Srihari's page

Natural Calamities - God's Wrath or Man's Greed

2009-09-24T16:15:00.003+05:30

As per Webster’s Dictionary, Calamity is a Noun, is in Use from 15th Century. It can be etimologised to, Middle English “Calamytey”, Latin “Calamitat”, “Calamitas”, perhaps to, Latin “Clades” meaning Destruction.

Calamity means, (1) A State of Deep Distress or Misery caused by Major Misfortune or Loss, (2) A Disastrous Event marked by Great Loss and Lasting Distress and Suffering.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Now, Let us get into the subject – “Natural Calamities: Man’s Greed or God’s Wrath”

In our Modern History, we have seen numerous calamities. Probably, the largest of them being the effects of the two World Wars. The devastations caused were immeasurable. There is no doubt that these were only the results of Man’s Greed. Man’s greed for materialistic pleasures has resulted in numerous such wars, invasions and destruction.

However, these cannot be called Natural Calamities. The word natural in itself explains that there is no human intervention in Natural Calamities, other than facing the consequences. Although, man devised techniques to identify, forecast or predict Natural Disasters, somehow, he has not been able to fully succeed in preventing colossal damages.

Although Nature has given us innumerable things in this world for us to utilize and enjoy, there are also the earthquakes, tsunamis and volcanoes that wreaks havoc. Man can neither create it nor prevent it.

Even though, the Nature has created such events, the extent of Disasters has been primarily due to Man’s Greed. For instance, when man develops a residential colony in an erstwhile Lake or Water body, even a normal seasonal rain results in flooding. This coupled with electrifications and poor building materials, results in a few deaths every monsoon. When such is the result of a seasonal monsoon, the effect of damage due to large calamities becomes insurmountable. If man leads a life in line with Nature, the damages can at least be reduced.

Thus, I conclude that, even though the events causing calamities are designed by Nature, the effects and the size of damage caused by them is the result of Man’s Greed.

ICC T20 World Cup Cricket June 2009

2009-06-04T19:53:00.003+05:30

Many consider that the Indian 15 is very strong and it is difficult for Dhoni to pick up the playing 11 and their order.

I have made my guess and analysis here and put up a possible playing 11.

This is what should be going through in Dhoni's mind

Batting Order:
1&2 - Sehwag & Gambhir
3&4 - Dhoni & Raina
5&6 - Rohit & Yuvraj
7&8 - Harbhajan & Irfan
9, 10 & 11 - Praveen, RP Singh & Ishant

Here in each pair, he maintains a left / right combination and although all of them are good hitters one batsmen in each pair can play a consolidating/anchoring role, viz., Gambhir, Dhoni, Rohit, Irfan.

Others left out are Yusuf pathan, Ravindra Jadeja, Zaheer Khan, Pragyan Ojha

Before Zaheer gets fit, it has to be decided among 4 seamers as to who should be dropped based on their form in the initial games.

Other 3 also can fit in only from 7 to 11 and unless someone gets injured or performs consistently bad I dont see room for these 3.

Now onto Bowling
Overs
1-4 - Praveen & RP
5-6 - Ishant & Irfan
7-10 - Harbhajan & Irfan
11-14 - Harbhajan & Ishant
15-16 - Irfan & Ishant
16-20 - RP & Praveen
Not to forget Sehwag, Raina, Rohit, Yuvraj - all were successful in IPL while turning their arm around.

Scripps National Spelling Bee 2009

2009-06-03T11:18:00.007+05:30

Thanks to the ever-growing media, the 2009 edition of US National spelling Competition was available for viewing in India through ESPN.

It is awesome to look at the level of vocabulary of the kids. The winner, Kavya Shivashankaran said in an interview that she was already familiar with the word “Laodicean” by spelling which she won the Competion.
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The contestants are allowed to ask for five possible questions:
1. Language of Origin
2. Alternate Pronunciations
3. Definition or Meaning
4. Use of the word in a Sentence
5. Part of Speech

Language of Origin:

This has to be looked at by the Tamil Growers and those who claim impurity and non-patronage of the Tamil Language due to contamination by mix and use of other linguistics.
However, they would accept that English is renowned all over the world and the most used language in the world.

How and Why??

Most words in English have not originated from English. It has words drawn from Greek, French, Latin, German, Welch, Arabic, and Sanskrit to name a few.

In the competition this appeared to be the most important clue because for words not familiar to the contestant, Language of Origin would most time suggest the spelling based on the pronounciation. For instance, if there is a “sh” pronunciation, and French Origin might easily lead to a spelling of “che”.

Panache (p -n sh , -näsh ) is a word of French origin that carries the connotation of a flamboyant manner and reckless courage.
The literal meaning of the word is a plume, such as is worn on a hat or a helmet, but the reference is to King Henri IV of France. Pleasure-loving and cynical, but a brave military leader and the best-loved of the kings of France, he was famed for wearing a striking white plume in his helmet and for his war cry: "Follow my white plume!" (Fr. "Ralliez-vous à mon panache blanc").

Definition or Use in Sentence:

This portion would be useful for words that are distantly familiar. The meaning and the context of the word by using it in the sentence generally helps one remember the traces of where we got familiarity with the word

Part of Speech:

This is very important in finding the spelling but can also mislead sometimes.

English frequently does not mark words as belonging to one part of speech or another. Words like neigh, break, outlaw, laser, microwave and telephone might all be either verb forms or nouns. Although -ly is an adverb marker, not all adverbs end in -ly and not all words ending in -ly are adverbs. For instance, tomorrow, fast, crosswise can all be adverbs, while early, friendly, ugly are all adjectives (though early can also function as an adverb).

In certain circumstances, even words with primarily grammatical functions can be used as verbs or nouns, as in "We must look to the hows and not just the whys"
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Well, Language is an Ocean and it keeps growing

Language, after all is only a medium of communication and as long as you make the person on the other side understand what you want to communicate, there is nothing more in any language.

However, if you are on the receiving end you do not expect the communicator to be very strong and the onus of understanding what he communicates lies with you.

Now is the time, get ready and start learning more and more and more….

Integrity - Definition

2009-02-04T18:31:00.002+05:30

Integrity is consistency of actions, values, methods, measures and principles.

Integrity may be seen as the quality of having a sense of honesty and truthfulness in regard to the motivations for one's actions. It is more and always taken in reference to honesty and ethics.

The word, as per my definition, can be split as Internal Grit meaning as follows:

Internal – Interior, Inner, Inside, In-house

Grit – Determination, Perseverance, Tenacity, Fortitude, Courage, Bravery

When we say Internal, it shall refer to the Boundaries defined for a given activity/circumstance. The centre point or the nearest point is the inner self of the person and the Outer Boundaries gets defined on a case to case basis. When we talk about work culture integrity, it starts from the inner self of the employee and keeps extending like the department, the organization, the Industry, the society, state, and country and so on.

As I read somewhere, a Real Hero is the one who does what he wants, when he wants, where he wants irrespective of the consequences. Grit is the determination of the person to stick to the defined set of values.

These two words together get us to the crux of the meaning for the word Integrity.

To try and put it from the negative perspective, a person who either doesn’t follow the rules of the game or tries changing around with the rules of the game is considered not achieving integrity.

Let me try with an example:

When you say a clerk at an office is not supposed to take favours, this rule in itself becomes the boundary. The level of grit of that clerk becomes his level of integrity read with the rule.

Moving one step ahead of this, the consistency of actions of the person with reference to differing places, times and rules decides the level of overall Integrity level of the person.

I will write more on this topic and hence giving a separate label for this.

Chanakya

2009-01-24T08:38:00.000+05:30

Some pointers to Chankya's Life :

The birth of Chanakya (Kautilya) and his intellectual abilities are mentioned in the Great Sri Vishnu Purana, which is one of the Sattvic puranas. Chanakya, one of the earliest political thinkers lived during the period 350-275 BC. At a very early age, Chanakya started studying Vedas. The Vedas, which are considered to be the toughest scriptures to study, were completely studied and memorized by Chanakya in his infancy. University of Takshashila (now Taxila), one of the top most centers of education at that time in India became Chanakya’s breeding ground of acquiring knowledge in the practical and in the theoretical aspects. He was attracted to studies in politics and became a student. Chanakya’s acumen and shrewdness in politics were visible right from his childhood. In this way after studying religion and politics, he turned his attention to economics, which remained his lifelong friend. After acquiring vast knowledge in various branches of studies he wanted everybody to get benefited. He believed in the broadcasting of knowledge and not in the storage of it and so he later became a professor of political science at the University.

Though Chanakya was just a professor in the Taxila University, which seemed to be far away from the happenings in the country, he actually was able to influence the governments in a big way. His students looked at him as an ideal teacher who inspired and exemplified great knowledge. His students respected him and were ready to fight at any moment at his orders. Chanakya went from Taxila to Pataliputra, which was famous as a center of learning and was known to honour scholars. Chanakya possessed an extraordinary scholarship. The scholars of Pataliputra recongnised his genius and honoured him. Chanakya became the president of the Sangha (Trust).

He took a promising young boy of ten (Chandragupta Maurya) from the streets and brought him up to become one of the greatest emperors of India. In the war of independence for Northern India, the source of strength for Chandragupta and his army was the power of mind and the towering personality of Chanakya. After Alexander’s death in Babylon, all his Satraps were either killed or dislodged, one by one. Alexander’s lieutenants divided his empire among themselves in 321 BC. No realm east of Indus was mentioned in that settlement. It meant that the Greeks themselves had accepted that this region had gone out of their rule.

Seeking revenge for being insulted in the court of the ruler of Magadha, he had vowed to dethrone the haughty Nanda king who was harassing the people of the land. The Nanda kings were ruling cruelly and imposing taxes as they liked on the subjects and had earned the hatred of the people. With determination he as a single person stood opposed to the might of the Nandas and the brain of Amatya Rakshasa. He dethroned the Nandas, put Chandragupta on the throne and also installed Amatya Rakshasa, who was trying his utmost to destroy Chandragupta, as the minister and brought into being the great Maurya dynasty of rulers.

Chanakya was a very brilliant person. He was full of determination in achieving any objective. He was well versed in all the Vedic Shastras or branches of knowledge, an expert economist; a statesman par excellence. He was a master in the four methods – of persuasion, enticement, sowing dissension, and punishment or war. He was mature in the strategy of war, and very intelligent. None could make out what was going on his mind. So secretive was he in his method and far-sighted. In any endeavor, his calculations never went wrong and he never missed his aim. He was at the same time very religious and gives to strict renunciation. Apparently of a strict nature, he could employ various methods carefully at the right time to destroy enemies. There was no branch of knowledge, which he had not mastered. He was widely experienced in the world. There seemed to be nothing, which he did now know. He was, in other words, a conglomeration of all things that make a genius. Considered in any way, persons equal to Chanakya are very rare in the world. An expression “like the strategy of Chanakya” has become proverbial.

The whole nation was bewildered by the cleverness and wit of this seeming personality who went on to single handedly unify the country with the sheer power of his character. Probably, the most accurate description of Chanakya can be found in Nehru’s words in the Discovery if India, ‘Chanakya has been called the Indian Machiavelli and to some extent the comparison in justified. But he was a much bigger person in every way, greater in intellect and reason.

Chanakya dreamt of a country reaching the following levels of development in terms of ideologies and social and economic development. A self-sufficient economy that does not depend on foreign trade. An egalitarian society where there are equal opportunities for all. Establishment of new colonies for the augmentation of resources. He also advocated the development of the already annexed colonies. His imperialistic views can be interpreted as the development of natural and man made resources. He lived his life working to his capacity in pursuit of his vision of a happy strong and prosperous India.

His works have been faithfully preserved through word of mouth for well over two thousand years. Nitishastra, a treatise on the ideal way of life shows his in depth study of Indian way of life. Many of his Nitis or politics have been compiled under the book Chanakya Niti.

யோகம்

2009-01-23T16:32:00.001+05:30

நல்லதே நினை
நினைப்பதை செய்
செய்வதை விரும்பு
விரும்புவதை பழகு
பழகுவதை தொடர்
தொடர்வதே யோகம்
யோகமே நல்லது

Arthashastra

2009-01-22T14:58:00.007+05:30

Summary of Arthashastra:

Chanakya’s Arthashastra, also known as Kautilya Arthashastra, is a classic of statecraft. It deals with the politics (Raja dharma), leadership, qualities and disciplines required for a Rajarishi – a wise and virtuous king.

According to Kautilya, a Rajarishi is one who has self control, having conquered the inimical temptations of the senses; cultivates the intellect by association with elders, keeps his eyes open through spies; is ever active in promoting the security and welfare of the people; ensures the observance (by the people) of their dharma by authority and example; improves his own discipline by (continuing his) learning in all branches of knowledge; and endears himself to his people by enriching them and doing good to them

Given below are some excerpts on various branches dealt with by him:

Concerning Discipline
Concerning Law
The conduct of courtiers
The end of the six-fold policy
The work of an invader
The conduct of Corporations
Strategic means to capture a fortress
The plan of a treatise
The duties of government superintendents
The removal of thorns
The source of sovereign states
Concerning vices and calamities
Relating to war
Concerning a powerful enemy
Secret means

A brief Description of some concepts in Arthashastra relating to Management :

Science

The Science of Politics is the only Science, which is connected with all sciences
By learning science one can know what being spiritually good and what material well being is
Power of Science: Regular Study makes intellect from which Practical Operation and Self-Control comes respectively
Student of Science should not be disturbed by Lust, Anger, Greed, Price etc.,

Humanity

Keep the mind steady in adversity and in prosperity
Our common duties are, not to hurt living creatures, Truthfulness, Uprightness, Freedom from animosity, being affectionate to others, benevolence etc.,
Avoid doing injury to others
Avoid persons who are harmful and falsehood by nature

Duty

One should observe his regular duties and it will lead him to Heaven and supremeness

Economics

Agriculture and Trade constitutes Economics

Discipline

Security brings Self-discipline
Discipline comes from two ways, Acquired and Inborn

Learning

Science bestows discipline to people who are desirous of learning
Learn science from perfect expounders
Having close consort with elders will improve learning

Self Control

Leader having no control over senses will be ruined
Control over senses will overcome Lust and Anger
Avoid another man's wife and wealth
One should not go beyond his boundaries
One should avoid association with persons who are unrighteous

Pleasure

Enjoy your sensual pleasure without harming your spiritual qualities
Excess of Sensual pleasure will bind you to material miseries

Spiritual

Material is also said to be supreme when it is used for spiritual purposes

Rulership

Rulership can be successfully carried out with the help of associates
Behave like master when you are in position

Decision

Own decisions can be misguided, ask for second opinion

Appointing Staffs

Do not appoint your playmates - they can mistreat you
Appoint your teammates by knowing their loyalty
Before appointing staffs know their qualities and calculate the benefits of them to the company
Appointment of staffs should be done by well versed
Also appoint the person who does not have practical knowledge but conversant of science

Secrets

Secrets should not be discussed in conference even with your Teammates
If secrets are communicated with many you will become subservient to them
If your secrets are exposed to others, you are accustomed to bend towards the opinion of the knower of your secrets

Loyal

Whoever helped you in difficult situations, know them as truthful and loyal.

Retention

If you know that one having good conduct never make him to leave

Testing

Integrity of staffs is proved by secret tests
Rank your staffs according to their ability

Office Discipline

Contact with outsider inside the premises should be avoided
Attendance and movement of employees should be carefully examined
Incoming and outgoing couriers/parcels should be written and checked with proper records along with authentic seal
The usage of MD's room by other person without permission is equivalent to jewel theft and he should be punished

Assistants

Company proprietor should keep trained person and well known as his personal assistant
Loyally proved and hereditarily known can be a personal assistant to the owner of the company

Employment

Hire a person who bear troubles and endowed with energy and power
Employment should be made to who are firmly devoted and having quality of uprightness and friendliness etc.,
Should not recruit a person who does not endowed with character
An employee should have the qualities of eloquence, boldness and should be trained in arts (in respected fields)
An employee always should be easy to hold in check (ex:near work station)
Inquire one about his abilities by tracking his old friends and colleagues (reference check)
By making conversation with one candidate test his eloquence and boldness
Test employees handling situation in the difficult tasks
By undertaking the test make sure of friendliness and firmness of the candidate
Check the character along with other qualities of a trainee
Mostly personal observations will give clear results of a candidate
Know the physical fitness before appointing a person
It is good to have psychometric tests before employing a person
Employ a person who has knowledge in auxilliary sciences
Test the integrity of the candidate by secret tests
The secret tests on piety will show loyalty of the candidate
Person uprightness can be judged by his disinterest over the material gains
Person who is not addicted to recreation can be appointed
Purity of a person can be identified by the test on lust
Loyal persons should be employed in judicial department
Piety persons should be employed in stores and administration department
Loyal and fearless person can be employed as a guardian/over taker of a concern/company (arbitrator)
Those who are proved by loyalty, piety, pureness they can be employed in housekeeping
Person who is loyal, piety and pure can be appointed as chief/manager etc.,
All the secret tests for employing a candidate should be outsourced to an external agency

Spies

Secret agents should be encouraged with money and honour
Secret agents should report only to higher authorities
By proving truthfulness a housekeeper also appointed as a spy
Secret agents can appoint other secret agents by identifying their honesty
Art of association with the people is an important criterion for a spy
The management should employ spy in a profession, which shows dignity and royalty
Spy who makes consequent mistakes in their part should be terminated silently
Spies are responsible to identify bribery

Rules of a Leader / Administrator

Leader always should be active so that employees will be active accordingly
If leader is remiss then followers will also be the same
Employees are more important because they do the work for the leader
By being active leader he is beyond the reach from competitors
The leader always should be energetic
The complete work chart of a day is to be maintained by leader
The work chart of a day is to be divided into eight parts (task per hour)
On the opening hour/day income and expenditure works or financial strategies should be discussed
On the second hour leader should meet the marketing people and representatives
Third hour will be a study hour for a leader
Distribution of tasks to the respective department will be done on the fourth hour
Reading official mails and consultation with secret agents will be done at fifth hour
On the sixth hour he can have a relaxation with some recreations or there may be a consultant meet
On the seventh hour leader should go through/verify the works of administration and housekeeping
The upcoming product review can be discussed with senior officers during eighth hour
Saluting the almighty for the works finished can end the day
When leader is in his room or in his place restrictions should be avoided so that employees can meet him liberally
Leader should work according to the matter of emergency
Leader should deal urgent matters in person
Procrastination of the works can make it harder or even impossible
Leader should always respect the people who having the knowledge
Anger is a self-destructing weapon of a Leader
For leader, benefits to the company are the benefit to him; benefits to him are not the benefit to the company
The basic of material well-being is activeness and material misery is vice versa
Activeness leads only to benefits and inactiveness surely to destruction

Infrastructure

The company should build his own building only by renowned expert builders
The company should be able to escort the employees even in natural calamities
Precautionary measures should be taken against fire etc.,
Every person should have a cabin and they should not leave nor move to others unnecessarily

Heads of Departments

Company should appoint heads for each and every department
Manager of the company will lead the heads of the department
Benefits given to the HOD by the company should not be misused
Avoid the benefit and exemptions to the HOD which cause loss to the Company
According to the needs of the HOD facilities should be made for their work environment
The benefits attained by the projects by HOD should reach the owner of the company
HOD should be impartial to the kinsman staff and other workers
HOD can terminate any employee due to their incapability, with the permission of higher authorities
Company should not provide any recreation facilities, which obstruct the work
HOD should take care of system maintenance and housekeeping for increasing the profit of the company
HOD should have clear knowledge of future obstacles and should take decision to overcome that
HOD should guard the existing projects and should create new and innovative projects
HODs have the power to lay off the staffs for misusing company items/products

Utilisation of Disposables / Unused Places

Unused place in the office should be utilised without affecting the office work
The vacant place can be used as re-creation or pantry areas
Vacant place in the center of the office can be used as a park
Grow trees and make pools for beauty and cleanliness in the vacant place
Company should appoint a security for guarding the premises
Rewards can be granted to securities for their works with devotion and sincerity
Rewards should be given to employees for identifying or informing the misuse of the company

Finance

Finance manager should have the receipts even older than hundred years so that he would not falter in respect of expenditure
Wise manager should show an increase of income and decrease of expenditure
Special allowance should be given to the employees for sudden calamities
Fine should be made to officers who come regularly irregular to the work
The fine is also to delayed work by the senior officer
Fine will be double for junior officer who does not complete the work
Company can cut or reduce the incentive for the delayed works by the officers
There may be excuse for the procrastination of the works for few weeks
An officer of the finance department should check day-to-day, weekly, fortnightly, monthly and annual income and expenditure
Company should check the source of income with the reference of place and time
The officer of accounts can be warned for the imperfect and illegible manner of maintaining entry books of accounts
The loss of account records made by the officer of finance should be fined
The false statement in the entry book is considered to be a theft and the responding officer should be punished under law
Officers can be excused when they admits the mistakes made by them
Company should give incentive to the officers according to the benefit and expenditure on accounts made by them

Recovery of Revenue

Each and every single work of the company depends on the income of the company
Clean activities, suppression on theft, present cash are some of the things which increase the income of a company
Obstruction, lending, loss, damage, misuse, trading are the causes of depletion of the industry
Not attending the faults, ignorance of growths, improper delivery etc., will lead economy to decrease
The failure of concealment made by the officers should be fined
If an officer ordered a consignment, which gave loss, previously, he should be warned and it should be avoided in future
Misappropriation of income by officers should be fined
Late payment, does not pay, deny to pay are the misappropriation of income
Head should regularly inspect and interrogate the person who pays, receives and records the payments
False statement made by any one in the finance department should be punished
If officer denies all charges against him but proved guilty will be liable for punishment
An officer who misappropriate large amount and proved accusation also liable for punishment
Incentive can be given to informers of the accounts misappropriation
Informers of the misappropriations should be motivated by large incentives

New Year Greetings - Different Languages

2009-01-22T13:52:00.005+05:30

Afgani : Saale Nao Mubbarak

Afrikaans : Gelukkige nuwe jaar

Albanian : Gezuar Vitin e Ri

Armenian : Snorhavor Nor Tari

Arabic : Kul 'am wa antum bikhair

Assyrian : Sheta Brikhta

Azeri : Yeni Iliniz Mubarek!

Bengali : Shuvo Nabo Barsho

Breton : [Celtic Brythonic language] Bloavezh Mat

Bulgarian : ×åñòèò� Íîâ� Ãîäèí� (pronounced "Chestita Nova Godina")

Cambodian : Soursdey Chhnam Tmei

Catalan : FELIÇ ANY NOU

Chinese : Xin Nian Kuai Le

Corsican Language : Pace e Salute

Croatian : Sretna Nova godina!

Cymraeg (Welsh) : Blwyddyn Newydd Dda

Czech : � ťastný Nový rok (or Stastny Novy rok)

Denish : Godt Nytår

Dhivehi : Ufaaveri Aa Aharakah Edhen

Dutch : GELUKKIG NIEUWJAAR!

Eskimo : Kiortame pivdluaritlo

Esperanto : Felican Novan Jaron

Estonians : Head uut aastat!

Ethiopian : MELKAM ADDIS AMET YIHUNELIWO!

Finnish : Onnellista Uutta Vuotta

French : Bonne Annee

Gaelic : Bliadhna mhath ur

Galician [NorthWestern Spain] : Bo Nadal e Feliz Aninovo

German : Prosit Neujahr

Georgian : GILOTSAVT AKHAL TSELS!

Greek : Kenourios Chronos

Gujarati : Nutan Varshbhinandan

Hawaiian : Hauoli Makahiki Hou

Hebrew : L'Shannah Tovah

Hindi : Naye Varsha Ki Shubhkamanyen

Hong kong (Cantonese) : Sun Leen Fai Lok

Hungarian : Boldog Ooy Ayvet

Indonesian : Selamat Tahun Baru

Iranian : Sal -e- no mobarak

Iraqi : Sanah Jadidah

Irish : Bliain nua fe mhaise dhuit

Italian : Felice anno nuovo

Japan : Akimashite Omedetto Gozaimasu

Kabyle : Asegwas Amegaz

Kannada : Hosa Varushadha Shubhashayagalu

Kisii : SOMWAKA OMOYIA OMUYA

Khmer : Sua Sdei tfnam tmei

Korea : Saehae Bock Mani ba deu sei yo!

Kurdish : NEWROZ PIROZBE

Latvian : Laimīgo Jauno Gadu!

Lithuanian : Laimingu Naujuju Metu

Laotian : Sabai dee pee mai

Macedonian : Srekjna Nova Godina

Madagascar : Tratry ny taona

Malay : Selamat Tahun Baru

Marathi : Nveen Varshachy Shubhechcha

Malayalam : Puthuvatsara Aashamsakal

Mizo : Kum Thar Chibai

Maltese : Is-Sena t- Tajba

Nepal : Nawa Barsha ko Shuvakamana

Norwegian : Godt Nyttår

Papua New Guinea : Nupela yia i go long yu

Pampango (Philippines) : Masaganang Bayung Banua

Pashto : Nawai Kall Mo Mubarak Shah

Persian : Sal -e- no mobarak

Philippines : Manigong Bagong Taon!

Polish : Szczesliwego Nowego Roku

Portuguese : Feliz Ano Novo

Punjabi : Nave sal di mubarak

Romanian : AN NOU FERICIT

Russian : S Novim Godom

Samoa : Manuia le Tausaga Fou

Serbo-Croatian : Sretna nova godina

Sindhi : Nayou Saal Mubbarak Hoje

Singhalese : Subha Aluth Awrudhak Vewa

Siraiki : Nawan Saal Shala Mubarak Theevay

Slovak : Stastny Novy rok

Slovenian : sreèno novo leto

Somali : Iyo Sanad Cusub Oo Fiican!

Spanish : Feliz Ano ~Nuevo

Swahili : Heri Za Mwaka Mpyaº

Swedish : GOTT NYTT ÅR! /Gott nytt år!

Sudanese : Warsa Enggal

Tamil : Eniya Puthandu Nalvazhthukkal

Tibetian : Losar Tashi Delek

Telegu : Noothana samvatsara shubhakankshalu

Thai : Sawadee Pee Mai

Turkish : Yeni Yiliniz Kutlu Olsun

Ukrainian : Shchastlyvoho Novoho Roku

Urdu : Naya Saal Mubbarak Ho

Uzbek : Yangi Yil Bilan

Vietnamese : Chuc Mung Tan Nien

Welsh : Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!

An attempt on Translation - Alaipayuthe

2009-01-22T13:43:00.007+05:30

Wandering, oh my lord, my mind is wandering
In joyous romantic melodious music
Wandering, oh my lord, my mind is wandering
In your joyous romantic melodious music
Wandering, oh my lord

Unmoved, standing like a statue,(2)
not noticing the time drifting, in strange astonishment, oh my lord
My mind is wandering, oh my lord,
Clear moon glowing like day light(2)
Looking at that, my brows are winking
your ripe melody flowing in the air(2)
eyes doze and a different sensation creeps in(2)
give me and enchant me of concentrated thoughts in my longing heart(2)
in the lonely heart hug and give enchanting feelings(2)
You play with your beautiful eyes, paralleling sun rays in ocean waves
with twinge and melting heart I crave for you but you tend to play with other devotees(2)

is this just, is this fair, is it ethical(2)
like the hair strings while you play the flute, my heart is in profound grief
Wandering, oh my lord, my mind is wandering
In your joyous romantic melodious musicWandering, oh my lord

_________________________________________________

In Tamil

_________________________________________________

alaipaayudhae kaNNaa en manam alaipaayudhae
aanandha moagana vaeNu gaanamadhil
alaipaayudhae kaNNaa en manam alaipaayudhae
un aanandha moagana vaeNu gaanamadhil
alaipaayudhae kaNNaa aaaa

nilaipeyaRaadhu silaipoalavae ninRu (2)
naeramaavadhaRiyaamalae miga vinoadhamaana muraLeedharaa
en manam alaipaayudhae kaNNaa aaaa
theLindha nilavu pattappagal poal eriyudhae (2)
dhikkai noakki en puruvam neRiyudhae
kanindha un vaeNugaanam kaatRil varugudhae (2)
kaNgal sorugi oru vidhamaay varugudhae (2)
kadhiththa manaththil oruththi padhaththai enakku aLiththu magizhththavaa (2)
oru thaniththa manaththil aNaiththu enakku uNarchchi koduththu
mugizhththavaa (2)
kaNai kadal alaiyinil kadhiravan oLiyena iNaiyiru kazhalena kaLiththavaa
kadhaRi manamurugi naan azhaikkavoa idhara maadharudan nee kaLikkavoa (2)
idhu thagumoa idhu muRaiyoa idhu dharmam thaanoa (2)
kuzhaloodhidum pozhudhu aadigum kuzhaigaL poalavae manadhu
vaedhanai migavodu
alaipaayudhae kaNNaa en manam alaipaayudhae
un aanandha moagana vaeNu gaanamadhilalaipaayudhae kaNNaa aaaa

Quitting a Job

2008-12-26T12:15:00.008+05:30

In today's world of enormous employment opportunities, we read a lot about sacking, quitting, shifting, shuffling, rotating, attrition, recruitment and so many jargons. The recruitment has become one of the key functions required in a company today. The HR function has been redefined to a large extent now, from a level of getting reduced to handle only IR issues.

Although there are number of new opportunities coming up every day, most of the recruitments are a result of existing vacancies. I would say more than three quarters of the recruitments are in this category and the number may be higher who knows.

There was a time when the job security was considered of paramount importance. Not so long ago, it was perceived that a person has to have a job that will last till his retirement at the age of 60. He was not socially accepted if he did not have that kind of job.

But in the current generation, may be due to the abundant opportunities available, people tend not to stay in an organization for a longer period of time. With every movement, the employee tends to grow, in pay as well as position.

Factors influencing this decision in an employee can be put into two broad classifications, viz., External Pull and Internal Push. External Pull is the one where a better prospect pulls an employee from outside and forces him to leave his current job. Even this pulling in most cases happen because the employee is registered in a job site or with a job consultant whereby he gets to know the existence of the pull. The pull is the result of the advertisement the employee has given for himself after making up his mind to leave the current job.

The major factor, according to me, is the push from inside and here I have tried to analyse and ponder upon various factors causing this push. These are not ranked and it will vary upon case to case. So friends, read on:

1.Job Satisfaction

Either the Employee is not satisfied about the job or the Employer is not satisfied. In both cases, there is a sense of non-performance building in the employee. This in some cases even arises from the Employee not being clear on his deliverables.

2.Inferior Superior

If an Employee is reporting to a person who is inferior to his competencies, in action, he develops an irritation for the superior, which in turn reflects on his activities. He either tries to over-do his job to thrive on his superiority or under performs to cope with the Superior. In both cases over a period it ends up on “Job Satisfaction” described above.

3.Superior Sub-ordinate

In the above case, let us look at it from the Superior Employees perspective. When the Sub-ordinate over does his job, he becomes a point of laughter and when the Sub-ordinate under performs, his performance also comes under question. He again gets into job dissatisfaction mode.

4.Pay - Need Mismatch

With family and responsibility growth, a person tends to need more money with age. However, with age and monotony, his performance tends to decrease over a period of time. At this juncture, it would be more apt for the employee to find a new job with his experience where in the new set up he gets more recognition and reward for his work. He also gets rejuvenated with his new tasks.

5.Pay - Work Mismatch

It is a general phenomenon, when you look at the organizational ladder; more work gets you less pay and more pay means less work. This when becomes very apparent and obvious to every one’s eyes, at both ends, it necessitates quitting.

6.Business Performance

When a business is on its recession trend, there is a general tendency for most employees to leave. Naturally, no one would like to travel in a sinking ship. Even the management, given a choice, would like to quit under such circumstances.

7.Work - Life Imbalance

This is a serious jeopardy in current generation. Some tend to forget that they have a life and family in running for work cause. This over a period develops an imbalance in life. This leads to huge mental trauma and after realizing often there is no opportunity to change the work style. On the other side, if there is a person who is not utlised to his potential, even if paid heftily, also tends to look for a change in order to protect his skills and capabilities.

8.Work Culture

This is the existing work culture in the organization and the policies of the company. If the employee is not able to fit into this and if this culture is not able to absorb the employee, then he thinks of quitting.

Conclusion

As management, whenever an employee calls it quit, whatever be the reason attributed by him, you better get into an introspection as to what might have made him to look for option and rectify it so that at least the remaining talent is held together for the betterment of the organization.

Train

2008-11-25T11:36:00.002+05:30

When I went for my vacation, I went by Train.
We boarded train in Railway Station.
We wait in the platform.
Trains run on the rails.
Train stops for red signal.
Train starts for green signal.
Train was very long.
It had an engine and many coaches.
Train has seats for sitting and berth for sleeping.
Train will have one driver and one guard.
Our ticket is verified by Ticket examiner.
We can get water, cool drinks, biscuits, fruits, food and books in railway station
At railway gate, cars and buses stop for train.
Only after train goes, other vehicles can go.
There are goods trains and passenger trains.
There are steam engines trains, diesel engine trains and electric trains.
There are express trains, super fast trains, mail trains and passenger trains

I would tell more about train after my next travel.

Maslow’s Theory on Hierarchy of Needs

2008-10-29T13:21:00.007+05:30

Abraham Maslow has classified the human needs and put them in a hierarchy. Let me try to understand and explain his theory in my own thinking.

Firstly, I will take it away from Organisational perspective. It fits into and gives a clear representation of human livelihood. This applies to any living being under the sky and no single being can escape this classification. The needs vary from person to person. So does this classification. Although this classification shall fit to any human, it varies from person to person, in the sense that, what might be a safety need to a person shall be an esteem need to another person, or social need of one person may be a safety need for another. It depends on how one looks at it.

Also, when a person goes up the ladder, the needs at the bottom of the table undergo a sea change. The theory is represented in pyramid; only when the base becomes big enough you can climb up. In other words, only when the physiological needs are satisfied you think of safety needs.

Physiological Needs:

These are the basic for the livelihood of a being. The primary and foremost requirements are air, water, food, and so on…

These are the needs of the body or the physiology and are not in absolute control of a being. In other words, whether you want or not, you have to have air without which a person cannot survive. Similarly with water and food.

However, even these things can be brought under one’s control through constant practice. There are people who control their breath to control the need of air for the livelihood. There are certain people whose food requirements is barely anything. This is achieved over a long period of time through controlled practice.

Nonetheless, there is no being in the world that can totally escape the physiological needs. Even if it is controlled or restricted, the need is essential.

Safety Needs:

Once your physiological needs are satisfied and your living is assured, you have to look for keeping up that assurance; for today and tomorrow too. These are the boundaries you put around your basic needs to make one feel secured. The primary purpose is to protect the continuity and consistency of getting physiological needs satisfied. Now when a person leaving by the roadside and eats whatever he gets, would classify food as a physiological need and a place to live as a safety need and for him a compound walled bunglow will fall under social need. When he get a work and starts earning daily, he makes a shelter for himself, then when he continues to work and earn regularly, he looks for a proper house to live. In addition, now he looks for a wife and family and wants to provide them the best and safe place of stay. Now this house becomes a basic need for him.

Social Needs:

Man is a Social Animal. He has to live in groups. The groups called Society. To be part of and be accepted, in the society, he has to have a few things. For instance, the way you dress depends entirely on the society you live in. If you live in a village as a farmer, you can live with basic dhoti. However, if you are a bank manager, you have to wear neat trousers, shirts and tie.

Man lives for and with Social acceptance

Esteem Needs :

If you are working in a large company in a senior position, if you commute by Public Transport, you will be seen as a miserly creature. If you go by a two wheeler, you are accepted but not respected. If you go by a Car, you are respected.

The means for having a car is definitely there for this executive. But look at the need perspective. Even if he doesn't need the car, for social reasons, he has to have it.

Self Actualisation:

After you get satisfied with all the above needs, you finally look up and look back at what you actually yearn for. Every time you have a target, you achieve it. Every time you achieve a target, you set the next target. Finally what is that you are running for. There should be something to satisfy the self. I am not getting into any spiritual/philosophical note. As is seen in one Insurance Company visual, a man foregoes swimming as a kid, for his father. Then his self respect in the office for his wife. Then a comfort of a car for his kids. When he retires from work, he goes back to his childhood and jumps into water for swimming.

Then what is that we are running for. As per Maslow, one has to get into this thinking, only after climbing up the ladder on the heirarchy of needs.

Conclusion:

Look at where you are, plan what next, think where you want to be and be successful in life. Be Happy

Palindrome

2008-10-13T19:25:00.003+05:30

The word palindrome is derived from the Greek palíndromos, meaning running back again (palín = AGAIN + drom–, drameîn = RUN). A palindrome is a word or phrase, which reads the same in both directions.

Some Examples are,

EYE

DEED

LEVEL

RACECAR

LIVE EVIL

REDIVIDER

DENNIS SINNED

NEVER ODD OR EVEN

NO TRACE; NOT ONE CARTON

Panama Palindrome

A MAN, A PLAN, A CANAL – PANAMA

A MAN, A PLAN, A CAT, A CANAL – PANAMA

A MAN, A PLAN, A CAM, A YAK, A YAM, A CAT, A CANAL – PANAMA

A MAN, A PLAN, A CAT, A HAM, A YAK, A YAM, A HAT, A CANAL – PANAMA

Value Added Tax

2008-09-29T15:50:00.003+05:30

In the year 2005, when VAT was to be implemented, i made this write up... still most of it would be useful...

History of VAT

·VAT was first introduced in France in 1954.
·It was primarily aimed at simplification of commodity taxes
·More than 130 countries in the world have adopted VAT system
·Out of the bigger countries, except India and USA almost all the nations have adopted VAT
·All over the world VAT is levied on both goods and services
·Compliance system in VAT Nations is very simple with minimum interface between taxpayer and the tax collector. However, non compliance involves very high penalty

VAT in India

·When reforms started in 1991, National Institute of Public Finance & Policy (NIPFP) studied the indirect structure and recommended VAT system to replace CST / LST system
·In 1994, Empowered Committee of All States’ Finance Ministers constituted for successful launch VAT System in India
·The Empowered Committee has accomplished the following :
a)Abolition of incentive schemes in sales tax effective 01/01/2000
b)Uniform rates of tax for almost all major commodities
c)Compensation towards loss of revenue to the states
d)Implementation of VAT by the states from 01/04/2005
e)Phasing out plan for CST

Proposed Tax System

By the Central Government

·Excise Duty – Cenvat System
·Service Tax – Cenvat System

Through Indian Goods & Services Tax Act (Central – GST) (Dr.Kelkar committee report)

By the State Governments

·VAT to replace present state taxes like sales tax, works contract tax, lease tax, turnover tax etc. However, levies like Octroi not within the jurisdiction of Central or State Governments would not be replaced by VAT immediately
Through State Goods and Services Tax Act (State GST) (Merger of all state taxes and service tax levy by the state

Note : On the same goods or services the Central Government would levy Central GST and States would levy State GST

Constitution and Sales Tax

·The Constitution of India empowers State / Central Governments to levy, collect and retain sales tax and sales tax is the largest source of revenue for States.
·Sales Tax is a tax on sale of movable goods, i.e., the transaction should involve, sale (transfer of title), goods, which are movable.
·Movement of goods decides the tax collectors entitlement
·The Central Sales Tax is collected by State of despatch and also retained by it and the administration of CST is delegated to the States
·Imports, Exports and Sales in the course of imports / exports are exempted from sales tax

How the VAT system works

·VAT is a system of taxation of local sales tax
·It is a multipoint tax system with set off available for tax paid on corresponding purchases
·Full tax is collected at each transaction but paid on the value added portions only. Hence it is called value added tax.
·Since the input tax burden is nullified, there is no cascading effect in the supply chain.
·The tax is ultimately levied on the final consumption and is fully borne by the final consumer

Design of VAT (To be implemented from 01/04/2005)

·No resale concept, i.e., all the sales is taxable and fully taxable.
·All local declaration forms which allow concessional rates or tax free purchase withdrawn
·Uniform tax rates across states on the commodities
o Essential Commodities – Nil
States empowered to have flexibility in deciding exemption for some items
o Raw Material and Industrial Inputs – 4%
This will include medicines, capital goods, IT Goods etc
o Residuary rate – 12.5%
This covers those items which have not been specified in the above two categories
·Gold and silver articles would carry 1% and Liquor etc would carry 20% as per the existing tax structure. Also for HSD, Petrol, ATF the current tax structure would continue in 05-06
·If any State decide to levy entry tax, that will also be Vatable
·4% tax (Current CST Equivalent) retention by the State Government on Local Inputs when the corresponding Finished Goods are transferred to Outside the State. This is to ensure smooth transition from CST regime (where the State Government enjoys retention of tax on Interstate Sale) to VAT regime. By this process full input tax credit would not be allowed to manufacturers on interstate sales / transfers till CST rate becomes Nil)
·Carry forward of VAT balance is allowed for a period between 24 months to 36 months as the States may deem fit.

Incentives Schemes under VAT Regime

·No exemption scheme would continue. States to decide on conversion of exemption scheme to deferral scheme
·Considering the Interest of the Incentive Units, States to redesign the Incentive schemes so that no VAT design is disturbed
·There is a composition scheme which allows Traders / Retailers having annual turnover of less than 50 Lakhs to pay a composite tax of 1% of the turnover and stay out of VAT chain. These traders are not allowed to issue VAT invoice

Tax Invoice

·VAT / CST Registration (Tax Identification No – TIN)
·Any declaration, if prescribed, under the Local VAT Act
·Local sales tax (VAT) should be separately charged
·Input tax credit would be allowed only on the basis of the Tax invoice from the seller

Comparison of Current Sales Tax and Proposed VAT Systems

Present – State Sales Tax Design
Proposed VAT Design
Single Point System of Tax – No Tax on resale
Multipoint system of Tax with set off available on corresponding purchase. No resales.
Forms for concessional tax rates
No local declaration forms or concessions
Many tax rates – TOT, SC, Resale tax, Cess etc.,
Only 3 basic rates
No composition scheme
Optional composition scheme for small traders
Separate Acts for different types of taxes, viz., Works Contracts, Lease, Entry etc.,
All are covered under one State VAT Act
No defined invoice controlling tax flow
Mandatory tax invoice
Concession Forms for Input purchases to manufacturers – Net Burden 3 – 5 %
Full input tax credit available – Net Burden 0 – 4 %
No sales tax on AED Products viz., textiles, sugar, tobacco etc
AED Products not covered under VAT system
Annual Assessments
Periodical Sampled Compliance Audit

Important Areas – Vague issues under VAT System

·Discounts
·Sales Returns
·Free Samples / Gifts
·Unregistered Dealer Purchases
·Closing stock as on 31/03/2005
·Set Off on Capital Purchases and Capital Goods definition
·Overlap of VAT and Service tax in
o Job works / Labour Jobs
o Outsourced Jobs
o AMCs, Erecition & Commissioning, Authorised Service Stations

Documentation / Records under VAT

·Tax Invoice
·Purchase Register
·Sales Register
·Identification Register for Traders
·VAT Registration Certificate
Any State Specific record prescribed, if any.

Proper Tax Planning

·Till phasing out of CST
o Interstate purchases would not be vattable and hence will have negative impact
o Stock transfer would not be eligible for input VAT and hence will have negative impact
o The best scenario would be to have 100% Inputs locally purchased and 100% of sales from the manufacturing location
·Post CST Phase out
o All the negative impact listed above would stand rectified
o Undisturbed flow of VAT across the value chain would get established and would work in line with the current Excise Cenvat System

Conclusion

·In spite of all the guidelines and procedures, if VAT embraces industry specific anomalies similar to those in the current Excise Structure, abnormalities in those industries would persist.
·With implementation pending in some states, Industries are not properly placed to adopt the benefits of VAT structure yet.Without phasing out the CST effect, VAT would not be available to the industries in its entirety.

Technological link to ancient science

2008-09-29T10:37:00.003+05:30

This topic is to discuss about how science and technology has proven so many facts, which originated as fiction or passed through somebody’s mind as a dream.

Let us begin with a sneak peek into the understanding of what is science and technology.

Science is the effort to discover, and increase understanding on what and how everything works, through controlled methods and use of observable physical evidence, collect data, and analyze this information to explain. Knowledge in science is gained through research.

Technology is a broad concept that deals with a species' usage and knowledge of tools and crafts, and how it affects a species' ability to control and adapt to its environment. Though a strict definition is elusive; "technology" can refer to material objects of use to humanity, such as machines, hardware or utensils, but can also encompass broader themes, including systems, methods of organization, and techniques.

With this let us move into the works of fiction that were proven later in Science and Technology.

Let me first talk about Astronomy, one of the oldest sciences and with everlasting discovery even today. As late as 1930 our science was talking about 8 planets and our great scientists went on with discovery of 9th planet, Pluto. However, in 2006, when for the first time the term “planet” was defined, Pluto did not fit into the definition.

In Contrast, Indian Mythology was talking about 9 planets or navagrahas, which dates back to unknown times. This number includes the Sun and the Moon. So restricting planets to seven. Now adding earth to it makes it eight which is now accepted by our astronomers. Not only was there a matching of numbers but also the characteristics defined.

For instance, planet Mercury, termed “Chevvai” in Mythology is defined as the most fuming planet and we see in our science that it as the closest to the Sun and stay at highest temperature.
Here methodology described in astrology is the very same as the technology proved in astronomy

Secondly, In Ramayana, Ravana was using an air bound vehicle called ‘Pushpakavimanam’. Consider Ramayana a mythology, which is believed to have been written by Valmiki around 4th Century BC. Since then there are evidences of kite flying used as a punishment in China around 5th Century AD. There are evidences of desire to fly in many paintings of Leonardo Da Vinci, who lived in 15th Century. But actual efforts for flight were taking place only as late as 18th Century.

The wright brothers made the first most successful record of flying only in the 20th Century.

In this case, although the concept of flight was evident in the Ramayana, the technology used in modern flying is different.

Moving on to the next great epic of India, The Mahabaratha, in which Kunthi’s gave birth to all her 6 Children by non conventional methods.

In the late 20th Century all of us had the shock or may be surprise of our lives when we came to know about the IVF or more commonly termed as test tube babies. Today any of the three major requirements of pregnancy, Sperm, Egg, Uterus can be provided by a third person and the person providing it need not even be known to the owner of the process.

In Mahabaratha, which is believed to have been writted in 9th Century BC, the Heroes, Pandavas and their step brother Karna were given birth by Kunti through a boon obtained from The God.

There is no reference of any technology in Mahabaratha. However, when we see that there is an unconventional method of child birth, that sparks discoveries by our technologists.

Also there are so many aspects in our ancient literature, accepted now, Ayurveda and Yoga to name a few.

Though there are so many proven facts from the mythology or literature, which gets proven by our Science, there are still a lot of unexplored avenues that might be of great use to the human community. Let me share some of the areas of my interest where there has not been much of proof to believe the myths and fiction.

The 27 stars named in Hindu mythology or even in the Tamil Calendar. The existence of these and reason for mythology to leave out so many other stars that we see on sky.

The physical qualities described for the ancient sages in controlling the mind and body and the resultant exhibition of the powers called Sithu

A super human creation or may be a robot, matching a Hanuman from Ramayana or more recent fantasy Superman or He-Man.

Witchcraft or Wizardry as depicted by Ms Rowling in Harry Potter Series

To concur with the definition of Science and what Tirukural Says, unless there is proof of fact supported by data analysed in proper method, nothing is true. It should be our endeavor to know how and know why for so many things that we see, hear or read.
As Dr.Abdul Kalam said, you have to dream before your dreams come true, any invention starts as a dream.