Vedanta - More to Life than Deals

SADHGURU JAGGI VASUDEV





If you really want the best deal in life, stop making deals.Yet, your very demeanour should be such that your client is simply bowled over. This is not a trick. The deal will happen if it's necessary; it won't happen if it's not. It is for the well-being of both parties, so it must be needed by both of you. Once we're in this world, there are transactions, personal or otherwise.Let's say you're in love. If you are not fully involved, you will try to strike a deal. Once a bachelor who had been wooing an attractive woman for long mustered the courage to pro pose to her.
“There are quite a lot of advantages to being a bache lor,“ he began, “but there comes a time when one longs for the companionship of another being. A being who will regard one as perfect, as an idol to be worshipped and treated as one's absolute own, who will be kind and faithful when times are tough and hard, who will share one's joys and sorrows.“
To his delight, he saw a sympathetic gleam in her eyes. She nodded in agreement and then said, “I think it's a great idea! Can I help you choose a pup?“ So, to get mileage out of a deal, you have to first assess the level of intelligence of the other party . If you just give of yourself and see how both of you can be benefited from the deal, then whenever it is possible, it will happen.

SIGH OF RELIEF - Home Min Welcomes NGOs in Disaster Mgmt

Aman Sharma

New Delhi:





Draft guidelines seek to institutionalise, strengthen role of bodies

The home ministry has floated draft guidelines to “institutionalise“ the role of non-governmental organisations or NGOs in disaster management, a move that comes as a sharp contrast to its tough stance on such organisations in general as it cancelled the licence of nearly 1,100 NGOs last month for not filing accounts of their organisations' foreign funding.As per the 65-page guidelines, for which comments were sought from various stakeholders by April 3, the ministry envisages strengthening the “quality, synergy and accountability“ of NGO systems in disaster management. The big idea is to establish a “functional government-NGO platform and taskforce“ during non emergency times to evolve mechanisms for better dialogue and communication among stakeholders.“NGOs have grass-roots presence and strong linkages with the communities, and can readily respond to the needs of the affected community,“ the guidelines say. The government also plans to take the help of NGOs to augment private sector engagement in post disaster situations in distributing relief assistance to the affected communities, which is proposed as part of their corporate social responsibility.
The ministry had in September last year issued notices to 10,331 NGOs asking why their licences should not be cancelled for not filing their returns. The ministry has also been at odds with Greenpeace and had directed the Reserve Bank of India to take prior permission of the ministry's FCRA (Foreign Contribution Regulation Act) department before clearing any foreign aid to Greenpeace India from Greenpeace International or Climate Works.

International relations and the IAS interview

Global issues and concerns are favourite topics of interview panels. So prepare well on these counts.

The arena of international politics occupies a significant place in the landscape of civil services exam personal interview. The board tends to ask questions on international issues and trends as part of general studies, current affairs or as academic pursuit of the candidates. Whenever the interviewees prefer Indian Foreign Service as a career choice the interview panel is predisposed to ask questions elaborately on global issues and concerns.

There are five broad areas of focus here: Indian foreign policy, international institutions (WTO, UNO, IMF and World Bank), international problems, international regional organisations (SAARC, ASEAN, EU, NAFTA) and the foreign policy of major powers (United States of America, Peoples Republic of China, Russia, etc).

Indian foreign policy

The interview board seeks to identify the candidates’ understanding of the elements, components and objectives of Indian foreign policy. The candidates must make a SWOT analysis of Indian foreign policy in the landscape of international diplomacy in the contemporary world, especially if students have indicated Indian Foreign Service as the first service option in the main application form. The interview panel is bound to engage more on the diverse issues, concerns, innovations, strategies and problems of Indian foreign policy including Look East Policy, Gujral Doctrine of Non-Reciprocity, Pancha Sheel Principles or Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, Look East and Link West Policy, FDI (First Develop India) and modifications in foreign policy under the new government.

India stands at the threshold of a new era of economic growth, military might, science and technology achievements and a largely successful democratic model of governance. Students must analyse the major advantages of India, especially the vital components of its expanding soft power resources. Past panels have asked the candidates to display the array of arguments that can be advocated to demand a place for India in the permanent membership of the Security Council of the United Nations Organization. Candidates can concentrate on preparing arguments such as the expanding economy, second largest population, seventh largest geography, function democracy, impressive military capabilities and equally admirable self-restrained military behaviour, constructive and peace-loving diplomacy and steadfast adherence to the basic charter and objectives of United Nations Organization, greater participation in the numerous peace-keeping operations of UNO in many continents and countries so as to bolster India’s case for a permanent membership of the Security Council.

New terms and concepts

Candidates ought to study comprehensively the new concepts in international policies, economics and relations and such a detailed preparation will pay rich dividends in the written tests of the civil services exam, especially in the General Studies Papers 1 and 2 and General Essay of the main test, too. For example, concepts like Soft State, Overdeveloped State, Failed State, ISIS, Orphan States are debated in the realm of international politics. Last year, the interview panel asked a candidate probing questions on the over powering presence of the military in the democratic political life of Pakistan and in the course of the discursive engagement it asked the candidate a specific factual question as to what is meant by the term “Milbus.”

The candidate answered that the term “Milbus” is a neologism from the combination of two words military and business and was coined by the Pakistani academic Ayesha Siddiqa. It refers to the non-military economic activities of the army which in normal democratic politics will be outside the professional domain of the military falling under the sphere of civil society and the State.

Candidates should concentrate on understanding and analysing the new concepts and doctrines and the opportunities offered through these new concepts can prove to be most fortuitous ones for the candidates.

American policy

The foreign policy of the United States of America has considerable significance in the personal interview of the civil services exam. Pax Americana rules the world in the last two decades after the breaking down of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republic and collapse of communism and the nature of its influence in the international system is of utmost importance for interview candidates. The Islamic State, Kobane Battle, Afghanistan crisis, American stand on multilateral environmental conferences, AFPAK policy, Asia Pivot policy, clash of civilization theory, drone attacks in Pakistan, Emerging American Chinese rivalry, American economic slowdown and its repercussions on world economy, energy diplomacy, earlier doctrine of Isolationism, American Russian relations in the contemporary world, Indian American relations in the post-Cold War era are among the plethora of issues and concerns, concepts and strategies that the civil services career aspirants must thoroughly prepare.

International organisations

International organisations and institutions such as the United Nations Organization, International Bank of Reconstruction and Development, International Monetary Fund and regional international organizations like SAAR, ASEAN, EU, NAFTA play a prominent role in the personality test of the civil services exam. The challenges that each of these organisations grapples with are significant aspects, especially concerning Indian interests and priorities. The panel tends to ask questions on the structural and functional reforms that are needed to be infused into UNO as new issues and forces impinge on its functioning such as deepening environmental crisis, irresolvable North-South inequalities and the demand for the democratisation of global institutions.

The writer is an associate professor of political science at Government Arts College, Coimbatore. He provides free coaching for the civil services exam. Email: iasips2011@gmail.com.

Keywords: International relations, IAS interview, SAARC, ASEAN, EU, NAFTA

the speaking tree - There Is A Hero Hidden In Every One Of Us

Maulana Wahiduddin Khan





Everyone is born with special qualities. But, these qualities are given in the form of potential. It is the duty of everyone to discover this potential and make it an actuality through wise planning. Everyone is required to play a heroic role in society . But, an individual can do so only when he discovers his unique quality and tries to realise it through objective planning.Just as a person has been endowed with a unique quality , he has been given a unique mind. If he studies himself and discovers his special quality by objectively utilising his mind, he will certainly be able to perform that special role for which he is destined.
To perform this task, one has to prevent oneself from becoming the victim of prejudice, distractions, reactionary thinking, a superiority or an inferiority complex, overestimation or underestimation of one's case, or allowing extraneous factors to condition one's mind. The one who can save himself from these derailing forces, will certainly discover his unique quality and emerge as the hero of his time.
Apart from these internal exercises, one has a supporting element in the external world. This external factor is a meritbased society where an inherent process is initiated, which can be described as automatic channelisation.When a person sets out in life, there are a number of options open to him. He may enter a profession, but very soon discover that he is not excelling in it. Then he tries another option. When he faces the same experience yet again, he will change his vocation, until he makes that option in which he feels he is excelling and for which society is giving him exactly what he is due. He then adheres to this role and devotes his energy to it until he emerges as a hero. In this sense, society becomes a supporting factor for all individuals and helps them channelise their energies towards that for which they were born.
For the proper functioning of this supporting factor, the condi supporting factor, the condition is no favour. The individual should know that he will not be able to gain a position unless he merits it.It is this course that i have termed automatic channelisation. It is a form of internal mechanism.
Every human being is born with the great urge to achieve a high position in society . Discontent is innate in every human personality . That is why , when a person feels that he is not excelling in the course of his choice, his discontented nature pushes him towards another option. This natural course takes him towards the role for which he was born. If this course is allowed to continue in the correct way , then every person will emerge as a hero and it will become a means of better social development at the collective level.
To develop a heroic personality and build a better society , it is important to follow the course of nature. For the individual, the natural course is to discover himself through self-study . When he discovers himself in this manner, he should not become distracted by anything else. He should not let any excuse intervene in this matter. He should not allow any other person to dictate to him, but should rather aim at his discovered target with an uncompromising spirit.
The other responsibility is of the system. It is the duty of the system to run society on a purely merit-based principle. Society should open up all its opportunities on the sole basis of merit.
Follow Maulana Wahiduddin Khan at speakingtree.in

Once a manual scavenger, Dalit to tell her story in UK

Kounteya Sinha

London:





The longest distance Usha had travelled as a child was the two kilometres from Hazurigate Harijan Colony in Alwar (Rajasthan) to the houses where her mother worked as a manual scavenger.When she was seven, she followed her mother's footsteps and for the next three decades, used her bare hands to manually clean human waste from drains and homes of upper caste people.
But on Monday , Usha Chamour's remarkable journey will see her embark on a plane ride to the United Kingdom.
Forty-two-year-old Usha, who was married off at the age of 10 and spent most of her years being treated as an “untouchable“ will travel nine hours to tell Britain of her incredible story of being a Dalit and call on the eradication of the age old practice of manual scavenging in India.
Usha has been invited by the British Association of South Asian Studies at University of Portsmouth to narrate an almost unbelievable story that saw her clean sewage pipes and dirty stinking manholes and drains in India for a paltry Rs 300 a month to working as a motivator to other Dalit women, pushing them to give up manual scavenging in order to lead a “more honourable life“ making jute bags, pickles, sweets and also train them to working in beauty parlours.
Usha, who was rescued and rehabilitated by the NGO Sulabh International's Dr Bindeshwar Pathak will interact with top British academics and policy makers during a special panel discussion on `Sanitation and Women's Rights in India' on April 8 at the university .
Speaking to TOI from India, Usha said “It almost like a dream. I can't wait for this night to end.“
For the full report, log on to http:www.timesofindia.com

Only 0.6% of disabled students in higher edu

New Delhi: TIMES NEWS NETWORK





About 0.56% seats in higher education go to disabled candidates though there's reservation to the extent of 3% in public institutions. Of this 74.08% are male and 22.70% female.This came out in the third survey on the Status of Disability in Higher Education conducted by the National Centre for Promotion of Employment of Disabled People .
It includes responses from over 150 institutions of higher education across the country including 16 Indian Institutes of Technology and 13 Indian Institutes of Management, architecture, law, medicine, hotel management and other engineering and business schools.
The participation rate varies across disabilities. Of the total number of disabled candidates, 46.67% have ortho paedic disabilities, 32.13% are visually impaired, 5.16% are speechhearing impaired and 16.05% have other types. The percentage of students varies across streams as well ­ the IIMs, surprisingly, come closest to completing the 3% quota with 2.49% disabled students of the total enrolled. Social work schools have an enrollment of 1.75% and IITs, 1.47%. The general universities are at the bottom with a 0.31% fill-rate. The total number of the students considered is 15,21,438.
Bipin Tiwari of Delhi University's Equal Opportunity Cell explains why it's difficult for universities ­ even proactive ones ­ to fill the quota.“There is a clear disconnect between schools and colleges.I don't know how many disabled children graduate from school every year. We try to spread awareness and enrollment is increasing. There are about 1,300 disabled students enrolled in DU right now,“ Tiwari said.
Of the 1,500-odd seats, about 700 are filled. The gender ratio is far healthier than the national average the survey furnishes ­ about 60-40. The largest category in DU is not that of the orthopaedically-disabled but of the visually-impaired and the percentage of the hearing speech-impaired is far lower.
He explains that most students in this group come from special schools and prefer computer-based courses.“They are often advised at the special schools to take up vocational courses.“
Particular categories of the disabled tend to go for specific streams. For instance, 99% of the disabled in medicine are orthopaedicallly disabled; 57% of the disabled students in general science are blind and 62% in hotel management are in the other disability category (including learningmental disability).
The survey also found that over a 100 of the respondent institutions have a “disability unit“ on campus and over 130 have a “disability policy.“

Don't overuse mosquito repellents

DurgeshNandan Jha

New Delhi:





May Lead to Allergic Reaction, Skin Irritation Due to High Toxicity: Docs

Growing awareness about dengue has led to a dramatic increase in sales of mosquito repellents. From mosquito repellent creams to coils, there is a variety of options to choose from. But experts advise caution in selecting repellents due to their high toxic levels.Allergic reaction and skin irritation are some of the most common side-effects of improper usage of repellants.Doctors say the coils emit carcinogenic fumes.
“Last year, I got a few cases of allergic reaction to cream repellants. These were severe and the patients had to be medicated for the symptoms to subside,“ said Dr Charu Goel Sachdeva, senior consultant, internal medicine, at Rockland Hospital. Children are at maximum risk if they ingest the chemical accidentally .
“Most mosquito repellants use synthetic pyrethroids, a structural derivative of naturally occurring pyrethrins (an extract from the flower, chrysanthemum). Some of them also contain DEET as their active ingredient. They should not be used in higher concentrations to avoid toxicity or allergic reactions,“ said a senior doctor. Some studies have also suggested that DEET poison ing can cause neurologica damage leading to disorienta tion, clumsiness when walk ing and seizures. According to Dr Kabir Sardana, dermatologist at Lok Nayak Hospital, one should keep children away from mosquito repel lants. “ Allergic reaction is common in people who apply the repellant on cuts or wounds,“ he said.
To exploit people's fear about chemical repellants, many companies are also marketing herbal alternatives.But the experts say these are less effective and their effect does not last longer.
“The key message should be to use repellants safely .Whether you use it in the form of spray , cream or vaporizer, one must follow the manual,“ said Dr Sardana.
The Indian market for var ious repellants is in the range of over Rs 600 crore with an annual growth of about 10%.With increasing environmental degradation leading to the creation of mosquito breeding grounds, demand is set to increase further, say experts.
“If we keep our surroundings clean, need for medications would be less. Weekly emptying and drying of all standing water sources, good drainage, sealing overhead tanks and eliminating standing water in drains can help much more,“ said a senior corporation official.