Corruption In India

Want to get some work done; take something in your pocket. These are the words which must be stuck round everywhere. Yes, truly speaking about the widespread corruption in India. Today corruption has become an inevitable issue. Corruption is seen in almost every part of Motherland. Viewing from working post regard almost each one has dipped himself into this sinful act. As you sow, so shall you reap is almost violated everywhere. Evil consideration of money as everything actually depraves oneself. Money pave as a way for all sorts of luxuries required in comfortable life. Be shameless and enjoy slogan has been encouraged in this world. No one realizes the suffering and pain of another. HONESTY is the best policy is an old and outdated saying today. It would be better to amend LIC, BIMA. A financially weak person can hardly think about producing vital governmental certificate comprising of nativity, etc. He better keeps himself away from this and thus deprive of facilities. This also makes the country more and more regressed. India today has many other problems too which slows the rate of progress. Eradication of corruption will reduce the problem to great extent. Many of us are really patriotic. Love for country, destine of sacrificing for motherland can only syncope the corruption today. Many desire to try their useful hands to eradicate this, but are suggested or advised that the smaller wheels of a machine has to work as the bigger one do. A trash one will be crushed by the higher authorities. One is always suggested to stiff upper lips and gets the work done. But the whole system can be reversed if the material of smaller wheels is converted from trash to a powerful one which would posses such an ability to amend the organization. Yes, speaking to get into a position which can comatose the present thinking of corrupts. An individual can try aspiring for an IAS, IPS officer to fight against this. There include another good way to fulfill this aim, i.e to optimize politics. Dust is only removed when one becomes a part of it. But today, none are interested in politics. Moreover, the view towards politics is so extreme that none of the political leaders are considered good for anything. Theres a great example regarding this fact. Dr. Abdul Kalam once visited a school and being a chief guest had an active conversation with the students. There he raised a topic of ambition and asked the students about their aim. As expected, many aspired to be an engineer, doctor, actor, etc. but none responded for political leadership. Highness Kalam on listening these, suggested students to change the way of viewing politics, better have an optimistic view of it. Today India can be saved from this poison of corruption only through entering into politics. So, we the young generation of the country must strive hard for eradicating corruption and other problem to make country prosperous. Patriotism within individual must be arisen. My Country is my Home ideas must be cultivated. Harmful mosquito and flies are destroyed when dared to get inside our home, this same feeling must be developed for our country too or we will be always developing, not developed. Today India is independent from British, but now is servicing corruption, ignorance, etc. we are independent under the slavery of weeds of corruption.

Is India fit for democracy

Having walked all way through the bridge, I saw an old man sitting at the end and babbling with himself. I confronted him and asked, Baba why are you sitting here? He looked at me with his clumsy eyes and perplexed expression and said, I am wondering what will I say when the National Population Statisticians will ask me my caste, I never thought myself to be something other than an Indian. I was awestricken by his answer and realized how ill equipped our democracy was. Our country has been developing rapidly economically but it still lags behind in the Social developments. When China started its economic reforms, India was a larger democracy. But now we are far behind the Chinese in almost every aspect of development. Despite china being the most populated country in the world, it has soared to the second fastest growing economy in the world behind Japan just on the model of export oriented growth. It has yet to tap its huge potential in the domestic market which is estimated to increase its GDP by a quarter percent of the present growth. In the paradigm of recent times, we generally come across different facets of our country with every passing hour. From having the first mover advantage to being a laggard, we have redefined our democracy in a more subtle way. Now the thing to ponder is what is that they have done right and we have not? Despite being a communist ruled country till date, their growth and advancement has been phenomenal. Most

importantly I would say the lack of conviction on the part of the politicians have led to the downfall of India. The division on the basis of Cast, Creed and Sex has inherently made this country a hollow dump of false hopes and promises. The most devastating and the prominent cause of this downfall of democracy has been corruption which is so widely spread across the sectors in India. From the Ministers to the Peons, everybody has in some way or the other shown the signs of corruption which has stalled the progress of this nation. Now even the people of the country have lost faith in its leaders which can be accounted by low turnover of votes during the Elections. Nobody wants to get into Politics thinking it to be a manhole in which one who falls gets corrupted. The tonnes of Food Grains that are being left to rot in the stores depict the condition of democracy in India A Communist or Military dominance would have augured well for the country seeing the present State of Affairs. The richer are becoming more rich and the Poorer and getting more poor. Is this the justice of a democracy? My view says its certainly not. Its a strangulation of the core basis of democracy which is equality of rights and freedom. The government should have certain consideration towards the lower section of the society to make this country a successful democracy. Just running the various incentive schemes wont change the situation unless they are monitored and guided well. The infrastructure planning and execution should be on par with the proposal of the Planning Commission for a rapid growth. A change in the attitude and a more concrete way of taking responsibility and handling issues can take this country to a higher level of democracy otherwise it will soon turn into a curse.

Indian Education System: concentrating on lucrative careers or developing intellect

At approximately 65% literacy rate, India lags much behind other developed and developing economies in terms of adult literacy. Hence much of the governments policy effort is towards universalising primary education and boosting the admission rates to secondary schools and graduate colleges. However in this debate, an aspect emerges whether the Indian education system truly fulfils the objective of education or rather it just helps people meeting their needs of a decent lifestyle. The true goal of education transcends much beyond just awarding degrees to students. Education aims to develop the intellect of the learners. It seeks to free the human being from parochial mindset. Education is not just a tool to earn money to make the ends; it is the way to liberate the mind and soul of a person. The real product of a true education system is a rational mind which works towards building an intellectual society. India is home to brilliant minds with immense potential. However the education system has not been able to produce many intellectuals. The inability of the system to nurture great minds is quite disheartening when the number of researchers in India is compared to countries such as USA, Finland. While India produces 46 PhDs every year per one lakh students, almost 4000 doctorates wear the laurel in USA every year. Even China has left India far behind; so much so that we could only produce two indigenous noble laureates. However the blame cant only be placed on the education system or the government policy towards it. Education, being the face of the society, reflects the impact of the social, cultural and economic phenomena of the society. The flawed government policy of not offering any incentive to higher research carries a large chunk of blame for this. India simply does not have the educational infrastructure to promote research oriented education. Successive governments have given little thought to it and instead focused their energies on improving the literacy rates. Development of intellectual requires a highly conducive environment with the unequivocal support of a willing state. While an engineer or a doctor earns tens of thousands rupees per month, a PhD student gets meagre stipend. Though the motivation of developing intellect does not come for money, it is certainly required for his subsistence, as hertzbergs motivation-satisfaction theory suggests. Because of unavailability of technological opportunities, thousands of students move to USA, UK or Australia for higher studies; some of them turned out to be leaders of innovation in future. That justifies the fact that we have no dearth of potentials, it just needs to be nurtured in a proper environment with incentives. The education system tends to promote competition among the pupils instead of developing their aptitude. It is highly focused towards scoring marks in examination rather than building concept. The methodological study approach ends up making the students disenchanted and the degree is used just a tool to enhance the academic profile. It is a greater impediment to skill development. Lack of interaction with industry keeps the research study aloof from the recent trends and makes higher studies unimpressive. Continuous communication with industries helps the researchers understand the emerging trends and develop their intellectual capabilities to seek answers to the recent issues.

Absence of definitive policy for promoting innovation is also a barrier to students following their innate desire for higher research thereby developing ground-breaking ideas. India is yet to place an intellectual properties right law in place. However government policy is not the one reason for lackadaisical attitude among the students towards research oriented studies. The education system, being a much broader aspect than literacy, is heavily influenced by social, cultural and economic phenomena of the society. In order to perform their social duties, people tend to take up jobs at early age, get married and settle down. A rigorous research oriented study sometimes demand complete devotion from the students. Due to less returns in the initial stage, people tend to discourage their wards from taking up research as a carrier option and instead want them to settle down with lucrative career option which is valued as a social status. Family constraints sometimes force the students to abandon their aspirations aptitude development through higher studies. As teaching is no more a prized profession, the best minds are not available to encourage deeper thinking among students. Along with that the availability of easy money in lucrative careers has played against people developing their intellectual tracts. Earning money instead of developing intelligence is now treated as the yardstick to measure success. But the society is not entirely at fault for this. Indian society is in a transition state where sudden availability of opportunities is helping thousands of poor families to middle class. While their disposable income has seen a sudden increase, they want to play it safe. The Maslowvian theory of motivation suggests that people tend to want to fulfil their immediate survival needs before climbing up the hierarchy of motivation to achieve their intellectual capability. Only professions such as engineer, doctors, MBAs are values in Indian society as they offer a fat package and a decent lifestyle. When compared to western education system, one can easily notice the difference. Their social, cultural value tend develop the trait of independent thinking which is basic to develop interest for deeper understanding of a subject. Instead of limiting a students options, their education system offers wide range of choices to select their areas of interest. Our technological education does not give due to importance to courses of humanities and vice versa. It limits a persons ability to think beyond what is obvious. Whereas American universities offer auxiliary subject which a student can get credit from along with his or her major. At one side social constraints discourage students to take up research work, at the other hand the economic liberalisation in 90s not only opened the Indian market to the global players; it brought a sea of opportunities to India. Boost in Indian exports, IT & ITes outsourcing, financial reforms created lot of job opportunities for educating Indians. The fat money offered by those sectors attracted the young Indians to those jobs which now fulfilled their dream of a good lifestyle. Most of the huge numbers of technological and management institutes opened after the economic liberalisation aim to cater to the industrys requirement and instead of imparting education to the students they just end up being a grooming schools for them. The institutes focus on job placements rather than research publications. All their education is revolves around placing their students in lucrative jobs rather than inculcating analytical ability among them. But everything is not lost. The institutes like IISc, IITs, and IIMs continue to produce minds who have been contributing to the cause of our country. The government now plans to consult IITs to make the Ganges river basin pollution free by 2020. Anna University students have launched a nano satellite called ANUSAT. The future of a society, state lies in innovation, new ideas and ground-breaking approaches. And only the intellectual can champion the path of innovation. An independent original thinker is the only one capable of creating new opportunities for the society. Recent government policy changes in higher studies are a welcome step for this. Programs such as establishment of model universities, Nalanda Asian University, promoting higher medical research in IITs will help India to establish a knowledge based society. As India progresses in her journey from a developing country to a developed state, the need of developing intellect will continue to assume more importance. While the society much change its attitude towards education, change in government policies are fundamental for changing the formers outlook. Because intellectuals can create jobs with lucrative careers but a lucrative job does not guarantee development of intellect.

Globalization will kill Small-Scale Industries in India

Globalization is the metamorphosis of the individual nations into an integrated entity by means of their interconnection on an economic, social and cultural level, fuelled by easy transport and communication among them. It is the modern renaissance that makes ideas, goods, services, trade, technology and culture permeate into the entire geography of the world thus turning it into a global village.

While globalization is a large scale phenomenon, small scale enterprises are a local phenomenon but having effects of dimensions as large as its global friend and foe. Friend- because both globalization and small scale industries are the two wheels of the vehicle of economic growth and prosperity; foe- because some argue that given the developing nation that India is, Small Scale Industries(SSIs) can suffer and strangulate to death by the fierce competition put up by globalization. Let us observe and decide. Micro and small scale enterprises have existed in India since ages in the form of traditional skills and knowledge based products made by people for the self sufficiency of rural India. Today as per the government definition, An industrial undertaking in which the investment in fixed assets in plant and machinery whether held on ownership terms on lease or on hire purchase does not exceed Rs. 10 million, can be categorized as small scale undertaking. After independence, the Indian government made various laws to help revive and flourish the SSI because of the employment potential it had at a low capital cost. It needed mediocre technical knowledge and minimal infrastructure to set up. Thus it was and is the most ideal form of employment opportunity for both the urban and rural population. It not only encourages entrepreneurship among people but also makes them self reliant. Govt. funding, support and intensive promotion has aided people to participate more in this successful phenomenon making SSI the second largest employment sector after agriculture. It forms about 45-50% of our exports. The products also form a large percentage of our domestic market too with SSI producing a number of products like confectionaries, spices, beverages, natural essence oils, dyes, sports goods, wooden furniture, glass, ceramic and earthen wares, cotton and woolen knitted products, silk and synthetic wear, leather shoes, bags, garments and novelty items, plastic items, survey instruments, auto parts, clocks and watches, musical instruments, lab chemicals, basic metallic and non-metallic mineral products. They are the dynamic sectors of our economy. It also leads to the preservation of many traditional and indigenous skills and products our country is famous for. It is the road to rural industrialization and rural urbanization thus creating a regional balance. India was self reliant and self sufficient but with the march of the world towards industrialization India found its closed policy of trade leading to an impending economic crisis. The main reason behind this was the focus of efforts on heavy industries and lack of it on the consumption goods. From 1991 India witnessed a major change as the govt. introduced liberalization, privatization and globalization reforms to pep up the economy. Soon the world realized what a big 1billion-population-market India was. They brought their goods to India which were mass produced and therefore cheaper and of better quality than the local goods. They started challenging the SSI and thus posed an end to them. Further with the introduction of Special Economic Zones (SEZs), the MNCs were facilitated with areas with liberal economic and trade laws, round the clock facilities and concessions to enhance foreign investments and promote exports. This endangered the existence and survival of SSIs. But this is not the complete picture. A lot of foreign entrepreneurs who do not have the time or funds to build the infrastructure for their own manufacturing unit in India engage a number of SSI owners to produce goods for them in a short span of time and sell them to cater to the international demand. In other words they outsource the manufacturing to the Indians. Thus it leads to more labour absorption and growth of SSIs. Many of the SSIs have turned into LSIs this way. Also the demand for SSI goods will never finish as a lot of their products are not lucrative options for the MNCs. For example, the incense sticks or agarbatties, bangles, pickles, etc. are not a catch for LSIs but have a constant demand and thus SSIs have a great opportunity in identifying such areas. So it can be said that both globalization and SSIs are the essentials of Indian economy and India must make efforts to promote, sustain and aid both in a fair and unbiased way. A fruitful measure would be to reserve certain goods for production exclusively by the SSIs and their intelligent outsourcing by the govt. to ensure maximum benefits. Also the govt. should advertise the indigenous goods worldwide so that the foreign folk also go in for the ethnic items produced here like khadi, silk, wool, statues, gems, ornaments, etc. as these represent the traditional art form and culture of the region. As far as the financial aids are concerned, the govt. is doing good work to make things simple and possible for the interested individuals by funding and financial support. Also the setting up of institutes for technical training and skill enhancement of the workforce is helping in a big way. While globalization has put us on the map of superpower countries, SSIs have empowered the common man to walk with the same stride as the big-wigs. For India to be a superpower, it is must make efforts to strengthen each and every thread of its economic fabric to make the flag of its success fly high

Communal harmony and the internal security of India are interlinked

Communalism is the loyalty to a sociopolitical grouping based on religious or ethnic affiliation rather than to society as a whole. It is an ideology which takes three forms or stages, one following the other. The first stage starts with a belief that those who follow the same religion have common secular interests, that is, common political, economic, social and cultural interests. The second stage is characterized by the notion that in a multi-religious society like India, the secular interests of followers of one religion are dissimilar and divergent from that of the followers of another religion. In the third stage it is believed that the interests of the followers of different religions are mutually incompatible, antagonistic and hostile. The communist ideology in India went through all these stages during the freedom struggle against the British. The hard earned, precious independence of India was won after decades of glorious struggle but along with a bloody, tragic partition that ripped apart the fabric of the emerging free nation. Thousands of lives were lost from both the sides, that of the Hindus and the Muslims in the communal riots and being left with no other alternative, a separate Muslim state of Pakistan was conceded. India was made a secular country with provisions for protection of minority communities. Despite precautionary and preventive measures having been taken, the communal legacy still continues. At the time of freedom and partition, it was believed by great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Nehru that partition was a temporary phenomenon and once the communist fervour subsides, a United and strong India would be formed. However, contrary to their expectations, India and Pakistan stand apart as separate nations and the fraught question of their bilateral relations remains unsolved till date. The disputed State of Kashmir has been ravaged by violence, civilian casualties, damage of property, curfew and the resulting disruption of normal life. Communal problem, which is the root cause, with all its social, political and economic ramifications remains unabated even today and bedevils the State. With the passage of time, the path taken by communalism has changed. Earlier it was the large scale communal riots, now it has taken the route of terrorism. Bomb blasts and shooting attacks have rent asunder the major cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, Pune, Ahmedabad and others. Hundreds of people were killed and thousands were maimed and devastated. Authorities blame terror groups ranging from Islamic insurgents of Kashmir to the Hindu terror groups in Maharashtra. Whatever the reason or religion behind such activities be, the loss is to humanity as a whole. All the religions basically preach love and the feeling of brotherhood towards fellow beings. It is only the parties with vested interests that sow the seeds of communal hatred and violence in the minds of people. The mullahs of the Islamic world and the mullahs of the Hindu world and the mullahs of the Christian world are all on the same side. And we are against them all. Arundhati Roy India is a developing country, and the fourth largest economy in the world in terms of purchasing power parity. The vision of our national leaders is to make India a developed nation and an economic superpower. However, the internal security of the nation is a pre-requisite for the attainment of this vision. As long as the communal tensions inside the country do not ease, the internal security of the nation cannot be ensured, despite the strength of the army or paramilitary employed to control the situation. Once the communal tension inside the country subsides and India becomes internally secure, then the problems in the bilateral relations between the twin nations of India and Pakistan can be smoothly dealt with. In order to strike at the base, that is, to bring about communal harmony, there must be harmony in the minds of the people. Aaman ki aasha is a voluntary initiative taken to improve Indo-Pak relationship. Similar voluntary organizations that encourage communal harmony should come up. Minorities complain that they are looked upon as aliens and trouble-makers in their own land and the Majority community in turn puts the blame on the Minorities. Mental revolution among people, considering the fellow citizens as brethren is essential to bring about communal harmony in the country. The communal harmony thus attained is a sine-qua-non for the internal security of the country. Only when the internal security is ensured can the nation embark on the path towards development and economic advancement. Recently, the Allahabad High Court gave its judgement regarding the Ayodhya controversy, dividing the disputed land into 3 parts and distributing them among the three contesting parties involved, the Nirmohi Akhara, the Sunni Central Board of Waqf and the Ramlalla

Virajman. The peaceful air that surrounded the country following the verdict, bodes well for the nation.

Globalization and the Pollution

Globalization can be defined as the process of making the world smaller and keeping it connected with one another. It is only through globalization that now in the present scenario we can come to know whats happening in the other part of the world. Indian markets were allowed to enter global market in the 90s.these led to drastic changes in the thinking, standard of living of people, and also in the economic scenario of India. It sort started a new type of industrial revolution in India or it can be said that it gave a new start to the already existing industries in India. There as also been an increase in the rate of pollution at an alarming rate in the past decade. It can be said that the rate of globalization and the rate of pollution are inter-related, as the rate of globalization increases, the rate of pollution also increases Due to globalization the competition among nations to become the super power has become at a very high rate. This as led to fast development of the nations. The development is not being done in a proper way which for time being wont show its effects, but in the long run will cause a major damage to the world. The degradation of ecological system can be defined as pollution. As the world progresses, it is destroying the wonderful fauna and flora that exists directly and indirectly. Large pieces of land covered with trees are being wiped out to make way for industries, residential complexes etc. As the trees provided for the habitat to large variety of birds and animals, these animals could not survive the change in the environment and got extinct. Many of the industries are situated near water bodies to release their chemical effluents in the water. but this in turn effects the flora and fauna in the water bodies, also making the water unfit for any use ,specially for drinking. There also has been an enormous increase in the air pollution, through increase in vehicular movement, poisonous gases let out from industries as waste gases and through many other ways harm is being caused to the nature. The damage due to this destruction has already started showing. It is seen in the form global warming. But this is only the starting of the damage, if we continue in this way we have to be ready to witness a lot more changes and that will for the worst. Globalization is not harmful; it is one of the best ways to improve the country, if followed in a proper and systemic way. We should try to improve our country by utilizing the facilities of the other developed countries and our resources in a well planned manner, so that the future generations also have the resources to utilize for their better development.

Empowering Women Rebuilding the Society

To awaken the people, it is the women who must be awakened. Once she is on the move, the family moves, the village moves, the nation moves.-Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. In India, today, women appear to rule the roost. India as a nation is revered in a feminine form i.e. the Bharat Mata, the first citizen of our country presently is a woman, many important government posts are occupied by women and educated women are pouring into the professional workforce with profound implications for national and multinational corporations. However, ironically, these are accompanied by news about dowry killings, female infanticide, domestic violence against women, sexual harassment, rape, illegal trafficking and prostitution and myriad others of the same ilk. Gender discrimination prevails in almost all areas, be it social, cultural, economic or educational. An effective remedy for these evils needs to be sought in order to ensure the Right to Equality guaranteed by the Constitution of India, to the fairer sex. Gender equality facilitates the empowerment of women. Since education begins at home, the upliftment of women would be accompanied by the development of the family, the society and in turn, would lead towards a holistic development of the nation. Among these problems the foremost that needs to be addressed is the atrocity committed against females at birth and during childhood. Female infanticide i.e. killing of the female child is still a common practice in many of the rural areas. Further female foeticide is common in some parts of India, despite the passage of Prenatal Diagnostic techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act in 1994. In case they survive, they are subjected to discrimination throughout their lives. Traditionally, since sons are thought to take care of their parents during old age and daughters are considered a burden because of dowry and other expenses that have to be incurred during their marriage, female children are neglected in the matters of nutrition, education and other important aspects of wellbeing. The Sex ratio in our country is abysmally low. It was only 933 females per 1000 males

according to the 2001 census. The Sex ratio is an important indicator of development. Developed countries usually have Sex ratios above 1000. For instance, the USA has a Sex ratio of 1029, Japan 1041 and Russia 1140. In India, Kerala is the state with the highest Sex ratio of 1058 and Haryana is one with the lowest value of 861. During their youth, females face the problem of early marriage and childbirth. They are not cared for properly during pregnancy leading to many cases of maternal mortality. The MMR (Maternal Mortality Rate) i.e. the number of females dying during delivery per one lakh persons, in India is 437(as in 1995). In addition, they are subjected to harassment for dowry and other forms of domestic violence. Further, at the work place, public places and elsewhere, acts of violence, exploitation and discrimination are rampant. Various steps have been taken by the government to prevent such abuses and to empower women. Criminal laws against sati, dowry, female infanticide and foeticide, eve teasing, rape, immoral trafficking and other offences relating to women have been enacted in addition to civil laws like the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act 1939, the Hindu Marriage Act 1955 and other Matrimonial enactments. The Prevention of Domestic Violence Act has been passed in 2005. A National Commission for Women (NCW) has been set up. Other measures by the government include provision of reservation in representation and education, allocation for the welfare of women in the five year plans, provision of subsidized loan facilities and so on. The year 2001 has been declared th as the women empowerment year by the Government of India and 24 January as the National Girl Child Day. The 108 Constitutional Amendment Bill, popularly known as the Womens Reservation Bill which seeks to reserve one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and the State Legislative Assemblies has been a highlight in the recent times. It was passed in the Rajya Sabha on March th 9 2010. Though well intended, it can have little, if any, tangible consequences for the real empowerment of women since it does not touch upon the core issues which plague them. The solution must envisage a two-pronged attack, on the one hand, on tradition which is responsible for assigning a low status for women in the society and on the other hand, the outrages perpetrated against them. The proposed Prevention of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Bill, 2010 is a good move in that direction. Mass campaigns need to be organized especially in the villages in favour of survival of the female child and provision of human rights for her, including education and health. It is essential to dispel the ghosts of the past and place women on an equal footing with men in order to pave the way for their empowerment, social, economic and educational. Empowering women and thus rebuilding the society would take the nation on a path of greater development, as Swami Vivekananda says, Countries and Nations which do not respect women have never become great nor will ever be in future.
th

Empowering Women Rebuilding the Society

To awaken the people, it is the women who must be awakened. Once she is on the move, the family moves, the village moves, the nation moves.-Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. In India, today, women appear to rule the roost. India as a nation is revered in a feminine form i.e. the Bharat Mata, the first citizen of our country presently is a woman, many important government posts are occupied by women and educated women are pouring into the professional workforce with profound implications for national and multinational corporations. However, ironically, these are accompanied by news about dowry killings, female infanticide, domestic violence against women, sexual harassment, rape, illegal trafficking and prostitution and myriad others of the same ilk. Gender discrimination prevails in almost all areas, be it social, cultural, economic or educational. An effective remedy for these evils needs to be sought in order to ensure the Right to Equality guaranteed by the Constitution of India, to the fairer sex. Gender equality facilitates the empowerment of women. Since education begins at home, the upliftment of women would be accompanied by the development of the family, the society and in turn, would lead towards a holistic development of the nation. Among these problems the foremost that needs to be addressed is the atrocity committed against females at birth and during childhood. Female infanticide i.e. killing of the female child is still a common practice in many of the rural areas. Further female foeticide is common in some parts of India, despite the passage of Prenatal Diagnostic techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act in 1994. In case they survive, they are subjected to discrimination throughout their lives. Traditionally, since sons are thought to take care of their parents during old age and daughters are considered a burden because of dowry and other expenses that have to be incurred during their marriage, female

children are neglected in the matters of nutrition, education and other important aspects of wellbeing. The Sex ratio in our country is abysmally low. It was only 933 females per 1000 males according to the 2001 census. The Sex ratio is an important indicator of development. Developed countries usually have Sex ratios above 1000. For instance, the USA has a Sex ratio of 1029, Japan 1041 and Russia 1140. In India, Kerala is the state with the highest Sex ratio of 1058 and Haryana is one with the lowest value of 861. During their youth, females face the problem of early marriage and childbirth. They are not cared for properly during pregnancy leading to many cases of maternal mortality. The MMR (Maternal Mortality Rate) i.e. the number of females dying during delivery per one lakh persons, in India is 437(as in 1995). In addition, they are subjected to harassment for dowry and other forms of domestic violence. Further, at the work place, public places and elsewhere, acts of violence, exploitation and discrimination are rampant. Various steps have been taken by the government to prevent such abuses and to empower women. Criminal laws against sati, dowry, female infanticide and foeticide, eve teasing, rape, immoral trafficking and other offences relating to women have been enacted in addition to civil laws like the Dissolution of Muslim Marriages Act 1939, the Hindu Marriage Act 1955 and other Matrimonial enactments. The Prevention of Domestic Violence Act has been passed in 2005. A National Commission for Women (NCW) has been set up. Other measures by the government include provision of reservation in representation and education, allocation for the welfare of women in the five year plans, provision of subsidized loan facilities and so on. The year 2001 has been declared th as the women empowerment year by the Government of India and 24 January as the National Girl Child Day. The 108 Constitutional Amendment Bill, popularly known as the Womens Reservation Bill which seeks to reserve one-third of seats for women in the Lok Sabha and the State Legislative Assemblies has been a highlight in the recent times. It was passed in the Rajya Sabha on March th 9 2010. Though well intended, it can have little, if any, tangible consequences for the real empowerment of women since it does not touch upon the core issues which plague them. The solution must envisage a two-pronged attack, on the one hand, on tradition which is responsible for assigning a low status for women in the society and on the other hand, the outrages perpetrated against them. The proposed Prevention of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Bill, 2010 is a good move in that direction. Mass campaigns need to be organized especially in the villages in favour of survival of the female child and provision of human rights for her, including education and health. It is essential to dispel the ghosts of the past and place women on an equal footing with men in order to pave the way for their empowerment, social, economic and educational. Empowering women and thus rebuilding the society would take the nation on a path of greater development, as Swami Vivekananda says, Countries and Nations which do not respect women have never become great nor will ever be in future.
th

Should all terrorists caught red handed on camera, be hanged without trial
First of all, I would like to thank for giving me an opportunity to express my views about the terrorists. I am seeing this contest for the first time and I am very much impressed on seeing the topic. These days I was really feeling bad since I couldnt share my thoughts about the activities of the terrorists. The name itself portrays that they are the ones who do killing jobs for just want of money. Even they dont see if it is their parents. It is really a big issue in recent days. Terrorists are there for a long time. They will venture all kinds of pitiful matters. Survival of terrorists is there in all countries. Their main aim is to get money out of murder. There is only one difference between a murderer and a terrorist!!!A murderer will murder only a few at a time and a terrorist will do the same which includes huge numbers. It is also a kind of murder. After the destruction of TAJ HOTEL, I came to know that Present India is not like the previous one on seeing the activities done by our Indian government to a terrorist. The most heart rending scene is that the terrorist was taken to a special jail which is fully AIR-CONDITIONED, by an AC car and he was given high class non-vegetarian food. This took place for nearly 4-5 months and prevailing still. Now let us compare the situations of jail in pre-independence and present. Those days both the terrorists and freedom fighters were given the same section in jail which is of very low grade. And nowadays terrorists are enjoying a lot. Even the middle class people would not have seen such a happy life. Because of these acts all terrorists are taking great advantage and continuing their works

in a better way. In fact they are very much happy in doing those jobs keeping the future result (AC CAR, AC ROOM, etc..,) in mind. The procedure followed in India for putting a terrorist to death (who has killed many) is highly ridiculous. Government is seeing the life of one person forgetting the death of many innocent lives. But people I enquired said that, if he is put to death, Indians in Pakistan will suffer the same even though they are not terrorists. For that I said If that is the case a way has to be found alternatively to save them. From the period of our great leaders Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi the terrorists who were involved in terrorism activities and who were the reason for the death of those great and superior leaders are still in waiting list of getting punishment. The act which our Indian government follows is shown below. Any person who has been put in jail and given the maximum punishment can first appeal in supreme court. If the judgment is not favorable then he/she can appeal to President of India. Our government is still thinking whether those persons are to be put to death or not. There are certain cases where the accused can be given a chance to live. But once when a hidden camera finds out a terrorist group, they all should be hanged without a single doubt. This is because a saying goes stating that, Prevention is better than cure Hence, when a camera identifies a terrorist immediately he/she has to be hanged. Only because of leaving them till they attack, we lose lives of many people. I agree that there can be even innocent persons in terrorist groups who take place for a moment for the immediate want of money when seen for the first time. But since we know two real truthful sentences such as one drop of poison in milk turns to be a poisonous drink and doing crime only for one time will also name them as criminal only we should not hesitate even to hang those unknown innocents who will destroy the other unknown innocent lives in few seconds. I finally like to make one point strong, Rules are being framed only for those who are eligible to come under those rules. So my personal opinion is that terrorists are to be hanged without going through normal procedures and without any chance of appeal should be given to them.

Should Students Be Allowed To Grade Their Teachers

A slogan in a world famous poster goes : Some people see things as they are and ask why ?. But I think of things that never were and ask Why not ?. The educational world, marred by falling educational standards and high teacher absenteeism rate is crying for an evaluation system for teachers by the students themselves. But narrow minded administrators and politicians disregard this notion. Cynics fear that children are not mature enough to grade their teachers and this system will hamper the teacher-student relationship. But I am an optimist. Contrary to popular perceptions, this system can yield dramatic results. The biggest benefit of grading teachers by students is : it will enhance accountability and responsibility of teachers. They will now be concerned more about the comprehension and understanding of students than completing the courses. The teachers will be aware that they will be judged directly by the students, not by any teachers union body, leading to better teaching standards. The students, equipped by the opportunity to evaluate the teachers, will be more passionate for their studies. They will be assured of quality education and a fair worth of their time and money. To cite a great instance of the effectiveness of the evaluation system, in the corporate world, the employees fill out monthly, quarterly, semi annually and annual feedback forms. These are about their core work, team environment, training etc. They attend one-o-one sessions with their managers and discuss their short comings, opportunities for growth, etc. They are treated as, not only highly confidential but an essential content for growth and improvement. This system is the bedrock of the corporate culture. The corporate entities will stagnate and eventually decline if this system is not taken care of. Then, why not introduce this culture in the education world? The lesson learnt from the corporate world can be treated as a vision for the success for teachers and students. After all, the governments, corporate world, NGOs etc. do need capable citizens from the educational institutions to accelerate growth. The human resource is the most valuable resource of a nation and no stone shall be left un-turned for its development. The grading system will also greatly reduce the difference in standards between the government and the private school teachers. According to the data released by UNICEF, teacher absenteeism in India in government teachers is very high compared to the private school teachers. The performance of students in these schools, is thus greatly hampered. The grading system will

experience much better organised and effective follow up action, whenever any shortfall is noticed much in the lines of the corporate world. The teachers will be more sincere in making students apply the concepts and hone their skills. This grading system will face a number of hurdles to achieve complete success. The students may give biased feedback, driven by their own interest. The teachers may not feel motivated under this new environment and so on. To overcome this, the response from the students shall be kept highly confidential. To analyse the response from the students and the performance of the teachers, an independent committee must be formed that can handle a particular zone or region. The teachers showing the best and the most improved performance, shall be duly awarded by the local, state and the central governments. Before we introduce any system, a change in outlook and attitude is required to have belief in the mission undertaken. When the Indian government introduced the globalisation and liberalisation policy, many feared that the traditional Indian companies will be swallowed up by the giant MNCs. On the opposite, Indian companies today, are faring much better than our American and European counterparts. No doubt, the policy for grading the teachers also finds opposition from various quarters. And no doubt, as happened with the liberalisation policy, this will be also responsible for a new emerging India !!!!

Western Culture Promotes Divorces

As a counterpart to the Big Fat Indian Wedding we have its sordid cousin the lowly, hushed up divorce. Divorce was and is still a bad word in most parts of India. India has among the world's lowest divorce rates ( ~ 1.1%). Compared to the 50% plus numbers in the US and Sweden this seems like a statistical anomaly. Or do we have something that Western countries don't? Is it our "Culture" that is responsible for this difference? To phrase it in a different manner, does Western culture promote divorce? Before we can jump to any conclusion, it is worthwhile to have a look at whatever data is out there regarding divorce. As stated before, the rate of divorce in India is pretty low as compared to the rich countries (viz. US, UK, Sweden etc. ). India 1.1% US 51% Sweden - 54% The rate is high for pretty much all the countries with a western culture. A look at this data should be sufficient for most to make a proclamation that, yes, Western culture does indeed promote Divorce. However, another way to analyze this same set of data will reveal a slightly more complex picture. If we step back some decades, we can see that in both western countries and ours the number of divorces have increased by quite a lot. However, that divorce rates started increasing in the western countries towards the middle of the 20th century whereas the trend of increasing divorces in India is at a much later period. What has this got to do with culture? Both periods coincide with increasing empowerment of women. Women began to be treated on par with men; getting equal opportunities in education and employment. This resulted in a paradigm shift in the mindset of the "empowered" women. They realized that it was no longer required to put up with a spouse who did not respect/ take care of her or worse abused her physically and/or mentally. This combined with the easing of divorce laws opened the floodgates for divorce petitions. Similarly, in India, the trend of higher education and employment has caused a spurt in the number of divorce cases. This argument suggests that it is only the empowered women who are responsible for the increasing divorce rates. IS that a valid argument? The answer to the previous question is yes and no. Yes, because a lot of cases were initialized by more women than was previously the case. No, because men were also filing for divorce. Along with empowerment there was the rise of the individual in the 20th century. The principal of individualism garnered widespread acceptance. This in turn lead to a society where a person could do whatever he/she wants to achieve happiness as long as he/she did not harm others. A consequence of this is infidelity. This shift towards the individual instead of the family as a unit was also responsible for the increasingly short lives of marriages. Another major factor in the divorce rates in the western countries was the absence of the extended family. For example, in a country like India, the moment a couple starts having marital problems there is a big support system behind them i.e. their family which tries to sort out the differences between them. However, because of the way western society is structured most of the time family members outside the nuclear setup do not have influence on the individuals. The absence of family does increase the number of divorces filed for frivolous reasons. A major drawback of this peculiarly

Indian advantage is the number of marriages that have broken down in all but name and couple still present a facade of marital bliss in front of others, since a divorce is frowned upon by most family members and society. The increasing divorce rates do have a silver lining, so to say. It shows that couples can take recourse to legal action when the marriage fails. Couples no longer have to present a happy conjugal picture in front of society. This leads to a happier home environment for children instead of having to see their parents bickering and fighting every day. On the dark side, the increasing number of divorces due to frivolous reason tears apart the innocent childhood of a kid who does not realize why his mom and dad want to live separately. Here too the culture plays a significant part. Western parents generally tend to have a more hands off approach to their kids. This leads them to believe in the kids ability to cope up with whatever situations might crop up. Eastern cultures, on the other hand, tend to be more protective when it comes to kids. This is one reason why divorce is often a last resort. To summarize, we can see that countries with a western culture does indeed have higher divorce rates. However, it is not actively endorsed. It is more of a by product of the rise of individualism, women rights and so on. The same phenomenon can be witnessed in the urban centers of India where divorce rates are increasing with spread of urbanization.

Should we hang all corrupt politicians

When we say the word politician the first thing that comes to mind is that he may be the man of honor who has his life dealt with criminal records, abusive life style or a son of a king who has a right to reign the kingdom created by his forefathers when they were ruling a particular region in which they got elected because of peoples mercy. This is not a managed monopoly or an unfortunate opportunity given to a wrong, corrupt person who got elected. This is an unmanaged natural calamity which we bore ever since we got independence in 1947. But the irony is we also see them hanging, crushed in between the crowd during the election times begging for the votes, we will do this!! We will do that!! And all the popular slogans you see during the fuss are created one which gets melodramatic at times. In each chance of election, more than just being a legislative affair there is an eye which expects a lot from the upcoming minister and there is an eye opener which realizes the mistake of electing the so called wrong, corrupt and socially evil politician. We Indians the mango people Aam Janta who is desperately depended on that figure, on that public image which is not less than a God, the one who comes to protect us against the all evils of our society, the one who flaunts his sword as soon as he gets noticed of an unwanted happening whether 2G spectrum case or IPL controversy or the commonwealth dodge. Whatever the case may be it is the we thing which needs to be protected each time of any scam. But the point is where is it lacking?? Is it lacking on our part to identify right kind of politician or is it is the basic human nature which compels one to become corrupt every time one is assigned a power to act for the state as a politician. If is it lacking on our part it can be corrected by taking the decision wisely at the time we elect them , but if it is the latter case, you and I have the right to hang the corrupt politician along with ourselves. Yes thats right along with us! It is quite obvious on our part to pass the buck on one who got elected because of our choice. He being one from our group, our society, our culture, our background, our values, he has evolved from us. So you see the thought process is not very different, it is the same for a normal human being to think about his Roti, Kapdaa & Makaan(basic necessity) and when he has it all he becomes a corrupt politician who has money worth millions of dollars in his new Swiss Bank Account. I dont blame him for all his corruption because I believe there is something wrong within the hierarchy. The hierarchy which composes of a human being which thinks of overall betterment quality of life and later on by getting promoted to a better position he thinks of even more and then finally it ends up being corrupt. Who we need to blame? on the contrary we need to look inside of ourselves. Remember the time whenever we approach a local government official to get our work done on basis of we being the public and him being a public servant and we bribe him for our convenience and personal measure of comfort. It is nowhere but inside of us. It is we who provoke them to be a corrupt personnel, it is we who motivate them, encourage them and induce them by way of giving advantages which are otherwise not available to them. Therefore, the conclusion lies in the fact that we realize ourselves first as an individual not being corrupt but as a society working towards a common goal of social economic development, with an intention of loving the genuinity within us, a desire to live our lives not just for us but for others also and only then we will have an image of a politician one comparable to God. Until then, I dont think there is any justification to hang a corrupt politician we need to hang the corruption indeed!!

Honor killing in India

The various cases of Honour killing in India have been reported from North India especially Punjab, Haryana, Bihar and Rajasthan. Honour killing also known as customary killing means killing the member of one community by members of same community or social groups as the victim has brought some disgrace to the family. It is mostly directed towards girls and women. There are various beliefs in the minds of community members from a long time ago, resistance of which result in sacrificing the life of an innocent in the name of honour killing. According to them, dishonour to a community can be brought due any of the following reasons 1. 2. 3. 4. Non acceptance of dress Desire to get married according to his/her choice Act of homosexuality Inter-caste marriage and many more that varies from community to community .The united nation population fund has estimated that approximately 5000 girls and women has been murdered by their own families but the number is beyond expectation as the such cases are not brought in limelight and are suppressed.

I am not saying that honour killing is in case of only women ,in practice it is also applicable in males as well. For example, during the year 2002 in Pakistan, it is estimated that 245 women and 137 men were killed in the name of Karo-kari in Sindh. These killings target women and men who chose to have relationships outside of their family's tribal or religious community. There are cases in this context seen around the world but since the topic is restricted to india, I will include the cases seen in India. In India, honour killing is a notorious in northern region as Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Bihar. In contrast , it is rare in southern region .Not a single case has been seen in West Bengal for a centuary. This can be because of the reforms and activism brought by Swami Vivekanad, Ramakrishnan, Raja Ram Mohan Roy etc. They have done many praise worthy works to uplift the standard of women in society. Bhagalpur in the northern Indian state of Bihar has also been notorious for honour killings. Recent cases include a 16-year-old girl, Imrana, from Bhojpur who was set on fire inside her house. The victim had screamed for help for about 20 minutes before neighbours arrived, only to find her still smoldering. She was admitted to a local hospital, where she later died from her injuries. In May 2008, Jayvirsingh Bhadodiya shot his daughter Vandana Bhadodiya and struck her on the head with an axe. It is really shocking to see that a mother, father, brother is murdering ones own son, daughter whom they have given life and love their whole life just for the community sake .Moreover ,it is sad to see that they do not feel guilty to perform this dirty act. In 1990 the National Commission for Women set up a statutory body in order to address the issues of honor killings among some ethnic groups in North India. This body reviewed constitutional, legal and other provisions as well as challenges women face. The NCW's activism has contributed significantly towards the reduction of honor killings in rural areas of North India. In June 2010, the Supreme Court of India issued notices to the Central Government and six states including Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan to take preventive measures against the social evil. My question is that: Can not they feel and see where the happiness of their children lies? Why is this social barrier above the life of anyone? Why can not anyone live and think independently beyond these hollow traditions prevailing since centuries and followed with blind eyes?

Sexual Exploitation Against Women

We are increasingly finding incidents of rape in our country. Now with political figures being involved in rape accusations the issue has reached alarming proportions. Do you feel the existing laws are adequate to protect women? Everyday on opening the newspaper we got a news of rape ,and very rarely the news of rape victim being held and given punishment. This is somewhat unnatural gives a feeling that rape is very pious act and everybody should perform it. Its the most ridiculous thing that the social servants whom we select as our representatives and the policemen whom are considered as savior are getting in highlights for these case. The existing law is sufficient to handle the situation if it is being implemented properly. If police is ready to perform their duty honestly, If doctors are not changing

their reports just for money or to give favor to one party ,and the main cause of worry is the politicians are giving protection to the accused .Who are meant for upraising our voice the are suppressing that only for their ego or benefit. Rape is a crime on judicial level but more on social level but our society punishes victim but not accused. For example a boy held for rape can get married easily compared to a girl which is raped. This mentality is more dangerous than the inefficiency of judicial system.The cases of rape should be preferred more to get the result soon.They should be given the dates with priority because every day accused and victim both are getting harresed mentally and socially. The one major improvement already been happen that hearing of these cases are not attempted publically. The involvement of public figures in these cases is degrading the image of assembly and people are much afraid that person holding such position can indulge in such a disgusting act. This is sending very wrong message to the society and scenario is getting more worse. This is also degrading the image of our country at international level.As per my view is concerened law is sufficient to handle these cases but one implementation can be done that person held guilty for rape case is holding any political position he should be punished more than the others. Though this looks bit polarized form of law but when the crime is polarized then the same is law.

Capital Punishment
Capital punishment as is believed is the most gruesome and direct punishment that the law can award. And from the guilty to the punisher all ears stand as the term visualizes. For the guilty it is the end of his life. For the judge it is a stance of utmost caution, as the punishment must go for the rare of the rare rest crimes. For the public it is a mixed reaction. For some offering their hats off to the judge for the measure it took to award justice, for some it is a gross violation of ones rights. As a member of public, I naturally find myself concerned about the death penalty. And though people may differ that the provision of awarding death punishment should be continued. My this conclusion rests on two arguments. First the very process awarding death sentence, In recent years as the situations have changed drastically, judiciary has become more and more restrained in awarding death sentence. This instance can be understood by the decision given in case of Swami Sharadhanand v State of Karnataka where honble supreme court itself gave the judgment that death sentence be awarded in only rare of the rarest case. Even the fact that only one execution has taken place since 1995 is sufficient enough to show the ground reality of the death penalty. And as are far as any jurist is concerned then keeping in mind the principles of basic jurisprudence, equity and good conscience. He would agree that death sentences are in consonance with the very idea of justice. My second argument is the need of having a death penalty, the death penalty is not just any other ordinary sentence. It is the last arrow present in the quiver of the judiciary. More than punishing it is the deterrent effect that it possesses. And if law is denied the privilege of this, then there will be little law can do then to award imprisonment, whether it is any crime. Take the case of Aamir Ajmal Kasab. Would it not be a laughing case when a man guilty of such an act is left without a strict punishment, which would also serve as a lesson for others. Also it might be there that if he is not hanged, then an another IC- 814 is hijacked and the demand that is made is of Kasab. So it is very important to keep the tradition of death sentence continued. Now to the question as to whether India should continue the death sentence or not. I would definitely say that it would be in the best interest if India continues the death sentence. As the amnesty international itself points out , the record of India while awarding death sentence has been very clean. While in countries like Iran, China and Egypt death sentence is a tool for silencing dissidents and opponents, there is no such case in India. Moreover we are often accused of being soft on terror. Then the abolishment of death sentence if not directly then indirectly will encourage the terrorists to strike at will, for they will be assured that even when they are caught they will be the guests of India and any day one of their accomplice will attack the jail and free them off. Keeping in mind all of these I can say that death sentence should be continued in India.

Reality Shows
Influence of Reality shows on youngsters. How they affect the moral fabric of the society Reality Shows- Yes they have become the greatest find in Television Industry in the present century. A jackpot to make viewers glued to their sets unaware of time or the sensibility of what they are viewing .Kaun Banega Crorepati might have been a start for this ingenious Drama involving household characters ,the girl next door or anyone to whom you can relate the common audience. But a lot was in the pipeline. The success of these shows lie in the simple ingenious formula of

creating real life situations .For once Indian audience was relieved to get out of the Saas Bahu traumas and the larger- than life characters of daily soaps. They were happy to get a view into other peoples lives. Into their household, their privacy. And when celebrities volunteered to open up the masks, stand raw in front of the camera depicting their natural colors, what more can the audience ask for? When these shows succeeded in getting TRPs their concepts became weirder and wilder! Use of abusive language and vulgarity dominated these shows. The impact of such scenes on the younger generation is a social concern. Shows like Emotional Athyachaar Sach Ka Samna and the like have caused relations to split, family ties to wither. Indian cultures are eroding. We hear this day in and day out. And what is happening in the society is only being depicted in the visuals. Jobs in MNCs, easy access to money , night clubs ,discos Yes westernization is welcomed with open arms. Teenage affairs, live-in relationships, break-ups, extensive use of drugs and alcohol consumption. These are all pointing to the low morale of the younger generation. When the Supreme Court legalized live-in relationships westernization has almost got a legal sanction. We may feel these privileges are available only to the upper class societies who are more exposed to the changing trends. But media only worsens the harm by providing a tainted image of the new generation to the general public. As it has always been debated Media has its good and evil. Visual media has a very strong impact on the viewers. And hence they have a moral obligation to the society while screening such programs. Privatisation of National media may have allowed a wide variety of programs for the viewer but it has also increased publicizing immoral and irrelevant content without censoring. And such contents are offered to a wide range of audience ranging from children to teenagers to adults. Influence of Reality shows on youngsters. How they affect the moral fabric of the society Children and youngsters are influenced the most with these shows. As their counter-parts are shown in national television due to their break-up with their partner, or when someone does a loyalty test on his/her partner publicly, the conclusion we can draw is 'In today's era publicity has greater value over personal relations and commitments. The deterioration of morality among youngsters are clearly depicted in these shows and even if a part of them will be scripted and hoax, it will only generate a negative influence on the viewer who is obviously attracted by the concept of easy publicity. When the reality show 'Big Boss' had a high dose of abusive language and visuals which were marked as adult content the court ordered its time slot to be made after 11p.m clearly pointing at the bad impact such shows will have on the younger generation. But the order was soon revoked and the show continued to be telecast during its normal hours. I believe Information and Broadcast Ministry has a huge role to play in curbing the telecast of such socially irrelevant and abusive shows, keeping a check on their content. The entertainment media as a whole has a moral obligation to the society. Their role in imbibing cultural values among youth is inevitable. And when such a responsibility is not taken up the entire moral fabric of the country is disturbed. Breaking the usual norms youngsters should come forward and protest their telecast. As it is they who are mocked and used in these shows to gain TRPs. Your private life being a reason of mirth and entertainment for millions is not something to be proud of. As youngsters we have a responsibility to the country. Being part of a multi- lingual, multi-faceted culture and history is our greatest blessing. We need to preserve these values and imbibe only the virtues of other cultures. Hope the media realize their role in this mission and telecast only shows that upheld the dignity and integrity of our culture.

2G Scam
First CWG, then 2G scam and now one called S band scam threatens to be even bigger than first two. What is your take on corruption and what kind of steps should be taken to ensure transparent and clean governance? Corruption is a major problem facing all the countries across the globe in general and India in particular. Corruption is sure to mar the future of any country, developed or developing and sucks the blood of even the law abiding citizens. Its important to know that corruption is a part of development. No country can altogether do away with corruption. It exists in different forms in different countries. Can we say that China, an emerging superpower or U.S.A, a leading superpower is corruption free? No while public drinking water is corrupted in China, other manifestations of corruption prevail in U.S too. But do we hear about the corruption in China as frequently as that in India? No. It is not because of the magnitude of corruption but because of the fact that there is censorship in China

whereas in India, there is no such ban on the media as a result of which they convert a mole hill into a mountain. It is only when we do some research about the countries that we find out about the corruption there while the corruption in India is projected by the media throughout the world. It is high time that India should take adequate steps to prevent corruption lest the future of our country should be in danger. The greed to come to power makes politicians corrupt as they use illegal ways to build their vote banks. Corruption does indicate or signify our demise it is our passport to the future because by preventing corruption, India can attain great heights. So.now is the time to start our battle, a battle against corruption. Corruption can be substantially reduced by creating awareness amongst people. India is a democratic country where people have the right to speech. Citizens of India should be encouraged to raise their voice against the corrupt politicians. A strong judiciary is indispensible for a corruption free country. Judiciary should be independent and free of any external influence. It should be capable of taking strong action against the corrupt politicians. While severe punishment is given to a poor village officer when he takes a bribe of Rs10, politicians who cheat the public and earn crores are many a time let free by the court of law. They should be given rigorous imprisonment as instead of representing the public they are exploiting the poor people who have put them in power with a lot of hope and desire. Another way to stop corruption is to avoid the coalition form of governance. A single party must be allowed to rule the country independently without seeking the support of innumerous minor parties. In the notorious 2G spectrum case, the accused, A. Raja is a representative of DMK which is supporting the congress. In such a situation, an able and efficient prime minister like Manmohan Singh could not take action but had to inadvertently support him as otherwise they would have withdrawn their support and thus follows an utter rout for the congress. All the citizens of India should come together and strongly fight against corruption. Now it is only we, who can stop such injustice. We can play our little part by creating awareness amongst the people and thus paving the way for a new INDIA JAI HIND.

Supermarkets
Today India is shining on the world map. It enjoys the privilege of being one of the fastest growing economies. This robust and sound economic growth which has made India a cynosure among developing countries is sustained by retail sector to a large extent. RETAIL SECTOR AND ITS IMPORTANCE IN OUR ECONOMY Retail sector is a market for people of all classes whether rich or poor. Retail sector to a large extent comprises of small time traders, pavement vendors, small store owners and the like. They cater to the demands of both the affluent as well as low income groups by providing a variety of goods and services at affordable prices. Retail sector is also a major source of income and livelihood to a large section of population. It is a broad economic forum that provides new avenues of employment opportunities and entrepreneurship to the youth as well as to the vast uneducated and unskilled workforce of our country. Thus retail sector is indispensable in our economy. Till now small time traders operating in open markets had enjoyed monopoly in this sector. But today their unrivalled and undisputed position is being challenged by the emergence of a new business enterprise-the supermarkets. SUPERMARKETS-A RETAIL OUTLET FORNEW CLASS OF CUSTOMERS Supermarkets are newly established market phenomenon in our country which came into existence after Liberalization. These provide a variety of goods and services under one roof. These have received immense customer response in a very short span of time. After Liberalization, the markets of our country were opened to global competitiveness. Our economy was exposed to an unprecedented level of opportunities. Tremendous FDI inflow and outsourcing to Multinational Companies have generated a lot of capital in the economy. At the same time to compete and assert ourselves in the global market our economy adapted to new methods of working which aim at maximizing efficiency of production processes through technological and with minimum investment. So the goods and services sector such as manufacturing and IT which could cater to these new demands received a major thrust in our economic planning. The new found capital was utilized in creation of IT parks, SEZ, infrastructure development and for industrial expansion. All this helped in generation of massive employment opportunities among the skilled youth and educated middle class. So, now the capital has passed on into the hands of the middle

class. As a result their purchasing power also increased. With this new found buying power there has been a drastic change in the tastes and preferences of consumers from price-linked to quality and value linked product and services. At the same time there has been a dramatic shift in the cultural trend among people especially among generation-Y and middle aged groups who have been exposed to western ideology in the wake of Globalization. Today joint family has been replaced by nuclear family as a result of industrialization, globalization and liberalization. People aspire to lead a life of comfort and luxury. Both husband and wife work for higher earnings. This has increased the pace of life and essence of value of time. This lifestyle demands services that keep up with the pace and offer convenience and value. This is where the supermarkets come in. Their concept of providing all quality goods and services at the same place fits proudly into this newly formed culture. So, supermarkets cater to the needs of the newly rising urban middle class. The success of supermarkets threatens to shatter the age-old foundation of our retail sector governed mostly by small time traders and shop owners. SUPERMARKETS-A THREAT TO UNORGANISED RETAIL-MYTH OR REALITY Supermarkets tend to exploit the principle of comparative cost advantage. The enhance the sale of their products by offering quality and branded commodities at discount rates and also by the introduction of several new incentive schemes to attract the customers. Any small retailer in the vicinity of supermarket offering inferior products with higher prices will face immense competition from it and find it exceedingly difficult to survive his business in the market. Availability of and access to credit and capital help the supermarkets to implement and exploit technological benefits which remain far from the reach of small store owners mostly on the account of lack of sufficient credit. This helps supermarkets to gain an upper hand over the small retailers. Availability of huge financial resources also help supermarkets to offset any initial operating costs and losses. As compared to supermarkets the capital required to set up a small retail shop is very small as well as its operating costs are also low. But a small store owner lacks the requisite capital necessary to survive in the market in the event of heavy losses. Small store owners obtain their commodities for sale mostly from distributors of wholesale markets at a bargained price. The small retailers then sell these products and services to customers and earn a marginal profit. However the process of retail consolidation which supermarkets are increasingly undertaking is likely to hurt small retailers. This is because supermarkets demand massive sales volume of manufacturers and distributors. So the distributors would be more willing to cater to the demands of supermarkets rather than small retailers. Supermarkets have better storage facilities and an efficient transport system that enables them to ensure speedy and effective distribution of goods and services in a cost-effective and economical manner. Small retailers especially in wetmarkets that comprise of subji mandis are at a greater disadvantage in this context as they have to supply perishable commodities like fruits and vegetables with no storage system available at their disposal. The emergence of supermarkets or organized retail has definitely increased the level of competition. It has also challenged the livelihood of small retailers to certain extent. But the organized retail as identified by malls, multiplexes, supermarkets and hypermarkets is still at nascent stage in India. Unlike the developed economies where organized retail has replaced small traders and shop owners, the retail sector in our country is still dominated by small retailers. So it is imprudent to conclude that our retail sector in coming years would eventually succumb to the dominance of organized retail. There are several aspects of the unorganized retail comprising of small retailers and customer psyche that need to be considered before we make any conclusion. 1. The small retailers have begun to adapt to the changing market scenario and in tune with customer tastes and preferences. To attract the customers they have introduced several innovative services such as telephone order for various commodities, home delivery and even procurement of branded items on demand for customers. Long-term association with customers due to provision of such facilities helps to develop a bond of loyalty with them. Such customers are not easily drawn towards supermarkets. 2. The small retailers have also learnt to focus on customer/product niches where the can add value where large retail chains cannot. These include sale of goods and services such as medicines, gifts and greeting cards that customers require unexpectedly and immediately. So, they prefer to buy from their nearest retailer rather than from a distant supermarket.

3. Customer psyche also plays a pivotal role towards their orientation towards a particular type of market. Most of the middle income groups which are the potential targets of supermarkets believe that such big retail chains are expensive. So, they usually stick to their small retailers. In regard to food items, most Indians have a habit of procuring fresh food products rather than processed and packaged items. So, here the small grocery vendors who replenish their stock on a daily basis have an upper edge over supermarkets. 4. Supermarkets usually flout that their major customers are the affluent. But the reality is that a majority of rich people have a tendency to send their servants to markets to fetch for their day-to-day necessities. The servants usually feel intimidated by supermarkets. So, they turn to their friendly neighbourhood Kirana store. 5. Rural India turns to small retailers for its necessities. Rural areas have yet remained untouched from supermarkets. So, what we see is that our unorganized retail consisting of small retailers is evolving to meet the new challenges of present scenario. This sector is here to stay. STRENGTHENING THE UNORGANISED RETAIL Supermarkets have been able to strengthen their roots in our country because these are the need of the hour. These are essential to meet the challenges of changing lifestyle of people in modern time. In India supermarkets are still in a blossoming stage. However in future there are ample opportunities for its expansion. But at the same time we must also understand that supermarkets present a significant challenge to the livelihood of small time traders and shop owners that form a major part of our unorganized retail sector. These are mostly low and middle income groups. Their expulsion from the market by the dominance of supermarkets can have serious social ramifications in the form of increased unemployment and perpetuation of poverty. In the light of this, we must strengthen our unorganized retail by ensuring better access to credit from banks and microfinance institutions, modernization of wetmarkets such as mandis through public private partnership, providing better infrastructure facilities and promoting new innovative market strategies to small retailers to enable them to compete effectively. At the same time we must also regulate the expansion of supermarkets. Supermarkets and small retailers can co-exist in harmony if we generate a conducive environment for their growth. Its benefit would eventually fall upon the customers who would be able to enjoy the fruits of both the market systems.

Cricket
Introduction It is an open impression by a fanatic cricket scientist "if cricket is religious in the world,sachin is god"a man of phenomenal human qualities of sachin tendulkar can be a god or not with common sense ,truly cricket has patronised itself as no less than a religion,that nurtures its followers as all other religions do in india. it is that because the other sports too like cricket too deserves a status of respect,if not like a fan following religion cricket is made out to be has gone in for asylum speeking outside india,because of the treatment meted out to it.however, it is conspicuously yes . and partially no.hence from the voice of an endangered cult of other sports,these sports too deserves its 'primordial' respect and status like cricket through amicable approach,development and research with well attention paid to it.it is not a non-achievable task to step aback, thinking the whooping profit we may not succeeding by marching outside cricket,but a relentless movement that needs bees' like co-operation to shape such sports'future like its honey professionally from its nesting for an unbiased common sports culture and practise in india. An Inclusive Approach : An inclusive approach of institutions that educates sports has to imparted and socially patronised by many 'altruist' hearts of sports lovers from every spheres of life can empower and encourage such sports from swiming outside the 'ocean of cricket' above its thumping tides in manovering their sheer survival. Such a change of culture and custom in the common practise of sports frrom the billion hearts in india can overpower the island sports alongside cricket in taking on the sole imperialism of cricket galatta in india.even a nudge to cricket can be spared to uphold the sovereignity of other sports than cricket,for its domination can be viewed only for the sheer survival of all other sports alongside cricket,in particular.

India Home to All Sports: Hence a mobilised institutions,that enlarges the scope of such other sports of suppression to ponder away cricket with robust'unharmful' radiation of confidence achievable through its hardwork and results,and research can create a india that divulge a single sport hegemony rather help in nurturing an amicable atmosphere in the indian sky,that ensues All other sports alike cricket in embarking on the sports, of 'career coloured with adventures and achievements'.

Anna Hazare's Movement Against Corruption

Corruption is a major problem that contemporary India is facing. It has affected almost all sections of Indian society; defence, medical, housing, telecom, postal, agriculture and sports. High profile politicians, bureaucrats, police officers and other high-ranking officials are involved in it. It is killing the country slowly and steadily. In the middle of such widespread corruption, it is very heartening to find Anna Hazare fighting against it. Though many people will disagree with me, I support his cause because Jan Lokpal Bill if implemented will give teeth to fight corruption effectively. It will acts as an effective deterrent against corruption. Investigation of any corruption case will be initiated and completed within one year and those guilty will be punished within two years. Lokpal will even have the power to persecute corrupt politicians. There will be no interference from politicians and bureaucrats as it will be an independent body like Supreme Court and Election Commission. Therefore, the bill if enacted will act as the most potent weapon in the war against corruption. However, the Lokpal Bill proposed by the government in 2010 insulates the politicians from any kind of action against it. In the light of such development, Anna demands the institution of a committee that includes fifty percent officials and the remaining citizens and intellectuals to draft the bill. He begins his fasting that compels the government to form a joint committee to draft the bill. However, this is not the first case of his anti-corruption campaign. In 1994, he campaigned against corruption in the forest department in Maharashtra; and again in the late 1990s two BJP ministers had to resign from the Shiv-Sena following his campaign. In all his campaign, he adopts fasting unto death as a means to pursue his demand. The question that arises is whether it is constitutional to force the government to enact a law by threat of death. The Indian constitution mandates that state should protect the life of every citizen (article 21) and in this case that of Anna Hazare, who blackmail the government to fulfil his demand. Satyagraha, civil disobedience, non-cooperation and fast unto death are unconstitutional because they are not included in any part of Indian constitution as a means to address our grievances. Let us recall the last speech of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar in the Constituent Assembly on November 25, 1949, which stated that unconstitutional methods like Satyagraha must be abandoned when constitutional methods are available. However, if we claim that the means adopted by Anna is legitimate, and then another set of question arises Can any group of people thinking that a bill should be pass go on the threat of collective suicide if the action is not carried out? If the answer is, yes, then it would deprive the population from free and fair debate about the law and it will nullify the utility of the Parliament. This led us to another question, Can India protest against unjust laws? Yes, every Indian can protest unjust laws. They are provided with freedom of speech and expression (article 19). Besides, they can approach the judiciary to address their grievances. Those are the constitutional forms available to lodge our protest. Thus, the method adopted by Anna Hazare is unconstitutional at least from the point of Indian Constitution. The main theme of the movement i.e. anti-corruption is welcomed by everyone because corruption is slowly sucking the blood of this country. It is also constitutional, as the Parliament has passed the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988. Nevertheless, the method adopted by Anna Hazare may be effective, but it is not constitutional. To protest is an integral part of democracy and is one thing, while blackmailing the government and forcing it to act according to ones wish is another thing.

Is Obesity a growing concern in India?

In this century, people have become used to the fast paced life. This lifestyle change is, not only causing negative effects on their health, body and mind but also, becoming a cause of many chronic and cardiovascular diseases. Among these, the obesity is turning out to be a growing concern in the worlds population. Overweight and obesity were first considered a problem of rich countries only,

but now they have become a concern in poor countries also. India is not an exception to them and there are rising numbers of people in middle-class that are obese. India is following rising trends in obesity. With the industrialization, the country is becoming richer and the citizens are becoming obese and seeking medical help. People do not want to walk and prefer to drive to work. Rich people Statistics show that the country is on the urge of becoming a nation with more than half of its population being obese or suffering weight related illnesses and diseases. People are attracted towards processed foods. A lot of the Indian population has started relying on processed food which contains a huge percentage of Trans fat, sugars, and other unhealthy and artificial ingredients. The fat build up in a persons body may cause them to suffer from chronic diseases and severe illnesses.A few years ago operations and surgeries were not needed because people were active and did not rely on processed food. These days plastic surgeons and doctors are in high demand to perform surgeries to make a person look slimmer and prevent their bodies against diseases. People in this era have no time to exercise due to their busy schedule. Many who want to exercise dont have time to due to the commitments they have made. People need to start managing their time accordingly so they have some time of their busy life devoted for exercising. They need to make an agenda for the day and find some time which they can use to exercise. Another reason why obesity is a concern is due to alcohol and drugs. Much of the population is not aware of the side effects of alcohol and drugs. We need to educate people about the negative effects of drugs on ones body. Substance abuse can lead to obesity and cause chronic diseases. The government in India should start implementing their concerns for obesity in schools. Children these days are not aware of the diseases obesity can cause. We need to increase child awareness in India and start helping the ones who have chosen the come path to come back on track. As a nation we can help those who have took unhealthy decisions by spreading the word and starting new organizations which would go help people in the community lose weight. Residents in India should stop going to fat food restaurants and eating food there. We need to stand together and stop the build up of new fast food franchise in our community so the residents wont have to face the consequences which affect their health. Eating a little amount of fast food in a month is okay for the body but not every day or every two weeks. People need to realize that all this fat will block their blood arteries and they may suffer from illnesses and chronic diseases. There are lots of ways to reduce obesity. One of them is that one should eat a fruit salad instead of eating sweets. Sweets are high in sugar and glucose. Another is to eat more green vegetables. There are lots of foods that have low levels of fat which people would enjoy eating. To stop this increase of obesity in India people need to take action about it at an earlier stage. Everyone should exercise daily and eat healthy food. Even stress sometimes is related to obesity. A person should always be relaxed and not stress out about a little concern. Eat healthy, stay fit, and feel fresh!