Elections

The CSA ( Council of Student Affairs) elections are over. I reported at 7:30 in the morning and will go back at around 5 in the evening.Election Commission Memeber.There were 4 senior posts President, Vice President, Treasurer and General Secretary. And 4 representatives for each hostel; cultural, mess, hostel and sports.
From our hostel, there's no sports representative.

Finally, I'm here

I came to cc(computer center) today so, I thought i'll put in a post about my new life.
Living in a hostel for the first time in my life felt odd for a few days but i am getting used to it.
Over here, every body has diff time-tables. There r total 8 to choose from. my time table no. is 4.I have classes from 8 to 11 and then from 4 to 5 on all days. saturday is half day.And then, there's EG (engineering graphics) practicals from 11 to 1:50 on tuesday and thursday.
Hostel food tasted terrible for the first two days. But, on other days, the service improved. The rotis are bad so I have become a rice-eater with an occasional intake of 1 roti.And these people serve sambhar with every meal. I had samosas and coffee for evening snacks today.There's a sweet every night,but till now only the kheer was nice.
I generally have tutorials in the 1 hour. And the other clsses r lectures, held in lecture theatrs. I must say the infrastructure is huge and impressive. U can go to bits360 to know what the campus is like. There photo gallry covers the campus vry well.

I'll type more later. I have to do EG practice now.

Techno Immune

I'm going to BITS with the least high-tech gadgets possible, i.e. 0 (can't go with -ve). No Lappy, no Sony Ericsson type phone. Not even an Mp3 player. My phone's gonna be a Nokia 1100 or more likely my mother's LG model - supports Java, GPRS, coloured; amazing , mind blowing features, I know.
I'm taking an FM radio though. BPGC has three channels, BIG FM, Radio Mirchi and Radio Indigo. So, some good entertainment is guaranteed there. There are some college stations also, though I don't know much about them.
The main thing that leaves me wondering is that what would life be without handy Broadband? No orkutting and blogging?????????????????????????
There's a computer centre in Campus, but I'm not sure whether they'll allow me to use it for such frivolous activities. I mean, there might be some rule stating "To be used only for academic purposes". What'll happen then? Oh my God, don't make me think about that. I won't even be able to IM my mother. Ok there's the phone, but what about my friends.
Hope the computer centre people are open to students blogging away. If not this, at least the mail.
Or maybe some nice, kind, helpful, lappy/PC possessing soul at hostel will be my Saviour.

BITS Pilani Goa Campus

I got admission at BPGC.The course is M.Sc. Chem. (Hons.). BITS gives the option of a dual degree also. So, I am hoping that when I pass out, I'll have an M.Sc. and a B.E. in CS or EEE. The branch for BE is allotted after 2nd semester depending on your CGPA. It'll have to be 8 or above to get CS.

I have to report on the 8th of August. So less time, so much to do.Loads of preparations, lots of shopping. I think I'm going to have a hectic but fun week.

You know, a great thing about being surprised with 4th iteration result of BITS was the sudden vanishing of the need to study. I had a lot of assignments and practice sheets lined up for Sunday and Monday (Coaching off). And I was sort of "How's it ever going to get done". And two moments later, my hanged computer came to life and Whoa! I was a college fresher. A Bitsian!!!!!!

God, truly great are thy ways.

Just six days left

I love my city but today I am really wishing i lived in a bigger metro. No bookshop here is getting the book on 21st. atleast, 3-4 days later. I'll have to go offline for those days lest i accidentally know the end.
I got this new countdown at leaky cauldron.I had to make the previous one. mouse over this one and see what i liked in it.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows contd..

Some more confirmed information
For the previous post, click here.

• One of the classmates will become a teacher at Hogwarts - but not Harry, Ron or Hermione.
• The "Godric" in "Godric's Hollow" is not insignificant.The significance of the place where Harry and his parents lived - the first name... Godric Gryffindor
• We will find out a little bit more about Harry's grandparents.
• Aunt Petunia will not be able to do magic.
• The Brazilian title, "Harry Potter e as Relequias da Morte", translates into English as:"Harry Potter and the Relics of Death"
• There is yet more to come about Rita Skeeter: At the Edinburgh Book Festival, JKR said: "I actually quite like Rita. She is loathsome - morally, she's horrible - but I can't help admiring her toughness. She is very determined to do the job and there is something quite engaging about that. There is more to come on Rita."
• We will discover what Dudley saw when the Dementor approached in book five. Someone asked this in the World Book Day chat; JKR said, " Ah, good question. You'll find out! "
• Sirius may appear again, though in which form is uncertain. The infamous question from the World Book Day chat read, "If we ever see Sirius again, what form will he be in?" JKR said, "I couldn't possibly answer that for fear of incriminating myself."
• Wormtail's life-debt to Harry will come into play.
• James and Lily Potter's professions/more about their lives will be revealed.
• The gleam of triumph seen in Dumbledore's eyes at the end of book four is still enormously important.
  
• Mr. Weasley's car will appear.
  

Source : Leaky Cauldron

Unforgivable

I was submitting my blog to various blog directories. There is one called blogs by women. When I submitted my blog, it said that it will not accept blogs from India. Saying that they get invalid submissions is just not a valid reason for being so insulting.
""Sorry, we cannot accept postings from India. 99% of invalid submission are from there. ""

Seen my Blog Archive Calendar!

I got some new stuff on my blog today. The blog archive has been changed to a calendar format. Thanks to phydeaux3
And also, thanks to Sueblimely, who led me to the calendar.Hers is a great blog. Very useful and containing links to all sort of myriad utilities.

Studying Kinematics

Why forget Science?

Most of us have an idea that our illustrious heritage is awe-inspiring; but rarely do we include the Indian contribution to science in it. The reason for this is that centuries of foreign rule and westernisation have forced us to believe that science is a bestowal of Europe.
Evidence has been found that this subcontinent had made much progress in science 3000 years before Christ. The remains of the cities of the Indus Valley civilization- Mohanjodro and Harappa show that they were well-planned. And the water-supply system, drainage system etc. were very advanced. Their proficiency in farming, brick-making, industry and embroidery was of high acumen. The reason as to why such a leading, advanced civilization retrogressed is yet unknown.
The Aryans had developed very proficient systems of medicine, surgery and agriculture. The golden era of science in India was from 400BC to the sixth or seventh century. Science flourished amply in the rule of the Mauryas, the Shakas, the Kushanas and the Guptas. For the attainment of knowledge, the universities of Nalanda, Varanasi and Takshila were eminent.
But, after the Mughal attack in the twelfth century, India's ancient culture and knowledge did not reach any greater heights. The wisdom earned by Indians was translated into Persian and Arabic and thus went to Arab world and Europe.
When India was in stormy waters due to recurrent invasions, there was reawakening of science in Europe. Time was not in India's favour. Due to the Imperial rule, India could not become one of the forerunners of modern science. The only benefit that the British rule brought to India was that the language of education became English which was the language of modern science.
A new page opened in the history of science when India gained Independence. Research began and thrived in many fields. Today, India boasts of the largest reservoir of technically skilled people in the world. This is when India is still developing. Imagine what we would achieve when we will be a developed nation.

Joy to the World -KV COD

True joy of the heart and peace of the soul is what you will experience. A bewitching view is what thou shall see. You will stand mesmerized. And the place you would have reached will be my alma-mater Kendriya Vidyalaya COD. Sitting in the lap of nature, amidst serene, scenic surroundings, away from the blare of horns and noise of city traffic stands this institution. The school building has the backdrop of green hills giving it a picturesque view. When on a misty day, grey-black clouds float over the hilltops, the view is breath taking. When people talk about the panoramic landscapes that nature creates, they mention Shimla or Shillong, conversely; I will speak about my school.

Nature has bestowed its riches lavishly on the school. But, so has KVS administration. It has given the school a cluster of marvelous teachers who leave no stone unturned in their pursuit of leading students to their goals. I say that KVS has been generous to the school because it has also given competent staff apart from the teachers. As a student, I have found them really kind and helpful. And so have the others. While we were deciding the gifts for teachers on Teachers’ Day, there was a strong demand and consequently a unanimous agreement that we shall give the same gifts to them too.

Destiny gave me the company of these wonderful people only for one year. A year, which began with apprehensions on my side and expectations on the teachers’. The year ended with rewards and glory for me and uttering of “She could’ve done better” from the teachers. Whether I received any rewards or not, the year would have been special to me as it was spent in the company of fantastic classmates. You can perceive them as a bunch of teenagers whose high spirits rub on everyone around them. The pep and liveliness with which they approach life could leave you chirpy and cheerful until hell freezes over. Above all, our class shares a warmth that I can all but hold in my hands.

Friends are bound to be dear to a person. But, you know that it is something exceptional when you can say the same for your teachers. During the year gone by, I have shared a bond of intimacy with my teachers. I shall say that the world looks rosy when you know that somebody cares, and I mean really cares about you. You can sense the concern in their voices even when they are shouting at the class for not performing. You can see the pains they take, in the beads of sweat on their foreheads, when they’ve stayed after school to teach in sweltering heat; just, to ensure that your doubts are cleared. Remarkable people, aren’t they?

When I had to say goodbye to this magical place, I did not feel sad instead I felt as if my heat was being torn apart and would forever bleed for my friends and my teachers. The year shall be written with golden letters in my life, studded with diamonds. All that I can now say is:

“I am on a ship thinking of you. When I looked down, I dropped a tear into the ocean. And, I promised myself that until I find it, I won’t forget you…..”

A Street Kid’s Guide

(How to get from here to there)

It’s hard to get from here to there

If you never get out of bed.

You lie a lot to fool your friends

But you fooled yourself instead.

It’s harder to get from here to there

If you set your goals too high;

Then nothing ever works out right;

Too soon, you no longer try.

But the hardest way to get from here to there

Is when all you ever do

Is count up the years, and miles to go.

Then you’re through before you’re through.

So how do you get from here to there?

Well, you first must believe you can

Let no one tell you differently —

It’s your life and it’s in your hands.

Then turn your dreams into your goals

And see what you need now

To satisfy the requirements:

The why, the where and how.

At first you’re overwhelmed, of course;

There is so much you don’t know.

But keep your faith, be strong and sure,

For you do have a way to go.

Take careful steps and do them right,

Take pride in each thing done.

Don’t look too far ahead of yourself,

Just that next step yet to come.

Before you know it you’ll be there, friend,

Your dream will then be real.

And you’ll be standing where I am now,

Telling others how good it feels.

You’ll tell them not to quit themselves,

To have faith, though it’s hard to bear.

So they will know it can be done —

They, too, can get from here to there.

Jennings Michael Burch

Note: This poem was written by a person who was brought up in foster homes, did not even finish high school but succeeded on the basis of his own efforts. He wrote his autobiography “They Cage the Animals at Night”. Maybe a word here or a line there that might help you get through a rough time. I hope so…

Taken from the “Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul II “.

My thoughts on Teachers and more...

A teacher is generally described as a subject expert who passes-on the knowledge of past generations to the new generation. But a school teacher is more than that. A school teacher is somebody who shapes his/her students' identities and changes the fundamental definition of what they are.

When young impressionable minds are placed under the care of school teachers, they learn not only that which is taught to them but much more. They learn to be honest and hard-working if their teachers are so, and learn those moral values that they see being practised and not those that are preached to them. In this respect, the importance of good teachers cannot be overemphasized. There have been umpteen cases where the effects of bad parenting have been overcome by good teachers. Teachers serve as role models for their pupils. They must be even more cautious of the imprint their actions shall leave on their students than parents. Due to the limitless problems of life, parents might not always be able to demonstrate righteous behaviour in front of their children. But, for teachers this is a comparatively easy task. After all, to be mindful of your Ps and Qs for six hours a day, for six days a week is not all that hard.

A teacher can change his/her students' lives forever.When a child enters the primary school; he/she learns simple things which are the foundations of future knowledge. Along with these, the moral values of an individual are also shaped during this period. Primary teachers contribute less in terms of degrees and diplomas but more in terms of persons and characters.Their words are the ultimate verdicts for their pupils.

Moving from primary to higher classes a kid grows and teachers begin to look more like human-beings than gods. Pupils discover that their teachers are not perfections but have their own frailties. And when the tidal waves of adolescence hit, teachers may be thought of only only in terms of their faults and shortcomings. But, this is neither the students' fault nor the teachers'. It is just the 'rebel-cool' syndrome that teenage brings with it. The right guidance and support from teachers can transform a confused kid trapped in an adult body into a mature, grown-up individual.

These basic tenets of a person's character which school and parents together instil in him/her are the real treasures that he/she owns. Looking at the modern world with its cut-throat competition, you might want to bring me back to reality. A reality in which values have become obsolete and the right degree and over-smartness is the path to success. But let me take you to a reality at the higher-level. When companies recruit, the qualities which they search for, even in IIM pass-outs, are - being a team-player; an honest worker; a go-getter attitude and devotion towards the goal. And where do these virtues come from? From learning Maths and Economics or from learning Physics and Chemistry? Or do they come from knowing how to walk all over others? They come from the basics of what one was taught, the ideals one believes in. This, in turn brings us back to the old idiom but with a new touch, “Honesty is always the best policy even if it’s not the trend”.

When I was in Sagar.....

This is a statement that our class had to hear often and was always succeeded by Upadhyay Sir's golden memories and reprimands for us. Upadhyay Sir, a marvellous, first-rate teacher had spent many years teaching in Sagar. He used to be really disappointed with the level of students he was getting to teach here. I have heard that the class learnt a lot about Sagar in the four years he taught them. Sir was quite a rage there. His coaching was sought after by the creme de la creme of Sagar. In fact, he got so tired of teaching from dawn to dusk that he voluntarily took a transfer to Jabalpur. But, there is one thing special about him. He has a strong policy that he would not tutor his own students. In this respect, he relents on no account. Sagar gave a lot of brilliant pupils to Mr. Upadhyay. There was that boy who used to come to school only to give tests and cleared IITJEE with his self-study. And then there was a batch of exceptional students with whom sir completed the entire course in two months (daily 2 hrs.). His batches consisted of only 8-9 students each. In one year, one of his students got 99 and the other 100. Another year, one got 98 and another 100. And sir came to know that CBSE merit certificates end at 99. So u see, when he was in Sagar,

When a friend leaves

This piece was written on November 20, 2006.

Recently, my best friend at school left the city. She was selected among the top 40 students in her coaching. She shall now live in her coaching's hostel and study devotedly for JEE. It is a beautiful opportunity for her and I am glad for it. But inspite of my happiness at her finally getting that for which she had been studying for the past month, her absence at school makes me sad.
She and I have been friends for quite a short duration, just five months but she is quite a close friend nonetheless. And at school, she and I always stay together. In all our free periods, the two of us could be seen studying somewhere in the school grounds. As the class is too noisy a place to study, we used to go out and sit and study somewhere. In fact our teachers were often astonished at finding us studying in the oddest of places.So, all in all, we spent our entire day in the company of each other and only each other. it'll be so lonely without her. When she used to be absent for even one day, i used to miss her and now....

One of our favourite places to spend recess was an empty booth near the school gate which was originally built for the watchman but never used by him ( he stays at the main gate and not at the side gate). We were always seen there during recess and even our teachers knew where to find us. The conversation that took place one day between me and my English teacher indicates our penchant for the place and our friendship.The bell for recess had just rang:
Sir: Go and enjoy your recess in your 'outhouse'
Me: Sir, I don't go there alone.
Sir: Preetika is absent?
Me: Yes, sir.
sir: Take somebody else.
(I shook my head.)
Sir: Nobody there?
Me: No, Sir.

I think I'll never again spend my recess there.

P.S. I think I got very sentimental at that time.

Memoirs of KV COD

I've spent less than a year in COD. But this year has been great fun and has been very rewarding too. COD has great teachers like our class-teacher and Physics teacher Mr. P.C. Upadhyay; English teacher Dr. M. K. Jha; Chem teacher Yadav Sir and Guttuvan Sir for Maths. The year was fun because I had a wonderful group of classmates and rewarding because I got an excellent result.

The memoirs will include many things. I am also reprinting the posts that I wrote during the year.

Mangal's Aaloobande

Christ Church does not have a canteen. Instead a guy named मंगल used to come with foodstuff at recess time. You could get आलूबंडे, cold drinks, Lays' chips, toffees etc. He was the one-man-army on a Bajaj scooter. The best stuff used to be his आलूबंडे, really delicious and कैथे की चटनी.Keeping with standard M.P. custom, everybody used to call him भैया , even though he was way older than our fathers. On Annual Sports Day, मंगल used to be a great hit. He used to bring his stove, pan and stuff and cook right in the school compound. Another special thing about मंगल was the difficulty in getting आलूबंडे during recess time. There used to be such a great rush that after bearing all the pushing and pulling, when one looked at the आलूबंडे in hand, one felt like Alexander the Great. My friends made me become Alexander many times.

Prayer

Oh God!...
Help me log on without fretting
Guide me as I am interneting
Bless my downloading and uploading
Keep my browser from uploading

May my website be protected
Let not my password be rejected
Keep my line always connected
And all my inputs be accepted
Please keep all my programs alive
And to remember to backup my hard drive
And protect my computer from a crashing drive
From a virus that would make it a nesting hive.

Author - unknown

Drop

I'm thinking of taking a drop. No dream colleges coming my way this year.There is a slim chance of getting something worthwhile in BITS or something through AIEEE. But anyway, I can't complain. I had originally thought that I'll do 12th this year and competitives next year. I know that's not the best scenario but I knew my capabilities. Especially after spoiling 11th, doing everything at the same time would have landed me in the ditch. If I get admission this year, it'll be a bonus. Truthfully, I was rather surprised by my AIEEE rank, given that I had not worked much for AIEEE.
My mother wanted to send me to Kota. But, I wish to remain here and study.

The most awful thing about taking a drop is that I'll have to leave my passions reading and writing for another year. As they say, बिना मेहनत के मोती नहीं मिलता ।
And, so u'll be getting very few posts to read from now on.

P.S. Coachings beginning at Radiance from 26 June

Harry Potter- something rare

General Facts Not Disclosed in the Books
(Facts go from newest to oldest, with newest on top)

• Prefects can take points; Ron got it wrong in Order of the Phoenix, which makes him a pretty poor prefect, eh?

• Fred and George Weasley were born on April Fools' day (no joke).
• Ginny Weasley's first name is Ginevra, and she is the first female Weasley born for "several generations," says JKR.
• Molly Weasley's maiden name is Prewett.
• Crookshanks is half Kneazle.
• Dean Thomas's father was killed by Death Eaters when he refused to join them. Neither Dean nor his mother know.
• Hogwarts has about a thousand students. (True, that number doesn't seem right, but J.K.R. said so, and she's the boss.)
• Hermione's birthday is September 19th; Ron's is March 1st.
• James Potter inherited lots of money and didn't need a well-paying profession.
• James Potter inherited the Invisibility Cloak from his father.
• Witches and wizards have longer life-spans than Muggles.
• The Gringotts' goblins return the Muggle money they acquire back into circulation.
• The approximate value of a Galleon is about five pounds ($7.30 or 8.00 Euro), though the exchange rate varies.
• Dumbledore is 150, McGonagall is 70 (and is really an old softy; she just doesn't act like it), Snape is 35 or 36.
• Hogwarts' school motto, "Draco Dormiens Nunquam Titillandus," means, "Never tickle a sleeping dragon."
• If placed in front of a mirror, the inscription on the Mirror of Erised ("Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi") reads, "I show not your face but your heart's desire."
• The happiest people do not become ghosts (Therefore, we can assume that ghosts are people that died while sad, angry, etc. Myrtle was teased; Nearly Headless Nick didn't have his head completely chopped off; the Bloody Baron was...lonely?)
• The Hogwarts teachers do not stay at Hogwarts during the Christmas holidays. However, Filch, Hagrid, and Dumbledore do.
• A few of the Hogwarts professors have spouses, but that information is restricted for reasons we will find out about later.
  
• To remove the tail that Hagrid gave Dudley in the hut on the rock, the Dursleys went to a private hospital where the staff was very discreet, and said that a wart had gone out of control.
  
• There is more to the cats in the story (Crookshanks, Mrs. Figg's cats, Mrs. Norris, etc.) than meets the eye.
  
• The animal an Animagus turns into is a reflection on his/her personality.
  
• For Hagrid, keeping dangerous creatures is all about overcoming something that could kill him.
  
• Azkaban is in a sea north of the North Sea. A very cold sea.
  
• You can do unfocused and uncontrolled magic without a wand (like when Harry blows up Aunt Marge), but to perform really good spells, you need a wand.
  

Memoirs of Christ Church

I consider two decisions to be the best decisions in my life.
One, To take admission in Christ Church. Second, To leave Christ Church.
Funny, I know.

Christ Church has given me a lot. I owe it all the sophistication and refinement of my personality. Class IX and X were wonderful years of my life. Class XI, was not so good experience, so I would rather not remember it. So, let me take you on the journey to remember those beautiful days.

The World of Books

Books-the one-way route to joy, pleasure, knowledge and entertainment. The world of books is bewitching. You can experience the joy of a happy child, share the experiences of a wise sage or feel the grief of a wounded soul. You may travel the world and explore the universe by reading a book. You could feel the giddiness of being in love or know the terror of war. Such is the amazing and fascinating world of books-forever enthralling its people.

Annual Function at School

Hi,
There was Annual function at school today. And during the prize distribution ceremony, my name was announced. Guess for what? Not for the English elocution that i had to get but for "Student of the Year". It was a complete surprise. I had never thought that I would be named student of the year.In fact, i did not even know that such a prize is given. I've spent only one year in KV COD , hence this was my first annual function.
I am really happy today. Elated

Generation Gap-A Myth or Reality

'Generation Gap' is a term which is often coined to point out the different behaviour of today's teenagers. Parents often use it as a negative term to indicate their anger and frustration at their offsprings' doing. While, on the other hand, teenagers use it to signify their freedom and label their own parents as 'outdated' and 'out of touch' with reality. In truth, it is neither a positive nor a negative term. It is definitely present, yes, very much there, as mindsets do change from one generation to another but it is not such a big 'real' issue that can become the cause of a fallout between teenagers and their parents.

As a child grows into a teenager and then into an adult, he wises to follow a different lifestyle from that of his parents. This might not be essential but is a sufficiently common scenario. A youth's social icons, his idols and the value system to which he adheres is often not the same as that of the parents. He might like to dress up differently and live differently from what his parents designate as the 'right choice'.
His thoughts an actions might not always be different. At times, they shall agree with those of his parents. It even happens that the advice of his parents which he considered 'obsolete' at the age of fifteen suddenly becomes full of wisdom when he is twenty-five.

Generation Gap is thus neither a complete myth nor a full reality. It is a fact that must be accepted by teenagers and their parents that at times, they may think differently on some issues as the social scenario has changed during the decades. It is not a complete reality since the core values of an individual do remain the same irrespective of the generations that may pass.

Being a Girl

In today's world, if you are a girl then God has given you a better deal than others. I'm myself a girl and have thoroughly enjoyed being one. I'm sure being a boy has its own benefits but being a girl means that you can have your cake and eat it too.

A girl has all opportunities in the world open to her. She can be a fire-fighter, a pilot, a police inspector, a professor, a dancer or simply a home-maker. That is, she can choose whatever she wants to do except work in combat for Indian defence forces. Women are not preferred for highly physical jobs, but still they've broken the ice in almost all fields. Men, however have yet to be successful home-makers or primary school teachers.

On the emotional front, women have always been deemed more 'sensitive'. The complex emotions of the civilized world dwell in a woman's heart. In this era, men have developed emotionally. Boys don't cry is an outdated saying. Men do realise their emotions. But, often they need to be five years older than women to be on the same level. Emotional maturity comes late for men. In India, due to wrong social customs men have never experienced the power of emotions which separate home sapiens from beasts.Unless, they had exceptionally good parents, boys' worlds tend to be one-dimensional.

It is this one-dimensional world that is thwarted by womanhood. Girls get the best of both worlds. A boyish girl or even a tom-boy is alright but a guy wearing a skirt is queer. So, isn't a girl's world better?

The Elders, Pillars of Society

"Aged widow found murdered in her flat." It is a headline of a news article which left me grieving about the state of our elders in our society. The above-mentioned lady used to live alone in her house. It has become commonplace and painfully so, to find the old living alone in the last stage of their lives. Just when they need the support of their children most, their kin leave them to survive on their own. It is the plight of our nation that just when troubles attack a person, help says goodbye and leaves.

Talking of the troubles of old people, the first thing that comes to mind is their physical fragility. But, something more important than bodily weakness is the need for emotional security and support for the aged. As Shakespeare said in the "The Seven Ages", in the last stage of his life a man is "sans everything". When such a condition arises, the youth must be present to support and care for their elders.

Sadly, the youth does not attempt to provide their parents or grandparents with this much needed care. They are shunted away to live in old-age homes or forced to live alone in their own houses. The young attempt to remove the old from their homes in order to enjoy their freedom. But, Alas! They know not that if they will remove the pillars of society, the establishment will crumble.

In such a scenario, the measure that can be taken to give the elders of society, a happy life is to include them in the main strata of society. If we cannot radically change the mindset of people, we can atleast provide the senior citizens with adequate medical facilities, spacious housing facilities where they can live together and interact with each other. Let the NGOs come up, let the government take required measures and let us ensure that no other lady is killed because she was old and lived alone.

My Favourite Columnists

Reading is the primary passion of my life. Hindustan Times is thus, a daily neccesity, just like food. I read दैनिक भास्कर too, but generally skip its editorials.

The columnists I especially like are (in order):

• Vir Sanghvi
• Karan Thapar
• Dr. Shikha Sharma
• Khushwant Singh
• Barkha Dutt
• Khushalrani Gulab
  

Remembering More Things than One

I have recently joined a Crash Course in Maths for AIEEE at Career Shapers. My mathematical skills are now being bettered by Mr. Adarsh Kumar Banka, a chemical engineer from IT, BHU.

He recently taught us a way to remember an otherwise confusing determinant.
For a general second degree equation to represent a pair of straight lines, the condition is that the following determinant should be zero.Remembered as:

all handsome guys and hard-working girls {enforcing gender equality}
having bright future
go for careerShapers {direct marketing}

Nice one, हाँ?

Board Exams Over

The big daddy of all exams , 12th class board exams are finally over. I still cannot believe its over, I've been studying for so long. About one and a half months I suppose.
I've still got three more exams to give:
8th Apr -- IITJEE
29th Apr -- AIEEE
30th May -- BITSAT

I'll finally be able to shout "Exams Over!!!" on 30th May in the afternoon. I'll be in Indore as the BITSAT does not have a centre either in Jabalpur or Bhopal. I'm thinking of spending a day or two in Indore to enjoy. Can you suggest any nice sightseeing sites in Indore?

Love for God - Means to gain prestige?

With references from "The Plate of Gold" by James Leigh Hunt

All people have a great yearning to be respected and admired in society। This admiration is gained either by fame of erudition i.e. by academic excellence, by their monetary worth or by being a 'noble soul' in the eyes of the world. Of the three ways, the one which men choose often to achieve prestige is - to appear to be a God-fearing, pious and charitable person.

But, appearance can be deceiving। When God or religion is used just to become respectable in society, the deeds are overpowered by words. It's the fame which becomes significant and the true love of God is obliterated. This can be seen in the poem 'The Plate of Gold'. On hearing the announcement made by the priests, many people gathered at the temple.They claimed that they were great philanthropists but did not empathise with the beggars who lay near the temple. They said they loved God but failed to love his humble creations who were present before their eyes.

The man who touched the plate when it turned to lead, was a very noble soul in the eyes of the people। His whole estate had been divided among the poor. But, this act had been done with the motive of being admired by people. There was no element of the love for God or true charity in his act. Hence, Heaven rejected this claimant.

'The Plate of Gold' very aptly describes how the name of God is abused to gain prestige and fame. It tells of all the men quarrelling with each other to decide who is the best lover of God. But none of them, except the peasant, had any pity or empathy for the downtrodden। All philanthropy, love and feeling of brotherhood was forgotten while giving alms to the poor.

It was an abuse of "God, religion and charity" when the notions were used to gain something for their own selves.

Examophobia grips parents

Examophobia-the fear of exams, is supposed to give sleepless nights to all students. But, new observations have found that parents are the ones in danger of examophobia. Tension, nervousness and insomnia have become persistent problems of students' parents. It is somewhat unfathomable, isn't it? Lets try to analyse what exactly is happening to our parents.

When we analyse as to why examophobia is troubling parents, we find the cause as excessive worrying by parents. Today's competitive world has made parents wish that their kids must excel in everything they do, every time. This situation stems from the desire of parents that their wards must see success in this cut-throat world. Other than this I see no cause behind parental stress during exams. On discussing with several children in the school, I was astonished by the fact that almost every kid is stressed during exams - not because they are afraid of exams, but because their parents are stressed and nervous, so are they.

The observations that I made are very disturbing. Examophobia in parents will hamper their children's success. It is urged that parents should try to take it easy and not worry too much about examination results. Even if the exam is the Board Exam- the grand, grand examination, be relaxed for, at the end of the day, it is still an exam, - nothing more.


Note: I wrote this article while practising for eng exam. So some of it is fictional and the view is general not personal.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

This is some info i got about the last book about Harry Potter due to be released on July 21. It does not contain the end or anything such, just general info.

But, if u want to know nothing about the book before reading it, please don't read the following.

Confirmed Information

On this page you can find several points of information we know about Book 7। Each of these points have been confirmed by an official JK Rowling source।

Character Information

• We will find out something "incredibly important" about Lily Potter
• We will find out who R.A.B. is
• We will discover more about Dumbledore's past
• We will discover where Snape's loyalties lie.
• Something will be revealed about Petunia Dursley, although it will not be that she is a Squib
• Viktor Krum will return (World Book Day, 2004 interview)
• We will see a reappearance of Dolores Umbridge - "It's too much fun to torture her not to have another little bit more before I finish." (MuggleNet/Leaky Interview)
• JKR has said, "There is a character who does manage, in desperate circumstances, to do magic quite late in life, but that is very rare..."

Plot Information

• Harry will face Voldemort for the final time
• Harry will be attempting to find and destroy Voldemort’s remaining Horcruxes
• Harry will return to the Dursleys' during the school vacation, but the magical protection Dumbledore arranged will expire on his 17th birthday when he comes of age
• Harry will visit Godric's Hollow
• There will be a reappearance of the two-way mirror
• We will see the wedding of Fleur and Bill Weasley
• The fact that Harry "has his mother's eyes" will prove to be an important plot point
• At least one character will die

Other

• The last word is expected to be "scar," but may change
• We will finally learn the full reason why some people become ghosts when they die and others don't
• The final chapter, which has already been written, will detail what happens to the characters that survive
• There will be no more Quidditch matches

This article has been sourced from MuggleNet. For more interesting information log on to www.mugglenet.com

Flowers

Flowers are a beauty.

Some time back, I had asked two of my classmates to fill my slam book. One of the guys wrote that he loves "music and natural beauty" and "natural beauty of nature" casts a spell over him. This is the first time I've got to see a boy who can appreciate the beauty of nature. (I am a huge fan of nature myself; have been a WWF member in the past).
Another one writes for fav. books "no time to read course books and then how can I read other books". Sort of true, isn't it?

And another one of my good friends wrote this:
What casts a spell over you? Keanu Reeves
Fav. Books: Majak hai kya, padta kaun hai!!!
It seems to me as if book lovers are soon going to be in the minority. But NO, till the time I and others keep falling for books, I think bookworms shall survive.

A little article on hindi and its popularity

With over 500 million speakers, Hindi is the second-most spoken language after Chinese.
As per a 1991 census report, Hindi was proclaimed by over 77 % of the Indian population as the "one language across the nation".

The Hindi language consists of 11 vowels and 35 consonants and is written in Devanagari script. Hindi is equipped with a rich consonant system, with about 38 distinct consonant units of sounds. However, the number of phonemes, as these units of sound are called, cannot be accurately determined, owing to the large number of dialects that exist, which employ many derivative forms of the consonant repertoire. However, the traditional core of the consonant system is directly inherited from Sanskrit with an additional seven sounds conjectured to have originated from Persian and Arabic.

Hindi, the official language of India, is based on the Khariboli dialect of the Delhi region. A more scholarly, Sankritized form of Hindi was believed to have developed primarily in Varanasi, the Hindu holy city and is believed to have been based on the Eastern Hindi dialect of that region. The term "Hindi" can thus be an ambiguous term at times.

However, despite its leading status as the second-most spoken language in the world. Hindi is not employed at concurrent levels over the Internet and in basic home computing utilities. But, emphasis in this regard has returned with an increased vigour in recent times. With the proper guidance, support and governance, Hindi may soon ascend to become a true language of the world in every respect.

हिन्दी
Spoken	भारत, नेपाल, फिजी, सूरीनाम, अमरीका, इंग्लैण्ड, आस्ट्रेलिया,
क्षेत्र	दक्षिण एशिया
कुल बोलनेवाले	४८ करोड़
स्थान	दूसरा
भाषा परिवार	हिन्दयूरोपीय हिन्द ईरानी हिन्द आर्य