Saturday Fare

Bank Schemes: Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana

Sentinel Digital Desk

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana

Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana is a savings scheme for the girl child launched as a part of the Government's 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' campaign, in 2015. A Sukanya Samriddhi Account can be opened any time before the girl child turns 10 years old. Under this scheme, a minimum of Rs. 1,000/- and a maximum of Rs. 1,50,000/- can be deposited in a year. There are a number of benefits of saving through this scheme. 21 years is the maturity age of the account and this starts from the date when the account was opened or the Marriage of your Girl Child (either of the earlier one). Make sure that the age of your daughter is 18 years at the time of marriage.

Income tax is exempted from the contribution to this account under Section 80 C of the Income Tax Act.

Facts

Smriti Mandana

  • Smriti Mandana, the left-handed batter was born in Mumbai. Her father and brother played district level cricket for Sangli and her brother even featured for Maharashtra Under-16s tournaments. Meanwhile, Smriti was nine when she got a call up for Maharashtra U-15 team and at the age of 11 she was selected for the U-19 team of Maharashtra.
  • In 2013, Smriti etched her name in the record books after she became the first Indian woman to score a double hundred in an ODI game. Smriti scored an unbeaten 224 off 150 balls in the West Indies Zone U-19 tournament.
  • Smriti was also one of the two Indian players to be signed up by the Big Bash League.
  • Smriti was the only Indian player to be named in the ICC Woman's Team of the year 2016.

Expert Tips

A) 15 Essential Winter Skin Care Tips That You Should Follow

1. Use Lukewarm Water

It is very tempting to go for hot showers when the temperature is dipping. But if you love your skin, avoid them. Instead, use lukewarm water to shower and wash your face..

2. Stay Hydrated

Be it inside your home or outside, the air is drier in winter. And as a result, water evaporates from your body easily. Hence, you need to keep your skin hydrated. An easy way to keep it hydrated is by drinking lots of water. Though you might not feel as thirsty during winters as the other seasons, you need to maintain your regular water intake. You can also install a humidifier to manage the moisture level in your home. This will certainly keep your skin happy.

3. Choose Skin Care Products Wisely

What kept your skin happy during summers can make it sad during winters. And that's why you need to change your skin care products accordingly. The key to healthy and glowing winter skin is using mild skin care products. Choose cleansers that contain moisturizers to avoid stripping your skin of its natural moisture barrier. If you have acne or breakouts, use products containing ceramides, hyaluronic acid, hydration serums, and glycerin to help in repairing the moisture barrier of your skin.

Avoid masks and peels, astringent lotions, and any product that contains alcohol as they make your skin dry during winters.

4. Protect Your Skin

You need to protect your skin from the cold wind or snow or rain if you are stepping out in winter. So, wear gloves and caps and do not forget your sunscreen lotion...

5. Do Not Exfoliate Much

Exfoliating the skin helps in getting rid of dead cells. But you have to be careful during winters because your skin barrier is already compromised due to the dry and cold weather. And you don't want to lose it with excess exfoliation. Exfoliating your skin once a week is fine..

6. Don't Forget The Hands

.. Apply a moisturizer and wear woolen gloves whenever you are going out. If you are allergic to wool, wear thin cotton gloves and then wear the woolen ones over them… Using the products not suited to you skin may cause:

  • Serious damage to your skin barrier
  • Unwanted skin issues
  • Worse overall skin health

Take SkinKraft's SkinID™ Skin Questionnaire to understand your exact skin type. The questionnaire also helps us recommend the right products to you, which helps you get clear, healthy skin. Click here to take the questionnaire now.

7. Care For Your Feet

Choose glycerin-based creams and petroleum jelly to moisturize your feet. Also, make sure you exfoliate the skin on your feet occasionally so that it can absorb the moisturizer easily.

8. Do Not Wear Wet Clothes For Too Long

This will irritate your skin further and cause itchiness. Walking and playing in the snow is fine, but make sure you remove the wet socks, pants, and gloves as soon as possible.

To read the complete story, visit: www.stylecraze.com

B) 6 Simple Ways To Confirm Pregnancy Without A Kit

Home pregnancy tests are incredible as they give you the news you have been waiting for – 'you are pregnant'! But since time immemorial, the best way to test was wait and spot obvious signs or use some old-fashioned ways to find out.

While a scientific pregnancy test is the best way to confirm pregnancy, there are a number of historical, non-medical ways that were used before these miraculous devices were invented.

1. Stored Urine Test:

  1. Collect your urine in a bottle or vessel like you would for a normal urine test.
  2. Then leave it untouched for about 3-4 hours.
  3. If a white film forms on the surface of the urine, chances are you may be pregnant.
  4. If there is no change in the urine and it remains clear, you are not pregnant.
  5. Wheat and Barley Test:

This practice originated in ancient Egypt and in recent times was even tested in a laboratory to yield 70% accurate results. Women are advised to urinate on wheat and barley seeds over the course of several days; if the wheat sprouts, she is to have a baby girl, and if the barley sprouts, a boy. If neither sprouts, she isn't pregnant.

  1. Toothpaste Test:

    Since the first urine of the day holds the secret, collect it in a bottle. Take some white tooth paste and add the urine sample to it. Let it stand for a couple of hours. If it changes colour or begins to froth, you probably are pregnant.

    4. Bleach Test:

  2. Collect the first urine of the day and add some bleaching powder to it.
  3. If the urine starts fizzing and foaming, there is a good chance you may be pregnant.
  4. If you cannot get your hands on bleach, try using a concentrated soap solution.
  5. Mustard Powder Test:

    Mustard powder is considered to be a period inducer. So if you have missed your period or it is delayed, soak in a bath prepared with 2 cups of mustard powder followed by a warm shower. If you get your period after this in a day or two, it was probably just a false alarm. But 2 weeks after this test, if there is still no sign of your period, you are most likely pregnant.

To read the complete article, visit wellness section of: www.rewardme.in

  1. C) Get Rid Of Split Ends

First, understand the reasons of getting split ends:

Split ends are a sign that our hair is deficit of enough nutrients, consequently, they become brittle and dry. Other reasons are:

  • Using hot styling tools and blow drying hair regularly
  • Chemical treatments such as bleaching, dying and perms
  • Improper techniques for detangling hair
  • Harsh towel drying
  • Unsuitable hair products that are full of drying agents
  • Lack of regular trims

Get rid of split ends:

Trimming is the best solution. If it isn't trimmed, the hair will continue to break more along the hair shaft, causing the hair to look frizzy, dry, and unmanageable. Hair products can help in concealing them temporarily, but a routine maintenance will keep your hair healthy, strong, and split-ends free.

Some other reasons that can minimize the split ends are:

  • Keep hair nourished and moisturized
  • Eat what is necessary for healthy hair
  • Always use heat protectant before using hot styling tools
  • Use sulfate and alcohol free hair products
  • Towel dry your hair gently - do not harshly twist and wring it
  • Be patient and gentle when detangling your hair
  • Use deep conditioning masks to keep your hair moisturized (you can try a DIY one here)
  • Most importantly: get regular trims to prevent split ends and have healthy hair

One of the most important factors is still a balanced diet and drinking lots of water.

D) Google Pixel 3 Review

The Pixel 3 is the latest smartphone from Google, following on from the success of last year's Pixel 2. There are a number of new features, many of which are of particular interest to photographers.

Like the previous versions of the phone, the camera is at the heart of much of Google's marketing. However, the rear camera has seen more of an incremental upgrade than a complete overhaul. A new addition is "Night Sight" mode, which is particularly useful when shooting in low light situations.

Otherwise, the Google Pixel 3's camera itself is a 12.2 megapixel dual-pixel unit, with an f/1.8 aperture and a 28mm equivalent focal length. On the front of the phone, there are now two cameras – the additional one offers a wider angle of view to enable better group selfies.

Ease of Use

Using the Pixel 3 is not too dissimilar from its predecessor, or indeed many other Android phones. As it is a Google phone, you can be sure that you will always have the latest version of Android, which at the moment is Android 9 (Pie).

Again, as the Pixel 3 is a Google phone, it runs a "clean" version of Android – which in essence means it hasn't been modified or adapted to suit the needs of a particular company, such as you would see on other Android phones from manufacturers like Samsung or Huawei. What that means in real terms is that it's a very clean, simple and straightforward layout.

As we saw on the Pixel 2, the Pixel 3 can be unlocked via a fingerprint sensor on the rear of the device. This is a very natural way to unlock the phone when picking it up, and you soon get used to holding it so your finger automatically rests in the relevant place.

If you just need to take a photo, you don't need to completely unlock the phone. You can double press the power button in quick succession to open the native camera app. If you access the camera in this way, you'll only be able to see photos you've taken in your current shooting session, and not older pictures.

Unlike many other Android phones, the Google Pixel 3's native camera app is relatively simple...

As standard, the camera app opens in the default "Camera" mode with ..options along the top of the screen to turn on a timer (3 seconds or 10 seconds), switch on RAW (images will be saved as both JPEG and raw format files), enable "Motion" (which records a very short video clip with your still images), and switch on flash. Although you can't change any other settings, white balance control is available – giving you the option to choose between "Auto", cloudy, sunny, fluorescent and tungsten options…

To read the complete review by Amy Davies, visit: www.photographyblog.com

Fashion

Cranberries

Cranberries are evergreen shrubs native to Britain and North America, owe their superpowers to the presence of flavonoids, antioxidants, anti-inflammatory agents, organic acids, and polyphenolic compounds, along with high amounts of vitamin C and dietary fiber and has an excellent use in treating Urinary Tract Infections (UTIs). There is an array of other benefits of Cranberries:

  1. Boost Immunity

It boosts the activity as well as the number of certain types of immune system cells like B-cells, NK-cells, etc. along with specific enzymes that are involved in defense mechanisms.

  1. Give You Glowing Skin

Cranberries have around 98% water, 24% vitamin C, and really high levels of antioxidants, it works as a helpful food for glowing skin.

  1. Protects Cardiovascular System & Lower Bad Cholesterol (LDL)

By lowering LDL and associated triglyceride levels in the blood, cranberries keep heart attacks and cardiac arrests at bay. The anti-inflammatory compounds present in them help in regulating blood pressure by providing relaxation to the blood vessels. If taken in the right quantities it can stimulate the production of good cholesterol (HDL), protecting you from heart attack, diabetes, and obesity.

  1. Treat Oral Infections

Cranberries have anti-inflammatory compounds that reduce the formation of biofilms on the teeth and gums, which could cause tooth infections and tooth decay in many ways.

  1. Improves Gut Health

The pigments (proanthocyanidins) in cranberries save the gut from harmful microbes and also repair the inner cell lining of the gut and cure stomach ulcers and regular wear-and-tear.

  1. Prevents Cancer

A 2016 research claims that including cranberries in your diet protects you against 17 different cancers. The anti-inflammatory and antioxidative polyphenols stop cancer cell proliferation and metastasis and inhibit tumor formation and growth.

  1. Reduce Infection Possibilities in a Pregnant Woman

Similar to fighting UTIs, cranberries have active components that reduce the probability of bacterial infections that may occur during pregnancy.