Tuesday, April 26, 2011

embedded systems

Monday, April 25, 2011
Selection Process of IIMS ( 2009-11)
Selection Process of IIMS ( 2009-11)
IIMA:
There were two rounds at the second stage of selection Process:

1. Essay writing (Total time allotted 10 minutes)
2. Personal Interview (15-40 minutes)

Few topics of Essay Writing
(1) Indian politicians need training in communication skills
(2) How other games were not eclipsed by Cricket
(3) 'Educational System is quelling creativity in Indian children'
(4) Indian women should take up their husbands' surname after marriage.
IIMB:

1. Group Discussion/case study (Around 20-25 minutes, number of people in the group 8-10). After GD summary of GD was asked to written in around 10 minutes.
2. Personal Interview

GD Topic/case:

1. In this financial crisis, should government bailout the companies by use taxpayer's money?
2. A Case study, which was based on Corporate Governance – Issues, Role of Independent Directors. The case was hinting towards Satyam story. There were 4-5 questions at the end like what are the recommendation, suggestion etc.
3. Should India allow Foreign University to operate in India (Should India open up in education)

IIMC:

1. Group Discussion (2 minutes to think and 10 minutes to discuss). After Group Discussion all the members were asked to summarize or were asked give their opinion within 1 Minute (Monologue)
2. Personal Interview

GD Topics:

1. 33% Reservation for woman in jobs. Should it be there?
2. Should Students recruit faculty members in the institutions?
3. Year 2025
4. There should be international men's day
5. Go Ahead, don't Wait for me

IIML:

1. Essay writing (20 Minutes)
2. Group discussion on the same topic as essay (20 Minutes in 300 words)
3. Personal Interview

GD/Essay Topic:

1. Education is the progressive discovery of our ignorance
2. He who knows being poor knows everything
3. Helping Hands are better than Praying Lips
4. Necessity is the mother of all inventions

IIM I:

1. Case study: written analysis (30 Minutes)
2. Case study Discussion (20 Minutes)- Number of people 9-12
3. Personal Interview

Sample Case study:

1. A person who's a programming wizard but he is not a team man and frequently scuffles with co-workers. One day he goes overboard, fights with a colleague and bunks an important client meeting. The manager is a simple guy, doesn't like to get into a fight, and finds this guy a pain in the neck. What should the manager do?
2. Case study about an innovation based organization, which is the market leader, and is facing challenges in the market due to competitions. What should be the action of the CEO? (Case study was about 150 word long)
3. Riya is, a conservative religious Christian girl who is attracted to army life. She marries her childhood friend – Praveen an army officer against the wishes of her parents. After some time, she realizes that army life is not so idealistic. She comes to know that her husband had an illicit affair when on posting in N-E. What should she do? Take divorce?
4. Amit and Bineet finished their graduation in commerce and history respectively from an ABC college. Amit is more intelligent and Bineet is a soft-spoken and well-mannered. They had good extracurricular. Amit was good in football and painting, played a crucial role in winning the state championship and reaching finals at national level in football. He also organized events. Bineet was good in mimicking and could mimic famous personalities. A street level mimicry artist. Both their fathers got retired and looking to them for financial supports. They both couldn't find job after graduation. With the help from a placement agency they secured jobs in Dubai. All went for six months after which they were being assigned menial jobs. Meanwhile they built a good rapport with the locals and the Asian community there. What should be their next step?

IIMK:
1. GD/Case Study (2-3 minutes to think and 15 minutes to discuss)_ Topics was in the form of case/article of 5-6 lines
2. Personal Interview
Sample GD/Cases:
1. There was a small write-up on :Indian men dressing in the western way. This is not even suitable to our climatic conditions. Men don't wear dhotis and kurtas as formal wear. Indian women, on the other hand, still wear saris formally. Indian men have a lot to learn from their female counterparts
2. Janki is working in BPO/ IT Company. She is now called julie. For her, 4th July is the Independence Day. Works when people are sleeping. No social life, identity, etc. This industry is killing the current generation of India?
3. A small write up about a person who is a perfectionist and how he affects his career.
IIM S:
1. Case study Discussion (5 minutes to think, 15 minutes to discuss)
2. Summary of case study (5 Minutes)
3. Personal Interview
Sample case study:
1. Mr Vijay is the commerce secretary and India's representative in WTO negotiaions..He has to side with either the European powers who are ready to cut down subsidies but oppose the use of genetically modified crops. There were some other domestic political issues to be taken care of also. How should he go about handling the situation?
2. Topic was based on Agriculture subsidy and Technology outsourcing for the government. Few intelligent decision was to be taken
3. Mr. Iyer has been delegated a responsibility of scheduling trains on time for one zone. But he found out that due to bad tracks, and improper maintenance of the engines, there are regular delays in the trains. Top management not happy with the performance and keeps forcing this issue on Mr. Iyer.What should Mr. Iyer do?
4. Mr X who is working in a company as the driver of the MD for over 15 years. He is very loyal and hard-working. Recently over last few months he stressed with too much of work and erratic working timing. One day after dropping MD at the airport in the late night he went back his home directly (Instead of putting the car back in the office as per rules). Coincidentally he met with a minor accident while going home and a police case is reported. What should MD do now?
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Exports grow fastest since Independence
India's exports surged 37.5% in 2010-11-their fastest annual growth since independence-despite a strong rupee and weak demand in developed markets, data released on 19th April, 2011 showed.

The country shipped goods worth $245.9 billion during the year as attempts to diversify markets and increase regional trade paid off. Exports surpassed the government's initial target of $200 billion. "This is the highest annual percentage growth in exports (in dollar terms)".

An emboldened government has set an export target of $450 billion for 2013-14. It will target a 25% rise in exports in the current fiscal. Exports in March added to $29.1 billion, highest for a single month so far. The base effect, however, contributed to a part of the rise.
Exports had fallen 3.5% in 2009-10 because of the global financial crisis.

Robust growth in exports and slower rise in imports helped the government contain trade deficit at $104 billion as against a worrying mid-year estimate of $130 billion.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Problem solving

Problem-solving Skill
Problem-solving skill is beginning to be considered as a strategic tool nowadays.
Industries are spending a lot of time and money to promote the managerial skills,
technical skills and interpersonal skills of their employees. Problem-solving is one of the Problem-solving requires a range of critical thinking skills from identification,description and analysis to synthesis and evaluation. It also requires understanding of the theoretical principles and governing frameworks behind classification of the problem and application of the solution method. The students need to understand and be able to explain what it is that you are doing as you proceed to solve the problems. The common stages of problem solving are:
• Identification
• Classification
• Transformation
• Substitution and
• Comparison

Problem-solving exam questions are favoured in a range of disciplines from physics,
engineering and mathematics to architecture, law and linguistics (Exam. Wing,
University of Melbourne). In problem-solving questions the students may be asked to
propose and justify a course of action to address a specified situation, or to develop a reasoned explanation based on data analysis.

I B.tech II Sem I Mid Important Questions

1. Dialogue Writing
2. Formal Letter
3. Email
4. Short Essay
5. Meanings and own sentences

Thursday, April 7, 2011

Style and Tone

Style and Tone

Style and Tone are important to identify in a passage. Their identification helps in better understanding of the passage and also helps in solving related questions. Students often get confused between style and tone of a passage. Let us try and understand the difference.

Style
Of a passage is the way an author presents his thoughts or what mode/kind of writing does he use to convey his ideas. It can be descriptive, narrative, data driven etc. The style remains same throughout the passage. In simple words, style tells us ‘how’ a passage has been written. Following are two passages with different styles.


Passage-1
Last year I won $18,200 in cash and $800 in prize as a contestant on a now-defunct CBS-TV game show called “Now You See It.” I was a “good” contestant: tearful, swooning and avarice-driven. But now, 15 months later, I have flunked out as a bookkeeper. I can’t figure what happened to the winnings I eked out during eight shows, the bulk of which came when I answered this esoteric question: “ Who was Popeye’s hamburger-eating friend?” All know for sure is that it’s gone, and I’m back to living pay check to pay check. That’s why; it seems to me, the show would have been more aptly named. “Now You See It… Now You Don’t “- since the mullah that came my way has vanished much like magicians’ rabbits.

Style:
The author has used first person narration. Hence the style is Narrative.

Passage 2
There is always the danger of a specific type of pneumonia that may result from the inhalation of oily substances into the
lungs. For all of these reasons, nose and throat specialists warn against the introduction of medicinal preparations into the nose. It should be done only when definitely indicated and recommended by a physician for the treatment of some specific condition.
Equally useless are the mouthwashes, gargles and antiseptics urged by advertisers upon the public. These preparations may destroy germs in test tubes if given sufficient time. But none of them acts instantaneously, nor are they effective in the weak solutions that can be tolerated by the membranes of the nose and throat. Furthermore, only a very small proportion of the membranes of the nose and throat can possibly be reached by sprays and gargles.

Several other more or less universal home remedies proved valueless in our studies. Cathartics of various kinds, for example, have long figured in home treatment of colds, and are included in many of the advertised remedies. Fear of increasing that popularity prevented us from using it in our series of studies. Scientifically, there may be some basis, or perhaps excuse, for the use of alcohol in colds. It causes an increase in the blood flow to the skin, with a resultant feeling of warmth if one is wet and chilled. On the other hand, alcohol itself causes nasal congestion in some people; and many reliable studies have shown that its continuous or excessive use lowers resistance to pneumonia, the most serious complication of colds.


Style: The author has given a detailed description about the use of old and new remedies for curing common ailments. He quotes studies and investigations. Hence, the style is Descriptive.

Tone of the passages

Tone

Of a passage is the mood of the author in which he is writing. Tone is more content specific than style. Within a passage, we can have various tones, but the style remains the same throughout. Some common tones are, Satirical, Cynical, Didactic, Objective, Appreciating, Informative, Optimistic and Pessimistic.

Let us read some passages with different tones.

Passage
Delivering mail to small villages in India was once a difficult, perilous, and exciting job. The postman travelled on foot, often wading through swamps or crawling through jungles in order to reach the many villages on his route.
The Indian mailman might sometimes encounter a fierce tiger or panther along the way, yet the only weapon he carried was a sharp spear. He never went to work without his bells, which he would shake in order (so he said) to ward off evil spirits. Wild animals or evil spirits, nothing ever interrupted his work.

The Indian letter carrier was an honoured and respected person; he was treated with great courtesy. So wise was he thought to be that he was frequently called upon to settle village disputes. It is certainly evident that only a very brave man would take a job that compelled him to fight off wild animals in order to get his work done. You can understand why everyone in India looked upon the man who delivered mail as a true national hero.

Tone: The author is all praises for the postman. Hence the tone is Laudatory or appreciating.



Passage
The core of modern doctoring is diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. Most medical schools emphasis little else. Western doctors have been analysing the wheezes and pains of their patients since the seventeenth century to identify the underlying disease or the cause of complaints. They did it well, and good diagnosis became the hallmark of a good physician. They were less strong on treatment. But when sulphonamides were discovered in 1935 to treat certain bacterial infections, doctors found themselves with powerful new tools. The era of modern medicine was born. Today there is an ever-burgeoning array of complex diagnostic tests, and of pharmaceutical and surgical methods of treatment. Yet what impact has all this on health?
Most observers ascribe recent improvements in health in rich countries to better living standards and changes in lifestyle. The World

Health Organization cites the wide differences in health between Western and Eastern Europe. The two areas have similar patterns of disease: heart disease, senile dementia, arthritis and cancer are the most common causes of sickness and death. Between, 1947 and 1964, both parts of Europe saw general health improve, with the arrival of cleaner water, better sanitation and domestic refrigerators. Since the mid-1960s however, East European countries, notably Poland and Hungary, have seen mortality rates rise and life expectancy fall- why? The WHO ascribes the divergence to differences in lifestyle – diet, smoking habits, alcohol, a sedentary way of life 9factors associated with chronic and degenerative diseases) – rather than differences in access to modern medical care.

In contrast, the huge sums now spent in the same of medical progress produces only marginal improvements in health. America devotes nearly 12% of its CNP to its high-technology medicine, more than any other developed country – Yet, overall, Americans die younger, lose more babies, and are at least as likely to suffer from chronic diseases.
Some medical procedures demonstrably do work: mending broken bones, The removal of cataracts, drugs for ulcers, vaccination, aspiring for headaches, antibiotics for bacterial infections, techniques that save new born babies, some organ transplants. Yet the evidence is scant for many other common treatments.

The coronary by-pass, a common surgical technique, is usually performed to overcome the obstruction caused by a blood clot in arteries leading to the heart. Deprived of oxygen, tissues in the heart might otherwise die. Yet, according to a 1988 study conducted in Europe, coronary by-pass surgery is beneficial only in the short term. A by-pass patient who dies within five years has probably lasted longer than if he had simply taken drugs. But among those who get to live past five years, the drug-takers live longer than those who have had surgery.

An American study completed in 1988 concluded that removing tissue from the prostate gland after the appearance of 9non-cancerous) growths, but before the growths can do much damaged, does not prolong life expectancy. Yet the operation was performed regularly and cost Medicare, the federally subsidized system for the elderly, over $1 million a year.
Though they have to go through extensive clinical trials, it is not always clear that drugs provide health benefits. According to Dr. Louise Russell, a professor of economics at Rutges University, in New Jersey, although anti-cholesterol drugs have been shown in clinical trials to reduce the incidence of deaths due to coronary heat disease, in ordinary life there is no evidence that they extend the individual drug-taker’s life expectancy.

Medical practice varies widely from one country to another. Each year in America about 60 of every 10,000 people have a coronary by-pass; in Britain about six. Anti-diabetic drugs are far more commonly used in some European countries than others. One woman in five in Britain has a hysterectomy (removal of the womb) at some time during her life. In America and Denmark, seven out of ten do so.

Why? If coronary heart problems were far commoner in America than Britain, or diabetes in one part of Europe than another, such differences would be justified. But that is not so. Nor do American and Danish women become evidently healthier than British ones. It is the medical practice, not the pattern of illness or the outcome, that differs. Perhaps American patients expect their doctors to “do something” more urgently than British ones? Perhaps American doctors are readier to comply? Certainly the American medical industry grows richer as a result.

To add injury to insult, modern medical procedures may not be just of questionable worth but sometimes dangerous. Virtually all drugs have some adverse side effects on some people. No surgical procedure is without risk. Treatments that prolong life can also promote sickness: the heart attack victim may be saved, but survive disabled.
Attempts have been made to sort out this tangle. The ‘outcomes movement”, born in America during the past decade, aims to lessen the use of inappropriate drugs and pointless surgery by reaching some medical consensus – which drug to give? Whether to operate or medicate? – Though better assessment of the outcome of treatments.

Ordinary clinical trials measure the safety and immediate efficacy of products or procedures. The outcomes enthusiasts try to measure and evaluate far wider consequences. Do patients actually feel better? What is the impact on life expectancy and other health statistics? And instead of relying on results from just a few thousand patients, the effects of treating tens of thousands are studied retrospectively. As an example of what this can turn up, the adverse side effects associated with Opern, an antiarthritis drug, were not spotted until it was widely used.

Yet Dr. Arnold Epstein, of the Harvard Medical School, argues that, worthy as it maybe, the outcomes movement is likely to measure: patients can very widely in their responses. In some, a given drug may relieve pain, in others not; pain is highly subjective. Many medical controversies will hard. And what of the promised heat – disease or cancer cures? Scientists accept that they are unlikely to find an answer to cancer, heat disease or degenerative brain illnesses for a long while yet. These diseases appear to be highly complex, triggered when a number of bodily functions go away. No one pill or surgical procedure is likely to be the panacea. The doctors probably would do better looking at the patient’s diet and lifestyle before he becomes ill than giving him six pills for the six different bodily failures that are causing his illness once he has got it.

Nonetheless modern medicine remains entrenched. It is easier to pop pills than change a lifetime’s habits. And there is always the hope of some new miracle cure - or some individual miracle.
Computer technology has helped produce cameras so sensitive that they can detect the egg in the womb, to be extracted for test-tube fertilization. Biomaterials have created an artificial heart that is expected to increase life expectancy among those fitted with one by an average of 54 months. Biotechnology has produced expensive new drugs for the treatment of cancer. Some have proved lifesavers against some rare cancers; none has yet had a substantial impact on overall death rates due to cancer.
These innovations have vastly increased the demand and expectations of health care and pushed medical bills even higher – not lower, as was once hoped. Inevitably, governments, employers and insurers who finance health care have rebelled over the past decade against its astronomic costs, and have introduced budgets and rationing to curb them. Just as inevitably, this limits access to health care: rich people get it more easily than poor ones.
Some proposed solution would mean no essential change, just better management of the current system. But others, mostly from American academics, go further, aiming to reduce the emphasis on modern medicine and its advance. Their thrust is two – headed: (i) prevention is better – and might be cheaper – than cure; (ii) if you want high-tech, high-cost medicine, you (or your insurers, but not the public) must pay for it, especially when its value is uncertain.

Thus the finance of health-care systems, private or public, could be skewed to favour prevention rather than cure. Doctors would be reimbursed for all preventive practices, whilst curative measures would be severely rationed. Today the skew is all the other way: governments or insurers pay doctors to diagnose disease and prescribe treatment, but not to give advice on smoking or diet.
Most of the main chronic diseases are man-made. By reducing environmental pollution, screening for and treating biological risk indicators such as much blood pressure, providing vaccination and other such measures – above all, by changing people’s own behaviour – within decades the incidence of these diseases could bed much reduced. Governments could help by imposing ferocious “sin taxes” on unhealthy products such as cigarettes, alcohol, may be even fatty foods, to discourage consumption.
The trouble is that nobody knows precisely which changes – apart from stopping smoking – are really worth putting into effect, let alone how. It is clear that people whose blood pressure is brought down have a brighter future than if it stayed high; it is not clear that cholesterol screening and treatment are similarly valuable. Today’s view of what constitutes a good diet may be judged wrong tomorrow.

Much must change before any of these “caring” rather than “cure” schemes will get beyond the academic drawing-board. Nobody has yet been able to assemble a coherent preventive programmed. those countries that treat medicine as a social cost have been wary of moves to restrict public use of advanced and/or costly medical procedures, while leaving the rich to buy what they like. They fear that this would simply leave ordinary people with third-class medicine.
In any case, before fundamental change can come, society will have to recognize that modern medicine is an imprecise science that does not always work; and that questions of how much to spend on it, and how, should not be determined, almost incidentally, by doctors’ medical preferences.

Tone: The author is critical of modern science and its techniques. Hence, the tone is Critical, Disapproving or even Vitrifying.

Radiation effect

Japan Earthquake and Tsunami: Radiation – Effects, Causes and Other Information.
Posted In Information, Uncategorized - By Dhawal D On Friday, March 18th, 2011

Radiation effect due to japan tsunami.
As the nuclear crisis continues in northeastern Japan, the government is telling people near the damaged Fukushima-Daiichi reactors to stay indoors. The US government is warning Americans already in Japan to stay at least 80 kilometers away from the reactor site. Many people in the U.S., China and Russia are reportedly stocking up on potassium iodide pills to protect themselves against any wind-borne radiation. While there are many uncertainties about the public health situation in Japan, much is known about the health effects of radiation.

Tens of thousands of people in Japan have been scanned for radiation exposure by medical teams wearing white suits and carrying Geiger counters. When radioactive iodine enters the body, it settles in the thyroid. Children are especially vulnerable.

What are the immediate health effects of exposure to radiation?
Exposure to moderate levels of radiation – above one gray (the standard measure of absorbed radiation) – can result in radiation sickness, which produces a range of symptoms.
Nausea and vomiting often begin within hours of exposure, followed by diarrhoea, headaches and fever.

After the first round of symptoms, there may be a brief period with no apparent illness, but this may be followed within weeks by new, more serious symptoms.

At higher levels of radiation, all of these symptoms may be immediately apparent, along with widespread – and potentially fatal – damage to internal organs.

Exposure to a radiation dose of four gray will typically kill about half of all healthy adults.

For comparison, radiation therapy for cancer typically involves several doses of between one and seven gray at a time – but these doses are highly controlled, and usually specifically targeted at small areas of the body.

A sievert is essentially equivalent to a gray, but tends to be used to measure lower levels of radiation, and for assessing long-term risk, rather than the short-term acute impact of exposure. There are 1,000 millisieverts in a sievert.

Radiation and cancer
Most experts agree even small doses of ionising radiation – as low as 100 millisieverts – can increase the risk of cancer, but by a very small amount.
In general, the risk of cancer increases as the dose of radiation increases. Exposure to one sievert of radiation is estimated to increase the lifetime risk of fatal cancer by around 5%.

The thyroid gland and bone marrow are particularly sensitive to ionising radiation.
Leukemia, a type of cancer that arises in the bone marrow, is the most common radiation-induced cancer. Leukemias may appear as early as a few years after radiation exposure.
Other cancer can also result from exposure to radiation, but may not develop for at least a decade. These include cancers of the lung, skin, thyroid, breast and stomach.

What are the most likely long-term health effects?
Cancer is the biggest long-term risk. Usually when the body’s cells reach their “sell-by date” they commit suicide. Cancer results when cells lose this ability, and effectively become immortal, continuing to divide and divide in an uncontrolled fashion.
The body has various processes for ensuring that cells do not become cancerous, and for replacing damaged tissue.

But the damage caused by exposure to radiation can completely disrupt these control processes, making it much more likely that cancer will result.

Failure to properly repair the damage caused by radiation can also result in changes – or mutations – to the body’s genetic material, which are not only associated with cancer, but may also be potentially passed down to offspring, leading to deformities in future generations. These can include smaller head or brain size, poorly formed eyes, slow growth and severe learning difficulties.

What risk does Fukushima pose currently?
The Japanese authorities have recorded a radiation level of up 400 millisieverts per hour at the nuclear plant itself.
Professor Richard Wakeford, an expert in radiation exposure at the University of Manchester, said exposure to a dose of 400 millisieverts was unlikely to cause radiation sickness – that would require a dose of around twice that level (one sievert/one gray).

However, it could start to depress the production of blood cells in the bone marrow, and was likely to raise the lifetime risk of fatal cancer by 2-4%. Typically, a Japanese person has a lifetime risk of fatal cancer of 20-25%.

A dose of 400 millisieverts is equivalent to the dose from 50 -100 CT scans.

Prof Wakeford stressed only emergency workers at the plant were at risk of exposure to such a dose – but it was likely that they would only be exposed for short periods of time to minimise their risk.

He suggested the upper limit of their exposure would be 250 millisieverts – around 12 times the normal permitted annual exposure limit in the workplace.

However, even a dose of 100 millisieverts over a year is enough to raise the risk of cancer, and a dose of 250 millisieverts could raise lifetime risk by around 1%.

The level of exposure for the general population, even those living close to the plant, was unlikely to be anywhere near as high. There should be no risk to people living further afield.

What if the situation deteriorates?
If there were to be a meltdown or a fire at the nuclear plant, and unfavourable winds, then experts say radioactive material could reach as far as Toyko, 150 miles (241km) away.
However, even in that situation, the level of radiation is likely to be such that simple measures, such as staying indoors with windows closed, should neutralise the risk


Japan Earthquake and Tsunami: Radiation – Effects, Causes and Other Information. – Dhawal Damania's Official Blog http://dnetzone.in/dhawaldamania/2011/03/18/japan-earthquake-and-tsunami-radiation-effects-causes-and-other-information/#ixzz1Ir0JtdVK

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Importance of coordination

Coordination is the act of coordinating, making different people or things work together for a goal or effect.
Coordination is the process in which different people or things work together to attain specific goals or aims. In businesses, coordination is very necessary because all businesses have some goals and to attain those goals a strong interaction and mutual understanding is very necessary. Coordination is the way through which people can be made to work together and to cooperate with each other to attain the final aims of the organization. Coordination also reduces the conflicts among the people because of the of understanding. Coordination also makes the people to move equally for attaining objectives and it increases the capability of the people to solve the problems. Therefore, coordination among the employees and the upper and lower management is considered very important within an organization.
Teamwork is work performed by a team towards a common goal.
In a business setting accounting techniques may be used to provide financial measures of the benefits of teamwork which are useful for justifying the concept.
In health care teamwork has been defined as:
a dynamic process involving two or more healthcare professionals with complementary backgrounds and skills, sharing common health goals and exercising concerted physical and mental effort in assessing, planning, or evaluating patient care.
Teamwork is increasingly advocated by health care policy makers as a means of assuring quality and safety in the delivery of services.
Teamwork activities

A challenge for leaders of groups of people, such as in a work department, is to get everyone to pull together and function as a team instead of going in separate directions. One way to foster teamwork is to engage the members in activities that require them to work together. Activities can be physical in nature or require the use of team brain power to solve a problem. Fun activities such as sports or games can allow the team members to relax and enjoy working with one another.
Social Activities: Part of the challenge of developing teamwork is to get team members to become comfortable with each other. Informal social activities allow the team members to relax and have fun while developing the rapport necessary to function as a unit. Examples of social activities include team sports such as volleyball or bowling or a group picnic, where everyone is responsible for a task such as bringing food or planning a game.
Charitable Endeavours: Working together for a charitable cause builds teamwork and gives the participants a good feeling from working together. An example of a team charitable activity is planning and organizing an event like a walk or run to raise money or a bake sale that promotes a cause.
Workplace Activities: Because teamwork is important to a productive and healthy work environment, teamwork activities should be a part of the workplace. Possible activities include job swapping, where workers swap jobs with each other to develop empathy. It also requires workers to help each other to learn the jobs. Another idea is to start a team newsletter that provides the latest information on activities and accomplishments of the team members.
Projects: Projects require that team members work together to achieve a common goal. Projects can involve activities like putting puzzles together or cleaning up or rebuilding a property. Projects typically involve assigning each team member a specific task that he is responsible for completing, which helps to develop trust within the team.
Outdoor Activities: If members of the team are relatively fit, outdoor activities are a way for the team to get away from the "normal" environment. Activities such as camping, hiking, mountain biking or whitewater rafting allow the team members to relax while enjoying the fresh air, and the sense of being "away from it all" can lead to bonding within the team.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Importance of life skills

Life skills are essentially those abilities that help promote mental well-being and
competence in young people as they face the realities of life. Most development
professionals agree that life skills are generally applied in the context of health and
social events. They can be utilized in many content areas: prevention of drug use,
sexual violence, teenage pregnancy, HIV/AIDS prevention and suicide prevention.
The definition extends into consumer education, environmental education, peace
education or education for development, livelihood and income generation, among
others. In short, life skills empower young people to take positive action to protect
themselves and promote health and positive social relationships.
Self-awareness, self-esteem and self-confidence are essential tools for understanding
one’s strengths and weaknesses. Consequently, the individual is able to discern
available opportunities and prepare to face possible threats. This leads to the
development of a social awareness of the concerns of one’s family and society.
Subsequently, it is possible to identify problems that arise within both the family and
society.
With life skills, one is able to explore alternatives, weigh pros and cons and make
rational decisions in solving each problem or issue as it arises. It also entails being
able to establish productive interpersonal relationships with others.
Life skills enable effective communication, for example, being able to differentiate
between hearing and listening and ensuring that messages are transmitted accurately
to avoid miscommunication and misinterpretations.
a) Critical thinking skills/Decision-making skills – include decisionmaking/problem solving skills and information gathering skills. The individual
must also be skilled at evaluating the future consequences of their present actions
and the actions of others. They need to be able to determine alternative solutions and
to analyze the influence of their own values and the values of those around them.
b) Interpersonal/Communication skills – include verbal and non-verbal
communication, active listening, and the ability to express feelings and give feed
back. Also in this category, are negotiation/refusal skills and assertiveness skills that
directly affect ones’ ability to manage conflict. Empathy, which is the ability to listen
and understand others’ needs, is also a key interpersonal skill. Teamwork and the
ability to cooperate include expressing respect for those around us. Development of
this skill set enables the adolescent to be accepted in society. These skills result in the
acceptance of social norms that provide the foundation for adult social behaviour.
c) Coping and self-management skills refers to skills to increase the internal locus of
control, so that the individual believes that they can make a difference in the world
and affect change. Self esteem, self-awareness, self-evaluation skills and the ability to
set goals are also part of the more general category of self-management skills. Anger,
grief and anxiety must all be dealt with, and the individual learns to cope loss or
trauma. Stress and time management are key, as are positive thinking and relaxation
techniques.
Criteria for using Life Skills
It should not only address knowledge and attitude change, but, more
importantly, behaviour change.
ß Traditional "information-based" approaches are generally not sufficient to
yield changes in attitudes and behaviours. For example, a lecture on “safe
behaviour” will not necessarily lead to the practice of safe behaviour.
Therefore, the lecture should be substantiated with exercises and situations
where participants can practice safe behaviour and experience its effects. The
adult learning theory emphasizes that adults learn best that which they can
associate with their experience and practice.
ß It will work best when augmented or reinforced. If a message is given once,
the brain remembers only 10 percent of it one day later, and when the same
message is given six times a day, the brain remembers 90 percent of it. Hence
the need to repeat, recap, reinforce and review.
ß It will work best if combined with policy development, access to appropriate
health services, community development and media.

Ocean gives but also takes

The ocean is a mystical force of life. Its rolling waves intrigue us and the health benefits of the ocean are vast and surely not yet fully defined. Read this article to find out what kinds of benefits you can get from taking a dip in the rolling waves.


“The cure for anything is salt water: sweat, tears, or the sea.” Isak Dineson

It has long been believed that the ocean has many health benefits and natural curative powers. The smell of the air rolling off the ocean feels restorative. A big, deep breath of ocean air is delightful, especially after being cooped up inside all day. The moist ocean air seems to wrap one in a cozy cocoon of serenity. Perhaps when feeling stressed one should seek a natural cure: a swim in the ocean.

The ocean has long been believed to be a natural cure for illness. Taking a dip in the ocean is an age old cure for some illnesses. In the early 1900s some families fled the environs of New York City to retreat to the fresh air of the seashore when tuberculosis struck a family member. Other families have a ritual throughout the decades of a yearly retreat to the shore during the summer months for relaxation and a respite from the stress of urban areas.

Dentists often recommend the old fashioned cure of gargling with salt water to help a tooth infection. Salt water is widely believed to have medicinal qualities. After all, the human body is composed of 75% water: the fluid is a salty water solution.

Ocean water may help heal cuts, minimize swelling, and lessen the pain of osteoarthritis. A relaxing float on top of the ocean surface is also a lovely way to work in some quiet time, just letting the waves lull you peacefully.

A swim in the ocean offers great exercise and may help your body to absorb some healthful impact from the ocean that isn’t even yet fully understood. Most people simply understand that at the end of the day at the beach, with salt coated on their body and their lungs full of fresh air they just feel great.

What are the Benefits of Ocean Herbs

According to practicing Naturopathic doctors, these plants found inside the water bodies are 10-20 times more nutrient than there counterparts on land.
Some of the sea vegetables are quite popular in far eastern countries and are available on daily basis in the local grocery stores.
These beneficial veggies are of medicinal value too apart from being nutritious. For instance, nori, seaweed, wakame, dulce, hiziki and arame are some of these plants worth mentioning.
These plants are high in salt and iodine content naturally and their consumptions meets the requirement of these nutrients in the body.
Eating these sea veggies bring down the risk of the formation of stones in gall bladder and stomach.
There is a possibility of radioactive materials present in the normal vegetables. Their consumption can prove toxic. However, eating sea veggies proves to be useful as they bind with the toxic material can facilitate in their easy excretion from the body
Pollution in the ocean is a major problem that is affecting the ocean and the rest of the Earth, too. Pollution in the ocean directly affects ocean organisms and indirectly affects human health and resources. Oil spills, toxic wastes, and dumping of other harmful materials are all major sources of pollution in the ocean. People should learn more about these because if people know more about pollution in the ocean, then they will know more about how to stop pollution.
India saw more than 10,000 killed as the tidal wave pounded southern fishing villages. Thousands are still missing. In Andhra Pradesh alone, 400 fishermen were missing immediately after the first strikes. The Hindu, the Newspaper published from southern India, covered the heart-breaking devastation extensively. The following are a few stories of this saga of grief.

Forty children-playing cricket on a beach in Cuddalore drowned when a massive wave pulled them out to sea. One local man, who lost two sons playing on the beach, said: "I suddenly saw waves 30 to 40ft high. People just froze, they didn’t know what to do".
As the Coast Guard helicopter number 814 hovers off the Chennai coast, the extent of the devastation begins to sink in - overturned catamarans, sinking fishing boats, two merchant ships crashed into each other in the middle of the port, rendering it unusable, floating planks, plastic containers stuffed with food materials, wooden boxes, fishing nets ...
The Royapuram fishing harbour is left with just over a hundred fishing boats in place of thousands.
The fragments of many boats float north of the harbour even as scores of boats were rendered useless after the tsunami lifted them off their moorings and threw them against - ironically - the protective sea wall that spans from Kasimedu to Ennore. Struck after five hours
The earthquake hit the Indian mainland coast five hours after it struck Sumatra. M. Kausalya in charge of the Seismic Observatory at the National Geographical Research Institute (NGRI) here in Hyderabad, said the quake traveled at a speed of five kilometers per second. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands experienced the maximum shocks, as they were situated 500 km away from the epicentre of the quake in Sumatra. Sumatra is around 2,500 km from the Indian coast. Almost the entire east coast of India was affected, though the worst hit were the southern parts.

The epic devastation in India caused by the past earthquakes of Bhuj and Latur remain etched in the country’s collective consciousness. But nature’s ferocity in the form of the tsunami is such a rare phenomenon in the South Asian region that unsuspecting people were completely unprepared for what happened on 26 December.

The tsunami is a giant sea wave that results from displacements caused by large earthquakes, major sub-oceanic slides, or exploding volcanic islands. It is a phenomenon usually associated with the Pacific. But India has experienced such a phenomenon at least twice in the relatively recent past - in 1881 and 1941.

Even for a country with a recorded toll of over a hundred thousand fatalities in earthquakes in the past two centuries and a long history of cyclonic havoc, the tsunami of 2004 will go down as an unprecedented display of nature’s cruelty. The 2001 earthquake in Bhuj challenged the capacity of the Indian ruling classes to handle emergencies on a gigantic scale. But history has repeated itself as a farce. The stories of bureaucratic bungling are unfolding as the days are going by.

A simple warning system, available through modern communications - a public address system - would have mitigated the situation. As succinctly put by Jon Dale in the article already published on www.socialistworld.net, a simple warning system would have saved thousands of lives in all of these poverty-stricken countries. But it is clear that the capitalist governments of the region have failed miserably in protecting their people.

The most remarkable example, perhaps, is the story of Nallavadu, a village in Tamil Nadu. Vijayakumar, a youth who now works in Singapore, saw the tsunami warning there. He immediately phoned the village information centre, setting off an instant reaction. A warning was repeatedly announced over the public address system and a siren set off. As a result, the tsunami claimed no victims there, but others in nearby villages were forced to become the victims of a so-called "act of god".

It is criminal on the part of the Indian government, not to be a member of the The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC). This would have warned the devastated people at least four hours in advance. The successive BJP and Congress governments are trying their best to make India a permanent member in the UN Security Council, which is nothing but a macho posture. But they have not been concerned to give protection to their people from natural disasters.

Newspaper report on storm

Hyderabad/Chennai, Nov 6: The depression over Bay of Bengal which has evolved into a threatening cyclonic storm, now christened Cyclone Jal, is set to hit Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu on Saturday, Nov 6.

"The Severe cyclonic storm, ‘JAL’ moved westwards, and lay centered over south west Bay of Bengal at 0530 hrs IST of 6th November 2010, near lat.10.00N and long. 85.50E about 500 km east northeast of Trincomalee (Sri Lanka), 650 km east-southeast of Chennai and 750 km southeast of Nellore" said Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).

"It would intensify further into a very severe cyclonic storm. The system would move west-northwestwards and cross north Tamil Nadu and south Andhra Pradesh coasts between Puducherry and Nellore close to Chennai by 7th November 2010 night," the cyclone warning posted on the IMD website added.

Heavy rainfall with 60 kms per hour winds is expected to lash the coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema and Tamil Nadu.

Cyclone JAL, which is expected to cross the east coast by Sunday, Nov 7, has also been moving along the eastern and northern coasts of Sri Lanka.

If the cyclone continues to move on the same path, Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, is expected to be worst hit. In Andhra, Nellore and Prakasam districts are on the high alert.

Schools in the two districts will remain closed on Saturday, Nov 6 in view of the adverse weather conditions and fishermen have been advised not to venture out to the sea as the waters would be extremely rough.

As to the damage expected, the IMD predicted, "Extensive damage to thatched roofs and huts. Minor damage to power and communication lines due to uprooting of large avenue trees. Flooding of escape routes."

Disaster steps during an earthquake

A Guide to Prepare Community For Surviving Earthquake In Urban Areas
Before the Earthquake

It is essential that we are prepared for a earthquake. Seismic experts do not rule out the possibility of an earthquake anywhere in Maharashtra including Mumbai. We don't know when this will happen.

When an earthquake occurs, your first warning may be a shaking sensation if you are in a building. It may also be followed with a sudden noise or roar. You may find yourself completely topsy-turvy. It may be a scary situation! It may last a few seconds or go on for a few minutes. Breaking glass, and things falling around could hurt you. Be prepared for aftershocks.

We can't prevent an earthquake. But we can:

Ø Be prepared by injury.
Ø Be prepared to minimize damage to your home.

Ø Be prepared to manage our survival afterwards for at least 72 hours without help.

Your family preparedness for such a situation is a must. You must prepare and practice what to do during and after an earthquake.

Ø Plan your needs in such a situation. Rite down and exercise your safety plan.

Ø Known the safe and dangerous places in your home.

Safe: -Under heavy tables or desks, inside corridor, corners of rooms or archways.]

Dangerous: - Near window or mirrors, under any objects that can fall, the kitchen-where the stove, refrigerator or contents of cupboards may move violently, doorways, because the shaking may slam the door on you. Practice taking cover.

Ø Train members of your family to use fire extinguish.

Ø Plan and practice evacuation.

Ø Talk to your children about the earthquake: what to do if they are at home, at school, if the quake separates your family.

Ø Arrange an alternative family place if your present area is out of bound. Each family member should carry the contact phone number and address.

Ø Remind your family to relay on emergency authorities for guidance. Broadcast reports on radio and television will have instructions.

Ø Make sure each member of your family knows how to shut off the utilities-gas, electricity and water. (Don't shut off the gas unless there is a leak or a fire. If the gas is turned off, don't turn it on again-that must be done by a qualified technician.)

Ø Your plan should include a list of where emergency supplies and equipment are stored.

Ø Share your emergency plan with neighbors.

During the Earthquake

Preparations for an earthquake include knowing what to do while it is happening. By learning and practicing what you should try to do, you will be more able to remain calm enough to protect yourself and help others. Know what to do, wherever you are. In summary, you should take cover and stay there.

Ø If you're inside your home, stay there. Get out of the kitchen safer places are inside hall, in corners, in archways. Take cover under a heavy table, desk or any solid furniture that you can get under and hold onto. Protect your head and face. Doors may slam on you figures if you are in a doorway. Avoid areas near windows.

Ø If you are in a yard outside your home, stay there and get clear of buildings and wires that could fall on you.

Ø Don't go outside where you may be hit by falling debris - pavements next to tall buildings are particularly dangerous.

Ø Avoid lifts - if you are in a lift when an earthquake happens, press all floors buttons and get out when you can. High - rise residents will hear fire alarms go off and electricity may fail.

Ø If you are in a vehicle, pull over to the sight (leave the road clear) away from bridges, over bridges and buildings. Stay in your vehicle.

Ø If you are in a crowed public place, take cover and watch that you don't get trampled. In shopping centers, take cover in the nearest store and keep away form windows, neon signs and display shelves of heavy objects.

Ø Remain in protected place until the shacking stops. Anticipate after shocks - they may occur after the first quake.

Ø Try to remain calm and help others.
After the earthquake

Preparation of an earthquake also include knowing what to do and not do, after the shaking stops-when there is a danger from aftershocks, fire, falling building materials, debris, etc. Remain calm. You may have to take charge of others. Take care of life threatening situations first. Remember, you may be on your own for 72 hours or more.

Ø Check your home for structural damage and other hazards.

Ø Check yourself and others nearby for injuries-administer first aid quickly and carefully.

Ø If you are evacuating, locate and take your pack of emergency supplies with you.

Ø Use a torch to check utilities and not shut them off unless damaged. Leaking gas will smell. Don't light matches or turn on light switches-until you are sure there are no gas leaks or flammable liquids.

Ø Wear sturdy shoes, if there's debris, particularly broken glass.

Ø Check your neighbor's after looking your own family. Your first help after and earthquake usually will come from family and friends.

Ø Confine frightened pets.

Ø Don't flush toilets if you suspects nearby sewer lines are broken.

Ø Carefully cleanup any spilled hazardous material.

Ø Secure your home against intruders.

Ø Turn on your battery-power radio (or car radio) and listen for broadcast emergency instructions.

Ø Don't use your telephone, expect it an extreme emergency.

Ø Don't use your vehicle, expect in an extreme emergency.

Ø Stay at least ten meters from downed power lines.

Ø Avoid sea line because of the threat of large waves.

Devastating fire at the local market

A DEVASTATING fire gutted thousands of shops in congested Burrabazaar in central Kolkata in wee hours of Saturday morning. The fire in the market spread, the flames licking their way to eight homes including multi-storeyed buildings rendering many homeless. Wall of adjacent buildings began to develop deep cracks. The losses were estimated to be in crores. There were no reports of casualties and nobody is trapped inside the burning buildings.

A probe has been ordered into the fire by the government. The detective department of the Kolkata Police and forensic experts will undertake the inquiry. Many, including the Trinamool Congress chief Mamata, who visited the spot, suspect the fire was started deliberately.

Forty-two fire engines were rushed to the spot. Fire engines had to be summoned from Panagarh Indian Air Force base in Burdwan district. Hit by a lack of ladders, which could reach up to the 13th floor, of a 15-storey building authorities had to ask the airport authorities for a special ladder. The fire spread to adjacent Nandaram market where the fourth and the eight floors caught fire. Massive traffic jams ensued. in the area. The area was teeming with crowds and the people were agitated cursing the fire personnel.

Loudspeakers were used to ask people to vacate. The Rapid Action Force was called in and senior police officials made a beeline. There were moving scenes with many weeping inconsolably. Others cursed and swore and yelled at the ministers and the Governor who visited the spot.

There were fears that two building, which were burnt down would collapse. There were allegations that the fire brigade arrived late and did not have access to enough water. In the congested Burrabazaar area the fire brigade was unable to access adequate water sources leading to the fire spreading rapidly.

Burrabazaar houses Kolkata's well-known wholesale market. Some of the buildings in the area are as old as a century. There has been mushrooming of unplanned buildings in the area thanks to real estate sharks, who have blatantly flouted every building rule laid down by the Kolkata Municipal Corporation. The civic body known for its corruption allowed the real estate dons to get away with the violations.

The fire broke out at 1.30 am in Tripalpatti, a wholesale market for plastic tarpaulins on Jamunalal Bajaj Street in all probability from a short circuit The fire spread rapidly because of the huge stocks of plastic tarpaulins, polythene, and textile. The state's Fire minister Pratim Chatterjee alleged that the traders had stored inflammable articles illegally in the congested area. He said in an old city like Kolkata such fires were difficult to prevent but fortunately lives had not been lost. The West Bengal Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi echoed him and said while there have been huge losses but lives had not been lost. Apart from the Governor, the state's Finance minister Asim Dasgupta visited the fire site.