World Rare Collection

What is Article 370?

2019-08-05T19:00:00.000+05:30

Kashmir Turmoil: What is Article 370 that govt has proposed to revoke

Article 370 : As fear and panic mounted in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday moved the proposal to remove Article 370 in the Rajya Sabha amid much uproar.

Before the introduction of the bill, the Kashmir turmoil rocked the Rajya Sabha as Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad raised the current situation in Kashmir.

The Union government on Monday moved a resolution in the Rajya Sabha to revoke Article 370 amid uproarious protests from opposition benches. The resolution was moved by Union home minister Amit Shah in the backdrop of growing turmoil in Jammu and Kashmir.

Article 370 of the Constitution is a ‘temporary provision’ which promises to grant autonomous status to Jammu and Kashmir and limits Parliament’s powers to make laws for the state. Under Part XXI of the Constitution titled “Temporary, transitional and special provisions”, Article 370 is categorized as a “temporary provision with respect to the State of Jammu & Kashmir.”

Jammu and Kashmir will also be “reorganised,” said the Home Minister as talk builds of the state being trifurcated into three distinct areas – Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.

The crucial Union Cabinet met at the official residence of Prime Minister in New Delhi on Monday morning. The meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, was held at 7 Lok Kalyan Marg in New Delhi.

Since Article 370 (1) (d) of the Constitution was issued under Presidential Order, the President can make certain ‘exceptions and modifications’ to the Constitution for the benefit of ‘State subjects’ of Jammu and Kashmir.

Article 370: Things to know

Article 370 is a ‘temporary provision’ granting Jammu and Kashmir special autonomous status. It allows the state to draft its own Constitution and restricts parliament’s legislative powers over the state.
The article says that the provisions of Article 238, which was omitted from the Constitution in 1956 when Indian states were reorganized, shall not apply to the state of Jammu and Kashmir.
It also confers powers such as the need of “concurrence of the state government” if the central government plans to make amendments to the concurrent list of subjects.
Under this Article, the center can only declare an emergency in the state in case of war or external aggression; this rules out doing so for internal disturbances unless made specifically at the request of the state government.
Article 370 was eventually drafted by Gopalaswami Ayyangar.
Ayyangar was a minister without portfolio in the first Union Cabinet of India. He was also a former Diwan to Maharajah Hari Singh of Jammu and Kashmir.
Article 370 is drafted in Amendment of the Constitution section, in Part XXI, under Temporary and Transitional Provisions.
The government, therefore, needs approval from the state government for all laws, except those relating to defense, foreign affairs, finance, and communications. Also under Article 370 the parliament cannot increase or reduce the state’s borders
As a result, Jammu and Kashmir residents live under a separate set of laws, including those related to citizenship, ownership of property, and fundamental rights, as compared to other Indians.

Courtesy : Trend Talky

What is GST? Goods & Services Tax Law Explained for Beginners

2017-07-11T13:20:00.000+05:30

What is GST? Goods & Services Tax Law Explained for Beginners
The Goods and Services Tax or GST is scheduled to be launched on the 1st of July, and it is set to revolutionize the way we do our taxes. But what is GST and how will it reform the current tax structure? And most importantly, why does the country need such a huge overhaul in its taxation policies? We answer these pressing questions in this in-depth article.

Contents :
1. What is GST?
2. Why is Goods and Services Tax so Important?
3. How does GST work?
4. How will GST help India and common man?
5. GST Law in India – A Detailed History
6. Summary

What is GST?
Goods & Services Tax is a comprehensive, multi-stage, destination-based tax that will be levied on every value addition.

To understand this, we need to understand the concepts under this definition. Let us start with the term ‘Multi-stage’. Now, there are multiple steps an item goes through from manufacture or production to the final sale. Buying of raw materials is the first stage. The second stage is production or manufacture. Then, there is the warehousing of materials. Next, comes the sale of the product to the retailer. And in the final stage, the retailer sells you – the end consumer – the product, completing its life cycle.

So, if we had to look at a pictorial description of the various stages, it would look like:

Goods and Services Tax will be levied on each of these stages, which makes it a multi-stage tax. How? We will see that shortly, but before that, let us talk about ‘Value Addition’.

Let us assume that a manufacturer wants to make a shirt. For this he must buy yarn. This gets turned into a shirt after manufacture. So, the value of the yarn is increased when it gets woven into a shirt. Then, the manufacturer sells it to the warehousing agent who attaches labels and tags to each shirt. That is another addition of value after which the warehouse sells it to the retailer who packages each shirt separately and invests in marketing of the shirt thus increasing its value.

GST will be levied on these value additions – the monetary worth added at each stage to achieve the final sale to the end customer.

There is one more term we need to talk about in the definition – Destination-Based. Goods and Services Tax will be levied on all transactions happening during the entire manufacturing chain. Earlier, when a product was manufactured, the centre would levy an Excise Duty on the manufacture, and then the state will add a VAT tax when the item is sold to the next stage in the cycle. Then there would be a VAT at the next point of sale.

So, earlier the pattern of tax levy was like this:

Now, Goods and Services Tax will be levied at every point of sale. Assume that the entire manufacture process is happening in Rajasthan and the final point of sale is in Karnataka. Since Goods & Services Tax is levied at the point of consumption, so the state of Rajasthan will get revenue in the manufacturing and warehousing stages, but lose out on the revenue when the product moves out Rajasthan and reaches the end consumer in Karnataka. This means that Karnataka will earn that revenue on the final sale, because it is a destination-based tax and this revenue will be collected at the final point of sale/destination which is Karnataka.

Why is Goods and Services Tax so Important?
So, now that we have defined GST, let us talk about why it will play such a significant role in transforming the current tax structure, and therefore, the economy.

Currently, the Indian tax structure is divided into two – Direct and Indirect Taxes. Direct Taxes are levies where the liability cannot be passed on to someone else. An example of this is Income Tax where you earn the income and you alone are liable to pay the tax on it.

In the case of Indirect Taxes, the liability of the tax can be passed on to someone else. This means that when the shopkeeper must pay VAT on his sale, he can pass on the liability to the customer. So, in effect, the customer pays the price of the item as well as the VAT on it so the shopkeeper can deposit the VAT to the government. This means that the customer must pay not just the price of the product, but he also pays the tax liability, and therefore, he has a higher outlay when he buys an item.

This happens because the shopkeeper has paid a tax when he bought the item from the wholesaler. To recover that amount, as well as to make up for the VAT he must pay to the government, he passes the liability to the customer who has to pay the additional amount. There is currently no other way for the shopkeeper to recover whatever he pays from his own pocket during transactions and therefore, he has no choice but to pass on the liability to the customer.

Goods and Services Tax will address this issue after it is implemented. It has a system of Input Tax Credit which will allow sellers to claim the tax already paid, so that the final liability on the end consumer is decreased.

How does GST work?
A nationwide tax reform cannot function without strict guidelines and provisions. The GST Council has devised a fool proof method of implementing this new tax regime by dividing it into three categories. Wondering how they work? Let our experts explain this to you in detail.
When Goods and Services Tax is implemented, there will be 3 kinds of applicable Goods and Services Taxes:

CGST: where the revenue will be collected by the central government

SGST: where the revenue will be collected by the state governments for intra-state sales

IGST: where the revenue will be collected by the central government for inter-state sales

In most cases, the tax structure under the new regime will be as follows:

Transaction New Regime Old Regime Comments
Sale within the state CGST + SGST VAT + Central Excise/Service tax Revenue will now be shared between the Centre and the State
Sale to another State IGST Central Sales Tax + Excise/Service Tax There will only be one type of tax (central) now in case of inter-state sales.

Example
A dealer in Maharashtra sold goods to a consumer in Maharashtra worth Rs. 10,000. The Goods and Services Tax rate is 18% comprising CGST rate of 9% and SGST rate of 9%. In such cases the dealer collects Rs. 1800 and of this amount, Rs. 900 will go to the central government and Rs. 900 will go to the Maharashtra government.

Now, let us assume the dealer in Maharashtra had sold goods to a dealer in Gujarat worth Rs. 10,000. The GST rate is 18% comprising of CGST rate of 9% and SGST rate of 9%. In such case the dealer has to charge Rs. 1800 as IGST. This IGST will go to the Centre. There will no longer be any need to pay CGST and SGST.

How will GST help India and common man?
The basis of Goods and Services Tax is the seamless flow of Input Tax Credit (ITC) along the entire value addition chain. At every step of the manufacturing process, businesses will have the option to claim the tax already paid in the previous transaction. Understanding this process is crucial for businesses. A detailed explanation here.
To understand this, let us first understand what is Input Tax Credit. It is the credit an individual receives for the tax paid on the inputs used in manufacturing the product. So, if there is a 10% tax that the individual must submit to the government, he can subtract the amount he has paid in taxes at the time of purchase and submit the balance amount to the government.

Let us understand this with a hypothetical numerical example.

Say a shirt manufacturer pays Rs. 100 to buy raw materials. If the rate of taxes is set at 10%, and there is no profit or loss involved, then he has to pay Rs. 10 as tax. So, the final cost of the shirt now becomes Rs (100+10=) 110.

At the next stage, the wholesaler buys the shirt from the manufacturer at Rs. 110, and adds labels to it. When he is adding labels, he is adding value. Therefore, his cost increases by say Rs. 40. On top of this, he has to pay a 10% tax, and the final cost therefore becomes Rs. (110+40=) 150 + 10% tax = Rs. 165.

Now, the retailer pays Rs. 165 to buy the shirt from the wholesaler because the tax liability had passed on to him. He has to package the shirt, and when he does that, he is adding value again. This time, let’s say his value add is Rs. 30. Now when he sells the shirt, he adds this value (plus the VAT he has to pay the government) to the final cost. So, the cost of the shirt becomes Rs. 214.5 Let us see a breakup for this:

Cost = Rs. 165 + Value add = Rs. 30 + 10% tax = Rs. 195 + Rs. 19.5 = Rs. 214.5

So, the customer pays Rs. 214.5 for a shirt the cost price of which was basically only Rs. 170 (Rs 110 + Rs. 40 + Rs. 30). Along the way the tax liability was passed on at every stage of transaction and the final liability comes to rest with the customer. This is called the Cascading Effect of Taxes where a tax is paid on tax and the value of the item keeps increasing every time this happens.

Action Cost 10% Tax Total
Buys Raw Material @ 100 100 10 110
Manufactures @ 40 150 15 165
Adds value @ 30 195 19.5 214.5
Total 170 44.5 214.5

In the case of Goods and Services Tax, there is a way to claim credit for tax paid in acquiring input. What happens in this case is, the individual who has paid a tax already can claim credit for this tax when he submits his taxes.

In our example, when the wholesaler buys from the manufacturer, he pays a 10% tax on his cost price because the liability has been passed on to him. Then he adds value of Rs. 40 on his cost price of Rs. 100 and this brings up his cost to Rs. 140. Now he has to pay 10% of this price to the government as tax. But he has already paid one tax to the manufacturer. So, this time what he does is, instead of paying Rs (10% of 140=) 14 to the government as tax, he subtracts the amount he has paid already. So, he deducts the Rs. 10 he paid on his purchase from his new liability of Rs. 14, and pays only Rs. 4 to the government. So, the Rs. 10 becomes his input credit.

When he pays Rs. 4 to the government, he can pass on its liability to the retailer. So, the retailer pays Rs. (140+14=) 154 to him to buy the shirt. At the next stage, the retailer adds value of Rs. 30 to his cost price and has to pay a 10% tax on it to the government. When he adds value, his price becomes Rs. 170. Now, if he had to pay 10% tax on it, he would pass on the liability to the customer. But he already has input credit because he has paid Rs.14 to the wholesaler as the latter’s tax. So, now he reduces Rs. 14 from his tax liability of Rs. (10% of 170=) 17 and has to pay only Rs. 3 to the government. And therefore, he can now sell the shirt for Rs. (140+30+17) 187 to the customer.

Action Cost 10% Tax Actual Liability Total
Buys Raw Material 100 10 10 110
Manufactures @ 40 140 14 4 154
Adds Value @ 30 170 17 3 187
Total 170 17 187

In the end, every time an individual was able to claim input tax credit, the sale price for him reduced and the cost price for the person buying his product reduced because of a lower tax liability. The final value of the shirt also therefore reduced from Rs. 214.5 to Rs. 187, thus reducing the tax burden on the final customer.

So essentially, Goods & Services Tax is going to have a two-pronged benefit. One, it will reduce the cascading effect of taxes, and second, by allowing input tax credit, it will reduce the burden of taxes and, hopefully, prices.

GST Law in India – A Detailed History
GST is not a new phenomenon. It was first implemented in France in 1954, and since then many countries have implemented this unified taxation system to become part of a global whole. Now that India is adopting this new tax regime, let us look back at the how and when of the Goods and Services Tax and its history in the nation.
France was the world’s first country to implement GST Law in the year 1954. Since then, 159 other countries have adopted the GST Law in some form or other. In many countries, VAT is the substitute for GST, but unlike the Indian VAT system, these countries have a single VAT tax which fulfills the same purpose as GST.

In India, the discussion on GST Law was flagged off in the year 2000, when the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee brought the issue to the table.

History of GST in India – Year by Year Events

Summary
The idea behind having one consolidated indirect tax to subsume multiple currently existing indirect taxes is to benefit the Indian economy in a number of ways:

It will help the country’s businesses gain a level playing field
It will put us on par with foreign nations who have a more structured tax system
It will also translate into gains for the end consumer who not have to pay cascading taxes any more
There will now be a single tax on goods and services
In addition to the above,

The Goods and Services Tax Law aims at streamlining the indirect taxation regime. As mentioned above, GST will subsume all indirect taxes levied on goods and service, including State and Central level taxes. The GST mechanism is an advancement on the VAT system, the idea being that a unified GST Law will create a seamless nationwide market.
It is also expected that Goods and Services Tax will improve the collection of taxes as well as boost the development of Indian economy by removing the indirect tax barriers between states and integrating the country through a uniform tax rate.

Courtesy : discountwalas

SBI Savings Account: Minimum Balance Rules And Non-Maintenance Charges

2017-07-11T13:19:00.000+05:30

For SBI account holders in urban areas other than metros, semi-urban and rural areas, the monthly average balance requirements are Rs. 3,000, Rs. 2,000 and Rs. 1,000 respectively.

SBI or State Bank of India charges a penalty up to Rs. 100 (excluding GST of 18 per cent) per month for not maintaining monthly average balance in savings bank accounts. Banks can levy charges on non-maintenance of minimum balance in normal savings accounts. Customers holding SBI savings bank accounts in metro, urban, semi-urban and rural branches need to pay different penalty amounts for non-maintenance of MAB (monthly average balance), according to SBI website. SBI has specified penalty for various ranges of shortfall for its savings bank customers, according to the four categories of branches.

For example, if your SBI savings bank account is in one of the metro city branches, you need to maintain a monthly average balance of Rs. 5,000. Also, if the average balance maintained during a month comes out to be between zero and Rs. 1,500, or a shortfall of more than 75 per cent, a non-maintenance charge of Rs. 100 plus taxes will be levied. In case the average balance remains within Rs. 1,500 and Rs. 2,500, which means a shortfall of less than 75 per cent and more than 50 per cent, a charge of Rs. 75 plus taxes will be levied, SBI has said.

Meanwhile, for savings accounts with average balance of more than Rs. 2,500, SBI will charge a penalty of Rs. 50, plus taxes.

However, for account holders in urban areas other than metros, semi-urban and rural areas, the MAB requirements are Rs. 3,000, Rs. 2,000 and Rs. 1,000 respectively. Here are the details of penalty for not maintaining MAB for these accounts.

How to avoid fine under SBI’s minimum balance rules

“A regular review of your account will help you to ensure the average monthly balance is maintained and avoid the minimal charges,” SBI has said on microblogging site Twitter.

Courtesy : Thinkur

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GST rates: Here’s your complete guide

2017-07-11T13:18:00.000+05:30

GST rates: Here’s your complete guide :

Most of the goods and services have been listed under the four broad tax slabs – 5 per cent, 12 per cent, 18 per cent and 28 per cent. Some items like gold and rough diamonds have exclusive tax rates while some have been exempted from taxation.

As India wakes up to a new tax regime, here is a quick guide to all the goods and services and their respective tax slabs:

Tax exempted

Goods

A number of food items have been exempted from any of the tax slabs. Fresh meat, fish, chicken, eggs, milk, butter milk, curd, natural honey, fresh fruits and vegetables, flour, besan, bread, all kinds of salt, jaggery and hulled cereal grains have been kept out of the taxation system.

Bindi, sindoor, kajal, palmyra, human hair and bangles also do not attract any tax under GST.

Drawin .. or colouring books alongside stamps, judicial papers, printed books, newspapers also fall under this category.

Other items in the exempted list include jute and handloom, Bones and horn cores, hoof meal, horn meal, bone grist, bone meal, etc.

Services

Grandfathering service has been exempted under GST.

A low budget holiday may get cheaper as hotels and lodges with tariff below Rs 1,000 are in this category.

Rough precious and semi-precious stones will attract GST rate of 0.25 per cent.

5% tax

Goods

An array of food items such as fish fillet, packaged food items, cream, skimmed milk powder, branded paneer, frozen vegetables, coffee, tea, spices, pizza bread, rusk, sabudana, cashew nut, cashew nut in shell, raisin, ice and snow will be priced at 5 per cent tax.

Apparel below Rs 1000 and footwear below Rs 500 are also in this category.

Some items in the fuel category like bio gas, kerosene and coal are in this slab.

Items from the health industry in this category include medicine, insulin and stent.

Other items in this slab are agarbatti (incense sticks), kites, postage or revenue stamps, stamp-post marks, fertilizers, first-day covers and lifeboats.

Services

Transport services like railways and air travel fall under this category.

Small restaurants will also be under the 5% category

Gold has been taxed under a separate slab of 3 per cent.

12% tax

Goods

Yet another category of edibles like frozen meat products, butter, cheese, ghee, dry fruits in packaged form, animal fat, sausage, fruit juices, namkeen and ketchup & sauces will attract 12 per cent tax.

Cellphones will also be priced in this category.

Cutlery items like Spoons, forks, ladles, skimmers, cake servers, fish knives, tongs fall in this slab.

Ayurvedic medicines and all diagnostic kits and reagents are taxed at 12 per cent.

Utility items like tooth powder, umbrella, sewing machine and spectacles and indoor game items like playing cards, chess board, carom board and other board games like ludo are in this slab.

Apparel above Rs 1000 will attract 12 per cent tax.

Services

Non-AC hotels, business class air ticket, state-run lottery, work contracts will fall under 12 per cent GST tax slab

18% tax

Goods

Another set of consumables are listed under the 18 per cent category- biscuits, flavoured refined sugar, pasta, cornflakes, pastries and cakes, preserved vegetables, jams, sauces, soups, ice cream, instant food mixes, curry paste, mayonnaise and salad dressings, mixed condiments and mixed seasonings and mineral water.

Footwear costing more than Rs 500 are in this category.

Items like Printed circuits, camera, speakers and monitors, printers (other than multi function printers), electrical transformer, CCTV, optical fiber are priced at 18 per cent tax under GST.

Other items in this slab include bidi leaves, tissues, envelopes, sanitary napkins, note books, steel products, kajal pencil sticks, headgear and its parts, aluminium foil, weighing machinery (other than electric or electronic weighing machinery), bamboo furniture, swimming pools and padding pools.

Services

AC hotels that serve liquor, telecom services, IT services, branded garments and financial services will attract 18 per cent tax under GST.

28% tax

Goods

The residuary set of edibles which include chewing gum, molasses, chocolate not containing cocoa, waffles and wafers coated with choclate, pan masala and aerated water fall in this category.

Bidi attracts 28 per cent tax.

n array of personal care items like deodorants, shaving creams, after shave, hair shampoo, dye and sunscreen are in the highest tax slab as well.

Paint, wallpaper and ceramic tiles are priced at 28 per cent.

Water heater, dishwasher, weighing machine, washing machine, ATM, vending machines, vacuum cleaner, shavers and hair clippers have been clubbed together in this slab.

Automobiles, motorcycles and aircraft for personal use will attract 28 % tax – the highest under GST system.

Services

5-star hotels, race club betting, private lottery and movie tickets above Rs 100 are under the 28 per cent category.

The GST on restaurants in five-star and luxury hotels has been reduced to 18 per cent from 28 per cent, bringing it at par with standalone air-conditioned (AC) restaurants. Even at some air-conditioned restaurants, the bills may come down, as GST will subsume service tax and value-added tax (VAT) that is currently charged.

Courtesy : discountwalas

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HAPPY DIWALI & SIGNIFICANCE OF DEPPAVALI

2016-10-30T16:31:00.001+05:30

DEAR ALL,

Deepavali or the Festival of Lights is an important and popular festival and one of the four main festivals celebrated In India. Deepavali. “Deepavali” derived from Sanskrit Deepa = lamp, awali = row, line, when It literally translated means “Row of Lights”. It means “row of lighted lamps” or the Festival of lights. It celebrates the victory of goodness over evil, light over darkness. During Deepavali people pray to Lakshmi, Goddess of wealth, light, prosperity and wisdom, but also to God Ganesha, the 'Remover of Obstacles' or the 'Lord of Beginnings'. Deepavali is associated with many legends.

Legends of Deepavali:-
There are many festivals in India. Some festivals are celebrated in certain regions, like Holi in Northern India, Onam in Kerala. However, Deepavali is the only festival that is celebrated across the country, by everyone without distinction of class and creed with slightly different set of rituals and customs. This slight deviance in the set of rituals and celebrations of this festival is due to the prevalent legends of the specific regions and states. The reason for celebrating Diwali in North India is based on the return of Lord Ram from exile to Ayodhya. But in South India the legend is of Krishna defeating demon Naraka with the help of Satyabhama.And an another legend says that Goddess lakshmi emerged from Ksheera Sagara (Ocean of Milk).

CELEBRATIONS:
The festival is actually celebrated over a period of five days. First Day - Dhanatrayodashi" or "Dhanvantari Trayodashi" in south and Dhan Teras in North India. Second Day - Narak Chaturdashi, Third Day- Diwali, Fourth Day - Govardhan Pooja in north India and Bali Padyami in south India, Fifth Day - Bhai Dooj in north and Yama Dvitiya, or Yam Dwitiya in south India.

The first day is called the Dhanatrayodashi" or "Dhanvantari Trayodashi" or Dhan Teras. The word Dhan means wealth and Tera means 13th day as per Hindu calendar, wherein people buy a new utensil or gold or silver because as it is considered auspicious to spend money (for goddess Lakshmi) on this day. The day is also dedicated to Dhanavantri, the Hindu God of medicine, and therefore special Dhanvantari Puja is held on the day.

The second day is called Narak Chaturdashi. Demon named Narakasur who had managed to acquire such awesome powers that he began to terrorize the three worlds. He was killed and defeated by Lord Krishna. As a symbol of that victory Lord Krishna smeared his forehead with the demon king's blood. Krishna returned home early morning on the day of Narakachaturdashi. The womenfolk massaged scented oil on his body and gave him a bath to wash away the demon’s blood. Since then the custom of taking an oil bath before dawn on this day has become a traditional practice especially in Maharashtra and in the South. Normally according to dharma shastram, one is not supposed to take an oil bath before sunrise on any day. But on Deepavali, there is an exemption. People get up early in the morning and have an oil bath in hot water especially before sunrise. This is equated to having a bath in the Ganges. On Deepavali chathurdashi day, Mahalakshmi resides in gingelly oil and Ganges resides in water until sunrise. So we get the blessings of Mahalakshmi as well by doing this.This is clearly mentioned in Tula puranam.

The third day is called Diwali. On this day Mother Lakshmi emerged from the ocean of milk called the Ksheer Sagar. She brought with Her wealth and prosperity for mankind. On that day, Lakshmi Pooja was performed to honour Her and as such, every year on Diwali day, Hindus perform Her prayer and worship. On this day, Lakshmi Pooja was performed and the making and distribution of various sweets and total vegetarian foods are the special of the day. Many people believe that Lakshmi, the Goddess of wealth and good fortune, visit the homes of devotees on this day. Worship of Lakshmi is performed in the pradosha time of the deepavali which is considere as very auspicious.

The fourth day is called Govardhan Puja is dedicated to the Govardan Mountain near Mathura, which was lifted by Lord Krishna to save the people of Braj from heavy rains and flood created by Lord Indra. Apart from worship of Lord Krishna and Govardhan Mountain, people perform Govardhan Pradakshina, circumambulating the hill is an important event on the day.Bali Padyami in south India is the day when King Bali rules the world with blessings of Sri Hari Vishnu. It is observed on the first day of the Kartik Maasa in the traditional calendar followed in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. On the day people remember King Bali and pray for the return of prosperity that existed during his rule. Exchanging gifts on this day is a major highlight. Bali Padyami is the half muhurta among the three and a half auspicious muhurtas in a year. One need not look for auspicious time on the day. There is a popular belief that what ever is gifted on the day will be returned manifold with the blessings of Lord Vishnu.

The fifth day of Diwali celebrations is known as Yama Dvitiya, or Yam Dwitiya - a symbol of love between brothers and sisters. The day is observed as Bhai Dhooj or in North India and Yama Dvitiya is the name used popularly in South India. The legend of Yam Dwitiya is associated with Lord Yama, the Hindu god of Death, visiting his sister Yami.

What is the Message of the festival:-
All festivals of India have an inner divine significance. In Bharat the festivals are celebrated to prove the immanent divinity in humanity. The slaying of Naraka by Sathyabhama could also be taken to interpret that parents should not hesitate to punish their children when they stray on to the wrong path. The message of Naraka Chaturdasi is that the good of the society should always prevail over one's own personal bonds. It is said that before dying Naraka realized his mistakes and requested for a festival in his name from his parents which will remind people what will happen when they are overtook by inflated egos. Naraka Chaturdasi thus indicates that good and evil rises from the same root.

Deepavali teaches a sacred inner meaning to humanity. During the night of Deepavali the little clay lamps (diyas) silently send forth message of Deepavali: "Come, let us remove darkness from the face of the earth." No other element in this world is as significant as light. It is the light that shows us the way dispelling the darkness. It is because of the light that man is able to attend to his daily duties. The flame of a lamp has two significant qualities. One is to banish darkness; the other is a continuous upward movement. The flame always points upwards. Even if we keep the lamp upside down, the flame will burn upwards. The message is that our mind should be focused on the the Self wherever we are.

Thus the festival signifies the victory of good over evil – where the good and the evil are present in us. The religions and cultures may be different but they all share a universal principle of divine creation.

My Message:-
People celebrate this festival by bursting firecrackers signifying the victory of good over evil. One way it is rainy season and it is good for killing of insects and mosquitoes. And in another way it is very dangerous to people which creates health problems also. Please don’t use hazardous crackers which cause health problems. Moreover bursting firecrackers was not part of our Deepavali tradition. In all festivals I like and love Deepavali very much and I used to celebrate the festival with great pomp and enthusiasm. But when I am pursuing LLB degree I studied a public interest litigation case filed by Mr.M.C.Mehta which made me tear jerking and from that time onwards I decided not to buy crackers because many kids are made to work in the fire cracker factories by giving up their golden life. So I decided I should not buy it to promote child Labour.

My appeal to all my fellow Indian’s is that on this holy day; Stop Buying and bursting crackers. Save a few children their lives and save yourself. Think about the children below 12 years and thousands of other Children involved in child labor in our Fireworks factories. For those poor kids this festival of light simply translates into more forced and hazardous work. Think about them before buying and bursting crackers. Please do not buy and burst crackers because if you do that then in a way you intend to help an industry that unethically and inhumanely employs thousands of children. Stop supporting child Labour.

If you still want to burst, make sure to buy low decibel ones from brands which carry NCLE/NHLI (NO CHILD LABOUR EMPLOYED/INVOLVED) SEAL.

If you want to burst, make sure you don't cause trouble to neighbors, pedestrians and traffic.

Don't burst high decibel, high sounding crackers to cause panic to sick & elder people.

Don’t burst crackers from 10PM to 6AM - it is illegal as per Supreme Court orders.

As you celebrate this Diwali, spare a thought for the people of Sivakasi because they are the ones who make your Diwali sparkle. We all continuously oscillate between happiness and sorrow. Instead of exaggerating and thinking about our own happy and sad experiences, if our action can bring a little bit of comfort and happiness to some one else we must pray and do that work. This attitude alone is the best. This is the core meaning of festivals like Deepavali. Instead of brooding that “I have problem, I have sorrow” let us pray that entire universe should be happy. Let us celebrate Deepavali keeping in view the underlying philosophy behind it and not convert it into a huge extravaganza or display of wealth and luxury.

Courtesy : Venkatmails

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Democrats and Republicans: All about US Elections

2016-10-30T16:31:00.000+05:30

The political landscape of the United States is dominated by two major parties, the Democrats and Republicans. Though there are some differences between democrats and republicans, it’s next to impossible to classify everyone based on every political issue, there are many specific important points that members of each party agree with. These important points are generally found in each party’s platform.

History of Democrats and Republican
In order to understand the fundamental differences and beliefs of each party, we must look at the histories of Democrats and Republicans to understand their motives for becoming a party. It is also necessary to understand their fundamental beliefs and positions and how they have stuck with these positions through their voting records.

History of the Democratic Party

The party can trace its roots all the way back to Thomas Jefferson when they were known as Jefferson’s Republicans and they strongly opposed the Federalist Party and their nationalist views. The Democrats adopted the donkey as their symbol due to Andrew Jackson who was publicly nicknamed “jackass” because of his popular position of “let the people rule”. The Democratic National Committee was officially created in 1848. During the civil war a rift grew within the party between those who supported slavery and those who opposed it. This deep division led to the creation of a new Democratic party, the one we now know today.
History of the Republican Party

The Republican Party came into existence just prior to the Civil War due to their long-time stance in favor of abolition of slavery. They were a small third-party who nominated John C. Freemont for President in 1856. In 1860 they became an established political party when their nominee Abraham Lincoln was elected as President of the United States. Lincoln’s Presidency throughout the war, including his policies to end slavery for good helped solidify the Republican Party as a major force in American politics. The elephant was chosen as their symbol in 1874 based on a cartoon in Harpers Weekly that depicted the new party as an elephant.

Differences Between Democrats and Republicans

With the establishment of a powerful two-party political system in the United States—the Democrats beginning in 1824 and the Republicans beginning in 1854—there are some core differences between the two based on very strong political beliefs.
1. Tax Policy

Both parties favor tax cuts, but each party takes a different view on where those tax cuts should be applied. The Democrats believe there should only be cuts for middle and low income families, but believe they should be higher on corporations and wealthy individuals. The Republicans believe there should be tax cuts for everyone, both corporations and people of all income levels.

2. Social Issues

One of the differences between democrats and republicans lies in their views towards social issues. The Republicans tend to be conservative on social issues. They tend to oppose gay marriage and promote marriage being between a man and a woman. They also oppose abortion and promote the right of gun ownership. Democrats tend to be more progressive in their views, favoring abortion and gay marriage, but are strongly for strict gun control laws that limit ownership.

3. Labor and Free Trade

Republicans and Democrats have very different ideas when it comes to the business environment. Republicans tend to oppose increases to the minimum wage, citing the need for business to keep costs low so they can prosper and all Americans can have access to products and services. The Democrats favor increasing the minimum wage so that Americans have more money with which to purchase goods. They also favor trade restrictions to protect American jobs while Republicans favor free trade in order to keep costs low for consumers and make businesses more profitable so they can grow.

4. Health Care

Democrats generally prefer a lot of government regulation and oversight of the health care system, including the passage of the Affordable Care Act, because it makes the health care system accessible to everyone. Republicans, who opposed the Affordable Care Act, believe too much government involvement in the industry will drive up costs and have a negative impact on the quality of care that consumers receive.

5. Social Programs

Democrats across the board believe that government should run such social programs as welfare, unemployment benefits, food stamps, and Medicaid that support people in need. They believe more tax dollars should be funneled into these programs. Republicans acknowledge a need for these social programs, but favor less funding and tighter control. Republicans favor supporting private organizations that support people in need.

6. Foreign Policy

When it comes to differences between democrats and republicans, the foreign policy can not be missed. Each party has had differing stances in relation to foreign policy over the years depending on the situation. Generally speaking, when military involvement may be required, the Democrats favor more targeted strikes and limited use of manpower while Republicans favor a full military effort to displace regimes that are totalitarian and detrimental to their own people and who are threatening others. Both parties typically agree that sending aid to other countries is a good thing, but disagree on the nature of that aid and who should be receiving it.

7. Energy Issues and the Environment

There have always been clashes between the parties on the issues of energy and the environment. Democrats believe in restricting drilling for oil or other avenues of fossil fuels to protect the environment while Republicans favor expanded drilling to produce more energy at a lower cost to consumers. Democrats will push and support with tax dollars alternative energy solutions while the Republicans favor allowing the market to decide which forms of energy are practical.

8. Education

The parties have different views on the education system of the country, but both agree there needs a change. Democrats favor more progressive approaches to education, such as implementing the Common Core System, while Republicans tend to favor more conservative changes such as longer hours and more focused programs. They are also divided on student loans for college, with Democrats favoring giving students more money in the form of loans and grants while Republicans favor promoting the private sector giving loans and not the government.

9. Crime and Capital Punishment

Republicans generally believe in harsher penalties when someone has committed a crime, including for selling illegal drugs. They also generally favor capital punishment and back a system with many layers to ensure the proper punishment has been meted out. Democrats are more progressive in their views, believing that crimes do not involve violence, such as selling drugs, should have lighter penalties and rehabilitation. They are also against capital punishment in any form.

10. Individual Liberty

Individual liberty has been a sore subject of late. Political correctness is on the rise and many people believe that people need to be protected against themselves. Democrats have tended toward favoring legislation that restricts some freedoms, including foods we may have access to. Republicans favor personal responsibility, in that individuals should be able to choose for themselves what they do and what they do not do if it doesn’t break existing laws.

Democratic vs Republican stand on controversial issues

The Democrats and Republicans have varying ideas on many issues, some of which are listed below. These are broadly generalized opinions; it must be noted that there are many politicians in each party who have different and more nuanced positions on these issues.

11. Military

Republicans : Prefer increasing military spending and have a more hard line stance against countries like Iran, with a higher tendency to deploy the military option.

Democrats : Prefer lower increases in military spending and are comparatively more reluctant to using military force against countries like Iran, Syria and Libya

12. Gun control laws

Democrats favor more gun control laws e.g. oppose the right to carry concealed weapons in public places. Republicans oppose gun control laws and are strong supporters of the Second Amendment (the right to bear arms) as well as the right to carry concealed weapons.

13. Abortion

Democrats support abortion rights and keeping elective abortions legal. Republicans believe abortions should not be legal and that Roe v. Wade should be overturned. Some Republicans go so far as to oppose the contraception mandate i.e. requiring employer-paid health insurance plans to cover contraception.

A related point of divergence is embryonic stem cell research – Democrats support it while Republicans do not.

14. Gay rights

Democrats tend to favor equal rights for gay and lesbian couples e.g. the right to get married and adopt children. Republicans believe that marriage should be between a man and a woman so they do not support gay marriage or allowing them to adopt children.

15. Civil Rights

Abraham Lincoln belonged to the Republican Party, so the roots of the party are in individual freedom and the abolition of slavery. Indeed, 82% of the Republicans in the U.S. Senate voted in favor of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 while only 69% of Democrats did. The Southern wing of the Democratic party was vehemently opposed to civil rights legislation.

However, after the passage of the Civil Rights Act, there was a sort of role reversal. Todd Purdum, author of An Idea Whose Time Has Come, a book about the legislative maneuvering behind the passage of the Civil Rights Act, says this in an interview with NPR:

SIEGEL : How much of the Republican Party in Congress supported the civil rights bill as it still was? And how many voted for cloture to break the filibuster?

PURDUM : Well, the final vote in the Senate for the bill was 73 to 27, with 27 out of 33 Republican votes. So in proportional terms, the Republicans supported this bill much more than the Democrats did in both houses.

SIEGEL : A few weeks after Lyndon Johnson signed that bill into law, as we heard at the beginning, the Republicans go and they nominate Barry Goldwater for president, a Republican who had voted against civil rights. And their legacy is jettisoned at that moment.

PURDUM : In some important way that was the beginning of changing the Republican Party from the party of Lincoln into the party of white backlash which is, frankly, reputation that in the South particularly endures to this day, and has hurt the Republican Party as a national brand in presidential elections.

16. Role of Government

One of the fundamental differences between Democratic and Republican party ideals is around the role of government. Republicans favor a small government — both in terms of the number of people employed by the government and in terms of the roles and responsibilities of government in society. For example, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is a government agency that many Republican presidential candidates love to deride as an example of “useless” government agencies that they would shut down.

Another example is the food stamps program. Republicans in Congress are demanding cuts in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (or SNAP), while Democrats want to expand this program. Democrats argue that with unemployment rate high in the economy, many families need the assistance provided by the program. Republicans argue that there is a lot of fraud in the program that is wasting taxpayer dollars. They also want to institute clauses that force beneficiaries of the program to take more personal responsibility through measures such as mandatory drug testing, and looking for a job.

17. Minimum Wage

Democrats favor increase in the minimum wage to help workers. Republicans oppose raising the minimum wage because it hurts businesses.

Courtesy : Forwards4All

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Happy Makara Sankranthi & Happy Pongal – Sankranti 2014 Greeting & Images

2014-01-14T10:51:00.000+05:30

Hi One & All,

HAPPY BOGI, Sankranthi/PONGAL, KANUMA

Makara Sankranti/Pongal is one of the most auspicious Hindu festival celebrated in all parts of India with great devotion & fervor. On this day, the sun enters the zodiac sign of Capricorn. Pongal is mostly celebrated by farmers..

Pongal is famous for sugarcane…

Pongal is celebrated as in different name

In Tamil Nadu peoples are celebrated as Thai Pongal.

In Andhra Pradesh, Bengal, Kerala, Bihar, Goa, Karnataka, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh peoples are celebrated as Makara Sankranthi or Sankranthi.

In Gujarat and Rajasthan peoples are celebrated as Uttarayana.

In Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab peoples are celebrated as Lohri.

In Assam peoples are celebrated as Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu.

In Nepal peoples are celebrated as Maghe Sankranthi.

Sankranthi Subhakankshalu.

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Happy New Year 2014

2014-01-01T11:29:00.002+05:30

Dear World Rare Collection Members,

I wish you all a very happy & prosperous New Year!!!!

Have a fabulous 2014 full of great achievements & experiences.

Merry Christmas

2013-12-25T13:52:00.001+05:30

Christmas (meaning Christ's mass) is an annual commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ and a widely observed holiday, celebrated generally on December 25 by over a billion people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year, it closes the Advent season and initiates the twelve days of Christmastide. Christmas is a civil holiday in many of the world's nations, is celebrated by an increasing number of non-Christians, and is an integral part of the Christmas and holiday season.

WorldRareCollection wishes all its members and friends a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday Season.

Top 5 HIV Myths Busted

2013-12-01T10:16:00.000+05:30

The word HIV still causes unease among a lot of us. There are a lot of myths and misconceptions around this infection; including the one that it is not safe to share food with someone who has contracted the virus.

According to Dr Shivi Jaggi, a sexologist, one of the causes of HIV or Human Immunodeficiency Virus is unprotected sex. “It gradually destroys the immunity of your body, but a person infected with HIV can lead a normal life,” he says. So, Let's take a look at few HIV myths which are busted.

Myth 1: HIV is the same as AIDS

HIV is not the same as AIDS! Period. HIV can lead to AIDS or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. A person could get or become more susceptible to AIDS only when their immunity is lowered. “However, proper precautions and medication can delay or even prevent an HIV positive person from getting AIDS,” says Dr Jaggi.

Myth 2: I am faithful to my partner, I cannot get HIV

The HIV virus can be transmitted through other mediums like use of infected needles, transfusion of infected blood, unprotected oral sex, anal sex, etc. “Being monogamous does not necessarily make you safe,” says Mumbai-based sexologist, Dr Ketan Parmar. However, it can reduce your chances of getting infected

Myth 3: People with HIV cannot hug or share food

HIV can be contracted through unprotected sex with an infected or multiple partners, sharing needles, transfusion of infected blood and unprotected oral and anal sex. Your saliva contains very minute traces of the virus which means kissing cannot transmit the virus. "Unless one of the person has cuts or sores in their mouth," says Dr Parmar. Sharing food, and utensils does not put you at risk .

Myth 4: Women infected with HIV cannot have children

Women who are infected by the HIV virus are afraid they might pass on the infection to the infant. “But with antiretroviral therapy, the chances of transmitting from mother to child is very low,” says Mumbai-based gynaecologist Rishma Dhillon Pai. This gives many women a chance to conceive in spite of being infected. The medication should be taken through pregnancy and after, as recommended by your doctor. “If there are any complications, one may have to opt for a caesarean,” she says. Mothers should however avoid breast feeding as that could pass on the infection to the child.

Myth 5: You don’t need a condom for oral sex

HIV can be contracted through oral sex. “If semen from an infected partner enters your mouth and you have cuts, sores or bleeding gums, you are at risk,” says Dr Jaggi. This could also mean that you could pass on the virus if you are infected. You could get infected with HIV through anal sex as well.

Some Facts

2013-11-30T09:35:00.000+05:30

This is some good stuff I really needed to know...

Maybe you knew some of this stuff already????

Stewardessesis the longest word

typed with only the left hand.

And 'lollipop' is the longest word typed

with your right hand.

(Bet you tried this out mentally, didn't you?)

No word in the English language rhymes with

month , orange, silver, or purple.

'Dreamt' is the only English word that ends in the letters 'mt'.

(Are you doubting this?)

our eyes

are always the same size from birth,

but our and ears

never stop growing.

The sentence: 'The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog'

uses every letter of the alphabet.

(Now, you KNOW you're going to try this out for accuracy, right?)

The words 'racecar,' 'kayak' and 'level' are the same whether they are read left to right

or right to left (palindromes).

(Yep, I knew you were going to 'do' this one.)

There are only four words in the English language which end in 'dous':

tremendous, horrendous, stupendous, and hazardous.

(You're not possibly doubting this, are you ?)

There are two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order:

'abstemious' and 'facetious.'

(Yes, admit it, you are going to say, a e i o u)

TYPEWRITER

is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.

(All you typists are going to test this out)

A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.

A goldfish

has a memory span of three seconds

(Some days that's about what my memory span is.)

A 'jiffy' is an actual unit of time for 1/100th of a second.

A shark is the only fish that can blink with both eyes.

A snail can sleep for three years.

(I know some people that could do this too.!)

Almonds are a member of the peach

family.

An ostrich's eye

is bigger than its brain.

(I know some people like that also . Actually I know A LOT of people like this!)

Babies

are born without kneecaps.

They don't appear until the child reaches 2 to 6 years of age.

February 1865 is the only month in recorded history not to have a full moon.

In the last 4,000 years, no new animals have been domesticated.

If the population of China walked past you, 8 people wide,

the line would never end because of the rate of reproduction.

Leonardo Da Vinci invented the scissors

Peanuts are one of the ingredients of dynamite!

Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.

The average person's left hand does 56% of the typing.

The cruise liner, QE 2,

moves only six inches for each gallon of diesel that it burns.

The microwave

was invented after a researcher walked by a radar tube

and a chocolate bar melted in his pocket.

(Good thing he did that.)

The winter of 1932 was so cold that Niagara Falls

froze completely solid .

There are more chickens than people in the world.

Winston Churchill

was born in a ladies' room during a dance.

Women blink nearly twice as much as men.

Now you know more than you did before!!

Spectacular New Floating Cycle Roundabout

2013-11-30T09:34:00.001+05:30

For many Dutch people, their preferred mode of transportation is the bicycle. According to one estimate, every single day 14 million bicycle trips are made in Holland! Not surprisingly the country is well equipped with bicycle paths; bicycle traffic and safety is taken very seriously in the planning of infrastructure.

A magnificent example is the The Hovenring, a suspended bicycle path roundabout on the border between Eindhoven and Veldhoven. It is the first suspended bicycle roundabout in the world and was opened up for the public in June 2012 allowing bicycles to travel safely above the highly trafficked streets crossing below. Designed by ipv Delft, the bridge comprises a 70-metre high pylon, 24 steel cables and a circular bridge deck and is made out of circa 1.000 tons of steel.

The Hovenring is a suspended bicycle path roundabout on the border between Eindhoven and Veldhoven in the Netherlands. It is the first suspended bicycle roundabout in the world.

Links - 1, 2

Important to love your self

2013-11-30T09:34:00.000+05:30

Not everyone you love is going to love you back thats why
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its important to love your self.

Incredibly Realistic Sculpture of Abraham Lincoln

2013-11-30T09:33:00.000+05:30

The 2nd weekend of this month in Los Angeles held an art festival. One of the works - an incredibly realistic sculpture of Abraham Lincoln. Author - Kazuhiro Tsuji. The Hollywood make-up effects artist Kazuhiro Tsuji created this magnificent 3D portrait of the late president by building it "layer by layer from the inside out." (Just in case you were wondering, it is both as amazing and creepy as you're probably thinking it is.) He used to create clay, reproducing the smallest part of the face of the 16th U.S. president.

Owl Cafe in Japan

2013-11-30T09:32:00.000+05:30

Owl cafes like Fukurou no Mise “Owl Shop” and so far more owl cafes opened in Tokyo, such as Fukurou Sabou “Owl Teahouse” and Osaka – Owl Family. While some of the cafes allow their customers to hold the birds while they are having their drinks, others have harsher rules when it comes to touching the owls. Some of the cafes include in their menus owl-themed snacks, the international press reports.

But I think is this not good, this is not fair that you punish birds and animals for making money, Birds and animals are innocent, you cant imprison them. They have lien to live their life with no rules. Although owls may be regarded by many people as being cute pets, experts warn that raising an owl inside the house might not be a good idea. “Our basic advice to those who may be considering keeping an owl as a pet is—Do Not,” said one U.K. owl sanctuary. The sanctuary added that owls are noisy, smelly, and warned that, they can be dangerous.

Aside from that, owls are nocturnal animals that have to be kept awake during the day for the customers.
The owl cafe /store is located on Tsukishima island, in Chuo, Tokyo. Patrons can hang out with a variety of owls, feed them or shop for owl-themed goods.

Link - Via

I am responsible for what i say....

2013-11-30T09:31:00.002+05:30

Artist creates huge 11-Acre portrait of child

2013-11-30T09:31:00.001+05:30

The Belfast Festival at Queen’s in Northern Ireland opened in a big way this year with an 11-acre portrait of a young girl titled “Wish.” The land art piece constructed out of natural materials with satellite technology is the creation of acclaimed Cuban-American artist Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada. The artist explained his inspiration to BBC News, “The little girl was a little girl that I met walking through the streets of Belfast, and the idea that came to me was, ‘Wouldn’t it be nice to take a picture of this little girl making a wish and then see what happens with that idea.’ If everybody jumps on to sort of make that very pure and simple look, into something very profound and large.” The previous art jammer Jorge Rodriguez-Gerada, it is a 2.5 acre sand painting of Barack Obama.

Rodriguez-Gerada, the festival’s very first artist in residence, worked alongside other artists, construction workers, volunteers and community groups to build the large-scale piece that the Belfast Telegraph called the United Kingdom & Ireland’s largest land art portrait. The project 18-months in the making had an impressive materials list of 30,000 wooden pegs, over 2,200 tons of sand, more than 2,200 tons of soil along with grass, stone and string. They plowed the field in the Titanic Quarter of Belfast and after a month of production, the image of a 6-year-old anonymous girl could be seen. Volunteer Amy Wagner said, “When you’re down there you know it’s supposed to make sense but you can’t make much sense of it. So whenever you come up and you actually see the progress you’ve made for the day or the week um, it’s phenomenal.” Tours will allow visitors to view the work from above in the surrounding tall buildings and also see the work up close at ground level. The Belfast Festival runs through October 27, but Wish will be in place (weather permitting) until December 2013.

Massive Land Art Portrait Goes Up in Ireland

Links - 1, 2

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Top 10 Toughest Exams in the World

2013-11-28T09:46:00.002+05:30

Life could be so much fun without exams! Ah I see you second my thought but wait there is more, that sort of fun comes with terms and conditions read a life infested with prolonged misery spent in either other competitions or just procrastinating. An addiction seems sweet but it’s the thing that we dislike become the reason for our eventual good.

We have hereby compiled the list of world’s toughest entrance exams in their own category. It not only incorporates the factors like pattern of the examination or the syllabus one is required to master but a plethora of them including psychological and societal factors. Some of them are tough on individualistic ground while the expectations and hype attached to others make them so difficult.

10) Mensa

Mensa is the society of highest IQ holders. How much percentile you require? Let’s just say 98 is the minimum. With its location worldwide and headquarters in Carthorse, Lincolnshire, England; Mensa has over 110,000 highly intelligent members. It is also the only test which is not age restricted. Hence, the youngest member is mere 2 years and 5 month old with an astounding IQ of 141 and the oldest member is 102 years old.

Roland Berrill who was an Australian barrister along with a British Scientist cum lawyer, Dr. Lancelot War came up with the idea of a society made up of people who ranked high on Intelligent Quotient. In 1946 they laid the groundwork for a society which would comprise of intellectuals from over 50 countries just six decades into its formation. What started from the Lincoln College in Oxford became the beacon of identifying, encouraging and stimulating human intelligence.

9) LNAT

LNAT or the National Admission Test for Law is an aptitude test for the main law universities in United Kingdom. Currently over 9 law universities have adopted it. Established on the leading requirement of Oxford University, LNAT was aimed at a better sorting process, as it was difficult for the law universities to choose between applicants with only slightly varied A-Level scores. The exam is not restricted primarily to U.K citizens so all applicants natural or overseas have to apply for it in order to be considered for the law universities based in United Kingdom.

This rigorous 150 minutes exam tests the applicant on the basis of reading comprehensions and logical reasoning skills. There are 10 sets in the reading portion with 2 to 5 questions per set; one includes an essay that could take up around 40 grueling minutes to attempt which is basically on open ended topics regarding societal issues especially related to student strata of the society.

8) College Scholastic Ability Test

CSAT or College Scholastic Ability Test is also known as Suneung in South Korea. This is one of the most exhaustive standardized tests in existence. Held every year on the second Thursday of November the importance of the test is illustrated by the fact that on the test day all employees working with the South Korean Government are directed to arrive late at work so as not to cause traffic jams which might lead to any unfortunate delay of an applicant.

South Korea has the highest suicide rate in the OCED countries and quite a considerate percentage of most of the youth’s suicide cases are due to despair and depression which is resultant of the disappointment in CSAT. The sincerity for the exam is such that the students start preparing for it as early as from elementary school. Since the country has highest number of post-secondary degree holders the pressure of expectations is unmatchable.

7) GRE

GRE or The Graduate Record Examination is a standard test one is required to take for seeking a seat in many American Graduate Schools as well as other English Speaking Countries. So what makes it tougher is not just the level of difficulty of the examination but the stiff competition as well. Education Testing Service or ETS came up with it in 1949. It is a computer based examination and tests the candidates primarily on the basis of critical thinking, verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing skills. Though the importance of this examination as an admission criteria differ from institute to institute while some just consider it a mere formality others take it as an important selection basis.

The paper consists of six sections. The first is analytical writing including timed issues and argument tasks. Next five comprises of two verbal reasoning sections alone with two quantitative reasoning and one experimental or research based section. The duration for the exam is exact 225 minutes with one minutes section break and a 10 min break post third section.

6) LSAT

LSAT or the Law School Examination test is held in United States, Canada, and Australia. This test stretches over half a day. It aims to assess the reading comprehension, logical analysis and verbal reasoning attainments of the applicant.

The representatives from Harvard and Yale Law School came together on the initiated enquiry of Frank Bowels, Admission Director of Columbia Law School to draft the pattern of LSAT exam in 1947 while the first exam was finally held in 1948. Held by the Law School Admission Council, passing this test gives the applicant an edge over his/her GPA. Although it has existed since 1948 the prevalent form however was incorporated in the year 1991. An applicant has just 3 chances in a period of 2 years to clear the exam. The test evaluates the applicant on the basis of five sections which includes multiple choice questions, aptitude test and a 30 minute writing sample.

5) IITJEE

IIT is one of premier engineering institutes in the world, the entrance for which is the IITJEE or The Indian Institutes of Technology Joint Entrance Examination (or simply JEE). It is held in two phases; JEE main and JEE advanced. It has an admission ratio of 10,000:5,00,000 thus making it one of the toughest engineering exam in the world. Each year only 1 out of every 50 that apply makes it to IIT. In fact many students who do not get through IIT either try again or seek admission in MIT, Harvard, Princeton and Caltech some even on full scholarship. The aspirants claim that there is nothing beyond IIT.

The exam is objective and divided in two questions papers of 3 hours each. Both sections measure the skills of the candidate in Physics, Chemistry and Math as well the comprehensive, reasoning and analytical abilities. The students exacted preparing from as early as 5th grade and sacrificing on extracurricular hours with an added marathon of more than 8 hours of diligent studies as the fastest step towards the institute of one’s dream.

4) CAT

Established on the initiation of planning commission of India, the IIM or Indian Institute of Management is the premier business school of India and amongst the top 10 in the world. It offers postgraduate, doctoral and executive education programs and even the diploma and fellowship from this institute are at par with MBA and PhD respectively. There are 13 institutes and they admit students for their business administration programs on the basis of CAT or Common Admission Test.

This test scores the applicant on the basis of four skills: quantitative, data interpretation, verbal ability and logical reasoning. What makes it all the tougher is the negative marking and section-wise cutoff! Due to the number of applicants on the rise every year the test is now held in a window of approximately three weeks in the months of October and November. The test itself is computer based and exactly 150 minutes long.

3) All Souls Prize Fellowship Exam

All the entrance exams in the world test students and churn out geniuses but All Souls Prize Fellowship Exam test geniuses and bring out the cleverest people on earth. Only the top 500 oxford graduates who qualify with a first class honors and students from other universities with equivalent academic achievements are eligible to take this exam. The Examination fellowship is of even years each and two fellow examinations are elected each other. We’d like to underscore that although selecting none is quite rare but the college has awarded single fellowship on many occasions.

The exam is held on two days in late September and includes two examinations of three hours each day. The most noted was the cherry pie test or as the one last romantic, mystical trial aptly put by an applicant. It was the most grueling one word based essay test however it was axed in 2010 and the word for the year 2008 was ‘novelty’.

2) UPSC

Many exceptionally bright children who clear CAT post IIT-JEE choose to appear for UPSC exams as well. And many of them who term CAT and JEE as cakewalk deem UPSC as the toughest exam they have had to face. Recruitment to IAS or Indian Administrative Service is on the basis of an exam conducted by the Union Public Service Commission of India or UPSC. The exam is known as UPSC exam or simple ‘Civils’, working for the government is tantamount to any job in corporate or technological arenas.

The Exam is conducted in two phases: Preliminary – which is an objective type examination and Mains- which include a thoroughly subjective examination along with an interview. From around 3 Lakh students that apply every year only 16,000 make it to final exam and 1000 join the Indian Administrative Service. The exam is held annually, the prelim in month of March and mains in the month of December so the candidates who have cleared the objective type prelim examination have only 8 grueling months to prepare themselves for Mains and the interview.

1) National Higher Education Entrance Examination

National Higher Education Entrance Examination is better known as ‘Gaokao’ and is perhaps one of the most important landmark in a Chinese teenager’s life. It won’t be an overstatement to say the least that one’s academic future wholly depends on one’s performances in ‘Gaokao’. It is a pre-requisite for admission to all the higher education universities in China. The vehemency of this exam is such that ‘n; of documentaries have been made on this subject recording the mental stress a teenager preparing for Gaokao has to undergo. Each year more than 7 million people apply for it in 2006; however the number easily crossed a 9.5 million mark.

Being a high-school level and pre-undergraduate level exam it encompasses all subjects. But what puts it on our list is the psychological stress that comes along with it. It is not just the students that are affected but also their teachers and parents. Cases of suicides, nervous breakdowns and clinical depression see a jaw dropping rise during this duration. Some parents are reported to have getting their female wards prescribe to birth control pills in order to avoid undergoing menstruation.

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Top Ten Cities of the world

2013-11-28T09:45:00.000+05:30

The world's 10 best cities to live in, according to the Economist Intelligence Unit global liveability study, which looks at how tolerable it is to live in a particular place given its crime levels, threat of conflict, quality of medical care, levels of censorship, temperature, schools and transport links.

1.Melbourne, Australia scores an overall rating of 97.5 out of 100

2.Vienna scores an overall rating of 97.3 out of 100

3.Vancouver, Canada 97.3

4.Toranto, Canada 97.2

5.Adelaide, Australia 96.6

6.Calgary, Canada (96.6)

7. Sydney, Australia

8. Auckland, New Zealand.

9. Helsinki, Finland (96.0)

10. Perth, Australia (95.9)

A happy heart makes a cheerful face

2013-11-28T09:44:00.000+05:30

The joy that you give to others is the joy that flows back into your life.
A happy heart makes a cheerful face.
May all your days be as lovely as your heart.

China bridge collapse caught on CCTV Camera

2013-11-28T09:43:00.001+05:30

A bridge in Lushan Xihai, a national key scenic spot in Jiujiang city, East China's Jiangxi province, collapsed Sunday, resulting in 18 tourists falling into Zhelin Lake, after about 100 visitors rushed to the bridge against the advice of guides. The capacity of the bridge is 40 people. The 18 tourists received medical attention.

Links - 1, 2, 3

A volcano's dangerous ash

2013-11-28T09:43:00.000+05:30

Mount Sinabung spews ash at Sibintun village in Karo district, Indonesia's North Sumatra province, November 20, 2013. The volcano continued to emit volcanic ash, throwing an 8,000m (26,247 ft)-high plume into the atmosphere, as thousands of residents fearful of more eruptions remained in temporary shelters.

A Boy Proposed a Girl....

2013-11-28T09:42:00.001+05:30

Sliding House Created by Artist Alex Chinneck

2013-11-28T09:42:00.000+05:30

The British artist and designer Alex Chinneck caused a stir with the clever remodeled facade of an old ruinous house in the Cliftoncille district: it lays half slid down in the front yard and now reveals the emptied upper floor. Especially striking is that everything of the facade, like brick facing, windows and front door, make a perfect bend, as if it slid down like a piece of clothing in an unobserved moment. The 12 month long planned and realized project has something funny, so it’s not surprising that its title reminds of a children’s song – ‘From the knees of my nose to the belly of my toe’.

Sliding House Created by Artist Alex Chinneck

Link - Via

More Cool Stuff at :

www.worldrarecollection.blogspot.in

Health Solutions with Vegetables, Fruits and Spices

2013-11-26T10:17:00.000+05:30

[1] COLDS :

Mix a gram of dalchini/cinnamon powder with a teaspoon of honey to cure cold. Prepare a cup of tea to which you should add ginger, clove, bay leaf and black pepper. This should be consumed twice a day. Reduce the intake as the cold disappears.

[2] GINGER FOR COLDS :

Ginger tea is very good to cure cold. Preparation of tea: cut ginger into small pieces and boil it with water, boil it a few times and then add sugar to sweeten and milk to taste, and drink it hot.

[3] DRY COUGHS :

Add a gram of Turmeric(Haldi) powder to a teaspoonful of
Honey for curing dry cough. Also chew a Cardamom for
a long time.

[4] BLOCKED NOSE :

For blocked nose or to relieve congestion, take one tablespoon of crushed carom seeds(ajwain), tie it in a cloth and inhale it.

[5] SORE THROAT :

Add a tea spoon of cumin seeds (jeera) and a few small pieces of dry ginger to a glass of boiling water. Simmer it for a few minutes, and then let it cool. Drink it twice daily. This will cure cold as well as sour throat.

[6] AJWAIN/AJMO FOR ASTHMA :

Dried ajwain fruits
Boil Ajwain(Ajmo) in water and inhale the steam.

[7] CURE FOR BACKACHE :

Rub ginger paste on the backache to get relief.

[8] GARLIC FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE :

Have 1-2 pod Garlic(Lasan) first thing in the morning with water.

[9] HONEY AND GINGER FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE :

Mix 1 tablespoon and 1 tablespoon of Ginger(Adrak) juice, 1 tablespoon of crushed cumin seeds(Jeera), and have it twice daily.

[10] MIGRAINE :

For the cure of migraine or acute cold in the head; boil a tablespoon of pepper powder, and a pinch of turmeric in a cup
of milk, and have it daily for a few couple of days.

[11] BITTER GOURD(KARELA) FOR BLOOD SUGAR CONTROL :

A tablespoon of amla juice mixed with a cup of fresh bitter Gourd(Karela) juice and taken daily for 2 months reduces blood sugar.

[12] CURE FOR INJURIES - TURMERIC(HALDI) :

For any cut or wound, apply turmeric powder to the injured portion to stop the bleeding. It also works as an antiseptic. You can tie a bandage after applying turmeric(haldi).

[13] CRAMPS :

You must do a self-massage using mustard oil every morning. Just take a little oil between your palms and rub it all over your body. Then take a shower. This is especially beneficial during winter. You could also mix a little mustard powder with water to make a paste and apply this on your palms and soles of your feet.

[14] HEADACHES :

If you have a regular migraine problem, include five almonds along with hot milk in your daily diet. You could also have a gram of black pepper along with honey or milk, twice or thrice a day. Make an almond paste by rubbing wet almonds against a stone. This can be applied to forehead.

Eat an apple with a little salt on an empty stomach everyday and see its wonderful effects.

OR
when headache is caused by cold winds, cinnamon works best in curing headache. Make a paste of cinnamon by mixing in water and apply it all over your forehead

[15] TURMERIC FOR ARTHRITIS :

Turmeric can be used in treating arthritis due to its anti-inflammatory property. Turmeric can be taken as a drink other than adding to dishes to help prevent all problems. Use one teaspoon of turmeric powder per cup of warm milk every day.
It is also used as a paste for local action.

[16] GOOD FOR THE HEART :

Turmeric lower cholesterol and by preventing the formation of the internal blood clots improves circulation and prevents heart disease and stroke. Turmeric can be taken as a drink other than adding to dishes to help preventall problems.. Use one teaspoon of turmeric powder per cup of warm milk every day. It is also used as a paste for local action.

[17] GOOD FOR INDIGESTION :

Turmeric can be used to relieve digestive problems like ulcers, dysentery. Turmeric can be taken as a drink other than adding to dishes to help prevent all problems. Use one teaspoon of turmeric powder per cup of warm milk every day. It is also used as a paste for local action.

[18] HONEY IS A GOOD CURE FOR ALL DISEASES :

Mix 1 teaspoon of honey with a teaspoon of Cinnamon powder and have it at night.

[19] HICCUPS :

Take a warm slice of lemon and sprinkle salt, sugar and black pepper on it. The lemon should be eaten until the hiccups stop.

[20] HIGH BLOOD CHOLESTEROL :

In 1 glass of water, add 2 tablespoons of coriander (dhania) seeds and bring to a boil. Let the decoction cool for some time and then strain. Drink this mixture two times in a day.

OR
Sunflower seeds are extremely beneficial, as they contain linoleic acid that helps in reducing the cholesterol deposits on the walls of arteries.

[21] PILES :

Radish juice should be taken twice a day, once in the morning and then later in the night. Initially drink about ? cup of radish juice and then gradually increase it to ? cup.

OR
Soak 3-4 figs in a glass of water. Keep it overnight. Consume the figs on an empty stomach, the next day in the morning

[22] VOMITING :

Take 2 cardamoms(elaichi) and roast them on a dry pan(tavaa). Powder the cardamoms and thereafter add one teaspoon of honey in it. Consume it frequently. It serves as a fabulous home remedy for vomiting.

OR
In the mixture of 1 teaspoon of mint juice and 1 teaspoon of lime juice, add 1 teaspoon of ginger juice and 1 teaspoon of honey. Drink this mixture to prevent vomiting.

OR
Lime juice is an effective remedy for vomiting. Take a glass of chilled lime juice and sip slowly. To prevent vomiting, drink ginger tea.

OR
In 1 glass water, add some honey and drink sip by sip.

[23] WARTS :

Apply castor oil daily over the problematic area. Continue for several months.

OR
Apply milky juice of fresh and barely-ripe figs a number of times a day. Continue for two weeks.

OR
Rub cut raw potatoes on the affected area several times daily. Continue for at least two weeks.

OR
Rub cut onions on the warts to stimulate the circulation of blood.
OR
Apply milk from the cut end of dandelion over the warts 2-3 times a day.

OR
Apply oil extracted from the shell of the cashew nut over the warts.

OR
Apply Papaya juice

OR
Apply Pineapple juice.

[24] URINARY TRACT INFECTIONAL :

Drink Cranberry juice. You can also add some apple juice for taste.

[25] SINUSITIS :

Mango serves as an effective home remedy for preventing the frequent attacks of sinus, as it is packed with loads of vitamin A.

OR
Another beneficial remedy consists of consuming pungent foods like onion and garlic, as a part of your daily meals.

OR
Fenugreek(Methi) leaves are considered valuable in curing sinusitis. In 250 ml water, boil 1 tsp of Fenugreek seeds and reduce it to half. This will help you to perspire, dispel toxicity and reduce the fever period.

OR
Tie a teaspoon of black cumin seeds in a thin cotton cloth and inhale.

[26] TONSILLITIS :

Take 1 fresh lemon and squeeze it in 1 glass of water (about 8 oz.). Add 4 teaspoonful of honey and fractional of teaspoon of salt in it. Drink it slowly sip by sip.

OR
Milk has proved beneficial in treating tonsillitis. In 1 glass of pure boiled milk, add a pinch of turmeric powder and pepper powder. Drink it every night for about 3 days.

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China bridge collapse caught on CCTV Camera

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A volcano's dangerous ash

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