How valuable you are?

Good evening people how are you all; I hope all are doing great. 🙂 So without wasting your precious time let me start my today’s content. Today’s content is all about to make you all understand about how valuable you are. So let’s begin it with a small story.

• A man once called his son and told him that he would give him something extraordinary, something extremely valuable, from within a safety vault he pulled out a red velvet box and gently opened it. Inside the box was an old watch. As he handed the watch over to his son, the man said, “This watch is very special” it has come down to us over 3 generations and is at least over 200years old. “You can use it; you can keep it as a memoir or just sell it, and get money to buy whatever you like.” A little disappointed, the young son looked at his father and said, “Dad, this watch is so outdated. I don’t think I can wear it. And it is so old, I am not even sure if it could be sold.”  The man took his son to a watchmaker’s shop nearby to show him how valuable that watch was. The watchmaker examined the watch carefully and said, “Since the watch is so old, all I can give is for this is $5.” The young man turned to his father with an expression on his face which was like, I told you right? The father than took a son to pawn shop where they offer you a loan for personal items kept as collateral. The owner of the pawn shop looked at the watch for a while and turned to the man and said “you expect money for this piece of scrap? All we would do with this is we would throw it to the rubbish bin. Sorry, we cannot offer anything for this. ”Relentless, the man now took his son to a museum they went to see the chief of the museum who was an expert in finding the worth of the old things, when the chief saw the watch, he exclaimed, “Incredible, so well crafted! Such precision in its design! Look at the quality of the materials; a watch like this is priceless. But we can offer you a million dollars for it. “Thank you  for choosing to come to us with this watch,” The young man stood there gob smacked with eyes wide open, not even blinking at his father, the proud owner of the watch, very happily accepted the deal. And sold the antique piece for a million dollars. As they both walk back home the father said: “Always know this one thing son. Like the watch, “YOU WILL ONLY BE VALUED IF YOU ARE IN THE RIGHT PLACE” Watch makers repair watches, their eyes can see tiny screws in watch parts, but a wrong place for an antique piece like this, Pawn shops use them as collaterals, they can only see everything based on their current market value, Wrong place for an antique piece like this. But at a museum which displays ancient valuable, antiques, and experts can see beyond watch parts, beyond the current market rates of the watches. They can see the actual value of the object, absolutely the right place for an antique piece like this. So sons “if you find yourself not being valued, don’t get angry or frustrated! Know that you are probably in the wrong place” being judged by the people who see tiny parts of you, tiny parts of your life, not the whole you or being judged by people who see you for how much is your net worth, how much is your current market value. They see you for what you have not for who you are, “seek for those who can see your real value beyond all the externals” who have the expert vision to see the true you beyond all your short comings and all your faults. Those who can see your true value, your true potential, they will inspire you to do well. To live well, to love, to grow and to rise in life. Friends isn’t it true that “every individual has a special sense of worth” All we need is someone who can see that worth in us. And make us see that worth in our self as well. There is a beautiful Sanskrit verse which says,
• “amantram aksharam naasti”: There is no akshar or letter that cannot be turned into a mantra.
•  “naasti mulam anaushadham”: There’s no plant \root\herb that is not medicinal.
• “ayogyam purusho naasti” There’s no person who is unworthy.

You know friends what’s lacking?

• “yojakas tatra durlabha”: What’s lacking is an expert who can see the values, the worth in us and encourage us on our path!

So my lovely readers the moral of the story is know your worth, love yourself, endure yourself, and make yourself a better person everyday.

And here the story ends I hope, you all would have got a new thought and lesson from my today’s content

#inspiredbygaurgopaldas #spread positivity #keep smiling #stay safe.:)

Every founder while founding a startup has a dream in his mind that one day they think will be achieved. Most founders see this happen when their startups achieve the acclaimed unicorn status. What is a unicorn status you ask , well any startup whose valuation crosses the $1 billion mark is given unicorn status. But is just being a unicorn sufficient for a company to survive? Let’s find out.

By unicorn one is simply referring to the valuation of the company and nothing else – not the revenue , not the profits just the valuation. There are several instances where an extremely high loss making company can be a unicorn and profit making company is not but that’s just how it works. Now, don’t forget that these valuations don’t mean that your company is failure proof; a unicorn has just as high chance of failure than a non-unicorn company. Hence the question – is it a mere status?

Well we can’t just differentiate it as black and white, we have to look between the colors here. Let us start with an example – a case of a well funded startup which became a unicorn quickly and a bootstrapped startup.

Quibi a streaming startup founded in August 2018 by renowned Hollywood producers Jeffery Katzenberg and Meg Whitman as a platform to launch short-form content for mobile services. One of the fastest startups to become a unicorn, Quibi quickly generated a funding of $1.75 Billion and launched its streaming service by April 2020. Do you know what is the situation of Quibi right now – DEFUNCT. Yes, one of the fastest startups to become unicorn is now defunct and was shutdown within six months of its launch.

Now let’s talk about another startup, this time an Indian bootstrapped startup { bootstrapped – run by founders own money without any external funding} called Zerodha. Zerodha a stock broking company which was launched in 2010 by the then unknowns Nikhil and Nithin Kamath provided stock-broking services online anywhere in India. Situation of Zerodha you ask right now – It is one the most successful Indian startups and the most used stock-broker in India as of now with more than 5+ million users as of 2020. Although launched in 2010 Zerodha only became a unicorn in June 2020 with a self-assessed valuation of over $1 Billion.

The lesson from the above story – being a unicorn doesn’t guarantee success. If you have the right product and the right mindset you can bootstrap your way to success and if you don’t have the right idea you can receive all the funding in the world but still won’t be able to make it.

A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing and ecological function.The Food and Agriculture Organization defines a forest as land spanning more than 0.5 hectares with trees higher than 5 meters and a canopy cover of more than 10 percent, or trees able to reach these thresholds in situ. It does not include land that is predominantly under agricultural or urban land use.Using this definition FRA 2020 found that forests covered 4.06 billion hectares or approximately 31 percent of the global land area in 2020.

Forests are the predominant terrestrial ecosystem of Earth, and are distributed around the globe. More than half of the world’s forests are found in only five countries (Brazil, Canada, China, Russian Federation and United States of America). The largest part of the forest (45 percent) is found in the tropical domain (Tropical forests), followed by the boreal, temperate and subtropical domains.

Forests account for 75% of the gross primary production of the Earth’s biosphere, and contain 80% of the Earth’s plant biomass. Net primary production is estimated at 21.9 gigatonnes carbon per year for tropical forests, 8.1 for temperate forests, and 2.6 for boreal forests.

FOREST TYPES

1.Equatorial Moist Evergreen or Rainforest:

Location:

This evergreen hardwood forest is the natural vegetation of low-latitude high precipitation zone. This vegetation generally occur in between 10° N. and S. of equator where annual rainfall is very high and distributed equitably throughout the year. The total extent of tropical rainforest was 714 million hectares in 1990, which is half of the world’s forest cover.

Spatially, this forest is distributed in three separate regions:

(a) South American Amazonia basin:

This region is confined between Amazon River in the east to the foothills of the Andes in the west and Orinoco river basin in the north to Mardira River in the south.

(b) Equatorial Africa:

Mostly occur in Equatorial Africa including Zaire and Congo.

(c) Asia:Some parts of Western India and Sri Lanka

(d) South-East Asia:

Found in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippines etc.

The uses of forest resources in different economic activities are:

A. Teak and Mahogany are widely used in furniture industry.

B. Wood collected from forest is used as fuel.

C. (a) Brazil nut is rich in protein.

(b) Tagua nut is used for button-making.

(c) Barasu is an important raw material to produce soap and margarin.

(d) The milky juice of zopota tree is chickle which is converted to chewing gum.

(e) Wild rubber can be collected from rubber trees.

(f) Balata gathered from this forest is used for cable-making and other industrial purpose.

(g) Babassu palm nut is used in paint industry.

(h) Cohune nuts for perfume manufacturing,

(i) Toquilla palm for hat making.

2.Tropical Deciduous Forest:

Location:

In tropical monsoon region where rainfall is seasonal and a definite dry season exists, this deciduous and semi-evergreen forests are prevalent. Unlike Equatorial region, here variation of trees in different regions are much more.

This type of vegetation occurs in:

(a) India, Myanmar (Burma), Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, South China, Phil­ippines etc.

(b) Northern Australia.

(c) Margins of tropical rainforest in Africa.

(d) Central South America.

Characteristics of Vegetation:

(i) Most of the tress are broadleaved and provide hardwood variety.

(ii) Trees are so heavy that in most cases they do not float in water.

(iii) Several layers are visible in forest, according to height of the trees. Trees with height of 50 meters to 10 meters are common.

(iv) Wide variety of climbers, creepers, parasites, epiphytes and saprophytes are com­mon.

(v) No dominance of single species — as trees are intermingled with one another.

(vi) Thick undergrowth of shrubs, bushes and bamboos are common.

(vii) Swampy, marshy areas exhibit mangrove forests, e.g. Sundarban in West Bengal.

3.Mediterranean Forests:

Location:

Primarily found in the Mediterranean climate within 35°-45° North and South of the equator.

It is a peculiar climo-floral development found in several areas:

(a) Adjacent regions of Mediterranean coast, extending east-west over 2,500 kms cov­ering countries like Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Albania, Greece, Turkey etc.

(b) California in U.S.A. of N. America.

(c) Central Chile of S. America.

(d) S-E and southern parts of Australia.

(e) Cape region of South Africa.

Important among these are:

1. Trees are covered by hairs, e.g. Olive trees.

2. Leaves are very thick and skin-like, e.g. Bolen trees.

3. Some trees may adopt wax layers in the leaves.

4. Barks are very thick, e.g. cork and oak.

5. Roots are very long, e.g. grapes.

Beside these characteristics, some trees like lavender, rose-merry etc.. are orchids and dis­tinctly different from others.

Economic Importance:

1. Large trees are rare. Trees are isolated. So lumbering industry is limited.

2. The barks of cork and oak are used to produce caps of the bottles.

3. Lavender and rose-merry trees produce perfumes.

4. Olive oil is extracted from olive trees.

5. Wine is produced from grapes.

4.Temperate Broad-leaved Deciduous and Mixed Forest:

Location:

In the eastern side of the continents, in warm temperate region, this forest is located in:

(i) South China.

(ii) South Japan.

(iii) South Africa.

(iv) South-East Australia.

(v) South Brazil.

Climatic Characteristics:

1. Rainfall all the year, minimum annual temperature over 10°C.

2. Due to heavy rainfall, evenly distributed throughout the year, trees are evergreen, broad-leaved and hard-wood type.

Major Species:

1. Koebrack in South-East Brazil.

2. Deodar.

3. Eucalyptus.

5.Warm Temperate Broad-leaved Deciduous Forest:

Location:

In warm temperate region, where temperature remains above 6°C at least 6 months of the year. This forest developed in central and north-west China, Korea, Japan, New Zealand and Tasmania.

Characteristics:

1. Trees shed their leaves during spring.

2. No layer in the leaves.

Major Species:

Elm, Beach, Maple, Walnut etc.

Uses:

1. As same type of trees are concentrated in different regions, wood collection is easier.

2. Wood transportation is also easier.

3. As there is very little undergrowth, collection of forest product is much easier.

IMPORTANT OF FOREST

1.They let us breathe!

2.They cool the Earth

3.They keep people cool too

4.Forests can make it rain

5.They block wind

6.Forests clean the air

7.They fight erosion

8.They provide medicine

9.They provide food

10.Forests create jobs

● The World Water Week is an annual event organized by Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI) since 1991 to address the global water issues and related concerns of international development.

● The World Water Week 2021 has been organised from 23-27 August, in entirely digital format.

● The theme for World Water Week 2021 is ‘Building Resilience Faster’.

The world is changing and so are we. World Water Week 2021 will have a new, digital format to meet people where they are – both physically and mentally – and find better ways to bring about the transformation we all know is desperately needed. “Given the ongoing global pandemic, this was a natural decision. No one knows what the world will look like in August 2021, but one thing you can count on – World Water Week is happening, no matter what. For us, it is important to be able to promise that,” says Torgny Holmgren, Executive Director of Stockholm International Water Institute.

Over 3300 participants attended the conference in 2017.The week feature experts and representatives from business, governments, water management and science sectors, intergovernmental and non governmental organisations, research and training organisations, and United Nations agencies. The conference features plenary sessions and panel debates, scientific workshops, poster exhibitions, side events and seminars. In 2017, 380 organisations from 138 countries all over the world participated in World Water Week.

Functioning as an open and dynamic platform, World Water Week aims to link practice, science, policy and decision-making. It enables participants to exchange views and experiences, form partnerships and shape joint solutions to global water challenges. During the week, the Stockholm Water Prize, the Stockholm Junior Water Prize, and the Stockholm Industry Water Award are given out at their respective award ceremonies.

Why is world water day celebrated?

The World Water Week in Stockholm originally began as the Stockholm Water Symposium in 1991 and has been convened annually ever since. In 2001, the official name became World Water Week in Stockholm. SIWI identifies a conference theme to place a specific focus on one aspect of the world’s escalating water crisis. Initially, one theme was promoted for 4–5 years. Since 2008, a different theme has been selected for each year.

Hosted and organized by SIWI, World Water Week is the leading annual global event for concretely addressing the planet’s major water issues. In 2021, World Water Week 2021 will be held entirely online, 23-27 August, with the theme Building Resilience Faster.

Before we begin to describe the various types of investment models in existence, one must understand the basic definition of investment and the factors that govern it.

In simpler terms investment means exchange of money for a profit yielding asset. The same profit earned is used to invest in other assets as well. As far as the economic well being of the country is concerned, investment is important as it contributes to growth and development.

When the government invests in business, agriculture, manufacturing or supporting industries it can generate employment opportunities for its population. But a robust investment scenario is when the government and the private sector join hands to create investment opportunities.

Also keep in mind that the following factors come into play when making an investment and by proxy, choosing an investment model:

— Savings Rate.

— Tax Rate in the country. (Net income available after tax).

— Inflation.

— Rate of Interest in Banks.

— Possible Rate of Return on Capital.

— Availability of other factors of production – cheap land, labour etc and supporting infrastructure – transport, energy and communication.

— Market size and stability.

Three major investment model:

Public investment model : For a government to invest, it needs revenue (mainly tax revenue), but the present tax revenues of India are not sufficient enough to meet the budgetary expenditure of India. So India cannot move ahead in the path of growth without private individuals; even for government to have a share in the investment, they need tax revenue from the private investors.

Private investment model : The private investment can come from India or abroad. If it’s from abroad – they can be as FDI or FPI. (Details will be discussed later.) As India’s Current Account Deficit is widening due to increased Oil Import, in this age of globalization, we cannot say NO to FDI or FPI. Why private investment in India: For a country to grow and increase its income, the production has to be increased. More goods and services has to be produced. Infrastructure to support production – transport, energy and communication – should also be developed. But how can a nation with near 30% of population below poverty line, invest in production or infrastructure? Who has money to invest? Government?

Public private partnership model : PPP means combining the best benefit from both public and private investments. Some of the Project Finance Schemes are as below:1. BOT (build–operate–transfer).2. BOOT (build–own–operate–transfer).3. BOO (build–own–operate).4. BLT (build–lease–transfer).5. DBFO (design–build–finance–operate).6. DBOT (design–build–operate–transfer).7. DCMF (design–construct–manage–finance).

Investment Models in Relation With India

Hope it’s clear by now that capital formation is necessary for any country to grow. But the process is not easy. The savings rate in India is now near 30%. Percapita Income of Indians is very low and hence the capital available for investing too is low. Investments should be studied from three angles – Households, Corporates and Government. Investments expect a return – be it from Government side or Private side. Though the return on investment in terms of profit or margin is the main motive behind investments, its effect on the welfare side and development should not be neglected.

When an outsider looks at the stocks and sees how different stocks move each day one would initially assess that making money through day trading should be easy , after all you have to do is follow the momentum – but is it really that easy? Let’s find out.

Day trading if done judiciously and with discipline can give a significant amount of income maybe even replace your job but if done carelessly can turn into a nightmare. Sometimes even professional traders get beaten by the market so for newcomers it is extremely hard to stay in the market because of one golden rule in the market – everyone loses money – there is not a single trader/investor who hasn’t lost money in the market. Many people who think that can make a quick buck in the market end up losing most of their money and end up leaving the market and professional traders profit most from these kind of traders.

When trading in the market there are some extremely important rules everyone needs to follow if they want to make money i.e. target and stop-loss. Trading without target and stop-loss is like driving a vehicle without brakes , an accident just waiting to happen. Target is the target price you want the stock to reach before exiting whether it is shorting or going long and stop-loss is the price at which you would exit the trade if you the stock has performed reverse of your expectations , either way both exit points should be clearly identified and practiced with discipline. What most traders who suffer loss do is let there losers run and give themselves a bigger loss or exit a winning too early again giving them a loss. Discipline in such cases is one of the trademarks of a good trader.

Now we talk about the strategy. A strategy is what one uses to execute his/her trade. By merely looking at the charts one cannot assume about the direction the stock will go in thus the requirement of a solid backtested strategy which would work in all kinds of market. Developing a strategy is one of the hardest tasks while dealing with the matters of day-trading – one that creating it is extremely difficult and sometimes even a good backtested strategy can fail.

Next thing is practice. They say when you start trading that the first five years are just trial and error. The real trading starts after five years when you are finally trained in the ways of trading , when you have seen and made every profit and loss . After such time it is crucial that one always remains humble about their strategies and keep back-testing them time and again so it gives you an edge in the market.

Lastly the non-technical part of trading – keep your emotions out of the room while trading. Greed and fear in such cases can lead to extreme losses and keep you away from making a good trade.

The term “air” refers generally to gas, but exactly which gas depends on the context in which the term is used. Let’s learn about the modern definition of air in scientific disciplines and the earlier definition of the term.

MODERN AIR DIFINITION

Air is the general name for the mixture of gases that makes up the Earth’s atmosphere. This gas is primarily nitrogen (78%), mixed with oxygen (21%), water vapor (variable), argon (0.9%), carbon dioxide (0.04%), and trace gases. Pure air has no discernible scent and no color. Air typically contains dust, pollen, and spores; other contaminants are referred to as “air pollution.” On another planet—Mars, for example—the so-called air would have a different composition since there is technically no air in space.

OLDER AIR DIFINITION

Air is also an early chemical term for a type of gas. In the older definition, many individual types of so-called air made up the air we breathe: Vital air was later determined to be oxygen; what was called phlogisticated air turned out to be nitrogen. An alchemist might refer to any gas released by a chemical reaction as its “air.”

AIR MASS TYPES

Air masses are classified into groups depending on their basic temperature and humidity characteristics.

There are six main types of air masses that affect the British Isles. We classify these air masses primarily by the area in which they originate.

They are classified as continental or maritime – dependent on whether they originate over land or sea – and arctic or antarctic, equatorial, tropical, or polar, depending on the particular region in which they form.

There are a total of six air masses that affect the British Isles, they are classified as follows:

Tropical continental

This air mass originates over North Africa and the Sahara (a warm source region). It is most common during the summer months June, July and August, although it can occur at other times of the year.

Our highest temperatures usually occur under the influence of tropical continental air (over 30 °C by day and around 15 to 20 °C at night).

Visibility is usually moderate or poor due to the air picking up pollutants during its passage over Europe and from sand particles blown into the air from Saharan dust storms. Occasionally, the Saharan dust is washed out in showers producing coloured rain and leaving cars covered in a thin layer of orange dust.

Tropical maritime

The source region for this air mass is warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean between the Azores and Bermuda. The predominant wind direction across the British Isles, in a tropical maritime air mass, is south-westerly.

Tropical maritime air is warm and moist in its lowest layers and, although unstable over its source region, during its passage over cooler waters becomes stable and the air becomes saturated. Consequently when a tropical maritime air mass reaches the British Isles it brings with it low cloud and drizzle, perhaps also fog around windward coasts and across hills. To the lee of high ground though, the cloud my break up and here the weather, particularly in the summer months, can be fine and sunny.

This is a mild air stream and during the winter month in particular, can raise the air temperature several degrees above the average.

Polar continental

This air mass has its origins over the snow fields of Eastern Europe and Russia and is only considered a winter (November to April) phenomena.

The weather characteristics of this air mass depend on the length of the sea track during its passage from Europe to the British Isles: this air is inherently very cold and dry and if it reaches southern Britain with a short sea track over the English Channel, the weather is characterised by clear skies and severe frosts. With a longer sea track over the North Sea, the air becomes unstable and moisture is added giving rise to showers of rain or snow, especially near the east coast of Britain.

The lowest temperatures across the British Isles usually occur in this air mass, lower than -10 °C at night, and sometimes remaining below freezing all day.

Polar maritime

This air mass has its origins over northern Canada and Greenland and reaches the British Isles on a north-westerly air stream.

This air mass is characterised by frequent showers at any time of the year. In the winter months when instability (convection) is most vigorous over the sea, hail and thunder are common across much of the western and northern side of the British Isles. However, eastern Britain may see fewer showers as here the surface heating is reduced. During the summer, the reverse is true, land temperatures are higher than sea temperatures and the heaviest showers occur over eastern England.

Arctic maritime

An arctic maritime air mass has similar characteristics to a polar maritime air mass, but because of the shorter sea track the air is colder and less moist.

Arctic air is uncommon during the summer, but when it does occur it may bring heavy showers or thunderstorms and unseasonably low temperature.

An arctic maritime air mass has its origins over the North Pole and the Arctic Ocean.

Polar low-pressure systems forming in this air mass can sometimes lead to widespread and heavy snowfall, but otherwise inland areas remain free of cloud in the winter months. In northern Scotland, arctic maritime is usually the coldest air mass, but over the rest of Britain, this air mass is not as cold as polar continental.

Returning polar maritime

Returning polar maritime is another version of polar maritime, but this time with a longer sea track which takes the air first southwards over the North-Atlantic, the north-eastwards across the British isles.

During its passage south, the air becomes unstable and moist but on moving north-east it passes over cooler water making it stable in its lowest layers.

Although the weather across the British Isles in this air mass is largely dry, there can be extensive cloud cover.

IMPORTANT USES OF AIR

Air is a natural resource and is available abundantly. It is an essential element of nature that support life on earth. Air is equally important for living organisms for their survival just like water. Air is very useful and has many applications. Uses of air are as follows:

* Sustain life and growth
* Combustion
* Maintaining Temperature
* Supplier of Energy
* Photosynthesis

Sustain Life and Growth

Oxygen present in the air is one of the main life-sustaining gas. All living things breathe in and breathe out the air in the form of oxygen and carbon dioxide. Nitrogen and Carbon dioxide are vital for plants and their growth.

Combustion

Another use of air is that it supports burning or combustion. The oxygen present in air help in the burning of the fuels leads to carry out activities like cooking food, running industries, and vehicles as well as generating heat and electricity.

Temperature Control

Air helps in maintaining the temperature on the earth’s surface by circulating hot and cold air. Air acts as a conductor of heat. The phenomena of the water cycle are also dependent on air.

Supplier of Energy

Air which consists of energy is one of the main suppliers of energy. Living things are made up of cells and these cells extract oxygen within the blood to produce energy in the form of ATP. The generation of ATP which is biochemical in nature is essential to maintain life on the Earth.

Photosynthesis

Carbon dioxide which is also a component of air is used by plants during the process of photosynthesis and oxygen, water vapor is released by plants as a by-product.

Apart from these gases, other gases are also useful such as nitrogen is used in the production of ammonia.

Land reforms aim at redistributing ownership holding from the viewpoint of social justice, and reorganizing operational holdings from the view point of optimum utilisation of land. These aims at providing security of tenure, fixation of rents, conferment of ownership, etc..

The entire concept of land reforms aims at the abolition of intermediaries and bringing the actual cultivator in direct contact with the state. The scope of land reforms, therefore, includes: (i) abolition of intermediaries, (ii) tenancy reforms, i.e., regulation of rent, security of tenure for tenants and conferment of ownership on them; (iii) ceiling on land holdings and distribution of surplus land to landless agricultural labourers and small farmers; (iv) agrarian reorganisation including consolidation of holdings and prevention of sub-division and fragmentation; (v) organization of co-operative farms; and (vi) improvement in the system of record keeping.

Due to Zamindari Abolition, about 30 lakh tenants and share croppers acquired ownership rights over a total cultivated area of 25 lakh hectares throughout the country. Further, it led to the abolition of about 260,000 Zamindars and intermediaries and acquisition of large amount of forested, barren and waste land by the Government. It also led to the emergence of a middle class of peasantry which is playing a pivotal role in agricultural development.

Land reforms in India had envisaged that beyond a certain specified limit, all lands belonging to the landlords would be taken over by the State and allotted to small proprietors to make their holdings economic or to landless laborers to meet their demand for land. Ceiling on landholdings is, therefore, an effective measure for redistribution of land and achieving the goal of social justice.

Need of land reforms:

The land reforms were needed to change all the systems or institutional factors, which were responsible for the low productivity of agriculture and poverty among the rural poor. At the time of independence the agrarian society was divided into four classes landlords or big farmers, the intermediaries-cum- cultivating holders, the tenants the actual cultivators and agricultural labourers.

There was unjust and defective land tenure system which deprives a large number of cultivators the ownership rights and to make any decisions about the land they hold and cultivate. The system of land tenure is still oppressive.

Out of 100 people engaged in agriculture, only 10% are the big land owners who owns enough land, the rest 90% whether small cultivators, marginal cultivators or landless labourers have not all the facilities held by the big landowners and as a result they cannot do full just with the agricultural activities

Measures adopted under land reforms:

Under land reforms various institutional measures have been adopted to improve agricultural productivity and the status of the actual tillers by the central and state government from time to time. The government abolished the zamindari system. It was the curse of the Indian agriculture that those who cultivated land were not its owners. Land was owned by zamindars. They performed no economic activities but devoured large part of the production.

The tillers who cultivated the land were poorly paid. With the removal of zamindari system and intermediaries about 20 million tenants were given the occupancy rights. Tenancy reforms have provided security of the tenure to tenants, regulated rent and conferred ownership rights on tenants. This was the second steps taken by the government.

The third measure taken was the consolidation of scattered and small land holdings. Consolidation of holdings means allocation of compact plot of land in exchange for the several small plots held by the owner of the land to make them economically viable. The government of India has passed laws for compulsory consolidation of holdings. The step to solve the problem of fragmentation of land was co-operative farming.

Under this system, a large tract of land owned by different house-holds may be jointly cultivated by them. The constant updating and maintenance of land records was also undertaken. The chakbandi system was also one of the measures taken under land reforms.

Land ceiling was another steps taken under land reforms, ceiling on holding means a prescribed area of land left with the zamindars after the abolition of Zamindari System. The surplus land is taken from the zamindars and distributed among the tillers of land and weaker sections of society; Laws regarding ceiling limit which was 30 acres have been passed by the government and about 3 million hectare of land has been declared as surplus. But, it is not sufficient.

Success and failure of land reforms:

The objectives of land reforms were to bring about economic efficiency and social justice. Efforts have been made to improve the condition of labourers through the abolition of Zamindari system, ceiling acts, redistribution of land and minimum wages acts etc. still their condition is deplorable. The implementation of the land reforms programme in India failed in its endeavour.

A majority of the agricultural labourers continued to be confronted with socio-economic difficulties and could not benefit from the land reforms measures. The progress of consolidation of land holdings is not satisfactory only 1/4 of the land has been consolidated and this has been completed only in Punjab, Haryana and Western U.P. The distribution of surplus land is also not satisfactory.

Conclusion:

In some of the states like Keraia, political will and intervention has led to the success of land reforms. All states except Nagaland and Meghalaya have passed ceiling acts. The five-year plans propose to lessen the sufferings of the landless people. With the removal of intermediaries, the cultivators came in direct contact with the government. A considerable area of cultivable waste land and private forest-land which came under the hand of the government was distributed among the landless and agricultural labourers.

In the ninth-five-year plan, it had been pointed out that rural poverty is largely among the landless and the marginal farmers. The plan proposed redistribution of surplus land, tenancy reforms for recording rights of tenants, consolidation of holdings etc. The tenth five-year plan also carries further the reforms in the agricultural sector which were earlier neglected.

It can be said that if land reform measures are effectively and whole-heartedly implemented it would be successful in lessening the problems of rural people. With the Green Revolution land reforms have been also contributed in increasing agricultural production and somewhat improving the condition of the rural people.

In a society where patriarchy rules, men and women are differentiated on all levels of life. Men are allowed to study, go out of house, move to different cities looking for job, coming late at night, wearing any kind of clothing and many more. However, the same privileges are not granted to women. Men in our society have been groomed as strong and emotionless cause showing emotions would make them a “woman”. There have been many instances in all of our lives where someone told a boy not to cry by saying “are you a girl that you are crying?” Our society focuses too much on keeping women safe by keeping them locked at home rather than improving their physical strength and the environment in which they live.

Due to women not being physically stronger, they were suppressed by the society. History is our witness and evidence which shows different ways our society suppressed women. Amongst the various restrictions put on women, one of them was to be careful in regards with their womanhood. Women were and are still told to safeguard their womanhood until they get married, yet the same is not said to the men in the society. This in itself disturbs the balance between men and women and can be said to be discriminatory. When men weren’t stopped from exploring and satisfying their manhood and pleasure, the evil amongst them took advantage of it. Sexual assault and misconduct became a part of the society and the solution for it was to keep girls inside and to ask them to wear “proper clothing.” However, this did not stop those evil men from creating havoc to the body and mind of the woman.

Over the years, laws were introduced for safeguarding the rights of the citizens and amongst the plethora of laws, there was the rape law. It was channel of justice for women to throw the rapists behind the bars. The law should have been enough to scare the evil men of the consequences which would be brought upon them if they committed such heinous crime of women. However, the law also could not stop them. According to a survey conducted by the NCRB i.e., National Crime Records Bureau, on an average 88 women were raped daily in 2019. Apart from the daily rape cases, the spectrum of women is quite wide in terms of being a victim to the hands of these evil men. From a three-month-old baby to orphan girls to young girls being raped in the crematory to Nirbhaya, Hathras and many more. These are just the cases the few cases which were reported and highlighted in the media. There are so many unreported rape cases where a woman or a man has been raped and they could not come up and speak. Yes, men are also a victim to the evil hands of the society. The very same society would mock a man on being raped. The society would question a man’s character and his manliness because he was raped or was sexually assaulted.

We all know the heinous crimes committed on women in India, but are we aware of the atrocities which happen to men? P Jayaraj and J Fenix, a father-son duo in Tamil Nadu died due to police brutality which also included being sodomized. There were friends and families who reported that both the father and son were excessively bleeding from their rectum. Now in such a case, where can the man go and seek justice for himself? The man cannot do so as the society we live in, will belittle him for something so horrible. There have been research conducted wherein it was pointed out that a woman in very rare cases could be the perpetrator in terms of penetrative rape. Few instances where the woman can be the perpetrator are – using her power of position and coercing the man into having sexual intercourse with her without his consent or intoxicate the man without his knowledge and have sexual intercourse with him without consent. In both the instances, the man is being sexually assaulted yet he has no legal remedy for himself. According to a survey conducted by Centre for Civil society, 18 percent of men were forced or coerced into having sexual intercourse, yet those victims of rape could not seek justice as they were not protected under the rape law.

Countries such as Australia, United Kingdom and Denmark  have already accepted gender neutral laws. That’s a change which is required for our society to make it into a better living environment for all the citizens i.e., men, women, transgender, etc. The laws in India should be made gender neutral in order to preserve the true essence of Article 14 of Indian constitution i.e., Right to equality , Article 15 of Indian constitution I.e., prohibition discrimination on grounds of sex and Article 21 i.e., right to life where both the genders can live a life with dignity. The law is not the only thing which needs to be amended, but the mindset of the society also needs to be changed. The society should be made aware of the statistics of men being raped and sexually assaulted in India and why they also need to be protected by the law. Hence, the rape laws should be gender neutral.

References

1. https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/asian-journal-of-comparative-law/article/beyond-the-binary-rethinking-gender-neutrality-in-indian-rape-law/9BC983FB009B7BBDEB78CED0BC5144C0
2. https://ccs.in/indias-law-should-recognise-men-can-be-raped-too
3. https://blog.ipleaders.in/need-know-gender-inequality-rape-laws/

To Kill a Mockingbird, novel by Harper Lee, published in 1960. Enormously popular, it was translated into some 40 languages and sold more than 30 million copies worldwide. In 1961 it won a Pulitzer Prize. The novel was praised for its sensitive treatment of a child’s awakening to racism and prejudice in the American South.

Summary

To Kill a Mockingbird takes place in the fictional town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Great Depression. The protagonist is Jean Louise (“Scout”) Finch, an intelligent though unconventional girl who ages from six to nine years old during the course of the novel. She is raised with her brother, Jeremy Atticus (“Jem”), by their widowed father, Atticus Finch. He is a prominent lawyer who encourages his children to be empathetic and just. He notably tells them that it is “a sin to kill a mockingbird,” alluding to the fact that the birds are innocent and harmless.

When Tom Robinson, one of the town’s Black residents, is falsely accused of raping Mayella Ewell, a white woman, Atticus agrees to defend him despite threats from the community. At one point he faces a mob intent on lynching his client but refuses to abandon him. Scout unwittingly diffuses the situation. Although Atticus presents a defense that gives a more plausible interpretation of the evidence—that Mayella was attacked by her father, Bob Ewell—Tom is convicted, and he is later killed while trying to escape custody. A character compares his death to “the senseless slaughter of songbirds.”

The children, meanwhile, play out their own miniaturized drama of prejudice and superstition as they become interested in Arthur (“Boo”) Radley, a reclusive neighbour who is a local legend. They have their own ideas about him and cannot resist the allure of trespassing on the Radley property. Their speculations thrive on the dehumanization perpetuated by their elders. Atticus, however, reprimands them and tries to encourage a more sensitive attitude. Boo makes his presence felt indirectly through a series of benevolent acts, finally intervening when Bob Ewell attacks Jem and Scout. Boo kills Ewell, but Heck Tate, the sheriff, believes it is better to say that Ewell’s death occurred when he fell on his own knife, sparing the shy Boo from unwanted attention. Scout agrees, noting that to do otherwise would be “sort of like shootin’ a mockingbird.”

SOURCES

https://www.britannica.com/topic/To-Kill-a-Mockingbird

Richard Branson on July 11 , Jeff Bezos today , what do these 15 minutes trip to space tell us? Is it the of start space tourism which is anticipated to be worth more than $100 Billion?

The world’s richest are making rockets and flying on it to space for 10-15 minutes to establish global dominance in space tourism and making a live example out of themselves to further boost their companies position in the race – Virgin Galactic , Blue Origin to name a few. This can be marked as the start of space tourism with recent data suggesting that over 39% of the world rich would take a space flight and spend over $250,000 for a trip to space.

But this space race has one major problem – CLIMATE IMPACT. Let’s be serious , we all know that carbon emission nowadays are breaking records and major climate change impacts can be in various parts of the world which can be anything from heat wave in Canada killing more than 500 people or the floods in Germany displacing entire towns – you name it! Just as the world is trying to find ways to curb the emissions – literally finding any area that can be utilized to fight climate change do we really need rockets which produce more carbon-dioxide per capita than any other thing and/or product there is.

Look , I am not saying space travel is bad , it is literally one of the first thing most of us as kids imagine doing in the future and we should reach for the stars but let’s be realistic and face the reality – Earth is not getting better with average global temperatures rising , ice-sheets melting , oceans on fire due to oil leaks so it is about time global companies came up and started taking responsibilities for their actions and act in a manner that good for not just the society but also for the planet as well.

Wealthy showing off their wealth just to go 100 kilometers above the surface of the Earth is really the last thing we need right now if we are talking about saving the planet. It is anticipated that Virgin Galactic is planning more than 400 space flights each year , each of those flights will produce , more than 4-5 times nitrogen oxides than the largest thermal powerplant in UK – Drax and more than 50-100 CO2 emissions than an average long-haul flight. Multiply that with 400 and you will get yearly data for these emissions which needless to say is a lot , and that’s just one company. We already have three companies fighting for space tourism industry , 300-400 flights each year by all the companies , one can only imagine the impact on the climate and that too just for one year. Imagine 10 years of continuous flights – where would it lead us?

In the end I can only say that either we need find an alternate mode of fuel for these rockets – nuclear maybe or we need to ponder upon and think about our future course of action and where would it lead us and this planet as a whole.

Follow this To identify your strength and weakness.

• listen to feedback.

• Consider your passions.

• Pay attention to when you are most productive.

• Seek out new experiences.

Listen to Feedback

You can develop a more accurate self-perception by listening to what others have to say about you and your work. One of the most reliable sources for what you do best is the opinions of people who work with you regularly. Pay attention when coworkers mention your positive traits and give you feedback about your work performance. Think about what aspects of your work receive the most compliments and determine which personality traits or skills allow you to complete those tasks.

Seek out new experience

Fostering self-awareness is based heavily on your life experiences, so trying new skills, hobbies and activities is essential for identifying your strengths. Regularly seek out professional development opportunities and take risks by asking to collaborate on projects outside of your usual skill set. You can seek out new experiences by taking classes, asking coworkers if you can shadow them, learning new technical skills and taking on leadership roles in new areas. You may be surprised at what strengths you discover by taking the risk of trying something new in the workplace.

Consider your passion.

When you enjoy doing something, it is often easier to hone your skills in that area and develop them into some of your key strengths. Think about what you most enjoy doing and spend time practicing those activities, paying extra attention to the broad skills that you use during each activity. While some people are naturally talented in certain areas, anyone can grow their strengths with time. Understanding your natural talents and passions can help you determine where you are most willing to put in the work to become an expert.

Pay attention

While you may be able to get a good idea of your strengths by paying close attention to feedback, asking your friends or colleagues about your strengths can give you additional insights that you may not have noticed otherwise. Seek out opinions from a variety of different sources, such as a manager, a coworker or even someone you supervise. People who work with you in different capacities will be able to point out your strengths and give concrete examples with valuable context.Consider asking others to write a list of your key strengths in the workplace, then looking for commonalities on those lists to identify your most prominent workplace strengthself-perception by listening to what others have to say about you.

Throughout your day-to-day activities, make note of how long different tasks take and how productive you are during that time. If it feels like time is passing quickly and you accomplish a lot in a short period of time, you are likely using some of your biggest strengths. Make a list of when you feel the most focused, and consider what characteristics motivate you during those times. Conversely, if you notice that time drags on during certain tasks, think about what makes you feel less motivated so that you can either avoid those situations or actively try to grow those skills.

water, a substance composed of the chemical elements hydrogen and oxygen and existing in gaseous, liquid, and solid states. It is one of the most plentiful and essential of compounds. A tasteless and odourless liquid at room temperature, it has the important ability to dissolve many other substances. Indeed, the versatility of water as a solvent is essential to living organisms. Life is believed to have originated in the aqueous solutions of the world’s oceans, and living organisms depend on aqueous solutions, such as blood and digestive juices, for biological processes. Water also exists on other planets and moons both within and beyond the solar system. In small quantities water appears colourless, but water actually has an intrinsic blue colour caused by slight absorption of light at red wavelengths.

Although the molecules of water are simple in structure (H2O), the physical and chemical properties of the compound are extraordinarily complicated, and they are not typical of most substances found on Earth. For example, although the sight of ice cubes floating in a glass of ice water is commonplace, such behaviour is unusual for chemical entities. For almost every other compound, the solid state is denser than the liquid state; thus, the solid would sink to the bottom of the liquid. The fact that ice floats on water is exceedingly important in the natural world, because the ice that forms on ponds and lakes in cold areas of the world acts as an insulating barrier that protects the aquatic life below. If ice were denser than liquid water, ice forming on a pond would sink, thereby exposing more water to the cold temperature. Thus, the pond would eventually freeze throughout, killing all the life-forms present.

Water occurs as a liquid on the surface of Earth under normal conditions, which makes it invaluable for transportation, for recreation, and as a habitat for a myriad of plants and animals. The fact that water is readily changed to a vapour (gas) allows it to be transported through the atmosphere from the oceans to inland areas where it condenses and, as rain, nourishes plant and animal life. (See hydrosphere: The hydrologic cycle for a description of the cycle by which water is transferred over Earth.)

The water on the surface of Earth is found mainly in its oceans (97.25 percent) and polar ice caps and glaciers (2.05 percent), with the balance in freshwater lakes, rivers, and groundwater. As Earth’s population grows and the demand for fresh water increases, water purification and recycling become increasingly important. Interestingly, the purity requirements of water for industrial use often exceed those for human consumption. For example, the water used in high-pressure boilers must be at least 99.999998 percent pure. Because seawater contains large quantities of dissolved salts, it must be desalinated for most uses, including human consumption.

This article describes the molecular structure of water as well as its physical and chemical properties. For other major treatments of water, see climate; environmental works; hydrosphere; ice; and pollution.

STRUCTURE OF THE WATER

The water molecule is composed of two hydrogen atoms, each linked by a single chemical bond to an oxygen atom. Most hydrogen atoms have a nucleus consisting solely of a proton. Two isotopic forms, deuterium and tritium, in which the atomic nuclei also contain one and two neutrons, respectively, are found to a small degree in water. Deuterium oxide (D2O), called heavy water, is important in chemical research and is also used as a neutron moderator in some nuclear reactors.

Although its formula (H2O) seems simple, water exhibits very complex chemical and physical properties. For example, its melting point, 0 °C (32 °F), and boiling point, 100 °C (212 °F), are much higher than would be expected by comparison with analogous compounds, such as hydrogen sulfide and ammonia. In its solid form, ice, water is less dense than when it is liquid, another unusual property. The root of these anomalies lies in the electronic structure of the water molecule.

The water molecule is not linear but bent in a special way. The two hydrogen atoms are bound to the oxygen atom at an angle of 104.5°.
structure of the water molecule showing the two hydrogen atoms bound to the oxygen atom at an angle of 104.5 degrees.

The O―H distance (bond length) is 95.7 picometres (9.57 × 10−11 metres, or 3.77 × 10−9 inches). Because an oxygen atom has a greater electronegativity than a hydrogen atom, the O―H bonds in the water molecule are polar, with the oxygen bearing a partial negative charge (δ−) and the hydrogens having a partial positive charge (δ+).

The electron arrangement in the water molecule can be represented as follows.
structure of the water molecule showing the electron arrangement

Each pair of dots represents a pair of unshared electrons (i.e., the electrons reside on only the oxygen atom). This situation can also be depicted by placing the water molecule in a cube.

Each ↑↓ symbol represents a pair of unshared electrons. This electronic structure leads to hydrogen bonding.

SINGNIFICANCE OF THE STRUCTURE OF LIQUID WATER

The liquid state of water has a very complex structure, which undoubtedly involves considerable association of the molecules. The extensive hydrogen bonding among the molecules in liquid water produces much larger values for properties such as viscosity, surface tension, and boiling point than are expected for a typical liquid containing small molecules. For example, based on the size of its molecules, water would be expected to have a boiling point nearly 200 °C (360 °F) lower than its observed boiling point. In contrast to the condensed states (solid and liquid) of water, which exhibit extensive association among the water molecules, its gaseous (vapour) phase contains relatively independent water molecules at large distances from each other.

The polarity of the water molecule plays a major part in the dissolution of ionic compounds during the formation of aqueous solutions. Earth’s oceans contain vast amounts of dissolved salts, which provide a great natural resource. In addition, the hundreds of chemical reactions that occur every instant to keep organisms alive all take place in aqueous fluids. Also, the ability of foods to be flavoured as they are cooked is made possible by the solubility in water of such substances as sugar and salt. Although the solubility of substances in water is an extremely complex process, the interaction between the polar water molecules and the solute (i.e., the substance being dissolved) plays a major role. When an ionic solid dissolves in water, the positive ends of the water molecules are attracted to the anions, while their negative ends are attracted to the cations. This process is called hydration. The hydration of its ions tends to cause a salt to break apart (dissolve) in the water. In the dissolving process the strong forces present between the positive and negative ions of the solid are replaced by strong water-ion interactions.

When ionic substances dissolve in water, they break apart into individual cations and anions. For instance, when sodium chloride (NaCl) dissolves in water, the resulting solution contains separated Na+ and Cl− ions.

Generally speaking, the greater the charge density (the ratio of charge to surface area) of an ion, the larger the hydration number will be. As a rule, negative ions have smaller hydration numbers than positive ions because of the greater crowding that occurs when the hydrogen atoms of the water molecules are oriented toward the anion.

Many nonionic compounds are also soluble in water. For example, ethanol (C2H5OH), the alcoholic component of wine, beer, and distilled spirits, is highly soluble in water. These beverages contain varying percentages of ethanol in aqueous solution with other substances. Ethanol is so soluble in water because of the structure of the alcohol molecule. The molecule contains a polar O―H bond like those in water, which allows it to interact effectively with water.

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES

Water has several important physical properties. Although these properties are familiar because of the omnipresence of water, most of the physical properties of water are quite atypical. Given the low molar mass of its constituent molecules, water has unusually large values of viscosity, surface tension, heat of vaporization, and entropy of vaporization, all of which can be ascribed to the extensive hydrogen bonding interactions present in liquid water. The open structure of ice that allows for maximum hydrogen bonding explains why solid water is less dense than liquid water—a highly unusual situation among common substances.

by Yogiraj Sadaphal.

“Each new generation born is in effect an invasion of civilization by little barbarians, who must be civilized before it is too late”.

– Thomas Sowell.

Definition of Generation Gaps.

The word “generation gap” refers to the age difference between two groups of people: young people and their seniors, particularly children and their parents. Everything changes with the flow of time, including age, culture, mannerism, and morality. This transformation has an impact on everyone. The generational divide is a never-ending social phenomena. Every generation lives at a specific period and in specific circumstances. As a result, each generation has its unique set of values and perspectives. Every generation aspires to uphold the values that they truly believe. This is an issue that has existed for a long time.

Past Generation Gaps:

The sociological hypothesis of a generation gap first surfaced in the 1960s, when the younger generation appeared to contradict everything their parents had previously thought in terms of music, values, governmental and political beliefs, and cultural interests.

The “generation gap” is now referred to as “institutional age segregation” by sociologists. Individual members of any of these age groups are usually physically isolated from persons of other generations when they are engaged in their primary activity, with little interaction across generational lines save at the nuclear family level.

What are the Cause of it?

No one is to blame for the generation gap. It’s a natural part of social change. Change is the ongoing disruption and resetting of the terms of everyone’s existence throughout their lives.

When parents identify with the old, similar, familiar, conventional, and known, their teenager (at a later period) becomes attracted and influenced by the new, different, unfamiliar, experimental, and unknown, cultural contrasts between generations are emphasized.

Obviously, there is little generation gap in socially uncomplicated, stable, low-change cultures where the children identify with parental positions they expect to copy and fill when they grow up. Consider growing up in a complex, fast changing culture where the parent’s old world and the adolescent’s world are vastly different.

What Impact does the Generation Gap have on Parent-Child Relationships?

To the extent that parents can bridge the generational gap by exhibiting an interest in the new, the gap’s potentially alienating influence can be reduced.

For example, if they approach their adolescent as a “expert” and themselves as “unknowing,” or if they treat their adolescent as a teacher and themselves as pupils, they might create a very strong and esteem-endowing power reversal in their connection.

What should a Teen do if they believe their Parents don’t get them?

Around the ages of 9 to 13, children begin to separate from childhood and begin redefining themselves on the path to young adulthood. The one detaches from childhood and family for greater action and independence, while the other distinguishes from childhood and parents for greater personal expression and individuality.

Young people might take the initiative when they believe their parents do not understand and would like them to. They can be brave and tell their parents, “There’s something about my upbringing that I believe you don’t understand, and I’d like you to appreciate.” Could you please just listen while I try to explain, and then we can talk about it?”

Is There a Way to Reduce the Impact of the Generation Gap?

1. Communicate:

Making time to connect with your parents on a daily basis is crucial. The simple act of asking each other about their day at the end of the day can help you get to know each other better and make it easier to speak freely around each other.

2. Compromise:

No matter how close two people are, they can differ on certain issues. Parents and children are no exception; but, rather than forcing them to accept your point of view or to do what you want them to do when they don’t want to, learn to compromise whenever feasible.

3. Love:

When love is acted upon, it has a way of crossing barriers and bringing people together. As a result, show your children how much you care about them. This unconditional love and support they receive from you is incredibly motivating, and it encourages youngsters to reciprocate with the same love and compassion.

4. Understand:

Listening leads to comprehension, which requires you to learn to put yourself in your child’s position and try to comprehend how they feel and what they want based on what they say. You will be able to close the generation gap to some extent if you can understand where your child is coming from.

India is a democratic country and in this system, power confers with the people. The power is exercised through its designated representatives who have the command to manage them for particular period. The civil services by quality of its knowledge, experience and understanding of public affairs support the chosen representatives to device effectual policy and have great responsibility to implement these policies for the welfare of society and enhancement of nation. Parliamentary democracies are generally pigeonholed by a permanent civil service which helps the political policymakers and political executives. India is a constitutional fairness and its operations are usually depends upon four supports that include Legislature, Executive, Judiciary, and Free Press. Each one of these has been assigned its role in democratic establishment. First pillar is associated with the governance of the State. Effective and efficient institutions form the strength of an efficacious development and governance process.

Democracy is an egalitarian principle in which the governed elect the people who govern over them. There are three pillars of modern democracy:

Legislature

Executive

Judiciary

The civil services form a part of the executive. While the ministers, who are part of the executive, are temporary and are reelected or replaced by the people by their will (through elections), the civil servants are the permanent part of the executive.

–The civil servants are accountable to the political executive, the ministers. The civil services are thus, a subdivision under the government.

— The officers in the civil services form the permanent staff of the various governmental departments.

— are basically expert administrators.

They are sometimes referred to as the bureaucracy or also the public service

Importance of the Civil Services

1. The civil service is present all over India and it thus has a strong binding character.

2. It plays a vital role in effective policy-making and regulation.

3. It offers non-partisan advice to the political leadership of the country, even in the midst of political instability.

4. The service gives effective coordination between the various institutions of governance, and also between different departments, bodies, etc.

5. It offers service delivery and leadership at different levels of administration.

Functions of Civil Services

Basis of Government: There can be no government without administrative machinery.

Implementing Laws & Policies: Civil services are responsible for implementing laws and executing policies framed by the government .

Policy Formulation: The civil service is chiefly responsible for policy formulation as well. The civil service officers advise ministers in this regard and also provides them with facts and ideas.

Stabilising Force: Amidst political instability, the civil service offers stability and permanence. While governments and ministers can come and go, the civil services is a permanent fixture giving the administrative set up a sense of stability and continuity.

Instruments of Social Change & Economic Development: Successful policy implementation will lead to positive changes in the lives of ordinary people. It is only when the promised goods and services reach the intended beneficiaries, a government can call any scheme successful. The task of actualising schemes and policies fall with the officers of the civil services.

Welfare Services: The services offer a variety of welfare schemes such as providing social security, the welfare of weaker and vulnerable sections of society, old-age pensions, poverty alleviation, etc.

Developmental Functions: The services perform a variety of developmental functions like promoting modern techniques in agriculture, promoting the industry, trade, banking functions, bridging the digital divide etc.

Administrative Adjudication: The civil services also perform quasi-judicial services by settling disputes between the State and the citizens, in the form of tribunals, etc.

Problems Affecting Civil Services Today

— Lack of professionalism and poor capacity building.

— An ineffective incentive system that does not reward the meritorious and upright civil servants .

— Rigid and outmoded rules and procedures that do not allow civil servants to exercise individual judgement and perform efficiently.

— Lack of accountability and transparency procedure, with no adequate protection for whistle-blowers.

— Political interference causing arbitrary transfers, and insecurity in tenures.

— An erosion in ethics and values, which has caused rampant corruption and nepotism.

— Patrimonialism (a form of governance in which all power flows directly from the leader).

— Resistance to change from the civil servants themselves.

Key Facts about Democracy in India:

— Democracy in India federal republic.

— Democracy in India is headed by the President as the head of the state and Prime Minister as the head of the government.

— There is a parliamentary form of government at the central level.

— There is a universal adult franchise.

What is Photography?

Answering the question, “What is photography?” is kind of like trying to answer the question, “What’s the meaning of life?”

That’s because photography is incredibly complex. It has many facets and types. There are technical aspects to photography as well as creative ones. The manner in which photography is used is even different, often from one person to the next.

Moreover, there is an unlimited variety in the quality of photos. In that regard, trying to explain the difference between an ordinary snapshot and a work of art is a very difficult job. You can tell by looking at two photographs which one is which, but conveying how to get from being an amateur to a pro is not an easy task.

But, you have to start somewhere, so in this guide, I offer a few foundational ideas that will help you answer the question, “What is photography?”

Photography Defined

When trying to quantify what is photography, it’s important to first start with a photography definition.

In layman’s terms, photography is quite simply the process of capturing light with a camera to create an image.

This was done for the first time in 1826, when Joseph Nicéphore Niépce took a photo out of his window. The image, shown above, was entitled View from the Window at Le Gras.

In terms of subject matter, the photo isn’t all that impressive. However, as the oldest surviving photograph, it is nonetheless an important part of photography.

As simple as this image is, it demonstrates the technical process of photography perfectly.

To process the image captured by his camera, Niépce used a process of his invention called heliography.

A Brief Timeline of Photography

After Joseph Nicéphore Niépce successfully created the first permanent photograph, there were many other turning points in photography that got us to where we are today.

The Basics of Photography

For all you beginner photographers out there, photography is built on light, and as such, you have to learn how to control it.

There are three camera settings that comprise the very basics of photography, and that each independently control light in a different way. Yet, these three settings are used together to create an exposure.

Sure, you can shoot in full auto mode and let the camera determine the exposure. In many cases, it works okay. But we’re here to learn, right? So, here’s a quick overview of the exposure triangle – aperture, shutter speed, and ISO.

Types of Photography

Just like there are all sorts of things to learn when you’re studying photography, there are all sorts of types of photography you can explore.

You can learn about the most popular types of photography in our detailed guide, but for our purposes in this article, here’s a quick run-down of some of the possibilities you can try:

* Landscape photography
* Portrait photography
* Wildlife photography
* Travel photography
* Street photography
* Newborn photography
* Macro photography

Again, this isn’t a complete list of the types of photography, but it’ll get you started. And as you explore and learn more about photography, you’ll likely find that the answer to our original question – What is photography? – is much deeper and broader than we’ve covered here.

More than the technical and artistic elements that comprise it, photography is about feelings, emotions, and making connections with people and places.

So, what is photography? It’s an incredibly personal experience, that’s what!

What photography is to me is probably very similar to what it is for you, but at the end of the day, our own experiences, opinions, biases, beliefs, and so forth influence what photography means. That’s part of what makes photography so great; it can bring us together thanks to the power of the lens, yet at the same time, we can enjoy it as a highly personal experience.