Widespread, literally or figuratively. For example, agile software development has become pervasive in the technology industry, and a school of thought can be pervasive amongst agroup of people.
Use pervasive in a sentence
The power of money has become pervasive in today’s business world, which can unfortunately contribute to unethical decisions.\
The use of performance enhancing drugs in Mixed Martial Arts is pervasive, almost every club has a fighter getting busted for it in tests.
The knowledge that health and nutrition are closely linked has become pervasive; consequently people are eating healthier and enjoying better physical and mental health.
Siddharth GJ is a motivational speaker, a father, a Certified Documentary Credit Specialist, and a friend of the late President APJ Abdul Kalam. He also has cerebral palsy. Siddharth’s journey has been, expectedly, full of challenges, but is nothing short of inspirational given all that he has achieved because of his determination and strong will.
How often does it happen that the President of India calls you his friend? That he can spot you in a crowd of thousands of people and talks about you in his many motivational speeches. This may be a dream for most of us but for Siddharth GJ it was a proud moment when the late President referred to him as a friend.
Siddharth has cerebral palsy. But he never let this come in the way of his succeeding at whatever he set his mind to. He excelled academically, found an intellectually challenging job, and also became a motivational speaker delivering over a hundred talks.
Kalam and Siddharth shared a great bond after their first meeting at Chennai airport. –
President Kalam read an article on Siddharth on an online portal that talked about Siddharth’s medical condition and how he overcame all the challenges to succeed in his life. Impressed by Siddharth’s resolve and perseverance, the President wrote to him and expressed a desire to meet him. They finally met at Chennai airport in December 2005.
“I still remember the day. It was December 2, 2005. My life changed after that. I made him a small presentation on issues faced by people with disabilities. He even talked about that at a conference, which gave me huge recognition. I will never forget my meeting with him. I was mesmerized by his presence,” Siddharth recalls.
President Kalam was so bowled over by Siddharth’s work that he talked about him at the inaugural speech of the First International and the Ninth Annual Conference of the Indian Academy of Cerebral Palsy.
Their bond grew stronger and they kept in touch and met a few more times. Siddharth recalls another incident when he had gone to attend a talk by President Kalam in Chennai. The President recognised his ‘friend’ from the stage and broke protocol to come and meet Siddharth in the crowd.
“I loved meeting him because he did not make me feel that I was different. He treated me like a regular person. Often, people confuse cerebral palsy with mental illness. Which is so untrue because it is just a condition where the body and mind do not coordinate with each other. This affects the body posture and the way I behave. It has nothing to do with my intelligence,” says Siddharth.
Siddharth had jaundice when he was just three months old. His parents, who were simple villagers, did not realize the seriousness of the disease. The delay in treatment left Siddharth with the condition which makes him ‘different’ from others.
Siddharth (R) has always found a happier way to fight challenges
“The news shattered everyone in the family but they were so supportive. They never let me feel that I was any less. They would treat me exactly the way they would treat my sister. If she got a scolding, so would I,” he recalls.
The couple knew that Siddharth might not be as well co-ordinated as other kids of his age but he was as intelligent as any ‘normal’ child.
“It was not until I turned eight that I stepped into a school. Then, gradually, teachers saw my capabilities and gave me double promotions. I excelled in my studies and cleared my 12th exam with 90 percent marks in spite of having a scribe who barely knew English. I had to work very hard to explain to him what I wanted to convey. I could not score more because my scribe was not allowed to do the practical exam and draw diagrams,” says Siddharth.
He then finished his Master’s in Economics and excelled in that as well. He was now eager to enter a new world where he could work and become financially independent.
But this was just the start of the struggle Siddharth had to face because he encountered challenges and rejections at every step.
Many companies dismissed his job applications in spite of his incredible academic background. “They thought I would not be able to perform well under pressure. They just judged my abilities without even testing me. I was hurt and disappointed,” says Siddharth.
The rejections continued for several years and then a positive change came into his life when he got his first job in 2005 with ABN AMRO Central Enterprises Services Pvt. Ltd., as an officer trainee in the bank’s document checking section.
“That moment I felt that all my tears and hard work have paid off. All the pain and struggle were a thing of the past and I was full of new energy, hope and passion. I was proud because I got a job due to my capabilities and on my terms,” he recalls.
But this wasn’t the end of his journey. It was, rather, a new beginning. His life took a complete turn when he became a Tedx speaker in Chennai and, since then, he has never looked back.
“I spoke in front of an audience of over 250 people and they gave me a standing ovation. It felt so great to share my experiences and, since then, I have been giving many motivational talks at various platforms and inspiring people to live a more positive life,” he says.
He currently works with IndusInd Bank Ltd., as manager. In fact, he is the first person in the country with cerebral palsy to be a Certified Documentary Credit Specialist. –
A Certified Documentary Credit Specialist is a professional who demonstrates a high level of practical knowledge and understanding of the complex issues associated with documentary credit practice, which is a set of rules on the issuance and use of letters of credit (a document from a bank guaranteeing that a seller will receive payment in full as long as certain delivery conditions have been met).
He met a beautiful girl and says he experienced “love at first sight.” He is happily married to her and has a toddler boy. “I see myself in my son. He runs around the house and I live my childhood through him as I could not do so,” he says.
“I can’t thank my mother and my sister enough for their support. Sometimes, after continuous rejection, I would be very rude to them but they always supported me and showed me the right path. They would go out of their way to make me feel loved and accepted. The day when I came out of denial, I became a calmer person and pursued my life in a better way,” he says.
Siddharth’s story is one of struggle but also of love and support from the family helping him defeat hardships. He has not just overcome hurdles in his own life but is also, with his inspirational talks, helping others with disabilities live a more positive life today.
It turns out it’s even harder to get into a spacesuit than getting into a pair of skinny jeans after a few drinks.
NASA has released a video of astronaut Peggy Whitson putting on her spacesuit before an underwater training session. The video was filmed earlier this summer at the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. It’s fairly understandable that it’s a bit of a pain to put on when you appreciate the amount of equipment it has to hold. Essentially acting as a one-man spaceship, it has multiple layers of insulation, oxygen supplies, a power supply, communication equipment, and even an emergency propulsion system.
photo credit: Chandra X-ray Observatory awaiting deployment from the Space Shuttle Columbia. NASA
In celebration of American Archive Month, NASA has released six mind-blowing images from the Chandra archive.
The Chandra X-ray Observatory was launched and deployed from Space Shuttle Columbia on July 23, 1999. Since then, it has collected data on thousands of cosmic objects such as pulsars, supernovae, interstellar gas clouds, and galaxies. NASA hopes that by releasing these images to the public and scientific community, it will inspire new perspectives and serve as inspiration for future exploration.
The images can take hours, and in some instances days, to capture. They are imaged using a combination of light waves, X-rays, and radio waves.
Below is W44, also known as G34.7-0.4, which is an expanding supernova remnant that is interacting with the dense cosmic material surrounding it.
Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Univ. of Georgia/R.Shelton & NASA/CXC/GSFC/R.Petre; Infrared: NASA/JPL-Caltech
Next is SN 1987A, the brightest and nearest supernova to Earth in the last century. This image shows the result of the supernova explosion, which occurs when a star runs out of fuel and then hurls layers of itself out into space.
Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/PUS/E.Helder et al; Optical: NASA/STScI
Below is Kesteven 79, another remnant of a supernova explosion. This one, however, occurred thousands of years ago.
Image credit: NASA/CXC/SAO/F.Seward et al, Optical: DSS
Next is MS 0735.6+7421, a galaxy cluster where one of the most powerful eruptions ever observed by humanity was seen.
Image credit: NASA/CXC/Univ. of Waterloo/A.Vantyghem et al; Optical: NASA/STScI; Radio: NRAO/VLA
Here, we see the galaxy cluster 3C295. The pink area is superheated gas and the yellow regions are individual galaxies. Galaxy clusters like this contain huge amounts of dark matter, which hold the hot gas (pink) and galaxies (yellow) together.
Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/Cambridge/S.Allen et al; Optical: NASA/STScI
Last but not least is the “Guitar Nebula,” containing a pulsar officially called B2224+65. This pulsar is traveling at an extremely high speed of approximately 800 kilometers (500 miles) per second.
Image credit: X-ray: NASA/CXC/UMass/S.Johnson et al, Optical: NASA/STScI & Palomar Observatory 5-m Hale Telescope
Check out NASA’s website for more details on each image.
Education was the last thing on the minds of Mallahipurva villagers. Especially for girls, who were considered as just extra hands to support the family. But one girl, Gudiya, fought all odds and became the first one in her village to pass Secondary School. She did not stop at just this. She started a school for other kids in her own house and made sure they embraced the gift of education too. This is how she brought about the transformation.
Mallahipurva village, located 150 kilometres from Uttar Pradesh’s state capital, Lucknow, is a perfect example of neglect and deprivation. Dominated by the mallahas, an impoverished lower caste fishing community, education was the last thing that children here had access to and women were only seen as extra working hands to make fishing nets and munj (wild grass) ropes. An added curse was the rampant production and consumption of country liquor made from the abundant Mahua flowers of the region.
It’s here that Gudiya, who is now in her mid-twenties, ushered in change by establishing a small school a few years back. She says, “I grew up in an environment where girls had no hope of ever leading a respectful life; even their mothers were alcoholics. The village boys, too, saw no scope in building a future and took to drinking early and aimlessly whiling away their time. Life was really tough. Just to get a square meal a day my parents had to make all of us work.”
Then when the mid-day meal scheme started in a nearby school Gudiya was sent there just so she would get something to eat – at least her parents had one mouth less to feed.
A girl spins the Moonj (jute) rope in her home at Mallahipurva in Rai Barielly district. (Credit: Anjali Singh\WFS) –
That turned out to be a life changing decision. When I went to school, I realised what a wonderful thing education is and I decided to continue going to school,” she recalls.
Once her mind was made up, there was no turning back for this youngster, who hails from the only Brahmin family in her village and is one of 10 children – five girls and five boys. However, before going to school could be a regular thing she had to get her father, Babu Lal Sharma, to agree to her plan.
“It was not easy to convince my father. He had put me on the job of spinning the ‘munj’ ropes, which when sold got us some money to feed our family. But I didn’t back down and eventually he gave in,” she shares.
Gudiya paid for her schooling by making munj rope in her free time and her single-minded dedication was rewarded when she became the first girl in Mallahipurva to pass the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) exam in 2008.
Her father, Babu Lal, says, “I was tongue-tied when she told me the news and then gave the SSC certificate in my hand. It was a source of both happiness and apprehension for me. People in the village kept telling me that I was wrong in allowing her to do all this, but my heart said that this was her destiny, that she was meant to do this.”
But passing an examination was not Gudiya’s sole ambition. She had bigger plans – she wanted to start a small school for all those children who could not afford formal education right in her village.
When she gathered the courage to speak to the elders about it and requested that some dedicated space be given to her to run the school, they flatly refused. So she once again went to her father to seek permission to allow Mallaha children to come into their home.
Being Brahmins this was considered not only sacrilegious by her parents but was also expressly prohibited by local religious heads. Nevertheless, Gudiya managed to coax consent out of her parents and to take classes IN the family verandah.
Gudiya interacts with the children at her school. (Credit: Anjali Singh\WFS) –
The next big hurdle she had to overcome was getting the children to actually come. With around 100-odd families living in Mallahipurva and almost all the parents being addicted to country liquor, motivating them to send their children to study was far from easy.
“I went from house to house collecting children and getting them to class. Their parents were not happy and resisted my entreaties, but I never gave up. Then when a scheme called Child to Child Education was introduced by the New Delhi-based social organisation, Girija Devi Foundation, I signed up for it and attached my school to it. They helped me get books, food and even medical aid, all free of cost, for all those who came to study. Owing to this, support from parents too began to grow,” elaborates the inspiring young educator.
Of course, Gudiya did not abandon her school even after she got married and moved to Kanpur. In fact, she continues to keep a tab on what’s happening at her school from a distance, having handed over the reins to her younger sister, Soni. “My sister has studied up to Class Eight and is handling the school very well,” she says with a smile.
This school has proved to be a great hit with the students, who quickly finish up their household chores and rush to Gudiya didi’s classes – they are still called that.
What makes this classroom doubly beneficial for the little ones is the fact that those suffering from medical problems can avail of immediate and free treatment, thanks to the added benefits of the Foundation’s education initiative.
Gudiya, along with her father, Babu Lal Sharma, and sister, Soni, outside the school that is run from the verandah of their home. (Credit: Anjali Singh\WFS)
For instance, Nita, who is in her teens, has been able to get rid of her squint just because she joined Gudiya’s classes. She was 10 years old when she underwent an eye surgery through the medical aid provided for the children at the school. Indeed, according to Nita, Gudiya’s school has been a godsend. “Before the operation I had a squint and could not see very clearly. I used to overhear my mother tell my father that I would never get married because of the way I look and would have to work all my life spinning ropes and chopping fodder for the cattle. Then I joined school and during a medical check-up the doctor suggested an operation to correct the squint. These days, I can see and read properly and don’t feel shy about meeting people,” she says.
There are noticeable changes in the attitude of the local community as well. Says Gudiya, “In the beginning I had faced a lot of ridicule and hostility. Some even threatened me and my family, saying that I was ruining the established way of life in the village. The same people, however, are extending full support today. Earlier, the children were completely neglected – they would not eat food on time, wash or dress properly. There was a lack of sanitation that contributed to illnesses. Since both parents used to get drunk from the morning onwards, there was no one to take care of the kids. It’s a very different story presently. The children have learnt a lot and come to school neat and clean. They know how to take care of themselves and their siblings as well.”
Adds Nanhu, a former Pradhan of Mallahipurva, “The school has definitely made a difference. People still consume Mahua liquor but they have understood that their children should not do the same. Some have even started giving up their drunken ways and make sure to bring their children to the school at Gudiya’s home. I hope this change continues.”
Meanwhile, Gudiya has great hopes not just for herself but for her students, “I hope that one day each child from this school takes on the responsibility to teach others.” This young woman, who became a teacher almost by accident, has understood clearly the difference a dedicated teacher can make.
A family went to have the darshan of Maha Periyavaal. Along with them, they took one of their family friends who lived in the USA for some decades. The friend did not have any great faith in our religion, system and especially the monks wearing the saffron; he went along with him with utterly non-interested to meet Him. He was under the impression that Maha Periyavaal was a fundamentalist, an uneducated monk. This NRI had no great respect at all for Him. Not only that, he uttered such inauspicious things about Him, ‘what does He know? Does He know English?’.
There was a big throng of devotees at the Mutt and the family was standing in a decent distance from Him. As usual, Maha Periyavaal saw this family with His graceful eyes, and called all of them near to Him.
They all went near Him, the friend too.
After all the usual courteous enquiry towards the family, the Master looked at the NRI friend and asked about his details, including his name, whereabouts, his predecessors, where he is working etc etc.
Then He asked, ‘you are born in India, and you know Tamil; your wife was also born in India and should know the mother tongue. When you two converse will it be in Tamil or English?’
The friend replied ‘We never use Tamil at home, we use only English. The same goes for the kids also.’
Then Maha Periyavaal asked, ‘before speaking, you may have to think and conceive the sentence. Is the thought process in Tamil or English?’
The friend replied, ‘That too in English only’.
Some minutes later, an old lady came to have Maha Periyavaal Darshan.
Maha Periyavaal looked at the NRI person and said, ‘This old lady is now very poor, but once upon a time she was very rich. But even after she lost all the materialistic wealth her devotion towards the Mutt, Acharya and me has never changed even a bit. Could you please tell me what is the English word which will describe this unflinching devotion, which can’t be changed by external situations? I would like to know.’
The man was flummoxed. He thought and thought for a while but did not know that word.
Maha Periyaval smiled and told him, ‘please take your time and let me know’.
Even after some time, he could not come up with the required word.
Then Swamiji said, ‘Can I suggest one word? Could you please confirm whether the same can convey this meaning? EQUIPOISED’.
The man was spellbound and fell on Maha Periyavaal’s Feet to Pardon him for his ego..
One important verse in the Gita (Ch 12 Verse 20) states: Those who revere the dharmic way to immortality, and completely engage themselves making Me as their ultimate goal with all faith, are exceedingly dear to Me. What a grand idea this verse conveys! The Lord has clearly declared therein that those who have these qualities, that is, those who trust Him as the only ultimate goal and are attached to Him single-mindedly — they are dearest and nearest to Him. Note the expression, ‘righteous way to immortality’ (dharmya-amritham)used here. Ponder over it and draw inspiration from it. The nectar of the Lord’s grace is deserved only by those who adhere to the Lord’sdharma. Simple folks believe they have devotion toward the Lord, but they do not pause to inquire whether the Lord has love towards them. People who pine to discover the Lord’s love are rather rare. That is really the true measure of spiritual success.
From being a daily wage earner, to winning a distinguished grant for his research project – this is Sanjay Latthe, the man who never let financial constraints come in the way of his education.
30-year-old Sanjay Latthe was once a daily wage earner in his hometown Sangola, located in Solapur district of Maharashtra. Today, has been selected for the prestigious INSPIRE award by the Centre’s Department of Science and Technology.
As part of the award, Sanjay will receive a Rs. 35 lakh research grant and a monthly stipend of Rs. 80,000, to take his research project forward.
According to the department’s website, “Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) is an innovative programme sponsored and managed by the Department of Science & Technology for attraction of talent to science. The basic objective of INSPIRE is to communicate to the youth of the country the excitements of creative pursuit of science, attract talent to the study of science at an early age and thus build the required critical human resource pool for strengthening and expanding the Science & Technology system and R&D base.” The program includes students in the age group 10-32 years.
An alumnus of Shivaji University in Kolhapur, Sanjay has been granted the award for his research on optically-transparent and durable nanoparticles. He has been working on this research project for the past 8 years.
“It can achieve a breakthrough in the way we interact with basic things. For example, we have automobiles with wipers on their windshields. However, if we are able to use nano-particle coating on the glass, it will become water repellent and we will not need wipers. If iron objects receive super-hydrophobic coatings, they will not rust at all,” said Sanjay while explaining his project to The Times of India.
As of now, he is working on increasing the durability of the nanoparticle coating. While he has achieved durability of 30-50 days, he is aiming for permanent durability, for which more research is required. Sanjay has published 44 international research papers on this topic, and has also presented it at 15 research seminars across the world.
After losing his father at a very young age, Sanjay and his family – his mother, two elder sisters and one elder brother, had to work hard to make ends meet. Having very few sources of income, everyone in the family had to earn. His mother used to do some embroidery work. But Sanjay never let monetary constraints come in the way of his education.
He joined SUK in 2005 for his MSc, and in 2007 he also enrolled for a Ph.D. After this he got a chance to work as a post-doctoral research fellow in Istanbul, Turkey, and a research professor at Korea University in South Korea. He is currently working as an assistant professor at the department of technology in Savitribai Phule Pune University. –
Ramkumar Raman, an 18-year-old Indian boy from Dubai, became the youngest CA in the world to be affiliated with ACCA. He completed the tough course in just three years and now wants to pursue an MBA.
While most students start their degree courses at the age of 18, this young boy not only finished his Chartered Accountant course, but also became the youngest CA in the world.
Meet Ramkumar Raman, the 18-year-old Indian boy from The Indian High School in Dubai.
Raman has been recognised by Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), the global professional accounting body in the Gulf, as the youngest affiliate ever registered with them.
Raman, who is originally from Chennai, India, started his CA education in December 2012 and finished the course in three years in June 2015 by clearing 14 papers in the first attempt in Dubai. Initially, he decided to study for ACCA because he wanted to gain more knowledge in the field of accounting and finance. But he did not know that he would end up clearing it so fast.
According to Khaliji Times, Raman, hailing from a family of chartered accountants, used to get up at 6:00 am every day to study – even on holidays!
And to make sure his luck follows him to the examination hall, this superstitious boy wore the same shirt, pant, vest, socks and shoes and ate the same type of curries and rice, with potatoes, on all exam days.
Raman managed his CA studies along with his school and college studies. He usually took an average of 3.5 months to study for each exam which is held every June and December.
Many students fail to clear this hard-to-crack exam even after repetitive attempts, but Raman managed to pass all of his papers in the first attempt itself. He will now be working for three years as a CA to become a full-fledged ACCA member.
The London-headquartered ACCA has over 1,78,000 members and 4,55,000 students in 180 countries. While most of the ACCA candidates only start their journeys at 18 years of age, Raman has shown exceptional performance in the field.
He wants to obtain an MBA degree from the US, and eventually wants to follow a career in the field of investment banking.
Take off with Natarajan 