Essays

At the Wallops Flight Facility at Wallops Island in East Coast, Virginia, USA, the base for NASA's sound rocketing programme, a visitor from India spotted a painting displayed prominently in the reception lobby, depicting a battle scene with a few rockets flying in the background. The visitor's curiosity was kindled when he saw that the soldiers launching the rocket were not white-skinned, but dark with racial features distinctly Indian. It soon turned out that Tipu Sultan's army was fighting the British with rockets. When the ruler of Mysore was killed in the battle of Turukhanahally in 1799, the British seized more than 700 rockets and subsystems of 900 rockets. Tipu's army had 27 brigades, called Kushoons, and each brigade had a company of rocket men, called Jourks. These rockets were taken to England by one William Congreve. History has turned full circle two centuries later in the land of Tipu more...

In India, the Public Distribution System (PDS) was introduced during the Second World War after the Great Bengal Famine, but over the years, the PDS has degenerated to such an extent that there are periodic calls by Government officials to streamline it. This article shall consider the PDS as it is organized in Tamil Nadu where every family is entitled to a ration card to buy subsidized provisions. The foodstuff is procured by the Tamil Nadu Civil Supplies Corporation and there is an allotment from the "Central Pool", which is handed over to the cooperative societies with over 20,000 shops all over the State, the rest managed by the TNCSC. A report in The Hindu, (February 19, 1994) said, "Cocking a snook at the authorities are innumerable employees of the nearly 22,000 fair price shops (FPS) spread all over the States. The charges against them relate to underweightment and diversion more...

There is quite a debate on whether or not computers have positively effected education. Some proponents of computers in school argue the fact that computers are vast in the supply of resources as well as the fact that computers dominate society and will continue to do so. Opponents of computers in education take the position of experiencing things actually and not just on a computer screen, a reality versus virtual reality argument (www.realworld.org). In addition to this, there is the aspect of time involved with using a computer as opposed id interaction with actual living things. Computers have inmany ways enhanced education but it has also weakened other skills taught in school as well. The first skill lost is obvious with the use of word processing programs today. Of course they are convenient for typing papers because of the neatness and uniformity they provide as opposed to handwriting. Computers also more...

The panchayati raj system is best suited for developmental and administrative needs of India's rural masses because of wide variation in the nature and magnitude of local problems. It is an inexpensive form of local government which can identify the local problems and issues more realistically and expeditiously act to resolve them judiciously. The Panchayats provide a forum where local people can meet and chalk out programmes of their own progress. Thus, existence of panchayati raj enables the country to have more meaningful developmental plans in which mass participation of the rural population can be issued. The basic objective of panchayati raj is to evolve a system of democratic decentralization and devolution of powers, functions and authority to the rural people with a view to ensuring rapid socio- economic progress and speedier and inexpensive justice. This is to be achieved through (i) increasing agricultural production (ii) development of rural industries more...

India is very big democratic country here every stage of Government has a perfect political democratic setup is situated. India has a parliament’s democratic country in which the representatives of public lead the Government. In India which party's seats are in majority in Parliament or State Legislative Assembly who form the Government? Political unstability is very important and harmful! Problem of India. In 1975 when our contemporary Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi declared emergency in the country, then after that emergency period the General Elections was held in 1977. In these elections the Indian National Congress was defeated and the Janta Party formed the Government in centre and Morarji Desai became the fourth Prime Minister of India, but this Govt. of Janta Party was not completed its tenure of five years and then in 1930 the country had to face another General Elections. This is the first incident of Political more...

Nuclear Energy and the Environment In our society, nuclear energy has become one of the most criticized forms of energy by the environmentalists. Thus a look at nuclear energy and the environment and its impact on economic growth. Lewis Munford, an analyst, once wrote. Too much energy is as fatal as too little, hence the regulation of energy input and output not its unlimited expansion, is in fact one of the main laws of life. This is true when dealing with nuclear power. Because our societies structure and processes both depend upon energy, man is searching for the most efficient and cheapest form of energy that can be used on a long term basis. And because we equate power with growth, the more energy that a country uses, the greater their expected economic growth. The problem is that energy is considered to have two facets or parts: it is a more...

On hearing the word politics, what usually springs to mind are images of government, politicians and their policies or more negatively the idea of corruption and dirty tricks. The actual definition seems to have been obscured and almost lost by such representations and clichés that tend not to pinpoint the true essence, which defines this thing, called politics. In order to make an attempt at a definition of politics a systematic approach is required. To begin with, a brief historical overview will be considered, to understand the origins of politics. Following this, different core concepts, which are imperative to a definition of politics, will be discussed, in the hope to discover a true and fair interpretation of the word politics. The word politics comes from the Greek word "polls", meaning the state or community as a whole. The concept of the "polis" was an ideal state and came from the more...

The evolution of broadcast programming can be identified into four stages. The first stage covers the debut of commercial radio in the 1920's. At that time the tone was considered proper, and formal. For several years radio broadcasting emphasized classical or semi-classical music, and historical drama. Commercials were kept brief and always discreet in the second stage of programming, which was called The Golden Age of Radio, shows were action adventures.  Vaudeville-Comedy was also popular. The hard ships of the  1930’s and then World War II, made it important for citizen  To be able to relax as radio brought popular entertainers and  adventure stories into their homes. The third stage of programming lasted from 1945 until the early 1950's, when television had an explosive growth.  Television was preserved as "radio with pictures." Many entertainers and entire programs were transferred successfully from radio to television. At the beginning of the fourth more...

Leadership can be defined as the ability of a person to motivate his team members for carrying out specific tasks so that he and his team members could achieve the coveted objectives. Leadership is a healthy and positive trait of human personality. Leadership transcends the boundaries of nations, castes, classes, gender or economic status. Leaders are made and not born. Some leadership abilities are, no doubt, present in all the human beings. However, these abilities are developed and honed by a set of circumstances and the toil of the individual. The world is full of examples of great leaders. From the time of Lord Jesus Christ to the leaders of today, the list is worth taking the lessons. Mahatma Gandhi led the Indian masses during freedom struggle. George Washington won the battle of independence for the American nation in 1776.Abraham Lincoln is regarded as one of the most powerful leaders more...

The future of communism in China is unknown, as the world economy becomes more international. Communism has been in China since 1949 and is still present in the country's activities. Presently China is undergoing incredible economic growth and promises to be a dominant power early in the next century. China's social tradition has come under heavy pressure from forces of modernization generated in a large part by the sustained contact with the West that began in the middle of the nineteenth century. The Western incursion not only refined China militarily but brought in its course new ideas- nationalism, science and technology, and innovations in politics, philosophy, and art. Chinese leaders have sought to preserve the nation's cultural uniqueness by promoting specifically Chinese blends of tradition and modernity. China has undergone several major political transformations from a feudal-like system in early historical times, to a centralized bureaucratic empire that lasted through more...