Thursday, November 25, 2010

corruption: (Indian context essay)

There is no doubt that corruption is one of the biggest obstacles to the country's growth since independence. Corruption , over the last 60 odd years has deeply entrenched itself in every segment of Indian society.Earlier corruption was more synonymous with Government departments and officials.But today even their private sector has joined the race .

Dictionary definitions for corruption range from "lack of integrity or honesty" to "use of a position of trust for dishonest gain".For the Indian common man,corruption for decades was symbolized by the 'babu' of a government office.For any kind of work that needed to be got done from him, he had to be bribed.It did not matter whether the job was perfectly legal and part of his duty, or whether it was an illegal action that that required him to flout the laws.
The 'Babu' then went on to amass a large amount of wealth and lead a luxurious lifestyle.This model of corruption was seen in every sphere of activity, right from the sanctioning of loans to giving licenses, even for the booking of railway tickets. This was the story of the past.


Arrive 21st century. In the new age of globalization, where India has become an aspiring superpower with the second fastest growing economy in the world,Indian companies are raking in millions.Indian firms have globalized their operations and expanded their businesses to unprecedented levels. Sadly , this has led to a more devastating  form of corruption called 'corporate corruption'.While the old corrupt babu of the olden days dealt with thousands of lakhs of rupees, these high-flying modern corporates eat away millions.The most shocking case of recent times was that of the scam in the IT major Satyam.The corporates breed in many ways like tampering with their account books, evading taxes, showing inflated profit margins, bribing government officials to obtain permits and licenses  and manipulating the share market.Further by bribing  government officials for each of their needs the have also taken government level corruption to new level.The Cancer has now spread from the ministers to the bureaucrats ,the armed forces and even the judiciary. The latest corruption case like the 2G telecom scam, the commonwealth games scam and the housing society scams would put even the most backward militarist African nations to shame.
If all this money is put to use for developments purposes, we could easily feed our poor, treat our sick children build houses, roads and what not?




Some promising steps to root out corruption have come from successive governments recently.The CBI, Enforcement directorate, and Vigilance department have been given extra powers to tackle this menace.Government departments have put in place processes to ensure transparency in their work. Officials are much more fearful than before about getting caught for corruption.The Media's role in highlighting corruption needs to be praised.A number of Investigative journalists through thier sting operations and reports have nailed down quite a few high profile individuals indulging in corruption.They have helped in instilling the fear factor among everyone.But still a lot more needs to  be done, especially to nab the officials at the higher levels and the corporate scamsters.




Each one of us can help in rooting out corruption by simply refusing to pay bribes to anyone, no matter how urgent our need is.With earnest efforts from the government  along with public cooperation , we can hope to drive out corruption from our country one day and ensure a better future for the coming generations.

Pollution


"Thank God men cannot fly, and lay waste the sky as well as the earth".  -Henry David Thoreau



This simple statement sums up what Man's attitude towards Mother Naturwe is.


Pollution is probably the most serious issue facing the world today.Yet we keep on turning a blind eye to it,believing that it won't affect us.Pollution of various element sof out ecosystem like air,water, soil and sound has caused serious damage already.In Man's quest for  a better life and his mad rush for material possessions has forgot , or rather chose to ignore the impact of his deeds on the environment.Quite naturally, it is the cities, which are the symbols of man's greed ,which are the centers of most polluting activities.The fumes emanating from vehicles as well as factories have made the air in cities unfit for breathing. Sewage and other garbage from households and factories are regularly dumped into our beautiful rivers and oceans.Most of the garbage and other solid wastes are dumped on the land itself causing land pollution. And as if all these were not enough, excessive honking, blaring of music at loud volume,crackers etc have created a relatively new menace of sound pollution.


The biggest irony of all this is that though it is the earth that gets polluted,ultimately it is man himself who's digging his own grave because pollution not only spoils his own health but also worsens his quality of life. People in cities who are exposed to various kinds of pollution suffer from several ailments like high blood pressure, asthma and skin diseases. Garbage strewn around leads to break out of epidemics like cholera, malaria, chikungunya etc. Poisonous chemicals from the air as well as our water bodies have recently caused an exponential rise in cancer cases.


Now there is an even bigger danger called climate change.Pollution has lead to global warming which has disturbed the global climatic pattern.winters have become warmer,frequency of droughts and floods has increased,and rainfalls have become unpredictable.Things have got to such a level that life on earth itself is under threat.


Scientists say that it is still not late to act, and governments all over the world have started acting. Countries are trying their best to control pollution by adopting measures like control of  CO2 emissions,using clean fuels, proper waste management practices, and planting trees on a large scale.


however no efforts would be complete unless each one us does our bit to protect our environment. We all can contribute in our small way by saving fuel,water and electricity,disposing garbage responsibly and living simple lives.It is the responsibility of each one of us to safeguard the environment so that future generations can enjoy the beauty and bounty of Mother nature.




"There is a sufficiency in the world for man's need but not for man's greed.  "~Mohandas K. Gandhi

Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Life In a big city

Life in most big cities is disgusting and we often hear people complain that they are sick of crammed, cribbed and confined life of big cities.Life here is artificial and  completely cut off from nature.For the eternal romantic, it is the last place he would like to be in..In the glare of the neon tubes,he would forget the sun, the moon and the stars.Few people enjoy life in a city as it deprives us of an  inner calm and ecstasy , in spite of all the amenities of modern life that it provides.

Life in a city is more or less like a prison. People there live only to work, and work only for money.They them make money only to spend it, and then remain depressed because they don't have enough money.They are just slaves-slaves of time their money,credit card,s,EMI's ,and also of their companies,their bosses, even their spouses.They work according to a fixed routine,and never have a second to pause.They are deep into the rat race and madly chase the material comforts of life.Sometimes its a battle for survival , a fight for one square meal.Sometimes it could be a fight for the fulfillment of one's dreams,a desire for luxuries and comforts.Nevertheless, its always a struggle for something, the achievement of which will make us struggle for something else.

People in a city have no emotional bonds with anyone, neither friends nor relatives.they remained within closed doors all time.They have no time for social gatherings and friendly visits.Honestly, sincerity,openness ,care and affection are qualities rarely seen among city-dwellers..Most people are selfish,greedy, cunning and crafty.

Apart from personal troubles, the people of big cities also have to grapple with other day-to day problems thanks to the city itself. Most common among among them are Pollution, traffic congestion, overcrowded trains and buses,lack of open spaces,dirty slums,filth and garbage. The pathetic sight of beggars at traffic signals moving among flashy cars carrying wealthy men ,is one of the greatest paradoxes of city life.

But it is not only gloom that a city offers. There are many exciting aspects also, to life in big city.Cities have the best schools,colleges and hospitals.The malls and multiplexes offer consumers a truly satisfying experience.
Further, there are many avenues of entertainment available, like zoos, museums,hotels, theaters, amusement parks etc.Youth from the city have the maximum job opportunities and easily land up with hight paying life.
City life thus offers a lot of glitz and glamour.

To conclude we can say that life in a big city has its joys and sorrows.It is upto the individual to decide what are his likes and dislikes, his aims and priorities and then decide whether to live in a big city or not.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Should Death Penalty be abolished

Death Penalty , or capital punishment is a kind of  punishment in which the convict is sentenced to death.It is considered the biggest punishment to be handed out to a criminal.

Since the beginning of the organised society, capital punishment has been there.In olden days the idea was: "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth".If a man took the life of another man, society took the life of the murderer.Such blood-thirsty punishments are no more in tune with the present civilization.Death punishment cannot be justified on moral or ethical grounds.Is not the judge who  awards the death sentence as great a  murderer as the person whom he has sentenced?

Different methods are used to finish the life of a criminal.The most prevalent are hanging by rope and administering of electric shocks.Some military officers and political prisoners have to face the firing squad.In the olden days, criminals used to be beheaded.Whatever the method, the act is totally barbaric.

More than thirty-five countries have abolished death penalty and the aftermath of it has done no harm to society.According to judicial experts,punishments should be either reformative or deterrent , but death sentence is neither.Murder is committed by the murderer in the heat of the moment and he is completely reckless about the consequences of his action.

Some people even say that life imprisonment is more effective than death sentence. Because being confined to a single room for years gives continuous frustration to the person and also gives him time and a chance to realize his mistake, undergo reform and even begin a new life after his release. It is not as cruel as death penalty but serves the purpose of the punishment.
 
In the past when most of the crimes where punished by death sentence , people opposed its abolishment, as they believed it would leas to chaos and lawlessness. However, as can be seen from todays world, where death sentence is used only for the gravest of crimes, it has not led to any chaos or anarchy.Further, it has brought some respite to the the convicts who was really innocent and had been wrongly convicted. At least his family can console themselves from the fact that he is alive and would be free someday.

The modern era is an era of new values and principles, such as freedom, democracy, and liberal values.
It is not a society of Barbarism, and so this barbarous punishment of death penalty has no place in the 21st century world.It should be completely abolished from every country in the world, so that even the worst criminal gets another chance to live a better life.

An ideal student

Children are the wealth of a nation.A Nation  that produces a generation of talented and hardworking youth marches ahead on the path of progress.However creating quality citizens is no easy task and cannot be achieved overnight.The first step for that is to produce ideal students in our schools. These ideal students would go  on to become ideal citizens.

Who is an ideal student.? There isn't one definite answer to that because there are many qualities that together define an ideal student.The most important quality of an ideal student is that for him. the foremost duty of his school life is to study.He studies regularly and works hard to improve his performance in each exam. But his objective of studying is not to only score good marks or secure a high rank.Beyond that he has a thirst for knowledge , an interest to learn more about everything he observes.

Apart from studies, an ideal student actively gets involves in other activities. He is good in arts and sports and regularly participates in intra and inter school events.He is an active member of various clubs in the school and helps in organizing events.

But participating in competitions and winning events is not the only big thing in life, and an ideal student knows that very well.Virtues like kindness, compassion,respect , sincerity, honesty, politeness are equally important in todays world, and these qualities are found in abundance in an ideal student. He treats his parents, teachers and elders with respect, and speaks politely to everybody. In times of crisis for his friends, he is the first person to stand by them. He never boasts of his achievements and never gets depressed by his failures. He is always cheerful and maintains a positive approach to life.He spreads hope and happiness wherever he goes.
In short his conduct is admired by everyone.

An ideal student is a voracious reader. He reads the newspaper regularly and is well aware about the events and happenings in various parts of the world. He also reads magazines, noels and short stories.he has an excellent grasp of the language and is very good at communicating things to others.

Last but not the  least, an ideal student loves his parents and family members very much and does as much as he can to help them and to keep them happy. He never wastes his parents' hard-earned money and believes that knowledge is the biggest wealth he can acquire.

An ideal students grows up to be an asset to his family, his society and the country.If only all our schools couls produce more and more ideal students, our country could achieve tremendous progress and become the envy of the whole world..

Monday, November 15, 2010

The Secret of success

 We are all born to suceed. We must achieve something great in the limited time that we call life.. This is our duty - a duty that every man or woman should bear. But what should we do in order to achieve success? If you want to be successful in your work, you must follow this rule: focus on only one thing at a time. Indeed, this is a rule for anybody to follow. Some people are too ambitious. They want to do this and they want to do that. They want to do many things at one time, with the result that they accomplish nothing at all. Others are too idle. They do not know the value of time and they always put off until tomorrow what they should do today. They often say that they will do something by and keep putting off things until they cannot be done ant more.


Being successsful doen't require one to be exceptionally talented.It is just a matter of attitiude.
Faith in your abilities, determination to prove something to yourself and the world and the willingness to work hard can do wonders for you in your quest for success.

The March has begun

Dear Friends,

The March towards excellence has already begin!!!!

The flow of the river is so strong that you can't stop it
.So just allow me to grow.