Spare the rod
Improve the child

A recent study by Unicef has found that a growing number of children experience some degree of ‘violent discipline and psychological aggression’ at the hands of their caregivers, both at home and school, writes Shobita Shivshankar
Corporal punishment will be firmly excluded from the educational system in order to have a child-centric approach."— The national policy on education, 1986.
The scenario nearly 25 years later...
On February 12, 2010, Rouvanjit Rawla, a 13-year-old class Vlll student of Kolkata’s prestigious La Martiniere for Boys’ school, committed suicide after being allegedly caned by the school principal. `A0Though the cops arrested principal Sunirmal Chakravarthy and three other teachers, they were unable to book them for abetting suicide as the charge could not be substantiated.

Many teachers cane students inflicting physical pain without realising the psychological harm they are inflicting on the child — Tribune photos

Cut out the toxic gossip
Mary Mitchell gives tips on how to get away from a situation when you are surrounded by negative gossip
Ever notice how we put forth piety as we snipe? We say things like, "I really don’t know whether this is true or not, but..." We proclaim that gossiping is a bad thing to do, even as we proceed to do it anyway. Negative gossip surrounds us. Rumors abound. People seem to thrive on repeating stories that can hurt and harm. With each telling, the truth often becomes embellished and editorialised. Pretty soon the tale of John leaving his office upset and in a hurry because his child was taken to the emergency room becomes John Stalks Out, Furious That Boss Argued the Point, Slamming the Door Behind Him, Not Caring About the Consequences.

Robust jewellery
Men feel macho wearing rings, tiepins, chains and gold watches, says Hector Choksi
Yes, you have seen Govinda and Hrithik Roshan and a list of celebrities dressing up with skin-tight sequined shirts, showing a lot of glitter. Bappi Lahiri can be occasionally mistaken for a Christmas tree. Salman Khan moves, clad in floral prints and embroidered clothes.