JubyRocks

Lokpal Bill-Summary

2011-08-25T18:48:00.000+03:00

Existing System	System Proposed by civil society
No politician or senior officer ever goes to jail despite huge evidence because Anti Corruption Branch (ACB) and CBI directly come under the government. Before starting investigation or initiating prosecution in any case, they have to take permission from the same bosses, against whom the case has to be investigated.	Lokpal at centre and Lokayukta at state level will be independent bodies. ACB and CBI will be merged into these bodies. They will have power to initiate investigations and prosecution against any officer or politician without needing anyone’s permission. Investigation should be completed within 1 year and trial to get over in next 1 year. Within two years, the corrupt should go to jail.
No corrupt officer is dismissed from the job because Central Vigilance Commission, which is supposed to dismiss corrupt officers, is only an advisory body. Whenever it advises government to dismiss any senior corrupt officer, its advice is never implemented.	Lokpal and Lokayukta will have complete powers to order dismissal of a corrupt officer. CVC and all departmental vigilance will be merged into Lokpal and state vigilance will be merged into Lokayukta.
No action is taken against corrupt judges because permission is required from the Chief Justice of India to even register an FIR against corrupt judges.	Lokpal & Lokayukta shall have powers to investigate and prosecute any judge without needing anyone’s permission.
Nowhere to go - People expose corruption but no action is taken on their complaints.	Lokpal & Lokayukta will have to enquire into and hear every complaint.
There is so much corruption within CBI and vigilance departments. Their functioning is so secret that it encourages corruption within these agencies.	All investigations in Lokpal & Lokayukta shall be transparent. After completion of investigation, all case records shall be open to public. Complaint against any staff of Lokpal & Lokayukta shall be enquired and punishment announced within two months.
Weak and corrupt people are appointed as heads of anti-corruption agencies.	Politicians will have absolutely no say in selections of Chairperson and members of Lokpal & Lokayukta. Selections will take place through a transparent and public participatory process.
Citizens face harassment in government offices. Sometimes they are forced to pay bribes. One can only complaint to senior officers. No action is taken on complaints because senior officers also get their cut.	Lokpal & Lokayukta will get public grievances resolved in time bound manner, impose a penalty of Rs 250 per day of delay to be deducted from the salary of guilty officer and award that amount as compensation to the aggrieved citizen.
Nothing in law to recover ill gotten wealth. A corrupt person can come out of jail and enjoy that money.	Loss caused to the government due to corruption will be recovered from all accused.
Small punishment for corruption- Punishment for corruption is minimum 6 months and maximum 7 years.	Enhanced punishment - The punishment would be minimum 5 years and maximum of life imprisonment.

1.Who is Anna Hazare?

An ex-army man(Unmarried). Fought 1965 Indo-Pak War.

2.What's so special about him?

He built a village Ralegaon Siddhi in Ahamad Nagar district, Maharashtra

3.This village is a self-sustained model village. Energy is produced in the village itself from

solar power, biofuel and wind mills. In 1975, it used to be a poverty clad village. Now it is one

of the richest village in India. It has become a model for self-sustained, eco-friendly &

harmonic village.

4.This guy, Anna Hazare was awarded Padma Bhushan and is a known figure for his social

activities.

5.He is supporting a cause, the amendment of a law to curb corruption in India.

6. How that can be possible?

He is advocating for a Bill, The Lok Pal Bill (The Citizen Ombudsman Bill), that will form an

autonomous authority who will make politicians (ministers), bureaucrats (IAS/IPS) accountable for

their deeds.

7. It's an entirely new thing right..?

In 1972, the bill was proposed by then Law minister Mr. Shanti Bhushan. Since then it has been

neglected by the politicians and some are trying to change the bill to suit their theft

(corruption).

8. Oh.. He is going on a hunger strike for that whole thing of passing a Bill ! How can that be

possible in such a short span of time?

The first thing he is asking for is: the govt should come forward and announce that the bill is

going to be passed.

Next, they make a joint committee to DRAFT the LOK PAL BILL. 50% government participation and 50%

public participation. Bcoz u can't trust the govt entirely for making such a bill which does not

suit them.

9.What will happen when this bill is passed?

A LokPal will be appointed at the centre. He will have an autonomous charge, say like the Election Commission of India. In each and every state, Lokayukta will be appointed. The job is to bring all alleged party to trial in case of corruptions within 1 year. Within 2 years, the guilty will be punished.

Indian Oil Sports Scholarship

2011-08-18T20:31:00.000+03:00

IndianOil Sports Scholarship

OBJECTIVES

The objective of this scheme to award IndianOil Sports Scholarships to promising young players with a view to encourage talent and create a pool of sportspersons from whom to select sport appointees to the Corporation.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

There will be two categories of scholarship : 'Elite Scholar' and 'Scholar'.

Elite Scholar : Representing the country in team games or national ranking in individual games between 1-5 Junior or Sub-Junior and quarter-finalist of national championship in individual games.

Scholar : Representing the state team in team games or national ranking in individual games between 6 to 10 Junior or Sub-Junior and quarter-finalist of national championship in individual games.

NO. OF GAMES : The sports scholarships to be awarded will be for the following games :

Games : 1. ATHLETICS, 2.BADMINTON 3.CHESS 4.CRICKET 5.GOLF 6.HOCKEY 7.TABLE TENNIS 8.TENNIS 9.SNOOKERS & BILLIARDS 10. OTHER GAMES

"NOTE" : In 'Other Games' the category of games will be Basketball, Volleyball, Archery, Boxing, Carrom, Gymnastics, Kabaddi, Shooting, Swimming, Wrestling and any other game (with medal prospect).

AGE : Scholarship will be given to upcoming cadet, sub-junior and junior players up to the age of 19 years.

DURATION OF THE SCHOLARSHIP : The duration of sports scholarship shall be for a period of 3 years. After the completion of one year duration period of sports scholarship, the performance of the players will be reviewed, based on his performance / achievements in the State level / National level and All India Ranking tournaments, for junior / sub-juniors. Based on the same, sports scholarship will be extended for the second year. The extension for the third year will be based on the performance in the 2nd year of sports scholarship.

In case the performance of a player in the 1st year is not up to the mark, Management may terminate the scholarship granted to the upcoming sport scholar. A fresh sports scholar will be selected in lieu of the above.

In the event, while availing the scholarship the scholar attains 19 years of age, then the extension of the scholarship beyond the 1st year or 2nd year as the case may be shall be considered on merit, on a case-to-case basis.

APPLICATIONS

The Sports person will be required to send their resume along with passport size photograph as per the format given in the Website and also the family details. The sports person will also be required to attach with the applications the photo copies of the press cuttings and the certificates, duly authenticated by their respective State Association or the Principal of their school / college.

The last date for receipt of applications will be 31.08.2011 and no applications will be entertained after the due date.

The duly completed and signed applications should be sent at the following address :

Shri D V Prasad
Dy.manager (ADMN)
Indian Oil Corporation Ltd.
G-9, Ali yavar jung marg,
Bandra (East),
Mumbai 400051
Email – dprasad@indianoil.co.in

For more informations please visit : http://www.iocl.com

വിന്‍ഡോസ് ഫോണ്‍ 7

2011-08-15T20:21:00.000+03:00

കമ്പ്യൂട്ടര്‍ ഓപ്പറേറ്റിങ് സിസ്റ്റത്തിന്റെ മറുപേരായി മൈക്രോസോഫ്റ്റ് വാണരുളാന്‍ തുടങ്ങിയിട്ട് വര്‍ഷങ്ങളേറെയായി. മൈക്രോസോഫ്റ്റിനെയും അതിന്റെ മുതലാളിയായിരുന്ന ബില്‍ഗേറ്റ്‌സിനെയും ഇന്ന് കൊച്ചുകുട്ടികള്‍ക്കുപോലുമറിയാം. കമ്പ്യൂട്ടറുകളില്‍ നിന്ന് മൊബൈല്‍ഫോണുകളിലേക്ക് ചിറകുവിരിക്കാനുള്ള ശ്രമം മൈക്രോസോഫ്റ്റ് ഏറെക്കാലമായി തുടങ്ങിയിട്ട്. 1990 കളുടെ മധ്യത്തില്‍ തന്നെ വിന്‍ഡോസ് സി.ഇ. എന്ന പേരിലൊരു മൊബൈല്‍ഫോണ്‍ ഒഎസ് കമ്പനി നിര്‍മിച്ചിരുന്നു. സ്മാര്‍ട്‌ഫോണുകളുടെ ആദിമരൂപമായ പേഴ്‌സണല്‍ ഡിജിറ്റല്‍ അസിസ്റ്റന്റുകളിലും പാംടോപ്പ് കമ്പ്യൂട്ടറുകളിലുമൊക്കെ ഉപയോഗിക്കപ്പെട്ട വിന്‍ഡോസ് സി.ഇ. പക്ഷേ ഏറെയൊന്നും ശ്രദ്ധിക്കപ്പെട്ടില്ല.

ആദ്യപ്രതികരണം മോശമായ മേഖലകളില്‍ പണവും സമയവും ചെലവഴിക്കുന്ന ശീലം ബില്‍ ഗേറ്റ്‌സിനില്ലാത്തതിനാല്‍ മൊബൈല്‍ ഒഎസുകളെക്കുറിച്ച് മൈക്രോസോഫ്റ്റ് കാര്യമായി ആലോചിച്ചില്ല. ഏറെക്കാലം കഴിഞ്ഞ് ബോധോദയമുണ്ടായി വിന്‍ഡോസ് മൊബൈല്‍ പ്ലാറ്റ്‌ഫോം കമ്പനി രംഗത്തെത്തിച്ചെങ്കിലും അത് അധികമാരെയും ആകര്‍ഷിച്ചില്ല. പിന്നീട് ഈ രംഗത്ത് മൈക്രോസോഫ്ട് ശക്തമായ സാന്നിധ്യമുറപ്പിക്കാന്‍ ശ്രമിച്ചത്, വിന്‍ഡോസ് ഫോണ്‍ 7 എന്ന മൊബൈല്‍ പ്ലാറ്റ്‌ഫോമുമായാണ്. അപ്പോഴേക്കും പക്ഷേ, മൊബൈല്‍ മേഖല ഗൂഗിളിന്റെ ആന്‍ഡ്രോയിഡും ആപ്പളിന്റെ ഐഫോണ്‍ ഓപ്പറേറ്റിങ് സിസ്റ്റവും (ഐഒഎസ്) ചേര്‍ന്ന് വിഭജിച്ചെടുത്തിരുന്നു.

2010 ല്‍ പുറത്തിറക്കിയ വിന്‍ഡോസ് ഫോണ്‍ 7 ഒഎസില്‍ പ്രവര്‍ത്തിക്കുന്ന സ്മാര്‍ട്‌ഫോണുകളുടെ ശതമാനക്കണക്കുകേട്ടാല്‍ ആരും ചിരിക്കും. രാജ്യാന്തര മാര്‍ക്കറ്റ് റിസര്‍ച്ച് ഏജന്‍സിയായ ഐഡിസി (ഇന്റര്‍നാഷണല്‍ ഡാറ്റ കോര്‍പറേഷന്‍) യുടെ കണക്ക് പ്രകാരം 2011 ല്‍ 5.5 ശതമാനം മാത്രമാണ് വിന്‍ഡോസ് ഫോണ്‍ 7 ന്റെ വിപണി വിഹിതം. അതിലും എത്രയോ മുന്നിലാണ് ആന്‍ഡ്രോയിഡും (39.5 ശതമാനം), ഐഒഎസും (15.7 ശതമാനവും) മറ്റും.

ഇപ്പോള്‍ വിന്‍ഡോസ് ഫോണ്‍ 7 പിന്നിലായിരിക്കാം. എന്നാല്‍, എക്കാലവും അങ്ങനെയായിരിക്കുമെന്ന് കരുതേണ്ടെന്ന് ഐഡിസി പ്രവചിക്കുന്നു. ഈ വര്‍ഷം അവസാനം പുറത്തിറങ്ങുന്ന വിന്‍ഡോസ് 7 ന്റെ പുതിയ വെര്‍ഷന്‍ (മാംഗോ) ആഗോളതലത്തില്‍ വന്‍സ്വീകാര്യത നേടുമെന്ന് ഇവര്‍ ഉറപ്പിച്ചുപറയുന്നു. ഐഡിസിയുടെ ഗവേഷണറിപ്പോര്‍ട്ട് പ്രകാരം 2015 ഓടുകൂടി സ്മാര്‍ട്‌ഫോണ്‍ വിപണിയുടെ 20.9 ശതമാനം സ്വന്തമാക്കി വിന്‍ഡോസ് ഫോണ്‍ 7 രണ്ടാം സ്ഥാനത്തെത്തും. ആന്‍ഡ്രോയിഡ് മാത്രമേ അന്ന് വിന്‍ഡോസിന് മുന്നിലുണ്ടാകൂ. വെറുതെപറയുകയല്ല, എന്തുകൊണ്ട് വിന്‍ഡോസ് ഫോണ്‍ 7 വിപണി കീഴടക്കും എന്നതിന് വ്യക്തമായ കാരണങ്ങളും ഐഡിസി നിരത്തുന്നുണ്ട്്.

നോക്കിയ എന്ന കരുത്തന്‍ പങ്കാളി

നോക്കിയ സ്മാര്‍ട്‌ഫോണ്‍ മോഡലുകള്‍ക്ക് ഇനി വിന്‍ഡോഡ് ഫോണ്‍ 7 പ്ലാറ്റ്‌ഫോമാകും കരുത്തുപകരുകയെന്ന കാര്യം ഇതിനകം പ്രഖ്യാപിക്കപ്പെട്ടു കഴിഞ്ഞതാണ്. ആഗോളതലത്തില്‍ നോക്കിയയ്ക്ക് ഇത് മോശം കാലമായിരിക്കാം. പക്ഷേ, നോക്കിയ എന്ന ബ്രാന്‍ഡ് നാമത്തിന്റെ സ്വാധീനം ലോകമൊട്ടാകെയുളള വിപണികളിലുണ്ട്. അങ്ങനെയൊന്നും പെട്ടെന്നില്ലാതാകുന്നതല്ല നോക്കിയ ജനങ്ങളില്‍ സൃഷ്ടിച്ച വിശ്വാസം. മികച്ച സ്മാര്‍ട്‌ഫോണ്‍ മോഡലുകളിറക്കി വിപണി പിടിക്കാന്‍ നോക്കിയ പൊരുതുകയാണ്. അതിന്റെ ഗുണം മൈക്രോസോഫ്റ്റിനും ലഭിക്കുമെന്നുറപ്പ്. മൈക്രോസോഫ്റ്റിനുള്ളത്ര വിപുലമായ വിപണനശൃംഖല നോക്കിയയ്ക്കുമുണ്ട്. അതുകൊണ്ടുതന്നെ ഇരുവരും തമ്മിലുള്ള കൂട്ടുകെട്ട് ഏറെ കരുത്തോടെ മുന്നോട്ടുപോകും. ആപ്പിളിന്റെ പക്കലുള്ളത്ര ആപ്ലിക്കേഷനുകള്‍ ഇപ്പോള്‍ വിന്‍ഡോസ് ഫോണിന്റെ കാര്യത്തിലില്ലെങ്കിലും, വിന്‍ഡോസ് മൊബൈല്‍ ഡെവലപ്പര്‍മാര്‍ ലോകത്ത് ഇഷ്ടംപോലെയുണ്ട്. വിന്‍േഡാസ് ഫോണ്‍ 7 ഒന്നു പച്ചപിടിക്കുന്നുവെന്നു കണ്ടാല്‍ അവര്‍ക്കു വേണ്ട ആപ്ലിക്കേഷനുകള്‍ നിര്‍മിക്കാനായി സോഫ്ട്‌വേര്‍ കമ്പനികള്‍ സ്വമേധയാ രംഗത്തുവരും.

ക്ലൗഡ് സമ്മാനിക്കുന്ന മേല്‍കൈ

സോഫ്ട്‌വേറുകളും പ്രോഗ്രാമുകളും മുഴുവന്‍ സെര്‍വറുകളില്‍ സൂക്ഷിച്ച് ആവശ്യാനുസരണം വിളിച്ചുപയോഗിക്കാനാകുന്ന ക്ലൗഡ് കമ്പ്യൂട്ടിങിന് പ്രചാരം ഏറുകയാണ്. ഈ സാഹചര്യവും വിന്‍ഡോസ് ഫോണ്‍ 7 ന് നേട്ടമാകുമെന്നാണ് വിലയിരുത്തല്‍. സ്മാര്‍ട്‌ഫോണുകളില്‍ ആപ്പിളും ഗൂഗിളും ക്ലൗഡ് കമ്പ്യൂട്ടിങ് നടപ്പിലാക്കിക്കഴിഞ്ഞു. ആപ്പിളിന്റെ ഐക്ലൗഡ് സേവനമാണ് ഉപയോഗിക്കുന്നതെങ്കില്‍ നിങ്ങളുടെ കമ്പ്യൂട്ടര്‍ മാക്ബുക്ക് ആയിരിക്കണമെന്നുണ്ട്. അല്ലാതെ ഐഫോണും വിന്‍ഡോസ് കമ്പ്യൂട്ടറും ഒരുമിച്ച് ഐക്ലൗഡില്‍ പ്രവര്‍ത്തിക്കില്ല. ഐക്ലൗഡിനു വേണ്ടി മാത്രം ആളുകള്‍ മാക്ക്ബുക്ക് സ്വന്തമാക്കാനിടയില്ല. നേരെമറിച്ച് വിന്‍ഡോസിന്റെ ഓഫീസ് 365 എന്ന ക്ലൗഡ് കമ്പ്യൂട്ടിങ് സേവനം സ്വീകരിച്ചാല്‍ നിങ്ങളുടെ കമ്പ്യൂട്ടറും സ്മാര്‍ട്‌ഫോണുമെല്ലാം ഒരേപോലെ പ്രവര്‍ത്തിക്കും. വിന്‍ഡോസില്‍ പ്രവര്‍ത്തിക്കുന്ന കമ്പ്യൂട്ടറിലെ ഡാറ്റ മുഴുവന്‍ സ്മാര്‍്ട്‌ഫോണിലേക്ക് കൊണ്ടുവരണമെന്നുള്ളവര്‍ വിന്‍ഡോസ് ഫോണ്‍ 7 പ്ലാറ്റ്‌ഫോമുള്ള ഫോണ്‍ വാങ്ങാന്‍ നിര്‍ബന്ധിതരാകുമെന്ന് വ്യക്തം.

ഉപയോഗത്തിലെ സൗകര്യം

നൂറായിരം ആപ്ലിക്കേഷനുകളിലേക്കുള്ള ആക്‌സസ് സൗകര്യമാണ് ഐഫോണ്‍ വാഗ്ദാനം ചെയ്യുന്നത്. ആന്‍ഡ്രോയിഡ് അതിന്റെ മിമിക്രി പതിപ്പും. എന്നാല്‍ ആപ്ലിക്കേഷനുകളുശട പെരുപ്പമല്ല ഉപയോഗത്തിലുള്ള സൗകര്യമാണ് വിന്‍ഡോസ് ഫോണ്‍ 7 ന്റെ ഏറ്റവും വലിയ സവിശേഷത. കൊച്ചുകുട്ടികള്‍ക്കുപോലും എളുപ്പത്തില്‍ ഉപയോഗിക്കാവുന്ന മൈക്രോസോഫ്റ്റ് പ്രോഗ്രാമുകളുടെ ചുവടുപിടിച്ചാണ് വിന്‍ഡോസ് ഫോണ്‍ 7 ന്റെയും പ്രവര്‍ത്തനം. വിന്‍ഡോസ് ഫോണ്‍ 7 ലെ പീപ്പിള്‍ ഹബ് എന്ന സൗകര്യം തന്നെ ഏറ്റവും പറ്റിയ ഉദാഹരണം. പീപ്പിള്‍ ഹബ് വഴി ആളുകളുടെ കോണ്‍ടാക്റ്റ് നമ്പറുകള്‍ മാത്രമല്ല അവരിപ്പോള്‍ എന്തു ചെയ്യുന്നുവെന്നുകൂടി വ്യക്തമാകും. ഫെയ്‌സ്ബുക്കും ട്വിറ്ററുമായുള്ള ഇന്റഗ്രേഷനിലൂടെയാണ് ഇതു സാധ്യമാകുന്നത്. ഇത്തരം ഒരുപാടു സവിശേഷതകള്‍ വിന്‍ഡോസ് ഫോണ്‍ 7 ലുണ്ട്. അവയൊക്കെ ജനങ്ങളെ ആകര്‍ഷിക്കാന്‍ േപാന്നവയാണെന്നതില്‍ സംശയം വേണ്ട.

വിന്‍ഡോസ് ഫോണ്‍ 7 ന് അനുകൂലമായ ഒട്ടേറെ ഘടകങ്ങളുണ്ടെങ്കില്‍ അതു പൂര്‍ണമായി മുതലാക്കാന്‍ മൈക്രോസോഫ്റ്റിനാകുമോ എന്ന് ആശങ്കപ്പെടുന്നവരേറെയുണ്ട്്. വിപണിയുടെ വേഗത്തിനനുസരിച്ച് മാറ്റങ്ങള്‍ കൊണ്ടുവരുന്നതിനും അപ്‌ഡേറ്റുകള്‍ അവതരിപ്പിക്കുന്നതിനുമൊക്കെ മൈക്രോസോഫ്റ്റ് കാട്ടാറുള്ള കുപ്രസിദ്ധമായ അമാന്തം തന്നെ പ്രധാന കാരണം. കമ്പ്യൂട്ടര്‍ ഒഎസുകളുടെ പുതിയ വെര്‍ഷന്‍ അവതരിപ്പിക്കാന്‍ വിന്‍ഡോസ് വര്‍ഷങ്ങളെടുക്കാറുണ്ട്. എന്നാല്‍ അതേ രീതി മൊബൈല്‍ പ്ലാറ്റ്‌ഫോമുകളിലും സ്വീകരിച്ചാല്‍ കാര്യങ്ങള്‍ അവതാളത്തിലാകും. മാസങ്ങള്‍ക്കുള്ളില്‍ പുതിയ വെര്‍ഷനുകള്‍ അവതരിപ്പിച്ചുകൊണ്ടാണ് ആന്‍ഡ്രോയിഡ് വിപണി പിടിച്ചത്.

2008 സപ്തംബര്‍ 23 നാണ് ആന്‍ഡ്രോയ്ഡ് 1.0 പ്ലാറ്റ്‌ഫോം അവതരിപ്പിക്കപ്പെട്ടതെന്നോര്‍ക്കുക. മൂന്നുവര്‍ഷം തികയുംമുമ്പ് 1.5, 1.6, 2.0, 2.1, 2.2, 2.3, 3.0 എന്നീ വെര്‍ഷനുകള്‍ പുറത്തിറക്കിയ ആന്‍ഡ്രോയ്ഡിന്റെ ഏറ്റവും പുതിയ 4.0 (ഐസ്‌ക്രീം സാന്‍വിച്ച്) വെര്‍ഷന്‍ ഈ വര്‍ഷം തന്നെ റിലീസ് ചെയ്യപ്പെടും. സ്മാര്‍ട്‌ഫോണുകള്‍ക്കും ടാബ്‌ലറ്റുകള്‍ക്കും ആവശ്യമായ സൗകര്യങ്ങള്‍ ഒരേ പ്ലാറ്റ്‌ഫോമില്‍ ലഭിക്കും എന്നതാണ് ഐസ്‌ക്രീം സാന്‍വിച്ചിന്റെ സവിശേഷത.

പുതിയ വെര്‍ഷനുകള്‍ അവതരിപ്പിക്കുന്നതിനും അതു പ്രചരിപ്പിക്കുന്നതിലും േൈക്രോസോഫ്റ്റ് ഇപ്പോഴും പുറകില്‍ തന്നെയാണ്. അതിന്റെ ഏറ്റവും വലിയ തെളിവാണ് മാങ്കോ. വിന്‍ഡോസ് ഫോണ്‍ 7 ഒഎസിന്റെ ഏറ്റവും പുതിയ വെര്‍ഷനായ മാങ്കോ ഈ വര്‍ഷം മേയില്‍ അവതരിപ്പിക്കപ്പെട്ടതാണ്. എന്നാല്‍ മാങ്കോയില്‍ പ്രവര്‍ത്തിക്കുന്ന സ്മാര്‍ട്‌ഫോണുകള്‍ ഇതുവരെ വിപണിയിലെത്തിയിട്ടില്ല. ഈ വര്‍ഷം അവസാനമാകുമ്പോഴേ അതു സംഭവിക്കൂ എന്നാണറിയുന്നത്.

ആപ്ലിക്കേഷനുകളുടെ എണ്ണപ്പെരുപ്പത്തിന്റെ കാര്യത്തിലും വിന്‍ഡോസ്‌ഫോണ്‍ എത്രയോ പുറകിലാണ്. അഞ്ചുലക്ഷത്തിലേറെ ആപ്ലിക്കേഷനുകള്‍ (ആപ്‌സ്) സ്വന്തമായുളള ഐഫോണ്‍ ആപ്‌സ് റ്റോറാണ് ഇക്കാര്യത്തില്‍ സമ്പന്നം. ആന്‍ഡ്രോയിഡ് മാര്‍ക്കറ്റില്‍ രണ്ടരലക്ഷം ആപ്‌സുണ്ട്. വിന്‍ഡോസ് ഫോണിന്റെ പക്കല്‍ ആകെയുളളത് 20,000 ആപ്‌സ് മാത്രം. ബ്ലാക്ക്‌ബെറിക്കുപോലും 25,000 ആപ്‌സ് സ്വന്തമായുണ്ടെന്നറിയുമ്പോഴേ വിന്‍ഡോസിന്റെ ദാരിദ്ര്യം വ്യക്തമാകൂ.

കച്ചവടത്തിന്റെ മര്‍മമറിയുന്ന മൈക്രോസോഫ്റ്റ് ഈ പ്രതിസന്ധികളെയെല്ലാം മറികടന്ന് മുന്നേറുമെന്നുതന്നെ ഐഡിസി റിപ്പോര്‍ട്ട് അടിവരയിട്ടു പറയുന്നു. ഈ പ്രവചനം സത്യമാകുമോയെന്ന് കാലമാണ് തെളിയിക്കേണ്ടത്.

Microsoft buys Skype for $8.5 billion

2011-05-24T19:48:00.000+03:00

ആഗോള ഓണ്‍ലൈന്‍ ഭൂപടത്തില്‍ സ്‌കൈപ്പിനുള്ള സ്ഥാനം അനിര്‍വചനീയമാണ്. എന്നുവെച്ചാല്‍ പരസ്പരം കണ്ടുകൊണ്ടും കാണാതെയും സംസാരിക്കാന്‍ ലോകരെ പഠിപ്പിച്ച യാഹൂ മെസഞ്ചറിനോടും പിന്നീടുവന്ന സാക്ഷാല്‍ ജിടോക്കിനോടും ഇല്ലാത്ത ഒരു മമത ഇന്റര്‍നെറ്റ് ഉപഭോക്താക്കള്‍ക്ക് സ്‌കൈപ്പിനോടുണ്ട്. അമേരിക്കയിലും യൂറോപ്പിലും അമേരിക്കയിലുമൊക്കെയുള്ള കോര്‍പ്പറേറ്റ് ഓഫീസുകളിലെ തിരക്കില്‍ ജോലിചെയ്യുന്ന കൊച്ചു മകള്‍ക്കും കേരളത്തിലെ നാട്ടുമ്പുറത്തെ വീട്ടില്‍ കുത്തിയിരിക്കുന്ന അമ്മൂമ്മക്കും സ്‌കൈപ്പ് അത്രയേറെ ഉപകാരിയാണ്.

ജന്മനാ വലിയ തറവാട്ടുമഹിമയൊന്നും അവകാശപ്പെടാനില്ലാത്ത സ്‌കൈപ്പ് കംപ്യൂട്ടര്‍ യുഗത്തിലെ പഴക്കം ചെന്ന തറവാട്ടില്‍ എത്തിപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നു ഒടുവില്‍-മൈക്രോസോഫ്റ്റില്‍. 850 കോടി ഡോളറിനാണ് മൈക്രോസോഫ്റ്റ് സ്‌കൈപ്പ് സ്വന്തമാക്കിയത്, അതും സ്‌കൈപ്പിനെ സ്വന്തമാക്കാന്‍ രംഗത്തുണ്ടായിരുന്ന സാക്ഷാല്‍ ഗൂഗിളിനെയും ഫെയ്‌സ്ബുക്കിനെയും കടത്തിവെട്ടിക്കൊണ്ട്.

ഈസ്റ്റോണിയയിലെ മൂന്ന് സോഫ്റ്റ്‌വേര്‍ ഡെവലപ്പര്‍മാര്‍ ചേര്‍ന്ന് രൂപം കൊടുത്ത സ്‌കൈപ്പ് എട്ടുവര്‍ഷത്തെ ചരിത്രത്തിനുള്ളില്‍ പല ഭാവമാറ്റങ്ങള്‍ക്കും വിധേയമായി. 2003 ല്‍ വാണിജ്യാടിസ്ഥാനത്തില്‍ പ്രവര്‍ത്തനമാരംഭിച്ച സ്‌കൈപ്പിന്റെ ഓഹരികള്‍ 2006 ലാണ് ഊബേ എന്ന ഈകോമേഴ്‌സ് കമ്പനി വാങ്ങിയത്. മൂന്നു വര്‍ഷം കഴിഞ്ഞ് നല്ല ലാഭത്തിന് എഴുപതു ശതമാനം ഷെയറുകള്‍ വിറ്റു. കഴിഞ്ഞ ആഗസ്തില്‍ വീണ്ടും ഓഹരികള്‍ വില്‍ക്കാന്‍ തയ്യാറായതോടെയാണ് മൈക്രോസോഫ്റ്റ് സ്‌കൈപ്പിനെ സ്വന്തമാക്കാനുള്ള നീക്കം ആരംഭിച്ചത്.

കംപ്യൂട്ടറില്‍ നിന്നും കംപ്യൂട്ടറിലേക്കും താരതമ്യേന ചില്ലറ കാശു കൊടുത്ത് ടെലഫോണുകളിലേക്കും വിളിക്കാന്‍ ഏതാണ്ട് 70 കോടി പേരാണ് ഇന്ന് സ്‌കൈപ്പ് ഉപയോഗിക്കുന്നത്. ആ കമ്പനിയെ ചരിത്രത്തിലെ ഏറ്റവും ഉയര്‍ന്ന തുക കൊടുത്ത് സ്വന്തമാക്കണമെങ്കില്‍ മൈക്രോസോഫ്റ്റ് എന്തെങ്കിലുമൊക്കെ മുന്നില്‍ കണ്ടിട്ടുണ്ടാകുമെന്നുറപ്പ്. വീഡിയോ കോണ്‍ഫറന്‍സിന്റെ ഭാവി ഇനി മൈക്രോസോഫ്റ്റായിരിക്കും നിശ്ചയിക്കുക എന്നാണ് ചീഫ് എക്‌സിക്യൂട്ടീവ് സ്റ്റീവ് ബാല്‍മര്‍ പറഞ്ഞത്.

മൈക്രോസോഫ്റ്റില്‍ സ്‌കൈപ്പ് പ്രത്യേക വിഭാഗമായായിരിക്കും പ്രവര്‍ത്തിച്ചു തുടങ്ങുക. ബാല്‍മറുടെ നേരിട്ടുള്ള നിയന്ത്രണത്തില്‍ സ്‌കൈപ്പിന്റെ നിലവിലുള്ള മേധാവി ടോണി ബേറ്റ്‌സ് തന്നെ തുടര്‍ന്നും കാര്യങ്ങള്‍ നോക്കും. വിന്‍ഡോസിന്റെ എട്ടാം പതിപ്പിനൊപ്പം സ്‌കൈപ്പ് നല്‍കാണ് പദ്ധിതിയെന്നും പറഞ്ഞു കേള്‍ക്കുന്നുണ്ട്.

എംഎസ്എന്‍ എന്ന തങ്ങളുടെ പാരമ്പര്യസ്വത്തായ മെസഞ്ചറിനനെ വളര്‍ത്തി വലുതാക്കാന്‍ മൈക്രോസോഫ്റ്റ് പലതവണ ശ്രമിച്ചു പരാജയപ്പെട്ടതാണ്. യാഹൂ മെസഞ്ചറിന്റെ ജനപ്രിയതയായിരുന്നു അവര്‍ നേരിട്ട ഏറ്റവും വലിയ തലവേദന. കംപ്യൂട്ടറില്‍ നിന്ന് കംപ്യൂട്ടറിലേക്കുള്ള നേരിട്ടു കണ്ടുള്ള സംസാരത്തിന് നിരവധി പേര്‍ യാഹൂവിനെ ഉപയോഗിക്കുന്നുണ്ട്. ഗൂഗിളാണെങ്കില്‍ ജിമെയിലിനൊപ്പം തന്നെയാണ് വീഡിയോ കോളിംഗ് ഒരുക്കിയത്. ഈ സാഹചര്യത്തില്‍ വിന്‍ഡോസില്‍ നിന്ന് നേരിട്ടുതന്നെ ഇന്റര്‍നെറ്റ് ടെലഫോണ്‍ സൗകര്യം ഏര്‍പ്പെടുത്തി മാര്‍ക്കറ്റ് പിടിക്കാനാകും മൈക്രോസോഫ്റ്റ് ശ്രമിക്കുക.

മറ്റൊരു സാധ്യതകൂടി മൈക്രോസോഫ്ടിന് സ്‌കൈപ്പിന്റെ പിന്തുണ വഴി തുറുന്നു കിട്ടുമെന്ന് ചില നിരീക്ഷകര്‍ കരുതുന്നു. അത് സ്മാര്‍ട്ട്‌ഫോണ്‍ രംഗത്താണ്. ലോകത്തെ ഏറ്റവും വലിയ മൊബൈല്‍ഫോണ്‍ കമ്പനിയായ നോക്കിയയും മൈക്രോസോഫ്റ്റുമായി, സ്മാര്‍ട്ട്‌ഫോണ്‍ രംഗത്ത് യോജിച്ചു പ്രവര്‍ത്തിക്കാന്‍ അടുത്തയിടെയാണ് കരാറുണ്ടാക്കിയത്. വീഡിയോകോള്‍ പോലുള്ള ഭാവി സാധ്യതകളുടെ കാര്യത്തില്‍, മൈക്രോസോഫ്ടിന്റെ വിന്‍ഡോസ് ഫോണ്‍ 7 പ്ലാറ്റ്‌ഫോമിന് ഭാവിയില്‍ കരുത്തു പകരുക ഒരുപക്ഷേ, സ്‌കൈപ്പായിരിക്കാം. സ്‌കൈപ്പിന്റെ 70 കോടി യൂസര്‍ അടിത്തറ ചില്ലറ കാര്യമല്ലല്ലോ

Courtesy:mathrubhumi

His Holiness John Paul II

2011-05-14T19:10:00.000+03:00

Karol Józef Wojtyła, known as John Paul II since his October 1978 election to the papacy, was born in the Polish town of Wadowice, a small city 50 kilometers from Krakow, on May 18, 1920. He was the youngest of three children born to Karol Wojtyła and Emilia Kaczorowska. His mother died in 1929. His eldest brother Edmund, a doctor, died in 1932 and his father, a non-commissioned army officer died in 1941. A sister, Olga, had died before he was born.

He was baptized on June 20, 1920 in the parish church of Wadowice by Fr. Franciszek Zak, made his First Holy Communion at age 9 and was confirmed at 18. Upon graduation from Marcin Wadowita high school in Wadowice, he enrolled in Krakow's Jagiellonian University in 1938 and in a school for drama.

The Nazi occupation forces closed the university in 1939 and young Karol had to work in a quarry (1940-1944) and then in the Solvay chemical factory to earn his living and to avoid being deported to Germany.

In 1942, aware of his call to the priesthood, he began courses in the clandestine seminary of Krakow, run by Cardinal Adam Stefan Sapieha, archbishop of Krakow. At the same time, Karol Wojtyła was one of the pioneers of the "Rhapsodic Theatre," also clandestine.

After the Second World War, he continued his studies in the major seminary of Krakow, once it had re-opened, and in the faculty of theology of the Jagiellonian University. He was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop Sapieha in Krakow on November 1, 1946.

Shortly afterwards, Cardinal Sapieha sent him to Rome where he worked under the guidance of the French Dominican, Garrigou-Lagrange. He finished his doctorate in theology in 1948 with a thesis on the subject of faith in the works of St. John of the Cross (Doctrina de fide apud Sanctum Ioannem a Cruce). At that time, during his vacations, he exercised his pastoral ministry among the Polish immigrants of France, Belgium and Holland.

In 1948 he returned to Poland and was vicar of various parishes in Krakow as well as chaplain to university students. This period lasted until 1951 when he again took up his studies in philosophy and theology. In 1953 he defended a thesis on "evaluation of the possibility of founding a Catholic ethic on the ethical system of Max Scheler" at Lublin Catholic University. Later he became professor of moral theology and social ethics in the major seminary of Krakow and in the Faculty of Theology of Lublin.

On July 4, 1958, he was appointed titular bishop of Ombi and auxiliary of Krakow by Pope Pius XII, and was consecrated September 28, 1958, in Wawel Cathedral, Krakow, by Archbishop Eugeniusz Baziak.

On January 13, 1964, he was appointed archbishop of Krakow by Pope Paul VI, who made him a cardinal June 26, 1967 with the title of S. Cesareo in Palatio of the order of deacons, later elevated pro illa vice to the order of priests.

Besides taking part in Vatican Council II (1962-1965) where he made an important contribution to drafting the Constitution Gaudium et spes, Cardinal Wojtyła participated in all the assemblies of the Synod of Bishops.

The Cardinals elected him Pope at the Conclave of 16 October 1978, and he took the name of John Paul II. On 22 October, the Lord's Day, he solemnly inaugurated his Petrine ministry as the 263rd successor to the Apostle. His pontificate, one of the longest in the history of the Church, lasted nearly 27 years.

Driven by his pastoral solicitude for all Churches and by a sense of openness and charity to the entire human race, John Paul II exercised the Petrine ministry with a tireless missionary spirit, dedicating it all his energy. He made 104 pastoral visits outside Italy and 146 within Italy. As bishop of Rome he visited 317 of the city's 333 parishes.

He had more meetings than any of his predecessors with the People of God and the leaders of Nations. More than 17,600,000 pilgrims participated in the General Audiences held on Wednesdays (more than 1160), not counting other special audiences and religious ceremonies [more than 8 million pilgrims during the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 alone], and the millions of faithful he met during pastoral visits in Italy and throughout the world. We must also remember the numerous government personalities he encountered during 38 official visits, 738 audiences and meetings held with Heads of State, and 246 audiences and meetings with Prime Ministers.

His love for young people brought him to establish the World Youth Days. The 19 WYDs celebrated during his pontificate brought together millions of young people from all over the world. At the same time his care for the family was expressed in the World Meetings of Families, which he initiated in 1994.

John Paul II successfully encouraged dialogue with the Jews and with the representatives of other religions, whom he several times invited to prayer meetings for peace, especially in Assisi.

Under his guidance the Church prepared herself for the third millennium and celebrated the Great Jubilee of the year 2000 in accordance with the instructions given in the Apostolic Letter Tertio Millennio adveniente. The Church then faced the new epoch, receiving his instructions in the Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio ineunte, in which he indicated to the faithful their future path.

With the Year of the Redemption, the Marian Year and the Year of the Eucharist, he promoted the spiritual renewal of the Church.

He gave an extraordinary impetus to Canonizations and Beatifications, focusing on countless examples of holiness as an incentive for the people of our time. He celebrated 147 beatification ceremonies during which he proclaimed 1,338 Blesseds; and 51 canonizations for a total of 482 saints. He made Thérèse of the Child Jesus a Doctor of the Church.

He considerably expanded the College of Cardinals, creating 231 Cardinals (plus one in pectore) in 9 consistories. He also called six full meetings of the College of Cardinals.

He organized 15 Assemblies of the Synod of Bishops - six Ordinary General Assemblies (1980, 1983, 1987, 1990, 1994 and 2001), one Extraordinary General Assembly (1985) and eight Special Assemblies (1980,1991, 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998 (2) and 1999).

His most important Documents include 14 Encyclicals, 15 Apostolic Exhortations, 11 Apostolic Constitutions, 45 Apostolic Letters.

He promulgated the Catechism of the Catholic Church in the light of Tradition as authoritatively interpreted by the Second Vatican Council. He also reformed the Eastern and Western Codes of Canon Law, created new Institutions and reorganized the Roman Curia.

As a private Doctor he also published five books of his own: "Crossing the Threshold of Hope" (October 1994), "Gift and Mystery, on the fiftieth anniversary of my ordination as priest" (November 1996), "Roman Triptych" poetic meditations (March 2003), "Arise, Let us Be Going" (May 2004) and "Memory and Identity" (February 2005).

In the light of Christ risen from the dead, on 2 April a.D. 2005, at 9.37 p.m., while Saturday was drawing to a close and the Lord's Day was already beginning, the Octave of Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday, the Church's beloved Pastor, John Paul II, departed this world for the Father.

From that evening until April 8, date of the funeral of the late Pontiff, more than three million pilgrims came to Rome to pay homage to the mortal remains of the Pope. Some of them queued up to 24 hours to enter St. Peter's Basilica.

On April 28, the Holy Father Benedict XVI announced that the normal five-year waiting period before beginning the cause of beatification and canonization would be waived for John Paul II. The cause was officially opened by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar general for the diocese of Rome, on June 28 2005.

The Beatification of Pope John Paul II

On Sunday, May 1,2011, the Catholic Church declares Pope John Paul II to be “Blessed,” a step on the way to being declared a saint. This is done not as a judgment on the effectiveness or influence of his pontificate, nor on the depth of his knowledge of theology, but rather on his fidelity in living the Christian virtues.
The Church says, in other words, “If you want to follow Christ, look to John Paul II as an example.”
Each person whom the Church beatifies or canonizes, moreover, has his or her special theme, some aspect of discipleship that marks his or her life. For Pope John Paul II, it is the theme of pro-life. Not only was this a theme he spoke and acted upon continuously, but he gave the Church and the world a new way of understanding and practicing it.
This pope did not simply repeat the longstanding teaching of the Church that abortion is wrong. He did not simply hand down dogmas about what we can and cannot do, and how we are supposed to live up to the principles and the commandments, such as “Thou shalt not kill.”
John Paul II was able to join traditional, objective thought with the patterns of modern thought in what came to be known as his “personalism.” He focused on the dignity, the uniqueness, of each individual human person and affirmed their subjective insights and experiences. He taught that in each person we have a unique and unrepeatable being. And that uniqueness is precisely a reflection, or image, of God himself. Here is where the two worlds merge. Individual experience is not crushed, lost, or absorbed by the recognition that there is a God who has revealed universal moral norms. On the contrary, when God reveals himself to us in Jesus Christ, he reveals us to ourselves.

Courtesy: http:// www.vatican.va

St. Alphonsa

2011-05-14T18:56:00.001+03:00

A Life of love

Sixty one years ago Bharananganam was quite an unknown place and found no mention in the history of the world. By the holiness of a poor clarist nun called Alphonsa it has come to be known all over the world.

Sister Alphonsa was a noble woman who lived all human virtues in their fullness. Love was the special attribute of her personality. She loved everybody with a strong feeling of affection, not only those who loved her but also people who were harsh towards her. A heart which is filled with genuine love can never keep any kind of animosity, resentment or ill feelings against anybody and anything. She would say that her heart was full of love. This was the cause of her holiness.

Jesus, her beloved spouse, bestowed upon her all the virtues like prudence, fortitude temperance etc. Besides these, the theological virtues such as faith, hope and charity were granted abundantly to her. In short, we can describe her as an embodiment of virtues and love. God himself prepared her in a special way to entrust certain sacred duties to her.

The duty was to love Jesus with all her strength and might. Real love means to renounce one’s own comfort and pleasure for the sake of the loved ones. Blessed Alphonsa forced herself from the depth of her heart to abstain from everything which was found worthy in the eyes of the world. She asked for more and more sufferings to become one with the crucified Jesus. Her sufferings and agonies were never a curse for her, but a sign of the greatest love. She was ready to take any kind of sacrifice for the sake of Jesus. She felt immense joy while suffering for her beloved Jesus.

There were sleepless nights due to the violent attack of diseases; there were times of intense sufferings and hardships. There were occasions of blame and accusations. There were moments of misunderstanding and helplessness. She never felt any regret over it since she found an interior happiness in the midest of all these sufferings. Because she had an unceasing thirst to love the crucified Jesus everything was for Jesus. She was a moving temple. Here Temple means a place made holy by the presence of God. People would find the face of Jesus in her. Really her life was a holocaust for love.

The remarkable life of a young Catholic nun came to an end on 28 th July 1946. She was unknown to the public till her death. Only a few attended her funeral. There appeared no news in the media about the death of Sr. Alphonsa.

God the almighty had been well pleased to exalt and honour the one who became a burnt offering for his sake. The very next day of the funeral people who knew her sanctity started to pray through her instrumentality and received favours.

Now there is an incessant flow of pilgrims to her tomb. She lies buried in the cemetary of Bharananganam parish church. A cemetary inspires fear in the minds of the people. People will hesitate to enter it. But the cemetary of Bharananganam became a crowd puller almost as soon as her death. It continues to be so.
Courtesy: Sr. Lilly FCC

St. Alphonsa: The Life And Message of the Saint From India

The newest Saint of India, Alphonsa, reveals that in the Cross the meaninglessness of suffering can give way to a profound experience of the love of God and neighbor in our daily lives.

Blessed Alphonsa will be canonized on the 12th October in Rome. She is a sign of the deep roots and the maturation of the Christian faith in India. Christianity in India traces its origin back to the Apostle Thomas. The Christian faith, received and nurtured in India through ancient and modern stages, witnesses to the world today in the Catholic tri-ritual communion of the Syro-Malabar church, Syro-Malankara Church and the Latin Church (otherwise popularly called rites) and in the diverse Orthodox and Protestant churches and communities. Alphonsa belonged to the Syro-Malabar church which, like its Catholic and non-Catholic counterparts, is known for its extraordinary socio-cultural proximity to Hinduism.

Alphonsa herself had as her best class companion a Hindu girl named Laxmikutty. Unlike the Semitic and western churches, the Church in India, especially of the Thomas Christian tradition, holds a unique place for its interreligious, multi-cultural and socio-political interactions and mutual relationships. For this reason, when the Universal Church raises Alphonsa to the veneration at the altar by officially declaring her as a person who shares in the communion of saints, she also presents before today’s world a shining example of how the mutual interaction of the apostolic vitality of a church which is intermingled with the local cultures can lead to the blossoming of Christian dignity and sanctity. This should be an assurance and consolation, not only for Christians, but also for people of other faiths.

This article is an attempt to focus on the centrality of Blessed Alphonsa's relationship to Jesus Christ and the experience of His presence in her daily life. For instance, Alphonsa is popularly known as a person who loved and invited loving suffering. She is called the “Little Flower” (St. Therese of Child Jesus) of India. Both of these claims draw our attention to the fundamental reality and truth of Jesus Christ as the only Son of God and the unique Savior of the whole creation. She was a Franciscan Clarist nun.

Her life was confined within the four walls of the FCC Convent at Bharananganam. It was at the same time a tale of docility to God, to her fellow sisters, to her spiritual master, to her relatives and to the children around in the school. Although confined externally, it is this child like docility which helped others feel and discover the mystery of the grace of sanctity at work in her. In this context, the funeral sermon preached by her spiritual father Romulus of happy memory is a classical example of spiritual direction and a worthy paradigm for the profession of the dignity of a spiritual master. It is the first official step in fact exposing the hidden sanctity of Alphonsa.

Fr. Romulus preached, ““with the most profound conviction in my heart and as one who has known this religious very intimately, I affirm that we are now participating in the last rites of a saintly person. If the world had realized her intrinsic worth, unprecedented crowds including hundreds of priests and bishops from all over India would have assembled here. They would have rushed and clamored for even a glimpse of this body and for some precious relic or token of this person. I assure you, that as far as human judgment can be relied on, this young nun was not much less saintly than the Little Flower of Lisieux.”

From Annakutty to Alphonsa,from Family to Convent

Annakutty was the childhood name of Alphonsa. Roughly translated it would mean ‘little Ann’. It is a typical christening name popular among the Christians of Kerala. Although the immediate attention is now focused on the name Alphonsa, reflection on the name Annakutty reveals not only her childhood goodness, virtues and trials, but also an often unsung story and history of the family values, faith practices and ecclesial foundations of the Christians in Kerala. Without any exaggeration, one can say that Alphonsa’s real foundation was laid in her childhood as Annakutty, in her Christian family upbringing.

Annakutty was born on August 19, 1910. It was a premature birth, taking place in the 8th month of the pregnancy. This was the result of a diabolical shock her mother, Mary Muttathupadathu, received from the coiling of a rat snake around her neck in her sleep. Her mother died three months after birth and on her death bed she entrusted Annakutty to the care of her own sister Annamma Muricken. With her aunt, Annakutty painfully and joyfully tried to overcome the inexplicable loss of her mother and motherly love.

Annakutty’s father unwillingly agreed to placing the child with her newly found ‘mother’ with the sole motive of promoting an ideal upbringing which would make Annakutty more capable as a future house wife. Annamma Muricken educated her sternly. The family played a key role in her faith formation and love for Christ, especially through the prevalent practices of regular evening prayers, observance of weekly fastings and participation in the Eucharistic celebration.

Fr. Romlus rightly emphasizes this role the family played in the life of Alphonsa in nurturing and deepening her Christian faith. However the most important fact is that Annakutty developed a personal devotion and love for Christ. This is the fruit of her genuine faith formation. It is also the first visible sign that faith was a lived experience in the childhood of Annakutty. In other words, Jesus Christ began to become a concrete personal relational reality for her. It is because of this relational realization of God’s love and knowledge of Jesus Christ that Annakutty began to yearn for sanctity.

The desire for sanctity was for Alphonsa a and concrete response to the invitation of Christ.The surprising depth of spiritual understanding possessed by Alphonsa in her childhood teaches us all the most profound lesson on the Christian life. Spirituality and sanctity is not a mere object to yearn for but comes as a result of a personal experience with Jesus Christ in the Church and in the Sacraments. A striking narration related to her first confession as a little child throws light on this fact. She notes, “I loved God more ardently. I took great care to avoid all faults. I had nothing special to mention in my First Confession. I zealously aspired to become a saint. I felt that desire while I was reading the biography of St. Therese of Lisieux.”

Later, the decisive Christian family upbringing of Annakutty paved the way to the fruit borne in her life as a professed Clarist nun at Bharananganam. It is important to remember that because of the unique minority status of the Christian community in India, and because of the apostolically rich traditional background of the Church in Kerala, any mention of Alphonsa will always have to be done in reference to the unique ecclesial nature of the Catholic Church in India. That is the tri-ritual communion and the Christian reality of India which is astoundingly ecumenical because of the presence of all the major tributaries of non-Catholic traditions. This is why K. C. Chacko himself has added an entire chapter length prologue on the Catholics of Kerala in the fifth edition in 1983.

Courtesy: http://www.catholic.org

Scholarship Do's and Don'ts

2011-05-09T20:27:00.000+03:00

Top 10 Scholarship Do's

Scholarship judges may spend just a few precious minutes or even seconds reviewing your scholarship application. With such a finite amount of time to make a lasting impression on these important decision makers, it's crucial that you make the most of this opportunity. If not, your application may be on the fast track to the circular file. To help, here are the Top 10 Scholarship Do's that you must know to increase your chances of winning.

1. Get friendly with your own neighborhood .

Your community is one of the biggest sources of scholarships. Find out about these kinds of awards by contacting your local chamber of commerce and by reading your community newspaper.

2. Choose quality over quantity

You'll need to prioritize which scholarships to apply for. Instead of trying to apply to as many scholarships as possible, try to apply to the scholarships that best fit your strengths, interests and qualifications.

3. Understand the purpose of the scholarship

Scholarships may be designed to encourage students to enter a specific career field, to reward students who contribute to their communities or to help underserved students enter higher education. Use this information to guide how you write your scholarship application.

4. Follow the directions

Make sure you take the time to ensure every “i” is dotted and “t” is crossed. Include all the information and forms requested, and answer every question.

5. Write an essay that demonstrates why you should win

The scholarship application gives the scholarship judges a sense of who you are and what's important to you. Think about what skills and qualities the scholarship judges seek and then describe how you match them.

6. Get feedback from editors

You can't write a strong scholarship essay in a vacuum, and editors are the best people to help. Friends, teachers and even parents can make great editors.

7. Proofread

No matter how strong of an applicant you are, it would be difficult for a scholarship judge to overlook spelling or grammatical errors. Proofread your application and essays carefully, and have your editors do the same.

8. Practice for interviews

Ask a friend or parent to do a mock interview with you to prepare for the real thing.

9. Ask your parents for help

Mom and Dad are capable of doing more than writing the tuition check. They can help you find scholarships, keep track of deadlines and give you feedback on your applications and essays.

10. Brag a little about yourself

You need to let your best self shine through in your scholarship applications – don't be bashful about discussing your accomplishments.

Top 10 Scholarship Don'ts

Scholarship judges may spend just a few precious minutes or even seconds reviewing your scholarship application. With such a finite amount of time to make a lasting impression on these important decision makers, it's crucial that you make the most of this opportunity. If not, your application may be on the fast track to the circular file. To help, here are the Top 10 Scholarship Don'ts that you must know to increase your chances of winning.

1. Don't overlook your college financial aid officer or guidance counselor

Helping students pay for college is their job, and you should take advantage of the knowledge they've accumulated.

2. Don't ignore the Internet

Fire up the computer, and use free web-based scholarship searches like ours to find more scholarships.

3. Don't ignore small awards

When there are scholarships worth tens of thousands of rupees, you might think you shouldn't bother with the “small potato” awards. The truth is that a Rs.1,000 scholarship is Rs.1,000 less that you will need to come up with for college.

4. Don't think that you have to be an academic or athletic superstar to win

There are scholarships based on leadership, art, music, theatre, community service and more.

5. Don't be a victim of a scholarship scam

Never pay for a scholarship search, to apply for a scholarship or for a listing of awards. You can find scholarships on your own for free, and applying for a scholarship should always be free.

6. Don't use the shotgun approach

Remember that all organizations that award scholarships have different selection criteria. This means that the same application won't work for all of them.

7. Don't forget to answer the question in your essay

There's a reason why the scholarship organizations provide the essay questions. They want to know your answer. An essay can be very well written, but if it doesn't answer the question asked, then it's not going to win.

8. Don't wait until the last minute

You may think that you do your best work on the day before the deadline at 3 a.m. , but if you review your work you'll probably see that you don't. Take the pressure off, and allow yourself more time to complete an application.

9. Don't turn in an application that is incomplete

Scholarship organizations receive far more applicants than they can support. Don't give them a reason to take you out of the running for not having a complete application.

10. Don't think that it's impossible for you to win

Every student who has won a scholarship has thought this. And guess what? They won, and you can, too!

Careers in Petroleum Engineering & Admission Announcement-2011

2011-05-06T12:52:00.003+03:00

The role of Petroleum Engineers in exploration & production (E&P) sectors is concerned with functional disciplines such as drilling, production, pipeline transportation, corporate & strategic planning, R&D, reservoir management, and enhanced & improved oil recovery activities.

Career opportunities in India and abroad are expected to be good for Petroleum Engineers-whether they work with drilling equipment, on production facilities, with computer models of reservoirs, or with sophisticated instrumentation & control equipment. In India, specifically, stress is likely to be on the revitalization of ageing fields, re-estimation of basic field parameters with new technology, and intensified application of modern technology.

Specialization Streams in BTech (Petroleum Engineering)
Oil and gas production can be sub-divided into several broad fields of science and technology:

Geosciences and Reservoir Engineering help us to discover, understand and model basic reservoir & flow parameters in fields, with the aim of extracting hydrocarbons.

Reservoir Engineering and Production Engineering-including drilling-help us to achieve production from wells in an economically efficient manner.

Production Engineering-in another important aspect-deals with the surface gathering and transportation of hydrocarbons, marking the end of so-called ‘upstream’ activity.

All students admitted to the undergraduate program at PDPU receive the BTech degree in Petroleum Engineering. However, in view of the broad scope of Petroleum Engineering-and also to cater to the varying interests and aptitude of students-the BTech degree program offers the following four specializations to students in their final three semesters of study:

• Reservoir Engineering
• Operations & Production
• Instrumentation & Control
• Modeling & Virtual Reality

Reservoir Engineering
Reservoir Engineering can be defined as the art of development and exploitation of oil and gas fields, in a manner to get maximum recovery at minimum cost, through the application of knowledge of geological events and physical laws of fluid flow. Solution of reservoir engineering problems often requires innovative thinking, and the application of integrated knowledge of physics, mathematics, geo-sciences and engineering.

Today in India, basic reservoir management decisions must be taken in the context of the New Exploration Policy of the country. With this policy, more and more companies are joining conventional oil and gas exploration business including coal bed methane.

Operation & Production
Operation & Production stream is concerned with activities starting with well construction-drilling & completion-to the production & processing of hydrocarbons, while satisfying at all times the necessary health, safety and environmental norms. This entire activity chain requires well-engineered & meticulous planning, so as to invite least intervention through the production cycle, to remain cost effective and safe, even with the growing complexity and power of modern technology. Another aspect of their work is intuitiveness to diagnose well and field production problems and efficient means to carry out the required remedial measures.

Work activity is operational in nature, relies totally on field work, and is physically demanding. Operations and production personnel make up about half the workforce in a typical E&P company.

Instrumentation & Control
Over the last fifty years or so, modern instrumentation and control techniques have transformed oil and gas technology beyond recognition. Examples may be cited of sophisticated well-logging, centralized supervisory & control systems, and remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) used in deep sea production. These instrumentation and control techniques make use of electronic and electrical components, and therefore the basic principles related to these subjects are taught to all students in the second year of the BTech degree programme.

Students opting for specialization in Instrumentation and Control study several further courses related to electronics, well-logging instrumentation, and production instrumentation. Examples of application of such modern technology are: Directional well operations with digital telemetry instrumentation support, sub-sea completions & ROV operations in deep water finds, and pipeline grid and LNG terminals for natural gas utilization.

Modeling & Virtual Reality
Modern computer technology–with its huge processing, storage and graphics capability - has enhanced tremendously the engineer’s powers of simulation. When computer simulation begins to mimic real-world phenomena, the resulting system is known as a ‘virtual reality’ system. A flight simulator for an aircraft is an obvious example of such a system, but clearly such systems can also be applied to the modeling of hydrocarbon reservoirs in exploration, development, production phases. To understand the principles underlying such systems, students study courses such as 3-D modeling of structures, and simulation technology.

Admission Announcement-2011

4 Year B.Tech Programme in Petroleum Engineering

Applications are invited for admission for 4 Year B.Tech Programme commencing in July 2011 in Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University Gujarat.

Eligibility and Admission Criteria for Applicants
• should have a minimum academic qualification of 10+2 with 50% marks (for SC/ST 45%) with Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry,
• should appear in AIEEE 2011 examination conducted by CBSE on 1st May, 2011.

Selection Process
(a) 50% seats shall be filled up by the candidates who have passed 10+2. Examination from the Schools located in Gujarat State on the basis of merit considering equal weightage of marks obtained in AIEEE 2011 and the marks obtained in the theory of Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics in 12th Std.
(b) 50% seats will be filled up by the candidates who have passed 10+2. Examination with above mentioned subjects from the Schools located in India (including Gujarat State) on basis of All India Rank of AIEEE 2011.

How To Apply:
Candidate should apply on-line on the University Website or submit the application in the prescribed form available through selected branches of Oriental Bank of Commerce across India by paying Rs. 1,200/- upto 31st May, 2011. The print out of the duly filled in application form (ONLINE) must be sent to the Convener, Admission Committee (B. Tech.), Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University, Raisan, Gandhinagar - 382007 (Gujarat) along with a Demand Draft of Rs. 1,200/- (non-refundable process fee) drawn in favour of “Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University” payable at Ahmedabad upto 7th June, 2011.

For details, visit the link: http://www.pdpu.ac.in/btech2011.html

Important Dates
Last date for applying online or
submitting application                                  : 31st May, 2011
Last date for receiving the print out of
online application at PDPU                            : 7th June, 2011
Last date for Submitting 10+2 Examination
Marksheet                                                  : 13th June, 2011

Contact Address
B.Tech Admission 2011
Pandit Deendayal Petroleum University (PDPU)
School of Petroleum Technology
Raisan, Gandhinagar 382 007, Gujarat, India
Ph.: +91-79-23275060
Fax: +91-79-23275030
Email: ugadmission@pdpu.ac.in

Fee Structure

Particulars	Fee except Hostel Fee
Caution Deposit (Refundable)	Rs. 10,000
Tuition Fees (Per Semester)+	Rs. 75,000
Registration Fee (Per Semester)	Rs. 2,500
Student Welfare Activity (Per Semester)	Rs. 3,000
Insurance Charges	Rs. 2,000
Library Deposit(Refundable)	Rs. 3,000
Payable amount *	Rs. 95,500/-

Malayattur Ponmala

2011-04-29T09:54:00.001+03:00

മലയാറ്റൂര്‍ പൊന്‍മലയും ആന കുത്തിയ പള്ളിയും

പൊന്നിന്‍കുരിശ് മുത്തപ്പന്റെ ശരണംവിളികളുമായി മഹാ ഇടവക ജനങ്ങള്‍ മല ചവിട്ടിയതോടെ വിശുദ്ധിയുടെ മലകയറ്റത്തിന് ആരംഭമായß. ഇനിയുള്ള നാളുകളില്‍ മുത്തപ്പന്റെ പൊന്‍കുരിശുതൊട്ട് വന്ദിക്കാനായി ഭക്തലക്ഷങ്ങള്‍ ഇവിടേക്ക് ഒഴുകിയെത്തും.

യേശുക്രിസ്തുവിന്റെ പന്ത്രണ്ട് ശിഷ്യന്മാരില്‍ ഒരാളായിരുന്ന വിശുദ്ധ തോമാശ്ലീഹായാല്‍ സ്ഥാപിതമായെന്നു കരുതുന്ന മലയാറ്റൂര്‍ പള്ളി ഇന്ന് ഒരു രാജ്യാന്തര തീര്‍ഥാടന കേന്ദ്രമാണ്. യൂദയായിലെ ഗലീലി എന്ന ദേശത്ത് മത്സ്യത്തൊഴിലാളി കുടുംബത്തില്‍ പിറന്ന തോമസ് യേശുവിന്റെ പ്രബോധനങ്ങളില്‍ ആകര്‍ഷണീയനായി. വള്ളവും വലയും ഉപേക്ഷിച്ച് അദ്ദേഹത്തിന്റെ ശിഷ്യന്മാരില്‍ ഒരാളായി മാറുകയും ചെയ്തു.

യേശുവിന്റെ മരണശേഷം ശ്ലീഹന്മാര്‍ ഒത്തു ചേര്‍ന്ന് യേശു വചനങ്ങള്‍ ലോകമെങ്ങും പ്രചരിപ്പിക്കുവാന്‍ തീരുമാനിച്ചപ്പോള്‍ തോമാശ്ലീഹയ്ക്ക് കിട്ടിയത് ഭാരതമെന്ന പ്രദേശമായിരുന്നു. എ.ഡി. 52 ല്‍ ഇന്ത്യയിലെ ഒരു രാജാവായിരുന്ന ഗുണ്ടഫെറിന്റെ കൊട്ടാരം നിര്‍മിക്കാന്‍ നല്ലൊരു ശില്‍പിയെത്തേടി ഹാബാന്‍ എന്ന യഹൂദ കച്ചവടക്കാരന്‍ ഇവിടെയെത്തിയിരുന്നു. അദ്ദേഹത്തോടൊപ്പം തോമാശ്ലീഹാ കൊടുങ്ങല്ലൂരില്‍ കപ്പലിറങ്ങിയെന്നാണ് വിശ്വസിച്ചു പോരുന്നത്.

കേരളത്തില്‍ കപ്പലിറങ്ങിയ തോമസ് നാടൊട്ടുക്ക് സഞ്ചരിച്ച് ഏഴു പള്ളികള്‍ നിര്‍മിച്ചുവെന്നാണ് വിശ്വസിച്ചുപോരുന്നത്. കേരളത്തിലെ മലമ്പ്രദേശങ്ങളിലൂടെയുള്ള യാത്രയ്ക്കിടെ മലയാറ്റൂരിലും എത്തി. മലയാറ്റൂര്‍ അന്ന് വന്യമൃഗങ്ങളുടെ സങ്കേതമായിരുന്നു. വന്യമൃഗങ്ങളില്‍ നിന്ന് രക്ഷതേടിയും തന്നില്‍ ഏല്‍പ്പിക്കപ്പെട്ട ഭാരിച്ച ദൗത്യത്തിന് കരുത്തുതേടിയും വിശുദ്ധന്‍ മലമുകളില്‍ ദിവസങ്ങളോളം പ്രാര്‍ഥനയില്‍ മുഴുകുമായിരുന്നുവത്രെ. ആ അവസരങ്ങളിലൊക്കെ പരിശുദ്ധ കന്യകാമറിയം പ്രത്യക്ഷപ്പെട്ട് തോമസിനെ ആശ്വസിപ്പിക്കാറുണ്ടെന്നാണ് വിശ്വസിക്കുന്നത്.

മലയാറ്റൂരില്‍നിന്ന് മദ്രാസിലെ മൈലാപ്പൂരിലേക്ക് യാത്രയായ തോമസ് അവിടെ വച്ച് കുന്തം കൊണ്ടുള്ള കുത്തേറ്റ് രക്തസാക്ഷിത്വം വരിച്ചുവെന്നാണ് ചരിത്രം. രക്തസാക്ഷിത്വത്തിന് ശേഷം ഏതാണ്ട് 800 വര്‍ഷങ്ങള്‍ക്കുശേഷമാണ് മലയാറ്റൂര്‍ പള്ളി വിശുദ്ധനായ തോമസിന്റെ പേരില്‍ അറിയപ്പെട്ടു തുടങ്ങുന്നത്.

ഒരിക്കല്‍ മലയില്‍ നായാട്ടിനുപോയ മലവേടര്‍ രാത്രിയില്‍ വിശ്രമത്തിനായി വിശുദ്ധ തോമാശ്ലീഹാ പ്രാര്‍ഥിച്ചിരുന്ന വിരിപ്പാറയില്‍ കയറി. അവിടെ വിശുദ്ധന്റെ കാല്‍പ്പാദങ്ങളും കാല്‍മുട്ടുകളും അത്ഭുതകരമായി മുദ്രണം ചെയ്യപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നത് കണ്ടെത്തിയ അവര്‍ താഴ്‌വാരത്തുള്ള താമസക്കാരെ വിവരമറിയിച്ചു. തദ്ദേശവാസികള്‍ ഉടന്‍ മലയിലെത്തി പ്രാര്‍ഥിക്കുവാന്‍ തുടങ്ങി. മലയിലുണ്ടായിരുന്ന പൊന്‍കുരിശു വണങ്ങി പ്രാര്‍ഥന തുടങ്ങിയതോടെയാണ് മലയാറ്റൂര്‍ പൊന്‍മല കയറ്റത്തിന് തുടക്കം കുറിച്ചത്.

പൊന്‍കുരിശു കണ്ടെത്തിയതു മുതല്‍ മലമുകളില്‍ വിളക്കു തെളിയിക്കുമായിരുന്നു. വിളക്കണഞ്ഞാല്‍ മലമുകളില്‍ കാണപ്പെട്ടിരുന്ന വരയാടുകള്‍ കരഞ്ഞ് ബഹളം കൂട്ടി താഴേക്ക് ഇറങ്ങി വരുമായിരുന്നു. വിളക്ക് വീണ്ടും തെളിയുമ്പോള്‍ അവ നിശബ്ദമാകുകയും മലമുകളിലേക്ക് മടങ്ങുകയും ചെയ്യുമായിരുന്നുവത്രെ. കുരിശു കണ്ടെത്തിയ മല എന്ന അര്‍ഥത്തില്‍ മലയാറ്റൂര്‍ പിന്നീട് കുരിശുമല എന്നറിയപ്പെട്ടു.

ആപത്തുകളിലും കഷ്ടപ്പാടുകളിലും പെട്ട് വലന്നവരെ ആശ്വസിപ്പിക്കാന്‍ വിശുദ്ധന്‍ വൃദ്ധന്റെ രൂപം ധരിച്ച് വരുമായിരുന്നുവെന്ന് പഴമക്കാര്‍ വിശ്വസിച്ചു പോന്നു. അങ്ങനെ വിശുദ്ധന് മുത്തപ്പനെന്ന പേരും വീണു. കരമാര്‍ഗമുള്ള യാത്രാ സൗകര്യങ്ങള്‍ പരിമിതമായിരുന്ന അക്കാലത്ത് പെരിയാറ്റിലൂടെയാണ് തീര്‍ത്ഥാടകരെത്തിയിരുന്നത്.

മലയും നാടും ഒത്തുചേരുന്ന പെരിയാര്‍ തീരത്ത് എ.ഡി. 900ല്‍ തീര്‍ഥാടകര്‍ക്കുവേണ്ടി ഒരു ദേവാലയം ഉയര്‍ന്നു. അതാണ് കുരിശുമുടി പള്ളി. സമുദ്രനിരപ്പില്‍നിന്ന് 1200 അടി ഉയരത്തിലാണ് കുരിശുപള്ളി നിര്‍മ്മിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നത്. തീര്‍ത്ഥാടക സഞ്ചയത്തിന്റെ അഭയ കേന്ദ്രമായ ഈ പള്ളി തോമാശ്ലീഹായാല്‍ സ്ഥാപിതമാണെന്ന് ചരിത്രരേഖകളില്‍ കാണുന്നു. എങ്കിലും പലതവണ പുതുക്കി പണിത പള്ളിയായിരിക്കണം ഇന്നുള്ളത്. വിരിപ്പാറയിലെ കാല്‍പ്പാദം നിരവധി അത്ഭുതങ്ങളുടെ കേന്ദ്രമാണ്.

പൊന്‍കുരിശ് പ്രത്യക്ഷപ്പെട്ട സ്ഥലത്ത് വര്‍ഷങ്ങള്‍ക്കു മുന്‍പ് ഉയര്‍ന്ന കപ്പേള വന്യമൃഗങ്ങളില്‍ നിന്നു രക്ഷിക്കുകയെന്ന ലക്ഷ്യത്തോടെയായിരുന്നു ഉയര്‍ന്നത്. ആന കുത്തിയ പള്ളി പൊന്‍കുരിശ് കപ്പേളയില്‍നിന്ന് 150 അടി കിഴക്കുമാറിയിട്ടാണ്. കുരിശുമുടി അന്തര്‍ദേശീയ തീര്‍ഥാടന കേന്ദ്രമാകുന്നതിന്റെ ഭാഗമായി മലമുകളിലെ ആനകുത്തിയ പള്ളി നവീകരിച്ചു. മലമുകളിലെ ആദ്യത്തെ കെട്ടിടം ഇതാണ്. ഇതിന് എത്രകാലം പഴക്കമുണ്ടെന്നു വ്യക്തമല്ല.

ചെറിയ പള്ളിക്കുള്ളിലാണു പണ്ട് പ്രാര്‍ഥനാ കര്‍മ്മങ്ങള്‍ നടത്തിയിരുന്നത്. ഇതു പണിയുന്ന കാലത്തു മലമുകളില്‍ ഘോരവനമായിരുന്നുവത്രേ. അന്ന് ധാരാളം വന്യമൃഗങ്ങളും ഉണ്ടായിരുന്നു. ആ കാലഘട്ടത്തില്‍ കാട്ടാനകളുടെ വിഹാരകേന്ദ്രമായിരുന്നു പള്ളിയും പരിസരവും. പള്ളിയുടെ കിഴക്കേ ഭിത്തിയില്‍ ആനയുടെ കൊമ്പുകള്‍ തുളഞ്ഞുകയറിയ പാട് ഇന്നും കാണാം. അതുകൊണ്ടാണ് ആനകുത്തിയ പള്ളി എന്നുപറയുന്നത്.

ഈ പള്ളിയുടെ പടിഞ്ഞാറു ഭാഗത്തു പ്രാര്‍ഥനകള്‍ അര്‍പ്പിക്കുവാന്‍ പിന്നീട് വേറൊരു പള്ളി കൂടി പണിതു. പഴയ കെട്ടിടത്തിന് ഒരു മാറ്റവും വരുത്താതെ പള്ളിയുടെ മുന്‍ഭാഗം ഒരു ലക്ഷത്തോളം രൂപ ചെലവിട്ടു നവീകരിച്ചു. ആന കുത്തിയഭാഗം കേടുപാടുകള്‍ സംഭവിക്കാതിരിക്കാന്‍ ചില്ലിട്ടു സംരക്ഷിച്ചു പോരുന്നു. പള്ളിക്കുള്ളില്‍ സൂക്ഷിച്ചിരിക്കുന്ന വിശുദ്ധന്റെ തിരുശേഷിപ്പ് വണങ്ങുന്നതിനും ധ്യാനിക്കുന്നതിനും തീര്‍ഥാടനകാലത്തു സൗകര്യമുണ്ടാകും.

ഫ്രാന്‍സിലെ ലൂര്‍ദ് പോലെ ഇന്ത്യയിലെ കത്തോലിക്ക സഭയുടെ ആദ്യ രാജ്യാന്തര തീര്‍ഥാടനകേന്ദ്രമാണ് മലയാറ്റൂര്‍. അനേകം വിശ്വാസികള്‍ ദിവസവും, പ്രത്യേകിച്ച് വലിയനോമ്പു കാലത്തും പുതുഞായറാഴ്ച തിരുനാളിനും കുരിശുമുടിയിലേക്കു തീര്‍ഥയാത്ര നടത്തുന്നു. പുതുഞായര്‍ തിരുനാളാണ് മലയാറ്റൂരിലെ പ്രധാന തിരുനാള്‍. മലയാറ്റൂര്‍ പള്ളിയിലും കുരിശുമുടി പള്ളിയിലുമാണ് തിരുനാളിന്റെ പ്രധാന ചടങ്ങുകള്‍ നടക്കുന്നത്.

നോയമ്പാരംഭം മുതല്‍ തിരക്ക് തീര്‍ഥാടക പ്രവാഹം ഓരോ ദിവസം കഴിയംതോറും വര്‍ധിച്ചു വരുന്നു. കുരിശുമേന്തി മലകയറാനെത്തുന്നവര്‍ ഏറെയാണ്. ദൂരെ സ്ഥലങ്ങളില്‍ നിന്നും കാല്‍നടയായി എത്തുന്നവരുമുണ്ട്. ഉരുളന്‍ കല്ലുകള്‍ നിറഞ്ഞ ആദ്യത്തെ 570 അടി കയറുമ്പോള്‍ ശ്ലീഹാപാതയുടെ ഒന്നാമിടം കാണാം.

ക്രിസ്തുവിന്റെ പീഡാനുഭവയാത്രയിലെ നിര്‍ണായകമായ 14 സന്ദര്‍ഭങ്ങള്‍ ചിത്രീകരിക്കുന്ന, 14 സ്ഥലങ്ങള്‍ കടന്നു വേണം മലമുകളിലെത്തുവാന്‍. മലമുകളില്‍ മുത്തപ്പനെ കണ്ടു വണങ്ങി പ്രാര്‍ഥനയര്‍പ്പിക്കുന്നതിന് മാര്‍ത്തോമ്മാ മണ്ഡപം ഉണ്ട്. മണ്ഡപത്തില്‍ നിന്നും ഇറങ്ങിച്ചെല്ലുന്നത് ബലിയര്‍പ്പണവേദിയിലേക്കാണ്. പിന്നീട് ആന കുത്തിയ പള്ളിയും പള്ളിയുടെ അള്‍ത്താരയും പൊന്‍കുരിശും പാറയില്‍ പതിഞ്ഞ വിശുദ്ധന്റെ കാല്‍പാദങ്ങളും കണ്ട് വണങ്ങി വഴിപാടും പ്രാര്‍ഥനകളും അര്‍പ്പിച്ച് ഭക്തര്‍ മലയിറങ്ങുന്നു.

POST-SSLC OPTIONS

2011-04-28T22:03:00.001+03:00

As far as Keralite students of SSLC and their parents are concerned, 2011 has a special significance. Unlike previous years this year you should spare some time before selecting a branch while applying for or joining the Higher Secondary Course. Kerala government has introduced some very important reforms in the engineering entrance examination this year. It will be introduced for medical entrance next year.

You are to join HSC in 2011 and pass out in 2014. So, these reforms will be there. In a sense it is good for you. Your marks in the qualifying examination will get 50 pc weight age along with entrance mark. While working out a 50:50 formula for professional course admission, your mark will really reckon.

Normally for a student who pass out SSLC ( no need to discuss about those who fail, because the pass percentage will be almost 90 or more ). the first option will be to join Plus two. Here care should be taken in selecting branches. First consider the aptitude of the student. Then his performance in the exam. A student who wants to be an engineer may better opt maths-computer along with physics and chemistry. Because here the chances are bright for scoring high marks which will enable you to perform well in eng. admission two years later.

For medicine aspirants: At present the total seats for MBBS in the state in govt quota in state merit are below 600. So the admission will be a tight one. Most of the students who write medical entrance exams are repeaters. If you are so determined, go ahead. Otherwise, stay away and select from other options.

The trend is changing .The conventional courses of studies are getting back their lost image. Humanities and commerce are back with high glamour. The commerce students prefer to go for BCom and CA/ICWAI/CS simultaneously. CA/ICWAI/CS are good professional courses which offer high paid jobs with glamour.

Humanities also is in demand at present. Students who want to go to arts subjects like MA/MBA/MCJ can choose this group. And then they can choose different paths also. They can try for civil service entry also during the same time ( during PG) . Any graduate can go for the three year LL.B also. After Plus Two they can write the entrance test for integrated five year LL.B. The entrance test is conducted by the Commissioner for Entrance Examinations in Kerala. Students can write the Common Law Admission Test too. Admissions at National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS), Kochi is through this test.

For planning the future career, you have to think of a situation after five or six years. So keep all the points mentioned above while selecting a group. Consider your strong and weak points in subjects over the years and take a decision.

Here is a list of subject combinations for higher secondary at Kerala state schools.

Science Group

1 Physics,Chemistry,Mathematics, Biology
2 Physics, Chemistry, Home Science, Biology
3 Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Home Science
4 Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Geology
5 Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Computer Science
6 Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Electronics
7 Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geology
8 Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, Statistics
9 Physics, Chemistry, Psychology, Biology
============================================================

Humanities Group

1 History, Economics, Politics, Geography
2 History, Economics, Politics, Sociology
3 History, Economics, Politics, Geology
4 History, Economics, Politics, Gandhian Studies
5 History, Economics, Politics, Philosophy
6 History, Economics, Politics, Social Work
7 Islamic History, Economics, Politics, Geography
8 Islamic History, Economics, Politics, Sociology
9 Sociology, Social Work, Psychology, Gandhian Studies
10 History, Economics, Politics, Pshychology
11 History, Economics, Politics, Anthropology
12 History, Economics, Politics, Statistics
13 Sociology, Social Work, Psychology, Statistics
14 Economics, Statistics, Anthropology, Social Work
15 History, Economics, Geography, Hindi
16 History, Economics, Geography, Arabic
17 History, Economics, Geography, Urdu
18 History, Economics, Geography, Kannada
19 History, Economics, Geography, Tamil
20 History, Economics, Sanskrit Sahitya, Sanskrit Sasthra
21 History,Philosophy, Sanskrit Sahitya, Sanskrit Sasthra
22 Economics, Gandhian Studies, Communication English, Computer Application
23 Sociology, Journalism, Communicative English, Computer Application
24 Journalism, English Literature, Communicative English, Psychology
25 History, Economics, Politics, Music
26 History, Economics, Geography, Malayalam
============================================================

Commerce Group

1 Business Studies, Accountancy, Economics, Maths
2 Business Studies, Accountancy, Economics, Statistics
3 Business Studies, Accountancy, Economics, Politics
4 Business Studies, Accountancy, Economics, Computer Application
============================================================

Apart from the regular and conventional courses like higher secondary, there are vocational courses available which the student can opt according to his aspirations. Technical courses like Polytechnic diploma, ITI in the govt sector and ITCs in the private sector are some of them which the student can opt.

Wherever and for whatever course you may join, make it a point to be familar with English language and some computer skills.

Educational Loan from Banks

2011-04-10T19:33:00.000+03:00

Government of India in consultation with Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and Indian Banker's Association (IBA) has framed a Comprehensive Educational Loan Scheme to ensure that no deserving student in the Country is deprived of higher education for want of finances. The new scheme covers all type of courses including professional courses in schools and colleges in India and abroad.

The salient features of the scheme are as under:

The scheme envisages loans up to Rs.7.5 lakh for studies in India and up to Rs. 15 lakh for studies abroad.
For loans up to Rs. 4 lakh no collateral or margin is required and the interest rate is not to exceed the Prime Lending Rates (PLR).
For loans above Rs. 4 lakh the interest rate will not exceed PLR plus 1 percent.
The loans are to be repaid over a period of 5 to 7 years with provision of grace period of one year after completion of studies

Tax Benefit

Repayment of an education loan is deductible under section 80E of the Income Tax Act. The yearly limit for deduction is Rs. 40,000 (for both the principal and the interest). Only loans taken for higher education - fulltime studies in any graduate or post-graduate, professional, and pure and applied science courses - may claim deduction. The deduction will be available for a maximum of eight years starting from the day you start repaying.

Equitable Access to quality higher education has been a concern of the University Grants Commission. To this purpose the Commission, besides encouraging colleges and Universities to provide for liberal financial support to the meritorious but needy students, has also been instrumental in educational loan scheme. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued guidelines in this regard to all commercial banks.

A large number of banks have already launched educational loan schemes. Provided below are links to the respective websites of individual banks offering such facilities. Click on the name of each bank to visit their website

List of Banks Offering Educational Loans

• Allahabad Bank	• Panjab National Bank
• Andhra Bank	• State Bank of India
• Bank of Baroda	• State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur
• Bank of India	• State Bank of Hyderabad
• Bank of Maharashtra	• State Bank of Indore
• Canara Bank	• State Bank of Mysore
• Central Bank of India	• State Bank of Saurashatra
• Corporation Bank	• State Bank of Travancore
• Dena Bank	• Syndicate Bank
• Indian Bank	• Uco Bank
• Indian Overseas Bank	• Union Bank of India
• Oriental bank of Commerce	• United Bank of India
• Panjab and Sindh Bank	• Vijaya Bank
• Federal Bank Limited

Anna Hazare and his fight for the Lokpal Bill

2011-04-09T18:30:00.000+03:00

1. Who is Anna Hazare?

An ex-army man. Fought 1965 Indo-Pak War

2. What's so special about him?

He built a village Ralegaon Siddhi in Ahamad Nagar district, Maharashtra

3. So what?
This village is a self-sustained model village. Energy is produced in the
village itself from solar power, biofuel and wind mills.

In 1975, it used to be a poverty clad village. Now it is one of the richest
village in India. It has become a model for self-sustained, eco-friendly &
harmonic village.

4. Ok,...?

This guy, Anna Hazare was awarded Padma Bhushan and is a known figure for
his social activities.
5. Really, what is he fighting for?

He is supporting a cause, the amendment of a law to curb corruption in
India.

6. How that can be possible?

He is advocating for a Bil, The Lok Pal Bill (The Citizen Ombudsman Bill),
that will form an autonomous authority who will make politicians
(ministers), beurocrats (IAS/IPS) accountable for their deeds.

8. It's an entirely new thing right..?

In 1972, the bill was proposed by then Law minister Mr. Shanti Bhushan.
Since then it has been neglected by the politicians and some are trying to
change the bill to suit thier theft (corruption).

7. Oh.. He is going on a hunger strike for that whole thing of passing a
Bill ! How can that be possible in such a short span of time?

The first thing he is asking for is: the government should come forward and
announce that the bill is going to be passed.

Next, they make a joint committee to DRAFT the LOK PAL BILL. 50% goverment
participation and 50% public participation. Because you cant trust the
government entirely for making such a bill which does not suit them.

8. Fine, What will happen when this bill is passed?

A LokPal will be appointed at the centre. He will have an autonomous charge,
say like the Election Commission of India. In each and every state,
Lokayukta will be appointed. The job is to bring all alleged party to trial
in case of corruptions within 1 year. Within 2 years, the guilty will be
punished. Not like, Bofors scam or Bhopal Gas Tragedy case, that has been
going for last 25 years without any result.

9. Is he alone? Whoelse is there in the fight with Anna Hazare?

Baba Ramdev, Ex. IPS Kiran Bedi, Social Activist Swami Agnivesh, RTI
activist Arvind Kejriwal and many more.

Prominent personalities like Aamir Khan is supporting his cause.

10. Ok, got it. What can I do?

At least we can spread the message. How?

Putting status message, links, video, changing profile pics.

At least we can support Anna Hazare and the cause for uprooting corruption
from India.

MCA Entrance Examinations 2011

2011-04-08T10:11:00.001+03:00

1.Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test on May 28,29

The Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test (TANCET-2011) being conducted by Anna University, Chennai, for admission to the M.B.A, M.C.A & M.E / M.Tech/ M.Arch / M.Plan (Aided & Self-Supporting) Degree Programmes (2011-12), offered in colleges in Tamil Nadu will be held on 28th and 29th of May, 2011 at Chennai, Coimbatore, Chidambaram, Dindigul, Erode, Karaikudi, Madurai, Nagercoil, Salem, Thanjavur, Tirunelveli, Tiruchirappalli, Vellore, Villupuram and Virudhunagar.

The Entrance Test for M.B.A will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 noon on 28.05.2011 (Saturday) and the Test for M.C.A from 2.30 p.m to 4.30 p.m on 28.05.2011 (Saturday).The entrance Test for M.E/ M.Tech/M.Arch/M.Plan will be from 10 a.m. to 12 noon 29.05.2011 (Sunday).

M.B.A. Degree Programme and M.C.A. Degree Programmes are offered at (i) University Departments of Anna University, Anna University of Technology Chennai, Anna University of Technology Coimbatore, Anna University of Technology Madurai, Anna University of Technology Tiruchirappalli and Anna University of Technology Tirunelveli (ii) Government & Government Aided Engineering Colleges and Arts & Science Colleges. The Test will also be the basis of filling the Government Quota in Self-financing Colleges (Engineering, Arts & Science Colleges/including stand-alone Institutions) and seats voluntarily surrendered by the self-financing colleges in Tamil Nadu for admission through Single window counselling.

Other Universities functioning under the State Act in Tamil Nadu and Self-financing colleges (Engineering Colleges, Arts & Science Colleges/including stand-alone Institutions) may also opt to admit the candidates on the basis of the Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test 2011.

For admission to the M.C.A Programme, the applicant should have a recognised Bachelor’s Degree after a course of minimum 3 years duration in 10 + 2 + 3 / 4 years pattern in any discipline with +2 level Mathematics or any recognised Bachelor’s Degree of minimum 3 years duration in 10 + 2 + 3 pattern in any discipline with Mathematics or Statistics (Business Mathematics, Business Statistics, Algorithm and Numerical Methods, Numerical and Statistical Methods, Probability and Statistics, Probability Mathematics, Numerical Methods, Algebra and Probability Mathematics, Quantitative Techniques, Computer Oriented Numerical Methods, Engineering Mathematics, Mathematics for Management, Operations Research, Discrete Mathematics, Computational Methods, Bio-Statistics, Allied Mathematics, Allied Basic Mathematics, Algebra-Analytical Geometry of three dimensions and Trigonometry, Business Statistics and Operation Research, Quantitative Methods of Business, Management Principles and Techniques, Business Tools for Decision Making) as any one of the subjects.

Those seeking admission to MBA, MCA and M.E/M.Tech/M.Arch/M.Plan Degree Programmes for 2011-12, have to appear for the Tamil Nadu Common Entrance Test (TANCET) 2011 in May 2011 and also apply for admission to the admitting authorities concerned in June/July 2011. Name of the Institution offering the courses and Name and address of admitting authority are available on Page 3 of the Information and Instructions Booklet available at http://www.annauniv.edu/tancet2011/booklet.pdf

The application form for TANCET is common for all the Three Entrance Tests. Candidates have to submit only one application form. Entrance Test fee for any one of the programmes, M.B.A or M.C.A or M.E/M.Tech/M.Arch/M.Plan is Rs. 300/- (Rs. 150/- for SC/SCA/ST candidates belonging to Tamil Nadu).

A candidate applying for more than one programme has to pay Rs. 300/- (Rs. 150/- for SC/SCA/ST candidates belonging to Tamil Nadu) for each additional programme.

Registration For Entrance Test: Applicants can register for the entrance test through ‘Spot Registration’ till 25.04.2011, by appearing in person at any one of the Co-ordinating Centres between 9.30 am and 5.30 pm on any working day, along with (i) Copy of X Std. or equivalent mark sheet (ii) Copy of XII Std. mark sheet or 3 years Diploma certificate (iii) Cash or Demand Draft drawn in favour of ‘The Director, Entrance Examinations, Anna University’, payable at Chennai, obtained from any Nationalised Bank drawn on or after 01.04.2011, for the fee amount (iv) Copy of the Permanent community certificate (card format) for availing fee concession in case of SC/SCA/ST candidates belonging to Tamil Nadu.

Candidates can register through internet till 25.04.2011, by filling-up the application form, downloading it and sending it to The Director, Entrance Examinations, Anna University, Chennai-25 along with (i) Copy of X Std. or equivalent mark sheet (ii) Copy of XII Std. mark sheet or 3 years Diploma certificate (iii) Demand Draft drawn in favour of ‘The Director, Entrance Examinations, Anna University’, payable at Chennai, obtained from any Nationalised Bank drawn on or after 01.04.2011 (iv) Attested Copy of the Permanent community certificate (card format) for availing fee concession in case of SC/SCA/ST candidates belonging to Tamil Nadu, to reach there latest by 5.30 pm on 27.4.2011.

The Syllabi & Evaluation Scheme of the various Tests is available in the Information and Instructions Booklet. The result of TANCET is expected to be announced in the 3rd week of June 2011. Mark Sheet will be despatched to the candidates within 10 days from the date of publication of results of the Entrance Test.

The mark sheet should be produced at the time of admission. If the mark sheet is lost, a duplicate mark sheet can be obtained on payment of Rs. 100/- in the form of a Demand Draft, with a written request to the Director, Entrance Examinations, Anna University, Chennai - 600 025.

For more details, see the Information & Instructions Booklet and also the site, http://www.annauniv.edu/tancet2011/

2.Kerala MCA Entrance Test

The Commissionerate of Entrance Examinations (CEE) is conducting thirteen distinct Entrance Examinations for admission to Professional Courses every year: Kerala Engineering Agriculture Medical Degree (KEAM), Three year LLB , Five year LLB, LLM, MCA, PG Ayurveda, PG Dental, PG Homoeo, PG Medical, PG Nursing, PG Medical Super Specialty, M.Pharm, and B.Pharm (Lateral Entry). The Commissionerate is also making allotments to KEAM, Three year LLB, Five year LLB, LLM and MCA courses. The allotment to KEAM is made through a Single Window System of the Centralised Allotment Process (CAP).

Please visit http://www.cee-kerala.org/

3.KMAT 2011 for admissions to MBA/ MCA at Karnataka

Karnataka Private Post Graduate Colleges’ Association, Bangalore invites applications for admission to MBA & MCA Courses offered by self-financing university affiliated, AICTE approved, 179 colleges in Karnataka, through an entrance examination, KMAT 2011 to be conducted on Sunday, 24-07-2011.

Eligibility for Karnataka Management Admission Test 2011:

For MBA Program: Bachelor’s degree

For MCA Program: Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university with Maths at +2 Stages

How to apply:

Applications may be obtained in any of the participating colleges. Details of the participating colleges are available in the link: http://www.kmatindia.com/ParticipatingColleges.htm

Applications can also be downloaded from www.kmatindia.com.

The duly filled in applications along with a demand draft of Rs. 500/- for either MBA or MCA and Rs. 600/- for both in favour of KMAT-2011 payable at Bangalore should reach to The Secretary, KMAT-2011, Seshadripuram First Grade College, Yelahanka New Town, Bangalore – 560 106 before 20-06-2011.

Availability of physical Application Form in Participating Colleges: 26^th April 2011

Availability of online Application Form on the website http://www.kmatindia.com: 26^th April 2011

Last date of distribution of Physical Application Form from participating colleges: 14^th July 2011

Last date for availability of online application form on the website http://www.kmatindia.com: 14^th July 2011

Last date for receipt of completed application Forms: 16^th July 2011

Declaration of Result (website) will be announced on the day of examination: 2nd August 2011

For details visit http://www.kmatindia.com/Default.htm

4.Pondicherry University - Admission Notification for MCA 2011

Important Dates:

Issue of Application form : 07 March 2011

Last date for issue of Application form by Post : 06 April 2011

Last date for issue of Application form in person : 08 April 2011

Last date for submission of filled in aplication form : 08 April 2011

Testdate: 29 May 2011

Eligibility:
Bachelor’s degree in Computer Applications/ Computer Science/ Information Technology or Bachelor’s degree in Commerce/ Corporate Secretaryship/ Economics / Business Administration with Mathematics/ Business Mathematics / Statistics /Computer Applications as one of the subjects or Bachelor’s degree in Science with Mathematics/ Statistics as one of the subjects with a minimum of 55% marks

Intake:
60(Puducherry)
31(Karikal)

Selection Process:
Selection will be based on entrance examination

Reservation: Reservations for OBC/ SC/ ST, Differently abled and Puducherry students will be applicable to the extent indicated in the Prospectus.

How to Apply:

Application form (By Post):
For Application form BY POST and Information Brochure, write to The Deputy Registrar (Academic II), Pondicherry University, R. V. Nagar, Kalapet, Puducherry 605 014. along with original bank challan for the prescribed fee and a self addressed envelope of size 32cm x 25cm, stamped for Rs.90/-. Request for application must be superscribed on the envelope “Request for application form for admission... (Course name)".

ONLINE:
Application form can be submitted online through the University Website www.pondiuni.edu.in Send the hard copy (in A4 size) along with the original bank challan for the prescribed fee.

IN PERSON:
The application forms can also be obtained from the Pondicherry University Staff Co-operative Credit Society at the University campus on payment of the cost of the application form plus Rs. 10/- as service charge.

APPLICATION FEE:
For all courses Rs.100/-, Rs. 50/- for SC/ST, Exempted for differently abled candidates - subject to submission of relevant certificates.

For More details visit http://www.pondiuni.edu.in/admissions/regular/pdf_file/info_brochure.pdf

Career in Computer Technology & Other options

2011-04-07T17:48:00.002+03:00

To plan one's education simply means to plan his life. From the experiences of well-reputed personalities we can see that there was a kind of planning and determination behind their success. Without knowing what is being studied and what to study in future how can you plan your education?

The world around us is changing very fast. The present future may not be the next present.

To be clearer, suppose that you are studying in 10th. You may be interested in electronics. You keep in your mind an electronics related career. After Plus two you come to understand that there are a lot new subjects related to electronics, which were hitherto unknown. Then you will have to make a fine-tuning with the help of parents and teachers or others who are accustomed with this. With help from all these corners you find that IT has demand and may select it. But be careful! IT is a field, which is subject to rapid changes. At present, while writing this, the IT scene is in a dim stage mainly due to the global economic recession

The computer industry has consistently been one of the fastest growing for over 20 years. According to the NASSCOM, the job market for computer-related skills is booming. Remuneration here generally varies between Rs 20,000 to Rs 2, 50, 000 per month.

There are different types of careers today available in the IT sector.

1. Computer Animator

Computer animators use computer technology to illustrate and design believable settings and characters, movie frames, new video game ideas and animation and develop web site technology. Students earn a Bachelor's of Arts in Computer Animation to become a computer animator.
Demand for animators is growing because more video games, movies, special effects and web pages are using computer animation. However, even with the expected growth, competition will be keen as more people are looking for job openings than there are positions available. There are several Computer animation related courses available now.
2. Computer Engineer
Computer engineers develop, design and implement new computer software, games and programs, testing and evaluating them to ensure they work properly. Most employers require computer engineers to have a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering or Bachelor of Science in Computer Science or a related degree as well as some practical experience. Courses like BTech, BE, MTech.ME etc.
3. Computer Information Systems Manager
Computer information systems managers identify the computer and technology needs for their company or corporation and integrate the technology, ensure employees have the right equipment to get their jobs done and perform other managerial duties, like assigning jobs and projects and making sure each project is on target for completion
4. Computer Networking Administrator
Computer networking administrators are primarily responsible for maintaining and managing a working computer network and making sure it runs smoothly, but they also troubleshoot for problems and add and maintain necessary programs. A network administrator must have good knowledge of networking concepts and must also have an understanding of working of different types of networking hardware like routers and switches. A good way to start here is to go for a program like CCNA.
5. Computer Programmer
Computer programmers write, or create, programs and applications that make computers run better; they also fix broken programs, update old programs and use different computer languages to create code for these programs. Many employers prefer BSc (Comp. Science) and MCA students.
Computer programmers are responsible for writing a variety of different programs and applications. Depending on their specialization and employers, this could include education software, games or other desktop applications and software programs. Programmers write code in various programming languages, like Java, C++ and ASP.Net. Opportunities will be more readily available to programmers who have a background in business and are familiar with other facets of computer technology.

6. Computer Repair Technician

Computer repair technicians analyze the computer to identify and fix computer problems on personal computers, printers, mainframes, servers and other computer equipment. Computer repair technicians resolve common issues, such as crashed hard drives, malfunctioning software and hardware conflicts. Technicians also deal with computer installation.

7. Software Developer

Software developers coordinate and develop computer and internet contents, goods and services, such as computer software. Software developers must have at least a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science or Bachelor of Science Software Engineering, and in many instances a graduate degree is preferred.Software developers are responsible for creating computer software programs that people can actually use.

8. Web Developer

Web developers design software programs for the internet using technical programming language like html and JavaScript to create websites and programs that are easy to use and maintain the sites and programs. An associate's degree may be sufficient for some web developer positions, but most employers prefer for people to have a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science or a comparable degree. They are responsible for building websites that are easy for the public to use while utilizing the latest technology, graphics and interactive, creative designs.

This was a short introduction of courses available in the IT Sector.

So, whatever may be your field of study, try to have a good command over English language, right from school classes. Our state govt. has started to reformulate the syllabi and tried to make the study of English simpler than past.

Students should develop an aptitude towards some subjects from 8th standard onwards. When they are in 10th there should not be any doubt on the part of the student. So also the parents should monitor the talents of their wards during this crucial period and arrive at a conclusion at least by the time their child gets into 10th.

To avoid the last minute confusions, note the following.

1. Be determined. Whatever decision you take, try to stick on it and be a master of it.

2. Maintain a positive outlook towards life and career.

3. Be honest to yourself and others.

Career Options

Given here are the list of various careers that you can select for yourself. Know about various courses, prospects, their opportunities etc....

Science	Engineering	Medical
› Aqua Science › Agriculture › Astronomy › Biochemistry › Commercial Pilot › Environmental science › Forensic Science › Forest Ranger › Food technology & processing › Geology › Horticulture › Home Science › Meteorology › Molecular Biology › Oceanography › Plant Pathology › Plastic Industry › Physical Sciences & allied field › Photonics	› Aeronautical Engineering › Architecture › Biomedical Engineering › Biotechnology › Ceramic Technology › Chemical Engineers › Environmental Engineering › Electrical Engineering › Genetic Engineering › Marine Engineering › Rubber Technology › Space Technology › Textile Industry Click here for Engineering Hub	› Ayurveda › Dentistry › Electropathy › Homeopathy › Medical Lab Technologist (MLT) › Microbiology › Naturopathy › Nursing › Nutrition and dietics › Ophthalmologist › Orthopedics › Optometry › Occupational Therapy › Optometrist › Pathology › Pharmacognosy › Pharmacy › Physiotherapy › Psychiatry › Radiography › Speech and hearing › Speech therapy › Veterinary Science

Computer & IT	Management	Mass Communication
› Call Centers › Computer-Aided Design › Computer Engineering › Medical Transcription › Software Engineering	› Business Management › Event Management › Foreign Trade › Hotel Management › Hospital Management › Modern Office Management › Personnel Management › Public Relations › Retail Management › Rural Management › Sales & Marketing Management › Tea Management	› Advertising › Film-Making › Journalism › Publishing and Printing › Radio Jockeying › Video jockeying

Armed Forces	Humanities	Commerce
› Airlines Operationss › Coast Guards › Indian Air Force › Indian Army › Indian Navy › Para military services	› Asst Administrative Officer › Asst. Commissioner › Agricultural Journalism › Anthropology › Archaeology › Cosmetology › Chef › Club Disc Jockey ’ Development Prog Officer › Footwear Technology › Fine Arts › Geography › Insurance ’ Industrial Relation Officer › Junior Comm (Catering) › Lecturership › Liberal arts › Law › Library Science › NABARD › Career in NGO › Psephology › Psychology › Retail Management › Research Assistant › Sociology › Social Work › Transcription Music › Teaching	› Agriculture Economics › Accounting › Banking › Chartered Accountants › Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) › Company Secretary › Economics › Mathematics and statistics › Stock Broking

Vocational Cources	Performing Art	Designing
› Beautician › Hair Styling › Travel & Tourism	› Acting › Dance › Music	› Fashion Designing › Gemology › Interior Designing › Jewellery Design › Visual merchandising
Professional Courses	10 th & 12th
› Tourist Guide › Translators/Interpreters	› CRPF (ASI & SI) › CRPF › LDC › Navy Officers › Naviks › Personal Assistant(PA) › Sailors (Artificer) › Sailors in Indian Navy › Soldiers › Soldiers (Technical)

Others
› Air Hostess › Art Restoration › Aviation › Detective Services › Forestry and wild life › Vaastu & Feng Shui	› Commercial and Fine Arts › Dairy Farming › Foreign Languages › Railway Services › Sports › Vedic Astrology	› Insurance › Modelling › Merchant Navy › Photography › Poultry Farming

Kerala elections: Clear edge for Cong-led UDF

2011-04-07T13:12:00.000+03:00

THIRUVANATHAPURAM: The latest Intelligence Bureau report has predicted that barring five districts, the Congress-led UDF has a clear edge in all the districts of the state. The report pointed out that the LDF had a clear edge in Kasargod, Kannur, Kozhikode, Palakkad and Kollam. In the other southern districts and the central parts of the state, the UDF has the advantage. In these areas, caste equations have played a major role in favour of the UDF, the report says. However, in the Malabar region, only Malappuram has given some good news for the UDF. The report says that the Indian Union Muslim League will register an impressive performance this time, compared to that of 2006 elections. It has been pointed out that in Kasargod, the UDF had no edge, not even a single seat. The report says that in Kozhikode and Kannur, the UDF has the advantage in four seats each. Similarly in Palakkad and Kollam, the UDF has a definite edge only in four and three seats, respectively. In the rest of the seats in the three districts, a tight or one-sided fight is on. The report is an indication that for the UDF the 52 seats in the five districts are going to be the biggest hurdle as they are yet to penetrate the CPM vote bank in the northern districts of the state or has failed to capitalise on the antiincumbency factor. Kozhikode district has 13 seats, Palakkad 12, Kollam and Kannur 11 each, and Kasargod has five seats. Of these 52 seats, as per the present trend, the report points out that the UDF had an advantage only in 15 seats. But it is good news for the UDF when it comes to the other districts of the state. The report says that the UDF is way ahead in Wayanad, Idukki, Malappuram, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta and Thiruvananthapuram. These districts will prove decisive for the UDF as this will determine whether the UDF will wrest power in the state.

My love letter

2009-02-25T09:58:00.000+03:00

Hi Dear,

I hope this letter finds you in high spirits on this Valentine’s Day. Don’t worry I am not going to spoil this beautiful day of yours. Just I thought this is the best time to express my heart and pain to you. I love you. You already knew this fact and I knew the answer you would give me everytime I say this. But you can not imagine the pain I go through whenever my love gets rejected by you. It simply hurts, dear.
Can you guess how much pain your indifference causes to me? Just two days ago, I called you to warn you about some riots happening in the city and asked you to leave office early. I called you thrice in half an hour! Why? Because I care for you. I care for your safety. What I got in return, dear? Your cold responses. I craved to hear in your voice a streak of concern for me. But I was not that much lucky. Couldn’t you say, ‘hey I am a local here. It’s you who should be more careful, being from outside. Take care of yourself’. Why couldn't you utter these caring words? Why your heart is so hard, dear? It seemed it didn’t matter to you whether I was safe or in danger. This thought made me so miserable and gloomy for the whole day.

I long for the day when you will respect my love and care for me. I long for the time when your smiling eyes will lock my mischievous eyes and your hands hold mine. I long for the moment when you let me hug and press you tightly into mine as if time would snatch you away if I let go. I long for the moment when your lips brush mine in a fit of passion.

Dear, I know I am daydreaming. But you can make my dreams come true. Only you, nobody else! You are holding such a power in you.

Have a good day. Awaiting your response…

With Love,