The southern Indian state of Andhra Pradesh is experiencing protests over the government's decision to divide the state into Telangana and the remaining Andhra Pradesh regions. Large protests have broken out across the state led by important politicians. The division decision has also led to power cuts in some areas as electricity workers protest. There is no sign of the protests calming down as residents outside of the proposed Telangana region strongly oppose the division.
1. Election PRIMER
PG 4-5
CFN
Volume I, Issue 9 >> October 10, 2013 >> Subscribe www.childfriendlynews.com >> Email childfriendlynews@gmail.com
Andhra Pradesh on fire over state division
T
he southern state
of Andhra Pradesh
(AP) is on a boil with
tempers rising over
the decision to divide the state
into two parts – Telengana and
(the rest of) Andhra Pradesh. A
few days ago the Prime Minister
and his Council of Ministers (his
closest advisors) decided to go
ahead with the division of the
state. This has sparked (caused)
protests to break out all over the
state.
In the capital Hyderabad, an
important politician named
Jagan Reddy is leading the
protests. In Delhi, another leader
called Chandrababu Naidu, who
was once Chief Minister of AP,
has announced that he will
protest by fasting (not eating).
Across the state, especially in
T
Who is hurting?
Its people vs police in Andhra Pradesh
The people of the non-Telengana part of Andhra have been
most affected by the power shut
down. With no electricity supply,
hospitals have had to postpone
surgeries (operations), trains
are not able to run, ATMs are
not working, petrol bunks are
unable to fuel vehicles and even
mobile phones are not working
as they cannot be charged.
areas outside the Telengana
region (whose people want the
division), hundreds have come
out into the streets to protest.
In many places, buildings have
been damaged by the protestors.
The government has called in
the police to control the mobs,
and the police have even fired
rubber bullets on the protestors,
but there is no sign of things
calming down.
With
employees
of
the
government power stations
coming out to protest, electricity
supply to some places in AP has
God’s particle gets the prize
he Nobel Prize for Physics has been awarded to two scientists who first discovered
the ‘Higgs boson’ or ‘god particle’ that forms the building block for everything in the
universe, including us humans. The Nobel Prizes, which are given by the Swedish
Royal Academy based in Stockholm, Sweden, are among the most important prizes in the
world.
The two scientists who have won it are Peter Higgs and Francois Englert. Nearly 50 years
ago, these scientists, working separately, spoke of a massive field of energy in the universe that causes tiny particles of matter to come together to create every object in the
universe. Within this field, tiny particles invisible to the eye, called the Higgs Boson, zip
around, picking up mass or weight. These tiny particles are what everything in the world
is made up of.
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been cut. Schools, colleges and
offices have no power and many
have had to stay closed. There
has been no reaction from the
government so far and it seems
to be sticking to its decision of
dividing the state.
Francois Englert (left) and Peter Higgs
BAHRISONSo Kids
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Flat No 6, Khan Market, New Delhi 110003 Tel : 24694611
2. 2
Features
Archaeology is the sandbox of
men who care not where they are
going; they merely want to know
where everyone else has been.
CHILD FRIENDLY NEWS
October 10, 2013
www.childfriendlynews.com
CFN
— Jim Bishop
NASA to launch 3D printer into space
I
n 2014 US space agency NASA will
send a 3D printer to the International
Space Station (ISS) to help astronauts
manufacture tools and rocket parts.
This will reduce the cost of sending supplies
to the ISS as the astronauts will be able to
make what they need.
3D printers can ‘print out’ real objects
layer by layer using special plastic based
materials. With these you can design the
object you want on a computer and print
out the same within minutes. So, tools
and unusually shaped objects needed for
special projects can be easily created. The
printer is being made especially for NASA
as it has to be strong enough to withstand
the vibrations at the time of rocket launch
from earth as well as be able to work in
zero gravity (a state of weightlessness that
astronauts experience).
For astronauts, this printer, which will be
the size of a microwave, could be very useful
indeed. When repairs are urgently needed,
they no longer need wait months for the
next shuttle to bring supplies from earth.
The International Space Station and (inset) this is what the 3D printer will look like.
Instead, they can just print out what they
need.
NASA is also looking to make objects
stronger and bigger than just tools using
these 3D printers. The space agency is
experimenting with 3D printing of small
satellites that could be launched from the
ISS which will then transmit data to earth.
Ancient city unearthed in Iraq
The International Space Station is a large
space craft that has been placed in permanent orbit around earth. It is used as a research facility for conducting experiments
in space.
Buzz off, you pesky mosquito
T
his may look like a picture of an abandoned home (where
no one lives), but it’s actually something more precious.
Archaeologists have unearthed (found) an ancient
settlement at a site in Northern Iraq and the picture you see is one
of a house which remains partly intact. Two rooms of this house
are still standing, making it one of the oldest homes we have ever
seen on earth. Called the city of Idu, the newly discovered site was
a busy village more than 3000 years ago. It was part of the Assyrian
empire that included Iraq at that time. Many drawings, works of
art and writing have been found at the site.
I
t’s that time of the year when we find ourselves reaching for insect
repellents with mosquitos causing an outbreak of diseases like
dengue in Delhi and other Indian cities. There is now cause to
cheer as a team of Indian scientists working in the United States has
worked out exactly what causes a mosquito to be repelled by (keep
away from) mosquito repellents.
DEET is a chemical commonly used to make mosquito repellents
and these scientists decided to investigate which body part of the
mosquito reacted to DEET. Close study showed that DEET was causing
a reaction in one part of the mosquito’s antennae. Using this data,
and a lot a computer analysis, the scientists have been able to come
up with a list of other things that may repel mosquitos.
This is good news as DEET is a strong chemical and there are some
questions about whether it is safe to use. The icing on the cake (the
really good news) is that some of the new things that have been
found to repel mosquitos were also found to be particularly good at
turning away the mosquito that causes dengue. Perhaps we can say
goodbye to dengue in the near future!
3. The real problem is not whether machines think but whether men do.
— B. F. Skinner
Features
CHILD FRIENDLY NEWS
October 10, 2013
www.childfriendlynews.com
CFN
O w l i e
T a l k s
T e c h n o l o g y
3
If you’ve got it, wear it
I
f you think technology is
all about computers and
complex machines think
again. Some of the coolest
technology available today
is stuff that you can actually
wear.
Keep it cool
For people living or working in
extreme weather conditions,
staying cool or keeping warm
is a priority. For the folks who
want to stay cool, ‘keep cool’
jackets like the Flexi Freeze Ice
Vest are essential. The jacket,
which is made by a company in
the United States (US), has three
ice cube sheets that are fixed on
the inside using Velcro. These
cubes, which are made of pure
water, help keep the wearer
cool when working in a hot
shed, biking in the sun or even
when the AC is broken. Plus, the
ice cube sheets are re-usable
(through re-freezing), so, after
a couple of hours the jacket is
ready for use all over again.
Babyglow clothes change colour when the baby gets a fever
Fever alert!
Some items of clothing come
with even more intelligence.
Take the ‘Babyglow’ baby
clothes made by a company
from the United Kingdom (UK)
that actually change colour
when the baby gets a fever.
The special fabric used for the
We b s i te
Ruffwear’s vest will keep your pet nice and cool on hot hikes
clothing is sensitive to changes
in temperature – giving moms
an easy way to monitor an unwell child.
No leaving out the dog
Dogs want to stay cool too!
To help them, US company
Ruffwear has created a dog
vest that can be activated
with water. Owners just need
to wet the jacket, squeeze out
the extra water and strap it
on. The jacket is made of layers
of special fabric that use the
principle of evaporation to
keep your pet cool. Happy pets
make happier owners! Woof!
Woof!
Wa n d e r i n g s
CFN launches a new column that will cover interesting websites that are worth a visit.This issue’s column has been contributed by Rashi Seth, who studies in Class 12 at the Pathways School in NOIDA.
T
his week I will review a
science website which is a
very helpful tool for learning
about various science topics. One
of the coolest aspects of the site
is that it helps you learn through
various games, experiments,
quizzes and videos. The site also
covers a variety of topics - from
space to dinosaurs to astronomy.
Name it and it is there!
In addition to information,
the website has some really
interesting ideas for science
projects, such as making your
own fossil and creating stalactites
and stalagmites. Games also
help re-inforce science topics
through some hands-on fun. You
can create animal food chains or
build and label a human skeleton.
The website is easy to navigate
and facts, games and quizzes
are only a click away. A topic
wise listing (Physics, Chemistry,
Biology etc.) is also available.
This is one website that is bound
to make you more excited about
the possibilities of science!
4. 4
Special Report
CHILD FRIENDLY NEWS
October 10, 2013
www.childfriendlynews.com
Growing up in politics I know that women
decide all elections because we do all the
work.
— Caroline Kennedy
CFN
Why elections?
I
n India we elect our leaders by voting for them. The
candidates who get the most votes get elected. Countries
where people have a say in electing their leaders are called
democracies. India is the largest democracy in the world and
our elections are the biggest conducted on earth.
8 Big
Election
Facts
When people vote, they are marked with black ink on their index finger, so that they cannot vote again.
Not all countries elect their leaders. The British have a Queen in
addition to elected leaders, while North Korea is has a dictatorship
form of government where one leader, Kim Jong-un, has absolute
power over the country.
Who can vote in our elections?
I
n India you need to be 18 years of age before you can vote in the
elections. Once people attain 18 years of age, they must register
themself as voters. They will be given an ID card called ‘Voters
Identity Card’ which is must be shown before they are allowed to vote.
B
e it in the daily newspaper or on television, the focus of attention is the
Does it affect your city? Who is standing for the election? Can you take p
answers to these questions.
L
Who runs for elections?
eaders of political parties such as the Indian National Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) take part in the
elections. A political party is a group of people who have common ideas on how to manage India and her states.
How does the Prime Minister get elected?
Who runs the elections?
I
ndia’s elections are managed by the Election Commission of India
whose boss is the Chief Election Commissioner. The Election
Commission registers candidates, organizes the elections and
counts the votes. It also makes sure that political parties participating
in the elections are following all the rules.
Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath
I
ndia has a parliamentary democracy – this means that the political party with the greatest number of elected MPs in the Lok
Sabha, one of the houses of Indian Parliament, gets to form the
government. This group will also elect a leader who becomes the
Prime Minister.
5. Special Report
Voting is the most precious right of every
citizen
— Hillary Clinton
CHILD FRIENDLY NEWS
October 10, 2013
www.childfriendlynews.com
CFN
I
The main players
5
ndia has two national political parties – the Congress and
the BJP - and the national election next year will be a fight between these two parties and their supporters. There are also
several state level political parties that are powerful in various
states. The Congress, BJP and these state level parties will fight it
out in the state elections.
India’s current national government is led by the Congress party.
The Congress has been in power for nearly 10 years.
The Leaders
The BJP is led by Narendra Modi, the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
The Congress is led by the Gandhi family, consisting of Sonia
Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi.
f attention is the elections that are around the corner. What are these elections?
on? Can you take part? As a young citizen of India, you need to arm yourself with
Mother and son Sonia and Rahul Gandhi lead the Congress
State or country, I am confused..?
In India, two main kinds of elections are held:
National elections which are held across the country through
which the central government in Delhi is elected. Those elected
here are called Members of Parliament or MPs.
State elections through which governments of states are elected. Those elected here are called Members of Legislative Assemblies or MLAs.
Every registered voter can take part in the national election as well
as in the state election of the state to which he or she belongs.
Narendra Modi
The big issues
Which elections
next?
Later this year, four
states will hold elections
to select new state governments. These states
are Rajasthan, Madhya
Pradesh, Chhattisgarh
and Delhi. In 2014,
there will be a national
election in India.
What the BJP is saying:
The Congress has made a mess of things, that India is developing
very slowly, thanks to the poor management of the Congress leaders
Companies do not want to invest and set up factories in India as
the government has not made the rules clear – as a result India is
not able to grow fast.
What the Congress is saying:
It has done a lot for the poor of India by offering food at low
prices and jobs in rural areas
The BJP has a dangerous leader in Modi who is against people
of the Muslim community. Modi is said to have been involved
in causing harm to Muslims during the Gujarat riots of 2002
though this has not yet been proven in a court of law.
6. 6
News
CHILD FRIENDLY NEWS
October 10, 2013
www.childfriendlynews.com
CFN
Bad things do happen in the world, like
war, natural disasters, disease. But out
of those situations always arise stories
of ordinary people doing extraordinary
things.
—Daryn Kagan
US government shuts down
The shut down has caused tourist attractions such
as the Statue of Liberty to be closed
L
ast week, the United
States (US) government
officially shut down. As
a result, many government offices stayed closed and
government employees were
asked to go on leave without pay.
This shut down was caused by a
disagreement (quarrel) between
two of the US’ biggest political
parties on how to manage government money.
The political parties that are
fighting with each other are the
Democrats and the Republicans.
They each have a different view
on how the government should
spend its money and how much
taxes it should collect.
The shutdown is affecting people in different ways, and some
World
of the consequences of the shutdown are just plain weird!
Hundreds of government
employees are staying home
with no work
Some scientific research has
come to a halt as these programmes were funded by
the government
Government museums like
the Smithsonian in Washington are closed
National Parks are shut
Since most staff have been
asked to stay home, there is
just one person maintaining
the entire US-Canadian border
Typhoon batters China
M
ore than half a
million
people
had to moved out
of their homes in China after a powerful typhoon hit
the country’s eastern coast
a few days ago. A typhoon is
the name given to a storm
occurring in the northwest
part of the Pacific Ocean.
T
his year Delhi is experiencing its longest monsoon in 50
years. More rain is expected
around Oct 11-12, taking the monsoon
period to mid-October. Usually the
monsoon season gets over by September 21.
The last time Delhi had such an extended monsoon was in 1956 and 1959.
The long rainy season has created
other problems such as an extended
(long) outbreak of dengue in the city.
Almost 3000 people in the city have
been affected by the disease.
High speed winds of more
than 100 miles per hour
caused the formation of
gigantic waves that dashed
against the coast. In this
photo, a monstrous wave
seems to be chasing three
soldiers who have been
called in to help people.
This is not the first time that the
US government has shut down.
In fact it has shut down 17 times
since 1977 (clearly its politicians
fight a lot!) and each time it has
always come out of the problem.
Let’s hope the same is the case
this time too.
World
Delhi’s longest monsoon
india
7. Absolutely, he is a master technician. Any day
in my team, he will be number three, because
there were so many innings in which he batted brilliantly. When the rest of the guys found
it difficult, he was comfortable.
— Sachin Tendulkar speaking about Rahul Dravid
News
CHILD FRIENDLY NEWS
October 10, 2013
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CFN
sp o r ts
7
Mumbai Indians lift Champions League T20
W
hat a year it
has been for
the
Mumbai
Indians! First,
in April, they won the Indian
Premier League, and now, last
Sunday, they lifted the Champions League T20. This is the
second time they have won
this trophy, the last was in 2011.
It was a fitting end to their
star player’s T20 career, as Sachin Tendulkar will no longer
play for the squad. He is stepping down to make way for
younger cricketers.
During the final, the Mumbai
Indians middle order hit the
ball all over the ground taking
120 runs off the last 8 overs.
But the star player for the
Mumbai Indians was their former skipper Harbajan Singh.
In the crucial (important) 17th
over, Singh struck gold taking
three wickets for just 4 runs.
Singh was named ‘Player of the
Match’ while his team mate
opener D R Smith was named
‘Player of the Series.’
Goodbye to
the old guard
It was an important match. Not
only was it Tendulkar’s last match
for Mumbai Indians, it was also
the last time someone would see
Rahul Dravid playing competitive
cricket. Dravid had earlier announced that he would be retiring
from T20 cricket at the end of the
Champions League.
H
Yuvraj back in team
e’s done it! Months after being dropped from the Indian cricket team, all-rounder Yuvraj Singh has clawed
his way back to the side. He has been named as part of
the squad (team) for the T20 and first three One Day Internationals (ODIs) against Australia that will be played from October 13 to 23.
Yuvraj Singh last played for India against England in January
2013 and was then dropped due to poor form and fitness. Yuvraj then spend much of the summer at a training camp in
France to get back in shape. His efforts have been rewarded
with a recall to the Indian side. Yuvraj Singh replaces Dinesh
Karthik in the team
S P OR T S
S P OR T S
Sania and Black win
China Open
S
ania Mirza remains India’s best female tennis player todate and she showed us why by winning the China Open
with her new doubles partner Cara Black. The pair beat
Vera Dushevina and Arantxa Parra Santonja 6-2, 6-2 in straight
sets, last Saturday. This is the pair’s second title win in a row.
They won the Japan Open in Tokyo two weeks ago.
8. 8
OWLIE’S FUN PAGE
CHILD FRIENDLY NEWS
October 10, 2013
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CFN
Find the hidden objects
Spot the PM
Can you spot the hidden objects listed at the bottom of the picture?
India’s is one
of the most
important
democracies
in the world.
Over the past
66 years, Indian
voters have
elected many
Prime Ministers.
Can you identify
some of them?
1
2
4
5
Answers
1. Lal Bahadur Shastri (1965-66) 2. Atal Bihari Vajpayee (1998-2004) 3. P V Narasimha
Rao (1991-96) 4. Rajiv Gandhi (1984-89)
Unscramble the words
Re-arrange the
alphabets to
find the word
1. EOTV
Clue: All clues are
linked to elections
2. LLOABT
3. LOPL
4. CCYDMEORA
Answers
1. Vote
2. Ballot
3. Poll
4. Democracy
SUDOKU TIME
Try your hand at this Sudoku.
Remember that numbers
1 to 6 can appear only once
in each of the six rectangles.
They can also appear only
once in each row and column
of the overall square.
Answer
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and terms and boxed elements that explain concepts accompany every article — this is to help build
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3. Ripley’s Believe It or Not: Dare to Look
4. The Mahabharata by Samhita Arni
5. Lockwood Co. : The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan
Stroud
6. Cavemice: The Stone of Fire by Geronimo Stilton
7. Beastly Tales from Here and There by Vikram Seth
8. Time Riders – The Mayan Prophecy by Alex Scarrow
9. My Sister the Vampire: Flipping Out by Sienna Mercer
10. Panda Panic: Running Wild by Jamie Rix
To know more about these books and to buy them, check out
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