PRAZONE

Unemployment in India

noreply@blogger.com (Pradosh Kumar Mukhopadhayay) — Wed, 25 May 2022 01:19:00 +0530

Unemployment in India, insights have generally had been gathered, arranged, and scattered once at regular intervals by the Ministry of Work and Employment (MLE), basically from sample studies directed by the National Sample Survey Office. Other than these 5-year sample studies, India has - besides beginning around 2017 - never regularly gathered month to month, quarterly, or yearly cross country employment and unemployment insights. In 2016, the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy - a non-government element situated in Mumbai, began testing and distributing month-to-month unemployment in India measurements.

Methodology and survey frequency

1) The National Sample Survey Office (NSSO) has been the critical administrative organization in India at the national and state levels to concentrate on work, joblessness, and joblessness rates through sample surveys. It doesn't report business or joblessness results each quarter nor consistently, however by and large just once at regular intervals. The last three authoritatively delivered NSSO surveys and reports on work and joblessness were finished in 2004-2005, in 2009-2010, and 2011-2012. The 2011-2012 survey was started by the Congress-drove Manmohan Singh's administration since it was felt that the higher joblessness numbers in the 2009-2010 report might have been impacted by unfortunate rainstorm, and an early survey could yield more precise and better information. There was no NSSO survey somewhere in the range of 2012 and 2017, and another survey was started in 2017-2018. This report has not been formally delivered by the BJP-drove Narendra Modi’s government, yet the report has been spilled to the media.

As per ILO, the NSSO studies are India's generally complete as they cover little towns in remote corners and islands of India. Notwithstanding, this overview utilizes whimsical and India-explicit phrasing. It gauges the movement status of an individual by various methodologies for example "usual status" joblessness and "current status" joblessness. These appraisals yield different types of joblessness numbers, as indicated by an ILO report, and the aggregates change in light of, elements, for example, whether an individual has, for pay or no compensation, "worked basically for 30 days during the reference time of 365", "worked for something like 1 hour on any day during the 7 days going before the date of the survey", and a gauge for "person-hours worked in the reference week" as per its measurable methods". From its example overview, it assesses a wide scope of work and joblessness measurements, alongside the absolute populace of the country, orientation dispersion, and a large group of other information. The NSSO strategy has been dubious, adulated for its extension and exertion, likewise condemned for its "absurd" results and irregularities.

2) The Indian Work Bureau, notwithstanding the NSSO surveys, has distributed backhanded annual assemblages of joblessness information by each express government's work division reports, those got from the Annual Survey of Industries (ASI), Occupational Wage Surveys, and Common Family Pay and Use Surveys and other standard and impromptu field surveys and studies on India distributed by outsiders.

3) As per the Middle for Monitoring Indian Economy Private Limited (CMIE), India has never followed and distributed month to month, quarterly, or yearly work and joblessness information for its kin. This might have been a political accommodation, states Mahesh Vyas, as "no estimations implies there are no arguments" about joblessness in India. CMIE, a non-government private substance, began to overview and distribute month-to-month joblessness information for the initial time in Indian history in 2016. Its information assortment procedure and reports vary from those distributed by the NSSO.

4) The United Nations International Work Organization has published its statistics for unemployment in India, alongside other nations, based on the international standards it has taken on. In 2017, ILO refreshed its methodologies to make the workforce, employment, and unemployment trends measurement more exact and more consistent across countries. As per the ILO's 2018 World Employment of Social Outlook report, it embraced revisions and measures for all countries so as to "encompass the inclusion of extra elements (for example new or refreshed information for countries), evacuation of inconsistent information entries and revisions stemming from the utilization of the internationally concurred standards in the calculation of unemployment rates in countries where country-specific, loosened up definitions of unemployment were previously reported. These changes represent 85% of the descending revision to worldwide unemployment figures". In 2017, the ILO took on changes to its general populace information estimates as well, for every nation including India. The ILO uses a perplexing and diverse set of populace demographics, sample surveys, and financial action indicators to determine its estimates.

5) In 2017, as per The Economic Times, the public authority declared that the "employment information assortment in India will before long go through a significant revamp" after an undeniable level master board prescribed a finish to the five-year work surveys by National Sample Survey Association (NSSO). The board driven by Niti Aayog's bad habit executive Arvind Panagariya suggested that it be supplanted with a yearly or more incessant and solid information assortment and reports. As per this board, the NSSO strategy and practices have yielded misdirecting and one-sided information that "do exclude the independently employed and farmworkers, and are defaced by low or unpredictable recurrence and long-lasting lags".

Joblessness and under-work have been long-standing issues in the Indian economy. As per a 2013 report by Pravin Sinha, the Indian workforce has been authoritatively arranged by the Indian government into three classifications:

1) Provincial area, which incorporates the ranch work

2) The metropolitan conventional area incorporates industrial facility and administration industry work with intermittent pay rates and inclusion per Indian work regulations

3) The metropolitan casual area, which incorporates independent work and relaxed wage laborers

The rustic and casual areas of the Indian work market represented 93% of the work in 2011, and these positions were not covered by the then existing Indian work regulations. As per the 2010 World Bank report, "low-paying, generally ineffective, casual area occupations keep on ruling the work market." "The casual area rules India's work markets and will keep on doing as such in the medium term", states the World Bank, and regardless of whether the meaning of the "formal area is extended to incorporate all normal and salaried laborers, approximately 335 million specialists were utilized in the casual area in 2004-5".

As per information from the Middle for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), India's joblessness rate contacted a four-month high of 7.9% in December 2021.

With Coronavirus cases on the ascent in the midst of the danger presented by the Omicron variation and many states forcing new controls, monetary movement, and utilization levels have been impacted.

This could unfavorably influence financial recuperation further going on.

Reasons for joblessness in India:

Joblessness happens when an individual who is effectively looking for business can't look for employment.

Joblessness is regularly utilized as a proportion of the well-being of the economy.

The most successive proportion of joblessness is the joblessness rate, which is the quantity of jobless individuals separated by the quantity of individuals in the workforce.

Public Example Study Association (NSSO) characterizes business and joblessness on the accompanying action situations with a person:

Working (occupied with financial movement) for example 'Employed'.

Looking for or accessible for work for example 'Unemployed'.

Neither looking for nor accessible for work.

The initial two comprise the workforce and the joblessness rate is the percent of the workforce that is without work.

Joblessness rate = (Jobless Specialists/Absolute workforce) × 100

Kinds of Joblessness in India:

Masked Joblessness: It is a peculiarity wherein a greater number of individuals are utilized than really required.

It is basically followed to the horticultural and disorderly areas of India.

Occasional Joblessness: joblessness happens during specific periods of the year.

Rural workers in India seldom have worked overtime.

Primary Joblessness: It is a classification of joblessness emerging from the bungle between the positions accessible on the lookout and the abilities of the accessible specialists on the lookout.

Many individuals in India don't land positions because of an absence of essential abilities and because of unfortunate schooling levels, it becomes hard to prepare them.

Repetitive Joblessness: It is an aftereffect of the business cycle, where joblessness ascends during downturns and declines with financial development.

Repetitive joblessness figures in India are insignificant. A peculiarity is for the most part found in entrepreneur economies.

Innovative Joblessness: It is the deficiency of occupations because of changes in innovation.

In 2016, World Bank information anticipated that the extent of occupations undermined via robotization in India is 69% year-on-year.

Frictional Joblessness: Frictional Joblessness likewise called Search Joblessness, alludes to the delay between the positions when an individual is looking for a new position or is exchanging between occupations.

All in all, a worker requires time for looking through a new position or moving from the current to a new position, this unavoidable time defer causes frictional joblessness.

It is frequently viewed as intentional joblessness since it isn't caused because of the deficiency of occupations, however as a matter of fact, the actual specialists quit their positions looking for better open doors.

Weak Business: This implies, individuals, working informally, without legitimate work agreements, and consequently sans any lawful assurance.

These people are considered 'jobless' since records of their work are rarely kept up with.

It is one of the primary kinds of joblessness in India.

Reasons for Joblessness in India:

Social Variables: In India the station framework is pervasive. The work is disallowed for explicit positions in certain areas.

In huge joint families having a major business, numerous such people will be accessible who accomplish no work and rely upon the joint pay of the family.

Quick Development of Populace: Steady expansion in populace has been a major issue in India.

It is one of the fundamental driver of joblessness.

The predominance of Horticulture: Still in India almost 50% of the workforce is subject to Farming.

In any case, Agribusiness is immature in India.

Additionally, it gives occasional business.

Fall of Cabin and Little businesses: Modern advancement unfavorably affected the bungalow and little enterprises.

The creation of house enterprises started to fall and numerous craftsmans became jobless.

Idleness of Work: Portability of work in India is low. Because of connection to the family, individuals don't go excessively far off regions for occupations.

Factors like language, religion, and environment are likewise answerable for low versatility.

Surrenders in School System: Occupations in the entrepreneur world have become exceptionally specific however India's schooling system doesn't give the right preparation and specialization required for these positions.

Consequently many individuals who will work become jobless because of an absence of abilities.

How to Develop 5 Critical Thinking Types

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 12 Aug 2012 12:15:00 +0530

[Source: http://www.forbes.com/sites/work-in-progress/2012/03/27/how-to-develop-5-critical-thinking-types/]

Great leaders think strategically.

They can understand and appreciate the current state as well as see possibilities. When dealing with today’s issues, they operate from a broad, long-term perspective rather than focusing only on short-term implications. And they can gather information and make decisions in a timely manner.

Most of all, strategic leaders know how to strike a balance between visualizing what might or could be and an effective day-to-day approach to implementation. They can look into the future to see where the company needs to go and what it will look like once they get there. And they can do this while making sure the right things get done on a daily basis.

This type of strategic leadership requires five different types of thinking. Knowing when and how much to utilize each one is the hallmark of great leaders.

1. Critical thinking is the mental process of objectively analyzing a situation by gathering information from all possible sources, and then evaluating both the tangible and intangible aspects, as well as the implications of any course of action.
2. Implementation thinking is the ability to organize ideas and plans in a way that they will be effectively carried out.
3. Conceptual thinking consists of the ability to find connections or patterns between abstract ideas and then piece them together to form a complete picture.
4. Innovative thinking involves generating new ideas or new ways of approaching things to create possibilities and opportunities.
5. Intuitive thinking is the ability to take what you may sense or perceive to be true and, without knowledge or evidence, appropriately factor it in to the final decision.

Until recently, most leaders could get by with critical and implementation thinking. But in today’s hyper-fast world, conceptual, innovative and intuitive thinking have becoming increasingly important, especially in industries where frenetic change represents the rule rather than the exception.

Business leaders still need to gather and analyze data, make decisions, and implement them well. But now they have to take in vast amounts of data from a more diverse array of sources. They have to make decisions much more quickly. And they have to do it knowing that everything could change overnight.

In such an environment, the ability to ponder possibilities, see patterns and connections that others don’t see, and look at the same data in new and different ways represents a formidable competitive advantage.

Some leaders seem to be born with these intuitive types of thinking skills. But since most of us are not so naturally gifted, here are some suggestions for developing these essential leadership skills.

* Take time to look around. Browse business websites and read related publications to learn how other organizations have implemented various strategies in order to increase their competitive advantage.
* Be willing to change directions and/or pursue new goals when strategic opportunities arise. Think about what is keeping you on the same path and force yourself to ponder whether or not you should shift plans. Consider worst-case scenarios.
* When problems arise, don’t settle for a quick fix. Instead, carefully look at the problem and take the time to analyze all possible solutions. Create a checklist for yourself to trigger thoughts on long-term consequences and possibilities.
* Help others in the organization feel that they are part of the overall mission and strategies by discussing it with them frequently and involving them as much as possible.
* Pause and view your situation from another perspective – that of an employee, customer, supplier, etc.
* Research and analyze your company’s major competitors. Create a detailed profile of each one and share it with your team. Constantly look for first-hand data rather than relying on anecdotal information.
* Engage in “what-if” thinking. For example, “If we do this, how will our competitors respond? What will our customers think? What impact will this have on our suppliers and distributors? What if there is something we have not considered?”
* Expand your data sources to include areas totally outside your business or industry. Analyze other industries to see what they’re doing well and how that could be adapted to your business.

Most of all, get in the habit of stimulating your mind by not thinking about your business. From time to time, go outside your office and take a walk. Turn off your processing and just soak in the sights, sounds, and scents of the environment. Let your mind wander, and allow yourself the luxury of daydreaming. You’ll be amazed at what you can come up with simply by shifting out of the critical/implementation thinking modes from time to time.

The human brain is a powerful leadership tool. It works even better when you use all five thinking types!

Right to Education is constitutionally valid: SC

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 00:20:00 +0530

Right to Education is constitutionally valid: SC

[Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/right-to-education-is-constitutionally-valid-sc/248200-3.html ]

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the constitutional validity of the Right to Education Act. It means all schools except unaided minority institutions and boarding schools now will have to reserve 25 per cent seats for economically backward students.

Reacting to the judgement, Union HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said, "I am glad the Supreme Court brought clarity. Education can now be child centric and not institution centric."

The Right to Education Act, which came into force two years ago, aims at providing free and compulsory education to all children between the ages of six and 14. While many called it landmark legislation, the RTE had private schools fuming.

They took the matter to court saying that 25 per cent reservation for poor students was a financial and administrative burden that violated their fundamental right.

Damodar Prasad Goyal, a petitioner, said, "It is something like asking mineral water companies to give away 25 per cent of their bottles free to areas with no water and the government paying tap water rates as compensation."

The argument over reservations in private schools may have been settled, but the real challenge for the RTE is far from over. The quality of education in government schools, which caters to 80 per cent students in the country, still remains a huge cause for concern.

About Katwa Subdivision & Tourist Spots in Katwa Subdivision

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 5 Sep 2011 08:41:00 +0530

Katwa subdivision (Bengali: কাটোয়া মহকুমা) is a subdivision of the Bardhaman district in the state of West Bengal, India. It consists of Katwamunicipality, Dainhat municipality and five community development blocks: Katwa–I, Katwa–II, Ketugram–I, Ketugram–II and Mongolkote. The five blocks contain 46 gram panchayats and one census town. The subdivision has its headquarters at Katwa.

Area:
Apart from the Katwa municipality and Dainhat municipality, the subdivision contains one census town and rural areas of 46 gram panchayats under five community development blocks: Katwa–I, Katwa–II, Ketugram–I, Ketugram–II and Mongolkote. The only census town under this block is Panuhat.

Blocks:

Katwa–I Block:
Rural area under Katwa–I block consists of nine gram panchayats, viz. Alampur, Karajgram, Sargram, Gidhagram, Khajurdihi, Sreekhanda, Goai, Koshigram and Sudpur. Urban area under this block comprises one census town: Panuhat. Katwa police station serves this block. Headquarters of this block is in Panchghara and Khajurdihi.

Katwa–II block
Rural area under Katwa–II block consists of seven gram panchayats, viz. Agradwip, Jagadanandspur, Palsona, Sreebati, Gazipur, Karui and Singi, Singi Panchayats under villages of Okersa, Choto mei ghachi, Bara mei ghachi, Gourdanga, Pachpara etc. There is no urban area under this block. Katwa police station serves this block. Headquarters of this block is in Dainhat. Choto mei ghachi and Bara mei ghachi have no development, the two grams between a River and very nesssary a pool and paka rasta from Khaspur to Gouradanga via Choto mei ghachi.

Ketugram–I block
Rural area under Ketugram–I block consists of eight gram panchayats, viz. Agardanga, Berugram, Murgram–Gopalpur, Pandugram, Ankhona, Jyandas–Kandara, Palita and Rajur. There is no urban area under this block. Ketugram police station serves this block. Headquarters of this block is in Kandra.

Ketugram–II block
Rural area under Ketugram–II block consists of seven gram panchayats, viz. Billeswar, Ketugram, Nabagram, Sitahati, Gangatikuri, Maugram and Nirol. There is no urban area under this block. Ketugram police station serves this block. Headquarters of this block is in Gangatikuri.

Mongolkote block
Rural area under Mongolkote block consists of 15 gram panchayats, viz. Bhalugram, Jhilu–II, Lakhuria, Paligram, Chanak, Kaichar–I, Majigram, Shimulia–I, Gotistha, Kaichar–II, Mongalkot, Shimulia–II, Jhilu–I, Kshirgram and Nigan. There is no urban area under this block. Mongolkote police station serves this block. Headquarters of this block is in Natunhat.

Tourist Spots in Katwa Subdivision:

Shah Alam’s Darga: A building of Archeological interest built in the early 18th century by Murshidkuli Khan, the then Subedar of Bengal.
Location: Katwa Municipality.

Kogram: At the confluence of rivers Ajoy and Kunur, Ujani, believed to be the Capital of Vikramaditya is today’s Kogram. The Dhanapati Saudagar of Chandimangal fame also used to stay here. A temple of Goddess Chandi can also be seen here. Believed to be one of the Satipiths.
Location: Mangalkote Block

Singi : The native village of Kasiram Das the noted Bengali translator of the Mahabharata. Location: Katwa-II Block

Sree Gouranga Mandir: A Baishnab Temple believed to have been visited by Sri Chaitanya and Keshab Bharati. Location: Katwa Municipality

Madhaitala: The Ashrama is believed to have been visited by Jagai & Madhai, the two disciples of Sree Chaitanya, and the Akhanda Kirtana there is reportedly continuing for more than 50 years. Location: Katwa Municipality

Sreekhanda : A center of Baishnab Culture famous for congregation of Bauls every Baisakh. A temple of Khandeswari the presiding Goddess of the village also exists. Location: Katwa Municipality

Agrwadip: Associated with Gouranga Mahaprabhu and famous for its Gopinath temple. Location: Katwa Municipality

Jajigram: Srinibas, believed to be the 2nd incarnation of Chaitanya is stated to have lived here. The relics of his Sadhanpith can still be seen. This temple houses several wooden and stone idols. Location: Katwa Municipality

Kshctrapal: A big banyan tree on the Dainhat Krishnanagar Road worshipped for centuries by people from far and near. Location: Katwa -II Block

Gandas Kandra: Gnandas the noted Baishnab poet was born in Kandra. His place of worship in the village still attracts large number of devotees from all over the country. Location: Ketugram-I Block.

Attahas: A temple of Attahas, the Goddess of Sakti cult, also known as Fullora Attahas. Believed to be one of the 51 SATIPITHS. Location: Ketugram-II Block
Khirogram: Another of the Satipiths, famous for its Yogadya and Siva temples. Also famous for its fair in Baisakh. Location: Mangalkote Block.

Mangalkot
------------

Mangalkot (Bengali: মঙ্গলকোট) is a town with a police station, a community development block and assembly constituency in Katwa subdivision of Barddhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal.

History

Damage to embankments of the Ajay and consequent flooding was a regular problem in the Ausgram and Mangalkot area. The devastating flood of 1943 caused immense suffering and lead to a mass movement for restoration/ repair of the embankments. A massive meeting was organised at Guskara in 1944, with Uday Chand Mahtab, Maharaja of Bardhaman. However, the government did not take any action. Ultimately, the Communist Party, which had been at the forefront of agitations for some years, provided a huge work force for the purpose and completed the repair work. It laid the foundation for the party’s popularity in the area.

Geography

Mangalkot is located at 23.55°N 87.90°E. It has an average elevation of 36 m (118 ft).
The Asansol-Durgapur region is composed of undulating latterite soil. This area lies between two mighty rivers – the Damodar and the Ajay. They flow almost parallel to each other in the region – the average distance between the two rivers is around 30 km. For ages the area was heavily forested and infested with plunderers and marauders. The discovery of coal led to industrialisation of the area and most of the forests have been cleared.
Kunur River, one of main tributaries of the Ajay, 112 km in length, has its origin near Bansgara in the Faridpur police station area. With water from several small streams swelling it during the monsoons, it often floods large areas of Ausgram and Mangalkot police stations. It joins the Ajay near Ujani village.
Gram panchayats under Mangalkot Panchayat Samiti are: Paligram, Chanak, Gotistha, Lakhuria, Managalkot, Jhiloo I, Jhiloo II, Simulia I, Simulia II, Majhigram, Bhalyagram, Kaichar I, Kaichar II, Negon and Khirogram.

Demographics

In the 2001 census, Mangalkot community development block had a population of 233,968 out of which 120,535 were males and 113,423 were females. The Block had a literacy of 59.4 per cent.

Ketugram
------------

Ketugram (Bengali: কেতুগ্রাম) is a town with a police station, a community development block and assembly constituency in Katwa subdivision of Barddhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal.

Geography

Gram Panchayats
Gram panchayats under Ketugram I Panchayat Samiti are: Ankhona, Berugram, Agardanga, Moorgram Gopalpur, Kandra Ganadas, Rajoor, Palita and Pandugram.
Gram panchayats under Ketugram II Panchayat Samiti are: Nirol, Ketugram, Billeswar, Nabagram, Gangatikuri, Sitahahati and Mougram.

Demographics

As per 2001 census, Ketugram I block had a total population of 145,859, out of which 74,339 wer males and 71,520 were females. Ketugram II had a total population of 107,054, out of which 55,255 were males and 51,799 were females. While Ketugram I had literacy of 50.32 per cent and Ketugram II had a literacy of 61.1 per cent.

Katwa Town
----------------
Katwa (Bengali: কাটোয়া) is the headquarters of the Katwa subdivision in the district of Bardhaman, West Bengal. The area has a rural charm and natural beauty, but many trading and other business activities has made it clumsy and congested. It is a good middle class residential area.

History:

The small town has a five hundred year history. The city's earliest known name was Indranee Pargana. Later the name was changed to Kantak Nagari and it became the fort area of Murshid Kuli Khan, Nawab of Bengal. Katwa was invaded by the Bargis (break-away Maratha groups) several times.
This was the place where Sri Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu got sannyasa from Kesava Bharati. Since then, this small township has been a sacred place for the Vaishnavites.

Geography:

Katwa is located at 23.65°N 88.13°E.[1] It has an average elevation of 21 m (69 ft). It is situated between the Ajay River and the Hooghly River and so bounded by water to the east, west and north. It is at the eastern end of the district and is 150 km from Kolkata and 56 km from Barddhaman. Recently the government announced the Broad-gaged Railway Line between Burdwan and Katwa.
The weather and climate is similar to the rest of Gangetic West Bengal, with six distinct seasons.
Gram panchayats under Katwa I Panchayat Samiti are: Koshigram, Goai, Srikhanda, Khajurdihi, Sudpur, Karajgram, Alampur, Gidhagram and Saragram.
Gram panchayats under Katwa II Panchayat Samiti are: Karui, Palsona, Jagadannadapur, Gazipur, Agradwip, Sribati and Singhee.

Economy:

Katwa's economy has grown significantly in recent years. The traditional backbone of the economy was agriculture, but the town has since developed into a major trading hub, with booming retail and service sectors. Katwa is also a transit point for agricultural products grown in nearby villages.
Recently the Minister for Railways inaugurated the Broad Gauge Line for Katwa Burdwan section. Many investments are being planned for this soon-to-be industrial hub. The Bengal government recently started a mega power project at Katwa.
Every day, Katwa is visited by hundreds of people from surrounding villages, mainly for the medical services available. The late Dr. Sanat Kumar Konar, Late Dr. S. K. Roy, the late Dr. Basanta Kumar Bandhopadhay and the late Dr. Nandagopal Chattopadhaya were pioneers for professional medical services in the town.
The town has mobile and broadband internet facilities from most of the major telecommunications companies.
A cause of concern is arsenic contamination of ground water.

Demographics:

As of 2001 India census, Katwa had a population of 71,573, 51% male and 49% female. The average literacy rate is 74%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 78%, and female literacy is 69%. 10% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Katwa has a total area of 8.53 km² with a population density of 8,391/km². A steady flow of refugees from East Pakistan swelled the population of the area in the fifties.

Festivals:

Durga Puja is widely celebrated here, but Katwa is more famous for its traditional Kartik Puja, also known as Kartik Larahai. The whole town comes alive with pandals in each and every street. The celebration is not restricted to the townsfolk, and people come in large numbers from neighbouring villages. The atmosphere of the entire city rivals that of a carnival. Some famous Durga Pujas have been performed by families for more than 100 years, such as Datta-bari, Mallick-bari and Hari-bari of Katwa. The Khepa Kali Puja is also widely known and attended by people from nearby villages.

Murundi Durga.

The traditional way of celebrating Durga Puja can still be seen in Murundi, a small village 16 km from Katawa. This Puja is organised by the Singha (Sinha) family (Mrityunjay Sinha, Bankim Chandra Sinha). One could see the two Durga temples standing side by side at the entrance of the village. The celebration is said to be about 250 years old. The story of this celebration is that the mantari of the Burdwan Raja once told the Maharaja of his desire to visit his native palace during the Durga Puja festival. The maharaja refused and then Ma Durga ordered the Maharaja in his dreams to perform the Puja. It has been celebrated in Murundi ever since. Over time this Puja split into two parts and now one can see the present form of it. Katwa Haragouri para organized Durga Puja since 1414 (2007) which is quite remarkable at the town. Because this Puja pandel created a different test of art and artcraft.

Religious & Cultural

SHAH ALAM’S DURGA A building of Archeological interest built in the early 18th century by Murshidkuli Khan, the then Subedar of Bengal. (Katwa Municipality)
Slight seeing
UDDHARANRUR The village resembles a fort and it is believed that the famous Naihati Fort was situated here. Noted for its 500 year old fair.(Ketugram -II Block) Historical SINGI The native village of Kasiram Das the noted Bengali translator of the Mahabharata. (Katwa-II Block) Sher Afbar Gark The remains of the fort of Sher Afgan and a huge lake can be seen here. (Andal Block)
Religious
SREE GOURANGA MANDIR A Baishnab Temple believed to have been visited by Sri Chaitanya and Keshab Bharati.(Katwa Municipality) MADHAITALA The Ashrama is believed to have been visited by Jagai & Madhai, the two disciples of Sree Chaitanya, and the Akhanda Kirtana there is reportedly continuing for more than 50 years. (Katwa Municipality) SREEKHANDA A center of Baishnab Culture famous for congregation of Bauls every Baisakh. A temple of Khandeswari the presiding Goddess of the village also exists. (Katwa Municipality) AGRWADIP Associated with Gouranga Mahaprabhu and famous for its Gopinath temple. (Katwa Municipality) JAJIGRAM Srinibas, believed to be the 2nd incarnation of Chaitanya is stated to have lived here. The relics of his Sadhanpith can still be seen. This temple houses several wooden and stone idols. (Katwa Municipality) KSHCTRAPAL A big banyan tree on the Dainhat Krishnanagar Road worshipped for centuries by people from far and near. (Katwa -II Block) GNANDAS KANDRA Gnandas the noted Baishnab poet was born in Kandra. His place of worship in the village still attracts large number of devotees from all over the country. (Ketugram-I Block) ATTAHAS A temple of Attahas, the Goddess of Sakti cult, also known as Fullora Attahas. Believed to be one of the 51 SATIPITHS. (Ketugram-II Block)

High Schools:

Katwa Kashiram Das Institution. Established in 1857, and named after the writer who translated the holy script The Mahabharata to Bengali. It has been one of the most famous boys' schools in the district. Jagadish Chandra Bose was once a student of this school.
Katwa Durga Dasi Chowdhurani Girls' High School
Katwa Bharati Bhavan High School
Katwa Ramkrishna High School
Katwa Balika Vidalaya
Kashiswari Girls school
Katwa Janakilal Siksha Sadan
Holy Angels' School
St. Joseph School
Kishyaloy
Ananda Marg
Shishu Niketan

Colleges:

1.Katwa Mahavidyalaya
2. Katwa Teachers' Training College
3. Bengal Institute of Technology(BIT)

Panuhat
----------
Panuhat (Bengali: পানুহাট) is a census town under Katwa police station and Katwa subdivision,[1] in Barddhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal.

Demographics

As of 2001 India census, Panuhat had a population of 5665. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Panuhat has an average literacy rate of 60%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 67%, and female literacy is 54%. In Panuhat, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.

Education

Panuhat has four primary and one secondary schools.

Dainhat
--------------

Dainhat (Bengali: দৈনহাট) is a Town and a municipality under Katwa police station and Katwa subdivision, in Barddhaman district in the state of West Bengal, India.

Demographics
As of 2001 India census[2], Dainhat had a population of 22,593. Males constitute 51% of the population and females 49%. Dainhat has an average literacy rate of 66%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 72% and, female literacy is 59%. In Dainhat, 12% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Education
Dainhat has twenty primary, one upper primary, two secondary and one higher secondary schools.one town library(dainhat sahar jitendranath mitra smriti pathagar)

Culture & Festival
Raas Yaatra is the main festival of Dainnhat. Rath Yatra

References:-
========
[1] Wikipedia--Katwa
[2] Wikipedia--Mangalkot
[3] Wikipedia--Ketugram
[4] Wikipedia--Panuhat
[5] Wikipedia--Dainhat
[6] Wikipedia--Katwa-Subdivision
[7] Katwa-Tourist spot

A Hundred Years From Today

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 8 Aug 2011 22:38:00 +0530

A Hundred Years From Today-by Rabindranath Tagore

A hundred years from today
who are you, sitting, reading a poem of mine, under curiosity’s sway - a hundred years from today?

Not the least portion
of this young spring’s morning bliss,
neither blossom nor birdsong,
nor any of its scarlet splashes
can I drench in passion
and despatch to your hands
a hundred years hence!

Yet do this, please: unlatch your south-faced door, just sit at your window for once; basking in fantasy, eyes on the far horizon, figure out if you can:
how one day a hundred years back
roving delights in a free fall from a heavenly region had touched all that there was - the infant Phalgun day, utterly free, was frenzied, all agog, while borne on brisk wings, the south wind pollen-scent-brushed had suddenly arrived and in a flash dyed the earth with all youth’s hues a hundred years before your day.

There lived then a poet, ebullient of spirit, his heart steeped in song, who wanted to open his words like so many flowers with so much passion one day a hundred years back.

A hundred years from today
who is the new poet
whose songs flow through your homes?
To him I convey
this springtime’s gladsome greetings.
May my vernal song find its echo for a moment in your spring day in the throbbing of your hearts, in the buzzing of your bees, in the rustling of your leaves a hundred years from today.

Ondhokarer Pore

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 20:39:00 +0530

Tumi Asbe Bole Tai

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 20:34:00 +0530

Jagorane Jay Bibhabori

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 20:28:00 +0530

AE BHAI ZARA DEKH KE CHALO [HD SONG] ... MUKESH ... FILM - MERA NAAM JOKER

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 14 May 2011 14:55:00 +0530

"Mera Naam Joker" (Hindi: मेरा नाम जोकर, Urdu: میرا نام جوکر, translation: My Name is Joker) is a 1970 Hindi film directed by Raj Kapoor. The screenplay was written by Khwaja Ahmad Abbas. This film was the debut of Rishi Kapoor.

Mera Naam Joker is a film about a clown who must make his audience laugh at the cost of his own sorrows. The film is reportedly inspired by Raj Kapoor's own life and the clown an allegory for his own life as an actor.

Starring;

Raj Kapoor

Simi Garewal

Manoj Kumar

Rishi Kapoor

Dharmendra

Dara Singh

Kseniya Ryabinkina

Padmini

Rajendra Kumar

Music is by Shankar Jaikishan.

Lyrics by Shailendra, Hasrat Jaipuri, Neeraj, Shaily Shailendra, and Prem Dhawan ["Oh! Susanna"]

Six years in the making, with Raj Kapoor investing much of his own personal fortune, Mera Naam Joker flopped at the box office. In later years, however, the film has garnered critical praise.

Awards * Filmfare Best Music Director Award- Shankar Jaikishan * Filmfare Best Cinematographer Award- Radhu Karmakar * Filmfare Best Male Playback Award- Manna Dey for the song "Ay bhai zara dekh ke chalo" * Filmfare Best Director Award- Raj Kapoor * Filmfare Best Sound Recordist- Allauddin Khan Qureshi

Trivia;

The school shown at which Rishi Kapoor's character studies is St Paul's School, Darjeeling.

Raj Kapoor spent so much of his own fortune that on flopping the film at the box office,Raj came close to be totally bankrupt, so much so that he was said to be thinking of auctioning the famed RK studios in order to pay off the debts.

The film is said to have started shooting in 1963 and finished in 1970.

LAFANGEY PARINDEY

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 16:10:00 +0530

A Hundred Years From Today

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 9 Mar 2011 17:45:00 +0530

Tagore With Love

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 9 Mar 2011 17:37:00 +0530

Shesh Ganeri Resh (Swan Song)- Rabindranath Tagore by Rezwana Chowdhury Bannya- English Translation

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 1 Mar 2011 17:25:00 +0530

Seser Kobita

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sun, 20 Feb 2011 16:56:00 +0530

Autograph.....

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 9 Feb 2011 17:12:00 +0530

Happy new Year 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 8 Jan 2011 10:11:00 +0530

[Contributed By : Pranit Kumar Mukherjee]

The First Steps to High Rankings in Google

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 11:58:00 +0530

The world of SEO can be intimidating for anyone who is just jumping into the game at this point. Terms like PageRank sculpting, temporal analysis of links, canonicalization, and a multitude of other esoteric terms are constantly being bantered around the industry.

For a new practitioner, it's easy to see why many people view SEO as some kind of voodoo. And truth be told, there are a lot of small details that can have profound effects on SEO, so the reputation isn't completely undeserved.

However, as much as these arcane bits of knowledge might be, the difference for some websites in ranking in the top three for a particular competitive search phrase (the art of SEO) really isn't about black magic, but more so, it's about the study of the user that you're trying to target.

The reason I say that is because ultimately the user decides what the profile of a top ranking site should be. Google, Bing, and other search engines have historically spent millions (if not billions) of dollars on trying to create the best information retrieval system for humans who are looking for information based on search phrases.

They spend an immense amount of time, energy, and resources trying to understand what these users want based on the words they type. And the more successful they are at providing those users with what they want, the more money that they make.

And so it is the users of the search engines that drive the algorithmic refinements that continue to evolve what factors are used in determining which digital asset is the best asset (web page, video, PDF document, etc.) for a particular user for a particular search.

Understanding the User Is Key

As SEO practitioners, our job is to understand the subset of these Internet users we're targeting, what keywords they're using to find what they're looking for, and what information we can provide them that will make our digital assets the best choice for those users.

Additionally, we must then be familiar with the signals that search engines use to make that determination and to ensure that the site we're optimizing is effectively sending those signals to Google and Bing. But many SEO practitioners spend an inordinate amount of time focusing on trying to send signals to the engines that they deserve to be listed for certain keyword phrases without spending enough time ensuring that the site meets the criteria of actually being one of the best resources for the users they are targeting.

The first question that any SEO practitioner should ask when targeting a particular keyword phrase, especially a competitive one, is "what information is the user looking for and does my site provide that information in way that differentiates it from all of the other websites competing for the same phrase?"

Another way to frame this is "why would a user searching for the term in question think that my site provides a superior digital experience and is the depth of the information provided sufficient enough that my site truly deserves to be in the top 10 of Google or Bing for this term?" Deserving to be ranked in the top 10 for a particular search phrase of course doesn't guarantee that you will be there, but it does makes the process of getting there much easier.

Is There a Content Strategy in Place?

The second question that needs to be answered in the optimization process is to define the ongoing content strategy. This strategy must allow for production of new and authentic content that will augment the position as an industry leader for the term(s) that are targeted.

Getting to the top of the search rankings is only half the battle. Staying there in the face of your competitors takes a persistent effort that is focused on constantly providing users with the most up to date and relevant information that satisfies their query and does so in a way that is superior to the competition. Defining an ongoing content production strategy given the resources available for the project is a key step in creating a winning foundation for your SEO campaign.

By addressing these two questions upfront in the optimization process, the rest of the SEO equation will become much clearer. Having superior content that succinctly addresses the needs of your users allows you to get links from credible sources, makes your social media activities more compelling with higher engagement levels, makes your press releases much more likely to be picked up by significant distribution, and augments your brand by providing your users with a better overall digital experience.

3 Tools for Optimizing Page Speed [Best of SEW 2010 #9]

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 11:55:00 +0530

For the past couple of months, Google has been telling the world that page speed is an increasingly important aspect of Web sites. The Google Speed site – which has the laudable goal of making Web browsing as fast as turning the pages of a magazine – has been featured in several posts on their Webmaster blog, and features links to various free tools that they, and others, have made available for the masses.
So, as someone responsible for a site, if you suspect that you may have page load issues, what's your first stop? Where should you go to get an overall idea of your site performance, short of opening every page of your site while holding a stopwatch?

The first place that many of us will start is in our Google Webmaster Tools account. Log in, click on Labs, then Site Performance. There, you'll see site performance data based on feedback from their crawlers.

On the page you'll also see a sample of 10 pages with the load times for each. Unfortunately, it doesn't go any deeper than that. But at least you'll be able to see at least a couple of bad performing pages to further investigate using other tools.

YSlow and Google's Page Speed tool (which both require the Firebug add-on for Firefox to be installed prior to their installation) both appear to show the same information when compared, so my reason for picking YSlow over Page Speed is simply aesthetic. YSlow provides a grade for each page you review and provides grades for each element examined, whereas Page Speed returns a green check, yellow triangle, or red warning symbol along with a score out of 100. You may prefer Page Speed, but because there isn't much difference, we'll walk through YSlow.

When using YSlow, simply click on the text next to the grade for each element, which details the issues detected for that particular topic on that page, whether it's the placement of JavaScript, the zipping of content, or the number of HTTP requests on a page.

But that's not all. You can check out statistics on the page components (e.g., .js files, .css files, Flash files, etc.) to see which files directly impact load times.

The AOL Page Test tool is a more visual representation of the page load, as it provides a waterfall graphic showing the load times for every element on the page. For each element you can see the DNS lookup time, connection time, time to first byte, and the actual content download time, which can alert you to issues with individual elements (i.e., a JavaScript file on another domain that takes a long while to load should most likely be placed directly on your domain). The green vertical line represents when the page rendering began, while the blue vertical line represents the completion of the page rendering process (although some elements on the page may not fully render for a few seconds beyond that, as you'll see on the chart when you check it out for your site).

In the configuration settings for this tool, you can set it to run each page twice, so it can show you the effect that caching content on your site from a prior visit has on your load times.

With page load optimization tools, it's ideal to have multiple options available (and even better, to have multiple free options available). But you can generate an actionable list of performance enhancements for your site by using these tools. If you have some favorites that I haven't mentioned, feel free to let us know in the comments.

Google's New SERP: Hit Or Miss ?

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 11:47:00 +0530

Just about ten days ago, we reported on the launch of the new Google search results pages (SERPs). Some positive feedback has emerged, both from the general public and from search professionals, although users seemed mostly infuriated at the outset.
So hit or miss ?

On May 5th, Google unveiled its new search results page, deploying a whole range of tools including Universal search as a core feature, more search options, find and compare, a cleaner logo and finally, the much-criticized dynamic left-hand navigation bar.

The look and feel - "Hate it !"
At the time, and judging from the comments to our post, the majority of users were forming a solid "I hate the new Google search page" camp. The left hand navigation bar was disqualified as "counter-intuitive", "redundant" with the top menu, and the icons for the various "Everything" options were said to be "clutter", "as ugly as sin" (in case you wonder, these are all direct quotes from the comments). Many compared the new page to Bing and threatened to switch to another search engine, as they deemed Google had failed to "keep it simple."

In terms of actual content, one of the other main reproaches made was the localization of searches: users from different countries (namely Canada, UK, Australia and South Africa) were complaining that it was no longer just as easy as a top button click to have only results for their country to be displayed on the page.

The recurring request was for Google to make the switch to the new design optional as many users voiced their anger of having been "forced" into this change, without having been consulted and without having the possibility to roll back to the "old look".

However, despite all the negative noise around it, some rare positive feedback was to be found too on the part of users.

The SERP for what it is: from "Not Bothered" To "Love It"
Here is a selection from the positive reactions: "the search results are still prominent and I know right where to look"; "it looks OK"; "I love it. The new structure is better organized. The search box is much longer allowing people to explore more terminology when they search."

As you may see, the positive reaction is more about the enhanced search capacities than the overall look. One commentator even replied to users in the Hate it" camp, saying : "Wake up, this is all about increasing PPC sales, not the user experience."

Is this true?
Dominik Johnson Senior Consultant at Explido Webmarketing has published an interesting attention analysis of the new Google SERPs, including heatmaps. The post is in German, but the key findings are translated below. Interestingly, according to this study, the new design seems to heavily favour organic results.

Strangely the search button really suffers from this new design - which implies that Google wants us to search less, and perhaps, find more. The hot spot analysis below, shows an increased focus on the top 3 paid search listings, but much less attention being drawn to the right hand ads column.

This may mean that average cost per click prices will go up with the increase competition for the top PPC slots. However, with less attention on the right hand column, businesses are likely to drop their bid prices and continually increment their pricing to target the 6th and 7th ad slots which seems to attract more attention. This will mean that there will be bigger margins for bidding wars to take place

What Google seems to be saying to PPC advertisers with this redesign is:
•Bet more confidently by aiming for the top slot on the keywords that you know work for your business
•Freed up pricing on the long tail will enable you to test drive more traffic from new keywords

Test drive time
I punched in "PPC". This is what came up, with all options collapsed on the left hand side:

Visually, the experience is pleasing: the logo is more sober, the colors all very close to - if not altogether - primary colors, i.e. easy for the eye and brain to catch and remember. The icons have a somewhat naïve feel about them, which makes the experience more playful.

The only thing that disturbs me is the redundancy, indeed, of the main menu, which you can find both on the top of the page and on the left side bar...

Each of the 3 columns have their own purpose so it's easy to know where to look according to what you are looking for.

•In term of content, the right sidebar is for sponsored links and ads - nothing new there.

•The news is, of course, the left sidebar search menu. The options there are numerous and make the search experience more readily accurate, to the point.

•The center part of the page is for results, as usual, but the new feature in there is the box in the middle of the page that allows you to scroll through all the latest, real-time results on your search. For instance, the "PPC" search yielded a tweet citing Search Engine Watch !

True enough though, it becomes a little more tedious to actually get the pages displayed to be that of a specific country. You have to either go into "Advanced Search" at the top of the page or to "Search within results" at the very bottom of it.

Overall, graphically, it conveys a sense of simplicity and as far as actual results are concerned, the content now goes further, without having to be a search professional.

I quite agree with Rich Kahn, CEO of search marketing company & search engine eZanga: "They came up with a clean, easy to use way to offer the data, plus added some really nice features allowing you to refine your results on the fly. They kept their site clean and simple, with the extra features that a user can opt to use."

The business of search
After the public outcry, more reports have emerged from the search business and those were all quite positive.

Generally speaking, the feeling is that Google's new SERPs give more visibility: users are more likely to dig deeper into their queries as the options are now readily available and easy to use. A sort of refine-as-you-go improvement for the user.

In terms of visibility again, real-time updates was another winner with the new SERP: real-time results have become much more accessible for any query without having to look specifically through the "advanced search" options. And with real-time results, social content comes to the forefront too. Both are opportunities for search marketing.

"In terms of search marketing opportunities, it definitely opens the door to more advertising real estate and not just for text ads," said Rich Kahn.

How this also translates is that "ranking in all of Google's different search engines has become even more important for getting traffic from Google" as WebProNews' Chris Crum explained.

In short, if anything else, as a professional, the new SERP may get you increased traffic.

Room for further improvement
Speaking of real-time results, "the latest isn't necessarily the greatest", said Olly Connelly, Founder of vpsBible.com, a company that shows VPS-Linux newbies how to set up their own web server.

"I want to see results not just for the newest content, but for newly amended content, encouraging producers to improve their info and so improving research," Connelly added, noting that "Quality new content is great, but if old content is remastered then that's as good as new, or likely better".

"I hope the Google guys are tweaking their algorithm to allow for that," he commented.

Beyond that point, there is also the eternal flash battle, reminding of Apple's spat against Adobe: users who are reluctant about using flash technology are not seeing the real-time box in their Google SERP...

To conclude and widen the perspective, let's cite eZanga's Kahn, expectations of seeing "more graphical ad units rolling into this new design", thereby opening a new path for search in general and search marketing in particular.

So hit or miss? Time is needed to adjust to changes. The new SERP, beyond just a new, fresher look, also holds a lot of great potential for search.

Data Visualization to Make Your Media Social

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 11:38:00 +0530

As marketers, we should all pursue how to better communicate a message -- yet many of us naturally limit our opportunities by focusing only on what we know. For example, when you hear the phrase "content is king" in the context of sales and marketing, does your thought process default to content that should be written?

We're all familiar with the old adage of "a picture is worth a thousand words." In this attention (deficit) economy, what's old has become new again.

Many consider visual assets (e.g., images, diagrams, illustrations, animation, video) as secondary marketing elements. However, these are the assets people are most interested in sharing.

You may think this is obvious, but consider what Facebook had to learn, as stated by CEO Mark Zuckerberg in his recent "60 Minutes" interview:

"Photos originally weren't that big of a part of the idea for Facebook, but we just found that people really liked them, so we built out this functionality."
"Liked them" couldn't be truer. With more than 100 million photos uploaded to Facebook daily, it's no wonder their latest update centers around everyone's new user profile page having greater accessibility to photos.

The Power of Data Visualization

Data visualization has the power to facilitate a wide range of insights by visually simplifying what are typically considered complex data sets.

The goal is to efficiently illuminate greater meaning from data patterns and connections, essentially developing a story from a collection of important information that might otherwise be relegated to statistical factoids with incomprehensible points of reference.

For example, how do you meaningfully process a comparison between $3 trillion vs. $30 billion? Doing the math only provides another number. But showing two circles proportionally sized next to each other (or one inside another) visually demonstrates the difference through different cognitive layers.

The best way to get a taste of what I'm referring to is by checking out David McCandless's Ted talk from this summer. As the McCandless talk suggests, a key objective is getting people to better focus on the information that matters most.

The Re-Emergence of Infographics

Although cave paintings by early man are considered the first information graphics, or infographics, the elements have remained constant: data, information, and knowledge.

Given the increasing availability of data, along with what's being learned about media most likely to be shared, we're seeing more organizations look to visualization tactics to enhance not only their social media, but overall marketing efforts.

While some suggest the use of information graphics to support social media efforts as trendy, a deeper look at type and common attributes leveraged should quickly dispel the idea of infographics as a fad:

1.Statistical infographics: Leverage pie charts, bar graphs, tables

2.Location/Geographical infographics: Leverage maps, icons, symbols

3.Timeline infographics: Leverage chronology, sequencing, events

4.Process infographics: Leverage icons, symbols, instruction

5.Conceptual infographics: Leverage various visual attributes to depict an idea

6.Anatomical infographics: Leverage various attributes to show inner workings
A more detailed summary of the above can be found on Andrew Ross's post on InfoGraphic Designs: Overview, Examples and Best Practices -- but the main takeaway is in understanding the importance of infographics as potentially foundational elements to a number of marketing and communications efforts

Applying Your Own Visualization Tactics

In consideration of media that quickly resonates with an audience, gets actively shared, and now increasingly indexed via social search optimization, business benefits can be realized from the use of simple infographics to more complex storytelling endeavors leveraging tactics such as video (whiteboard) scribing.

As we continue becoming accustomed to content consumed in bite-sized fashion, what flashes before our eyes has seconds to work or fail. Inevitably, part of your differentiation as a marketer will rely on growing your content beyond the written word.

Consider a few of the following resources for additional guidance and inspiration:

•Visual Loop: This is a growing resource that includes thousands of infographics that may assist in strategic and creative brainstorming.

•Smashing Magazine's Data Visualization and Infographics Resources: Contains an amalgam of resource summaries and URLs.

•Sneh Roy's article for SpyreStudios on "The Anatomy of an Infographic: 5 Steps to Create a Powerful Visual": A great primer and dissection of a successful infographic to demonstrate how visual aspects work with respect to content and knowledge.

Rules You Have to Know Before You Can Become an SEO Client

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 00:22:00 +0530

Many people know how to find the right search engine optimization (SEO) company for their business. And many articles also describe how to find the best SEO and how to "manage" them.

Because after all, you can't trust an SEO, right?

One thing that isn't talked about that much is the other side: to get a successful SEO project going, you need to find the right SEO to do the job for you. But once you've found that great SEO, it's easy to screw up the project.

And I don't mean by the SEO provider, but by you, the client. So below find the rules you have to know before you should allow yourself to be an SEO client.

Be Honest

Being honest toward your SEO is one of the, maybe even the, most important matter when you're hiring one. If you "hide" things the SEO will never be able to make your sites rank.

I've seen many cases of clients who didn't tell their SEOs they had a penalized domain. You have to tell them right at the start if there are any issues with your site.

There are Dumb Questions

There might be a saying "there are no dumb questions." That's true, but only if you're honest (such as in the example above).

If you don't know about SEO, it's better to be as honest as possible and tell the SEO you have no idea what he's talking about. This will help prevent a lot of misunderstandings and issues within the project.

Stay away from questions like:

•When will you be ready?

•When will we be ranking?

•Can't we call Google?
Let Them Take Their Time

The problem with most SEO projects (still) is that many companies decided in a too late stage that they need SEO. Which means they want the SEO job to be done quickly.

"We need to rank next week," and, "Can you get us ranking before the commercial we have bought on TV airs in two weeks?" are sentences you shouldn't have to say.

SEO takes time. If you, as a client, start "pushing" SEO you might see results in the short term, but that won't work for the long term. So this rule is all about giving your SEO the time to make it work for you.

But Don't You Take All the Time

You need to give the SEO the time to do their jobs, but that doesn't mean you can take all the time in the world to do your stuff. If you want to have results you need to deliver yourself.

Does an SEO need content which you are supposed to provide? Give it to him fast, don't tell him it will "be there in two months time."

If you don't deliver your stuff in time, the SEO won't be able to do his job. So it's important that, at the start of a project, you clearly understand what is expected from you as a client and that you make sure you can deliver it.

No Guarantees

"Can we make a contract based on keywords and how well they rank?" This question has seriously been asked many times by different clients.

Somehow clients feel that a contract with an SEO should be performance based. Maybe a PPC-project can be set up like this, but an SEO project can't be done on a performance-based contract.

As a client you have to know that there are no guarantees to be given out in SEO. It isn't just about what you and your SEO do, it's also about what your competitors are doing, for example.

Help Him or Her!

Yes, you're the client and your SEO is the one working for you. But thinking you just "throw" your money over the wall and expect to see the results back quickly is a big mistake. That is old school business if you believe that.

The SEO has to do the job for you. You have to help him do the best job possible.

Get the SEO to look at how your business works. Help him understand the market and help him or her out wherever you can. If you help the SEO they will do a better job for you.

Don't be an Ass, Please

The last "rule" has again a lot to do with the previous one. The client-contractor relationship isn't about you being the boss. You're doing this job together.

When doing a job together that means you don't get to boss around your SEO. "Client is king," yes, but that doesn't mean the king can say or demand just about anything to their contractors.

The SEO is trying to get something done for you and you should do everything in your power to make that work. And that means, don't be an ass to your SEO.

Live by these rules and you can become a client that SEOs will accept and respect.

It's Time for True Social Media Analytics

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 00:07:00 +0530

Truly measuring and analyzing the impact of social media efforts has been a difficult, time intensive process that often leads to more questions than answers.

Why? Because a true social media analytics tool doesn't exist. Yet.

This means we're left pulling data from multiple sources in an attempt to cobble together a way to analyze our social data that we hope will provide the insights necessary to evaluate the success of our social media efforts.

If you've tried to do this on your own, you know the headaches involved with compiling data from Facebook Insights, YouTube Insight, Twitter data, social media monitoring data, web analytics data, and any other social source that you're involved with.

The solution to this problem is a means to bring all the data together into a single social media analytics tool where you can analyze each social channel individually, as well as analyze across channels to uncover a true holistic social media view.

A social media analytics tool would have many benefits well beyond any tools that are currently available.

Plenty of social media monitoring tools are based on a defined set of keywords and allow you to monitor conversions that are taking place, as well as engage in those conversations. They also have some ability to measure, but they're definitely limited in the scope of their ability because they only include the social media monitoring data that's returned from the searches your perform and, in some cases, some basic web analytics data.

While that can provide you with some good insights, it doesn't give you a holistic view, and definitely doesn't allow for any robust analysis.

Because a social media analytics tool would bring data together from many different social sources, it would give you some pretty powerful analysis capabilities. You'd have the ability to analyze each social channel individually, as well as analyze across channels to uncover a true holistic view of all your social media activities.

Want to see the trend for all your social connections for the past six months and compare it to those connections that are actively engaging with your brand? How about seeing the correlation of audience engagements to your gross social media views? Or maybe the historical trend of your social media reach in comparison to your own social media engagements?

With a social media analytics tool, finding the answers to these questions and countless others would take just a few seconds.

It's time for a true social media analytics tool. I'm willing to bet many others out there feel the same way.

A social media analytics tool that seamlessly brings your company's Facebook page data, your YouTube channel data, your Twitter data, your social media monitoring data, your social related web analytics data, and even your social media advertising data into a single tool would have the ability to do for social media what the first true web analytics tools did for websites and the measurement of digital marketing campaigns.

While none of these types of tools available now, they'll be here soon, and they'll have the potential to drastically alter how we analyze and evaluate our social media efforts.

Google to provide search results before you search

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 20:06:00 +0530

Google has not abandoned the idea of providing results before search and in fact, the search giant has reiterated that it's working what it calls as 'contextual discovery' which will give users search results before they even know they want them, reports Sharon Gaudin from computerworld.

The concept revolves around the idea of being able to look at either a person's browsing profile or their location profile and serving up interesting data to them without them searching for anything.

Marissa Mayer, Vice President of Location Services at Google said the company is working on giving users results without the search at the LeWeb '10 conference in Paris. "The idea is to push information to people," said Mayer, during an on-stage interview. "It's location in context. Inside the browser and a toolbar, we can look at where people have been going on the Web - then we deliver it. But it's a big UI challenge."

Google aims to provide information based on a user's location on mobile phone while on PC, the search results would pop up in a panel on the browser complementing the user's own Web browsing. "We can figure out where the next most useful information is. In a restaurant, maybe it's a menu. Or maybe it's a social menu. It's about explicit and implicit location," she said.

The search is being done by taking users location as a piece of context for finding what they want without them actually searching for anything.

Mayer's explanations should be read alone with Google CEO Eric Schmidt's remarks at the TechCrunch Disrupt Conference in San Francisco in September where he said at some point in the future, Google's search technology will be autonomous. He had anticipated about the technology being able to offer users search results even before they've looked for them.

India's Infra Providers are victims of cyber attacks

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 20:03:00 +0530

Cyber attacks against critical infrastructure providers in India have become more frequent and increasingly effective, said a survey released by Symantec. According to its India findings of its 2010 Critical Infrastructure Protection (CIP) Survey, successful attacks on cyber networks of critical infrastructure providers could have a significant societal impact and potentially even threat national security.

"Critical Infrastructure Protection is not limited to protecting government and defense infrastructure, but extends to both publicly and privately run infrastructure such as telephone networks, power generation and distribution, oil refineries and gas pipelines," said Shantanu Ghosh, Vice President, India Product Operations, Symantec.

According to Ghosh, today security threats have become so advanced that they require a comprehensive and risk-based approach that encompasses security, disaster recovery and information management technology to maintain true network resiliency.

The survey has found that 43 percent of Indian companies said that attempts to shutdown or degrade their computer network were effective. On the other hand, 37 percent said attempts to manipulate physical equipment through network were somewhat effective. Adding to it, more than two-thirds of critical infrastructure providers said that these attacks are increasing.

About 80 percent of Indian providers are positive towards government initiatives to protect critical infrastructure. Moreover, one in five respondents is also engaged with the government on these plans.
Respondents cited security training, response, audits and disaster recovery planning as safeguards that needed the most improvement. In fact, 42 percent said that lack of trained resources within industry sectors is a challenge.

In a global basis, 53 percent of companies suspected they had experienced an attack waged with a specific political goal in mind. While 48 percent expect attacks in the next year, 80 percent believe that the frequency of such attacks is increasing. Two-thirds have positive attitudes about programs and are willing to cooperate with their government on CIP. On the other hand, only one-third of critical infrastructure providers feel extremely prepared against all types of attacks.

Internet will find its ways in remote areas of India by 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 9 Dec 2010 11:25:00 +0530

Soon internet will find its place in remote areas of country with the launch of 3G services.Village having a population of 500 people will be connected to broadband internet.

Speaking at the Internet and Mobile Association of India's (IAMAI) 5th India Digital Summit in Delhi on December 7, 2010, Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) Chairman JS Sharma talked about the Government's upcoming broadband plan, the details of which would be revealed in the near future. A key point that he was willing to reveal about it though, was that the Government planned to have a strong focus on rural areas by encouraging development with local cable operators as one example, who could collect and operate networks in more distressed conditions than the organised sector.

"The national broadband plan will be out soon, and we will extend broadband connections to every village in the country that has a population of more than 500 people. By 2012, every gram panchayat in the entire country will be connected to broadband Internet, and we will reach every village with more than 500 people as early as 2013," he said.

For the Government, the key appeal to improving broadband access is that it is directly connected to economic growth and the development of other social indicators. Sharma likened it to building roads another project he has been involved with for the Government. According to Professor Rajat Kathuria of the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER), there was a direct relation between broadband penetration and the GDP. The causation has been firmly established by the research carried out by ICRIER, which shows that for every 10 per cent increase in Internet access, the state GDP grew by 1.1 per cent. Kathuria added that this was well below the increase as a result of mobile phone connections, and felt that the reason for this was because of a lack of broadband access.

"Penetration is abysmal," he said, adding, "The development of telecom can help all infrastructure development. Broadband access will change the frequency of access, and provide a definite boost, and once this hits critical mass, I believe it will be even more relevant to our development than the mobile phone has become."

Sharma noted, "We have all the ingredients for explosive growth in place, but if we do not use them properly in concert with one another, then we cannot hope to grow. For now, 3G services will be concentrated in urban areas, while we will drive fiber optic lines to rural areas. The whole infrastructure needs to be built up, and the way to do this is through value added services. We will incentivise and regulate this to push the growth of Internet access on various platforms."