India has seen in recent past many scams like 2G scams, mining scam, corruption in CWG, recent revelation by Nira Radia tapes exposing corruption at highest decision making level in the country involving politicians, babus and corporate world. What is the implication of all these scams in terms of political stability, economic sentiments and image of the country which boasts of world’s largest democracy and one of the fastest growing economies in the world.
Major points in this regard could be observed in the following areas:
1. Pro-active role of judiciary in dispensing justice by forcing political executive to act fast against corruption. It is believed that it is the pro- active role of Supreme Court that forced Congress-led UPA government in Centre to act against Raja, tainted former Telecom Minister believed to amassed huge kickbacks in license auction. PM is forced to act swiftly by asking CBI to interrogate Raja and to divert the attention of opposition for a JPC in the Parliament.
2. The non-functioning of parliamentary session by opposition parties led by BJP and washing away of entire winter session is not good for our democracy and economy.
3. Market works on sentiments besides other economic fundamentals. Scams after scams have not only tarnished the image of the country but also hitting hard our markets.
4. People and judiciary has to act in tandem along with Media to stop the kind of loot of public money by politicians so revealed by various scam at both Centre and State level and stop sort of branding our country going to become a banana republic as apprehended by Ratan Tata in a recent interview.
5. Issues like inflation, unemployment, delays in infrastructure projects and many pressing issues the nation is facing should be addressed by the party in power and not passing the buck and going for easy way of playing blaming game and diverting core issue of corruption.
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Tribe and caste,Sociology, IAS Mains Exam
Tribe and Caste
It has generally been assumed that the two represent two different forms of social
organizations. Castes have been treated as one regulated by the hereditary division of labour, hierarchy, principle of purity and pollution, civic and religious disabilities, etc. Tribes on the other hand have been seen as one characterized by the absence of features attributed to the caste. The two types of social organizations are also considered as governed by the different set of principles.
Sr.No
Tribe
Caste
1 bonds of kinship govern the tribal society. Each individual is considered to be equal to others. The lineage and clan tend to be the chief unit of ownership as well as of production and consumption. inequality, dependency and subordination is an integral feature of caste society .
2 Tribes in contrast maintain similar forms, practices and behaviour pattern for both function of the religion.
Caste groups tend to maintain different forms, practices and behaviour pattern for each of these two aspects of the religion.
3 Tribes are said to take direct, unalloyed satisfaction in pleasures of the senses whether in food, drink, sex, dance or song.
As against this caste people maintain certain ambivalence about such pleasures.
4 In the ‘jati’ society, the village is expected to be culturally heterogeneous, with each jati following a unique
combination of customary practices.
Tribesmen on the other hand expect their society to be homogeneous or, at least, not necessarily heterogeneous (Mandelbaum )
More to follow soon...
It has generally been assumed that the two represent two different forms of social
organizations. Castes have been treated as one regulated by the hereditary division of labour, hierarchy, principle of purity and pollution, civic and religious disabilities, etc. Tribes on the other hand have been seen as one characterized by the absence of features attributed to the caste. The two types of social organizations are also considered as governed by the different set of principles.
Sr.No
Tribe
Caste
1 bonds of kinship govern the tribal society. Each individual is considered to be equal to others. The lineage and clan tend to be the chief unit of ownership as well as of production and consumption. inequality, dependency and subordination is an integral feature of caste society .
2 Tribes in contrast maintain similar forms, practices and behaviour pattern for both function of the religion.
Caste groups tend to maintain different forms, practices and behaviour pattern for each of these two aspects of the religion.
3 Tribes are said to take direct, unalloyed satisfaction in pleasures of the senses whether in food, drink, sex, dance or song.
As against this caste people maintain certain ambivalence about such pleasures.
4 In the ‘jati’ society, the village is expected to be culturally heterogeneous, with each jati following a unique
combination of customary practices.
Tribesmen on the other hand expect their society to be homogeneous or, at least, not necessarily heterogeneous (Mandelbaum )
More to follow soon...
Current Affairs, Science & Technology, IAS Mains 2010
The Earth Summit(1992 in Rio deJaneiro,Brazil)
The Earth Summit conference was the largest gathering of world leaders in history. Over 100 heads of state, and representatives of 178 nations attended the first international Earth Summit, which was convened to address urgent problems of environmental protection and socioeconomic development.
The Earth Summit conference resulted in:
a set of agreements which represent a significant advance in international cooperation and sustainable development issues.
political commitment to achieving the goals of the agreements.
the placing of the issue of sustainable development at the heart of international agendas.
new paths of communication and co-operation between official and non-official organisations which work towards development and environmental goals.
an enormous increase in public awareness. TI- is ought to facilitate the adoption of policies and allocation of additional resources to fulfil the task.
Earth Summit documents:The main documents agreed upon at the Earth Summit are:
The Convention on Biological Diversity - a binding treaty requiring nations to take inventories of their plants and wild animals and protect their endangered species.
The Framework Convention on Climate Change, or Global Warming
Convention - a binding ,treaty that requires nations to reduce their emission of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases thought to be responsible for global warming. (It did not set binding targets, however.)
The Declaration on Environment and Development, or The Rio Declaration - 27 broad, non-binding principles for environmentally sound development.
The Statement of Principles on Forests - aimed at preserving the world's rapidly vanishing tropical rainforests, is a non-binding statement recommending that nations monitor and assess the impact of development on their forest resources and take steps to limit the damage done to them.
Agenda 21 - (a 300-page document) that outlines global strategies for cleaning up the environment and encouraging environmentally sound development.
Agenda 21 is a blueprint on how to make development socially, economically and environmentally sustainable. Agenda 21 contains strategies for preventing environmental degradation and for establishing a basis for a sustainable way of life on the planet into the twenty-first century.
Agenda 21 identifies nine majorgroups as partners with governments in the global implementation of the Rio agreements. They are:
1.women
2.farmers
3.young people
4.trade unions
5.business and industry
6.local authorities
7.scientists
8.indigenous peoples
9.NGOs working in environment and development.
The Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) was created to monitor and report on implementation of the Earth Summit agreements. It was agreed that a five-year review of Earth Summit progress would be made in 1997 by the United Nations General
Assembly meeting in special session.
The Earth Summit+5
Earth Summit+5 was a special session of the UN General Assembly that took place 5 years after the '92 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. It aimed to evaluate how well countries, international organisations and sectors of civil society have responded to the challenge of the Earth Summit. Its objectives were to:
revitalise and energise commitments to sustainable development frankly recognise failures and identify reasons why recognise achievements and identify actions that will boost them define priorities for the post-97 period raise the profile of issues addressed insufficiently by Rio. It found that while interest in and concern about the environment remains high, and some advances have been made, there are still major environmental problems facing future generations.
SD rise in the use of the sustainable development concept has been caused by growing recognition that:
1.the impact of development on the environment is so great that development cannot be contemplated without reference to its effects on the environment.
2.environmental and developmental concerns must be integrated.
In 1980, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), the United Nations Environment Programme (LINEP) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) published the World Conservation Strategy in which they defined sustainable development in terms of ecology.
According to their definition, sustainable development had three priorities:
1. to maintain essential ecological processes and life support systems
2. to preserve genetic diversity
3.to sustain utilisation of species and ecosystems.
The World Commission on Environment and Development (also known as the Brundtland Commission ) which was formed in 1983, redefined sustainable development. Its final report, Our Common Future, which was published in 1987, defined sustainable development as:
Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability offuture generations to meet their needs.
The principles and strategies of sustainable development: following strategies for SD have been outlined in Our Common Future(Brundtland Report,1987)
1.reviving economic growth in developing countries as a means ofmeeting basic needs. After all, economic growth is a prerequisite for environmental protection in developing countries.
2.changing the quality of growth. The aim is to achieve improved distribution of income, equity, reduced vulnerability to economic crisis and, more or less, to make growth less dependent on energy and materials.
3.meeting the essential needs (jobs, food, energy supply, water, health care, education,
4.sanitation) of most of the world's population enabling a sustainable level of population (refer back to the information on population growth).
5.conserving and enhancing the natural resource base through waste management, cleaner technology, use of substitutes such as alternative sources of energy etc.
6.reorienting technology and managing environmental risks
7.merging environmental issues and economics in decision-making.
8.Envirornmenat nd development are no longer opposites. They are inter-related and must be considered complementary.
The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity is an international treaty governing the movements of living modified organisms (LMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology from one country to another. It was adopted on 29 January 2000 as a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity and entered into force on 11 September 2003.
The Earth Summit conference was the largest gathering of world leaders in history. Over 100 heads of state, and representatives of 178 nations attended the first international Earth Summit, which was convened to address urgent problems of environmental protection and socioeconomic development.
The Earth Summit conference resulted in:
a set of agreements which represent a significant advance in international cooperation and sustainable development issues.
political commitment to achieving the goals of the agreements.
the placing of the issue of sustainable development at the heart of international agendas.
new paths of communication and co-operation between official and non-official organisations which work towards development and environmental goals.
an enormous increase in public awareness. TI- is ought to facilitate the adoption of policies and allocation of additional resources to fulfil the task.
Earth Summit documents:The main documents agreed upon at the Earth Summit are:
The Convention on Biological Diversity - a binding treaty requiring nations to take inventories of their plants and wild animals and protect their endangered species.
The Framework Convention on Climate Change, or Global Warming
Convention - a binding ,treaty that requires nations to reduce their emission of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases thought to be responsible for global warming. (It did not set binding targets, however.)
The Declaration on Environment and Development, or The Rio Declaration - 27 broad, non-binding principles for environmentally sound development.
The Statement of Principles on Forests - aimed at preserving the world's rapidly vanishing tropical rainforests, is a non-binding statement recommending that nations monitor and assess the impact of development on their forest resources and take steps to limit the damage done to them.
Agenda 21 - (a 300-page document) that outlines global strategies for cleaning up the environment and encouraging environmentally sound development.
Agenda 21 is a blueprint on how to make development socially, economically and environmentally sustainable. Agenda 21 contains strategies for preventing environmental degradation and for establishing a basis for a sustainable way of life on the planet into the twenty-first century.
Agenda 21 identifies nine majorgroups as partners with governments in the global implementation of the Rio agreements. They are:
1.women
2.farmers
3.young people
4.trade unions
5.business and industry
6.local authorities
7.scientists
8.indigenous peoples
9.NGOs working in environment and development.
The Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) was created to monitor and report on implementation of the Earth Summit agreements. It was agreed that a five-year review of Earth Summit progress would be made in 1997 by the United Nations General
Assembly meeting in special session.
The Earth Summit+5
Earth Summit+5 was a special session of the UN General Assembly that took place 5 years after the '92 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro. It aimed to evaluate how well countries, international organisations and sectors of civil society have responded to the challenge of the Earth Summit. Its objectives were to:
revitalise and energise commitments to sustainable development frankly recognise failures and identify reasons why recognise achievements and identify actions that will boost them define priorities for the post-97 period raise the profile of issues addressed insufficiently by Rio. It found that while interest in and concern about the environment remains high, and some advances have been made, there are still major environmental problems facing future generations.
SD rise in the use of the sustainable development concept has been caused by growing recognition that:
1.the impact of development on the environment is so great that development cannot be contemplated without reference to its effects on the environment.
2.environmental and developmental concerns must be integrated.
In 1980, the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN), the United Nations Environment Programme (LINEP) and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) published the World Conservation Strategy in which they defined sustainable development in terms of ecology.
According to their definition, sustainable development had three priorities:
1. to maintain essential ecological processes and life support systems
2. to preserve genetic diversity
3.to sustain utilisation of species and ecosystems.
The World Commission on Environment and Development (also known as the Brundtland Commission ) which was formed in 1983, redefined sustainable development. Its final report, Our Common Future, which was published in 1987, defined sustainable development as:
Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability offuture generations to meet their needs.
The principles and strategies of sustainable development: following strategies for SD have been outlined in Our Common Future(Brundtland Report,1987)
1.reviving economic growth in developing countries as a means ofmeeting basic needs. After all, economic growth is a prerequisite for environmental protection in developing countries.
2.changing the quality of growth. The aim is to achieve improved distribution of income, equity, reduced vulnerability to economic crisis and, more or less, to make growth less dependent on energy and materials.
3.meeting the essential needs (jobs, food, energy supply, water, health care, education,
4.sanitation) of most of the world's population enabling a sustainable level of population (refer back to the information on population growth).
5.conserving and enhancing the natural resource base through waste management, cleaner technology, use of substitutes such as alternative sources of energy etc.
6.reorienting technology and managing environmental risks
7.merging environmental issues and economics in decision-making.
8.Envirornmenat nd development are no longer opposites. They are inter-related and must be considered complementary.
The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity is an international treaty governing the movements of living modified organisms (LMOs) resulting from modern biotechnology from one country to another. It was adopted on 29 January 2000 as a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity and entered into force on 11 September 2003.
Target IAS 2010, Public Administration, Sociology
1. New START Treaty (for Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) (Russian: СНВ-III) is a bilateral nuclear arms reduction treaty between the United States and the Russian Federation that was signed in Prague on April 8th, 2010. It is a follow-up to the 1991 START I treaty, which expired in December 2009, and to START II and the 2002 Treaty of Moscow (SORT), which was due to expire in December 2012. The new treaty was signed on 8 April 2010 in Prague by Obama and Medvedev.
If ratified, the treaty will limit the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads to 1,550, which is down nearly two-thirds from the original START treaty and is 30% lower than the deployed strategic warhead limit of the 2002 Moscow Treaty and it will limit to 800 the number of deployed and non-deployed inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) launchers, submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) launchers, and heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments. Also it will limit the number of deployed ICBMs, deployed SLBMs, and deployed heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments to 700. These obligations must be met within seven years from the date the new treaty enters into force. The treaty will last ten years, with an option to renew it for up to five years upon agreement of both parties.
2. The Copenhagen Accord is the document that delegates at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNCCC) agreed to "take note of" at the final plenary session of the Conference on 18 December 2009 (COP-15). It is a draft COP decision and, when approved, is operational immediately. The Accord, drafted by, on the one hand, the United States and on the other, in a united position as the BASIC countries, China, India, South Africa and Brazil, is not legally binding and does not commit countries to agree to a binding successor to the Kyoto Protocol, whose present round ends in 2012.
some of the key criticisms include:
The accord itself is not legally binding
No decision was taken on whether to agree a legally binding successor or complement to the Kyoto Protocol.
The accord sets no real targets to achieve in emissions reductions.
The accord was drafted by only five countries.
The deadline for assessment of the accord was drafted as 6 years, by 2015.
The mobilisation of 100 billion dollars per year to developing countries will not be fully in place until 2020.
There is no guarantee or information on where the climate funds will come from.
There is no agreement on how much individual countries would contribute to or benefit from any funds.
COP delegates only "took note" of the Accord rather than adopting it.
The head of the G77 has said it will only secure the economic security of a few nations
There is not an international approach to technology.
Forgets fundamental sectoral mitigation, as transportation.
If ratified, the treaty will limit the number of deployed strategic nuclear warheads to 1,550, which is down nearly two-thirds from the original START treaty and is 30% lower than the deployed strategic warhead limit of the 2002 Moscow Treaty and it will limit to 800 the number of deployed and non-deployed inter-continental ballistic missile (ICBM) launchers, submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) launchers, and heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments. Also it will limit the number of deployed ICBMs, deployed SLBMs, and deployed heavy bombers equipped for nuclear armaments to 700. These obligations must be met within seven years from the date the new treaty enters into force. The treaty will last ten years, with an option to renew it for up to five years upon agreement of both parties.
2. The Copenhagen Accord is the document that delegates at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNCCC) agreed to "take note of" at the final plenary session of the Conference on 18 December 2009 (COP-15). It is a draft COP decision and, when approved, is operational immediately. The Accord, drafted by, on the one hand, the United States and on the other, in a united position as the BASIC countries, China, India, South Africa and Brazil, is not legally binding and does not commit countries to agree to a binding successor to the Kyoto Protocol, whose present round ends in 2012.
some of the key criticisms include:
The accord itself is not legally binding
No decision was taken on whether to agree a legally binding successor or complement to the Kyoto Protocol.
The accord sets no real targets to achieve in emissions reductions.
The accord was drafted by only five countries.
The deadline for assessment of the accord was drafted as 6 years, by 2015.
The mobilisation of 100 billion dollars per year to developing countries will not be fully in place until 2020.
There is no guarantee or information on where the climate funds will come from.
There is no agreement on how much individual countries would contribute to or benefit from any funds.
COP delegates only "took note" of the Accord rather than adopting it.
The head of the G77 has said it will only secure the economic security of a few nations
There is not an international approach to technology.
Forgets fundamental sectoral mitigation, as transportation.
Friday, January 22, 2010
People Manipulation-A positive approach - by Prabbal Frank
It is the mark of an intelligent man to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it"
People Facts
What are people Facts ?
01. People are Emotional, not Rational Beings.
02. Written material appears more Credible to People than merely spoken words.
03. people compare and Contrast.
04. People give more credibility to you if a third person speaks highly of you rather than if you blow your own trumpet.
05. Anything offer free is most desired by people, even if they don't need it.
06. People are 100000 times more interested in themselves than in Others.
07. People liked to be loved.
08. People are better led than driven.
09. People admire those people who agree with them.
10. People think they are intelligent.
11. People admire those people who they dream of becoming.
12. People are tied up by circumstances.
13. People are people.
14. People are unique.
15. People are carve to be appreciated.
16. People magnify proportions.
17. People want peripheral change but they don't want intrinsic change.
18. People are never fully satisfied.
These simple facts about people, if followed properly, can act as a real guide which can help us to bring in a right perspective while interacting with others.(This was my observations after reading this book. it is written with lot of day- today examples which could be seen/observed in our routine life. )
Please offer our comments if you find this book review helpful,iam a changed person after reading this book.
People Facts
What are people Facts ?
01. People are Emotional, not Rational Beings.
02. Written material appears more Credible to People than merely spoken words.
03. people compare and Contrast.
04. People give more credibility to you if a third person speaks highly of you rather than if you blow your own trumpet.
05. Anything offer free is most desired by people, even if they don't need it.
06. People are 100000 times more interested in themselves than in Others.
07. People liked to be loved.
08. People are better led than driven.
09. People admire those people who agree with them.
10. People think they are intelligent.
11. People admire those people who they dream of becoming.
12. People are tied up by circumstances.
13. People are people.
14. People are unique.
15. People are carve to be appreciated.
16. People magnify proportions.
17. People want peripheral change but they don't want intrinsic change.
18. People are never fully satisfied.
These simple facts about people, if followed properly, can act as a real guide which can help us to bring in a right perspective while interacting with others.(This was my observations after reading this book. it is written with lot of day- today examples which could be seen/observed in our routine life. )
Please offer our comments if you find this book review helpful,iam a changed person after reading this book.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Shree Saptashrungi Mata Temple
Historical Significance of the place: Shree Saptshrungi Gad is situated at a distance of 60 km from Nashik. It is one of the most visited and religious places for pilgrims. As the temple is situated on a mountain, aregular bus service is provided from the foot of the mountain to the temple.
Saptashringa Garh is a place where Goddess
Bhagawati dwells. It is one of the most important of the places of Goddesses in
Maharashtra. Saptashringa signifies seven mountain peaks. Nanduri village is situated at the foot of the Saptashringa Gad. In front of the temple there stands Markandeya Rishi's (sage) hill. The Saptashringa Gad is full of a variety of trees having medicinal worth. As per the story depicted in
Ramayana, Hanuman carried the herbal medicine for wounded Laxmana from this hill. There are about 108 water reservoirs on the hill, known as Kundas. Vani is situated at a distance of 60 kms. away from Nashik.(Source: www.nashik.nic.in).
Those who are traveling from Mumbai can reach Nashik by either through roads or railway.
For road journey, both ST buses and private bus operators are available from big junctions in Mumbai like Dadar, Vasi to mention a few. By roads it takes almost 5 to 6 hours to reach Nashik as there are ghat roads in between despite a distance of 200 kms.
For railways, there is a very good connectivity between Mumbai to Nashik Road (this is name for the railway station of Nashik).there is trains which can be boarded from different railway stations in Mumbai as per our convenience like CST, Dadar, Thane and all trains stop at Kalyan.(check railway inquiry for timing and availability). One of the benefits in opting for rail journey is one can save some time on journey; it takes only 4 hours to reach Nashik Road. From Nashik Road one has to go to Nashik central Bus stand (CBS) to catch a direct bus to mataji temple. To reach Nashik CBS, one can easily catch a bus from Nashik road railway station to Nashik CBS, one has to just come out of the railway station and in front of the station there is a local bus stand from where one can take bus to reach Nashik CBS (Buses are frequent in between and it charges only Rs.8 per adult passenger).After reaching Nashik CBS one has three alternatives to reach the temple. They are:
First, take a direct bus from CBS to the temple. It generally takes 2 hours 30 min. to reach there. However, Buses are after every 2 hours. To save time (if one has to come back to Mumbai on the same day) you can use second or third alternatives.
Second alternative is to catch any bus from Nashik CBS that is going towards Nanduri bus stand (it is the place where one can catch either a bus, taxi or a jeep straight up to hill top where the temple is located). Third alternative is to catch a jeep from Nashik CBS to the hill top directly; it generally takes 1hours 45 mins to reach to the temple.
Return Journey: Same alternatives can be used while coming back from the temple to the Nashik Road (railway Station) if one has to catch a train to Mumbai.
To catch a bus to Mumbai one need not to come to Nashik Road to catch a bus. One can get a bus directly either from Nashik CBS or from Maha Marg local bus stand which is located 2 kms from the CBS. One can catch buses even for Shirdi Sai Baba which is almost having a journey of 2 hours from NASHIK. Beside this temple of Mataji, one can visit Trimbakeshwar joyatir lingam in Nashik.
There are some 470 step which take approximately 35 mins if one climbs the hill without taking rest in between.
Entrance to the temple(one can see devotees climbing steps)
While climbing steps to reach the hill top, one can find beautiful scenes of the entire landscape. For instance, I have taken some of the photograph on my way up to the hills (shown below). Generally, devotees offer Coconut, sari and meva (a sweet made of milk) to Goddess, one can also use the services of Priest readily available in the temple premises.
A must visit place for tourists.
Over all, it is both a religious as well as exciting trip which is worth try.
Please offer our comments to improve this article.
Date of visit 17 January 2010(Sunday).
From: Mumbai.
Return Journey: Same alternatives can be used while coming back from the temple to the Nashik Road (railway Station) if one has to catch a train to Mumbai.
To catch a bus to Mumbai one need not to come to Nashik Road to catch a bus. One can get a bus directly either from Nashik CBS or from Maha Marg local bus stand which is located 2 kms from the CBS. One can catch buses even for Shirdi Sai Baba which is almost having a journey of 2 hours from NASHIK. Beside this temple of Mataji, one can visit Trimbakeshwar joyatir lingam in Nashik.
There are some 470 step which take approximately 35 mins if one climbs the hill without taking rest in between.
Entrance to the temple(one can see devotees climbing steps)
While climbing steps to reach the hill top, one can find beautiful scenes of the entire landscape. For instance, I have taken some of the photograph on my way up to the hills (shown below). Generally, devotees offer Coconut, sari and meva (a sweet made of milk) to Goddess, one can also use the services of Priest readily available in the temple premises.
A must visit place for tourists.
Over all, it is both a religious as well as exciting trip which is worth try.
Please offer our comments to improve this article.
Date of visit 17 January 2010(Sunday).
From: Mumbai.
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