TikTok is a social media platform for creating and sharing music and videos. The videos have been the most downloaded App till date. It is known as Douyin and was launched in China in September 2016 and owned by Beijing byte dance technology, which later on changed its name to TikTok. According to research, it has been downloaded around 800 million times and is available in over 80 languages.
Most of the people who watch TikTok belong to India. In April 2019, the Government of India banned the App, because it “encourages pornography”. But the ban was lifted after the court annulled the Government Order of prohibiting downloads of the App, following a plea from TikTok developers byte dance technology.
The App is very risky for children who spend most of their time watching these videos. Hence, parents must keep an eye on their children on what kind of videos they keep watching because most of the videos on TiKTok are bad for children to watch. On some of the videos even bad language is used. Hence, it is better to take precautions now than feel sorry later on.
Jubel D’Cruz
MS Dhoni should hang his boots
MS Dhoni is past his prime and should retire with grace. He is perhaps the greatest wicket keeper-batsman the world of cricket has even witnessed apart from being a successful captain. I am not sure why he has taken two-month sabbatical break and delaying his retirement plans at a time when the selectors are already looking for his replacement. Dhoni should hang his boots with grace as well as pride before being forced to do so by the selectors.
MS Dhoni’s decision though to serve his paramilitary regiment in the sabbatical break deserves applause and shows his commitment for the armed forces. I am sure he is planning his post retirement profession already and we will hear from him soon. Cricket runs in his blood and a cricket academy apart from paramilitary training centre for the armed forces would be very much in his scheme of things. Wishing Dhoni good health and success in whatever he decides to do post retirement from cricket!
S.N. Kabra
Start US consulate in Bengaluru
Bengaluru has a growing demand of visitors to United States of America and presently one is compelled to visit US Consulate Chennai to obtain various types of visas. The move to travel to Chennai every time causes an inconvenience to many visa applicants resulting in administrative hardships to obtain a visa. It should be otherwise noted that the facility to travel to almost all the other nations including Canada,Mexico,Peru,Japan,UK etc. exists in Bengaluru through the presence of Honorary Consulates which issue visas to visitors.
Further an effort should be now made jointly by both India and US diplomatic patrons to establish a new full-fledged US consulate at Bengaluru. Of late Bengaluru has witnessed a robust infusion of skilled IT professionals from many US companies based in the city and also witnesses high visitors demand to USA. A new US consulate now at Bengaluru will largely benefit many professionals, visitors and students who otherwise face logistical hardships to obtain a US visa from its existing Chennai office.
Also a new US consulate in Bangalore will help to promote its current activities related to cultural and educational exchange programs at Bengaluru , as currently launched in other five US consulates across India. Hence the Hon’ble Ministry of External Affairs is kindly requested to look into the feasibility of opening a new U.S. Consulate in Bengaluru for the benefit of Indian visitors to US from this region.
Varun Dambal
Two political deaths in Delhi set trend for cremation
Recently Delhi witnessed death of two political icons, one from BJP and the other from Congress, whose body-donation and environment-friendly CNG-cremation have set welcome trends to be followed by others especially for those entitled for state-cremation.
Body of former Delhi BJP President Mangreram Garg was donated for education and research in medical science. It is not the first such case of a political icon. Earlier also body of former Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chaterjee was likewise donated to a medical college.
Cremation of former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit was done through environmental-friendly CNG. Earlier also cremation of many dignitaries including even Christians and Muslims was done through electricity rather than burial. China has already banned burial of dead bodies for people of all religions to save land being converted into grave-yards.
Since people follow political leaders as their role-models, rule should be made that state-honour may be given only to those who are cremated through electricity or CNG or their bodies are donated. System will automatically eliminate demand for making samadhis or graves for departed leaders which unfortunately become a craze for family-members of deceased leaders like in case of short-term Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral. Once the phenomenon becomes popular, wood-fired cremation or burial will become a forgotten phenomenon of past.
Subhash Chandra Agrawal
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
