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South Africa has the most official languages that have equal status, with eleven. Bolivia recognises thirty-seven languages, the most of any country in the world, and India recognises twenty-three. However, Bolivia and India give primacy to Spanish and Hindi respectively, making South Africa the country with the most equally important official languages.
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The constitution of Alabama is the longest and the most amended constitution in the world. It has more than 900 amendments and consists of about 310,000 words. The constitution of India, the second longest one in the world, is about 145,000 words.
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Police in Mumbai, Indian are testing red lights that won’t turn green if drivers are laying on their horns. It’s a perfect solution for a busy city where noise pollution is one of its biggest problems, right?
Photo Credit: Needpix
Last year, Indian authorities conducted a trial with sensors attached to traffic light poles that detected street decibel levels. If noise levels registered more than 85 decibels, the traffic lights were set to delay turning green.
Mumbai’s lights, like other Indian cities, displays a timer on each light so drivers can see when it will change.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia
Police spokesman, Pranay Ashok, told CNN, the trial started with a run at several major intersections for 15 minutes a day. Police hope to roll the system out to the “entire traffic management system.”
A (hilarious) video posted to Twitter showed the effects of rampant noise pollution. In it, police describe the city as “the honking capital of the world.” Explaining what they call “The Punishing Signal,” they advise that if motorists want to keep moving, they should stop laying on the horn.
Horn not okay, please!
Find out how the @MumbaiPolice hit the mute button on #Mumbai’s reckless honkers. #HonkResponsibly pic.twitter.com/BAGL4iXiPH— Mumbai Police (@MumbaiPolice) January 31, 2020
According to the TomTom Index, Mumbai has a serious problem with traffic congestion, ranking the fourth worst in the world last year.
The amount of congestion in the city translates to a loss of eight days and 17 hours per year for every driver and passenger.
It will be interesting to see if these monitored traffic lights make a difference. There are so many more pleasurable activities to do with that time than sit in traffic and listen to angry horns.
Don’t you agree?
The post Mumbai is Testing Traffic Lights That Stay Red if They Detect Honking appeared first on UberFacts.
Audi had to use more durable horns in Indian-market cars, as their normal horns would have been unable to cope with the amount of honking Indian drivers do.
Unhealthy air pollution in India has hit record levels, and India’s most iconic and most visited attraction is attempting something to make tourists more comfortable.
One of the New Seven Wonders of the World, the Taj Mahal sits in Agra in northern India’s Uttar Pradesh state, around 130 miles (210 kilometers) south of New Delhi. Approximately eight million people tour this UNESCO World Heritage site every year.
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According to authorities in Uttar Pradesh, a “private firm” has provided several air purification vans for the city to use wherever and however they want. Officials chose to place two of these vans at the Taj Mahal. Few details on how the vans work or how long they would be there were given.
Bhuvan Prakash Yadav, a representative from the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) told CNN, “This is on a trial basis for 10 days, but we are trying to get [the private firm] to continue it for some more time.”
Smog engulfs the world famous Taj Mahal (Agra, UP) pic.twitter.com/zqncpTiRCB
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) November 6, 2016
Although the identity of the private firm was never confirmed, ads for telecom giant, Vodafone, are featured on the side of a few of the vans.
According to CNN, Yadav also said that each van is able to purify 1.5 million cubic meters (53 million cubic feet) of air in eight hours. Yet, the vans don’t have sensors, so verification of these numbers isn’t possible.
It may be the vans are more for public relations purposes than actually cleaning air.
About 1,000 children ran a race in thick smog in the Indian capital New Delhi – while schools closed due to hazardous air quality https://t.co/DrwQ3NhcrG pic.twitter.com/YhpFFOHEer
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) November 14, 2019
India’s high court challenged the government to take better care of the site in 2018. Much recent damage to the Taj Mahal has come from pollution in the air and contamination in the nearby Yamuna River. Since then, crowd control in the form of a visitor time limit and hiked ticket prices have been implemented.
Air pollution has been an ongoing and serious problem in India, home to 22 of the 30 most polluted cities on the planet. New Delhi, India’s capital city is the number one most polluted city in the world. Lately, pollution levels reached a record high of approximately 9x more than the World Health Organization’s recommended “safe” level – the problem is rated “severe.”
New Delhi closed all schools for 2 days because toxic smog is getting worse. Air pollution is 9X safe levels, blocking the sun and causing breathing and eye problems.
The smog is mostly caused by car exhaust and farmers burning fields in nearby states. pic.twitter.com/cbx5gey7pY
— AJ+ (@ajplus) November 14, 2019
Fossil fuel usage, crop burning and vehicle exhaust have all contributed to the problem.
Planes are even getting diverted from landing at New Delhi’s airport. Authorities say control measures are in place, but they will not be enough to stop the damage to Indian property and lives – the damage is already being done.
The post The Taj Mahal Installed Air Purifiers to Defend Against Choking Smog appeared first on UberFacts.
This guy sounded like quite a human being.
The man behind the extremely popular YouTube channel Grandpa Kitchen has sadly passed away at the age of 73.
Narayana Reddy amassed a following of more than 6 million followers on YouTube with his cooking videos. In the videos, Reddy prepared enormous meals for orphans, making him a beloved hero in many circles.
Reddy was a 73-year-old grandfather whose generosity shone through in his how-to cooking tutorials, as he laid out how to make such dishes as pizza, lasagna, donuts, and many other meals. All the proceeds he received from his massively popular videos were donated to charities because Reddy truly tried to help the needy people in his community in India.
Reddy started the YouTube channel in 2017 and shot to incredible popularity in a short amount of time. On his Patreon page, Reddy wrote, ‘We entertain people by cooking food and donate the proceeds to charities. Our goal is to provide basic necessities like food, clothing, school supplies and birthday gifts to the orphans.”
Reddy’s grand-nephew talked about how the YouTube channel got started: “We used to have jobs in the city and would visit him during the holidays and he would always make big meals for us. We then got the idea that we should do the same for the community.” His grand-nephew added that his family will continue the elder Reddy’s work.
Here’s one of Reddy’s cooking tutorials that he became so well known for:
After Reddy’s passing, Grandpa Kitchen posted one final video tribute to the man who gave so much to so many:
He was a great man, and he will be missed by many.
The post A Famous 73-Year-Old YouTuber Who Made Massive Meals for Orphans Has Passed Away appeared first on UberFacts.
Jashika Khan and Mohammad Azajuddin are two children in Kolkata, India. The pair went viral for their impressive cartwheeling, and now they’re going to school to be full-time gymnasts.
A teacher took a video of Jashika, 11, and Mohammad, 12, doing their tumbling on the street on the way to school. Olympic gold medalist Nadia Comaneci retweeted the video, calling it “awesome.”
And Jashika and Mohammad blew up.
This is awesome pic.twitter.com/G3MxCo0TzG
— Nadia Comaneci (@nadiacomaneci10) August 29, 2019
Their gymnastics journey could have ended with the tweet, but fortunately, the video caught the attention of India’s Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju. Jashika and Mohammad were soon called for trials at the Sports Authority of India, and the trainer, Manmeet Singh Goindi, said that he was impressed by what he saw.
“They are certainly talented and have the desire to achieve much,” he told The Telegraph.
Both children are going to be enrolled as full-time trainees. Manmeet explained:
“At SAI, not only will the children get food, lodging and proper education, they will also be trained under qualified gymnastics coaches. Plus, the right equipments will be made available to them. They will practice in proper indoor halls. No more will they have to jump around on the road and somersault on concrete, risking injuries.”
The video of Ali & Lovely, which went viral on social media and was even retweeted by Olympic star @nadiacomaneci10 who called them “awesome”, was shot by their teacher Shekhar Rao who trains underprivileged kids in Kolkata. @madhuparna_N reportshttps://t.co/A3vtmf5yio
— sanghamitra mazumdar (@sanghamitra_m) September 5, 2019
Both Jashika and Mohammad are thrilled about the new opportunity. Jashika even says she wants to become a gymnast like Nadia in the future — and with talent like hers, it’s totally possible.
The post These Viral Backflipping Kids Are Headed to Gymnastics School, Thanks to the Influence of Social Media appeared first on UberFacts.
There is a village in India whose main export are men. This village prepares men to become bouncers for nightclubs and bars. They do so by having a 2 hour workout in the morning, followed by a 2 hour workout in the afternoon, in combination with high-protein food.
Indians are relearning Sanskrit and reviving the ancient language, with 10,000 new speakers in 2010 alone.
When you think of India, it’s possible that certain stereotypes come to mind. Maybe you think its dirty, or crowded, or that little kids will steal your shoes while you sightsee (thanks, Slumdog Millionaire). But here’s the truth: there are dozens of reasons to love and want to visit this beautiful, intriguing country.
Here are 11.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
Indian food is super spicy, which most Americans know, but you might not be aware that a large part of the population are vegetarians. Consequently, there are many places to buy vegetables, and the variety is amazing.
You’ll also be delighted by the clay and leaf ad banana leaf bowls that take the place of basic serving pieces – eco-friendly!
Photo Credit: Pixabay
The 8 islands off the Goa coast attract divers from around the world, and under the water, you can find a host of shipwrecks to explore. India also has amazing beaches that can compete with Rio, Ibiza, and Australia and the warm water is sure to draw you in.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
India is home to 400 co-existing ethnic groups and a young population – over half of them are under 25 and 2/3 are under 35. You’llheare 21 official languages being spoken on your travels, which is bound to make you feel less out of place – and ready to step out of your comfort zone!
Photo Credit: Pixabay
If holistic healing calls to you, then Ayurveda – a treatment method and philosophy native to India that uses oils, herbs, juices, massages, and herbal pills as opposed to modern medicine – should be right up your alley.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
India is one of the oldest places on earth, and in Hampi you’ll find the remains of ancient cities, palaces, temples, and other architecture that represents the entire history of humanity.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
Most people want to see elephants, but you can also check out camels, cows, and a bunch of other rare plants and animals around the country – over 1/3 of the local flora is completely unique to the country.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
The traditional dances of India represent people, animals, plants, nature, and emotions, and some are over 5,000 years old. That, combined with the costumes and makeup, mean you’ve got culture at your fingertips anywhere you go.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
Indians are talented people and produce over 1600 original films a year. If you’re a movie lover, there’s no better place to be.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
There are really no road rules – which can be an upside or downside, depending on your personality – and you can travel on public transit from 30 cents per ride to the Maharajas’ Express train, which is the best train in all of Asia. Long story short, you’ve got lots of choices depending on budget, but you’ll be able to see the country in style.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
It may sound cheesy, but millions of people head to India looking for the meaning of life – the people there seem to have a lock on living in harmony with the world and each other. If spiritual enlightenment is on your to-do list, visit ashrams, where you’ll find gurus and places to meditate, recite mantras, attend lectures, etc.
Photo Credit: Pixabay
From Mumbai to the temples, caves, and mosques to the Taj Mahal, you’ll never be without something to see.
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