Knowledge and Education

Difference between Knowledge and Education

The primary difference between knowledge and education is that education is formal process whereas knowledge is informal experience. Education is acquired through the formal institutions like school, colleges and universities, whereas knowledge is gained from the real life experiences. Another difference between the two is that education is taught by the teachers to the students while knowledge is gained by itself or is self driven. Education needs institutions for learning while knowledge has no boundaries. Education has a defined set of rules and curriculum whereas knowledge has no such limitations. Education is a process of learning and one comes to know various facts, ideas and theories. While on other hand knowledge is the application of these facts and theories. Knowledge is related to facts whereas education is related to learning, critical thinking and knowing oneself. Education is learned from books and grows with age while knowledge is free to be acquired from surroundings and has no age limit. Education grows with age whereas knowledge has no such growth rate, even a child can be more knowledgeable than an adult. One has to follow a system to be educated whereas knowledge can be gained without following any such systems. Hence education is a process of gaining knowledge for some useful application whereas knowledge is facts acquired from good education, peers, consultations and extensive reading.

MEETINGS

MEETINGS

Meetings are useful means of group communication. The success of a meeting depends on the following points.
1. Clearly define the purpose of the meeting. It helps to take a quick decision without any avoidable loss of time or money.
2. Distribute the agenda among all the members. It makes the participation in the meeting effective.
3. Restrict the number of invitees to make the meeting productive.

Chair person at a meeting:
1. The chairperson has to observe punctuality. It is always good to start a meeting on time and close the meeting in time.
2. The purpose of the meeting should be defined clearly.
3. Meeting should begin with a positive approach. Participants should know that they are present for a specific purpose and they are going to make their distinct contribution.
4. Chairperson should be impartial taking no sides and revealing no prejudices.
5. Contribution should be drawn from all the members.
6. Chairperson should control the meeting in such a way that only one person should speak at a time.
7. The chairperson should ask questions to pull out details and ask members to elaborate certain points.
8. Frequent summaries are essential to check which points have been completely discussed and resolved and which points demand more attention.
9. Before concluding the meeting clear statement should be made about the decisions arrived at.
10. Along with the decisions, disagreements should also be stated clearly.
11. Chairperson should clearly indicate how the decisions at the meeting are to be implemented.
12. The meeting should neither drag on unnecessarily nor come to an abrupt close.


Participants at a meeting:
Participants should attend a meeting with positive contribution. The points that help participants to give a good performance are as follows.
1. Participants should attend the meeting well prepared.
2. They have to study the agenda thoroughly.
3. If participants wish to use any written or visual aids to make contribution effective, they should prepare them well in advance.
4. If the participant is not an experienced shaker, it is advisable to write out full points and practice the speech from notes.
5. Participants are supposed to speak at most appropriate time.
6. They should control negative impulses and always think positive.
7. Participants should try to understand others’ point of view as they expect others to understand them.
8. Care should be taken to avoid; lecturing, patronizing, condemning as they give others the impression hat they are ignorant fools.

Synonyms

Vocabulary
Academic: relating to learning
Bioreserve: an area preserving wildlife
Competence: possession of required skill
Cheerful: in good spirits
Dedication: commitment
Destiny: fate
Epic: a long narrative poem
Heritage: inheritance
Manufactured: produced
Melancholy: expressing sadness
Metropolis: Chief City
Misery: a feeling of intense unhappiness
Miserable: very unhappy
Mournful: filled with sadness
Notion: an odd or fanciful idea
Pledge: a binding commitment
Redeem: fulfill
Rivals: competitors
Ruinous: cause destruction
Seminar: meeting for an exchange of ideas
Solemn: serious
Substantially: to a great extent
Suppressed: to put down by force
Tryst: meeting
Utterance: manner of speech
Unique: the single of its kind
Unorthodox: independent in thought
Zone: region

Importance Of English Language

Importance Of English Language
Good Morning to one and all. I am here to present my views about the importance of learning English language which is taught to us right from our birth. English is not just taught at home, at schools and colleges but even at professional colleges and at work places too. English was taught till Intermediate Level at first. Later it was included in professional colleges not only for 1st year but even in 3rd B Tech. In present competitive market to survive we have to develop our communication skills. English is one of the most important languages in the world. English has a special status in India. Apart from having a place in the public institutions of the country, in parliament, the law courts, broadcasting, the press, and the educational system, English has spread in our daily life. India ranks third in the world after USA and the UK to use English as spoken language. After Hindi English is the most commonly spoken language in India.

As we know 21st century is the Education and Knowledge century. A North Carolina state university sponsored study speaking about the importance of communication skills in work place found out that: "Communication skills were considered more important than either technical knowledge...or computer skills."

In any industry almost no exception is made in any job category about the need for good communication skills. The importance of communication skills has spread through the society not as a requirement, but as a necessity. The most surprising aspect is that none of us are taught any kind of communication skills anytime either in school or college. Sometimes we take the most important things in life for granted and do not realize its importance until it is too late. Hence now in professional college we have to learn how to develop our communication skills through various LSRW skills which include listening English News, participating in Group Discussions, Presentation Skills, Role Plays, JAM, reading Comprehension, writing Essays, various types of Letters, Reports etc. All these activities definitely improve our communication skills.

Language remains potentially a communicative medium capable of expressing ideas and concepts as well as moods, feelings and attitudes. Language is learnt through use, through practice. As we know 'the more one is exposed to the use of language, the better one learns'. English is a means not only for international commerce; it has become increasingly essential for inter-state commerce and communication. In India, people going from North to South for education or business mostly communicate in English, which has become a link language. Keeping this in mind, the Parliament has also recognized English as an official language in addition to Hindi. All the facts of history and developments in present day India underline the continued importance of learning English. We must make the best use of English to develop ourselves culturally and materially so that we can compete with the best in the world of mind and matter. English language is our window to the world. Properly used, technology will help students acquire the skills they need to survive in a complex, highly technological knowledge-based economy world. Thus, English has become a major international language for worldwide communication. Proficiency in English is a mandatory requirement for any professional working in a global business environment.

There are 7 ways to learn Communicative English. I'm sure, many more rules can be made, but let’s just focus on these as our basic.

Rule#1
Rule number 1: Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. Making mistakes is an opportunity for learning.

Rule#2
In rule number two: Learn correct English pronunciation including intonation patterns, stress and rhythm.

Rule#3
Rule Number 3 according to Dr. Min Byung Chul, a prominent figure in Korea on acquiring English as a second language: Don’t just memorize vocabulary words and isolated sentences, but learn complete dialogues.

Rule#4
Rule Number 4 Learn the phrases that WE really need. Most Asians when asked to speak, tend to use a lot of words and phrases that are difficult to understand. Beating around the bush is a prominent habit too, because of the impress the listener however, the message and intent are often buried in obscurity because of the complexity of the words used.

Rule#5
In Rule number five, if we are studying to acquire a second language such as English, We shouldn’t just listen to our English language audio materials; but speak at the same time as the person on the audio materials.

Rule#6
Rule number six tells us to Answer in complete sentences. For example, Would you like to have lunch with me? We normally answer with the following, yeah, yes, Yes, I would. If I would ask you, would you like to have lunch with me? How would you answer? Thank You . With Pleasure is the appropriate answer to give.

Rule#7
Rule number seven Understand the target language’s culture. In the US, there are fifty states and each state have their own peculiar way of talking and expressing.

To wrap up my speech, I hope that I was able to impart valuable information that can help you attain a successful entry into the Global Job Market. Thank you for you time and good luck!
Mohammad Asif Ali

Features of Indian English

Features of Indian English
English has a special status in India. Apart from having a place in the public institutions of the country, in parliament, the law courts, broadcasting, the press and the education system English has spread in our daily life. English plays a key role in professional relationships between foreign and Indian companies. English permeated symbolizes in Indian minds better education, better culture and higher intellect. Actually 4% of Indian use English. Thus India ranks third in the world after USA and the UK to use English as spoken language. Indian English comprises several dialects or varieties of English spoken primarily in India. This dialect evolved due to British colonial rule of India for nearly two hundred years. English is the co-official language of India, which has the world's largest English-speaking population.
After Hindi English is the most commonly spoken language in India. But usually Indians mingle English with Indian languages. Stylistic influence of Indian local languages is a particular feature of Indian literature in English. Indian English speakers often mix Hindi and other languages with English. Indians will often ask, “what is your good name?” which is translation of Hindi “ Apka Shubh naam kya hai?” Shub means auspicious or good, and it is basically used as a polite way of asking someone’s name. similarly Indians say “Today morning” (aaj Subha) or “Yesterday night” (kal raat) to mean this morning last night. Indians use shut up (chup bhait) which is generally used more causally in Hindi but it is offending tern in America. Indians commonly use “you people” when they want to address more than one person. It is a simple translation of “aap log” or “tum log” but they do not realize that it carries with it racial connotation.
Some expressions such as “general mai” (in general) and “ek minute” (one minute) are prevalent in Indian English.
Variations in the pronunciation of several phonemes are affected by the regional tongues. Several idiomatic forms crossing over from Indian literary and vernacular language also have made their way into the English used by the masses. Given India's diversity, however, there is indeed a general homogeneity in syntax and vocabulary that can be found among speakers across South Asia. In upper-class families, English is typically very close to Received Pronunciation, while still retaining hints of a uniquely Indian flavour.
The form of English that Indians are taught in schools is essentially British English,Indian English had established itself as an audibly distinct dialect with its own quirks and specific phrases. However, due to the growing influence of American culture in recent decades, American English has begun challenging traditional British English as the model for English in the Indian subcontinent . The American English is spreading among Indian youth. American English spellings are also widely prevalent in scientific and technical publications while British English spellings are used in other media.
British English or American English is the more practical dialect for emigrating Indians to adopt. It must be stressed, however, that British English retains its hold on the majority of Indians, particularly those of the older generation and the younger generation in smaller cities and towns.
The distinct evolution of regional variations in contemporary usage has led to terms such as Hinglish (Hindi + English) , Tanglish (Tamil + English) and Minglish (Marathi + English).
Indian accents vary greatly from those leaning more towards a purist British to those leaning more towards a more 'vernacular' (Indian language)
• Use of yaar, machaa, abey, arey in an English conversation between Indians, mainly by people of native Hindi-speaking origin; 'da', 'machaa' is more frequently used in the South.
• The progressive tense in stative verbs: I am understanding it. She is knowing the answer.; an influence of traditional Hindi grammar, it is more common in northern states.
• Use of "off it" and "on it" instead of "switch it off" and "switch it on."
• Use of "current went" and "current came" for "The power went out" and "The power came back"
Use of word "wallah" to denote occupation or 'doing of/involvement in doing' something, as in "The taxi-wallah overcharged me.", "
• Use of "Can you drop me?" and "We will drop her first" instead of "Can you drop me off?" and "We will drop her off first"
• "Out of station" to mean "out of town". This phrase has its origins in the posting of army officers to particular 'stations' during the days of the East India Company.
• "Tell me": used when answering the phone, meaning "How can I help you?"
• "order for food" instead of "order food", as in "Let's order for sandwiches".
Titles (of respect; formal)
• Referring to elders, strangers or anyone meriting respect as "'jee'"/"'ji'" (suffix) as in "Please call a taxi for Gupta-ji" (North, West and East India)
• Use of prefixes "Shree"/"Shri" (Mr) or "Shreemati"/"Shrimati" (Ms/Mrs): Shri Ravi Shankar or Shreemati Das Gupta.
• As with Shree/Shreemati, use of suffixes "Saahib/Sāhab" (Mr) and "Begum" (Mrs)(Urdu) as in "Welcome to India, Smith-saahib." or "Begum Sahib would like some tea."
• Use of "Mr" and "Mrs" as common nouns. For example, "Jyoti's Mr stopped by yesterday" or "My Mrs is not feeling well".
• Use of "Ms" with first name. For example, Swathi Ashok Kumar might be addressed as "Ms Swathi" instead of "Ms Kumar". This is logical and perhaps the only possible correct usage in South India, especially in Tamil Nadu, where most people don't use a surname.
• Use of the English words 'uncle' and 'aunty' as suffixes when addressing people such as distant relatives, neighbours, acquaintances, even total strangers (like shopkeepers) who are significantly older than oneself. E.g., "Hello, Swathi aunty!" In fact, in Indian culture, children or teenagers addressing their friend's parents as Mr Patel or Mrs Patel (etc.) is considered unacceptable, perhaps even offensive—a substitution of Sir/Ma'am is also not suitable except for teachers. On the contrary, if a person is really one's uncle or aunt, he/she will usually not be addressed as "uncle"/"auntie", but with the name of the relation in the vernacular Indian language, even while conversing in English. It is interesting to observe that calling one's friends' parents auntie and uncle was also very common in Great Britain in the 1960s and 70s but has is much rarer today. For example, if a woman is one's mother's sister, she would not be addressed (by a Hindi speaker) as "auntie" but as Mausi (Hindi)
• Use of Respected Sir while starting a formal letter instead of Dear Sir. Again, such letters are ended with non-standard greetings, such as "Yours respectfully", or "Yours obediently", rather than the standard "Yours sincerely/faithfully/truly".
• Use of "Baba" (father) while referring to an elderly male, such as "No Baba, just try and understand, I cannot come today".
• Use of interjections Arey! and acchha! to express a wide range of emotions, usually positive though occasionally not, as in "Arey! What a good job you did!", "Accha, so that's your plan." or "Arey, what bad luck, yaar!"
• Use of the word "chal" (Hindi for the verb "walk") to mean the interjection "Ok", as in "Chal, I gotta go now" at the end of a phone call
• Use of T-K in place of O.K. when answering a question, as in "Would you like to come to the movie?" -- "T-K, I'll meet you there later." ("theek hai", literally "fine is", meaning "okay")
• Use of oof! to show distress or frustration, as in "Oof! The baby's crying again!"
• Use of "Wah" to express admiration, especially in musical settings, as in "Wah! Wah! You play the sitar so well!"
• "Paining" used when "hurting" would be more common in Standard American and British: "My head is paining."
These are some of the special features of Indian English which are accepted in India.

Indian Words in English

Some Indian borrowings are listed below:

Philosophical and Learned Terms
Aryan - A member of the people who spoke the parent language of the Indo-European languages. In Nazism, a Caucasian Gentile, especially Nordic type.
Of or relating to Indo-Iranian languages.
Sanskrit arya - noble
chakra - One of the seven centers of spiritual energy in the human body according to yoga philosophy.
Sanskrit chakram - wheel, circle
dharma - A Buddhist principle and ultimate truth. Social custom and right behavior. Hindu moral law.
Hindi dharma, from Sanskrit
Guru - A teacher and a guide in spiritual and philosophical matters. A mentor. A recognized leader in a field. "Fitness Guru"
Hindi/Punjab - guru (teacher), from Sanskrit guruh -weighty, heavy, grave
Juggernaut - Something, such as a belief or an institution, that elicits blind and destructive devotion or to which people are ruthlessly sacrificed.
An overwhelming, advancing force that crushes or seem to crush everything in its path.
The name of the Hindu deity Krishna - Juggernath
Hindi Jaganath - Lord Krishna, from Sanskrit jaganatha : jagath -moving/the world + nathah - Lord/God
Mandala - Any of various ritualistic geometric designs symbolic of the universe, used in Hinduism and Buddhism, as an aid to meditation.
Tamil mutalai - ball, from Sanskrit mandalam - circle
Nirvana - In Buddhism, the ineffable ultimate in which one has attained disinterested wisdom and compassion. A transcendent state in which there is neither suffering, desire now sense of self, and the subject is released from the effects of karma. It represents the final goal in Buddhism.
A state of perfect happiness.
From Sanskrit nirvana, nirva -be extinguished + nis -out + va - to blow
Pariah - A social outcast. An Untouchable.
Tamil pariah - caste name which means 'hereditary drummer'. The caste system in India placed pariahs or untouchables very low in society. First recorded in English in 1613.
Pundit - A learned person. A source of opinion. A critic. "a political pundit"
Hindi pandit - a learned man, from Sanskrit panditah - learned scholar, perhaps from Dravidian origin.
Purdah - A curtain or screen, used mainly in India to keep women separated from men or strangers. The Hindu or Muslim system of sex segregation, practiced especially by women in seclusion.
Social seclusion: 'artists living in luxurious purdah'
Urdu/Persian paradah - veil, curtain. pan-around, over + da- to place
Sati (suttee) - the former Hindu practice of a widow immolating herself on her husbands funeral pyre.
Hindi sati, from Sanskrit meaning 'faithful wife'
This practice was banned in India in the early 20th century, when the British ruled over India. However it continues even today, in under developed states and rural villages, such as Bihar (a state in North India)
Sutra - a rule or aphorism in Sanskrit literature or a set of these grammar or Hindu law or philosophy.
In Buddhism - A scriptural narrative, especially a text traditionally regarded as a discourse of the Buddha.
Sanskrit - sutram, tread, string
Kamasutra - A Sanskrit treatise setting forth rules for sexual, sensuous and sensual love, and marriage: in accordance with Hindu law, made popular today by Western marital therapists and psychologists.
Sanskrit - Kamasutram: kamah - love, sutram - thread, string, manual
Swastika - The emblem of the Nazi Germany, officially adopted in 1935. In Buddhism and Hinduism, a religious symbol representing noble qualities and good luck.
An ancient cosmic symbol formed by a Greek cross with ends of the arms bent at right angles either clockwise or a counterclockwise direction.
Sanskrit svastika - sign of good luck: Svast - well being
Yoga - A Hindu spiritual and ascetic discipline, a part of which includes breath control, simple meditation and the adoption of specific body postures widely practiced for relaxation.
Sanskrit, literally meaning 'union', referring to the union of the mind, body and spirit.

Clothes, Clothing and Fashion
Bandana (bandanna) - A large handkerchief usually figured and brightly colored.
Portuguese from, Hindi bandhunu (tie dyeing) and bandhana (to tie): from Sanskrit bhandhana tying.
This word was probably absorbed to Portuguese, when the Portuguese ruled over Goa, Bombay during the early part of the 17th century, and from Portuguese was absorbed to English.
Bindi - A dot marked on the forehead, by Hindu wives, and sometimes men, to adorn or as a sign of the third eye - wisdom or God Shiva.
From Hindi bindi. Made famous in the West by pop music singers.
Bangle - A rigid bracelet or anklet, especially one with no clasp. An ornament that hangs from a bracelet or necklace.
Hindi bungri - glass
Cashmere - Fine downy wool growing in the outer hair of the cashmere goat. A soft fabric made out of this wool or similar fibres. Named after the state of Kashmir in India, where these goats were found in abundance, and famous for woolen clothing during the British Raj.
Chintz - A printed and glazed cotton fabric, usually of bright colors.
Cotton cloth, especially plain white or unbleached.
Hindi chint, from Sanskrit citra - shiny, variegated
Cummerbund - A broad sash, especially one that is pleated lengthwise & worn as an article of formal dress, as with dinner jacket.
Hindi & Urdu - kamarband, from Persian kamar- waist + bandi- band
The sash was formally worn in the Indian subcontinent by domestic workers and low status office workers.
Dhoti - A loincloth worn by Hindu men in India. The cotton fabric used for such loincloths.
From Hindi dhoti
Dungaree - A sturdy, often blue, denim fabric. Trousers or overalls made of sturdy denim fabric.
Hindi dumgri - hard/coarse.
Gunny - A coarse, heavy fabric made of jute or hemp, used especially for bags or sacks.
Hindi ghoni - sack, from Sanskrit gharati-sack
Jute - Either of 2 plants yielding a fiber used for sacking and cordage.
Bengali jhuto, from Sanskrit jutah - twisted hair, probably of Dravidian origin.
Jodhpurs - Long riding breeches, tight from the knee to ankle, named after the ancient city, Jodhpur in the state of Rajasthan in North India. Men in this state wear trousers akin to riding breeches, hence the name 'jodhpurs'.
Khaki - A light olive brown to moderate or light yellowish brown. A sturdy cloth of this color. Khakis - trousers made from this cloth.
Urdu khaki - dusty or dust colored, from Persian khak - dust
Musk- A strong smelling reddish brown substance which is secreted by the male musk-deer for scent making, which is also an important ingredient in perfumery.
From Late Latin miscus, from Persian musk, from Sanskrit muska (scrotum)
Pajamas/pyjama - A lose fitting garment consisting of trousers and a jacket, worn for sleeping or lounging, often used in plural.
Hindi paijama - loose fitting trousers, from Persian pai- leg + jamah - garment
Sari - A garment consisting of a length of cotton or silk elaborately run around the body, worn by women in the Indian subcontinent. It has 6 yards of material, with 1.5 yards hanging from one shoulder down to the ground, intricately woven with bright or contrasting colors.
From Hindi sari
Shampoo - A liquid preparation containing soap for washing hair.
Hindi campoo - press.

Words related to Food
Curry - A heavily spiced sauce or relish made with curry powder and eaten with rice, meat, fish or other food.
A dish seasoned with curry powder - a mixture of various spices.
Tamil - kari
Ginger - Mid E gingiveri from Old E gingifer, from Old French gingivre, from Med Latin-gingiber, from Latin zungiberi, from Greek - zingiberis from Pali singieram, from Dravidian (similar to Tamil) inciver, inci - ginger + ver- root.
Ghee - A clarified, semi-fluid butter used especially in Indian cooking
Hindi ghi, from Sanskrit gharati - sprinkles.
Kebab - Dish of small pieces of meat and/or vegetables, cooked on skewers
Urdu/Persian kabab - roasted meat.
Kedgeree - A dish of rice, fish, hard-boiled eggs, often served for breakfast. In North India kedgeree refers to a mixture of rice cooked with butter and dhal, with spices and shredded onions.
Hindi kedegree - butter rice
Mango - A fleshy yellowish-red tropical fruit, which is eaten ripe or used green for pickels. From Portuguese manga, from Malay manga, from Tamil manaky which means mango tree fruit.

Animal Names
Mongoose - Any of various Old World carnivorous mammals having agile body and a long tail and noted for the ability to seize and kill venomous snakes.
Marathi mangus, of Dravidian origin.
Anaconda - A large non-venomous arboreal snake of tropical South America that kills its prey by suffocating in its coils.
Alteration of Sinhalese henakandaya - whip snake.
Cheetah - A long-legged, swift running wild cat of Africa and Southwest Asia, having black-spotted, tawny fur and non-retractile claws.
The fastest animal on land can run for short distances at about 96kn (60 miles) per hour.
Hindi cita, from Sanskrit citrakaya - tiger/leopard: Citra- variegated + kaya - body

Miscellaneous
Bungalow - A small house or cottage usually having a single story and sometimes as additional attic story. A thatched or tiled one-story house in India surrounded by a wide veranda.
Hindi bangala, Bengali bungalow, Gujarati bangalo
Bazaar - A market consisting of a street lined with shops and stalls especially one in the Middle East. A fair or sale at which miscellaneous articles are sold, often for charitable purposes.
Italian bazaro, and Urdu bazaar, both from Persian.
Catamaran - A boat with two parallel hulls or floats, especially a light sailboat with a mast mounted on a transverse frame joining the hulls: A raft of logs or floats lashed together and propelled by a paddles or sails.
Tamil kattumaram: kattu- to tie + maram- wood flog: tied wood
Cheroot (sheroot) - A cigar with square cut ends
French cheroute, from Tamil curuttu/churuttu/shuruttu - roll of tobacco
This word would have been absorbed into the French language during the early 16th century, when French were trying to get a foot hold in South India (Hyderabad), and from French would have come into English.
Coir - Fiber from the outer husk of the coconut, used in potting compost and for making ropes and matting.
Origin from Malayalam kayaru - cord
Coolie - (coolly) Offensive. An unskilled Asian laborer
Hindi and Telegu: kuli - day laborer, perhaps from kuli - a tribe in Gujarat or Urdu kuli - slave
A person from the Indian subcontinent: a person of Indian descent (Offensive)
Dinghy - A small open boat carried as a tender, lifeboat, or pleasure craft on a larger boat" A small rowboat. An inflatable rubber life raft.
Hindi - dimgi, variant of demgi - float, raft
The 'gh' in English serves to indicate the hard 'g'
Gymkhana - Any of various meets at which contests are held to test the skill of the competitors, as in equestrian ship, gymnastics or sports car racing.
Probably alteration (influenced by gymnastics) fromHindi gend-khana - race court:
gend- ball + khana - house
Indigo - A tropical plant of the pea family, which was formerly widely cultivated as a source of dark blue dye.
The dark blue dye obtained from this plant
A color between blue and violet in the spectrum
From Portuguese indigo, via Latin, from Greek Indikon, from India, the River Iindus
Loot (n) - Valuables pillaged in time of war: spoils
Stolen goods: Goods illicitly obtained as by bribery.
Loot (v) To pillage, spoil
Hindi lut, from Sanskrit loptrum/lotrum - plunder
Palanquin (palankeen) - A covered litter carried on poles on the shoulders of two or four men, formerly used in Eastern Asia.
Portuguese - palanquim, from Javanese pelangki, from Pali pallanko, from Sanskrit paryankah - couch, bed
Polo - A game resembling hockey, played on horse back with a long handled clubs and a wooden ball. An ancient game of the East still played in upper Indus valley (extreme West of the Himalayas). Introduced first at Calcutta and a little later in Punjab and played first in England in 1871.
From Balti language (a Tibeto- Burman language) meaning ball
Teak - hard durable timbre used in shipbuilding and for making furniture. The large deciduous tree native to India and South East Asia, which yields this timber.
From Portuguese teca, from Tamil Tamil/Malayalam tekka

LYLATUL QADR

The term Lailatul Qadar is made of two words. In Arabic, Lailat means night and Qadr means honour and dignity. Therefore, the term Lailatul Qadr refers to the night of honour and dignity. It is this night in which the first Divine Revelation came to the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasallam, when he was in meditation and prayer in the Cave of Hira’. Since this night enjoys the honour of having the first revelation brought to the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasallam, it has been named Lailatul Qadr.

This is one of the holiest and most blessed nights, which is likely to occur on one of the odd nights on the last ten days of Ramadhaan, most likely to be the 27th. The reward of worship on this night is better than the worship of a thousand months of worship, equivalent to a person’s lifetime. So, on this night one should perform the night prayers, recite the Qura’n, do tasbih, zikr and du’as as much as possible.

This night had already opened its gates of treasures when the angel for the first time had come with the Divine Message in the cave of Hira, but its auspiciousness has continued to be with us permanently. Every year in the month of Ramadhaan, this night is given to the Ummah. Muslims engage in prayers, recitation of Qur’an and praying to Allah. As the Prophet sallalahu alayhi wasallam was reported to have said:

“The person who offered prayers to Allah in the night of Dignity with faith and with hope of reward from Allah, all his past sins have been forgiven.” (reported by Bukhari)

In the Hadith, we have been asked to seek it in the last ten nights of the month of Ramadhaan. A’ishah radhiyallahu anhaa narrates that the Messenger of Allah sallalahu alayhi wasallam has said:

“Seek the night of Dignity in the odd nights of the last ten days of Ramadhan.” (reported by Bukhari)

How To Achieve Success

How To Achieve Success



What does success really mean to you? To many, the words success invokes the idea of dollar signs glinting before their eyes. Some visualize themselves in huge mansions, driving the latest cars, and filling their homes with the latest gadgets. However, the lives of many people have proves that success is more than just materialism and the quest for wealth. True success lies in reaching your goals, defining who you are by what you choose in life. Contrary to a prevalent attitude, you do not need to trample on others in order to reach out to success. The following steps will help you understand what you would need to do in order to be a successful person. Read on to know how to achieve success.

Tips To Be Successful
• Have goals – long-term goals as well as short-term ones. When you set goals, make sure that these are practical. Trying to aim for the moon will only result in failure. Have a list of short-term goals (for the day or for the week) and work towards achieving them. Build your long term goals upon the short term ones.
• Be committed towards your goals. Viewing your goals as a chore will not lead to success.
• Be focused on your goals. There might be a lot of things that come in the way of reaching your goals, which might make you stray off course. However, be like a horse with blinkers and look straight ahead at your goal, without wavering.
• There will definitely be obstacles in your path to success. Steadfastness is required here in order that you do not give up once obstacles come your way.
• Be positive. When you approach your goals to success, your attitude counts a lot. If you have a negative attitude, you will find that the obstacles become more difficult to surmount. If the road to success gets rough, staying positive will help you be more successful in the end.
• Things may not always work out the way you wanted them to. You might have to change your plans or the way that you wanted to work towards a goal. To this end, you would need to be creative as well as flexible. Flexibility is needed in order to allow you to keep yourself open to changes that come along with changed circumstances. Creativity is needed in order to make the best of the changed circumstances, and to turn them around and use them to create a new path to help you reach your goals.
• Goals and the path to success cannot be trodden upon singlehandedly. Therefore, it is essential to communicate well and effectively. This will help you greatly when dealing with others.
• Look after your physical and emotional health. Ensure that you get proper food, good exercise, and adequate sleep. This might seem to be a strange tip, but taking care of your health will ensure that you are in good shape to pursue success.




English in India
Officially English has a status of assistant language, but in fact it is the most important language of India. After Hindi it is the most commonly spoken language in India and probably the most read and written language in India. Indians who know English will always try to show that they know English. English symbolizes in Indians minds, better education, better culture and higher intellect. Indians who know English often mingle it with Indian languages in their conversations. It is also usual among Indians to abruptly move to speak fluent English in the middle of their conversations. English also serves as the communicator among Indians who speak different language. English is very important in some systems – legal, financial, educational, business – in India. Until the beginning of 1990s, foreign movies in India weren’t translated or dubbed in Indian languages, but were broadcast in English and were meant for English speakers only. The reason Indians give such importance to English is related to the fact that India was a British colony (see Europeans in India).
When the British started ruling India, they searched for Indian mediators who could help them to administer India. The British turned to high caste Indians to work for them. Many high caste Indians, especially the Brahmans worked for them. The British policy was to create an Indian class who should think like the British, or as it was said then in Britain “Indians in blood and color but English in taste, in opinions and morals and intellect”. The British also established in India universities based on British models with emphasis on English. These Indians also got their education in British universities. The English Christian missionaries came to India from 1813 and they also built schools at primary level for Indians in which the language of instruction was local language. Later on the missionaries built high schools with English as the language of instruction which obliged the Indians who wanted to study to have a good knowledge of English. The British rulers began building their universities in India from 1857. English became the first language in Indian education. The ‘modern’ leaders of that era in India also supported English language and claimed it to be the main key towards success. Indians who knew good English were seen as the new elite of India. Many new schools were established in which the language of instruction was English. According to the British laws the language of instruction at university level was English and therefore schools that emphasized English were preferred by ambitious Indians. Even after India’s independence, English remained the main language of India. Officially it was given a status of an assistant language and was supposed to terminate officially after 15 years of India’s independence, but it still remains the important language of India.
Even today schools in India that emphasis English are considered better schools and the same is the case at university levels, even though there is a trend towards Indianization. In the 1970s and 1980s about one third of the Indian schools had English as their first language. For most of these students, English is their first language and it is easier for them to communicate, read and write in English than in Indian languages, including their mother tongues.
Just like the Americans, Australians or even the British who have their unique English words and phrases, the Indians also have their own unique English. The Indians and the Indian English language press uses many words derived from Indian languages, especially from Hindi. Other than that, the Indian accent is sometimes difficult for non-Indians to understand. There are some Indian pronunciations that don’t exist in non Indian languages. The British also had problems with that and they caused some changes in Indian words so that they could pronounce them. Even the Indians started using these changed words and made them part of their English. Two examples of such changed words are currey and sari.


Improve Your English Speaking and English Pronunciation Skills
The first rule of speaking English is to speak clearly, concisely and use simple vocabulary. KISS - keep it short and simple.
Remember you probably won't just speak to native speakers. There are roughly 380 million native speakers, but as many as a billion people speak it as a second language. So it's a good idea to avoid idioms and slang (I always say learn it, but don't use it). It might sound clever to say "You're barking up the wrong tree," but if you misuse it or if the other person doesn't understand you, you'll only look silly when you try to explain what you meant to say, or what it actually means.
There's also a saying in English "Have you swallowed a dictionary?" It is applicable to anyone who uses long, complicated words when a shorter word will do. Short sentences are just as good (if not better) than long explanations. The value in what you have to say is what you say, not how clever you look or sound when you say it.
English speaking tips
Get over any fear you might have of making mistakes. You will make mistakes.
Be patient with yourself. Learning any language can be frustrating, but frustration won't help you, so let it go.
Grasp every opportunity you have to speak with people in English.
Talk to friends who are also learning English. Go out together for coffee and only speak English to each other!
Read short stories out loud and try to see, say and hear the words to reinforce your memory. Record yourself and play it back later, how does it sound?
Improve Your English Grammar
Use self-study grammar books.
Practice forming meaningful sentences. Make positive statements negative, turn statements into questions, make active statements passive. Turn past tense sentences into present tense sentences etc. etc.
Learn the different tenses. Learn by heart a simple example sentence using each tense.
Do online exercises. Keep a note of how you did and go back in a few weeks to see how you have improved.
Improve your Learning Skills
Learning is a skill and it can be improved.
Your path to learning effectively is through knowing
• yourself
• your capacity to learn
• processes you have successfully used in the past
• your interest, and knowledge of what you wish to learn
Motivate yourself
If you are not motivated to learn English you will become frustrated and give up. Ask yourself the following questions, and be honest:-
• Why do you need to learn/improve English?
• Where will you need to use English?
• What skills do you need to learn/improve? (Reading/Writing/Listening/Speaking)
• How soon do you need to see results?
• How much time can you afford to devote to learning English.
• How much money can you afford to devote to learning English.
• Do you have a plan or learning strategy?
Set yourself achievable goals
You know how much time you can dedicate to learning English, but a short time each day will produce better, longer-term results than a full day on the weekend and then nothing for two weeks.
Joining a short intensive course could produce better results than joining a course that takes place once a week for six months.
Here are some goals you could set yourself:-
• Join an English course (and attend regularly).
• Do your homework.
• Read a book a month.
• Learn a new word every day.
• Visit an English speaking forum every day.
• Read a news article on the net every day.
• Do 10 minutes listening practice every day.
• Watch an English film at least once a month.
• Follow a soap, comedy or radio or TV drama.
A good way to meet your goals is to establish a system of rewards and punishments.
Decide on a reward you will give yourself for fulfilling your goals for a month.
• A bottle of your favourite drink
• A meal out / or a nice meal at home
• A new outfit
• A manicure or massage
Understanding how you learn best may also help you.
There are different ways to learn. Find out what kind of learner you are in order to better understand how to learn more effectively..
How to improve your soft skills
There are many different soft skills; these are just a few:
Speaking. Verbal communication is highly valued by all professional organizations. Unfortunately, many people lack strong speaking skills. The good news is that you can easily improve with just a little practice.
A great way to improve your speaking skills is to volunteer to give group presentations. Start small (within your team), then graduate to larger presentations. Another great way to enhance your speaking and presenting skills is to join Toastmasters International, which is a non-profit educational organization that teaches public speaking and leadership skills. They are located worldwide, so you should have an easy time locating a local chapter.
Listening. Often, the most important part of effective communication is listening. It is important to not only hear the message you are given, but to actively listen and understand the entire message. Many mistakes are made because people do not take the time to fully comprehend the message or instructions they were given.
To improve your listening skills, pay attention to the speaker’s words and actions. You can learn a lot from body language. Allow the speaker to finish before responding or judging what they have said. Take notes and review them with the speaker to ensure you received the message as it was intended. Providing feedback allows you to mentally process everything you heard.
Writing. Strong written communication skills are paramount to success. It is important to be able to concisely convey your message in multiple formats including reports, letters, e-mail, online work and more.
To improve your writing skills, take the time to proofread what you have written. Small mistakes can often be corrected with a quick review. Utilize the built in spell check and grammar functions found in many productivity software applications. Other tips to improve your written communication skills include having another person proof read documents, submitting white papers to professional publications, and reviewing grammar rules online. A good place for this is Daily Writing Tips.
Leadership. Good leaders are hard to find. Leaders needs to be aware of more than just their role within a team, but how each member in the group contributes to a common goal and how to steer the group toward that goal.
Some people say leaders are born and and they cannot be taught. I disagree. In fact, I think anyone can learn basic leadership skills, and some people may even grow to become great leaders. All it takes is exposure to leadership principles, the desire to lead, opportunity, and practice.
To improve your leadership skills, begin with reading a few books or online articles about leadership. You can also consider taking a course at a local community college or as part of an MBA program. Once you have some leadership principles ingrained, you need to practice, practice, practice. Observe leaders in your workplace, volunteer to lead small groups and team efforts, and take on additional duties if necessary. Finally, do not confuse leadership with authority. You do not have to be the high man on the totem pole to be a leader.
Teamwork. Just as good leaders are essential to accomplish tasks in the corporate environment, so are solid team members. Even if your daily role is primarily one where your work alone, you need to be aware of how your work affects others.
To improve your value as a team member, consider how your actions affect other people who are working on a related task. Do your actions help them or hinder them? Another great way to become a better team member in the workplace is to participate in group sporting events and other social activities.
There are many more soft skills
The soft skills listed above are some of the soft skills most frequently asked about during interviews. However, there are many more soft skills out there and it benefits you to recognize what they are and how to improve them.
You can further break down soft skills into Personal Qualities and Interpersonal Skills:
Personal Qualities are those which are inherent to the way you act on a day to day basis. These include personal responsibility, self-esteem, self-management, integrity, honesty, self-motivation, self-discipline, decision making, and more.
Interpersonal Skills deal with your interactions with others. Some of these include: teaching and instructing, serving client and customer needs, negotiation, persuasion, cultural awareness, conflict resolution, etiquette, and more.
Think about how you perform in the workplace. Your value to your employer is often driven not only by the degrees and certifications you hold, but how well you work and interact with others. Sharpen your soft skills. Improve your professional prospects.
This article originally appeared as a guest post on BripBlap.com, a personal finance and career journal.
Do You Have Perfectionist Beliefs?
Here are a few statements from a Psychology Today quiz.
“Rate the intensity with which you believe each of these statements, with 100 percent indicating complete agreement and 0 percent indicating that you do not believe it at all.”
____ I must be perfect or I will be rejected.
____ If I make a mistake, it will be horrible.
____ If I do it perfectly, then I will be accepted.
____ I must be perfect or I will be embarrassed.
____ If I make a mistake, I will be humiliated.
____ When I get it right, I will finally accept myself.
____ When I achieve perfection, I will find inner peace.
____ If I do it perfectly, then it will be rewarded.
____ If others do not approve of me, then I am not OK.
____ If I make a mistake, then I am worthless.

COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN CORPORATE WORLD

Communication Skills Training in Corporate & Sales creates Vitality & Happiness in the Workforce
Are you a concerned supervisor or manager who wants to give the best training to your subordinates? Do you feel your staff need additional communication skills training including corporate and sales training? Does your company value impeccable communication skills of people?
A good corporation should be able to boast of people who have undergone extensive communication skills training and are well-versed in doing corporate training and sales training. Communication skills & Presentation Skills are very important in sending important messages across to large groups of people. It is likewise useful in maintaining a professional decorum in the workplace. Moreover, corporate training and sales training are aspects of corporate life that need utmost focus and concentration. Well-trained staff and personnel reflect a very good impression about the company and its management.
Where to start
The company needs to lay out an effective communication skills training program. An effective communication skills training program encompasses all areas of communication:
• Verbal communication
• Oral communication skills
• Public speaking skills
• Confidence building
• Establishing rapport
• Nonverbal communication
• Body language
• Written communication skills
• Gestures that build audience impact
Training and development
A well trained group of staff begins with accurate training needs analysis (TNA) based on personnel needs and weaknesses. A TNA is the core of corporate training and development. Once training needs are determined, the company can initiate a corporate training program which can include both communication skills training and sales training for all employees of the company.
Communication skills training is a basic course that all employees need to undergo. This is to ensure that the company employs people who can express themselves confidently and effectively in social and corporate situations. The same goes for sales training which is considered to be the core program for marketing and sales staff of the company. Aside from these two basic programs, there are various corporate training programs available for different areas of development:
• Teambuilding workshops
• Personality development programs
• Management and supervisory programs
• Leadership training
• Stress management programs
• Basic accounting and finance
• Training for Trainers
• Human resource functions
People as valuable resource
Companies who value their people do set aside a substantial amount in the company’s budget to cover corporate training and development programs. The premise for this is that employees who are happy and satisfied with their growth and development in the company tend to stay for many years and serve the company well. In turn, this behavior saves the company a lot of money since there is minimal need for re-training because employee turnover tend to be on the low side.
Moreover, people who receive ample training tend to be happier and more energized in doing their jobs and daily tasks. The long term effect of effective corporate training is very promising to the company overall. The ability to provide basic training programs like communication skills training and sales training will result to having highly-effective and ultra-motivated people working in the company.
Choosing your training partner
For corporations whose strength doesn’t lie in providing excellent training programs, the best move is to employ the services of external training providers whose primary objective is to supply the corporate training needs of various companies. There is a wide array of training programs available worldwide which includes communication skills training, sales training and general corporate training. By working hand-in-hand with the company, training providers can customize programs based on the actual training needs of employees.
Employing the services of an external training provider can prove to be a very good move based on the following benefits:
• No need to reinvent the wheel when an expert can provide the necessary training programs needed by the company
• Savings on labor since the company need not employ additional manpower to do the actual training for the staff
• Cost-effective on a per person basis because the company only needs to provide a budget per person instead of worrying about added costs of training materials and trainer time
• No added anxiety or stress on the company side on post training analysis since the external training provider can take care of all post training requirements

COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN CORPORATE WORLD

COMMUNICATION SKILLS IN CORPORATE WORLD

Communication skills simply do not refer to the way in which we communicate with another person. It includes many other things - the way in which we respond to the person we are speaking, body gestures including the facial ones, pitch and tone of our voice and a lot of other things. And the importance of communication skills is not just limited to the management world, since effective communication skills are now required in each and every aspect of our life.
First, let us concentrate on the importance of communication in business. We can measure the importance of communication skills in the business sector when we take a look at job advertisements. There is little chance that you will come across an advertisement which does not mention that candidates should have good communication skills. Perhaps this is the only criteria which creates a positive impact when a person goes for a job interview. This is because technical qualifications are likely to be more or less the same for the candidates.
Without effective communication skills, a person may find it impossible to climb up the corporate ladder. Promotions come to those who can communicate effectively at all levels, from senior management level to the lowest employee.
As for communication within relationships, it should be remembered that maintaining good relationships is a way to a healthy lifestyle, and a good relationship can only be maintained by maintaining healthy communication with our near and dear ones. They are the ones we stay with on a regular basis. They are also the ones who see us at our best as well as our worst. Good communication skills help the relationships to develop along good lines, and ensure that arguments and disagreements are kept to a minimum. Good communication will avoid arguments and insults.
Another important part of communication in relationships is taking the initiative yourself. Do not wait for your best friend to call you after a long break. Instead take the phone and also take initiative to start the conversation. Often people have this problem while communicating, which comes from fear. They always think a thousand times whether to approach a person or not. But a person with good communication skills is always the first to start a conversation.
Given the importance of communication skills in both the personal and the corporate world, any individual who want to make progress with their life should develop this important skill.

TIPS TO LEARN ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Learning any new language takes a lot of dedication, practice and time. But all of that pays off when you are able to express yourself in an exciting new way. Learning English has limitless advantages. Job markets increase, grades go up and new friends are made. You will benefit greatly from learning English simply because so many people speak the English language. New horizons and opportunities will expand before your eyes. Use the following tips to help you in your language learning process.

• Have desire –Want to learn a new language. Learning English requires a lot of study and dedication. Only true desire will keep you motivated.
• Know your motive –Why do you want to learn English? Is it to help you in school, your business or something else? Identify your reason and remember it when you are having a hard time.
• Set goals –Set goals for yourself whether it be learning twenty words a week or giving a presentation in English at work next month. Goals will keep you motivated.
• Study a little each day –Studying formally for at least 30–60 minutes a day will help you retain what you learn. At the beginning of each study session, review what you learned in the lesson before.
• Make a set study schedule –Set aside a specific time for study each day. That way you are less likely to skip your lessons.
• Study out loud –Pronounce the words out loud to yourself as you study. You will remember them more easily and you will be able to practice your pronunciation at the same time.
• Use different learning methods –Language can be learned through different activities such as speaking, reading, writing, and associating pictures with words. Find out which method works best for you and use a variety of other methods for practice.
• Practice speaking –Practice the language you have learned as much as possible.
• Don't be afraid –Never be afraid to try speaking to other people even if you don’t know everything. They will appreciate your efforts.
• Surround Yourself –Surround yourself with English. Read it, listen to it, watch it and speak it with others.
• Listen to native speakers –Pay careful attention to native speakers using English. Observe the way they pronounce the words and how they use them.
• Pronunciation is key –Imitate native English sounds as closely as you can. The more closely you pronounce words like native speakers, the better you will be understood.
• Use good resources –Use dictionaries, workbooks, software and any other resource that will allow you to practice and expand your language.
• Use what you know –Even if you know relatively little English, you should use what you know. You will be surprised at how much you can communicate with a few words or phrases.
• Speed it up –Get used to listening to the language at normal speed. It will seem fast at first, but the more you know, the more it will sound normal.
• Don't get stuck –If you don’t know a certain word, work your way around it. Use different words and actions to explain it, but don’t give up.
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Formula for Success
Written by Chuck Gallozzi




Those who can bear all can dare all
I was recently asked, "What is the formula for success?" Well, there is not one way to scale a mountain; there are many ways. Similarly, there is not one path to success, but many. Choose one, stay on it, and you'll eventually reach your destination. However, since I was asked, I'll give my own formula. Only you can decide whether it's the right one for you. Even if you don't adopt it, one or two of the ideas may lead you to develop and follow your own path. Before I give my formula, I'll give you my definition of success. Success is achieving YOUR goals, whatever they may be. My formula for success can be simply stated as Resolve + Knowledge + Plan + Action + Diligence + Endurance + Prudence = Success. Now, let's look at each of the seven steps.

1. Resolve
The moment we begin to achieve our goal is the moment we make up our mind to do so. Commitment and a resolute mind is like a woman in labor, they will give birth to our dream as long as we follow through with the other six steps. So, begin by making a wholehearted decision. This step is so important that Owen D. Young (1874 ~ 1962) said, "The purpose firm is equal to the deed."

2. Knowledge
Once we are committed to a goal, we need knowledge to help us reach it. Many people try to go into business for themselves without this step. They think all they have to do is rent retail space, open a store, put a few signs in the window, and they'll be in business. They give little or no thought to marketing research. Who and where are their competitors? Who and where are their customers? How much are their customers willing to spend? What are their expectations? What are all the expenses of doing business and what level of sales is necessary to survive? Without a thorough investigation, is it any wonder that so many businesses fail?

Some confuse information with knowledge. Knowledge is based on facts.
Information is merely something that someone says. When you get an e-mail announcing that you can earn $5,000 a month working part-time at home, you are not receiving knowledge. Instead, you are being lured into a scam by false claims. So, to succeed, you also need knowledge of the world. You have to understand that nothing in life is free. In other words, you need some common sense. You will also need the willingness to dig deeply enough to uncover all the facts.

3. Plan
Perhaps you've decided to become an airplane pilot. You've found out where to go, how much it costs, how to enroll, how long it takes to become qualified, what the health requirements are, and when the next sessions start. Now that you have some knowledge to work with, you make a plan. The plan is your road map to success. It shows where you are now and where you want to be. It lists all the steps, and intermediate steps, you must take to achieve your goal. After indicating the starting and completion dates of each step, you will be ready to begin.

4. Action
A map is of no value if you just stand there looking at it. Unless you start your journey, you'll never reach your destination. You've picked a destination, put fuel in your vehicle, and brought your map; it is now time to turn on the ignition. That is, it is time to act. Time to begin. There is magic in action, for whenever you do what you can, you immediately can do more. Each step brings you closer to your goal. That's the secret of reaching it, simply do something each day to bring you closer to its fruition.

5. Diligence
Doing something is not enough. Doing everything as best as we can is what is needed. Just taking action is insufficient; diligent and focused action is what it takes to succeed. As long as you are willing to do whatever it takes for as long as it takes, no one will be able to prevent you from reaching your goal.

Do not underestimate your power. You are not weak. As Thomas Carlyle (1795 ~
1881) wrote, "The weakest living creature, by concentrating his powers on a single object, can accomplish something; the strongest, by dispensing his over many, may fail to accomplish anything. The drop, by continually falling, bores its passage through the hardest rock; but the hasty torrent rushes over it with tremendous uproar, and leaves no mark upon it."

Beware of using weakness as an excuse for inaction, for as John Milton (1608 ~ 1674) wrote, "To excuse our faults on the ground of our weakness is to quiet our fears at the expense of our hopes."

6. Perseverance
As we chase our dream, we will run into obstacles. That's the nature of life. Life is a bumpy road. So, put on your helmet and prepare for the worse, but continue. Perseverance prevails. Endurance is the power that will take you anywhere you wish to go. For as Marquis De Vauvenargues (1715 ~ 1747) wrote, "Those who can bear all can dare all." The power of endurance cannot be overstated. After all, you can't fail unless you quit before succeeding. So, just remember that patience is a prerequisite for success, for the only thing you can get without it is impatient.

Endurance implies faith. You may not know how you will overcome a particular problem, but you know you will. Doubt, or lack of faith, crushes one's potential success. For as the third century Indian philosopher Dandemis taught, ""If you believe a thing impossible, your despondency will make it so; but if you persevere, you will overcome every difficulty."

The roadblocks we face are not the problem. It is the inability to persevere despite them that is the problem. Here's how John Milton (1608 ~ 1674) expressed the same idea, "It is not miserable to be blind; it is miserable to be incapable of enduring blindness."

Be thankful for all obstacles, for they are your practice ground, each new victory prepares you for a greater future victory. In the end, we express our greatness not by the acts we perform, but by the endurance and fortitude that made those acts possible.

7. Prudence
Perseverance or endurance does not mean to proceed blindly, without concern for the consequences. Prudence dictates that we maintain a balanced attitude and a measured response to a changing environment. To remain steadfast at all costs may be more a sign of stubbornness than one of perseverance. Yes, we want to remain on the road, but we must recognize that some roads are dead-ends. Sometimes, the only way to go forward is to retreat and try another route.

If a small business owner is failing because of inadequate preparation and knowledge, persistence in the face of ever-increasing losses is not praiseworthy. What such a person needs is not determination, but knowledge, common sense, and a grip on reality. Don't confuse rash, stubborn, or reckless behaviour with perseverance. Action is not enough to succeed; prudent action is what is called for.

Now that you have reviewed the formula for success, it is time to review your behaviour and actions. Are they aligned with your goals? Are they taking you where you wish to go? These are questions you need to ask yourself regularly. After all, even if you have the gas pedal pressed all the way to the floor, it's not very helpful if you're going in the wrong direction. So, once a week, take a pit stop and monitor your behaviour and progress. If you're headed in the wrong direction or need to take a detour, you'll be able to take corrective action as long as your keep your eyes on the road. Happy driving, and I hope you reach all your destinations.

OUR PICTURE OF THE UNIVERSE

Stephen Hawking narrates how mankind has come to frame the theories of the planetary system and the universe as a whole. He says that a unified theory regarding the birth and nature of the universe is essential. Man has always been fascinated by the mysteries of the universe, every age tried to explain the universe in its own way. The early people believed that the earth was a flat plate supported by a giant tortoise. An infinite number of tortoises supported the giant tortoise. Aristotle was the first to propose a scientific theory about the planetary system. He proposed the geo-centric theory. According to that theory the earth was the center of the universe with the sun the moon and the stars revolving around it. He was the first to propose that the earth was round by his observation of the shadow of the earth on the moon during eclipses. He confirmed his theory by the position of the North Star which appeared to be low when viewed from the South but appeared to be just over the head when viewed from the North. Next to Aristotle was Ptolemy. He too supported the views of Aristotle. Ptolemy gave the eight spears in which Earth was at the centre and Sun, Moon and the then discovered five planets formed the seven spears whereas stars formed the outermost eighth spear. He too said the revolution was circular in orbits.

Copernicus discounted the geo-centric theory and proposed helio-centric theory. According to that the Sun was the centre of the planetary system and the earth and other planets revolved around the Sun in circular orbits. But the actual observation did not match the predictions. Johannes Kepler and Galileo too believed in circular orbits in the beginning. Galileo invented telescope and found that few moon were revolving around Jupiter. This was a death blow to Aristotle-Ptolemic theory. Kepler suggested elliptical orbits for the planets. Now the predictions matched the observation. But Kepler could not explain what forces made the planets to revolve around the sun.

It was now Newton’s turn to give explanation for the motion of the planets and stars. He explained that the elliptical orbits of the moon round the earth and those of the planets round the sun were due to the gravitational forces. He gave us gravitational theory and also mathematical formulas to calculate the motions of plants and satellites. He explained that as there were infinite stars in the universe there was no centre for them to fall to. Newton’s law of gravitation showed that the universe showed that the universe could not remain static, later Edwin Hubble observed that the universe was expanding. He observed that the distant galaxies were moving rapidly away. So he believed that he heavenly objects were closer together earlier and hence the universe was dense. These discoveries brought forth the question about the beginning of the universe or tis origin. Hubble suggested that there was a time in the past called the Big Bang when the universe was very small and infinitely dense. Time had a beginning at the point of the Big Bang. Then the universe blew up with a bang to from the present state of the universe. It is still expanding.

Stephen say’s that God created the universe at any point of time in the past. If the universe was expanding here might be reasons why there had to be a beginning. It could be imagined that God created the universe at the time of the Big Bang or later, but not earlier. All there theories according to Stephen are partial theories. Thus a unified theory regarding the universe is necessary. As the universe appeared to be following certain laws, even the beginning must have had some laws. Those laws should be found to have a unified theory about the universe. Scientists have only tow partial theories to explain the universe. One is the general theory of relativity and the other is the quantum theory. The first is on a loage scale and the second is a mini scale. So Hawkin proposes the necessity of havng a quantum theory of gravity. Thus to explain the universe, a unified theory is essential. It satisfies man’s undying curiosity to know the unknown. So that he can solve the mystery of the universe.

Important Questions in Wings of Fire

S.Shaheen Taj, HOD (S&H Dept), NIST


Wings of Fire
Describe briefly the place of Abdul Kalam’s birth. (Or) Narrate the childhood of Abdul Kalam with a brief review of the things and persons that influenced him in his childhood (or) Narrate Kalam’s childhood and the influences of Kalam during his childhood.
Avul Pakir Jainulabdeen Abdul Kalam was born into a middle class Tamil family in the island town of Rameshwaram in Oct 15, 1931. His parents Ashiamma and Jainulabdeen were widely regarded as the ideal couple. Rameshwaram was a part of Madras state, in British India. Dr Kalam lived in their ancestral house, built of limestone and brick which was a fairly huge house, situated in Rameshwaram’s Mosque Street. Rameshwaram was sacred to pilgrims because of the famous Shiva Temple. It was a sacred Hindu pilgrimage town.

As per the epic Ramayana, Rameshwaram is the place from where Rama sent his attack on Ravana. Every year Shri Sita Rama Kalyanam Ceremony was held there. Kalam’s family used to arrange the boats to carry idols from the temple to the marriage site, situated in the middle of the Rama Tirtha Pond. Hindus and Muslims lived friendly as neighbours. Kalam grew up imbibing both the cultures and religions. The people of Rameshwaram were religious, cultured and gentle.

Rameshwaram was a peaceful town where Hindus Muslims mingled closely, and discussed together on social and religious matters. Kalam learnt many things in his childhood hearing the discussions of his father and Lakshmana Sastry. Kalam’s father and Lakhmana Sastry were good friends. Both of them in their traditional attire discussed spiritual matters. Though their modes of worship were different, their thinking was similar. The small society of Rameshwaram was highly satisfied stratified and quite rigid about the segregation of different social groups. Though sometimes, some Brahmins were inherent towards Kalam, in general he was treated very well.

No doubt, Rameshwaram was a pilgrimage town and fishing locality but, it did not have any good schools or colleges to boast of. So Kalam had to go to study in Ramanathpuram, a much larger town. Inspite of such minor inconveniences Rameshwaram was quite a comfortable and peaceful town during Kalam’s childhood. Kalam feels sorry for leaving such a peaceful town. Kalam was forced to stay at. Ramanathapuram, which lacked the harmony of Rameswaram but ironically, the destiny, swept him away from the home of his childhood.

How did the cyclone that struck the Rameswaram coast affect the author’s family business? How did they deal with the situation?
Kalam,s father Jainulabdeen was wise and he possessed a truly generous spirit. His father was neither educated nor very rich. He lived frugally according to his austere principles. Jainulabdeen avoided comforts and luxuries which he considered non-essential. He had deep faith in God. He believed that when we pray, we move beyond our body, and its material concerns. One becomes a part of cosmos, where wealth, age, caste and creed are not standards for dividing people. Jainulabdeen’s philosophy was that one’s destiny should be vision born out of true knowledge of the self,a nd that fear often prevents one’s hopes being fulfilled. Kalam was greatly influenced by his father’s philosophy.

When Kalam was very young his father put his philosophy into practice. He decided to build a sail boat t ferry pilgrims from Rameswaram to Dhanuskodi and back. The wooden boat was built on the sea shore; timber was seasoned over wood fires to make hull and bulkheads. When the boat was ready Jainulabdeen started a brisk business. After few days, a severe cyclone struck the Rameshwaram coast. The strong winds wrecked Jainulabdeen’s boat. But Jainulabdeen was not at all distressed. He bore his loss with composure. Instead of worrying about his loss, he was more concerned about a greater tragedy caused by the gale. The Pambam Bridge has collapsed during the cyclonic storm, when a train full of passengers was crossing over it.

Kalam learnt both from his father’s attitude and the actual disaster. Kalam who just had experienced the beauty of the sea, now saw its force and uncontrollable energy.

What event influenced the author to move away and study in Schwartz High School? Or Write briefly about the education of Kalam and his becoming an aeronautical engineer. Or Describe how Kalam got educated and grew up into an aeronautical engineer Or Describe about the education of Kalam and the influence on him during his studies?
Kalam in his childhood was influenced by his brother-in-law, Ahmed Jallaluddin who always encouraged him to excel in his education. They talked about scientific discoveries, contemporary writing and literature, medical science and the progress it was making. Kalam’s next influence was Manickam, a militant nationalist, who wanted to fight for Independence by means other than the Gandhian way of non-violence. Manickam had a personal library and Kalam visited there to borrow books and always he encouraged Kalam to read. Kalam’s cousin, Samsuddin, who was the only distributor for newspapers in Rameshwaram was his next influence.

Kalam’s real education started with his mother, his father and later with Jallaluddin and his Brahmin friends and teachers in his childhood. The orthodox, peaceful life of Rameshwaram greatly educated him. His early education was at local school. In 1939, when Kalam was eight year old, World War – II was over. Freedom from British Rule seemed imminent for Indians. Mahatma Gandhi declared that Indians would build their own India. The whole country was filled with optimism. The optimism affected Kalam too and he asked his father’s consent to leave Rameshwaram and to study in Ramanathapuram. Kalam’s father readily agreed to send him saying that going away was a part of growing up. He also said that their love would not bind Kalam nor would their needs hold him. Hence Kalam accompanied by Samsuddin and Ahmed Jallaluddin reached Ramanathapuram and was admitted in Schwartz High School. Despite his homesickness, Kalam was determined to settle down in the new environment to fulfill the giant hopes of his father about his success. The power of positive thinking made him to join in Schwartz High School.

At Schwartz High School, one of Kalam’s teachers Iyaduri Solomon was his guide and mentor. He raised Kalams’s self esteem and self confidence. Kalam completed his intermediate and graduation at St. Joseph’s College at Tiruchinapalli. Rev Father TN Sequeira, Rev.Father Kalalthil and Kalam’s room mates, one an Othodox Brahmin and the other a Syrian Christian influenced Kalam and shaped him. He developed a keen interest in physics. Though physics was Kalam’s fascinating subject, he needed to take Engineering to tealise his dreams. So, he applied and got admission in Madras Institute of Technology (MIT). His sister, Zohra mortgaged her bangles and chain to help Kalam out. Kalam was deeply touched seeing her determination to educate him. He strongly decided to get good marks so that he could get a scholarship. Kalam was very interested in aeronautics and flying machines when he was in MIT. The two dummy flying machines in the premises, the great lecturers he had and the sincere principal of the MIT greatly helped him in becoming an aeronautical engineer. Professor Sponder, KAV Pandalai and Narasingha Rao moulded him. Their great teaching gentle advice further prompted his already kindled desire to pursue aeronautical engineering. They made him think scientifically and prove mathematically. Prof. Srinivasam taught him to maintain standards to be second to none and to keep deadlines.

After completing his education at MIT, Kalam went to HAL in Bangalore for practical training. Kalam’s respect and administration for his teacher, his single minded pursuit of his course made him emerge as a full-fledged aeronautical engineer.

What was the important lesson that Iyadurai Solomon taught the author?
Iyadurai Solomon was an ideal guide and mentor of Kalam. He was broadminded and he made his students feel comfortable in class. He made Kalam realize that one could exercise enormous influence over the events of one’s own life. One should have the intense desire to make anything happen. He also said that with faith one can change their destiny. This lesson came to be true in Kalam’s life. Whenever Kalam saw the sky in his childhood he was always fascinated by its mysteries. He was equally fascinated by flight of clouds. Then itself he decided that he too would fly one day. His dream was fulfilled in later years and he became the first child from Rameswaram to fly.

Iyadurai Solomon instilled in children a sense of their own worth. He raised Kalam’s self-esteem and convinced him, a child of parents who had no benefits of a good education that he too could aspire to become whatever he wished. Hence Kalam was confident and determined to succeed. No doubt, Solomon was a great author to become a great person.

What was the emphasis in the interview at the Air-force Selection Board? What do you understand from the way the author dealt with failing the interview?
After his education at MIT, Kalam went as a trainee to Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) at Bangalore. He completed his practical training at HAL and emerged as a full-fledged engineer. Kalam, very soon had two different opportunities for employment. One was a career in the Indian Air Force (IAF), the other a job at the Directorate of Technical Development and Production, of the Ministry of Defense. He applied for both and was called at interview at both places almost simultaneously. The interview by the air-force recruitment authority was at Dehradun and interview by DTD & P (air) was at New Delhi.

Kalam traveled to the north for the first time and he enjoyed his journey. He wondered at the beauty of Indian landscape and the vastness of India. The questions asked at the interview at New Delhi were routine and Kalam didn’t have to exercise his brain greately. Kalam was confident that he would be selected. But interview at DehraDun was entirely different. The Selection Board laid emphasis on personality and communication skill. Kalam was nervous and tense and hence could not do well at interview. He stood ninth in the batch of 25 candidates. But only eight officers were selected for IAF and Kalam was disappointed.

Kalam traveled t Rishikesh to soothe his mind. Richkehs was apeaceful pilgrimage centr. He met Swamy Sivananda whose advice soothed his feelings. The Swamy advised Kalam to accept his destiny and to go ahead with his life as he was not destined to become a pilot. Actually Kalam’s destiny was not revealed yet and hence Swamy advised him to forget his failure and think of it as a step that will lead him to his pre-destined path. Swamy’s advice made Kalam to recollect his father’s similar advice and he decided to take what fate offered.

Kalam got appointment as a Senior Scientific Assistant at DTD&P. he did not feel any bitterness or resentment at his failure to enter IAF. He realized that though he was helping not flying aeroplanes, he was helping to make them airworthy.

What according to Kalam does one need to be a successful team leader?
APJ Abdul Kalam was born in 1931 to little educated family of boat owners in Rameswaram. He specialized in A.E. Dr. Kalam made significant contribution in developing India’s first indigenous Satellite Launch Vehicle (SLV). As the scientific adviser, to Defense Secretary he was responsible for evolving policies, strategies and missions for many development applications. With the success of Pokhran-II he became a heroic figure for many Indians.

According to Abdul Kalam, a good leader commands commitment and participation from his/her team. He/she has to get the team together to share whatever little development has been achieved. This slight loss of time was the very small prize to pay for that commitment and sense of team work. Abdul Kalam could spot out good leadership qualities in his small group of workers. They existed at all levels.

Abdul Kalam used to observe his colleagues carefully if they had the interest and willingness to experiment. He also started to listen and observe anyone who showed the slightest promise. Abdul Kalam adopted two ways to strengthen his personal freedom while leading a team. The first method was to strengthen education and skills. Knowledge is a tangible asset quite often the most important tool while working. To lead in a way, is to continue our education. Many professionals often go to night classes to keep themselves abreast of latest technological developments. To be a successful leader, one has to stay back after the din and clutter of a working day to review the work done and Kalam did just that.

These are the leadership qualities which one needs to be a successful team leader according to Kalam.

Write about SLV 3’s history, its failure and its ultimate success.
Prof.Sarabhai the Mahatma of Indian Science wanted to start an Indian SLV. For this purpose he hand-picked a team known as SLV-3. Kalam was chosen as the project leader, and he had also the additional responsibility of designing the fourth stage of SLV-3.

Sarabhai wanted to develop ISLV, after the successful launch of Nike Apache, which was the sounding rocket. This brought great changes in the space research programmes. Many new committies and teams were formed. Kalam and his team worked continuously. The SLV-3 required enormous effort in the areas of rocket propulsion and pushing the pay load into orbit. Slowly, the SLV-3 project started taking shape. Thumba became capable of handling all major systems of a launch vehicle. Prof. Sarabhai visited Thumba frequently to supervise the progress of the team until his untimely death. The TERLS at Thumba became Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre (VSSC). The team worked in full swing as if in memory of the great man who planned it. Kalam was appointed the project manager for SLV-3. SLV-3’s primary objective was to launch a 40kg satellite into a 400km circular orbit around the earth.
Kalam selected the team carefully. Dr.Brahma Prakash formed Project Advisory Committees. A target of All Line Flight Test within 64 months was set in March 1973. The team members were specialists in their own area. This raised them to the heights in their careers later.

About 250 sub assemblies and 44 major sub-systems were conceived during the design of SLV-3, the components required for, were made in India itself. First experimental flight trial of SLV-3 was scheduled for 10 August 1979. The 23mt long, forestage rocket, weighing 17 tons, finally took off elegantly. Stage 1 performance was perfect. But because of some malfunctioning stage-2 went out of control and it crashed into the sea, 560km off Sriharikota. Later the team held meeting, discussed about the fault and after great efforts and collections lifted off SLV-3 off from SHAR. This vehicle which took off on 18 July 1980 set the blue print for India’s satellite programmes and later to missile development. It was an inspiration of success to the whole country.

What does Kalam say about Sarabhai’s contribution to India’s Science programme?
Prof. Vikram Sarabhai was a visionary who pioneered Space Research in India. He had invited Kalam to take up RATO project. During this project Prof. Sarabhai has realized his vision for ten year Space Research. The confidence and courage of Prof. Sarabhai made the Indian Scientific Community competent and ready to take on new challenges. It was Sarabhai who had located Shriharikota to rocket launching station.

Kalam has deep respect and utmost veneration to Prof. Sarabhai. He considers him as the ‘Mahatma of Indian Science’. Prof. Sarabhai was an innovator who was highly optimistic and tolerant. He identified the capabilities of his sub-ordinates. He was the only schentist who single handedly planned and got executed the vast network of Space Research Organizations throughout India. He wanted to develop indigenous rockets and satellites.

Prof. Sarabhai had formed a team named SLV-3 to develop SLV and Kalam was chosen to lead the project. Prof. Sarabhai used to say that mistakes were inevitable but generally manageable. He had the wisdom to understand any kind of situation. He had set up the Rocket Engineering Section at Thumba.

For five years, about 22 scientists and engineers had worked with Prof. Sarabhai who later took charge of important scientific projects. Prof. Sarabhai personally supervised the progress of each and every stage of SLV-3 until his untimely death. The TERLS at Thumba became the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, and the work on SLV -3 went on in full swing in Prof. Sarabhai’s memory.

Within a year of Sarabhai’s death India’s first SLV lifted off from SHAR. This credit goes to the pillars of Indian Space Programme, Prof. Sarabhai in particular. Thus Sarabhai’s visions define the counoutry’s Space Progamme.

Write briefly about Wernher Von Braun’s achievements.
Wernher Von Braun was a German Scientist. He was a great schentist in the fieldof rocketry and missiles. He was a scientist, designer, production engineer, administrator and technology manager, all rolled into one. He worked as technical director of the German Missile Laboratory. He made the lethal V-2 missiles that devasted London in World War II. Later Lethal V-2 missiles were the first missiles to exceed the speed of the sound. At the end of the war Von Braun was captured by the allied forces headed by the USA. He was not ill-treated but in honour of his genius he was given a top position in the rocketry programme at NASA. He worked for the American army and produced the first IRBM, Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile, ‘Jupiter’missile with a 3000km range.

Abdul Kalam was awed to meet such a great man as Von Braun. He received Von Braun at the Madras airport and was happy to travel with him in the Avro aircraft from Madras to Trivandrum. During the 90min flight Von Braun asked Kalam about the progress of Indian Space research and listened like a student. Kalam found the father of modern rocketry to be a very humble, receptive and encouraging person.Von Braun advised Abdul Kalam to do anything in rocketry on his own if he wanted to do it. He cited the example of the Americans who looked at every alien product with great mistrust. He also advised to take successes and failures equally as even failures can teach more. Mere hard work would not bring honour. One must have vision and conception of the whole and then work hard to make it a success. Finally he advised Kalam not to make rocketry his profession or livelihood but make it his religion or mission of life.
Abdul Kalam saw Prof. Sarabhai in Von Braun. This speaks about Kalam’s admiration for Von Braun, who had enhanced his wisdom and expanded his vision.
Do you accept Kalam as a great scientific leader in relation to the launch of Agni? Give your reasons.
The Birth of Agni:
Abdul Kalam was sure that the Indian scientists and technologists working together had the capability to achieve this technological break through. The Agni had more than 500 scientists. The launch had been scheduled for 20th April, 1989. Unlike space launch, missile launch involved wide ranging safety hazards. All activities preparatory to the launch went according to schedule. They evacuated the people from nearby village. This led to media controversy. Besides, foreign pressure was exerted to abandon the flight trial.

The launch of Agni:
After a detailed analysis it was decided that the missile was ready for launch on 1st May, 1989. But unfortunately due to technical problems, it was postponed. After two postponements and a possible cyclone, Agni was launched on 22nd may 1989 at 7/10 hours. It was a perfect launch. The missile followed textbook trajectory. All flight parameters were met. They had met success at last after five years of continuous work. They had survived pressure from everywhere to stop the programme.

Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi called the Agni a major achievement in our effort to safe guard our independence and security by self-reliant means.president R.Venkataraman saw in Agni success, the fulfillment of his dream. He congratulated Abdul Kalam and said that it was a tribute to his dedication, hard work and talent.

Abdul Kalam explained to his team major opportunities were accompanied by equally major challenges. One should never give up. One should not allow the problem to defeat one. Inspired by Abdul Kalma’s words, the team of Scientists worked hard continuously and made Agni’s launch successful. This proves that Abdul Kalam is a great scientific leaer. Though the USA threatened to put a stop to all missile related technologies along with all multinational aid, Kalam did not give up his launch of Agni.he asserted that in today’s world, technological backwardness would lead to the threat of subjugation. We should not allow our freedom to be compromised on this account. It is our duty to guarantee the security and integrity of our nation against this threat.

How did India react to the response of the West? Did it stop its missile development programme, or emerge as a self-reliant country in the field of guided missiles?
The West was shocked and angry seeing India’s missile programme. The launch was Prithvi sent shock waves across the neighboring countries. A seven nation technology embargo was clamped. This made India unable to buy anything even remotely connected with the development of guided missiles. The emergence of India as a self-reliant country in the field of guided missiles upset all the developed nations of the world.

The first launch of the missile programme was conducted in September 1985 when Trishul successfully took off from Sriharikota. This was followed by the test flight of pilot less target aircraft. India was slowly graduation from single-laboratory projects to multilaboratory programmes and the to laboratory-industry exercises. India reached the highway to national self-reliance in missile technology.

After the launch of Prithvi in 1988, Indian core competence in rocketry was firmly established. Later the Agni missile was developed as a technology demonstrator project pooling all the resources available in the country. Agni was launched on 22nd Many 1989, the USA showed great anger and threatened to stop all missile-related technologies along with all multinational aid. Gary Mulhollen suspected that Germany had helped India. Germany in turn blamed France. American senator Jeff Bingaman suggested that Abdul Kalam picked the information required for Agni during his stay in Virginia. Kalam was in NASA in 1962 and this technology did not exist even in America by then.

Abdul Kalam is of the opinion that in today’s world technological backwardness results in loss of freedom. It is our duty to guarantee the security and integrity of the nation against this threat.


How did Kalam infuse young blood in DRDL Write the consequences of it in detail?
Abdul Kalam engaged more than fifty university professors and a hundred research scholars as partners in design, development and production from twelve academic institutions and thirty national laboratories. The young engineers whom Kalam and his team had recruited changed the dynamics of DRDL. They were quick enough o grasp the importance of their work. The young scientists negative attitude changed to positive, even older scientists were rejuvenated by being a part of a young team.

Abdul Kalam encouraged the young scientists. He asked them to present their team’s work. Gradually an atmosphere of confidence grew. Young scientists started questioning senior colleagues on solid technical issues. The work environment was lovely, with a good blend of the experience of the older scientists and the innovation of their younger colleagues. This relationship had produced work culture at DRDL.

Kalam praised all the young scientists of IISC, Bangalore; Jadavpur, and Hyderabad, for helping in the development of Pritvi, Akash, Agni and Nag missiles.

Why was the Nandi project abandoned?
In 1958, Kalam was posted at the Technical Centre. Based on his experience and studies, the Aeronautical Development Establishment (ADE) set up a project team. Kalam was the leader. His first assignment was to design and develop an indigenous hovercraft prototype, called the Ground Equipment Machine. With limited resources and almost no information, the team designed and developed the indigenous hovercraft named ‘ Nandi”.

Defence Minister, V.K.Krishna Menon, was keenly interested in the success of this project. Inspite of his colleagues’ hostility Kalam and his small team succeeded in designing and developing the Nandi hovercraft. It’s appearance was not attractive but it could serve its purpose. V.K.Krishna Menon took a ride in it with Kalam at the controls. The risk was worth as it proved to be a smooth ride. The Defence Minister declared that the basic problems of hovercraft development were solved now. He encouraged Kalam to develop more powerful Prime movers and call him for more rides.

Abdul Kalam completed the Nandi project successfully ahead of schedule. It was appreciated by the Director of ADE also. But by then Krishna Menon was out of office. The new government did not show any interest in the project. Hence the GEM project was called off. Abdul Kalam was greatly disappointment as he had put his heart and soul into the successful creation of Nandi. Thus his early years as an employee ended with a successfully shelved Nandi project.

Important Questions for Final Exam

S.SHAHEEN TAJ
NIST

WATER: THE ELIXIR OF LIFE

Why water is considered the true elixir of life? Or Write destructive purpose of water.
Prof. C.V.Raman, one of the greatest Indian scientists, has tried to bring about the importance of water. Water has a unique power of maintaining animal a about the constructive and of plant life. Water is the commonest of all liquids. Without water the land will be barren like the deserts in Egypt. Egypt is made by its river Nile. On one side of Egypt we see sand and on the other side, densely populated area separated by the river Nile. Water is a wonderful thing on earth. At the country side water is the most beautiful site. The rainfed tanks play a vital role in South Indian agriculture. But these tanks are often neglected. Some of them are large and it is beautiful to see sunrise and sunset in them.

The flow of water plays a great part on the earth’s surface. Water carries silt and finely divided soil and deposits in low lying areas, which even carries large amounts of solid particles. Silt deposited land is very fertile. The same water plays destructive part as it washes away the soil, which is the foundation of all agriculture. The problem of soil erosion is one of the major problems. Soil erosion occurs in successive steps. In the beginning, it may go unnoticed. But in the later stages, the cutting up and the washing away of earth is clear. Sudden burst of heavy rain causes soil erosion. The slope of the land also causes soil erosion which calls for urgent attention and preventive action. The terracing of the land, construction of bunds is essential to check the flow of water. The practice of contour cultivation and planting of appropriate plants are some of the measures suggested to prevent soil erosion.

Water is essential for the animal body while moisture in soil is equally important for life and growth of plants. Much of Indian agriculture depends on monsoon. Thus the collection of rail water and utilization of it is very important. Vast area of land, which at present has scrub jungle, could be turned into dense forest. The problem of aforestation is closely connected with conservation of water supplies. The planting of trees in every possible way and the development of forest is the most urgent need of India; such plantation would check soil erosion and provide cheap fuel. The conservation of water also serves a purpose of value to the life of country side. The cheapest means of transport is by boats and barges. There is development of rail, road transport but a few measures are taken to improve waterways. Harvesting of water supplies develops hydro-electric power. Thus water plays a vital role in both animal and plant life and we should pay the highest interest in its proper utilization.


REACHING FOR THE STARS

Kalpana Chawla was a rare combination of brilliant mind and an intensely humane spirit discuss.
Kalpana was the youngest of four children. She was born on 1st of July, 1961. She grew up in Karnal which was full of social restrictions, but her father Banarasi Lal Chawla gave importance to educate all children equally. Kalpana was a shy but cheerful girl with boundless energy and a strong inclination for adventure. She impressed everyone with her determination and commitment to work. She was fun loving and she organized picnic with her friends. She learnt to drive a car when she was only 14. She was fascinated by aircraft and making aircrafts. Moreover she loved to watch endless dark sky scattered with twinkling stars. Kalpana had an impressive academic record. She wanted to be a flight engineer and hence she opted for Aeronautical Engineering in Punjab Engineering college in Chandigarh. She was the only girl out of total eight students in class. She was very enthusiast and pleasant and unassuming who spent most time in library and laboratory. Whenever she had to make a choice she selected most challenging one. Kalpana decided to join the University of Texas of Arlington and continue her studies in USA. In Arlington, Kalpana plunged into the tightly packed routine of American M.S.Program.

In December 1993, Kalpana married French American Jean Pierre Harrison. After completing her Masters Programme, Kalpana moved with her husband to Colorado, where she completed her PhD programme. In 1998, Kalpana joined to NASA, AMES research centre in California. She applied even to NASA Space Centre, to become an astronaut. In 1993, she was given a job as Vice President and Research Scientist with Overset Methods Inc., in the Silicon Valley. She was put incharge of developing and implementing techniques for Aerodynamic optimization.

Kalpana finally attended an interview and medical evaluation to become an astronaut. She was chosen from total of 2,962 applicants, she had worked hard for the interview. She became a pride to her nation and family. In Houston, she spent months in high fidelity simulators and under zero gravity conditions. In November 1997 her dream of becoming an astronaut was fulfilled. She was one of the six crew members onboard the Columbia Shuttle STS-87 assigned the job of prime robotic arm operator. She was the mission specialist; she had to monitor experiment conducted onboard and perform extra vehicular activity.

Kalpana realised in space that our planet is really very small part of the universe. She loved nature and as a nature enthusiast, she wanted everyone to take care of their habitat. Kalpana always remembers her friends and associates. She believed in lasting relationships inspite of her hectic schedule at NASA and the pressures of life. She helped her people in different times of her life. She arranged a programme allowing two students from her school to visit NASA every year.

Before her last journey she planned to sponsor a young student to a University in South Africa. Kalpana was once again selected as crew member for STS-107 launch. The purpose of sixteen day mission was to conduct research on micro gravity. It was a perfect launch and the members carried out their assigned work. Kalpana conducted a lot of experiments. She even heard her favourite music on CD.

On February 2003, Colombia was ready to re-enter the earth’s atmosphere. Kalpana’s family and friends were waiting at Cape Canaveral. But all of a sudden all communication within Colombia snapped when it was at a height of 207,135 feet in sky, the Colombia burst leaving no survivor.

Kalpana was truly remarkable woman with a rare combination of brilliant mind and intensely humane spirit. She will remain a part of the world’s heritage for the extraordinary will power and daring that she showed in her attempt to reach the stars.

Computer Ethics


How are the hypotheses of Deborah Johnson and Krystyna Gorniak different from each other on the issue of computer revolution and ethics?
Computer ethics includes consideration of both personal and social policies for the ethical use of computer technology. Norbert Wiener is the father of computer ethics. Later many other thinkers like Johnson and Gorniak made extensive study of the applied personal and social computer ethics. Everyone had their own hypothesis.
In 1985 Johnson published her first major textbook, Computer Ethics. In it she has defined computer ethics as a field that examines new moral problems, dilemmas, old problems and application of ordinary morals in new situations. She thought that computers would not create new problems but they will give new twist to familiar issues of ownership, power, privacy and responsibility. Like Gorniak she too thought that computer ethics would disappear as a branch of applied ethics.
In the paper presented at the 1995 ETHICOMP international conference, Krystyna Gorniak predicted that computer ethics would evolve into global ethics which would be common to all cultures. It would be applicable to all human actions and relations. She predicted that all ethical theories would be replaced by computer ethics. In her view, the computer revolution would lead to a new ethical system which will be global and cross-cultural in nature.

Deborah Johnson said that computer ethics and ordinary ethics would become one. This is opposite of Krystyna’s theory. Computer revolution in her pinion would not lead to a revolution in ethics. Thus their views were different. Krystyna said that computer revolution would radically change human life style, whereas Deborah Johnson said that the current fundamental ethical theories would remain forever with a new twist. This would make applied computer ethics disappear.

Write about Norbert Weiner’s contribution to Computer Ethics.
Terrel Ward Bynum writes about the birth, growth and the probable death of Computer Ethics in his essay, “A Very Short History of Computer Ethics.” Weiner, a professor in the MIT is considered to be the ‘Father of Computer Ethics. He encountered a problem of automatic control systems for guided missiles. It required tracking and hunting of enemy aircraft and then shooting them down. he thought that the computer must be made to work like a human hunter.
Weiner observed that this gives rise to various social and ethical problems, he thus required a new branch of science related to computers which he called as “cybernetics” and digital computers would lead to revolutionary social and ethical consequences. He was sure that the integration of computer technology into society would affect every major aspect of life. Thus a new set of values and ethics were needed.
The mid 60s saw the rise of computer technology as Weiner had thought. Thus the thinkers like Donn Parker created a code of ethics for the members of the Association of Computer Machinery (ACM). The necessity of computer ethics was essential. Further, privacy became a thing of the past and George Orwell’s prediction tha the ‘big brother is watching you’ proved to be true. By mid 70s, new privacy laws and computer crime laws were enacted in many advanced countries.
Computer entered the field of medicine and psychology too. This gave rise to a set of strange ethical problems which required careful handling and thus a separate branch of applied ethics. This was nothing but computer ethics. Computer ethics includes consideration of both personal and social policies for the ethical use of computer technology. Thus computer ethics, at present is very much essential. Weiner’s contribution to computer ethics is so important that credit goes to him for conceiving the applied ethics.

THE GOLD FRAME

The Gold Frame is a short story written by the cartoonist, R.K.Laxman. In this story the writer tries to bring out the characteristics of Indian middle class. The hypocrisy and false prestige, typical to middle class are well exposed in this story. The style of the story is consistent with the theme of humour.

The Modern Frame Works is an extra-large wooden packing case placed in-between two other shops. Datta, the owner of the Modern Frame Works, is the central figure in the story. He was a lean man with silver-rimmed glasses and the colour of seasoned timber. He was a silent and hardworking man. He spoke very little and discouraged casual friends and idle gossip.

Once a customer approaches Datta to get an old photograph framed in the best possible frame. He respects, admires and praises the old man which makes one believe that the man in the photograph must have been an ideal human being. The customer is great for his ability to recognize and respect such humanity. The customer has no will of his own so Datta comes to his rescue to help him select a proper frame. With his help he selects cut mount for his photograph. The customer talks as if it were his life’s mission to get the photograph framed but he does not even likes to pay the price quoted by Datta. After getting the price and date settled he goes away.

His customers came days in advance and went away disappointed or came months later. Some never turned up at all and their pictures lay unclaimed in a box. Thus Datta would not begin his work unless his customers came twice before the date of due. His tall and rustic looking customer appeared after ten days to see the progress in work. When Datta grasped the interest of his customer in the frame he took out the photograph to frame it. Datta accidentally spills enamel paint on the sacred photograph of the customer. He tries to rub it with a piece of cloth but the figure peels off. The respectable old man’s face turned into thick black specks sticking to the enamel smeared on the piece of closth in his hand. Datta was afraid of the consequences. Every nerve in his head throbbed as if it would tear apart if he did not hold it down. Datta thought of alternate solutions like framing another photograph. Luckily he found one with which he could take a fair risk. In his confusion Datta frames square frame while the customer has ordered an oval frame. This in a way saves Datta. The customer questions the frame and not the photograph itself, thereby saving Datta. This results in humour.

This story reveals the cunning nature of Datta. R.K.Laxman depicts the cunning nature of Datta. R.K.Laxman depicts the customer as a fool. The customer agrees upon the price though he feels it to be high. After all the lavish praise, a bargain over the price would make him still foolish. So his veneration for the old man as well as his willingness to pay any price for the frame is both dubious. Data is saved by the foolishness of the customer rather than by his own experience or cleverness. Thus the story The Gold Frame has suspense, irony, and humour resulting from the theme, characterization, setting and style.