Happy New Year 2011

Success is failure turned inside out—

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And when you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems afar;

So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit—

It's when things seem worst, you mustn't quit.

Chrishmas Wishes

Love, Peace and Joy came down on earth on Christmas day to make you happy and cheerful. May Christmas spread cheer in your lives!

54 % Indians paid bribe last year

A/C to recent survey and studies 54 people out of 100 they give bribe to their work done on time or before.Its a very pathetic situation in India not only in India all over the world. One side we are implementing E- Governance for transparency in Government or Private work, we are adopting new technology for reducing or minimizing corruption. This reports is really eye opener for us.   

One person in four worldwide paid bribe during the past year while 54 percent Indians say they greased the palms of authorities to get things done, says a study released today to mark International Anti-Corruption Day.

"Corruption has increased over the last three years, say six out of 10 people around the world, and one in four people report paying bribes in the last year," the Berlin-based non- governmental agency, Transparency International (TI), said.

Releasing the findings of the 2010 Global Corruption Barometer , a worldwide public opinion survey on corruption, TI said it showed that in the past 12 months one in four people paid bribe to one of nine institutions and services, from health to education to tax authorities.

The police are named the most frequent recipient of bribes, according to those surveyed, with 29 percent of those who had contact with the police reporting that they paid bribe.

The biggest number of reported bribery payments in 2010 is in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Cameroon, India, Iraq, Liberia, Nigeria, Palestine, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Uganda where more than 50 percent of people surveyed paid bribe in the past 12 months.

In India, 54 percent of users of services said they paid bribe to receive attention from service providers.

Almost half of all respondents say they paid bribes to avoid problems with the authorities and a quarter say it was to speed up processes.

Most worrying is the fact that bribes to the police have almost doubled since 2006, and more people report paying bribes to the judiciary and for registry and permit services than they did so five years ago, TI said.

Worldwide, sub-Saharan Africa was the region reporting the greatest incidence of bribery with more than one person in two saying they had made such payments to officials in the past 12 months.

The Middle East and North Africa was the next most corrupt regions with 36 percent of people there reporting having paid bribes.

This compared to 32 percent in the former Soviet republics, 23 percent in South America, 19 percent in the Balkans and Turkey, 11 percent in the Asia-Pacific region and five percent in the European Union and North America.

The United Nations established International Anti-Corruption Day in 2003 to raise awareness of graft and promote the global fight against it. 

India ranks 4th in top B-school destinations

The education prospects in India are seeing a new sunshine. And the latest ray that hits the news headlines is that India is ranked fourth in the global list of most popular destinations for management studies, reports Anahita Mukherji of Times News Network.

According to a survey conducted by Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), there are some surprise entries in the top 10 B-school destinations preferred by the aspirants. Canada has been ranked third while Israel and Spain make for the surprise entries. 

The GMAC is the body that conducts GMAT, the global B-school entrance test used by several top ranked business schools around the world. 

Experts reason India's climb to the top four mainly due to cropping of many elite institutions like the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad. India's flagship cluster of institutions, the IIMs, has also had their contribution in the same.

Says an expert, "B-school aspirants are looking at a return on their investment, and with the investment being lower for management education in India when compared to the U.S. and the UK, the returns are higher."

They also opine that India can soon become a hub for management studies like other Asian nations, Singapore and Philippines. This is mainly due to the fact that India is less expensive when compared with the western counterparts.

Among Indian students aspiring for a B-school entry in an U.S. college, the geography is expanding and Canada is fast becoming a preferred option among Indian candidates. This is mainly because Canada has a robust economy coupled with liberal visa policies and good job prospects. 

CWG 2010 Delhi: Hope For Olympic Hosting

CWG 2010 Delhi The 70000 Cr games  Ended successfully on 13th of October at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium Delhi. India wins total 101 Medals and ranked 2nd.Now we are enough Capable to host Olympics Game in India. Just forget about the Negative viwes about scams and all.  

The Commonwealth Games 2010 are over finally and nobody has or should have any doubt about India's successful hosting of the mega event. Yes, there are dark sides and controversies making huge hue and cry, but will it be fair if we overlook the other side of it, the side which has enough justifications for being positive?

Before the CWG started, every day we came across news questioning India's ability in hosting the gaming extravaganza. There were so many reasons the New Delhi Commonwealth Games were under threat, construction delays and security concerns being the significant ones. There were pictures in front page of many leading newspapers showing the loopholes of the infrastructure. They are not and can't be blamed to be fake, but what does matter the most is all those loopholes were plugged and India delivered a successful show.

Putting aside the story of the CWG scam for a while, just think what the Games has brought to us, what it has offered to the sporting community. The Indians who are way too crazy about Cricket, the Commonwealth Games have spurred an interest among them in other sporting disciplines. When the Indian athletes were winning gold medals in various events, audience were shouting and waving the tri-colour in their support - a much common scene in a cricket stadium.

The athletes of our country have also contributed to the success story of this year's Commonwealth Games with their historic performances that put India at the second position on the medal standings behind Australia. But too much focus on the negative aspects such as the overall cost and the pre-games controversies have shadowed all and we are left with bold headlines telling about the so called CWG scam.

The Central Vigilance Commission has found too many discrepancies. No questions on these findings, we don't support the corruption involved in it. But there are truths that have been remained untold till yet. The infrastructure might take time to get ready, but the venues like Jawaharlal Nehru Sports Complex, Thyagraj Sports Complex and Indira Gandhi Sports Complex were all of very high standards, especially the housing facilities have been praised as world-class. There were locker rooms, lounge and a dedicated transport lane for players. About 100,000 police and military personnel secured the Capital, and security precautions were intense.

There are positive vibes about CWG that we, Indians, need to realize and spread. Let's cherish those 101 medals. That's what the intention behind these words.

Office Etiquette: what to do and what not to

Many people spend more time with their colleagues than with members of their own family. That's reason enough to strive for a good climate in the workplace. Observing a few rules of etiquette is often sufficient to get along with co-workers.

There are so many pitfalls between the office kitchen and the conference room.

Gossiping about colleagues, getting too familiar with superiors or wearing a far-too-deeply plunging neckline are perfect ways to earn a dubious reputation on the job. People who want to work in an office with a nice atmosphere should by all means watch their manners while on the job.

Here's a list of the most important rules guiding office behavior:

Be punctual and dependable

"Most people become annoyed when someone wastes their time," said Susanne Helbach-Grosser, a business etiquette trainer in Germany. Employees should ask for help early when they are unable to handle their workload, but they should also be aware that if they constantly complain about stress it can get on their co-workers' nerves.

Eating at one's desk

When someone occasionally munches an apple at his or her desk, it is completely acceptable, said Agnes Jarosch of a German organization dedicated to counseling people about etiquette. "But when I sit at my desk and unpack a steaming hot cutlet that spreads its aroma throughout the bureau, that is inconsiderate toward colleagues," said Jarosch. It's better to consume meals like that in the break room or at a restaurant.

Heat on or window open?

This is a classic conflict because it's often the case that the room temperature is too hot for one colleague, but too cold for another. "There's often a row when a co-worker simply throws a window open or lowers the air conditioning without asking first," said Helbach-Grosser. There's no simple solution for this problem. "The colleagues must talk with each other. There's no way around it."

Office attire for men

Men have it easier than women when it comes to selecting the right clothing for the office, said style consultant Renate Sperber. Men don't always have to wear a business suit, however.

"It's important that his clothes are well-groomed. Thanks to its collar, a polo shirt has a completely different effect than a simple T-shirt," Sperber said. "But a colleague who wears a wrinkled T-shirt to work signals to his colleagues that he doesn't care what impression he makes on them. That isn't much appreciated."

Office attire for women

"Women should uphold the business dress code unfailingly," said Sperber. Dressing in sexy clothing is taboo. Women can get by with wearing bright colors these days. "But the trend is moving toward neat and preppy. You should also occasionally dress in a solid color." She added that discreet makeup is an absolute must.

Mobile phone etiquette

As long as there are not constantly private conversations, using a private mobile phone in the office usually doesn't cause a problem, said Helbach-Grosser. But be careful with ring tones: Those that make the sound of a crying baby or tweeting birds for example are unprofessional, she said.

Ladies first

"Certain chivalrous gestures continue to make a good impression," said Jarosch. But colleagues should realize that woman can also be polite. When a male colleague carries a huge pile of files, for example, the female colleague should hold the door open for him.

Source: IANS

India ranked 3rd among most powerful nations

Washington: India is listed as the third most powerful country in the world after the U.S. and China and the fourth most powerful bloc after the U.S., China and the European Union in a new official U.S. report.

The new global power lineup for 2010 also predicted that New Delhi's clout in the world will further rise by 2025, according to "Global Governance 2025" jointly issued by the National Intelligence Council (NIC) of the US and the European Union's Institute for Security Studies (EUISS).

Using the insights of a host of experts from Brazil, Russia, India and China, among others, and fictionalised scenarios, the report illustrates what could happen over the next 25 years in terms of global governance.

In 2010, the U.S. tops the list of powerful countries/regions, accounting for nearly 22 percent of the global power.

The U.S. is followed by China with European Union at 16 percent and India at eight percent. India is followed by Japan, Russia and Brazil with less than five percent each.

According to this international futures model, by 2025 the power of the U.S., EU, Japan and Russia will decline while that of China, India and Brazil will increase, even though there will be no change in this listing.

By 2025, the U.S. will still be the most powerful country of the world, but it will have a little over 18 percent of the global power.

The U.S. will be closely followed by China with 16 percent, European Union with 14 percent and India with 10 per cent.

"The growing number of issues on the international agenda, and their complexity, is outpacing the ability of international organizations and national governments to cope," the report warns.

This critical turning point includes issues of climate change, ethnic and regional conflicts, new technology, and the managing of natural resources.

The report also highlights the challenges proponents of effective global governance face.

On one hand, rapid globalization, economic and otherwise, has led to an intertwining of domestic politics and international issues and fueled the need for more cooperation and more effective leadership.

But on the other hand, an increasingly multipolar world, often dominated by non-state actors, have put a snag in progress toward effectual global governance, it said. 
Source :- Silicon India

Quotes

Aim for success, not perfection. Never give up your right to be wrong, because then you will lose the ability to learn new things and move forward with your life.~Dr. David M. Burns

PM Appeals to Nation On Babri Masjid Title

Keep Yourself Busy To Stay Happy

People who have something to do, even if pointless, are happier than those who sit idle, say researchers.

The study was conducted by Christopher K. Hsee and Adelle X. Yang of the University of Chicago and Liangyan Wang of the Shanghai Jiaotong University.

"The general phenomenon I'm interested in is why people are so busy doing what they are doing in modern society," says Hsee.

Sure, there are reasons, like making a living, earning money, accruing fame, helping others, and so on, reported the Psychological Science journal.

But, Hsee says, "I think there's something deeper: We have excessive energy and we want to avoid idleness."

For the study, volunteers completed a survey, then had to wait 15 minutes before the next survey would be ready.

They could drop off the completed survey at a nearby location and wait out the remaining time or drop it off at a location, where walking back and forth would keep them busy for the 15 minutes.

Either way, they would receive a candy when they handed in their survey. Volunteers who chose to stay busy by going to the faraway locations were found to be happier than those who chose to be idle.
Sources :- SiliconVelly

Happy EID & Ganesh Utsav

Youth Club Wishes You Happy EID & Ganesh Utsav, May this festive seasons Brings you Money, Peace and Success. ~Youth Club

Happy Teachers Day (Dr Radha Krishnan)

"A life of joy and happiness is possible only on the basis of knowledge and science":- Dr Krishnan

Born: September 5, 1888
Died: April 17, 1975
Achievements: First Vice President and second President of India. Placed Indian philosophy on world map.

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was first Vice President of India and second President of India. He was also a philosopher and introduced the thinking of western idealist philosophers into Indian thought. He was a famous teacher and his birthday is celebrated as Teacher's Day in India.

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was born on September 5, 1888 at Tirutani, Madras in a poor Brahmin family. As his father was poor Radhakrishnan supported most of his education through scholarships. Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan had his early education at Gowdie School, Tiruvallur and then went to the Lutheran Mission School in Tirupati for his high school. He joined the Voorhee's College in Vellore and later switched to the Madras Christian College. He chose Philosophy as his major subject and did his B.A. and M.A. in it.

After completing his M.A., Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, accepted an Assistant Lectureship at the Madras Presidency College in 1909. In college, he mastered the classics of Hindu philosophy, namely the Upanishads, Bhagvad Gita, Brahmasutra, and commentaries of Sankara, Ramunuja and Madhava. He also acquainted himself with Buddhist and Jain philosophy and philosophies of Western thinkers such as Plato, Plotinus, Kant, Bradley, and Bergson.

In 1918, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was selected as Professor of Philosophy by the University of Mysore. In 1921, Radhakrishnan was nominated as Professor of Philosophy at the Calcutta University, 1921. In 1923, Dr. Radhakrishnan's book "Indian Philosophy" was published. The book was hailed as a "philosophical classic and a literary masterpiece."

Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was called to Oxford University, to deliver lectures on Hindu philosophy. He used his lectures as a platform to further India's cause for freedom. He also argued that Western philosophers, despite all claims to objectivity, were biased by theological influences from their wider culture. He showed that Indian philosophy, once translated into standard academic jargon, is worthy of being called philosophy by Western standards. He thus placed Indian Philosophy on world map.

In 1931, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was elected Vice Chancellor of the Andhra University. In 1939, Radhakrishnan became the Vice Chancellor of the Benaras Hindu University. In 1946, he was appointed as Ambassador to UNESCO. After Independence Dr. Radhakrishnan was requested to Chair the University Education Commission in 1948. The Radhakrishnan Committee's suggestions helped mould the education system for India's needs.

In 1949, Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was appointed ambassador to the Soviet Union. He helped laid the foundation for a strong relationship with Soviet Union. Radhakrishnan was elected first Vice-President of India in 1952. He was honored with the Bharat Ratna in 1954. After serving two terms as Vice-President, Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan was elected President of India in 1962. During his tenure as President India fought wars with China and Pakistan. As President he helped see India through those trying years safely. He retired as President in 1967 and settled in Madras.

Dr. Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan died on April 17, 1975.

Biography of Rajiv Gandhi (Sadbhawana Divas)

"And now, after the end of colonial servitude, our young nation is showing afresh the vitality of Endeavor to build a new, fuller life for our people." Rajiv Gandhi

Born: August 20, 1944
Martyrdom: May 21, 1991
Achievements: Became Prime Minister of India at the age of 40. Led Congress to its greatest victory in the Lok Sabha elections, winning about 80 per cent of seats. Played a key role in the introduction of computers in India.

Rajiv Gandhi was the youngest Prime Minister of India. He became Prime Minister at the age of 40. Rajiv Gandhi came from a family that had great political lineage. He was the eldest son of Indira and Feroze Gandhi. Her mother Indira Gandhi and grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru were Prime Ministers of India. As a Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi made a valuable contribution in modernizing Indian administration. He had the vision and foresight to see that information technology will play a key role in the 21 century and worked actively to develop India's capacity in this realm.

Rajiv Gandhi was born on August 20, 1944 in Bombay (Mumbai) in India's most famous political family. His grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru played a stellar role in India's freedom struggle and became independent India's first Prime Minister. His parents lived separately and Rajiv Gandhi was raised at his grandfather's home where her mother lived. Rajeev Gandhi did his schooling from the elite Doon school and then studied at the University of London and at Trinity College, Cambridge in Britain. At Cambridge, Rajiv Ghandi met and fell in love with an Italian student Sonia Maino and they got married in 1969.

Returning to India, Rajeev Ghandi became a commercial airline pilot. His younger brother Sanjay Gandhi entered politics and became a trusted lieutenant of her mother Indira Gandhi. After Sanjay's death in a plane crash in 1980, Rajiv reluctantly entered politics at the instance of his mother. He won his first Lok Sabha election in 1981 from Amethi-the erstwhile constituency of his brother. Soon he became the General Secretary of the Congress Party. After the assassination of Indira Gandhi in October 1984 he became the Prime Minister of India at the age of 40. He called for general elections in 1984 and riding on a massive sympathy wave led Congress to a thumping victory. Congress garnered 80 percent of the seats in the lower house and achieved its greatest victory since independence.

In his initial days as Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi was immensely popular. During his tenure as Prime Minister of India, he brought a certain dynamism to the premiership, which had always been occupied by older people. He is credited with promoting the introduction of computers in India. Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi began leading in a direction significantly different from Indira Gandhi's socialism. He improved bilateral relations with the United States and expanded economic and scientific cooperation. He increased government support for science and technology and associated industries, and reduced import quotas, taxes and tariffs on technology-based industries, especially computers, airlines, defence and telecommunications. He worked towards reducing the red tape in the governance and freeing administration from bureaucratic tangles. In 1986, Rajiv Gandhi announced a national education policy to modernize and expand higher education programs across India.

Rajiv Gandhi authorised an extensive police and army campaign against the militants in Punjab. Rajiv's government suffered a major setback when its efforts to broker peace between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE rebels backfired. As per the peace accords signed in 1987, the LTTE would disarm to the Indian Peace Keeping Force which was sent to Sri Lanka. But distrust and a few incidents of conflict broke out into open fighting between the LTTE militants and Indian soldiers. Over a thousand Indian soldiers were killed, and at last Rajiv Gandhi had to pull out Indian forces from Sri Lanka. It was a failure of Rajiv's diplomacy.

Although Rajeev Gandhi promised to end corruption, he and his party were themselves implicated in corruption scandals. The major scandal being Bofors Gun scandal involving alleged payoffs by the Swedish Bofors arms company. The scandal rapidly eroded his popularity and he lost the next general elections held in 1989. A coalition comprising government came to the power but it could not last its full term and general elections were called in 1991. While campaigning for elections in Sriperumbudur, Tamil Nadu, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated on May 21, 1991 by a suicide bomber belonging to LTTE .

Ever Year India Celebrates his Birth Day as a "Sadbhawana Diwas" in the memory of Late Rajiv Gandhi.

Happy Independence Day

Youth Club Wishes You 64th Independence Day of India.

Some Quotes:-

1."India has two million gods, and worships them all. In religion all other countries are paupers; India is the only millionaire." Mark Twain

2."We end today a period of ill fortune and India discovers herself again. The achievement we celebrate today is but a step, an opening of opportunity, to the greater triumphs and achievements that await us. Are we brave enough and wise enough to grasp this opportunity and accept the challenge of the future?"Jawaharlal Nehru
Indian Declaration of Independence, on eve of independence, August 15 1947.

A Letter to Nation (Youth Club)

Hello to All,

I would like to take this opportunity to share our views As a Founder of Youth Club and a citizen of India with you all. Youth Club is working science 2006 for the betterment of Society especially for Youth.

This is the high time that we all should think and act on the present condition of our nation. It is very difficult to see our mother earth getting ruined by man made mistakes, which could have been avoided by our responsible positive acts. We keep on blaming politicians, government, their policies, officers and others but we do not see our own responsibility towards our nation. Ask yourself first

Am I good responsible awakened citizen of India?

Have I contributed directly or indirectly for the growth of Nation?

If we see current status of our country, it is really shocking, disturbing and disgusting to all of us. We see failure in all sectors and systems. One in every two children in India is malnourished (UNICEF); here nodal agencies are making disastrous policy proposals to Government. Food security and self-sufficiency totally depends on production, procurement and distribution, today these are all in a failure state. It is hard to believe that the rate of food grain production falling below the rate of population growth.

24% of global diseases are caused by environmental exposures.13 million people die in every year due to reasons that can be easily avoided (WHO). HIV is big threat to the whole world .In this we have topped in all over the world. Soft drink industry is a major threat to precious ground water resources which common people use for drinking and irrigation purposes.

If we see ancient civilization, they worked on growing the internal self of man so that he remains liberated from the surroundings and events with the purpose of lifting up the life values of man in best proper way; that too without intervening in the normal flow of nature.

Now in modernization age, our purpose has shifted to fulfill our endless desires .In due course we lost the life values and exploited the nature. Nature lost its balance. Communication of man and nature is cut off.

We are losing the protective layer of ozone .Important factor is considered here is A/C(Air Condition).which we use in our house for our comfort. It releases A.F.C.and other hazardous gases in atmosphere. The average temperature of the Whole world has been increased by around 5-6deg.C.in last few years. On one side we see increase in GNP and GDP rate; but on other side we see there is increase in death due to malnourishment and unavailability of food in our country.

This all is caused due to superficial, improper knowledge and lack of awareness in the desperate effort for winning in the competition with others. We have been constantly working to walk with western countries thinking that success lies by being equivalent to them. Our materialistic mind thinks that intervening into the nature lays the success of the human beings. We forgot; What India has originally inherent gifts from the god? If we work on our true nature, no one can stop the Indians from their success.

We all need a change from this to survive on this god made beautiful planet earth with pride of unique human existence on earth. We have become insensitive to ourselves, others and to surroundings.

Our actions should be properly directed for the betterment of world. We must discover the ways to overcome it. We strongly believe these problems occurred due to unhappiness and endless craving of individuals .This can be erased only by union of man with the nature’s consciousness   to that creator’s consciousness .Spiritual thinking will not solve it; but it requires spiritual actions by spiritual state of human being. The purpose of initiating this movement is bringing that change in all of us by our sincere and serious efforts. We founded Youth Club and Wanted to register our group as an NGO.

We ask all of you who can contribute urgently and come forward to join us. We feel that this work is integral part of our consciousness and be passed on to all, urgently. The Youth Club is currently actively working in Bihar (Lakhisarai Distt.) but very soon we are going to expand our Youth Club with your help in all over India and does various social activities with only purpose to bring transformation Youth Club has been founded to show a new way to the whole world by Indian awakened youths for the global peace.

Your feedback and suggestion appreciated!!

Thanks!

Apurv Gourav

(On Behalf of Youth Club)

Facebook Youth Club Fan Page

Facebook Youth Club Group

Orkut Youth Club Community

Google Youth Club Page

Youth Club On Twitter

Happy Friendship Day

SC: Sale of helmets with bikes a must

NEW DELHI: Two-wheeler makers will now have to sell a helmet along with their bikes and scooters after the Supreme Court dismissed a plea by the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) against such a step.

A bench comprising Justice G S Singhvi and Justice A K Ganguly dismissed the petition filed by the SIAM challenging an earlier order of the Delhi High Court.

The apex court said the manufacturers would have to give BSI certified helmets as “original equipment”.

On July 30, 2009, the HC made it mandatory for dealers to sell helmets along with new two-wheelers and said that the vehicle would not be registered by the authorities without it. SIAM contended that the HC order would restrict the people’s choice to buy their own helmet.

Sources:- Times of India

Govt. jobs made scandalous by corrupt recruitments

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is in the process of investigating major corruption scandals. Scams in recruitment for government jobs and institutionalized bribery in regulatory agencies are some of the areas that CBI is eyeing at.

The CBI has recently exposed a series of scams in AICTE (All-India Council of Technical Education), the Medical Council of India and most recently, the Railway Recruitment Board examinations. The state government insisting on state-level recruitment, cheating in professional examinations, and corruption in regulatory agencies are the main causes behind most of the major scandals. The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) is also in the process of unearthing corruption.

A person who gets a job by paying a bribe obviously becomes a corrupt official. Hence, stopping corruption at the recruitment stage can contribute a lot in the fight against corruption, according to a former director-general of the ACB. He added that the CBI is comparatively more independent than the ACB.

The ACB of the state needs to focus much more on state-level recruitment scams and the irregularities in regulatory agencies. But all too often its hands are tied by none other than the state government. By refusing to give permission for prosecution of top corrupt government employees, the state government itself plays a major role in tacitly supporting corruption. Therefore, ACB is now mostly restricted to investigating disproportionate assets cases and making surprise checks.

Five cases against public servants of AICTE have been registered by the CBI (Hyderabad Zone) for allowing the institutions to operate even when they don't have the mandatory infrastructure. In the investigation of the Medical Council of India, the CBI found that several medical colleges in the state indulged in irregularities in connivance with MCI chief Mr. Ketan Desai.

The latest case of corruption emanates from the Railway Recruitment Board (RRB). The CBI DIG, Mr V.V. Lakshminarayana, says that the modus operandi designed by the ADRM, A.K. Jagannadham, with the help of his agents and officials prevented meritorious and deserving aspirants from getting recruited. Most of the scams take place in single-level examination for any recruitment in a government job or admission into a professional educational institution.

According to the CBI DIG, Mr V.V. Lakshminarayana, the only criterion for selection in a written examination is the written exam and the scam lies in leaking question papers or manipulating results. The possibility of irregularities would be decreased if there are multi-level selection criteria like a written exam, interview etc.

Even the Army is not fgnify the root of corruption in our society, but also show how poor the quality of government services are.
Source:- Silicon India

World Environment Day 2010: Take a Pledge Today

You might remember that June 5 is the World Environment Day.World Environment Day, celebrated each June 5, is one of the ways in which the United Nations works to make the world's population aware of the environment and to encourage people and governments around the world to take actions that promote the common good by promoting a healthy environment.

Many Species. One Planet. One Future. is the theme of World Environment Day for 2010.


The year 2010 has been designated the International Year of Biodiversity by the U.N., with the theme “Biodiversity is Life - Biodiversity is Our Life”.

 I suggest that you should take a pledge to add your might to the growing concern about the environment and take small steps to improve the environment. Here are some very simple tips:


1. Switch off a light and see if you can still work comfortably. Most of the times we have too many lights on in our offices and home.

2. Take out from the plug, all battery chargers, mobile charges and like when they are not in use.

3. Switch off your car while you wait (at least if it will take a minute or longer) at the red lights.

4. Before throwing a paper, see if you can use the back of the paper to plan, make casual notes or write things to do. You will help save many trees over your lifetime.

5. Most of the times, the air conditioners can be set to a notch warmer setting after it has cooled the room.

6. The computers and other electronic devices can be turned off in the night or when you will not be using them for a long duration

There can be thousands of cool ideas that will help us avoid global warming and keep the earth green. You are welcome to add your tips below.

Education loan for the poor at 4 percent

Government is planning to provide education loans at four percent interest rate to help students from weaker sections of society to pursue higher studies. Discussions are on between the HRD Ministry and the Planning Commission on this innovative concept, which is seen as a significant initiative of the UPA government.

This loan will be provided by banks while a proposed funding corporation for higher education will re-finance the banks to help them compensate the loss. The mandate and functioning of the proposed National Higher Education Finance Corporation (NHEFC) are now being worked out. "It (education loan at four percent proposal) is at a preliminary stage. We have discussed this idea with the Planning Commission and it is supportive," HRD Minister Kapil Sibal told PTI.

The detailed modalities are being worked out for the scheme, including the weaker section criteria. The scheme will have another component of providing loans to students at the rate of seven percent, subject to a ceiling. There will a cap on loan amount in this category. There may another provision of extending loans at nine percent without a cap on the amount.
Weaker section means it should be on the basis of annual earning of a family and it should be restricted only to two members of a family.It will give great relief to the parents and students if the same Interest is charged for the exiting students who has taken loan. Reduction of interest rate should me given for single girl child.

Other Countries Education Loan Rate:- 

At times in the USA the student loans have been at 4% and frankly that's too high a percentage for students who come from poor backgrounds. Instead those loans should be interest free for those students who go into the teaching or medical field and with that should be the provizo they would be interest free if they worked maybe 3 or 4 years after graduation in teaching or nursing or doing other medical work in their own home town village. That's how we do it here and it works well because they will want to study and finish up so that they can help their own people.

 

An Open Letter to the Indian Middle Class

Ever since the ghastly Mumbai attacks the mails haven’t stopped pouring in. Some of them have been explaining why we should attack Pakistan, some have been blaming the politicians and some have even been going so far as suggesting they be hanged! Some mails highlighted the gross inadequacies of the entire state apparatus to even manage crisis, let alone to avoid such incidents.

However, what struck me most was a comment by a respected business man on one of the news channels. He said that we will forget about this event until another, maybe even more ghastly, incident happens four months down the line. The Year 2008 alone has brought more than fifty five bomb blasts to our country, claiming the lives of countless fellow Indians. Every time that happens, the whole country erupts, blaming the political class.

This led me to think about why is it happening and what the solution is.

The answer to the first question was obvious and easy to understand. Yes our system is inadequate to stop and manage any terrorist activities perpetrated by the so called non-state constituents, harbored by our incapable neighbor. We are not only a soft target but also a very soft state. There is no doubt that we should have a better intelligence agency; crisis management agency; better equipped police; more responsible media and above all very pragmatic and stern government. Then I thought if we all know the answer to this question, why aren’t politicians seeing it. Don’t the leaders of the country have even an average IQ?

This is where I began to realize the rather obvious answer to my second question. As simple it seems as difficult it is to implement. This led me to explore the larger question of where our country is headed in the future.

Our economy has achieved a great deal in the last 17 years. Not only Indians but the entire world is amazed about the next economic marvel. Now we can call at least 300 million of us as middle class citizens instead of categorizing ourselves as 10% rich and 90% poor Indians. This has brought great optimism in the country about India’s place in the world, especially among the younger generation. We are even dreaming of becoming one of the three superpowers in 2050!!

However, everything seems in disarray today. With the terrorist attacks on most of the major Indian cities and ever-deepening economic recession, we have started doubting all the dreams we are yearning for. As usual, and rightly so, all the blame is being put on the political class. However, it is high time that all the whining turns into concrete action.

We, the middle class of country, are the biggest beneficiary of all the economic development in India. Let’s ask ourselves how much involved are we in the political growth of our country. In spite of all the benefits we have reaped, we are always critical, sometimes cynical also about everything India is. But we don’t think twice before corrupting officials to get things done, throwing trash in the open, breaking all the traffic rules etc. etc. How can we then blame others when we are a party to the same wrong actions?

Our country is at the threshold of moving towards achieving greatness or regressing to backwardness. Our generation has the responsibility. We can realize the dream for our future generations or leave the same legacy that those before us had left for us. Therefore being cynical, staying aloof and complaining while sitting on the fence is not an option. It is time to take some action.

What is the first and simplest thing we can and ought to do? Just go out and VOTE.

Why is this important? If I haven’t voted for the MLA or MP in my constituency, the person does not represent me. The voters are the customers of that person. Therefore he or she will cater to the demands of his or her voters only. If I don’t vote, I am not a customer of the politician. How can I expect that politician to heed to my demands?

The problem is that the educated, informed and liberal Indian middle class is not a vote bank. That’s why most of the election issues in India are based on caste equations, religious tensions and petty local issues. The larger picture always gets neglected. We elect 543 MPs with 543 different agendas, who in turn elect a representative government. This government finds it difficult to pursue a global mandate for holistic governance of the country.

Imagine if 300 million (and growing) educated and cosmopolitan Indians voted. The issues would change and assume greater national character. The same politicians cannot afford to neglect the demand of this large and informed vote bank and hence we can bring about the CHANGE that is so desperately needed in our country.

The classical argument given against this logic is, WHAT DIFFERENCE IS MY SINGLE VOTE GOING TO MAKE? That is the biggest mistake we make. Regardless of the outcome, we absolutely must vote. If things don''''t change now, changes will appear in the 3rd or 4th or 5th election from now, but we must not lose hope.

The next chance to make a difference will come up soon. I sincerely hope that the Indian middle class stands up this time to be a part of the political mainstream of India.

Jai Hind !!

Source PPI