The Significance of Computers

We are living in the age of computers. The computer may be called a mechanical brain. It is capable of storing thousands of instructions and information. In a second, it can carry out millions of operations and calculations. When we need, these data can be traced and retrieved. Speed and accuracy are the main factors of a computer. Today the computers are used in a number of fields. Nowadays, banking and business operations are almost computerized. In industries, computers operate machines. In railway stations and airports, the booking of tickets is done with the help of computers. Computers are useful in space travel, weather study and communication satellites. Today, printing of newspapers by photo type setting is carried out with the help of computers. In constructing bridges and buildings also, computers are used.

In the field of education, computers have come to play a vital role. Now teaching and learning of lesions are made very easy with the help of computers. Personal computers are available for domestic accounting, playing and learning.

But, there are some disadvantages in introducing computers in all fields. Working people are afraid of loosing their opportunities with more and more use of computers. It is true that a single computer can do the job of many people. But it cannot completely replace men from their work because computer is also operated by man. It is hoped that the ushering in of computers will create new job opportunities and so man can spend his time and energy in productive work. So, we can welcome this wonderful machine.

Google Chrome OS

This is Google company's dream project and it is expected to be released in 2013. It is expected that Chrome OS is going to be very light in size and expect that will dominate all other OS. There is no concrete news so far, but it is supposed to be built upon Linux OS and the Chrome OS is going to be added layer to the Linux. Open source movement has caught up with Google because it offers the power of independent developers and many other platforms. It is not clear, that the target machines are going to notebooks or servers. There are many such small OS available in the market currently. But none of them is very widely popular or accepted by the industry. Google may be able to achieve their success with user community as you can observe that Chrome browser doesn't be able to catch the user’s attention so far. Google’s vision for new OS is far away. And if it is able to release it before time, the Operating System market might heat up. Google still has to run many campaigns promoting its existing tools. New Chrome OS might be offered free of cost for the users.

Environmental Pollution and Health Hazards

The corollary of industrialization is pollution. The invention in steam, power, textile, iron and steel industry turned the civilized world from agricultural society into an industrial one. Factory system brought forth large industrial town. The factories and their labors are daily burning large amount of coal and petrol daily. Tons and tons of carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide and other gases are daily churned into the atmosphere. Thus the air is polluted more and more.

As the science advances, a man invents more machines. Millions of cars and buses run on the road emitting fumes of diesel and petrol. Air pollution increases at even faster rate. Factories have to get rid to their industrial waste. It is cheap to ump these into nearby sea or river. More and more towns are coming up all over the world and the sewage is passing into the rivers and lakes. Pressure of population forces man to increase the food output. To protect crops from insects he sprays insecticides. When rains come, most of these harmful materials are washed into the tanks, ponds and rivers. Water is polluted. The incidence of cancer, diphtheria, asthma and other allied diseases have been increasing at a rapid rate all over the world.

Trees purify the air by drawing carbon dioxide, but man is felling hundreds of trees daily. The discovery of nuclear energy has darkened the situation much more. Environmental protection agencies are trying hard to find out a clean and inexpensive fuel. Only god knows when they are going to succeed.

Ancient Chinese Invention

The Chinese were the first to make gunpowder, invent the magnetic compass and give to the world the art of making paper. About 2000 years ago, the Chinese made gunpowder by mixing sulphur and saltpeter. The mixture exploded when set on fire. The Chinese were the first to find out the fact that a narrow magnet floating in a bowl of water would always point to the North. This discovery led to the invention of the magnetic compass. This device helped the sailors to find out the direction when they were out of sight of land on high seas. Soon the device reached the Arabs and the Europeans. Using this compass, great explorers like Columbus, Magellan and Vasco da Gama made their historic discoveries. The Chinese invented the art of making paper during the second century. Soon the art of making paper using vegetable pulp reached Arabia, Spain and Europe. In course of time, paper factories came into existence. The fourth invention of the Chinese was the art of printing. Before this invention, books were written by hand. The Chinese invented the art of printing with moveable types. With this invention reading and learning became open to ordinary people as they were able to print the books in large numbers.

Science and Culture

We live in the age of science and technology. Science plays an important role in our lives today. In fact, science has revolutionized every field such as medicine, agriculture, education, warfare, space and many more. The great invention of science has made our life very comfortable and enjoyable. At the same time, there is also the negative side of its effects. The missiles, the Atomic weapons and the like make us think that science is a curse to humanity. It will ruin the world and its culture, civilization etc if not properly used. But, it is a fact that science by itself is harmless. It is only when it is misused for destruction we have to think so. The application of science therefore depends upon the just or unjust aims man has in view.

Science is not averse to religion or culture. It has made remarkable contribution to the development of religion and culture in every society. The scientific thinking in the minds of men has developed a rational outlook on matters of religion and culture. Science promotes culture and harnesses it to modern requirements. All modern inventions like the radio, the TV and the rest are freely used to propagate the religious teachings and values of life. In fact, science has universalized culture and religion. Thus science and religion should not be viewed separately. They are not independent of each other. Both should go hand in hand for the healthy growth of the society.

Collective Thinking

At times the situation calls for a speedy and prompt decision on the course of action to be taken or to be avoided; where an individual has the final authority to take decision, he or she can do so without waiting for the views of the members of a collective society or group. Much time is thus saved and in most cases time is the essence of the matter. It makes all the difference.

The concerned individual alone knows the intricacies of a certain situation and the problem may be too personal or secret to be disclosed to others, however friendly they might be. Leakage of secret, especially among women, may do much harm socially. No woman, it is said, can keep a secret.

My Favorite Leader

A leader is one who commands respect. It is involuntary. On seeing him, you adore him as a demi God. It is due to his sterling character, his sacrifices and his selfless service to the community at large. There had been many leaders who have played a great role in getting independence for our country.

My favorite leader is Jawaharlal Nehru. He thought of the problems of poverty and the teeming millions without work and food. He believed that India should be industrialized so that it could generate wealth and it could provide at least a morsel of food for its starving millions. Right from the day India became independent; Nehru worked tirelessly for its industrialization and paved the way for progress by the Five Year Plan. The Five Year Plans were so planned that the national income increased at least by 5% per annum. It was due to Nehru’s untiring efforts that India was raised to its great height in many fields. He set an example to the future young men. He shunned publicity and personal glory. It is the thought of the nation that reigned foremost in his mind. He brought respect to the nation from international forums by his Non aligned policy. I am proud of my leader Jawaharlal Nehru.

Energy Sources

We need use our energy sources wisely and economically, and conserve as much of our energy resources as we can. How can we do this? Firstly, we must reduce our dependence on non-renewable resources. For example, can we design or invent vehicles that do not use petrol or diesel as fuel, not electrically or sunlight? If we can, then we reduce our consumption of petroleum. Many scientists and engineers are working on this idea. Or, can we use water and wind power, rather than diesel or petrol or coal power, to generate electrically?

Secondly, we must look for and use alternative fuels and sources. Rather than using coal, kerosene or cooking gas, can we use animal wastes or plant wastes? We have now learnt to extract energy from animal wastes such as cow dung or plant wastes. One successful method is to ferment animal wastes in closed vessels and produce a gas called biogas, which is just as good as cooking gas. The waste from the biogas plant can be used as manure in fields and plantations. A second example is the use of windmills, where wind is used to turn a paddle wheel and to produce electricity or to lift water.

Thirdly, we must make greater and clever use of the sun. The sun is a perennial source of light and heat for the earth, and it is free! If we could device methods for capturing the heat and/or light from the sun and transforming it into electricity, we would greatly benefit.

Happy is The Man

Happy is the man who acquires the habit of reading when he is young. He has secured a life long source of pleasure, instruction and inspiration. So long as he has his beloved books, he need never feel lonely. He always has a pleasant occupation of leisure moments, so that he need never feel bored. He is the possessor of wealth more precious than gold.

Should Small Scale Industries be Encouraged?

I fully support the stand of those who hold the view that small scale industries promote employment while large scale industrial enterprises tend to reduce employment because of the increasing mechanization processes. Small scale industries help alleviate poverty because they enable the people running such industries to supplement their earnings and enable those who have hardly any income to start having a modest one, the quantum depending upon the labor put in, the facilities for marketing the products and of course the demand of the consumers for the goods thus manufactured. In large scale enterprises there is much exploitation by capitalists; in fact in big industries there are all the evils associated with capitalism.

Cottage industries require only a limited amount, of capital and the units can be set up in small places and even in one’s own home. Of course much depends upon the availability of the requisite raw material. Such industries help to relieve the increasing pressure on land. They also help to combat poverty; establishment of small scale enterprises is recommended as one of the measures to eliminate or alleviate poverty, the establishment of big industries brings about gradual and progressive turning of the human being into a machine. This is not so in small industries but are also independent units in themselves.

Small scale enterprises can prove a great success provided the requisite conditions exist. Enterprising people received loans from official agencies, and after some months the loans have been returned with the low interest charged on them. I know persons who with some assistance started making envelopes, bottle caps, liquids caps, simple gadgets, etc, and were able to feed their families with their labours. They could hold their heads high and were proud of their achievement.

Role of Newspaper

In the modern world, newspapers have become indispensable. In early mornings, we can see paper boys delivering the newspapers at every door and people thronging mews marts and eagerly looking at them. Thus newspapers have become mingled with our life.

Newspapers bring news from all over the world. They report various events happening in every nook and corner of the world. They link the government with the public. The merits and demerits of the policies of the government are discussed. They guide the government and the public in right direction. They also publish features of social, economic and political matters and articles on hot issues written by eminent statesmen and scholars. The trend in stocks and shares, bullion rates and rate of important commodities published in newspapers helps the businessmen to stabilize their business. They allot separate pages for sports and games. The daily engagements, train and air timings, position of reservation in trains, and weather reports are features in them. Newspapers are effective medium for the businessmen to advertise their products. The unemployed are benefited by the employment opportunities and situation vacant columns given in them. They also respect the views of the public and publish them in ‘Letters to the Editor Column’. One can improve their language ability through reading them.

Editors carry the great responsibility of molding a healthy public opinion about important issues. Their opinions reflect the views of a country. It is the duty of a citizen to make use of newspapers for his or her betterment and the country’s welfare.

The story of the Google Chrome Logo

Examinations

Examinations are held for testing the knowledge and ability of the students. There are written examinations and oral examinations. Apart from these, there are competitive examinations conducted by service commissions and other recruiting agencies. Their aim is to filter away as many as possible and select only cream of the candidates that would suit their jobs. The examination system has its own defects also. The valuation of answer papers is not done properly. Original answers are never given credit. Moreover, different examiners give different marks to the same question. So, the valuation system is not cent percent fool proof also. So, some people want a ban on examinations.

But in schools and colleges, examinations are the only way to assess the ability and efficiency of the students. From schools, students can write NCERT Talent search and other general knowledge tests to gain efficiency. These will help the students to come out successful in IIT and other entrance examinations for the professional courses. Spirit of competition is necessary to grow strong and good. Steady effort all the year round is necessary for the students to make their mark in the competitive examinations. They will feel proud to get through these competitive examinations.

Effective Measures to Eradicate Corruption from Public Offices

Bribery, corruption, under the table deals and similar malpractices are quite common in public offices in this country. No files move until the palms of the persons concerned are greased in the manner acceptable to them. Since honesty and integrity are lacking in public servants of various categories, they have generally enriched themselves illegitimately, obtained good jobs for their sons and other close relations and have reaped other benefits, there should be a permanent authority to keep a continuous watch over every action of ministers. In this connection the Lok Pal, appointed some years ago, should be made more extensive and his decisions should be made binding.

Politicians and legislators should also be brought under the jurisdiction of all anti-corruption authorities. There is a general belief that politics and democracy bring corruption in this wake. Corruption should not be tolerated as a necessary evil. But so long as there are people who are ready to offer bribes, cash or gifts or various types, in order to get their work don, and so long as there are greedy people ever ready to accept bribes, this evil will not be eradicated. So others of bribes should be tracked and strict action taken.

The major reason for giving bribes is the delay in the disposal of public business. The pity is that, despite all the campaigns for eliminating delays in the disposal of office work, the bureaucracy continues to function is a tardy manner. The resort to speed money should be made unnecessary. The old outdated time-consuming rules and regulations should be streamlined or scrapped. Lengthy and elaborate procedures prescribed by the government for various tasks should be changed without further delay.

The hypocrisy in private and public life should be eliminated. It is necessary to propagate anti-corruption campaigns, and stress the importance of a clean, honest life, right from the school stage. Our people lack character, unless we develop a good moral character, there would be considerable corruption in public offices. The measures suggested above, would, in my view, prove effective because they would tackle the root causes of graft and corruption. Moreover, in inflation and the cost of living are kept under control, the temptations to earn extra money to feed the family would gradually fade away.