Use of heater in a closed room is a big health hazard!

There are certain very trivial areas which people don’t realise in their day today life, and these are the aspects which are very much related to the routine of the persons in general. One such instance is the use of heater in the winter when it is too cold like it is these days in North India. People use heaters to brow beat the chilly weather and, with a view to ensuring that the hot currents of it don’t go outside the room so that its effect is not reduced, they keep the concerned room tightly closed. Such a practice disallows a consumer the necessary oxygen intake which may result into a serious health hazard, as in the absence of the required oxygen in the room becomes a cause of suffocation. There are instances when the persons concerned died on this count. Just a simple precaution as suggested above may very well save the lives.

Technorati Tags: winter,closedroom,heater,precaution,people in general

Yet another suggestion to punish the rapist(s)!

After New Delhi gang rape occurrence in the very capital of India, there are plenty of proposals on the method of punishment to the perpetrators of the gang rape coming forth from different quarters including the suggestions the readers of my another blog ‘Avenues’ made in the shape of their comments, necessary link of which is given below. They are like this:

• The perpetrators of the rape be awarded the penalty of death forthwith.
• They be rendered impotent to experience the crime themselves.
• They should (in the form of a wish) get their rebirth as women so that they could realise as to what sort of tortures the rape victims have to undergo.
• They be awarded life imprisonment in the meantime rendering them impotent to experience the miseries of victims life themselves on day today basis till the last moment they are alive.
• They be thrown to wild dogs to get chased, bitten, smitten, and eaten with their flesh in pieces devoured by them, as per practice obtaining in certain places in the olden days.

The last one is the latest as suggested by Azam Khan, a cabinet rank Minister in Uttar Pradesh (India) only the other day holding the view that Shariat already has a provision like this. Although this sounds crude and cruel, this too is not enough, even if all the penalties as mentioned above are awarded all together at a stretch, to meet the quantum of punishment the perpetrators of rape, more so a gang rape, deserve in real terms.

Link: http://uppermost.me/2012/12/25/new-delhi-gangrape-case-that-shook-the-country/ 

Technorati Tags: rape,gangrape,women,rapists,crimes,punishment

A noble mission getting adulterated!

The anti New Delhi gangrape campaign started on quite a powerful note with public emerging in big crowds to protest against the ghastly act so perpetrated only some days back in the capital of India appears now to have been diverted to different proportions, as was feared. The very missionary zeal with which it got a take off as a result of collective conscience of the people stands polluted with mischief elements playing their game from the back ground, the possibility that some professional politicians are behind this fishing in troubled waters can’t be ruled out. As I already wrote in my earlier post on the other blog necessary link of which is given below, the very start of the protest was in a very positive order without any prejudice, political or otherwise, successfully moving forward unhindered. Looks like anti social elements are now playing a mischievous role in a disguised manner. This is awe fully unfortunate for a movement which was basically a need of the occasion. The very outsider elements, let us wish, keep themselves off the scene enabling the independent protesters to take the movement to the desired heights.

Link: http://uppermost.me/2012/12/23/rapistswhy-not-render-them-impotent/

Technorati Tags: antisocialelements,movement,agitation,mission,gangrape,newdelhi

Smriti Irani is ‘Thumkewali’, says Sanjai Nirupam!

With a purpose to demean her integrity and dignity, Sanjai Nirupam of Congress Party at Mumbai, called Smriti Irani as thumkewali the other day. No wonder, as politicians always feel that they are a lot who can speak any thing any where against any body. The utterance gains more of a notice as this is what Sanjai Nirupam said when he was taking part in a rally aimed at defending women’s rights and safety. The adjective thumkewali is normally used in conjunction with kothewali (mostly the joy girls in red light area at Mumbai). The present day cinema is full of thumkewalis/ thumkewalas, and the list includes people  like Govinda, who is a Member of Parliament, and Rekha, who also is an M.P. (Member, Rajya Sabha). Sanjai Nirupam is known well, particularly in Mumbai, for his active association with different artists in Bollywood several of whom are only thumkewalis/ thumkewalas. Smriti Irani has been a TV artist of great repute besides later joining the politics. She is much sober a woman commanding dignity and respect. As a person in politics, she is held in more of a respect than Sanjai Nirupam himself. If he aimed at insulting Smriti Irani by calling her different names, he is just mistaken, as people in general are the judge who actually know as to who is what. Behave yourself, Sanjai Nirupam.

Technorati Tags: rekha,govinda,thumkewali,thumkewala,cinema

Yoga Vs. ancient Hindu beliefs:

Yoga is an ancient science and apparently has no direct relationship with any religion, leave alone Hinduism. Recently in a Clifornia (USA) school a row was triggered with the contention raised by some parents of the students that it was some Hindu faith which was being propagated in the name of yoga classes. What could it be?. Yoga is a scientifically based exercise aimed at certain kriyas and asanas. In Dhyanyog, however, the people are taught to concentrate on the Gods of their faith and belief based on the religion which they belong to, not necessarily Hinduism. It definitely varies from religion to religion. Not the Gods alone, the yoga teachers suggest that it could be any object or an individual which interests the concerned persons most. This emphasis is laid on the consideration that a thing, an object or a person who interests the yoga practitioner much more than any thing else is always capable of generating necessary meditational dimensions with a better concentration. Other practices which are taught in yoga are mostly physical exercises from the view point of physical and mental health. Envisaging or attributing any teaching on some religion or the other is just out of question. May be there are some people who are too smart to define yoga as some thing of the nature of some religious pursuit, but it just looks utopian as this too has nothing to do with yoga in any manner. Yoga, in itself, is divine and serene, and it is much above any religious prejudices.

Technorati Tags: yoga,meditation,concentration,religion,purssuit

Incentives for pregnant women–What does it mean?

Motherhood is a bliss and naturally so is for the women to get pregnant. It is something what a woman cherishes most. It’s, in a way, a divine ecstasy. But this very phenomenon, when read in the context of an explosive population growth in India, turns out to be a problematic area. Promoting health care awareness and offering incentives in that context is quite noble a gesture on the part of the concerned people in governance, but this has to be parallely followed by necessary measures on the front of awe-fully growing population scenario in India. Such a growth has already gone out of proportions and, if not timely checked, this menace is most likely to go out of control.

Some I.T. industries in Bangalore (India) recently came out with sumptuous incentives to the pregnant women workers in their organisations providing them transport till such time the pregnancy continues plus additional health care provisions including some cash incentives. Well done, but what about curbing the population growth? Some positive measures on that count are urgently warranted.

Technorati Tags: population,incentives,measures,control,checkup,healthcare

Agitation by unions for and against reservation:

This looks strange but is true that the two sets of Uttar Pradesh Government employees launched a massive agitational programme with one of them doing it to oppose the reservation bill under discussion in Parliament, and the other one doing it in support of the move. It happens often that different unions in an organisation don’t have unanimity on certain industrial issues and accordingly their  modes of agitation are different, but a situation like unions fighting against each other on the same issue with divergent views is just so peculiar. One group even worked four hours extra expressing their support to pro reservation in promotions bill. It was a different matter that their strength was only negligible. The group opposing the reservation was virtually able to paralyse the work in different offices of the U.P. Government. Even senior officers of the SDM (Sub-Divisional Magistrate) rank joined the move. Situation, as reported by the media, appears to be the same in other states of the country also offering stiff resistance against the additionally proposed reservation in promotions too besides the one that already is in existence on job reservation.

Technorati Tags: reservation,agitation,unions,promotions,seniorofficers

Reservations–Can sky be the limit?

Reservation in promotions was the issue on which the Parliament of the country was in a total pandemonium continuously for days together. Reservations for whom? Is it not for the people who have already enjoyed its fruits for the last sixty years, many of whom have become high income islanders by now with sumptuously rich pockets of wealth amongst their family members? Reservation on jobs is already there continuing for more than six decades extending the benefit to backward communities including S/Cs and S/Ts. As if this is not enough, and there is a demand that reservation of the type like this be extended in the matters of promotional opportunities. Proposal so mooted out by Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati in the Parliament got endorsed by Bhartiya Janta Party with the condition that efficiency aspect be given the due weightage. What does it actually mean? Efficiency is not just the physical efficiency meant for an acrobatics or a wrestling bout, it is more a matter of mental capacity which forms the merit element. Let there be some reservation on merit itself if it is within the reach of the political biggies. Merit is a divine factor, it just can’t be procured through some legislation or enactment. Compromising merit means compromising developmental activities. Developmental activities, if compromised, lead to a situation where the country goes to dogs, and entire progress is doomed. The clamour and any hue and cry for further reservation is bound to create an irreparable gulf amongst the different communities which are innumerable in India. Such a cry is completely outmoded in the context of unity and unanimity on various issues confronting the country. Any reservation beyond what is already there is most unwanted. Right of equality in fact demands that even the existing one also be reviewed applying all the benefits equitably to all the communities in the country. I request the readers to also peruse the contents of the link given below:

Link: http://uppermost.me/2012/12/16/behave-yourselves-ye-parliamentarians/ 

Technorati Tags: communities,reservation,equality,parliament,mayawati

Provident Fund on full salary:

A circular has since been issued by the Employees Provident Fund Organisation to the effect that deduction of Provident Fund from the salary of the employees be henceforth be done by computing provident fund on full salary inclusive of all the allowances payable to them as against the current practice of calculating it on the basis of basic pay+dearness allowance only. The decision so taken sounds apparently to be laudable but it may not give the employees any benefit of increase in their actual take home salary, this shall rather be reduced as a result of more amount being deducted as provident fund. Saving wise, it is alright, but any cut made in the salary by terming it as a compulsory saving for the employees may hardly mean any thing in days to come on the face of the fact that value of money is getting deteriorated every day as a matter of inflation, rather hyper inflation, which is so rampant.

Technorati Tags: providentfund,salariedclass,deduction,allowances,inflation

Payments by cheques to be more secure effective from the New Year:

It’s a good news for the customers of different banks that their transactions through cheques shall now be more secure and feasible in terms of the new guide lines issued by the Reserve Bank of India. This arrangement is likely to be in practice with effect from 1st January’2013. To facilitate transaction in more safe a  manner, the new cheque book series will have to be used replacing the old one. Bankers have already started contacting their customer to apprise them of the new change. The new cheque books are to be supplied by the respective bankers free of cost to their customers on their home address. The customers who do not receive such cheque books, may have to collect the same from their bank concerned without any extra payment. These new cheque books are being issued in terms of Cheque Truncation System which ensures more of safety and security. The old cheques will not be accepted after 31st December’2012 and they will have to be readdressed. This system under the new scheme is also supposed to expedite payments presently done through clearing as the relative transaction shall be put through the same day. The collection of cheques through clearing system presently takes around a week’s time. As it looks now, the transaction through cheques is certainly likely to be feasibly convenient to the customers.

Technorati Tags: cheques,collection,clearing,customers,chequetruncationsystem,banks

Back to barefoot:

Much earlier the people used to be advised that they should always move with their shoes on in their legs for the reason that there was every chance of some infection or the other occurring to them if they moved bare footed. This advice has since undergone big changes for health reasons. With the exception of those who otherwise suffer from diabetes or are highly vulnerable to infection because of some serious ailment, people in the normal cases need not, rather should not, prefer to keep their shoes in their toes all the time they are on a move outside or even in their house hold. The preachers of Yoga very often suggest that the use of shoes should be the minimal most for the reason that it is of much advantage health wise to walk bare footed to the extent one can afford. This energises the body veins ending at the toe points including heels generating an equitable circulation of blood from toe to head as a result of a modest pressure starting from the paws and the heals going upward to skull. More stress is accordingly laid on walking bare footed to the extent one can feasibly manage.

Technorati Tags: yoga,barefooted,walking,health,toes,skull,head,energise,manage

On obesity:

Obesity is much worse than a curse if not taken care of timely. The root cause behind several ailments is only obesity. To inculcate necessary awareness on obesity, there are obesity days observed in different places. In fact it is not enough to observe any particular day as such as the need is more on the part of the individuals concerned themselves to include it in their discipline of routines. It is diabetes, blood pressure, heart problems or several other ailments affecting most adversely the whole body system, behind every thing in most of the cases it is obesity which works as a deterrent negatively damaging different physical organs. If obesity is duly checked, it is easy and feasible to control other organs in the body in tact. Some normal level exercises play much of a role in keeping obesity under control. Walking and Yoga are the most convenient modes of physical exercise, and resorting to them is not a difficult  task. Remedy lies more in the hands of the persons concerned than medicinal treatment given by the doctors. With necessary will, any individual can adopt the regimen of moderate exercise and this duly takes care of the obesity.

Technorati Tags: yoga,walking,exercise,modes,routine,health,obesity

Banks–another user friendly device on Mobiles:

Thanks to tough competition amongst the bankers as this is what forces them to mechanise one system after the other preceded by an otherwise large scale computerisation in almost all banks. The latest device so made available to the customers by them is in relation to quick access to their accounts through any mobile which step is certainly a matter of appreciation. What the account holders are required to do is to just dial *99# to get access to their respective account, know their balance, transfer funds or make a requisition for a new cheque book. The mechanism so applied through mobile phones is just simple and user friendly. Since the device is an universal one under USSD (Unstructured Supplementary Service Data) platform, it is capable of directly connecting to the concerned bank’s server when *99# is dialled on a mobile phone. The system so evolved is likely to get implemented shortly in all banks throughout the country.

Technorati Tags: banks,device,mechanism,customers,accountholders,ussd

Let us admire Aditya, a 5 year old to swim across Yamuna!

A child aged hardly 5 years normally prefers to cling to his parents lap or keep around it or at the most play some child like games within the precincts of the house hold. Aditya of Allahabad proved himself to be an exception. He was courageous and strong enough to swim across the violent river Yamuna from Naini to Saraswati Ghat covering a water level distance of 900 metres. He has earned a prize for it. Aditya Chatterjee is the son of Subrat Chatterjee, who himself has been an outstanding swimmer securing a place in the Limca Book for his extra ordinary performance in swimming. Aditya is a worthy son of worthy father and the blood of a grand swimmer runs in his veins. He is sure to some day establish a record in swimming for himself illuminating not only the name of Allahabad, the city which he belongs to, but the country as a whole. We are proud of Aditya, and whole heartedly wish you to secure sumptuous laurels for you in days to come.

Technorati Tags: aditya,allahabad,swimming,extraordinary,yamuna,sports,indiabookofrecords

Shower of gifts–What does it indicate?

The Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh (India) Akhilesh Yadav remains all set all the time to most benevolently announce something or the other every now and then in the interest of the people in the State. His father, Mulayam Singh Yadav, during his regime as Chief Minister of the State for a record tenures of four times was never found to be that generous. The most often repeated excuse by him on that count was paucity of the needed funds. Where from these funds are coming presently is a matter of mystery. The very saying that ‘where there is a will there is a way’ might be applying here, but the question that arises here is as to why this sort of will was missing earlier, and why it has emerged only now. The guess of the common man is that it is definitely for a purpose –the purpose that his father Mulayam Singh Yadav is a potential candidate for Prime Ministership of India, where the major role has to be played by Uttar Pradesh, the State which offers maximum number of Members of Parliament, supposedly a big chunk of strength for the purpose during the elections due in 2014, which may even be held earlier in the event of the current Parliament being dissolved, possibility of which can not be ruled out as per ‘no confidence motion’ being a likelihood in its current session. It’s good that there are several gifts offered by the present government to the people of the State in various forms, but the tragedy is that the politicians are able to find out the necessary avenues for welfare of the public and development only when it benefits them some way or the other. They adjust their ‘will’ to suit their personal interest.

Technorati Tags: uttarpradesh,government,selfinterest,developments,will,funds,prime minister,welfare

Worshipping a two headed snake for good luck!

There are people who have faith that their Gods and Goddesses never discriminate between what is good and what is bad, they go by the desire of their devotees only. They respond to their devotees irrespective of good doings or bad doings, is the belief. Criminals are known for serving their Deities sumptuously well before they proceed to commit a crime with a view to get success in their targeted task. It is difficult to comprehend as to how the Deity behaves when a criminal and his concerned victim are both the devotees of the Lord.

Quite a few days back, as brought out by the media, a gang of robbers in Farrukhabad (India) was busted by the local police. On search, the police found a two headed snake from their possession. The snake known as a sand boa which is called a domuha saanp (two headed snake) in the rural areas is non poisonous but has the reputation of securing success to its devotees if served well by them. The criminals kept it with them on a regular basis and worshipped it before launching their targeted act with the faith that it will elicit them success. Such a snake they purchase from snake charmers at a high price. Criminals are criminals after all and for them any thing is good that serves their purpose including the heinous acts like loot and murder they commit, and so are Gods, including species like a snake, who, as they think, fall in line with them with their beck and call, whenever so needed. Practicing dogmatism has no end in the society we have.

Technorati Tags: snakes,boa,snakecharmers,criminals,deity,god,goddesses,dogmatism

It forms love if little weird

“

There are many a definitions of love given by innumerable persons in their own way from time to time and they continue changing fast every now and then from generation to generation. Love is eternal and so is its continual change. One such definition, as quoted above, looks to be somewhat a novel one, hence reproduced here.

Technorati Tags: love,eternal,definitions,generation,changing

Dearth of vultures–Problem for Parsees on their death rites!

The Parsees in India and elsewhere have zoroastrian faith according to which when some one dies in their family, the dead body of the person concerned is placed in the open to be consumed by vultures, and this they think is the best way of performing the death ritual. Such a ritual is called by them as ‘Tower of Silence’. There is now an environmental problem coming in their way of doing it. The vultures in states like Gujarat and Mumbai in India, where Parsees are in a bigger measure of population, are facing acute shortage of vultures whose number is dwindling day by day. This results into dead body of an individual particular Parsee family lying in the open for several days remaining unconsumed. As an alternative to this problem, the Parsees are now opting for other measures like cremation and burial of the dead body instead of dropping it in the open with emission of a bad smell for a longer time. Some hard necked orthodox Parsee families are opposed to it but majority of them are now going for burial and cremation as an option.

Technorati Tags: parsees,environment,culture,conservative,death,rituals,option,cremation,burial

Why the Railways can’t show bigger profits?

The basic source of revenue for the Railways emerges from the fare they charge from the passengers, besides of course the freight charges on transportation of different items of goods. The Railways charge from the passengers a hefty amount by way of selling tickets to them. As per news from the media, there was a record sale of tickets through online bookings only during the year 2011-2012 amounting to Rs.9,500/ crores. This figure does not include the fare realised on the counters of the Railways. One can well imagine as to how much total amount could have been if all the resources are taken into view in totality. There is always a statistical manoeuvring to indicate a loss to the Railways because their establishment cost is bigger than the revenue earned. This may not be correct. The question is where all the aforesaid resources and the revenue earned on them go?. Obviously, the Railways too are a major partner in corruption which is so rampant in the country as a whole. If there are no corrupt practices, there is every chance that the Railways may contribute much better in the matter of showing bigger profits.

Technorati Tags: railways,onlinereservation,freight,revenue,profit,corruption

Cancer is curable, say the doctors!

A dreaded disease like cancer is treatable, and as per studies made by experts in this area, it is curable to a great extent. Robotic Radio Surgery popularly known as cyber knife is the latest technique developed in this direction, as per media news. This technique is fully capable of locating the very spot in the body which is cancerous. It can remove any kind of tumour, malignant or even benign ones. Already recognized by Foods and Drugs Association (FDA) of America, this technique of cyber knife is growing in its popularity based on the satisfactory results of success it has elicited so far. The technique has been found much more functionable in the cases of kidney, lungs and lever cancer after an intensive research work done by the specialists by trying it on thousands of persons. It virtually works as a trusted ray of hope for cancer patients. Some more improvements in this direction are likely to occur soon, as say the researchers on the subject.

Technorati Tags: curable,cancer,tumour,treatment,research,patients

Story of a poor man who suffered from epilepsy:

A poor man in a tattered dress, a fragile figure and a shrunken look knocked the gate of my house some time back. My domestic helper called him in to me in my office. He had some pictures of movie stars and others in a small packet in his hand which were meant for a sale each costing Rs.3/-. He requested me to purchase one or two of them if not more. I was not interested, but I did develop an anxiety to know about his condition as he looked so disturbed and panicky. He told me:

“I lost my wife a few years back and was living with my son who abandoned me for the reason that I am a nuisance to him and his own family, suffer as I do from attacks of epilepsy every now and then. I was left with no option but to resort to begging, which my conscience didn’t permit me to do. A relative of mine helped giving me Rs.50/- out of which I bought some pictures from the road side sellers. I was eagerly waiting for some customer to buy pictures from me, but at the same time I had a fit of epilepsy falling down helplessly. When I was struggling with  my disease, some one grabbed my packet containing the pictures and disappeared. The road side seller from whom I had purchased the pictures earlier was kind enough to lend me 10 pictures at the rate of Rs.2/- each which I want to sell at the rate of Rs.3/-. This will save me some ten rupees by which I can buy some bananas at least to eat as I didn’t have any food for the last 2 days.”

I did not buy his pictures telling him to sell them some where else. I offered him food and gave Rs.100/ as a token of some help. I gave him some clothes also. All this brought a smile on his tearful face and I too felt much satiated that I could share his misery at least to a meagre extent. The thought that still haunts me is that there could be numerous such instances where the people in our country are suffering so helplessly like this with no body to worry for them, neither family, nor society, nor even the government.

Technorati Tags: poor,rich,abandoned,son,family,government,epilepsy.worry

Looks like they are better placed!

They are counted as shop keepers in the lower class supposedly earning an income hardly enough to meet their family needs. I am talking of a betel seller in a trolley sort of wooden shop by the side of some road or near some crossing or even around some temples. Look at the tiny shop with the betel seller sitting inside serving his customers and you may just have a feeling that this man may hardly be earning some limited money amounting to a few hundreds in a day for the sustenance of himself and his family. This is actually not the correct picture. The real picture is just quite different. One such betel seller told me that his average sale per day amounts to nearly Rs.5,000/, with gutka and paan  masala besides betels included and, as he himself confessed, his profit on sales is about 60%. The small wooden shop is his own, and that saves him any monthly rental. He has nothing to do with the Income tax department as supposedly he comes within the bracket of a low earner business man. Any other tax is all out of question. Investment wise, he has to do it just in a limited manner. He has better contacts as many an influential men turn up to his shop to enjoy betels. The banarasi paan is most popular a choice. If a salary earner happens to earn that much amount, tax collectors may make his life a hell sort of thing by chasing him like ghosts. In a way, a betel seller is much well placed compared to a salary earner.

Technorati Tags: betels,paanmasala,gutka,betelseller,woodenshop,investment

A positive move on curbing eve teasing:

Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh (India) deserves thanks for initiating certain measures directed to curbing the ever continuing menace of eve teasing. A new telephone line 1090 named as Woman Power Line has since been introduced to facilitate contact by the complainants immediately the moment they are given an unwanted call by some teaser. This call shall be attended by a woman staff who will be supposed to pursue the matter till it is given a finality by suitably punishing the caller concerned. The important feature of this service is that the identity of the girl or a woman concerned will not be disclosed publicly. Diwali in India is followed by Bhaiya Dweej when girls and women in a large number have to move from one place to another to perform the teeka ritual by putting a tilak on the forehead of their brothers. Taking advantage of the festival, the teasers find it much feasible to target their victims. This service is supposed to be quite useful in handling mainly the ugly telephone calls. This shall be much better if similar service is provided to handle the eve teasing in the streets, the markets, the colleges or universities in general, where such a ugly menace is more common.

Technorati Tags: teasing,eveteasing,girls,women,harrassment,calls,menace,festivals

The poor and the destitute–How do they celebrate their festivals?

Festivals are festivals for every body –be they the poor, the destitute or the rich ones. Rich ones obviously can well afford celebrating their festivals in a lavish measure and sumptuously. On the other hand, those who are poor just can’t afford doing so because of their limited means or no means at all, particularly in the atmosphere of currently soaring prices in the markets. They too hanker for buying several things like clothes for the family, utensils on dhan teras, diwali and bhaiyya dweej, toys, patakhas and sweets for the children, but on all these items they have only to take a deep sigh, or frugally manage certain limited items by resorting to some borrowings from their friends and relations, a too embarrassing a task for any one. It was Diwali yesterday and Chhoti Diwali a day before, and what an amount of embarrassment they might have undergone amongst the members of their families and relatives on both these occasions, is a plight, one can easily understand. I only wish that some day the gulf of disparity between the rich and the poor gets mitigated at least to some extent extending the poor and the destitute some relief and solace.

Technorati Tags: poor,destitue,gulf,rich,borrowings,relatives,diwali

A very very HAPPY DIWALI:

Diwali, actually called Deepawali, is most eventful a religious celebration observed throughout India and even in many a countries abroad. It’s not only celebrated by the followers of Hinduism, others in different places do it equally. It is Deepawali for the reason that it is the festival of lighting. Most of the houses all over are well lit with different kinds of lights inside and in front of it. The mythology says that this is the day when the Goddess Lakshmi bestows the gift of prosperity to its devotees. She is bountifully worshipped by its devouts on this occasion. This year it is falling due tomorrow the 13th of November, but the function continues for several days together. The business community celebrates it by worshipping, besides the Goddess Lakshmi, their business icon selected for the purpose. For example, if it is some business man dealing in shoes, he will keep a shoe as an icon in his place of worship in the house. Dealers in liquors do the same thing. On this count, their object of worship differs from business to business. Likewise, an educationist prefers to worship some particular book selected for the purpose. Many use their account books in this connection. I can’t say for which selection go the black money holders, black marketers, mafia tycoons, cheaters and habitual rapists, or say even rogue politicians. If some one asks me about my choice, I would certainly say ‘yes’ to my laptop.

On this auspicious occasion of the great festival, I wish peace to the world. I wish prosperity, felicity and all happiness to my readers, followers, viewers and visitors to my blog. A VERY HAPPY DIWALI.

Technorati Tags: diwali,celebration,festivals,india,readers,followers,viewers

Dress code–Sonia Gandhi style:

While addressing the convocation of National Institute of Fashion Technology at Rae Bareli (India) the other day, Sonia Gandhi laid emphasis on simple dress as against  overdone and over-embellished ones. Her tune and tenor was that of matching with Indian culture. One should look clean and elegant, but there should be no overdoing on that count to the extent that the people, particularly women, hardly wear any thing to fully cover their bodies. Sonia Gandhi, just like Indira Gandhi, always is neatly dressed herself, and the message so given by her is that of a modest and graceful an order. In fact the dress choice in currency these days is that of too meagre a coverage to the whole figure of a woman or girl, which at times borders a ridiculous look and that hardly fits into the traditional culture of the country. Alright that one should be neatly dressed looking elegant, but this is not supposed to suppress the very grace part of it. Appended here is a link of one of my posts on the topic for a ready reference of the readers.

Link: http://uppermost.me/2012/11/05/on-nudeness/ 

Technorati Tags: fashion,elegant,dresscode,dress,india,culture,tradition

Why go for an adulterated food stuff?

Festivals are a hay day for business community, particularly sweets sellers on a festive occasion like Diwali. which falls due within next few days. Their primary concern is making money totally unmindful, deliberately of course, of the fact as to what type of stuff they are providing to their customers. It is all fully adulterated and, in a way, it carries poison with it. There are lot many cases reported every now and then by the media about this, but there is hardly any impact of such reports on the governmental agencies. They supervise the market just as a ritual without being serious on taking stringent action against those found guilty of the fictitious deal. Most surprising a factor is that even customers don’t take such state of affairs seriously. They just go and buy the sweets ignoring the reality that it may seriously harm their family members, or those whom they offer them as a greeting gesture on the festival. During Holi, another important festival like Diwali, same thing happens. If shop keepers indulge into such activities, they do it for their own selfish interest, but why the customers should not bother about it. At least they are the ones who are supposed to be extra vigilant about the health and wellness of their family members and their circles of interest. They have options to resort to other commodities like dry fruits or other eatables available in the  market, but in this respect too, they are required to be extra cautious that the place from where they are purchasing necessary items of their use, they should be of their trust and confidence.

Technorati Tags: adulteration,shopping,sweets,business,selfishinterest,poison

What is there in a Password?

Why different banks and several other financial organisations talk of a password every now and then emphasising so much on its security? They are doing it rightly, and it is purely in the interest of customers, the customers who are having their accounts in some bank or the other, or particularly those who are resorting to online operations. The technological development in much advanced a shape as it stands today not only provides several avenues for transacting their business in multiple ways, it also furnishes different capabilities to those who resort to fraudulently withdraw the funds of others by hacking their IDs including password. Bankers are taking all precautions to check it by remaining vigilant on such operations themselves and by providing various guidelines to customers from time to time as to what methods the customers should adopt for overcoming the problem. These guidelines include that no body should ever divulge his/ her password to any body else, and that better it is to keep the password in one’s own memory instead of writing it down any where. While using ATM, the customer must push the ‘clear’ button on the ATM board before initiating his/ her own operation procedure, and this mode of operation has to be repeated also after the operation is over. What happens is that the ATM machine very often retains the contents of the individual operation in its memory, and the chances are that such an information can be used by some one else also. There are complaints every now and then that some body’s account was debited with huge amount of which the account holder himself had no knowledge at all. Password, for all these reasons, is always required to be kept as strictly and virtually private and confidential, and this reduces the possibilities of any fraud being perpetrated.

Technorati Tags: password,atm,fraud,privateandconfidential,operation,technology

Karwa Chauth, a tedious fast observed by Indian women:

It was just the other day on 2nd November when Indian women in India, and even elsewhere in the world, where there are people with Indian origin, observed a fast known as Karwa Chauth vrat. The married woman observe this fast for the safety and welfare of their husband. They don’t even take water during their fast. Even Muslim ladies in India observe this fast and join rejoicings after the it is over. The famous mythological story of Savitri-Satyawan is recited on the occasion mostly by the women folk themselves who assemble at a selected place for the purpose. Savitri was the wife of Satyawan. Satyawan died but Savitri by observing an intense fast was able to bring life back to her husband. All the women, who observe fast on Karwa Chauth, do remember the courage and determination shown by Savitri taking her as their role model. This festival, in many places, is also known for Savitri and Satyawan.

Technorati Tags: savitri,satyawan,karwachauth,festivals,fast,culture

Use of Credit Cards in a free styled manner is highly unsafe:I

The modern era is full of technologies in various fields, and credit cards are the ones that form a sequence of it. No doubt credit cards are very much a handy tool from its utilisation point of view, but the hazards it carries with are note worthy. Once, while responding to some ad, I was required to pay a token amount of $1. I thought it was a petty amount and why not go for an experiment. It was all a transaction on line. I got nothing in return. What was more  surprising to me was that my credit card was debited for Rs.1,789/ besides the actual amount of $1 already paid. I disputed it but there was no response from the company concerned. To ensure that they do not debit my credit card fraudulently with some more amount, I had no alternative but to record ‘Stop payment’ with the concerned Bank. Further payment is stopped but the dispute so raised against the forged debit is still pending. This is something that acts as a pointer to all the credit card holders that they should never give a blank authority to any body to debit their card without fully ascertaining the bonafides of the payee concerned. Let the instance under reference act as a note of caution, hence this write-up.

Technorati Tags: fraud,foregery,business,creditcard,caution

Cycle of interest rates in banks:

The first preference of an investor or a depositor is the final yield he gets on maturity of his principal amount. The banks, like several other financial agencies, also permit overdraft to its depositors against their investment besides several other modes of borrowings. In most of the cases, the borrowers are unaware of the impact of interest that is charged from them, say for instance it is quoted as 12%, whereas it is much more when calculated in terms of compounding interest, as the bankers do. It is okay if the interest is charged in a simple manner annually, there is no compounding. But if it is charged with rests, say monthly, quarterly or six monthly, the interest rate grows much higher as a result of charging interest on the interest already charged earlier. In longer terms, the overall principal amount grows to two times or even three times on account of interest having been charged on compounding basis. It is for the borrowers to carefully go through this sort of an interest and think twice before going for a loan. Interest on compounding basis is quite in the interest of the investors and depositors, but in the case of borrowers it is a great pinch for them.

Technorati Tags: borrowings,deposits,bankers,banks,loan,interestrate,compounding

Competition is the key note for any market:

These are the days for every day soaring prices for every  thing. The only factor which keeps it within control at least to some extent is the element of competition. If this element is not there, no body knows where the price rise could have landed by now. Take auto vehicles for instance. It’s a scooty, motor bike, or a car, they are all available at quite reasonable a price. So are the other products including food items which too are procurable at their barest minimum. Be it in the name of some festival or some other significant event, or some special week or month, there is a concession allowed for all this, and the concession counts much from over all cost point of view. Credit for this sort of some respite goes only to this very element called competition. More the competition, more is the relaxation in overall prices. Competition is an inbuilt phenomenon, which lays down a curb on rising tendency of the prices, and no credit for this is attributable to any external agencies.

Technorati Tags: competition,soaring prices,consumers,element,curb

Priorities on domestic economies:

It’s not just a problem, it is rather a gigantic sort of task to  fix necessary priorities on economy front of domestic needs. How to decide on different outlays with their proportionate weightage in terms of the requirement, or one has to go by weighted index instead of a simple one as per definition given in Economics. Going for shopping, how to fix up their serial order in terms of the need and weightage of the respective items, etcetera, etcetera. The problem is of more worsening an order in respect of those whose income is too meagre to meet their requirements. For them, it is not just a difficulty in fixing up the order of priorities, more than that their problem is to trace the very resource for the purpose. In a country like India, where poverty ratio dominates that of rich ones, the task gets further worsened. Fixing up the priorities on economies is, thus, more related to the resource factor than merely serialising it. I only wish that poors in the country some day grow rich enough to have necessary resource at their command  capable of enabling them to feasibly pick up and fix their priority order like the elites do.

Technorati Tags: priorityorder,domesticeconomy,need,resource,rich,poor,country

Relevance of holidays:

Holidays are there for different purposes starting from statutory obligations to religious and functions of national importance. Most of the holidays are there as a matter of political compulsions. In New Delhi, there has been a demand to declare Harchhath as a holiday. This time it is falling due on 19th of the next month. Political parties, particularly Bhartiya Janta Party, are hell bent to get it done positively before the festival takes place. This is purely for the reasons of securing majority votes in favour during the next available chance. Harchhath is observed by the women folk, and women voters in New Delhi out beat the  strength of male voters. If Harchhath can be listed as a holiday, why not other festivals like Karwa Chauthh and several other festivals varying from religion to religion, one political party to another, and the list becomes unending if all requisitions in this connection are duly (or even unduly) entertained. Holidays from workers point of view are alright as they are done on the basis of a dire need for rest and relaxations to the employees, but any thing beyond that should be done strictly on the basis of the required need like national holidays. This is unfair that every thing in our country assumes, sooner or later, the colour of a sheer politics.

Technorati Tags: harchhath,karwachauth,holidays,employees,nationalimportance,basicneed.news

Writings are OK, but there has to be no repetition!

There are great pundits who always and unfailingly advise that no writing of any kind should have any repetition. In other words, this should be unique. What does all this mean? Are there some sort of godowns available on earth from where originals could be traced, or even if they are traced as such, who can guarantee their originality, as the moment they are traced and used, they lose it. Bloggers very often receive a caution as from their hosts that whatever is written as a post should be just something uniquely fresh. The bloggers write their posts based on what they receive from outside including books, magazines and the news papers. They have their own perceptions which form the very theme of a write-up. If some body writes on corruption or law and order situation in the country, it just can’t be original as there are thousands of people who are expressing their views on these problems, and such views are obviously supposed to tally with each other in many ways because no occurrence ever changes its very characteristics so far as the material is concerned. Copying something verbatim is not at all desirable, it is well understood, but the ideas and the substance behind a particular theme can not be altered altogether, nor they can be replaced unless there is some story deliberately concocted for the purpose. The idea of ‘no repetition’ in the manner it is put forth is, accordingly, nothing but utopian only.

Technorati Tags: blogging,marketing,writing,original,unique,copying,utopian,repetition,substance,newspapers,books

Do more of medical tests really ensure a better health?

Go for regular medical check-ups as a routine is the advice all the doctors unfailingly give to their patients. Looks alright apparently, but if the study conducted by Cochrane review is to be taken on its face value, it is not necessary, as the result, more or less, in all the cases is the same. Those who go for regular medical check-ups, and those who don’t hardly make any difference the review so made indicates. This is somewhat strange in the sense that after all check-ups are the ones which candidly reveal the deficiencies and the defects in the body system enabling the concerned patients to feel alarmed if there is some major health problem with them. If the patients opt for not going to get themselves medically checked, they are just unable to know as to what sort of a medical problem they are suffering from. It is accordingly safer for every body, particularly those in an advancing age bracket, to ensure a regular medical check-up from the health point of view.

Technorati Tags: news,health,checkup,medical,routine,advancingage,problem

Clean the Ganges before it is too late!

There are many a movements launched by several organisations in the country to cleanse the holy river Ganga. They are fighting to seek an immediate remedy to save the holy river from different pollutants which have spoiled it to an extreme level. Nothing has happened as yet, nor there is any sign of any improvement in any manner any where. Promises after promises are there but to  no avail. We were told in our childhood that the water of Ganga is purest in the world with the saying that one dip in the river is capable of enhancing the life span of the person who does so. We were also told that the water of Ganga is such that it can never be polluted. What we see now is just different. Pollution in the river is every day increasing by leaps and bounds, and if there is no check on it immediately, the problem is likely to aggravate to the extent that at some stage it may not be reversible at all. The study conducted by the National Cancer Registry Programme under the Indian Council of Medical Research reveals the alarming signals indicating that those living by the side of river or those using its water for drinking purposes are more prone to fall victims as cancer patients. It is high time that the needful be done on urgency footing failing which the menace so indicated may assume graver proportions.

Technorati Tags: ganga,ganges,river,health,pollution,environment,cancer,victims,hazards

Vendors–Many of them are better placed in a way:

Apparently they are a poor lot earning too meagre an income to manage the sustentation of themselves and their families, but it doesn’t apply to all of them. Many of them are rich enough to compete with those, who are much better placed financially. You move any where in the city, or even in some rural areas, you may hardly come across a single vendor without a mobile phone. The washer man who serves at my house has two sets of mobile phones –one for self and the other one for his wife. I know one Thhela walla who deals in waste material moving from one house to another collecting and purchasing the wastages like worn out utensils, broken furniture, other raddies besides used news papers and old clothes. His school going children, 4 in number, are studying in different English schools in the city with 2 of his sons owning a motor bike each for the purpose. He himself transports the material he collects using a thhela but owns two cars at his house. He owns 3 well built 3 rooms flats locally with 2 of them fetching a monthly rent of 6,000/ each. He has his own godown, a sprawling one, by the side of a park, of course un-authorisedly encroaching the space of the park with almost half of the road in front of it remaining in his use all the time for the purposes of dumping his material including the garbage. He has no dearth of money to oblige the municipal authorites whenever they venture to launch some raid (of course a fake one) on his shop and godown. There are several others like him in the town flourishing in a business what apparently looks like some thing too small and too low. It sounds well if a poor man prospers at his own doing hard labour, but when it comes to adoption of nefarious means like encroachment and bribing, it appears that all are the same, be they rich, or be they a poor lot, on the face of the fact that all the poors are not what they look like.

Technorati Tags: poor,rich,money,business,bribe,society,culture,news,municipalauthorities

Indian nurses still an exploited lot: Study - Indian Express

Indian nurses still an exploited lot: Study - Indian Express

There can't be any two opinions on the fact that nurses in India are most suffering a lot. Their union(s) have been agitating on various issues they are confronted with but nothing like any remedial measures are there as yet at the level of the Government. They have to spend a lot on their  training before they join the service, and what they get as their salary is too meagre an amount to meet their sustentation needs. The conditions, as per necessary study conducted for the purpose, are worse in New Delhi. Why New Delhi alone, the conditions are much worse in different towns of the country particularly for those who are working in private hospitals/ nursing homes. They are exploited on all counts. As per study, even their co-workers, mainly males, ill treat them. It is actually the responsibility of the government(s) both at the level of the Centre as well as the States concerned. This is a burning problem. An immediate remedial a measure, sooner the better, is the need of the day.

It looks like a sheer case of witch hunting:

Although released now, Arvind Kejriwal, a member of IAC (India Against Corruption), was arrested and put behind the bar in a New Delhi Jail the other day. The offence he committed was that he staged a protest demonstration against the Union Law Minister, Salman Khurshid, demanding his resignation for his alleged involvement in running a trust jointly with his wife with some deal which was not above board. What’s wrong if some one launches a protest against a minister, or any body else, against some thing he feels as unjust and unfair. There are several legitimate means which the governmental agencies can adopt for solving the issues, alleged or otherwise, leaving the decision part of them on the relative channels so harnessed for the purpose. Same thing appears now likely in the case of Baba Ramdeo with an attempt to frame him on some allegation or the other including the one relating to disappearance of his Guru from the Ashram. The case, as is the talk of the people, is an old one, and if there is any truth in it, the action in the matter might well have been taken long back. Why the need for such an action arose only after Baba Ramdeo became an staunch supporter of the movement against corruption and black money. The government’s approach in the whole episode is based on thoroughly pre-conceived notions and, taken in totality of it, it looks like nothing but a sheer witch hunting.

Technorati Tags: arvindkejriwal,corruption,iac,witchhunting,government,preconceived,babaramdeo,blackmoney,country

Demat to include Insurance and Post Office also –Does it mean any thing?

As per latest news, Insurance and Post Office accounts can now find place in demat, known otherwise as a platform for transaction of shares, mutual funds, commodities, and the like. Dealers in stocks have since acquired a complete proficiency in transacting them online and necessary software for the purpose is available in an ample measure making the whole process quite compatible with the very nature of such transactions. In the case of Post Offices, the online operations are not yet in vogue. Major business is still transacted on a  manual basis, particularly saving banks accounts where the account holders find it much more convenient to handle them manually at the local level of a post office. In their cases, withdrawals are frequent ones which may not be that easy when operation takes place online. There, every transaction is transfer based. For Insurance, it may work to some extent but not fully as there again person to person service on individual footing is more acceptable to the insurers. In such circumstances, as it appears on the face of it, handling of the accounts pertaining to Insurance and Post Offices may not prove feasibly convenient to the customers. May be, it is made possible in days to come but certainly not at present.

Technorati Tags: insurance,postoffice,computer,people in general,society,transfer,savingbankaccounts

Watermelon could help prevent heart attack, curb weight - Health - DNA

Watermelon is a normal big sized fruit very commonly used in summer with people in general relishing its juice and fabric laden stuff with taste. As revealed in a recent study, a slice of watermelon taken daily reduces the cholesterol in human body, and thus it helps eradicating the amount of risk involved in the cases of heart disease. The study was tested on mice and there it was found working alright. Watermelon also helps in reducing the fat in the body also. The link given below explains more details in the matter.

Watermelon is a seasonal fruit and it is not available round the year. Those, who take the advice as suggested above, and prefer to go for its intake daily, may not find it feasible to afford the regular intake. They may of course depend on watermelons preserved in  the godowns of cold storages. May be this alternative is not that effective compared to fresh ones, but for regulars round the year, this is the only remedial measure available.

Watermelon could help prevent heart attack, curb weight - Health - DNA

Technorati Tags: health,watermelon,mice,test,fat,heart,heartdisease,weight,body,medical

Erratic behaviour of Sensex!

Nothing new, it happens in a volatile market like that of stocks. It is soft at a moment and the next minute it goes hostile. This is like sea waves –running smoothly but getting immediately followed by wild ones. Hopes on reform measures took the Sensex to 19,000 plus for the first time in nearly last 15 months on 4/10. On 5/10 the gaining trend so indicated turned into a freaky Friday. I have gone through the opinions of some of the experts in the field predicting that the Sensex is most likely to gain healthier grounds particularly because of hopes on reform measures, but if it was like this, there is no reason for the Sensex level to dwindle down by losing 120 points on Friday. Experts also say that Sensex is most likely to cross 20,000 figure in next few coming months for which there appears to be no tangible a sign. None can claim accuracy of a prediction in the matters of behaviour on the part of Sensex. It has its own pattern of moving side ways –at times right, at times left. Share market after all is a gamble only.

Technorati Tags: sensex,sharemarket,volatile,behaviour,hostile,game,gamble,predictions

Ban on Gutka (a tobacco product)–a welcome move!

It’s undoubtedly a welcome move on the part of the Uttar Pradesh (India) government to have banned the use of gutka in the State, of course in compliance to the orders of the Allahabad High Court. The Court passed this order on a PIL (Public Interest Litigation) filed by the Indian Dental Association. Gutka is already banned in 13 other States of the country. The order so passed by the State Government of Uttar Pradesh is implementable with effect from a future date i.e. April’ 2013. This, as the State Government says, has been done with a view to giving time to the workers engaged in gutka factories/ companies concerned to seek an alternative employment some where else before the ban goes effective. The fact is some what otherwise. Gutka has been a massive revenue earner for the State Government, and that is the real reason why they have been reluctant to ban this product all these years. So far as the time given for securing some alternative employment is concerned, such opportunities are badly scarce in Uttar Pradesh unlike Narendra Modi’s Gujarat, where such avenues are available in an ample measure. What was expected in a normal manner from the government of U.P. was to themselves generate such opportunities within the State itself instead of leaving the workers to run helter-skelter in search of some source to their alternative sustentation.

Tobacco products are a great menace to health mostly responsible for deadly diseases like cancer where gutka is the worst contributor, besides of course pan masala, bidi, cigarette including oral chewing of tobacco, and obviously the ban so imposed now is matter of a hearty welcome, but this is what must have been done much earlier.

Technorati Tags: tobacca,gutka,panmasala,cancer,health,government,ban,bidi,cigarette,alternatives

Yoga–It has some problematic areas too:

I have written number of articles on Yoga in this very blog highlighting the advantages side of it in many ways, which it definitely has, and there is no point in disputing them. The very saying that it suits every body in any age group ranging from 5 years to 105 years too is true. What is typically significant is that a better health through yoga warrants some basic strength for the persons who practice it. For example, pranayam or anulom vilom are forbidden to those who have some sort of heart problem or the other. Similarly those who suffer from Asthama need not go for these exercises. Those who have pain in their back or knees are always advised not to go for the yoga asanaas involving stress on the body joints. Persons having any kind of breathing problems are advised to avoid stress. If yoga is practiced with such problems existing, it causes difficulties for the persons concerned, and what happens as a result is that instead of any improvement in their health as such, their problems compound in various dimensions. Too much of practice even in the normal cases is also not advisable, as excess of any thing is bad. If these precautions are meticulously followed while practicing yoga, yoga is certainly the one therapy that benefits the human body system in thousands of ways. The very thinking on the part of several individuals that yoga is something to be practiced in any situation is actually not correct.

Technorati Tags: yoga,health,exercise,practitioners,practice,excess,asthma,heart,joints,knee,breathing

If there was a shop in the market selling happiness!

Like there are many a things in the world which can’t be purchased against any price, happiness too is something which one can’t buy as a composite item from any shop in the market. Happiness is a combination of several factors. It’s just not like going for some purchase of a laptop or a car that gives me a satisfaction of owning them, or it’s not like seeing some movie and draw a frugal momentary satiation. If heart works virtually in a coherent collaboration with mind and mind itself is free from any strain or tension, the newly acquired things mean a double pleasure. If mind is not free from several encumbrances like pre-occupation by other extraneous factors like worries on different counts, the pleasure I may draw from acquiring some thing or the other, it just fizzles and fades out miles away obliviously going into nullity. Good health, a sound mind free from any kind of strain, and a heart that has no malice or a false prejudice, are the factors that bountifully attract happiness and peace. These factors have to be brought into a combination through the efforts made by the concerned person himself/ herself. Happiness is thus a phenomenon not just purchasable from the market, but a matter of self generation of the required situation for the purpose by the individuals concerned.

Technorati Tags: factors,mind,heart,combination,health,soundhealth,strain,tension,purchase,happiness,cursory

Capping price on essential drugs:

It’s a good news! The Government of India has since taken a decision to put a price cap on essential medicines in the country. This good step is reportedly the first one of the kind in India. The step so taken is supposed to benefit several thousands of the patients in the country like those suffering from AIDS, cancer, besides giving relief to those who use drugs for TB, pain killers, sedatives, lipid lowering agents and steroids. The decision prescribes necessary maximum as a retail price of the respective drugs at the level of the consumers. The drugs so earmarked are being brought under the control of DPCO (Drug Price Control Oder) after which no dealers shall be permitted to charge any extra amount beyond what is fixed by the government as retail price. The essential drugs so covered under the scheme are the ones needed most by the patients in respective areas. Serious ailments require heavy expenditure on different other items besides medication and this becomes difficult for the patients to afford it. If they can get atleast the relaxation so prescribed by the government in retail prices of the drugs, this is certainly a big relief to them. There are establishments which give their employees full or part reimbursement of their expenses on medicines, but there are many who have no such practice, and it obviously causes enormous difficulties to the patients. In fact the way the soaring prices in general are affecting the people in the country, what the government is supposed to do is to apply necessary control on other essential commodities, say like food items, besides the drugs, and this shall be the step to extend relief to the people in general.

Technorati Tags: health,medicines,drugs,patients,cancer,aids,tb,relief,contrl,people in general