Danger from Zika virus to the world

Danger from Zika virus to the world

Zika virus is spread to people through mosquito bites. The most common symptoms of Zika virus disease are fever, rash, joint pain, and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The illness is usually mild with symptoms lasting from several days to a week. Severe disease requiring hospitalization is uncommon. In the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) issued an alert regarding the first confirmed Zika virus infection in Brazil. The outbreak in Brazil led to reports of Guillain-Barre syndrome and pregnant women giving birth to babies with birth defects and poor pregnancy outcomes.

The Zika virus, an alarming and disturbing infection that may be linked to thousands of babies being born with underdeveloped brains, is spreading through the Americas. This is the same mosquito that transmits dengue fever and chikungunya. The illness is similar to dengue fever and is generally mild and self-limiting, lasting four to seven days. Zika is commanding worldwide attention because of an alarming connection between the virus and microcephaly, a neurological disorder that results in babies being born with abnormally small heads. This causes severe developmental issues and sometimes death.

 Almost our entire counrty is in the Red zone and given the frequent endemics of Dengue which we run into every year, we really can't rule Zika out! For now all we have to say is that stay safe, keep your surrounding free from garbage and mosquitoes. No Zika case has been reported in the country so far and the government’s strategy is meant to prevent the virus being carried from abroad as was done to counter Ebola earlier. The transmission of the virus mostly takes place when the infected person has a fever. India needs to focus on stopping the entry of the virus in the country because of its enormous childbirth rate as Zika affects foetuses the most.

Benefits in UDAY scheme approved by GOI recently

Benefits in UDAY scheme approved by GOI recently

UDAY is a path breaking reform for realizing the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of affordable and accessible 24x7 Power for All. It is another decisive step furthering the landmark strides made in the Power sector over the past one and a half years, with the sector witnessing a series of historic improvements across the entire value chain, from fuel supply, to generation, transmission and consumption. Financially stressed DISCOMs are not able to supply adequate power at affordable rates, which hampers quality of life and overall economic growth and development. Efforts towards 100% village electrification, 24X7 power supply and clean energy cannot be achieved without performing DISCOMs. Power outages also adversely affect national priorities like “Make in India” and “Digital India”. In addition, default on bank loans by financially stressed DISCOMs has the potential to seriously impact the banking sector and the economy at large.

UDAY assures the rise of vibrant and efficient DISCOMs through a permanent resolution of past as well as potential future issues of the sector. It empowers DISCOMs with the opportunity to break even in the next 2-3 years. This is through four initiatives (i) Improving operational efficiencies of DISCOMs; (ii) Reduction of cost of power; (iii) Reduction in interest cost of DISCOMs; (iv) Enforcing financial discipline on DISCOMs through alignment with State finances. Operational efficiency improvements like compulsory smart metering, up-gradation of transformers, meters etc., energy efficiency measures like efficient LED bulbs, agricultural pumps, fans & air-conditioners etc. will reduce the average AT&C loss from around 22% to 15% and eliminate the gap between Average Revenue Realized (ARR) & Average Cost of Supply (ACS) by 2018-19.

Reduction in cost of power would be achieved through measures such as increased supply of cheaper domestic coal, coal linkage rationalization, liberal coal swaps from inefficient to efficient plants, coal price rationalization based on GCV (Gross Calorific Value), supply of washed and crushed coal, and faster completion of transmission lines. NTPC alone is expected to save Rs. 0.35 / unit through higher supply of domestic coal and rationalization / swapping of coal which will be passed on to DISCOMs / consumers.

UDAY is optional for all States. However, States are encouraged to take the benefit at the earliest as benefits are dependent on the performance.

We use helium in balloons

We use helium in balloons

Helium is a chemical element with the symbol He and atomic number 2.Helium is a colorless, tasteless and odorless gas. Helium is the second most common element in the Universe (after hydrogen), making up around 24% of its mass. Helium is part of a group of chemical elements called noble gases, the other five that occur naturally are neon, argon, krypton, xenon and radon. Under normal conditions they share similar properties, including being less likely to participate in chemical reactions due to their outer shell of electrons being full. Helium is the second least reactive element after neon. French and English astronomers Pierre Janssen and Norman Lockyer are jointly credited with discovering helium after spectral analysis of sunlight following a solar eclipse in 1868. The word helium comes from the Greek word meaning sun (helios). It was named by Lockyer and English chemist Edward Frankland. The USA is the world’s largest supplier of helium, with many reserves found in large natural gas fields.

The rate at which helium is currently being used by humans is much faster than the rate at which the reserves are being replenished. New technologies for obtaining or recycling helium are one way for gas companies to help slow this problem. Because helium is lighter than air it is commonly used to fill airships, blimps and balloons. While hydrogen is 7% more buoyant than helium it has a much higher fire risk. You might notice the helium balloon you got from the amusement park slowly falling to the ground after a few days, this happens as the helium gradually leaks from the balloon.

Because helium is less dense than normal air, when inhaled from a source such as a helium balloon it briefly changes the sound of a person’s voice, making it much sound much higher. However, breathing in too much helium can be very dangerous, potentially choking people due to a lack of oxygen. Helium can be in a liquid and even solid state but they can only occur at temperatures near absolute zero. Liquid helium is used to cool metals for superconductivity use. The European Organization for Nuclear Research’s (CERN) Large Hadron Collider uses liquid helium to maintain an extremely low temperature. Helium is often used in space programs, displacing fuel in storage tanks and having other rocket fuel applications.

other scientists have warned that helium is becoming so scarce that research that makes use of its cooling power may have to be limited or stopped. Although it is the second most abundant element in the universe, helium cannot be manufactured, and once released into the atmosphere is lost for ever. Most of our supplies are extracted from the earth's crust.

Terrorism anywhere is terrorism everywhere

Terrorism anywhere is terrorism everywhere.

Dr. Martin Luther King once said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”  The violent attacks against Israelis are no different, no less unjust than the shootings of innocent civilians in France or anywhere else.

Currently terrorism has been most commonly and systematically employed as a tactic in conflicts. Terrorism is the form of violence against civilians and asymmetric confrontation against a stronger opponent. Terrorism occurs when ideological motivation meets with operational capability. The way in which a terrorist group shapes its radical worldview and disseminates it to audiences worldwide plays an important role in the public interface between the group and its target audience. Using terrorist propaganda, a group can successfully radicalize and indoctrinate public into terrorist sympathizers, mobilize terrorist supporters, and recruit terrorist members.  

Terrorist organizations target the disaffected members of a population by attempting to convince them that there is an alternative way of thinking that will make their lives more meaningful and simpler. If the population has a large number of disaffected individuals susceptible to the ideology, enough of them can be recruited. Once recruited, they soon take part in terrorist actions that validate and strengthen the ideology they share. Thus, the war on terror ought to be called ‘the ideological battle against radical extremists who happen to use terror as a weapon to disrupt the conscience of the free and peaceful world. Terrorist actions conducted on the territory of more than one state or involving citizens of more than one state as victims or perpetrators bring an international element.

An effective and multipronged approach for an ideological response to fight with terrorism should conceptualize counterterrorism, not only as a military or law enforcement problem but as a war of ideas as well. Governments which develop foreign policies that strengthen this network will find themselves with improved security at home. Who have come to the point where terrorism anywhere is terrorism everywhere. If terrorists maintain a network of networks, then governments must do the same. Once equally common, piracy, slavery, and genocide have been systematically diminished through collective efforts overtime. Most importantly, such efforts destroyed the ideologies that legitimated these behaviors. Governments must go after ideologically motivated terrorists with the same kind of collective approach.

Good delivery of public services is essential to escape the dependence on bad public services

Good delivery of public services is essential to escape the dependence on bad public services.

Our founding fathers wanted political freedom for the people of India – freedom to determine who we would be governed by, as well as freedom of thought, expression, belief, faith, and worship. They wanted justice and equality, of status and opportunity. And they wanted us to be free from poverty. One widely held hypothesis is that our country suffers from want of a “few good men” in politics. This view is unfair to the many upstanding people in politics.

One improves the quality of public services to increase the resources devoted to the service, and to change.  A number of worthwhile efforts are underway to improve the quality of public education and healthcare. But if resources leak or public servants are not motivated, which is likely in the worst governed states, these interventions are not very effective.

Some have argued that making a public service a right can change delivery. It is hard to imagine that simply legislating rights and creating a public expectation of delivery will, in fact, ensure delivery. After all, is there not an expectation that a ration card holder will get decent grain from the fair price shop, yet all too frequently grain is not available or is of poor quality.

Information decentralization can help. Knowing how many medicines the local public dispensary received, or how much money the local school is getting for mid-day meals, can help the public monitor delivery and alert higher-ups when the benefits are not delivered. But the public delivery system is usually most apathetic where the public is poorly educated, of low social status, and disorganized, so monitoring by the poor is also unlikely to be effective.

Some argue that this is why the middle class should enjoy public benefits along with the poor, so that the former can protest against poor delivery, which will ensure high quality for all. But making benefits universal is costly, and may still lead to indifferent delivery for the poor. The middle class may live in different areas from the poor. Indeed, even when located in the same area, the poor may not even patronize facilities frequented by the middle class because they feel out of place. And even when all patronize the same facility, providers may be able to discriminate between the voluble middle class and the uncomplaining poor.

Iran will open up possibilities for India and also will have challenges.

 "Lifting of sanctions on Iran will open up possibilities for India and also will have challenges."

The strategic map of Iran’s immediate neighborhood will change dramatically following the landmark nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1. Given the tremendous geostrategic stakes involved, Iran has already begun to explore greater opportunities for economic and security cooperation in the region. This has implications for both India and Pakistan, which are tied to Iran strategically but bitterly opposed to each other.

India-Iran Interactions 

India and Iran have always shared deep social, cultural, economic and political connections and relations that have enriched both civilizations. The use of the Persian language at the Mughal courts is just one example of Iranian cultural influence in north India. With the creation of Pakistan in 1947, India and Iran lost the geographical contiguity they had enjoyed for centuries. Bilateral relations also remained extremely cordial during Iran’s years of global chastisement for its nuclear program, with the exception of a short period during which India was unable to deal with the dynamic of Iran-U.S. divergence.

India’s diplomacy with Iran has been rooted in economic interests and buttressed by civilization links. India and Iran also share many similarities: Extra-regional ambitions and a strong sense that they pursuing an independent foreign policy are common traits in the diplomatic behavior of both countries.

For India, energy pipelines have always been an attractive prospect whose advantages are seemingly tangible but always just out of reach.”Lifting of western sanctions on Iran throws up a great opportunity for India to transport natural gas from Iran to Porbandar port in Gujarat, bypassing Pakistan – the main sticking point for other multilateral projects of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) and Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI).” India needs to remind Iran that Pakistan has become a country where political stability remains very fragile. Even though Pakistan is being ruled by a democratically elected government, security and foreign policy is utterly dominated by the military. Where rival Taliban factions are fighting for supremacy and regional support for the reconciliation process is moving onto the back burner. The Taliban still represents a grave threat to regional stability and security. 

The Amendment of Nepal Constitution. satisfy the demands of Madhesis.

The Amendment of Nepal Constitution. satisfy the demands of Madhesis.

Nepal is governed according to the Constitution of Nepal, which came into effect on Sept 20, 2015, replacing the Interim Constitution of 2007. The Constitution was drafted by the Second Constituent Assembly following the failure of the First Constituent Assembly to produce a constitution in its mandated period.[1] The constitution was endorsed by 90% of the total lawmakers. Out of 598 CA members, 507 voted in favor of the constitution while 25 voted against and 66 others did not take part in the election process.

The promulgation of the new constitution was immediately followed by virtual blockade of all checkpoints at Nepal-India border. Various Human Rights Activists and some ethnic groups in lowland Nepal have accused the Constitution of being gender discriminatory especially in regards to citizenship provisions. They allege new constitution makes it difficult for woman to pass on citizenship to their children as compared to men. Similarly, Madhesi and indigenous population view that the new constitution fails to address demands of marginalized communities and support status-quo of the ruling groups.

The amendments were passed with two-third majority, four months after the new constitution was promulgated. Three articles—42, 84 and 286—were amended. The amendments aim to resolve the ongoing agitation by the Madhesis. It includes provisions such as proportionate and inclusive representation of all marginalised communities, including the Madhesis, in all state mechanisms and allocation of seats in Parliament on the basis of population.

Madhesis, who share strong cultural and family bonds with India, have been demanding demarcation of provinces, fixing of electoral constituencies on the basis of population and proportional representation. Fifty-five people have been killed in violent protests by the Madhesis since last year. The protests of the Madhesis had sparked tensions between India and Nepal with Nepal’s government viewing India as supportive of the Madhesi stance, which they felt was fuelling the agitation and encouraging the sit-down demonstrations that led to blockage of supply routes between the two countries.

The lawmakers of the agitating parties had boycotted the voting, saying the amendment was “incomplete”, as it fell short of addressing their concerns, including redrawing of federal boundaries.

Projective technique

Effectiveness of projective technique in the measurement of personality.  

Projective techniques which originated in a clinical setting are indirect measures of personality. In their tech the individual is given unstructured situation to which he responds. By unstructured situation is meant a situation, whose meaning and interpretation varies from the individual to individual. The most important assumption of projective techniques is that while responding to an unstructured situation an individual projects his own needs feelings, emotion, motives etc(which are mostly latent and conscious) Without being aware of doing so. As the individual is not aware of these relevations, he does not resort to any defensive reactions. Such latent and concealed experiences are generally incapable of expose by questionnaire.

The two distinguishing features which set projective techniques apart from other personality assessment measures are. Projective technique always uses an unstructured and indirect situation for assessing the personality traits. Projective techniques characterized by global approach in projective techniques attention is focused upon measurement of personality as a whole. Projective techniques requires no observer hence subject to a greater extensive, an objective report as he does not fear that e is being observed.

Important Projective Tests

• Rorschach Test given by Herman Rorschach.
• Thematic Apperception Test(TAT) by Murray.
• Children Apperception Test (CAT) by Bellak.

Advantages of tests:

• Faking and malingering is minimum.
• Good measures of diagnostic purposes.
• Easy to administer and they retain interest in subjects.
• They use global holistic app to measure personality.
• Measures deep and unconscious aspect of personality, besides conscious aspects.

Disadvantages:

• No consistent meaningful and testable theories underlie the projective technique.
• There are no empirical evidences for most of the postulated relationships between projective test indicators and personality traits.
• There is no standardized measure of administrating them.
• They can’t be easily applied on the people with average or superior intelligence.
• The scoring method is given but yet they dependent to a great extent on the subjective understanding of the examiner.
• Ample evidences are available to show that projective techniques have methodological flaws, are full of statistical errors and are ill designed.
• There is no evidence that conflicts motives and fantasies diagnosed  by projective technique will yield congruent results when interpreted by different psychologists or the same psychologist at different time.
• Projective Technique have poor ability to predict faliure in different fields of life as they have low reliability and variable validity.

Sykes-Picot agreement, Threats to it till now.

Sykes-Picot agreement, Threats to it till now.

In the Sykes-Picot agreement, concluded on May 19, 1916, France and Britain divided up the Arab territories of the former Ottoman Empire into spheres of influence. In its designated sphere, it was agreed, each country shall be allowed to establish such direct or indirect administration or control as they desire and as they may think fit to arrange with the Arab State or Confederation of Arab States. Under Sykes-Picot, the Syrian coast and much of modern-day Lebanon went to France; Britain would take direct control over central and southern Mesopotamia, around the Baghdad and Basra provinces. Palestine would have an international administration, as other Christian powers, namely Russia, held an interest in this region. The rest of the territory in question—a huge area including modern-day Syria, Mosul in northern Iraq, and Jordan—would have local Arab chiefs under French supervision in the north and British in the south. Also, Britain and France would retain free passage and trade in the other’s zone of influence.

‘Smashing Sykes-Picot’ is what IS (so-called ‘Islamic State’) tweeted to its followers last month when it bulldozed a barrier on the Iraq-Syria border. The Sunni jihadist group has been fighting a spectacularly successful campaign against the Shia-led Iraqi government. And its well-run propaganda campaign on social media has used Sykes-Picot as a rallying cry to reignite the anger many Arabs feel about the agreement. After the First World War it was the blueprint used to carve up the defeated Ottoman empire into separate Arab states.

Now IS controls a great swathe of territory in both Syria and Iraq. In a video posted on YouTube called ‘The End of Sykes-Picot’ it announced that this was a new caliphate, an Islamic state run according to Sharia law. They claim they are removing the artificial boundaries created by Britain and France.

Fiscal policy reforms can help boost countries’ long-term growth prospects.

Fiscal policy reforms can help boost countries’ long-term growth prospects.

The study finds that fiscal reforms, especially when complemented with supportive changes in other economic policies (structural reforms), can support strong and equitable growth. It draws on the lessons from nine country case studies (Australia, Chile, Germany, Ireland, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Poland, Tanzania, and Uganda), as well as an analysis of growth accelerations (defined as increases of at least 1 percentage point in five-year average growth following fiscal reforms).

Higher public spending now would make it longer before India returns to the 65% “suitable” ballpark. But more importantly, if unexpected macro shocks strike during this period, debt ratios could remain “unsuitable” for the foreseeable future. India has two key priorities for 2016—preserving hard won macro stability and reviving growth. Macro stability can mean different things at different times. On the growth front, with private investment largely absent from the scene and prospect for exports unexciting, government spending may need to lend a helping hand. The problem here is that while on good days the twin objectives of higher growth and lower public debt can fall into a virtuous cycle, on a bad day, any one of them derailing can drag down the other. India’s public debt ratio has risen from 65.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) in financial year (FY) 2013-14 to 67% in FY15 and is likely to rise further in FY16, thanks to falling inflation and lacklustre growth.

Fiscal reforms needed:

So is there a way out for a government that wants to support growth via higher public spending and yet maintain macro stability. If the government is able to undertake a few important fiscal reforms, it can generate enough funds over a short period of time to finance the extra spending.

• Food and fertilizer subsidy reforms: Unlike oil subsidy, these have not seen any significant rationalisation. Using the unique identity, Aadhaar platform, in the delivery of these subsidies and moving from product to cash subsidies will not just bring fiscal savings, but also growth gains if the savings are used to finance government investment.
• Government stake sales: There are large gains to be had by outlining a clear roadmap for disinvestments and allowing independent market experts to decide on timing. SUUTI (Specified Undertaking of UTI) sales alone can provide 0.35% of GDP worth of funds, and lowering government ownership across other companies can provide a further boost. Over the last few years, there has been a dismal below expected 0.2% of GDP in disinvestment receipts, which can be easily notched up.
• Tax revenue improvements: Removing concessional rates and special exemptions from excise and custom duties would not only reduce market distortions, but also add to the tax kitty. Strengthening tax administration by plugging gaps in collection or reporting procedures, strengthening data-warehousing infrastructure, increasing manpower and fast tracking tax disputes are potential reforms.

These reforms alone can provide an extra 0.4% of GDP worth of resources each year for the next few years. Using these savings to nudge up public investment will not only help keep debt levels in check, but also make the economy more resilient in the face of macro shocks. It would provide those extra funds to boost public investment without having an adverse impact on interest rates. And finally it will allow the government to stick to its fiscal consolidation path.

Causes of Forgetting. Necessary aspect of learning process

Causes of Forgetting. Necessary aspect of learning process.

Forgetting can be defined as partial or complete loss of information of the previously learned material. It is the loss of information already stored and encoded in long term memory. By suggestion of Herman Ebbinghaus  gave classical curve of forgetting. This curve suggest that maximum forgetting is immediately after learning and it slows down with passage of time forgetting and retention are two sides of the coin.

Factors effecting forgetting:

• Amount of material: Longer list is difficult to learn but once learned is retained better than shorter list.
• Pattern of material: Material which is highlighted or made distinct from the rest is remembered well.
• Method of learning: (a) Part vs. whole. (b) Distributed vs. Massed. Whole learning is useful when material is of moderate length, subjects are intelligent and material is abstract. Part learning is useful when material to be learnt is very long some pats are of special difficulty an material can easily be split into subunits. In general Distributed practice is superior to massed practice because it prevents fatigue from hampering performance, reduces interference and prevents boredom from selling in.
• Personality factors: Age, Motivation, Sex, Intelligence
• Over learning: Learning that is carried out after one or two perfect recalls of the material to be remembered. Is called as Over learning. Over learning is best way to prevent forgetting.
• Feed back: Knowledge of how  well one is doing helps to improve performance on retention test.
• Nature of material: Logically organized and meaningful material is better remembered than N.S.S

 Quantitative methods of measuring memory

• Recall: The subject is asked to reproduce previously learned material within an specified time period. The technique of recall places greatest emphasis on the simple availability of the material. Recall tests may be given immediately after complete presentation of the list or less often sometime when it suits experimenter purpose. Those are two types of recall(A) Free Reoall, (B) Serial Recall 
• Recognition: It is an experiment method used in measurement of memory and in this method subject is required to respond to a series of test stimuli by stating whether or not these were among the stimuli presented in a learning session held earlier.
• Reconstruction: It is an quantitative method of memory measurement. This method involves rearranging of the parts of the task as they originally were.
• Saving method or Relearning: In which is a quantative method memory is measured by comparing the amount of time taken or so of trails required to relearn the same matter with the time and trails it took an original learning.
• Anticipating or Prompting method: In which subjects are exposed to the list in something like the familiar flash card technique.
• Qualitative method: Barlett had subjects read a folk tale silently and then 15 minutes later asked the subjects to write the tale as they remembered. Later subject were again asked to write out the story and several additional writing were required over period of time. 

Taxation that help in building up good investment climate.

The features of taxation that help in building up good investment climate.

Investors identify the tax system as one of the most important parameters in making an investment decision. Cumbersome tax structures are a drain on investor time and resources and act as a disincentive to participation in the formal economy. A badly designed or executed tax system negatively impacts investment and economic growth suffers. Traditional technical assistance has focused on the implementation of revenue-generating mechanisms, while largely neglecting the impact of the tax system on investment and economic growth.

World Bank Group teams advise governments in creating and administering effective, fair, and inclusive tax systems that foster investment, economic growth, and political stability in developing countries. The state of a country’s business and investment climate is a key factor in that country’s ability to attract foreign investment and develop small and medium enterprises. Transnational enterprises prefer to invest in enterprises in countries with a healthy business climate – where cost, delay, and risk are minimized. In addition, SMEs are more likely to flourish in a climate where they are not overburdened by taxes and regulations.

Across the globe and within the OSCE, it is the wealthier countries that tend to have more favourable business and investment climates Many of the Eastern European countries without major energy or raw material reserves have transformed their economies into some of the most attractive global FDI destinations through reform of their business and investment climate. Governments often downplay the importance of the business climate when inviting foreign direct investment. They tend to focus on market size, availability of natural resources and costs. While all these factors are important, the investment climate is a critical factor and should not be underestimated.

Generate advancements in the following areas:

• Investment and competition: Enhancing country competitiveness and investment potential by fostering a transparent and predictable tax system that is equally applied to all.
• Transfer pricing in developing countries: Implementing transfer pricing frameworks (legal, regulatory, and supervisory) for audit of multinationals and related parties; employing assessment tools to identify tax evasion risks; introducing simplified approaches to ease compliance burdens and develop safe harbors; and building sector-specific capacity in tax administrations.
• Investment incentives: Developing diagnostic tools to determine the cost-benefit of financial and non-financial incentives and analyzing discretionary and distorting incentive regimes to better advise on potential reforms.
• Value-added tax reform: Streamlining VAT administration systems through legislative reform and implementation regarding refund and reclaim and customs reform interface.
• Direct links with investment: Helping governments improve accounting standards to meet internationally accepted norms and ultimately eliminate reporting barriers for investors.
• Inclusion: Widening participation in the tax system at all levels, with particular focus on micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises.
• Micro, small, and medium enterprises: Designing and implementing special regimes for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises to (i) match their capacity, and (ii) reduce barriers to joining the formal tax system by widening the formal tax base to promote inclusion.
• Domestic resource mobilization: Enhancing the ability to raise revenues in the long run through more effective tax administration and tax base expansion.
• Compliance management: Targeting transparency through legal and regulatory simplification of reporting systems and business processes where appropriate; implementing risk-based assessments for audit selection, taxpayer outreach, education, dispute resolution, and appeals.
• Value-added tax: Implementing more effective processes, including better refund and reclaim systems, to generate a higher VAT yield.
• Governance: Promoting good governance through transparent systems, procedures, and effective audit.
• Process transparency: Assisting countries in accessing information and audit selection; storing and exchanging quality taxpayer information to facilitate monitoring of the flow of funds.
• Incentives reform: Eliminating mechanisms that encourage discretion, distortions, or predictability.
• Global standards and norms: Assisting countries in adopting internationally-accepted norms and standards, especially with regards to tax transparency.
• Tax transparency: Supporting countries that aim to meet international tax transparency standards set by the Global Forum for Tax Transparency and Exchange of Information, adopted by the World Bank Group, and focusing on strengthening availability of information (ownership, accounting requirements), access powers and safeguards, and exchange of information internally and internationally.

Li-Fi and it significant.

Li-Fi and it significant.

Li-Fi (Light Fidelity) is a bidirectional, high speed and fully networked wireless communication technology similar to Wi-Fi. The term was coined by Harald Haas [1] and is a form of visible light communication and a subset of optical wireless communications (OWC) and could be a complement to RF communication, or even a replacement in contexts of data broadcasting. It is so far measured to be about 100 times faster than some Wi-Fi implementations, reaching speeds of 224 gigabits per second.

Li-Fi is a wireless optical networking technology that uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for data transmission. Li-Fi is designed to use LED light bulbs similar to those currently in use in many energy-conscious homes and offices. However, Li-Fi bulbs are outfitted with a chip that modulates the light imperceptibly for optical data transmission. Li-Fi data is transmitted by the LED bulbs and received by photoreceptors. Li-Fi's early developmental models were capable of 150 megabits-per-second (Mbps). Some commercial kits enabling that speed have been released. In the lab, with stronger LEDs and different technology, researchers have enabled 10 gigabits-per-second (Gbps), which is faster than 802.11ad.

Li-Fi has the advantage of being useful in electromagnetic sensitive areas such as in aircraft cabins, hospitals and nuclear power plants without causing electromagnetic interference. Both Wi-Fi and Li-Fi transmit data over the electromagnetic spectrum, but whereas Wi-Fi utilizes radio waves, Li-Fi uses visible light. While the US Federal Communications Commission has warned of a potential spectrum crisis because Wi-Fi is close to full capacity, Li-Fi has almost no limitations on capacity. The visible light spectrum is 10,000 times larger than the entire radio frequency spectrum. Researchers have reached data rates of over 10 Gbit/s, which is much faster than typical fast broadband in 2013. Li-Fi is expected to be ten times cheaper than Wi-Fi. Short range, low reliability and high installation costs are the potential downsides.

By using Li-Fi in all the lights in and around a building, the technology could enable greater area of coverage than a single Wi-Fi router. Drawbacks to the technology include the need for a clear line of sight, difficulties with mobility and the requirement that lights stay on for operation.

Development of National Character and importance in present day political situation.

“Development of National Character and importance in present day political situation.”

National character is an expression which describes forms of collective self-perception, sensibility, and conduct which are shared by the individuals who inhabit a modern nation-state. It presupposes the existence of psychological and cultural homogeneity among the citizens of each country, as well as the idea that each nation can be considered a collective individual, with characteristics analogous to the empirical individuals who are its inhabitants. This behavior is sometimes considered on an abstract level, that is, as cultural behavior without actual reference to necessarily different personality modalities. It may also be considered as motivated by underlying psychological mechanisms characteristic of a given people.

National character as institutional pattern: In this approach, most common among political scientists, the national character is epitomized by the dominant, or typical and representative, institutions, particularly those concerned with politics and economics. The basic objectives of national-character studies are to examine the tensions underlying the political and social structures of modern states. Social tensions are particularly apparent in societies that are rapidly changing. For example, one type of social tension that is frequently observed results from the systematic attempts of an elite to establish particular patterns of directed social change, in spite of the unavailability of sufficient individuals whose training and social experience equip them for achieving the goals set by the elite. In one such study, Bauer attempted to demonstrate the social tension existing between the political elite in Russian society and a large number of individuals who are not motivationally involved in the same ways as the members of the Communist party hierarchy (1948).

If necessary personality traits are not forthcoming from a proportionate number of individuals within the society, the society will not function well in terms of newer values, whatever the elite controlling the society attempts to do. Even though institutional legal structures are consciously changed in accord with social planning, if characteristic changes in socialization experiences do not accompany these changes in such a manner as to facilitate the appearance of adequate motivational behavior, the sought-after change will not become stabilized and self-perpetuating.

In another study indirectly concerned with the psychological processes underlying dynamics of social change. Hagen (1962), in a comprehensive study of economic and social change in a number of discrete societies, cogently discussed the relationship of personality variables to different economic traditions, such as colonialism or feudalism, and the manner in which they either facilitate or hamper economic development. This study is illustrative of the fact that considerations of national character are having considerable influence in augmenting theoretical approaches in economics and political science.

Education procedure in transfer of learning

Education procedure in transfer of learning

The levels of transfer are often referred to as positive and negative. In addition, there are both subtle and marked differences in types of transfer. Many of the differences lead to distinctions in how transfer is classified depending on the level of complexity of the transfer.

Positive transfer: When learning in one context improves learning or performance in another context this is called positive transfer.

Negative transfer occurs when previous learning or experience inhibits or interferes with learning or performance in a new context.

Simple versus complex transfer: Simple transfer happens when little or no effort is required to apply what has been learnedin one situation to a new situation.

Near and far transfer: Another distinction used is between near and far transfer. Usually these terms distinguish the closeness or distance between the original learning and the transfer task. Near transfer has also been seen as the transfer of learning within the school context, or between a school task and a very similar task. Far transfer is used to refer to the transfer of learning from the school context to a non-school context.

Automatic and mindful transfer: When an individual responds spontaneously within a transfer situation, which is very similar to the learning situation then this is automatic transfer. Perkins and Salomon (1996b) use the terms low and high road transfer to differentiate the mechanisms of automatic and mindful transfer. Gradually, with time and practice, the automatic transfer effect will extend or ‘reach out’ over the low road. Mindful, high road transfer is deliberate and involves conscious thought and intellectual effort, and occurs in situations where there are significant gaps or differences between the original and the transfer situations. In an education or training course participants learn about a process in a controlled environment. The problems encountered in the educational setting tend to be well defined. In the workplace it may not always be obvious when, or even desirable to use the procedure.

Scope of programmed learning

“Scope of programmed learning in curriculum of certain courses for students”

Programmed learning, educational technique characterized by self-paced, self-administered instruction presented in logical sequence and with much repetition of concepts. Programmed learning received its major impetus from the work done in the mid-1950s by the American behavioral psychologist B.F. Skinner and is based on the theory that learning in many areas is best accomplished by small, incremental steps with immediate reinforcement, or reward, for the learner. This technique can be applied through texts, so-called teaching machines, and computer-assisted-instruction. No matter what the medium, two basic types of programming are used: linear, or straight-line programming, and branching programming.

Linear programming immediately reinforces student responses that approach the learning goal. Responses that do not lead toward the goal go unreinforced. Each bit of learning is presented in a “frame,” and a student who has made a correct response proceeds to the next frame. All students work through the same sequence, and a low rate of error is necessary to ensure continued positive reinforcement of correct responses.

Branching, or intrinsic, programming was initially developed in conjunction with the use of an electronic training device for military personnel. This technique provides the student a piece of information, presents a situation requiring a multiple choice or recognition response, and on the basis of that choice instructs the student to proceed to another frame, where he or she learns if the choice was correct, and if not, why not. A student who responded incorrectly will either be returned to the original frame, or routed through a subprogram designed to remedy the deficiency indicated by the wrong choice. A student who selects correctly advances to the next frame in the program. This process is repeated at each step throughout the program, and a student may be exposed to differing amounts of material depending upon errors made.

Text materials often rely on a cardboard mask that the student uses to cover the correct response until a choice is made. There are successful programmed-learning texts for primary-grade pupils, but most such texts have been designed for upper-grade and college-level subjects such as statistics, economics, and foreign languages.

Himalayan Forest Thrush

Himalayan Forest Thrush

A new species of birds has been discovered in the snow-capped mountains of the Himalayas. The new bird has been named as the Himalayan Forest Thrush. It is mostly found in the northeastern India and parts of Tibet, Nepal and China. The scientific name of the bird is Zoothera salimalii. The name 'salimalii' is commemorative of the great Indian ornithologist Salim Ali. The Himalayan Forest Thrush is a variant of the Plain Backed Thrush and the European Alpine Thrush. Professor Per Johan Alstrom, a former member of the Uppsala University in Sweden, first noticed the distinctive call of the Himalayan Forest Thrush back in 1999, during a trip to Arunachal Pradesh.

Alstrom, along with his Indian colleague Shashank Dalvi, noticed the two distinctive variants of the Plain Backed Thrush that occurred at different elevations of the mountains. One set of the bird sang a harsh tune sitting above tree line of the forest, while the other set of the bird churned out a tuneful call sitting below the tree line. Unable to find any physical distinction between the two sets of birds, Alstrom spent several years defining the difference. The alpine thrush has longer legs and a longer tail, proportionately, than the forest bird, which are adaptations to its habitat. Because longer legs are more useful in open habitats than in forest. He collected samples of birds of India and China from the 15 museums around the world and studied them for several years. The study of birds also included DNA tests that confirmed the difference between the two species. The two species evolved differently to adapt with the different conditions of the peaks and the mountain forests. During their trips to India and China, Alstrom has also found a Chinese sub-species of the Himalayan Forest Thrush and named it as the Sichuan Forest Thrush.

Recommendations of Justice RV Easwar committee.

The main recommendations of Justice RV Easwar committee.

Union Government has constituted a committee to simplify the provisions of the Income Tax Act (IT), 1961 under set up the 10-member committee under the Chairmanship of former Delhi High Court Judge, Justice R.V. Easwar to remove ambiguities in the tax laws that cause unnecessary litigation and update the laws based on various judgments. The recommendations will go a long way in reducing litigation, but it remains to be seen if the government will accept these recommendations and make changes in the budget.

Terms of reference of the Committee:

To study and identify: provisions in the IT Act, 1961, which are leading to litigation due to the different interpretations. The areas and provisions of the Act which needs simplification in the light of the existing jurisprudence. Provisions which are impacting the ease of doing business.

Suggest: modifications and alternatives to the existing provisions and identified areas in order to bring predictability and certainty in tax laws without substantial impact on the revenue collection and tax base.

Recommendations: The Committee will set up its own procedures for regulating its work and will put its draft recommendations in the public domain in batches after consulting stakeholders. The First Batch shall be submitted by 31st January, 2016 and shall contain as many recommendations as possible.

A committee set up to change direct tax laws has suggested several taxpayer-friendly measures to improve the ease of doing business, reduce litigation and accelerate the resolution of tax disputes. The committee has asked the income-tax department to desist from the practice of adjusting tax demand of a taxpayer whose tax return is under assessment against legitimate refunds due. The panel also proposed that stock trading gains of up to Rs.5 lakh will be treated as capital gains and not business income, a move that could encourage more retail investments in the stock market. The committee has recommended that TDS rates for individuals be reduced to 5% from 10%. It has also clarified that dividend income on which dividend distribution tax has been levied should be treated as part of total income. It also sought to provide an exemption to non-residents not having a Permanent Account Number (PAN), but who furnish their Tax Identification Number (TIN), from the applicability of TDS at a higher rate.

Taxpayers are already grappling with regulatory changes of the Companies Act, 2013, Ind-AS (Indian accounting standards) and the proposed GST (goods and services tax). Industry should be allowed more time to deal with another change of this nature. The committee understands that the taxpayers feel that many of the provisions of the ICDS are capable of generating a legal debate about which at present there is no clarity. The committee also recommended that most of the processes of the income-tax department should be conducted electronically to minimize human interface. To this effect, it suggested that processes such as filing of tax returns, rectification of mistakes, appeal, refunds and any communication regarding scrutiny including notices, questions and documents sought should be done electronically. To make it easy for small businesses, the committee recommended that the eligibility criteria under the presumptive scheme be increased to Rs.2 crore from Rs.1 crore. It also recommended launching a similar scheme for professionals. The presumptive tax is levied on an estimated income and makes life (and work) easier for small businesses.

Under the presumptive income scheme, such professionals or businesses will not need to maintain a book of accounts but just pay tax based on presumptive income calculations. For instance, for professionals it is proposed that 33.3% of their previous year’s receipts will be taken as income on which they will have to pay tax. If their profits are much lower, they will have to maintain a book of accounts clearly categorizing expenditure and pay tax accordingly.

India’s health indicators released by the Union Health Ministry

Major findings of India’s health indicators released by the Union Health Ministry recent.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare released today the results from the first phase of the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4), 2015-16. National Family Health Surveys have been conducted under the stewardship of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, with the International Institute for Population Sciences, Mumbai, serving as the nodal agency. Findings for the 13 States of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Goa, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Tripura, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and two Union Territories of Andaman and Nicobar Islands and Puducherry show promising improvements in maternal and child health and nutrition. Data collection for the second phase States and Union Territories is currently ongoing. The results from NFHS-4 in 15 States/Union Territories indicate that fewer children are dying in infancy and early childhood. Infant mortality rates range from a low of 10 in Andaman and Nicobar Islands to a high of 51 deaths per 1000 live births in Madhya Pradesh.

Better care for women during pregnancy and childbirth contributes to reduction of maternal deaths and improved child survival. Almost all mothers have received antenatal care for their most recent pregnancy and increasing numbers of women are receiving the recommended four or more visits by the service providers. Full immunization coverage among children age 12-23 months varies widely in the First Phase States/Union Territories. At least 6 out of 10 children have received full immunization in 12 of the 15 States / Union Territories. Fewer children under five years of age are now found to be stunted, showing intake of improved nutrition. Married women are less likely to be increase in the use of modern family planning methods. Poor nutrition is less common than reported in the last round of National Family Health Survey. Indian families in the First Phase households are now more inclined to use improved water and sanitation facilities, have access to an improved source of drinking water, Use of clean cooking fuel, which reduces the risk of respiratory illness and pollution.

orange zinnia

"orange zinnia" Its significance..

A bright orange zinnia has blossomed aboard the International Space Station, marking a first flower even grown in space makes its debut, Zinnias grow easily on Earth and blossom in abundance in summer. But on the International Space Station, where they were taken to carry out experiments, they have had trouble adapting to microgravity. Growing such flowers -- zinnias are edible -- is part of a long term NASA’s little greenhouse is known as Veggie, short for Vegetable Production System. It flew to the space station in 2014.  

The whole space gardening enterprise is designed to help scientists study how plants react to being grown off Earth, and to prepare astronauts for a future trip to Mars. It is designed to produce food with an eye to long, manned missions to Mars. The prospect of a Mars trip was one reason justified in taking over the plants' care. If we're going to Mars, and we were growing stuff, we would be responsible for deciding when the stuff needed water. These are not the first plants NASA has grown on the space station, or even the first flowers to bloom in space, but they are NASA's first flower that has grown entirely, from seed to maturity, in space.