Glimpses of Our World: A Review of the neScholar Magazine

Omila Thounaojam *

neScholar Magazine :: Pix - https://www.facebook.com/nescholar

Life's moving fast, it's changing as it moves along following a certain rhythm inspired by the ever-growing dynamic demands of a global time. We have changed tremendously. Unlike our common belief that our environment has changed us, I would claim that it's us who have altered beyond a limit that has also brought upon a huge dilemma inflicted situations on the front. The truth is it's a two way traffic system and the more we fail to reason right on time, the more we'll be doomed.

Considering the challenging patterns in which we are bombarded by newly discovered or rather invented channels of knowledge ranging from varied fields of life, it has become mandatory for us to stay updated with the new sources of information. Truly we must learn and there is no definite end point to the process of enriching oneself by storing up information that will definitely let us come closer to our world.

We are confronted everyday with a number of info-sources whether it's the online e-resources or the printed pages that are released regularly for the public to upgrade themselves on the happenings around. Since it's a serious responsibility for each one of us to get involve into this process of attempting to "Know our World/Universe" with a much lesser time, money and above all energy spent in the process, it wouldn't be wrong to suggest here that we start doing that through the neScholar Magazine.

Newly launched into our market, this magazine embodies an interesting range of scholarly articles contributed by well-known intellectuals all hailing from diverse disciplines. The different segments that the magazine has, covers a vast arena of concerns that enlightens the readers to plunge into this sharpening up procedure of familiarizing us with our universe. The home grown Magazine takes up the vibrant task of creating a mini encyclopedia at its best level.

It aims to, as its chief editor Dr R.K. Nimai Singh admits in his editorial expression, "tickle the brain" of its readers. As he rightly puts forth, the basic intention of launching this magazine is to empower the public by providing them with information that is a source of "power" in itself.

The global village today has numerous markets that call for a tough fight from its contenders and as such, this magazine targets the students as well. It is so in the very good sense that it intends to prepare the youths to face the ever-growing challenges and competition bound opportunities before them with the much needed confidence. Most importantly this work is an authentic compilation of topics and writes that ambitiously attempts to bring about an all-round personality development of its readers. To a great extend, this info-text succeeds in its fundamental endeavour of preserving our precious "cultural heritages" by drawing our mind closer to our root - the wide range of natural resources that are embodiment of our cultural identity.

Sub-divided into these categories namely – Nature, Heritage, Science & Tech, Hist & Arch, Sports & Adventure and finally a part that's meant only for its readers, titled Contest – this Magazine explores some of the most beneficial sites of knowledge. Under the segment on "Nature", we get an insightful glimpse of our Loktak Lake -"the Mirror of Manipur", as Mr. R.K. Birjit claims in his article "Migratory Waterbirds of Loktak Ramsar" with an exclusive highlight upon the "Brahminy shelduck (Tadorna ferruginea).

We get to understand an intense aspect of mother "Nature" with the article "Understanding Biodiversity" written by Dr Mayanglambam Ojit Kumar Singh. With the observation of October first week as the Wild Life week, this topic adds-on to the need and importance of a know-how and understanding of the scientific notions of Biodiversity, Genetic Diversity, Species Diversity and Ecosystem Diversity for a needed healthy co-existence in our environment. This segment also has a scholarly piece on "IUCN and Red-Listed Fishes Found in Manipur" by Dr W. Vishwanath that sensitively alerts us on the literal manners in which certain fish species are facing the threat of mere extinction in the present day context and scenario. This segment is concluded by a beautiful write on "Indigenous Medicinal Plants of Manipur".

A short write with the heading "Know Your Universe" has a piece "Mars May Have Once Been a Wet World Like Earth. Where Did the Water Go?" that precisely presents the current factual account of the Red Planet called Mars. The "Heritage" segment of the magazine has a conversation based article by Mina Zoliani that reflects upon "The Sound of Distant Drums". This write has an interesting narration on the life and contributions of Mr. Zathuama in preserving the cultural and religious heritages of the Mizo Community through his devoting act of making traditional drums in the state of Mizoram.

This is immediately followed by Dr Hanjabam Nandiram Sharma's "Self-Sufficient Traditional Home Campus of the Meiteis". This rich piece factually illumines us on the logical fashion in which our ancestors have structured our traditional home campus. It also demonstrates the multi-dimensional view of our traditional campus and strategically infers upon the self-sufficient sides of it.

The final article in this segment is by Mr. Salam Rajesh and it's on the "Nature and its Elements in Folk Art Traditions of Manipur". This scholarly write deals emphatically on highlighting upon the intricate "Mosaic" cultural features of Manipur with a special highlight on the aspect of "the elements of nature in folk traditions" and "nature and its influences in folk art performances".

Moving to the next section "Science & Tech", we get to encounter a very relevant article entitled "Electronic Nose" contributed by Dr Manabendra Bhuyan. Reading this helps us in getting an awareness of this concept of E-Nose and its applications in bettering our life today. With our life gradually being haunted by multiple forms of techno-bound crimes, the next article "Copy Move Forgery in Digital Images" by Khumanthem Manglem Singh enlightens the reader on the concept of digitally manipulated forgeries. Mr. Huidrom Jayant Kumar further alerts the reader on the subtle presences of "Mathematics in our Day-to-Day Life" in the next scholarly write.

The concluding write under this segment has an interesting article on "Hidden Mathematics" by Mr. Pheiroijam Suranjoy Singh that talks of an all-encompassing role of mathematics in our daily life.

Moving forward to the next category of the magazine, we go to the "Hist & Arch" segment wherein, we empower ourselves through the historical facts that are brilliantly rendered in the write "Is Tool-Using Absolute Character of Man?" by Dr Okram Kumar Singh.

Refreshing our mind successfully is a magnanimous snapshot that is displayed as a filler of the heavenly "Dzuko Valley" by Oinam Deepak and it is followed by Dr L. Kunjeswori Devi's "Excavation at Khamaram". This piece is packed with historical details of the excavation that was conducted at Khamaram in June 1997 and also delivers us with the most credential information on the remains of the past that were revived during that project.

"Sports & Adventure" category of the magazine entails a significant and hugely informative account of the history of the origin and development of our traditional game called "Kang" written by Dr Maibam Chourjit Singh. Apart from all these, neScholar Magazine also has pages devoted to Quiz and fun-based Caption Contest that intends to generate a healthy tie-up with the readers.

On the whole, this newly launched "neScholar Magazine" takes good care of the reader in assuring a fertile ground that would nurture them at the best that's possible. Not only does it provide the reader with the best information but it as well binds the diverse information together under a conceptual framework. It could thus be suggested that a copy of it is a worthwhile investment considering the positive outcome that it practically generates.