FOOTPRINTS

  During the recent days, we have seen news that there is lack of medical grade oxygen to treat the covid-19 patients in India.  Medical grade oxygen, or the oxygen used by hospitals and clinics is used to treat various illness(like Covid-19), that cause oxygen levels in the body to drop.  The air we breathe has only 21 per cent oxygen that is filtered by our lungs.  Medical grade oxygen is highly concentrated and it can be obtained in several ways.   First method is by liquifying air through a process called cryogenic distillation.  In this method, oxygen is produced in air separation plants, where the air is cooled, and the oxygen is distilled based on its boiling point.  Liquified air also separates into argon and nitrogen through the same method.   Second method of producing oxygen is from air itself, by a machine called, oxygen concentrator.  An oxygen concentrator is a self-contained, electrically powered medical device, designed to concentrate oxygen from ambient air.   The th

  Why is Labour Day celebrated around the world? What is Labour Day? International Labour Day is observed each year on May 1, to honour the labourer and workers, and to spread awareness about exploitation.  International labour day or May Day   celebrates labourers all around the world, and encourages them to be aware of their rights. It  is a public holiday in many countries.   History Earlier, the labours were exploited, as they were made to work for 15 hours a day, and it was in the year 1886, that the workers came together and started raising their voice for their right.  In the protest, they asked for working 8 hours a day, and to be provided with paid leaves. In 1889, socialist groups and trade unions in the US, designated May 1 as a day for workers.  This was in remembrance of the Haymarket Riots, in Chicago in 1886 when a labour protest rally turned violent, after someone threw a bomb at the police. Haymarket Riots Image Source :  www.history.com In 1889, the Marxist Internatio