Dante Alighieris The Divine Comedy, Purgatory Essays - Divine Comedy

Dante Alighieri's The Divine Comedy, Purgatory Dante's The Divine Comedy section of Purgatory is a depiction of Dante and his struggle to reach paradise. He is a character as well as a narrator. The purgatory section deals with the seven deadly sins and Dante's task of cleansing himself on his journey to heaven. He confronts many different people on his journey to self-righteousness, which help and guide him to his destiny. Accompanied by Virgil or reason as he is depicted, his quest is a hard journey with many answers to be found. Dante was born in May 1265 and lived his early life at a time of change and of great economic and cultural expansion in Florence (Kirkpatrick 2). The poet was critically aware of developments in Florentine poetry and painting (2). He also had an eye for the political scene as well. He was elected several times to one of the six priors that governed his republic. Dante had left the city for a short time when a revolt took place between the Black's and the Whites. Dante was exiled and sentenced to death for corruption. Little is known about Dante's personal life or family life. His mother died early in his childhood and his father died shortly after remarrying again in 1285 (Grandgent 2). He gained a half brother and half sister out of this marriage, but little is known of them either (2). There was possibly another sister but if she was from the first or second marriage, we do not know. Around 1277 Dante's father arranged Dante's marriage to Gemma, daughter of Manetto Donati. The appr oximate date of marriage is around 1283, but again not for certain. Dante had three children, two sons and a daughter who became a nun and changed her name to Beatrice (Foster 12 ). After Gemma's death, Dante began studying philosophy, which he soon seemed to fall in love with. Dante was never able to return to the city for fear of his life. He wandered for the next twenty years depending on patrons to help him survive. It is hard to find any documentation on Dante's journey outside of Florence. It is know that his last days were spent in Ravenna, under the watchful eye of Guido da Polenta. The city recognized him as a great poet and it was here the last of The Divine Comedy was written. Dante died shortly after finishing his final and best work in 1322. His ashes are still buried next to the church of San Francesco. Dante's Purgatory section of The Divine Comedy covers Dante's journey through Purgatory and the challenges he faces. Purgatory was an island with a huge mountain towering from it. At the top was Paradise or heaven. It was sealed off by a gate with angles guarding the entrance. The bottom was antepurgatory where the souls that were not ready for the journey resided. The mountain itself was composed of seven concentric ledges separated by steep cliffs. On each ledge, one of the seven capital sins waited on a soul. They were composed of Pride, Envy, Wrath Sloth, Avarice, Gluttony, and Lust. When the soul had released his sin, he was able to proceed to the next level. When he ascends to the next level, an angle would greet him and perform a cleansing ritual. In addition, on each ledge of Purgatory, there were models of the sin as well as the virtues which opposed the sin. These were a kind of test for the soul. Dante was guided by Virgil or reason as Virgil is depicted. Cato refuses to l et Dante sit around and do nothing. At first, he will not let them pass, but Virgil explains their reasons for being there and gains passage. For Dante to be purified, he must first witness a miracle. He breaks a reed in his hand and it instantly regrows itself. Dante is now ready for his journey through Purgatory. The journey is a quest for freedom, which could be considered the idea of purgatory. After leaving Hell, each soul must make it through purgatory to find its place in heaven. Why was freedom so important to Dante in The Divine Comedy? Early on in his

Free Essays on AZT

AZT: Miracle Drug or Coverup? Fred, an individual with AIDS, finds it difficult to walk the five steps from his bed to his bathroom. "I would just lie there for two hours; I couldn’t get up to take those five steps. When I was taken to the hospital, I had to have someone come over to dress me. It’s that kind of severe fatigue....The quality of my life was pitiful... (Farber 7)." While Fred suffers from AIDS, his severe fatigue is not a side effect of the disease. Rather, it is one of the many side effects of the medication Azidothymidine (AZT). For over a decade, AZT would be the only drug approved by the FDA for the treatment of HIV and AIDS, despite the flawed research used to support this drugs effectiveness, despite the studies that disproved this drugs usefulness in the treatment of HIV and AIDS, and despite the severe side effects it produced in most HIV and AIDS patients. AZT was first used in 1964 as a form of chemotherapy for cancer patients, but it was discontinued because it was toxic, expensive to produce, and ineffective against cancer (1). In 1983, nearly twenty years later, the same drug was pulled off the storage shelf and declared as a promising new drug for AIDS treatment. At this time it was found that AZT was able to kill the HIV virus in vitro (1). In 1983, researchers discovered that AZT had the power to kill the HIV virus in vitro. Upon this discovery, the British pharmaceutical company Burroughs-Wellcome sent AZT, known then as compound S, to the National Cancer Institute where further testing could be conducted (1). The first major testing began in February 1986. There were fewer than 300 subjects in the original testing. The participants were divided into a placebo group and a group that received AZT treatment (Burkett 5). Six months into the study, 19 placebo patients and only 1 AZT patient had died. With these prelimanary results so promising, it appeared unethical for researchers to continue the s... Free Essays on AZT Free Essays on AZT AZT: Miracle Drug or Coverup? Fred, an individual with AIDS, finds it difficult to walk the five steps from his bed to his bathroom. "I would just lie there for two hours; I couldn’t get up to take those five steps. When I was taken to the hospital, I had to have someone come over to dress me. It’s that kind of severe fatigue....The quality of my life was pitiful... (Farber 7)." While Fred suffers from AIDS, his severe fatigue is not a side effect of the disease. Rather, it is one of the many side effects of the medication Azidothymidine (AZT). For over a decade, AZT would be the only drug approved by the FDA for the treatment of HIV and AIDS, despite the flawed research used to support this drugs effectiveness, despite the studies that disproved this drugs usefulness in the treatment of HIV and AIDS, and despite the severe side effects it produced in most HIV and AIDS patients. AZT was first used in 1964 as a form of chemotherapy for cancer patients, but it was discontinued because it was toxic, expensive to produce, and ineffective against cancer (1). In 1983, nearly twenty years later, the same drug was pulled off the storage shelf and declared as a promising new drug for AIDS treatment. At this time it was found that AZT was able to kill the HIV virus in vitro (1). In 1983, researchers discovered that AZT had the power to kill the HIV virus in vitro. Upon this discovery, the British pharmaceutical company Burroughs-Wellcome sent AZT, known then as compound S, to the National Cancer Institute where further testing could be conducted (1). The first major testing began in February 1986. There were fewer than 300 subjects in the original testing. The participants were divided into a placebo group and a group that received AZT treatment (Burkett 5). Six months into the study, 19 placebo patients and only 1 AZT patient had died. With these prelimanary results so promising, it appeared unethical for researchers to continue the s...

Income Inequality and Globalisation Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Income Inequality and Globalisation - Assignment Example Over the past decades, many economists have been debating and claiming that increasing degree of trade relations between developed and developing countries can be identified as one of the major aspects which gave rise in income inequality. Furthermore, economists have also argued that trade relations practiced within nations in the current day context are highly influenced by globalization trends and thereby, globalization can also be addressed as a vital reason for income inequality (Freeman, 1995). Where on one hand, the advantages of globalization can be identified as reduced trade barriers and implementation of modern technologies; conversely, its disadvantages can be identified as inequality in payment of wages to workers being grouped as skilled and unskilled. To be illustrated, implementation of modern technologies can be observed to play a vital role in reducing the demand for the unskilled workers in the global platform which is further giving rise to income inequality amid different economies (Batterson & Weidenbaum, 2006). Recent studies (Atkinson, 2003; Alderson & Nielsen, 2002; Sala-i-Martin, 2002), based on the understanding of this particular issue in the current day context, have revealed that nations react in a distinct manner towards controlling income inequality, fundamentally depending upon their divergent social as well as economic features. For instance, the current trends have revealed that the US, as a developed nation is also facing the problem of income inequality which has further been recorded to augment with significant rapidity over the past few decades. This particular issue, within the context of US business environment, can further be illustrated with reference to the distribution of the organizational wages i.e. in accordance with the rising significance of higher level officials such as the Chief Executive Officers and skilled managers in comparison to the ground level laborers or front desk employees. It is worth mentioning in this context that the recent trends depict a contin uous increment in the wages paid to the skilled employees designated in the decision-making or managerial positions, but contradictorily, it also reveals that the low-skilled workers are receiving lesser wages at a stagnant rate.

Individual report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Individual report - Essay Example A small part offers on an ad hoc basis some services like company human performance appraisals. A lot of them offer some training seminars in order to increase their product portfolio but these seminars are not specialized in a particular sector i.e. accountancy, marketing etc. They offer seminars according to the current market demand needs. None of them has a distinguished competitive advantage. Even the recruitment process is done the same way i.e. only by using repetitive unstructured interviews and checking references. The companies specialized in low and medium level employees use in many occasions psychological tests but these are not adapted to the specifications of the different positions and the local requirements. They are just translations of foreign tests. Another issue concerns the type of employees / consultants they use. In order to keep employee costs low, they hire employees with minimum experience or no experience at all. They prefer graduates of Human Resources or Psychology but with non existent professional experience. These graduates receive no training and perform interviews and selection of candidates rather from the start. Due to the fact that they have no professional experience or understanding of the market, they cannot communicate effectively with the HR Directors and fill the positions with the right candidates. In many cases, employees are obliged to act as salespeople and this results in a low quality recruitment and selection processes. The situation becomes even worse in cases where the HR agencies offer more specialized services like human performance appraisal and training. On the other hand, there are some local small companies offering training seminars. The seminars they offer are not adapted to the specific needs of the companies, there are ready made packages from abroad. In addition, they offer a wide

Deontologism vs. Utilitarianism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Deontologism vs. Utilitarianism - Essay Example It advocates for fair consideration of other people’s interests while undertaking an action. Simply put, utilitarianism states that â€Å"we ought to promote the greatest good for the greatest number of people† or in another form, â€Å"inflict less harm on the least number of people† (Kanniyakonil, 2007, p. 65). A utilitarian would therefore contemplate the possible impacts of his or her action to other members of the society. Based on the doctrine, an act that threatens other people’s stakes is therefore avoided while a beneficial act is promoted. Singer, based on his four principles, argues that â€Å"pain is bad,† consideration into harmful acts should not be discriminatory and should be based on consequences of contemplated actions (Rachels and Rachels, 2007, p. 281). Utilitarianism can be understood from two perspectives, â€Å"act utilitarianism, and rule utilitarianism† (Kanniyakonil, 2007, p. 65). Act utilitarianism is based on each action by a person, which ought to always be consistent with the ethical principle of maximum good. It is defined by the view that good actions leads to good rather than harmful results. Act utilitarianism therefore judges actions from the specific consequences of a particular act, or intentions into such consequences rather an existing moral value (Kanniyakonil, 2007). ... The two approaches therefore differ with respect to time of determination of what is good and what is evil. While action utilitarianism determines morality upon an action or upon contemplation of an act, rule utilitarianism pre determines morality upon conception of an ethical value in a society (Kanniyakonil, 2007). Utilitarianism is further understood from four philosophical perspectives, â€Å"‘welfarism’, ‘consequentialism’, aggregative, and maximizing† (Kanniyakonil, 2007, p. 66). According to welfarism, utilitarianism is fundamentally determined by the resultant good from an initiative. Cosequensialism on the other hand focuses on the impacts of an act as opposed to its nature. Consequential theory therefore evaluates and determines an action with respect to available alternatives to the action and approves the most beneficial alternative. Aggregative and maximizing concepts of utilitarianism are on the other hand based on the view that even the most beneficial alternative is associated with possible reservations into unhappiness (Kanniyakonil, 2007). Associated problems Utilitarianism, regardless of its assumed appeal to maximum good from actions, has a number of associated problems. One of the problems faced under utilitarianism, and with respect to determination of the best alternative for maximum good is its reliance on probability. This means that there is no accurate measure of possible good to justify utilitarian approach to determining ethics (Kanniyakonil, 2007). Rachels and Rachels also identify a number of problems that seems to undermine the basic principles and assumptions of utilitarianism. Utilitarianism is for instance associated with injustice. This based on the difference in scope between morality and law. In

E-Governance in Indian Banks: ICICI Bank

E-Governance in Indian Banks: ICICI Bank Before the start of my second year of PGDBM, I got an opportunity to have a corporate exposure at ICICI regional bank. In addition to this exposure, it also allowed to implement some of our course learning to real business world situations. My internship with ICICI regional bank started on 28th June and extended till 9th august. ICICI Bank is Indias second-largest bank with total assets of Rs. 3,634.00 billion (US$ 81 billion) at March 31, 2010. The Bank has a diverse network of 2,016 branches and about 5,219 ATMs in India and presence in 18 countries. They offer a wide range of banking products financial services to corporate and retail customers through a variety of delivery channels (www.icicibank.com). At my very first day, I got the opportunity to talk to some of the senior managers at my office, and they suggested me that I should see the working on their different departments and then select my department after one week. During this week, I interacted with almost every department personnel. They told me what their general day is like and what they do and how their part is important for achieving companys strategic goals. In my second week, I chose government banking group of ICICI bank, which comes under corporate banking group. Government Banking Group of ICICI bank offers world-class banking services leveraging on state of art technology platform and to meet complete financial needs of the government and its enterprises.  Their aim is to lever their advanced technology platform and ability to deliver customized solutions to meet the specific needs of each and every client emerge as the preferred banker for all government departments and corporations.(www.icicibank.com) My mentor Mr.H; relationship manager at the same department, gave me an overview about their department and how the functions. In my 2nd week of working as a management trainee to GBG, he assigned me a live summer internship project, where I was required to contact government authorities, which were falling under national E-governance plan and offer them our bank services. Route map of my project E-GOVERANCE: Foundation for better and acceptable institution mechanism Use e-governance to fight corruption- Kalam INRODUCTION E-government is the use of information and communication technology (ICT) to promote more efficient and cost-effective government, more convenient government services, greater public access to information, and more government accountability to citizens (www.adb.org). It goes beyond providing provision of online services and also, covers the use of IT for strategic planning and reaching governments development goals. It is a way by which governments use the new technologies to provide people with more convenient and reliable access to government information and services, to improve the quality of the services and also, providing greater opportunities to participate in democratic institutions and processes. E-Government provides with some tremendous opportunities to move forward in the 21st century with better quality, cost-effective, government services and a better relationship between citizens and their government. (Aggarwal, mittal et al, 2007) E-Governance is no longer an Option It is a reality and a necessity of Governance- S. Lakshminarayanan E-Governance Its relevance One click is deemed good enough to cut the much-dreaded Indian red-tape to shreds. Another one takes the wind out of all those touts hanging around public offices. Public accountability and responsive services seem suddenly just a blip way. (www.dqindia.ciol.com) Good governance is based on the premise that the laws and procedures are transparent, clearly defined understood by those governed and the implementation is also quick without any hurdles. However, the governance in a developing country like ours is a challenge, as majority of the governed (citizens) are educationally socio-economically challenged. Moreover in developing countries, the governments are formed through democratic means, the challenge of governance is much larger as the governors themselves are at times not very clear about the various rules and procedures. Also, at times, the rules and procedures are explicitly defined in the constitution or statutes, but they themselves creates hindrances in the path of governance due to lack of procedural clarities. In such a state, the answer lies in providing a mechanism that is quick, interactive, transparent and has a clear repository of rules and regulations, which provide support in decision making for both the governors and t he governed and this mechanism is e- governance, providing the benefit of being clear cut, transparent, interactive, easy to implement and aiming to provide solution in the quickest possible time frame. E-Governance, at ground level will provides three basic change potentials for good governance for development: Automation: Replacing (at least, to some extent) current human-executed processes, which involve accepting, storing, processing and transmitting information. Informatisation: Supporting current human-executed information processes. Transformation: Supporting new human-executed information processes. These change potentials, in turn, can bring five main benefits to governance for development: Governance that is cheaper: Producing the same outputs at lower total cost. Governance that does more: Producing more outputs at the same total cost. Governance that is quicker: Producing the same outputs at the same total cost in less time. Governance that works better: Producing the same outputs at the same total cost in the same time, but to a higher quality standard. Governance that is innovative: Producing new outputs. E-Governance origin The Global shifts towards increased deployment of IT (Information technology) by governments emerged in the nineties, with the coming of World Wide Web. The e-governance initiatives have come a long way since then. With the increase use of internet and mobile connections, the people are learning to exploit new mode of access in wide ranging ways. Today generation expect more information and services to be available online from government organizations to further their civic and professional lives, thus creating abundant evidence that the new e-citizenship is taking hold. E-governance originated in India during the seventies with a focus on developing in- house government applications in the area of defence, economic monitoring, planning and the using IT to manage data intensive functions related to elections, census, tax administration etc. The efforts of National Informatics Center (NIC) to connect all the district headquarters during the eighties led to a significant development in this field. During early nineties, IT technologies were supplemented with ICT technologies, for wider sectoral applications .Primarily the emphasis has been on automation and computerization, the state governments have also endeavoured to use ICT tools into connectivity, networking, setting up systems for processing information and delivering services. At a micro level, it ranges from IT automation in individual departments, electronic file handling, and access to entitlements, public grievance systems, service delivery for high volume routine transactions like payment of bills, tax etc. The thrust has varied across initiatives, while some focusing on enabling citizen-state interface for various government services, and others focusing on bettering livelihoods. E -Goverance Intiatives in India The notion of e-governance has its roots in attempts in many countries to modernise government in response to perceived citizen dissatisfaction or disengagement.(Sihna, 2006) India is a developing country with a population of about 1.2 billion spread over 28 geographically uneven states. Interestingly, transparency and citizen-centric government, expected broad outcome of e-Governance, is not new to India. The rock edicts of Emperor Ashoka, 3 Century BC provides an excellent example of this interface unambiguous and  Transparent government information was available at public place for people convenience. In most of the states in the India, people speak different languages and dialects; having varying literacy levels and distinct socio-cultural attitudes that have affected not only economic progress, but also our legislature. However, over and above, these fragmented population, there is an overlying layer of information technology professionals or knowledge workers, who seem to have indirectly pioneered e-Governance initiatives.(Aggarwal, mittal et al, 2007) The Central and State administrations, ports, customs, public tax system and education system of our country has been pioneers in e-Governance India. A number of state governments has already implemented e-Governance initiatives, which are aimed at being cost effective, while offering various facilities to citizens. National E-Governance plan The Government of India (GOI) has formulated a national program the National e-governance Plan, which is an attempt to cover all the important areas relating to e-Governance Policy, Infrastructure, Finances, Project Management, Government Process, Finances, Reengineering, Capacity Building, Training, Assessment etc. across the Central and State Governments. The plan seeks to lay the foundation and provide the impetus for long-term growth of e-Governance. Their plan seeks to create the right governance and institutional mechanisms, setting up the core infrastructure and policies and implement a number of Mission Mode Projects at the centre, state and integrated service levels to create a citizen-centric and business-centric environment for governance. The vision of this plan is to make sure that all Government services are accessible to the common man in his/her locality through common service delivery outlets. The implementation strategy envisages clear definition of service goals and metrics for each project and structured stakeholder consultations with all stakeholders including citizens and civil society organizations before the service goals of each project are firmed up.( Das Chandrashekhar, 2007). (Source: Das Chandrashekhar, 2007) The above diagram give E-Governance framework that includes back-end (databases of different government agencies, service providers, state governments etc.), middleware and front-end delivery channels (PCs, mobile phones, kiosks, integrated service centers etc) for citizens and businesses. The middle-ware comprises of communication and security infrastructure, gateways and integrated services, aimed at facilitating integration of inter-departmental services. Challenges of e-Governance in India Sharma (2002) points out that the culture of governance in India has been characterized by secrecy, seniority and corruption. These need to be addressed with a vengeance if the grand vision of e-Governance across India has to become a reality (Agarwal Mittal et al,2003). The initiatives taken are more focused on government department, automaton rather than anything to do with the citizens. They might solve a number of problems of government employees but not even a single solution is totally focused on citizen thathas come up in India. Indian citizens are still forced to move from one department to another,and from one table to another in order to get their work done. In lieu of this, the National Task Force has also made several recommendations. The fundamental strategic challenge faced is e-Readiness for e-Governance It is a multifold challenge posing basic questions like: Is required Data Systems Infrastructure Ready? Is required Legal Infrastructure Ready? Is required Human Infrastructure Ready? Is required Institutional Infrastructure Ready? Is required Technological Infrastructure Ready? Is required Leadership and Strategic Thinking Ready? Role of banking in E-goverance Indian banking sector through its network of over 74,000 branches provides efficient and swift cash management and payment mechanisms ensures timely availbility of the funds to the ultimate beneficiaries.- RP Sihna, Deputy Managing Director (IT), State bank of India E-goverance goes beyond provision of online services and includes,the use of IT for strategic planning and reaching development goals of the government to the citizens. Government prime concern is that the revenue deposited at various branches of banks throughtout the country are collected expeditiously and every rupee spend on the social sector plans schemes reaches the intended beneficiaries quickly and directly. It is therefore, imperative that the indian banking sector which have a wide network af over 74,000 branches provides efficent and swift cash management system and payment mechanisms to ensure timely availability of the funds. Banks apart from taking the technology beyond urban centers to remote areas,that are still unbanked and underserviced,but also serving as a channel for credit delievery and innovative products to the poor and underprivileged sections of society. With an efficent deployment of technology, banks can step in and provide access to banking facilities like opening of accounts, money transfer services,payments of bills etc. Banks provide payment solutions to conduct E-payments with government departments using smart cards/credit cards or making a direct debit from their account (Internet banking) when the due date falls. In short, bank can help in the process of E-Goverance by 3 methods: ICICI government banking group its E-Goverance intitatives The government banking group of ICICI,falls under their corporate banking group and it specifically cater to the government entities and institutions. We ensure compliance of specific regulatory requirements while customizing these products and services for the government. Our constant endeavor is to fulfill the specific objectives of the government at various district, state, and national levels.(www.icicibank.com) Agency Function Their are the accredited Banker to the Ministry of Civil Aviation. All payments and receipts of this Ministry across the country are routed through their network. They are the approved banker to collect direct taxes as well as indirect Taxes for the central Government and states sales taxes/ VAT in the States of Delhi, Punjab, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat. Approved bank for disbursement of pensions for central government and defense employees. E-Goverance Intiatives Online Collection of fees for Director General Foreign Trade (DGFT) Online collection of fees and Stamp duty under MCA-21 Limited Liability Partnership (LLP) E-ticketing initiative for Indian Railways Online Funds Disbursement and Tracking System for Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) E-goverance intitative undertaken by me as a summer trainee (live) in ICICI bank My mentor gave me a project where I was required to study different government authorities and departments falling under E-Goverance plan of government of India,to select one authority where ICICI bank can fit in and offer them their services and also, explaining how it will be benefical to not only them , but also to the citizen on the receiving end. As I was placed in Delhi corporate office, I thought it will be good idea to start exploring the authorities which wall under Delhi. My mentor, Mr.Hitesh Setya, also considered it as a good idea as it was easy to talk and even meet these authorities. Delhi Government Departments cover health, revenue tax, audit, arts culture, transport, administrative reforms, health and family higher education, IT, Gurdwara elections, administrative reforms agricultural marketing, Fire service economics and statistics,health and family,industries and many others. (A comprehensive lists of the department has been given in the appendix). All the departments of Delhi government works for enhancing the socio-economic viability of the city. Each and every Delhi department is entrusted with a separate set of responsibilities and duties. I studied almost every department falling under delhi government authority and saw the scope of E-goverance in those departments.After working on this for a period of 2 weeks,I came down to the following authorities names: Transport department Delhi Development Authority Delhi tourism Delhi passport authority After contacting these agenices and meeting their respective officals ,I narrowed with DDA (it looks after the orderly-yet-rapid development of Delhi),as they are already in the process of making their database and this department has a bad reputation when it come to red tapism and bureaucratic attitude .Under this department,a number of activities are taken care of ranging from tenders, housing,buildings ,various registrations etc.I needed to select one major activity which will become my reports focal point.I selected DDA procedure for conversion from leasehold to freehold . DDA-SCOPE FOR E-GOVERANCE Delhi Development Authority (DDA), time moves at its own sweet, slow pace. And in order to get your work down, you need an athletes stamina and a monks patience (Roy,hindustan times,2010) The Delhi Development Authoritys (DDA) was established in the year 1957,and nearly after 50 years of existance ,it has come out with a grand vision for 2010: to become a high performance and people friendly organisation. This mission comes not a year too soon for the land development agency.The authority referred itself as the citys ninth builder, touches the life of almost every second Delhiite.Since its initiationin 1957, DDA has worked towards the development ofthe city and has created or facilitated about 1 million dwelling units to date. including allotment of more than 3 lakh flats, plots to Cooperative Groups and residential plots .Apart from the construction of 600 big and small commercial centres and allotment of industrial and institutional plots.DDAs dreary and dusty file-laden headquarter, Vikas Sadan, gets nearly about 700 visitors daily.(Roy,hindustan times,2010) The crowd thronging at the the DDA offices explains that it is not easy to own a DDA flat or plot,which the authority sells at affordable rates.Whats even tougher than this ,is getting the possession letters, conversion from leasehold to freehold or even changing the title deeds. Add from sumwhere else In the labyrinthine corridors of the DDA office, files journey begins from one table and then meanders through at almost all the tables of the office and this journey in the can take anything from a month to years. The DDA babus take ages to move files and the smallest lacunae in your documents can slow the process by months. DDAs citizens charter promises disposal of transactions a specific time frame of between 15 and 90 days. These promises, however, remain cosily embedded in the glossy booklet. This is where the touts come in. For a handsome feeanything between Rs 40,000 to Rs 1 lakhdepending on the `complexity of your case, touts can speed up the process of getting your job done. Thanks to DDAs initiatives to curb the tout menace, these assistants-for-hire can now be found lingering in the parking lots and small photostat shops and eateries outside Vikas Sadan. We can get any job done as we have a `setting with officials inside the building, says a tout, who doesnt wish to be identified. The rates have gone up though as DDA has become stricter about these things now. Unless you have deep pockets, getting your application approved from the DDA is next to impossible, says Umesh Sharma (name changed on request), who has been trying to transfer his flat from his fathers name, who died many years ago, to his own for the past six years. Every official expects to be bribed and you have to grease many palms. The officials say the property we bought for a few thousands decades ago will now sell for lakhs but they dont stand to gain anything from it, he said. If you are transferring a property to your name or converting it from leasehold to freehold to sell it, they want their share, Sharma said. TOMORROW The passport office is a riddle. Theres paperwork, there are meetings and a single error can deboard your plans. COVERAGE E goverance in India has touched various areas like income tax,passport,pensions,company affaris, police,municpalities ,ariculture ,central excise and many more.In my report ,we will be dicussing three main areas namely, Sales/Commercial Tax Department(VAT),MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) NDMC(New Delhi municpal council) , income tax department. B.MCD NDMC The National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT) comprises three local bodies, MCD, NDMC and Cantonment Board. The MCD comprises of about 96 per cent of the area and population of the Union Territory (UT)of Delhi. The Delhi Municipal Corporation Act, 1957 was amended in August, 1994 to bring it in tune with the Constitutional provisions of Part IXA. In respect of New Delhi Municipal Council, which consists of only 3 per cent of the area and 3 per cent of the population of National Capital Territory of Delhi.( http://www.ndmc.gov.in/AboutNDMC/NAboutus.aspx) (ii) NDMC 1. Grants: 2. Public: 2.1 Property tax :The Property department is one of the tax revenue-earning departments of NDMC. Revenue is realized as (i) property tax from about 12,000 private properties and Government properties constructed prior to 26th January, 1950 and (ii) service charges from the government properties constructed after 26-01-1950. Property tax is an obligatory tax levied on all lands and buildings in New Delhi. It is a percentage of the rateable value of lands and buildings. The rates of taxes are determined by the Council from year-to-year basis. Facilities available online: Application Procedures http://www.ndmc.gov.in/services/PropertyTax/Images/img_bullet.gif Download-Forms http://www.ndmc.gov.in/services/PropertyTax/Images/img_bullet.gif Rate List/ Method of Calculation of Property Tax APPENDIX transport department irrigation and flood control department planning department SC/ST/OBC/Minorities welfare department informations and public relations department industries department land and building department police department forest department administrative reforms department directorate of audit economics and statistics department chit fund department art, culture and language department directorate of education directorate of training and technical education environment department development department health and family department excise, entertainment and luxury tax department public works department weights and measures department sales tax department tihar prisons services department directorate of prevention of food adulteration directorate of agricultural marketing labor department social welfare department

Submarines :: essays research papers

The History of Submarines   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the year 2000, the American submarine force will celebrate the first century of service by highly skilled people in some of the most technologically advanced vessels ever built. The past 100 years have witnessed the evolution of a force that mastered submersible warfare, introduced nuclear propulsion to create the true submarine, and for decades patrolled the deep ocean front line; the hottest part of an otherwise Cold War.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Submarines in War   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The U.S. Navy’s involvement with the submarine dates form 1888 when the Bureau of Construction and Repair (BUC&R) sponsored a design competition that brought John Holland a naval contract to build the experimental Plunger. As the new century dawned, prominent American naval leaders like Admiral George Dewey called the submarine a real threat to international surface forces, leading the Navy to acquire its first submarine in 1900. Overcoming competition from fellow American inventor, Simon Lake, Holland sold his newest model, Holland VI, to the Navy for $160,000 on April 11. This 64-ton submarine commissioned as USS Holland, or SS-1, on October 12 of the same year, was equipped with an Otto-type gasoline engine for surface running and electric motors for submerged operations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Due to the volatility of gasoline, American submersible designs soon followed the French practice, adopting the diesel engine in 1909 with the Electric Boat Company’s F class (SS-20 through 23), built at Union Iron Works in San Francisco. Combining the influence of diesel propulsion with the submersible designs of Holland and Lake, American submersibles took a familiar configuration through American entry into the Great War. Submarines of the E, H, K, L, M, N, O, and R classes and ranged in displacement form 287 to 510 tons, with the fastest boats displaying a top surface speed of barely 14 knots on diesel power.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During World War I the U.S. Navy separated these submersibles into two groups according to mission. â€Å"Boats† of the N and O classes, as well as some of the E type, patrolled American coasts and harbors following a defensive strategy.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Other submarines drew assignments that sent them to hostile European waters after 1917. Some K-, L-, O-, and E-class boats conducted offensive, open-sea operations from the Azores and Bantry Bay in Ireland. They supported the Allied effort to maintain open sea lanes along the European coast and in the approaches to the British Isles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Nay Department’s plans for these vessels reflected the prevailing surface warfare thinking, which perceived the submersible as a type of destroyer or torpedo boat that should operate with the battle fleet.

Frontline: Camera and Current Affairs Programs

How do the creators of â€Å"Frontline† convey the main issues in the text? The truth in the media is a subjective commodity which is often sensationalized, fabricated and manipulated for a number of reasons. Therefore, realistically the media only represents certain facets of the truth to suit their purpose and context. Rob Sitch’s Frontline is a satirical examination of current affairs programs and explores the media’s selective dissemination of information to construct the desired truth. Though being disturbingly accurate in their sarcastic attack on the deceit and hypocrisy of the media, the producers of Frontline use wit and parody to challenge the reliability of the media and such concepts are explored through a number of film techniques in episodes such as ‘The Siege’ and ‘Add sex and stir’ The commercial nature of the media dictates that the content of the broadcast must rate well and be profitable. The episode ‘The Siege’ exemplifies the commercial nature of current affairs programs and re-emphasizes the media’s potential to regard the truth as a subjective commodity to further gain higher ratings. Frontline seeks little more than authenticity to convince their audience that they are a credible resource. In ‘The Siege’ Rob Sitch blurs the boundary between fiction and reality, through illustrating a story based on a real incident which occurred in 1994 making it harder to discern the truth. Frontline pursues a story about a father who has held his children hostage during a custody battle. This episode exposes the true nature of journalism and the unethical practices that the media undertakes to win the ratings war. Marty ironically says ‘you’ve crossed the line mate’, this pretense of ethics is juxtaposed with ‘you beauty’ when he realizes that it was the Frontline team itself that got through to interviewing the gunman. Marty further sensationalizes and exaggerates the truth by wearing a flak jacket and crouching down to make it appear that he is in a dangerous situation, when in reality he is five kilometers away from the danger zone. Through the use of dialogue ‘How about if I crouch down like this? To make it look like I’m in danger’ Marty illustrates his blatant disregard for the truth thus emphasizing the importance of appearance and ratings over the depiction of the truth within the media. Brooke further epitomizes the media’s motives through the use of incongruity in the dialogue ‘Mrs. Forbes do you have any nine volt batteries? ’ Such dialogue accentuates Brooke’s superficiality as she is not at all concern ed about Mrs. Forbes feelings. The camera close up of Brooke’s exceedingly concerned facial expression when she interviews Mrs. Forbes is juxtaposed with Mrs. Forbes misery and Brooke’s deception when she asks – ‘would you be able to cry again Mrs. Forbes? ’ The on and off camera persona evidently shows that the truth is subverted by the media to construct a desired representation, portraying the truth to be a subjective commodity. The media’s relentless pursuit of higher ratings to ensure commercial success plays a significant role in determining the representation of the truth they present to their audience. The episode ‘Add sex and Stir’ epitomizes the media’s selective dissemination of information to construct a desired truth, thus exemplifying truth to be a subjective commodity. Frontline pursues a story about the unfair dismissal of a sportswoman who is supposedly dropped from the team because she is not gay. Although Brooke acknowledges that the sportswoman was dropped from the team because of poor form, she decides to portray the misleading sex angle of the story in the pursuit for higher ratings to ensure Frontline’s commercial success. Frontline’s clean crisp picture quality, still camera and immaculate sets gives a sense of professional respectability and authority to create a sense of credibility. Rob Sitch employs caricature to emphasize the potential for the media to regard the truth as a subjective commodity to gain more ratings. Sitch satirizes the limited value that the media places on the truth through Brooke’s satirical comment ‘Well there’s a lead story, Stu, lead player dropped due to bad form, out breaking. ’ The truth is further manipulated through filming Brooke’s nods separately and out of context which further amplifies their falsity, emphasizing her lack of integrity. Brooke completely distorts the truth through creating a re-enactment, in which the story is further exaggerated through the steamy atmosphere in the girls change rooms, demonstrating that it is sleaze that sells rather than the truth. The dramatic background music in the re-enactment further satirizes the media’s pursuit for higher ratings, portraying that the media’s ‘essential objective is profit, rather than saving the world’ Chris Masters (ABC correspondent). Through this it is clearly evident that the truth to the media is a subjective commodity that can often be manipulated, fabricated and sensationalized for a number of reasons.

Harriet Quimby - First Woman Licensed Pilot in the US

Harriet Quimby - First Woman Licensed Pilot in the US Harriet Quimby Facts: Known for: the first woman licensed as a pilot in the United States; first woman to fly solo across the English Channel Occupation: pilot, journalist, actress, screenwriterDates: May 11, 1875 - July 1, 1912Also known as: Americas First Lady of the Air Harriet Quimby Biography: Harriet Quimby was born in Michigan in 1875 and was raised on a farm. She moved with her family to California in 1887. She claimed a birth date of May 1, 1884, a birthplace of Arroyo Grande, California, and wealthy parents. Harriet Quimby appears in the 1900 census in San Francisco, listing herself as an actress, but no record of any acting appearances has turned up. She did write for several San Francisco publications. New York Journalism Career In 1903, Harriet Quimby moved to New York to work for Leslies Illustrated Weekly, a popular womens journal. There, she was the drama critic, writing reviews of plays, the circus, comedians, and even that new novelty, moving pictures. She also served as a photojournalist, traveling to Europe, Mexico, Cuba, and Egypt for Leslies. She also wrote advice articles, including articles advising women on their careers, on auto repairs, and on household tips. Screenplay Writer / Independent Woman During these years, she also made the acquaintance of pioneer filmmaker D. W. Griffith and wrote seven screenplays for him. Harriet Quimby epitomized the independent woman of her day, living on her own, working at a career, driving her own car, and even smoking even before her fateful journalistic assignment in 1910. Harriet Quimby Discovers Flying In October 1910, Harriet Quimby went to the Belmont Park International Aviation Tournament, to write a story. She was bitten by the flying bug. She befriended Matilde Moisant and her brother, John Moisant. John and his brother Alfred ran a flying school, and Harriet Quimby and Matilde Moisant began taking flying lessons there though Matilde had already been flying by that time. They continued with their lessons even after John was killed in a flying accident. The press discovered Harriet Quimbys lessons she may have tipped them off and began covering her progress as a news story. Harriet herself began writing about flying for Leslies. First American Woman to Earn a Pilots License On August 1, 1911, Harriet Quimby passed her pilots test and was awarded license #37 from Aero Club of America, part of the International Aeronautic Federation, which granted international pilots licenses. Quimby was the second woman in the world to be licensed; the Baroness de la Roche had been awarded a license in France. Matilde Moisant became the second woman to be licensed as a pilot in the United States. Flying Career Immediately after winning her pilots license, Harriet Quimby began touring as an exhibition flyer in the United States and Mexico. Harriet Quimby designed her flying costume of plum-colored wool-backed satin, with a cowl hood made of the same fabric. At that time, most women pilots used adapted versions of mens clothing. Harriet Quimby and the English Channel In late 1911, Harriet Quimby decided to become the first woman to fly across the English Channel. Another woman beat her to it: Miss Trehawke-Davis flew across as a passenger. The record for the first woman pilot remained for Quimby to achieve, but she was afraid that someone would beat her to it. So she sailed secretly in March 1912 for England and borrowed a 50 HP monoplane from Louis Bleriot, who was the first person to fly across the Channel in 1909. On April 16, 1912, Harriet Quimby flew approximately the same route that Bleriot has flown but in reverse. She took off from Dover at dawn. The overcast skies forced her to rely solely on her compass for position. In about an hour, she landed in France near Calais, thirty miles from the planned landing spot, becoming the first woman to fly solo across the English Channel. Because the Titanic sank a few days before, the newspaper coverage of Harriet Quimbys record in the United States and Britain was sparse and buried deep within the papers. Harriet Quimby at Boston Harbor Harriet Quimby returned to exhibition flying. On July 1, 1912, she had agreed to fly at the Third Annual Boston Aviation Meet. She took off, with William Willard, organizer of the event, as a passenger, and circled the Boston Lighthouse. Suddenly, in view of hundreds of spectators, the two-seater plane, flying at 1500 feet, lurched. Willard fell out and plunged to his death in the mud flats below. Moments later, Harriet Quimby also fell from the plane and was killed. The plane glided to a landing in the mud, flipping over, and was damaged severely. Blanche Stuart Scott, another female pilot (but who never got a pilots license), saw the accident happen from her own plane in the air. Theories on the cause of the accident vary: cables became tangled in the plane, causing it to lurchWillard suddenly shifted his weight, unbalancing the planeWillard and Quimby failed to wear their seat belts Harriet Quimby was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in New York, and then was moved to Kenisco Cemetery in Valhalla, New York. Legacy Though Harriet Quimbys career as a pilot lasted only 11 months, she was nevertheless a heroine and role model for generations to follow even inspiring Amelia Earhart. Harriet Quimby was featured on a 1991 50-cent airmail stamp.

An Un-PAINE-ful Appeal essays

An Un-PAINE-ful Appeal essays Thomas Paine was more than just a journalist. Thrown in prison on more than one occasion because of his passionate and controversial writing, Paine was one of the preeminent writers on infant Americas fight for freedom at the end of the 18th century. Best known for Common Sense, published in 1776, Paine also wrote The Rights of Man that, when censored by the government, simply increased its popularity. In The Rights of Man, Paine takes a humanistic approach, believing strongly in the power and goodwill of man to overcome its problems and chastises governments that interfere with the natural order of society. Paines primary ethical appeal is to appear sensible and benevolent by using clear, unsophisticated diction and a cool, relaxed style of writing. Instead of using intense, fervent phrases, Paine relies on concise, defined wording and a style of writing that entices the writer to take his side of the argument. It is after all quite difficult to rebuff the notion that our own society is more Paines sensibility is plainly evident in the first paragraph where he opens with a thoughtful, clearly stated sentence and continues to his thesis, a short sentence that contains all he needs to set up his argument in the essay. Paine wastes little time in getting to the point and rarely strays from that style. The opening sentence, Great part of that order which reigns among mankind is not the effect of government, (Paine, 393) unobtrusively states Paines argument and contains no unnecessary words that some writers like Edmund Burke often use for no apparent purpose. The essay takes on a logical feel to it because Paine does not seem to let his disagreement with Burke overshadow his goals in the essay. In addition, Paine abandoned the first-person style that many of his contemporaries favored for a third-person style that makes him seem more humble and gives him credibilit ...

Does it make sense to say that a fetus has a right to life Explain the Essay

Does it make sense to say that a fetus has a right to life Explain the general beliefs about the nature of rights which underp - Essay Example This is an interesting debate since it brings out the most intriguing debates on abortion and its legality. This paper will bring out the philosophical arguments that surround the notion of life and juxtapose them to each other in an attempt to reach a conclusion. It will be an effort when one can claim that fetus acquires the right to life in the process for pregnancy and that there is no outright black or white answer to the question of whether fetus has a right to life. To begin with, the central issue in this question is the status of the fetus. There are in total three different philosophical grounds for this debate: the liberal, the conservatives, and the moderates. Let the paper begin with the liberalist’s argument on the topic. Mary Ann Warren, a famous liberalist on this notion, analyses the concept of personhood. Her claim is that if one assumes fetus to be a person, then it justly proves its right to life but then the whole question boils down to the definition of p ersonhood. Therefore, Warren suggests a five-point postulate, which is agreed upon by pro-life and pro-abortion alike (Baumgardner, 15). First, a person is conscious of objects and events, which exist externally and internally with respect to his being particularly, the ability to sense pain. Second, a person can exercise reasoning, which means that one has a capacity to solve complex problems. Third, a person can carry on activities on motivation derived by his own self. Fourth, a person has an ability to communicate and lastly, a person is the one who possesses self-concept and self-awareness. Using this as a criterion, warren argues that despite the fact that the fetus will eventually grow up to be a person fulfilling all these standards, it does not, in its present status possesses any moral status and thus a right to life. However, one cannot ignore that this definition of personhood and demolishing fetus from being considered a person legally provides just grounds for infantic ide. Thus, the argument of personhood becomes illogical and irrelevant until a divine ‘rationale’ is introduced. Hence, this definition of personhood denies the potentiality and eccentricity of the fetus. Now the paper turns to conservatives. These people argue that a fetus has a moral status since the day of conception. John Noonan, a pro-life activist defies the argument of stages of development of fetus. He contends that these stages do not exist in real and that the human development takes place with continuity. He notes that whether the fetus is a result of rape or not planned or is a sufferer of any defect, these exceptions should not be exempted from the rule. The only way this school of thought permits abortion is when the embryo poses danger to the life of mother. Between these polar and raging extremes lies the moderate school of thought. Jane English, a famous proponent of this view suspects the concept of personhood explained by Warren and takes into conside ration both the views and gives her decision in favor of what US Supreme Court decided a in the case of Roe vs. Wade in 1973 (Romaine, 105). Her basic

Marketing - Microsoft Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marketing - Microsoft Case Study - Essay Example The strongest companies with truly innovative concepts survived and into the 21st century. The turn of the century continued to be trigger by the internet and higher broadband speeds created the birth of what economist called the convergence age. The convergence era is defined by the collapse of previously distinct media distribution channels – broadcast, cable, radio, print, online – into one single media delivery chain that supports a range of interactive modes between users and content (Pricewatercoopers, 2006). Microsoft is the biggest software manufacturer in the world. The company has a rich 32 old history in which they have help revolutionize the IT industry. The company has changed a lot in last five years and has implemented new business strategies which diversified its portfolio of product offerings. The company revenues in 2006 were $44,282 million, which represents a 56.11% revenue increase in comparison with 2002 (Annual Report Microsoft, 2006). There have been a lot of changes in the IT industry. A lot of them have to do with world’s entrance into the convergence age. The company is adapting to the trend and is focusing on launching products based on the market tendencies. There are a lot of exciting developments occurring in the IT industry. In 2006 the IT market generated $3.1 trillion in revenues (Info Tech Industry Overview, 2007). The industry is expanding and new products, concepts and ideas are revolutionizing the industry. A lot of the hottest trends in this industry are aligned with the start of the convergence age. Security is a big issue as more and more users entered the internet and are utilizing it for work related tasks and for their ecommerce needs. The latest tallies of the size of the online population revealed that as of late November 2006 there were 1.76 billion online users globally