Day: August 17, 2021

WOMEN SAFETY IN INDIA

Women in India, today, are becoming the most vulnerable section as far as their safety and security is concerned. Women are the greatest strength of our society and it is so disheartening to see that they are getting unsafe day by day as the number of crimes against them are increasing. According to a poll by Reuters, India has been ranked the most dangerous country out of the world’s 10 worst countries for women. When we turn the pages of a newspaper, we come across many headlines reporting cases of molestation, harassment, trafficking, ill treatment of women in houses, violence against women in remote areas etc. Women feel unsafe and unsecure and feel that their freedom and liberty are expose to risk. It is unbearable to imagine the plight of women who are sufferers of such crimes. It is a shake on the confidence of the women of the society and on our judicial system.

According to the National Crimes Records Bureau(NCRB), India recorded 88 rape cases every day in 2019 and crimes against women increased by 63.3% in the first six months of 2021. NCRB report highlights that rape vulnerability of a girl or woman has increased up to 44% in the last 10 years. As per the latest NCRB data, KOLKATA comes out on top in safety, not just for women, but overall as well. To protect women from domestic violence THE PARLIAMENT OF INDIA passed ‘The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005’.

IMPORTANCE OF WOMEN SAFETY-

Safety of women is very important in this cruel and evil society. As the number of cases are arising against women, it is very important to exercise the laws and get the criminal arrested and punished as soon as possible. It helps women be calmer, understanding and they feel protected. They will trust the government if the criminal gets required punishment in time. It will develop body and mind control in them. They will take active part in every thing if proper safety is ensured to them. There are laws but there should be proper safety measures which we have to follow strictly to protect the women from violence.

We generally play the blame game for any such incidence and hence have not succeeded to reach the root cause of this issue. An effective implementation of loss protecting women’s rights is the first step in this direction. There should be stringent loss and the criminals of such crime should be severely punished.

CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN-

In India, sexual harassment, rapes, domestic violence, dowry cases and murder are common forms of violence against women. It is found in some places that even today, there is a tradition of taking dowry from the girl’s family and the father sacrifices and loses everything to pay it. Domestic violence is also increasing very badly where one partner or a man abuses another another partner or a girl in a relationship. It leads to depression and suicides. It’s not a direct murder but it is the cause of murder for sure. Cheating in a relationship and giving divorce is also a crime against women which destroys the whole life of a women and the man easily finds a new girl and marries her. Acid throwing is considered to be the most heinous crime against women which ruins the beautiful girl’s life and left her in a state of shock.

HOW CAN WE SAFEGUARD WOMEN OF OUR SOCIETY?

We also need to create social awareness about these issues and ostracise those who commit such crimes and not the victims. Women safety is a crucial concern in India and a lot of organisations started working on it after Nirbhaya’s case. Women should be taught some self-defence tips and tricks in schools, colleges, offices and residential colonies, so that if anyone tries to harm them, they can apply these tricks to protect them and hurt the person trying to attack her. Also, various videos of self-defence techniques are uploaded online, on various social media platforms for educating women’s safety. Women should always put some chilly powder, ginger-garlic paste or some harming materials while going out to harm the attacker. To ensure the security of the women in the country, the entire population should be well-educated and the laws should be very tough against every kind of crime. Both the men and women of the society should be empowered with proper education and income so that they can fight against any harm to them. There are also various helpline numbers for ensuring women safety in India. Only when these measures are taken, India can become a carefree and enjoyable place for women when they can go where ever they like to without any fear of being stared at, molested or discriminated.

”It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent”. – Madeleine Albright

BUBBLES

” surround everyone you can think

of in bubbles of love“

~ Diana Cooper

Bubbles! We all know how fascinating they are, evoking happy memories of blowing and chasing the mystical orbs with our friends. A bubble’s fragile nature, beautiful rainbow colors, and ability to soar through the sky make them universally fascinating among kids.

How are bubbles formed?

Bubbles are pockets of soap and water that are filled with air. When soap and water are mixed together and air is blown into the mixture, the soap forms a thin skin or wall and traps the air, creating a bubble.

What are some fun facts about bubbles?

A bubble consists of three layers: two layers of soap clinging to either side of a layer of water. Light that hits the different layers interferes with itself, causing colorful iridescence. A bubble always attempts to form a sphere because surface tension pulls the liquid inward.

What is the purpose of bubbles?

What’s the science behind (or inside) a bubble? Bubbles provide the opportunity to study science concepts such as elasticity, surface tension, chemistry, light, and even geometry.

What are the properties of bubbles?

Properties of Bubbles

  • Liquid-Solid Contact Angles.
  • Film-Film Contact Angles.
  • Film-Solid Contact Angles.

Who invented bubbles?

Bubbles are no longer simply soap and water. Invented by Taiwanese bubble solution expert Jackie Lin, the top-secret solution contains a polymer that allows bubbles to resist evaporation.

Why do bubbles float?

soap bubbles can’t really fly — they float! … Because the air trapped inside a bubble is less dense than the air outside the bubble, it’s up, up and away! The heavier carbon dioxide in the air around the bubble pushes up on the air trapped inside the bubble and off it goes.

Are bubbles liquid or gas?

A bubble is a globule of one substance in another, usually gas in a liquid. Examples include soap bubbles, foam, bubbles in carbonated drinks, etc. The surface of a bubble is usually liquid. A bubble is a globule of one substance in another, usually gas in a liquid.

What are the different kinds of bubbles?

  • Air bubbles as a man surfaces in a swimming pool.
  • Bubbles of gas in a soft drink.
  • Bubble of gas in a mudpot.
  • A bubble of gas in a tar pit.
  • Frosted bubble.
  • Man blows bubble.

” Happiness is a soap bubble that

changes color as the iris and that breaks when touched “

~Honore de Balzac

Tax Planning

 

Introduction to Tax Planning:



Tax
Planning is an activity
conducted by the tax payer to reduce the tax liable upon him/her by making
maximum use of all available deductions, allowances, exclusions, etc. feasible
under law. 


                                                                            

It is a good thing to give government a part of our earnings
so that various development works can
be carried out. But we should also think of saving the tax that we pay with the help of ways
provided by the government. Various deductions that can be taken under Section
80 can be taken up to a maximum limit of 1.5
Lakhs.


How to create an effective Tax plan ?

Let us try to understand it with an example:

I would like to take deductions as
follows:

1.        PPF (Under Section 80C): Invest Rs. 5000, in PPF every month, i.e., Rs.60,000 per annum into PPF. I will save tax also and fulfil my investment plan also.

2.       
ELSS
(Under Section 80C): An Equity Linked Savings Scheme,
popularly known as ELSS, is a type of diversified equity scheme which
is close-ended, with a lock-in
period of three years, offered by mutual funds in India. Annual
Investment of 68,500 to be made in ELSS, which will save tax expenses and
generate income also.

3.       
Deduction for Term Life Insurance: Deduction of at least Rs. 9492, based on the plan I chose. Premiums paid for it are
deductible u/s 80C.

4.       
Deduction for Medical Insurance (Under Section 80D): Take a health
insurance of an annual premium of Rs. 21500 approx.
for the cover of Rs. 75,00,000.

 

NET INCOME WITHOUT TAX PLANNING

AMOUNT (₹)

Annual Income

12,50,000

Income Tax @ 25%

312500

NET INCOME

9,37,500

 

 

NET INCOME AFTER TAX PLANNING

AMOUNT (₹)

Annual Income

12,50,000

Deductions Under Section 80C

1,50,000

Net Taxable Income

11,00,000

Income Tax @ 20%

220000

NET INCOME

8,80,000

 

Analysis of the above Tax Plan

As we can see above, without any taxation planning, we
have to pay a tax of Rs. 3,12,500 p.a. under 25% slab of Income Tax. But after tax planning
and making proper
allocations of money, Income tax paid is Rs. 2,20,000.
Hence, we save Rs. 92,500 p.a. This amount can further be invested into some
return generating investments.



                                                Conclusion                     

                                                                                  

Thus, we should always try to plan our taxes in such a
way that less of them have to be paid and more return can be made in long run.

                                                                             

 

5 most dangerous animal on the planet

There are many animals on this planet. Some are fine but some are venomous and dangerous for all. Some might hurt you back when you try to hurt them as well but some are just not as good as you can think of them. So here we are going to talk about 5 of these dangerous animals on the planet.

1) Box jellyfish

Box jellyfish is one the dangerous animals found on the planet. They are native to Australia. They are cnidarian vertebrates distinguished by their box like body. Some species of this animal produces venom that are fatal to humans. It is said to be the deadliest creature in the sea.

2) Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes are one of the smallest creature but is as deadly as large venomous creatures. They are found in every region except Antarctica. Genera Aedes, Anopheles and Culex are the main dangers. They are primary vector for diseases like malaria, chikungunya, yellow fever, dengue, elephantiasis, Zika virus, encephalitis and dengu. These diseases affect more than 700 million people in a year and caused death of nearly 725000 people.

3) Saltwater crocodile

They are one of the most dangerous beast. They can grow up to 26ft. They are massive in size and weights upto tonnes. They are aggressive they tear the humans into pieces. One or two fatal attacks are reported by these creatures. If looked properly they resembles T.rex. There are sign board present to avoid swimming in the area of this beast. Mainly 20-30 attacks outside Australia take place by these massive man eaters. Most of them are males.

4) Stonefish

Stone fish are found in indo-pacific ocean, The Red sea and the great barrier reef. They are the most venomous fish known and they are fatal to human. Stonefish stings are extremely painful and potentially lethal. Stonefish stings can occur on the beach, not only in water but also outside the water as they can survive 24 hours outside the water. They look similar to rocks or corals.

5) Puffer fish

Puffer fish is also known as blowfish. They are closely related to porcupinefish which have large external spines. These species are toxic and some are poisonous. Pufferfish can be lethal if not served properly. Puffer poisoning usually results from consumption of incorrectly prepared Puffer soup, fugu chiri, or occasionally from raw Puffer meat. Pufferfish tetrodoxin deadens the tongue and lips, and induce dizziness and vomiting, followed by numbness and prickling over the body, rapid heart rate, decreased blood pressure and muscle paralysis.

Perfectionism Destroys Productivity

Do you always worry that you didn’t do a good job? Do you always question your work and your actions? Are you afraid of admitting your mistakes? Does rejection make you feel bad? If so, you’re in great danger. If you’re a perfectionist, you’re just a procrastinator with a mask. It’s no different from someone who’s lazy and does nothing at all. A perfectionist…

  • Always waits for the right moment.
  • Never makes mistakes.
  • Always needs more time.

But at the end of the day, life and work is about outcomes. Results matter.

Is perfectionism worth it?

Perfectionism is just another form of procrastination. When you constantly worry about making mistakes, doubt creeps in your mind. And that causes indecision.

There are two types of perfectionists:

  1. The one that never starts. You want to achieve something, but you immediately start doubting yourself. You think: “I don’t think I can do it.” So you never start.
  2. The one that starts but has too high standards. You set a goal. You work hard (maybe too hard). But you’ve set your goals so high, that you’re always failing yourself.

These are things that we rather avoid. Joachim Stöber and Jutta Joormann, who studied Worry, Procrastination, and Perfectionism, write:

“The combination of concern over mistakes and procrastination may be a crucial factor in the maintenance of worry. On the one hand, it may prolong existing threats because no steps are taken to cope. On the other hand, it may increase existing threats or even produce additional threats because initially solvable problems will pile up, thus creating an overload of problems that may finally be insoluble.”

And that feeling of being helpless is the biggest pitfall for us. Because what do we do when we feel helpless? Exactly—we give up. Just look at the studies about Learned Helplessness. However, perfectionism is not always bad. In fact, some studies suggest perfectionism is related to greater achievement. But that’s not the question here. Of course, when you set higher goals and if you have higher standards; you achieve more. Without a doubt, perfectionistic tendencies can be a good thing. But as we all know, achieving goals is not the only thing in life. It’s more about HOW we reach our goals and aspirations.

How to beat it?

In an interesting study by Gordon L. Flett and his colleagues; they talk about the role of learned resourcefulness to perfectionism. They suggest that learned resourcefulness can play a mediator role.

Michael Rosenbaum, a Professor at Oxford University says,

“Learned resourcefulness refers to the behavioral repertoire necessary for both regressive self-control and reformative self-control. This repertoire includes self-regulating one’s emotional and cognitive responses during stressful situations, using problem-solving skills, and delaying immediate gratification for the sake of more meaningful rewards in the future.”

Learned resourcefulness is the skill that you need to stop sabotaging yourself.

Finding Balance

If you’re a slacker, you don’t care about much. Good enough is your motto. And you have no ambition at all. An attitude like that doesn’t bring you anywhere. The American novelist Cormac McCarthy put it best:

“It’s like a lot of things, said the smith. Do the least part of it wrong and ye’d just as well to do it all wrong.”

Slacking is an attitude of “I don’t care.” But if you want to make things happen in your life, you have to care. And what you want is to find a middle ground where your perfectionistic tendencies drive you, but you have the calm of a slacker, and you combine that with learned resourcefulness. Do great work like a perfectionist, but don’t give too much attention to your goals like a slacker. And finally, combine it with this:

Resourcefulness — Goals can work well, but they can also be counterproductive. That’s why you want to rely on systems. And when shit hits the fan; use your problem-solving skills to figure things out.

 Instead of beating yourself up when you make a mistake or if you fail yourself, you just adjust or solve the problem.

  • Avoid the perfectionist’s favorite sentence: “OMG, this is the worst thing ever!”
  • Also avoid the slacker’s favorite sentence: “I don’t care.”
  • But instead, you say: “I’ve got this.”

Everything about Procrastination

We all procrastinate Procrastination is the act of putting off work for no particular reason. Some guides and experts say that you’re procrastinating when you’re not doing a task that needs to be accomplished by a certain deadline.  That’s a false definition. It implies that we’re not procrastinating as long as we get the work done. If that’s true, most people don’t procrastinate. Which is of course not true.  In fact, a recent study with 2,219 respondents showed that 88% of all people admit to procrastinating at least one hour a day. That’s more accurate. Why? Because we all delay or postpone a task for no good reason. Sometimes, we start a task or project, but we end up delaying the work. We don’t get it done.

Examples of Procrastination

When you delay work for a good reason, you’re not procrastinating. What’s a good reason? When your work improves with the delay. Think of someone who needs to write a report but runs into a new challenge that must be included in the report. One can argue that the work will be better by spending more time on researching the new challenge. However, most of our work does not get better by delaying it. If you want to go to the gym, your performance will not be better tomorrow. It will probably be worse because of entropy.  Until four days before the exam. That’s when the exam comes close, which is when most students start panicking. Now, most of us form this behavior in college and remain working this way long after we’re graduated. In the workplace, we procrastinate in the same way. How often have you delayed work on a project until the last minute? Again, this pattern is not only limited to education and work. In our personal lives, we do the same. When are you submitting your yearly income taxes? Exactly, on the last day. Will we do a better job with our taxes on the last day? Probably not. I argue that we’re even more likely to make mistakes because of the time pressure.  Some people say that they love deadlines and claim that’s what fuels them to do good work. I know journalists who swear by it. But it’s not a sustainable way of living and working. When you’re close to your deadline, and you haven’t done anything, you experience more stress. While stress may improve your concentration, it also has negative effects on your long-term well-being. Long-term, or chronic stress, can lead to depression, anxiety, heart disease, high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms, heart attacks, obesity, eating disorders, and a handful of other health problems1. Procrastination is not a problem we should take lightly.

Benefits of Stopping Procrastination

Procrastination is an inner struggle that can seriously destroy our overall well-being. There are three main benefits to beating procrastination:

1. Lower Anxiety

The more we procrastinate, and the longer we wait to get started with important things, the more anxiety and stress we have. Doing work is never easy. And if you wait until tomorrow, you will only feel more anxious about getting started. If you overcome procrastination and take immediate action, you will get things done. You remove the anxiety from that task before it gets to you.

Higher self-discipline

Research shows that procrastination is not only a time-management problem. One of the biggest reasons we procrastinate is low self-discipline. The main benefit of beating procrastination is that you automatically increase your self-discipline. 

Better Work

People who don’t procrastinate accomplish better work. When you work with less stress, anxiety, and high self-discipline, you give yourself the chance to do better work. 

Tips To Stop Procrastinating

  1. Know your time: This is one of the most effective techniques to identify how much time we waste. If we want to stop wasting our time, we need to be aware of how we spend our time first.
  2. Perfectionism destroys Productivity: This is a common trap ambitious people fall in. When you try to be perfect, you’re more likely to procrastinate.
  3. Disconnect from Internet: A big aspect of beating procrastination is to avoid distractions. One of the biggest distractions is the internet. It’s good to disconnect at times.
  4. Sleep Well: Sleep is a big part of getting things done. When you’re tired, you’re more likely to put off tasks. 
  5. Exercise: Exercising is a perfect way to test yourself. If you can exercise consistently every week, it’s a good sign you’ve beaten procrastination. 
  6. Improve Self-Confidence: Improve your self-confidence so you are more likely to get things done. Believe in your ability to figure things out. 
  7. Write Daily: Writing every day is another example of self-discipline. Just like exercise, if you can write for your own purposes every day, you’ve beaten procrastination.

Books to help you stop procrastinating

  1. Man’s Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl:  Viktor Frankl was a psychiatrist before the war. His ability to observe the behavior of his fellow prisoners in Auschwitz resulted in Man’s Search For Meaning. This unique book describes how we choose our attitude in any given set of circumstances. Even during the horrible conditions of a concentration camp, humans can endure the suffering and find meaning in living because of inner decisions.
  2. A Manual for Living by Epictetus: A Manual For Living is exactly what the title says it is. This book also gives you a larger perspective on humanity. People have always had problems with self-confidence, family, work, other people, etc. In a way, nothing has changed. And that’s pretty comforting.
  3. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck: Life is about solving problems and finding solutions. If you always look at the risks and consequences of everything, you might play it safe, but you’ll also never grow. Carol Dweck’s book is one of my favorite books about developing the mindset you need to succeed in life.

“A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.” – Nelson Mandela

 

INTRODUCTION

The leader is a man who comes closest to
realizing the norms of a group that values the highest; this conformity gives
him his high rank, which attracts people and implies the right to assume
control of the group. (Homans, 1950). The underlying need-structure of the
individual is what motivates his behaviour in various leadership situations.
Leadership style thus refers to the consistency of goals or needs at different
situations. (Fiedler, 1967). One of the great leaders who had the above
qualities fulfilled in him is the former South African president, Nelson
Rolihlahla Mandela.

Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela
was born on 18 July 1918 in the Transkei village close Umtata. Nelson Mandela
was sent to Healdtown, a Wesleyan secondary school with some reputation where
he enrolled after getting a primary education at a local mission school.

Early life and work

Nelson Mandela was the son of Chief Henry
Mandela of the Madiba clan of the Xhosa-speaking Tembu people. After his
father’s death, young Nelson was raised by Jongintaba, the regent of the Tembu.
Nelson renounced his claim to the chieftainship to become a lawyer. He attended
South African Native College (later the University of Fort Hare) and studied law
at the University of the Witwatersrand; he later passed the qualification exam
to become a lawyer. In 1944 he joined the African National Congress (ANC), a
Black-liberation group, and became a leader of its Youth League. That same year
he met and married Evelyn Ntoko Mase. Mandela
subsequently held other ANC leadership positions, through which he helped
revitalize the organization and oppose the apartheid policies of the ruling
National Party.

In 1952 in Johannesburg, with fellow ANC
leader Oliver Tambo, Mandela established South Africa’s first Black law
practice, specializing in cases resulting from the post-1948 apartheid
legislation. Also that year, Mandela played an important role in launching a
campaign of defiance against South Africa’s pass laws, which required non-whites
to carry documents (known as passes, pass books, or reference books)
authorizing their presence in areas that the government deemed “restricted”
(i.e., generally reserved for the white population). He
travelled throughout the country as part of the campaign, trying to build
support for nonviolent means of protest against the discriminatory laws. In
1955 he was involved in drafting the Freedom Charter, a document calling for
non-racial social democracy in South Africa.

Mandela played a major role in many political
endeavours, many anti-apartheid movements such as the Program of Action, a
policy based initiative that was founded on the principles of non-violent
“civil disobedience, boycott, strike, and non-co-operation”. In 1962, Mandela
was nominated as the leader of the armed resistance group that was formed the
same year known as the Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nation). Mandela
explained his reasoning, he assessed the situation of South African, along with
some of his colleagues, he came to a conclusion that: as long violence was
inevitable in his country; it was considered unrealistic and wrong for African
leaders to preach on peace and non-violence when the government met their
peaceful demands by force. In 1991 eventually he was elected as the President of
the ANC. Later he was elected democratic manner as the President of the State
of South Africa in 1994.

 

Is INSEAD better than HARVARD

 

                                                                  (Photo: MBA and Beyond)

You know you want to join a business school and not just anyone but the best one. Choosing the best business school can be a daunting task considering the thousands of schools out there that are best in their own way. So now what to do? How to choose amongst the best? Making the right decision will require hard work, patience, perseverance, and a lot more. What if you get two options amongst the best business school. Will then it be easier for you to choose? These are some of the things which will come to your mind while choosing a business school.

 The topic of discussion here is: Is INSEAD a better business school than Harvard Business School. Well, this one is a tough one to decide. INSEAD and HBS, both are in the top 5 list of best business schools. Ultimately both universities are best. They are the most prestigious business schools in the world. Both are lavish in terms of campus and excellent in terms of academics. Indeed, a very difficult question to answer. Let’s understand both respectively.

 Harvard University, established in 1636, is one of the oldest institutions in the United States. Harvard Business School (HBS) is the business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts. It offers a large full-time MBA program, management-related doctoral programs, and many executive education programs. HBS offers a two-year full-time MBA program with a general management curriculum. On the other hand, INSEAD was founded in 1957. It is a renowned European business school with campuses in France, Singapore, and UAE. INSEAD offers a 10-month MBA program with more than 75 electives to choose from.

 In terms of the course content taught there will be hardly any difference. Now you might think that INSEAD gets packed in 10 to 12 months and Harvard is approximately 22 months. So how is that there is barely any course difference? So, let me just clarify this if you study at INSEAD, almost 80% of the syllabus is taught in those 10 months what is taught at Harvard in 22 months. So, picking a business school in terms of the course content there is hardly any difference. This point gives a +1 score to INSEAD.

 Now when it comes to expense, a 1-year MBA program is relatively cheaper than a 2-year MBA program. So, in terms of expense, INSEAD is a better option. INSEAD is the right door to knock when you don’t have good financial backing. Now in terms of community, Harvard dominantly consists of Americans. On the other hand, INSEAD invites applications from all over the world. So, in terms of building a community network, INSEAD is most preferred. INSEAD has multiple campuses and it also offers an exchange program bringing diversity. The entrepreneurship and alumni network are stronger in INSEAD than in Harvard. INSEAD has an alumni network more global than anyone can imagine.

 In terms of brand, Harvard itself is a brand. It has a global brand name and it is known across the industries. However, INSEAD has a brand name that is not always known to the masses especially in America. Harvard cannot be estimated as it holds a lot of Weightage not only in America but also worldwide. If you are looking for a job in the USA, then Harvard should be your destination and vice-versa.

INSEAD is a better choice for certain students who want to do MBA than Harvard. Nevertheless, that does not mean that HBS is in any way subordinate to INSEAD. Both have their pros and cons. It depends upon an individual where he/she wants to study. Saying that INSEAD is better than Harvard will do injustice to the latter.

 

Judicialization of Executive decisions -A Threat to Democracy

                                                                    (Photo: Science ABC)

It is true to say that, “Judicialization of executive decisions is dangerous for democracy”. Judicialization is the growing involvement of judges in assessing the executive prerogatives and performance and the reliance on courts for addressing core public policy questions and political controversies.

 Judicialization occurs in parliamentary democracies when a high degree of party competition in legislature invites challenges from judiciary because these systems produce weak coalitions. In 1950s and 60s, the political elite passed the decision-making burden to the court because they wanted an umpire. Successive governments expanded the court jurisdiction over administrative tribunals and the court seized more powers of judicial review. In the last decade, the main driver of judicial involvement in executive decisions is pressure from civil society actors. The relationship between courts and political considerations in India’s parliamentary system is less coherent.

 When the political actor is strong (single-party majority), prepared to take on courts and has a policy agenda, SC is more constrained. This occurred during Indira Gandhi’s time. If the political actor is strong, but not prepared to strike at the courts autonomy (Nehru’s time), or if there is a weak coalition (post-1988), the judiciary has more room to manoeuvre. Today, within the space given by structural conditions, higher judiciary is trying to balance constraints imposed by institutional realities with demands for judicial action from societal actors. Judiciary’s intervention has had positive as well as negative effect. On the positive side, it has knitted alliances with political parties, citizen groups, activists and the media to keep an eye on the administration. On the negative side, the danger remains of collision between judiciary and other organs of state, which is against the principles of constitution and democracy. A bigger concern is the habit developed by higher judiciary of monitoring implementation of orders.

Judiciary interference should only be when required and should not be made as a permanent thing. It contains the principles of democracy as the three wings are different and has their own jurisdictions. Thus, it can be said that judicialization of executive decision is dangerous for democracy.

 

One nation, One election

                                                                       (Photo: Think India)

“One nation, one election”, might sound good as well as appealing, but it will have a number of anti-democratic consequences. It’s true saying that simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha and State Assembly could save time, energy and money of our country, but on the other side it can prove to be harmful for our country as well as democracy.

Apart from logical considerations, which cannot be a serious reason for a major change to the basic structure of the Indian polity, the most seductive argument in favor of simultaneous elections is the allure of Modi’s phrase, “One nation, one election.” This matches the “one nation, one tax” rationale for the goods and services tax (GST), which, of course, came into force via its own constitutional amendment on 1 July, 2017.

While one can debate the economic costs and benefits of GST, the analogy with elections is logically flawed. Indeed, the concept of simultaneous elections fundamentally runs against the grin of our Westminster-style federal political union. “One nation, one election” would make sense if India were a unitary state. But we are a union of states, which is philosophically and politically an essentially different conception of the Indian nation-state. With this, let us discuss the disadvantages of holding simultaneous elections in India:

  • Rule by the majority is the cardinal principle of Indian democracy. The concept of simultaneous elections goes against this principle since if elections are held simultaneously then the Lok Sabha and the state legislative assemblies cannot be dissolved before completing their full period of 5 years even if the ruling party is reduced to a minority hence it will go against the federal principles.
  •  It will disown today’s reality of fragmented quality at the state level where coalitions are the order of the day. So, simultaneous elections try to bring in the presidential type of governance where the state assembly is no longer can decide their own path and have to be in existence for 5 years with a minority party in power.
  • Even if elections were to take place simultaneously, parties contesting in only one state would anyway be similarly burdened. So, it probably takes care of only national parties. And the logistic requirement of movement of the requisite security forces. This constant would remain even if simultaneous elections were held.

So, it can be said that holding simultaneous elections is certainly desirable but not feasible. The question which arises is, “Why should the states suffer from the electoral decisions taken at the centre?” It has been said that simultaneous elections would curtail government expenditure but the election commission has updated that for this it would require the procurement of 24 lakh EVMs and an equal number of VVPAT units which is double the number required to hold only parliamentary polls. So, the first objective is not met.

Therefore, notwithstanding the benefits of simultaneous elections highlighted above, the cost to the Indian democracy in terms of playing havoc with the cardinal principle of rule by the majority will be far more than any savings to be realized to the public exchequer. Rather other alternatives should be explored to reduce election-related expenses like state funding of elections, decriminalization of politics, bringing in transparency in political funding by linking Aadhaar card to the election Identity card which has still not been done, etc.

 

 

 

 

ANIMAL TESTING SHOULD BE BANNED

Utilizing animals in research and to test the wellbeing of items has been a subject of warmed discussion for quite a long time. Individuals have various affections for animals; many view animals as companions while others see animals as a method for propelling clinical procedures or promoting trial research. However people see animals, the reality says that animals are being taken advantage of by research offices and beauty care products organizations the whole way across the nation and from one side of the planet to the other. Despite the fact that people frequently advantage from effective animal research, the aggravation, the torment, and the deaths of animals are not worth the conceivable human advantages. In this way, animals ought not be utilized in research or to test the wellbeing of items.

5 Reasons Why Animal Testing Should Ban Worldwide

To start with, animals’ rights are abused when they are utilized in research. Animals and individuals are indistinguishable from various perspectives; the two of them feel, think, act, and experience torment. In this manner, animals ought to be treated with similar regard as people. However animals are abused when they are utilized in research since they are not given a decision. Animals are exposed to tests that are regularly difficult or cause extremely durable harm or passing, and they are never given the alternative of not partaking in the investigation. Animals don’t willingly sacrifice themselves for the progression of human government assistance and new innovation. Their choices are made for them since they can’t express their own inclinations and decisions.

Then, the agony and experiencing that exploratory animals are liable to does not merit any potential advantages to people. At the point when animals are utilized for item harmfulness testing or lab research, they are exposed to excruciating and as often as possible lethal analyses. Two of the most generally utilized harmfulness tests are the Draize test and the LD50 test, the two of which are scandalous for the extreme aggravation and enduring they curve upon test creatures. To play out these tests, the scientists connect the animals to tubes that siphon immense measures of the test item into their stomachs until they kick the bucket. This test is incredibly difficult to the animals since death can require days or even weeks.

Animal Testing of Beauty Products Now Banned in These Three States - InVitro Intl

At long last, the testing of items on animals is totally pointless in light of the fact that practical options are accessible. Numerous corrective organizations have thought of thought of testing their items utilizing innovation or stunningly better they chose to make their items more regular and ecofriendly so it will not hurt anybody.

Notwithstanding, many individuals accept that animal testing is justified in light of the fact that the animals are forfeited to make items more secure for human use and utilization. The issue with this thinking is that the animals’ security, prosperity, and personal satisfaction is by and large not a thought. Animals are likewise living creatures since they can’t talk or battle for themselves doesn’t imply that we should take exploit them. Cruelty to animals should be banned and strict actions should be taken against people who do that or support this ideology.

Petition · Animal Testing should be banned · Change.org

CONCEPT OF THE RENAISSANCE

WHAT do you mean by Renaissance?

REBIRTH

  • Renaissance is a French word meaning “rebirth.” It refers to a period in European civilization that was marked by a revival of Classical learning and wisdom.
  • The word “Renaissance,” whose literal translation from French into English is “Rebirth,” appears in English writing from the 1830s. The word occurs in Jules Michelet’s 1855 work, Histoire de France.
  • The word “Renaissance” has also been extended to other historical and cultural movements, such as the Carolingian Renaissance and the Renaissance of the 12th century.

The Renaissance was a period in Europe, from the 14th to the 17th century, regarded as the cultural bridge between the Middle Ages and modern history. It started as a cultural movement in Italy, specifically in Florence, in the late medieval period and later spread to the rest of Europe, marking the beginning of the early modern age. 

Beginnings

Various theories have been proposed to account for the origins and characteristics of the Renaissance, focusing on a variety of factors, including the social and civic peculiarities of Florence at the time; its political structure; the patronage of its dominant family, the Medici; and the migration of Greek scholars and texts to Italy following the Fall of Constantinople at the hands of the Ottoman Turks.

Many argue that the ideas characterizing the Renaissance had their origin in late 13th-century Florence, in particular in the writings of Dante Alighieri (1265–1321) and Petrarch (1304–1374), as well as the paintings of Giotto di Bondone (1267–1337).

The Adoration of the Shepherds
The Adoration of the Shepherds, center panel of the Portinari Altarpiece, by Hugo van der Goes, c. 1474–76; in the Uffizi Gallery, Florence.
Raphael: Saint Michael Overwhelming the Demon: Saint Michael Overwhelming the Demon (also known as The Small Saint Michael), oil on wood by Raphael, c. 1505; in the Louvre Museum, Paris. 30 × 26 cm.

Cultural, Political, and Intellectual Influences

  • As a cultural movement, the Renaissance encompassed the innovative flowering of Latin and vernacular literature, beginning with the 14th-century resurgence of learning based on classical sources, which contemporaries credited to Petrarch; the development of linear perspective and other techniques of rendering a more natural reality in painting; and gradual but widespread educational reform.
  • In politics, the Renaissance contributed the development of the conventions of diplomacy, and in science an increased reliance on observation. Although the Renaissance saw revolutions in many intellectual pursuits, as well as social and political upheaval, it is perhaps best known for its artistic developments and the contributions of such polymaths as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, who inspired the term “Renaissance man.”

Financial Planning


Introduction to Financial Planning

Financial planning is an important part of
financial management. It is the process of determining the objectives;
policies, procedures, programmes and budgets to deal with the financial
activities of an enterprise. 

Let us understand financial planning with an example : 

 

ANSHUL’S FINANCIAL
PLAN

1.Savings

 

 

Monthly expenses

179500

 

Emergency fund for

6

Months

Emergency funds required in savings account

1077000

 

 

 

 

2.Loans

 

 

Housing Loans are least expensive

 

 

Repaying all expensive loans like personal
loans and car loans first followed by housing loans

 

 

 

 

 

3.Insurance

 

 

a) Life Insurance

 

 

Annual Income (assumption)

1200000

Life cover

20

times

Life Insurance needed

24000000

 

Life insurance should include coverage for
critical illness

 

 

 

 

 

b) Medical Insurance

 

 

Number of family members

4

 

Medical family coverage required for each
member

200000

 

Total medical insurance needed

800000

 

 

 

 

 

4. Investment plan

 

 

Invest in :

 

 

Mutual funds

 

 

Equity

 

 

Sovereign Gold Bonds

 

 

RBI floating interest rate bonds

 

 

No need to invest in real estate because house
is already available

 

 

 

 

 

5. Tax plan

 

 

Avail Tax benefits

 

 

Save tax under Section 80 C by investing in
Life Insurance and Public Provident Fund

150000

 

Section 80 TTA – Deductions from Gross Total
Income for interest on savings account

10000

 

Section 80 EE – Deduction on Home Loan
Interest

200000

 

Section 80 D- Premium paid for Medical
insurance

25000

 

Section 80 CCD ( 1B)- Additional Contribution
to National Pension Scheme account

50000

 

 

 

 

6. Retirement Plan

 

 

As per the retirement plan prepared, it is
estimated that I will have to build a corpus of

Rs 25.4 crores

 

 

                                                                                     

                                                                                   


     

   Insights from the above  Financial Plan


A
good financial plan as mentioned above should cover all the six heads: Savings,
Loans, Insurance, Investments, Tax Planning and Retirement Planning.

 

Savings
according to me a person needs to create an emergency fund in a savings account
which can be used to meet all the designated expenses even if the income for a
particular month is nil. As a thumb rule an amount equivalent to six times the
monthly expenses should be set aside as emergency funds. In my case as
calculated the monthly expenses are of Rs.179500, so an emergency fund of
approx. Rs.10.77 lacs needs to be created to cover all contingencies.


                                                                           

               

 

A
good Financial Plan is one where expensive loans (which bear high interest
rate) like personal loans and car loans are avoided. Home Loans are the
cheapest loans. I case of repayment the focus should be to return the expensive
loans as early as possible.


                                                                                        

 

If
we talk about insurance, I have analyzed that Life cover should be equal to 20
times the annual earnings of an individual. The medical insurance should be
available for all the family members. It is better to have a family cover. I
have opted for a Rs 200000 medical cover for each family member. A medical
family cover means that medical expenses to the extent of the family cover are
taken care of instead of the smaller medical insurances.


                                                                                


 

The
investment portfolio should be a balance of high risk high return instruments
such as equity and mutual funds, moderate risk moderate return instruments such
as Sovereign Gold Bonds and RBI floating interest bonds and low risk, low
return instruments such as Fixed Deposits and Preference Shares, depending upon
the risk taking capacity of individuals. I chose a combination of high, risk
high return instruments and moderate risk, moderate return instruments
according to my risk taking capacity.


                                                                   

 

For
tax planning, one should try to save as much tax as possible by investing in
tax saving instruments provided by the Government. This will not only help in
saving tax today but also help in the creation of future Corpus.

 

Finally,
in the Retirement Planning section, the monthly expenses need to be determined
for the calculation of corpus needed post retirement. Accordingly the financial
planning should be done. One should opt for retirement planning as early in
life as possible because considering the ever increasing inflation rate, the
monthly expenses will keep increasing resulting in an exorbitant increase in
the corpus required post retirement if we begin at a later date.



Conclusion


Financial Planning is best if it is simple. A good financial plan should cover all the six heads : Savings, Loans , Insurance , Investments , Tax Planning and Retirement Planning. The goal should be to maximize returns so that a corpus is created in the shortest duration of time for the retirement and a person is able to comfortably meet the expenses.

 


IMMUNOLOGY SERIES- PART 9- VACCINES

The previous article was all about the process of inflammation. This article is about vaccines.

The vaccines fall under the type of artificial active acquired immunity. This is artificial because we are giving the vaccine externally and this is active because the body is generating the antibodies/response and it is acquired because we are getting the immunity and it is not present by birth. You must have known what immunity is at least by now.

A vaccine is a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe, its toxins, or one of its surface proteins (antigens). So these vaccines are nothing but the pathogen itself but it cannot cause any disease, instead, it triggers the immune system.

This is a quick recap of the principle of working on vaccines. The vaccine contains the pathogens as a whole or the surface antigens only. These antigens stimulate the immune system. If the immune system had a memory about this antigen, then it would immediately produce an antibody, and phagocytosis of the antigen occurs by the macrophage aided by the antibody. In this scenario, the antigen is new and there is no memory, therefore the immune system struggles and takes time to produce the antibody.

So the antigen reign over the body and this can lead to inflammation. As a result, some of the symptoms of inflammation like fever, heat, pain in the area of application, and swelling may appear. The chances of them are rare and also severity is less (last for a few hours/days) since the pathogen is attenuated.

Once the immune system produces the correct antibody, phagocytosis of the antigen occurs and hence the causative agent is eliminated from the body (primary response). So if the same or similar pathogen which has disease-causing ability enters into the body, the memory triggers the immune system to produce the correct antibody. So a heightened and rapid response is generated in order to kick away the pathogen quickly (secondary response).

There are three types of vaccines:-

Live- infection is caused without any harm – measles & polio

Dead- doesn’t last long, requires booster dose- cholera

Microbial products- involves non-infectious pathogen, capsule and toxoid- anthrax, diptheria

Hence using the vaccine as a stimulus, the body is able to generate a response that is stored and can be useful for preventing the disease caused by the pathogen.

There might be an idea to generate vaccines for all diseases so that all humans are protected. But there are some difficulties in this which are listed below:-

There are new microbes being discovered every day and no one knows which microbe can cause disease. There can be multiple microbes causing the same or similar disease. So being immune to one microbe doesn’t mean being immune to the disease

The disease-causing microbe can undergo mutation meaning that there can be changes in the genetic material and hence the antigen can change. In this case, the antibody which was stimulated by the vaccine won’t work. A suitable example is a common cold, it is impossible to produce a vaccine that covers all mutants of viruses

The pathogen has to be genetically modified so as to remove its disease-causing ability which is easy to say but difficult to implement

Also, it is important that the antigen chose for the vaccine must be close to that of the original causative agent of the disease. If the original pathogen is not so close to that of the vaccine, then it will not work

Hence all these above points explain the difficulties in producing a vaccine. Despite these many research organizations in many countries have produced vaccines especially for the pandemic and dreadful diseases like the COVID-19, hepatitis, polio, etc. in which some vaccines provide lifetime immunity to some of the diseases. We must take a minute to appreciate those who have done immense work and their contribution is stopping some of the dreadful diseases.

With this, we come to the end of the series. I hope that all the concepts explained in this were simple and clear and also would have inculcated an interest in immunology. By now, it would be clear how the immune system protects us from several microbes and diseases.

HAPPY LEARNING!!

IMMUNOLOGY SERIES- PART 8- INFLAMMATION

The previous article dealt with the types and functions of immunoglobulin. This article provides a complete explanation of the process of inflammation.

Inflammation is the process of protection which was seen as one of the six mechanisms of innate immunity.

Inflammation is one of the body’s responses to the invasion of foreign particles. This is an important process in the human body that occurs to drive away from the pathogen. Inflammation is one of the stages seen in healing. Some of the changes that can be seen in the target site are:-

  • Changes in blood flow (mostly blood loss)
  • Increase in platelets (to plug the damaged vessel)
  • Increase in immune cells
  • Supply of nutrients

The word inflammation refers to a burning sensation. Hence there are five cardinal signs in inflammation namely:-

  • Rubor (redness)
  • Tumor (swelling)
  • Calor (heat)
  • Dolor (pain)
  • Functioleasia (loss of function)

These cardinal signs as well as the changes occur due to some mediators which are basically chemicals and also due to the action of various immune cells.

Mediator nameIt’s effect
Bradykinin, histamine, serotoninIncrease permeability
ProstaglandinDecreases blood pressure
CytokinesProduce fever
Toxic metabolitesDamage tissue

This inflammation can be either acute or chronic. As seen earlier, acute stays for a shorter time but produces more vigorous pain whereas chronic stays for a longer time with less vigorous pain. If the causative agent has been driven away then healing occurs either by complete restoration or scar formation. There are chances that the acute inflammation can become chronic which can be worse. It can lead to several diseases and complications.

The pathogen in order to establish its supremacy in the human body, it has to pass through the epidermis which is the outermost layer of the human body. This is known as SALT skin-associated lymphoid tissues. Hence T and B lymphocytes are prominent in the skin. Most of the pathogens get destroyed in this stage. Let us assume that our pathogen is strong and it had passed through it. The next layer it encounters is the dermis. As we go deep inside the skin, more and more immune cells get involved. In the dermis the following immune cells are seen:-

immunity in the skin
  • Macrophage
  • NK cells
  • Mast cell – produce histamine and serotonin
  • T helper cells – it provides help to other immune cells

The next stage is the hypodermis which has a large number of macrophages and neutrophils that phagocytosis the pathogen. Hence these following processes help in defending against the pathogens.

When a particular pathogen say a virus enters the cell, the immune system will get alerted through signals and they immediately send the correct immune cell to the target site. This occurs since either the immune system gets information naturally or artificially through previous infection or vaccine. This leads to the classification of immunity in humans.

So now we will consider a new and strong pathogen that has not been recognized by the immune system and has dodged those barriers and has entered inside the skin. Now it multiplies at a rapid rate and colonizes that particular area. Hence the cells in that area start to die and they release several signals like TNF, cytokines, interleukins. This gets combined with other signals like histamine, serotonin released from immune cells. Some of these signals produce direct effects on the target site as seen in the table.

An array of these signals triggers the immune system and it, in turn, starts the inflammation process and the cardinal signs are observed. This process lasts for some time and as it occurs; the pathogens decrease in number through phagocytosis and subsequently vanishes from the body. This can be observed by a decrease in the signs. After this process, the targeted site starts to heal and the immune system learns how to defend the pathogen when it enters the next time.

Now the damage caused by the pathogen has to be repaired by the process of healing.

  1. Haemostasis
  2. Inflammation
  3. Proliferation
  4. Maturation/Remodelling

The pathogen will rupture and damage the outer layer of blood vessels known as endothelium resulting in blood loss. Hence the blood vessels start to contract to prevent further loss. Also, a plug is formed at the site of leakage by the platelets. Then the process of inflammation occurs; clearing out the dead cells and the pathogen. In the proliferative stage, new blood cells are formed by a process known as neovascularisation and the new epithelium is formed. In the last phase, the newly formed cells become stronger and flexible. Hence the combination of these steps brings the affected area back to normal.

Hence the inflammation is an essential process in the immune system and it has to occur to prevent the conspiracy of the microbes. The next article is about vaccines and their principle of working.

HAPPY READING!!!