Presentation Topics

1. Commonwealth Games: Success or Disaster I feel the CWG 2010 was a failure. Although we managed to deliver a world class event, it was surrounded by controversies, corruption allegations and mismanagement which ashamed us in the global map! We are still investigating on where our money went! No doubt the Games were amazing but we paid a huge price. regarding cwg..there are broadly two aspects..if we look this at global level..yes it was sucess but when we look into sphere related to india it was surely a disaster for indians for our economy for our trust and list goes on..yes we have recvd praise from everywhr but wats the point when we cant apreciate it too..coruption has realy put a dent on the sucess of cwg.. The last CWG hosted by our national capital new delhi went under muddled assessment. On the bright side we saw the spectacular opening & closing ceremony displaying India's varied culture in a plethora of cultural showcases. Moreover the dynamic performances by the athletes took india to the 2nd position in the tally of medals won encouraging the future of Indian sports. But on the darker side it was surmounted by series of controversies including misappropriation of funds, corruption, mismanagement and several other allegations which ashamed us in the global map. We are still investigating on where our money went. No wonders we managed to deliver the world class event but they were surely the most expensive games in the history of Commonwealth games... So we can conclude that overall the games were a total disaster since we were more at a loss than the glamor which we put up in the opening and closing ceremonies!
The Commonwealth Games 2010 event was a success from the athletes point of view, but it was also a big success mission for some people who wanted to loot public money. The verdict of success or failure in the commonwealth games case is a matter of our priorities. The Grand Opening Ceremony was a huge success, the 40 crore rupees aerostat lifted off and the stadium rocked to the tune of Rahman, I was there. India won 101 medals including 38 golds which is a record for us. Spectator interest in sports also received a major boost which is a big high. But all these were mainly triumphs over systematic flaws. There were monumental blunders in construction and policy creation. Almost all projects were reeking of immoderate delays, substandard construction and colossal corruption leading to inflated costs. The total cost for the CWG mela was approx. 70000 crores. This is 114 times the initial budget and 4 times the expenditure on National Rural Health Mission, all this in a country where 47% of our children are moderately to severely malnourished. The cost for the CWG 2006 was 1 billion dollars in comparison to Delhis 15 times as much cost. Therefore I believe that a poor country like ours cannot afford to waste so much of money on such events.

2. Should Governments waste tax payers money to enable politicians achieve their personal ambitions Well I believe there is no doubt that Govt. is wasting tax payers' money !! We have so many scams going around us everyday. Our hard earned money is not going to our benefits but actually being used by these corrupt politicians for their own personal benefits. They have crores of assets whereas there actual income is quite average. So its crystal clear that the tax payers' money is being used for personal ambitions of the politicians.

Its high time, the Govt. take major steps to curb down such unnecessary taxes and keep the funds flowing in the right places so that they reach the proper destination - benefits of the public. point 1)Over 200 politicians and officials from various government and civic bodies were sent on foreign tours-that effectively turned out to be junkets-to study various aspects of organising the Commonwealth Games. These include, apart from the Commonwealth Games Organising Committee, the sports ministry, government of Delhi, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi ( MCD), the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) and the Delhi Development Authority (DDA). Close to Rs 45 crore of taxpayers' money was spent on these trips, government sources said, of which Rs 33 crore alone was spent by Delhi government to send a 50-member delegation to Melbourne as an "observer group" during the closing ceremony of the previous Commonwealth Games in 2006 The 2G spectrum scam, along with the many other scancals -- CWG scam, Adarsh scam, housing loan scam, etc -- has once again brought to the fore how corruption is gnawing at the entrails of our country.. whole of uttar pradesh is left..and so is my fav mayawati Also it needs to ensure that the money is not wasted and we can use the right to information (RTI) to find the truth.

Okay just for point building sake and certain background we must know why do we even have to pay taxes.. See every citizen is morally and legally bounded to pay its share...Money collected from tax help a country to become stronger and helps a govnt to provide all sorts of benefit to its citizen..Examples of some services are infrastructure projects(includes construction of roads, bridges dams etc) public security(police firemen etc and thr funding of certain equipments) general services(like keeping road clean, street lights parks etc) Health tax then so on.. govnt impose certain tax like sales tax , service tax ,toll tax , recreation tax, social security tax etc..and using these collected taxes and investing it in personal aids by corrupt politicians make the scenario ugly..We see just the personal development of these petty ppl but not of state as whole the common steps involved are The govt first allocates money to a project, which has no use and significance. The project causes a lot problem to the people Traffic jams result due the mismanaged project People shorten their lives by inhaling more carbon monoxide, while the politicians are enjoying their old age in their lawn. Few people unfortunately die The citizens want the project to be called off. After a lot of request, the govt finally calls the project off, but says, that the pilot project will run. One day a leading daily shows the shocking news of the approval of the project and that too on a bigger scale. Project allocation cost: around 1873 cr Mayawati had unveiled the 15 statues including that of BSP founder late Kanshi Ram and her own, and parks .

2700 crore of Taxpayers money spent on statues? It may recalled that according to plans Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati was set to unveil 40 statues including six of her own along with the Kanshi Ram Memorial and the Gautam Buddhasthals, which has cost the state exchequer 2700 crore. According to the reply of an RTI filed in the Lucknow Development Authority (LDA) here is the costing of statues: Cost of Statues of Mayawati and Kanshi Ram: cost Rs 6.68 crore Cost of 60 marble elephants at the Ambedkar memorial cost Rs 52 crore This is just tip of the iceberg by the Uttar Pradesh budget. Uttar Pradesh culture departments budget for 2009-10 shows that in 2008-09, the department had allocated more than Rs 194 crore for building statues of great leaders the entire amount was spent. Maintenance cost 270 crore annualy Not only constructing memorials and statues worth thousands of crores, their maintenance too is going to cost the taxpayer dear. According to construction experts, the maintenance cost of such memorials is almost 10% of the actual cost. That way, the memorials, which are touching a figure of almost Rs 2,700 crore, may require at least Rs 270 crore annually for their maintenance. Some people argue that if we compare this with the funds for maintenance of seven general hospitals, nine Community Health Centres (CHCs) and 26 Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in the state capital their combined maintenance cost is at around Rs 15 lakh annually. Likewise, the 13 government secondary schools receive an annual grant for maintenance on demand, the figures of which may range between Rs 20,000 and Rs 1 lakh per annum. And the common wealth game was game of common wealth game Development of the capital city should be welcomed wholeheartedly, and hosting of such events should be done in the national pride. But what is happening is that huge amount of money is being put up and a sizeable part of it is siphoned off by organised mafia and corrupt government officials. There is no control over the construction, there is no control over the quality of work, there is no justification over the utility of the spending. To have put up such a large amounts of money in the hands of bodies like MCD and DDA , which are regarded as the most corrupt civic bodies in the world , is a monumental mistake by the ruling leaders and should be considered as a crminal negligence. DELHI as such is perhaps the only CITY STATE in the world which does not enforce civic laws. Yes that is a great example you gave which clearly shows that rather than social development of the people who are paying the taxes, that money is going nowhere but to the personal benefits of the UP CM! Adding to that we can also site the example of the Karnataka land scams that has been in news also. Yeddyurrappa had declared before the Lokayukta that he owns 9.5 acres of land in his home district of Shimoga. The information accessed by media showed that the land was converted to industrial land just months after he became the chief minister.The Violation: His declared income is Rs 3.7 lakh as salary and Rs 12 lakh from rent. The Karnataka land reforms act says that if your non agriculture income is more than Rs 2 lakh annually you cannot buy agriculture land. So that clearly explains that the tax payers money is going to personal benefits of such politicians. talking about the scams and involvment of politicians who can forget the infamous humungous FODDER scam and major involvment of lalu prasad yadav.The Fodder Scam was a corruption scandal that involved the alleged embezzlement of about 950 crore (US$209.95 million) from the government treasury of the Bihar. The alleged theft spanned many years, was engaged in by many Bihar state government administrative and elected officials across multiple administrations (run by opposing political parties), and involved the fabrication of "vast herds of fictitious livestock" for which fodder, medicines and animal husbandry equipment was supposedly

procured. Although the scandal broke in 1996, the theft had been in progress, and increasing in size, for over two decades. Besides its magnitude and the duration for which it was said to have existed, the scam was and continues to be covered in Indian media due to the extensive nexus between tenured bureaucrats, elected politicians and businesspeople that it revealed, and as an example of the mafia raj that has penetrated several state-run economic sectors in the country. every citizen is morally and legally bounded to pay its share of income as tax.Money collected from tax help a country to become stronger and helps a govt to provide all sorts of benefit to its citizen..Examples infrastructure projects(includes construction of roads, bridges dams etc) public security(police firemen etc and thr funding of certain equipments) general services(like keeping road clean, street lights parks etc) govt impose certain tax like Income tax, sales tax , service tax ,toll tax , recreation tax, social security tax etc..and using these collected taxes for the betterment of the country but some of our corrupt politicians use this hard earned money of people to satisfy their personal ambitions. some examples are Project allocation cost: around 1873 cr. Mayawati unveiles 15 statues including that of BSP founder late Kanshi Ram and her own, and parks . 2700 crore of Taxpayers money spent on statues? It may recalled that according to plans Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati was set to unveil 40 statues including six of her own along with the Kanshi Ram Memorial and the Gautam Buddhasthals, which has cost the state exchequer 2700 crore and above all the project was approved! On what basis it was approved! Does india has that much of resources that it can spend 2700 cr. On statues. Dnt we have other imp. Priorties? And what about its maintainace cost? Just imagine Rs. 270 cr. Annually! It is worth it? Any manager evalulating this project will reject it den how our great politicians approved this project? This is just a single example that tells the whole story. We have more examples like CWG. Where crores of Rs. Where spent on 13 days event. Chetan bhagat said if 1\10th of the money was spend in education den you would have seen the growth of the country. And the biggest scam of the century. The 2g scam of whooping 1.76 crore. These are some examples whre the tax payers money is wasted and govt still wants that every citizen should pay its tax legally! The reason for all these is to save their vote bank. 3. Can we blame the government when we contribute to the filth in our surroundings
Cleanliness is a Fundamental Responsibility of an Indian Citizen. So we can't blame the Govt. for taking sole responsibility of cleaning up everything! Complaining is easy but correcting it is our responsibility. Former Indian President, APJ Abdul Kalam once wrote in a letter for every Indian, where he said that when we go abroad, we are very careful and see to it that we don't dirty anything, we don't spit on the street, or throw wrappers and edibles everywhere. Then why can't we have the same attitude towards our own motherland? Also, we should keep our national heritages - monuments etc clean so that when tourists visit, they have a positive and cleaner image of our country. Yes the Govt. is also responsible to fix things and curb corrupt politicians so that the local bodies bring order to the cities and with proper planning and cooperation with the people, things will become possible. Cleanliness will come to our surroundings! Due to our careless and irresponsible attitude, there is no doubt that India's carefully created, and airbrushed, image of an 'emerging superpower' and the 'second-fastest growing economy' in the world rots in the piles of rubbish. The myth of 'India Shining' (BJP's slogan) and 'India

Rising' (the Congress' slogan) has been busted. We have proved to the world and to ourselves as well that we are a third world banana republic which is sinking into a bottomless pit. We don't respect our own country, we don't take steps and measures to keep our cities clean. Hence we don't have any rights to blame the Govt. in not doing their job. People spit outside once or more, or had chucked left-over eatables out of the window and onto the road happen to be the same people who later on complain how filthy and unclean India is. We ourselves are indeed responsible for the dirt and scum on the roadsides and other public properties. No historical monument in India is free from the graffiti posted by unscrupulous Indian visitors who are more interested in recording their arrival than in safekeeping and maintaining our rich heritage that has been left to us by our ancestors. There is no public wall in India to be found free if the dirty-red of pan-spit; a unique feature, found only in India. Every nook and cranny of our country houses plastic litter or half-eaten corn and groundnut leftovers. We are the same Indians who when traveling/living outside India would take utmost care not to drop even a toffee wrapper on the roadside. We are the same Indians who would blindly follow traffic rules in other countries but while in our own country would jump traffic signals and blare horns at no-noise zones! But the blame cannot be entirely put on the general public. The lack of amenities like public toilets and waste bins is also partly responsible for all these misdeeds. But it still needs to be seen how much Indians would adhere to these new systems and take a bit of extra pain and trouble to drop the waste wrapper in the dustbin. Despite such facilities provided in some places we can often find people who prefer to relieve themselves in the open than pay a rupee for the useandpay toilets. India is our country, our home and it is our responsibility to keep it clean and tidy. Carrying a chocolate wrapper half a kilometer with you till you can find a dustbin to dispose it off wouldnt cost you much of energy or trouble. Just like one doesnt spit on the walls of ones own house, it is our moral duty not to spit on the walls of our country. Our surroundings and our way of life is the impression foreign tourists carry of India. Let each one be the other ones guide and together help keep India clean.

We have been an independent nation for more than fifty years but the streets of our cities, our drainage system and roads are in an extremely poor shape. It is difficult to imagine how a civilized society can tolerate such unsanitary conditions, to cover up our own shortcomings we blame on the increasing population of the country for the prevailing insanitary conditions .There are scores of countries in the world where the population per sq. km. is ten times of what it is in India like Honkong, Japan and Singapore with higher rate of growth of population But exact opposite in the conditions. Complaining government is waste of time and energy until and unless we are determined to do something.. To turn away our face from it is nothing but must be treated as criminal offence. Our leaders and bureaucrats should be held responsible for the death of lakhs of people due to unhygienic .To hold ourselves against this menace Certain steps can be done in local levels like 5-feet covered dustbins in every street can be implemented and it should be disposed off every day by appointed workers. We should volunteer ourselves and must be dedicated. Government should be strict for municipal organization proper arrangements of disposal of garbage. Fusion of a dedicated man with technology can show wonder in this case and to make proper arrangements for it ,is the constitutional and moral duty of the Government.

4. Will Musharraf joining politics ensure peace in Pakistan

No administration in Pakistan have been able to curb down the violence and maintain peace and calm in the country. It suffers from the disease of terrorism, which is home grown. If Musharraf comes back and joins politics, it does not ensure anything. He himself was a dictator and was involved in numerous conspiracies. Yes he overthrew a decade long corrupt regime, but he started suppressing people in due time. He was associated and responsible for the Kargil wars on India too. How can we expect peace from a person, who raged war on another country? Also, his basic mentality is of an army general and not of a politician. So I doubt he would have the skills and mindset of a diplomat to bring about a change. If Pakistan is to become peaceful, first of all the terror/radical groups should be removed from their roots. If Musharraf is to come back to power, he should make it a point to clean up the safe havens of these organizations. Otherwise, no one including the general can bring peace to Pakistan.

He has done a lot for the development of Pakistan, anyone who denies this doesnt know what was going on wrt economy, media, foreign relations, social reforms, political reforms,women and minority rights, education etcI believe mushraff is quite an intellectual person a perfect blend of strict and extreme general and political leader...During his reign Pakistan showed a remarkable improvement In areas like corruption economy, global debt, foreign relations, social reforms, women and minority rights and always emphasized on the uplift ment of education..He was also in the final list of noble peace prize award in year 2004. Its evitable that human being are prone to mistakes and misdeeds and as far as burning topic like India Pakistan relation for the first time in the entire history he is ready to put his guards down..No matter how hated he is in our country he will always be the one with honest intension of serving his nation..His re entrance from self imposed exile with changed position of India in eyes of several country will make him think thousand times before setting evil eyes on us..And hence I feel he might turn new leaf in this age...he always wanted to possess certain position withheld by military..In his recent visit in India.He appealed for India's help in curbing violent religious extremism, rather than demonizing Pakistan as a source for it. And he said he had come to India as "a man for peace," citing years of talks to settle sea and land border disputes that have plagued the two nations since they were formed by the bloody 1947 partition of Between a polite welcome and the warm conclusion, Mr. Musharraf also jousted with Indian questioners about how to improve one of the world's most dangerous relationships. .so if he is ready with peace talks and all then we must be hopeful when it comes to peace..he might not repeat the same old mistakes after being on exile over years..

5. Does the UN hold relevance in todays world

The UNO was formed on Oct 24, 1945 between all the nations of the world. Its primary objective was to maintain peace, security and devlop friendly relationship among nations. However in the recent decade or so, its relevancy has come to into question. In his January 28 2003 State of the Union address, President Bush said, "The course of this nation does not depend on the decisions of others." Well he was talking before the US went against UN code and backing and launched an attack on Iraq which was totally illegitimate. The US directly intervened in the UN's process and violated its responsibility as a permanent member of the Security Council. After the war on Iraq, the UNO has totally lost its unbiased image and respect on the world stage. Also, we can take examples of the age long disputes between India/Pakistan and Palestine/Israel. The UN have never taken any positive or constructive measures to come into the picture and suggest peaceful steps for resolution. Hence the UN has lost its relevance in today's world and its credibility has come into question. Its high time, the member nations and specially the UNSC members recognize their responsibilities and abide by the norms of the UN. the United Nations (UN) is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace. The UN was founded in 1945 after World War II to replace the League of Nations, to stop wars between countries, and to provide a platform for dialogue A case in point is the Palestinian question, which today is still the worlds biggest unanswered question. The stalemate in the Korean Peninsula that ended up with two Koreas that are still on a state of suspended war is a creation of the UN. Then theres Cyprus, Congo and so many more nations that had faith that the UN would solve their problems, but in the end, the world is worse than it was before The UNs sorry state became most obvious with the Iraq war. Those favoring the war were furious that after a decade of Security Council resolutions, including the last-chance Resolution 1441 threatening serious consequences if Iraq did not prove its disarmament, the UN could not agree to act. Anti-war types were just as frustrated that the world body failed to stop the war. But Iraq was not the UNs only problem. It has done little to stop humanitarian disasters, such as the ongoing horror in Sudan. And it has done nothing to stop Irans and North Koreas pursuit of nuclear weapons It can be allegedly stated as the absence of strategic guidance and leadership with less transparency; lack of accountability I do not see any signs of reforms in the organization as strategically announced by kofi annan. While I concur with the observations of many pundits that the UN has become irrelevant, the problem the world faces is what would happen if the UN is disbanded? This might just bring more chaos than the world is already having. Rather than have it disbanded because it has become somewhat inutile in solving many conflicts, what the UN needs is an overhaul of its policies. Perhaps it should be given more teeth to enforce the UN sanctions, and then maybe the UN will truly serve the needs of the peoples of the world. The UN has to feel the realities of the New World Order, as the distant future is concerned; it appears as though the World Order would be based on the co-existence of the sovereign-state system and international organizations. Neither can exist without the other. The two are complementary and supplementary, with the former being, absolutely indispensable. The UN has to be a universal international organization with due importance given to the Third World in decision making. The mantle of world leadership though seems to have fallen on US under present circumstances, but with the end of Cold War the only organization which probably can bring peace and security to the future world and human race is the UN.

6. A humane suggestion for peace in Kashmir

Kashmir - heaven on earth. Well it has not been a heaven for quite some time now. For the past 2 decades, India, Pakistan, China and Kashmiri people have been fighting on the territorial dispute of J&K. India and Pakistan have officially fought at least 3 wars and due to continuous militant insurgency, thousands of Kashmiri lives have been lost. Both the Pakistani government and the Indian political parties are so dense to accept the ground reality that due to militancy and alienation, Kashmiri people are suffering the most. Its high time, we come to terms to the people of Kashmir. Kashmir is a special case and so normal Centre-State relationship and functioning won't work. The J&K legislature should be given freedom to form new laws or modify current laws as required and appropriate. This does not mean complete separation of the state. Borders can be made porous (like US/Canada). J&K would remain an integral part of India but their government would have special authority independent of the central rule. The people should have rights to elect a legislature for them and by them. There would be free travel and trade bringing prosperity to the state. Thus, if we hear the consent of the people there and have them come to power since Kashmir is indeed a special case, we would be able to bring peace and stability in the region. A humane suggestion for peace in Kashmir 1 For me i think we need to resolve the human rights violations that been happening from years now , if some people from army are involved in it , they should also be brought to justice , army needs to regain faith in kashmiris , then only they will support them 2 Kashmir is another poor state like bihar , jharkhand , where there is poverty , there is violence , young kids take up weapon not because of religion but because of hunger , inability to find jobs , support their families 3 Treating kashmir as a separate state has been our mistake , so far , we need to understand the needs of the people ,listen to them . they need basic amenities like education , jobs , medical facilties , there tourism industry has suffered badly due to years of violence , we need to revive that ,but for the point 1 needs to be taken care off 4 We cant have porous borders for now as it mit just become another way for cross border terrorism like nepal or bangladesh , these solutions are diplomatic and kashmir needs ground work

The solution of Kashmir dispute lies in the goodwill of the people of India and Pakistan and not on the rhetoric of political leaders. It is easy for the political leaders to earn popularity pointing several causes of disagreement and get vote to remain in power. It is good for both the countries to talk less for Kashmir and more for the well beings of the people of both the nations. Under the present atmosphere the talk on Kashmir will not bring any fruitful result. India will insist for some actions over the leaders of Mumbai carnage and a fresh assurance from the government of Pakistan that Pakistans territory will not be used for terror strike. On the other hand Pakistan will go on; the first priority of peace talk is the dispute of Kashmir. Final result appears to be zero. Pakistan has to realize that Indian government has no power to alter anything of Kashmir without the consent of the people of India. Similarly India has to realize that Pakistan government can not do anything against the leaders of terrorists without the support of the majority mass people of Pakistan. Pakistan Government knows its deficiency when the world body is saying that Pakistan is the epic-center of terrorist.

Knowing the terrorist activity of Pakistan, US are not going away from Pakistan or against Pakistan rather United State is sharing the difficulties with Pakistan. India also should share the difficulties of Pakistan in the process of tackling the terrorists in Pakistan soil. The two neighbors must move forward for the sake of peace and stability in the region, to root out terrorism. There is now a dire and immediate need to change old mindsets and give way to a new and progressive thought. Both Pakistan and India need to avoid shortsighted policies for political short-term gains, which have resulted in poisoning their relations in the past and the present. A mutual understanding is bound to increase the neighborly relations- the ultimate of which will nullify the terrorist activity and bring a permanent peace in Kashmir as well.

7. Has the Obama Government lived up to expectations

It is quite normal for elected candidates to bear the burden of expectations. What makes Obama peculiar is their scale and magnitude. That has in part to do with the symbolism of his election. But that is a small part, as a majority has to do with all the promises of change he made. Contrary to the expectations of 75000 supporters and 365 electoral votes, president barack obama has not delivered the change that they could believe in. His stimulus package credibility prevented a probable catastrophic financial crash but hasnt nudged unemployment figures by much. Obamas flagship agenda on the health care bill still awaits its time in the sun. the same goes for his much hyped climate change bill. The major blows for his supporters so far have been his failure in closing the Guantanamo bay prison and also in providing relief for illegal immigrants, which he promised and initiated initially. Ironically, his promise of closing Gimto and solving other human rights issues were part of the parcel that won him the noble prize. Politifact found that obama has kept around 91 of his promises out of 500. Obama says what people want to hear and not what he believes in. He made several promises during his campaign days, but precious few seem to have realized. Thus Obama government doesnot seem to have lived upto expectations so far.

8. Can the CWG be a platform for better performances in International sports

It has been a magic time for India's fatalistic sports lovers. Its athletes have redeemed the Commonwealth Games with their finest performances ever, winning 38 gold medals and pushing India to the second place in the table. That's almost unbelieveable for us.. A rousing performance in an international sporting event can lift the spirits of a nation, and many say the Delhi games have done precisely that to India. Although the games were doomed because of the familiar taint of corruption and gross bungling and we thought it was all over. But It wasn't. India's athletes picked up the gauntlet, and athletes like Krishna Poonia, Mandeep Kaur, Saina Nehwal, Gagan Narang outperformed others to pick up golds. Athletes in various sports including hockey, boxing, wrestling etc showed spectacular spirit and performance making it India's most successful commonwealth games till date by winning 101 medals. There's little doubt that India's CWG success will not get repeated at the International level . one has to accept that many of the hard rocking athletes did not show up and their absence was one of the prominent factor for what the final outcome was. However, that doesn't make the CWG performance a fluke. The foundation has, indeed, been laid at the CWG, albeit in a modest way, will help build a superstructure to have a sports culture in the country. The expensive stadia and other state-of-the-art infrastructure could easily turn out to be white elephants, decaying away in neglect, if they are not used to showcase and

train athletes regularly. It is tempting to suggest that India's success at the games have happened despite the system - even after the 1982 Asian Games in Delhi, sports has remained mired in politics, nepotism, provincialism and corruption. Government has to take interest in nurturing sports seriously by tapping talent at the grassroots and setting up academies. One hopes that India's apathetic sports officials will build on the success of its athletes and begin treating them better with more incentives, increased funding and improved infrastructure. The legacy of the Delhi games will depend on this alone.

9. Should there be a rigid code for aspiring politicians

India has the distinction of being one of the biggest democracies. But sometimes when I look at the kind of people who are leading this country, this distinction suddenly appears to be a dubious one. I find that the so called peoples representativesdont have any the basic etiquettes that are required by people who lead a nation. The incidence that have happened in past wherein these MLAs & MPs were caught using abusive language for the opposition leaders or sometimes we have seen rash or violent behavior in parliament sessions where it became almost impossible to control them. These are not just a few instances of misbehavior, they have been happening time and again. But no severe action has been taken against them by the party leaders or the speaker. Corruption is another major contamination which seems to be rooted in all politicians. So the question is should there be a rigid code for aspiring politicians. Yes indeed! There should be the highest code of conduct in all the land if you want to be a politician of any sort. It should go far beyond even a rigid military code of honor. If such a code existed, it would pare down considerable all those intent on graft, corruption, slander, double crosses..lying to the citizens etc. Along with this strict code should also come stricter accountability for all of ones actions while in office with sever and drastic punishments of all kinds. They would actually uphold and apply the same laws they make for others on themselves. Politicians would then become role models for young as well as old. With total commitment they would devote their lives to improving the country they were born in. I, as citizen of this country, seriously feel that some kind of legislation that defines the code of conduct of these people should be brought in as soon as possible. India is the second largest populated country in the world. We follow a democratic system and its constitution gives every citizen the right to lead the country. Anyone can contest in elections. There is no rigid code apart from age criteria. If we take into account of the politicians after India became independent, we have been plagued by corruption and mismanagement, which has led to social and economic downfall of the nation. If only we have rigid codes for our future leaders, we can expect a positive future. Firstly, we should make education compulsory for aspiring politicians. They should hold a degree at least so that they possess the right skill-set. Secondly, they should not have been convicted of hideous crimes; not that cases being filed in the present. Next, they should know how to finance funds and that can be seen in elections. Lastly, their backgrounds should be thoroughly checked so that the public is aware of whom they are going to vote for. Thus, if we have such a transparent system and if we have rigid codes for aspiring politicians to follow, we would have better choices to elect from which will lead in the development of the country. india is a democratic country,we follow a democratic system and the constitution gives every1 the right to lead the country.there is no particular rigid code for our country apart from age and sound mind

in my opinion i feel there should be a rigid code.. for e.g if we want 2 get a job we have to go through a series of test and interview the person who wants job is evalated on various grounds similarly a candidate who is aspirin to become a politician should be evaluated on certain things by the election committee i also feel certain eligibility criteria should also be laid down like education qualification,no criminal background,good communication,leadership skills and participation in social work..he/she should be properly evaluated on his background like he must have not been involved in corruption.. thus if we want our future to be prosperous and bright there should be rigid code for aspiring politicians..

10. Is education a stepping stone for employment or intellectual growth

Education is the foundation on which we build our personal and social life. An educated person is more successful than an uneducated one in any field. When it comes to employment, employers today are looking for higher education and ability to learn and practical application in their fields. Education is a major criteria where employers can narrow down on the number of applicants. Education is indeed a stepping stone for employment since it allows us to:

Learn how to learn : Education helps us to learn and grasp new things and helps in implementing that in our work. Devlop Interpersonal skills: This includes communication skills, team work, life skills. Devlop Time and Task Management Learn from others' experience

Intellectual growth means reasoning and logical application. Education helps us to apply reasoning to new issues and solve queries. It helps in intellectual thinking and application on issues. 1) Education is definitely stepping stone for employment and intellectual growth , but it depends on how knowlegde is imbibed to people , what kind of education is given to a person , for example literature has no meaning to a farmer , for him knowledge of better seeds , irrigation techniques, knowledge of weather conditions , dealing with money lenders is crucial, understanding microfinance i.e dealing with loans ,selling their produce at the right price , right market , so relevant education is the stepping not generalized education, schemes like echoupal from ITC 2) A person in india is considered literate if one can sign one's name in a document , that is no way a parameter for education , primary education is crucial for every indian , to understand one's rights , not to be exploited and oppressed anymore , knowledge of law , basic rights , consumer rights are not known to most of the educated people in india 3) Mugging rather than logical reasoning has been basis of education in India, people are not made to think but just to take the things as they are , thus degrees dont lead to automatic employment , there is a lot of difference between what industries want and skill of level of UG's and PG's 4) Education is the only way , with which unemployment can be eradicated , we need enteprenuers who can create jobs for thousands

Education is the key for inclusive growth in India, but given its relevant to the reciever and knowledge is imbibed in the right way

Education is the tool for developing an individuals capabilities to make him a worthwhile member of the society and the world, and to help him realize his potential. Employment is simply a desirable outcome of education. It is quite cynical to perceive education as a facilitator for employment. I believe, if one is educated, he must know what contribution he can make to this world and how should he go about harnessing his education for employment. Education is for realization of your capabilities and interests. And since employment is the basic need for survival and a measure of success, it could be a directive factor for an individuals perception of education. But the purpose of education fails once we start weighing it against employability. Education has to be effective in making an individual conscious of his abilities, forming his ideology, helping him make decisions of life and arming him with qualities to take up responsibilities in life. If education is effective on these parameters, employability comes of its own. Education is a process of continued intellectual growth. Education helps us decide the parameters which our life will be based upon. It helps open up our horizons through which we develop judgement, responsibility and ambitions.
11. Why have the youth stopped reading
Today is the world of Facebook. The youth does not want to sit with a book and waste his time when he can socially interact with his friends online. No one says "books are my best friend" today! Television, video games and internet have become a way of life . Why is it that we have lost an interest in reading books? There are many reasons that contribute to this fact. One of them being less encouragement. Today parents don't really encourage their children to read. An eight year old might have a Facebook account today when he/she should be cultivating an interest towards books. Most of the teenagers are having eye sight issues, thanks to the hours of dedication towards Farcry or Halo! Also time is another reason. Today the youth is dumped with so many things. There is huge pressure in terms of assignments, projects, tests, etc on the youth. SO when would he get time for some constructive reading? Apart from all these factors, today the youth has a mindset of growing big and growing fast, and reading books is considered a waste of time by many. I believe that reading books is really important. Not only does it help in building our vocabulary but also helps and build us intellectually. It gives us confidence to write and speak better. It gives us ideas to express ourselves in new and innovative ways. 1) Books were the biggest source of knowledge till the turn of the last century , but with the advent of Internet , tools like google , wikipedia , any information can be extracted within seconds , accessibility to information is better and its cheaper than buying books 2)A single Book read at a time gives the point of view of that author but via internet one is able to access several answers to the same problem , several definitions to the same phrase , diversity in the answers is huge , people have more choices

3) Google is spending billions in scanning millions of books , precisly for this reason I think this change has come over due to changes in technology , new source of knowledge , accessibiltity has become easier , and reading has become more of leisure activity than a neccessity, whether its good or bad , that can be debated but this is the future

12. Has the work place become a burnout zone

Job Burnout is "a state of fatigue or frustration brought about by devotion to cause, way of life, or relationship that failed to produce the expected reward." In other words, job burnout is a gradual process. It is both a psychological and physical response to our work. And the end result is loss of enthusiasm, or lack drive, and finally, a giving up or resignation. Work place a burnout zone can be attributed when employees -Don't caring about your job -Feel unappreciated by customers, co-workers, supervisor/manager, company -Suffer from Anxiety and reluctance to go to work -Feel Helplessness/lack of control -Feel Persistent fatigue Boredom -Feel Guilt Not seeing a way out -Get Inadequate pay -Suffer from Underemployment Burnout leads to -Declining work performance -More physical ailments -Insensitivity/lack of empathy -Apathy -Excessive absences of lateness -Either drug or alcohol abuse -Sarcasm/distasteful humor -Mood swings First and foremost, you must recognize you are in a burnout state. Self-awareness is the first step in making a change. Often times, a layoff or external event might force the issue. It makes us look at ourselves and where we are going. Second, understanding that you and you alone, are ultimately are in control of your career. And although there might be less than ideal circumstances in your workplace, you are ultimately responsible for controlling your work destiny. Asking yourself, "Is my workplace the real culprit for job burnout or is it me?" Some workers can be stressed by saying "Hello" in the morning. Look critically at your workplace. Is it a toxic workplace? Perhaps, you are in a unique pressure-cooker environment, with "No Way Out." If that is the case, you need to look at your external options. Are you doing what you like? Are you utilizing skills that you enjoy? Does your work give you a sense of purpose and mission? If you are out of touch with this aspect of your work, it is time to consider making a career change, small or large. And finally, is my life and career balanced? Do I have opportunities with my family, friends, or hobbies? Or am I just working incessantly with no end in sight? Every job has its peaks and valleys, however, it is important to take time to refresh and replenish ourselves.

13. Has excessive ambition led to an increase in burnouts

The term burnout refers to both the process of burning out it can drag on for months or even years and the final state of total exhaustion, says the psychotherapist Bsche Uwe Meyer. In most cases, including the status of a work-related fatigue is described which is shown by alienation from himself, cynicism, and decreased efficiency.

It often takes the industrious. Employees, who want to have everything right, can be hard to say no. You cannot burn out if they meet their own high expectations of themselves. They are in the company mostly good people who are hard to replace. Most of excessive ambition and self-generated pressure are reasons for burnout. Often these characteristics are favorable with a feeling that one is held back in the job: Deteriorating working conditions, time pressure, poor work environment or a lack of influence on work organization can support the tendency to burn-out yet. But not to be the feeling in planning and decision-making involved to be made for failures but the cause and the fear of job losses in susceptible individuals make burnout at risk. A classic example: If you work hard for a promotion and they still do not get, can thereby fall into a deep hole. Large and medium-sized companies are trying to increase early detection of mental illness in their employees and to respond. TUI AG now offers, for example, to prevention services for mental health. In a pilot project to all employees of the company headquarters in Hanover, was offered a health coaching. We did not consciously spoken of therapy or counseling, to keep the threshold as low as possible, says Lars coach, project manager for health at TUI. An external e-mail address was interested to arrange a meeting with a psychologist. The response was so great that the project continues. Moreover, those affected will soon be able to check with a competent team of counseling or therapy. And managers are trained in workshops to identify signs of burn-out.

14. Can the rescue of Mine workers in Chile be an inspiration to all to carry on when the odds are against you
On 5 August 2010, a cave-in occurred at the San Jos copper-gold mine in the Atacama Desert near Copiap, Chile. The accident left 33 men trapped 700 metres (2,300 ft) below ground.[1] The miners survived underground for a record 69 days. All 33 were rescued and brought to the surface on 13 October 2010. The total cost of the rescue operation was estimated at US$20 million, a third covered by private donations with the rest coming from state-owned mining corporation Codelco and the government itself. The human courage involved in the rescue of the 33 trapped miners in Chile have inspired many. The tireless efforts of the rescue workers, the courage of the miners and the unity of the Chilean people are an inspiration to us all. After his release from the hospital, Mario Seplveda said "All 33 trapped miners, practicing a one-man, one-vote democracy, worked together to maintain the mine, look for escape routes and keep up morale." He said, "We knew that if society broke down we would all be doomed. Each day a different person took a bad turn. Every time that happened, we worked as a team to try to keep the morale up." valos, a trapped miner said the men kept hope of a survival by pulling together to beat hunger, thirst and desperation underground. As a group we had to keep faith, we had to keep hope, we had to all believe that we would survive, he said. Franklin Lobos, a former professional footballer, said he and his fellow miners had acted like a great football team. "We pulled together when things got rough, when there was nothing, when we needed to drink water and there wasnt any to drink. We pulled together when there was no food, when you just had to eat a teaspoon of tuna because there was nothing else. That really bonded us," he said. The flawless rescue was a big success for Chilean President Sebastian Pinera, who waited at the mouth of the shaft through the night and morning to greet and hug the men as they emerged from the red, white and blue capsule -- the Chilean colors. Pinera, a billionaire entrepreneur who took office in March, ordered an overhaul of Chile's mine safety regulations after the accident. His popularity ratings have surged and his government has won praise for its handling of the crisis. Among millions of people who watched television coverage of the rescue of the first miner was U.S. President Barack Obama, who hailed the operation as an inspiration to the world. "This rescue is a tribute not only to the determination of the rescue workers and the Chilean government but also the unity and resolve of the Chilean people who have inspired the world," Obama said in Washington.

Thirty-two of the miners are Chilean but one is from neighboring Bolivia and the rescue has helped improve ties between the two countries, locked in a dispute for more than a century over Bolivia's demands for access to the Pacific. Bolivia's president, Evo Morales, was at the mine to welcome Bolivian miner Carlos Mamani as he was lifted to safety and he thanked Pinera and his government for rescuing him. "I and the Bolivian people will never forget this great effort," Morales said at a news conference with Pinera. Hence this event is truly an inspiration to all of us when the odds are against us.

15. Unity and resolve can lead us to greater growth

Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success. Henry Ford is so right about unity playing a great role in a nations growth. From time immemorial we have seen events where there is absence of unity in a society; it has been easy for the foreign element to disintegrate it. The British rule taught us an important lesson because they used our weakness as a weapon to attack us. Had we been united and had the determination to come to a decision, had we been ignorant of our differences in the country and come up strong against them to win our nation back, they would have gone back sooner. The point of remembering past experiences, is to learn and most importantly implement what we learnt. We have always been a diverse community since a long time, so it is sometimes difficult to reach to a unanimous decision for a problem. But with varied ideas and facts we can come to an awesome solution to a problem looking into the problem taking into account all aspects as well as everyones opinion. In todays competitive world everyone strives to be the best. Harnessing energy from everyone capable and reaching out for a compiled and optimised solution is the need for the day.

16. The outcome of Obamas visit to India

President Barack Obama's three-day visit to India came on the heels of an economic recession and a losing war in Afghanistan. Just before his visit, Obama felt the full lash of frustration from the American people in the midterm elections on account of a stagnant economy and increasing unemployment. Thus creation of jobs in the United States is his prime objective. American businesses desperately need markets to sell their products. They are looking towards the developing world with great optimism. India, being the second-fastest growing economy after China, is a major consumer of everything from bikes to aircrafts, nuclear power to defense equipment. In order to take advantage of the burgeoning demand from India, on the very first day of Obama's visit, 20 business deals worth a total of $10 billion were signed between the two countries. The deals included sales of Boeing passenger aircrafts, Boeing C-17 Globemasters to Indian armed forces, GE 107 F414 jet engines to the Indian Air Force, GE power turbines, and the setting up of a Harley Davidson assembly plant, among others. Obama declared that these deals will create around 54,000 jobs in the United States. All this was said and done despite the restriction on outsourcing from India. Obama also declared to lift the ban of high-tech and dual-use exports to Indian agencies Indian Space Research Organisation, Defence Research and Development Organisation, and Bharat Dynamics Limited. Moreover, his administration has supported India's full membership in Nuclear Suppliers Group, Missile Technology Control Regime, the Australian Group and the Wassenaar Arrangement. It is being said that these concessions will help India to develop its space technology and defense industry. All this might seem to be the generosity of the Obama administration towards India, but the reality is different. Apart from eyeing economic gains by the sale of high-tech and dual-use products, the United States also wants to make geopolitical impact in Asia. Worried by the rapid rise of China, the United States wants to create a counterbalance in Asia by allying India with itself. On the last day of his visit, Obama addressed the Indian Parliament. He said many things India wanted to hear, and a few things it didn't. The most important was his vocal support for

India getting a permanent seat in the reformed U.N. Security Council (UNSC). Since such a statement would not come without conditions attached, he asked India to play an active role in passing and enforcing sanctions resolutions during its two-year stint as a non-permanent member. By this, he wanted India to change its consistent stance on Iran. This was also reflected in the joint statement issued by both countries. On Iran, both leaders reaffirmed their commitment to diplomacy and discussed the need for India to meet its obligations towards the International Atomic Energy Agency and UNSC. On Pakistan, in line with Indian expectations, Obama said that terrorist safe havens within Pak borders are unacceptable and also called on Pakistan to punish the terrorists behind the Mumbai attacks. This was the most an American president could do notwithstanding the lack of strategic convergence between India and the United States on Pakistan. While for the United States Pakistan is a part of the solution, for India it is the heart of the problem. The United States badly needs Pakistan in its war against al Qaeda and the Taliban in the AfPak region. On the controversial issue of Kashmir, repeating his earlier stance, the U.S. president said Washington couldn't impose a solution and intends to work with both sides to resolve the issue bilaterally. His silence on Kashmir was ensured by the above aircraft and defense deals. Stressing the phrase "two largest democracies," Obama sought to send an indirect message to China that development can be achieved by following democratic norms and values. This was in contrast to his visit to China where he talked about "G-2" leading the world. It clearly shows that the United States seeks to contain China in Asia by supporting India. In reality, India and China cannot be compared. China has more than $2.6 trillion of investment in U.S. securities. Moreover, the annual bilateral trade between the United States and China is more than $500 billion, with balance of trade in favor of China. China has leverage with the United States that India does not. Also in his speech, Obama questioned the silence of India on human rights violations in Myanmar and maintained that being upfront on such issues did not mean interference in the affairs of another country. One could say that the same should apply to U.S. policy towards Saudi Arabia and other West Asian allies where citizens don't know the meaning of human rightsnot to mention the human rights violations of Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo Bay. This visit was different in the sense that it was a give-and-take event, unlike prior visits by U.S. presidents who sought only to extract from India as much as they could. Obama gave many concessions and assurances to India. Still, there are many issues on which both countries do not share a common view. India, being a sovereign nation, has always followed an independent foreign policy. Our defined principles determine our relations with neighboring countries and the world. As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh rightly said, "We cannot choose our neighbors." We need to learn to live in peace with them without bowing to any external pressure. Indian policymakers should keep in mind that, in the 21st century, America may need India more than India needs America.

The three-day Obama visit to India was an indisputable success is not in doubt whether seen from the public diplomacy angle, the transactional arrangements arrived at, the purely political side, or the reinforcement of rapport between the president and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The extent to which it has, however, been leveraged to address India's core security concerns in regard to the threat from Pakistan and China remains a question mark. But even then one can say it was a constructive visit for both the nations as far as politics and economy of both India and the US are concern. On the transactional side, it is a tribute to the leadership and bureaucracies on both sides that the outcome did not disappoint. As Obama himself stated, more agreements were concluded during his India visit than during any other similar visit made by him. If during the Bush visit in 2006 there was one single overarching understanding which overshadowed all others, notably the nuclear deal, during the Obama visit there have been a plethora of understandings, all significant in themselves, but none clearly dominating others, in nearly every conceivable area of national activity

stretching from agriculture to space, from education to defence, from energy to health, from higher education to trade and commerce and from counter-insurgency to the promotion of a nuclear weapon-free world. If Obama can look back with satisfaction and claim that deals worth $10 billion have been clinched which would help create over 50,000 jobs in the US, India can derive satisfaction from the removal of the Indian Space Research Organisation, munitions maker Bharat Dynamics Limited and the Defence Research and Development Organisation, along with many of their subsidiaries, from the Entities List, together with the indication that India would be treated like close allies in regard to clearances for import of sensitive equipment and materials, and the undertaking that the US would be supportive of India's membership of export control regimes like the Nuclear Suppliers Group and Missile Technology Control Regime. And finally president obama expressing his support for india becoming a permanent member at the UN security council cannot be ignored. While the process of India securing a permanent seat in the UN Security Council will be long drawn out, it is very significant that the US has finally come out in unequivocal support of our candidature and will greatly help us in this regard. Moreover with this trip Obama seemed to make it clear to India and to the world at large that Indo-US relations were heading more towards a give-and-take relationship, rather than the previously imagined one, where the US gives and India takes.

17. Was Obama advised well to drop Amritsar from his itinery
Golden temple was likely the third stop on Obamas visit to India but later after White house team visited Amritsar, it was ruled out of his itinerary on the question of how Mr. obama will cover his head , as Sikh tradition requires, while visiting the temple and he wearing a headscarf may convey an image of him appearing to be a Muslim, a misinterpretation which the team liked to avoid. Mr. Obama canceling the trip to Amritsar to avoid an association with any faith other than his own can lead to further misunderstanding and perpetuation of unprovoked hostility, harassment and hate crimes, problems of mistaken identity and discrimination against Sikh Americans in the US. Covering one's head is associated with humility and respect for a faith tradition. The recent visits to the Golden Temple by Queen Elizabeth II, Prime Ministers of Canada and Australia, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Christian, Jewish, and Hindu leaders, and others have generated a great sense of goodwill among the Sikh Diaspora around the world. These world leaders never thought that somehow covering their head in the holiest shrine of the Sikh faith ever compromised their humanity or spirituality. President Obama, being a winner of noble peace prize has a genuine desire to promote and foster religious understanding and interfaith dialogue and his visit could have helped to dispel the wrong impressions about the Sikhs round the world. Golden Temple is sacred to all Indians and not just for Sikhs. It represents one of the four great religious traditions India has given to the world. Over 150,000 people of all faiths, visit this place and similar number of people are fed daily, representing equality and human dignity. I deeply regret President Obama missed the opportunity to send the powerful message of global peace and harmony in the South Asian region and in the world. According to me Yes he was advised well not to hurt any of the parties who are concerned. here is the supporting point, Why he really dropped visit to Amritsar? The sources said the White House security team, which visited India last month, was not in favor of Obama wearing the traditional scarf to cover his head during his visit to the Golden Temple. The scarf, they felt, may convey an image of him appearing to be a Muslim, an impression the Obama team would like to avoid in view of past experiences. Right-wing critics in the US were quick to seize on pictures of Obama dressed as a Somali elder

on a visit to Africa in 2006 and tried to portray Obama, a Christian by faith but whose grandfather was Muslim, to be a closet Muslim who was under attack by conservative America.

18. Lessons to be learnt from the Delhi Commonwealth games

Commonwealth games were hosted successfully and ended up with India creating history and standing at second spot. It is good to rejoice over our victory of sorts in hosting the Games but, we must not forget the dark side in the euphoria. No matter how hard one tries, it cannot be denied that the Games did lack on many fronts. Preparations for the Commonwealth Games were blighted by delays and allegations of corruption and inefficiency. Thus, what was supposed to signify Indias arrival on the world stage appeared to exemplify the problems of governance in India, in terms of both policy-making and implementation. So, what are the lessons learnt? Firstly, It is one thing to win a contract but another to honour it. It is the responsibility of the government to ensure that the people who are entrusted with the task know their jobs well. We have to understand that we have to change our ways and meet global expectations if we are to continue to gain the respect and recognition that we deserve. We need clearer planning, greater honesty and accountability and the discipline required to deliver consistently and predictably. Secondly, while exalting in our exemplary success at CWG, we cannot ignore the absence of sporting superpowers like the USA or China in this meet. Our country is still far behind in athletics and aquatics probably because of lack of facilities. For this our government should take it to the grass-roots level of schools and colleges by supplementing good sporting infrastructures and coaching facilities, so that we can produce world class sportsmen who can then compete and win at major sporting events around the world. According to some reports, the initial budget for the Games in 2003 was estimated to be Rs 1900 crores but, the actual costs are anywhere between Rs 30,000 and Rs 70,000 crores. Whatever be the real costs, the point is that the expenditure did spiral out of control and that too at levels difficult to fathom. So, what went wrong? First, incorrect budget estimation in 2003.Second, inflation. Some rise in costs can be attributed to inflation, but 15 times escalation? Not understandable. Third, since the work started quite late, last minute work cost more. Fourth, corruption. Though this is yet to be proved in a court of law, it is like an open secret. How else can one explain the over-priced toilet rolls or treadmills? Also, the contracts were given to some companies with not-so-good backgrounds, sometimes even without proper documentation. Corruption is the single biggest reason for the cost over-runs.

19. Implication of India becoming a permanent member of the UN Security Council

After 19years, India got the UNSC non permanent membership. India hopes to usher its reforms to ensure a place as a permanent member of the UNSC. If India becomes a permanent member of the UNSC, it would have a larger role to play globally. It can no longer be a non alligned nation but has to take tough stand and force sanctions. It would represent the 3rd world- the underdeveloped and developing nations. It would focus on agendas like investment of more funds by the developed nations in African countries. Human rights issues, pursue issues related to India's interest. Issues concerning with India's immediate neighbors. India itself has been a victim of terrorism for decades, and successfully defended its sovereignity. So it would play an important role in countering terrorism and playing a major role in peacekeeping. Education, employment, climate control, global warming, preservation of forest and wildlife and proverty are other areas on which India would play a major role in South Asia and the

world as a whole. Hence basically India would be able to emerge as a global power, if it becomes a permanent UNSC member and would be able to represent the still developing and poorer nations and their concerns.

20. Should the POSCO Steel Plant be cleared for development

POSCO proposes to invest $12 billion dollars in an integrated steel plant and a captive port in Orissa. Positives: -Job creation: 48K+ jobs -Foreign exchange: inflow of US $23 billion dollars projected -Taxes and revenues worth $20 billion dollars for Center and $5.1 billion dollars for the state. Negatives: -Possible adverse environmental impact -Local protests, concerned about its impact on their agricultural livelihoods. -Violation of Forest Rights Act: acquisition of forest lands Final decision lies with Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh. This is India's biggest foreign direct investment and its progress is being watched by other possible investors. Hence if this project is a success, it would pave way for other giant investors that would help boost our economic growth. Hence if we can take balanced steps on the growth of our economy without harming the nature, it should be a positive step towards a brighter future.

21. Should industrial development take precedence over environmental issues

There is a great deal of animosity between developed and developing countries today. Most developed countries, have become more environmentally friendly and responsible. Take for instance, the use of nuclear power over the traditional fossil fuels. Or the implementation of carbon credits. These are some steps taken by developed countries to protect the environment. However, todays new superpowers such as China and India are experiencing breakneck economic growth and progress. In the process of doing so, these countries have accelerated environmental degradation. Take for instance, according to statistics, China opens one new coal-powered every week, adding more and more carbon dioxide to our atmosphere. These startling new developments in developing countries have created a much heated debate between developed and developing countries, over the issue of whether environmental protection should take precedence over economic development. Does this author agree with the motion then? This author does not. This essay will discuss some of the reasons as to why this author thinks so. Firstly, most developing nations do not possess the necessary funding, infrastructure and expertise required to implement market-based strategies to ensure sustainable development. Poor countries are often dependant on producing primary products, goods that are labour intensive and low in value. These industries are by nature highly pollutive then the more environmentally friendly high-tech light industries. Economic development and industrial progress happen in phases. Without the early stage, albeit pollutive industries, there will be no foundation for the development of the less pollutive high-tech industries. Therefore, such developing countries, while not totally neglecting their environmental responsibilities, should not be unduly penalised for their actions. They should be given time to catch up and assume more responsibilities in the future. Moreover, it is highly unreasonable to expect developing nations to entirely share the green concerns of their developed counterparts. As the word developing suggests, developing countries are going through a different social and development phase as compared to

developed countries. As a result, such countries may sometimes have other much more pressing issues to deal with. Take for example, if a country has large number of citizens who are still in abject poverty, how could resources be allocated to pursue environmentally friendly research activities? Obviously eradicating poverty is a much more important issue that the country has to deal with. In such a situation, environmental protection obviously cannot take precedence over economic development

Industrialisation has contributed to the growth of economy of several countries. It has improved the standards of living of its people and provided benefits to the society. It has also created in the process great environmental problems like climate change, forest destruction and denudation, soil erosion and desertification etc. On the other hand, industry has provided jobs and improved the prospects of wealth for the industrialists. The working class communities had to simply put up with the high levels of pollution in order to keep up their jobs and also to save their income. New industries have been set up after Independence as per the policy of the National Govt. for balanced regional development. With the establishment of a few large mineral based industries like steel, power, cement, aluminium, coal complexes during the past three decades, the industrialisation process has gained momentum. Large number of industrial units in the medium, small scale and ancillary sectors has been set up across the country. The establishment of industries at few locations, have no doubt, brought about material wealth and employment opportunities. However, the industrialisation has led to the degradation of enviroment due to industrial pollution. At the time of establishing industrial units, the pollution problems in the industrial operations were given very little attention. These industries were set up with practically no pollution control measures and hence have led to the environmental degradation beyond permissible limits. As a result of our activities, the water, air and land are affected in a number of harmful ways. For example, fuel burning puts 4.5 billion tons of waste flow into the earth's atmosphere each year; more than 10 billion tons of waste flow into the worlds oceans each year, as silt, clay, sewage, nutrient salts, poisonous chemicals, radio active substance and oil; and at least 150 thousand sq. kilometers of rain forest are destroyed each year. It has been realised that the environmental degradation can be disproportionately more than economic development unless suitable safeguards are not provided from the beginning. It has also been felt that the effects of pollution in all its aspects may not remain limited to the boundaries of developed and developing nations. The hazards of Green House effects and the depletion/disruption of ozone layer of the world atmosphere have become more real than just postulations. It is the fundamental duty of citizens to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wild life. Reckless use of resources has degraded and destructed the environment in the quest of industrial development and maximising of GNP. Social Justice must include Environmental Justice also. Hence, industrial development should not take precedence over environmental issues. Therefore, a stage has been reached where adequate and effective pollution control measures are required to be adopted in such industries so that the adverse effects, to the environment, are minimized. we have to take a balanced view which entails harmonising the environment, development and the workers interests. Forests have to be saved and mineral wealth in valleys and forests will also have to be used properly; at the same time the employment of workers will have to be taken care of also.

22. Why do youth get into crime

Life is an organic ever changing phenomenon. Every man in this world is subject to pass by the circumstances and challenges of his age. In the current situations and problematic matters, the utilization of youth and its training towards greater end of his faculties is the greatest social imbroglio. Most of the young people commit crimes because there is no sense of community anymore. Outside their school and colleges, there isn't as much chance for the children to communicate among different parts of the society and most of them stick to the group they know. The children who have intellectual, talented genetic relations outshine others because of mainly their training. The youth whether indulge into wrong from right or right from wrong traces its background to it, upbringings and parental-childhood relationship. The children who in their childhood prong to harsh and exploitative environment in the early age of their learning, in adult age comes like an imbalanced personalities and anthema to society. To eradicate this menace of youth crime, we have to put all our efforts to popularise enlightenment, education, merit, equity, and equal opportunities of chance to everyone. Parents should be imparted values and education to teach and transfer it to children and so we would succeed in producing healthy and compatible youth.

George Bernard Shaw has said "Youth is a wonderful thing. What a crime to waste it on children." Indeed, young people getting into crime is a menance to the society. But why does youth get into crime?
There are many reasons why young people may get into trouble. These may stem from reasons including:

Lack of discipline at home and in school; Bad communication between parents and teenagers; Peer pressure; Violence at home; Money problems; Poor housing; Instability; Low grades at school; Availability of drugs and alcohol; Bullying and alienation; Hyperactivity; Learning problems; Mental health problems

It has been a recent trend that young people tend to do something exciting just for fun and at the end of the day they enter the vicious circle of crime! This is more of a psychological problem and should be dealt firmly by proper counselling of the youth.

23. Are University/Colleges responsible for developing graduates employability

Should universities teach students how to find a job? Are employment skills a necessary requirement for higher education to deliver today? With so many new graduates each year, employers are spoilt for choice on who to give a job. If a company wants to recruit graduates, itll have no difficulty. If a company wants to recruit graduates with specific skills, the choice may be more difficult. There was a time when simply being a graduate was enough to help you stand out from the crowd. Securing employment wasnt as tough, because there were fewer graduates in the same position. Regardless of actual ability, having a degree was a notch above many. Yet today, with so many graduates in the mix, employers look for more than a grade. Even a First at a prestigious university isnt enough to grab whatever you desire. Students should be assured the following, whatever institution they attend:

Guaranteed availability of assistance and preparation for life after graduation if a student should request it; Continued support from careers services, including a more detailed and personal service in some cases; Clear information & explanation on improving employability and transition into work; Before going in to HE, give students awareness that a degree is not an automatic passport to a job or career; Give those pre-HE students guidance on the alternatives to university, along with general pros and cons to each. Even if work placements and generous employability support are provided by universities, is it enough? Broader knowledge, identity and well-being as possible keys to greater employability. Whatever your university has to offer, take responsibility for your future. Look beyond the grades and beyond the reputation of the institution. Look to yourself and what you have to offer. Its often a lot more that you think.

24. The 2 G scam: An example of corruption at the highest levels

The direct and grave indictment of the present Union Telecommunications Minister A. Raja by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) points to a staggeringly-high loss of Rs. 1.7 lakh crores to the public exchequer. This revelation comes in the wake of two other shameful scams: the gross irregularities in the Rs. 70,000 crore - Commonwealth Games (CWG) and the shameful Adarsh Housing Society scam in Mumbai, the latter being carried out invoking the sacred memory of Kargil martyrs. Essentially, the CAG concluded that the Union Cabinet Minister for IT and Communications ignored advice from the PM and ministries of law and finance, the recommendations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRAI) and allocated 2G spectrum to a select group of otherwise ineligible companies at throwaway prices. Tainted Contracts: The 2G-spectrum telecom licenses granted to a select group of favoured companies, which otherwise were totally ineligible for providing telecom services, are quite obviously tainted contracts. Media reports indicate that CAG pointed out that 12 such ineligible companies secured 85 out of 122 licenses across various jurisdictions in India, for the 2G spectrum. Corruption, bribery and abuse of authority must be established immediately: While the irregularities in the entire process of granting licenses have been established by the CAG, an independent investigation must be carried out immediately to ensure that the corresponding corruption, bribery, abuse of office and misuse of authority too are established. Tainted contracts should be scrapped immediately: Parallel to the above investigation, the Union government should immediately undertake a comprehensive, unbiased and transparent review of the entire 2G spectrum licensing policy and process, based on the CAGs report. Spectrum, a scarce and precious national resource, belongs to us Indians: It should not be forgotten that the 2G spectrum ultimately is a scarce and precious national resource. Recovery of loss to the public exchequer: Simultaneously, punitive damages must be imposed on the guilty parties and the monies should be recovered from them. Towards this, all illgotten wealth earned through illegal means should be seized and confiscated by the government and deployed for public good. Strong anti-corruption mechanisms and institutions need of the hour: Plundering the public exchequer for private gain has been the favourite pastime of unscrupulous crooks, often in collusion with politicians and officials entrusted with the responsibility of protecting public good. It is high time we enacted similar laws providing incentive to citizens to unearth fraud and corruption. There are practical, simple, effective methods to set things right. Sensible laws and effective legal system to enforce them are crucial to prevent public fraud.

25. Was the leak of the Radia tapes ethical

Tapping of phones is prima facie an invasion of privacy, but it has been well settled that the state and state agencies can tap phones if they are investigating a crime or for purposes of preventing a crime, or in a matter relating to national security, provided they have prima facie evidence that the person whose phone is to be tapped is involved. The tapping can then be authorised by the home secretary of the Government of India. The question then is whether such information can be put out in the public domain; this is the question that has come up in the context of the 2G or Niira Radia tapes. The tapping was sought in the context of prima facie evidence regarding income tax evasion, the permission was granted, and some portion of the tapes are now out in the public domain. Should these tapes, secured for the purposes of an income tax investigation, now be put out in the public domain? My view is that this is justified under certain circumstances. One, provided that putting out the information does not jeopardise the public safety or public interest. Two, it has a bearing on the public interest. There are categories of very private conversation but if it has a vital bearing on public interest and public affairs, if it shows the commitment of a crime, it can be made public. This is clear from even the provisions of the Right to Information Act. The section that deals with privacy talks of information that has no relation to public interest or activity. Activities such as planting stories in the media, influencing regulators and things like that clearly come within the ambit of public interestin this case, the issue of public interest overrides the issue of privacy. Indeed, if you are to seek the Niira Radia tapes under the Right to Information Act, this cannot be denied to you on grounds of privacy. The 104 conversations that are in the public domain cant really be called personal in any sense of the term. The conversation that Ratan Tata is having with Radia is a purely professional one. It is in his capacity as her employer and relates to his businessthere may be a few remarks made in the background but that doesnt make the tapes personal. Even in cases where the taps are unauthorised, the evidence is not inadmissible. The question is raised that corporate or other rivals can misuse this. They can, for instance, convince some junior officer to trump up a charge of, say, an income tax violation, ask for permission to tap, and then release the tape under the Right to Information Act. This is a red herring. If there is no prima facie evidence before a tap is authorised, an individual can take action and even the home secretary who authorised the taps can be prosecuted. You can, if your phone is tapped, ask for the prima facie information to be made available. And in case the phone conversations do not involve any matter of public interest, you can take legal action if it is put out in the public domain.

26. Did Indias performance at the Asiad live up to expectations?

The Asian Games, officially known as Asiad, is a multi-sport event held every four years among athletes from all over Asia. The 2010 Asian Games, also known as the XVI Asiad, was a multi-sport event in Guangzhou, China that began on 12 November and finished on 27 November 2010. India put up its best ever show at Asian Games and made sure that no body took their 2nd position showing in Delhi Commonwealth Games as a one time act. They ended the games at 64 medals including 14 golds which is India's second best showing ever since inception of Asian Games in 1951. These games also witnessed first ever medals in Gymnastics and Roller Sports. The mens and womens Kabaddi teams expectedly maintained their supremacy by clinching the gold. The womens 4 x 400 metres quartet of Manjeet Kaur, Sini Jope, AC Ashwini and Mandeep Kaur emerged first clocking 3 minutes, 29.02 seconds at the Aoti Main Stadium to win the third Gold. Star boxer Vijender Singh provided the icing on the cake by bringing the last yellow metal on the penultimate day of the mega event. The super charge led by athletes, boxers and tennis players in the last seven days of the Asian Games not only provided the impetus to the floundering Indian campaign but also scripted a memorable climax as the

country recorded its best ever performance at the sporting event. Hence India has indeed lived upto the expectations at the Asian Games 2010.

27. Does WikiLeaks pose a threat to International Relations

Every country knows what their actual relation with other countries is and how friendly are they at international levels so naturally comes the insecurities, guesswork of real hidden reasons behind...But when these guess and mere thinking of one country is confirmed by such means certainly the credibility of the nations are under threat. The difference is so to say that when people hear something or get a gossip confirmed, this might create uneasiness and tensions - also between political leaders albeit everybody involved. Wiki Leaks states that its "primary interest is in exposing oppressive regimes in Asia, the former Soviet bloc, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, but we also expect to be of assistance to people of all regions who wish to reveal unethical behavior in their governments and corporations Some documents that were leaked contained sensitive references to foreign heads of state. For example, details about the torture chambers in Europe or the Israeli-American seriousness concerning an assault on Iran could bear the potential to change public opinions, the public support of a certain government or inter-governmental relations etc. This could anger them into taking revenge on certain other country, or worse. Wikileaks whistle-blowing website started releasing over 200,000 cables of US embassies around the world, causing a 9 degree earthquake in international diplomacy. Finally the most vulnerable asset called Trust is shattered and some may see The founders and creators of wikileaks as a crusader protecting the right of people to information, while others view him as a threat to national security. But it might actually be both, depending on which side of the problem we situate ourselves. this indeed will affect the diplomatic relationships of many states. Diplomacy is a thing which is a natural and continuous process but since these methods have been unveiled yes the texture of international relation will be under threat as it will always be is a secret area, a land of negotiations and compromise, of you give me this and I give you that, of smiling to everyone and keeping the appearances. The consequences of publishing such secret information as the ones contained by the cables can cause a lot of damage to the already unstable political landscape.

28. What is Wikileaks

WikiLeaks is an international non-profit organisation that publishes submissions of private, secret, and classified media from anonymous news sources and news leaks. Its website, launched in 2006 and run by The Sunshine Press,[3] claimed a database of more than 1.2 million documents within a year of its launch.[7] The organisation describes its founders as a mix of Chinese dissidents, journalists, mathematicians, and start-up company technologists from the United States, Taiwan, Europe, Australia, and South Africa.[3] Julian Assange, an Australian Internet activist, is generally described as its director.[8] WikiLeaks was originally launched as a user-editable wiki site, but has progressively moved towards a more traditional publication model, and no longer accepts either user comments or edits. In April 2010, WikiLeaks posted video from a 2007 incident in which Iraqi civilians and journalists were killed by US forces, on a website called Collateral Murder. In July of the same year, WikiLeaks released Afghan War Diary, a compilation of more than 76,900 documents about the War in Afghanistan not previously available for public review.[9] In October 2010, the group released a package of almost 400,000 documents called the Iraq War Logs in coordination with major commercial media organisations. In November 2010, WikiLeaks began releasing U.S. State department diplomatic cables. WikiLeaks has received praise as well as criticism. The organisation has won a number of awards, including The Economist's New Media Award in 2008[10] and Amnesty International's UK Media Award in 2009.[11][12] In 2010, the New York City Daily News listed WikiLeaks first among websites "that could totally change the news",[13] and Julian Assange was named the

Readers' Choice forTIME's Person of the Year in 2010.[14] The UK Information Commissioner has stated that 'WikiLeaks is part of the phenomenon of the online, empowered citizen'.[15] In its first days, an internet petition calling for the cessation of extra-judicial intimidation of WikiLeaks attracted over six hundred thousand signatures.[16] Supporters of Wikileaks in the media have commended it for exposing state and corporate secrets, increasing transparency, supporting freedom of the press, and enhancing democratic discourse while challenging powerful institutions.[17][18][19][20][21][22] At the same time, several U.S. government officials have criticised WikiLeaks for exposing classified information, harming national security, and compromising international diplomacy. [23][24][25][26][27] Several human rights organisations have requested that WikiLeaks adequately redact the names of civilians working with international forces, in order to prevent repercussions.[28] Some journalists have likewise criticised a perceived lack of editorial discretion when releasing thousands of documents at once and without sufficient analysis.[29] In response to some of the negative reaction, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has expressed her concern over the 'cyber war' against WikiLeaks,[30] and in a joint statement with the Organization of American States its Special Rapporteur has called on states and other actors to keep international legal principles in mind.[31]

29. Are government policies successful in improving the quality of life?

Quality of life can be defined as an environment where people develop their full potential and lead productive and creative lives according to their needs and interests. It expand the choices of the people for a long and healthy life, access to the resources needed for a decent standard of living, education and participation in the life of the community they value. For many years, since the birth of industrial capitalism, growth has been a major economic goal of policy makers and political leaders - based on the deeply ingrained view that delivering larger and larger quantity of goods and services is the best way to improve the quality of human life. The reform programmes in the last 20 years across the country has more or less enhanced the economy stronger and delivered a huge change but the share of benefit has concentrated only in the hands of middle class onwards and it is yet to reach to d poorest Indians. so the over all standard of life remains poor. Many parts of the country have been barely touched by the economic boom. Children continue to be undernourished and poorly educated; women continue to give birth in their homes, and when they are teenagers; motherhood continues to be the deathtrap for many, the right for information has been repeatedly violated, sex education is hardly provided in schools and the need for family planning is hugely unmet. As we in india are experiencing, fast economic growth is not accompanied by parallel achievement in human development. Indias progress cannot be measured by its economic laurels, but by the quality of life of its citizens. Apparently our governments policies have not been successful in improving overall quality of life. Example: The economy of India is based in part on planning through its five-year plans, developed, executed and monitored by the Planning Commission. The 11th 5year plan for 2007-2012 has income/poverty, education, health, women/children, infrastructure and environment as major objectives. This is due turn to improve the quality of life. However previous 5year plans have been successful but not on equal scales. Although today India is the 2nd fastest growing economy in the world, there is a huge difference in the per-capita income in the country. The rich is becoming richer and the poor are becoming poorer. The Govt. policies have not been able to ensure an equal distribution of wealth across all sectors of the society.

30. The role of the Central Vigilance Commissioner

Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) is an apex Indian governmental body created in 1964 to address governmental corruption. It has the status of an autonomous body, free of control from any executive authority, charged with monitoring all vigilance activity under the Central Government of India, and advising various authorities in central Government organizations in planning, executing, reviewing and reforming their vigilance work.

The Annual Report of the CVC not only gives the details of the work done by it but also brings out the system failures which leads to corruption in various Departments/Organisations, system improvements, various preventive measures and cases in which the Commission's advises were ignored etc. The CVC is not an investigating agency, and it either gets the investigation done through the CBI or through the Departmental Chief Vigilance Officers. The current Central Vigilance Commissioner is P.J. Thomas. Key functions of a CVC are: To examine in detail the existing Rules and procedures of the Organisation with a view to eliminate or minimise the scope for corruption or malpractices. To identify the sensitive/corruption prone spots in the Organisation and keep an eye on personnel posted in such area. To plan and enforce surprise inspections and regular inspections to detect the systems, its failures and existence of corruption or malpractices. To maintain proper surveillance on officers of doubtful integrity. To ensure prompt observance of Conduct Rules relating to integrity of the Officers. In an effort to propagate the idea of zero tolerance for corruption, the Central Vigilance Commission(CVC) in India has begun to share with citizens a large amount of information related to corruption.

31. Will the victims of the Union Carbide disaster ever receive proper compensation
The Bhopal disaster (also referred to as the Bhopal gas tragedy) is the world's worst industrial catastrophe. It occurred on the night of December 23, 1984 at the Union Carbide India Limited (UCIL) pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. In 1989, a settlement was reached under which UCC agreed to pay US$470 million (the insurance sum, plus interest) in a full and final settlement of its civil and criminal liability. After the accident, no one under the age of 18 was registered. The number of children exposed to the gases was at least 200,000. Immediate relief was decided two days after the tragedy. Relief measures commenced in 1985 when food was distributed for a short period and ration cards were distributed. Widow pension of the rate of only Rs 200/per month (later Rs 750) was provided. One-time ex-gratia payment of only Rs 1,500 to families with monthly income Rs 500 or less was decided. The management of registration and distribution of relief showed many shortcomings. Because of the smallness of the sums paid and the denial of interest to the claimants, a sum as large as Rs 10 billion is expected to be left over after all claims have been settled. Nearly 26 years after world's worst industrial disaster left over 15,000 dead, former Union Carbide India Chairman Keshub Mahindra and six others were on June 7, 2010 sentenced to two years imprisonment. The outcome of the case came under attack from civil rights activists and political parties. 89-year-old Anderson, the then Chairman of Union Carbide Corporation of USA, who lives in the United States, appeared to have gone scot-free for the present as he is still an absconder and did not subject himself to trial. Due to outrage over the trial courts verdict in the Bhopal gas tragedy, Government announced a Rs 1265.56-crore package and decided to file a curative petition in the Supreme Court besides pushing for extradition of the former Union Carbide chief Warren Anderson on June 24, 2010. Campaigners dismiss Bhopal compensation as insufficient. Campaigners say that the $280m compensation package is based on outdated numbers of the dead and the maimed. They say that 525,000 people have died or been disabled by the toxic gas during the

leak and its aftermath. Campaigners also want the government to treat the bulk of victims as "permanently injured", instead of "temporarily injured", since they have to visit hospitals regularly for treatment. They also want them to receive more compensation.

32. Solutions for perennial water crisis in Cities of India

A perennial stream or perennial river is a stream or river (channel) that has continuous flow in parts of its bed all year round during years of normal rainfall. 80% 94% of available water is used for agriculture. Indian middle class is 300 million strong and is not the same class you and I grew up in. This new rich are demanding new tastes which again is driving the consumption. India has 9.56% of surface area covered with water. On Indias part it needs to better manage its resources. There are lot of NGOs which are helping the cause. Like the initiatives launched by Naandi Foundation, Winrock International and Coca-Cola foundation, which plans to provide safe drinking water to rural areas through Multiple User Water Services through natural resources management techniques. With an aim of finding solutions to the prevailing water crisis in the State, Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan is in deliberation with Sky Water India Pvt Ltd and other companies to tap atmospheric water. The project would be known as sky water project. Another such initiative is Rohini Nilekanis Arghyam which aims to provide access to clean water for all citizens. This is done by supporting sustainable projects in the water sector. Or one can take a completely different approach and produce water out of thin air literally. Technology developed by AirWater Corp is producing water from the moisture in the air and supplying it to the village of Jalamudi, Andhra Pradesh. A solution for both climate change and contamination. While these efforts are good these alone are not enough. There should be government intervention, just like the state of Gujarat. It has made the rural areas more arable through consistent and persistent efforts of rainwater harvesting, 135,000 check dams and 130,000 farm ponds. The reason people fight for wars has started with land then shifted to oil and it could finally lead to water if not properly managed.

33. The impact of unequal growth in cities

One of the paradoxes of our times is the co-existence of extreme economic affluence amidst enormous pockets of poverty. This holds across countries and even more so within countries, and across regions. The extremes seem to be diverging away from each other with the poor becoming poorer and the rich richer. Understanding why economies fail to converge is unquestionably important for welfare. Today if we look at the development in cities, we will find massive loopholes. Some parts of the city are very well developed while other parts are still left behind. A very common example is a slum. While most of the big cities are having excellent shopping malls, parks and residential areas; they also have slums where people still live in shabby conditions and struggle to feed their families. If we don't realise the grass root level problems then how can we expect to grow? The impact of unequal growth in cities is critical. We can see the developments that are happening in the cities- the obvious development. New buildings, roads - Urbanisation. Yes! And under whose cost? The poor is being marginalised in the cities for development. Slums after slums come up in the outskirts after millions are being displaced under development. Of course the largest slum in Asia, Dharavi is right in the Indian soil with a population of more than a million people living in narrow dirty lanes and cramped huts near open sewers. Another great Development.

34. The dichotomy of rich and poor in India

35 per cent of Indian population lives on less than $1 a day, which is comparable to Bangladeshs 36 per cent and much worse than Pakistans 17 per cent.

The World Bank reported that India is 12th wealthiest nation in 2005 with its GDP touching 785.47 billion dollars or Rs 35,34,615 crore . US was the wealthiest nation with GDP of 12.46 trillion dollars. While India was way down compared to China, positioned fourth with 2.23 trillion dollars of GDP, it was wealthier than Mexico, Russia and Australia. According to recent Forbes list of Wealthiest people in the world, there are 23 billionaires in India with combined net worth of $99bn, surpassing former Asian leader Japans 27 billionaires with their total worth of $67bn. The outsourcing revolution has created unprecendented opportuntities and wealth for Indians. But we are also seeing unprecendented levels of social and moral crises in India. India is a developing nation. So where exactly is this development taking place. First and foremost, we can see that there is a lot of development in the bank accounts of our politicians. How does a high GDP help a common man fetch food? The status of India says more than 1.5 million children are at risk of becoming malnourished because of rising global food prices. More than 27 per cent of the world's undernourished population lives in India while 43 per cent of children (under 5 years) in the country are underweight. Agriculture in itself produces more than 18.5 per cent of the Gross Domestic product of the country and more than 60 per cent people out of Indian population are involved in this sector! What has just not changed in India is the mentality of the people. Are we matured enough to handle something called democracy? When a lot of power lies in the hand of citizens why is it that the citizens are finding it hard to simply survive in India? Our political freedom is 3 out of seven, civil liberties are 3 out of seven and according to worldwide press freedom index, freedom of press is 118 out of 169. And ours is the largest liberal democracy in the world. Hence its high time that the Government realises that there should be an equal distribution of wealth across all sectors of the societies. People should not be discriminated on the basis of their work. We are not in a feudal system! This dichotomy of rich and poor in India should be minimised.

India, as we know, is a diverse nation with a rich cultural and historical heritage. India, also, is a projected superpower. India is the largest democracy on earth. India is home to a billion people coming from all the sections of the society, speaking numerous languages, following many religions; yet united as Indians. We take pride in the growth story of our country from a third-world nation to an enviable superpower. We are the 12th richest country in the world in terms of GDP with the net-worth of our billionaires exceeding that of Japan, the previous leader from Asia. But, one-third of our population still earns less than a dollar a day, which is comparable to Bangladesh and worse than Pakistan. In our agricultural economy, almost half of our children are malnourished and we house nearly a-third of worlds undernourished population. We are riding high on the waves of outsourcing revolution while over 60 percent of our population is busy producing food grains that would not suffice to feed their own children. Many AMBANIs are busy building opulent palaces when every year, thousands die on the streets under the extreme weather of India. Where else would one find such diversity? We are truly outstanding! The problem lies in the distribution of wealth across the economic strata of the society. The wealth is getting concentrated in the hands of lot of Ambanis and not the Aam-aadmi. Agriculture is still supporting 60 percent of the population while it contributes merely 19

percent to the GDP. This difference has been widened by several factors like lack of opportunities, lack of education, lack of basic infrastructure for a healthy economy and many more. Corrupt and slack bureaucratic and political environment since independence has added to the burden of the second largest manpower in the world. There has been a growth in overall per-capita income, but the growth has been non-uniform. Rich have gotten rich, and poor have become even poorer. Still there are reasons to believe in the idea of India Shining. The scene is bad, but still has improved since independence. It is not easy to grow with the burden of a billion people at the pace at which we have done. Several public schemes focusing on shifting the workforce from traditional agriculture to the services sector, which is major contributor to the GDP, have shown striking improvement. Our efforts to eradicate social evils and improve health and education in the country have shown good results. We have become an outsourcing hotspot and have got recognition for our quality workforce in almost every sector. We have got the largest English-speaking workforce outside Europe and we are growing stronger everyday in technology and manufacturing. To sum up, in contrast to the pathetic portrayal of the country on almost every front, we are still among the happiest in the world. We have shown remarkable development in economic, social and attitudinal fronts. The most wonderful point is that, now we really wish to grow. We are hopeful and ambitious and we have got a very young and smart productive population in the world. Every country has problems. We have our own, but unless we assume responsibility for our situation at a personal level, it would be impossible for any government and even our 330 million gods to bring us up.
35. Will the linking of rivers solve the water crisis in India
India is the second largest populated nation and with an economic boom, the 300 millin plus middle class sector has greater needs and a new and better lifestyle. Thus this creates a more need of resources and which includes water. We have huge scarcity of drinking water. Why dont we think about china when they forced the Yangti river to flow from the natural course to benifit it to the entire nation. We have many such rivers which flow to the occeans. It is a waste that we are yet to recognise. The drinking water is wasted. Also when monsoon starts some of the rivers in Bihar and Orissa overflow and flood areas devastating life there. It is a regular scene in the rainy season. The Government is yet to take this case and prevent flooding by linking the rivers. By linking other rivers. it can provide much water for drinking and irrigational purposes. A major project by giving infrastructural facilities for water transports ponds where ever necessary and other facilities like swimming pools also must be the part of this infracture. Though this project involves huge money, time, raw materials and man power, it can provide jobs as well.

BY linking rivers floodings can be regulated effectively. For this purpose a study team comprising experts in topography, environmental scientists, engineers needs to be constituted. The surplus flow of water in to the indian rivers from the rivers or dams in the neighbouring nations like China, Nepal can be utilised if we link the rivers or remedial measure like constructing check dams wherever necessary and thus generating hydroelectricity which can be harnessed by many states. Hence linking of rivers will indeed solve a lot of problems concerning water crisis in India.

36. Should the Media be censored

In today's society the media play an important role, it has brought the world together in a significant manner. Media has help to bring forward many important issues which require public attention. Jessica Lal case, Nitish Kataras case, Ruchika case are just a few examples. But its also true that Indian media has progressed with time and due to the increasing competition, every day different broadcasters try to produce something new, something that will shock, amaze or entertain the public. To Increase their TRP ratings the media bombard the public with appalling content and foul language in the name of entertainment. Its sad that many children and teenagers are exposed to this kind of material. Nowadays news channels sensationalize the news like entertainment. Every channel, newspaper and magazine is ready to make a headline out of tit-bits. For example the recent case of Prince, a child who fell into a 60 feet pit and was there for 50 hours, was over exaggerated. When conditions were worst in Lebanon, PRINCE drew our sympathy. Not only News Channels but also even television programmers are representing the Indian culture in a wrong manner. Never ending television soaps have raised a question mark on the character of Indian Women and the relationships in a joint family. So is media censorship a solution? No, Media should not be censored. The answer to this situation is the realization of responsibility on the part of the society as well as on the part of media. Media will become a vague mode of information if we censor it. Criminals and negative agents will then use this censorship for pursuing their own interest as the scope of media will be reduced and restricted to general news only. Censorship of the media for children is necessary, but should not be handled by government or other groups. Instead it should be directed and controlled by parents. But I do agree that Yellow Journalism, Extortionist Journalism and Temptation to Over-sensationalize SHOULD BE CENSORED.
37. Is History a valid tool to plan the future

Yes, looking at events in the past is a very good way of planning the future, but not perfect one. A well known saying is "History does not repeat itself, but it rhymes" As we grow older we make mistakes and from those mistakes we gain the experience, on the basis of that experience we can plan the future so that those mistakes which were in the past does not repeat in the future. We may need history for the lessons it teach us but we do not need to dwell on it as if we are living in the past. We may need to plan a future so that we have a future but we do not need to be in future mode all the time.
There is a reason we keep track of the past. It not only gives us information as to what happened before we came but also acts as a valuable asset to plan the future. Take an example of computers. When they were created, they were bulky, slow and not userfriendly. However we improved on the then computer and corrected the flaws and today we have tablets on our palms which uses high end technology. Similarly, we will improve on the current technology and will come up with brighter things in the future. So we take history as a tool to plan and get a better future, be it any field. Imitation is a leading principle of human behaviour. We tend to follow the steps adopted successfully in the past. It can be in any field: infrastructure, agricluture, health/medicine, banking, astronomy, architecture, etc etc. The study of the past is very much essential to the study of the future. Especially in looking at the social effects new technologies, ways of thinking or political changes had on the different societies. We can also take the examples of well developed civilizations like the Harappas and Babylonians who built a high end world in that time! So we can improve on that and take their methods and use to plan and build a strong future. Thus we can definitely say that History is a valuable asset/tool in planning our future. ================================================== Following extract taken from last year's topic: History is a valuable" tool for planning the future. Some say, "we learn from our mistakes". So if there are some lessons to be learnt from history, then it should be done. The question here is, history a valid tool for planning what? Take infrastructure. The British have done a wonderful job during their reign in India. They made the most beautiful buildings, built bridges, Introduced Railways, etc. So, we can take their planning methodology, ideas, and implement them in our infrastructure.

38. Do we lack foresight in planning our cities

"You can always amend a big plan, but you can never expand a little one. I dont believe in little plans. I believe in plans big enough to meet a situation which we cant possibly foresee now." Harry Truman(33rd President of the United States). I agree to this fact we do lack foresight in planning our cities. The roads are too narrow with too many curves which make it difficult to manage the ever increasing traffic and congestion. There are building rules but no one enforce them strictly which interfere with other things in the city planning. There is no

adequate supply of basic amenities like gas and water. A city must be able to provide for its growing inhabitants. A city should be planned in such a way that the planners foresee the future growth of the city first and then ensure that there is ample scope for improvement or changes. I would like to take the example of cosmopolitan city Mumbai where Slums are allowed to flourish in the vicinity of the international airport. Where there is shortage of basic amenity like water.The main thing is that we are not able to strike a balance between quantity and quality. Due to this, major reconstructions have to be done which in turn wastes human capital, and stifles regional development. No matter how well planning is done, developments & expansions that come with time play an intricate role in the way it all works out in the longer run. In the past a great amount of citys planning has been done which did well for some period of time but with the fast growing economy and even faster growing population, it could not meet the requirements of change. It lacked in the element of being wise and thoughtful enough to make those designs adequate to meet the growing needs of the future which is certain to develop. As for now, I would say that yes we do lack foresight in planning our cities as todays growing population and fast life in cities requires which is the result of decades of neglect during which ruling ideologies turned away from urban growth to favor the rural economy and keeping the peasantry on the land. Urban expansion has been largely unplanned and thus unable to draw on public resources for infrastructure. --Institutions. Until 1992 India did not even have a Ministry of Urban Development. One-third of the current urban population is estimated to live in shanties and huts. The present five-year plan (2007-2012) calculates that India's cities are short of 23 million residential units, especially for low-income families. --Infrastructure. Water and sewage services are inadequate. Several "colonies" that grew up around the edges of Delhi have been abandoned for lack of water connections, and much of Bangalore is subject to water rationing during the dry season. --Transport. While integrated metro systems have been under consideration for many years, they have been slow to develop. Only Delhi can boast an extensive metro-rail network. --Illegality. A series of interventions by the Supreme Court has revealed the extent of unplanned urban sprawl. In Delhi it has closed down 150,000 illegal industrial enterprises, cleared the streets of tens of thousands of illegal encroachments, torn down houses and ordered the termination of illegal water connections to "colonies." Hence, we need a single comprehensive masterplan for each city that addresses slum development, mass rapid transportation, sewage, water, open spaces, green cover, affordable housing, sustainability and the eco-system. We need a masterplan that will envision what our cities will be like in 20-50 years. With this masterplan the city can

move ahead in a progressive direction in terms of its development that is wholesome rather than a piece meal approach that is currently being made by several independent authorities each of whom has a different vision. We should have one single regulatory authority on the masterplan and its implementation.
39. The negative impact of television on children
Television has become a "member" of almost every single family on our planet. And not just an ordinary member, but a very important one, because the time spent next to it exceeds the amount of time spent together with any other family member. You do not have to apply any efforts to talk or listen to complaints while communicating with it. You do not have to play with your little son after a hard working day. You are SO tired! Can anybody respect that? You can simply turn the TV on and everything is done: kids are quiet, your wife is not complaining and you feel absolutely happy. It is so simple that it has become an integral part of the culture of every family. It is the only time, when a person can forget about all the family troubles and the failures of the day. The sofa opposite the TV set has become the place of reconciliation and spiritual unity of the family. Statistics have proved that the growth of time spent next to the TV-set scales up the development of aggression. Many years before the examples of imitation for children were their own parents; now these examples come from hit-thrillers and violent films where the personages imitated are cruel, impartial and often purely negative personages. Nowadays, resulting this phenomenon, children instead of playing leap-andfrog on the open air pretend to be terminators and run around killing each other. The fact of childs identification with a negative destructive image has a vital impact on the development of his or her personality. Violence becomes an ordinary way of interaction, alongside with anger. Early exposure to sexual scenes may lead to early sexual contacts, with destroy the healthy development of a child. Young people are pressured by such an amount of sexual scenes and these scenes normalize casual sexual encounters. They do not to evaluate what they see they take it as the reality. All the listed above may cause a trauma to a young consciousness and in combination with the violence may produce an unbalanced and unhealthy conduct. We do not have to go far away for examples when kids get guns and go to their schools shooting their teachers and schoolmates. This becomes a call to get somebodys attention on them, the result of the TV violence and examples influences that overfills their minds. Television has also a great influence on the self-image of people watching it. We see perfectly shaped bodies hundred of times per day. All the men shown on the TV screen have big muscles and are handsome, and all the women shown are very skinny and their faces and bodies look like a complete perfection. This has caused numerous eating disorders, especially in the teenage group. Such things as bulemia, anorexia and self-mutilation became a well-spread phenomenon. What else can be said to show that television destroys the healthy development of a childs personality. All the negative effects listed above concern grown-ups as well, but through the special sensitivity of children towards the influences we wanted to show to the full the destructive power of television. It has turned our lives into an addiction that suppresses the beauty of our real life by the violent substitution. And can without any doubts be called one of the worst inventions of modern times.

40. Encouraging public-private partnership will enable efficient infrastructure solutions

The state of infrastructure in India has been a source of concern for local and foreign investors interested in tapping its potential as a business destination. Perceptions about Indian infrastructure are reflected in infrastructure rating

comparisons drawn with Brazil and China, which indicate that India has someway to go on infrastructure development before it can match its peers. For a fast-growing economy like India, a sustained growth rate of about 89percent is feasible and necessary to maintain global competitiveness. According to the Government of India, investments of around 320 billion U.S. dollars (USD) are expected in the infrastructure sector as part of the Tenth Five-Year Plan (2006-2011) to meet this growth. The creation of world class infrastructure would require large investments inaddressing the deficit in quality and quantity. Therefore, it is necessary to explore the scope for plugging this deficit through Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in all areas of infrastructure like roads, ports, energy, etc. Recently, legal and regulatory changes have been made to enable PPPs in the infrastructure sector, across power, transport, and urban infrastructure. For example, the Electricity Act allowed for private sector participation in the distribution of electricity in specified area(s) of the distribution licensees under the role of a franchisee. The recognition of the franchisee role is a significant step towards fostering PPP in the distribution of electricity. In some cases, the impact of private sector involvement in terms of end-user benefits has been felt almost immediately. A case in point is the initial Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT)experience at Jawaharlal Nehru Port, where the Minimum Guaranteed Traffic requirement at the end of 15 years, identified as part of the concession agreement, was met in just 2 years. The experiment is being replicated across other major ports as well. Though the PPP model has gained significant importance in the country, there isa need to refine and evolve it further to make it a successful proposition. The key issue that must be addressed is an approach to satisfy the conflicting interests of multiple stakeholders (governments, private players, users, financial institutions, etc.).
Public-private partnerships are generally known as partnerships between the public sector and the private sector. These partnerships are created for the purposes of designing, planning, financing, constructing and operating projects by the private sector. There are many reasons why the tasks are given to private sectors and not done within the public sector. Infrastructural projects such as roads and bridges are prime examples.

Advantages of PPP model: Speedy, efficient and cost effective delivery of infrastructure projects. Value for money for the taxpayer through optimal risk transfer and risk management. Efficiencies from integrating design and construction of public infrastructure with financing, operation and maintenance/upgrading Alleviation of capacity constraints and bottlenecks in the economy through higher productivity of labour and capital resources in the delivery of infrastructure projects. Competition and greater construction capacity (including the participation of overseas firms, especially in joint ventures and partnering arrangements). Accountability for the provision and delivery of quality public services through an performance incentive management/regulatory regime. Effective utilisation of state assets to the benefit of all users of public services and in completing infrastructure projects in time and efficiently.

41. Should tobacco companies be held responsible for smoking related diseases
Most of the youngsters start smoking as a fashion statement and it ends up as an addiction which in most cases result in lethal diseases. Smoking is indeed injurious to health but in the 21st century, every adult is aware of this fact. Tobacco companies cannot be held responsible for diseases caused by smoking since people are intelligent enough to know what is good and what is bad for them. Also the Govt. is taking an initiative to make people aware of ill effects of these products. Now it depends on the consumer whether he has the common sense to accept the facts. We are all given the freedom to choose what we consume. Just because sweets are harmful to diabetic patients, one cannot really hold a chocolate manufacturer or a sweets distributor responsible for the patients deteriorating health. That holds true for tobacco companies too, though, while 'tobacco companies make money, people die'. Each pack of cigarettes come with a statutory warning in 'fine print' that reads Smoking is injurious to health. Whether the consumer chooses to take notice or ignore it is his prerogative. Also the fact that a lot of roadside stalls sell single cigarettes, thus the 'fine print' often does not reach consumers. The tobacco companies should refrain from advertising their products to the public. The tobacco companies should start taking initiatives to come up with ways of producing less harmful products that won't cause much damage to health. Uneducated people should be made aware about the harmful effects of smoking, especially in rural areas. Hence we can conclude that tobacco companies cannot be held responsible for smoking related diseases since we cannot blame others for our own ignorance! A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. There are four main types of disease: pathogenic disease, deficiency disease, hereditary disease, and physiological disease. Diseases like acute myeloid leukemia and cancers of the cervix, kidney, pancreas and stomach; abdominal aortic aneurysm, cataracts, pneumonia and the cause of it is mainly smoking can be entitled in the category of diseases of choice. Then why someone else should be held guilty of the choices we make. No because that would make McDonald's responsible for every person that has high blood pressure or any other illness for eating there all the time, it would make car makers responsible for the bad air and every car accident victim, or Jack Daniels because someone is an alcoholic etc. People have to take responsibility for their actions and stop blaming others for the choices that they make. May be when cigarette were initially introduced there was a lot of false advertising put out by the tobacco companies and very little scientific research about the effects. People were never told it was dangerous to smoke or to start smoking. These days though, EVERYONE knows that it's dangerous and addictive and the tobacco companies, while they do try advertising tricks to get you to buy their product, they don't try to give you the impression that the cigarette is safe There is a warning on the package. People know their risks and choose to start smoking anyway. So no, they should no longer be held responsible for tobacco related deaths.They just put them in market and it's up to individual people to consume it.

42. Should individuals with criminal cases be allowed to stand for elections
Election and offence; poll and crime are like twin brothers and go side by side. The question that whether the convicted persons should be allowed to fight election or not has remained ambiguous in spite of clear cut provision to this effect made in Representation of Peoples Act. In fact section 8(3), which reads as A person convicted of any offence and sentenced to

imprisonment for not less than two years, other than any offence referred to in sub-section (1) or sub-section (2) shall be disqualified from the date of such conviction and shall continue to be disqualified for a further period of six years since his release. Apparently, it appears that the provisions are too simple to be interpreted, therefore, should be easily and unambiguously enforced. With the passage of time, the criminalisation of politics started and large number of politicians started pitching themselves into electoral fray. The matter came to fore only when the sitting MP or MLAs got convicted by the competent court, in which quantum of punishment was more than two years. In General election, 2009, so many convicted persons either fought or sought to fight elections. Sanjay Dutt, the film star, Md Sahabuddin, Surajbhan, Pappu Yadav, all sitting MPs from Bihar have been convicted by courts. Now all of them are on bails. Md Shahabuddin was granted bail by Patna High court. He was denied from fighting elections. Sanjay Dutt too was convicted under Arms Act, 1956 for which minimum quantum of punishment is seven years. Thus Dutts case was also a fit case of disqualification from fighting election, he sought permission from the court but was denied. The time has come that we should make suitable amendments in RP Act because the provision of two years imprisonment for disqualification has become obsolete after amendment in section 41 of Criminal Procedure Code, which prohibits arrest by Police in a case in which imprisonment is less than seven years. The RP Act should be made an integrated, comprehensive and complete law for election matters, which may incorporate provisions of model code of conduct also, because right now we do not have any special law for model code of conduct and this code is nothing but a compendium of circulars and instructions issued by ECI time to time. Model code of conduct as such is not enforceable in the court of law until it is reinforced by other penal provisions prevailing in different parts like IPC, Public property defacement act, Laud speaker Act etc.

43. Is Dr. Haneefs return to Australia a boost for Indo-Australian ties

There was considerable media coverage and public interest in the saga of Dr Mohammed Haneef and the manner in which the Australian government handled the issue. Surely, this would have been important enough an issue for leading Indian television news channels to send intrepid reporters Down Under and thrust inquisitional microphones in front of Australian government officials? For most Indians, Australia is a country with a very good cricket team, albeit one that is notorious for sledging. But Haneef comes as a PR disaster for Australias image in India. Geopolitically, it is in Australias interests to deepen its relationship with India. Canberras failure to invest in institutional capacity to engage Indiamore than 15 years after Indias economic liberalisationis the first hurdle. And unless the Howard government works to repair the damage to Australias image in India, it will find itself facing additional ones.

The Australian government was entirely within its rights to detain Haneef for questioningbut simple courtesy would require it to apologise (to him) for the error once it was clear that it had no case against him. No, it doesnt have to be the Prime Minister that apologises; but surely, there must be someone in the Australian government who can say sorry to Haneef.
44. Should more states be added to the Indian Union
one side we shout that we are unite and we have a mixure of lots of different culture. Also that unity is our diversity but what we are doing here dividing the states on the basis of cast,culture...and othere things just for our own sake of intrest so if we think regarding this point then we can say that on the basis of these things we donot need more state because it have lots of demerit, for an example some of the states which have recently divided have full of resources but othen have nothing So this can hamper the devlopment of that state as well as for our country also. if we corelate this with our body then we can say that without the contrubition of all the body parts our body will not work properly so this is the same situation with our country,that without the proper devlopment of all the states in our countery cannot able to lead it in the row of devloping countery Also if we go to the some of the recent issues regarding the new state all the demands are on the basis of cast and culture like gorkhaland, telangana..none of the demands are on the basis or other factors. Also if we see regarding the division of bihar and jharkand,what happen all the industrial area and the resorces in jharkand and bihar has nothing which become obstricle in the path of devlopment

so some of the new states are Uttaranchal

it is situated in the northwest portion of Uttar Pradesh, India's most populous state. It occupies 1.73% of Indias total land area with 51,125 sq. km. It has a population of about 6.0 million at 94.4 per sq. km. It borders Tibet, Nepal, Himachal Pradesh, and the UP plains districts. Dehra Dun, the state capital is about 255 km away from India's capital, New Delhi. The region is the melting pot of many ethnic groups and castes The economic viability of the new state is worrying if anything in the present circumstances. Though it is endowed with rich natural resources, it is unable to tap them to its advantages. The result is that about 70% of its population lives under the poverty line as against the national average of 46%. Subsistence agriculture supports about 75% of the population while 71% of the land holdings are less than 1 hectare in size. To put this pathetic state of affairs in perspective, a survey was conducted recently which found that about 80% of the soldiers active at the Kargil front joined the armed forces to escape from the poverty at their home state.

vananchal (jharkand)

creating the new state of Vananchal (Jharkhand). Thousands poured out into the streets of Ranchi to celebrate the occasion. The state comprises eighteen

districts that make up southern Bihar, richly endowed with mineral resources. Some major industries located in this region are established Tata companies like TISCO and TELCO and the Indian PSU, SAIL. The region that has only 35% of the state's population, thus far contributed two-thirds of Bihar's revenue. With an area of 74,677 sq km the new state is bordered by Bihar, MP, Orissa and West Bengal to its north, west, south and east respectively. Due to illeffect of this bihar loose its major devlopment resource

45. Do our planners lack foresight

Foresight initially arose to make provisions for the future in science and technology, however now it is beginning to be used in issues linked directly or indirectly to the territory such as climate change, urban development and transport. Since its origins in the 19th Century and its full development in the 20th century, urban and regional planning has encountered serious difficulties namely the complexity of socio-economic processes, the diversity of local agents, and the future uncertainty of urban evolution, have remained unchanged over time. Coming to our planners, they do lack the foresight in planning the future. With lack of proper planning one usually comes across the unexpected results and events. Needless to say that any planned work or effort does not fail, but even it fails for some reasons then definitely the damage is not that great. The fact that our planners don't have the foresight can be seen in today's present situation. Look at our cities - jam-packed traffic, lack of housing spaces, shabby and unclean living conditions. If only the planners had a good and concrete foresight, this could have been avoided. The same can be taken into account when it comes to the demand and supply of food materials, petroleum fuel, transport facilities and many others. Growing prices of every other commodity is only a result of poor planning and lack of foresight due to which the common man is suffering. We are growing exponentially. Look at where we were a decade ago and where we are today! Our economic growth is touching 9, we will be the highest populated nation in another 20years and our middle class population comprises of 300 million and growing, have rising demands than any other nation. If the planners don't address these facts now then we are in for a lot of trouble!!

46. Should copyright violations by students be penalized 47. Is agricultural output dependent on the vagaries of the monsoon?
indian Agriculture is one of the most important sector in the economy of the country. Agriculture in itself produces more than 18.5 percent of the Gross Domestic product of the country and more than 60 percent people out of Indian population are involved in this sector. The Indian Agriculture also provides more than 8.5 percent of the total exportation of the Indian Economy. Though Indian Economy is becoming more and more dependent upon service sector and industrial sector, the Indian Agriculture still plays a vital role in the development of the Indian Economy. Technically, The rain-fed agriculture constitutes about 60% of Indias total net sown area, wherein food grains such as rice, bajra, maize, jowar, and pulses such as tur andgram are grown. India gets nearly 53% of its food from the Kharif season (June-October) as compared to the Rabi season (November- February), where the production is around 47%. The constraints for production of food grain during the Kharif season is soil moisture (influenced by the seasonal rainfall from the SW Monsoon), and for the Rabi season it is the minimum temperature and stored soil moisture. (Reports) The monsoon essentially shows as it is a key to determine agricultural output, inflation, consumer spending and overall economic growth. A good monsoon can positively impact

capital markets, boost power sector, raw materials, etc. In a gist, Monsoon still is the economic lifeline of our country A bad monsoon can spell trouble and hinder Indias economic growth, while a good monsoon has power to catapult it to fastest growing economy on Earth agriculture is the backbone of our society. Take out agriculture and we loose our soul. Every thing depends on agriculture. As we are a poor country, our govts have not developed the water systems. I mean the utilization of river flows. Inspite of 60% of all cultivable land lying idel due to lack of water, we did not develop canal systems in the last 60 years. Few big projects are taken up and thats all. Consider this!! 70% of all the river water flows into the seas during mansoon season and during summer the rivers are dry. There is huge potential to increase food supply by 5 times and drinking water by 10 times by following simple technics and practices and littel investment. Infact stock markets depend on manosson for their next year forecast. Gold market depends on it.

48. Should those joining politics be governed by a minimum Academic qualification

As John F. Kennedy has said "Remember that our nations first great leaders were also our first great scholars." This justifies that education is necessary for our leaders. Education is one of the most important components of who we are as a nation. Allowing educated politicians to make decisions on how to best perform their duties must be considered a Constitutional mandate. Our forefathers dreamt of a nation of strength and prosperity and provided a guide in our Constitution to build a powerful nation of people determined to embrace life and liberty. Education is the only way to continue those dreams. As top companies of the country are managed by educated people similarly our country should be taken care by eduated politicians. Uneducated politicians are more interested in personal gains rather solving the problems of the nation. Education provides rational and logical thinking, looking at both sides of the coin. Unfortunately, only a few of our politicians have proper academic qualification. To conclude I would say that a minimum educational qualification should be taken into consideration for joining politics. Politicians are rulers off a country. so they should be knowledgeable. Education gives this. There might be some exceptions to this. But it should be made mandatory to have a minimal educational qualification for becoming a politician. At least they should know where to sign and read and understand laws enacted. It is also necessary to enact laws like restricting the number times they sit in one post and also retirement age for these politicians. graduate in education, good image & character, no scandal, secular mind, ability to read understand constitution oneself so that personal secretary & other bureaucrates don't fool & great efficiency to solve the problem by considering all possible aspects.

49. Communities should be empowered to manage their water resources

Water and sanitation have been recognized as the essential needs of human development and are also part of the Millennium Development Goals. Due to Climate changes one major environmental threat is the decline in global freshwater resources, caused mainly by increasing rates of water extraction and contamination. Despite huge investments and subsidies in the sector by governments and others, many still do not have access to these basic needs. The major reasons for this situation are:

Lack of community ownership of the assets created, leading to their failure.

The delivering agencies/ departments are too far from the local people and are not accountable to the people. Government is too focused on creating new assets and not on taking care of the created assets. Lack of adequate focus on sustainability of natural resources.

Because of such factor I concur that communities should be empowered to manage their water resources. Empowering means that the communities should be encouraged and facilitated to decide on all the matters related to the service delivery in an inclusive and participatory manner. Communities can be of cooperatives, self help groups, Community water committees, common interest groups and water user Association. Advantages:

Empowered community will set its own service standards and manage the service delivery to these standards. Sustainability of the local resources, especially the ground water tables. Efficient performance of the created assets. Sustaining the health, economic and social development achieved through the process over generations.

50. Does marketing with a social cause give brands a human face

we can say advertisers adopt various method to push their products to the target group and in the process refer to the social issues which can brought up by not issuing their product.while this has become current practice to sell the product ethically it would not be a good idea to scare people of social harm.the clever method has adopted by these agencies is that their project is carrying benelovent human face to trap the consumers..we can cite example of tata tea where a company is not advertising (at least directly) about its product. It is an equivalent of PIL (Public Interest Litigation) in marketing, probably! The advertisement is sensitizing the Indian people about their voting rights and almost convincingly arguing that it's a responsibility (once in five years hopefully). I am sure you would have come across.ya but in this they have their own self interest. conclusion for me that marketing with social cause is not a humane face it is just another way just like conventional advertisement to sell their products.. Marketing is a key part of selling a brand. Exposure to any type of well-conceived promotional initiative for a brand leads, in theory, to more positive feelings and judgments about the brand in a consumers mind. Now social marketing campaigns are those that borrow from commercial marketing techniques for the purpose of social engagement influencing a target audience to change their social behaviors and to benefit society. It can be related to the environment, public health, safety, or community development, marketing for good is a methodology for creating change. Commercial marketing today has a social cause too. The case when it did work quite well is Tata Tea's Jaago Re campaign. They played the democracy card and the limited caffeine amounts of their product to really kick the whole concept off. However its very difficult to give a human face to a commercial product and thereby relate it to a cause.