Are you an animal lover? Do you get overwhelmed with ‘love’ when you see a puppy and ‘sorrow’ when you see a stray dog roaming the streets hungry? Do you get grief stricken when you read about the plight of animals taken to laboratories for experimentation ?
If yes, then mere compassion doesn’t help save these animals. Sharing posts of animal welfare organizations on Facebook does create awareness to an extent but it is not enough to rescue the animals from their misery.
Here is something a true animal lover can do to help animals in distress on a personal level . There are various animal shelters in the city which provide a home to abandoned and stray animals, or animals rescued from slaughter houses and laboratories. They also provide vaccination, sterilization and free medical treatment to such animals in case of injuries. These shelters take in volunteers who are assigned the task of looking after animals for few hours as per their choice.
It is similar to working in an orphanage, blind school or an old age home. The animals that need the most love and care are the abandoned dogs who are clueless as to why there landed up there from the comfort of their houses. They wait endlessly for their owners. For these dogs, their owners are their family whom they love unconditionally.
Here are some of the animal shelters in Delhi where you can help the needy animals –
1. Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Centre (SGACC)
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Address: Near Shivaji College, Raja Garden, New Delhi 110027
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Contact: 011-25448062, 25447751, 25919163
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India’s oldest and Delhi’s largest all-animal shelter founded in 1980, inaugurated in 1983.
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Chairperson: Smt. Maneka Gandhi. Currently run by Ms. Ambika Shukla
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The centre houses about 2000 dogs, 300 cattle, 60 roosters, 40 ostriches, numerous donkeys, monkeys, peacocks, sheep, etc with separate facilities for puppies and adult dogs, sterilized and non-sterilized ones. Emergency facilities for cattle and dogs are available.
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Being strict promoters of vegan-ism, SGACC workers refrain from milking mother cows.
- Services: SGACC organizes numerous pup adoption camps and has a fleet of Out Patient Department (OPDs), Operation Theatres (OT), ICUs and laboratories equipped with X-ray machine and sophisticated blood testing equipment and ultra-sound facilities. It also provides dental Care, Gaushala and free treatment for animals brought in by people who cannot afford to pay. The service of animal cemetery is also provided.
- How the volunteers could help: Volunteers are expected to work any number of hours as per their choice between 10am to 5pm. Tasks include walking the dogs, feeding the animals, ensuring availability of drinking water at all times and organizing fund raising events to foster abused and frightened animals.
- The interested volunteers may contact Ms. Ambika Shukla at 9810054077 or visit the official website of the shelter group. ( Click here.)
2. Friendicoes SECA
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Address: 271 & 273, Flyover Market, Defence Colony, New Delhi 110024
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Contact: 011 2431 4787
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Established on 23 April, 1979.
- Services: The group provides numerous services like Out Patient Departments, shelters , mobile equine clinics. It also runs programs like the Andaman and Nicobar spay neuter program.
- What volunteers can do:
- Shelter Volunteers: Walking dogs, feeding animals and providing them with water, nursing puppies and helping at the front desk. Shelter is open from 9.30am to 9.30pm. However, volunteers are preferred in the evening for about 2 to 4 hours. All volunteers above 12 years of age are welcome.
- Fostering: One of the biggest needs is fostering of healthy Indie puppies and kittens or abandoned dogs. If you are unable to keep a pet at home but would like to take care of one temporarily, you can foster an animal from the shelter for a minimum of 2 weeks and maximum as per choice.
- Field Volunteers: You can also help by bringing in injured or sick stray animals from your locality.
- To volunteer, please contact- Mandie Seth (+917838585401), Geeta Seshamani (+919810000254) , Tandrali (+919818201987) or visit the official website of Friendlicoes. (Click here.)
3. PAWS (Pet Animal Welfare Society)
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Address: C-9/7, Masudpur Market, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi – 70
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Contact: +91 11 26895737
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Non-profitable, non-government
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Founded in 1998
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Apart from animal welfare, also works towards environmental issues by discouraging use of plastic, encouraging people to plant trees and work towards preservation of wildlife.
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Creates awareness about animal laws in India.
- Services: The centre plays a pivot for numerous pup adoption camps, free anti-rabies camps, ABC (Animal Birth Control) and Immunization Program and Save our Strays (SOS).
- What volunteers can do: The volunteers can involve themselves in numerous activities like bird care-taking, dog walking, kennel hygiene maintenance, pup care taking and wildlife care assistance. They can also work as the web team assistants, photographers for adoption/ rescued animals and animal welfare rights officer etc. The volunteer visiting hours start from 1200 hours to 1700 hours.
- For the official PAWS website, click here.
Ishani Rajkhowa
Aries: This is the time when you will actually bring about world peace. Go ahead!
Taurus: The stars are conspiring to get you bitten by a dog. He/she may or may not have rabies. We sincerely hope for the best.
Gemini: You will be listening to only cheesy Bollywood songs this week. No “why” and “how”, just will. Be careful you don’t hum ones like Jalebi Bai in front of your crush, that’ll be awkward.
Cancer: Switch off your TV, uninstall Whatsapp and deactivate your Facebook account. Otherwise, you are likely to get depressed by the FYUP row.
Leo: Your parents will buy you a Malibu beach house. Congratulations!
Virgo: The clouds of misfortune have dispersed. Anything you say or do this week will get you fortune and prosperity.
Libra: For you, the clouds of misfortune have just gathered. However, do not get tensed yet. You can escape them by avoiding World Cup this season.
Scorpio: Mystery intensifies, its hard to say what’ll happen to you. Apologies guys!
Sagittarius: You have still not discovered your potential that could change the world. Hence, somebody else will take the cake now.
Capricorn: Beware of your mother!
Aquarius: You are likely to get famous this summer. Take the first step by joining the protest against FYUP. Make sure it is ‘aganinst’ if you mean any good for yourself.
Pisces: You share your stars with the legendary Delhi University Vice Chancellor, take care before your life achievements and accomplishments become the memoirs of bygone days, as well.
At the height of the Delhi University- University grants Commission face off, the harbinger of FYUP, Prof. Dinesh Singh resigned from his position as Vice Chancellor earlier today.
The resignation came after the Supreme Court dismissed a plea moved by the Delhi University Teachers’ Association (DUTA) seeking cancellation of the University Grants Commission (UGC) order asking the Delhi University (DU) to scrap its four-year undergraduate programme. Rumors of Mr. Singh resigning if the Four Year Undergraduate Programme was scrapped had already been floating around last week when the UGC order to scrap FYUP came in. On being questioned, DUTA joint secretary, Ms. Anita Ghosh confirmed the resignation, stating the irresponsible and rushed enforcement of FYUP harmful for the future of Delhi University.
‘Yes, in wake of the ongoing proposals, The VC has resigned. The four year plan had so many flaws. A lot of teachers’ opinions were brushed aside. The reckless implementation was spearheaded by the Vice Chancellor alone. It is sad how such so many loop holes were ignored. Even though they extended a year, the course structure was extremely weak and was rather a disservice to the students. With the revoking of the old plan and, hopefully, some improvements, Delhi University will regain it’s lost glory.’
Admission in Delhi University which were supposed to begin on 24th June have been stalled due to the lack of clarity in the admission process.The UGC had issued directions to all 64 colleges under Delhi University to conduct their admissions under the three-year under-graduate programme and not under the four-year UG programme. Colleges were warned of facing ‘consequences’ if they failed to follow the Commission’s directions.
Students who have just complete a year of FYUP are in a state of shock and confusion. The recent occurrences and the decision has left them in a lurch and quite unsure of the state of their degree. Says Vani, a student at Jesus Mary College, ” The resignation of the VC leaves us in a lurch. Our batch has forever been subjected to experiments, but this time the experiment has gone wrong. With our futures now very uncertain, one can’t help but wonder why didn’t the UGC step up all of last year midst the continuous protests. How can any alternative they come up with make up for the one year completely wasted on sub par subjects ?”
Unlike the statements being professed by student political parties , not all students of FYUP want it to be withdrawn. For some the courses in FYUP gave an interesting bend to college studies. Ayesha, a student of DU has lost her faith in the University. She says,” I am in shock. Its like a doomsday in the history of Indian Education. I am not prepared for the monotonous course prevalent in the past. And I am quite saddened at the fact that now I will neither get to study two disciplines and nor will be skilled enough for a job after my graduation.”
Raghav Chopra
Niharika Singh
Aries: It’s time to take that trip to the mountains you’ve been saving for. The stars are in your favour now. Go uphills and meditate for some peace.
Taurus: Your parents seem to be in a good mood. Ask them for something and you are likely to get it.
Gemini: People around you are not going to get your sarcasm or idioms in the days to come, so refrain from telling friends you killed two birds with one stone or sh*t hit the fan last night.
Cancer: Happy birthday, except it won’t be so. Nice day to bathe nevertheless. Ciao.
Leo: No time to explain, grab a cactus!
Virgo: Tough time. Tough time.Don’t take your earphones out of your ears this week.
Libra: The bathroom is not a safe place for you to be this summer.
Scorpio: You were the one who wished all the popular teams lose and depart from Brazil! Careful what you wish for, boy. You just might get it all. Beware of the Spain fans, by the way.
Sagittarius: You have the potential to do something that could change the world but you’re not using it, child. Realize what you’re good at and stop procrastinating!
Capricorn: You’ll go to watch the latest Bollywood release Humshakals somehow. May good lord give you strength. Also, No good selfies for you for some time.
Aquarius: You’ll have bad dreams, take care you don’t roll down the bed. You thought this would be funny? You are wrong, here, no good selfies for you too.
Pisces: You’re going to make a lot of new friends in the coming days! Be yourself. Unless you can be Batman. Then be Batman.
Aries: This week shows signs of bad luck for you. Avoid it by wearing black sweaters and staying outdoors in the sun. It will help.
Taurus: You should give your friends a shopping trip. Spend as much as you can on the group of people you hang around. It will make the coming time prosperous for you.
Gemini: Folks! You have been bestowed with the power to save the world from this heat wave. Throw a pool party and invite everyone you know and you don’t know. Your name will be remembered as the angel of life.
Cancer: Why are you lazing around this summer? Find some work, make use of your time, earn some money and treat people in Delhi University with free ice-creams.
Leo: You should just relax this week. Try not to do or get involved in anything. You should waste as much of your time as you can. It’s one of your talents, make full use of it.
Virgo: Life is so good for you, isn’t it? Well listen then! Your parents might kick you out of your house. You’ve been hiding fishy stuff from them and this week they will find it all out. Good luck.
Libra: Hmm. I see positive signs in your love life. If you are single, you’ll find ‘that one’. Just don’t refrain from your quest regardless of the blazing sun. Go outdoors. He/she is waiting for you.
Scorpio: Water is going to be a bad element for you this week, child. Avoid showers, cold-drinks and anything that feels relaxing to you.
Sagittarius: Missed Humouroscope editions, all this while? Yeah, I know we did too.Anyway, so your life is about to take a huge turn. You might get a movie offer or something of that sort. Keep all your fingers crossed.
Capricorn: A trip abroad is on cards. Stars are in your favour this week. Make use of it. And don’t really believe horoscopes.
Aquarius: You’ve been happy all this time. It’s all about to get over. Your boyfriend/ girlfriend is going to dump you, you might suffer from a heat stroke, your hair is going to start falling and you are about to witness a living nightmare. Just wait.
Pisces: You are the luckiest zodiac this week. Just lay back and relax.
Aries:Convince your friends for a Thursday show at PVR as a birthday treat. Anything fancier will be unwise and repercussions will be felt in the coming weeks.
Taurus: You’ll reap what you’ve been sowing all these years with your punk and carefree attitude. *police siren*
Gemini: Refrain from downloading TV episodes via Torrents, your internet connection could be subject to a surprise inspection.
Cancer: State of affairs looks fine for you in my crystal ball. Don’t do anything different from what you did last week. In fact, wear the same clothes.
Leo: A good week for Teleshopping! Dial them up and order whatever you like in their commercials. Except for the presenters, I mean. They don’t usually deliver them (yes, I speak from experience).
Virgo: Your love life could either hit a bump or take a leap depending strictly upon your footwear this week. Make good choices.
Libra: Hari mirch ke pakode khaye. Shanti aur samriddhi aayegi. Prerna bhi milegi.
Scorpio: Your parents are going to find out something about you this week. What is it going to be though? Girl? Guy? Grass?
Sagittarius: Feel like you don’t have enough friends? Time to start watching a classic TV series like Game of Thrones or Breaking Bad. Nothing attracts more than knowing what happened in the latest episode.
Capricorn: Is that..what.. why can’t I see your future clearly? Please go have a bath.
Aquarius: Wear your best brands. Cameras are going to engulf you.
Pisces: Keep your excuses ready, someone is going to ask you to transfer Rs.10 to their phone.
Aries: With exams getting closer, you will soon realize that there are almost 5 unknown topics you weren’t aware even existed in the syllabus. This is likely to happen around the midnight before the exam.
Taurus: Your shoelaces are likely to get stuck in the escalator. Beware in malls and Metro stations.
Gemini: You are going to find out that your crush has a crush on you. Enjoy this week.
Cancer: The most beautiful/handsome professor of your college is going to send you a love letter.
Leo:Keep your phone away from your parents. They might discover something you don’t want them to see.
Virgo: Child. You are special. And this time, you are going to top the university. Also, you are stupid enough to believe this, aren’t you?
Libra: If you are planning to cheat on your girlfriend/boyfriend, then please do it after exams. Something bad is likely on the cards.
Scorpio:Avoid having a shower during the exam season. You will score better marks.
Sagittarius: You will receive a letter from one of the PM candidates whose trolls you have been posting on Facebook all this election season, to join their party.
Capricorn: Sunny Leone will WhatsApp you in near future.
Aquarius: You are lucky this week. You are going to get free movie tickets; a date; a car from your parents and a slap if you believe all this.
Pisces: You just need to sleep and sleep more to pass this semester. You will fare well.
Hello old friend,
The elections just went by in your city and the turnout didn’t climb up by much this time either and you have shown solidarity to our cause by taking a stand. Please don’t feel guilty for not voting, no matter how much the media and activists says so. You have taken a stand and you have chosen to support us and there is no way we are going to let you down, individually. Collectively, we aren’t responsible for our actions and hence, you will have to watch out for yourself.
The mess of democracy to elect clean candidates and those who actually work takes out all the fun and lechery from the political process and it is only because of people like you that it still survives. You had the chance to vote but you didn’t. You felt lazy at the right time and you made sure to make the most of your holiday rather than sweating it out in queues to vote for a candidate that won’t care about making money as much as we do.
You also had your name in electoral rolls as well as your Voter’s ID card, but not going to vote is a definite sign of belief in our cause and furthering our agenda to loot money out of the country and make sure that no reason survives in the long run. Your love for watching movies and TV shows is not hidden from anybody and your apathy towards the political systems has just made it easier for us to get through without much intervention. Fourth season of Game of Thrones is underway and the government expects you to vote? Blasphemous, isn’t it?
I hope you are enjoying your shows as much as we are enjoying partying off the taxpayer’s money. I hope you continue to ignore reports of scams and scandals in the newspaper which the media makes up, because if the country is meant to survive, it will. How much change can a vote bring, anyway? I thank you for staying out of the mess and lending your voice to civil disobedience.
Perhaps you don’t like any candidate and you believe all are thieves and debauchers. Hence you didn’t go, which is a perfectly good reason because voting NOTA is wasting your time, energy and money.
It has been too much work for me getting this letter typed from one of my literate sycophants and I must get back to some harassments and kidnapping to feel better. I hope you will stand in the cause of anarchy in the future as well. Thank you for not giving the right candidates a chance and we made sure people voted for us on your blank vote which was going to go waste, anyway. You can thank us later since we have a little less time to pay heed to your words and wishes.
Thanking you from the bottom of the alcohol bottle I am sending along,
Your good old corrupt politician
Image courtesy: educationalservice.net
Mayank Jain
Trainee Editor at Youth Ki Awaaz. Tweets @mayank1029 ! Believer in the power of happiness, internet and great food. Loves to read, write and disucss. A lot more than just boring atoms.
March 31st, 2014 would certainly be a ‘red letter day’ in the history of American sitcoms. While one legen-wait for it-dary show went off air forever and its famous characters bid their adieus to their fans, another show that might be the new ‘apple of all eyes’ in the years to come kick started its journey. The much talked about show ‘Friends with Better Lives’ premiered just after the series finale of ‘How I Met Your Mother’ which had left some fans heartbroken, dissatisfied and wanting for more. The much talked about show is written by the writers of famous American show ‘Friends’ and is being successfully promoted on the established brand value of same.
The Positives
FWBL revolves around six friends, thirty something of age, all at different stages of life, each of whom thinks that the other has it better. Talking about the leads, Bobby and Andi– the happily married couple and parents of a toddler, Will – a divorcee, Kate – a single career oriented woman who has not found the right match yet and the ‘just engaged’ couple – Jules and Lowell.
The pilot episode is woven around characters of Bobby, Will and Kate played by Entourage fame Kevin Connolly, James Van Der Beek and Zoe Lister Jones, known for their amazing comic timing as they never miss a beat to entertain and tickle the audiences. Being on spot with his dialogue delivery, Kevin Connolly has delivered an excellent performance. The pilot belongs to Zoe Lister Jones who plays Kate, the single unlucky with dating woman, who is the highlight of the episode and might be the person around whom this show could revolve.
The Neutrals
The show yet again revolves around three men and three women, and so far looks like it talks about their personal relations, ups& downs. From the comic perspective the show looks promising, but the storyline looks like ‘old wine in new bottle.’ There isn’t a catchy theme song introduced yet, that can be the USP of the show like ‘I’ll be there for you’ for Friends & the HIMYM theme tune.
The Negatives
Sitcoms do not usually garner much of positive response in their pilots because of the sheer disability of the people to understand and recognize the characters and their relations. FWBL needs to have more character development in the next few episodes for audiences to be able to relate to and care for. The show can overcome the familiar story line challenge and and could become something special if the group solidifies,strengthens into a strong dynamic where viewers begin to identify with the characters and relate them to people in real life.
The Overall View
Watch the show as an independent comedy, not drawing comparisons from any of the classics and you will certainly not be disappointed. Another reason to watch it would be the amazing star cast The channel CBS has not been quite successful with their new shows but FWBL with some excellent writing and by not going for the obvious jokes and gags, could be the next big thing.
The Official Trailer of ‘Friends with better lives’
Guest post by Abhinn Khanna
Abhinn Khanna is a fourth semester Commerce student at Delhi college of Arts & Commerce and an avid TV series and movies buff.