Lately, volatility has come to characterize India's stock markets due to  Portfolio  adjustment made by the Foreign Institutional Investors  (                FIIs) resulting in destabilizing tendencies in the country's system. This volatility has been visible in the medium and long term as well.  From a low of 2924 in April 2003, the BSE Sensitive Index (Sensex) had risen to 6194 in January 2004, only to fall to 4505 in May 2004 and again rise to 6679 in January 2005. While the Sensex crossed 21000 in January   2008, n even witnessed a low of 8000 in September 2008 before climbing   To 17000 levels by the end of 2009. These wild fl8uctuations have meant that for those who bought into the market at the right time and exiled at the appropriate moment, the average return earned through capital  gains were higher in 2003 than 2004 and 2008-09, despite the extended bull runs in more...

Osho or Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh (11 Dec. 1931 - 19 Jan. 1990) was born Rajneesh Chandra Mohan Jain. He was also known as Acharya Rajneesh from the 1960s onwards. He called himself Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh during the 1970s and 1980s and took the name Osho in 1989. (un syncretic teachings emphasise the importance of meditation. ttwiiicncss, love, celebration, creativity and humour - qualities that he viewed as being suppressed by adherence to static belief systems, relegation tradition and socialization. He had international following ami (lit- popularity of his teachings has increased markedly since his death. Osho was a professor of philosophy and held controversial views against socialism, Mahatma Gandhi, and institutional religion. He earned the sobriquet "sex guru" in the Indian and the international press due to his advocacy of a more open attitude towards sexuality. In his discourses, he reinterpreted writings of religious traditions, mystics and philosophers from around more...

We are living in an age of grave ecological crisis- a-crisis which has been created by the imbalance between the population, resources and environment. A biological community is a balanced community. Its successful survival depends upon the inter-action and inter-relationship between the physical environment and the living beings themselves. In order to increase food production man has used powerful synthetic pesticides and inorganic fertilizers. Such modem farming practices have brought in Green Revolution but have caused serious environment problems. The non-biogradable chlorinated hydro- carbons like D.D.T. used as pesticides are found in every living plant and animal around the world. The crises of population versus food and resources alone would be a massive challenge for humanity to face over next 20-30 years. Rapid industrialization and modem technology have led to a serious deterioration in environment. As a factor in human health and well-being, environment pollution is a serious cause for more...

Once I had a wonderful dream. It was soon after I had read an article that how the Americans had landed on the moon. I dreamt I was an astronaut. At first I had many months of difficult training for my job. They saw that I was in perfect health. They also made me practice all that I had to do on my flight. I had two other companions undergoing the training with me. We were all excited as the day for our flight approached. Our space ship and capsule were kept in readiness for our flight. A big crowd assembled to see us take off from the earth. We suddenly shot into space and orbited the earth at an unimaginable speed. Soon we were about to land on the moon. We were thrilled at the thought that we were going to land on another heavenly body. We landed cautiously. more...

Inflation, to one degree or another, has become a fact of life. It is defined as a sustained increase in the general level of prices for goods and services. As inflation rises, purchasing power decreases, fixed-asset values are affected, companies adjust their pricing of goods and services, financial markets react and there is an impact on the composition of investment portfolios. The impact of any upward trend in prices is felt by consumers businesses and investors. Inflation is not intrinsically good or bad, but it certainly does impact the investing environment. Changing prices can affect financial statement market environments and investment returns. Hence, the reserve Bank of India takes steps to manage inflation and the pace of economic growth. If inflationary pressures are building and economic Growth is accelerating, the Reserve Bank will act in a manner so as to increase the cost of borrowing and slowdown the economy. Controlling more...

Swaminarayan Akshardham in New Delhi epitomises 10,000 years of Indian culture in all its breathtaking grandeur, beauty, wisdom and bliss. It brilliantly showcases the essence of India's ancient architecture, traditions and timeless spiritual messages. It shocases Indian art, wisdom, heritage and values as a tribute to bhagwan Swaminarayan (1781-1830 CE), a torchbearer of Indian culture. Inspired by Pramukh Swami Maharaj, and the colossal devotion efforts   of 11,000 artisans and volunteers of Bochasanw.isi Sini Aksli hirii.slioll.iiii Swaminarayan Sanstha (BAPS), Akshardh. Was built in only five years. The grand, ancient-styled complex, inaugurated in November 2005, was built to fulfil the wish of  maharaj, the fourth Yogiji Maharaj, the fourth successor in the spiritual hierarchy of Bhagwan Swaminarayan. Set in a vast 100-acre site, the Akshardham complex radiates peace, beauty, joy and divinity. Akshardham means the eternal, divine abode of the   (led, the abode of eternal values and virtues of Akshar as  Defined more...

Albums are a treasure house of memories. I have three albums that contain pictures taken by my parent’s right from the time I was born to the time I started going to school. These photographs have helped me to get a clear picture of my past and the time I was born. To begin with there are pictures of me and my mother in the hospital. I am hardly two days old in the first photograph of my album. There are pictures of all my relatives and my family friends in my album. They came to visit us at the hospital and I look really small in the arms of various aunts and uncles who are seen cuddling me very lovingly. The next section of my album includes photographs of my first birthday celebration. My birthday had been celebrated at home. There were many children who attended the party. Even more...

It has been rightly said, 'if you educate a man you educate a person, but if you educate a woman you educate the entire family'. Also, girls are found to be more determined and committed towards education and they generally outperform boys in various examinations. Girls are found to be diligent, coupled with higher maturity levels than boys. Educated Girls are known to support their parents in their old age when their Brothers fail to do so. Dowry system can also be put to an end if educated women stand up against the system. Thus, education of the girl child would mean the emancipation of women and social development of the nation Still, reformists and leaders of the developing countries are found to be pondering over the question, 'What does it take to get girls in school and keep them there?' As per UN statistics, two-thirds of the out of more...

Creativity can bring forth new products and procedures, remedy conflict and even create opportunity where none exists. Thus, creativity is and always be the most valuable asset. In general, every person is creative to a certain extent. However, everyone does not have the same ability to come up with better ideas provided by a more economical use of time.   It is fine to have the ability to count on our creative subconscious for an occasional idea or solution. But to develop spontaneous creativity, we need to do away with assumptions, boundaries and unspoken rules, which arc taken for granted. Often, finding a creative solution to a problem requires a creative look at the definition of the problem in hand hence, we need to look and think of the problem in different ways .mil from different angles before we start preparing a list of the different ways of dealing with more...

The definition of "slum" varies from country to country. In India, The slum Areas Improvement and Clearance Act of 1956 defines 'slum areas' as places where buildings: are in any respect unfit for human habitation; and are by reason of dilapidation, overcrowding, faulty arrangement and design of such buildings, narrowness or faulty arrangement of streets, lack of ventilation, light, sanitation facilities or any combination of these factors which are detrimental to safety, health and morals. The Census of India defines a slum as "a compact area of at least 300 in population or about 60-70 households of poorly built, congested tenements in an unhygienic environment usually with inadequate infrastructure and lacking proper sanitary and drinking water facilities". The United Nations agency UN-HABITAT, defines slum as "a run-down Area of a city characterized by substandard housing and squalor and lacking in tenure security". Slums are an urban phenomenon and they represent more...