Nihil Ultra

The School Newsletter from the Writer’s Club

Every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man. Rabindranath Tagore

Children's Day, 2018.

Children's Day is an occasion that we all look forward to, each year. This year we were more keen than ever as it was our first year in the senior school. We all arrived smartly dressed, and chatted excitedly and played games till we were called down for the programme put up by the teachers. It was a smashing hit. What fun it was to watch our teachers groove to the latest Bollywood numbers and sing too!

We had such a good time that we didn't want the day to end. Though I thoroughly enjoyed myself, I confess, I was a tad disappointed when, unlike in the primary section, where we got a packet of goodies to munch, we returned empty-handed. But the teachers had special plans for us. The next day, we got a pleasant surprise when we were handed packets of chips and ice-cream. It really was a special ending to a special day. I thank my school and all my teachers for giving us a wonderful time. KUNAL BASU CLASS 6C

14th of November is celebrated as Children’s Day, every year. This day is of great importance because it is the birth anniversary of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. He was the first Prime Minister of independent India. He was very fond of children. He liked to be among them. He would often spend his time talking and playing with them. Children called him Chacha Nehru to show their love and respect.

On 14th of November, people (including cabinet ministers and high officials) gather at the 'Raj Ghat' in Delhi to pay homage to Pt. Nehru and celebrate this great occasion. A big wreath of colourful flowers is placed by the officials at his Samadhi followed by prayers and chanting of hymns. Children perform many activities in their schools to celebrate this occasion and remember Pandit Nehru’s sacrifices, contributions towards the country, achievements in international politics and his effort to establish peace. Other cultural programmes including national songs, patriotic songs, speeches and short dramas are also organized in schools.

AALAP ROY CLASS 11 D Children's day, has frankly never been one of the days that I really look forward to every year. I feel that it is wonderful that people wish to acknowledge and appreciate the future generation, but I never realised the value of this occasion until in the recent past. The day is celebrated to commemorate the birthday of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of independent India. Even though Children's Day is celebrated globally by most of the countries in the world (almost 50 countries) on 1 June, Universal Children's Day takes place annually on 20 November. In India, it is celebrated on 14th November to mark the occasion of Pandit Nehru's birth anniversary. Every year, our teachers go through a great deal of hard work to rehearse and put up an enjoyable and entertaining programme for us. This year also, we had an elaborate celebration at school. A few days before Children's Day, while travelling in my car, I noticed something that shocked me and touched me deep inside my heart. A little boy was walking along with his mother when they suddenly came across a poor child who was crying for no apparent reason. The boy had a lollipop in his hand, which I'm sure he had got after coaxing his mother a lot. What he did next shows the true personality of a child---- innocent and pure in heart. He gave the lollipop to the child without hesitating and said the following words---- 'Happy Children's Day'. This is exactly what our true learning from life should be. Two children, with possibly nothing in common, sharing a simple lollipop, which is surrounded by an aura of friendship and care. People say that once you grow up and realise your duties, give to others. But the case here is quite the opposite. What grown men and politicians are losing sight of, has been understood and carried out by a young boy. My impression about Children's Day took a new dimension.

Thomas Paine had once said, "It is not in numbers, but in unity that our great strength lies". I don't know why I bothered writing an essay because the entire essay and the solution to end war are summarised in this very sentence. I really wish I could have attended the Children's Day assembly this year but due to an excruciating pain in my ankle, I was unable to walk properly. I end by saying that I am proud to be a child and I shall cherish all the moments that have gone by and are yet to come to me as the golden times of freedom and childhood. KIAN SARKAR CLASS: 7 C

“Festivals promote diversity, they bring neighbors into dialogue, they increase creativity, they offer opportunities for civic pride, they improve our general psychological well-being. In short, they make cities better places to live.” David Binder

FIREWORKS: Are they what we should be focusing upon?

DIWALI !!! What it most probably reminds you of is bright LED lights, lit dais, colourful fireworks, hampers of dry fruits, boxes of sweets and the usual post Diwali rant by 60 year olds regarding the hazards of fireworks. The reason as to why people speak about the air pollution caused due to fireworks is not because it leaves the worst impact on the planet but because it causes the most discomfort to people. Now let us take a walk down memory lane and ask ourselves a couple of questions –what do we do when the Diwali season just began or what do we do a month or two before every festival season? We send cakes and sweets around in plastic or paper boxes, we buy clothes packed in plastic bags, we buy things online and so on...... what do all these lead to? The answer is simple- pollution.

The main constituent of the greenhouse gases is carbon dioxide which is released while producing a product like plastic or even when petrol is burnt. There are two policies which can be adopted in order to stabilise carbon release in the long run. They are: (1) EMISSIONS TRADING This particular method is one through which carbon reduction takes place using incentive rather than the usual command and control regulations. The particular method works in a unique way: A central authority (usually the government) sells permits to producers and these permits determine the amount of a specific pollutant a factory can emit per time period. These permits shall be limited and the emissions by the factories have to be equal to what is determined by the permit. Subsequently a secondary market for these permits shall be established. This needs to be done so that a producer who wants to emit more of the same gas may do so by obtaining a permit through this market. Along with limiting the emissions, it also stabilises the emissions due to limited permits available. The reason as to why this method shall be effective is because, these producers in order to keep the cost of production minimum will not buy more than needed. If the aim is to make the policy even stricter a rate of interest can also be charged by the central authority on the permit. (2) CARBON TAX The theory of a carbon tax is based upon the spillover effects that the society has to pay for, due to green house gases especially carbon dioxide which is released fossil fuel, electricity etc. are used in abundance. A carbon tax is an indirect tax levied on certain commodities such as petrol in order to limit consumption of these products. It does so by making other sources of energy more competitive, by increasing the price of the commodity the tax is levied on. Furthermore, the tax levied shall vary for each commodity. It is applicable according to its carbon content. Thus, the alternate cleaner fuels cost cheaper. Conclusively, we must understand that, it is not just fireworks that lead to pollution but a lot of other factors also contribute and if effectively dealt with, long term solutions can be devised. Georgie Sonu Koithara CLASS XI D.

CHINA EXCHANGE PROGRAMME Hosting delegates from a different country with a similar historical heritage was certainly an honour- an experience that taught me to be self-reliant. It has left an indelible impression on my mind and also in the lives of our families that hosted them. From the time I was selected for this responsibility of representing not only the school

but the nation as a whole, 16th November, 2018 came too soon - the day when the delegates from Shida Fuzhong High School met the delegates of St. Xavier's Collegiate School. I met Liu Chao Wang with the English name of Jerry that night. " No Hao", I said. "Namaste", he replied. Thus began a friendship. Over the span of a week, we digressed from our daily routine. From cruising to Belur Math to visiting Jorasanko Thakurbari- Tagore's home, we did all that a tourist would do in this city. We ate at various restaurants and went to Shantiniketan, the education centre that Tagore had established and the quaint town that has grown around it. 'When language fails, emotions speak'. The quote became our greatest help. Neither did he know English nor was I qualified in Chinese. However, communication was never a problem... perhaps, for that one time when I asked him how cold Kunming was and he said, "Thank you". Although we still have contact on WeChat, I wish to meet him soon. I am eagerly waiting for our trip to Kunming next year. Such is the bond we share. With one half of the programme over, my visit to China is something I am eagerly awaiting. At the same time, I know that all this will be over one day. Soon I have to saunter back to normal life with only memories to cherish. Till that day, let me dream on… Riddhiraj Mukherjee 11E

We are a country where people of all backgrounds, all nations of origin, all languages, all religions and all races can make a home. We welcome the Chinese delegates to share our heritage and culture and walk along with us to make this world a happier place to live in.