10-year-old Indian Arshdeep Singh wins 2018 Wildlife Photographer of the Year award
New Delhi, Oct 18: Arshdeep Singh, 10, is among the winners of the 2018 Wildlife Photographer of the Year award in the 10-years-and-under category for his photograph ‘Pipe Owls’, which is of two spotted owlets nested inside a pipe. Now in its 53rd installment, the Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition is organised by the Britain’s Natural History Museum.
Among the junior winners, there were three categories 10 years and under, 11-14 years and 15-17 years.
While driving through Punjab’s Kapurthala with his father, Arshdeep saw a spotted owlet popping its head out from an old waste-pipe. He asked his father to stop the car and rested his father’s camera on the half-open window of the car at eye level. It wasn’t long before a second owlet put its head out. Although the spotted owlets are common in Punjab, these birds are rarely seen in the day as they are nocturnal.
Pipe Owls: This shot by Arshdeep Singh won him the Wildlife Photographer of the Year (10yrs and under age category) held at Natural History Museum, London. (Source: http://www.nhm.ac.uk)
Arshdeep started taking photographs at the age of six and ventured into the field of wildlife photography in 2012. The young photographer often travels with his father Randeep Singh who is also a well-known photographer.
Arshdeep recently won the Junior Asian Wildlife Photographer of the Year award. His work has previously been published in national and international publications such as Lonely Planet UK, Lonely Planet Germany, Lonely Planet India, BBC Wildlife UK etc.
Courtesy: indianexpress.com
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh on high alert, educational institutions shut along the border
Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh Union Territory were on high alert after India's military action against terror infrastructure in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Including cancelling leave for police and health personnel, shutting down educational institutions, and enforcing night blackouts in vulnerable areas, authorities in the region have initiated all emergency protocols.
Punjab Education Minister Harjot Bains on Thursday announced the closure of all schools, colleges and universities, government, private and aided, across the state for three days as a precautionary measure. Leaves of all Punjab Police personnel were cancelled with immediate effect. Similar strategies were implemented in Haryana, where the police and health departments recalled all employees from leave to ensure continuous service and increased readiness.
National Health Mission directed the workers of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs) and Urban Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (UAAMs) in Chandigarh to be put on emergency duty, and medical leave was suspended until further orders.
In Jalandhar, drones were reported to be neutralized around 11:20 p.m. by the security forces. A total blackout was announced at 8:30 p.m. in areas such as Amritsar, Fazilka, Rupnagar, Ludhiana, Hoshiarpur, Jalandhar, and Mohali.
Locals heard loud sounds and were instructed to remain indoors and switch off lights. Pathankot Deputy Commissioner Aditya Uppal instructed the citizens to strictly follow to the blackout procedures in order to maintain their safety.
Meanwhile, Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar (Mohali) district administration announced the territory a "No Flying Zone" for drones and UAVs up to July 5, as per Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagrik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. The restriction does not concern law enforcement agencies or other permitted government bodies.
Special emergency response units consisting of district administration members, police, and civil defence have been set in motion at all levels, starting from village to district, to take charge of any emerging crisis. Six Punjab border district schools, Amritsar, Pathankot, Fazilka, Gurdaspur, Tarn Taran, and Ferozepur, have already been closed as a precautionary measure.
