LOCKED DOWN, NOT PUNCHED DOWN!

This post is in reference to What are you doing in this lockout ? Housework ? Creative activities ? Praying ? hosted on IndiBlogger. I thank the blogger who has hosted this thread.

This question is one of the most popular questions now, and has been put up by many platforms including TV channels. But, I am glad that this has been taken up on the blogging platform, because it reaches out to more people and most importantly, the content stays on the web.

I love explaining things (you got to forgive a teacher), but here, I shall move in points, rather than continuous content.

#1: Teaching! The lockdown must have vacated the colleges but has not stopped teachers from teaching and students from continuing their studies. I have been preparing video lectures for two engineering undergraduate courses, and sharing them with my students since the lockdown has started. Now, teaching online is extremely different from classroom teaching, because, you are talking to the screen in front, and you need to keep track of time. I do not prepare long lectures because students may face problems while downloading them, keeping in mind that the students come from various places across the country! If you ask me the experience, well, it feels good when students ask doubts through e-mails. A student's doubts are the biggest gifts for me, because it means he/she has gone through the lecture(s) carefully!

#2: Research! Being in the profession of engineering education, research is an integral part of self-improvement, and professional contribution to the society and country. I have consistently attempted at continuing my research with limited resources. I do not wish to talk technical here, but, I hope this is something directly related to the society. I, along with my students and a colleague, am designing a system which can judge the overall protein content in chicken egg albumin (egg white) and cow's milk using instantaneous electronic properties. This shall help the beneficiaries of the healthcare sector (women, children, sportsperson and the elderly) or any domain where food proteins are important. We hope to design an affordable device so that it reaches the common men. Positive results indicate a big 'yes'! 

#3: Household Works! I have been helping around the house, cooking a meal (am not a bad cook) and cleaning stuffs, now and then. I have selected a prayer book from our temple, and am thinking of digitizing it, because the book was written long ago and has worn out. Currently, it is unavailable in the market, and was published locally. Unfortunately, the author expired years ago. Written in my mother tongue, I think it is essential not to lose a book as such, which can act as a helping hand to many. I urge you to take up such activities using your scanner, and recreate worn-out books of traditional value. This will be a tribute to the authors.

#4: Magazine! We, a group of guys, had started an online magazine way back in 2014. We had kept the objective of uplifting new and young writers. The magazine is ad-free and entirely non-profit. It has worked like magic since we started! All of us belong to different professions and are working at different locations, but this is one bond which brings us together. You may read the magazine at: http://guwahatian.guwahaticity.in/. So, I have been busy now and then in preparing the next issue of the magazine.

#5: Blogging! Since I have been maintaining this blog for long, I have got some time now for adding content which is not otherwise possible during full-time working days. IndiBlogger is a perfect platform to read and respond to new content. Free from negativity around, it feels good create a new post.

The post ends here, but, your responsibilities do not.

I request you to act sensibly, and not propagate hatred of any kind during this CoVID-19 outbreak. The whole world is watching, and as Indians, all you can do is to refrain from commenting on stupid posts, sharing videos which may spark communal imbalance, holding rallies, moving outside without good reasons and creating ruckus of any kind. Before you do something, just think of the doctors and nurses who had not had a proper meal for long. Imagine the plight of the policemen. Some may be corrupted or you must have seen improper behavior from them, but they are out on the streets ensuring that we are inside. 

Thank you for reading this.

Jai Hind!