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The Great India-Bharat divide

Sharad Joshi `India' is a notional entity, largely Anglicised and relatively better-off, which obtained the legacy of colonial exploitation from the British; while `Bharat' is largely rural, agricultural, poor and backward, and is subjected to colonial-like exploitation even after the end of the Raj, says Sharad Joshi, explaining the dichotomy in the economy.

"The Government is determined to bridge the divide that separates `India' and `Bharat'," screams a news item, quoting the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee. I wish I had taken out, in 1978, a copyright on the `India vs Bharat' syndrome. I could be getting substantial sums by way of royalties and I would not need to slog for wages and honoraria.

In 1978, some years after I became a practising farmer in the small village of Ambethan in Pune district of Maharashtra, I had put forward the idea of a neo-colonial exploitative relationship between the two notional entities `India' and `Bharat'. Since then a large number of people have used that expression often to mean things they had not intended. I made it clear right at the outset that these were not geographical entities, and had no territorial frontiers. `India' and `Bharat' are notional entities and I tried to define them as clearly as I could, at that point of time. `India' is that notional entity, largely Anglicised and relatively better-off, that had obtained the succession of colonial exploitation from the British; while `Bharat' is largely rural, agricultural, poor and backward that was being subjected to colonial-like exploitation even after the end of the Raj. Many have erroneously interpreted the expression to denote the urban-rural divide. That was far from my mind. In fact, I made it explicitly clear, even in those early stages, that the relatively opulent segment of the rural society that derived its incomes from non-agricultural activities under state-protection were a part of `India' while the slum dwellers and the footpath occupants of cities were, in fact, refugees from `Bharat' to `India' in search of livelihood. The basic purpose in enunciating the `India vs Bharat' was to do away, as suggested by Michael Lipton (Why Poor People Stay Poor), with all traces of geo-political character from Marx'sTown and Country Divide", German Ideology, as also Mahatma Gandhi's diatribe against the Townspeople who, he said, will have to answer before God for their sins against the rural people while bringing out, as starkly as possible the dual character of Indian society and wide chasm between the agricultural sector and the industry in British India. Like Ambedkar, I needed to bring out the iniquity of the Hindu caste system without driving them to ferociously anti-Hindu Islam. Chaudhary Charan Singh's `Asli Bharat' had a predominantly budgetary connotation. He brought out assiduously, with the data compiled by the Secretariat, that the budgetary allocations for the countryside had been, over a period, extremely unfair and unjust. The step-motherly treatment of the countryside by successive Finance Ministers has resulted in low income levels and poor infrastructure roads, railway network, telephones, post office, medical services, schools, electricity and all in the countryside. Charan's `Asli Bharat' is essentially a budgetary concept, quite different from the `Bharat' in the `India-Bharat' syndrome which is based on skewed trade relationships enforced through draconian laws. It is more than 25 years since the idea of `India-Bharat' was put forth and became the basis of today's farmers' movement in India. Now that the Prime Minister has specifically referred to the `India-Bharat' contradiction, it is worthwhile clarifying what made me formulate this expression for dualism in the economy. By 1978, I had come close to the realisation that, despite hard work in my chosen vocation, my academic and administrative background as also the considerable funds I had drawn from my UPU Provident Fund, I was fighting a losing battle and was sinking,

season by season, into losses and possibly into debt. I had not still fully realised the deliberate viciousness of the anti-farmer price policies of the Indian state. It was at the time, that a young boy who worked on my farm at the then prevailing minimum wage rate of Rs 3 per day managed to get a job in a Japanese collaboration factory Dai-ichi in nearby Pimpri-Chinchwad industrial area. At the end of one month, having received his first salary packet, he came to see me, eyes full of tears. "Here on the farm, I slogged from morning to evening, had hardly any time for a sip of water and I got 3 pieces per day. In the factory, all of us smoke bidisbehind the machines most of the time and I get at the end of a month ten times as much! What kind of a phenomenon is that?," he wondered. At about the same time, I saw, in a literacy night class I ran for those who worked on the farm, a little girl who had put her slate in her lap and was trying to copy the alphabets I had written on the blackboard, with utmost seriousness, serenity and concentration. The very next day I happened to visit a festival organised in my daughter's school. It was all fun, fanfare, games, shopping, refreshments, balloons, festoons, fire-crackers making in all for extreme hilarity. Little children were throwing away rupee notes as if they were scraps of paper. "Which was the true India I had returned to from Switzerland?," I asked myself. "The one in which the little girl was trying to learn her first alphabets in a dimly lit squalid room in Ambethan or this festival in Pune that an English-medium Convent school was organising?" It suddenly dawned on me that Ambethan and other villages, on the one hand, and Pimpri-Chinchwad and Pune, on the other, were worlds apart and had little in common between them. Countryside people migrated to cities in search of jobs exactly as the non-resident Indians settling abroad for quantum hikes in remunerations. Not a bit of funds that was wasted on festivities in urban schools could become available to provide blackboards in village schools. I had tried to explain what was churning my mind to my wife who in her enthusiasm mentioned the crass inequity of the situation to her sister, an affluent urban socialite. The reaction of the latter was simply stunning. "But, you know sister; these farmers do not mind living like that. They are so used to it, you know!" That clinched the thing for me. Not only was there the horrendous cleavage between the two notional entities, but there was further, a wall of apathy, indifference, unconcern and insensitivity. The predators had hardened their hearts to the miseries of their preys. It was this lack of sensitivity that convinced me that for all practical purposes the two notional entities were two separate nations, in spite of the fact that they shared a common flag and national anthem. I have put the genesis of the `India vs Bharat' expression to bring out all the dimensions of the divide. Since 1978, the chasm has further widened in, at least, two more dimensions added. First, the Digital Divide is keeping the informatics revolution in the field of communications away from the countryside. Second, the government is deliberately blocking the flow of technology, particularly bio-technology, into agriculture while allowing it to reach the urban sectors almost without any restrictions.

The Prime Minister has not spelt out what specifically he intended to do to bridge this divide between `India' and `Bharat'. The Budget day is fast approaching and the debate on the Kelkar Committee report has included serious suggestion of an agricultural income-tax. It would be crassly unfair if one tries to suggest that the Prime Minister would be thinking of endorsing agricultural tax to put `Bharat' out on a par with `India'. That would be ridiculous since the respectable farm community has always wanted the pleasure and the privilege of paying income-tax as also an income to pay them on. If the Prime minister is contemplating increases in the budgetary allocations for infrastructural development or development plan projects such as the Rural Road Development Plan or Linking of Rivers, he may not be able to go far because the fiscal limitations of both the Central and the State governments would make progress in that direction extremely tardy. The incremental budgetary allocation can be nowhere near the net losses inflicted on `Bharat' through negative subsidies The measures that are really required to be taken for removing the `India-Bharat' divide, as I highlighted it 25 years back, will be as follows: 1) Abolish all restrictive and monopoly regimes in agricultural sector including both the access to inputs and the post-harvest treatment of agricultural produce; 2) Abolish the Essential Commodities Act, the Food Corporation of India and the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC); 3) Pending reparations to farmers for damages caused them over the last 20 years on account of anti-farmer trade policies estimated by the Task Force on Agriculture at Rs 300,000 crore, put a moratorium on all coercive recoveries from farmers on account of loan recoveries, electricity dues, etc.; 4) Improve budgetary allocations for a day-to-day networking between `India' and `Bharat' including roads, waterways, railways and electronic communications. Measures of this type will take far more courage for the Prime Minister than what was required to do a `Pokhran'. TheHindutva front has been far too much preoccupied with the Partition; it has shown little concern for the `India-Bharat' divide which happened at about the same time. Now that the Prime Minister has shown an awareness of this reality, will he be able to muster the necessary courage to do his second `Pokhran' that will blast most post-Independence socio-economic and political institutions to theirfoundations?

GD/PI
Urbanization In India and Issues Involved
It is more than half of a century that India became independent. The country has evolved and emerged a lot from pre independence to post independence era. At the time of independence the country was poverty striken, improvised and rural agrarian economy. In 1947, only 15 per cent of the population in cities and towns were classified under urban areas. The rapid development and economic growth helped the country achieve the status of emerging nation. The country is now one of the leading nations among the developing countries and the progress has made the country leave behind many developed nations as well. As per recent United Nations development reports on urbanization, India has achieved 30 per cent urbanization by 2012. The urbanization in the country has increased from meager 10 per cent in 1901 to 30 per cent. However, it was much lesser in terms of rank when compared to other nations that have achieved a higher rate of urbanization and much less below the world urbanization population of 50 per cent (UNDP World Urbanization Prospects: The 2009 Revision). Urbanization implicates increase in population living in urban areas. An urban area, according to the census definition, is one that has (i) a minimum population of 5,000 (ii) at least 75 per cent of the male working population engaged in non- agricultural pursuits (iii) a density of population of atleast 400 per square kilometer (1,000 per square mile). With increase in population, the countrys urban population also increased. The census 2001 reports that almost 29 per cent of Indians in urban India. Apart from increase in population the other factors that have contributed to rapid urbanization are migration from rural sector to urban. This happened mainly on account of increasing infrastructural development to facilitate growth for corporate sector. While the major factor in intiating migration from rural areas to urban areas was increased landlessness in agricultural sector, reduced livelihood potential in rural sector and increasing employment opportunities in the urban sector with the growth of industries. The high level of income in urban areas, education, availabilities of basic amenities, improved infrastructural facilities and increase in medical facilities were some other factors that helped increase rapid urbanization. Among the states, Tamil Nadu is the most urbanized in large states with almost half of the population living in more than 600 towns. Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Haryana are the other states where the urban population exceeds 30 per cent of the total. In terms of absolute number of people living in urban areas, Maharashtra led with 41 million in 2001, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Orissa, Assam and Bihar are very low in terms of urbanization and remained largely agricultural states, where less than 20 per cent of the population lives in Urban areas. These are also the staes with low per capita incomes since their residents have little recourse to the opportunities in cities.

The basic features of urban development is increasing infrastructural facilities, access to improved communication and information technologies, qualitative living standard, high income spending, consumerism and improvement in other socio-economic parameters. These areas are also distinguished from the rural counterpart in terms of demographic indicators like low birth rate, low mortality, increased longevity etc. the issues of migration, unemployment are linked to increasing urbanization in the country. The seasonal unemployment and other factors that reduce the rural livelihood potential leads to increased migration towards urban sector. Improvements in connectivity through better communication and transport facilities have also made the migration, which was transitory in nature to permanent migration.

Capital Punishment Is A Necessary Evil

Capital punishment, the death penalty, or execution is the sentence of death upon a person by the state as a punishment for a crime. Crimes that can result in a death penalty are known as capital crimes or capital offences. The term capital originates from the Latin capitalis, literally "regarding the head". Hence a capital crime was originally one punished by severing the head from the body. Source Wikipedia. The Supreme Court of India ruled in 1983 that the death penalty should be imposed only in "the rarest of rare cases." Capital crimes are murder, gang robbery with murder, abetting the suicide of a child or insane person, waging war against the nation, and abetting mutiny by a member of the armed forces. Since 1989, the death penalty has also been legal for a second offense of "large scale narcotics trafficking". In recent years the death penalty has been imposed under new anti-terrorism legislation for people convicted of terrorist activities. Recently, the Indian Supreme Court in Swamy Sharaddananda v. State of Karnataka made imposing the death penalty even harder. The judgement holds that the rarest of the rare test prescribed in Bachchan Singhs case was diluted in the Machchi Singh case. The judgement then goes on to say that the rarest of the rare must be measured not only in qualitative but also in quantitative terms. Capital Punishment has in the past been practiced in almost every society of the world. Although at present only 58 countries practice it

most have abolished capital punishment. It is a matter of active controversy in various countries and states, and positions can vary within a single political ideology of cultural region. In the European Union member states prohibit the use of capital punishment and this is mentioned in Article 2 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. Republic of China, India, United States are the most populated states in the world and all have capital punishment. According to some estimates China executes highest number of people everywhere. More than any other country in the world. However, Iran and Singapore are also known for granting capital punishments to a large number of people every year. As to why capital punishment is given varies from one society to the other. Some of the crimes involve murder, espionage, treason, or as part of military justice. In some countries sexual crimes, such as rape, adultery, incest and sodomy, carry a death penalty as do religious crimes such as apostasy in Islamic nations ( the formal renunciation of the state religion). In many countries that use the death penalty, drug trafficking is also a capital offence. In China, human trafficking and serious cases of corruption are punished by the death penalty. In militaries around the world court- martials have impressed death sentences for offences such as cowardice, desertion, insubordination, and mutiny. This is what the Supreme Court Of India in the Bachan Singh Case "For persons convicted of murder, life imprisonment is the rule and death sentence an exception. A real and abiding concern for the dignity of human life postulates resistance to taking a life through law's instrumentality. That ought not be done save in the rarest of rare cases when the alternative option is unquestionably foreclosed." A 2011 Gallup poll showed 61% of Americans favored it in cases of murder while 35% opposed it, the lowest level of support recorded by

Gallup since 1972. When life in prison without parole is listed as a poll option, the support for the death penalty drops substantially; a 2010 Gallup poll found 49% preferring the death penalty and 46% favoring life without parole.

Chinese leaders have historically justified the frequent use of capital punishment through reference to public opinion polls showing widespread support for the practice. Surveys conducted by theChinese Academy of Social Sciences in 1995, for instance, found that 95 percent of the Chinese population supported the death penalty, and these results were mirrored in other studies. Critics have noted, however, that these public opinion polls were of questionable value. Polling conducted in 2007 in Beijing, Hunan and Guangdong showed that only 58 percent favor the use of the death penalty. When questioned further on the use of capital punishment for specific crimes, support fell further. These surveys revealed a general ignorance and ambivalence about the use of the death penalty, and further found that a majority (68 percent) believed that the government should release execution statistics to the public. Human rights groups and foreign governments have criticized China's use of the death penalty for a variety of reasons, including its application for non-violent offenses, allegations of the use of torture to exact confessions, legal proceedings that do not meet international standards, and the government's not publishing statistics on the death penalty. The Coalition to Investigate the Persecution of Falun Gong has accused Chinese hospitals of using the organs of executed prisoners for commercial transplantation. Under Chinese law, condemned prisoners must give written consent to become organ donors, but because of this and other legal restrictions an international black market in organs and cadavers from China has developed. In 2009,

Chinese authorities acknowledged that two-thirds of organ transplants in the country could be traced back to executed prisoners and announced a crackdown on the practice. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in December 1948, recognizes each persons right to life. It categorically states that No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment (Article 5). In Amnesty Internationals view, the death penalty violates these rights. The community of states has adopted four international treaties specifically providing for the abolition of the death penalty. Through the years, several UN bodies discussed and adopted measures to support the call for the worldwide abolition of the death penalty. In December 2007 and 2008 the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted resolutions 62/149 and 63/168, calling for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty. Since then, other regional bodies or civil society coalitions adopted resolutions and declarations advocating for a moratorium on executions as a step towards global abolition of the death penalty. These resolutions are not legally binding on governments, but represent important milestones for the abolitionist movement and constitute a continued progress towards the total exclusion of capital punishment from International Law. Recent Cases For Which Capital Punishment Has Been Awarded The below mentioned are some of the recent cases in which death penalty was awarded. Drug Trafficking Three foreign nationals convicted of drug-related offences in Saudi

Arabia must not be executed, Amnesty International said amid reports of a surge in executions in the kingdom since the beginning of the year.Ali Agirdas, a Turkish national, as well as Sheikh Mastan and Hamza Abu Bakir, both Indian nationals, may be executed at any time following their conviction for drug smuggling and drug possession. Spying Amir Hekmati, an Arizona-born Iranian-American who had served as an Arabic translator in the US Marine Corps, was accused of spying for the CIA and sentenced to death for collaboration with a hostile government. His appeal against this conviction and sentence must be lodged within 20 days by Iran Sorcery The beheading of a woman convicted of witchcraft and sorcery is deeply shocking and highlights the urgent need for a halt in executions in Saudi Arabia, Amnesty International said today. The Interior Ministry said that the woman, Amina bint Abdul Halim bin Salem Nasser, a Saudi Arabian national, was executed on Monday in the northern province of al-Jawf. It gave no further details of the charges against her. Terrorism A court in the Belarusian capital Minsk today handed down death sentences for two men after what Amnesty International said was a flawed trial that fell short of international standards. The court convicted Dzmitry Kanavalau of producing explosives and committing terrorist attacks, including in Minsk metro system earlier this year. Uladzslau Kavalyou was found guilty for assisting him and failing to inform the authorities.
Urbanization In India and Issues Involved

It is more than half of a century that India became independent. The country has evolved and emerged a lot from pre independence to post independence era. At the time of independence the country was poverty striken, improvised and rural agrarian economy. In 1947, only 15 per cent of the population in cities and towns were classified under urban areas. The rapid development and economic growth helped the country achieve the status of emerging nation. The country is now one of the leading nations among the developing countries and the progress has made the country leave behind many developed nations as well. As per recent United Nations development reports on urbanization, India has achieved 30 per cent urbanization by 2012. The urbanization in the country has increased from meager 10 per cent in 1901 to 30 per cent. However, it was much lesser in terms of rank when compared to other nations that have achieved a higher rate of urbanization and much less below the world urbanization population of 50 per cent (UNDP World Urbanization Prospects: The 2009 Revision). Urbanization implicates increase in population living in urban areas. An urban area, according to the census definition, is one that has (i) a minimum population of 5,000 (ii) at least 75 per cent of the male working population engaged in non- agricultural pursuits (iii) a density of population of atleast 400 per square kilometer (1,000 per square mile). With increase in population, the countrys urban population also increased. The census 2001 reports that almost 29 per cent of Indians in urban India. Apart from increase in population the other factors that have contributed to rapid urbanization are migration from rural sector to urban. This happened mainly on account of increasing infrastructural development to facilitate growth for corporate sector. While the major factor in intiating migration from rural areas to urban areas was increased landlessness in agricultural sector, reduced livelihood potential in rural sector and increasing employment opportunities in the urban sector with the growth of industries. The high level of income in urban areas, education, availabilities of basic amenities, improved infrastructural facilities and increase in medical facilities were some other factors that helped increase rapid urbanization. Among the states, Tamil Nadu is the most urbanized in large states with almost half of the population living in more than 600 towns. Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka and Haryana are the other states where the urban population exceeds 30 per cent of the total. In terms of absolute number of people living in urban areas, Maharashtra led with 41 million in 2001, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Orissa, Assam and Bihar are very low in terms of urbanization and remained largely agricultural states, where less than 20 per cent of the population lives in Urban areas. These are also the staes with low per capita incomes since their residents have little recourse to the opportunities in cities. The basic features of urban development is increasing infrastructural facilities, access to improved communication and information technologies, qualitative living standard, high income spending, consumerism and improvement in other socio-economic parameters. These areas are also distinguished from the rural counterpart in terms of demographic indicators like low birth rate, low mortality, increased longevity etc. the issues of migration, unemployment are linked to increasing urbanization in the country. The seasonal unemployment and other factors that reduce the rural livelihood potential leads to increased migration towards urban sector. Improvements in connectivity through better communication and transport facilities have also made the migration, which was transitory in nature to permanent migration.

Essay on Earthquakes - When Mother Nature Unleashes Her Fury


ARPITA ESSAY FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS

Mother Nature has created a number of beautiful things on this heavenly earth for man. Earth is not less than heaven if man learns to live the right way Mother Nature had hoped he would live his precious life. But man has always betrayed Mother Nature's trust. But a kind and loving mother as she always has been, she has been continuously ignoring his blunders, his failures and his mistakes as his tantrums that a child always throws up when he is in his mother's lap. But there are times when anger gets the better of her and she unleashes her fury which leaves a trail of havoc and mass destruction, enough devastating for man to realize his mistake. Earthquakes are a true example of Mother Nature's fury on the human race. Scientifically defined as the displacement of the earth's crust along the lines of weaknesses, an earthquake of medium intensity can cause enough destruction to life and infrastructure, which cannot be rehabilitated properly for a decade to come. Earthquakes are unpredictable, their occurrence in a true sense can never be predicted which makes them even more devastating among other natural calamities. An earthquake can happen at any place and at any time, it never gives its victims a chance to escape. An earthquake is accompanied by violent shaking of the ground, which is sometimes violent enough to cause even the tallest and toughest skyscrapers to crumble like breadcrumbs. The logic behind an earthquake is even more interesting. The point of origin of an earthquake is called the focus and lies deep within the earth's crust. The point that is vertically above the focus on the surface is called the epicenter and is liable to maximum damage as the intensity of the earthquake at this point is far greater than the surrounding areas. An aqueous layer of molten rocks called the mantle supports the earth's crust. The crust is divided into several plates that drift on this molten layer. This movement of the plates is negligible and causes mild shocks that are even hard to notice. However, a few of them are liable to widespread damage and panic. Earthquakes vary in intensity. The instrument most frequently used by the seismologists, i.e. the people who study the movement of the earth's crust, is the Richter's scale. An earthquake of intensity

on the Richter's generates a force equivalent to hundred times the intensity of the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima. As the value increases with one on the Richter's scale, the intensity increases hundred times the previous one. Another device is the seismograph that is used to measure earthquakes that are of small intensity and are known as tremors. However these instruments are only used to measure the aftermaths of the earthquakes, they cannot be used to predict the occurrence of an earthquake. However for the sake of distinction, scientists have divided the earth's crust into various seismic zones on the basis of the seismic activity of the respective zone. The most seismically active zone is the most prone to earthquakes. An earthquake cannot be avoided, but several precautions can be taken in this respect. Animals can be of utmost use. Animals have their senses highly modified and developed as compared to the humans. Animals can sense an earthquake hours before its occurrence and hence respond automatically. In Japan, which is in the earthquake prone zone, people breed a special species of fish that behaves in an unusual manner before an earthquake by jumping out of water and diving in again. Similarly advanced earthquake- proof constructions can also help in reducing the extent of the damage. However nature is not to take the entire blame for the destruction caused by an earthquake. Illegal building constructions are in a way more than responsible for the damage done to life and property. The scene after an earthquake is horrible. Because of the collapsed buildings, several people are buried alive under the debris. A majority of the people die not because of the injuries but due to tardy reinforcement work. People are rendered homeless for several days, and a lot of time is wasted in the assessment of the damage. Remote areas are ignored altogether. Casualties don't mount because of the earthquake but because of hunger and diseases. However, in spite of this slow rehabilitation work, the whole nation should face this calamity as one, because without unity nothing is possible, but everything is impossible.

Should there be liquor prohibition?


SOUMYA SHORT ESSAYS

In a democracy where the concept of individual freedom is an integral part, any talk of general code of conduct becomes ticklish. Perhaps in a utopian society an issue like liquor prohibition will be found both desirable as well as feasible but in a real society, notwithstanding the possible calamitous effects of liquor, the issue generates lot of heat and sweat. But one cannot shy away from tackling the issue only on the plea of maintain individual freedom and right to have ones own way of life. Right and duty or in this case individuality and responsibility should and do go hand in hand. One can come across numerous cases where the so called individuals right to drink has resulted in collapse of family harmony and health. People resorting to such mean things life wife beating, using abusive terms, neglecting children, selling properties and last but not least endangering their lives as a result or cause of liquor addiction are quite common in the society. Should these people have the right to have their own way? Should they be allowed to encroach upon others right to live life harmoniously however close they might be?

But perhaps the scenes one has listed are credited by the people addicted to alcohol. But what about those people and their rights who go for a peg or two in order to enjoy themselves, in order to celebrate some rare occasions? Further it is scientifically proved that a moderated dose of liquor may in some cases be beneficial for health. Liquor prohibition in general might, in fact, become a blessing in disguise for those who have become slaves to alcohol, but for the people who exercise self restraint such a policy would certainly be encroaching upon their right to live life accordingly. Beside this question of individual freedom the contribution of liquor to the national revenue cannot be ignored. A national ban on the sale of liquor would have disastrous impact upon the livelihood of lakes of people employed in the liquor industry. Also there have been suggestions that liquor should be banned in five-star hotels because they do not promote tourism in any way. Liquor might not promote tourism but lack of it in five-star hotels, frequented by foreign tourists, would affect tourism negatively. Actually in modern society any issue related to mankind ultimately comes up to subjective conviction. The habit of drinking is started out of individual preference and it can be stopped only when one comes to realize its repercussions. But considering the enormity of the problem what is needed is active co-operation of the society and government. Though the performance of government in creating awareness among the people regarding issues like family planning, compulsory primary education etc. has not been up to mark, still the hope of change lies through the governments will-power only. It should encourage volunteer organization in spreading awareness about the possible repercussions of liquor consumption. Thus the rising trend of liquor addition also becomes a result of overall social backwardness. But considering that the awareness campaign is a long term treatment and to have desired impact on the society one has to wait for a good period of time, one can suggest some temporary measures like restricted sale and a judicial increase in the prices of the liquor also. Further, the problem of liquor production s a problem of law and order too. We have instances of illegal liquor factories also and it is here that law has to tighten its grip. Perhaps only then one can come up to the optimum situation where liquor consumption is just a matter of self-choice, not self-compulsion, considering the fact that complete liquor prohibition on the part of the state is not feasible. The reported thinking of the Andhra Pradesh Government to lift the bank on the sale of liquor on the one side and the increase of liquor sale in Delhi and Punjab due to bank of liquor sale in Haryana is cases in point. Even if there is a nation wide ban we may come across further problem of struggling along the lines of drug-trafficking.

Short Essay on Globalisation


ROHINI DASGUPTA SHORT ESSAYS

The term 'globalisation' has been subjected to a variety of interpretations. Though it may simply mean global interconnectedness, it includes a number of interlinked and complex economic, technological, cultural, environmental and political processes. The concept of globalisation is closely connected to recent changes in the world economy. The entire industrialised world was hit by an economic crisis in the 1970s. Profits fell sharply and capitalist companies were forced to expand the international nature of their production and trade. In the 1980s and 1990s capitalist corporations of rich countries have sought to increase their share of the world market by moving capital from country to country. Multinational Companies (MNCs),

controlled the world market from developed countries but doing business throughout the world and, are the dominant actors in the world economy. These MNCs are so rich that in terms of resources they rival the state & rules of international trade as well as domestic economic policies of countries throughout the world have been dramatically changed to meet the needs of free flow of capital, technology and profit across national boundaries. The international economy has been substantially restructured to remove restrictions on such free flow. International economic and trade organisations like the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the World Trade Organisation are advocating and controlling this process of restructuring am the politics of the states are modified to meet the requirements of these organisations. The thinking, in these institutions is greatly influenced be 'neoliberal' ideas. Such ideas had gained popularity in countries like U.K. and U.S.A. in the 1980s and came to replace the ideas of welfare stats Neoliberalism can be interpreted as a new version of individualism. During the process of globalisation neoliberal policies are being implemented in the underdeveloped countries.

Why the population of India is increasing rapidly ?


SAMBIT KUMAR GEOGRAPHY

The increase in population depends on the difference between the birth rate and the death rate. If in a particular year the number of new born babies is equal to the number of deaths in the year, the population will neither increase nor decrease and in case the number of new born babies is more than the number of deaths, the population will increase. Now we have more hospitals, doctors and nurses than before. Health care has increased. New medicines have been found out which cure the diseases more effectively. Some epidemics which claimed more lives have been eradicated. Death rate among the children which was quite high has been minimised. With new researches and new medicines the people now enjoy longer lives. The difference between the birth rate and the death rate has increased. That is why the population of India has increased. We should check this rapid increase in population. We should control the birth rate. We should visit family welfare centres and take advice from the doctors. If we are able to control the birth rate, we shall be able to check the rapid increase in population. Our Government is also educating the people about this alarming rate of increase in population and has launched various family welfare programmes. Advantages of a Small Family : A small family is a happy family. A small family is that family which has only one or two children. In such a family children get good attention and grow up strong and happy persons.. The children in a small family get better and nourishing food. They can be sent to good schools for better education. Children in a large family cannot be sent to better schools as the parents cannot afford fees and other expenses.

1235 words free sample essay on Feminism


VINEET PRAKASH ESSAY TOPICS FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS

Feminism refers to political, cultural, and economic movements aimed at establishing greater rights, legal protection for women, and or women's liberation. It includes some of the sociological theories and philosophies concerned with issues of gender difference. Nancy Cott defines feminism as the belief in the importance of gender equality, invalidating the idea of gender hierarchy as a socially constructed concept. Feminism has earned itself a bad reputation, but it never undermined gender differences that exist between males and females. A man can never be as good a mother as a female can. Similarly, a woman can never be as good a father as a male can. While accepting these anatomical and physiological differences between the two genders, feminism seeks for both genders to be equally respected. They are both human and as a species, humans cannot progress without either one of them. Maggie Humm and Rebecca Walker divide the history of feminism into three waves. The first wave transpired in the nineteenth and early twentieth centurys, the second occurred in the 1960s and 1970s, and the third extends from the 1990s to the present. In each wave of the movement, though men have taken part in significant responses to feminism, the relationship between men and feminism has been complex. Historically, a number of men have engaged with feminism. Philosopher Jeremy Bentham demanded equal rights for women in the eighteenth century. In 1866, philosopher John Stuart Mill presented a women's petition to the British Parliament and supported an amendment to the 1867 Reform Bill. An extension of feminism into theoretical or philosophical fields such as anthropology, sociology, economics, women's studies, literary criticism, art history, and psychoanalysis is called feminist theory. Feminist theory aims to understand gender inequality and focuses on gender politics, power relations, and sexuality. While providing a critique of these social and political relations, much of feminist theory focuses on the promotion of women's rights and interests. Themes explored in feminist theory include discrimination, stereotyping, objectification (especially sexual objectification), oppression, and patriarchy. Today, feminist theory has manifested in a variety of disciplines such as feminist geography, feminist history, feminist theology, and feminist literary criticism and has changed traditional perspectives on a wide range of areas in human life, from culture to law. Feminist activists have campaigned for women's legal rights such as rights of contract, property rights, and voting rights while also promoting women's rights to bodily integrity and autonomy, abortion rights, and reproductive rights. They have struggled to protect women and girls from domestic violence, sexual harassment, and rape. On economic matters, feminists have advocated for workplace rights, including maternity leave and equal pay, and against other forms of gender-specific discrimination against women. During much of its history, feminist movements and theories were led predominantly by middleclass white women from Western Europe and North America. However, at least since Sojourner Truth's 1851 speech to American feminists, women of other races have proposed alternative feminisms. This trend accelerated in the 1960s with the civil rights movement in the United States and the collapse of European colonialism in Africa, the Caribbean, parts of Latin America, and Southeast Asia. Since that time, women in former European colonies and the Third World have proposed postcolonial and Third World feminisms. Postcolonial feminists argue that oppression relating to the colonial experience, particularly racial, class, and ethnic oppression, has marginalized women in postcolonial societies. They challenge the assumption that gender oppression is the primary force of patriarchy. They object to portrayals of women of non-Western societies as passive and voiceless victims and the portrayal of Western women as modern, educated, and empowered.

Today, they struggle to fight gender oppression within their own cultural models of society rather than through those imposed by the Western colonizers. They, thus, react against both universalizing tendencies in Western feminist thought and a lack of attention to gender issues in mainstream postcolonial thought. Some postcolonial feminists, such as Chandra Talpade Mohanty and Black feminists, such as Angela Davis and Alice Walker, are critical of Western feminism for being ethnocentric. Chandra Talpade Mohanty criticizes Western feminism on the ground that it does not take into account the unique experiences of women from third-world countries or the existence of feminisms indigenous to thirdworld countries. This discourse is strongly related to African feminism and is also associated with concepts such as black feminism, womanism, Africana womanism, motherism, Stiwanism, negofeminism, chicana feminism, and femalism. Pro-feminism is the support of feminism without implying that the supporter is a member of the feminist movement. The term is most often used in reference to men who are actively supportive of feminism and of their efforts to bring about gender equality. The activities of pro- feminist men's groups include anti-violence work with boys and young men in schools, offering sexual harassment workshops in workplaces, running community education campaigns, and counseling male perpetrators of violence. Pro-feminist men also are involved in men's health, activism against pornography including antipornography legislation, men's studies, and the development of gender equity curricula in schools. This work is sometimes in collaboration with feminists and women's services, such as domestic violence and rape crisis centers. Some activists of both genders refer to all pro-feminist men as 'profeminists' and not as 'feminists'. There have been positive and negative reactions and responses to feminism, depending on the individual man and the social context of the time. These responses have varied from pro-feminism to masculism to anti-feminism. In the twenty-first century, new reactions to feminist ideologies have emerged, including a generation of male scholars involved in gender studies and men's rights activists who promote male equality including equal treatment in family, divorce, and antidiscrimination law. Today, academics like Michael Flood, Michael Messner, and Michael Kimmel are involved with men's studies and pro- feminism. The United Nations Human Development Report 2004 estimated that, when both paid employment and unpaid household tasks are accounted for, on average women work more than men. In rural areas of selected developing countries women performed an average of 20 per cent more work than men, or an additional 102 minutes per day. In the OECD countries surveyed, on average women performed 5 per cent more work than men, or 20 minutes per day. On 3 September 1981. The UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), described as an international bill of rights for women, came into force. While Iran, Sudan, Somalia, Qatar, Nauru, Palau, and Tonga have not ratified CEDAW, several countries have ratified the Convention subject to certain declarations, reservations, and objections. A number of feminist writers maintain that identifying as a feminist is the strongest stand men can take in the struggle against sexism. They have argued that men should be allowed, or even be encouraged, to participate in the feminist movement. Other female feminists counter- argue that men cannot be feminists simply because they are not women. They maintain that men are granted inherent privileges that prevent them from identifying with feminist struggles, thus making it impossible for them to identify with feminists.

Irrespective of what the feminist writers maintain, the feminist movement has effected change in Western society, including women's suffrage, greater access to education, more nearly equitable pay with men, the right to initiate divorce proceedings and 'no fault' divorce, and the right of women to make individual decisions regarding pregnancy (including access to contraceptives and abortion), as well as the right to own property.

Jan Lokpal Bill


The Jan Lokpal Bill (Citizen's ombudsman Bill) is a draft anti-corruption bill drawn up by prominent civil society activists seeking the appointment of a Jan Lokpal, an independent body that would investigate corruption cases, complete the investigation within a year and envisages trial in the case getting over in the next one year. Drafted by Justice Santosh Hegde (former Supreme Court Judge and present Lokayukta of Karnataka), Prashant Bhushan (Supreme Court Lawyer) and Arvind Kejriwal (RTI activist), the draft Bill envisages a system where a corrupt person found guilty would go to jail within two years of the complaint being made and his ill-gotten wealth being confiscated. It also seeks power to the Jan Lokpal to prosecute politicians and bureaucrats without government permission. Retired IPS officer Kiran Bedi and other known people like Swami Agnivesh, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Anna Hazare and Mallika Sarabhai are also part of the movement, called India Against Corruption. Its website describes the movement as "an expression of collective anger of people of India against corruption. We have all come together to force/request/persuade/pressurize the Government to enact the Jan Lokpal Bill. We feel that if this Bill were enacted it would create an effective deterrence against corruption."Anna Hazare, anti-corruption crusader, began a fast-unto-death today, demanding that this bill, drafted by the civil society, be adopted. The website of the India Against Corruption movement calls the Lokpal Bill of the government an "eyewash" and has on it a critique of that government Bill. It also lists the difference between the Bills drafted by the government and civil society. A look at the salient features of Jan Lokpal Bill: 1. An institution called LOKPAL at the centre and LOKAYUKTA in each state will be set up 2. Like Supreme Court and Election Commission, they will be completely independent of the governments. No minister or bureaucrat will be able to influence their investigations. 3. Cases against corrupt people will not linger on for years anymore: Investigations in any case will have to be completed in one year. Trial

should be completed in next one year so that the corrupt politician, officer or judge is sent to jail within two years. 4. The loss that a corrupt person caused to the government will be recovered at the time of conviction. 5. How will it help a common citizen: If any work of any citizen is not done in prescribed time in any government office, Lokpal will impose financial penalty on guilty officers, which will be given as compensation to the complainant. 6. So, you could approach Lokpal if your ration card or passport or voter card is not being made or if police is not registering your case or any other work is not being done in prescribed time. Lokpal will have to get it done in a month's time. You could also report any case of corruption to Lokpal like ration being siphoned off, poor quality roads been constructed or panchayat funds being siphoned off. Lokpal will have to complete its investigations in a year, trial will be over in next one year and the guilty will go to jail within two years. 7. But won't the government appoint corrupt and weak people as Lokpal members? That won't be possible because its members will be selected by judges, citizens and constitutional authorities and not by politicians, through a completely transparent and participatory process. 8. What if some officer in Lokpal becomes corrupt? The entire functioning of Lokpal/ Lokayukta will be completely transparent. Any complaint against any officer of Lokpal shall be investigated and the officer dismissed within two months. 9. What will happen to existing anti-corruption agencies? CVC, departmental vigilance and anti-corruption branch of CBI will be merged into Lokpal. Lokpal will have complete powers and machinery to independently investigate and prosecute any officer, judge or politician. 10. It will be the duty of the Lokpal to provide protection to those who are being victimized for raising their voice against corruption.

Tackling Hunger Globally Hunger is one of the indicators of the magnitude of social injustices that exist in the world. Its existence can be traced back very many years back. The French Revolution in the 18th Century was driven not only by demands for political freedom, but also by the lack of bread in Paris. Food has been the cause and effect of many riots occurring whenever government policies caused severe economic hardship and clashed with the basic human right to food. Tea was a non-edible food item that was used as a protest

tool by a group of Boston citizens, to protest the British tax on tea imported to the colonies. The food crises around the world prompted the establishment of the World Food Programme. In addition, many other United Nations agencies have included hunger or food security in their work programmes. These include: The United Nations Children Education Fund, the United Nations Development Programme, the World Health Organisation and the different United Nations missions to war torn countries. The term 'hunger' is loosely defined and the meaning is often adapted to serve the purposes of those who may be experiencing it. For many, especially in affluent countries, hunger is the gnawing pain in the stomach when a meal is missed. On the other extreme, hunger is the physical depletion of those suffering from chronic undernutrition. Hunger is, however, multi-dimensional, encompassing the emotional and political aspects of the society. It includes the anguish of a farmer faced with the choice of selling the produce from his farm, to pay rent for the land or feeding his family with the food. It involves the grief of watching in helplessness as loved ones die for breaking the practices and policies set by a handful of elites. Restrictions and laws are put in place to ensure that the poor and hungry are forced to provide their labour in exchange for low wages or small portions of food. In order to maintain the status quo, regulations are in place to reduce the chances of self-sufficiency for the poor. Even the Indian government's schemes of rice and wheat at extremely subsidized rates is a no-go-either that grain finds its way to the black market or the quality is too poor to be consumed by any human being. Population growth has been believed to be the cause of hunger in some parts of the world, as there is pressure on the world's limited resources. Thomas Malthus, an English economist, argued that population growth would inevitably outstrip the food and water supply at some point, since productive land and safe drinking water are finite resources. Mass starvation and anarchy would, therefore, be a consequence of a high rate of population growth. This belief and the problem of addressing the needs of a growing population led to drastic measures to reduce the rate of population growth. Hunger is a cause and effect of poverty. It is responsible for the debilitation of people physically, physiologically and psychologically. The most abundant asset available to the poor is labour, which could be used to earn a living. However, hunger means that this labour is ineffective, entrapping the poor in hunger and poverty. For the abjectly poor, the daily struggle of finding food for the family pushes aside any consideration of long-term development. While modern technology and medical research have discovered many innovative ways of fighting many pests and diseases, famines has been a source of serious distress for many years. The pressure to feed the world's population has resulted in the use of marginal, erosion-prone lands and deforestation. This makes the environment more prone to famine situations and the fertility of the land is undermined. Natural disasters are indiscriminate and affect the poor and rich alike. An option to the hunger in present day is to reconstruct agriculture to be more self-reliant and discourage specialization. Help from aid agencies has to be reduced by increasing self-reliance, for that is a long-term measure. The development of farm cooperatives should be encouraged to facilitate and support farming activities among farm workers and urban migrants wishing to return to their rural homes. Increasing the amount of arable land under cultivation can also enhance food

security.Reduction or cancellation of debts owed by farmers would be an incentive for their increased contribution towards ensuring food security. The exploitation of farm workers and small farmers is mainly because of their inability to exact a fair price for their labour and the goods they produce in a monopoly-controlled market. No wonder the suicides have become a regular feature in the rural districts. Unless the work is taken up on a war footing across the world, we will be put to shame repeatedly by skeletal expressions of people in places like Somalia, Ethiopia, and closer home in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh etc.

Bribery in Business The survey further reveals that a minimum of 13 clearances are required to start a new venture and the ordeal could last a minimum of 33 days. Obtaining a licence requires 20 clearances and could take 224 days if you remain on the fast track with an open purse. Registering property involves six clearances taking 62 days. Whatever new methods may be devised to check corruption, the Indian ingenuity would find ways of checkmating them. Still, the commission has recommended a unique company number to get all clearances at one go, hoping that this would drive out corruption. Sometimes, one wonders how people are able to get into business and make a success of it. It seems Indian businessman too is equally corrupt and soon learns how to loot and rob the consumer because, ultimately, the costs of bribe are passed on to the buyer and consumer.National Knowledge Commission survey's findings are startling. Sixty-one per cent-who started businesses between 2000-07-said they did not get a bank loan when they started. "There was a high perception among entrepreneurs that it is very difficult to get bank loans at the start-up stage though it becomes comparatively easy at the growth stage", the survey said. Naturally, once you are running an operation, the Bank officials will themselves advise you as to how to hoodwink and overcome the Banks and bypass rules and conditions for a loan at reasonable bribes because while documents may be signed on the table, bribes are paid under the table. Perhaps not. Now even this formality is done away with. Bribes are being taken and given in the open.The biggest motivating factor for becoming an entrepreneur, according to the survey, was the willingness to be independent of the family and a job. Ambition to become rich also plays a part. Strong motivation appears to be the vital factor in entering and surviving in business because the business world is no bed of roses. Bargaining and calculating risks are a necessarypart of an enterprise. On top of that, one has to do unlawful things for survival and success. There is a belief that behind every million made, there is a big crime and hundreds of novels have been written on this theme. Both private individual business and corporate business are rife with bribery. Corporate competition is often carried out as a war and bribery and corruption are resorted to because "everything is fair in love and war".Alcatel, one of the "biggest and cleanest corporate entities", finally got exposed in 2001 when Costa Rica prosecutors combed through the bank records and found Alcatel made $15 million in

illicit payments to top politicians and bureaucrats and former President Miguel Angel Rodrguez was jailed for accepting bribe from Alcatel. In Europe, governments are finally cracking down on big business. Transparency International is fighting corruption effectively. The OECD agreement took effect in 1999 in 35 countries, imposing criminal penalties on companies found guilty of bribery. "The climate has definitely changed", says Susan Hawley, an anti-corruption research consultant. "The change in laws is beginning to bite."But India continues to be one of the most corrupt nations of the world.

ALL OF US LEARN FROM OUR FAILURES AS WELL AS SUCCESS There is no finality about failure, said Jawaharlal Nehru. Perhaps, that is why learning from failure is easier than learning from success, as success often appears to be the last step of the ladder. Possibilities of life, however, are endless and there are worlds beyond the stars-which is literally true. What appears as success in one moment may turn out to be a failure or even worse in the next moment.We often do not know what is failure and what is success ultimately. There are examples of people who became wealthy but renounced all their wealth achieved after a lifetime's effort. The kings like Bharthrihari gave up their kingdoms because of their failure in love. The Duke of Windsor abdicated the throne of England for marrying an American divorcee Miss Simpson.While we can see our failures clearly, success is prone to blind our vision. Yet, the time-world that we live in is a mixture of pain and pleasure, sorrow and delight, light and darkness, success and failure! Success as well as failure are parts of our life and experience. We gain from both and also lose from both. Failure dejects us, success delights us, but experience accretes them both. After a while, success also loses its shine just as failure loses its sting. An aware person learns from both successes and failures of life and begins to see life what it is. Most people try to achieve what they want. They either fail or succeed in getting what they want.In a difficult world trial and error become our way of solving life's problems. Yet there are escapists who avoid undertaking the trial because they are scared of meeting failure or committing the error. They, perhaps, consider making mistake as wrong and harmful but the fact is that, for most of us, trial and error are both helpful and necessary.Error provides the feedback for building the ladder to success. Error pushes one to put together a new and better trial, leading through more errors and trials, hopefully, finding ultimately a workable and creative solution. To meet with an error is only a temporary, and often necessary part of the process that leads to success or well-earned achievement. No errors or failures, often, means no success either. This is more true in business and while handling an on-going project.According some business training programmes, an early partial success is not commended. In fact, early success in a long-term project is

regarded as a premature outcome of good efforts that is likely to cause complaisance and slackening of effort to achieve the ultimate objective of the project. Early success might tempt one to get fixed on to what seemed to have worked so quickly and easily and stop from looking up any further. Later, maybe, a competitor will learn from the slackened 'achiever' to further explore for larger possibilities and push on to find a much better solution that will push the earlier achiever out of the competition. Yet, there are many organisations who believe in what they call 'culture of perfection: a set of organisational beliefs that any failure is unacceptable'. Only a hundred per cent, untainted success will be acceptable. "To retain your reputation as an achiever, you must reach every goal and never, ever make a mistake that you can't hide or blame on someone else".But this is a flawed strategy because the stress and terror in such an organisation, at some point, become unbearable and lead to attrition. The ceaseless covering up of small blemishes, finger-pointing and shifting the blame result into rapid turnover, as people rise high, then fall abruptly from grace. Meanwhile, lying, cheating, falsifying of data, and hiding of problems goes on and swings and shakes the organisation from crisis to crisis and, ultimately, weakens it irreparably.Some ego-driven, 'experienced' achievers forget that time and environment have changed and demand other kinds of inputs. A senior lecturer of ten years' standing was rejected and one with only one-year experience was selected. When the senior protested, selectors told him: "You too have only one year of experience-only repeated ten times. The selected lecturer has fresher and more relevant experience." Balance counts and a little failure may help preserve one's perspective on success. Finally, life is more than a count of failures and successes, as a humorist said: "try and try-only twice, the third time let some one else try" is yet another way of looking at life's struggle.

Role of media in a democracy


Introduction Democracy means "A system of government in which all the people of a country can vote to elect their representatives". Media came into existence in 1780 with the introduction of a newspaper namely "The Bengal Gazette" and since then it has matured leaps and bounds. It has been playing a very important role in shaping human minds. Role of media Media plays a crucial role in shaping a healthy democracy. It is the backbone of a democracy. Media makes us aware of various social, political and economical activities happening around the world. It is like a mirror, which shows us or strives to show us the bare truth and harsh realities of life.The media has undoubtedly evolved and

become more active over the years. It is the media only who reminds politicians about their unfulfilled promises at the time of elections. T.V news channels excessive coverage during elections helps people, especially illiterates, in electing the right person to the power. This reminder compels politicians to be upto their promises in order to remain in power.Television and radio have made a significant achievement in educating rural illiterate masses in making them aware of all the events in their language. Coverage of exploitative malpractices of village heads and moneylenders has helped in taking stringent actions against them by attracting governments attention.The media also exposes loopholes in the democratic system, which ultimately helps government in filling the vacuums of loopholes and making a system more accountable, responsive and citizen-friendly. A democracy without media is like a vehicle without wheels.In the age of information technology we are bombarded with information. We get the pulse of the world events with just a click of a mouse. The flow of information has increased manifolds. The perfect blend of technology and human resources (journalist) has not left a single stone unturned in unearthing rampant corruption in politics and society. We all are well aware of what tehelka did. Thanks to technology that has brought a kind of revolution in journalism. Impact of media The impact of media is really noteworthy. Excessive coverage or hype of sensitive news has led to communal riots at times. The illiterates are more prone to provocations than the literates. Constant repetition of the news, especially sensational news, breeds apathy and insensitivity. For instance, In Dhananjoy Chatterjee case, the overloaded hype led to death of quite a few children who imitated the hanging procedure which was repeatedly shown in most of the T.V. news channels. There is a plethora of such negative impacts. Media should take utmost care in airing or publishing such sensational news. Commercialization has created a stiff competition in media. In order to outdo each other print media has often gone one step further in publishing articles, cover stories, etc. on sex.Media experts say this is one of the means of attracting readers who are glued to T.V. news channels, which have cropped up swiftly in a recent past and they believe this is a cheap form of journalism. Conclusion No one is perfect in this world and so is the media. Here I am not degrading the media, rather I would say there is still a lot of scope for improvement by which media can raise upto the aspirations of the people for which it is meant. I cannot think of a democracy without active and neutral media. Media is like a watchdog in a democracy that keeps government active. From being just an informer it has become an integral part of our daily lives. With the passage of time it has become a more matured and a more responsible entity. The present media revolution has helped people in making an informed decisions and this has led to beginning of a new era in a democracy.

Legalising Prostitution in India


Introduction Welcome to a world trapped between 'illegal' and 'immoral': Prostitution might be illegal in India, but the business of life goes on. Calling it illegal is a superfluous formality and denouncing it as an immoral blotch on society. Recognizing it as a profession will at least reduce the real illegalities that come with it, like child prostitution, drug abuse, and crime. National scenario Societies in which prostitution is legal have concluded that it is best to regulate a profession, which will never disappear. India should learn from these societies, rather than pretend that prostitution doesn't exist here. Especially when figures reveal that the business of sex-workers takes a dip when it is vacation time for colleges. There are over 2.5 million prostitutes in India and a quarter of them are minors! Child prostitution is one of the issues facing our country today. The increasing incidence of the HIV virus is on the verge of a threshold, which, if crossed, could see the epidemic affecting, perhaps, everyone in the world. This profession makes the sex-worker the most vulnerable. Global scenario Globally prostitution is legal in Canada, France, Wales, Denmark, Holland, most of South America, including Mexico (often in special zones), Israel, Australia, and many other countries. It's either legal or tolerated in most of Asia; Australia has a sex-service company whose stocks are traded on the stock exchange. Pros of legalisation No governments, no matter how hard they have tried, have been successful in abolishing prostitution. Prostitution is a reality and the chances of eliminating it are practically nil. By legalising prostitution, we also legalise the fight against Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs) and the AIDS epidemic. Just like laws have managed to do with untouchability, legalising prostitution will give dignity to sex-workers and save them from living as second grade citizens. A separate hub can be created for it and health of sex workers can be monitored. Legalisation will deter police from extorting money from the helpless sex workers who are forced to give a part of their income to the policemen to let them live in peace. Legalisation of the profession will at least give a human face to the profession, where prostitutes are, otherwise, are treated as outcastes.Norms should be laid out for registration in terms of space, hygiene and medical facilities available. There should be periodical medical check-ups, and it must be made mandatory for every individual in the profession to possess a proper health certificate. Brothels should also be taxed like any other business house, and a certain amount should be earmarked by the government for providing medical facilities to sex workers. Their families and especially their children should be taken care of. A rehabilitation programme for sex workers wanting to opt out should also be worked out. Sex workers should be made to work only in the alloted areas or zones. Brothels must be situated away from residential areas and educational institutions.In India women are

forced into prostitution due to poverty and illiteracy. So women in this profession become carriers of AIDS and other deadly diseases. To combat with this situation, womens organisations can be brought in to work at the grass-root level and to form a link between the sex workers and the government. Cons of legalisation As it is said, Every coin has two sides. Legalisation too has some shortcomings: Legalising prostitution would benefit the facilitators and the pimps, not their victims. In India, where women are coerced into the trade and kept in it almost like bonded labour, such a move will not benefit them. Commercial sexual exploitation is a form of slavery and slavery cannot be legalized. India should not compare itself with other Wesren countries, where prostitution enjoys legal status because our societal customs are most unlike those in the West. Since abortion is illegal in India, there is no question of legalising prostitution. So giving this business a legal status only means society is giving approval to the flesh trade. Some critics say, prostitution wrecks personality and affects marriage relationships. Prostitution affects family life, communicates diseases and thus brings social disorganization. Conclusion Closeting the flourishing profession of prostitution as a morality issue not only amounts to ignoring the exploitation of the commercial sex-workers, who feed on the income they generate, but the larger issue of AIDS. What is required is a practical approach. By according legitimacy to the sex-worker, millions of women who enter into this trade to feed their families will be freed from the clutches of pimps, brothel-owners and cops on the take. Legalising prostitution will see these women, who live life on the edge everywhere, gaining access to medical facilities, which can control the spread of AIDS. Timely sex education to sex workers can make them aware of venereal diseases attached with this profession. Employment opportunities for women, who have no alternative than to enter this profession, can play wonders. Removal of widow marriage, the social custom that is still followed in most of the Indian villages, can help curb prostitution.There is a very strong need to treat the sex industry as any other industry and empower it with legal safeguards, which would rid this workplace of exploitative and unhealthy practices. The rising number of AIDS cases in India and the number of innocents being forced into the flesh trade are alarming. The time has come for lawmakers to be more serious about this issue. Legalisation is the answer.

Corruption in India
Introduction "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely." It is not easy to define corruption. But in a narrow sense, corruption is mostly concerned with "bribery" and it takes several forms. Corruption is a global phenomenon

and it is omnipresent. Corruption has progressively increased and is now rampant in our society.National scenario. Corruption in India is a consequence of the nexus between Bureaucracy, politics and criminals. India is now no longer considered a soft state. It has now become a consideration state where everything can be had for a consideration. Today, the number of ministers with an honest image can be counted on fingers. At one time, bribe was paid for getting wrong things done but now bribe is paid for getting right things done at right time. Effects of corruption Indian administration is tainted with scandals. India is among 55 of the 106 countries where corruption is rampant, according to the Corruption Perception Index 2004 Report released by Transparency International India. Corruption in India leads to promotion not prison. It is very difficult to catch big sharks. Corruption in India has wings not wheels. As nation grows, the corrupt also grow to invent new methods of cheating the government and public. Causes of corruption The causes of corruption are many and complex. Following are some of the causes of corruption. Emergence of political elite who believe in interest-oriented rather than nation-oriented programmes and policies. Artificial scarcity created by the people with malevolent intentions wrecks the fabric of the economy. Corruption is caused as well as increased because of the change in the value system and ethical qualities of men who administer. The old ideals of morality, service and honesty are regarded as an achronistic. Tolerance of people towards corruption, complete lack of intense public outcry against corruption and the absence of strong public forum to oppose corruption allow corruption to reign over people. Vast size of population coupled with widespread illiteracy and the poor economic infrastructure lead to endemic corruption in public life. In a highly inflationary economy, low salaries of government officials compel them to resort to the road of corruption. Graduates from IIMs with no experience draw a far handsome salary than what government secretaries draw. Complex laws and procedures alienate common people to ask for any help from government. Election time is a time when corruption is at its peak level. Big industrialist fund politicians to meet high cost of election and ultimately to seek personal favour. Bribery to politicians buys influence, and bribery by politicians buys votes. In order to get elected, politicians bribe poor illiterate people, who are slogging for two times meal. Measures to combat corruption Is it possible to contain corruption in our society? Corruption is a cancer, which every Indian must strive to cure. Many new leaders when come into power declare their determination to eradicate corruption but soon they themselves become corrupt and

start amassing huge wealth. There are many myths about corruption, which have to be exploded if we really want to combat it. Some of these myths are: Corruption is a way of life and nothing can be done about it. Only people from underdeveloped or developing countries are prone to corruption. We will have to guard against all these crude fallacies while planning measures to fight corruption. Foolproof laws should be made so that there is no room for discretion for politicians and bureaucrats. The role of the politician should be minimized. Application of the evolved policies should be left in the hands of independent commission or authority in each area of public interest. Decision of the commission or authority should be challengeable only in the courts. Cooperation of the people has to be obtained for successfully containing corruption. People should have a right to recall the elected representatives if they see them becoming indifferent to the electorate. Funding of elections is at the core of political corruption. Electoral reforms are crucial in this regard. Several reforms like: State funding of election expenses for candidates; strict enforcement of statutory requirements like holding in-party elections, making political parties get their accounts audited regularly and filing income-tax returns; denying persons with criminal records a chance to contest elections, should be brought in. Responsiveness, accountability and transparency are a must for a clean system. Bureaucracy, the backbone of good governance, should be made more citizen friendly, accountable, ethical and transparent. More and more courts should be opened for speedy & inexpensive justice so that cases dont linger in courts for years and justice is delivered on time. Local bodies, Independent of the government, like Lokpals, Lokadalats, CVCs and Vigilance Commissions should be formed to provide speedy justice with low expenses. A new Fundamental Right viz. Right to Information should be introduced, which will empower the citizens to ask for the information they want. Barring some confidential information, which concerns national and international security, other information should be made available to general public as and when required. Stringent actions against corrupt officials will certainly have a deterrent impact. Conclusion Corruption is an intractable problem. It is like diabetes, can only be controlled, but not totally eliminated. It may not be possible to root out corruption completely at all levels but it is possible to contain it within tolerable limits. Honest and dedicated persons in public life, control over electoral expenses could be the most important prescriptions to combat corruption. Corruption has a corrosive impact on our economy. It worsens our image in international market and leads to loss of overseas opportunities. Corruption is a global problem that all countries of the world have to confront, solutions, however, can only be home grown. We have tolerated corruption for so long. The time has now come to root it out from its roots.

Descriptive essay for bank PO exam on Why Do I Like A Bank Job


I have a liking for all such activities which have a social bent and significance. As it applies to other aspects of life it does to the choice of profession, vocation and job too. Banks have the widest social bearing not simply in India but the whole world. They are the biggest lending and borrowing institutions in the country and cover almost all groups of people and industries. Thus one serving in a bank has the opportunity to have contacts with all shades of people rich and poor. Of late banks have taken to social banking. They do not cater only to the needs of industries and rich businessmen. They have penetrated into the rural areas, and help the small farmers, village artisans and others to establish their independent work. Loans are given for farming, workshops, dairying, poultry and tube wells. Only loans are not given but the people are inspired and guided by the field officers. In a way the bank field officers have become social workers. I would like to seek this opportunity to help the poor. In urban area too, banks have made experiments to help the downtrodden. They help the poor to stand on their own. Some of the banks lend money to green-grocers, barbers, petty tailors, cyclerickshaw pullers, three wheeler drivers and many other categories. In the service of bank I would like to enlarge the sphere of these activities to help the poorest of the poor and free them from the clutches of the village mahajan and city financier. I have a fancy for the schemes of the government which have given a boost to the electronic industry. It is with the assistance of Banks that many producers like a mechanic or a junior engineer sets up his own small factory to manufacture small parts. Thus I would serve the cause of the middle classes. Banks are the treasury of the country. One who serves in a bank has the satisfaction to be amidst riches. It I am in a bank the money won't be mine. But I shall have the satisfaction of being the guardian of most essential resources of the nation for the individual, social and national development. It may look childish; I have a fancy for it. As banks are the pivot of the monetary structure of the country, banking is the richest establishment. Banks have the highest paying capacity. Thus a job in a bank is most remunerative. An ordinary officer starts with a better salary than a lecturer in a University. A clerk reaches a sealing in salary which even the Principal of an Inter college does not reach. Naturally I have a fancy for such a remunerative post. One's social status depends upon one's financial position. I would like to maintain my standard among middle class people. One of the greatest personal enchantments for the bank service is that it has been declared an industry. It has the largest number of members in one nationalized sector after the railways. Thus it

has the most powerful trade unions of class II, class III and class IV employees. A strong trade union means better job security. It also means association of dearness allowance with the price index. As the prices are soaring high these days it is only a man in the industries who gets the benefit of an automatic increase in allowances. A bank job is an easy affair for a man who can prove his worth in the competitive examinations. As I have no access to men in high positions I would like to prove my worth through competitive examinations. It would give me more confidence in later life not to depend upon pulls and approaches but on my capability and efficiency.

302 words short essay on dictatorship


History abounds in examples of powerful men coming into prominence and dictating the course to be followed by the people. Dictatorship as a specific principle of government, however, arose only after World War I which was responsible for throwing out of gear the economic organizations of most of the state. The masses groaned under the burden of heavy taxation and large-scale unemployment. The working classes were rebelling against their governments. The working classes derived inspiration from Soviet Russia where Lenin and Stalin were successful in overthrowing capitalism and establishing socialism. There was an imminent danger of their coming into power in a number of countries. The capitalist monopolists rose equal to the occasion and established their dictatorships and horror of a socialist revolution was thus set at rest for some time. Thus the dictatorships were established in Italy under Mussolini, in Germany under Hitler, in Turkey under Mustafa Kamal Pasha, under King Alexander in Yugoslavia and under General Tojo in Japan. Dictatorship is distinct from monarchy. Monarchy and dictatorship each are one man's autocratic rule. But a monarchy comes to power either because of his hereditary claims or through conquest. A monarch does not have an organized political party of his own. A dictator comes to power either because of personal charisma, or through the help of an organized political party of his own. Hitler, for example became the dictator of Germany through the support of Nazi Party. Mussolini came to be the dictator of Italy through the support of the Fascist Party. In the words of Alfred, "Dictatorship is the government of one man who has not primarily obtained his position by inheritance but by either force or consent and normally by a combination of the both. He uses his powers arbitrarily and his every decree has the force of law."

Sample Essay on My Hobby


The utilisation of leisure hours in pleasurable engagements is called hobby. The life style of every human being in the day to day world seems to be machine like. Despite the routine life, we find some spare time which we can utilise profitably and can earn some profit simultaneously. Thus hobby is a new kind of habit that is different from our normal work. Man is generally guided by the natural habits inherent in him. When the number of good habits increases in an individual his goodness increases naturally to a considerable extent. Once an individual acquires a hobby he becomes active and cheerful. In other words the acquisition of a hobby saves a man from being dull, inactive and sloth. It increases the existing knowledge of an individual. Hobbies or habits are formed by repetition. Different individuals have different hobbies. Some people are on the hobby of collecting stamps or philately. Some have fascination for writing books and editing in newspapers. The person engaged in the. Hobby of philately develops a love for geography and a person continually engaged in writing establishes himself as a writer of future days. Without any hobby of our own, our life would have been void of charm and pleasure. I engage myself in the hobby of gardening. I think by this way I make the proper use of time. I derive great pleasure as the saplings planted by me grow into big trees and the children of my neighborhood pass their time under it. M work in the garden in the leisure hours gives me untold pleasure. Moreover the work builds up my mind and body by utilising the time in gardening, I remain away from idleness gossip. The garden is at a little distance from my home. As I return from school I water the plants with the help of an electricity operated pump. The vegetable plants provide me, enough vegetables in the season of autumn. I also grow some mango, lemon, cashew, and coconut and guava plants in the garden. Another side of the garden is used for growing flower. I prepare the soil as designed by the horticulturists for sowing flower seeds in them. I prepare beds for flowers and vegetable seeds timely. The flowers of different colours and scent seem to smile of me. I am punctual and industrious in attending the plants twice a day. I am assisted by a gardener when the tasks seem to be heavy. I plant the sapling in an orderly way so as to give the observers a beauteous look. As the flowers bloom and the fruit bearing trees bear fruit I forget my worries, anxieties. I never remain in the scarcity of vegetables and edible fruits. Rather I derive some profit out of the sale of vegetables and fruits on the markets. The flowers are also of great demand during the occasion of Puja and marriage.

Thus, I have adopted a hobby that gives me profit and pleasure. I have taken this since I do not like aimlessly strolling about with idle companions or reading worthless books or to be engaged in useless occupations.

It is really Possible to Eradicate Poverty from India?


Arguments for : 1. Indians are poor because they do not get suitable employment ; some are underemployed, others do not get jobs of their choice and still others do not get jobs at all. If we are able to expand our industries and create opportunities for employment, it is possible to eradicate poverty. 2. Another cause of poverty is over-population ; the abnormal rise in population and the static nature of job opportunities have made people extremely poor. If an effective check is placed on the population increase, the nation will be able to get rid of poverty because people would get proper employment. 3. Poverty is the result of economic exploitation by the richer sections of the society. The rich farmers exploit the laborers, rich industrialists exploit their employees and give them only subsistence wages. If this exploitation is stopped it will be possible to eradicate poverty. Arguments against : 1. For removing poverty we need overhaul the society. Economic and social conditions will have to be changed. It is not possible to finish the age-old traditions within a short time. Indians being orthodox will not accept such changes so easily. 2. It is not possible to check population explosion because some people believe that children are the gift of God and this belief is sanctioned by religion. It is extremely difficult to make the people to shake off their religious beliefs so easily. 3. It is not possible to provide whatever is needed by a person because it will be a great strain on the Indian economy. If we try to do so all other developmental activities will come to a standstill.

622 words sample essay on Dowry system in India


The dowry system is an age old system and a peculiar phenomenon of the Indian society. It is, as today, a curse to the society. Dowry is the name given to all that, the parents of a girl give to her when she gets married. At the face of it, the system seems quite appropriate, healthy and logical, for, in this simple way, the parents

of the girl help her in setting a new home. So far, so good and, originally also the purpose of dowry was very justified and understandable. Let us now analyze how and why this system took birth at all? In the earlier times of Indian society, the daughter had no share in the father's property so, by way of dowry the girl would get at least some portion of her share. Besides this, in those days, the girls were not educated so, this dowry could serve the girl as a back up support system in case of any emergency after her marriage. Seeing this as the ground reality and the reason for the system for having taken birth, no right thinking people would call the system wrong or unjustified. However, with the passage of time this same fine system has taken the ugly shape of begging for dowry, bargaining for dowry, auctioning the boy to the highest bidder and finally suicides. This is because, taking advantage of the system, the parents of the boys, have started demanding dowry. This was never done in the original shape of the system. The girl's parents would give whatever they could and, there would be NO - yes, NO demands from the boy's side. Besides demanding items of dowry, now parents of the boy's family keep items of the dowry for their own use. This was also not in the original system for, whatever was given was for the girl only - and never for the boy's family. These two additions in the original system have converted the blessing for the girl into a curse for her. The parents who cannot afford to meet the demands of the boy's family are forced either into taking loans that they can never return, or use unfair means of corruption to make money to meet the demanded expenses. In turn, this has led to even committing suicides by the girls or murders of girls by the in-laws. At times even before the marriage, the girl is led to kill herself to save her parents from the trauma of collecting money for her marriage. Thus, we see that, a system that was at one time very wise and discreet, has taken an ugly shape just because of the greed of men and women in to-day's world. This system of dowry has become a slur on the Indian society. Besides being a shame, in to-day's scenario, the system as it was even in the initial stages of its existence, has become quite irrelevant. This is because, both the reasons for its birth are now not in vogue. These days, girls are usually educated and can earn a livelihood if need arises, and, they now also have a share, an equal share as the brothers have in the father's property. That means the necessity of the girl having an amount to reach out in the days of crisis or emergency does not hold good any more.

So, when the very basis of the system does not exist, the system should be scrapped altogether. This is because, the system instead of bringing solace, only generates greed and even crime in several cases. My view is that, the system as it exists should be put to an end and all those who indulge in it should be punished severely.

1247 words free essay on Child labour in India


Childhood is the most innocent phase in human life. It is that stage of life when the human foundations are laid for a successful adult life. Many children, instead of spending it in a carefree and fun-loving manner while learning and playing, are scarred and tormented. They hate their childhood and would do anything to get out of the dungeons of being children and controlled and tortured by others. They would love to break-free from this world, but continue to be where they are, not out of choice, but force. This is the true story of child labor. Innocent children are employed by industries and individuals who put them to work under grueling circumstances. They are made to work for long hours in dangerous factory units and sometimes made to carry load even heavier than their own body weight. Then there are individual households that hire children as domestic help and beat and physically torture them when they make a mistake. The children are at times made to starve and are given worn out clothes to wear. Such is the story of millions of children in India painful and yet true. The two primary reasons for the ever-growing social malice of child labor are poverty and lack of education. Poor parents give birth to children thinking them as money-making machines. They carry infants to earn more on the streets from begging. Then as they grow they make them beggars, and eventually sell them to employers. This malady is rampant across the length and breadth of India. According to the United Nations stipulation in article 32 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the International Labor Organization, child labor is to be considered if "...States Parties recognize the right of the child to be protected from economic exploitation and from performing any work that is likely to be hazardous or to interfere with the child's education, or to be harmful to the child's health or physical, mental, spiritual, moral or social development." In other words, child labor is any kind of work children are made to do that harms or exploits them physically, mentally, morally, or by preventing access to education. However, all work is not bad or exploitive for children. In fact, certain jobs help in enhancing the overall personality of the child. For example, children delivering newspapers prior to going to school or taking up light summer jobs that do not interfere with their school timings. When children are given pocket money earning oriented tasks, they understand the value of money, as well as respect it even more.

Child labor coupled with child abuse has today become one of the greatest maladies that have spread across the world. Each year statistics show increasing numbers of child abuse, more so in the case of the girl child. When a girl is probably abused by someone at home, to hide this fact she is sold to an employer from a city as domestic help, or then as a bride to an old man. Though eradicating the menace seems like a difficult and nearly impossible task, immense efforts have to be made in this direction. The first step would be to become aware of the causes of child labor. The leading reason is that children are employed because they are easier to exploit. On the other hand, people sell their children as commodities to exploitive employers to have additional sources of income. Most such employers pay a lump sum for the child and then keep him or her imprisoned within the factory unit till the child cannot work due to deteriorating health as a result of harsh living and working conditions. Lack of proper educational facilities is another reason that forces parents to send their children to work. India accounts for the second highest number of child labor after Africa. Bonded child labor or slave labor is one of the worst types of labor for children. This system still continues in spite of the Indian Parliament enacting the Bonded Labor System (Abolition) Act in 1976. It is estimated that approximately 10 million bonded children laborers are working as domestic servants in India. Beyond this there are almost 55 million bonded child laborers hired across various other industries. A recent ILO report says that about 80 per cent of child laborers in India are employed in the agriculture sector. Generally, the children are sold to the rich moneylenders to whom borrowed money cannot be returned. 'Street children' is another type of child labor where children work on the streets as beggars, flower sellers, etc, instead of going to school. Sometimes they are made to go hungry for days together so that people feel sorry for them and give alms. Among the industries, glass and bangle industry is estimated to employ around 60,000 children who are made to work under extreme conditions of excessive heat. An equal number are estimated to be employed in matchbox factories, where they are made to work over twelve hours a day, beginning work at around 4 a.m., everyday. The brass and the lock industries also employ an estimated 50,000 children each. However, it is the carpet industry in India which employs the largest number of children estimated to be more than four lakhs. The statistical information regarding child labor cannot be taken to be precise, as there are areas where no accounting has been done. There are innumerable workshops and factories that have cramped up rooms where children work, eat and sleep. No one from the outside world would even know that they are working there. However, people working towards the welfare of child laborers, with the tip-off from insiders, have been able to rescue a number of children from such units. The National Policy on Child Labor formulated in 1987 seeks to adopt a gradual and sequential approach with a focus on rehabilitation of children working in hazardous occupations and processes. The Action Plan outlined the Legislative Action Plan for strict enforcement of Child Labor Act and

other labor laws to ensure that children are not employed in hazardous employments, and that the working conditions of children working in non-hazardous areas are regulated in accordance with the provisions of the Child Labor Act. It also entails further identification of additional occupations and processes, which are detrimental to the health and safety of the children. Government has accordingly been taking proactive steps to tackle this problem through general strict enforcement of legislative provisions along with simultaneous rehabilitative measures. To bring the social malady of child labor under control, the government has opened a special cell to help children in exploitive circumstances. These cells comprise of social inspectors, as well as other administrative personnel, employed specifically to deal with child labor issues. Also, in recent years, the media has helped unravel what is happening in certain industrial units with journalists visiting such places with a hidden camera. The efforts made by sections of the government, social workers, non-government organizations and others to rescue and rehabilitate the children must be applauded. In addition, each individual should also take responsibility of reporting about anyone employing a child below the age of fourteen years. However, considering the magnitude and extent of the problem, concerted efforts from all sections of the society is needed to make a dent. Measures need to be taken not only to stop this crime against children, but also to slowly, steadily and surely provide every child a well-deserved healthy and normal childhood.

Essay on the concept of No Pains, No Gains


We owe a lot to the sweat and tears and the tremendous sacrifices of the great men and women and the innumerable unknown soldiers of the epic freedom struggle for the freedom we enjoy today. It was, by no means, a small endeavour as they gambled with an uncertain future and found themselves pitted against the greatest and mightiest empire in history. But their iron resolve to sacrifice everything they cherished in life overpowered the bullying and insolent might of the Empire. Jallianwala Bagh massacre, the famous Salt Satyagraha and the Quit India Movement are just a few cases of bravery where a subject race loudly proclaimed to the world that freedom was more important than anything else. Long before the old colonies in Africa woke up to the drum beats of freedom, Gandhiji appeared on the political scene of South Africa fighting for the oppressed compatriots who had settled down in Pretoria, Cape Town and Johannesburg. He was humiliated and bludgeoned and deprived of basic rights, yet this frail man stood up to the contumely of the white rulers who had laid down different rules to discriminate the Negroes and the coloured Indian settlers. The sufferings of his countrymen in South Africa steeled Gandhiji's resolve to fight the prolonged war against British colonialism. What shocked the colonial masters was that, here was an ordinary man who was prepared to fight the inveterate enemy with no weapon save the invincible weapons of

truth and non-violence. At last this great Mahatma laid down his life so that his country might live as are independent country. Gandhiji was not alone, there were several others who rallied under the banner of freedom-leaders like Lala Lajpat Rai who succumbed for injuries inflicted by lathi charges, the several hundred who courted jail like Jawaharlal Nehru, Rajendra Prasad, and the three great warrior; Bhagat Singh, Rajguru and Chandrasekhar Azad who suffered martyrdom for the sake of the nation's emancipation. Be they countries, societies or individuals, none could have gained their cherished objective without the pain of struggle. Let them be philosophers, statesmen, scientists, social activists or social reformers administrators or technocrats, artistes or artists or sportspersons, they struggled hard to achieve success in life. Can anyone assess the sacrifices that lay behind the French Revolution, the American War of Independence the Bolshevik Revolution and the Chinese Revolution? The people Vietnam under the leadership of Ho Chi Minh fought the America military intervention until the great power was made to retreat ignominiously. The US is said to have used against Vietnam them to firepower used by the Allies during entire stretch of the Second World War, yet the brave people of Vietnam refused to surrender. On the other hand, it was the US that had to quit Vietnam disgracefully. The war claimed the lives of 1.3 million Vietnamese and 58,000 Americans. Mr. Nelson Mandela has become the greatest living African lee and one of the greatest statesmen of modern times for the sacrifice made in putting an end to the notorious apartheid (racial discriminal rampant in South Africa and elsewhere in the African continent became the first black President of South Africa in 1994. For the "crime" of freeing his countrymen from the stranglehold of apartheid, Mr. Mandela was jailed by the white rulers in 1964 and by the time he was released in 1990, he had become a world celebrity, a symbol of freedom against oppression anywhere in the world. Don't we know that several people made their sacrifices or returned unsuccessful before Edmund Hillary and Tensing Norgay reached the summit of Mt. Everest the highest mountain peak in the world on May 29, 1953. Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese navigator had to brave hurricanes and mutinies before he could reach the Malabar Coast in 1498, the first Westerner to sail round the Cape of Good Hope to reach India. Galileo (1564-1642), the famous Italian astronomer, mathematician and natural philosopher earned the ire of the ecclesiastical authorities for corroborating the discovery of Copernicus. Galileo was brought before the Inquisition and under threat of torture he recanted his statement. He was finally allowed to live under house arrest in his own home at Arcetri, near Florence. Galileo's discoveries include the mountains of the moon, the multitude of stars in the Milky Way and the existence of Jupiter's four satellites. NASA has named one of their space probes after Galileo. On

October 31, 1992, exactly 350 years after Galilto's death, Pope John Paul II retracted the sentence passed on him by the Inquisition. "All I need to make a comedy is a park, a policeman and a pretty girl," said the world-renowned comedian Charlie Chaplin (1889-1977) who set the world laughing every time he came on the screen. He made the world laugh while coming up on the world stage the hard way. Chaplin's father was an alcoholic and died when he was a child, leaving the family in a state of extreme hardship, and his mother was mentally unstable and unable to support him. His first regular education was in the school at the poorhouse, and he worked for a while as newspaper boy and glass blower. By the age of eight he was a seasoned stage performer, and his skill in comedy developed when he joined a vaudeville company that went to Hollywood in 1914. The rest is history. Even in the worst of crises, Chaplin never lost his cool. Take a close look at our celebrities in the tinsel world. Satyajit Ray started his career as a commercial artist and by the time his time span on the world stage was over he had become a world celebrity. Pearl S. Buck, the American novelist and Nobel Prize winner (1892- 1973) faced several twists in her life. When she wrote The Good Earth, there was no publisher willing to accept the script. A disillusioned Buck dumped the script in the waste paper basket. When she had second thoughts over the merits of her script, she retrieved it from the was basket a day after. Had the waste collector turned up in between, she would have lost the script forever. Regaining fresh confidence, she touched the script here and there and it was not only published, but earned her the 1938 Nobel Prize for Literature. Lets go through the corridors of time walking up along with the Tat from JRD Tata to Ratan Tata. Ina system rife with corruption, JRD's name was synonymous with integrity and probity. His companies built commanding positions in truck and locomotive manufacture, watch and chemicals. Tata also promoted philanthropy, financing research cancer and population control and set up an institute to study alternative energy. But Tata's first love was flying and in 1932, he founded Tata Airline and piloted its first mail service between Karachi and Bombay. In 191 after the government nationalized what had become Air India, he stay on as its Chairman. He was entirely critical of what he called economic dictatorship of the government''. He died in 1993 around 1 time Narasimha Rao and Dr. Manmohan Singh thought it was time dismantling the 'soul-breaking' government control A new Tata is shining on the horizon of entrepreneurship with footprints not only in India but also in different countries. Mr. Ratan Ta Business Empire has spread far and wide in different countries. Go: beyond the dreams of the founding fathers of the Tata group, Mr. Ra Tata acquired Tetley in 2000 and acquired Daewoo Motors over ten other bidders. Now spreading to seven other countries with the acquisition Nat Steel of Singapore, Tata Steel has a total installed capacity of 6 mill tones and has access to Singapore, China, Thailand, Vietnam,

Philippines and Australia. And there are many in the vanguard like Azim Premji, Mr. Narayana Murthy, Ms. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw one who was just a petrol pump boy decades ago turned out to be tycoon of the biggest business empire in India the late Dhirubhai Ambani. From a scratch, from an obscure village, with no government supp P.T. Usha emerged as the 'golden girl' of Asian sport. More young's are emerging on the Indian scene of field and track events. There budding stars in tennis, track events, shooting, weightlifting, golf, racing, etc. India had a great tradition in chess, but until the Viswanathan Anand, we were not even a speck on the international to horizon. Anand has become a living legend in world chess tournaments with his current ELO rating of 2786. Rahul Dravid is now officially one of the world's best Test batsmen, according to the ICC rankings. The path to the top position was a tortuous one, paved with blood, sweat, tears, unselfish team spirit and quiet, unflinching determination. For anyone prepared to struggle, the goal is not far away. Ask anyone who made it to the top. Of course, divine grace is a must. But what too will come, if only you take the first step. The late Hollywood director, Cecil B. De Mille who directed the classic movie, The Ten Commandments once said: "The person who makes a success of living is the one who sees his goal steadily and aims for it unswervingly." Civilisation is built brick by brick by those who fought every obstacle the courageous way; more the setbacks more their determination to reach the goal. "Pain makes man think. Thought makes man wise. Wisdom makes life endurable.

essay on Credit Card Lifestyle


Credit card usage has become so common that one really ponders whether there is life without credit cards. A connected question is, if there exists a life without credit card, is it worth living. In today's instant gratification world, the thought of forgoing credit cards in favor of a cash-only lifestyle seems as foreign as mailing a handwritten letter through the post office. Yet there are instances where some people have declared, 'enough is enough!' and dedicated themselves to lives sans credit cards. Most of the so-called liberated, polished and educated well-to-do people have a credit card. All noncard holders are those who are unable to obtain credit cards, or those who choose not to use them. Many of those without credit cards simply do not qualify for credit due to bad credit, no credit, immigration status or another reason. Even when people find themselves debt-ridden and their privileges suspended by the credit card company due to non-payment, many of them choose to cling to their cards. They are still averse to lead a credit card-less lifestyle. It is because the credit card offers them the experience of a lifestyle which they would not have enjoyed otherwise.

For example, one can take a month long trip to a vacation spot with a friend with the facility of the entire expenses being charged on the credit card. Most people, especially the new generation, view credit cards not as a loan from the bank, but as extra income. A credit limit of? 50,000 are often understood to mean that the person has? 50,000 to spend. Credit card was actually designed as an emergency card, a readily available loan to be used when suddenly an unplanned expense crops up. It was a way of preparing oneself for the need to avail credit in the future, in case such need arises. What people miss is that debit cards can be equally used in such situations that traditionally demand a credit card. It is perfectly possible to live a happy life without credit cards. They are not a requirement. It seems as if thinking has developed that we must have credit cards. However, the reality is that the practices of credit card issuers can be harsh on individuals. More and more people are stopping use of credit cards, after a bad experience with them. Although it would be easy to blame the banks for high credit card bills, skyrocketing interest rates, and never-decreasing card balances, it is the fault of the cardholder when debts get out of control. Actually, credit cards themselves are not the cause of anyone's debt. Instead, it is the misuse of credit that is to blame. The problem is that many people, once they have paid off their debts, are anxious to jump back on the credit card express to Debtville. It is because in a credit-dominated society, a lot of people want to re-enter the world of credit without any ample reason. The easiest way to handle a credit card is by paying off all dues at the end of the month. In fact, many of those who do not pay off their balance in full every month simply cannot afford to. An increased cost of living, a set income and the lack of a financial safety net lead a lot of people into deepening debt. Paying off every month gives a revolving line of credit, which is very useful. It works as shortterm loans where you take the money upfront and then pay later so you do not pay any interest rate or fees. Ultimately, one has to be an educated consumer as credit card companies want their fair share of profit from transactions involving these handy sheets of plastic. If they cannot get that profit through fees they will work to get them through interest rates. In some cases it can cost more to use a credit card than you may actually spend using the card. In India too, credit cards have gained ground with a number of banks encouraging people to use them. The introduction of foreign banks in the country has further made the credit card more popular. Some of the banks that issue credit card are State Bank of India, Bank of Baroda, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, IDBI Bank, ABN AMRO Bank, Standard Chartered, HSBC and Citibank. These cards have succeeded in changing the spending habits of Indians drastically. People no more believe in the old concept of 'simple living, high thinking'. For more and more Indians, living on borrowed money has become a real story. Households borrow not for creating assets like building a house or buying a car, but to meet basic consumption needs

ranging from food, transport and medical bills to even repaying loans. Credit cards help people to cope with a modern-day lifestyle which is based largely on branded existence and lavish spending. These cards also allow people to go on a shopping binge, promoted by motivators as the best way to fight depression. And rural India, too, is not far behind in this case. Thus, Indians, who used to shun being in debt at one time, are enjoying it at the moment. It seems that they have allowed credit cards to run their lives and pockets. While a credit card makes a person life efficient and easy, credit card theft and fraud is a problem that is slowly but certainly spiraling out of control the world over. Card-cloning is the latest in a string of issues faced by the banking industry, by which card details are furtively recorded during transactions at petrol pumps and supermarkets and emailed across the globe for illegal withdrawals from ATMs. While the banks and authorities grapple with theft and fraud, it is not just these conmen and tricksters that people need to be careful about. People are duped in by offering a zero per cent interest card, only to be charged interest after the first few months. Then there is the common occurrence of a sudden increase in the interest rate, with no forewarning. While banks have the discretion to make changes, the RBI guidelines state that the total annual percentage rate cannot be more than 30 per cent. It is interesting to note that while the RBI has issued a list of guidelines, these are generally not issued to the consumer. Late payment is another issue that plagues most consumers, because interest is charged on the unpaid balance. Many people make cheque Payments on the due date, and with no mechanism to record the date of payment, card companies sometimes use this as an opportunity to slap on late fees. Some banks have even introduced the concept of charging people for not using their credit cards. And finally, banks are at liberty to reduce credit limit. The only way to avoid your credit limit getting reduced is by paying your credit card bill on time as well as paying more than the minimum requirement.

Write a comprehensive essay on Student's Excursion


Travelling is very much in fashion these days. It is common knowledge that education is not complete until ones mind is widened by seeing more things, with a hungry heart, of the world. In the West, excursion is an indispensable part of education. Nowadays both our Government and our colleges encourage the habit by granting various concessions and contributions for travels. Opportunities are provided, and we ought to take advantage of them. So when the Railways announced concessions to students willing to undertake educational tours, it was an opportunity too good to be lost. We made up a small party of ten, including our professor of

History, to go out sight-seeing. We applied to our principal for some financial assistance and be was pleased to grant a contribution out of the college funds. Packing up was a simple affair; each of us got a hold-all into which we pushed all our necessaries, to make it a light luggage. Puri was our first destination. We reached the famous seaside resort early enough in the morning to be able to dump our baggages in a hotel. We took some light refreshment and then rushed to the seaside. To us, inlanders, the sea is something marvelous, seeing it for the first or the tenth time, it makes no difference, we just stand and stare and wonder. In the evening, we first went to the great Jagannath Temple and spent a little time looking at its imposing architecture. We admired the pattern of the detailed carvings and panels. For a few days, we spent our time visiting the sea and the temple morning and evening, and in between, managed to see various places of local interest. Not the least attractive were the products of the humble handicraftsmen, whose skill is world famous. Then one morning we hired a motor car and started off towards the famous Sun-temple of Konark over twenty five miles of road, good, bad and indifferent. We reached the famous spot. What a magnificent piece of architecture it must once have been. It was designed as a mighty chariot. The marble horses and their grooms seemed to be bursting with life so powerfully these had been carved on stone by the sculptor. Indeed, the glory of Konark lies in the stone images of animals, - horses, elephants, and tigers. It had a massive splendor and vitality that no other country can rival. On the journey, back we took Bhubaneswar on our way. We saw the exquisite workmanship of the temple and the design of the rock caves nearby. In the new capital, we had been to the open zoo garden Nandankanan with the freely moving wild animals, including lions and tigers around. There was a great difference between our journey for Puri and the return to Kolkata. Then we were laughing, singing and enjoying ourselves. Now our minds were full. When we talked, the spell of the past was upon us the glorious heritage of our country. And then inevitably we thought of the future of our country, - the new India which we are all too eager to build.

481 words essay on necessity is the mother of invention


The meaning of the proverb is self-evident. We invent what we need; unless we feel the pressure of needs, we are not likely to invent anything. The fable of the thirsty crow who collected pebbles and threw them into the jar to raise the level of water to the bird's reach of lips is well-known. During the Great War, the British and French ships carried on blockade of German ports. The supply of sugar, oil and many other essentials stopped, But the German scientists discovered substitutes and synthetic products to tide over the difficulty, due to constraint of circumstances. Mere necessity would not help us much if we are not moved by thought. Animals have their needs but because they lack the power of thinking and ingenuity, they cannot invent anything. They act on

instinct and follow a beaten track. Hence, the correct formula should be necessity is the mother of invention but only when it is supported by the power of thinking. This, of course, is obvious. When man feels the pinching need of anything, he begins to think how he can satisfy his needs. He then sets his mind to the task of invention. Necessity gives the first impulse; the rest is the work of the intellect. An illustration or two will make this clear. In primitive times men lived by hunting. It became necessary to shoot and bring down the bird flying or the beast running beyond the reach of man. Hence, the bow and the arrow were invented. Clothes were devised as protection against cold, houses for shelter. Implements were invented for production of food. In this way, various instruments were made to secure a better standard of living. But man is something more than a mere slave of his needs. He creates new needs not always, because they are necessary but because they are good or beautiful symbols of status. Culinary skill has been invented to please the palate. Ornaments were invented to add to female beauty. Man has spent millions trying to invent guided locomotives to the moon and other planets like Mars, not because there is any crying need for the same, but because it gives the thrill of doing the outwardly impossible. Man is not only the slave of his needs but their creator as well. He not only seeks to satisfy his necessity but also his desire for beauty, his lust for power. The mere satisfaction of needs can never be the sole motive for exercising man's faculties for inventiveness. The proverb tells us not to be passive in our attitude to life, not to follow the same old habits and ways to life. The world is changing every day, and we must adapt ourselves to the changing needs and keep pace with them. The more we expand our horizon, the greater will be our incentive to invent new machines and gadgets.

Essay on Higher education as a preparation for life


Higher education is popularly taken to mean education that is imparted in Colleges under Universities. Its external test is the possession of a degree. Its intrinsic quality is the possession of a distinctive attitude to life based on intellectualism. Hence, a person claiming higher education must not only possess knowledge but must be able to apply it in day-to-day affairs of life. He should not be a bookful blockhead. He shall have to be worthy of the University degree he receives ever afterwards. Some look down upon higher education as not of very great practical utility in life. After all, India is an over-taught country. Here the plan for uplifting higher education is framed first, allotting enormous amount of money and then the scheme of primary education is fitted in with it. Judging by the poor state of primary education, a highly educated man is like the beacon-light in a dead level of sand, a Gulliver among Lilliputians.

Maintaining a high standard of education is the true index of the culture level of a country. In a sense, it is a matter of national prestige. It fixes intellectual standards. After all, it is by its cultural attainments that a nation draws the attention and respect of the world. We are living today in a complex society. The development of science, the growth of industries, the evolution of democratic institution, the coming together of nations through politics and trade and sports have made our world a complex place. Without knowledge of science, how can we manage a civilization based on machinery and scientific appliances? Without a knowledge of economics, it is impossible to tackle the complicated problems of modern living. In short, we cannot meet the challenge of an advanced civilization with the outmoded ideas of a feudal age. Our responsibilities today are infinitely greater than what our fathers had to shoulder. This function can be fulfilled only by a higher standard of education. It is, therefore, a very narrow outlook that judges higher education by immediate material value. The purpose of education is to make one a citizen of the whole world and a leader of the society. Therefore, it is imperative to organize national education on a high level of efficiency. The foundation of national Universities and institutions (deemed as universities) national laboratories, national academies of art and culture are steps in the right direction. The Universities must prepare our students to play the leading role in building the nation, to fulfill its many-sided functions in the service of humanity.

Essay on Peace hath her victories no less renowned than war


The victories of war! - Who does not know these and honour these? Poets sing their praises; historians record their glories; theaters rehearse them in mimic action; we all recall them with pride. Great epics have grown round the deeds of heroes on the field of battle. Even today, men read of the exploits of Arjun or the wrath of Achilles with wonder and admiration. The victories won on the fields of battle are spectacular and inspiring. Novelists like to weave romances round the glorious exploits of Rana Pratap or Sivaji, and to invest them with the rich glamor of imagination. We find a strange pleasure in reading the heroic acts of an Alexander or a Napoleon, a Kubla Khan to found empires stretching to the ends of the earth. If we recall the victories of war, we will recall only stories of lands laid waste, cities burnt or looted the horrific tale of leaving behind a trail of death and destruction. In ancient times people were put to sword mercilessly and enslaved; the fury of conquerors, such genocide or large-scale killing of the flowers of the enemy nation in the name of conquest is nothing but barbarous acts which should make one and ponder, like the boy is Southey's poem "After Blenheim"at what a terrible cost of blood and brutality such a victory was achieved? The barbarousness of the victories of war is sometimes overwhelming. These are not instances of chivalry and humanity which would make the world a better and happier place to live in.

In our reflective moments, we attach greater importance to the victories of peace. Battles are like flashes of lightning, brilliant but momentary. But a time of peace has the radiance of the sun or the tender glow of the moon. Peacetime deeds might not dazzle us, but they have a soothing influence. Civilization, which we prize, is the slow achievement of workers in peacetime. Science and poetry, religion and philosophy-these are creations of thinking mind during the piping times of peace. It is in the peaceful atmosphere of universities, academies and monasteries that Plato expounded his philosophy, Kalidas composed his melodious verses, Raphael worked at his glorious painting and great scientists harnessed nature and laid the foundations of a new civilization. The phenomenal cultural progress of the nineteenth century was due to the long period of peace that Europe then enjoyed. Are the conquests of the Air by the invention of the aeroplane, doing away with time, the discoveries, of the victories over germs and viruses, studies in the mysteries of the atom of victories in any way less glorious than the victories won by great conquerors on the fields of Panipat or of Waterloo? We remember Asoka not for his conquest of Kalinga but for the message of peace and brotherhood that conquered the minds of men at home and abroad. We honour Akbar not for his military victories but for his noble attempt to weld together the warring sects of India in bonds of amity. Elizabeth's greatness is more due to the poetry and drama that she inspired in her age than to the Armada attack that England repulsed. We are not bothered about who won the Crimean War and the Czar of Russia or the Sultan of Turkey. But we all remember with gratitude the selfless services of Florence Nightingale at the military hospital at Scutari with her band of devoted nurses. She conquered the hearts of wounded and ailing soldiers who lovingly called her 'Lady with the Lamp'. Columbus discovered America not by sword but by nautical compass and courage. Man's bitterest enemies are ignorance, disease and poverty. These can be conquered only by patience and sympathetic service, not by sword and shackle. The modern world affords large opportunities for using times of peace to extend man's powers over the hostile forces of Nature. Today more and more countries are coming to realize the futility of war as a means to progress, ignoring Man. So they are more eager to conquer Nature and the space. They have shown that rivers can be dammed as a source of power; that wasteland can be afforested and deserts reclaimed. If there is world-peace, progress may be possible on a worldwide scale. War hysteria can only harness atomic energy for destroying human lives. But if there is peace, the world will be transformed for the benefit of humanity by the application of atomic power. The peacetime application of science will usher in an age far more glorious than anything man has ever dreamt of; it will create a heaven on earth. So Gen. McArthur said "Force is not a solution for human problems. It never has the last word." The victories of peace are won in the laboratory of the scientist, in the closet of the scholar, in the cabinet of the statesman, on the pulpit of the preacher. All honour certainly goes to the heroes of the fields of war; but greater heroes are they who work for humanity's good - not for wealth, not for

applause, not for power, but for the love of common humanity. And that these are the victories that Asia has always cherished, Buddha triumphing over evil by non-violence; Chaitanya conquering hatred by love; Christ was dying on the Cross to atone for the sins of man, Gandhi sacrificing his life for the ideals of peace and non-violence, at the altar or truth. So Matthew Arnold said- The East let the thundering legion past / and plunged in thought again.

Free essay on Laws, Domestic Discord and Marital Abuse


The recent years witnessed the unfortunate rise in reported cases of domestic violence and murder. Some of these appeared to be linked to dowry demands. There were cases of married women, seeking redress against abusive and violent husbands, as also parents, whose daughters had been murdered by their in-laws, seeking help in getting justice from the police and courts. However, their experience of approaching the police and law courts turned out to be a very disappointing one for most of them. Husbands and in-laws got away with torture and even murder, because the women and their families found it difficult to 'prove beyond doubt' that they were victims of violence and extortion. From that experience, domestic violence and abuse came to be seen as a one-way affair, largely because most of those whose cases reached women's organizations, police stations and law courts, happened to be wives who had complained against their husbands. As a result of determined campaigning and lobbying by women's organizations, significant amendments were made to the Indian Penal Code, the Indian Evidence Act and the Dowry Prohibition Act, with the intention of protecting wives from marital violence, abuse and extortionist dowry demands. The most notable ones are sections 304B, 406 and 498A of the Indian Penal Code, and Section 113 A of the Indian Evidence Act. However, the actual implementation of these laws has left a bitter trail of disappointment, anger and resentment in its wake, among the affected families. Many victims of domestic violence as well as many womens organizations felt that despite the existence of supposedly stringent laws, that enshrine the dual objective of helping the woman gain control over her stridhan and punishing abusive husbands and in laws, in reality most victims fail to receive necessary relief. In most cases, even where the circumstantial evidence clearly indicated that the wife was killed, the police seemed to go out of their way to convert her death into a case of suicide. In many instances, families of victims found it difficult to register an accurate F.I.R. or have the case properly investigated. Thus, numerous women continued to suffer humiliation and battering, many even to the point of death, despite the existence of stringent laws in their favor. The tide turned during the 1980's, when far reaching changes were introduced in our criminal laws to deal with domestic violence. Prior to 1983, there were no specific provisions to deal with marital abuse and violence. But husbands could be prosecuted and punished under the general provisions of

the Indian Penal Code dealing with murder, abetment to suicide, causing hurt and wrongful confinement. Since marital violence mostly took place in the privacy of the home, behind closed doors, a woman could not call upon any independent witnesses to testify in her favor and prove her case 'beyond reasonable doubt' as was required under criminal law. Therefore, women's organizations lobbied to have the law tilted in women's favor by bringing in amendments which shifted the burden of proof on the accused and instituted fairly stringent, pre-emptive measures and punishments against the accused. All these amendments placed draconian powers in the hands of the police without adequate safeguards against the irresponsibility of the enforcement machinery. The truth is that there are adequate provisions in the IPC Sections 323, 324, 325 and 326 for use against anyone who assaults a woman or causes her injury. Though no new principles of accountability were added to the Police Act, special Crimes Against Women Cells were created in select police stations to handle women's complaints. And, in some places, Family Courts were put into operation. The Indian Penal Code was amended twice during the 1980s first in 1983 and again in 1986 to define special categories of crimes dealing with marital violence and abuse. In 1983, Section 498A of the IPC defined a new cognizable offence, namely, "cruelty by husband or relatives of husband". This means that under this law the police have no option but to take action, once such a complaint is registered by the victim or any of her relatives. It prescribes imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and also includes a fine. The definition of cruelty is not just confined to causing grave injury, bodily harm, or danger to life, limb or physical health, but also includes mental health, harassment and emotional torture through verbal abuse. This law takes particular cognizance of harassment, where it occurs with a view to coercing the wife, or any person related to her, to meet any unlawful demand regarding any property or valuable security, or occurs on account of failure by her, or any person related to her, to meet such a demand. During the same period, two amendments to the Dowry Prohibition Act of i961, enacted in 1984 and 1986, made dowry giving and receiving a cognizable offence. Even in this case, where a person is prosecuted for taking or abetting dowry, or for demanding dowry, the burden of proof that he had not committed an offence was placed on the accused. However, no punitive provisions were added for those making false allegations or exaggerated claims. There is, of course, the law against perjury or lying on oath. But the law against perjury has hardly ever been invoked in India. A person guilty of giving or taking dowry is punishable with imprisonment for a term ranging from six months to two years, plus a fine, or the amount of such dowry. Needless to say, no case is ever registered against dowry 'givers' and it is only dowry 'receivers' who are put in the dock. Not surprisingly, the law is invoked very selectively. The very same family which would declare at the time of marriage that they only gave 'voluntary gifts' to the groom's family, does not hesitate to

attribute all their 'gift-giving' to extortionist demands, once the marriage turns sour and is headed for a breakdown. Section 406 prescribes imprisonment of up to three years for criminal breach of trust. This provision of IPC is supposed to be invoked by women to file cases against their husbands and in-laws for retrieval of their dowry. Furthermore, another Section 304B was added to the IPC to deal with yet another new category of crime called 'dowry death'. This section states that if the death of a woman is caused by burns or bodily injury, or occurs under abnormal circumstances, within seven years of her marriage and it is shown that just prior to her death she was subjected to cruelty by her husband or any relative of her husband, in connection with any demand for dowry, such a death would be called a 'dowry death', and the husband or relative would be deemed to have caused her death. The person held guilty of a 'dowry death' shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which shall not be less than seven years but which may extend to imprisonment for life. By inserting a new section 113B in the Indian Evidence Act, the lawmakers stipulated that in cases that get registered by the police as those of 'dowry death', the court shall presume that the accused is guilty unless he can prove otherwise. Under section 304B, in the case of a 'dowry death', where allegations of demand of dowry or nonreturn of dowry are made, the accused are frequently denied anticipatory or even regular bail. The burden of proof is shifted to the accused party. The basic spirit of Indian jurisprudence is that a person is presumed innocent till proven guilty. However, in all such cases a person is assumed guilty till proven innocent. This is understandable in cases of death because the unnatural demise of a woman through suicide or murder is in itself proof that something was seriously wrong in the marriage. But problems arise when the same presumption applies to cases of domestic discord where the underlying cause of conflict is not due to a husband's violence or abuse but due to the couple's inability to get along with each other. With the enactment of 498A, the tendency to include dowry demands in every complaint of domestic discord or cruelty, even when dowry was not an issue at all, received a further fillip. The police as well as lawyers encourage female complainants to use this as a necessary ploy to implicate their marital families, making them believe that their complaint would not be taken seriously otherwise. Thus, mentioning dowry demands seems to have become a common ritual in virtually all cases registered with the police or filed in court. This has created an erroneous impression that all of the violence in Indian homes is due to a growing greed for more dowries. This makes the crime look peculiarly Indian, but the truth is that violence against wives is common to most societies, including those which have no tradition of dowry. Often, highly exaggerated or bogus claims are made by unscrupulous families who demand the return of more than was given as stridhan, using the sections 498A and section 406 of the IPC as a

bargaining tool. Sometimes the goal is reasonablethe woman wants the return of all items that legitimately belong to her, but she is encouraged to overstate her case and to demand an enhanced settlement as a pre-condition for divorce by mutual consent. A large number of cases registered under 498A are subsequently withdrawn, not necessarily because they were false. The complexity of women's lives, particularly within a violent marriage, has to be comprehended beyond the context of popular ethics. The conviction and imprisonment of the husband may not be the best solution to the problems of a victimized wife. And her limited choices and constrained circumstances often make it impossible for her to follow up the criminal case. Since the section does not protect a woman's right to the matrimonial home or offer her shelter during the proceedings, she may have no other choice but to work out reconciliation. At this point she may be forced to withdraw the complaint as the husband would make it a precondition for any negotiations. If a woman decides to opt for a divorce and the husband is willing for a settlement and a mutual consent divorce, then also withdrawing the complaint would be a precondition for such settlement. If a woman to separate or divorce on the ground of cruelty, she would have to follow two casesone in a civil court and the other in a criminal court. Anyone who has followed up a case in court would well understand the tremendous pressure this would exert, especially when she is at a stage of rebuilding her life, finding shelter, a job and child care facility. Under the civil law she would at least be entitled for maintenance which would be her greater priority. So if she has to choose between the two proceedings, in most cases, a woman opts for the civil case where she would be entitled to maintenance, child custody, injunction against harassment and finally a divorce which would set her free from her violent husband. Thus, many women end up dropping the criminal proceedings. In most cases, criminal proceedings are 'quashed' as a result a settlement or compromise by presenting, with mutual consent, a joint petition in the High Court u/s 482 Cr. P.C. Nobody has established as yet whether the abuse of these laws is as rampant as it is made out to be. Some think that the scare caused by isolated cases of misuse has caused a reaction in our society, making people exaggerate the damaging consequences of these laws. They dismiss the charges of abuse by pointing to the very low rate of convictions under 498A. While it is true that very few people have actually been given sentences under 498A there is no doubt that a large number of families have been locked up in jail for a few days or weeks, some even for months, following the registration of a police F.I.R. That is punishment enough for most. In many instances, out-of-court settlements are made using 498A as a bargaining point by the woman's family. Many cases do not go far because the charges are so exaggerated that the cases fall through. All these and other factors may be contributing to an abysmally low conviction rate. The law was recast, heavily weighted in the woman's favor, on the assumption that only genuinely aggrieved women would come forward to lodge complaints and that they would invariably tell the truth. In the process, however, the whole concept of due process of law had been overturned in these legal provisions dealing with domestic violence.

The basic problem with the present laws dealing with domestic discord and marital abuse is that instead of providing effective remedies through civil laws, the whole matter has been put under the jurisdiction of criminal laws, with very draconian provisions to make their implementation stringent. It is indeed a tragedy of independent India that we have not yet learnt to distinguish between reasonable and unreasonable laws, between implementable and un implementable laws, just as we have failed to create a law-enforcement machinery capable of providing genuine recourse to all those whose rights have been violated. In such a scenario, promoting family harmony and true gender equality is the need of the day.

Essay on the power of meditation for living with full of love and consciousness
Meditation is way of living full of love and consciousness. It is not about going to temples, praying hurriedly and yet continues living life mechanically and accidentally. Meditation means to bring spiritual awareness to each act big and small. The quality of love and acts of meditation, go hand in hand. If you meditate, says Osho, you will be simply loving; it will be just a quality of your being. And then it has a different flavour and does not create bondage. Then you share unconditionally and your love is just the way you naturally are. Osho tells a story. Once a mystic was travelling with his disciples. They come to a sarai. In the morning, the keeper of the sarai offered tea and snacks. While they were drinking their tea, suddenly, the keeper fell at the master's feet, ecstatic crying with joy. The disciples were puzzled. How could he know that this person was the master? It was supposed to be a secret and the disciples were told that nobody ought be told who the master is. They were all dressed alike. The master was moving incognito. Who has told this sarai-keeper? The disciples looked worried. They inquired, but nobody had told; nobody had even talked to that man, the owner. The master said: "Don't feel puzzled. Ask this man himself, how he recognized me. Nobody has told him; he has recognised." So they asked: "We cannot recognise. Even we are suspicious about whether he is truly enlightened or not, and we have lived with him for many years. Still, a suspicion somewhere goes on lurking. How have you recognised?" The man said: "I have been serving tea and breakfast and food to thousands of people. I have been watching thousands of people, and I have never come across a man who has looked with such deep love at the teacup. I could not help but recognise. I know all sorts of people passing from here but I have never seen anybody looking at the teacup with such love, as if somebody is looking at one's beloved."

Osho explains that this man must have had a totally different quality; he must be full of love. Otherwise, who looks at a teacup with such love? A teacup is a teacup. You have to use it. It is a utility. You do not look at it with love. In fact, you do not look at your own wife with love. She is a utility, a teacup is just to be used and kept aside. You do not look at your husband with love. The husband is a means. Love is possible only when everything becomes the end. Then even a teacup has die quality of the beloved.

Essay on Solar Energy and Household Appliances


Solar energy has been developed in Israel and Japan as a substitute to the conventional energy that runs in the grid in the two countries. A number of houses and business houses have their own solar plants installed on the roofs of the buildingsno crisisno breakdowns as we experience any moment in most of the parts in India. For the households in India the only relief given in this respect has been the four container box type solar cooker. It is rather a crazy thing that can be used only by those who have the sun in their courtyard the whole day. Moreover it takes hours to cook. It can't be of any help in the houses in the lanes and bylines of cities and towns. Then again it only cooksdoesn't allow you to use the solar energy for any thing else. A Canadian Institute has collaborated with an Institute in Israel. It has developed a plant of 10 KW power level. Another one of 450 KW was expected soon after. Sicily had developed a solar power generator in 1981 to supply power to the national grid. In 1981 an aeroplane fed with solar energy crossed the British Channel. India too has supplied electricity to 10,000 villages with Solar energy. Central Electronics Ltd. (CEL) manufactured 600 KW of solar cells in 1984. By 1990 it produced half a megawatt of solar cells with the help of Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd. (BHEL). If we have to live in a mountainous range or the interior most part of a forest or a far off interior village we require a host of thingshot dishes- warm beddinga lamp for studies. We should be in a position to move with :ne apparatus that provides these facilities in case we have to migrate. The apparatus should be handy. Thus besides the experiments of solar energy for light and hand pump or for street lighting or supply to the national grid we require small handy gadgets for the households offices, business houses and small workshops. A Hyderabad firm has already specialized in solar lanterns and solar power systems for remote rural telephone exchanges. It has already received an order to supply 25,000 units. The South is making a remarkable headway in other small gadgets too.

Now it is the Turn of Tamil Nadu. K.E. Raghunathan developed a small solar lamp in 1987 during the course of his Engineering degree. In a very short period of time his bedroom lab. was shifted to Small Scale Industries based in the industrial suburb of Ambattur on the outskirts of Chennai. In the beginning it had a meagre turnover of 4.5 and was a one product company. The hard work put by Raghunathan paid off. He established Solker Enterprises Ltd. manufacturing a unique solar powered portable lamp. It provides 10 hours of 40 watt fluorescent light. It costs Rs. 5,500. The government gives subsidy of Rs. 2,000 for its purchase to farmers, fisherfolk, handicapped and Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe people. The government has already given an order of over one lakh lamps under the Prime Minister's Programme. The company has proliferated further to manufacture the solar meal maker. It has a tie with Schewarzer, a German Scientist. He has supplied the technology; but has bargained it with 49 per cent equity shares. It is different from the box type system and can prepare meal for 25 to 30 persons. It is very fast (like an electric oven) and can undertake all those recipes that are prepared on a gas-stove. It can fry too. The greatest achievement is that every thing is done in the kitchenonly the heat source is outdoors. It does not pollute the environment too. It costs Rs. 32,500 and is being assisted by Industrial Credit Investment Corporation of India Ltd. (ICICI). The condition is that after 201st cooker onwards the company will pay 200 per cent of the loan as royalty to ICICI. If the project fails (not expected) it is the ICICI that loses the money. The pieces have been already exported to Chile and Barkina Faso.

Essay on Discipline Means Success, Anarchy Means Ruin


Schoolboys and college students dislike the word "discipline". This is because to them it means simply punishment. When they are fined or kept in or otherwise punished, they are told it is in the interests of "discipline". But, though punishment is part of discipline, discipline means much more than this. This word comes from "disciple", a learner, pup or follower of a teacher; and it means properly training. A disciple puts himself under a teacher to be trained and taught. If a disciple is to learn anything from his teacher, he must be ready to obey him and follow his instructions. The very essence of discipline is obedience. We may say that discipline means the learning to obey necessary rules of conduct. To be of any use in society, a child has to be trained by his parents and teachers from his earliest years. The first lesson he has to learn is the lesson of obedience. Then he has to be taught how to behave - how to form good habits, and how to avoid wrong and unbecoming conduct. The methods of such training are patient instruction, good example, and, when necessary, punishment. The child has to be taught how to behave well - what he must do, and what he must not do. If he refuses to learn or disobeys orders, he has to be corrected by punishment of some sort. This teaches him that disobedience brings unpleasant consequences. He will learn still more from a good

example set before him by his parents and teachers. He will then try to copy them and their behaviour. When men wish to act together in societies or companies, they have to agree upon certain rules of conduct; and the enforcement of obedience to such rules is called discipline. A society that has no rules or that does not see that its rules are kept will soon fall to pieces. A regiment or an army without discipline is a mere mob. Even in games, rules and discipline are necessary. If a batsman refused to go out when he was bowled, or footballers defied the referee's whistle when he gave off-side or a foul, there would be an end of cricket and football. In the same way no school or college could exist long without discipline. Lastly, there is self-discipline - the hardest task of all. Each of us has to learn how to govern and rule himself; how to control his passions, resist his evil desires, and obey his conscience. "He that ruleth his spirit is greater than he that taketh a city."

The Pen Is Mightier Than Sword - Essay


There is a famous saying that the role of pen is mightier than that of the sword. But unfortunately there are people who believe that the use of force is necessary. The pen expresses a personnel or public opinion. It stands for the press, literature, news-papers, books, and other writings. The purpose of all writing is to connect one's mind with another, to persuade the reader to take up the view which the writer holds on a particular subject. The reader has the right to hold his own view; he may not be convinced of the writer's judgement and opinions presented to him. We may, therefore, say that the pen stands for the peaceful means by which a person is persuaded to accept the views which the writer holds. No force is used to persuade the reader. But a good and forceful writer forms opinion. But the sword on the other hand, stands for force. It forces views on others. If they do not accept those views they must be challenged. The sword, therefore, implies force, not reason. The pen is thus preferred of the two. But the sword has its own uses. In the world, there exist not only good, sincere, honest and responsible people but also those who are wicked, dishonest and unreasonable. No argument will convince them and no eloquence can persuade them. Thus, where arguments fail, the sword succeeds. But this does not mean that the use of the sword is desirable. More often than not the sword has been misused. History shows how kings and generals owed power and used it to oppress the people. Give a man the sword for good purposes and in most cases he will use it for evil purposes. All thoughtful men, therefore, prefer the pen to the sword. The government of today is carried on through the help of the press. We are soon warned if we are in the wrong. No government of today

can stand against a powerful pen. The writer or the debater by his writing or reasoning power rules the day. People have a greater faith in the power of the pen than in that of the sword. Both the pen and the sword have their uses in life. Both reason and force properly mixed are necessary for good government. The time has not yet come when people will care for the good of others more than their own. But it is a sign of good times coming. The force is no longer an argument with us. But we have not yet reached the stage when all swords may be beaten into ploughshares.

Sample essay on can the corruption be eradicated from our Indian society ?
With materialistic values at the topmost priority, moral and ethical values at lowest span of ladder, every fibre of society indulged in self-aggrandizement, wherein not only the credibility of politicians and bureaucrats but also of the judiciary is at stake, it is very difficult and ridiculous to dream of a corruption free society". In present spectrum an honest man is like a drop in the ocean which loses its identity as soon as mingles virtually in the salt water of ocean, corruption is a common practice, a way of life. It is a matter of shame, that even after 57 years of independence, India figures among the first thirty most corrupt countries. The Virus of corruption has crept into all walks of life and it can endanger the body politic of our nation. Corruption always existed in human society in one or the other form. In primitive period, the scope of public administration was minimum, as a result the scope of corruption was also limited. After independence, with the concept of welfare state coming into existence, the scope of being corrupt widened. At the juncture of Independence a statesman like C. Rajagopalachari called the PWD (Public Works Department) as the first enemy of the country in terms of the corruption prevailed in that department. Now-a-days, every department has become a Public Works Department. The corruption has crept into every fabric of society in such a way that it was the theme of speeches made by the President, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of Lok Sabha, during the Golden Jubilee celebrations of our independence. Every Chief Election Commissioner since Mr. Sheshan hold the office, has advocated the dire necessity of electoral reforms to strike the corruption at grass root level. When the highest placed leaders and bureaucrats join the bandwagon of corruption who is required to watch the interests of the common people. Corruption is regarded as a low risk and highly profitable way of earning quick money and whoever is caught, knows how to go scot free. In this country which is known for moral and ethical values, where spirit of truism is adored, fair means were advocated to attain anything, has now counted among the top thirty most corrupted nations of the world. From peon to Prime Minister, from clerk to the Chief secretary all have been found involved and charged for many acts of commissions and ions. How can we imagine to eradicate the corruption in toto? Causes of Corruption

A peculiar face of corruption in our Country is that it goes upstream not down stream and so most of the fundamental policies and decisions about big purchases, contracts, projects etc, are distorted at the top level. The delay in disposing of the cases of corruption, is one of the important causes of flourishing of corruption. Corrupt officials even if caught can manage to go scot free in due course of time by manipulations or otherwise. Possessing of vast discretionary powers by the political 1eaders, bureaucrats is also one of the important reasons of being corrupt. Discretionary powers in appointments, nominations to various bodies, allotment of Petrol Pumps and other agencies resulted into favoring the kith or kin and because of their vested interest. Huge election expenses necessarily incurred by the vested interests, whether by the private companies or by the people to be later on gains with the aid and assistance of such political leaders, who now enjoy the chair because of their investing the money is a fundamental reason of politicians being corrupt. Politics has become such a lucrative business that once you occupy the chair by hook or by crook you become rich for ever with many perks and facilities throughout the life. One more reason can be advanced to the existence of corruption is the present inflationary trend which make an employee difficult to maintain his family. He finds corruption an attractive preposition. The taxation system takes away the thirty percent of income of an individual which renders the person in such hapless state that he can't live happily, if does not fulfill his needs by other means. The foremost reason of flourishing of corruption is the virtual change in that thinking of the people a total disregard to the moral and ethical values making the self aggrandizement the sole reason of all activities. Attaining the things by any means whether wrong or right has encouraged most of the generation to adopt preposition of corruption. Preposition of Corruption: The basic question is-can the corruption be eradicated? "Nothing is impossible can be said by an enthusiastic social leader but eradication of corruption is next to impossible thing in the present spectrum of affairs. When whole of the body politic is effected by the virus of corruption then to eradicate it in toto is a Herculean task. Corruption is a multifaceted, hydra headed colossus problem required to be dealt with several measures simultaneously. (1) Full transparency in official dealings be adopted. (2) Discretion be minimized at the barest possible level. Whenever discretion is used, should be based on reasoning and reasons must be on record. Unreasonable use of discretion could be reversed back and such provisions should be included in the system.

(3) Judiciary system to try the cases of corruption must be accelerated and it should be time bound. Whatever expenses needed to establish separate courts for the trial of the cases of corruption, must be incurred and given top most priority in future planning. The loss incurred by the nation due to corruption is much more than the expenses required in establishing such courts. Appeal in such cases should be discouraged if allowed in some cases then the appeal must also be given utmost top priority for disposal. The penalty imposed under IPC must be suitably enhanced, in order to check the corruption in social life. The bodies like CVC, CEl, Lok Ayukta, etc. must be headed by the persons of high integrity and must be made autonomous truly with execution powers. The budgetary allocation to these bodies should be liberal and no hindrance of any kind be allowed in their functioning. Elections Expenses must not be allowed to cross the limits. The loopholes like making expenses by other persons that are not included in party expenses must be plugged. The political parties have to be sincere and honest to fight the cancer of corruption. The chief hurdle is the unwillingness and lack of determination and will of politicians to eradicate the corruption. All the policies, rules and regulations are framed by the leaders, they do not wish to chain themselves by making laws so inert and fool proof so that they themselves are entangled. So the eradication of corruption does not seem to be possible. The people and the society can play very important role in fighting the gigantic wild animal of corruption. The general awakening can make the politicians and bureaucrats to use their discretion fairly. The common men must cast their votes not on the basis of caste or creed or party, but on the basis of values and character of the candidates. In a democracy the actual power lies with the voters but once a leader is elected by them, the people are made a puppet to play by their. There is.a need to make a law to call back the corrupt leader if decided by the voters even before 5 years' term. The politicians use their caste affiliations and religion, to woo the innocent voters in their favor. The common man must use the vote wisely in favor of the honest and educated candidate.To eradicate the corruption from the society all have to fight it, lt is the most powerful and the most dangerous monstrous evil which rises to manifold itself with the passage of time.

Electricity
Ours is an age of electricity. Electricity is replacing other sources of energy like water, oil and coal, because it is comparably cheap, efficient and useful. Electricity supplies every kind of energy to man to improve his scientific inventions and increase his social amenities. From house-lighting to the running of giant factories, it is the invisible current that flows through the thin copper wire of insignificant dimension. Just switching on of button releases power and man has not failed to avail himself of both the constructive and destructive potentialities of electrical energy. Consider the constructive side of electricity. It is a source of light, heat and other comforts. Houses, streets, parks, pleasure- houses and places are lighted with electricity. Heating and cooling processes are also carried on by it. Air-conditioning is a feat of modern electrical engineering. Refrigerators not only condition the temperature but also preserve and facilitate man's food supply. Transport of

perishable foods, drugs and drinks, in good condition, from one corner of the globe to another, is made possible by this device. Again, labour in every form in the house, in the office, and in the factory is simplified by the introduction of electrical devices. Among domestic services, machinery of every type is worked more cheaply and efficiently by electricity. And many a labour-saving and time-saving device using electrical energy has been introduced to minimise drudgery at home and at office Modern communications and transport are rendered safer speedier and more comfortable by the introduction of the wireless telephone and the telegraph, the electric train, tram and motor Recent inventions like the gramophone, the talkie, radio and television are some of the other triumphs that man has achieved by its application. Electricity has also come to play an important part in the treatment of diseases by electrotherapy. The destructive side: High voltage electricity kills life like the elements, say water or fire in their ferocity. Death is swift and painless. So in America, criminals sentenced to death are electrocuted. Mad dogs are also disposed of in the same way but man abuses this useful source of energy against his own fellow men in war. The atom bomb, the hydrogen bomb and a thousand other minor devices have been perfected. They can work havoc wiping out cities and bringing ruin to every kind of life over a wide area. The stage has now come when men have started fearing the dire consequences which will follow by the use of such terrible weapons of war.

your impression about social power


Social power is a universal aspect of social interaction. It plays an important role in shaping relations among the members of a group. In groups some members are more powerful than others and this fact has important consequences for a group functioning. Further all forms of social interaction involve differences in the relative power of the participants to influence one another. Thus power differences enter into determining the relations between father and child, employer and employee, politician and voter teacher and student. Kingsley Davis defines power as the determination of behaviour of others in accordance with one's own ends. According to Sheriff and Sheriff power denotes the relative weights of behaviour by member in a group structure. Weber has defined power as the probability that one actor (individual or group) within a social relationship in a position to carry out his own will despite resistance, regardless of the basis on which this probability rests. He goes on to say All conceivable qualities of a person and all combination of circumstances may put him in a position to impose his will in a given situation. These definitions show that power is a broad concept. In general it means the ability to influence the behaviour of the other person.

But power need not be considered equivalent which influence without any regard to the situation in which it occurs. A new born infant can influence the bahaviour of his parents. A stranger on the street can influence the action of others by calling out Look out for the bus. But this influence is not equivalent with power in group functioning. The important element in the definitions of power is group functioning. The important element in the definitions of power is the ability to determine the behaviour of others in accordance with one's own wishes despite opposition. According to Green Power is simply the extent of capability to control others so that they will do what they are wanted to do. Lundberg and others also say, By power we mean the extent to which persons or groups can limit or regulate the alternative courses of action open to other persons or groups with or without their consent. Power may be exercised blatantly or subtly, legally or illegally, justly or unjustly. It may be derived from many sources such as wealth, status, prestige, numbers or organisational efficiency. Its ultimate basis however is the ability to compel obedience if necessary through the threat or use of force. Social power has been identified in different ways with prestige, influence, eminence, competence, dominance, rights, strength force and authority. (i) Power and prestige are closely linked, as Ross said, The class that has the most prestige will leave the most power. It can be said that the powerful groups tend to be prestigious and prestigious group powerful. (ii) Knowledge, eminence, skill and competence all contribute to prestige but they need not necessarily accompany power. If all power is accompanied by these factors then the association is only incidental. (iii) Power and dominance are also to be distinguished. Power is a sociological and dominance a psychological phenomenon. The laws of power is in both person and groups and in important cases it is in the latter. But dominance is a function of personality or of temperament. It is a personal trait. It is also possible to find dominant individuals playing roles in powerless groups and submissive individuals playing roles in powerful ones. Power is one thing and dominance quite another. (iii) Power and Rights - Rights are more closely associated with privileges and with authority than they are with power. A right is one of the prerequisites of power and not power itself. One may have right without the power to exercise it. The man who has the power rarely waits for the right to use it.

A right always requires some support in the right to social structure. No individual can successfully claim a right that is un recognised in the law and non existent in the modes. Right in general like privileges, duties, obligation, responsibilities etc. are attached to the statuses whereas power does not necessarily require the backing of the status. (v) Power, Force and Authority - Power is not force and power is not authority but it is related to both. As Robert Bierstedt said, Power is talent force. Power is the prior capacity that makes the use of force, force is manifesto power and authority is institutionalised possible. Only groups that have power can threaten to use force and the threat the itself is power. Power is the ability to use force not its actual employment. Power is always successful when it is not successful it causes to be power. Power thus symbolises the force that may be applied in any social situation and supports the authority that is applied. Power is thus neither force nor authority but it makes both force and authority possible says Robert Bierstedt.

Essay on Reservation for Women: Why or Why not?


Providing reservations to a particular section of community in government jobs and other institutions is generally the highlight of any political partys agenda these days. Now there have been discussions about providing reservations to women in government jobs and democratic institutions like legislative assemblies and Parliament also. Sometimes one feels that basically the reservation issue is nothing but a populist policy of a government, but still it is necessary to discuss the rationale behind such a policy. Can reservations for women be an effective measure and do the women really require such special treatment? These are the points which need to be addressed. It is nothing but a truism to say that the present status of women in the Indian society vis--vis the status of men is far from satisfactory. For centuries, Indian society like most of the other societies has been a male-dominated one. Perhaps the degradation of the status of women started in the later Vedic period, because in the Rig Vedic period we have references to many women scholars like Matitreyi, Gayatri etc. These women scholars might have been exceptions in the society, yet they did reflect upon the general attitude of the society and a relatively good status of the women. But in the later Vedic period the situation started changing drastically with the increased dominance of the puritan and obscurantist ideas. Womens condition had reached it abyss by the medieval period with systems like Sati, Parda, polygamy, maltreatment of widows etc. entrenching themselves. Thus see in the historical as well as contemporary perspective, reservation for women seems desirable. Reservation for women both in government jobs and democratic institutions would amount to a positive discrimination. But it might foster a sense of inferiority complex among the women that they have been, as if were, provided with crutches to walk on, to struggle in the demanding world. Also,

reservation for women, as we have seen in the cases of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other backward Classes, would become a populist tool at the hands of powers that be. In the circumstances the intention of every political party is to talk in terms of reservation only, instead of hitting at the basic cause of such an inequality between men and women. Instead of providing any solution to this deep rooted problem reservation for women may give rise to social, political as well as psychological tensions. Besides, it is debatable if more women will attend school, college and office merely because of reservation. There are many complex reasons behind the low representation of women in the socio-political and economic profile of the country which a reservation policy cannot hope to tackle, real leave overcome. But the case for providing reservation to women as a means of providing opportunities to them in a male dominated society is equally strong. In spite of the fact that the country is supposed to be developing in different walks of life the proportion of women to that of men in various fields of national activities remains highly disappointing. Even after almost fifty years of independence and eleven general elections, the 11th Lok Sabah is represented by about 40 odd women MPs in a house of 545. At present there is no woman chief minister in the country and even when there has been a woman CM in the past, it has always been an exception rather than the rule. Also in the other strata's of decision-making and policy implementation the representation of women is as low as ever. Coming down to the common people the feeling is gaining ground that women should also be an equal partner in the income of the family (not to talk of expenditure!) This changing attitude towards women will get a good fillip once there are reservations for them in the job-market. For women having potential but lacking in proper opportunities such a policy would be highly beneficial. One feels, however, that when one talks about reservation for women whether for or against one does so in the context of urban or at best semi-urban scenario only. Considering the condition of the rural women a policy like reservation, ad hoc as it is, will not have much of an impact. Since independence the government has failed to achieve one of the most important aims of the constitution makers i.e. to provide compulsory education to all up to the age of 14. The lack of political and administrative will and apathy has resulted in a lack of quality education at all levels in the villages. While the cult of public schools pro life rate in towns and cities, the impression of the collapsing building of a village schools being attended by a paltry number of students, sitting on the floor and getting floored by the outdated teachers has remained intact. The government has to evolve a long term policy consisting of free or subsidized education to the village girls, opening of all levels of schools within a reasonable distance and a compulsory fine to the teachers and parents in showing any complacence into eh education of their students and wards. Naturally, before taking, such a tough measure the government will have to acquire a courage of conviction a moral courage to create a condition whereby the idea of the school going girls and boys as a source of family income does not exist.

Thus, the upliftment of women, empowerment of women becomes a question of uplift of the society as a whole. Reservation for women can be a temporary sort of relief, as a means to clear the backlog as far as possible but the greater aim of achieving complete equality between men and women demands a much broader political, social and economic policy.

Indo-China Relations
For the first time in her millennial history, India has been militarily invaded by China. Never before had the high Himalayas been pierced by an enemy army's trucks and tanks, nor the deep silence of the snow-capped sentinel rudely disturbed by murderous mortars and shells. The shock to India has been all the greater, because the bloody assault was launched by the neighbor for whom India had done more than any other country during the past decade and whose Premier Chou-En-Lai had often embraced, with Simulated affection our Sate Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to the refrain of 'Hindi-Ghini Bhai Bhai'. it proved to be the embrace of death. The refrain is heard no more, and Chinese perfidy has made mockery of the noble tenets of Pencha Sheel. The Sino-Indian clash served to confirm the suspicion that China had grown power drunk because the boundary question was opened by the Chinese when they were strong enough to inflict their will upon India. Till then the Chinese refused to be drawn into discussion on the ground that the time for the negotiations was not ripe. At this stage it will be well worth while to put on record the tracherons 'modus operand!' of the Chinese attack in the winter of 1962. On October 20, more than 20,000 Chinese soldiers, equipped with burp guns, stormed over the Thagla ridge in NEFA, and overpowered a 5,000 strong Indian brigade along the Kochilang river. Avoiding, where necessary, direct encounters with strongly anttrenched Indian forces and engaging them in flints, they outflanked and encircled the Indian troop concentrations. Besides it was tragic that our military intelligence was incompetent, practically nonexistent. Our forces, therefore, themselves ill-clad, ill shod, and ill-equipped lacked accurate knowledge of the enemy's strength and objectives; The fast moving Chinese had, on the contrary, even learnt the exact wave-length on which the Indian army issued its commands. At the very moment of attack, the Chinese jammed the Indian Command transmitters, and on the same wave-length issued contradictory command, in Hindi, Urdu and Tamil. Indian commanders exasperated and demoralized, admitted that they had "not been taught that kind of warfare." The perfidious Chinese trick spread confusion and chaos throughout our defence positions. After capturing the Tow Rang region, the Chinese army on November 18, 1962 launched a three-pronged drive on the Se La, Bomdi La and Chakoo sectors. As they encircled Bomdi La, they hit the rear of the Indian army a few miles north of the foothills at Chakoo. The shock to our troops was unimaginable and it well nigh frightened them out of their wits. There was no more fight left in them, and it is a matter for shame and sorrow that whereas thousands of Indian Jawans were taken prisoners, the Sino-Indian War of 1962 left not a single Chinese prisoner of War in Indian hands. It is worth noting besides, that in the farthest village they reached, the triumphant Chinese, as if to mock at India, stuck up a notice which read "From November 29 Chakoo was in our control.

Today we vacate it. If necessary, we will come again." Independent India's military debacle and national humiliation was complete. The Chinese army withdrew on November 21 imposing a ceasefire on its own terms which gave China effective control of 15,000 square miles of Indian territory, including the strategically important Aksai Chin road linking Sinkiang with Western Tibet as well as ail the strategic defences in NEFA, so vital to India's eastern zone. To the shattering blow to India's national honor and International prestige was added the grievous complication that Indian economy had been suddenly upset. China which dreams of domination over Asia as a preparatory step to the first power status in the world, knew very well that many Asian countries had closely and eagerly watching India's socioeconomic advance by democratic means, a serious challenge to China's claim that progress could only come through communism. Having consolidated its occupation of Indian territory the Chinese Government verily cocked a snook at the Colombo proposals. It is, however, noteworthy that some of the nations' leaders who come to Delhi early in 1963 did not condemn China as an aggressor. One of them, the Egyptian Premier, Ali Sabry, stated on January 13 that "both India and China recognize their present conflict as a border dispute." He refused to consider that what India had suffered was at par with what had happened to his own country in 1956. It was obvious that the Colombo countries, as represented by their Governments were not exactly neutral, but were biased by the Victorians might of China no less than by the vicious anti-Indian propaganda of Peking. The pathetic irony of situation lay in the fact while India's Government weakly accepted the Colombo proposals in toto and without any reservations, the Chinese Government has remained intransigent to this day. China has furthered her position by astute moves on the polity-co diplomatic front as well. Her Government rushed through and signed a pact with Pakistan on March 2, 1963, whereby Pakistan was secured as a junior partner in the unholy alliance against India. For years Pakistan had been the trusted ally of the Western powers and a bulwark of their defence strategy in Asia. The new tangled Sino-Pakistan alliance has upset the old balance of power in the Himalayan region where not only India but also Russia and Afghanistan are vitally interested. As a result of the pact, Pakistan surrendered 12,000 squares miles of ill-gotten territory in Kashmir to China. The new 300 mile boundary line between Pakistan and China commences at the tri-junction of the frontiers of 'Pakistan' 'China' and 'Afghanistan,' and runs to the south eastern extremity of Karakoram pass. We are deeply grateful to the United States, Britain, the Soviet Union, Canada, Australia, Yogoslavia and other friendly countries, for the aid rushed to us promptly and generously in the hour of need. India's air-arm has been strengthened not only by the supply of modern fighters and equipment, but also by joint air exercises with USA-Commonwealth forces. Even so we must continue to steadily build up our military strength, and prepare the country materially and psychologically for a counteroffensive to drive the invader from our sacred soil", in terms of the resolutions adopted unanimously and with acclamation on the 74th birthday of 4he late Late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru on November 14, 1962. There can be no tow towing to China, no submission to an Asian neo-imperialist

power, after recent liberation from the two centuries old yoke, of a European imperialist power. The Himalayas today are not a mere physical or geographical barrier : they are an ideological frontier between Democracy and Communism, The explosion by China of a nuclear device on October 15, 1964, had added a new dimension to our thinking with regard to defence plans. The simultaneous forcible ouster, on the same date, of Nikita Khruschev from Soviet Premiership has-set people wondering whether the new masters of the Kremlin will strive for a rapprochement with China. There are no tangible signs so far of such a development, but it will be unwise to baulk upon a widening Sino-Soviet rift as a contributory factor to our national security. Government's reaction to the Chinese atomic blast has been summed up in "we can, but we won't make the bomb" policy. Immediately after the aggression, India adopted various measures on emergency basisdefence, development, legislative, economics relief services, and people's participation. The nation learnt bitter defence lessons from this humiliating defeat that, eternal vigilance is the price of libertydefence awareness and constant alertness and military preparedness. Recently, China seems to have revised her attitude and changed her colors. She has made gestures of friendliness by inviting delegations. But India should count ten before failing into the trap of the Chinese deception. There have been occasional interchanges of cultural, sports and educational delegations. China also participated in Pin Pong Tournament in India followed up by the visit of Chinese top-brass in India. Now Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi has just paid an official visit to China. Nevertheless, the general air that prevails is that of suspended hostilities. The heart of our nation is sound. Only a strong, determined, courageous and dedicated leadership is needed. If that is forth-coming, then, under God, with hope and faith, the nation will match undaunted, and avenge our reverses, and will go on marching not only to victory in war, but also to a victorious peace.

Here is your short essay on Sustainable Cities


About some two hundred years ago Rousseau, the French philosopher said, "Go back to nature". The vision was prophetic. People did not see the wisdom in what Rousseau said then. They did the contrary. Lured by the Splendor and glitter of the cities, they migrated enmasse to the urban centres. The result of such exodus of people from the rural areas to the towns and cities are now too apparent to be stated. Cities today have become so overpopulated that they cannot sustain any further inflow. The cities are now breaking down under the pressure of the overcrowding generated problems. Mankind all over the world is now busy in finding ways to solve these problems, the problems of deprivation, unemployment, crimes, alienation etc. As per available statistics in America, Europe and Australia about 80 per cent of the populations dwell in cities. In Asia and Africa the population is evenly distributed between the rural and the

urban areas. Even in these two continents the balance is being steadily and rapidly disturbed in favor of cities. The population in the cities all over the world is fast increasing. The question that demands an immediate answer is whether cities can sustain the population pressure. The answer, we all know, is a 'no'. This implies that we have to devise and implement viable schemes to arrest urban population growth and making cities worth living in. Thinkers and planners of our time have turned their attention to sustainable cities. In order to survive, modern cities have to be socially, economically and environmentally viable. We have to change our attitude towards resource consumption. We have to think of waste management. We have to frame appropriate policies for the purpose. The details of such policies have been laid down by Girardet in this essay.

The Cultural unity forms a Nation


It is easy to disunite the people than even to create a facade of unity. It is a common phenomenon in all the Third World Countries and those under Communistic regime. The society remains stuck to the dictatorial order; and it seems as if there is unity. The final fate of Yugoslavia and Czechoslovakia is known to the world. Even the fourteen republics of USSR fell apart like a house of cards as soon as the Communist control was withdrawn. If military Junta or the dictators allow freedom to the people in African continent internecine wars among the clans are expected to ravage most of the nations. China alone is a country that is shedding the dark leaves of Communism in a phased manner and instead of breaking is returning to its past glory in a different way. Unlike Latin America (South America) India is a comparatively compact whole after independence. Still there are certain dark patches that have spoiled the national fabric. Before the Mauryan era it was a house divided. Alexander took advantage of the disunity of the feudal kings. The efforts of Chanakya made the nation again rise and achieve its pristine glory. Middle ages being the age of feudal kings too India again reaped the harvest of defeats at the hands of foreign powers since the seventh century. The long reign of Islamic rulers and the European ones, specially Great Britain, left deep scars of mental slavery even after independence. The forcible conversions by the Muslim rulers changed the face of the nation. It created pockets of influence throughout the country that got the vivisection of the country. The physical phenomenon was bad of course, but worse was the mental aptitude that has been responsible for the apparent, disguised or underground efforts not to allow the country to remain a united nation. Although European powers withdrew from India, they left an army of highly educated henchmen on the one hand and a large number of missionaries on the other. The educated young men took for granted all the theories propounded by their past masters. The missionaries worked mostly among the tribal's-got a very large number of them converted to Christianity. They propagated the myth that the tribal's had no religion of their own. They gave them

religion. They changed the very map of the North Eastern Region. They created an atmosphere of alienation against the main stream of the nation in the North Eastern Region. The misleading propaganda there was that the North Eastern Region has been ignored because of ethnic differences. It was not difficult to let them believe that they belonged to the Mongolian race. As such they were nearer to the Chinese rather than to Indians. Their facial structure, language, names all were given example of. The result is lava of secessionism flows in the backwaters of the Seven Sisters of the North East. Withdraw armed forces from the region and see what happens. No less important is the grooming of a whole martial group that was formed to save the Hindus from the onslaught of Muslim invaders. Queer enough the bearded Hindus were posed against the unbarred ones. Under the guise of a movement against the brahmanical order it found its roots among the illiterate Sikhs in Punjab. Fed by the earlier foes the Muslims and the Birtons it gained ground as another secessionist movement in the border state of Punjab. It got even the then USA President Bill Clinton on its side. Australia backed it and ISI of Pakistan supported it. How an extraordinary large number of converts can be cohorts with their religious peers aiming at the destabilizing of a full region can be seen in Jammu and Kashmir. The support comes from the Islamic nations besides some European countries who would not like to see a region coming closer again after they could manipulate in getting it divided. India stands a loser not simply on its own land but in a number of International fora on the issue. The movement of secessionism has reached the peak in the area. It is said myths don't sustain long. But the ones propounded by our past masters have gained more ground than they had when the Britons were here. The British concocted the theory of Aryan invasion on India. The motive was double edged. They wanted to create a gulf between the highly cultured Tamilians and the people above the Vindhyas i.e.; the Hindi belt. Their other motive was to keep themselves at par with the Aryans and the Muslims who invaded India. They too did it and had a right to settle here as the Aryans and Muslims had. Navaratha S. Rajaram, a US based scientist and a former adviser to National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), USA, S.S. Mishra a BHU scholar, Srikant Talageri, the writer of 'Aryan Invasion Theory and Indian Nationalism' S.R Gupta a former Director of Allahabad Museum, Koenraad Elst writer of 'Indigenous Indians: Agastya to Ambedkar' and, many South Indian scholars participating in a seminar organised by the Mythic, Society, Bangalore opined that Aryans did not come to India from anywhere. They 'were indigenous to the country'. On the other hand Dr. Robert J. Zydenbos, a European Ideological scholar, residing in Mysore sticks to the old theory that the Aryans came to India from Central Asia. He goes on to refer Zvelebil who considers that the Dravidians too migrated to India 'from the northwest still prior to the Aryans'. These are all academic exercises.

Migration of people from one land to the other was a common feature in the past. Many invaders the Huns, the Shakas and a number of soldiers of the Army of Alexander remained in India and mingled with the people beyond recognition. Saxons moved to Great Britain and formed the Anglo- Saxon nation of Great Britain. Coming close to one another forming a big compact nation like Switzerland, Belgium and USA is a modern phenomenon going on in Europe after the middle Ages. Once the people are settled on a land first they are ethnically bound to become one cultural unit later on. Their languages and customs co-exist. Their religious identity too is intermingled. That is what happened in India too. It is this cultural amalgamation that formed the Indian nation millenniums back. The so called Aryan traditions and the Dravidian one's both had their birth in this land and overlapped one another. That is why most of the religious saints sprouted from the Southspecially from Tamil speaking regions have a sway over whole of the country. Many social agrarian and political movements started from Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Gujarat and Maharashtra that covered the South too in having reforms in the society and in throwing away the foreign regimes a number of times. Keeping the political leverage away, shedding away any type of superiority complex, throwing the dirt of caste regime into sea, bracing equality and equanimity and giving a firm united existence to the so called ethnic group will make the nation culturally strong. It is this real cultural strength on which the mansion of the nation is built.

Strategy for Environmental Management


The development process in the subcontinent are caught in a vicious triangle the three apices of which are high rate of population growth, back-breaking malnutrition and galloping ecological degradation. While it is no doubt true that economic development at a rapid rate is a necessity in this region to satisfy the basic human needs of its teeming millions, it should not be at the same time forgotten that development has to be intertwined with protection of the environment, on which the survival of the human species depends. If follows, therefore, that development needs to be necessarily and on principle imbued with environmental consideration. Such a policy leads to sustainable development. Some of the important measures ensuring sustainability in development and providing a basis for the proper management of indigenous natural system of our environment are as follows: i) To develop and strictly adhere to a national conservation strategy; ii) To nurture capabilities for comprehensive data collection and analysis;

iii) To make scientific assessment of their environmental impact before embarking upon developmental projects. iv) To enact suitable legislation for enforcing appropriate standards relating to emissions into the atmosphere as well as discharge into water bodies or into the bowels of the earth; v) To enact legislation which ensure safe collection, transportation storage and disposal of toxic and hazardous waste; vi) To promote strict adherence to laws establishing basic environmental norms for proposed settlements and for upgrading environment-friendly amenities in existing settlements; vii) To provide safe methods of long-term storage of nuclear waste before taking up construction of nuclear power plats. viii) To minimize, restrict and strictly control the use of chemical pesticides in agricultural practices. ix) To insist upon land use planning and watershed management in particular, with a view to minimize and ultimately eliminate environmental degradation; x) To carefully operationalise the sustainable development of coastal zones; and xi) To promote environmental awareness and adherence to environmental-friendly values among the people. The South-Asia Co-operative Environment Programme While national programmes are quite important, it is regional co-operation among countries of South-Asia in the sphere of environmental management, which is of crucial significance. The South-Asia Co-operative Environmental Programme (SACEP) is an important step in this direction. It is a joint undertaking of all the countries of South-Asia-Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Iran, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. A ministerial meeting held in 1981 adopted a 6-point Colombo Declaration on the environment of the region as a whole. It is concentrating attention on a concerted programme of activities in the following areas: i) Analysis environmental impact and cost-benefit rations; ii) Setting up of environmental quality standards. iii) Developing technologies for the development of renewable resources and scientific utilization of non-renewal resources; iv) Enacting suitable environmental legislation; v) Taking steps to conserve mountain ecosystems and watersheds;

vi) Promoting social forestry; vii) Encouraging the conservation of wildlife and genetic resources with particular reference to coral formations, mangrove concentration, deltas and fragile coastal areas; viii) Maintaining and safeguarding the character of island ecosystem; ix) Regulating tourism along environment-friendly lines; x) Evolving suitable policies relating to energy and the environment; xi) Promoting programmes of environmental education and training with particular reference to wildlife management. With some of the initiatives exemplified by legislative steps taken and institutional framework developed in the region as described above, the possibilities of ecologically sound development process leading to a better quality of environment in the region appear to be quite bright. South-Asia is a region of pronounced heterogeneity with respect to anthropological-environmental interactions. Population density is high but so is the fertility of the soil. The three major geo-systems, i.e. mountain, plain and plateau-possess typical characteristics of highland-lowland interactions through different types of inter-dependencies. The sustainability of development process in the subcontinent essentially depends upon a coordinated utilization of the Himalayan, Indo-Gangetic Brahmaputra plains and the plateau formations. The Monsoons provide a high degree of climatic interdependence in the region. The common functional elements of the environment, transcending state boundaries, need to be emphasized at the regional, national and sub continental levels. There is a need to focus attention on regionally agreed measures and programmes through intensive and effective bilateral and multilateral joint policies and actions.

Notes on the Relationship between Equality and Liberty


Equality is a multi-dimensional concept. Diverse opinions are put forth in locating the exact relationship between these two concepts. Writers like De Tocqueville and Lord Acton hold the view that liberty and equality are opposed to each other as they are antagonistic. The desire to have equality destroys the possibility of having full liberty. Achievement of equality demands positive state action. Equality needs a 'positive state' and liberty needs a 'Negative State'. The Elite theory of Democracy is against the principle of equality. But on the other hand writers like Maitland, Rousseau, Barker, Laski etc. hold the view that they are complementary to each other. Liberty and equality have a common end, the promotion of the value of the personality and the free development of its capacities. R. H. Tawney rightly remarks that "a large measure of equality, so far being inimical to liberty, is essential to it". No one of these can be enjoyed in isolation.

L. T. Hobhouse opined that liberty without equality is a high-sounding phrase with squalid results. Liberty lies in equality. Liberty without equality degenerates into licence and equality without liberty lapses into uniformity. Liberty is superior to equality because equality serves under liberty. To Prof. Barker "Equality in all its forms, must always be subject and instrumental to the free development of capacity; but if it be pressed to the length of uniformity; if uniformity be made to thwart the free development of capacity, the subject becomes the master, and the world is turned topsy-turvy." The development of a rich variety of personalities require a large measure of liberty and forbids all attempts to impose a dead level of social and economic equality. Liberty unites men but equality criticises the social hierarchy and contributes towards the stability of the community. Therefore liberty would be hollow without some measure of equality and equality would be meaningless without liberty. In this age of democracy where voting is a powerful weapon in the hands of the electorate economic equality is most essential condition because the economically powerful person will use his economic resources to gain political power. Political equality will be a mockery in the absence of economic equality. All the democratic constitutions of the world have incorporated liberty and equality in their constitutions because both of them have a common aim- the development of human personality and to make life worth-living. Therefore, it is said liberty without equality is narrow and equality without liberty is monotonous. Both at them are the essential conditions of human existence.

Essay for students on time in money


ADMINISTRATOR ESSAY FOR STUDENTS

The tiny infant cuddled in the warmth of the cradle soon becomes a cute toddler who runs after butterflies and rainbows. No sooner do the fairy tales and pranks of school days get over than the carefree lad blossoms into an exquisite youth when the heart leaps up to pluck the stars. The woods are lovely, dark and deep and the dreamy youth plans for the lovely miles he has to tread until the hard facts of life stare him in the face. The stress, storm and strife and manhood transforms him from within and without until one sad day the mirror acquaints him with his 'Other self', i.e. 'grey hair, sunken eyes and trembling hands' and he shockingly realises that 'shadows of the evening steal across the sky. But Oh! What about the rosy dreams waiting to find expression, the plans left halfway, the promises to be kept, the words of love never spoken and the aspiration to reach the stars? Seeing the shattered dreams, lost hopes and barren regrets, his heart wails, "Oh! If only I get a second chance! But no!! Life is insensitive and does not give us a second chance. We happen to pass through this way but once! A hurdle race from the womb to the tombif we may choose to describe lifecompels us to question ourselves, "Have we extracted all the joys, the Maker intended us to, out of life? Time slips out of our hands even before we realise it. How tremulous is the water on the lotus leaf! Such is the life of manfrail and transient. Life is a gift of Godgiven to us because he loves us and wants us to realise the grandeur of life. But the Time keeper does not give us the leisure of eternity to play here to our hearts' content. In this journey of life one has to be always alert to seize opportunities, learn from mistakes and make hay while the sun shines.

The period of youth is the spring time of our life when the mind and body is at its very best. The age from 15 to 25 years is of paramount importance because it lays down the foundation and determines the path of our life. Studies, career choices and job opportunities are hotly-debated issues during this period. Except for the aristocratic families and blessed elites, almost everyone has to be the architect of his own fortune, "Everyone has to take charge of his life or else you will be lathi charged by Time" warns the dynamic Ms. Kiran Bedi. Academic pursuits require perseverance, dedication, positive frame of mind and concentration. Lord Arujuna perceived only the bird's eye while aiming his shot but today students get distracted by a number of birds chirping around and are led astray by the false pleasures of this world. It is high time students realise that pending time in noble pursuits will enrich them from within and without while wasting time in ignoble pursuits will impoverish them from within and without. Money is man's dearest possession. He will think a thousand times before parting with it. Money can buy almost every material comfort and security, which is again an integral part of life. In the same way careful use of time can make or mar our future. It can lead us to the Golden Gate of achievement, satisfaction and progress while misusing time can drag us down to a sad, bad and mad world where life is meaningless. You have nothing more to conquer in this world if you waste your time in negative thoughts, bad friend circle, cheap literature and visit ignoble places. The negative influence of these dark looks, darker thoughts and darkest deeds will compel you to sink deep down in misery and degradation. Then it is very difficult to regain the 'Paradise' once you have lost it. How our tomorrow will be depends on what we do today. As you sow so shall you reap? How many precious lives and promising careers have been wasted and ruined only because they cared more for the false pleasures of the world and in the process they missed the track that would have led then forward. Perhaps the negative thoughts weakened them mentally and they lost the war even before it began. Perhaps the false friends misguide< them, the cheap literature spoiled and upset their mental balance and the ignoble dens they visited titillated their baser instincts and led them astray Bad thoughts cultivate bad habits that lead us to bad places, acquaint with bad people and drag us into undignified circumstances. This category of people constitutes the losers who may win some of the battles in life 01 of sheer chances but they are bound to lose the war unless they realise the value of time and use it wisely. The other category constitutes the winner who will win the ultimate war even if they lose some of the battles in it. Their wise investment in good thoughts, good books, good friends and good places pay them rich dividends. Entertaining good thoughts conditions the mind to great deeds, spending time with good friends relieves them of anxieties and undue pressures and cheers them onward with their load; good books are good friends wisely will ring out the old and false and ring in new and nobler modes of life. It can lead us to the paradise of excellence and satisfaction as is evident from the lives of great men and women who left their 'footprints on the sands of Time'. Be they artists, scientists, sportsmen, businessmen or administratorsthey excelled in their chosen fields because they realised the value of time. Procrastination, laziness, sluggishness are terms alien to their hearts. They believe in 100% commitment, which gres them 100% contentment. Be it the dynamic Sachin Tendulkar, the cricketing genius or the 'Nightingale' of IndiaLata Mangeshkar or the business

tycoons Ambanis' or Tatas or the most successful man of Modern timeMr. Bill Gateslife is not a bed of roses for them. Thorns of failure, betrayal and losses pricked them at every turning but they did not lose heart and persevered till they got the coveted crown. They are all geniuses of our timeswhich have in infinite capacity of taking paints at their task to the exclusion of everything else. They did not court success in a 'sudden flight but were toiling upwards in the night; hammering on the edges of their abilities, on to the bounds of perfection, breaking and bettering their own records until the world acknowledged them as Masters of their trade! They realised very early in their lives that, "If you waste time, time will waste you; If you honour time, time will honour you." Great artists and sportsmen practice for long hours at their task to maintain the excellence and standard of their game. It is a superhuman task of character to concentrate on our goal when the whole world is out at play. A great artist once said, "If I don't practice for one day, I realise the difference in my performance. If I don't practice for two days, my critics discover the difference and if I don't practice for three days, the whole world knows the difference." The beautiful world of rainbows and fancy happenings invites them to play but they stubbornly shut themselves in and refuse to yield to the allurements. Those who have conquered them can conquer the world, while those who have lost control over themselves will lose all the beautiful things in the world. Some people always complain that they have no time to do the things they always wanted to do. The weariness, the fever and the fret, consume all their time, money and energy. You will never get time for doing something, you will have to find time; change your priorities and adjust your schedule. All the dreams and plans can be actualised with proper time management because as Gandhiji said: "The days of miracle are not gone. They will abide so long as God abides". Trials and tribulations form an integral part of life. It is not help but obstacles, not facilities but difficulties that make men. Men have risen to dizzy heights despite the trials and crosses of life. Even the great Sarojini Naidu said, "Behold! I rise to meet the destined spring and scale the stars upon my broken wings". Jawaharlal Nehru advised his brilliant daughter Indira Priyadarshni in a letter, "The individual has it in him to rise above the caprices of fate...He can, if he so wills, stand foursquare to all the winds of heaven and hell. By doing so, he influences and turns the very fate." Hence, we ordinary mortals must not get disheartened by the problems of everyday life. We must shed the burden of the unfortunate past and work sincerely today if we want to move towards a brighter tomorrow. What matters most is the present moment 'Now'. The day is always his who works in it with serenity and great aims. Yesterday is only a dream and tomorrow is only a vision but today well-lived makes every yesterday a dream of happiness and every tomorrow a vision of hope and glory. Let us therefore realise the value of today. "We shall not pass this way again Oh! Heed the passing hours Let each day a record make Of something pure and noble A smiling face, a cheering word Make others' around us happy And lightens up the rugged way That leads us on to glory." It is not only during exams that we must use our time wisely but throughout life because life is our greatest Testthe Mother of all Exams. If only we are a little more cautious and careful in all that we think, see and do, we will have fewer regrets and repentances. Life unfolds itself like a procession in front of us. The innocent child has sublime pleasures and he rejoices in the kings and princesses of the fairy tales while the excited youth seeks for the princess in

his real life and loves the challenge. The adult has more mature commitments while old age looks across the memory lane with tears either of satisfaction or regrets. Each phase of life demands duty and has a charm of its own. The basket is in your hands. Whether to pluck flowers or gather thorns depends on you. Act wisely because it will all be over very soon even before you realise it. "Catch them Oh! Catch the transient hour. Improve each moment as it flies, Life's a short summerMan a flower, Hediesalas! How soon he dies."

Brief notes on Monogamy and its types


SUNIL NOTES

When one man marries one woman at a time it is known as monogamy. It is an' and the most widespread marriage in the human society. It is well associated with the M of mankind. Westermarck has rightly remarked that monogamy is as old as humanity. Al all the type of societies recognises this form of marriage. This marriage maintains the sex i.e 1:1. This monogamy is of two types, they are: (i) Strait life Monogamy: It is a marriage between two opposite sexes at a time. Here the possibility of remarriage by either of the couple does not arise. In other words during the life time of the husband! Wives neither marry another man nor does he marry another woman while his wife is alive. (ii) Serial monogamy: It refers to that practice of monogamy where the possibilities of remarriage exist. Divorce or death of a partner permits the other partner to marry again. In the modern days monogamy is emphasized throughout the world. It is considered the best form of marriage because of its advantages. Firstly, it upholds the gender equality because in this form of marriage woman enjoys equal status, with man. Secondly, monogamy is a suitable form of marriage to all types of society and all levels of people. Thirdly, it promotes better understanding between the spouses. It develops love and affection between them. It provides a wide scope for mutual co-operation. Fourthly, due to love, affection, care, fellow feeling between husband and wife the peace and happiness are not disturbed by jealousy heartedness and conflict. Consequently, monogamy contributes to stable family and sex life.

Fifthly, better husband and wife relation and understanding creates conductive environment for the proper socialization of the children. Parents generally give proper attention to their off springs. Therefore, under the monogamous system the young children are properly looked after. Apart from the advantages, the only disadvantage of monogamy is divorce which is rarely resulted due to monogamous boredom. However, this disadvantage is submerged under its advantages. That probable the reason for which Malinowski remarked, "Monogamy is, has been, and will remain the only true type of marriage".

Short essay on the importance of E-Governance


JOSEPH ESSAY

It is widely believed today that e-govemance means getting automated. However, it does not mean getting the several government departments automated so that they act like isolated islands of information and services provided with the help of new technology. E-governanee means providing citizens with a central point of access to government services. E-governance requires net-centric attitude. Net-centric means leveraging the power of the network. For most of us, this means using the Internet. However, this can also be local network resource or it could be an internet. The main difference between being net-centric and focused on information technology is that in the net-centric model, we enable collaboration and through this collaboration, we create highly productive teams rather than more productive individuals. Automating tasks might not necessarily improve anything. This is particularly true if we are simply automating outmoded ways of doing things and inefficient processes. Net-centric focuses on allowing virtual teams focused on a common goal to come together on the network. India has shown that they are developing their information technology economy using net-centric tools. They are delivering products and services using the net-work.

515 words essay on staffing plan and process


KULDEEP ESSAY FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

Staffing is the process of filling all positions in the organization with adequate and qualified personnel. According to Koontz and O'Donnell, "staffing is the executive function where the recruitment, selection, compensating, training, promotion and retirement of subordinate managers". Staffing consists of manpower planning, recruitment, selection, training, compensation, promotion and maintenance of managerial personnel. It involves finding the right person for the right job, having him in the right place, doing the right job at the right time. The objective of staffing function is to obtain competent employees and to provide me climate which will be most conducive to superior performance. Staffing is the responsibility of every manager. Unless the manager fulfills his function of seeing that a constant stream of subordinate managers is recruited, selected, trained, developed and promoted, he is not fulfilling one of his most crucial duties. Efficient staffing helps to avoid under-utilization of personnel as well as shortages of personnel. It is helpful in discovering talented people and. developing them to move up the corporate ladder.

Every organization is concerned about the quality of its manpower, especially its managers. Managerial talent is the most valuable asset of an organization and, therefore, staffing is one of the most important functions of management. In the absence of competent managers and operatives, an organization is a mere skeleton that has no life and no fruitful activity. An important body of knowledge and experience has been developed in the area of staffing. Staffing is an ongoing activity of managers. Staffing function is difficult as it deals with the human factor where completely objective judgment is not always possible. Staffing is the cornerstone of management because no manager can be effective without the right approach to the staffing job. Human beings are the most important asset of an organization. Therefore, efficient procurement, development, maintenance and utilization of human resources, particularly, a manager is indispensable for the successful working of every organization. In big organizations there is a separate personnel department. But this department provides expert advice and assistance in staffing to line managers. Every manager is actively involved in the selection, training and appraisal of his subordinates. Staffing is significant to every manager because it provides competent personnel for efficient working of his unit and it ensures a team of competent successors to him. Therefore, staffing can be described as a pervasive or essential function of management. Staffing is a continuous process because the work force of an enterprise is subject to constant change. Changes in the organization create new jobs and these must be filled. Staffing function has become important with growing size of organization, technological advancements and recognition of the human factor in industry: staffing is more than mere acquisition of personnel. It is "concerned with the placement, growth and development of all those members of the organization whose function is to get things done through the efforts of other individuals." Staffing is an executive function which involves the recruitment, selection, training, promotion and appraisal of subordinate managers. Staffing is sometimes differentiated from personnel management which is concerned with non-managers, i.e., workers, salesmen, clerks, etc.

352 words short essay on Moral Courage


SOUMYA FREE ESSAYS

It is usual to speak of courage as of two kinds physical and moral courage; and the distinction is sound, for a man can have one without the other. By physical courage, we mean the courage to face danger to the body pain, wounds or death. By moral courage we mean the courage to face ridicule, public disapproval and hatred for the sake of what we believe to be right. A soldier who can face unflinchingly bayonets and shells may be unable to face the laughter of his companions; he is a moral coward. And there are men who dare to defy public opinion for consciences sake who are cravens in the face of physical pain, they are morally brave but physically cowards. It often takes a lot of moral courage to tell the truth. Lord Bacon once said that a man who tells a lie is a coward towards man but brave towards God. He means that a moral coward is more afraid of offending man than of offending God by telling a lie. It is sometimes unpleasant duty of us to tell our

friend about his faults. We are afraid of him getting angry. It is also a kind of moral cowardice. A true and morally brave friend will do his duty, whatever the consequences may be thereafter. It is very unpleasant to be laughed at, especially by people whom we like and respect, but in some circumstances, we are sure to be ridiculed, if we do or say what we think is right and if we do or say it in spite of ridicule, then we are morally brave. Indeed it takes a great deal of moral courage to stand alone, to go against public opinion; to rouse opposition, contempt and hatred by daring to do what is right. The political speaker that tells the public unpleasant truths, the statesman who brings in necessary and just but unpopular measures, the prophet who proclaims his message to an unfriendly world are all men of moral courage. Physical cowardice may be nervous weakness but moral cowardice is a fault.

What are the factors that attracted the British to conquer India ?
AKHILA MOL HISTORY

British came to India merely as humble traders but either the misfortune of Indians or the fortune of the British they became the ruler and ruled this vast country for centuries very successfully brilliantly. It is indeed a Herculean task to sum up the circumstances, reasons, causes godly favors and other facts which made the traders the despotic rulers.

Factors
Some historians opined that British empire was established almost in a fit of absent mindedness but it will be an unreasonable point of view to conclude as without motive, without perspective of circumstantial success, the British could not have become the ruler. So keeping in view the reasonably acceptable motivation of all those who established British Raj in India, some justice could be done with the concluding scenario. Let us study the various factors and circumstances prevailed and the changing motives with bright future perspective which turned the commercial people into successful rulers. First The first factor to be taken into account is that the British by nature are conservative. Their history illustrates that rarely they had put a programme or a plan before themselves and then acted upon it. The classic example in English history was the victory of the Parliament over the king. For more than one-and-half centuries in British history there was a confused wrangle between the king and the parliament. One can safely say that the parliament came out victorious in the year 1688. Surprisingly, to a foreigner, the justification or theory for this victory of Parliament was provided by John Locke after 1688. This example proves that the English by nature are not given to theorize but are guided by pragmatism. In all probability it was pragmatism that governed the British conquest of India.

Second The second factor or force was the truth that although the East India Company was established as an autonomous body, its policies were influenced by the home government. We find that as early as 1784 the home government issued directives to the company relating to its political conquests. That is why it is believed that what the company did in India was considerably influenced by the home government. Further, the policy of the home government underwent periodic changes relating to the possessions or the empire of England. Third The third factor was the internal condition of India. After the death of Aurangzeb the Mughul empire started declining rapidly. Within the quarter of a century the Mughul emperor became a nominal ruler. The Sikhs, the Rajputs. The Marathas, the Nizam and even the provincial viceroys of Oudh and Bengal virtually severed themselves from the Mughul empire. Particularly, after the invasion of Nadir Shah there was terrific confusion in the political field. And as historical evidence shows this confusion could not be exploited to ones own ends either by the Rajputs, the Marathas or the Nizam. In other words, there was a political vacuum in India and this itself was an attraction to the British to establish their rule. Fourth The fourth factor that determined the destiny of India was the singular truth that the conflict between modernism and medievalism. After the English came out victorious over the other competing European rivals, the fight was a straight away between England and the rulers of India. This fight began in the middle of the eighteenth century. England of the eighteenth century had graduated in the renaissance spirit, a maturity which enabled an individual to regard himself as the maker of his own destiny. Added to this, the benefits of technological knowledge and scientific attitude aided the British in middle of the eighteenth century. One of the concrete manifestations of the assets of science was the Industrial Revolution . The benefits of this revolution, both materially and psychologically, boosted the prestige and confidence of England. Such were the ingredients in the modern outlook of England. On the other hand the picture of India was quite poor. The soldiers of the local rulers in India owed their loyalty to the chiefs and not to the kingdom, that is neither state nor nation for which they fought. The soldiers were mercenary in their nature and had no sense of loyalty 10 the state or the nation. The economic strength of the ruling dynasties was also precarious. None of them was a modern State to evolve a sound financial organization to sustain themselves in times of long drawn-out conflicts. Nor were they strong enough to organize united resistance, i.e., there was no sense of nationalism or pride for ones own country main cause of the while picture of illiteracy. Fifth The fifth factor or force that led to the establishment of the British Raj in India was the changing political consciousness of England. In the seventeenth century emphasis was not given to the establishment of an empire. The concentration was more III the earning of bullion because mercantilism was the governing principle of the country's economic policy. Although mercantilism was the guiding factor, England in its trade with India. It was only after 1757 that the economic drain of India .And from the mid of the eighteenth century the English policy of mercantilism went a transformation and also its policy toward the empire, particularly after loss of American colonies in 1783. Imperialism, as a policy, was advocated as late the second half of t nineteenth century. Therefore, we have to admit that the political awareness of England also influenced the British conquest of India.

Conclusion Keeping all the factors in mind and in particular the proverbial nature of the British nation in christening events and achievements after their occurrence, we can examine the motivation behind the conquest of India. In the very early stages the directors of the Company were very reluctant to involve themselves in any activity beyond trade. The historian of the East India Company, Kaye, states that above all things the London merchants hated the increase of dead stock were frightened of the growing number of the factories and held forts as abominations. They primary concentrated on brisk trade and a good dividend. Secondly, it is also interesting to note that the chief cities of Bombay, Madras and Calcutta were acquired by the British by agreement and not by conquest. Madras was acquired from the Raja of Chandragiri on lease. When the Companys agent, Day, proposed to fortify the place, he was rebuked by the court of directors in England. Calcutta was also acquired in the form of the three villages of Sutanati, Calcutta and Govindpur by Job Chamock. Interestingly in 1746 one Col. James Mill worked out a plan for the conquest of Bengal and this was submitted neither to the East India Company nor to the British Government, but to the Austrian Emperor. Although the directors-in-general discouraged acquisition of territory, some of the steps taken by them were significant. In the Charter issued to the East India Company in 1661 it was recognized that the Company was allowed to establish a municipal corporation for Madras, thereby putting the official stamp on the territorial character of the Company. Even after the victory of the Company over the French and the acquisition of the Diwani territories, the directors of the Company and also the House of commons expressed their distrust at the growing political nature from time to time. For example in 1784 the House of Commons adopted the resolution that to pursue schemes of conquest and expansion of dominion in India is contrary to the wish, the honor, and policy of the British nation. The court of directors recalled Lord Wellesley when they found that he was proceeding too fast. It also censured Lord Hastings both for his military campaigns and also for expanding the territory. In spite of these pious professions and warnings the British territory in India expanded because most of the pro-consuls sent to India took decisions on their own. They adopted the policy of expansion as a matter of choice. Added to this, although the court of directors censured some of the pro-consuls they never abandoned the territories that were acquired by the latter. Surprisingly, even those who opposed the expansion, too, were converted to the policy of expansion. For example when Marquess of Hastings was appointed as Governor-General, he decided to follow a policy of peace without any reservation. But he radically changed his opinion after a few years of stay in India. Also Lord Ellenborough came to India to restore tranquility to both banks of Indus, but he proved himself the most imperial autocrat in his dealings with Scindhia and Gwalior. Here the comment of R.C.Mazumdar is significant: It would perhaps be unjust and unnatural to regard all the governorsgeneral a3 devoid of sense of justice and morality. The real explanation of the strange phenomenon recorded above evidently lies in the political disintegration of lndia and the ease with which different parts could be absorbed in the British empire. In this expansion, the year 1818 marks the establishment of the British paramountcy. Here the words of Marquess of Hastings are pertinent: Our object ought to be to render the British Government paramount in effect. If not declared, so we should hold the other states as vassals, in substance though not name ... And in 1841 the court of directors laid down that the Company should persevere in the one clear and direct course of abandoning no just and honorable acquisition of territory or revenue, while all existing claims or rights are at the same time scrupulously respected. Once again here too, we must concede that the British were often startled by the magnitude of their success. A number of leaders prognosticated on the gloomy future. Charles Metcalfe underlined the precariousness of the new dominion and Sir John Malcolm wrote that in an empire like that of India we are always in danger.

Nevertheless, the British policy of expansionism became clear by the year 1818. Therefore, we can say that although the British policy began without any clear-cut aim it ended as paramountcy in 1818 and from paramountcy to imperialism, as acknowledged in the proclamation of Queen Victoria as the Empress of India (1876), was a short step forward.

Complete information on the salient features of Indias Taxation Policy


SUSHIL NANDA ECONOMICS

In India, the authorities have been of the view that tax policy is a powerful tool by which the economy can be effectively regulated and by which effective economic incentives and disincentives can be created. As a result, our tax system has come to acquire the following salient features. (a) The system has become extremely complicated with rapidly changing provisions and rates. Frequently, these provisions have been contradictory to each other and self-defeating in nature. (b) The system is laced with a plethora of exemptions, rebates, concessions, penalties and other provisions. In addition, there are notifications, clarifications, procedural details and the like. All this has made the system a highly complex one, and according to one opinion, counter productive. (c) The authorities have always recognized the need to simplify the tax system but steps taken to this effect have only added to its complexities. (d) The tax-base of our country is a narrow one. Taxpayers are practicing large-scale tax evasion and avoidance. They are helped in this task by highly complicated tax provisions and procedures, as also by the vast discretionary powers enjoyed by the tax officials. (e) Frequent voluntary disclosure schemes under which tax evaders are provided an opportunity to pay tax (often on concessional basis) on concealed income and wealth, etc. have also contributed to the phenomenon of tax evasion. (f) Indirect taxes comprise a major portion of our tax revenue. Compared with direct taxes, they feed inflationary forces. They are more burdensome and cause widespread distortions in the allocation of resources. They are known to be highly regressive in their nature. Selective exemption of items from indirect taxes has not been able to reduce their regressive nature because of widespread evasion. (g) The authorities have used, on a systematic and selective basis, tax holidays and other concessions; I. for promoting certain industries considered essential for the overall balanced growth of the economy; II. for promoting and helping small-scale industries and self-employment activities so as to reduce unemployment and encourage labor-intensive techniques; III. for encouraging investment in backward areas with the objective of reducing inter-regional economic disparities. However, a umber of concessions are related to the size of capital investment and not the number of persons employed. This has tended to encourage capital-intensive techniques. (h) Critics claim that the tax provisions relating to depreciation are based upon the cost of acquiring assets and not the cost of their replacement. This, therefore, discourages capital formation.

(i) Authorities have tried to encourage exports by I. levying customs duties on imports; II. Providing income tax and other forms of relief on income from exports. (j) Over the years, the government has made a systematic effort to reform indirect taxes by converting the base of excise duties from specific to value added, and by replacing excise duties with VAT. (k) Efforts are also being made to bring about a uniformity of indirect tax system throughout the country in the form of a unified VAT. Meanwhile, various intermediate steps are being taken so as to eventually achieve this goal. (I) the existence of octroi duty is considered a great hurdle in the development of the domestic market. It is known to cause delays in transport of goods and increase cost of production and marketing activities. Some States have taken steps towards abolishing octroi or replacing it with some other form of indirect taxation, but on the whole not much has been achieved. The problem is that local governments are starved of funds and the States are not in position to give them additional grants or loans. The Centre also finds it difficult to come to their help because funding of local governments comes under the purview of the States. (m) It is a common complaint that the States do not exploit their revenue potential to the full. In this context, we should remember that there is a widespread difference of opinion regarding the taxation of agriculture. While one section of thinkers believes that there is a case for taxing agriculture (such as, in the form of tax on agricultural incomes and land revenue) more heavily, others hold the view that agriculture is already being taxed to the extent it can bear its burden. (n) The States are in a peculiar situation in so far as taxing alcohol for human consumption is concerned. The States levy excise duty on this item and it is one of their major sources of revenue. At the same time, the Constitution directs the States to pursue a policy of prohibition. However, prohibition policy is highly resource expensive for the State concerned since it not only loses revenue from this item, it has also to incur additional expenditure in enforcing the prohibition. (o) The government, both at the Centre and States, has not been able to check the rapid growth in its expenditure. Though, over time, tax revenue of the government has increased very rapidly, public expenditure has increased faster than that. Moreover, public sector undertakings, which should have been a source of additional non-tax revenue, have turned out to be a net drain. Consequently, government budgets of our country are characterized by hefty deficits and cumulative increase in public debt. This phenomenon, in turn, has led to the following results: I. a heavy increase in the cost of servicing public debt; and II. a crowding out of private sector from the capital market, that is, making it difficult for the private sector to raise resources from the market; (p) The States enjoy a poorer financial health than the Centre. They are heavily dependent upon transfer of resources from the latter, a part of which takes place in the form of loans. Consequently, their indebtedness to the Centre has grown rapidly.

Brief notes on the Poverty Alleviation programmes in India


PRATIK DAGA

NOTES

Poverty is a situation in which a person is unable to get minimum basic necessities of life like food, clothing and shelter for his/her sustenance. In order to alleviate poverty some poverty alleviation programmes have been undertaken. They are: (a) Swarnajayanti Gram Swarojgar Yojna [SGSY]: This is a centrally sponsored programme or scheme which has been in operation since 1980. The main objective of this programme is to help the existing poor families to come above the poverty line. (b) Jawahar Gram Samridhi Yojna [JGSY]: The main objective of this programme is to generate employment for those men and women who do not get sufficient days of employment in rural areas especially after the cultivation of crops till the harvest in between the villagers don't get jobs. This programme results in creation of community assets. (c) Prime Minister's Rojgar Yojana [PMRY]: The aim of this scheme is to provide self-employment to the educated unemployed particularly in the urban areas; all the educated unemployed in the age group of 18 to 35 are expected to benefit from this scheme.

What are the functions of Export-Import Bank of India (EXIM) ?


APARIJITA SINHA BANKING

The Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of India is the principal financial institution in India for coordinating the working of institutions engaged in financing export and import trade. It is a statutory corporation wholly owned by the Government of India. It was established on January 1, 1982 for the purpose of financing, facilitating and promoting foreign trade of India. Capital: The authorised capital of the EXIM Bank is Rs. 200 crore and paid up capital is Rs. 100 crore, wholly subscribed by the Central Government. The bank can raise additional resources through: (i) Loans/grants from Central Government and Reserve Bank of India ; (ii) Lines of credit from institutions abroad ; (iii) Funds raised from Euro Currency markets ; (iv) Bonds issued in India. What are the functions of Export-Import Bank of India: The main functions of the EXIM Bank are as follows: (i) Financing of exports and imports of goods and services, not only of India but also of the third world countries;

(ii) Financing of exports and imports of machinery and equipment on lease basis; (iii) Financing of joint ventures in foreign countries; (iv) Providing loans to Indian parties to enable them to contribute to the share capital of joint ventures in foreign countries; (v) to undertake limited merchant banking functions such as underwriting of stocks, shares, bonds or debentures of Indian companies engaged in export or import; and (vi) To provide technical, administrative and financial assistance to parties in connection with export and import.

Short Essay on a Historical City


SOUMYA FREE ESSAYS

Delhi is one of the most important historical cities. It has a land of towers, turrets, tombs, temples, mausoleums, monuments, forts, etc. It has been the seat of many ancient empires, kingdoms, kings and princes. It has always been the centre of great Indian movements. It has been the capital Hindu Kings as well as Mughal Emperors. It is the star attraction of Indians and foreigners because of its great and rich background. It has been ruined and recreated times and again. It was named as Indraprastha by the Pandavas and remained the capital of many Hindu Kingdoms for thousands of years. The Muslim Kings also made it their capital through almost every king rehabilitated it at some particular place. Delhi of Qutub-ud-in Aibak was situated around Qutub Minar and Mehrauli. The present Delhi was found by Shahajahan and Red Fort was his grand palace. Chandni Chowk used to be a beautiful lake during those days. Round the city of Delhi there used to be a big wall which is now broken at many places. The city has many magnificent monuments like Qutub Minar, Humayuns tomb, tombs at Safdarjung and Nizamuddin. Delhi has been the capital for the entire period of British rule of India. Today it is the capital of free India and seat of Central Government, embassies and high commissions. It has great buildings like Parliament House, Rastrapati Bhawan etc. It has also many great trading centres with activity especially in the evenings amidst ensigns glittering lights and coloured fountains. The city of Delhi is the attraction of all eyes. Everyone is interested and anxious to have a buds view of this ancient city. It is, indeed, a treasure chest of antiquity.

Brief notes on the Rise and Growth of Communalism in India


SHIYA HISTORY

Communalism refers to an ideology on which, communal politics rests. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries communalism grew rampant and that led at last to the partition of India in 1947. The following factors contributed for its rise: The early apathetic policy of the British:

Conquest of India by the British ended the glorious rule of the Mughals. During the Great Revolt of 1857, the revolutionaries proclaimed Bahadur Shah II as the Emperor of India. With the suppression of the Revolt, the British authority considered the Muslims, their traditional enemy. The Government tried to deal with the Muslims with scorn and contempt. So, communalism emerged among them for their self-protection and survival. Sir Slayed Ahmad Khan and Aligarh Movement: In order to bring awakening' among the Muslims, Sir Slayed Ahmad Khan started the Aligarh Movement. To educate the Muslims, he established Anglo-Mohammedan Oriental College at Aligarh which was later on converted to the Aligarh Muslim University. He envisaged that to be safe, the Muslims should back the British rule. That is why; he wanted to unite the Muslims which made communalism strong. Policy of William Hunter and Mr. Beck: William Hunter, a British administrator in his book, The Indian Muslim appealed the Britishers to bring a change in their attitude towards the Indian Muslims. On the other hand, Mr. Beck, the principal of the Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarh, advised the Muslims to support the British Government for their safety. He also generated antiHindu feelings in the minds of the Muslims and told them to oppose the Indian National Congress. Thus, the British and the Indian Muslims came closer and it contributed to the growth of communalism. British policy of 'Divide and Rule': The British policy of 'Divide and Rule' was largely responsible for ' the growth of communalism in India. For gaining the favour of the Muslims, Lord Curzon partitioned Bengal in 1905 and created a Muslim-dominated Province. This policy of Lord Curzon continued with vigor in the -forthcoming years in several ways by the British Government or make the Muslim communalism strong. Hindu communalism: Communalism among the Hindus also served as a background for the growth of Muslim communalism. In 1870s, the Hindu landlords, money-lenders and middle-class professionals generated anti-Muslim sentiments. They demanded that seats should be reserved for the Hindus in the Legislature and government services. This brought the Muslims closer to the British Government and made communalism strong. Communal electorate: In 1906 Sir Agha Khan headed a Muslim delegation and met Viceroy Lord Minot. He convinced the Viceroy that the Muslim minority should be given separate electorate. In the forthcoming elections that was granted to the Muslims. The Morley-M*into reforms and the Montague Chelmsford reforms gave vent to this communalism. Activities of the Muslim League: Nawaz Salimulah Khan established the Indian Muslim League in 1906. It aimed at generating better opportunities for the educated Muslims in polities and to put a check to the growing influence of the Indian National Congress. With the gradual march of time, the Muslim League demanded separate electorate and other facilities from time to time and the British Government fulfilled them. The League was instrumental in spreading communalism among the Muslims. Mohammad Ali Jinnah and extreme communalism:

AH Jinnah was an educated Muslim leader who preached that Congress was the Hindu-dominated organisation and it would fail to protect the interest of the Muslims. So, he wanted the partition of the country and gave a clarion call to the Muslims on 16th August, 1946 by saying 'larker lunge Pakistan' (We will take Pakistan by force) and that day was famous as the 'Direct Action Day'. Thus communalism reached its zenith with the demand for Pakistan.

Essay on the Role of Women in India


M SANJEETA ESSAY

Women in India constitute nearly 50% of its population. According to 1991 census, there were 40.6 crores of women as against 43.7 crores of men. Roughly, there are 929 women for every 1000 men. Man considers woman to be frail and weak by nature. She is shorter and delicate compared to the strongly build man. But man forgets that a woman is made so, so to play a specific fro in nature which a man cannot play, that is the role of the mother. In intelligence both are equal. Man is aggressive and emotional. A woman is patient, calm and receptive. She can bear more pain and has more tolerance than a man. She is stronger in conviction and in perseverance. Yet women all over the world are playing a secondary role only. The position in India is no different. Women were glorified in epics and puranas, for their service to their men. Serving a father first, secondly a husband, and later serving her children and grandchildren, had been her lot. Puranas mention the names of Seeta, Savitri and Anusuya and glorify them for their devote service to their husbands. They even say that a woman can easily get salvation by serving her husband. After Independence the Constitution of India gave equal rights to men and women in all walks of life. But even today one cannot say that all women in India enjoy equal rights with men in all matters. There are many reasons for this (1) the customs and traditions prevalent for centuries, (2) The high percentage of illiteracy among women, (3) Ignorance of their rights, (4) Patriarchal Society, (5) Economic system, (6) Acceptance of the theory of Karma or fatalism, (7) Unchecked male domination in all walks of life. In spite of all these problems mentioned above, one could see that the condition of India women has improved a lot. There are now adequate educational facilities for girls and women. Special incentives and reservations are there to encourage them to study. Even in employment there are special reservations. We can now see women employed in all fields not only in clerical jobs but also in I.A.S., I.P.S. and Indian Air Force. There are reservations in legislatures also. There are Chief Ministers who are women. We had a lady Prime Minister. These are considered as exceptions as the women folk, particularly in the rural areas, are yet to come out of their bondage. To enable the rural women too to take part in politics in a significant way, the Central Government has introduced a bill in Parliament reserving one third of the seats in Parliament and other elected bodies for women. The year 1995, was declared as the International Year for Women throughout the world. The women were made aware of their status and place in society. There have been many movements in our country as well as in other countries for the advancement of women. Recently there was a world meet of women at Beijing, the capital of China. Women are now no longer in slumber. They are awake and moving fast. They are asserting their rights. As far as India is concerned, it has already agreed to treat women as equal with men in all respects the difference, whatever now exists, is sure to vanish the coming decades when women also get equally educated and liberate themselves from superstitions and irrational traditions.

A man and a woman are like two wheels of a cart. The cart can move fast and safely too, when both of them pull it in the same direction and with equal strength. Hence no developing country or society can afford to ignore the role of women, if they are to progress.

Write a short note on Reserve Bank of India


APARIJITA SINHA BANKING

Introduction
The Reserve Bank of India is India's central bank. It is the apex monetary institution which supervise, regulates controls and develops the monetary and financial system of the country. The Reserve bank was established on April 1, 1935 under the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. Initially, it was constituted as a private share- holders* bank with a fully paid-up capital of Rs. 5 crore. But, it was nationalised on January 1, 1949.

Management
The management of the Reserve Bank is under the control of Central Board of Directors consisting of 20 members: (a) the executive head of the Bank is called Governor who is assisted by four Deputy Governors. They are appointed by the Government of India for a period of five years. The head office of the Reserve Bank is at Bombay, (b) There are four local boards at Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai representing four regional areas, i.e., northern, eastern, southern and western respectively. These local boards are advisory in nature and the Government of India nominates one member each from these boards to the Central Board. (c) There are ten directors from various fields and one government official from the Ministry of Finance. The Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934 requires that there must be at least six meetings in a year and the gap between two meetings must not exceed three months. The Governor of the Reserve Bank can call a meeting of the Central Board whenever he feels it necessary. The Governor and the Deputy Governors are full-time officials of the Reserve Bank and are paid prescribed salaries and allowances. Other directors are part-time officials and are given fare and allowance to participate in the meetings.

Organisation
Organisationally, the Reserve Bank operates through various departments. They are: 1. Issue Department: Its main function is to issue and distribute the paper currency. 2. Banking Department:

This department (a) deals with the government transactions, manages public debt and arranges for the transfer of government funds ; (b) maintains the cash reserves of the scheduled banks, provides financial accommodation to the banks and functions as a clearing house. 3. Department of Banking Development: It aims at expanding banking facilities in unbanked and rural areas. 4. Department of Banking Operations: Its function is to supervise, regulate and control the working of the banking institutions in the country. It grants licences for opening new banks or the new branches of the existing banks. 5. Agricultural Credit Department: It deals with the problems of agricultural credit and provides facilities of rural credit to state governments and state cooperatives. 6. Industrial Finance Department: Its main objective is to provide financial help to the small and medium scale industries. 7. Non-Banking Companies Department: It supervises the activities of non-banking companies and financial institutions in the country 8. Exchange Control Department: It conducts the business of sale and purchase of foreign exchange. 9. Legal Department: It provides advice to various departments on legal issues. It also gives legal advice on the implementation of banking laws in the country. 10. Department of Research and Statistics: The objective of this department is (a) to conduct research on problems relating to money, credit, finance, production, etc., (b) to collect important statistics relating to various aspects of the economy; and (c) publish these statistics. 11. Department of Planning and Reorganisation: It deals with the formulation of new plans or reorganisation of existing policies for making them more effective. 12. Economic Department: It is concerned with framing proper banking policies for better implementation of economic policies of the government. 13. Inspection Department: It undertakes the function of inspecting various offices of the commercial banks.

14. Department of Accounts and Expenditure: It keeps proper records of all receipts and expenditures of the Reserve Bank. 15. RBI Services Board: It deals with the selection of new employees, for different posts in the Reserve Bank. 16. Department of Supervision: A new department, i.e., Department of Supervision, was set up on December 22, 1993 for the supervision of commercial banks.

Short Essay on Psychology


JAY PRAKASH SHORT ESSAYS

The term "Psychology" consists of two Greek words Psyche and Logos. The former means "soul" and the latter means "Science". Psychology thus means science of soul. But the term "soul" cannot be easily explained and understood. This led to the meaning of psychology as the "science of mind". This also raised a number of questions. What is mind? Where is mind? What it does? The answers to these questions are not clear and acceptable to all. Such confusion led to the definition of psychology as "the science of consciousness". But it was contended that man's thought and action are not limited to the stage of "consciousness" alone. Man is active even when he is unconscious. That is why; psychology is called the "science of behavior" which means the study of human nature and activities. Thus the definition of psychology as the "Science of behavior" has been accepted by the majority. What does the term "behavior" mean? According to J.B. Watson, "By behavior" we mean an action which can be seen and observed in an objective way." Behavior is a broad concept. It includes all kinds of activities and experience of an individual. It refers to not only motor or physical activities like walking, talking, writing, but also mental activities like thinking, remembering, imagining and emotional activities, like love, anger and fear. Life manifests through all these activities and behavior is a collective name for all kinds of activities. Behavior is universal. Every living objects behavior in some way or other. That is why, according to some psychologists "behavior" has been derived from the English term "have". Behavior is that which all have or possess. But all kinds of behavior are with reference to environment. The same individual may behave differently in different environments and different individuals may behave differently in different environments. Psychology thus studies the behavior of individuals in different contexts.

Essay writing --Good Governance - Tool for development

Please read the essay and learn writing in your own words. Reading more essays will help you improve your writing style and give more ideas, knowledge as to how essay writing can be tackled successfully.

best wishes

S.SAMBASIVAN

GOOD GOVERNANCE: A TOOL OF DEVELOPMENT

In recent years the word governance has become a very fashionable term and is being used in a variety of ways and covers a large number of organizations both in public and private domain. This is not a new concept. It is as old as human civilization on this earth. Generally the term 'Governance' refers to the process of decision making and the process by which decisions are implemented (or not implemented). It can be used in several contexts such as corporate governance, local governance, national governance, international governance or to the interactions between other sectors of society. Governance is necessary in each sector of nation for smooth and efficient working. It is one of the actors of governance and takes decisions at local and national level and implements those decisions for human welfare. The quality of governance plays a vital role in the economic development of countries as everybody knows that without good governance there can be no sustainable development in a country. It is widely recognized that good governance is a sine non qua for economic development of developing countries. Good governance is generally characterized by accessibility, accountability, predictability, transparency and follows the rule of law. It assures that corruption is minimized, views

of minorities are taken into account and that the voices of the most vulnerable in society are heard in decision making. When good governance is guaranteed, residents of all over the world go about their personal business and pursuits with enhanced expectations whereas bad governance not only restricts opportunities of success but it can even degenerate into sectarian conflicts and civil wars. Good Governance does not occur by chance. It cannot be introduced overnight. The process is often, a gradual one involving changes to long standing, practices, entrenched interests and cultural habits and social and even religious norms. Recently President of USA Mr. Barack Obama has said that what Africa required for development are not strong men but strong institutions and good governance. The prosperity of an economy depends upon the social, economic and sustainable development. It is nevertheless admitted that good governance is one that encompasses a whole range of social, political and economic activities and cannot be confined to economic aspects alone. What is the need of good' governance in the Indian context? A nation where according to an estimation by an NGO based in Hyderabad, the expenditure on Governance, by the 790 politicians at the Centre, the 4120 in the 35 States and Union Territories and the 18.7 million employees of the Central and State Governments Use about Rs. 2200 crore day or Rs. 760000 crore per year, both on capital and revenue account. Instead of such a huge expenditure, the gulf of per capita availability of resources between rich and poor has been widely increased. Every day it is published and shown by media about various scams, tax evasions, delay, in legal proceedings, wasteful expenditure of government funds by corrupt politicians and by bureaucrats and rapidly increasing the graph of corruption, terrorism and other evil practices in society indicates the complex and non-transparent system of command and control, monopoly of the government as a service provider, underdeveloped legal frame work, lack of information and weak notion of citizen's rights. These days the level of corruption, bribery and other evil practices against social and economic development are being rapidly increased due to poor governance. There have been many instances where large sums of money have been spent on needed development ventures but their costs are much higher owing to the contracts being given to those who have paid bribes. Ultimately a tendency has been developed for their construction to be substandard or even, defective. For instance CWG scam, 2G scam and many other scams are the results of poor governance. Many prominent persons such has Wipro's chairman Ajim Premji, Keshuub Mahindra and HDFC's Deepak Parekh have expressed concerns over a series of scams leading to governance deficit. Legal proceeding system is so much complex in India due to which many

corrupted officers and criminals have been buried due to want of proves or have got imprisonment after a long term. Though India is the world's biggest democracy and has a strong political system, the world corruption watchdog Transparency International has ranked India the 87thmost corrupt country in its latest report which shows how deep rooted the corruption is in India. We can conclude that 'Good Governance' cannot be possible without fighting from corruption and mismanagement of public resources. It is now widely held view that good city administration can only operate effectively with increased transparency in decision making process and with greater involvement of each and every section of society. It promotes security of life and property, access to justice and rule of law. Good Governance will be a key requisite for the next generation reforms. The upward movement in the GDP growth rate of 10% to 14% can be seen with Good Governance and effective administration. In the last 64 years, after independence, it would seem that most of our development has been directed towards the top 300 million of the Indian population. This scenario can be changed with the help of good governance since until the balance 900 million people of India benefit, the country will not move ahead as a developed nation. This fact is especially true in case of India which is rich with all kinds of resources but lacks behind many developed nations in progress. Poverty and unemployment are the two major barriers in the path of progress which can be eradicated by proper implementation of policies formed by the government. The proper implementation is possible under Good Governance. For instance, the education system in India does not impart any kind of technical skills in the students due to which they do not get any stable employment opportunities. The need is to prepare the young blood with such kind of education that would help them to acquire vocational skills that accelerate them towards various employment opportunities and also enable them to be self employed. For Good Governance it is necessary that people who are well educated and pursuing good character should be selected in elections, since the main objectives of such kind of persons are firstly to administer and Govern and secondly, to serve and benefit both the citizens and the country in the best possible manner. Good governance is a tool of development which helps a nation to become a developed nation where everybody can get equal opportunities to prosper in life. There will be no scams and frauds and tax evasions will also be minimized. The monster of corruption will be vanished from every sphere of life and legal proceedings under judiciary system will be timely solved and proper

decisions will be made. No government officials will demand bribe for performing the duties assigned to him. The vulnerable conditions of working of many government institutions due to irregularities; unaccountability and non-transparent system will also be eradicated. All the benefits of policies framed for education, health and eradication of poverty and unemployment will be directly availed common person. The law and order system will also be improved such that the 'Jehadi' terrorism in Jammu & Kashmir, the insurgency in the North-East and rapidly expanding base of naxalite movement in main land India will be vanished. Corporate governance should also be improved in order to prevent and detect scandals and bankruptcies. As defined by Wolfensohn "Corporate Governance is about promoting corporate fairness, transparency and accountability". Good corporate governance will be ensured so that foreign investment will be attracted and nobody can dare to make a fraud like 'Satyam Scam' so that trade and industry will also flourish. Hoarding of stock and black marketing will be discouraged. As we all know that foreign investors are often discouraged by officials who demand bribes to permit foreign investment in vital sectors where foreign investments needed. When foreign investors face a high level of corruption and poor governance, they realize the higher transactions' costs and shy away from the Countries of poor governance. That is why some countries such as Singapore, have attracted investment, while others have failed to attract adequate investments. In order to make it a reality, a corruption free nation with sustainable development and progressive economic development without any criminalization of politics, actions must be taken towards good governance and effective administration. The system of governance should be transparent and opportunity to scrutinize our leaders and the political structure must be provided, to common man. Policies for development should be formulated in such a manner that is decision making level. Women are the key to good governance. Their increasing representation in democratic institutions has provided stability to polity. They can bring creative, constructive and innovative changes in economy. From the above discussion it has been cleared that the ideal of good governance is difficult to achieve in its totality. Only a few nations have come nearer to achieving Good Governance in its totality. Therefore we Indians will have to change our mindset and take a much larger interest for our country by participation in the governance of India. According to Mr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam "Nation first and then the individual".

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Q) Write an essay on Below Poverty Line in India? The Planning Commission of India recently adopted the Tendulkar Committee's methodology for poverty estimate that includes spends on education and health besides food, taking the number of the poor to a whopping 37.2 per cent from 27.5 per cent estimated earlier in 2004. This means that India now has 100 million more people living below the poverty line than in 2004. National estimates of the percentage of the population falling below the poverty line are based on surveys of sub-groups, with the results weighted by the number of people in each group. Definitions of poverty vary considerably among nations. For example, rich nations generally employ more generous standards of poverty than poor nations. What does poverty in India actually mean? It is difficult for those living in an industrialised country to truly appreciate the level of poverty in our country. In the West, even those living in poverty can live in well-constructed dwellings, with heating, clean running water, indoor toilet facilities, access to health care, and even a vehicle. But such luxuries are a distant dream for India's poor. The earlier definition of India's poverty was based on calorie intake, according to which only 27.5 per cent of people were living below the poverty line as on March 1, 2004 and the number of BPL families were about 6.5 crore (65 million). As per the methodology suggested by the Tendulkar report, the number would swell to 37.2 per cent of the total population and the number of BPL families to about 8.1 crore (81 million). The new poverty estimate which would reflect the impact of high growth recorded during the decade, would be available in 2011. The computation of the number of BPL families at the this stage assumes significance in view of the government's decision to enact the food security law under which 25 kg of foodgrain at Rs 3 per kg would be provided every month to a BPL family. The EGoM on food, which had cleared the draft of the Food Security Bill last month, was reportedly asked by United Progressive Alliance chairperson Sonia Gandhi to have a relook at the proposal and consider the possibility of raising the highly subsidised monthly

foodgrain allocation to 35 kg from 25 kg and increasing the number of beneficiaries. Currently, a ration card holder is entitled to 35 kg of food grain every month. The Indian government spends only 1 per cent of its gross domestic product on healthcare facilities. The government has found that 100 million more Indians are actually living below the poverty line than previously thought. Over 370 million Indians -- 40 per cent of the population -- are now eligible for subsidised food supplies. According to the World Bank, more people are living in extreme poverty in developing countries than previously thought as it adjusted the recognised yardstick for measuring global poverty to $1.25 a day from $1.The poverty-fighting institution said there were 1.4 billion people -- a quarter of the developing world -- living in extreme poverty on less than $1.25 a day in 2005. Last year, the World Bank said there were 1 billion people living under the previous $1 a day poverty mark. India's official poverty measure has long been based solely upon the ability to purchase a minimum recommended daily diet of 2,400 kilocalories (kcal) in rural areas where about 70 percent of people live, and 2,100 kcal in urban areas. Rural areas usually have higher kcal requirements because of greater physical activity among rural residents. The National Planning Commission, which is responsible for the estimate, currently estimates that a monthly income of about Rs 356 (about $7.74) per person is needed to provide the required diet in rural areas and Rs 539 in urban areas. Factors such as housing, healthcare and transportation are not taken into account in the poverty estimates. The estimate is derived from the National Sample Survey, which measures monthly per capita consumer expense every five years. The below poverty line population is currently estimated at 29 per cent in rural areas and 26 per cent in urban areas. The World Bank estimates that 1.4 billion people live below an income of $1.25 per day and that 2.6 billion live below the $2 level worldwide. According to oneworld.net, despite sustained high gross domestic product growth in India, latest estimates of global poverty by World Bank suggest that India has more people living below $2 than even sub-Saharan Africa. According to the Bank's new estimates, India is home to roughly one-third of all the poor in the world.

Source: Rediff

A Natural Preservative Called Bisin Discovered by Scientists


Scientists discovered a natural preservative called Bisin that could spell the end of rotting food. Bisin destroys the bacteria that make meat, fish, eggs and dairy products decompose. The researchers said the preservative could extend the food's life for several years. They claimed that it can even work for opened bottles of wine and salad dressing.

Short essay on the speed of modern civilization


TEJASWI SI SHORT ESSAYS

Modern civilisation is totally different from the times of yore in many respects in the mode and manner of living, in the nature and intensity of social and family ties, in the means of earning livelihood, the variety of food and in other matters. But perhaps the most notable and significant distinction is in the speed and pace of all human activity and all devices that are devised and controlled by man, such as the processes of manufacture and the increasing use of more sophisticated machinery. In almost all aspects of life and living, the craze is for speed and for saving time in every possible way. This craze for speed and fast pace often leads to mishaps, and thwarts the initial aim to get through things as early as possible; haste sometimes delays things. Time is of the essence, so runs the modern adage, and anyone who idles away precious hours is described as a backward, unprogressive human being who does not know how to march with the times. Speed is most notable in transport and communications. In place of the traditional bullock-cart, the travel on mules pony backs or journeys in caravans, we now have super-fast trains, motor-cars, and aircraft such as supersonic and jumbo jets, airbuses and other types of aero planes that carry people across the seas and continents in a matter of hours, almost in the twinkling of an eye. Journeys across the seas in olden times used to take months; these were done by slow-moving boats, ships and other vessels; food and other provisions had to be arranged for journeys lasting many weeks and months. Now, only goods and heavy luggage are carried by ships. In fact, with the manufacture of big-body aircraft, having ample accommodation inside, even cars, jeeps and elephants, not to speak of heavier packages, are carried by air from one country to another. Speed, in fact, seems to have become an obsession in the modern age; everything must be done quickly and expeditiously, as if the test of man's progress is the speed at which he travels and the pace at which he works or gets work done in his home, office or factory. The hectic life that people lead in today's world symbolises pace and progress. The times when people used to have plenty of leisure and apparently, endless time to do things, to rest and relax, to stand, stare and reflect when they chose.

Science, scientific devices, electricity and electrical gadgets, advanced technology and technological methods of production, all reflect an innate irrepressible desire of the modern man and woman to rush through things anyhow. In the home of every modern family, the latest electrical and other advanced equipment is used to expedite the processes of cooking, washing clothes and doing a hundred other odd jobs. "Instant cooking" has hardly any flavour, and yet is getting popular. The aim throughout is to finish the various duties and domestic chores quickly. Life at home, and in offices and factories has become a mad race against time. Interestingly, there is no law or any type of legal compulsion to resort to speedy measures to finish one's task and reach one's destination. But speed and hurry seem to have become essential features of human existence. Without speed, apparently, modern life would become sheer boredom, housework nothing but soulkilling drudgery and unforgettable monotony. Ironically, though quite logically, there is speed even in death and disposal of the dead in an electric crematorium. Thus, science has contributed materially to speed, which, in modern parlance, stands for efficiency. There can be no efficiency without speed, and perhaps no speed without a fast pace and a high degree of efficiency. Both are inter-connected, and indispensable to each other, almost like the two sides of a coin. Things have changed even in the rural areas. The farmers want to quicken the pace of existence, resort to quick-yielding seeds, and harvest the nature crop in a couple of days and dispose of it as rapidly as possible, to get the cash returns and spend these too in no time on gold and trinkets. Living is all marked by speed, which has taken out much of the joy of life. Speed, however, does not necessarily ensure good work, for efficiency implies work done on time, as also on the right lines and intelligently, not merely finishing a task recklessly for the sake of making a display of speed and inflating the data of performance. Nor does speed facilitate the proper and all-round development of the human personality and human talents. When there is a rush for things, the real cultural and human values take a back seat. Moreover, speed is the direct antithesis of art and works of lasting value. A hastily drawn painting, or a quickly completed piece of art, statue, a sculpture or a metal masterpiece, can never have the appeal of a work done with due attention to every detail (which speed and expeditious disposal virtually rule out). In fact, it would not be wrong to say that speed spoils, while adequate devotion and time ensure quality. What does it benefit a man if there is a mass production of goods, all of poor quality and liable to break asunder in a matter of days? Don't we praise old things, pieces of furniture and works of art done by our ancestors, or master craftsmen of their times who worked hard without being hurried or hustled? Today's articles and manufactured articles are neither durable nor do they have much aesthetic appeal, because they have been quickly finished, as if the heavens would fall unless the article is completed and marketed quickly. Art never flourishes under conditions marked by rush and speed. Speed in the modern age has also adversely affected the production of literary works. In a bid to submit novels and collections of poems or stories to the publisher in quick time, authors are compelled to sacrifice quality to meet the deadline (of time and date); Many authors, painters and creators of works or art regard a deadline as their enemy, for it hampers their style and hinders the production of works of quality.

Poetry or drama produced at leisure, and written only when the right inspiration and promptings come, is bound to be of lasting interest, but poems written hurriedly to order are seldom creative in the real sense. They would lack rhyme and rhythm, and they would have the form without genuine content, which is sacrificed at the altar of speed. In the sphere of education, too, speed has spelt the death-knell of real knowledge. Instant "guides", instant teaching (without adequate study and preparation), instant evaluation of candidates' answer books and instant declaration of examination results with the help of computers and other devices have resulted in glaring ignorance and equally glaring mistakes or howlers. The increasing reliance on machines in the name of speed has also made human beings dull in intellect. It is common knowledge that in England, the U.S.A. and Japan, the use of computers by school students to do their sums has resulted in the production of dull students, who do not know how to make even simple calculations, additions and subtractions on their own. They rely on the computer all the time, even for simple work. Their own faculties remain undeveloped. Speed on the road, of motor-cycles, scooters, trucks, in air and in space certainly provides thrills, but it also kills. Deaths on the road, because of fast and rash driving of vehicles, have become common and the toll of human life because of speed is mounting year by year. But such casualties are regarded, ironically, as the inevitable price of progress. How many lives have been sacrificed at the altar of speed, and how many flowers have been crushed even before they bloomed is hard to calculate. But there is no doubt that while speed looks prestigious and attractive superficially, and promises results fast, it also results in much loss to mankind-in art, development of character and personality and inculcation of basic human virtues. It is the lack of human virtues that we deplore today, and the guilt must be laid at the door of the goddess of speed, if there is any. There is yet another aspect of this question which calls for notice. To what use do we put the time supposedly saved through speed in transport and office work? Do we utilise our leisure for positive and constructive nation-building activity, or do we waste it in clubs, drink parties, card games and gambling? Again, does speed ensure human happiness, and does it relieve misery? In the good old days, an even tempo of life was maintained calmly and quietly, with due attention to the development of human qualities, such as affection, regard for the weak, the aged and the elderly, with sympathy for the countless sufferers and for fellow human beings in distress, which are vital. But the age of speed tends to destroy the very spirit of humanity; it makes us heartless and reckless, rushing from one place to another and with no time for friendship and affection. Should we, then, become votaries of the age of speed? It is an open question.

Essay in future democracy in India


SAFINA ALI ESSAY

With independence we adopted the British Parliamentary system. Along with it we borrowed the norms evolved by them. But we did not observe them. For example, many British ministers resigned when they differed on matters of principle. In India in the past thirty years only Mr V.V. Giri resigned on the issue of unilateral revision of Bank Awards. Similarly election manifestos are meant for cheating, the people and not an enunciation of policy. In India sticking to- power has become the norm-retention of power primary whereas implementation of policies secondary.

There is floor crossing. Every politician says that defections- are ethically unjustified but encourage defections they say that defector should resign to seek re-election but so far only one M.L.A. from Assam resigned his seat when he wanted to change his party. Double loyalty has become a cardinal policy of Indian politics. Socialists, backward classes, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes are carefully cultivated to retain power. Everybody agrees privately but cannot grow out of double loyalty. This has prevented growth of loyalty to principles, which should be the be all and end all of political parties. It it of this reason that ministers of all India political parties feel no normal qualms in compromising with regional parties and principles. Moreover the norm of personal loyalty is a peculiar phenomenon of Indian democracy and can be found only in countries under dictatorship. Caste slogans are preferred because a double loyalty operates. Whereas for economic slogans the parties have to work very hard as no double loyalty operates. By secularism they encourage the minorities, discourage the majority and oppose the principle of equality of Gandhiji. Similarly we mould democracy to suit the purposes of the parties. Congress (I) wants to regulate human action and behavior by state power and Janta Party by individual whims but both avoid the development of the sense of responsibility and self regulation on which the democratic societies of the west are built. We have evolved a system of political non-accountability. When Mr. Thatcher won with labor votes and formed the conservative government she went ahead to dilute the public sector and reduce tax. This is application of principles. In India Marxist party governs West Bengal but nothing is done for the labor. As the parties win by taking financial help from capitalists they dare not go against them. Even when pro-labor laws are passed, pro-poor policies are announced they are sabotaged in implementation. How much success have abolition of bonded labor and minimum labor to agricultural labor achieved. Similarly if a minister wants to pass the Industrial Relations Bill some of his colleagues want to sabotage it. Self seeking without principles is tending to establish the norm of selfishness for the whole country. If self-government, irrespective of moral considerations is justified at the top why should it not be felt justified for all ? The ministers use extra-constitutional authority in the shape of sons, sons-inlaw and daughters-in-law to get economic gains. This is new norm of Indian democracy. And succession to it and it becomes monarchy. This norm of self-seeking is- tending to spirit the moral binding of society. That is why man in the street is justified for going in for dacoities and murders, doctors- feel justified in fleecing the patients. How far Indian democracy will absorb these shocks is a moot question. Current practices tend to become norms by perpetuating themselves. They are more dynamic than principles particularly in the power game. These in-built norms are a destabilizing factor. Des- stabilization is corrected normally authoritarianism. Democracy is a way of life. Norms at the top percolate to the bottom and norms at the bottom influence the top. Our moral base is rocking will, the superstructure remain?

1372 words essay on the game of cricket


VINEET PRAKASH ESSAY FOR STUDENTS

Cricket, also called the Gentleman's game, is a bat-and-ball team sport that is first documented as being played in southern England in the 16th century. The sport's earliest definite mention was in a 1598 court case which referred to a sport called cricket being played by boys at the Royal Grammar School, Guildford around 1550. It is believed that it was originally a children's game but references around 1610, indicate that adults had started playing it and the earliest reference to inter-parish or

village cricket occurs soon afterwards. In 1624, a player called Jasper Vinall was killed when he was struck on the head during a match between two parish teams in Sussex. During the 17th century, numerous references indicate the growth of cricket in the south-east of England and it is believed that the first professionals appeared in the years following the Restoration in 1660. A newspaper report survives of 'a great cricket match' with eleven players a side that was played for high stakes in Sussex in 1697 and this is the earliest known reference to a cricket match of such importance. The game was prominent in London as early as 1707 and large crowds flocked to matches on the Artillery Ground in Finsbury. The single wicket form of the sport attracted huge crowds and wagers to match. Bowling evolved around 1760 when bowlers began to pitch the ball instead of rolling or skimming it towards the batsman. This caused a revolution in bat design because, to deal with the bouncing ball, it was necessary to introduce the modern straight bat in place of the old 'hockey stick' shape. The Hambledon Club was founded in the 1760s and, for the next 20 years until the formation of Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and the opening of Lord's Old Ground in 1787, Hambledon was both the game's greatest club and its focal point. MCC quickly became the sport's premier club and the custodian of the rules of the game known as the Laws of Cricket. These are maintained by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the MCC, which holds the copyright. New Laws introduced in the latter part of the 18th century included the three stump wicket and leg before wicket (lbw). By the end of the 18th century, cricket had become the national sport of England. The 19th century saw underarm bowling replaced by first round-arm and then overarm bowling. Organisation of the game at county level led to the creation of the county clubs, starting with Sussex CCC in 1839, which ultimately formed the official County Championship in 1890. The expansion of the British Empire had been instrumental in spreading the game overseas and by the middle of the 19th century it had become well established in India, North America, the Caribbean, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. In 1844, the first international cricket match took place between the United States and Canada, although neither has ever been ranked as a Test-playing nation). Today, the game's governing body, the ICC, has 104 member countries. With its greatest popularity in the Test playing countries, cricket is the world's second most popular sport after Association football. A cricket match is played on a cricket field at the centre of which is a pitch. The match is contested between two teams of eleven players each. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible without being dismissed or getting 'out' while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the other team's batsmen and limit the runs being scored. When the batting team has used all its available overs or has no remaining batsmen, the roles become reversed and it is now the fielding team's turn to bat and try to outscore the opposition. There are several variations in the length of a game of cricket. In professional cricket this ranges from a limit of 20 overs per side (Twenty20) to a game played over 5 days (Test cricket). Depending on the form of the match being played, there are different rules that govern how a game is won, lost, drawn or tied. Generally, cricket can be divided between matches in which the teams have two innings apiece and those in which they have a single innings each. The former, known as first- class cricket, has a duration of three to five days while the latter, known as limited overs cricket because each team bowls a limit of typically 50 overs, has a planned duration of one day only. Typically, two-innings matches have at least six hours of playing time each day.

Limited overs match often last six hours or more. There are usually formal intervals on each day for lunch and tea with brief informal breaks for drinks. There is also a short interval between innings. Test cricket is the highest standard of first-class cricket. A Test match is an international fixture between teams representing those countries that are Full Members of the ICC. Teams in Test cricket, first- class cricket and club cricket wear traditional white uniforms and use red cricket balls. Test matches between two teams are usually played in a group of matches called a "series". Matches last up to five days and a series normally consists of three to five matches. Test matches that are not finished within the allotted time are drawn. Test cricket is deemed to have begun with two matches between Australia and England in the 187677 Australian season. Subsequently, eight other national teams have achieved Test status: South Africa (1889), West Indies (1928), New Zealand (1929), India (1932), Pakistan (1952), Sri Lanka (1982), Zimbabwe (1992) and Bangladesh (2000). Zimbabwe subsequently suspended its Test status in 2006 due to its inability to compete against other Test teams and has yet to resume playing Test cricket. Welsh players are eligible to play for England, which is in effect an England and Wales team. The West Indies team comprises players from numerous states in the Caribbean, most notably Barbados, Guyana, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, the Leeward Islands and the Windward Islands. In a one day match, each match is scheduled for completion in a single day. It is the most common form of limited overs cricket played on an international level. Each team plays one innings only and faces a limited number of overs, usually a maximum of 50. Standard limited overs cricket was introduced in England in the 1963 season in the form of a knockout cup contested by the first-class county clubs. The concept was gradually introduced to the other major cricket countries and the first limited overs international was played in 1971. In 1975, the first Cricket World Cup took place in England. Limited overs cricket has seen various innovations including the use of multi-coloured kit and floodlit matches using a white ball. Twenty20 is a new variant of limited overs itself with the purpose being to complete the match within about three hours, usually in an evening session. The original idea, when the concept was introduced in England in 2003, was to provide workers with an evening entertainment. It has been commercially successful and has been adopted internationally. The inaugural Twenty20 World Championship was held in 2007 and won by India. Subsequently, many domestic Twenty20 leagues were born which include the Indian Cricket League, the Indian Premier League and the Twenty20 Champions League. The International Cricket Council (ICC), which has its headquarters in Dubai, is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989. The ICC has 104 members: 10 Full Members that play official Test matches, 34 Associate Members, and 60 Affiliate Members. The Full Members are the governing bodies for cricket in a country or associated countries. All Full Member nations are automatically qualified to play ODIs and Twenty20 Internationals. They are Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe. The associate and affiliate teams who currently hold ODI and T20I status are Afghanistan, Canada, Ireland, Kenya, Netherlands, and Scotland.

801 words essay on death penalty


ATUL JOSHI

ESSAY

The Indian penal code provides for capital punishment for criminal conspiracy, waging or attempting to wage war against the Government of India, abetment of mutiny giving or fabricating false capital evidence in officers leading to the conviction, abetment of suicide committed by a child or insane or delirious person or a person who is intoxicated and murder in decoity. In India, death penalty is discretionary rather than mandatory in all capital offences except in case of murder by a life correct Section 303 of an IPC lays down "whoever, being under sentence of imprisonment for life, commits murder shall be punished with death." For various capital offences the judges no doubt take into account the background of the crime, the age of the offender and the mental and physical condition of the accused. Moreover the appellate courts also show some leniency. And top of all there is the executive clemency exercised by the President of India. The fail that only 25 to 40 percent of convicted offenders are hanged every year, goes to prove that both of judicial process and executive clemency are available to a significant percentage of offenders condemned to death. Meanwhile the President of India has rejected the mercy petition field on behalf of Dhananjay Chattarjee and he was sent to gallows. The recent announcement by the Government that it was not in favour of abolishing the death penalty has again highlighted the question raised by many human rights activists. Is it consistent with human dignity? The question was raised even in 1946 on the eve of independence. Since then we have been discussing the relevance of capital punishment. Does it really solve problems? The opposition to abolition of the death penalty stems from the myth that it will lead an increase in the number of murders. The fact is that in the state of Travancore there were 162 murders between 1946 and 1950 when the death penalty was not in force, But in the five years from 1950 when it was re-imposed. There were 967 murderers. It has been argued that it is not possible to fight such crimes by framing law. What we need is to target the root of a I crime. Discontent in a society is one of the reasons for such crimes. Those who do not support capital punishment often quite ignore incidents like Mumbai or attack on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister's convoy in Tirupati. But we should remember that terrorist and suicidal maniacs responsible for the blasts and other such crimes also do not care about the extremely of punishment. They are already beyond the pale of humanity and have to be fought using innovative ideas and methods of counter terrorists. It was 1931 where the death penalty was seriously challenged in the Bihar Assembly. A member of the Assembly unsuccessfully sought to introduce a bill seeking its abolition. In 1946, on the eve of independence the then Union Home Minister stated that the Government did not think it was to

abolish capital punishment. Ten years late when the government asked the states for their opinions; most of them expressed support for the death penalty. In the 35th report produced in 1967 the Law Commission took the view that capital punishment acted as a deterrent to crime. But the statistics did not prove these so called deterrent have any effect the Supreme Court traditionally has not questioned the death sentence per se. In the Jagmohan Singh case (1973) it agreed with the Law Commission that capital punishment should be retained. But subsequently cases such as those of Eliga Anawana (1974) and Rajender Prasad (1979) saw dissenting voices being raised in the Apex Court. These led (1980) case by Constitution Bench. The Bench concluded by four to one vote that the death penalty did -not violate Article 14 or Article 21 of the constitution. But some liberal judges tried to develop the alternative by holding that the consent could involve Article 21 in the event of the death sentence not being carried out even after two years and demanded that it be quashed. Amnesty International, a strong opponent of the death penalty world wide, cites the Boldus report prepared in the U.S. to argue that capital punishment is socially oppressive. It found, that if the homicide victims were white, the killers were four times more likely to get the death sentences that if those murdered were black. It can not be disputed that the outcome of any trial depends to a large extent on the quality of legal advice that the accused receive. This loads the scales in favour of the rich the arbitrariness of the sentencing mechanism in India persuades one to strongly argue against releasing the death penalty but it is the Parliament who has the right to take capital punishment.

Essay on the Communal Situation and Need for Religious Reforms in India
RAJEEV ESSAY FOR CIVIL SERVICES EXAM

In the whole Ayodhya episode of recent years, in the flood of statements, no one has perceived that there is a global problem of every religion finding it hard to come to terms with the modern world. Christianity is troubled with abortions, women clergy, modern genetics, apart from the old Catholic/Protestant divide and numerous sects. The Papacy has straggled for 400 years to come to terms with Galileos conception of the universe. Islam seems to have been in rage and frustration against the whole non-Islamic world, a modernizing Satan. Now Hinduism, as calm as evolution for millennia is off balance. This hurts scientists and buffets States. And now the world is reverting to its atavistic past: China to the ways of Celestial Empire behind a Marxist faade, Africa to tribalism, Eastern Europe to ethnic Balkanization, Islam to foundationtalism, India to caste and communal societies. Therein is reality, thereto and promise. There are no dilemma-free choices. Let us probe the whole Indian situation in its majority-minority, communal and secular aspects, on both sides of the coin; the subjective and the irrational, which is no less a part of reality than the

other side, the rational and objective, If Ajodhya was the work of ghosts of the past, those ghosts have had sufficient power to sick Indian society and the State, with internationals repercussions. The first subjective yet realistic recognition has to be given to the fact that, if Hindu society is uniquely emerging from 800 years of Islamic domination, and 200 years of foreign rule, all nonHindus, especially in India, should appreciate that emergence calls for sympathetic understanding. And especially because the predominantly Hindu society has been a tolerant host to so many other religions over centuries. In all human history, no society has been in that position for so long. And if this basic historical fact and the consequent feelings are treated with understanding, it is still capable of being a good and tolerant host to other minorities. If Hindu society has fallen from its great pre-1000 A.D. civilization, the Hindus themselves, from Topsides to Ram Mohan Roy to Vivekananda and Gandhi, hover been excursive about it. Let us also remember that after 1947 the same Hindu society gave equal constitutional and democratic rights to the minorities, and even set up a Minorities Commission to look after interests. This overall goodness must be seen beyond the traumatic vandalism of Anybody on December 6, 1992. The second subjective reality is that Indian Muslim society, by and large, has made a conscious selfwounding choice- post -1857 and post-Side Ahmed Khan- out to follow a progressive modernizing path in the last century and a half. It has been a fundamental mistake of Muslim leadership, inflicting poverty, suffering, and alienation from the mainstream on the Muslim masses. Modernizing, liberal, mainstream Muslims have been too few, too weak, and too shortsighted in both political and economic terms. Long, before, Hindustan, the Muslim League and Jinnah exploited the backwardness of the Muslim masses; even after Gandhiji held out a cooperative hand in the Chairlift movement, and eventually sacrificed his life for Hindu-Muslim amity. The seeds of hatred, militancy, and an unrealistic Pan-Islamic view of the world were sown, as if these could have revived the Afghan or Mughal empires of the 12th century. The recent Hindustan distortions of pristine Hinduism were matched earlier by the distortions of Karani Islam is a man who tore India apart and became the president of Pakistan. The seeds of the double distortion have produced a poisoned harvest on both sides in our time. The third subjective factor was produced by Nehru and the Westernized intelligentsia. Apparently rational, it was an unclear secularism, which no one has been able to translate into any vernacular meaningfully for child or adult. One hears it translated as respect for, or tolerance of all religious by the State. But when the polity politicized it for the purpose of building up vote banks, it has been transformed into nothing but the sordid exploitation of religion, the opium of politicians of all parties. Secularism is a kind of Western ghost looking after an Indian soul-in a country where religion and its symbols have been external, where Vivekananda clearly divorced politics from his Ramakrishna Mission, and where Gandhi saw no separate worlds of religion and politics. And then came state secularism in a society which Netaji described as a government less civilization. Could such a transplant take root here? Where is the ghost of the secular Sate in the West, its apparent source? The U.K. is an Anglican State, with the sovereign as Defender of the Faith since Henry VIII. In Germany, public funds are disbursed to various churches. Poland was liberated by the Pope. All Catholic States and societies owe as much allegiance to the Papacy as Tibetan Buddhism owes to the Dalai Lama.

The USA is the unique exception, being a recent melting pot of all societies and religions. SO, on any objective reckoning, the modern secular State is largely rootless myth, and yet in this country and elsewhere it has become a vague intellectualized subjective assumption. Clearly, the modern secular State needs and indigenized soul. And so a myth-creating Indian State now finds itself gripped by multiple contradictions and dilemmas. The first of these is the dilemma of weak and small modernizing sector faced with a stillpredominant traditional, fundamentalist sector of both Hindus and Muslims. Every thrust towards modernization or globalization is met with a strong reactionary pull towards temple, mosque and a lumen traditional culture, producing no great work of art, architecture, literature or painting comparable to the subcontinents contribution in either the pre-1000 A.D. or the Mughal period. Secondly, there is the Muslim dilemma of the Shari at and Civil Code; of covert pan-Islamic and Indian loyalties; of a strong monotheistic faith in a land of the widest polytheism; of the slaughter house of the cow; of a dying Urdu and rising vernaculars and English. And all these facets are subsumed by the illusion of a demographic war of survival in the long-run. Thirdly, there are the more recent contradictions and dilemmas of Hindu society; between the higher castes and the Canalization forces; between the backward Hindi speaking belly of India and the more progressive limbs elsewhere; between resurgent fundamentalism in both Hinduism and Islam, now ironically producing a cast of reversed roles. With the Singh Parivar infected with the Pakistani complex, a complex which loses its own intrinsic identity and acquires the aggressive, militant identity of an adversary constantly seeking an enemy to justify its-existence. This un-Hindu complex lives to kill, not to live and let lie. The demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992, was an act of revenge against Babar and, symbolically, all invaders from Ghazi to the domiciled Aurangzeb. And in that single flush of instantly was lost the best heritage of Akbar, ram Mohan Roy, Vivekananda, Dadabhaii Nauroji. Gandhiji, Maulana Azad, et al, what can a Marashimha Rao and the rest of us do with these inherited subjective factors, these living ghosts of the past, these awesome contradictions and dilemmas? Even Marx would have been perplexed by this primitive accumulation of the Mythological capital of the past, which is so hard to demythologize. Is India now a melting pot of earlier peoples, myths, cultures, angsts, refusing to melt into modern, molten steel? To turn to the more rational, pragmatic side of the coin, it may be a good idea to challenge straightaway a question posed by a letter-writer in a national daily can you tell me a higher common denominator than Ram to keep the country united? This is indeed too simplistic a construction for human reality. Neither Christ nor Allah has kept Christendom and Islamic societies united. Nor in all the ages oaf Hindu history has Ram kept even Hindus united far from it. An over-centralized state in India (primarily the work of Mrs. Gandhi and the higher bureaucracy) is an important culprit in any rational reckoning, a state which has acquired immense legislative and ordinance power but which is impotent in either saving targeted place of worship or the lives of its citizens. Modern societies have lost control over their gargantuan Governments, and Governments have lost control over their affairs. Both the recent bank scam and Ajodhya have shown that, despite, laws, guidelines and a plethora of controlling authorities, there have been no control and no effective action. The Centre, smug in Delhi, is out of sync with the periphery. One result of this is the proliferation of dehumanized role-players inside and outside the establishment. This has been the dismal transition between the strong hand of Patel who rebuilt the Dwaraka temple in as table state; and the hordes of

ineffective, confused men and women in and out of authority who created the Ajodhya debacle in a very unstable state. This situation calls for a new, stable balance between the centre and the states, between Hindus and minorities, between the liability of misgoverned Hindi-speaking states and the assets in much of the rest of India. Insecure politicians are afraid of change; mindless politicians are nor capable for giving such problems. The statesman like thought do they require. We are electing plundering villians and making mockery of democracy in the worlds most plural and poor society. The next rationality factor is that in the worlds most plural society, extremism of any faith or ideology is dysfunctional, disastrous, and insane. Co-prosperity has to be preceded by a sprit of coexistence, a reasonable give-and-take, and the third aspect lire in the formation of a new, more credible leadership in all parties, especially the Congress (1), the BJP, and the splintered Muslim and Sikh minorities. Without stability, in India as perceived by the world, the jack of much melded trade, technology and investment will leave the country in the 188th century back water of poverty, illiteracy and disease. The Muslim community in particular needs to throw up a 21stcentury leadership, modeled on the Aga Khanm with a forward-looking vision to lift 120 million people from poverty, malnutrition, illiteracy and ill-health, apart from promoting the culture, art and architecture of Islam in India to its highest traditions. Nor should this be accomplished in isolation. It ought to be the legitimate demand of 120 million Muslims on the remaining 730 million Indians and the Indian state. As for the Sikhs, they are entitled to feel grievous hurt it their psyche after the golden temple, issue and the massacre in Delhi after Mrs. Gandhis assassination. This should weigh on the Hindu conscience as mush as the demolition of the Babri Masjid. Indeed, it is time for the 80 per cent majority Hindus to show magnanimity to be 11 per cent Muslims and two per cent Sikhs if they themselves wish to transform an earlier formative Hindustan to amore united India, taking its rightful place in world politics, economics and culture. So, whether of the Congress (I), BJP or Janata variety, will the Hindus throw up new or reformed leaders who will not either profess a hollow secularism on the one hand, or propagate minority-ism and pseudo-secularism on the other? Can Hindustan shed its Pakistani complex? If 80 per cent Hindus are themselves a self-confident people, they should perceive no threat from the Muslims and Sikhs. Once the political complexion of the leaders of all three communities changes, the ballot box, the polity, and the economy will change for the better too. Yet all this may be wishful thinking if we did not expose the real politic of money, the scam of religious institutions in Indian society. In the Watergate episode, the advice of Deep Throat was to follow the money. When the Washington post heeded that advice, they could pin down the head of State and all his henchmen. The Indian public needs to heed that same advice. After being so closely integrated with the Hindu community for three centuries, Master Tara of the rising revenues of the Gurdwaras. Separatist politics of the name for the Khalsa concealed the pursuit of money. Sim8ilarly, the vast funds of Hindu temples fuel narrow, chauvinistic urges. The influx of petrol-dollars has had a similar influence in Muslim Mosques and Madrass. If we are fundamentally concerned, spiritually or secularly, with the human condition, the LicensePermit Raj also needs to be removed for two basic social objectives first to lighten the burden of inflation and inefficiency on the poor and, second, to lift the additional burden of mounting government expenditure from the back of the people. Follow the money, and we will uncover the root causes of problems, political, economic, social and communal.

So the stagnant License-Permit Raj is also a conditioning factor in the exploding socio-economic malaise, which finds an outlet in a growing lumen participation in communal riots. One last suggestion about the erased Babri Masjid site. First, the court verdict must be adhered to quasi facto and de facto. Then with consensus of both Hindus & Muslims let there be a national memorial dedicated to (a) the memory of all those irrespective of religion who have lost heir lives and suffered injuries in communal disturbances anywhere in India, and (b) to the poor of India of all faiths whose human condition is basic in the teachings of Christ, Muhammad, Guru Nanak, Vivekananda and Gandhi. And let its architecture match the blend of Mughal Rajput architecture, which we treat as a great national heritage. Let mosque and temple be healingly and mutually built close by in Ajodhya. Let there be undenominational intercession for Indias integrity and interfusion by religious priests and let them initiate steps to interconnect Indian masses. That will be the true test of the human concern of all faiths and their protagonists; and the test of the recognition of the inescapable reality of the co-existence for Hindus and minorities.

Essay on the Crisis of Indian Agriculture


RAJEEV ESSAY FOR IAS

Indian is an agricultural country. Even while Indias industrial and services sectors are growing by leaps and bounds and where growth rate of agriculture as below 2% the fact remains that India still lives in villages. Over 70% of Indias population is supported by agriculture. Even industrial and services sectors are invariably entangled with the fortunes of agriculture due to various intricate forward and backward linkages. There is an ongoing debate in country regarding the state of agriculture. There is a general agreement that the Indian agriculture is in crisis but there is intense debate about the causes which led to such crisis and various way to manage the crisis and put agriculture on healthy footing. According to nutritional emergency (by Samantha) there should be emphasis on pulses. Alaghs approach so ground level with people participation and is realistic in outlook. There have been ominous signs which showed that the Indian agriculture is in crisis. Unending chain of suicides by farmers in different parts of the country shows that everything is not well with agricultural sectors. Import of wheat by government in the era when there is a talk about green revolution in the country, high prices of vegetables and pulses, stagnation in white, blue and yellow revolution, set backs caused by Avian influenza to poultry farmers, inability of peasants and farmers to withstand the competition from globalize market, unmistakably show the state of India or Agriculture. Government of India is not sleeping over this crisis. National Commission on farmers has been constituted under the eminent Scientist Dr. M.S. Swami Nathan. He has recommended a comprehensive national policy for farmers to give an all round boost to the sector. Government has announced financial package for those districts in country where maximum farmer suicides have been reported. The financial packages include; interest waiver, rescheduling of loans, and advancing of more capital etc. Government in Union Budget has made provisions for cheap loans for agricultural sector. Moreover the present government prefers its concerns about the common man of country and the peasants and farmers invariably constitute majority of common man in country.

However, it is sea sad state of affairs where government is busy in talking about superficial remedies instead of taking the concrete steps which is the need of the hour. More waivers of interests and rescheduling of loans (as in vidarbha) do not address the real problem. Real problem is how the farmers got entangled in debt trap in the first place? Were governmental policies or free market forces responsible for it? Or, was it faulty crop selection and cropping pattern which leads to such situation? The national Commission on farmers is like toothless tiger. What is the use of well-meaning and well-researched recommendations of the Commission if government is deliberately going slow over it? Moreover, recent corporatisation of Indian agriculture with entry of corporate giants such as Reliance, Bharti, Godrej, Munjals etc has to be critically analyzed in a long term perspective to see who would gain and at whose cost such gain would be? The genesis of underlying factor for the present crisis in agriculture can be traced back to second five year plan where emphasis was shifted to industrial growth and agricultural sector was to a provide of cheap raw material and a market for finished goods. It was a drain of wealth under the garb of national development. There was shift in government stand late in 1960s. The year 1968 marked the beginning of Green revolution solved the problem by food import thereby saving foreign exchange and provided food security to country. There has been constant reduction of emphasis, monetary and otherwise since the period of Green Revolution. In the decade of liberalization, privatization and Globalization i.e. the last decade of 20th century, the agricultural landscape of the country was dismal and full of contradiction agricultural growth was stagnant. Condition of farmer remained the same through out the country i.e. he fought hard to earn his livelihood (except in the areas of) Agriculture to this date remains a gamble against the monsoon. This statement sums up the level of infrastructural support available to Indian farmers. In the areas of green revolution the situation of farmers was no different. It appeared farmers here had become rich evolved into entrepreneurs. But the fact remains while in other parts of country agricultural yields were stagnant but in green revolution area agricultural yields were actually declining. This is attributed to over exploitation of land and water. There is deficiency of micronutrients rising input costs coupled with declining yields led to situation where farmers in Punjab on the average are under the debt of more than Rs 2 lakh. The fragile condition of agriculture became apparent in light of free market forces which were released by the government under the petted of taking Indian economy to next level. While Industrial and services sectors were equipped to deal with global markets, Indian agriculture was taken by surprise. Not even the green revolution farmers were economically and technologically ready to tale on the challenge of global market. This ultimately was manifested by farmer suicides in all the regions of the country. To emerge from the present crisis the approach needs to be two-pronged. One that provides immediate relief and two that brings in structural changes as along term measure. Relief package based on debt relief, waiver of interest rate and better credit flow ell take care of immediate relief to farming community. Studies point out that choice of crops by farmers has not been correct and they grow crops, which are less well suited to the condition of cultivation. Water intensive cops are cultivated in water scare areas. As a consequence crop risks increases. Long term solution lies in the policies that will induce farmer to cultivate crops. Which offer best return and have low risk? This will be accompanied by better irrigation and marketing support.

Government should introduce such cropping patterns which would ensure that there is market for product in global markets. For example Green revolution belt can produce fruits, vegetables and flowers for export to the markets of developed world. Dry land regions consisting of those areas where assured irrigation facilities are non extent can specialise in the production of organic produce. The subsistence farming prevalent in such regions ensures that farmers cannot afford to put chemical fertilizers and insecticides in their fields; hence there is natural advantage for organic farming. Lately, dairy sector has been projected as a profit making occupation for farmers. Milk grid has been established in India and farmers are assured of cash income for the milk they produce. However, a study, in Punjab suggests that the accost of milk produced is more than what farmers get Only reason farmers are producing milk is the availability of otherwise scarce cash. It should be noted that India is today largest producer of milk, but milk does not translate into property of farmers. Government should improve the livestock of milking animals by importing and cross breading hood animals and then introducing such animalism country side. This would ensure more milk yield for the fodder consumed. Governments should either with help of cooperatives such as AMUL or with help of private sector explore the possibilities of market in ASEAN countries, Gulf Countries. Milk processing unit should be established all around the country and hygienic chain from ladder to chocolate bar should be established. White revolution should be a revolution for producers and not just a revolution for consumer. Horizons of Blue Revolution should be expanded to include prawns and other delicious fishes. Emphasis should on organic production. Sanitary and Photo sanitary should be adhered to. Fish production can help to fill the gap of protein requirement of Indian population long coastlines reveres; skilled labour is available, large market etc. Cooperative, movement should be strengthened in the country. Farmers in India are faced the problem of shrinking land holdings and coupled with rising input cost. Cooperative movement on the lines of Kibbutzim of Israel can solve such problem. Farmers can pool their resources and achieve economics of scale corporatisation of agriculture represents an anti thesis to the cooperative movement. Corporatisation of agriculture means the entry of corporate business houses in agricultural sector with aim of profit maximization. It is irony that corporate world is ambitious towards the profit yielding potential of agriculture while a study by NSSO suggests that 40% of farmers are ready to quit agriculture as according to them it is not profitable. Through the legislative support for contract farming, the land ceiling laws has been given a go by. Now a company can control vast positive towards the implication of corporatisation of agriculture but on the other hand it has been argued that corporatisation of agriculture would result in marginalization of peasants and subsistence farmers. This in turn would lead an increase in already unemployed sea of unskilled workforce. Corporatisation of agriculture should be allowed but in controlled and regulated manner. Government should ensure that corporate sector discharge its social obligations also. With purposeful partnership between private sector and agriculture sectors the crisis in agriculture can be overcome.

Developed India is possible with the attainment of growing, advancement of manufacturing and services sector. But prosperous India is possible only with healthy agricultural sector. The pride and confidence in farmers and farming needs to be restored. This alone can help agriculture grow like never before.

Essay on the Crisis of Indian Agriculture


RAJEEV ESSAY FOR IAS

Indian is an agricultural country. Even while Indias industrial and services sectors are growing by leaps and bounds and where growth rate of agriculture as below 2% the fact remains that India still lives in villages. Over 70% of Indias population is supported by agriculture. Even industrial and services sectors are invariably entangled with the fortunes of agriculture due to various intricate forward and backward linkages. There is an ongoing debate in country regarding the state of agriculture. There is a general agreement that the Indian agriculture is in crisis but there is intense debate about the causes which led to such crisis and various way to manage the crisis and put agriculture on healthy footing. According to nutritional emergency (by Samantha) there should be emphasis on pulses. Alaghs approach so ground level with people participation and is realistic in outlook. There have been ominous signs which showed that the Indian agriculture is in crisis. Unending chain of suicides by farmers in different parts of the country shows that everything is not well with agricultural sectors. Import of wheat by government in the era when there is a talk about green revolution in the country, high prices of vegetables and pulses, stagnation in white, blue and yellow revolution, set backs caused by Avian influenza to poultry farmers, inability of peasants and farmers to withstand the competition from globalize market, unmistakably show the state of India or Agriculture. Government of India is not sleeping over this crisis. National Commission on farmers has been constituted under the eminent Scientist Dr. M.S. Swami Nathan. He has recommended a comprehensive national policy for farmers to give an all round boost to the sector. Government has announced financial package for those districts in country where maximum farmer suicides have been reported. The financial packages include; interest waiver, rescheduling of loans, and advancing of more capital etc. Government in Union Budget has made provisions for cheap loans for agricultural sector. Moreover the present government prefers its concerns about the common man of country and the peasants and farmers invariably constitute majority of common man in country. However, it is sea sad state of affairs where government is busy in talking about superficial remedies instead of taking the concrete steps which is the need of the hour. More waivers of interests and rescheduling of loans (as in vidarbha) do not address the real problem.

Real problem is how the farmers got entangled in debt trap in the first place? Were governmental policies or free market forces responsible for it? Or, was it faulty crop selection and cropping pattern which leads to such situation? The national Commission on farmers is like toothless tiger. What is the use of well-meaning and well-researched recommendations of the Commission if government is deliberately going slow over it? Moreover, recent corporatisation of Indian agriculture with entry of corporate giants such as Reliance, Bharti, Godrej, Munjals etc has to be critically analyzed in a long term perspective to see who would gain and at whose cost such gain would be? The genesis of underlying factor for the present crisis in agriculture can be traced back to second five year plan where emphasis was shifted to industrial growth and agricultural sector was to a provide of cheap raw material and a market for finished goods. It was a drain of wealth under the garb of national development. There was shift in government stand late in 1960s. The year 1968 marked the beginning of Green revolution solved the problem by food import thereby saving foreign exchange and provided food security to country. There has been constant reduction of emphasis, monetary and otherwise since the period of Green Revolution. In the decade of liberalization, privatization and Globalization i.e. the last decade of 20th century, the agricultural landscape of the country was dismal and full of contradiction agricultural growth was stagnant. Condition of farmer remained the same through out the country i.e. he fought hard to earn his livelihood (except in the areas of) Agriculture to this date remains a gamble against the monsoon. This statement sums up the level of infrastructural support available to Indian farmers. In the areas of green revolution the situation of farmers was no different. It appeared farmers here had become rich evolved into entrepreneurs. But the fact remains while in other parts of country agricultural yields were stagnant but in green revolution area agricultural yields were actually declining. This is attributed to over exploitation of land and water. There is deficiency of micronutrients rising input costs coupled with declining yields led to situation where farmers in Punjab on the average are under the debt of more than Rs 2 lakh. The fragile condition of agriculture became apparent in light of free market forces which were released by the government under the petted of taking Indian economy to next level. While Industrial and services sectors were equipped to deal with global markets, Indian agriculture was taken by surprise. Not even the green revolution farmers were economically and technologically ready to tale on the challenge of global market. This ultimately was manifested by farmer suicides in all the regions of the country. To emerge from the present crisis the approach needs to be two-pronged. One that provides immediate relief and two that brings in structural changes as along term measure. Relief package based on debt relief, waiver of interest rate and better credit flow ell take care of immediate relief to farming community.

Studies point out that choice of crops by farmers has not been correct and they grow crops, which are less well suited to the condition of cultivation. Water intensive cops are cultivated in water scare areas. As a consequence crop risks increases. Long term solution lies in the policies that will induce farmer to cultivate crops. Which offer best return and have low risk? This will be accompanied by better irrigation and marketing support. Government should introduce such cropping patterns which would ensure that there is market for product in global markets. For example Green revolution belt can produce fruits, vegetables and flowers for export to the markets of developed world. Dry land regions consisting of those areas where assured irrigation facilities are non extent can specialise in the production of organic produce. The subsistence farming prevalent in such regions ensures that farmers cannot afford to put chemical fertilizers and insecticides in their fields; hence there is natural advantage for organic farming. Lately, dairy sector has been projected as a profit making occupation for farmers. Milk grid has been established in India and farmers are assured of cash income for the milk they produce. However, a study, in Punjab suggests that the accost of milk produced is more than what farmers get Only reason farmers are producing milk is the availability of otherwise scarce cash. It should be noted that India is today largest producer of milk, but milk does not translate into property of farmers. Government should improve the livestock of milking animals by importing and cross breading hood animals and then introducing such animalism country side. This would ensure more milk yield for the fodder consumed. Governments should either with help of cooperatives such as AMUL or with help of private sector explore the possibilities of market in ASEAN countries, Gulf Countries. Milk processing unit should be established all around the country and hygienic chain from ladder to chocolate bar should be established. White revolution should be a revolution for producers and not just a revolution for consumer. Horizons of Blue Revolution should be expanded to include prawns and other delicious fishes. Emphasis should on organic production. Sanitary and Photo sanitary should be adhered to. Fish production can help to fill the gap of protein requirement of Indian population long coastlines reveres; skilled labour is available, large market etc. Cooperative, movement should be strengthened in the country. Farmers in India are faced the problem of shrinking land holdings and coupled with rising input cost. Cooperative movement on the lines of Kibbutzim of Israel can solve such problem. Farmers can pool their resources and achieve economics of scale corporatisation of agriculture represents an anti thesis to the cooperative movement. Corporatisation of agriculture means the entry of corporate business houses in agricultural sector with aim of profit maximization. It is irony that corporate world is ambitious towards the profit yielding potential of agriculture while a study by

NSSO suggests that 40% of farmers are ready to quit agriculture as according to them it is not profitable. Through the legislative support for contract farming, the land ceiling laws has been given a go by. Now a company can control vast positive towards the implication of corporatisation of agriculture but on the other hand it has been argued that corporatisation of agriculture would result in marginalization of peasants and subsistence farmers. This in turn would lead an increase in already unemployed sea of unskilled workforce. Corporatisation of agriculture should be allowed but in controlled and regulated manner. Government should ensure that corporate sector discharge its social obligations also. With purposeful partnership between private sector and agriculture sectors the crisis in agriculture can be overcome. Developed India is possible with the attainment of growing, advancement of manufacturing and services sector. But prosperous India is possible only with healthy agricultural sector. The pride and confidence in farmers and farming needs to be restored. This alone can help agriculture grow like never before.

730 words essay on World Aids day


VINEET PRAKASH ESSAY IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Since 1988, the World AIDS Day is held on December 1 every year. It is an international day to raise awareness about HIV and AIDS around the world. On this day, besides raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection, memorials are held to honor persons who have died from HIV/AIDS. Government and health officials also observe the event, often with speeches or forums on the AIDS topics. Since 1995, the President of the United States has made an official proclamation on World AIDS Day. Governments of other nations have followed suit and issued similar announcements. Since 1981, AIDS has killed more than 25 million people. At present an estimated 33.2 million people worldwide live with HIV, making it one of the most destructive epidemics in recorded history. Despite recent, improved access to antiretroviral treatment and care in many regions of the world, the AIDS epidemic claimed an estimated 2 million lives in 2007, of which about 270,000 were children. World AIDS Day was first conceived in August 1987 by James W. Bunn and Thomas Netter, two public information officers for the Global Programme on AIDS (now known as UNAIDS) at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Switzerland. The date of December 1 was suggested to ensure coverage by western news media, something vital for its success. Since 1988 was an election year in the U.S., it was assumed that media outlets would be weary of their post-election coverage and eager to find a fresh story to cover. It was felt that December 1 was long enough after the election and soon enough before the Christmas holidays and thus perfect timing for World AIDS Day.

The World AIDS Day is now arguably the longest-running disease awareness and prevention initiative of its kind in the history of public health. The planning and promotion of World AIDS day was taken over by the joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), which became operational in 1996. Subsequently in 1997, UN AIDS also created the World AIDS campaign to focus on year-round communications, prevention and education. The World AIDS Campaign became an independent organization in 2004. From its inception until 2004, Global AIDS Programme/UN AIDS spearheaded the World AIDS Day campaign, choosing annual themes in consultation with other global health organizations. In its first two years, the theme of World AIDS Day focused on children and young people. These themes were strongly criticized at the time for ignoring the fact that people of all ages may become infected with HIV and suffer from AIDS. But the themes drew attention to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, helped alleviate some of the stigma surrounding the disease, and helped boost recognition of the problem as a family disease. Currently, each year's World AIDS Day theme is chosen by the World AIDS Campaign's Global Steering Committee after extensive consultation with people, organizations and government agencies involved in the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS. For each World AIDS Day from 2005 through 2010, the theme is "Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise. with a yearly sub-theme. This overarching theme was designed to encourage political leaders to keep their commitment to achieve universal access to HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, care, and support by the year 2010. This theme is not specific to World AIDS Day, but is used year-round in World AIDS Campaign's efforts to highlight HIV/AIDS awareness within the context of other major global events including the G8 and G20 Summits. World AIDS Campaign also conducts "in-country" campaigns throughout the world, like the Student Stop AIDS Campaign, an infection-awareness campaign targeting young people throughout the UK. World AIDS Day Themes in different years since 1988 were as follows: 1988- Communication, 1989Youth, 1990-Women and AIDS, 1991-Sharing the Challenge, 1992-Community Commitment, 1993Act, 1994-AIDS and the Family, 1995-Shared Rights, Shared Responsibilities, and 1996-One World. One Hope, 1997-Children Living in a World with AIDS, 1998-Force for Change: World AIDS Campaign With Young People, 1999-Listen, Learn, Live: World AIDS Campaign with Children & Young People, 2000-AIDS: Men Make a Difference, 2001-1 care. Do you, 2002-Stigma and Discrimination, 2003-Stigma and Discrimination, 2004-Women, Girls, HIV and AIDS, 2005-Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise, 2006-Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise-Accountability, 2007-Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise-Leadership, 2008-Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise-Lead-Empower-Deliver, 2009-Universal Access and Human Rights. Each year, Popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI have released a greeting message for patients and doctors on World AIDS Day.

Essay on Culture and Society: Does Culture Matter?


SUBRAT MANGARAJ ESSAY

Culture is a much profaned or abused word. We are somewhat not sure as to what it actually means. We often take it to mean a superior work of intellectuality. It is regarded as a social distinction. It is thus the counterpart of 'aristocratic' distinction under democratic conditions. At its best, it makes a man take undue or self-flattering pride in his intellectual or aesthetic accomplishments. At its worst, it transforms one into a prig or a highbrow, looking down upon the rest of mankind. Culture may be defined as the 'flavor' of civilization that stresses the material prosperity of man. Culture is actually the attitude that a civilized man takes to life and expresses the same through art, music, literature and the like. It is, in the words of Mathew Arnold, acquisition of sweetness and light, a continuing process that covers both knowing and becoming. It is, in short, a refined delicacy of the mind. A modern writer has called our culture 'jackdaw culture'a collection of charming misconceptions, undigested enthusiasm of charlatanism. It is the device of an unlearned member of an upper class to plume himself with borrowed feathers. It is mere outward varnish and veneer that comes from superficial or smattering knowledge. The Greek work Euphuia means 'a finely tempered nature'. Human nature is a complex thing made up of many elements. True culture implies that these elements must be properly disciplined, so as to produce a balanced temperament, with all excesses subdued and angularities chiselled, and i.e. straightened. The man of culture, therefore, is one who makes it his chief business in life to study perfection and to make it prevail in the affairs of life. It is, of course, not easy to make this one's primary concern in life. It can be done, however, as Arnold said, by habitual association with the best that has been thought and said in this world. As Swinburne said, "To have read the greatest work of any great poet, to have behold or heard the greatest works of any great painter or musician, is a possession added to the best things of life." By such constant association, one's mind is filled with nobleness, with genial thoughts and feelings. Cultivation of a sweetness of temper and acquirement of the light of understanding may, therefore, be defined as the aim of one who desires to represent culture in one's life. And as one keeps oneself in constant association with the best that man has said and done, i.e. with literature and philosophy, history and sociology, one experiences an enlargement of the mind, a sublimation of one's thoughts and ideas. If culture means only the graces and ornaments that confer on individuals a kind of social distinction, its value and influence would, indeed, be limited. But the modern age is tending to a gradual removal of separation between man and man, as well as between class and class. Therefore, culture now has come to acquire a value and significance in social life not contemplated in the past. For if culture means pursuit of perfection, it is obvious that the more widely it is spread among the people at large, the better it would be for the community.

Now the pursuit of culture depends on certain basic conditions, the foremost of which are education and leisure. Formerly these were regarded more or less privileges confined to certain privileged section from which others were excluded. Thus, the Germans, regarding themselves as 'god's elect', looked upon their 'Kulture' as a hall-mark of national superiority of the Herrenvolk, entitling them to dominate the rest of the world. But this exclusiveness is the very antithesis of the view of culture that is regarded as a study of perfection. Once the blueblooded aristocracy, with all the material resources at their command, tried to acquire the culture that was, in their view, a mark of social distinction. Thus, whatever encourages separatism, exclusiveness, or a feeling of class superiority, is antagonistic to culture in the right sense of the word. If culture is a desirable condition of life, it should be available to all alike. For this purpose it is necessary, first of all, to create a condition in which education is made free at all stages. Secondly, to ensure leisure to every worker to enable him to enjoy the privileges of culture. This will be the light that is in him, help the growth of new ideas and consider all things without prejudice. The person will, by the sweetness that is in him, create a genial atmosphere.

454 words essay on Biotechnology


AKASH ESSAY

Biotechnology is the use of complete living organisms (unicellular) or of substances obtained from living organisms to make new or improved products of service systems. (Bio = Living, Technology = Technical know-how). Hence Biotechnology involves the use of plant and animal cells and microbes - (tiny organisms such as bacteria and yeasts) - in the manufacture of goods useful to man. Sometimes this entails creating conditions where they can produce in vast quantities of substances that naturally they only can make in tiny amounts. But mainly the biotechnology boom has been fuelled by Genetic Engineering, Protoplast Fusion, Cell Fusion or Hybridoma Technology, Cell Culture, Tissue Culture, Embryo Transfer Technology, Germless Development, Enzyme and Protein Engineering, Fermentation and By conversion, so that simple life forms can actually be created to make entirely new products. (i) Protoplast Fusion: The plant cell is consisted of protoplasm which is living and surrounding the cell wall. When fusion between two isolated protoplasts takes place it is called protoplast fusion. Here actually two haploid nuclei fuse to form a diploid cell. The diploid cell can be cultured in an artificial synthetic medium to develop a complete plant. Successful plants are already developed in case of Datura, petunia, tobacco etc. Before going for fusion, the cell walls are to be dissolved by a cellulose digestive enzyme. (ii) Tissue and cell cultures: A group of cells performing a common function is called a tissue. When plant tissues and cells are cultured in laboratory conditions (in vitro) using artificial nutritive medium it is called tissue culture. Here a complete plant can be produced using tissue or cell from any part of the plant body to desiring genetic purity i.e., from root, shoot, stem, leaf, embryo, etc. The tissues, at the primary stage, develop into a callous, which further develops into roots and shoots after transferring the callous to media having root-growth hormone and shoot-growth-hormone.

The advantages of tissue culture are: (1) It is well suited for quick vegetative propagation of plant species. It is used for asexual propagation in many species including some fruit and timber trees. (2) Easy isolation of biochemically mutants is possible from cell cultures than from the whole plant populations. (3) Tissue cultures may be frozen and stored in liquid nitrogen at 196 degree centigrade for long term storage of germless which helps in 'Germless Conservation'. The technique of freeze- preservation i.e., "Cryobiology" of plant cells is still in the developing stages. (iii) Fermentation: It is a process of anaerobic oxidation of compounds by enzyme actions of microorganisms i.e., yeast, bacteria etc. Usually it is applied to the production of alcohol from sugar by yeast and bacteria throwing alcoholic fermentation. Here carbon dioxide gas is released as bye-product.

341 short essay on the Power of Press


SOUMYA ESSAY TOPICS FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

The power of press in any country depends on the number of newspaper readers; and this in turn depends on the spread of education. Where readers are few, newspapers are few and will appeal directly to only a small minority of population. In a country like England or America where even the poorest working man can read, the reading public is practically the whole nation. Hence the large number of newspapers, and their great influence on public opinion. Now the great majority of newspaper readers is uncritical. Only a few think for themselves and form their own opinions. Most accept what they read without any question and take their opinions readymade for their favorite papers. Newspapers, therefore, mold public opinion. In democratic countries, whereby the system of election and representation the people control the government, public opinion is the chief power. No democratic government can long neglect or oppose a strong public opinion on any question. Sooner or later the government will have to yield to public opinion or be driven out of office. It is, therefore, obvious that if press controls the government, the press is ultimately controlled by the public. Such is the political power of the press. This great power may be used for good or evil. If the great newspapers are serious, disinterested and clean, and give their readers a wise, courageous and great national question, the power of press will be blessing. But if the papers are frivolous, prejudiced and corrupt and pander to the worst tastes of the people by filing their pages with scandal and sensationalism, their influence must be bad and even disastrous. The commercializing of the modern press is an evil. A newspaper is a business concern and is meant to sell. To get a large sale, it must give its readers what they want. And the more extreme and sensational and exciting it is, the better it will sell. It, therefore, cannot afford to be lofty, serious and moderate: A country that has an independent and clean press is blessed indeed.

Sample essay on Prohibition- Its Impact On Our Society


ADMINISTRATOR

SAMPLE ESSAY

"Drinking is a curse. A nation, addicted to drinking has its future completely doomed. A Government that fattens its purse by selling alcoholic drinks to its people makes prostitution of its sacred function, of making its people morally better and spiritually elevated. A nation of drunkards is a morally and spiritually dwarfed section of humanity." Indeed, drinking has all along been the worst misfortune that has ever befallen mankind. It has been a damned curse which is responsible for the utter ruin of many a nation. The great Roman Empire, the mighty Mughal Empire and many others had been cast into oblivion of sheer degeneration under destructive and damaging impact of drinking. In almost all the religions of the worldHinduism, Islam, Christianity, Buddhismdrinking has been condemned as a sin. According to Islam, a drunkard has no place in Paradise and that his place would be in the worst part of Hell, where he would be cast into eternal fire of torture. He can never expect to be forgiven by God. Prohibition implies banning of alcoholic drinks. It was first introduced in America in 1923 but due to certain unavoidable reasons it failed completely. Then, it was experimented in China, where the Government laid special stress on banning of opium. The scheme which operated in the country for a period of three years had a partial success. The Indian National Congress, even before 'India's independence had made it one of their basic features of programme to launch a countrywide campaign for prohibiting intoxicating drinks. Satyagrahas were offered for the same purpose and our leaders had to court imprisonment for picketing wine shops during the British-regime. Immediately after independence when the Congress formed Government at the Centre and in all the States (then known as Provinces) excepting Punjab and Bengal, prohibition was experimented and in most of the States it did have a substantial success. At the All India Congress session of 1953 it was unanimously resolved that in some States there should be complete prohibition. The Constitution (Article 47) enjoin on the State to endeavor to bring about prohibition of the consumption of intoxicating drinks and drugs. In December 1954, the Prohibition Enquiry Committee was appointed to suggest a programme and machinery for the implementation of the Directive. The Committee recommended that schemes of prohibition be integrated with the country's development plans. This was affirmed by a resolution in the Lok Sabha on March 31, 1956. At present there is complete prohibition in the States of Gujarat and Tamil Nadu only. There is ban on drinking in the public places and partial prohibition in most of the other States. Now let us recall a brief history of drinking. It is thought that during the Ashokan period of Indian history, indulgence in drinks and drugs was considered to be a crimesomething contrary to the principles of religion, i.e., Buddhism. According to Magasthenese, who visited India during the reign of Chandragupta Maurya, the Government strictly supervised the manufacture and sale of intoxicating drinks. Most of the Muslim rulers in India had put strict restrictions on sale of intoxicating wines even though they themselves lavishly indulged in drinking. It was, however, during the days of the East India Company that India's cultural and national progress suffered a heavy loss. The alien rulers in their anxiety to find more money from India to fill their own country's coffer, introduced liquorrevenue and revenue on exploit drugs. In India, the story of prohibition, properly speaking, begins with Mahatma Gandhi's campaign against this injurious habit. Gandhiji regarded it as one of the causes that demoralized the world,

because it has brought the downfall of many a mighty empire. However, prohibition through legislation was introduced in India after the attaining of independence. Prohibition creates certain difficult problems. The first problem is unemployment. In Andhra, Bengal and Assam there are lakhs of people engaged in the production of Tari, a kind of intoxicating drink. In the event of introducing complete prohibition in these States, all these people would be thrown out of their source of earning livelihood. Then there is -he toughest problem to check illicit manufacture and sale of intoxicating drinks. The report of the All India Prohibition Committee revealed the fact that in most of the 'dry areas' there have been 'floods of illicit wine'. It is a pity and a matter of disgrace, too, to note that police and excise officials and their staff, deputed to make the scheme a success, most miserably abused rather prostituted their basic functions, thereby making prohibition an utter failure in some States. Prohibition is a measure of social reform, which has a moral basis. Mere legislative sanction cannot make it a success, though it can be enforced with the aid of law. For making prohibition a genuine success, the first and foremost task is to give special type of moral and social education to the masses. Moreover, prohibition has to be enforced gradually and not all of a sudden. People must cooperate with the Government in making prohibition a success in the real sense of the term.

How to write Essay on A Stitch in Time Saves Nine?


ADITI PRADHAN ESSAY

Introduction Meaning of the Proverb The meaning of this age-old proverb is quite literal. It effectively means that we must attend to things well in time, so that we can save ourselves a lot of trouble later on, if it becomes unmanageable. Just as it takes only a spark to start a fire, which if not put out in time causes great devastation. Similarly the minutest problem if not attended immediately could lead to a major catastrophe. Practical and Sound Advice As one immediately attends to a small hole in one's pocket with a stitch, which if left unattended could develop into a tear, leading to nine stitches at a later date. Similarly if we postpone attending to minor day to day problems, they do not disappear, but come back to us in a much more gigantic form. A small breach in a canal, if not attended in time not only breaches the entire embankment, but also inundates large cities and villages. Kingdom's can be lost by neglecting to replace such a small thing as a nail in a horse's shoe. As most of us would have heard of the saying "For want of a nail, the shoe was lost, for want of a shoe, the horse was lost, for want of a horse, the rider was lost, for want of a rider the battle was lost, for want of the battle, the kingdom was lost." This is the most practical and sound advice, that is given by our elders including parents and teachers. However, we in our haste, tend to overlook the small details, which is the cause of major problems at a later date. Proven by History History is replete with examples validating the above saying. Had Germany got a honourable settlement after World War I, the conflagration and destruction of the World War II could have been avoided. Had the National leaders shown maturity and understanding, the partition of the country

could have been avoided. These are all glaring examples of what can happen to great countries, if small problems and differences are not resolved at once.

What is the Impact of Green Revolution on Indian Economy?


DEV ECONOMICS

The green revolution has two types of effects on Indian economy, namely, (a) economic effects and (b) sociological effects.

Economic Effects
(i) Increase in agricultural production and productivity: Due to adoption of HYV technology the production of food grains increased considerably in the country. The production of wheat has increased from 8.8 million tones in 1965-66 to 184 million tones in 1991-92. The productivity of other food grains has increased considerably. It was 71% in case of cereals, 104% for wheat and 52% for paddy over the period 1965-66 and 1989-90. The index number of productivity on agriculture (Base -1969 - 70) increased from 88.9 in 1965-66 to 156 in 1991-92 indicating an increase of about 100% in productivity over the period. Though the food grain production has increased considerably but the green revolution has no impact on coarse cereals, pulses and few cash corps. In short the gains of green revolution have not been shared equally by all the crops. (ii) Employment: The new agricultural technology has created more amounts of employment opportunities in the agricultural sector. The new technology is early maturing and makes multiple cropping possible. (iii) Market Orientation: The new technology has made the farmers market- oriented. Due to excess production the farmers have to go to the market for selling their surplus production. (iv) Forward and Backward Linkage: Due to new technology the demand for industrial products like fertilizers, pesticides and insecticides increased which gave rise to industrialization of the economy. Similarly due to excessive production more employments were created in the tertiary sector like transportation, marketing and storage.

Sociological Effects
(i) Personal inequalities: Due to Green Revolution the income of rich farmers increased considerably whereas the poor farmers couldn't reap any benefit. Hence in Punjab it led to concentration of wealth, income and assets with the rich farmers on the one hand and gradual pauperization of the rural poor. This led to a class conflict between the rich and the poor farmers. The small and marginal farmers were deprived of enjoying the gains of new technology. (ii) Regional Inequality:

The new technology was successfully implemented in the wheat-producing belt of the country whereas the rice producing zones were not at all affected by this Green Revolution. Hence the disparity between the two regions increased considerably. Father Green Revolution became successful in irrigated areas whereas in the rained belt the new technology couldn't be properly implemented.

Measures for further Green Revolution:


In order to further increase agricultural production the following measures have been adopted: (i) HYV seeds: New varieties of HYV seeds have been developed for specific agro-climatic condition and the other crops like cotton, Jute, oil seeds and pulses have been covered under HYV seeds. (ii) Multiple cropping: Due to invention of short maturing seeds multiple cropping has become possible. Appropriate crop rotation has to be chosen in order to maintain long term productivity of the soil. (iii) Agricultural credit: Poor farmers require institutional finance for adoption of HYV technology. Hence the Government has extended credit facilities to poor farmers through co-operatives, commercial banks and RRBS. (iv) Fertilizer consumption: Chemical fertilizer is one of the most important ingredients of green revolution. Hence more fertilizer has to be produced in order to meet its growing demand. (v) Dry farm technique: The new technology has to be extended to dry farming areas. Research should be intensified to develop suitable technology which may help in successful implementation of HYV programme in dry land areas. Speedy implementation of land reform is also essential for spread of Green Revolution.

Free essay on Reservation A Boon to the Nation


SHIYA ESSAY FOR COLLEGE STUDENTS

The reservation policy in India has been vehemently criticized throughout the country. There was such a revolt against it in Gujarat that educational institutions remained closed for a year. All students were promoted to the next class without examinations. It resulted in permanent deterioration in the standard of education in that state. Such movements have also created prolonged bickering between the people of scheduled castes and tribes and others. The gulf has resulted in a large number of murders in the Hindi belt, specially in Bihar. It is the people belonging to the Scheduled castes and Scheduled tribes who suffer the most. The people belonging to the so called upper castes complain that although they are highly educated they do not get a job while people having lesser rank in education secure jobs.

Apparently the complaint seems correct. But statistics show that a large number of jobs reserved for scheduled castes and scheduled tribes are filled by others. It has not been possible to fine candidates having the required qualifications from among these castes an; tribes. They can ill afford to have degrees in the latest specialized subjects. Most of them become clerks and peons. When they are promoted to upper ranks it is grudged. So to some extent the grudge is substantial. Some people having less experience become senior to the incumbents of the unreserved categories. But it is equally true that a large number of people reasoning to unreserved categories are promoted or get better jobs as they nave pulls at different levels. Political strings can make a Dhawan even a member of Rajya Sabha when a Supreme Court Judge had passed strictures against him. There are more examples of such irregularities in the political and administrative fields which giving preference to the members of reserved categories. No one voices these. The voice is always raised against the weak and the down trodden. People belonging to Scheduled castes and Scheduled tribes are mostly poor and uneducated. Most of them have to do menial jobs or have to work as landless laborers and bonded laborers. Then and then only they can make two ends meet. The educational institutions in their areas, specially - rural areas are just on papers. They have been tormented, neglected and exploited since 711 A.D. when foreigners started attacking the country and changing the social fabric. The last thirteen centuries have seen their gradual degradation. The caste system was totally reduced to its present birth equation gradually during the Muslim and European attacks on the country. These people, reduced to the lower rungs, were gradually reduced to the position of serfs. The economically better people started keeping them away from the main social stream. They were and even now are untouchables while dogs and cats are touchable. This historical background has rather been horrible. Reservation is its inevitable repercussion. It is not an injustice to anyone but a justice to those who have been discarded by the society in the most abominable way. Indian society is basically Hindu society. The culture of the country is essentially Hindu culture. If Hindu society breaks off Indian culture too would gradually vanish. It is culture that sustains a society. It may look strange, but is true, that reservation has kept the society from depleting in lumbers. The Scheduled caste and Scheduled tribes were given these facilities by the Constituent Assembly when it framed the constitution. A clause was added that those who change their religion would be deprived of all the facilities. Nevertheless a large number of tribal's have been converted into Christianity. The Catholic organizations aid and educate them. The tribal's have fallen a prey to their material aid. But the efforts to convert Scheduled castes into other religions have failed. A large number of people in Tamil Nadu who were converted to Muslim faith with the backing of petrodollars lost all the facilities including reservation in jobs. Ultimately they came back to the Hindu society. Thus reservation has proved a boon in keeping the strength of the nation intact. It has been experienced by many social workers that it is very difficult to induce the uneducated to get education. The reservation policy has proved an incentive to the poor scheduled caste people. They feel that if they are educated they have an opportunity to get a job.

Thus they can be free from the clutches of the exploiters. Moreover they would be in a position to leave the dirty work that the society has unjustly given them. They would be a part of the main stream of Hindu society that they wish to be. Education would bring a number of changes among them. It would strengthen democratic trends and would control population. It would strengthen the economic programmes in the long run. When some arc not 'more equal' but all are 'equally equal' there would be no need of reservation.

Write a short note on The French Revolution


SHONA KHURANA HISTORY

Soon after the American Revolution, there was a revolution in France. French society, during this time, was divided into three classes or estates- the clergy, the nobility and the commoners. The king and the royal family, along with the clergy and the nobility, lived in great luxury. All political power was concentrated in their hands. They owned vast quantities of land and paid no taxes. The entire tax burden was borne by the common people comprising of the merchants, the artisans and the peasants. The merchants, despite being tax-payers, were denied political rights. The peasants too were extremely unhappy as they were always on the brink of starvation. The revolutionary ideas of the French philosophers such as Voltaire, Rousseau and Montesquieu inspired the common people to demand their rights. The representatives of the commoners declared themselves to be the National Assembly of France. On 14 July1789, the people rose up in revolt, broke open the state prison of Bastille, in Paris (this incident is commonly known as the Storming of the Bastille) and set free all the prisoners. This event marked the beginning of the French Revolution. The revolution ended soon afterwards. The French king, Louis XVII and his wife, Marie Antoinette were arrested and later executed. Monarchy ended in France and a republican form of government was established. The National Assembly adopted a famous document- Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen, which promised the basic rights of life, liberty and equality to all citizens of France. The ideals of liberty, equality and fraternity became the guiding principles of the republic of France.

Here is our short essay on Pilgrimage


ATUL JOSHI SHORT ESSAYS

We must reap great fruits out of pilgrimages. It is indeed very heartening to see thousands of pilgrims marching to the dizzy snow-clad heights of holy Amarnath. By August 24, around a hundred thousand pilgrims will have had the darshan of the lingam in the Amarnath cave. Then will start arrangements for the Haj pilgrimage. Likewise thousands of Christian visit Israel and Palestine every year, where Jesus was born, lived, died and indeed rose back to life. Sikhs from all over the world visit the Golden Temple too. Thus, people of all religions go to pilgrimages. At times it is with a certain hope to attain some benefit or to fulfil a desire or sometimes because a prayer has been answered. Sometimes no material benefit is asked for but only divine grace. Those who have almost fulfilled all their earthy desires go with another nope that of ensuring salvation or immortal or eternal life for themselves. In the process occasionally they even undergo a deep god experience and return converted, showing a marked improvement in their spiritual lives and indeed in their attitudes towards others and inner happiness.

Their spiritual quotient becomes higher. They become more tolerant and forgiving of others and as a result often attain greater peace of heart and mind. As each place of pilgrimage has its own significance and importance, each place has its own set of prayers and rituals and most often the pilgrims ire busy reciting long prayers, scriptural passages, nam japa, nam sankirtan and even fasting. But the question we need to ask ourselves is whether in all our pilgrimages we seek our own good or also the good of our kith and kin and neighbour? Are the aims of pilgrimage self-centred or are the other-centred? Do the benefits of our pilgrimage actually percolate to the -ambers of our family, our society at large, particularly the deprived, the poor and the needy? Jesus once said, "It is not those who call me Lord! Lord! that will enter the kingdom of god but those who do the will of my Father in -heaven!" St James in his Epistle further explains what Jesus means: "Suppose there are brothers and sisters who need clothes and don't have enough eat, what good is there in your saying to them, 'god bless you, warm and eat well...' So it is faith: if it is alone and includes no a< then it is dead... Show me how anyone can have faith without act Kabir once said he could not pray on empty stomach. Our meditation should fructify in our realisation that our prayers fasting, visit to places of worship or places of pilgrimage are meaning if they do not awaken us to the need of others, specifically the poor deserving. Swami Vivekananda once said: "They alone live who liv others." He further said that service of people is like service of god.

Write a short article on the Industrial Revolution


SHONA KHURANA HISTORY

The increase in trade and the resultant greater demand for goods necessitated changes in the system of production. Greater volume of trade meant that more goods had to be produced in a shorter period of time. The domestic system, under which the village artisans collected raw materials for the merchants, made goods at home with the help of simple tools and then supplied the finished goods back to the merchants, could not meet the growing demands of the market. Hence, in the eighteenth century AD, the factory system developed. Rich merchants set up factories, installed newly invented machines, bought the raw material and employed workers on fixed wages to make goods on machines. This development, that is, the production of goods in factories with the help of machines is known as the Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution started from England and soon spread throughout Europe. The textile industry was the first to be mechanized. Inventions such as the spinning jenny, flying-shuttle, waterframe, power-loom and cotton-gin greatly increased cloth production. In course of time, all major industries were affected by this revolution. As industries grew, the industrialized nations of Europe were faced with two crucial concerns. The first was the need for raw materials which were to be used in manufacturing industries. The second was to find markets for the surplus goods they produced. Political domination of less developed countries solved these two problems. This was the main reason for the establishment of colonies n Asia, Africa and Americas by the European countries.

Rise of Capitalism
Industrialization led to the decline of feudalism in Europe. A new system of society called Capitalism arose in its place. It was an economic system in which the means of production and distribution were privately owned and operated for profit. This system gave rise to two new social classes one was that of the factory owners who owned the factories and employed and paid wages to factory workers. They also controlled the sale of goods and their main aim was to make maximum profits. They controlled the sale of goods and their main aim was to make maximum profits. They controlled the capital or the money and, hence, were called capitalists. They were a prosperous group of people and led luxurious lives. The other class comprised of workers who worked in factories. They lived in great hardship and were exploited by the factory owners.

961 free essay on Mobile Revolution in India


VINEET PRAKASH ESSAY FOR CLASS 10 STUDENTS

Mobiles are no more a luxury or a life style product. Mobile phones, which were one of the beautiful possessions of anybody not until a decade ago, have now become a necessity to the common man. The entry of private service providers with CTMA, GSM and of course, 3G technologies has changed the Communication sector in India beyond imagination. Many new competitors have entered the mobile market resulting in reduction of the STD rates and Local call rates. Plans are also on anvil to enable mobile users to switch over to other service providers without changing their number, also called Mobile Number Portability (MNP). The mobile users in India have increased tremendously during the last decade. Youth, both in rural and urban India, have welcomed and accepted mobiles with open hands. The decrease in call rates can be imagined from the fact that it cost around? 16 per minute when mobiles were introduced in India and today it costs as little as 1 paisa per 2 seconds offered by companies like MTS. Even the size of mobile phones has changed to an unimaginable level. They have become very handy today compared to their walkie-talkie resemblance when they were introduced. The immense benefit offered by a mobile has triggered this revolution. With a mobile phone in hand, one can be available round the clock, and can get the up-to-date information on anything. The availability of internet on mobile phones has increased its utility tremendously. It has made mobile phones, to an extent, an essential item for carrying out a business transaction. The facility of sending short messages or pictures enables a person to send the message across without actually bothering to disturb the other person. For traders, it helps them get the price details of any products without even bringing the products to the market. The introduction of mobile banking helps people carry their bank in their mobile. Some people even carry their office in their mobile phones. However, mobile phones also have some demerits as they can be used to detonate bombs. Some instruments which have cameras in them can be used for taking unnecessary photographs. Constant use of mobile phones may create health problems and increase risk of accidents on road. In spite of these demerits, mobile phones are becoming popular day-by-day as their advantages fairly outweigh the demerits. In fact, the mobile revolution has occurred very fast in India. This symbolizes the country's transformation from an inward looking tentative nature to a confident and resurgent global economic power. The mobile phone service providers have also increased manifold during the years.

Some of the important market players are: Aircel, Airtel, BSNL, MTNL, Idea Cellular, Tata Indicom, Tata DoCoMo, Reliance Communications, Virgin Mobile, Vodafone, Videocon Telecommunications, MTS India and Spice Telecom. Even in rural India, mobile phone has brought a tremendous change to rural telephony, marginalizing the middlemen and empowering women, strengthened by the formation of self-help groups. It has vastly improved access to information and helped in the explosive growth in connectivity. Even at sea, fishermen in Kerala use the mobiles to keep track of rates for their catch in the market. The improvement in infrastructure and support from the Government has acted as a catalyst for mobiles to make tremendous inroads into rural India. The role of mobile telephones are varied, in that, they help assess the market information, coordinate travel and transport, manage remote activities and increase the remunerative working days. As a result, the rural marketing scenario has also undergone a change. Today, the rural consumer is better informed and price conscious. The total mobile penetration is increasing at a quick pace with companies like Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, Reliance Communications, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Tata Teleservices, etc. having unveiled big network expansion plans and innovative marketing strategies specially tailored region-wise. Some of these companies are using a door-to-door marketing strategy in villages and B and C category census towns. They are involving members of gram panchayats and trained market-feelers to make residents aware of the usefulness of mobile telephony and how the system of pre-paid refills work. Handset manufacturers too are gearing up with Nokia incorporating nine Indian languages on certain handsets to promote sales. Value-for- money handsets priced between 1,000 and 1,400 with a plethora of tariff plans to choose from is also one of the reasons for driving subscription growth in these regions. Handsets are being imported in bulk by some service providers. It is expected that voice short messaging service will become a focus area in future, especially in rural areas and service providers are already planning implementation of the same. The pace at which mobile revolution has occurred in India can be attributed to the easy to understand operations. For an illiterate, mobiles phones were so easy to operate that they needed to understand only two buttons the green button for answering a call and the red button for disconnecting a call. Everything else can be learnt with usage and passage of time. Even today, most of the mobiles are used on this two button principle, which makes it a popular device. Gone are the days when people use to queue up before a Public Call Office (PCO) and wait their turn for an hour, only to end up without connectivity. Mobile phones have also removed the necessity to remember telephone numbers of other people. In-built phone books in the instruments enable a person to call the other person, without ever having to remember the other person's number. Actually, mobile phones have become an all-in-one tool in the pocket, which has replaced even the old pocket diary. It is also slowly replacing purse, with the introduction of mobile transactions. No wonder, life without mobile phones have become unimaginable and unthinkable to many.

Essay on Organization Of The Petroleum Exporting Countries


VINEET PRAKASH ESSAY FOR CLASS 10 STUDENTS

The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) is a permanent, intergovernmental organization, created in 1960 by Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela. The five Founding Members were later joined by nine other Members: Qatar (1961); Indonesia (1962) which suspended its membership from January 2009; Libya (1962); United Arab Emirates (1967); Algeria (1969); Nigeria (1971); Ecuador (1973) suspended its membership from December 1992- October 2007; Angola (2007) and Gabon (1975-1994). Until 1965, OPEC had its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, which was then shifted to Vienna, Austria. More than three-quarters of the world's proven oil reserves are located in OPEC Member Countries, with the bulk of OPEC oil reserves in the Middle East, amounting to 72 per cent of the OPEC total. The objective of the OPEC is to coordinate and unify petroleum policies among Member Countries, in order to secure fair and stable prices for petroleum producers; to ensure the stabilization of oil markets in order to secure an efficient, economic and regular supply of petroleum to consuming nations; a steady income to producers and a fair return on capital to those investing in the petroleum industry. One of the principal goals of OPEC is to determine the best means for safeguarding the interests of its members, individually and collectively. OPEC also pursues ways and means to eliminate harmful and unnecessary fluctuations in international oil prices. It gives due regard at all times to the interests of the producing nations and to the necessity of securing a steady income to the producing countries. The ability of OPEC to determine production and prices, and thus influence the market, has been widely criticized. Arab members of OPEC alarmed the developed world when they used the "oil weapon" during the Yom Kippur War by implementing oil embargoes and initiating the 1973 oil crisis. However, the ability of OPEC to control the price of oil has diminished in recent times due to the discovery and development of large oil reserves in Alaska, the North Sea, Canada, the Gulf of Mexico, the opening up of Russia, and market modernization. Still, the OPEC nations account for two-thirds of the world's oil reserves and one-thirds of the world's oil production, which gives them considerable control over the global market. The Iranian war in 1979 caused the second oil crisis, when prices peaked, before beginning a dramatic decline, which culminated in a collapse in 1986the third oil pricing crisis. A fourth pricing crisis was averted at the beginning of 1990s, on the outbreak of hostilities in the Middle East, when a sudden steep rise in prices on panic-stricken markets was moderated by output increases by OPEC Members. Prices then remained relatively stable until 1998, when there was a collapse, in the wake of the economic downturn in South-East Asia. Collective action by OPEC and some leading non-OPEC producers brought about a recovery. Currently, the ongoing international climate change negotiations threaten heavy decreases in future oil demand. The Ministers of energy and hydrocarbon affairs from OPEC nations meet twice a year to review the status of the international oil market and the forecasts for the future in order to agree upon appropriate actions which will promote stability in the oil market. The Member Countries also hold other meetings at various levels of interest, including meetings of petroleum and economic experts, country representatives and special purpose bodies such as committees to address environmental affairs. Decisions about matching oil production to expected demand are taken at the Meeting of the OPEC Conference. OPEC published World Oil Outlook, which combines the expertise of the OPEC Secretariat, professionals in OPEC Member Countries and its Economic Commission Board, as well as input from various other sources. The publication is part of the Organization's commitment to market

stability and a means to highlight and further understand many of the possible future challenges and opportunities that lie ahead for the oil industry. The publication is also a channel to encourage dialogue, cooperation and transparency between OPEC and others within the industry. The World Oil Outlook 2009 focused on "Oil supply and demand outlook to 2030" and "Oil downstream outlook to 2030". The OPEC Fund, originally intended to be a temporary facility, became a fully fledged, permanent international development agency in May 1980. Initially known as the 'OPEC Special Fund', it was set up with an initial endowment of $ 800 million to channel OPEC aid to developing countries. Its resources were additional to those already earmarked for official development assistance (ODA) by the OPEC nations. The key aim of OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID) Is to foster social and economic progress in the developing world through the provision of concessional financing for developing countries. However, OFID's work goes beyond simply dispensing aid. One of its central aims is to advance 'South-South' solidarity by promoting cooperation in many spheres among countries of the developing world. In this regard, OFID has been closely associated with two multilateral institutions of great relevance in the developing world: International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC). The OFID methods of funding include public sector loans for development projects and programmes, balance of payments support and debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative; trade financing; support to private enterprises ; grants for technical assistance, food aid, research and humanitarian relief work; and contributing to the resources of other development organizations whose activities benefit developing countries. OFID's resources consist of voluntary contributions made by OPEC member countries and the accumulated reserves derived from its various operations. Around 122 countries from the developing world Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Caribbean, the Middle East and Europehave benefited from OFID's assistance. By the end of 2009, the level of cumulative development assistance extended by OFID stood at US$11,682 million. Production disputes haunt the unity among the OPEC Member States. It is because the economic needs of the OPEC member states are often at variance. Various members demand for reductions in production quotas to increase the price of oil and thus their own revenues. This stance creates conflict with Saudi Arabia, which has a stated long-term strategy of being a partner with the world's economic powers to ensure a steady flow of oil that would support economic expansion. Part of the basis for this policy is the Saudi concern that expensive oil or oil of uncertain supply will drive developed nations to conserve and develop alternative fuels. The changes in the value of the dollar against other world currencies also affect OPEC's decisions on how much oil to produce, as the worldwide oil sales are mostly denominated in US dollars. Member states like Iran, Iraq and Venezuela have at different times experimented with shifting their oil price form the dollar to the Euro, but have subsequently stuck to the US dollar.

722 words comprehensive essay on Administrative Law or 'Droit Administrative


ANKITA ESSAY FOR CIVIL SERVICES EXAM

In France as also in almost all the states in Europe, a distinction is made between ordinary law and administrative law. Ordinary citizens are tried under ordinary law of the land, whereas public officials are tried under administrative law. The latter are not amenable to the jurisdiction of ordinary courts for offences committed in their official capacity. They have a right to be tried by special courts known as administrative courts. The French Jurisprudence is largely based upon the Roman Law. It is accordingly held that those who serve the state in their official capacity are not amenable to the ordinary laws of the land and as such they cannot be used in ordinary courts of law. Private individuals who have certain grievances against public officials can have them redressed not in an ordinary court but in special courts known as administrative courts. In English speaking countries no such general distinction is, however, made. Their legal system is based on the Anglo-Saxon Law which further based on the principle that all officials of the state, save the highest, are subject to ordinary laws of the land and are amenable to the jurisdiction of ordinary courts. There arc no separate legal systems for ordinary people and the officials of the state. All arc treated alike by the law. All state officials, right from the Prime Minister to the peon, are to : be tried in ordinary courts in the ordinary manner. Dicey characterizes it as the 'rule of law', which in his opinion is an essential guarantee of individual liberty'. Criticism: The French system is looked upon with great disfavour; by the Anglo-American critics who point out that administrative law docs not and cannot safeguard individual liberty. Under this system, the executive enjoys a special privilege because an executive officer cannot ; be tried in any ordinary court of law and can be tried only in specially created administrative courts. Administrative court are always favourably inclined towards the officials. Individuals cannot expect justice from these courts if government policy demands a certain decision. The criticism leveled against administrative law appears to be unduly exaggerated. The French people regard it as the cornerstone of their liberty. There is no justification for suspecting the impartiality of these courts. The French courts have established healthy practice of independence, neutrality and impartiality and have protected the citizens against the arbitrary use of executive powers. The supporters of this legal system further assert that it is the only proper system of redressing the grievances of the people against state officials. These courts possess expert knowledge about the technique of administration which an ordinary court is not expected to know and understand. The judges of ordinary courts are laymen and are liable to commit errors of judgement. Further, in France it is the state which pays the penalty if an officer is found guilty, whereas in England or elsewhere, it is the official himself who is to pay off damages. It is, therefore, not possible to obtain actual redress. It has also been found that law suits arc quickly disposed off these courts. The cost of litigation is lower and the procedure is simple than that in ordinary courts. We may conclude with the remarks of Garner who stated, "It can now be said without possibility of contradiction, that there is no other country in which the rights of private individuals arc! well

protected (as in France) against the arbitrariness, the abuses, and the illegal conduct of administrative authorities, and where people arc so sure of receiving reparation for injuries sustained on account of such conduct." Points to Remember 1. The administrative law is that body of rules which regulate the relations between the state and the individual. In France and some other European states, a distinction is maintained between ordinary law and administrative law. Ordinary citizens are tried under ordinary law of the land, whereas public officials are tried under administrative law. The English speaking nations, however, do not make any distinction between any ordinary law and an administrative law. All state officials right from the Prime Minister to the peon are amenable to the jurisdiction of ordinary courts. Criticism: The French system is looked upon with great disfavour by the Anglo-American critics who point out that administrative law does not and cannot safeguard individual liberty. The French people on the other hand, regard it as the corner-stone of their liberty. The French courts have established healthy practices of independence, neutrality and impartiality as well as quicker and speedier justice.

Why monogamy is considered as an ideal form of marriage ?


AJAY BHATT SOCIOLOGY

(1) Monogamy provides effective sex satisfaction for both man and woman. (2) Monogamy makes the family a centre of actual love, affection, sympathy, care, fellow-feeling and understanding. (3) It minimizes jealousy, hatred, quarrels etc in the family. (4) Under monogamy proper care of children can be taken by parents who rear their children with utmost, unselfish love and sincerity. (5) Monogamy facilitates relatively easy rules of inheritance and succession. (6) In monogamy one man marries one woman in his whole life, as a result conjugal life is strengthened between them. For the above mentioned reasons monogamy is regarded as an ideal form of marriage in most of the civilized societies.

Short essay on solutions to Unemployment Problems in India


ATUL JOSHI SHORT ESSAYS

Among the various socioeconomic problems, which our country is facing today, the problem of unemployment is one of the most serious Unemployment is defined as condition of a person who is willing to work but unable to find a paying job. There are various factors that are responsible for unemployment i country. Unemployment can be due to seasonal layoff particularly in agricultural sector. It can be due to technological changes in an automated industry or due to lack of adequate skills by the workers. Unemployment can also be due to fluctuation in the economy. All these factors add to the problem of unemployment. And because of this unemployment problem we are wasting our valuable human resource. Why India even after 63 years of Independence is not able to so this problem? Even after so much of planning, where are we lacking tackling this problem? First thing that strikes everyone whenever the question unemployment is raised is our rapid growth of population. The employment opportunities that are getting created in our country are not able to keep pace with our population growth. According to Unit Nations population report, India with its annual population grow of 1.65 percent is the largest contributor to the world's population growth, which accounts for 21 percent of the annual increase in the world population and China is in the second position with a contribution of 15 percent. If our population grows at percent pace, there is no doubt we ill be surpassing China in the years to come and the employment opportunities for our coming generation will become still more bleak. Secondly, our system of education prepares our youth mostly for the white collared jobs. With no work experience and unprepared for the challenges of work, many employers are reluctant to hire these first time job seekers. So, one of the hardest hit sections of the society is youth. These scenarios compel us to look at the problems the society has to face because of the unemployment. The problem of unemployment is going to have a multifaceted effect on the society. Unemployment in the society has led to increase in the crime rate, increase in the poverty rate, and deterioration in the health standards of the people. Firstly, with regard to the increase in the crime rate in our towns and the cities, we find in most of the cases, the youth are the main culprits the youth of the country, who are the real asset provided their power is utilised properly, could contribute to the material prosperity of the country. On the other hand, an unemployed youth may prove to be disastrous to a society. The increasing crime rate in the cities speaks out that truth. Not a single day passes without having new about chain snatching, robbery and murder. Another dangerous trend which we are witnessing is that of unemployed youths are being enticed the antisocial elements and separatist movements. These antisocial elements and separatists target unemployed youths for destabilizing our country using them as tools creating mayhem. Secondly, India still has poverty on a large-scale. Unemployment is one of the reasons for this large scale poverty. The families without having able-bodied members employed are pushed to the vicious circle of poverty. Thirdly, deterioration in the health standards of our countrymen aggravates the problem of unemployment. Non-availability of the social security makes the life of an employed more difficult. It affects his mental health, which in turn affects his physical health also. How can a person who is struggling to get a square meal think of maintaining his health - en he falls ill? For an unemployed person it is too costly to fall ill. A recent report in The Hindu, states that the people of Vidarbha

Maharashtra) have stopped seeking medical help for their ailments, as cannot afford to pay the doctor's fee and buy the prescribed medicines. Since the beginning of the Five-Year Plans, Government has taken several steps for increasing the employment opportunities and eventually eradicating the unemployment problem. Some of the centrally sponsored programmes are PMGSY (Pradhan Mantri Gram Swarozgar Yojana SEEUY (Self Employed Scheme for Educated Unemployment Youth Jawahar Rozgar Yojana, etc., stands testimony for this. But even then the problem still prevails then where are we failing? Let us look into the solutions for this problem. The first and foremost thing we have to do arrest the high rate a unemployment and provide employment opportunities to our masses is to check the population growth. As the gap between the employment opportunities created in the country and yearly output from the educational institutions is too wide, it is very difficult to absorb the large number of fresher. Even though the Government is spending crores of rupees towards control of population through the various schemes, the rate of population growth has not drastically reduced. To tope it, the Government has decided to abandon the 2-child norm. Secondly, the current education system does not lay much emphasis- on the vocational education. Even though a National Policy on Education has been adopted by giving high priority to vocationalisation of the secondary education, but the quality of these vocational courses is far from satisfactory and hence the progress on this front is very slow. The Government must look into it much more seriously and there should be a continuous monitoring mechanism to evaluate the implementation of these programmes. Only vocationalisation can help in diverting a part of the youthful workforce and ease the pressure on the white-collar jobs. Thirdly, agriculture is the backbone of the Indian economy. The Government must continue its policy towards the encouragement of agriculture and development of agriculture-based industries. This will arrest the problem of migration from the rural areas to urban areas. The Government has to take up massive irrigation development programmes in the rural areas which will not only make the land capable of cultivation but would also create jobs for the landless labourers and seasonally unemployed. Provision of irrigation facilities is the main panacea for rural and agricultural development. Fourthly, in order to check the rural migration to urban areas, there is an urgent need for the development of the small towns intermediate cities. This will ease the pressure on the urban cities and such restructuring helps in the development and use of the vast unutilized markets within the country rather than excessive dependence upon the report activities. Fifthly, the economic growth of the country has a bearing on the job market. When higher economic growth is achieved through more productive use of all resources it results in higher per capita income which in turn results in more savings and investment activities creating greater employment opportunities in the country. Even though we had targeted a growth rate of 8 percent during the 10th Plan period, we may end up with a growth of 7 percent because of slow down of the agricultural growth and international oil prices. Sixthly, because of the liberalization of the economy, we can see a new lot of foreign companies investing in our country. Government must rue its liberalization policy in a smooth way and encourage foreign companies to start their manufacturing units in our country, which in turn, would increase the employment opportunities. Now the latest mantra in India is that of Business Process Outsourcing and Call Centres. As has got the largest pool of English speaking scientific and talented manpower it has become an obvious

choice for the foreign companies to outsource their non-core business processes to our country. But as we are facing stiff competition from our neighbouring China and because of the recent allegations made against our Call Centers, the Government must be careful in dealing with these situations and if necessary stringent cyber laws need to be implemented.

Short essay on the Influence Of Films On Youngsters


ATUL JOSHI SHORT ESSAYS

Going to the pictures has now become a craze with young people, both boys and girls, and it has been noticed that they often economize on other items of expenditure but they must see films every week, if not twice or thrice a week. A healthy hobby is, of course, to be welcomed but seeing films too frequently is far from such a hobby. This fast growing habit is not only expensive (because of the high rates of admission to cinema halls) but also results in considerable waste of precious time which can certainly be devoted to healthier, less wasteful and more gainful pursuits. If Indian films had been well and properly made, with a sound educative theme forming a part of the story, the harm done to youth would have been much less than it actually is. But the tragedy is that most Indian films present scenes of sex, violence, crime and other deviations from normal human behaviour. The pernicious influence of films is thus obvious. When grossly vulgar and crude romantic scenes are presented on the screen, along with songs and duets, and when boys are shown chasing girls, indulging in improper jokes, and singing catchy, lilting tunes, it is no wonder that young boys imitate the screen heroes in everyday life and try to convert what they see in films into realities. Education and other experts have repeatedly found that the main source of eve teasing and assaults on girls in our towns and cities, in the market place and elsewhere, is the cinema. Young people see on the screen a hero running after a heroine, approaching and tempting her in subtle ways. Such talk and gestures naturally catch the attention of the immature cinema fans and affect their thinking and conduct. Thus, the social fabric and the morals of the young people are adversely affected. The efforts of parents and teachers to give their boys and girls sound education and to teach them good, ethical behaviour and good morals in order that they may become good citizens are thus defeated. The parents' own hard-earned money is spent by their grown-up boys and girls in watching films which have an adverse impact on character and morals, apart from queering the pitch for the training for good citizenship. The cinema, it is said, can serve as a good medium of education and instruction, and the message that can be conveyed through films cannot be conveyed as effectively through any other channel, such as the radio, because of the colourful, visual impact made by gorgeously dressed girls conducting themselves in a particular fashion, defying their parents and guardians, challenging their judgment, describing them as old-fashioned etc., walking out of their houses at odd hours and sometimes marrying the hero secretly and then creating awkward situations or giving major shocks to their parents. The love scenes, the amorous couples, the stereotyped formula stories and the eternal triangle all create an effect that is far from healthy or conducive to good morals and good conduct.

Young boys and girls are attracted by the affluence and glamour they see on the screen, and there are many cases of youth either running away from home or pressing their parents to let them go to Bombay to try their luck in Bollywood. Each cinema-crazy boy and girl (especially those having an attractive personality) thinks he or she can prosper like -he heroes and the "stars" seen on the screen. All the stories they hear of top "stars" being paid lakhs of rupees for each film and living in grand style proves irresistible. Thousands of young boys and girls have virtually ruined themselves in the senseless quest for becoming cinema "stars". Only a handful of talented actors and actresses prosper, while most of the young aspirants have to face intense frustration and utter disappointment because everyone cannot become a cinema hero or heroine. Most of them have to remain content with secondary or supporting roles, sometimes not even that. Another notable aspect of the situation is that whenever some enterprising producer presents a simple, true-to-life story, based on the works of famous short story or fiction writers as Prem Chand or Sarat Chandra, such films, and also art films free of glamour, seldom prove successful and prove to be flops at the box office. The modern audiences want songs and dances, spectacle and gorgeous costumes, love scenes and fights. What sort of citizens can the country hope to produce when the films the young see are totally misleading, lack aesthetical values. The film censors also seem to be more liberal than ever and allow sex and violent scenes which have a bad effect on the mental make-up of youth. Visiting the cinemas too often at the cost of class lectures and by missing lectures also spoils the education of youth. Instead of imbibing the basic virtues of life, our youth begin to think of flirting and seducing, like the screen heroes. The youth imbibe negative social values. Both rural and urban youth thus fall victims to vicious temptations. It is not contended that there should be a total ban on films. But steps should certainly be taken to see that good instructive films are made, not trash and ruinous presentations merely to cater to cheap tastes.

849 words essay on social stratification


ASHISH AGARWAL ESSAY FOR STUDENTS

Differentiation is the law of nature. It is true in the case of human society. Human society is not homogeneous but heterogeneous. Men differ from one another in many respects. Human beings are equal as far as their bodily structure is concerned. But the physical appearance of individuals, their intellectual, moral, philosophical, mental, economic, political and other aspects are different. No two individuals are exactly alike. Diversity and inequality are inherent in society. Hence human society is everywhere stratified. All societies arrange their members in terms of superiority, inferiority and equality. The vertical scale of evaluation, this placing of people in start or layers is called stratification. Those in the top stratum have more power, privilege and prestige than those below. Thus stratification is simply a process of interaction of differentiation whereby some people come to rank higher than others. Definition of social stratification :

According to Ogburn and Nimkoff The process by which individuals and groups are ranked in a more or less enduring hierarchy of status is known as stratification. Gisbert says Social stratification is the division of society into permanent groups of categories linked with each other by the relationship of superiority and sub-ordination. Melvin M. Tumin defines social stratification and refers to arrangement of any social group or society into a hierarchy of positions that are unequal with regard to power, property, social evolution and of psychic gratification. According to Lundberg, "A stratified society is one marked by inequality by differences among people that are evaluated by them is being 'lower' and 'higher'. According to Raymond W. Murry Social stratification is a horizontal division of society into higher and lower social units. Characteristics of social stratification : According to M.M. .Tumin the main attributes of stratification are follows. 1. It is social. Stratification is social in the sense it does not represent biologically caused inequalities. It is true that such factors as strength, intelligence, age and sex can often serve as the basis of strata are distinguished. But such differences by themselves are not sufficient to explain why some statuses receive more power, property and prestige than others. Biological traits do not determine social superiority and inferiority until they are socially recognised and give importance. For example the manager of an industry attains a dominant position not by his strength nor by his age but by having the socially defined traits. His education, training skills, experiences, personality, character etc. are found to be more important than his biological qualities. Further as Tumin has pointed out, the stratification system (i) is governed by social norms and sanctions, (ii) is likely to be unstable because it may be disturbed by different factors and (iii) is intimately connected with the other system of society such as practical family, religious, economic, education and other institutions. 2. It is ancient. The stratification system is quite old. According to historical and archaeological records, stratification was present even in the small wandering bands. Age and sex were the main criteria of stratification then, women and children last was probably the dominant lie of order. Difference between the rich and poor, powerful and humble, freemen and slaves was there in almost all the ancient civilizations. Ever since the time of Plato and Kautilva social philosophers have been deeply concerned with economic, social and political inequalities.

3. It is universal. The stratification system. is a world wide phenomena. Difference between the rich and the poor or the haves and the have not's is evident everywhere. Even in the non literate societies stratification is very much present. As Sorokin has said, all permanently organized groups are stratified. 4. It is in diverse forms. The stratification system has never been uniform in all the societies. The ancient Roman society was stratified into two strata- the patricians and the plebeians. The ancient Aryan society into four Varnas the Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and the Sudras, the ancient Greek society into freemen and slaves, the ancient Chinese society into the mandarins, merchants, farmers and the soldiers and so on. Class, caste and estate seem to be the general forms of stratification to be found in the modern world. But stratification system seems to be much more complex in the civilized societies 5. It is consequential. The stratification system has its own consequences. The most important, most desired, and often the scarcest things in human life are distributed unequally because of stratification. The system leads to main kinds of consequences. (i) Life chances and (ii) Life-style refers to such things as infant mortality, longevity, physical and mental illness, childlessness, marital conflict, separation and divorce. Life-styles include such matters as the mode of housing residential area, ones education means or recreation relationship between the parents and children, the kind of books, magazines and TV shows to which one is exposed ones mode of conveyance and soon. Life chances are more involuntary while life-styles reflect differences in preferences tastes and values.
Essay (Compulsory)-1994

Examiners will pay special attention to the candidates grasp of his material, its relevance to the subject chosen, and to his ability to think constructively and to present his ideas concisely, logically and effectively. Write an essay on any ONE of the following subjects: 1. Youth is a blunder, Manhood a struggle, Old age is regret 2. Indian society at the crossroads 3. The challenges before a Civil Servant Today 4. Modernization and Westernization are not identical concepts 5. A useless life is an early death 6. Politics, Business and Bureaucracy-a fatal triangle

7. Multinational Corporations-saviours or saboteurs.

IAS Main Exam Essay (Compulsory) Paper-1993


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Essay (Compulsory)-1993

Examiners will pay special attention to the candidates grasp of his material, its relevance to the subject chosen, and to his ability to think constructively and to present his ideas concisely, logically and effectively. Write an essay on any ONE of the following subjects: 1. My vision of India in 2001 A.D. 2. The emerging Global Order, Political and Economic 3. He who Reigns within himself and Rules his Passions, Desires and fears, is more than a king 4. Compassion is the basis of all Morality 5. Men have failed; let women takeover 6. Economic Growth without Distributive Justice is bound to breed Violence 7. Ecological considerations need not hamper development 8. Computer : The Harbinger of a Silent Revolution

IAS Main Exam Essay (Compulsory) Paper-1996


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Essay (Compulsory)-1996

Examiners will pay special attention to the candidates grasp of his material, its relevance to the subject chosen, and to his ability to think constructively and to present his ideas concisely, logically and effectively. Write an essay on any ONE of the following subjects: 1. Literacy is growing very fast but there is no corresponding growth in education. 2. Restructuring of the U.N.O. to reflect present realities. 3. New cults and godmen a threat to traditional religions. 4. The V.I.P. cult is a bane of Indian democracy. 5. Need for transparency in Public Administration. 6. Truth is lived, not taught.

IAS Main Exam Essay (Compulsory) Paper-1997


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Essay (Compulsory)-1997

Examiners will pay special attention to the candidates grasp of his material, its relevance to the subject chosen, and to his ability to think constructively and to present his ideas concisely, logically and effectively. Write an essay on any ONE of the following subjects: 1. What we have not learnt during fifty years of Independence. 2. Judicial activism 3. Greater political power along will not improve womens plight 4. True religion cannot be misused 5. The modern doctor and his patients 6. Urbanizations is a blessing in disguise

IAS Main Exam Essay (Compulsory) Paper-1998


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Essay (Compulsory)-1998

Examiners will pay special attention to the candidates grasp of his material, its relevance to the subject chosen, and to his ability to think constructively and to present his ideas concisely, logically and effectively. Write an essay on any ONE of the following subjects: 1. The composite culture of India

2. Woman is Gods best creation 3. The misinterpretation and misuse of freedom in India 4. Indias contribution to world wisdom 5. The language problem in India : Its past, present and prospects 6. The world the twenty-first century.

IAS Main Exam Essay (Compulsory) Paper-1999


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Essay (Compulsory)-1999

Examiners will pay special attention to the candidates grasp of his material, its relevance to the subject chosen, and to his ability to think constructively and to present his ideas concisely, logically and effectively. Write an essay on any ONE of the following subjects: 1. Womens empowerment : Challenges and prospects 2. The youth culture today 3. Mass media and culture invasion 4. Resource management in the Indian context 5. Value-based science and education 6. Reservations, politics and empowerment Write an essay on any ONE of the following subjects:

1. Why should we proud of being Indians? 2. The cuberworld : its charms and challenges 3. The countrys need for a better disaster management system 4. Indian culture today: a myth or a reality? 5. The implications of globalization for India 6. Modernism and our traditional socio-ethical values. Write an essay on any ONE of the following subjects: 1. What have we gained from our democratic set-up? 2. My vision of an ideal world order. 3. The march of science and the erosion of human values. 4. Irrelevance of the classroom. 5. The pursuit of excellence. 6. Empowerment along cannot help our women. Write an essay on any ONE of the following subjects: 1. Modern Technological Education and human values. 2. Search for Truth can only be a spiritual problem. 3. If youth knew, if age could. 4. The Paths of glory lead but to the grave. 5. Privatisation of Higher Education in India. 6. Responsibility of media in a democracy Write an essay on any ONE of the following subjects: 1. Womens Reservation Bill Would Usher in Empowerment for Women in India. 2. Protection of Ecology and Environment is Essential for Sustained Economic Development. 3. Importance of Indo-U.S. Nuclear Agreement. 4. Education For All Campaign in India : Myth or Reality. 5. Globalization Would Finish Small-Scale Industries in India. 6. Increasing Computerization Would lead to the creation of Dehumanized Society. Write an essay on any ONE of the following subjects: 1. Justice must reach the poor 2. The hand that rocks the cradle 3. If women ruled the world

4. What is real education? 5. Terrorism and World peace 6. Food security for sustainable national development Write an essay on any ONE of the following topics: 1. Independent thinking should be encouraged right from the childhood. 2. Evaluation of Panchayati Raj Systems in India from the point of view of eradication of poverty to power to people. 3. Attitude makes habit, habit makes character and character makes a man. 4. Is autonomy the best answer to combat balkanization? 5. How has satellite television brought about cultural change in the Indian mindset? 6. BPO boom in India. Write an essay on any ONE of the following topics : 1. Role of the Media in good governance. 2. National identity and patriotism 3. Special Economic Zones : Boon or Bane 4. Discipline means success, anarchy means ruin 5. Urbanisation and its hazards 6. Is an egalitarian society possible by educating the masses? Write an essay on any ONE of the following topics: 1. Are our traditional handicrafts doomed to a slow death? 2. Are we a soft state? 3. The focus of health care is increasingly getting skewed towards the haves of our society. 4. Good fences make good neighbours. 5. Globalism vs. Nationalism. Write an essay on any ONE of the following topics: 1. Geography may remains the same; history need not. 2. Should a moratorium be imposed on all fresh mining in tribal areas of the country? 3. Preparedness of our society for Indias global leadership role. 4. From traditional Indian philantrophy to the Gates-Buffett model-a natural progression or a paradigm shift. Write an essay on any ONE of the following subjects:

1. Indias Role in Promoting ASEAN Co-operation. 2. Judicial Activism and Indian Democracy. 3. Whither Womens Emancipation? 4. Globalization and Its Impact on Indian Culture. 5. The Lure of Space. 6. Water Resources Should Be Under the Control of the Central Government.

TrES-2b: Darker than Any Planet or Moon in our Solar System


Astronomers discovered that the planet named TrES-2b was darker than any planet or moon in our solar system. This planet reflects less than one percent of the sunlight falling on it. NASAs Kepler spacecraft was used by the astronomers to make this observation. TrES-2b was discovered in 2006 by the Trans-Atlantic Exoplanet Survey. It orbits its star at a distance of only three million miles. The star heats TrES-2b to a temperature of more than 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. TrES-2b orbits the star GSC03549, which is located about 750 ligh-years away. It can be observed near the constellation Draco.

US Scientists Found An Antibody CH65 that Acts against Influenza

US scientists found an antibody called CH65 that acts against 30 of 36 strains of influenza, according to a study published on 8 August 2011. The antibody, CH65, can stick to the surface part of the flu virus known as hemagglutinin which mutates every season. CH65 was found in cells from a man who was given the flu vaccine for 2007. It shows that the human immune system can modify its response to the flu and actually produce antibodies that neutralise a whole series of strains. The goal of the scientists is to understand how the immune system selects for antibodies and use that information to get better at making a vaccine.

Scientists Developed A New Device Called the EndoBarrier to Cure Diabetes


British scientists developed an implanted sleeve which can cure diabetes. The implanted sleeve looks like a giant sausage skin. Its two feet long device which can reverse diabetes. The sleeve is made from a thin plastic. The new device is called the EndoBarrier. It is designed to have the same effects as the surgery but far safer. It is a plastic sleeve that lines the duodenum, meaning food can only be absorbed lower down the intestine. The sleeve is inserted through the mouth and passed into the digestive tract using a thin tube. The implant also decreases cholesterol levels and blood pressure.

The First Trojan Asteriod of Earth 2010TK7 Discovered

Astronomers using WISE telescope found the asteroid, named 2010TK7 which is the first known Trojan asteroid in Earths orbit. Trojan asteroids were predicted but never discovered until now. A Trojan asteroid shares an orbit with a larger planet or moon, but does not collide with the planet because it orbits around one of two Lagrangian points. The asteroid is 300 meters in diameter. It has an unusual orbit that traces a complex motion near the L4 point. The object is about 80 million kilometers from Earth. The asteroids orbit is well-defined and for at least the next 100 years, it will not come closer to Earth than 24 million kilometers.

Short-range Surface-to-surface Missile Prahar successfully Test-fired


Short-range surface-to-surface missile developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation, Prahar was successfully test-fired on 21 July 2011 from the Integrated Test Range in Balasore. Prahar which is a single stage missile with a range of 150 km and fuelled by solid propellants took off from a road mobile launcher in Launch Complex 3 of ITR in Chandipur. Several Prahar missile like multiple-rocket system Pinaka missile can be fired in one salvo. Prahar with greater accuracy will fill the gap between Pinaka, the multi-barrel rocket system, which has a range of 45 km and the Prithvi missile that can attack targets 250 km to 350 km away. Prahar can image, take out multiple targets and can be moved to any place. It can also carry conventional warheads. Prahar will be used as a road-mobile weapon similar to the BrahMos supersonic multi-role cruise missile with each motorised transporter-erector-launcher (TEL) carrying six cannisterised, vertically-launched missiles armed with conventional warheads. A separate wheeled vehicle is being developed to act as a missile resupply station, carrying six cannistered missile rounds. Unlike Prithvi, Prahaar boasts of a three-element flight-control system, with the third and final stage comprising only the manoeuvring warhead section. Prahaar is expected to replace all existing Prithvi SS150 missiles that are now deployed by the three Missile Groups attached to the Indian Armys two Field Artillery Divisions. Prahar will be extremely useful in emergency situations as it is multi-directional and auto loading in nature. Its launch time is estimated to be two to three minutes and no preparation is required. Prahar which was first unveilled in 2010 in scale-model form at the Larsen & Toubro stall during DEFEXPO 2010, would fill the gap for a battlefield weapon system in the country's missile arsenal and would replace the unguided Pinaka and Smerch rockets (90 km range).

Research Team led by Queen's University developed the First Ever Drug to treat Celtic Gene
A research team led by Queen's University developed the first ever drug to treat Celtic gene in patients suffering from cystic fibrosis (CF). Those patients suffering from cystic fibrosis who took the drug showed significant improvement in the lung function, quality of life and a reduction in disease flare-ups. The drug (VX-770) is a significant breakthrough not only for those with the Celtic Gene, known as G551D, but also for all other Cystic Fibrosis sufferers because it indicates that the basic defect in Cystic

Fibrosis can be treated. This is the first drug aimed at the basic defect in Cystic Fibrosis to show an effect. Though it may or may not improve the life expectancy, the improvements in the breathing tests and the reduction in flare-ups suggested the survival will be better. This is the first drug to show that treating the underlying cause of Cystic Fibrosis may have profound effects on the disease, even among people who have been living with it for decades. The remarkable reductions in sweat chloride observed in this study support the idea that VX-770 improves protein function thereby addressing the fundamental defect that leads to CF. VX-770 will open the defective channel in the lung cells of people with Cystic Fibrosis and allow proper lung clearance of bacteria. This is a ground breaking treatment because it treats the basic defect caused by the gene mutation in patients.

Fast Attack Craft INS Kabra Commissioned in Indian Navy


Fast Attack Craft (FAC) INS Kabra, was commissioned in Indian navy on 8 June 2011 in Kochi by vice admiral KN Sushil. INS Kabra is eighth in a series of 10 Car Nicobar-class FACs. It is designed and built by the Kolkata-based Garden reach shipbuilders and engineers. INS Karba is cost-effective and fuel efficient and well suited for anti-piracy and anti-smuggling operations. It will be useful in search and rescue operations. It also complies with the latest regulations of the International Maritime Organisation on sea pollution control. The main armament of INS Kabra is a 30-mm CRN-91 gun. It is also fitted with machine guns and the IGLA surface-to-air missiles. INS Kabra has a crew of three officers and 39 sailors. It has speeds in excess of 35 knots. INS Kabra is ideal for high-speed interdiction of fast moving targets. INS Kabra has speeds in excess of 35 knots. The low drought will allow the ship to operate in shallow waters close to the coast.

Werewolf Gene Discovered by Scientists which Could End the Baldness


The Scientists on 5 June 2011 discovered a werewolf gene which causes hair to grow all over the body. The discovery could provide a remedy for baldness. According to the Scientists, a genetic fault is behind a rare condition called hyper-trichosis also known as werewolf syndrome, where thick hair covers the face and upper body. Based on this finding, Scientists could use drugs to trigger a similar gene mutation in people to cause hair grow on bald patches. It should be noted that Werewolf syndrome is very rare, in the past 300 years only 50 cases were recorded. Thick hair similar to wolf grows on upper part of the body and face of a human being under this syndrome.

Short-range Surface-to-surface Missile Prahar successfully Test-fired

Short-range surface-to-surface missile developed by Defence Research and Development Organisation, Prahar was successfully test-fired on 21 July 2011 from the Integrated Test Range in Balasore. Prahar which is a single stage missile with a range of 150 km and fuelled by solid propellants took off from a road mobile launcher in Launch Complex 3 of ITR in Chandipur. Several Prahar missile like multiple-rocket system Pinaka missile can be fired in one salvo. Prahar with greater accuracy will fill the gap between Pinaka, the multi-barrel rocket system, which has a range of 45 km and the Prithvi missile that can attack targets 250 km to 350 km away. Prahar can image, take out multiple targets and can be moved to any place. It can also carry conventional warheads. Prahar will be used as a road-mobile weapon similar to the BrahMos supersonic multi-role cruise missile with each motorised transporter-erector-launcher (TEL) carrying six cannisterised, vertically-launched missiles armed with conventional warheads. A separate wheeled vehicle is being developed to act as a missile resupply station, carrying six cannistered missile rounds. Unlike Prithvi, Prahaar boasts of a three-element flight-control system, with the third and final stage comprising only the manoeuvring warhead section. Prahaar is expected to replace all existing Prithvi SS150 missiles that are now deployed by the three Missile Groups attached to the Indian Armys two Field Artillery Divisions. Prahar will be extremely useful in emergency situations as it is multi-directional and auto loading in nature. Its launch time is estimated to be two to three minutes and no preparation is required. Prahar which was first unveilled in 2010 in scale-model form at the Larsen & Toubro stall during DEFEXPO 2010, would fill the gap for a battlefield weapon system in the country's missile arsenal and would replace the unguided Pinaka and Smerch rockets (90 km range).

Fast Attack Craft INS Kabra Commissioned in Indian Navy


Fast Attack Craft (FAC) INS Kabra, was commissioned in Indian navy on 8 June 2011 in Kochi by vice admiral KN Sushil. INS Kabra is eighth in a series of 10 Car Nicobar-class FACs. It is designed and built by the Kolkata-based Garden reach shipbuilders and engineers. INS Karba is cost-effective and fuel efficient and well suited for anti-piracy and anti-smuggling operations. It will be useful in search and rescue operations. It also complies with the latest regulations of the International Maritime Organisation on sea pollution control. The main armament of INS Kabra is a 30-mm CRN-91 gun. It is also fitted with machine guns and the IGLA surface-to-air missiles. INS Kabra has a crew of three officers and 39 sailors. It has speeds in excess of 35 knots. INS Kabra is ideal for high-speed interdiction of fast moving targets. INS Kabra has speeds in excess of 35 knots. The low drought will allow the ship to operate in shallow waters close to the coast.

NASA Announced its Earth Observing Research Mission


The NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) of USA announced on 20 January 2011 its earth-observing research mission, named as Glory mission, which is scheduled to be launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California on 23 February 2011.NASA's Glory is a low Earth orbit scientific

research satellite mission which can increase our understanding of the Earth's energy balance.The Glory mission of NASA is aimed at to improve the understanding of how the sun and tiny atmospheric particles called aerosols affect the climate of the Earth. The mission also seeks to address the uncertainties about climate change. According to the NASA plan, the Glory mission will join a fleet called the Afternoon Constellation or A train of satellites which also includes Aqua and Aura spacecrafts. Glory will fly in a low-Earth orbit altitude of 704.9 km. The Glory mission has two primary instruments, the Total Irradiance Monitor (TIM) and the Aerosol PolarimetrySenor (APS). The APS will help in the measurement of aerosols. This can have an impact on the climate by reflecting and absorbing solar radiation and modifying clouds and precipitation. The Glory mission by NASA can provide relevant inputs to Climate Change science.

US successfully conducted its most challenging test of a ballistic missile


On April 15, 2011 the US military successfully conducted its most challenging test of a ballistic missile defense system. It will deploy in Europe to counter an Iran missile threat. It was the ballistic missile target launched from an atoll in the Marshall Islands approximately 3,700 kilometers southwest of Hawaii. The ground- and sea-based defense system is meant to shield the United States and its European allies from a potential ballistic missile attack, possibly from North Korea or Iran. The two demonstrations, Space Tracking and Surveillance Satellites which were launched by Missile Defense Agency (MDA) in 2009 have successfully acquired the target missile, providing stereo 'birth to death' tracking of the target. The test demonstrated the capability of the first phase of the European Phased Adaptive Approach announced by the president in September, 2009. Out of 15 tests of groundbased interceptors since 1999, seven had failed.

ISRO Successfully Launched PSLV C-15

On 12 July2010, ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) successfully launched PSLV C-15, which placed five satellites into their orbits. Out of five three are foreign satellites while two are Indian satellites. The launch took place at Satish Dhavan Space centre in Sriharikota district of Andhra Pradesh.

The names of the satellites are as following;

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

CARTOSAT- 2B STUDSAT ALSAT-2A AISSAT-1 (NLS-6.1) TISAT-1 (NLS-6.2)

CARTOSAT-2B and STUDSAT are Indian Satellites while ALSAT-2A, AISSAT-1(NLS-6.1) and TISAT-1(NLS6.2) are foreign satellites.

CARTOSAT- 2B

CARTOSAT-2B with the mass of 694 kg is a Remote Sensing Satellite which is 17th in the series of Remote Sensing Satellites. Equipped with Panchromatic Camera the satellite can take the image of 9.6km long geographical strip. The images of specific spots sent back by the satellite will be used for Cartographic and other purposes. The satellite can be used for preparing detailed forest type maps, tree volume estimation, crop invention, village/town settlement mapping and planning for development, rural connectivity, canal alignment, coastal land form, mining monitoring and others. With the launch of CARTOSAT-2B, ISRO will have 10 remote sensing satellites in orbit- IRS1D, Resourcesat1, TES, CARTOSAT 1, 2 and 2A, IMS 1, RISAT-2, OCEANSAT 1 and 2. India is a world leader in the remote sensing data market, earning significant amount. The other remote sensing satellites that are ready to be launched by the end of 2010 or by early 2011 are RISAT, Resourcesat and Megha-Tropiques.

STUDSAT STUDSAT (Student Satellite) with the mass of less than one kg is the first Pico-Satellite developed in India by a group of seven engineering colleges from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. The main objective of this satellite is to promote space technology in educational institutions and encourage research and development in miniature satellites. And to establish a communication link between the satellite and ground station, capturing the image of earth with a resolution of 90 metres and transmitting the payload and telemetry data to the earth station. Three Foreign Satellites Besides, CARTOSAT 2-B and STUDSAT three foreign satellites were also launched by PSLV C-15. 1. ALSAT 2A is a small satellite from Algeria for remote sensing purpose. Its weight is 116kg. 2. AISSAT-1(NLS6.1) developed by Space Flight Laboratory of the University of Toranto, Canada for testing various satellite technologies. 3. TISAT-1(NLS-6.2) built by University of Applied Sciences of Switzerland for tasting various satellite technologies. PSLV C-15 Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle better known by its abbreviated name PSLV is the first operational launch vehicle of ISRO. The satellite is capable of launching 1600 kg satellites in 620km in sun-synchronous polar orbit and 1050 kg satellite in geo-synchronous transfer orbit. PSLV consists of four stages using solid and liquid propulsion system alternately. The first stage is one of the largest solid propellant boosters in the world. The Difference between PSLV and GSLV GSLV (Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle) is a three-stage vehicle with the first stage being solid-

propelled, the second liquid-propelled (with hypergolic fuels) and the third and final stage (with cryogenic fuels) being liquid-propelled as well. Whereas, PSLV has four stages using solid and liquid propulsion system alternately. GSLV is capable of placing INSAT-II class of satellites. Write an essay on any ONE of the following subjects: 1. The Masks of New Imperialism. 2. How far has democracy in India delivered the goods? 3. How should a civil servant conduct himself? 4. As civilization advances culture declines. 5. There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so 6. Spirituality and Scientific temper.

Question: Our school is within a stones throw of the railway station. A. B. C. D.


very far-off with a certain radius at a short distance (Your Answer) within a definite circumference

Question. 2) Incorrect For the first week, the apprentice felt like a fish out of water: A. B. C. D.
frustrated homeless (Correct Answer) disappointed (Your Answer) uncomfortable

Question. 3) Incorrect

The prices are going up by leaps and bounds. A. B. C. D.


irregularly (Your Answer) gradually rapidly (Correct Answer) systematically

Question. 4) Correct Directions (Q.4 8): Each of these questions has an idiomatic expression followed by four options. Choose the one closest to its meaning. question: Talk shop: A. B. C. D.
Talk about ones profession (Your Answer) Talk about shopping Ridicule Treat lightly

Question. 5) Incorrect

Wear ones heart on ones sleeve: A. B. C. D.


Lure passionately (Your Answer) Do the right thing Show ones feelings (Correct Answer) Be intimate

Question. 6) Incorrect To be above board: A. B. C. D.


To have a good height To be honest in any deal (Correct Answer) To have no debts (Your Answer) To be able to swim

Question. 7) Correct

To have the gift of the gab: A. B. C. D.


A talent for speaking (Your Answer) To do exactly the right thing To be cheerful To get lots of gifts

Question. 8) Incorrect To fall flat: A. B. C. D.


Retreat To meet accidentally Quarrel (Your Answer) To be met with a cold reception (Correct Answer)

Question. 9) Incorrect

Directions (Q.9 10): In each the following questions an idiomatic expression and its four possible meaning are given. Find out the correct meaning of the idiomatic expression. Question: Between the devil and the deep sea A.
to be in a dilemma (Correct Answer)

B. C. D.

to be in a temper to choose correctly to live dangerously (Your Answer)

Question. 10) Correct The green eyed monster A. The creature of the sea An animal with green eyes B. Personal jealousy (Your Answer) C. D. To get into trouble Directions (Questions 1-8): For each of the words below, a contextual usage is provided. Pick the word from the alternatives given that is closest in the given context. Question: ABROGATE Abrogating the dead woman's will would not be an easy task, with her wealthy nephew having an entire law firm at his command. A. B. C. D.
Revoke Rescind Invalidating (Your Answer) Decant

Question. 2)

Incorrect

DISINGENUOUS It was somewhat disingenuous for Congress to blame the President for the oil shortage when he has spent more time on the energy crisis than any other matter. A. B. C. D.
Jive Guileful (Correct Answer) Pall bearers (Your Answer) Crafty

Question. 3) Incorrect

EGREGIOUS The court should allow organizations to conduct their own affairs unless, of course. There is conduct so egregious as to constitute breach of the agreement between the parties. A. B. C. D.
Flagrant Embrocate Monstrous (Your Answer) Outrageous (Correct Answer)

Question. 4) Correct TRUNCATE It was a rude shock to find important details being truncated from his project to appease the panels insatiable demands. A. B. C. D.
Spiral Snub Prune (Your Answer) Decant

Question. 5) Incorrect

EFFRONTERY In spite of violating the traffic rules, the insolent young driver had the effrontery to challenge the authorities when he was questioned. A. B. C. D.
Audacity (Correct Answer) Boldness Chutzpah (Your Answer) Protection

Question. 6) Incorrect SARTORIAL She keeled over their sartorial splendor which was to be showcased that day. A. B. C. D.
Special Impressive Ruffled (Your Answer) Tailored (Correct Answer)

Question. 7) Incorrect

MIEN Professor Hart's cool and gallant mien was appealing to some students and off- putting to others. A. B. C. D.
Execrable Demeanor (Correct Answer) Pall bearers (Your Answer) Cortege

Question. 8) Incorrect FECKLESSNESS He was rebuked for his fecklessness that was evident in the way the completed the assigned job. A. B. C. D.
Succinctness Incompetence (Correct Answer) Facetiousness (Your Answer) Flippancy

Question. 9) Incorrect

Directions (Questions 9 10): For each of the words underlined below, a contextual usage is provided. Pick the word from the alternatives given that is farthest in meaning in the given context. Individual human choice count for nothing against the weight of an inexorable, overwhelming force. A. B. C. D.
Unyeilding Determinable Relentable (Your Answer) Unrelentable (Correct Answer)

Question. 10) Incorrect ESCHEW Every year, tens of thousands of women in Asia eschew natural birth and opt for surgery. A. Take the plunge (Correct Answer) B. Avoid C. Opt out (Your Answer)

D. Circumvent Question. 11) Correct

Specious: A specious argument is not simply a false one but one that has the ring of truth. A. B. C. D.
Deceitful Fallacious Credible (Your Answer) Deceptive

Question. 12) Incorrect Parsimonious: The evidence was constructed from very parsimonious scraps of information. A. B. C. D.
Frugal Penurious Thrifty (Your Answer) Altruistic (Correct Answer)

Question. 13) Incorrect

Directions (Questions. 13-14): Each of the following questions has a paragraph with one italicized word that does not make sense. Choose the most appropriate replacement for that word from the options given below the paragraph. It is Klang to a sensitive traveler who walks through this great town, when he sees the streets the roads, and cabin doors crowded with beggars, mostly women, followed by three, four, or six children, all in rags and importuning every passenger for alms. A. B. C. D.
Amusing Irritating Disgusting (Your Answer) Distressing (Correct Answer)

Question. 14) Incorrect Or there is the most fingummy diplomatic note on record: When Philip of Macedon wrote to the Spartans that, if he came within their borders, he would leave not one stone of their city, they wrote back the one word If. A. Witty Rude B. C. Simple (Your Answer) Terse (Correct Answer) D. Directions (Q1-4): Answer the questions based on the following information. To answer these questions, choose a word or phrase which is underlined and would not be appropriate in standard English. The first answer choice repeats the original; the other three are different. If you think the original phrasing is best, choose the first answer; otherwise choose one out of the others. Question: Diabetes, together with its serious complications, ranks as the nations third leading cause of death, surpassed only by heart disease and cancer. A. ranks as the nations third leading cause of death, surpassed
only(Correct Answer)

B. rank as the nations third leading cause of death, only

surpassed

C. has the rank of the nations third leading cause of death, only
surpassed(Your Answer)

D. has the rank of the nations third leading cause of death, only
surpassed

Question. 2) Correct A survey by the National Council of churches showed that in 1986 there were 20,736 female ministers, almost 9 percent of the nations clergy, twice as much as 1977. A. B. C. D.
twice as much as 1977 double in 1977 double of what it was in 1977 (Your Answer) double the figure back in 1977

Question. 3) Incorrect

The Iroquois were primarily planters, but supplementing their cultivation of maize, squash, and beans with fishing and hunting. A. B. C. D.
but supplementing however they supplement and even though they supplemented (Your Answer) although they supplemented (Correct Answer)

Question. 4) Incorrect In virtually all types of tissue in every animal species, dioxin induces the production of enzymes that are the organisms trying to metabolize, or render harmless, the chemical that is irritating it. A. B. C. D.
trying to metabolize, or render harmless, the chemical that is irritating it trying that it metabolize, or render harmless, the chemical irritant attempt to try to metabolize, or render harmless, such a chemical irritant(Your Answer) attempt to metabolize, or render harmless, the chemical irritant (Correct Answer)

Question. 5) Incorrect

Directions (Q5-9): Which of the phrases (1), (2), (3) and (4) given below in each sentence should replace the phrase printed in bold type to make the sentence grammatically correct? If the sentence is correct then mark (4) as the answer. Acquisition of certain specific skills can be facilitated from general awareness, education and exposures to novel situations. A. B. C. D.
can be facilitated by (Correct Answer) may facilitate through can be felicitated with (Your Answer) No correction required

Question. 6) Incorrect The research study is an eye-opener and attempts to acquaint us with the problems of the poor nations. A. attempts for acquaint B. attempts at acquainting (Correct Answer)

C. attempts to acquaint (Your Answer) D. No correction required Question. 7) Incorrect

The more we look at these carvings, the more life we perceive hidden within them. A. B. C. D.
we perceive live more hidden the more of life is what we perceive as hidden we perceive life more than hidden (Your Answer) No correction required (Correct Answer)

Question. 8) Incorrect Because of scientific progress, we expect to life better than our parents have A. B. C. D.
should expect to live better than our parents expect to live better than our parents did (Correct Answer) will expect to live better than our parents (Your Answer) No correction required

Question. 9) Incorrect

Calamities and indigence in the past was affiliating more than at present. A. B. C. D.
were more afflicting (Correct Answer) was afflicted more was afflict more (Your Answer) No correction required

Question. 10) Correct Directions (Q10 - 15): Answer the questions based on the following information. In these questions, each sentence has been divided into four parts, marked (1), (2), (3) and (4). Identify that part of the sentence which needs to be changed for the sentence to be grammatically correct. A. B. C. D.
Almost all school teachers insist that a students mother is responsible for the students conduct (Your Answer) as well as his dress

Question. 11) Incorrect

Directions (Q10 - 15): Answer the questions based on the following information. In these questions, each sentence has been divided into four parts, marked (1), (2), (3) and (4). Identify that part of the sentence which needs to be changed for the sentence to be grammatically correct. A. B. C. D.
In the forthcoming elections every man and woman must vote for the candidate (Your Answer) in their choice (Correct Answer)

Question. 12) Correct

Directions (Q10 - 15): Answer the questions based on the following information. In these questions, each sentence has been divided into four parts, marked (1), (2), (3) and (4). Identify that part of the sentence which needs to be changed for the sentence to be grammatically correct. A. B. C. D.
If one has to decide about the choice of career you should choose that option (Your Answer) which is really beneficial

Question. 13) Incorrect

Directions (Q10 - 15): Answer the questions based on the following information. In these questions, each sentence has been divided into four parts, marked (1), (2), (3) and (4). Identify that part of the sentence which needs to be changed for the sentence to be grammatically correct. A. B. C. D.
It is essential that diseases like tuberculosis are detected and treated as early as possible in order to (Your Answer) assure a successful cure (Correct Answer)

Question. 14) Correct Directions (Q10 - 15): Answer the questions based on the following information. In these questions, each sentence has been divided into four parts, marked (1), (2), (3) and (4). Identify that part of the sentence which needs to be changed for the sentence to be grammatically correct. A. B. C. D.
The Mumbai police have found the body of a man who they believe to be (Your Answer) the prime suspect in a murder case

Question. 15) Correct

Directions (Q10 - 15): Answer the questions based on the following information. In these questions, each sentence has been divided into four parts, marked (1), (2), (3) and (4). Identify that part of the sentence which needs to be changed for the sentence to be grammatically correct. A. B. C. D.
A skillful advertiser may be able to create practically a monopoly for himself not because his product is superior to (Your Answer) but because he has succeeded in including people to believe that is

The first step is for us to realise that a city need not be a frustrater of life; it can be among other things, a mechanism for enhancing life, for producing possibilities of living which are not to be realized except through cities. But, for that to happen, deliberate and drastic planning is needed. Towns as much as animals, must have their systems of organs-those for transport and circulation are an obvious example. What we need now are organ systems for recreation, leisure, culture, community expression. This means abundance of open space, easy access to unspoilt Nature, beauty in parks and in fine buildings, gymnasia and swimming baths and recreation grounds in planty, central

spaces for celebrations and demonstrations, halls for citizens' meetings, concert halls and theatres and cinemas that belong to the city. And the buildings must not be built anyhow or dumped down anywhere; both they and their groupings should mean something important to the people of the place. 1. Cities can be made to provide full facilities for life, only if : : (a) these can be mechanically developed. (b) proper transport system is introduced. (c) cinemas, theatres and concert halls are established there. (d) these are thoughtfully and vigorously designed to serve people's needs. Ans (d) 2. A suitable title for the passage would be : (a) Towns versus Animals. (b) The Need for Planned Cities. (c) Transport and Communication System in a City. (d) The Need for Entertainment Centres in a City. Ans (b) 3. "A city need not be a frustrater of life" means that: (a) one does not expect fulfilment of all life's requirements from a city. (b) city life provides all the essential needs of life. (c) a city does not necessarily lift man's standard of living. (d) a city should not defeat the fulfilment of life's aspirations and aims. Ans (b) 4. Which one of the following has the opposite meaning to the word 'frustrater' in the passage? (a) Promoter (b) Applauder (c) Approver (d) Executer Ans (a) 5. "The building must not be built anyhow or dumped down anywhere"....the statement implies that building : (a) should be built with suitable material. (b) should be constructed, according to some suitable design, not indiscriminately. (c) should be scattered to provide for more of open space. (d) should be built to enable citizens to enjoy nature. Ans (c) 6. The word 'drastic' in the passage means : (a) orderly. (b) powerful, (c) consistent. (d) determined.

Ans (b) 7. The author talks about 'Unspoilt Nature'. In what way can Nature remain unspoilt? (a) If Nature is not allowed to interfere with people's day-to-day life. (b) By building cities with the system of organs like those of animals. (c) By allowing free access to parks and open spaces. (d) By allowing Nature to retain its primitive, undomesticated character. Ans (b) 8. According to the author, the function of a city is to : (a) provide adequate community expression. (b) make available centres of recreation and public gatherings. (c) facilitate traffic and communication. (d) raise the tone of life and make it more meaningful. Ans (d) 9. The opening sentence of the passage implies that : (a) the possibilities of living a decent life cannot be found in a city. (b) only a city can provide the means to lead a full life. (c) among other places, a city can also help man to lead a successful life. (d) a city provides better opportunities for good living than a village. Ans (b) True, it is the function of the army to maintain law and order in abnormal times. But in normal times there is another force that compels citizens to obey the laws and to act with due regard to the rights of others. The force also protects the lives and the properties of law abiding men. Laws are made to secure the personal safety of its subjects and to prevent murder and crimes of violence. They are made to secure the property of the citizens against theft and damage to protect the rights of communities and castes to carry out their customs and ceremonies, so long as they do not conflict with the rights of others. Now the good citizen, of his own free will obey these laws and he takes care that everything he does is done with due regard to the rights and well-being of others. But the bad citizen is only restrained from breaking these laws by fear of the consequence of his actions. And the necessary steps to compel the bad citizen to act as a good citizen are taken by this force. The supreme control of law and order in a State is in the hands of a Minister who is responsible to the State Assembly and acts through the Inspector General of Police. 1. The expression 'customs and ceremonies' means : (a) fairs and festivals. (b) habits and traditions. (c) usual practices and religious rites. (d) superstitions and formalities.

Ans (c) 2. A suitable title for the passage would be : (a) the function of the army.

(b) (c) (d)

laws and the people's rights. the fear of the law and citizen's security. the functions of the police.

Ans (d) 3. Which of the following is not implied in the passage? (a) Law protects those who respect it. (b) Law ensures people's religious and social rights absolutely and unconditionally. (c) A criminal is deterred from committing crimes only for fear of the law. (d) The forces of law help to transform irresponsible citizens into responsible ones. Ans (b) 4. According to the writer, which one of the following is not the responsibility of the police? (a) To protect the privileges of all citizens. (b) To check violent activities of citizens. (c) To ensure peace among citizens by safeguarding individual rights. (d) To maintain peace during extraordinary circumstances. Ans (d) 5. Which of the following reflects the main thrust of the passage? (a) It deals with the importance of the army in maintaining law and order. (b) It highlights role of the police as superior to that of the army. (c) It discusses the roles of the army and the police in different circumstances. (d) It points to the responsibility of the Minister and the Inspector General of Police. Ans (c) 6. "They are made to secure die property of citizens against theft and damage", means that the law : (a) helps in recovering the stolen property of the citizens. (b) assist the citizens whose property has been stolen or destroyed. (c) initiate process against offenders of law. (d) safeguard people's possessions against being stolen or lost. Ans (d) 7. Out of the following which one has the opposite meaning to the word 'restrained' in the passage? (a) Promoted (b) Accelerated (c) Intruded (d) Inhibited Ans (b) 8. Which one of the following statement is implied in the passage? (a) Peaceful citizens seldom violate the law, but bad citizens have to be restrained by the police.

(b) (c) (d) law.

Criminals, who flout the law, are seldom brought to book. The police hardly succeed in converting bad citizens into good citizens. The police check the citizens, whether they are good or bad, from violating the

Ans (d) 9. Which of the following statements expresses most accurately the idea contained in the first sentence? (a) It is the job of the army to ensure internal peace at all times. (b) It is the police that should always enforce law and order in the country. (c) Army and the police ensure people's security through combined operations. (d) It is in exceptional circumstances that the army has to ensure peace in the country. : Ans (d) 10. The last sentence of the passage implies that: (a) The Inspector General of Police is the sole authority in matters of law and order. (b) In every State maintenance of public peace is under the overall control of the responsible Minister. (c) A Minister and a responsible State, Assembly exercise direct authority in matters pertaining to law and order. (d) The Inspector General of Police is responsible to the State Assembly for maintaining law and order. Ans (b) A recent report in News Week says that in American colleges, students of Asian origin outperform not only the minority group students but the majority whites as well. Many of these students must be of Indian origin, and their achievement is something we can be proud of. It is unlikely that these talented youngsters will come back to India, and that is the familiar brain drain problem. However recent statements by the nation's policy-makers indicate that the perception of this issue is changing. 'Brain bank' and not 'brain drain' is the more appropriate idea, they suggest since the expertise of Indians abroad is only deposited in other places and not lost. This may be so, but this brain bank, like most other banks, is one that primarily serves customers in its neighbourhood. The skills of the Asians now excelling in America's colleges will mainly help the U.S.A.. No matter how significant, what nonresident Indians do for India and what their counterparts do for other Asian lands is only a by-product. But it is also necessary to ask, or be reminded, why Indians study fruitfully when abroad. The Asians whose accomplishments News Week records would have probably had a very different tale if they had studied in India. In America they found elbow room, books and facilities not available and not likely to be available here. The need to prove themselves in their new country and the competition of an international standard they faced there must have cured mental and physical laziness. But other things helping them in America can be obtained here if we achieve a change in social attitudes,

specially towards youth. We need to learn to value individuals and their unique qualities more than conformity and respectability. We need to learn the language of encouragement to add to our skill in flattery. We might also learn to be less liberal with blame and less tightfisted with appreciation, especially. 1. Among the many groups of students in American colleges, Asian students : (a) are often written about in magazines like News Week. (b) are most successful academically. (c) have proved that they are as good as the whites. (d) have only a minority status like the blacks.

Ans (c) 2. The student of Asian origin in America include : (a) a fair number from India. (b) a small group from India. (c) persons from India who are very proud. (d) Indians who are the most hard working of all. Ans (a) 3. In general, the talented young Indians studying in America : (a) have a reputation for being hard working. (b) have the opportunity to contribute to India's development. (c) can solve the brain drain problem because of recent changes in policy. (d) will not return to pursue their careers in India. Ans (d) 4. There is talk now of the 'brain bank'. This idea : (a) is a solution to the brain drain problem. (b) is a new problem caused partly by the brain drain. (c) is a new way of looking at the role of qualified Indians living abroad. (d) is based on a plan to utilize foreign exchange remittances to stimulate research and development. Ans (c) 5. The brain bank has limitations like all banks in the sense that: (a) a bank's services go mainly to those near it. (b) small neighbourhood banks are not visible in this age of multinationals. (c) only what is deposited can be withdrawn and utilized. (d) no one can be forced to put his assets in a bank. Ans (a) 6. The author feels that what non-resident Indians do for India : (a) will have many useful side effects. (b) will not be their main interest and concern. (c) can benefit other Asian countries, as a by-product. (d) can American colleges be of service to the world community.

Ans (b) 7. The performance of Indians when they go to study in the West: (a) shows the fruits of hardwork done by school teachers in India. (b) should remind us that knowledge and wisdom are not limited by the boundaries of race and nation. (c) is better than people in the West expect of non-whites. (d) is better than what it would have been if they had studied in India. Ans (d) 8. The high level of competition faced by Asian students in America : (a) helps them overcome their lazy habits. (b) makes them lazy since the facilities there are good. (c) makes them worried about failing. (d) helps them prove that they are as good as whites. Ans (d) 9. The author feels that some of the conditions other than the level of facilities that make the West attractive : (a) are available in India but young people do not appreciate them. (b) can never be found here because we believe in conformity. (c) can be created if our attitudes and values change. (d) can also give respectability to our traditions and customs. Ans (c) 10. One of the ways of making the situation in India better would be : (a) to eliminate flattery from public life. (b) to distinguish between conformity and respectability. (c) to give appreciation and not be tightfisted. (d) to encourage people and not merely flatter them. Ans (c) What are the good parts of our civilization ? First and foremost there are order and safety. If today I have a quarrel with another man, I do not get beaten merely because I am physically weaker and he can kick me down. I go to law, and the law will decide as fairly as it can between the two of us. Thus in disputes between man and man right has taken the place of might. Moreover, the law protects me from robbery and violence. Nobody may come and break into my house, steal my goods or run off with my children. Of course, there are burglars, but they are very rare, and the law punishes them whenever it catches them. It is difficult for us to realize how much this safety means. Without safety these higher acti-vities of mankind which make up civilization could not go on. The inventor could not invent, the scientist find out or the artist make beautiful things. Hence, order and safety, although they are not themselves civilization are things without which civilization would be impossible. They are as necessary to our civilization as the air we breathe is to us; and we have grown so used to them that we do not notice them any more than we notice the air.

Another great achievement of our civilization is that today civilized men are largely free from the fear of pain. They still fall ill, but illness is no longer the terrible thing it used to be.... Not only do men and women enjoy better health; they live longer than they ever did before, and they have a much better chance of growing up.... Thirdly, our civilization is more secure than any that have gone before it. This is because it is much more widely spread.... Previous civilizations were specialized and limited, they were like oases in a desert. 1. What is the first merit of our civilization ? (A) Material advancement (B) Cultural advancement (C) Development of science (D) Order and safety (E) Spiritualism has become a way of life

ans (d) 2. Now-a-days a physically weak man is provided protection by : (A) The group whose membership he opts for (B) The law (C) His wit and wisdom (D) His cunningness (E) His friend and supporters ans (b) 3. In olden days the rule of life was : (A) Right (B) Might (C) Spiritualism (D) Money (E) None of these ans (b) 4. The essential condition for the promotion of higher activities of life is: (A) Dedication on the part of those who practise them (B) Economic freedom (C) Safety (D) State support (E) Encouragement and appreciation ans (c) 5. What according to the author, is the second merit of the present civilization? (A) Development of means of transport and communication (B) Space research (C) Freedom from drudgery (D) Freedom from the fear of pain (E) Mental enlightenment of the people

ans (d) 6. What according to the author has the freedom from the fear of pair led to ? (A) Better health (B) Devotion to duty (C) Abundant leisure (D) Increased cultural pursuits (E) None of these ans (a) 7. The third merit of the present civilization, according to the author, is: (A) The present civilization is founded on justice (B) The present civilization has liberal outlook on life (C) The present civilization has provided more leisure (D) The present civilization is more wide spread in the sense that large number of people are civilized now than ever before (E) The present civilization is more secure than any that has gone before ans (e) 8. 'They were like oases in a desert' what does it mean ? (A) Previous civilizations were more attractive than the present civilization (B) Previous civilizations were confined to a very limited area while barbarians were far larger in number (C) Previous civilizations were shortlived (D) Previous civilizations were attractive from outside only (E) Previous civilizations were nature based ans (b) 9. The present civilization : (A) Begins from 15th century (B) Begins from 16th century (C) Begins from 17th century (D) Begins from 18th century (E) Has no fixed date for its inception ans (e) 10. The most appropriate title to the above passage may be: (A) The merits of the Previous Civilizations (B) The Defects of the Present Civilizations (C) Merits and Demerits of the Present Civilizations (D) The Limitations of the Previous Civilizations (E) The Wonder That is the Modern Civilization ans (a) Pick out the most appropriate equivalent (synonym) of the following words taken from the above passage :

11. Disputes: (A) Disruptions (B) Divisions (C) Diversions (D) Quarrels (E) Divergences ans (d) 12. Might: (A) Force (B) Weakness (C) Cowardice (D) Bravery (E) Power ans (e) 13. Rare: (A) Profuse (B) Limited (C) Measured (D) Unmeasured (E) Uncalculated ans (a) 14. Notice: (A) See (B) Warn (C) Presage (D) Decry (E) Descry ans (a) 15. Secure: (A) Safe (B) Defended (C) Profuse (D) Dangerous (E) Protected ans (a) Pick out the most appropriate words exactly opposite in meaning of the following words taken from the above passage : 16. Foremost: (A) Hind most (B) Unimportant

(C) Disposed (D) Mature (E) Premature ans (b) 17. Protects : (A) Defends (B) Deprives (C) Deserts (D) Devises (E) Secures ans (c) 18. Beautiful: (A) Wonderful (B) Graceful (C) Ugly (D) Handsome (E) Marvelous ans (c) 19. Terrible: (A) Soothing (B) Frightening (C) Scaring (D) Delectable (E) Horrible ans (d) 20. Widely: (A) Spaciously (B) Succintly (C) Broad based (D) Limitedly (E) Narrowly ans (e) On the death of Alexander the great his vast empire was almost immediately broken up into three main divisions. In the East, his General Seleucus Nikator founded an empire comprising Persia, Mesopotamia, Syria and part of Asia Minor, that is, almost all the area from the Hellespont to the Indus. The capital of this empire was Antioch, which became one of the greatest commercial centres of those times, through which merchandise for Arabia, India and China flowed into the Mediterranean. The second division of the Alexandrian empire was the Graeco-Egyptian kingdom founded by Ptolemy I, another general of Alexander. Its chief city was Alexandria which, with its safe harbour and splendid library, became for a long time the most

important centre of Greek civilization and culture in the ancient world. The third and the smallest division was Macedon, ruled by Autigonus and his successor, who had partial control over Greece till 146 B.C. In that, year Greece was made a Roman province under name of Achaea. Later, both Syria and Egypt were also conquered by the Romans. 1. When Alexander died, his empire : (A) Was disintegrated to several pieces. (B) Was broken into three divisions. (C) Was expanded by his son. (D) Went totally out of existence. (E) Did not die but remained intact tocontinue for several centuries thereafter.

Ans (b) 2. Seleucus Nikator founded an empire in the : (A) South (B) West (C) East (D) North (E) North-West Ans (c) 3. Which of the following was not included inthe empire of Seleucus Nikator ? (A) Persia (B) Egypt (C) Mesopotamia (D) Syria (E) Part of Asia Minor Ans (b) 4. The capital of Seleucus Nikator's empire was : (A) Macedonia (B) Athens (C) Sparta (D) Antioch (E) Troy Ans (d) 5. The second division of Alexandrian empire was: (A) Babylonian kingdom (B) Graeco-Turkish kingdom (C) Assyrian kingdom (D) Graeco-Egyptian kingdom (E) Persia Ans (d) 6. The second division of Alexandrian empire was founded by :

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E)

Alexander's eldest son Alexander's youngest son Alexander's grandson Ptolemy I A Mesopotamian prince

Ans (d) 7. The chief city of Graeco-Egyptian kingdomwas : (A) Cairo (B) Damascus (C) Alexandria (D) Antioch (E) Macedonia Ans (c) 8. Which of the following cities was for a longtime the most important centre of Greek civilization and culture in the ancient world ? (A) Athens (B) Sparta (C) Constantinople (D) Macedonia (E) Alexandria Ans (a) 9. Who was Antigonus ? (A) The General who was responsible for thedeath of Alexander (B) The great warrior to whom goes the credit of successes in Alexander's military expeditions (C) He was the founder of the third division of Alexandrian empire, known as Macedon (D) The Roman emperor who conquered Greece and annexed it into the Romanempire (E) The fictitious king of Greece, who figures in the tragedies of Sophocles Ans (c) 10. When did Greece become a Roman province ? (A) In 326 BC (B) In 186 BC (C) In 206BC (D) In 171 BC (E) In 146 BC Ans (e) Pick out the most appropriate equivalent (synonym) of the following words taken from the above passage:

11. Comprising : (A) Complicating (B) Embracing (C) Including (D) Comprehending (E) Calculating Ans (c) 12. Splendid : (A) Affluent (B) Glorious (C) Magnificent (D) Grand (E) Mellifluous Ans (c) 13. Immediately : (A) Instantaneously (B) Hurriedly (C) Unhurriedly (D) Quickly (E) Swiftly Ans (a) 14. Flowed: (A) Fell (B) Entered into (C) Filled with (D) Flushed with (E) Crept Ans (b) 15. Conquerred : (A) Defeated (B) Won (C) Overcame (D) Overpowered (E) Overwhelmed Ans (c) Pick out the most appropriate word exactly opposite in meaning (antonym) of the following words taken from the passage : 16. Broken up : (A) Split up (B) Joined up (C) Founded

(D) Severed (E) Pierced Ans (b) 17. Founded : (A) Uprooted (B) Stabilized (C) Devastated (D) Discarded (E) Disgraced Ans (a) 18. Ancient: (A) Old (B) Modern (C) Upto-date (D) Contemporary (E) Posterior Ans (b) 19. Successors : (A) Precursors (B) Inheritors (C) Predecessors (D) Ancestors (E) Elders Ans (c) 20. Partial: (A) Piecemeal (B) Fractional (C) Biased (D) Prejudiced (E) Favoured Ans (b) One of the main reasons of corruption in elections today is the lure of power which haunts the politicians so much that they feel no qualms of conscience in adopting any underhand method to come out successful. The Watergate Scandal in the U.S.A. is an eloquent example to testify to the fact how even the top level politicians can stoop to the lowest level in order to maintain themselves in power. Who does not remember how Adolf Hitler rode roughshod overall canons of electoral pro-priety to capture power ? In India also the record of the various political parties is not clean. Corruption thrives in elections because those in the field play on the psychology of the electorate. The voters are swayed by the tall promises of the candidates to whose machinations they fall an easy prey. They are also susceptible to fall an easy prey to the adulations of the

politicians due to their illiteracy. Besides, in the representative democracies today and particularly in big countries the constituencies are quite extensive obviating the possibility of corrupt practices being discovered. Anti-corruption laws are honored more in their breach than in their observance. Even the code of conduct to be observed by the parties fighting the elections becomes a dead letter in as much as it is jettisoned out of existence and thrown unscrupulously over board by the unfair politicians whose only aim is to maintain themselves in the saddle. 1. The politicians indulge in corruption in elections now-a-days because : (A) Of lure of power (B) Lure of money (C) Elections can be won only by corrupt means (D) Corrupt practices in elections go unno ticed (E) Morality in it is a discount in every field of life today

Ans (a) 2. Which example of the U.S.A. testifies to the fact that even the top level people can stoop very low in order to maintain themselves in power ? (A) The New Deal (B) The Watergate Scandal (C) The Philadelphia Contract (D) The Washington Agreement (E) None of these Ans (b) 3. Adolf Hitler came to power : (A) As a result of bungling in elections (B) By liquidating any semblance of opposition (C) By organising a mass movement (D) With foreign help (E) By conquest Ans (a) 4. How does corruption thrive in elections? (A) The people themselves are corrupt (B) A sizable part of the society is corrupt (C) There is natural connection between elections and corruption (D) The politicians exploit the electorate psychologically (E) The politicians cheat the electorate economically Ans (d) 5. Why according to the writer do the voters fall an easy prey to the machinations of the politicians ? (A) They want to self their votes because of poverty (B) They are illiterate and do not understand what designs the politicians have at the back of their tall promises

(C) cronies (D) (E)

They are coward and submit to the threats of physical violence held out by the of the politicians They are totally indifferent to what happens on the political horizon They have no political knowledge worth the name

Ans (b) 6. Why according to the writer, do the corrupt practices indulged in elections go unnoticed ? (A) Because nobody is interested in discovering corrupt practices (B) Because vested interests shield those who indulge in corrupt practices (C) Because constituencies are so small that the politicians take the electorate, whose number is very limited, into confidence (D) Because the law enforcing authorities themselves are in collusion with the politicians (E) Because the constituencies are so big that it becomes difficult to discover the corrupt practices Ans (e) 7. What happens to the anti-corrpution laws ? (A) There is actually no such things as anti-corruption laws (B) Anti-corruption laws are certainly honoured but in a limited way (C) Anti-corruption laws are honoured more in their breach than in their observance (D) The Government does not want to enforce anti-corruption laws (E) Anti-corruption laws are simply an eye wash just to hoodwink the masses Ans (c) 8. What happens to the code of conduct? (A) It is not observed at all (B) It is observed only in a very limited way (C) It is prepared in such a way that it leaves loop holes for the practice of corruption in elections (D) The machinery devised to enforce the code of conduct is defective (E) There is no such thing as code of conduct Ans (a) 9. 'To maintain themselves in the saddle' means : (A) To remain in state of preparedness (B) To be ready to run whenever danger is apprehended (C) To retain power in their hands by continuing in office (D) To play an unfair game (E) To oust the opposition at every cost Ans (c) 10. Which one of the following may be the most appropriate title to the above passage ? (A) Corruption in Public Life

(B) (C) (D) (E) Ans (d)

Corruption in High Places Politicians Game of Power Elections and Corruption The True Character of a Politician

Pick out the most appropriate equivalent (synonym) of the following words taken from the above passage : 11. Lure: (A) Attraction (B) Repulsion (C) Resistance (D) Allergy (E) Alacrity Ans (b) 12. Eloquent: (A) Tiamboyant (B) Dim (C) Dazzling (D) Out spoken (E) Fluent Ans (d) 13. Stoop: (A) To bend (B) To yield to temptation (C) To injure (D) To inure (E) To adapt Ans (b) 14. Thrives: (A) Prospers (B) Progresses (C) Promotes (D) Fosters (E) Forges Ans (a) 15. Observance: (A) Inspection (B) Supervision (C) Compliance

(D) (E) Ans (c)

Comprehension None of these

Pick out the most appropriate word exactly opposite in meaning (antonym) of the following words taken from the above passage: 16. Haunts : (A) Permeates (B) Includes (C) Repels (D) Attracts (E) Invigorates Ans (c) 17. Underhand: (A) Hidden (B) Surreptitious (C) Obscure (D) Exposed (E) Open Ans (e) 18. Testify: (A) Falsify (B) Evidence (C) Prove (D) Confide (E) Witness Ans (a) 19. Extensive : (A) Expensive (B) Compact (C) Concrete (D) Abstract (E) Narrow Ans (e) 20. Discovered: (A) Exposed (B) Obscured (C) Concealed (D) Confided (E) Contended Ans (c)

What is immediately needed today is the establishment of a World Government or an International Federation of Mankind. It is the utmost necessity of the world today, and all those persons who wish to see all human beings happy and prosperous naturally feel it keenly. Of course, at times, we all feel that many of our problems of our political, social and cultural life would come to an end if there were one Government all over the world. Travellers, businessmen, seekers of knowledge and teachers of righteousness know very well that great impediments and obstructions are faced by them when they pass from one country to another, exchange goods, get informa-tion, and make an effort to spread their good gospel among their fellow-men. In the past religious sects divided one set of people against another, colour of the skin or construction of the body set one against the other. But today when philosophical light has exploded the darkness that was created by religious differences, and when scientific knowledge has falsified the theory of social superiority and when modern inventions have enabled human beings of all religious views and of all races and colours to come in frequent contact with one another, it is the governments of various countries that keep people of one country apart from those of another. They create artificial barriers, unnatural distinctions, unhealthy isola-tion, unnecessary fears and dangers in the minds of the common men who by their nature want to live in friendship with their fellow-men. But all these evils would cease to exist if there were one Government all over the world. 1. What is the urgent need of the world today ? (A) The establishment of an international economic order (B) The establishment of a world government (C) The creation of a cultured international social order (D) The raising of an international spiritual army (E) The development of healthy relations among the various countries of the world

ans (b) 2. The people who face impediments and obstructions when they pass from one country to another and do a lot of good jobs are all the following except: (A) Travellers (B) Businessmen (C) Seekers of knowledge (D) Teachers of righteousness (E) Empire builders ans (e) 3. In the past religious sects : (A) United the people with one another (B) Divided one set of people from another (C) Did a good job by way of spreading message of love and peace (D) Interfered in political affairs (E) Kept away from political affairs

ans (b) 4. What was the factor that set one man against another ? (A) Material prosperity of certain people in the midst of grinding poverty (B) Superior physical strength of some persons (C) Colour of the skin or construction of the body (D) Some people being educated and other illiterate (E) Psychological barriers ans (c) 5. The theory of racial superiority stands falsi fied today by: (A) Scientific knowledge (B) The ascendancy of a people who were here-tofore considered of inferior racial stock (C) The achievements of the so-calledinferior races in every field of life (D) The precedence given to physical prowess which the so-called inferior races possess and the so-called superior races lack (E) None of the above factors ans (a) 6. What will the world Government be expected to do? (A) It will bring about universal happiness and prosperity (B) It will end all wars for all time to come (C) It will bring about a moral regeneration of mankind (D) It will kill the satan that is in man (E) It will arrange for interplanetary contacts ans (a) 7. Which of the following problems has not been mentioned in the passage as likely to be solved with the establishment of world Government ? (A) Social problems (B) Political problems (C) Cultural problems (D) Economic problems (E) None of these ans (d) 8. What or what divide/divides people of onecountry against another ? (A) Different religions. (B) Different languages. (C) Different social and political systems of different people. (D) Material advancement of a few nationswith imperialistic leanings. (E) Government of various countries. ans (e) 9. What do the government of various countriesdo to keep people of one country apart fromthose of another? (A) They create artificial barriers.

(B) (C) (D) (E)

They create unnatural distinctions. They foster unhealthy isolation. They create unnecessary fears anddangers in the minds of the people. All of them.

ans (e) 10. The most appropriate title of the abovepassage may be: (A) The Evils Nurtured by National Governments. (B) The Unity of the World. (C) The Need of World Government. (D) The Role of Religion in the ModernTimes. (E) Explosion of the Theory of RacialSuperiority. ans (c) Pick out the most appropriate equivalent (synonym) of the following words taken from the above passage: 11. Establishment: (A) Placement (B) Foundation (C) Installation (D) Evolution (E) Development ans (c) 12. Necessity : (A) Requirement (B) Want (C) Desire (D) Lack (E) Privation ans (a) 13. Righteousness : (A) Rectitude (B) Religiousity (C) Requirement (D) Scrupulousness (E) Exactitude ans (a) 14. Artificial: (A) Man-made (B) Un-natural (C) Supernatural

(D) (E)

Machine made Designed

ans (a) 15. Isolation: (A) Seclusion (B) Separation (C) Antagonizm (D) Disruption ans (b) Pick out the most appropriate word exa opposite in meaning (antonym) of the followin, words taken from the above passage : 16. Prosperous : (A) Adverse (B) Advanced (C) Retarded (D) Impecunious (E) Affluent ans (d) 17. Impediments : (A) Handicaps (B) Obstacles (C) Obstructions (D) Hindrances (E) Promoters ans (b) 18. Divided: (A) United (B) Unified (C) Dignified (D) Separated (E) Isolated ans (a) 19. Differences : (A) Resemblances (B) Discriminations (C) Similarities (D) Dissimilarities (E) Agreement

ans (e) 20. Superiority : (A) Seniority (B) Juniority (C) Inferiority (D) Urbanity (E) Posteriority ans (c) Now the question arises, what is the secret of the longevity and imperishability of Indian culture? Why is it that such great empires and nations is Babylion, Assyria, Greece, Rome and Persia, could not last more than the footprints of a camel m the shifting sands of the desert, while India which faced the same ups and downs, the same mighty and cruel hand of time, is still alive and with the same halo of glory and splendour ? The answer is given by Prof. J. B. Pratt of America. According to him Hindu religion is the only religion in the world which is 'self-perpetuating and self-renewing.' Unlike other religions 'not death, but development' has been the fate of Hinduism. Not only Hindu religion but the whole culture of the Hindus has been growing changing and developing in accordance with the needs of time and circumstance without losing its essential and imperishable spirit. The culture of the vedic ages, of the ages of the Upanishads, the philosophical systems, the Mahabharata, the Smirities, the Puranas, the commentators, the medieval ^aints and of the age of the modern reformers is the same in Spirit and yet very different in form. Its basic principles are so broad based that they can be adapted to almost any environment of development. 1. The author has compared India with all the following except(A) Greece (B) Rome (C) Babylon (D) Assyria (E) Egypt

Ans (e) 2. In what respect is India implied to be superior to all other nations and empires ? (A) Material development (B) Cultural advancement (C) Military strength (D) Territorial expansion (E) Empire building Ans (b) 3. What, according to J. B. Pratt, is the secret of the longevity and imperishability of Indian culture ? (A) It has its origin in the remote past (B) It issues from the minds and hearts of its sages

(C) (D) (E) Ans (c)

It is self-perpetuating and self-renewing It is founded on religion It is founded on morality

4. Which of the following has not been mentioned as a particular period of Indian culture ? (A) The Vedic age (B) The age of Upanishads (C) The age of the Mahabharata : (D) The British period (E) The age of the Puranas Ans (d) 5. What changes has the spirit of Indian culture undergone during its long history right from the vedic age down to the present times ? (A) The precedence of moral values was eclipsed at certain periods of time (B) Materialism was the hall-mark of Indian culture during certain periods of time (C) During certain periods military development was the be-all and end-all of Indian culture (D) There is no such thing as any spirit of Indian culture (E) The spirit of Indian culture has practically been the same from the ancient times down to the present Ans (e) 6. What according to the author has always characterised the Hindu religion ? (A) Development (B) Stagnation (C) Sometimes development and sometimes stagnation (D) Lack of moral values (E) 1 Precedence of material over moral values

Ans (a) 7. Which other religion has been mentioned in the passage as self-developing and self-renewing as Hindu religion ? (A) Christianity (B) Islam (C) Buddhism (D) Jainism (E) None of these Ans (e) 8. "Could not last more than the footprints of a camel on the shifting sands of the desert." What does it mean ?

(A) (B) (C) (D) (E) Ans (b) 9.

It lost itself in deserts It was transient It lacked solidity It was limited only to desert areas It lacked cohesion

What is the characteristic quality of the basic principles of Indian culture ? (A) They are static (B) They derive their strength from thegenius of the people (C) They can be adapted almost to any environment of development (D) They believe in the purity of Indian culture (E) Nothing of these

Ans (c) 10. Which of the following may be the best title of the passage ? (A) Unity of Indian Culture (B) Indian Civilization and Culture (C) Indian Religion and Civilization (D) Characteristics of Indian Culture (E) Development of Indian Culture Ans (d) Pick out the most appropriate equivalent (synonym) of the following words taken from the above passage: 11. Longevity : (A) Living long (B) Diseased life (C) Depressed spirit (D) The period of living (E) Misery Ans (a) 12. Shifting: (A) Piercing (B) Penetrating (C) Changing (D) Mincing (E) Obstructing Ans (c) 13. Ups and downs : (A) Joys and sorrows (B) Weal and woe

(C) (D) (E) Ans (c)

Successes and failures Jerks and jolts Merits and demerits

14. Splendour: (A) Reticence (B) Delight (C) Jubilation (D) Immortalize (E) Grandeur Ans (e) 15. Perpetuate: (A) Tyrannize (B) Delight (C) Deride (D) immortalize (E) Confirm Ans (d) Pick out the most appropriate word exactly opposite in meaning of the following words taken from the above passage: 16. Last: (A) End (B) Grow (C) Diminish (D) Increase (E) Finish Ans (a) 17. Mighty: (A) Forcible (B) Forceful (C) Weak (D) Tough (E) Haughty Ans (c) 18. Glory: (A) Splendour (B) Notoriety (C) Fame

(D) Reputation (E) Debasement Ans (e) 19. Development: (A) Retardation (B) Retrogression (C) Transgression (D) Progress (E) Impecunity Ans (b) 20. Modern: (A) Up-date (B) Recent (C) Cast (D) Ancient (E) Old Ans (d) The capitalist system of society does not foster healthy relations among human beings. A few people own all the means of production and others- though nominally few have to sell their labour under conditions imposed upon them. The emphasis of capitalism being on the supreme importance of material wealth the intensity of its appeal is to the acquisitive intensity. It promotes worship of economic power with little regard to the means employed for its acquisition and the end that it serves. By its exploitation of human beings to the limits of endurance its concentration is on the largest profit rather than maximum production. Thus the division of human family is done on the basis of economic circumstance. All this is injurious to division of human dignity. And when the harrowed poor turn to the founders of religion for succour, they rather offer a subtle defence for the established order. They promise future happiness for their present suffering and conjure up visions of paradise to redress the balance to soothe the suffering and the revolt of the tortured men. The system imposes injustice, the religion justifies it. 1. The passage indicates that the capitalist system is: (a) Fair (b) ambitious (c) prosperous (d) dehumanising The established order is supproted by religion to: (a) alleviate the suffering of the poor in the capitalist system. (b) perpetuate the injustice imposed by the capitalist system.

Ans (d) 2.

(c) balance the suffering of the poor with hopes of future rewards. (d) help the tortured men to seek redress. Ans (b) 3. In a capitalist system: (a) the means justify the ends. (b) the ends justify the means. (c) the means endorsed by religion are strictly followed. (d) means which lead to exploitation are strictly prohibited

Ans (b) 4. Capitalism is injurious to human relations because it divides society into two groups: (a) working and non-working (b) exploiters and exploited (c) religious and irreligious (d) buyers and sellers Ans (b) 5. In a capitalistic system of society each man wishes: (a) to acquire maximum wealth. (b) to produce maximum wealth. (c) to have visions of paradise. (d) to soothe the sufferings of other.

Ans (a) It is a strange that, according to his position in life, an extravagant man is admired or despised. A successful businessman does nothing to increase his popularity by being careful with his money. He is expected to display his success, to have smart car, an expensive life, and to be lavish with his hospitality. If he is not so, he is considered mean and his reputation in business may even suffer in consequence. The paradox remains that if he had not been careful with his money in the first place, he would never have achieved his present wealth. Among the two income groups, a different set of values exists. The young clerk who makes his wife a present of a new dress when he hadnt paid his house rent, is condemned as extravagant. Carefullness with money to the point of meanness is applauded as a virtue. Nothing in his life is considered more worthy than paying his bills. The ideal wife for such a man separates her housekeeping money into joyless little piles- so much for rent, for food, for the childrens shoes; she is able to face the milkman with equanimity and never knows the guilt of buying something she cant really afford. As for myself, I fall into neither of these categories. If I have money to spare, I can be extravagant, but when, as is usually the case, I am hard up, then I am the meanest man imaginable. 1. In the opinion of the writer, a successful businessman: (a) is more popular if he appears to be doing nothing.

(b) should not bother about his popularity. (c) must be extravagant before achieving success. (d) is expected to have expensive tastes. Ans (d) 2. The phrase lavish with his hospitatlity signifies: (a) miserliness in dealing with his friends. (b) considerateness in spending on guests and strangers. (c) extravagance in entertaining guests. (d) indifference in treating his friends and relatives. We understand from the passage that: (a) all mean people are wealthy (b) wealthy people are invariably successful. (c) carefulness generally leads to failure. (d) thrift may lead to success. It seems that low paid people should: (a) not pay their bills promptly. (b) not keep their creditors waiting. (c) borrow money to meet their essential needs (d) feel guilty if they overspend The word paradox means: (a) statement based on facts. (b) that which brings out the inner meaning. (c) that which is contrary to received opinion. (d) statement based on the popular opinion. How does the housewife, described by the writer, feel when she saves money? (a) is content to be so thrifty. (b) wishes life were less burdensome. (c) is still troubled by a sense of guilt. (d) wishes she could sometimes be extravagant.

Ans (c) 3.

Ans (d) 4.

Ans (d) 5.

Ans (c) 6.

Ans (a) 7.Which of the following is opposite in meaning to the word applauded in the passage? (a) Humiliated (b) Decried

(c) Cherished (d) Suppressed Ans (b) 8. The statement she is able to face the milkman with equanimity implies that: (a) she is not upset as she has been paying the milkman his dues regularly. (b) she loses her nerve at the sight of the milkman who always demands his dues. (c) she manages to keep cool as she has to pay the milkman who always demads his dues. (d) she remains composed and confident as she knows that she can handle the milkman tactfully. Ans (a) 9. As far as money is concerned, we get the impression that the writer: (a) is incapable of saving anything (b) is never inclined to be extravagant (c) would like to be considered extravagant (d) doesnt often have any money to save.

Ans (d) 10. Which of the following would be the most suitable title for the passage? (a) Extravagance leads to poverty (b) Miserly habits of the poor. (c) Extravagance in the life of the rich and the poor. (d) Extravagance is always condemnable. Ans (c) A Close look at the facts relating to political interference in administration shows that it is not a one-way process. There is often a nexus between power hungry and corrupt politicians and civil servants with convenient principles. Many civil servants are only too anxious to oblige the politicians, and then cash the obligation when they need some special favour. So the attitude of self-righteousness adopted by the civil service is sometimes only a way of covering their own flaws by blaming others. Every now and then some retired civil servants come out with his memoirs, painting a glorious picture of the heights of administrative efficiency reached during his reign. There is often the suggestion that had there not been so much political interference, things would have been even more fantastic. It is not unusual for the self styled hero to blame not only interfering politicians but also fellow civil servants who are idiots or crooks, for his failures. This attitude of smug self-satisfaction is, unfortunately, developed during the years of service. Self preservation rather than service is encouraged by our whole system of rules and procedures. The remedy has to be drastic and quickly effective. The over protection now granted to civil servants must end. Today to remove an erring civil servant is just not possible. And the only thing that the highest authority in the Government, both in the State and at

the Centre, can do is to transfer an official from one job to another. The rules for taking disciplinary action are so complicated that, in the end, the defaulting civil servants gets away, and gets his full emoluments even for the period of the disciplinary proceedings, thus making it a paid holiday for him. The result is that the administration has become rule-oriented and not result-oriented. Action is possible against the official who takes some interest in his work, but no action is ever taken against a person who does not deliever the goods. If the country is to adopt a result-oriented approach, it is necessary to link job performance with job retention. 1. The facts relating to the problem of political interference indicate that: (a) honest bureaucrats are always being troubled by politicians. (b) politicians are often misled and trapped by civil servants. (c) politicians and civil servants co-operate to gain mutual advantages. (d) politicians and civil servants use interference as an excuse for victimising the common man. Ans (c) 2. The attitude of self-righteousness adopted by the civil service, according to the writer: (a) is not welcomed and supported by politicians. (b) is dishonest and conceals the facts. (C) is very difficult to maintain because of opposition. (d) does not really help the public get fair treatment. Ans (b) 3. Civil servants who write their memoirs after retiring: (a) claim that they would have achieved outstanding success if interference had not come in the way. (b) prove that constant political interference made it impossible for them to do anything properly. (c) complain that the credit for their achievements goes to dishonest politicians. (d) prove that people of inferior quality in the civil service bring about interference. Ans (a) 4. The existing system of administration seems to encourage civil servants: (a) to become self-styled heroes and boss over others. (b) to present a glorious picture of the administration. (c) to become self-centred and concerned mainly about their own gain. (d) to become self-righteous and fight back against corrupt politicians. The problem with the present set-up needing urgent action is: (a) a lack of accountability on the part of civil servants. (b) a lack of control over the power of politicians.

Ans (c) 5.

(c) a neglect of the ideals of self-righteousness. (d) complicated rules and procedures that greatly reduce efficiency. Ans (a) 6. The main principle of the remedy proposed by the writer is, that: (a) the politicians should be made accountable for all their decisions. (b) the high level of protection enjoyed by civil servants should be reduced. (c) the common mans right to efficient and fair administration must be protected. (d) rules should be simplified so that there is less scope for misuse.

Ans (b) 7. According to existing procedures, if a civil servant is found to be unsuitable or dishonest: (a) he can appeal to an authority like the Supreme Court. (b) politicians with whom he has special links will interfere to help him. (c) transfering him to another post is the usual action taken. (d) a conflict between Central Government and State Government interests can arise. Ans (c) 8. The writer refers to a paid holiday to support his argument that: (a) civil servants get a lot of extra benefits. (b) disciplinary action is generally not quick or effective. (c) lazy and inefficient bureaucrats seem to be on holiday even when on duty. (d) special postings that favoured civil servants are necessary and wasteful.

Ans (b) 9. The expression linking job performance with job retention refers to a policy in which: (a) selection to civil service jobs is on the basis of rigorous performance tests. (b) selection to civil service jobs is on the basis of rigorous performance and not a ministers opinion is the basis of transfer or promotion. (c) retention of good government servants by discouraging their going to private companies. (d) continuation in service will depend on satisfactory performance. Ans (d) 10. The expression deliver the goods means: (a) show good job performance (b) accept bribes or other illegal favours. (c) make payments of black money as bribes.

(d) successfully defend oneself against a charge, in a disciplinary inquiry. Ans (a) Directions: In the following items, some parts of the sentence have been jumbled up. You are required to re-arrange these parts which are labelled as A,B,C and D to produce the correct sentence. Choose the proper sequence. 1. So, now India can lose out at first base because its too busy chasing an ephemeral dream A/ either put aside its hopes of getting the veto power and B/ first concentrate on ensuring that C/ the Security council is enlarged, or D which of the following sequence is correct? (a) BADC (b) DCBA (c) BCDA (d) DABC Ans (c) 2. But Nelson Mandela modern country in a modern way A/ and could run a new B/ shifted the beliefs of the people C/ so they could heal the racial conflict D which of the following sequence is correct? (a) CDBA (b) BACD (c) CDAB (d) BDBA Ans (a) 3. But Kuala Lampur where modern Malay executives A/ but will never miss Friday prayers B/ might have a cellular phone in hand C/ is a city firmly rooted in tradition D which of the following sequence is correct? (a) CBDA (b) DACB (c) CADB (d) DBCA Ans (b) 4. If farming life is not to collapse, there is need for A/ as a profession and as a way of B/ attention today to farmers needs in the areas C/ of water, credit, technology, market and land and agrarian reforms D which of the following sequence is correct? (a) BACD (b) CDBA (c) BDCA (d) CABD Ans (a)

5. The union cabinets recent approval of the Bill against A/ assaults on womens most basic fundamental right, B/ Domestic violence is a step against C/ that is, the right to life D which of the following sequence is correct? (a) ADBC (b) BCAD (c) ACBD (d) BDAB Ans (c) 6. Having achieved success to ride the next outsourcing wave A/ in software exports and information technology areas, B/ this time in manufacturing from the US C/ Indian manufacturing exporters are well equipped D which of the following sequence is correct? (a) ADBC (b) BCAD (c) ACBD (d) BDAC Ans (d) 7. Various leading a productive A/ disabilities stand in B/ and personally satisfying life C/ the way of millions of Indians D which of the following sequence is correct? (a) BCAD (b) ADBC (c) BDAC (d) ACBD Ans (c) 8. Travel to where you dont know the local language, A/ and see how your B/ a foreign country, even a region of India C/ hands and expressions do the talking D which of the following sequence is correct? (a) DBAC (b) CABD (c) DABC (d) CBAD Ans (b) 9. While the recent century show that the June rainfall is A/ of a drought, Indias rainfall data for over a B/ rain may have soothed concerns C/ no predicator of the monsoons outcome D which of the following sequence is correct? (a) ADCB (b) CBAD (c) ABCD (d) CDAB Ans (b)

10. On the contrary, in countries like China and the other Pacific countries, A/ permission for shooting but also B/ film makers not only obtain quick C/ get subsidies to undertake the job. D which of the following sequence is correct? (a) ACBD (b) BDAC (c) ADBC (d) BCAD Ans (a) 11. There are from different walks of life as human rights A/ so much is written by so many persons B/ very few subjects in C/ contemporary times on which. D which of the following sequence is correct? (a) BDCA (b) CABD (c) BACD (d) CDBA Ans (d) 12. No international albeit at times, for wrong reasons A/ institution has indeed B/ engaged the attention of the people C/ across the globe the way WTO has done. D which of the following sequence is correct? (a) BCDA (b) ADCB (c) BDCA (d) ACDB Ans (a) 13. Scientists carrying glacier feeding the Ganga may melt before the end of the 21st century A/ because of climatic changes B/ caused by man made carbon dioxide emissions C/ out a study have warned that an ancient. D which of the following sequence is correct? (a) DCBA (b) BADC (c) DABC (d) BCDA Ans (c) 14. Newspapers also highlighted the apparent lack A/ received limited media attention B/ of interest in the event in America C/ where it reportedly. D which of the following sequence is correct? (a) BDCA (b) ACDB (c) BCDA (d) ADCB

Ans (b) 15. It is stressful or joyful A/ with the belief in evanescence of life itself B/ necessary to rise above the situations C/ and in the philosophical quest of the purpose of life. D which of the following sequence is correct? (a) CABD (b) BDCA (c) CDBA (d) BACD Ans (c) 16. The difference and development on the other affects A/ in the relationship between death and birth-rates on the one hand B/ but the age structure of the population C/ not just the rate of population growth. D which of the following sequence is correct? (a) DCBA (b) BADC (c) DABC (d) BCDA Ans (d) 17. As a maestro appeared to be enjoying every bit of it A/ and followed every composition the B/ thunderous applause from C/ an appreciative audience preceded. D which of the following sequence is correct? (a) ABDC (b) CDBA (c) ADBC (d) CBDA Ans (b) 18. Keeping farmers to smoke their fields during A/ in view of the prevailing weather conditions B/ agricultural experts have advised C/ the night to protect vegetables from cold. D which of the following sequence is correct? (a) DCAB (b) BACD (c) DACB (d) BCAD Ans (d) 19. If fair play fair trade and the protection of the planet, A/ is going to encompass B/ in sports many codes of conduct C/ these should be enshrined. D which of the following sequence is correct? (a) BDAC (b) CADB

(c) BADC (d) CDAB Ans (c) 20. The majority of Britons believe that there A/ if the increasing problem B/ must be restrictions on cheap air travel C/ of global warming is going to be tackled. D which of the following sequence is correct? (a) DCBA (b) ABCD (c) DBCA (d) ACBD Ans (d) 21. Farmers whether or not water will be available A/ land use plans only B/ can prepare alternative C/ if they know in advance. D which of the following sequence is correct? (a) CDBA (b) ABDC (c) CBDA (d) ADBC Ans (c) 22. It shows it is also conscious of its A/ India means business, B/ sovereignty and elements that threaten it C/ while it is for transparent and open ties. D which of the following sequence is correct? (a) BDAC (b) ACBD (c) BCAD (d) ADBC Ans (a) 23. Hidden is an important cause for A/ hunger in the soil B/ caused by micronutrient deficiencies C/ the rapid decline in factor productivity. D which of the following sequence is correct? (a) ADBC (b) BCAD (c) ACBD (d) BDAC Ans (b) Directions: Four alternatives a, b, c and d are given under each sentence, you are required to select the most suitable alternative to fill in the blank/blanks in the sentence to make it meningful.

1.

The volcanic................was the cause of great devastation. (a) outburst (b) eruption (c) erosion (d) movement

2.

As a result of................many unsuitable candidates were selected for the posts. (a) tolerence (b) favouritism (c) humility (d) weakness

3. After a recent mild paralytic attack his movements are................restricted, otherwise he is still very active. (a) entirely (b) nowhere (c) not (d) slightly 4. Every candidate has to poll a minimum number of votes in order to avoid................of his security. (a) penalty (b) cancellation (c) forefeiture (d) loss 5. My friend says that he drinks tea because it is the best................in the world. (a) fluid (b) drink (c) beverage (d) liquid 6. My mother upset the kettle of boiling water and................her right hand badly. (a) wounded (b) sizzled

(c) scorched (d) scalded 7. The government is confident that the standard of living will begin to ................again soon. (a) revive (b) lift (c) flourish (d) rise 8. It is becoming more and more................that the principal is losing the confidence of his staff. (a) prominent (b) conspicuous (c) manifest (d) apparent 9. Hindus believe that................from the cycle of birth and rebirth can be attained only by good deeds. (a) bondage (b) deliverance (c) delivery (d) retirement 10. A politicians speech must be read................the lines, it may have a double...... . (a) behind; edge (b) between; meaning (c) among; ends (d) beyond; face 11. Contemporary economic development differs................from the industrial Revolution of the 19th century. (a) naturally (b) usually (c) literally (d) markedly

12. ................eye-witness, the news reporter gave a graphic description of how fire broke out. (a) reporting (b) observing (c) seeing (d) quoting 13. I will come tomorrow................I hear to the.......... . (a) unless; contrary (b) until; contradictory (c) except; oppose (d) despite; otherwise 14. Only..........people are.........after death. (a) vicious; condemned (b) virile; forgetten (c) virtuous; remembered (d) virulent; glorified 15. In one election after another, officers have been guilty of serious................of duty. (a) dereliction (b) carelessness (c) lapses (d) abandoning 16. It is very unfortunate that the two communities which were so friendly till recently are now ................ . (a) unfriendly (b) at daggers drawn (c) hostile (d) unhappy 17. He is like a body without a soul, an eye without light or a flower without................ . (a) smell

(b) fragrance (c) petal (d) colour 18. The deputy Manager................to resign because all his proposals were......... down by his superiors. (a) offered; thrown (b) gave;held (c) began; kept (d) willing; knocked 19. The birth of a daughter is no more a/an................occasion because education has ......... the people. (a) magnificent; liberalised (b) benign; esteemed (c) ominous; enlightened (d) propitous; blinded 20. The police was at last able to ........the ....... of her disappearance from her husbands home. (a) reveal; secret (b) expose; mystery (c) confirm; doubt (d) solve; mystery 21. I am not................about your success because your........ approach to study is disappointing. (a) despaired; irresolute (b) hopeful; regular (c) optimistic; perfunctory (d) happy; reckless 22. The war..........immediately after the ceasefire proposal was......... bilaterally. (a) receded; exchanged (b) started; prepared (c) ended; accepted

(d) extended; mitigated 23. Neenas plea for...........fell on deaf ears as her husband was not......... enough to overtook her minor omission. (a) clemency; gracious (b) mercy; unkind (c) forgiveness; pardonable (d) apology; forgivable 24. The attempt of the robbers was................because the travellers showed enough........ . (a) foiled; fortitude (b) encouraged; cowardice (c) averted; farsight (d) checked; foresight 25. In a changing and ................unstructured business environment, creativity and innovation are being........ demanded of executives. (a) excessively; rapidly (b) highly; extremely (c) increasingly; rapidly (d) progressively; increasingly Answers 1(b), 11(d), 20(d), 2(b), 3(d), 4(c), 5(c), 6(d), 7(d), 12(d), 13(a), 14(c), 15(a), 16(b), 21(c), 22(c), 23(a), 24(a), 25(d) 8(d), 17(b), 9(b), 10(b), 18(a), 19(c),

Directions: Each of the following main words in capital letters are followed by four words. Select the word that is furthest (opposite) in meaning to the main word. 1. FORBEARANCE (a) patience (b) self-control (c) intolerance (d) preference

2.

SYNCHRONOUS (a) not in working order (b) not in phase (c) without problems (d) without permission PALTRY (a) obsolete (b) cautious (c) random (d) plentiful PROPENSITY (a) disinclination (b) forecast (c) stagnation (d) restlessness IMPROMPTU (a) rehearsed (b) foolish (c) appropriate (d) vast CHIMERICAL (a) fearful (b) breathtaking (c) serene (d) practical idea LACONIC (a) uncivilised (b) talkative (c) erudite (d) livid NADIR (a) modernity (b) zenith (c) liberty (d) progress TIMOROUS (a) trembling (b) cowardly (c) bright (d) bold

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10. LOQUACIOUS (a) talkative (b) taciturn (c) diffident (d) bashful 11. SENILE (a) suspicious (b) mentally alert (c) corrupt (d) affluent 12. ACCOLADE (a) contenance (b) vulgar (c) reprimand (d) virtue 13. NAIVE (a) sophisticated (b) brave (c) tireless (d) magnanimous 14. SPASMODIC (a) ill-humoured (b) ancient (c) regular (d) tireless 15. EXCRUCIATING (a) mild (b) noisy (c) sophisticating (d) modern 16. IDIOSYNCRASY (a) insanity (b) sanity (c) generality (d) singularity 17. PHILISTINE (a) cultured (b) libertine (c) sober (d) educated

18. HERETICAL (a) contradictory (b) doubtful (c) impious (d) orthodox 19. LACERATION (a) convalescence (b) recuperation (c) healing (d) palpitation 20. DESPONDENT (a) pleased (b) satisfied (c) infuriated (d) elated 21. DENIGRATE (a) belittle (b) believe (c) doubt (d) praise 22. INQUISITIVE (a) inadequate (b) immature (c) uncomfortable (d) unconcerned 23. SOBRIETY (a) moderation (b) drunkenness (c) dizziness (d) stupidity 24. PUERILE (a) inquisitive (b) matured (c) impure (d) original 25. LUCID (a) lacking resources (b) lacking vitality (c) lacking clarity (d) lacking comfort

Answers 1(c), 2(b), 3(d), 4(a), 5(a), 6(d), 7(b), 11(b), 12(c), 13(a), 14(c), 15(a), 16(d), 20(d), 21(d), 22(d), 23(b), 24(b), 25(c) 8(b), 17(a), 9(d), 18(d), 10(b), 19(c),

The following sentences consist of a word or a phrase which is written in italicised letters. Each of them is followed by four words or phrases. Select the word or the phrase which is closest to the opposite in meaning of the italicised word or phrase. 1. He was charged with abetting the murder of an innocent child. (a) baffle (b) instigate (c) promote (d) support 2. Twenty point programme is aimed at alleviating the sufferings of the poor. (a) aggravating (b) mitigating (c) eradicating (d) appeasing How dare you desecrate an idol of this temple. (a) defile (b) pollute (c) deify (d) impious Though generous and benevolent, he did not neet with success in his career. (a) beneficient (b) malevolent (c) goodwill (d) liberal There exists rancour between the two brothers. (a) animosity (b) harmony (c) devotion (d) enmity Born in squalid sorroundings of the slums she rose to stardom overnight (a) dirty (b) clean

3.

4.

5.

6.

(c) disorderly (d) mean 7. Their family feud has taken ugly turn lately. (a) brotherhood (b) dispute (c) fraternal (d) quarrel Indian economy is basically dependent on fickle monsoons. (a) unsteady (b) benign (c) stable (d) capricious You are advised to show clemency to the defeated army. (a) callousness (b) mercy (c) leniency (d) kindness

8.

9.

10. The Board of Directors showered encomium on the Chairman for his liberal policies. (a) denunciation (b) generosity (c) tribute (d) praise 11. One usually feels languid on summer noons. (a) brisk (b) fussy (c) drowsy (d) listless 12. Even a lunatic person sometimes talk intelligently. (a) sane (b) insane (c) insensible (d) mad 13. Some have the habit of disparaging the success of their friend because of jealousy. (a) belittling (b) esteeming (c) lauding (d) castigating

14. You are advised not to dessipate your energy on impracticable schemes. (a) conserve (b) deform (c) waste (d) utilise 15. At his success in the examination he felt elated. (a) exultant (b) dejected (c) resting (d) jubiliant 16. Counterfeit coins are in circulation because of negligence on the part of police authorities. (a) spurious (b) genuine (c) truthful (d) fake 17.The ministers was accused of indulging in nepotism. (a) impartiality (b) hatred (c) condemnation (d) indifference 18. He made several attempts to placate his opponents (a) infuriate (b) defeat (c) discourage (d) deceive 19. He was always fastidious while examining answer scripts. (a) amiable (b) discriminating (c) critical (d) judicious 20. It is not difficult to take note of his immaculate style of writing. (a) stained (b) uneven (c) impure (d) flawed 21. The research showed that the drug has pernicious effect on the health of the patients. (a) fair (b) advantageous

(c) beneficial (d) satisfactory 22. He produced cogent reasons for the change of policy. (a) flimsy (b) unconvincing (c) improper (d) simple 23. The Prime Ministers radio broadcast galvanized the peoples spirit. (a) frightened (b) pacified (c) dampened (d) ludicrous 24.There are many anecdotes about his sister who is an imperious personality. (a) characterless (b) pious (c) arrogant (d) submissive 25. In facing adverse situations, he was very stoical. (a) tactless (b) flinching (c) awkward (d) assured Answers 1(a), 2(a), 3(c), 4(b), 5(b), 6(b), 7(a), 8(c), 11(a), 12(a), 13(c), 14(a), 15(b), 16(b), 17(a), 20(a), 21(c), 22(b), 23(c), 24(d), 25(b) 9(a), 18(a), 10(a), 19(b),

Directions: Some of the sentences are gramatically correct and some are incorrect. Find out which part of the sentence has an error and mark that part. If there is no error, mark that part as your answer. 1. Another baffling change1/ that I notice in him now-a-days2/ is that he avoids to speak to me.3/ No error4 2.He lay the watch on the table1/ and then forgot all about it2/ when he went out.3/ No error4 3. While it is apparent1/ that biotechnology offers significant benefits2/ adequate attention has not been focussed to this vital area.3/ No error4

4. There is a need1/ to revising Government policies2/ on controlling unauthorized constructions.3/ No error4 5. If you had seen1/ yesterdays cricket I am sure2/ would have enjoyed seeing our team bat.3/ No error/4 6. When he will come1/ I will2/ make sure3/ I meet him.4/ No error5 7.The traveller being weary1/ he2/ sat by3/ woodside to rest.4/ No error5 8. He did not1/ and could not have2/ understood3/ the full facts of the case4/. No error5 9. Neither1/ Rohit nor2/ Kabir have done his3/ lesson.4/ No error5 10. I am opposed1/ to the plan of action not because2/ it is ill concieved but that3/ it seems impractical4/. No error5 11. He as well as you1/ is tired of2/ this long3/ and troublesome affair4/. No error5 12. Along the1/ northern frontier of India2/ is seen3/ the Himalayas mighty in their splendour4/. No error5 13. The recommendations of the committee1/ that the age should be lowered down2/immediately3/ was not accepted4/. No error5 14. Each of the students whom1/ I have chosen to take part2/ in the discussion have3/ indicated that he4/ will be happy to do so. No error5 15. Our country need1/ a number of2/ self sacrificing3/ and devoted political leaders4/. No error5. 16. We erect1/ monuments in the memory 2/of the great lest their achievements3/might be4/ forgetten. No error5. 17. He used rather harsh words1/ in denouncing2/ her but he must have had3/ some very strong reasons to do so4/. No error5. 18. Since he has not1/ yet attained the age of eighteen2/, he had no right3/ to vote in the present election4/. No error5 19. I am disappointed1/ in not having saw2/ any place while3/ I was in Delhi on vacation4/. No error5 20. What India needs today1/ are more scientists2/ technicians3/ and planners4/. No error5 21. 22. No sooner did1/ the thief saw the 2/policeman than3/ he ran away4/. No error5 Neither the size1/ nor the colour2/ of the gloves3/ were right4/. No error5

23. If it was possible1/ to get near2/ where one of these eruptions took place3/, we could have a grand sight4/. No error5

24. Most of us are not aware1/ that2/ eating some varities3/ of mushrooms result4/ in death. No error5 25. After1/ Nepoleon had lost2/ the battle of Waterloo in 1815, he had been 3/exiled to4/ the Island of St. Helena. No error5 Answers 1(c) say speaking for to speak, 2(a) say laid for lay, 3(c) use on in place of to, 4(b) to revise, 5(e) no error, 6(a) say comes for will come, 7(b) drop he, 8(a) Add understand after did not, 9(c) use has, 10(c) say but because, 11(e) no error, 12(c) say are seen, 13(d) say were not, 14(c) say has, 15(a) say needs, 16(d) say should be, 17(d) say for doing so, 18(c) say he has, 19(b) say in not having seen, 20(b) say is, 21(b) say see, 22(d) say was, 23(a) say if it were possible, 24(d) say results, 25(c) say was exiled. Directions: Each of the following questions containing main word in capital letters followed by four words. Select the word that is most similar in meaning to the main word in capital letters. 1. PROPITIOUS (a) favourable (b) clean (c) nearby (d) patriotic RECTITUDE (a) Duplication (b) Intergrity

2.

(c) Rectification (d) Recovery 3. INCONGRUOUS (a) Inconceivable (b) Inevitable (c) Inconsistent (d) Incontrovertible SLIPSHOD (a) Vulgar (b) Careless (c) Common place (d) Retaliatory MASQUERADE (a) to provide support (b) to be in disguise (c) to mesmerise (d) marathon race PARSIMONIOUS (a) Thrifty (b) Cunning (c) Extravagant (d) Upright CONUNDRUM (a) Riddle (b) Dampness (c) Impudence (d) Servility GRUFF (a) Rough (b) Hard (c) Tough (d) Cheerless FLUTTER (a) Soar (b) Agitate (c) Change (d) Float

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10. DECREPITUDE (a) Disease (b) Coolness

(c) Crowd (d) Feebleness 11. SUPERANNUATED (a) Experienced (b) Accepted (c) Retired (d) Senile 12. DECIMATED (a) Denounced (b) Destroyed (c) Successful (d) Depressed 13. VICARIOUS (a) Ambitious (b) Not experienced personally (c) Nostalgic (d) Vindictive 14. BROWBEAT (a) To bully (b) To chase (c) To give a hint (d) To revive 15. EXTOL (a) Steal (b) Praise (c) Exterior d) Excess 16. CONTRAPTION (a) Device (b) Valley (c) Forest (d) Window 17. DECAMP (a) Move (b) Emcamp (c) Flee (d) Hide 18. FETID (a) Comical

(b) Ornament (c) Stinking (d) Regular 19. IMPOST (a) Fertilizer (b) Coarse (c) Dispatch (d) Tax 20. INDICTMENT (a) Arraignment (b) Entrapment (c) Indoctrination (d) Inducement 21. ABSTEMIOUS (a) Resistant (b) Temperate (c) Superstitious (d) Careful 22. PROBITY (a) Courtesy (b) Promptness (c) Efficiency (d) Uprightness 23. GARISH (a) Beautifully decorated (b) Boldly arranged (c) Unpleasantly gaudy (d) Carefully prepared 24. MENIAL (a) Unskilled (b) Tall (c) Affluent (d) Sick 25.AUDACITY (a) Strength (b) Boldness (c) Asperity (d) Fear

Answers 1(a), 11(c), 20(a), 2(b), 3(c), 4(b), 5(b), 6(a), 12(b), 13(d), 14(a), 15(b), 21(b), 22(d), 23(c), 24(a), 7(a), 8(a), 9(d), 10(b), 16(a), 17(c), 18(c), 19(d), 25(b)

Read here the important banking terms which we have jotted down keeping in mind their importance for the upcoming IBPS PO Exam scheduled to be conducted on 17 June 2012

AIDB- All India Development Bank ATM- Automated Teller Machine is a machine uses a computer that verifi es your account information and PIN (Personal Identification Number) and will dispense or deposit funds per your request)AnnuityFixed amount of cash to be received every year for a specified period of time Asset/Liability Risk- A risk that current obligations/ liabilities cannot be met with current assets. Assets- Things that one owns which have value in financial terms. Banking Cash Transaction Tax (BCTT) - BCTT is a small tax on cash withdrawal from bank exceeding a particular amount in a single day Bank Credit Bank Credit includes Term Loans, Cash Credit, Overdrafts, Bills purchased & discounted, Bank Guarantees, Letters of Guarantee, Letters of credit. Bank Debits - Sum of the value of all cheques and other instruments charged against the deposited funds of a banks customer. Bank Rate - Interest rate paid by major banks if they borrow from RBI, the Central Bank of the country. Bank Statement - A periodic record of a customers account that is issued at regular intervals, showing all transactions recorded for the period in question Basis Point- Basis Point is one-hundredth of one percentage point (i.e. 0.01%), normally used for indicating spreads or cost of finance. Balance of Payment (BoP) BoP is a statement showing the countrys trade and financial transactions (all economic transactions), in terms of net outstanding receivable or payable from other countries, with the rest of the world for a period of time BR Act - Banking Regulation Act Cash reserve Ratio (CRR) - CRR is the amount of funds that the banks have to keep with the RBI. If the central bank decides to increase the CRR, the available amount with the banks comes down CAD- current account deficit Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) CRR is a ratio of total capital divided by risk-weighted assets and risk-weighted off-balance sheet items. Cash Credit (CC) - An arrangement whereby the bank gives a short-term loan against the selfliquidating security Certificate of Deposit (CD) - CD is a negotiable instrument issued by a bank evidencing time deposit Cheque - A written order on a bank instrument for payment of a certain amount of money. C-D ratio- Credit- Deposit Ratio Corporate Banking - Banking services for large firms CRAR - Capital to Risk-Weighted Assets Ratio Credit Crunch - Fall in supply of credit even though there is sufficient demand for it Cross default - Two loan agreements connected by a clause that allows one lender to recall the loan if the borrower defaults with another, and vice versa. Deposit: A check or cash that is put into your bank account.

Endorse: To sign the back of your check before cashing or depositing it, as proof that you are the person the check was written out to. Equitable mortgage - Mortgage under which one still owns the property which is security for the mortgage. The owner can occupy or live in the property Exchange Rate - The rate at which one currency may be exchanged for another FRNs - Floating Rate Notes Fixed assets - Assets such as land, buildings, machinery or property used in operating a business that will not be consumed or converted into cash during the current accounting period Fixed Rate - A predetermined rate of interest applied to the principal of a loan or credit agreement IFSC Code - Indian Financial System Code or IFSC code is an eleven character code assigned by RBI to identify every bank branches uniquely, that are participating in NEFT system in India Liquidation Liquidation is divestment of all the assets of a firm so that the firm ceases to exist Liquidity- The extent to which or the ease with which an asset may quickly be converted into cash with the least administrative and other costs Letter of Credit (LC) - A formal document issued by a bank on behalf of a customer, stating the conditions under which the bank will honour the commitments of the customer Line of Credit - pre-approved credit facility (usually for one year) enabling a bank customer to borrow up to the specified maximum amount at any time during the relevant period of time. MICR- Magnetic Ink Character Recognition or MICR is the bottom line on all checks. It is printed using a special font. Monthly Statement: statement received by customers at the end of the month about the accounts activity (what went in and what came out) from the previous month. NEFT- national electronic funds transfer Non Performing Assets (NPA) - When due payments in credit facilities remain overdue above a specified period, then such credit facilities are classified as NPA. NBFCs- Non-banking Finance Companies NHB- National Housing Bank Overdraw: To write a check for more money than what is present in the account. Usually there is a fee (known as NSF/non-sufficient funds) Principal- Principal is the amount of debt that must be repaid. Also means a person who deals in securities on his own account and not as a broker Prime Lending Rate (PLR) - The rate of interest charged on loans by banks to their most creditworthy customers PSB - Public Sector Bank Repo rate- the rate at which the RBI lends money to banks Reverse repo rate- Reverse Repo rate is the rate at which the RBI borrows money from commercial banks SCBs - Scheduled Commercial Banks Statutory Liquidity Ratio- SLR is Statutory Liquidity Ratio. Its the percentage of Demand and Time Maturities that banks need to have in any or combination of the following forms: i) Cash ii) Gold valued at a price not exceeding the current market price, iii) Unencumbered approved securities (G Secs or Gilts come under this) valued at a price as specified by the RBI from time to time Standby Letter of Credit - A guarantee issued by a bank, on behalf of a buyer that protects the seller against non-payment for goods shipped to the buyer Securitization - Securitization is a process of transformation of a bank loan into tradable securities Selective Credit Control (SCC) - Control of credit flow to borrowers dealing in some essential

commodities to discourage hoarding and black-marketing Tier 1 Capital - Refers to core capital consisting of Capital, Statutory Reserves, Revenue and other reserves, Capital Reserves (excluding Revaluation Reserves) and unallocated surplus/ profit but excluding accumulated losses, investments in subsidiaries and other intangible assets Tier 2 Capital - Comprises Property Revaluation Reserves, Undisclosed Reserves, Hybrid Capital, Subordinated Term Debt and General Provisions. This is Supplementary Capital. Withdrawal: To take money out of your bank account. To make a withdrawal is the opposite of making a deposit Read here the important Marketing terms which we have jotted down keeping in mind their importance for the upcoming IBPS PO Exam scheduled to be conducted on 17 June 2012.

Above the line: "Above the Line" is the term commonly used for advertising for which a payment is
made and for which commission is paid to the advertising agency. Methods of above the line advertising include television and radio, magazines, newspapers and Internet.

Ad hoc market research: Ad-hoc research focuses on specific marketing problems. It involves the
collection of data at one point in time from one sample of respondents.

Added value: Added value refers to the increase in worth of a product or service as a result of a
particular activity. In the context of marketing, the added value is provided by features and benefits over and above those representing the "core product".

Ad-Valorem Duties: These are the duties determined as a certain percentage of prices of the product. AIDA: Attention Interest Desire Action AIFI: All India Financial Institution ALCO: Asset-Liability Management Committee ALM: Asset/ liability management involves a set of techniques to create value and manage risks in a
bank.

Ambush marketing: A deliberate attempt by a business or brand to associate itself with an event
(often a sporting event) in order to gain some of the benefits associated with being an official sponsor without incurring the costs of sponsorship

AMC: Asset Management Committee Annual Financial Statement: It is a statement of receipts and expenditure of states for the financial
year, presented to Parliament by the government. It is divided into three parts: Consolidated Fund, Contingency Fund and Public Account.

Appropriation Bill: It is presented to Parliament for its approval, so that the government can withdraw
from the Consolidated Fund the amounts required for meeting the expenditure charged on the Consolidated Fund. No amount can be withdrawn from the Consolidated Fund till the Appropriation Bill is voted is enacted.

Appropriation Bill: This Bill is like a green signal enabling the withdrawal of money from the
Consolidated Fund to pay off expenses. These are instruments that Parliament clears after the demand for grants has been voted by the Lok Sabha.

Augmented brand: The additional customer services and benefits ("added value") that are built around
the core product or service offering

Balance Of Payments: The difference between demand and supply of a country's currency in the
foreign exchange market.

Balance Of Trade: The difference between monetary value of exports and imports of output in an
economy over a certain period of time. It is the relationship between a nation's imports and exports.

Banking Cash Transaction Tax (BCTT): BCTT is a small tax on cash withdrawal from bank exceeding
a particular amount in a single day. The basic idea is to curb the black economy and generate a record of big cash transactions. This tax was introduced in 2005-06 budget.

Behavioural Segmentation: Behavioural segmentation divides customers into groups based on the
way they respond to, use or know of a product.

Bond: A negotiable instrument evidencing debt, under which the issuer promises to pay the holder its
face value plus interest as agreed.

Brand building: Developing a brand's image and standing with a view to creating long term benefits for
brand awareness and brand value

Brand equity: Brand equity refers to the value of a brand. Brand equity is based on the extent to which
the brand has high brand loyalty, name awareness, perceived quality and strong product associations. Brand equity also includes other "intangible" assets such as patents, trademarks and channel relationships.

Brand extension: Brand extension refers to the use of a successful brand name to launch a new or
modified product in a new market. Virgin is perhaps the best example of how brand extension can be applied into quite diverse and distinct markets.

Brand image: Brand image refers to the set of beliefs that customers hold about a particular brand.
These are important to develop well since a negative brand image can be very difficult to shake off.

Brand loyalty: A strongly motivated and long standing decision to purchase a particular product or
service

Budget estimates: It is an estimate of Fiscal Deficit and Revenue Deficit for the year. The term is
associated with estimates of the Center's spending during the financial year and income received as proceeds of tax revenues

Budgetary Deficit: Such a situation arises when expenses exceed revenues. Here the entire budgetary
exercise falls short of allocating enough funds to a certain area.

Business to business: Marketing activity directed from one business to another (as opposed to a
consumer). This term is often shortened to "B2B" businesses communicating with customers.

Capital Budget: Capital Budget keeps track of the government's capital receipts and payments. This
accounts for market loans, borrowings from the Reserve Bank and other institutions through sale of Treasury Bills, loans acquired from foreign governments and recoveries of loans granted by the Central government to State governments and Union Territories.

Capital Budget: It consists of capital receipts and payments. It also incorporates transactions in the
Public Account. It has two components: Capital Receipt and Capital Expenditure.

Capital budget: The list of planned capital expenditures prepared usually annually Capital Gain and
Loss. The difference between the price that is originally paid for a security and cash proceeds at the time of maturity (face value of bond) or at the time of sale (selling price of a bond or stock). When the difference is positive, it is a gain, but when it is negative, it is a loss.

Capital Expenditure: It consists of payments for acquisition of assets like land, buildings, machinery,
equipment, as also investments in shares etc, and loans and advances granted by the Central government to state and union territory governments, government companies, corporations and other parties.

Capital expenditure: Long-term in nature they are used for acquiring fixed assets such as land,
building, machinery and equipment. Other items that also fall under this category include, loans and advances sanctioned by the Center to the State governments, union territories and public sector undertakings.

Capital Goods: Goods used in the manufacturing of finished products Capital investments: Money used to purchase permanent fixed assets for a business, such as
machinery, land or buildings as opposed to day-to-day operating expenses.

Capital Market: Market in which financial instruments are bought and sold. Capital Payments: Expenses incurred on acquisition of capital assets
Capital Receipt: Capital Receipts consist of loans raised by the Center from the market, government borrowings from the RBI & other parties, sale of Treasury Bills and loans received from foreign governments. Other items that also fall under this category include recovery of loans granted by the Center to State governments & Union Territories and proceeds from the dilution of the government's stake in Public Sector Undertakings.

Capital Receipt: The main items of capital receipts are loans raised by the government from public
which are called market loans, borrowings by the government from the Reserve Bank of India and other parties through sale of Treasury Bills, loans received from foreign governments and bodies and recoveries of loans granted by the Central government to state and union territory governments and other parties. It also includes proceeds from disinvestment of government equity in public enterprises.

Capital Structure: The composition of a firm's long-term financing consisting of equity, preference
shares, and long-term debt.

Capital: Funds invested in a firm by the owners for use in conducting the business. CCI: Competition Commission of India Central Plan Outlay: It refers to the government's budgetary support to the Plan. It is the division of
monetary resources among different sectors in the economy and ministries of the government.

CENVAT: This is a replacement for the earlier MODVAT scheme and is meant for reducing the cascade
effect of indirect taxes on finished products. This is more extensive scheme with most goods brought under its preview

CESS: This is an additional levy on the basic tax liability. Governments resort to cess for meeting specific
expenditure. For instance, both corporate and individual income is at present subject to an education cess of 2%. In the last Budget, the government had imposed another 1% cess as secondary and higher education cess on income tax to finance secondary and higher education.

Cognitive dissonance: Cognitive dissonance is an customer effect commonly observed after a major
purchase whereby the customer feels uncertainty about whether the purchase should have been made. Post-purchase promotion (particularly advertising) has a role to play to reduce the incidence and effect of cognitive dissonance

Combination brand: A combination brand name brings together a family brand name and an individual
brand name. The idea here is to provide some association for the product with a strong family brand name but maintaining some distinctiveness so that customers know what they are getting

Competitive advantage: A competitive advantage is a clear performance differential over the


competition on factors that are important to customers

Competitor benchmarking: Competitor benchmarking compares customer satisfaction with the


products, services and relationships of the business with those of key competitors

Consolidated Fund: This is one big reservoir where the government pools all its funds together. The
fund includes all government revenues, loans raised and recoveries of loans granted.

You are director of a small limited company engaged in construction business. Please write a letter to your Bank requesting for credit facilities for expanding business. (SBI Associates PO August 7, 2011 exam.) Suggested format U may change content, design to suit your needs. For academic purposes only LETTER PAD ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Telephone: 0427 2552322 cell: 09840098400 Email:kumaresh@gmail.com KUMARESH CONSTRUCTIONS 25, KOTTAI MARI AMMAN KOVIL STREET SALEM, 6360001 Ref. Philbank/234/2011 Date: August 9, 2011 The Manager Phil .. Bank Arunachalam Street Salem Dear Sir, Sub: Request for Secured Overdraft limit of Rs. One crore ************** We have our current account in your bank for the last five years. We are engaged in construction business and are having a turn over of over Rs.ten crore in our account during the last financial year. Oursis a private limited company incorporated in 2007. We are constructing small houses costing around Rs. 20 lakhs each and are selling to government employees, public sector employees. We have taken up a project near Attayampatti. We have entered into agreement with the owners of the land for offering the site to us for construction of houses to be sold to others and to pay them amounts as and when the proposed houses are sold. We are enclosing the following documents: 1. Company's Balance sheet for the year ending March 2008, March 2009, March 2010 and March 2011. 2. Income Tax assessment orders for the year ending March 2008, March 2009 and March 2010. Assessment for the year ending March 2011 is awaited. 3. Project report giving details of projects completed by us so far and details of this project. 4. Consent letter from Mr. Venkatarma Gounder to offer pesonal guarantee 5. Details of house property at 7, Vaidyanathan Street, Saradha Nagar, Salem valued at Rs.3 crore for offering as security. As stated above we are offering property worth Rs.3 crore as security for the above overdraft and we request you to sanction the limit to us early. We hope this project to be completed in 2/3 years from date. We are sure you will consider our application favourably and accord sanction early. Thanking you, Yours faithfully (Gangadharan K.) Director I shall post other formats also one by one.

Topics that we may expect in SBI exam - guess 1. financial inclusion 2. 2G scam 3. Is China a threat to India in economic development? 4. Measures u suggest for eradication of corruption in political and business circles 5. Use cloud computing in communication 6. Measures u suggest for fighting inflation 7. Terrorism - has been continuing in spite of efforts of government. What corrective measures do you suggest 8. Computer games spoil outdoor games -- give a brief analaysis 9. The role played by banks in our country's economic growth 10. Sarva Shiksha abhiyan -- Your critical analysis of its implementation

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