Controversial essay on Human Cloning - A dangerous invention

"Cloning is an advance technological invention for producing a genetic twin of a living thing, an organism that starts life with the same genes as its parents. In mammals, DNA is taken from an adult animal and then it is inserted into an egg cell from another animal. This egg then divides into an embryo. The embryo is the trans­planted into a surrogate mother and grown to term. This process has worked in animals like cows, sheep, goats, mice, pigs, while such attempts could not succeed ill rabbits, rat, cat, dog, monkey and horse. "

In 1997, researchers at Scotland's Rosaline Institute, led by embryologist I am Wilmot reported that they had successfully cloned a sheep-named Dolly, from the cell of an adult ewe. In 1998, scientists at the University of Hawaii cloned a mouse creating not only dozens of copies, but three generations of cloned clones. In the same year two research teams succeeded in growing embryonic stem cells.

In November 2001, the scientists were able to clone the first human embryo. From pure scientific analysis, it was unprecedented milestone in the field of genetic engineering technology , but the news created a fetter among the moralists, government US president Mr. George W. Bush condemned human cloning as "morally wrong "We should not as a society grow life to destroy it,:" said the President "The use of embryos to clone is wrong".

Many US states, including California, have banned cloning and Congress also considering to impose such a ban. The company Advanced Cell Technology, (ACT) in Worcester Massachusetts USA, which claimed to clone the first human l& embryo, said, "This Corporation (ACT) is creating human embryos for the so purpose of killing them and harvesting their cells". This announcement of ACT provoked angry reactions across Italy and inside the Vatican. Mr. Girolamo Sirchia, the Italian Health Minister, described human cloning as a crime against human. The Vatican Archbishop said that the church opposes any form of human conception that was not born from an act of love between husband and wife.

Scientists at ACT said that the experiments were aimed at aiding stems cell research to treat a wide range of diseases providing hope for people with sp injuries, heart diseases, and other ailments, according to Dr. Robert P. Lange, one of the scientists at ACT, this latest experiment "sets the pace for human therapeutic cloning as a potentially limitless source of immune compatible cells for n engineering and transplantation medicine." The company claimed that it has no intention of transplanting embryos into a woman's womb to give birth toad human being. According to scientists, the stem cells could provide replacements various body tissues and organs such as heart, pancreas and the nervous system. Indeed stem cells research holds out the promise of a bonanza in tackling a wide range of diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes, leukemia, lymphoma and other blood disorders.

When stem cell research could be so beneficial in curing various diseases in human being, then why human cloning is being condemned. The crux of the matter is human cloning shall not be stopped at stem cell research; its potential for gross abuse will make it a virtual Frankenstein.

The opponents of human cloning say that an embryo at any stage of development is a human life, worthy of protection and any kind of research that entails destroying an embryo is immoral, unethical, no matter how worthy the intent may be. It involves using human being as means, it turns human life into a commodity and fosters a culture of dehumanization. Another group of anti moralists finds, such making of fuss against cloning is unreasonable and illogical they ask point blank, why do we permit abortion? We permit in vitrofertilisation which creates nine or ten embryos, of which all but one will be destroyed. Worse things are happening in our country where lacks of female fetuses are destroyed by parents, eager to have a male child, with the connivance of doctors.

The scientists have now started talking of designer babies, which make it theoretically possible to genetically engineer our children, with added height or intelligence and removing defective genes or disabilities such as cystic fibrosis or alcoholism. The advocates of human cloning gave number of arguments as to how cloning could take modern society forward, it could prove a panacea for several diseases.

Every such invention have merits and demerits. Human cloning could be misused to destroy the existing humanity and civilization. We have seen the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the spectrum of germs and chemical warfare. Scientists, philosophers, thinkers, philanthropists from all over the world spoke out against human cloning, prompted by fears that the world has taken a step further towards nightmare of humans replicated in the lab. The human cloning can tear the society to pieces, it can endanger the very existence of human being in this world.

Essay on proverb "Judge a man by the way he spends leisure"

A man or woman's free time, when there is nothing specific to do a no duty to perform may be described as his or her leisure. It is genera agreed that leisure enables a person to do what one likes—sleeping, walking about, going for an adventure and being wholly oneself for sometime.

Without some leisure life would become a heavy burden and totally unbearable. It would not be wrong to say that there would be hardly any art, literature, crafts, poetry or philosophy if there is no leisure, for all these are the products of spare time when there is no restriction or limitation. Diversity in various areas of activity also depends on leisure; the more the leisure the greater the diversity, and the more the colour in the country's life and living.

But it is possible to judge the culture, education and mental development of a person by the way he spends his leisure. Those who merely waste time twiddling their thumbs or remaining idle, or sleeping for long hours even after a good night's rest, or spend their spare time quarrelling with members of their family or just loaf about cannot be called a cultured or mentally developed people.

When we are much too busy with our daily chores, either in office, factory or at home, to read the books we like or indulge in other constructive and gainful activity, or attend to the duties remaining after the previous day's or week's busy schedule, we show a lack of the true sense of citizenship and unawareness of how leisure should be utilized.

Obviously, leisure should be treated as opportunity for fruitful activity and creativeness. It is through creativity, the feeling that we have achieved something in a healthy sphere of human activity that we can promote our and our family's well being.

Time is undoubtedly the most precious thing on earth; it can never be called back; one hour or a day wasted is gone forever, never to return. The hours and the minutes tickle past us constantly, and it is said that time and tied wait for no one. This realization should make us all fully conscious of the value of time and of leisure, for leisure is, after all, time that we spend according to our choice. And our culture and capacity, our education and our sense of good citizenship are all reflected in the use we make of leisure.

There are people who are so material minded, and so anxious to earn and save money, that they believe leisure should be utilized for supplementing one's earnings so as to make up for the deficit in the family budget caused by inadequate incomes and ever-mounting expenditure and prices. But that would mean taking a narrow and worldly view of leisure.

Repetitive tasks certainly lead to boredom, and the frantic continuation of the money-earning process, by working overtime or taking up some other boring work during the leisure hours, merely adds to the burdens of life. In such cases there would be no difference between regular working days and one's holidays during which we should have some change in our occupation and enrich our minds in one way or the other.

Of course, too much leisure means mere idleness and is hardly helpful in one's life. Leisure and rest are appreciated only when there is enough work during the rest of the week or the month. Excess or surfeit of leisure is, therefore, inadvisable; there must be a sense of proportion, that is, a period of sustained work, followed by a break or rest or change, to refresh the mind and the body. Strain during days or hours of leisure defeats the very purpose of providing leisure and giving holidays.

Typical examples of people merely wasting their leisure are provided by the country's youth who have many weeks of vacation every year from the colleges and universities but do little constructive work either for their own mental and intellectual enrichment or for the social good.

Efforts have been made at many centres of education to persuade the students to take to useful activity, according to their taste or preference, during the long summer vacations, but very limited success has been achieved in this area. Our youth prefer to waste time in gossip, scandalous talk personal, defamatory or libellous conversation, outright censure and condemnation on of everyone else, not excluding their own teachers principals, and sometimes their parents. That, surely, is gross abuse of precious leisure.

All the talk of "enjoying" one's holidays contains many wrong notions about leisure. One can "enjoy" leisure even while doing some other useful work, such as social service, helping the weak, the handicapped elder and the hapless, educating the illiterate. In our country the vast majority urgently needs instruction and enlightenment from those who are better placed in life and has had the benefit of education.

And yet it is the height of callousness and a distinct failure of one's duty as a wide awake citizen if we are selfish and ignore our social responsibility because their is no punishment of any kind yet devised by even the most powerful administrator or dictator for those who "kill" time and waste their leisure But this does not mean that we should become irresponsible and wasteful or that we would behave and conduct ourselves better only under the fear of some punishment.

A person's mental, moral and intellectual development can be judge by this yardstick. Does he know how to make the best possible use leisure? Of course there is no uniformity in this area' people can, and d use their leisure hours differently depending upon their circumstances. But while a good intelligent citizen uses his leisure gainfully, a bad, careless and irresponsible citizen merely wastes his time when there is leisure.

Example has been known in history of people who have utilized their leisure to overcome their crippling weakness and handicaps. The story goes that in ancient Greece, Demosthenes, who was a stammered and was conscious of his handicap even though he wanted to become a great orator, overcame his handicap during his spare time by putting pebbles in his mouth, shouting and speaking hour after hour against the noise of the sea waves.

After sometime he discovered that, as a result of the prolonged practice he could speak clearly, fairly well and without stammering. Leisure thus, can be used to overcome deficiencies, and add an extra dimension to our character and capacities. It all depends on how we spend it.

Essay on Intelligence

Man is distinctively different from the lower species of animals because of his ability in controlling the environment he lives in. The distinction between man and other animals also springs from his successful adaptation to his environmental demands. The animals can at best escape to safety, protect their lives, may build nests as their shelter, can migrate to a distant land, but cannot conquer nature. The animals hardly can ingeniously adapt to any unfavorable chaotic environment.

On the contrary, man can recreate the world, create comforts for him with the help of scientific gadgets, climb the high ranges of mountains, invade the depth of the seas and air, travel with enormous speed, and can extend the life-span of its species by inventing remedies for several fatal diseases. His intellectual skills place him as the most superior species in the animal kingdom. Thus, underlying all human abilities lie the essential attributes of intelligence.

Intelligence is a popular term referring to all forms of man's complex mental abilities. Intelligence as a term refers to the ability to understand, act, interpret, and predict the future, and to achieve and handle relationships, information, concepts, and abstract symbols. Intelligence is thus a commonly used word to express universal capacity required for survival and progress beyond the present.

Intelligence is a process of cognition. "Cognition refers to how we acquire, store, retrieve, and use knowledge" (Matlin, 1996). All the basic psychological processes such as learning, perception, memory, concept formation, thinking, reasoning, problem solving, decision-making, and creativity are related to intelligence.

Therefore, intelligent behavior includes all forms of cognitive behavior such as attending, perceiving, learning, memorizing, thinking and predicting. Intelligence is an abstract concept. It cannot be observed direction it can be estimated only through individual's performance on tests and re life situations. Recently, the concept of intelligence has been broadened include such terms as "emotional intelligence", "spiritual intelligence "practical intelligence", "social intelligence", "vocational intelligence" and "musical intelligence".

Biography of Indira Gandhi

Indira Gandhi was the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru. She was the first woman Prime Minister of India. She was born on 19th November 1917. Her family members participated in the Freedom Movement. She also took pail in it. As her father and grandfather were frequently sent to jails, Indira spent her days alone. She was the only child of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. The name Indira was chosen by her grandfather. Another name "Priyadarshani" was added to that name by her parents.

Indira's school and college life was very often disturbed chiefly due to the participation of all the members of the family in the national movement. Her mother Kamala Nehru was also imprisoned once. Indira's schooling began in St. Cecilia School in Allahabad.

In March, 1926, she went to Europe along with her parents and was educated at a school in Switzerland for some time. She came back to India and obtained education in St. Marry convent of Allahabad. After her matriculation she was sent to Tagore's Shantiniketan for the intermediate course. With her talents she impressed Rabindranath Tagore.

Indira accompanied her ailing mother Kamala Nehru to Switzerland for treatment. Kamala died there. Indira then went to Somerville College, Oxford. Unfortunately she discontinued the course as she became ill for long. She came back to India in 1941. Her father was released from jail the same year. Indira married Feroz Gandhi in 1942. Feroz was a highly educated young boy of an aristocratic Parsee family in Allahabad.

Indira had a close involvement in the Freedom Movement. She had organised the Vanar Sena with a few thousand children of her own age. She also participated in the Non-co-operation Movement of Mahatma Gandhi in 1930. By 1946, she has become the mother of two sons Rajib and Sanjay.

Indira became the President of the Indian National Congress in 1959 and continued it till her death. Feroz Gandhi died in 1960, only after 18 years of their married life. Her father died in 1964. After Jawaharlal's death Lai Bahadur Sastri became the second Prime Minister of India. Indira became the Information and Broadcasting Minister, in Lal Bahadur's Cabinet. Soon after Lai Bahadur Sastri's death, Indira Gandhl, became the Prime Minister of India on 24th January. 1966.

Indira's life was full of tragic events. Her mother died. Her husband died. Then her father died. She also lost her younger son Sanjay who died in a plane crash on June 23, 1980. In spite of her personal sufferings, she gave an efficient leadership to our country. India progressed in all spheres of life and acquired an international fame.

During her term as the Prime Minister, many important events had happened. Our country became victorious in the Indo-Pak war in 1971. Indira Gandhi signed the historic Simila Pact with Pakistan. She sent them to Indian Expedition to the South Pole. She was the leader of the Third World. She gave order for "Operation Blue Star" to liberate the famous golden Temple of Amritsar from the clutches of the terrorists.

She became controversial after the Operation Blue Star. She was brutally killed by her own body guard on October 31, 1984. She became a martyr for her country. The whole world mourned her death.

Essay on The World Needs More Tolerance

“Tolerance is the only real test of civilization”: It was Arthur Kelps who thus extolled the virtue of tolerance. Man in the 20^th century believes he is more civilized than his ancestors. But is he also more tolerant than them? Unfortunately, the virtue of tolerance is not abundant in the world of today and the world is in dire need of it.

What is tolerance:

Tolerance can be defined as the possession of a fair and objective perspective and attitude towards those people who are of different races, religions, nations or have a set of opinions, belief and ideas that differ from our own.

Importance:

The importance of tolerance lies in its ability to make a human being broad enough in mind to be receptive to all kinds of ideas. This, in turn, enables one to widen one’s knowledge and exercise more freedom of choice and judgment for oneself. At the same time it creates a deeper understanding of other’s views and beliefs.

Low level of tolerance and its consequences:

Today, tolerance seems to be at a discount at all levels. At the most trivial sign of disagreement hot words are exchanged, almost immediately escalating into a fight and sometimes even murder. Family members find it difficult to put up with one another’s shortcomings – after all which human being is perfect? Communities, social groups, racial groups and nations – at all levels, there appear to be an acute lack of tolerance.

Trivial misunderstandings, even rumors, give rise to riots with the accompanying bloodshed and permanent scars on relationships; at the national level, there are civil war and border wars. So often a personal matter such as religion has been distorted to create hatred amongst people. If people learnt to tolerate one another’s views, perhaps such sad occurrences could be reduced if not totally removed from this world!

Reasons:

Why has tolerance level come down? Or, indeed, has it come down at all? Human beings all through the ages have shown intolerance of views and beliefs and customs alien to their own. Wars such as the Crusades have been fought because of religious intolerance. Religious minorities have been suppressed and oppressed. Racial tension has grown due to intolerance. So long as human beings given in to envy, malice, jealousy and greed, tolerance will suffer.

In recent times several longstanding and accepted social institutions have shown signs of crumbling. Family values, social values are all being eroded. An increasing materialistic and consumer culture has not helped to nurture essential values. The individual has assumed such importance that anything that militates against that individual’s own ideas is not tolerated.

Remedy:

Enlightenment of individual is necessary. Universal values of liberalism, the willingness to listen to others, at most agree to disagree and not enter into fights of domination – these qualities have to be bred at every level of society. Democracy, after all, means tolerance of dissent, if this tolerance is not imbibed and nurtured, we can only have more and more Bosnia’s, Chechnya as Kashmir’s.

Essay on Malnurition

Malnutrition has been defined as "a pathological state resulting from a relative or absolute defi­ciency or excess of one or more essential nutrients". It comprises four forms: Under nutrition, Over nutrition, Imbalance and Specific deficiency.

Under nutrition is the condition which results when insufficient food is eaten over extended period of time. In extreme cases it is called starva­tion. Over nutrition is the pathological state resulting from the consumption of excessive quantity of food over an extended period of time, Imbalance is the pathological state resulting from a disproportion among essential nutrients with or without the absolute deficiency of any nutrient.

Specific deficiency is the pathological state resulting from a relative or absolute lack of an individual nutrient.

The effects of malnutrition are different in poor and rich communities. India is an example of a poor country where malnutrition is endemic.

Diet survey carried out in India has shown that the average Indian diet is ill balanced with an excess of carbohydrate and very little protec­tive foods like milk, meat, fish, eggs, fruit and leafy vege­tables. While under nutrition is the pressing problem in India, the major nutritional problems in many western countries today centre round over nutrition.

Factors Related to Malnutrition:

Malnutrition makes the individual more susceptible to infection and infection in turn is one of the principal con­tributory factors of malnutrition. Infection such as diarrheas dysenteries, intestinal parasites and worms are caused due to malnutrition. But malnutrition is not always due to shortage of foods.

Too often there is starvation in the midst of plenty. People choose poor diets when good ones are available because of cultural influences the family plays an important role in shaping the food habits and these habits are passed from one generation to another. Many customs and beliefs are based on false ideas and ignorance

Religion has also a powerful influence on the food habits of people. Certain religions or castes in India do not take meat, fish and eggs. Same people do not even eat certain vegetables like onions on religious grounds Fasting is prescribed by certain religions Prolonged fasts weaken the individual's resistance. Thus religion is an important factor responsible for a certain amount of malnutrition in India.

Food is a purchasable commodity, it can be held only for a price. The poor people cannot afford for relatively costly and protective food such as eggs, meat, fish, milk and fruits. Therefore, the poor purchasing capacity is a very important factor in the prevalence of malnutrition.

There are several other factors such as ignorance of the people, prices of foods, population increase and urbaniza­tion contributes considerably for malnutrition.

Symptoms of Malnutrition:

The consequences of malnutrition are (i) retarded physical and mental develop­ment (ii) lowered productivity in adulthood and (iii) occurrence of a wide range of nutritional deficiency diseases etc. The diseases arising out of over nutrition are diabetes, arterial hypertension and diseases of the gall bladder. Physical ailments and deformities, rough and wrinkled skin, anemia, sleeplessness, mental indifference, absence of alertness, fatigue, rickets etc. are some of the symptoms of malnutrition.

Preventive Measures:

Since malnutrition is the outcome of several factors social, economic, cultural and psychological the problem can be solved only by taking action simultaneously at various levels family, community, national and inter­national levels.

The problem of the in a equate nutrition can only be adequately tackled by the close co-operation and co-ordination of effort between administrators, elected representatives of the people, voluntary organizations, international bodies and ultimately by the people them­selves.

People should be educated about the requirement of nutrition and food and arrangements should be made for the medical examination of the children by the doctors. As a precautionary measure provision should be made for crèches and children homes and students should be provided with meals in the schools.

However, the long range objective of the overall programme will be the improvement of the health of the community.

essay on Superstition

Superstition is the child of ignorance and unreason. We are said to be superstitious when we subject ourselves to fanciful causes for happenings that seem to be inexplicable, when we blindly believe that natural events can be caused by supernatural forces. Under this supposition, we put our faith in actions that are essentially irrational.

For instance, an ignorant man cannot understand why an eclipse takes place. He invents an imaginary explanation that it is due to devouring of some demonic power, and attributes it to some moral lapse on the part of men. So he undergoes the ritual of puri-ficatory bathing, seeks to exercise the evil spirit by performing various kinds of rites.

Similarly, when men did not know the true causes of epidemics like cholera or small pox, they invented demons who had to be propitiated by 'Knee-worship and praise'. Similarly, when something unforeseen happened it was blindly attributed to the machination of stars. Usually the priestly classes were the beneficiaries of these rituals. Hence, they not only invented these but did everything to keep these alive in the minds of superstitious people.

Today we know better. We have learnt the scientific explanations of phenomena that used to be dreaded as mysterious. Still the superstitious mental habit remains. We look upon simple material things as omens full of mischief. If we stumble, or sneeze, or yawn, if some one calls us from behind, we become upset with fear. We lose our self-confidence, for we see in it the influence of some unseen malevolent power. We are haunted by fear and nervous dread. Even some eminent scientists suffered from such blind fear or inhibition.

The result is that superstition tends to become a bad habit, a demoralising influence in life. It shakes our self-confidence. Even when we are properly enlightened, our minds cannot operate freely. Our rational faculties are paralyzed under the influence of unknown fears. We consult almanacs when we go abroad. We seek priestly benedictions when we undertake an important work; we wear amulets and utter mantars to ward off evil influence. We do not do it consciously; often we do it against our reason. A spell is upon us, and we cannot get rid of it.

There is no doubt that superstition is a serious handicap in modern life; often its effects are calamitous. We suffer from epidemics of smallpox because ignorant people pin their faith in worshipping the goddess Sitala for curse, neglecting vaccination.

Europe has eliminated smallpox by accepting vaccination as a scientific preven­tive. When we are aware of the true causes of things, such habits of minds are ridiculous, a relic of the dark ages. The only cure for superstition is education, the development of the reasoning power and of a scientific mind. Even some scientists are often found to be superstitious. They hold some beliefs, which have come down from the middle Ages of religious domination. The Japanese are an advanced people. Yet many of them have at the core of their mind prejudice and superstition. An enlightened European often does not sit on the thirteenth table or lights his cigarette from the second man by the same sly of the match. Thus, superstition is often a complexion of the mind and infects others.

“There are more things in heaven, and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy" 'says Shakespeare in 'Hamlet'. After all, the world is about four hundred years older than it was in 'Shakespeare's days, and thousands of years older than our rishis and sages, we have accumulated sufficient data to be assured of one thing that material phenomena cannot have non-material origins. If we believe this, we can get rid of the superstitious habit of mind though they die-hard. After all, superstition is religion of only small minds, as pronounced by Burke.

essay on Mobile Revolution in India

Mobiles are no more a luxury or a life style product. Mobile phones, which were one of the beautiful possessions of anybody not until a decade ago, have now become a necessity to the common man. The entry of private service providers with CTMA, GSM and of course, 3G technologies has changed the Communication sector in India beyond imagination.

Many new competitors have entered the mobile market resulting in reduction of the STD rates and Local call rates. Plans are also on anvil to enable mobile users to switch over to other service providers without changing their number, also called Mobile Number Portability (MNP).

The mobile users in India have increased tremendously during the last decade. Youth, both in rural and urban India, have welcomed and accepted mobiles with open hands. The decrease in call rates can be imagined from the fact that it cost around? 16 per minute when mobiles were introduced in India and today it costs as little as 1 paisa per 2 seconds offered by companies like MTS. Even the size of mobile phones has changed to an unimaginable level. They have become very handy today compared to their walkie-talkie resemblance when they were introduced.

The immense benefit offered by a mobile has triggered this revolution. With a mobile phone in hand, one can be available round the clock, and can get the up-to-date information on anything. The availability of internet on mobile phones has increased its utility tremendously. It has made mobile phones, to an extent, an essential item for carrying out a business transaction. The facility of sending short messages or pictures enables a person to send the message across without actually bothering to disturb the other person.

For traders, it helps them get the price details of any products without even bringing the products to the market. The introduction of mobile banking helps people carry their bank in their mobile. Some people even carry their office in their mobile phones.

However, mobile phones also have some demerits as they can be used to detonate bombs. Some instruments which have cameras in them can be used for taking unnecessary photographs. Constant use of mobile phones may create health problems and increase risk of accidents on road. In spite of these demerits, mobile phones are becoming popular day-by-day as their advantages fairly outweigh the demerits.

In fact, the mobile revolution has occurred very fast in India. This symbolizes the country's transformation from an inward looking tentative nature to a confident and resurgent global economic power. The mobile phone service providers have also increased manifold during the years. Some of the important market players are: Aircel, Airtel, BSNL, MTNL, Idea Cellular, Tata Indicom, Tata DoCoMo, Reliance Communications, Virgin Mobile, Vodafone, Videocon Telecommunications, MTS India and Spice Telecom.

Even in rural India, mobile phone has brought a tremendous change to rural telephony, marginalizing the middlemen and empowering women, strengthened by the formation of self-help groups. It has vastly improved access to information and helped in the explosive growth in connectivity. Even at sea, fishermen in Kerala use the mobiles to keep track of rates for their catch in the market. The improvement in infrastructure and support from the Government has acted as a catalyst for mobiles to make tremendous inroads into rural India.

The role of mobile telephones are varied, in that, they help assess the market information, coordinate travel and transport, manage remote activities and increase the remunerative working days. As a result, the rural marketing scenario has also undergone a change. Today, the rural consumer is better informed and price conscious.

The total mobile penetration is increasing at a quick pace with companies like Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited, Reliance Communications, Bharti Airtel, Vodafone, Tata Teleservices, etc. having unveiled big network expansion plans and innovative marketing strategies specially tailored region-wise. Some of these companies are using a door-to-door marketing strategy in villages and B and C category census towns. They are involving members of gram panchayats and trained market-feelers to make residents aware of the usefulness of mobile telephony and how the system of pre-paid refills work.

Handset manufacturers too are gearing up with Nokia incorporating nine Indian languages on certain handsets to promote sales. Value-for- money handsets priced between 1,000 and 1,400 with a plethora of tariff plans to choose from is also one of the reasons for driving subscription growth in these regions. Handsets are being imported in bulk by some service providers. It is expected that voice short messaging service will become a focus area in future, especially in rural areas and service providers are already planning implementation of the same.

The pace at which mobile revolution has occurred in India can be attributed to the easy to understand operations. For an illiterate, mobiles phones were so easy to operate that they needed to understand only two buttons the green button for answering a call and the red button for disconnecting a call. Everything else can be learnt with usage and passage of time. Even today, most of the mobiles are used on this two button principle, which makes it a popular device.

Gone are the days when people use to queue up before a Public Call Office (PCO) and wait their turn for an hour, only to end up without connectivity. Mobile phones have also removed the necessity to remember telephone numbers of other people. In-built phone books in the instruments enable a person to call the other person, without ever having to remember the other person's number.

Actually, mobile phones have become an all-in-one tool in the pocket, which has replaced even the old pocket diary. It is also slowly replacing purse, with the introduction of mobile transactions. No wonder, life without mobile phones have become unimaginable and unthinkable to many.

essay on Knowledge is Power

Bacon said knowledge itself is power. In fact, knowledge is not a rich and unique possession that cannot be stolen or plundered by thieves, nor does it decrease by giving. Knowledge has also been defined as recorded experience and a product of history, of which reasoning and belief, no less than action and passion, are essential constituents.

Our knowledge is the amassed thought and experience of countless human beings. Those who have wide-ranging knowledge, coupled with experience, qualify themselves for high seats of power and influence. The possession of knowledge gives them a distinct advantage over others who are either ignorant or are semi-educated or whose knowledge is confined to their own limited area of activity.

Half-knowledge, it is said, is worse than ignorance. It is said that ignorance is "the curse of God, while knowledge is the wing wherewith we fly to heaven".

The desire for acquisition of knowledge is common, except among those who are abnormal human beings. In fact, Samuel Johnson expressed the view that every human being whose mind is not debauched would be willing to give all that he has to get knowledge.

People who have knowledge rule the world; true knowledge of men and human affairs enables the possessor to command others. But power resulting from knowledge must not be used arbitrarily, nor should it make people proud or arrogant. The truly wise and knowledgeable person is humble; humility comes with knowledge even while power is being acquired.

But power, unfortunately, tends to become despotic and insolent. Unlimited power corrupts the possessor; on the other hand, unlimited knowledge works in the opposite direction. Knowledge has no limits; the more one learns, the more one becomes aware of one's limitations shortcomings and lack of knowledge. The lust of power is a flagrant passion, and together it leads to the downfall of the mighty.

However, it is not always that knowledge ensures power. There have been many cases in history where ignorant people have wangled power, ousting those who, on the basis of their extensive knowledge and experience, deserve to exercise authority. But where the ignorant exercise power over the rest of society, their regime proves short-lived because the; fall by their own follies. On the other hand, wherever people possessing knowledge are entrenched in the seats of power, their regimes are stable.

It is the learned people who can be expected to be efficient, more honest and more sincere than the others and who can deliver the goods Knowledge develops human faculties, and fully developed faculties ensure sound judgment, fair play and equal treatment of every one.

Such people are amenable to reason while they are in power; they are unlikely to misuse the judiciary or other branches of the administration. Knowledge leads to excellence of the mind; it facilitates the creation of a critical, creative outlook; seeking the happiness of all and perfection where attainable. They are generally willing to adjust themselves to changing situations while exercising power. Only persons having knowledge of the wide world arc of human affairs can become statesmen. Ignorance makes statesmanship: impossible.

It is true that intellectuals generally prefer to keep away from the hustle and bustle of politics and they prefer to live in ivory towers, far away from the mainstream of public life. By nature they are reluctant to indulge in strife, though they do have an aptitude for debate and discussion.

Moreover, all-round education and extensive knowledge are desirable for democracy, because ignorance never helps in the emergence or a democratic set-up. In fact, an ignorant person would not even know what democracy is and what it implies. Of all manifestations of power, restraint impresses the most, and restraint, tolerance, understanding as well as the capacity to manage affairs of State, come with knowledge.

Yet another aspect of knowledge and its concomitant—power—needs to be examined. Modern knowledge is not only wide in scope but also very intricate. Thousands of investigators are constantly at work, day and night, in many parts of the world to acquire more knowledge and enrich the human mind. The mountain of knowledge consequently goes on becoming higher and higher. It is only the foolish man who thinks he knows everything.

But it would be well to remember that the immense increase in knowledge in the world sometimes does not make us better human beings. It is proper use of knowledge that ensures the acquisition of power. As Nehru said, "we must know where to go before we rush ahead in our powerful car." This implies that some people may acquire knowledge in certain subjects, and yet they would be unfit to be entrusted with power and given the authority to manage affairs of State. Some people do have knowledge but they have a closed mind. A tyrannical use of power degrades those who use it, and of course those who suffer from such misuse.

essay on Corruption in India

Corruption is today a world-wide phenomenon. In our own country some people in high positions lave been charged for it.

A corrupt person is termed immoral, dishonest and unscrupulous in his dealings. His disregard for honesty, righteousness and truth results in his alienation from society. He is treated with contempt. But as erosion of values leads to decadence, remedies for the social malaise remain elusive, and so no amount of contempt can eradicate corruption which is a symptom of decadence.

Corruption is the most virulent when crises everywhere threaten the very existence of the society and the faith in life is shaken. It has always been there like tie leech, but when the system grows weaker and the boat flounders, it gets bolder and drains its victims of the last drops of their blood.

The older the system the weaker it grows and fails to solve the riddles of life that grows more complex every day. So men lose faith in it and let it drift down. At this point corruption takes over and plunges the entire society. After Second World War the old system with all its values was left in a shambles. The crippling effects of the war, the recession and depression, and uncertainties in a faithless world of maimed and moribund encouraged cynicism in a section of the population.

This section included the government officials dealing in essential commodities. They found the post-war conditions ideal for fishing in troubled waters and jetting richer. They formed a sort of vicious circle in which moral values and honest intentions no longer held valid. The flourishing black market in essential commodities, adulteration of even baby- food, bribery, fraud and economic, political and administrative manipulations with an eye on earning profits has brought untold misery to the people.

One would say the corruption in India has an ancient lineage; it is sanctified by tradition. The author of the Arthasastra made some remarks on government officials of his time which are relevant even today: "Just as it is impossible not to taste the honey or the poison that finds itself at the tip of the tongue, so it is impossible for a government servant not to eat up at least a bit of the king's revenue. These in the post­war world became only bolder while eating up government money and accepting bribes.

Today, when India is free, these officials representing all government departments are very close to the most corrupt businessmen who are too unscrupulous to let any opportunity of amassing profits slip. This collusion broadens the base of the vicious circle and corruption spreads 'like wild fire to engulf the entire society. The political and social guardians depend only too much on the richer communities and they look indulgently on while these communities hold the entire society and the government to ransom.

Corruption starts at the top and percolates down to the whole society. Such corruption cannot be confined to the towns alone. It is as widespread in the villages where the dishonest officials and the traders carry the germs of the disease. The tyranny of confusion and price rules the land and the people are helpless victims of corruption everywhere.

essay on Advertisement

The word 'advertise' is derived from the Latin word 'advertere' which means 'notice'. In this sense, advertisement means notification. Today, it denotes self-recommendation. In modern business advertisement is of paramount importance. The real worth of an article is of secondary importance: What is important is the way in which the public attention is drawn to the article. Whosoever has goods to sell has to devise some way to attract the notice of his prospective customer. Businessmen have not only got to reach the market with their wares, but they have to create and enlarge it also. For this they must advertise their goods extensively. An American expert observes, "The business that considers itself immune to the necessity of advertising sooner or later finds itself immune to business. '' Without proper advertisement diamond passes off as imitation-stone; with proper polishing and advertise­ment initiation-stone will draw the public attention as precious dia­mond.

Advertisement is both an art and a science. It is as creative an activity as composing a poem or writing a play or a novel. Some of the advertisements are so artistically designed that they please to aesthetic taste of the people and motivate them to go in for the article. But good advertisement is also a science and a technique. Formal and regular coaching in this technology is imparted keeping & rind the psychology of the buyers. The advertisers have to keep in mind three factors; the psychology of the buyers, their income charts and the trends in fashion. Customers have to be wooed and won. A woman's delicate beauty is praised or man's pride in his masculinity is roused, and so on.

There are numerous forms and methods of advertisement in, vogue. People in the past engaged town criers to advertise their goods by the beat of drums pr the blowing of trumpets. Today, things have become modernized and sophisticated. Newspapers, periodicals, signboards and big hoardings, posters and handbills, slides, loudspeakers, radio-broadcast advertisements, sponsored serials on the TV, and the crude writings and posters on the wall—these are the modes commonly used today. Sometimes even a helicopter or an airplane is hired to advertise an article, or, during elections to canvass for some effluent party or candidate. Not only walls or roads, but even buses and railway trains are made use of.

In this jet-age of cut-throat competition and world-wide market, the usefulness of advertisement cannot be gained. It has now developed into a technology and has been giving, sustenance to a large number of people and agencies associated with it, It helps manufacturers to promote the sale of their goods, to expand the existing markets and to explore new markets for their products It helps them to counteract the adverse effect of seasonal fluctuations in demand and to augment salesmanship. It educates customers about the various brands of products and their quality, so that the buyer knows what to buy, how to buy and where to buy. He no longer gropes in the dark, to be duped and fleeced by clever mer­chants.

There, it makes the salesman's job easier. Now he does not have to empty out the whole shelf and convince the buyer hoarse. Now the buyer is not pleased with "just any brand of tea" that will not do. He (or she) needs 'Lipton's Taaza' or 'Brooke Bond'. Besi­des this, advertisement increases the retailer's turnover. The adver­tisements are often so lucrative and persuasive that buyers are prompted to go in for a product even though they have no need for it. Above all, advertisement helps the society in general. They fetch regular income to the press, encourage the artists, promote industrial research and leads to rise in the standard of living.

To be good, effective and enticing, the advertisement should be brief and catchy. It should aim at catching the eye or, the ear of the buyers. It can be done by a catchy slogan, a humorous cartoon, an attractive photograph, a persuasive and terse state­ment or a good sponsored programme. They should avoid verbosity and monotonous repetition. They should cultivate an aesthetic taste among people. But more important than this is that advertise­ment must avoid three mighty abuses--first, the brazen, often obscene and indiscreet exploitation of female form for all odd ad­vertisements; second, an advertisement can never be a substitute for quality. Perhaps, this is why Shakespeare said, "A good wine needs no bush'', and thirdly an advertisement should not cheat and should not become a social and public nuisance by polluting the atmosphere and corrupting the young generation.

Advertisement is a public display of the exhibitionist instinct in man. But it should be used judiciously so that it serves the interests both of the producers and of the public.

essay on Social Justice in India

The term "social justice" implies several sound and eminently desirable concepts enunciated for the good of society in general, and of course it covers fair play for every section, especially the weaker groups in the popu­lation.

This seems unexceptionable and no one, however prejudiced or nar­row minded, would object to the promotion of this ideal. And yet the actions of countless people in this country, day after day, believe their words.

The reckless flouting of the concept of social justice, and the denial of equal opportunities in life which this postulates, all reflect a tendency that is anti-national and marks totally unfair and unjustified behavior.

In this defiance of the basic laws of human justice, the educated intelligent people are as guilty as their ignorant, unlettered compatriots in the countryside.

We may start with certain provisions of the Constitution, which is the fundamental law of the land. The preamble itself says: "We, the people of India, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a sovereign, socialist and democratic Republic and to secure to all its citizens—Justice, social, economic and political...." Clearly, social justice in all its forms and to all citizens was regarded as fundamental to the set-up which our founding fathers prescribed for the country; it is mentioned on top of the other equally sound concepts, and yet this very concept is being violated by countless people with amazing impunity, without fear.

In fact, many would say that it is absurd to talk of social justice in this country, because almost all the traditional and prevalent systems are loaded against social and economic justice. The Preamble provides for "equality of status and of opportunity...." In reality, neither equality of status nor of opportunity is assured.

There are distinct classes in society which stick to their privileges and refuse to share their riches and assets with others, even while crores of people live in misery and perpetually groan under the burden of unfair practices, unjust policies and gross inequalities.

The State, according to Article 15(1) of the Constitution, "shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, and place of birth or any of them." The State, officially, indeed does not differentiate between man and man on any of these grounds, but at the same time the government and the administrative machinery have proved incapable of enforcing this provision.

How else are we to explain the countless cases of social and economic injustice, the increasing inequalities in most spheres of human activity and the endless discrimination against the weaker sections of society, especially Harijans and members of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes? The harassment and the cruelties inflicted on them by landlords in the villages are common knowledge.

The lands granted to them have in many cases been grabbed by greedy people; and the equal rights guaranteed to them under the laws of the land are denied to them by selfish people.

The pity is that the law and order machinery (the police) generally favors the richer classes and other oppressors. No one actively takes up the case of the down-trodden people, despite the high-sounding laws of the land and the impressive proclamations issued by the President of India and his ministers.

The reservations in government services, assured to the weaker sections of society, have not benefited the really needy people, because there is virtually no end to impostors who wangle documents, certificates, the fa­cilities and grants given by the government.

The Benami transactions in land, the deceptions and the endless frauds in allotment of surplus land, houses, plots, etc., all amount to denial of economic justice to lakhs of people urgently in need of relief. The government passes laws for promoting social justice in various fields, but these are not strictly enforced; thus the government may also be held guilty. It bows to various pressures.

Chapter III of the Constitution, entitled "Fundamental Rights", enumerates a series of rights which all Indian citizens are supposed to enjoy, and yet the number of people who are able to enjoy these rights in practice is much less than those who are denied their exercise. Their life continues to be one long, tragic and heart-breaking story of deprivation and sufferings through official and public apathy.

Their colossal poverty is a permanent handicap which prevents them from seeking redress from the courts, for grave wrongs done to them month after month by men in privileged positions, and also those who are protected by the men in power; ministers and legislators, in effect their patrons. In other words, they are all partners in the guilt and deserve to be hauled up for violating the Constitution and many other social reform laws passed by the Parliament.

Article 23 of the Constitution specifically prohibits traffic in human beings, "begar" and other similar forms of forced labour, and any contravention of this provision, it is stated, shall be an offence punishable in ac­cordance with law. But how many people guilty of such defiance have beer, caught and punished? Economic exploitation of labour continues with a vengeance—by capitalists, unscrupulous employers, landlords and others, including senior government officials sand yet no one bothers. There is mere talk and promise, but no concrete action to redress injustices.

Corruption itself is a form of exploitation, because people holding key positions extort money in the shape of bribes, gifts and services, even for rendering simple services which are their duty. This process makes total nonsense of "equality of opportunity" guaranteed under the Constitution. Only those who have money can give bribes and grease the palms of greedy people.

The rest have to suffer through the bureaucratic ways, especially red tape, which in itself involves injustices to the countless people whose petitions or applications are kept pending for months, sometimes years. And yet, does anyone in this country suffer for causing harassment and frustration to these people through red tape?

Wherever we may go, and whichever sphere we might study, we shall come across numerous cases where justice has been continuously denied to innocent citizens. Are all those who cause such denial not morally and legal guilty, and are they not punishable under the law? And yet, even the idea of hauling up highly placed offenders does not occur to the powers that be. The hapless citizen, of course, suffers in silence. The number of people in India who are suffering in silence must be legion. Almost the entire nation is suffering in silence.

There is no discipline, and there are hardly any morals. The absences of these vital traits of character signify the absence of social and economic justice. The argument that the police do not have their heart in the job, because of the relatively low salaries they are paid and the fact that their own senior officials do not assert themselves is hardly convincing. There is no sign of justice or fair play in any sphere of activity. It is injustice and corruption on all over.

Justice is becoming scarcer with every passing year. The coming years hold little promise of restoring social injustice in the country.

Essay on the impact of western culture on India

Civilizations do meet and even merge but never has such an impact been witnessed as the impact of the west on India. A Birdseye view of the Indian scenario would depict a miniature or a distorted West in India.

The impact has been so great and so deep that, wherever we go, and, as far as the eye can see, we notice only western modes and we are for a moment set to wonder if we are in India or in some western country.

Impact of cultures is felt elsewhere also and this is bound to be, when two people or two societies or two countries meet but, neither leaves its own system wholesale as in India. This is a unique feature in India only, where the culture of the west has penetrated so deep and far and wide that, the original Indian culture has got lost somewhere.

To find western impact on India we do not have to go far to seek. Each and every home, each and every sphere of life has been completely influenced by the west that it is difficult to recognize what is Indian in India. Our food, and food habits, our dresses, our dances, our songs, our music, our life style are all of the western pattern.

One often wonders whether where we live is India, or a colony of the west? The influence is also changing our education system. In schools, the language most prominent is English and not Hindi. The medium of instruction is also English, so far so good.

However, the sad part of this system is that, the schools that lay more stress on Hindi, or use the Hindi Medium of instruction, are known to be second rate schools. Thus, we have not only adopted the British ways but we also appreciate them only.

The height of it all is seen when see that, a person who can communicate in English is known to be smarter than a person who cannot. This volume of change is not understandable.

It implies that, not only have we taken to western styles, we also admire only them who follow the western styles, in comparison to those who follow the Indian styles.

This much influence is not only unwarranted but also shameful. It has often been seen that countries do adopt methods of other countries but in doing so, they maintain their own identity. The loss of the identity is only found in India.

To a great extent the influence of the British can be well understood as, we have remained slaves to them for two centuries. This much may be excused, but to revolt if anything Indian or anything indigenous is being introduced cannot be forgiven at all.

This only points to the ugly fact that, we have got independence from the British only physically and politically but, mentally and culturally the onslaught on India has been complete. We, even to-day, remain culturally and mentally bonded to the west. Whenever anything Indian is talked about there is an attitude of derision for it, even in the highest echelons of society.

This indicates a full and complete degeneration of Indian culture and its total merger with the culture of the west.

In my view, it is good to learn whatever is good anywhere, but, to learn a thing just because it is of the west only depicts a crumbled and shattered state of the Indian mind. We must learn to sort out and learn what is good elsewhere and maintain what is good in us.

If we do this we can have the best of all - and that is what on intelligent person or community should be doing - alas India has not done it and got lost in the labyrinth of western notions at the cost of all that was ours.

essay on Juvenile Delinquency in India

The administration of justice in India, unlike progressive countries is punitive rather than corrective. While in progressive countries even the adult convicts, live comfortably in rooms, on comfortable beds, have good food and enjoy the luxury of radio and television sets in their rooms, the prisoners in India are huddled in barracks having 6' x 2' cement beds, one mat and two blankets.

A European would just wonder as to how the prisoners survive with the food that is served to them. The treatment of the Jail authorities is so harsh and unfriendly that even an innocent prisoner turns into a hard core criminal during his tenure in jail. This is what even a child criminal or under-trial experiences behind the bars.

According to the constitution there should be separate jails for the juvenile prisoners or under-trials. They are Observation Homes formerly known as Remand Homes. If the children are kept in the jails with adults the poor boys have to experience, rather undergo sexual assaults by hardened criminals and sometimes even Jail officials.

In 1985, on the writ petition filed by a lady advocate, the Supreme Court ordered a judge to make an enquiry into the living conditions of child inhabitants of Tihar Jail in Delhi. The report submitted by the Judge was a record of inhuman cruelty meted out to the inarticulate jail children. Almost all of them were sexually assaulted and many had caught venereal infection and skin diseases from the prisoners. The medical facilities were so inadequate that the court had to ask the government to provide them with medical aid from outside.

It seems the injunction passed by the Supreme Court had no consequential effect till April 1, 1987 for a Supreme Court bench presided over by Chief Justice R. S. Pathak again requested the District Judge of Delhi to enquire about the sexual assaults on juvenile prisoners. It also asked the additional solicitor general to find out from the Delhi Administration if it was possible to construct a separate jail for the young prisoners far away from the Tihar Jail. It is clear that the implementation of judicial orders is ignored by the administration in this respect.

This abuse can be avoided if there are Remand Homes for children". Strangely enough many of the states including almost all the Union Territories (including Delhi) have no remand homes. Some states having 33 to 5~ districts have only one or two. The total number of Remand Homes in the country is 21.

Children, while being prosecuted, cannot be sent from all the districts to these one or two remand homes in a state. Even after prosecution they are thrown to wolves in the jails. Under Indian Criminal Code a man is imprisoned for at least two years for sodomy. Outside, the child or his parents can sue the culprit in the court. Inside the Jail he is thrashed if he opposes or even speaks of it to anyone.

The administration of justice for the children should be in juvenile courts. They are expected to have judges who have a special knowledge of the psychology of children. In the absence of these courts justice is as punitive as for the hardened criminals. But in the world's 'biggest democracy' 12 States and five out of 9 union territories have no juvenile courts for children. They include among others, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Orissa and chandigarh. U. P. with 70 districts has 31, Madhya Pradesh 23. But Punjab with 17 districts has only 2 and Himachal Pradesh with 12 districts has only one. Without juvenile courts the children are generally at the mercy of the police and the public prosecutors who are generally hostile to all whether adults or children.

The arrest of children is sometimes indiscriminate. But till the court -releases them they have to remain in judicial custody—a fine name given to ail barracks. By the time they are released, (and most of them are released) all have to undergo all the travails of jail life.

In 1985, Bureau of Police Research and Development made available the information regarding the arrest of children in 1981. Hearts would move with pity when we come to Know that out of 1, 90,567 children arrested that year 31,987 belonged to the "-16 age group—the age group that requires our love, affection and care. Out of these 9,528, were below the age of 12, sent to jails to experience human treatment. They were arrested for crimes ranging from petty thefts to burglary, dacoity, murder and even rape. 777 of the 9528, in the 7-12 age groups were girls.

In the year 1984, as the records show, the highest number of children in the age group 12-16 were in West Bengal (490) followed by 266 in Bihar, 129 in M.P. and 124 in Assam.

In 1982 Supreme Court advocate Kapila Hingorani filed a case on behalf of children in Bihar Jails. It took Bihar government a year to admit before the Supreme Court that there were 425 children in Bihar Jails in the age group 9-16. Although the Supreme Court had ordered the release of children from the jails of Kerala in 1982, from Bihar in 1983 and Orissa in 1984 it is not empowered to order a general release in the whole country. Administration of Jails is in the hands of States.

Neither the Central Government nor the State ones seem very serious about the fate of children in jails. The orders of even Supreme Court are ignored with impunity. On 14th February, 1983 Supreme Court had asked the Legal Aid and Advice Committee of Maharashtra to nominate a Judge to visit Bombay Central Jail every fort night to look into the condition of children.

A journalist who contacted Jail authorities after a year and a half was informed that no Judge ever visited the jail. The story of the remand home at Thiruvanchoor, 22 km from Kottayam is no different. A report dated 12th Jan., 1986 reveals that of the 48 juvenile inmates most were being trained in different crimes by the elderly boys.

The juvenile delinquency in the country has been increasing. The children inside the Jails get training in so many evils. When they are out, many of them become drug addicts too. Different groups of hard core criminals and offenders train these children in all types of crimes. In a way a big army of future criminals is being raised in the country, the soldiers of which can murder any one on the behest of their leaders.

It is a national problem. On the one hand little children, most of whom belong to poor families (97% in the age group 7-12 have parents whose income is less than Rs. 500 per month, 70.4% with less than 150 per month. 22.5% belong to the scheduled castes while 11.5% to the scheduled tribes) who should be looked after affectionately rot in Jails on the other, out of our disinterestedness we are rearing up a race of criminals that may create a havoc in the decades to come.

Neither the Government nor any voluntary organization has any solid scheme of rehabilitation of these little—crushed flowers of the nation. Let us awake to the graveness of the situation before these poor souls turn total devils. Let us have a planning not simply for the children of elite families but for those of the poor too to which belong 75 % of the children of the nation.