dehradun, Tapowan and Joshimath will be able to see the annular phase, people in rest of India can witness a partial eclipse.
- When Moon comes between the Sun and Earth, the shadow falls on the surface of the Earth.
- The Sun is entirely covered by the Moon for a brief period.
- Those places that are engulfed by the dark, dense umbral shadow of the Moon experience the total solar eclipse.
- In the regions that plunge into the soft diffused penumbral shadow of the Moon experience the partial eclipse.
- In all solar eclipse the Sun, Moon and Earth may not be perfectly aligned, and then we only have a partial eclipse.
- When the three celestial bodies happen to be in a straight line, we have Total solar eclipse.
- Annular solar eclipse is a particular case of the total solar eclipse.
- Like the total solar eclipse, the Moon is aligned with the Sun.
- However, on that day, the apparent size of the Moon happens to be a wee smaller than the Sun.
- Hence the Moon covers the central part of the Sun, and the rim of the Sun appear like a ‘ring of fire’ in the sky for a very brief moment.
- The distance between the Earth and the Moon at the moment of the eclipse can dictate the type of eclipse that will take place.
- The distance between the Earth and the Moon is always changing due to the egg-shaped elliptical orbit of the Moon.
- This means that there are times where it is closer to the Earth and appears slightly bigger in the sky and times where it is farther away and appears somewhat smaller in the sky.
- Coincidentally, during the eclipse that takes place on June 21, 2020, the apparent size of the Moon is smaller than that of the Sun by 1%.
- At the onset of the solar eclipse, Sun gives a characteristic appearance of a bitten apple.
- A small part of the Sun is covered by the disc of the Moon.
- After that, slowly and steadily the disc of the Moon embraces larger and larger part of the Sun.
- On a narrow track that the Moon’s shadow traces on Earth during an annular solar eclipse, people can see the Moon traversing on the Sun and covering the central part.
- As the Moon is not able to block out the entire Sun, a bright ring of sunlight around the Moon will be visible.
- This is how this type of eclipse earned the nickname the “ring of fire” eclipse.
- If we miss this opportunity, in India we have to wait for about 28 months for the next solar eclipse.
- The next solar eclipse , which will be a partial solar eclipse, visible from India will take place on October 25, 2022.
- It would be visible in the western part of India” said Aniket Sule, Chairperson, Public Outreach & Education Committee of the Astronomical Society of India.
- Sun is a very bright object, and looking at it directly can cause severe damage to the eye and vision.
- There are special goggles made for looking at the Sun. These goggles filter the sunlight for safe viewing.
- “Often the Public Outreach and Education Committee of Astronomical Society of India and other astronomical institutions/ planetariums and other science popularisation agencies usually make arrangements for safe viewing of the eclipse. However, due to the lockdown this time, we are not able to make solar filters available. Further, we strongly advise people not to gather in large numbers to view the eclipse given the pandemic situation.
- There are easy tips for viewing the eclipse from the safety of your home” says Arvind Paranjpye, Director, Nehru Planetarium, Mumbai.
Allying rumours that the eclipse will mark the end of coronavirus, Aniket Sule said “Solar eclipse is caused when the Moon comes in front of the Sun for a short time. - As seen from Earth eclipses occur somewhere in the Earth 2 to 5 times a year. Eclipses do not impact microorganisms on Earth. Likewise there no danger in eating of stepping out during an eclipse. No mysterious rays come out of the Sun during an eclipse.”
- Bhuj will be the first town in India to see the beginning of the eclipse 9:58 a.m.
- The eclipse ends 4 hours later at Dibrugarh, Assam at 2:29 p.m. Ghersana at the western boundary of India will be the first to witness the annular phase of the eclipse at 11:50 a.m.
- It will last for 30 seconds. Kalanka peak in Uttarakhand will be the last major landmark to see the annular eclipse at 12:10 p.m. lasting for 28 seconds.
2. Top 5 states with the highest number of skilled yoga candidates are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Odisha
- In a bid to promote yoga for stress management and holistic physical and mental well-being, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) organised a webinar with the theme of B&WSSC ‘Say Yes to Yog and No to Rog’,.
- Apart from helping people understand the role of Yoga in overcoming anxiety and stress.
- As a result of Skill India’s sustained efforts to help youth leverage various employment opportunities available in the field of yoga, over 96,196 candidates have been trained as yoga instructors and trainers across the country through different skilling initiatives under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), primarily Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), Short Term Training (STT) & Special Projects. There are three specific courses for yoga – Yoga Instructor (NSQF 4), Yoga Trainer (level 5) and Senior Yoga Trainer (level 6).
- Some significant partners who helped the Ministry and the Beauty & Wellness Sector Skill Council (B&WSSC) reach this remarkable milestone are, Art of Living and Patanjali.
- The states with the highest number of skilled candidates are Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Kerala, West Bengal.
- Yoga is not only about spirituality, It is a skill in itself and is in fact related to an industry.
- The significance of yoga has become all the more crucial in the current time as people across the globe are dealing with the various challenges posed by the outbreak of the novel coronavirus.
- We all must embrace yoga at these trying times as it helps enhance our mental agility and vitality, making us a lot calmer and more composed. Yoga is not just a posture; yoga is a style of living.
- People in even the remote corners of the country are learning yoga through Kaushal Vikas Kendras.
- Skill development is going on in full swing in the whole country and yoga has become a great career choice for the youth.
- Emphasizing on the need for yoga instructors and trainers in the country, Yoga is an invaluable gift to the world from India that has roots in our ancient Vedic traditions.
3. Yoga & Wellness – “An offering for challenging times” under Dekho Apna Desh Webinar Series
- The Dekho Apna Desh webinar series of Ministry of Tourism on 19th June 2020 titled Yoga and Wellness- “An offering for challenging times” focused on the basics of yoga as a great tool to help improve respiratory health and overall immunity of the body, both of which are involved in prevention of infection and healing during this pandemic.
- Dekho Apna Desh Webinar Series is an effort to showcase India’s rich diversity under Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat programme.
- Rishikesh as World capital of Yoga and about Nadi vidya, a popular term in Ayurveda.
- Nadi in Sanskrit means pipe/tube but can be interpreted as channel therefore they are known as energy channels that are believed to carry Prana, the life force energy and are said to meet at specific points throughout the body that are known as nadichakras.
- There are 72000 nadis, but of these 7 are the most important and of these 3 are the most vital. The three principal nadis run from the base of the spine to the head, and are the ida on the left, the sushumna in the centre, and the pingala on the right.
- The nadis play a role in yoga, as many yogic practices, including ‘shatkarmas’, ‘mudras’ and ‘pranayama’, are intended to open and unblock the nadis.
- Alignment of the body, posture and proper blood supply to all the channels is possible with Nadi Vidya.
- The vision of yoga has always been the complete development of human being leading to the actualisation of his highest potential. Yoga can therefore span the segments of fitness, health and wellness.
- The Dekho Apna Desh Webinars are conducted in association with National e-Governance Division (NeGD) created by the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY).
