Puttaparthi Trip

With vacation mode around, and with lots of free time in my hand, what a wonderful way to spend time with family, particularly kids driving around. It is cheap and economical, provided you know your limits on spending on other things.

On Friday April 23rd, 2010 we decided to go out somewhere for a day trip, driving up north from Bangalore.

I was always intrigued by the famous Puttaparthi Sai Baba and the place. We thought of going there, and it fit our bill. My mother had been there recently along with the Seva Dala people for 15 days doing "Seva" taking care of the public / crowd management. Heard good things about that place and hence the interest. The darshan timings of Sai Baba are 9 - 10 AM and 5 to 6 PM. Mostly I was told the evenings are less crowded.

Roughly about 170 kms said maps.google.com, straight up on NH 7, entering into Andhra Pradesh after Chikka Ballapur ( SeddiHalli to be precise, with a toll of Rs 80/- for 24 hours round trip or Rs 55/- for one way. ) It is a 3.5 to 4 hours drive with stops for lunch / snacks.

We started around 11.30 AM, after all the work was done at home for the day. Anyway we planned to have lunch on the way, either in a Dhaba or any road side eatery. Kids were excited and I was worried on the weather. Rain was on the cards.

First thing, I filled up the tank in a nearby place. Heard from blogs about non availability of Petrol bunks ( gas stations ) beyond Devanahalli towards Hyderabad, at regular intervals. Since the highway has been developed around small cities, and with no new gas station allottments, you have to drive into that town to fill gas. So you better fill you car tanks, well in advance, when you see a gas station on the way.

I decided to take the outer ring road, even though it is 10 kms extra to reach Hebbal junction of NH 7 towards Hyderabad. If you drive thru BG Road and go up through Mekhri Circle and RT Nagar, you might end up taking 1.5 hours+ to reach that point and I bet that you legs will start aching by then. We did it in 1 hour 15 mins and cool breeze drive...

It was around 1 PM, when I crossed the Devanahalli BIAL Airport. Congested with left turning traffic. Lorries in the day time? Unheard off. Thats how it is here... 80 kms is the speed limit all along the way. But you can see 4 speed breakers / humps near / after BIAL area ( Turn towards right or you will end up in Doddaballapur, instead of towards Hyderabad as destination. Luckily there is a hand written board that guides you, but you might miss ). For few kilometers, there is single lane road, and mad traffic might head towards you. But stick to your lane! Keep the head lights on! I did not cross 80 Kms speed limit, and your average will stand at 50 KMPH definitely.

We crossed the Nandi Hills area ( 70 kms from Bangalore - turn right few kms after BIAL ) and clicked few pictures in the drive.

Next action point, we were hungry and it was almost 2 PM... we thought about the Ranjitha restaurant near Chikka Ballapur a friend had written about ( but it is on the right side with bar attached! ). We were in no mood for non veg., so decided to eat at Kamat ( Rest area, with BP petrol bunk - on the left ) in Saittu Thinnai ( the resting parapet of Sait ). This place is an hours drive away from BIAL. You can also find many Dhaba's and Omni van vending food stalls along with the grapes from the vineyard ( fresh? may be ) being sold on the sides of the highway NH 7 ( at obscene prices ).

We had plate meal. Rs 55/- each. Got some chilled water in the nearby shop and kids played in the merry go round and swing for sometime, before taking in some ice cream. Beat the heat.

We started off to Puttaparthi at 2.30 PM, and it was only half the way. I was planning to be there by 4.30 PM at the latest. Thanks to the free roads, and well laid roads we reached the Ashram at around 4 PM. You have to take a right turn on to Puttaparthi Main road near Kodur and travel for 31 kms, to take another right turn for 8 kms to reach Sai Prashanthi Nilayam.

Tried to pull over couple of times to call, but signals are weak, as a person had called in after a blue moon, in ages! ( whom I have never met in person being in Bangalore! ).

On the way, we saw the big Sai Baba Hospital ( in light pink colour - compared to the white colour in Whitefield ) and the Airport.

Odometer reading 179.1 kms in 4 hours approx with our scheduled lunch stop and nature call pitstops.

We found it difficult to park. A good samaritan helped us ( A Nadar from Tirunelveli ) in finding a spot in the General Hospital to park among the staff. Thanks to him!

We refreshed a bit, and with security checks in place, we were ushered inside Prasanthi Nilayam by 4.30 PM. No drinking water is alllowed to carry in ( though they serve you ). Deposit all your stuff in cloak room. You have to carry a plastic hand fan, waiting for Sai Baba Darshan. You can deposit your mobile phone in a separate area, for which they give a token. Chappals are to be left near the entrance and it was funny to see some people using lock + chains to store them like the bag locks in railway compartments. It was very hot and I got hurt walking barefoot - burns? washed my legs in a loo @ East Prasanthi Hall and felt OK.

Ladies and gents are frisked separately and the seating in separate in the darshan hall.  It's a open Hall with no door, but grills and can accommodate about 10,000 people told a Sai Ram volunteer. You have to deposit your bubblegum, pens, gutka, cigarettes etc before the security check, again.

Then the wait for Sai Baba started. People were in chants.... singing the praise in many different hymns.

At around 5 PM, the Godman in Saffron robe, moved in a wheelchair by his help ( Seva Dala ) appeared. He went around the front row, accepting single roses, hand written requests etc. Few people took his arm and kissed. I could see the white and white foreigners doing the touch feet and greet duty. There was glowing radiance in Sai Baba face, he looked old compared to the young pictures - that I have seen.  When he came to the males section, he took out something from his mouth and gave it to one of the devotees. The music and singing hit a crescendo and he went inside some rooms, behind a Ganesha temple ( small puja room ). I was told he gives interviews to many people.

With the 'darshan' mission over ( I didnt stay on for the bhajans for long, and people expected him to re-appear again, for few more minutes ) and went out to get some Vibuthi ( we wanted to reciprocate ). The Radiosai shop sells items below MRP on stocking costs. No taxes! A Rs 14 bottle of Kinley water bottle is sold for Rs 9.90 for example. Also the famous low cost Bakery is a must visit. Rs 4 for popcorn, Re 1 for a masala bread slice ( filling! ), Rs 4 for a puffs / cake piece... Rs 5 for coffee or Tea... Rs 10 for Personal Pan Pizza... we got some real stomach filling stuff... which turned out to be our dinner on the way!

The place is very clean all along. Well maintained. I liked that! Lots of learning to be done, for the Municipal guys.

We hit to road again at 6 PM. Eating the snacks purchased in the Bakery, we started listening to the music and sharing our observations. You can also stay there for a nominal fee or free ( if you book well in advance ). If you are a donor giving in Lakhs, you will get an AC room and special interview with Sai Baba may be. I saw many Telugu Actors, A judge of Karnataka High Court, few AP ministers and one Tamilnadu MP and a person whom I have seen in Bangalore in a shop! All in apt devotion!

We crossed Koduru at around 6.45 PM and after Saittu Thinnai, @ 8 PM we stopped for a 10 minutes break. Had a wonderful "Red" Tea on the road side stall. Really rejuvenated. Kids woke up, who were asleep on the way!

There was high lightning all along the way, and intermittent showers. So I could not drive beyond 80 Kms speed. My wife was scared to see lorries driving with no back red lights or reflectors ( heavy and slow moving too ). Dangerous if you are not careful. The highway patrol should do something about this, if they care for their jobs. They should forcibly stick the plastic reflectors on the backs of such lorries at a cost. will someone listen?

Also near small villages, people are crossing the roads without any care. They have also put up shops, right next to the highway. Unbelievable!

We crossed BIAL at around 8.30 PM and saw many cars merging from Airport. It is a mess out there. 6 lanes would not be enough. I hope someone, one of the twittering ministers, tweets about the pathetic road management in Bangalore, to take care of it with a Joint Parliamentary Probe. Potholes in newly laid highways? You gotta come to Bangalore to see it.

I took the City route - RT Nagar, Mekhri Circle, Sankey Road, MG Road, Lavelle Road, St Marks Road, Residency Road, Brigade Road extn. and on to BG Road ( with a slight in work progress area in Adugodi ) and reached home at 9.45 PM.

Odometer reading 161.4 kms in about 3 hours 45 mins with only one stop of 10 minutes!

--
Regards
Vijayashankar

Chikmagalur Trip

We decided to take a trip to Chikmagalur over the last weekend, with kids on vacation mode.

It is about 260 kms away from Bangalore.

On route, we took the Tumkur - Arsikere - Kadur - Chikmagalur route.

We started around 10.45 AM, after the decision was made to travel at 9.30 AM after breakfast. We reached Chikmagalur around 5 PM, with few stops on the way. We had veg lunch, with egg burji at Ananth Dhabha Green Restaurant just after Tiptur. (unusual and may be bcoz there are limited Non veg eaters in that area )

On reaching Chikmagalur, we thought of meeting my wife's cousin family, but they had gone to North India tour. We roamed around the place with weather like Coonoor, and saw the length and breadth of the city! Lots of demolition going on, of the illegal constructions. The Traffic cops are helpful, with too many oneway's, without any boards.

We stayed at Vasavi Vihar, with a decent room. Had dinner served at room. Chicken Tandoori Kebabs and Biriyani.

The next day, we woke up early. I went alone outside at 6.30 AM in search of hot coffee nearby... but no shops around. Room service started at 7 AM only. Had a small walk, with the Police Commissioner who stays near that hotel, and he gave me tips of seeing around that area. Nice of him!

We had breakfast in Food Palace, RG Road, which runs parallel to MG Road.

At around 8.30 AM we started for Muliyanagiri hill trip. It is about 22 kms from Chikmagalur and a scenic drive. There is Muliyana Easwara temple almost of the top. Beyond that point, the peak is at around 3 Kms. But it is not safe to drive beyond the first hairpin bend and after that temple. We stopped after seeing the steep climb and Maruti Omni's running behind, with people stopping them with stones and pushing the car up the hill! There are no railings that might stop the car. I drove back in reverse, with help of my wife outside, for about 100 meters (to reverse) a thrilling drive to return back to the temple area, which I will never forget.

The forest authorities in that area, should do something to build protection on the side, which might make the drivers drive upto the view point ( that too on 1st gear ) and also try to reduce the steep gradient.

We did a small trek from the temple area, up hill probably for about 200 meters... rested for sometime. Kids enjoyed a lot. Very beautiful scenarios - breathtaking ( other than me huffing and puffing pulling my weight up ).

On the return we stopped at a waterfall. Very small. The area is full of coffee estates. Nice aroma of coffee. We got some filter coffee from Jayanti Coffee works.

There are 2 waterfalls Kalhatti and Hebba falls, but we decided to skip as we wanted to see Belur and Halebidu on the return.

We reached the hotel around 11 AM, and checked out starting at 11.45 AM. Belur is about 22 kms away. In hot sun, we had a nice architectural tour for an hour. Then we went on to Halibedu, which is 16 kms away. Spent some time there wondering the architectural Hoysala marvel, and reached Hassan at 2.30 PM. We had veg lunch at Santhosh Cafe on Rt. 48 and topped with some icecream cones. We started driving the remainder of 200 kms at 3.30 PM and reached home, via Nelamangala and NICE road at 7.30 PM.

There is an alternate route itseems, from near Kunigal after Johnson Tile factory, which leads to NICE Road, on Magadi road. It might save 20 kms and some time.

Our return trip had lots of showers and the drive was slow.

Total round trip 600 Kms in 2 days.

--
Regards
Vijayashankar

Bangalore Tweetup Pictures - April 14th, 2010

Yesterday ( April 14th, 2010 ) I managed to drive in the hard rain and tough weather, in the potholed roads of Bangalore - Outer ring road - with lots of construction sites..... It was planned for 7 PM, so started at 6 PM to be in time - the Innovative multiplex @ Marathalli is about 20kms away, but I reached at 7.40 PM and was there till 9 PM.... ( reached home around 9.40 PM, bit late for a call... )

Nothing much was discussed, except the regular intro stuff - how you came into blog and tweets world.

Sridhar ( @orupakkam ) had come from USA, so this meet was held.  :-) The other attendees were (tweeters) @Sammy_I @ravisuga @BalaramanL @subatomic @sanbharath @TBCD

Nice coffee was served! Thanks Don. I dont know who it is....

Flower that blooms once in 3000 years

Udumbara is the Flower that blooms once in 3000 years

சம்மர் வெகேசன்

இப்போதெல்லாம், தினமும் இருக்கும் டைம் எல்லாம் மகனையும், மகளையும் சம்மர்  வெகேசன் என்ற வேலை நிறைந்த யுகத்தில் சுழல்கிறேன்.

காலையில் நீச்சலுக்கு அழைத்து செல்ல வேண்டும். பிறகு அவர்கள் ஏதாவது பெயிண்டிங் கலரிங் என்று இருப்பார்கள். மாலை மீண்டும்  நீச்சல் அல்லது எங்காவது பார்க் அல்லது சாப்பிங். அடுத்த வருட பாட புத்தகங்கள் இப்போதே கொடுத்து விட்டார்கள். மனைவி முதலில் படித்து, பிறகு சொல்லிக்கொடுக்க வேண்டும். டீச்சர்களை யார் நம்புவது? எல்லா பாடத்திலும் ஏ ப்ளஸ் வாங்க வேண்டுமே. அபார்ட்மெண்டில் குழந்தைகள் மத்தியில் தன்னம்பிக்கை அதிகம் வர, மார்க் முக்கியம்! :-)

எங்க ஜெனரேசன்லே கிரிக்கெட் தான். கிட்டிப்புல், கோலிகுண்டு லெவல் குறைவு ( கான்வென்ட் ஸ்கூல் பசங்களுக்கு! )

காலையில் அவசரமாக இரண்டு இட்லி தின்றும் தின்னாமல், கிரிக்கெட் பேட்டை எடுத்துக்கொண்டு, கார்க் பால் வைத்திருக்கும் கணபதியை பிடிக்க ஓடி...நான்கு மணி நேரம் நஞ்சப்பா கிரவுண்டில் விளையாடிய பிறகு ...
செட்டியார் வீட்டில் தண்ணீர் பந்தலில் வயிறு முட்ட நீர் மோர் குடித்து விட்டு, வீட்டில் வந்து ஒரு கவளம் கூட சாப்பிடாமல் அப்படியே கட்டிலில் விழுந்து விடுகிற சனி....

நாற்பது பேர் படித்த கிளாசில், எனக்கு (முதல்) அடுத்த ரேன்க் என்று சொல்லிகொள்ளும் இருபத்தியாறாவது ரேன்க் ...குமார்... ( வாழ்க்கையிலே இப்போ என்னைவிட அவன் பெரிய ரேன்க் ) ... எங்கம்மா கொடுக்கும் நுரை தளும்பும் காப்பி குடிக்க டைம் செய்து வரும் வரை ... தூக்கம்... சொர்கம்.

நண்பர் கே. ஸ்ரீ சரவணன் பேப்பர் கவர் செய்ய சொல்லிக்கொடுத்தான். நூறு கவருக்கு ஐந்து ருபாய். குமுதம் விகடன் சைஸ். பொறி கல்லை கடைக்கு சப்பளை. பதினோரு வயதில் தங்கைகள் உதவியுடன் ( அம்மா மாவு பசை செய்து கொடுக்க ) ஒரு வாரத்தில் முப்பது ருபாய் ( என் ஒரு மாச ஸ்கூல் பீஸ் ) சாம்பாரிதது இன்றும் நினைவில் நிற்கிறது.

கோவை பாட்டி வீட்டிற்கு ஒரு வாரம் மட்டும் சென்று வந்தோம், திருப்பூரை விட அங்கு சூடு குறைவு. வேறு சொந்தங்கள் வீடு லீவில் இருக்க செல்லும் வழக்கம் எங்க வட்டாரத்தில் இல்லை.

பிறகு வீட்டில் அட்டை பெட்டி செய்தது, பனியன் தொழில் அப்பாவிற்கு உதவி என்று லீவு நாட்கள் சென்றது. ( ஸ்கூல் / காலேஜ்  செலவிற்கு சம்பாரித்து விடுவேன் )

ஏழாவது படித்த சமயம் எல்.ஐ.சி. சதீஷ் ( அவன் அப்பா அங்கு மேனேஜர் ) வீட்டில் கம்ப்யுடர் பழகியது, கேம் ஆடியது, மெடிடேசன் பழகியது என கழிந்தது.

எட்டாவது படித்த சமயம் (டாக்டர்) ஈஸ்வரமூர்த்தி வீட்டில் கவிதை எழுத பழகியது ... பார்வை என்ற கையெழுத்து பிரதியில் எழுதியது, தனியாக 'தூறல்' என்ற கையெழுத்து பிரதி நடத்தியது ( இன்றும் என் நண்பர்கள் நினைவில் வைத்திருக்கிறார்கள் ) எல்லாம் சம்மர் வேகசன் டைமில் தான்.

BBMP election results

Bangalore election results for the 198 wards are tricking in

As of now BJP won 15 ,Cong 9 and JDS- 1

Leads BJP - 6, COng - 10, JDS - 3, Other 4 out of  23 leads

Looks like a tight race.

Mayor for BJP? 3500 crores annual budget for BBMP

--
Regards
Vijayashankar

BBMP election results

Bangalore election results for the 198 wards are tricking in

As of now BJP won 7 out of 14 declared.

Leads BJP - 18, COng - 14, JDS - 5 out of 37 leads

--
Regards
Vijayashankar

Should you buy and iPad?

See the flowchart given by Guy Kawasaki. (c) 2010 BBSpot.com

Top habits of Millionaires

1. Millionaires think long-term:
a) Thinking day to day, the way poor people do, is where you will find day laborers and street beggars.
b) Thinking week to week, the way poor people do, is living paycheck to paycheck and barely make ends meet.
c) Thinking month to month, the way middle class people do, is being concerned with monthly liabilities such as mortgage loan, car loan, credit card payment and household expenses.
d) Thinking year to year, the way rich people do, is where people learn about fiscal responsibility, financial literacy and investment.
e) Thinking decade to decade, the way very rich people do, is where you will find business plans that reach far into the future.
2. Patience is a millionaire's asset; impatience is a liability of the middle class:
a) Rich people has the discipline of delayed gratification because they want more freedom in life.
b) Middle-class people want instant gratification because they want more comfort in life.

Millionaires talk about ideas:
a) Rich people talk about great ideas and realizing them. They own car companies, sports teams and vacation spots. They produce movies, television shows and music and earn from them. They choose fortune over fame.
b) Middle-class people talk about things from rich people's ideas and daydream on them. They talk about things like sports cars, soccer teams and holidays. They indulge in movies, television shows and music and spend on them. They are easily impressed by fame.
4. The rich loves to compliment others and gain their help and support; the poor loves to tear down others only to be alienated.
5. People who complain are literally cursing themselves. Always ask yourself what is life trying to teach you when you feel like complaining upon a challenge or hardship.
6. For the comfortable middle-class people, change is feared; for the confident rich people, change is opportunity. Fear blinds you to opportunities; confidence let you discover opportunities.
7. Fear is inevitable. The rich overcomes it with knowledge; the poor submits to it with negligence.
8. If you can live with the worst thing happening from your decision and the most likely thing to happen will lead you to the best thing happening, go for it!
9. We can't please everyone and rejection is imminent; if you failed, you may be rejected but if you succeeded, you may still be rejected.
10. The rich plays to win; the poor plays to not lose only to lose in eventuality.
11. People often wish they would take more risks in life if they could live all over again, meaning that people have more regrets over things they didn't do than the things they did.
12. Knowledge is priceless; negligence is costly:
a) Investment on a $20 book read may well worth a $20 000 idea and a $1 000 seminar attended may well worth a $1 million business plan.
b) Being penny-wise and pound-foolish by saving a $50 banknote for shopping instead of buying a good book may cost a loss of an undiscovered $50 000 idea. Worst off, craving for free advices may cost even greater loss when one listens to the opinion of another who thinks he knows something even when he has no real life experience.
13. The rich work for profits instead of wages; the poor trades their time for wages.
14. Happy millionaires are generous because they believe they will receive more in return.
15. Millionaires develop multiple income source by passive income from business that requires little personal management. They build teams of great people that complement one another, not compete with one another, to run their business, believing that those people will do even better than them.
16. Learn to increase your net worth the way rich people do, not learning to increase your paycheck only to be taxed more.
17. Rich people increase their investment and assets when their income increases; poor people increase their spending and liabilities as their income increases.
18. The rich makes money, spends money, then pay taxes; the poor makes money, pay their tax and left with little to spend.

நல்ல செறிவான கவிதைகள்!

நல்ல செறிவான கவிதைகள்!

Paraphrasing WriterPayon.

***

(௧)
குழந்தைகள் செய்வது
குறும்பு
கண்டுக்காதீர்கள்
என்கிறார்கள் பெரியவர்கள் 

(௨)
அன்பே நீ
தாம்பரத்தில் வேலை செய்கிறாய்
சிதம்பரத்தில் இருக்கிறேன் நான்
இல்லறம் நடத்துவது எப்படி?

(௩)
கவிதையெல்லாம்
உரைநடை போல இருந்தால்
பக்கத்து நாட்டுக்காரனுக்கு என்ன
பக்கத்து வீட்டுக்காரனுக்கே கோபம்!

--
Regards
Vijayashankar

The Deming System of Profound Knowledge

The Deming System of Profound Knowledge

"The prevailing style of management must undergo transformation. A system cannot understand itself. The transformation requires a view from outside. The aim of this chapter is to provide an outside view—a lens—that I call a system of profound knowledge. It provides a map of theory by which to understand the organizations that we work in.
"The first step is transformation of the individual. This transformation is discontinuous. It comes from understanding of the system of profound knowledge. The individual, transformed, will perceive new meaning to his life, to events, to numbers, to interactions between people.
"Once the individual understands the system of profound knowledge, he will apply its principles in every kind of relationship with other people. He will have a basis for judgment of his own decisions and for transformation of the organizations that he belongs to. The individual, once transformed, will:

• Set an example;
• Be a good listener, but will not compromise;
• Continually teach other people; and
• Help people to pull away from their current practices and beliefs and move into the new philosophy without a feeling of guilt about the past."

Deming advocated that all managers need to have what he called a System of Profound Knowledge, consisting of four parts:

1. Appreciation of a system: understanding the overall processes involving suppliers, producers, and customers (or recipients) of goods and services (explained below);
2. Knowledge of variation: the range and causes of variation in quality, and use of statistical sampling in measurements;
3. Theory of knowledge: the concepts explaining knowledge and the limits of what can be known (see also: epistemology);
4. Knowledge of psychology: concepts of human nature.

Deming explained, "One need not be eminent in any part nor in all four parts in order to understand it and to apply it. The 14 points for management in industry, education, and government follow naturally as application of this outside knowledge, for transformation from the present style of Western management to one of optimization."
"The various segments of the system of profound knowledge proposed here cannot be separated. They interact with each other. Thus, knowledge of psychology is incomplete without knowledge of variation.
"A manager of people needs to understand that all people are different. This is not ranking people. He needs to understand that the performance of anyone is governed largely by the system that he works in, the responsibility of management. A psychologist that possesses even a crude understanding of variation as will be learned in the experiment with the Red Beads (Ch. 7) could no longer participate in refinement of a plan for ranking people."^[21]
The Appreciation of a system involves understanding how interactions (i.e., feedback) between the elements of a system can result in internal restrictions that force the system to behave as a single organism that automatically seeks a steady state. It is this steady state that determines the output of the system rather than the individual elements. Thus it is the structure of the organization rather than the employees, alone, which holds the key to improving the quality of output.
The Knowledge of variation involves understanding that everything measured consists of both "normal" variation due to the flexibility of the system and of "special causes" that create defects. Quality involves recognizing the difference to eliminate "special causes" while controlling normal variation. Deming taught that making changes in response to "normal" variation would only make the system perform worse. Understanding variation includes the mathematical certainty that variation will normally occur within six standard deviations of the mean.
The System of Profound Knowledge is the basis for application of Deming's famous 14 Points for Management, described below.

Key principles

Deming offered fourteen key principles for management for transforming business effectiveness. The points were first presented in his book Out of the Crisis. (p. 23-24)^[22]

1. Create constancy of purpose toward improvement of product and service, with the aim to become competitive and stay in business, and to provide jobs.
2. Adopt the new philosophy. We are in a new economic age. Western management must awaken to the challenge, must learn their responsibilities, and take on leadership for change.
3. Cease dependence on inspection to achieve quality. Eliminate the need for massive inspection by building quality into the product in the first place.
4. End the practice of awarding business on the basis of price tag. Instead, minimize total cost. Move towards a single supplier for any one item, on a long-term relationship of loyalty and trust.
5. Improve constantly and forever the system of production and service, to improve quality and productivity, and thus constantly decrease costs.
6. Institute training on the job.
7. Institute leadership (see Point 12 and Ch. 8 of "Out of the Crisis"). The aim of supervision should be to help people and machines and gadgets to do a better job. Supervision of management is in need of overhaul, as well as supervision of production workers.
8. Drive out fear, so that everyone may work effectively for the company. (See Ch. 3 of "Out of the Crisis")
9. Break down barriers between departments. People in research, design, sales, and production must work as a team, to foresee problems of production and in use that may be encountered with the product or service.
10. Eliminate slogans, exhortations, and targets for the work force asking for zero defects and new levels of productivity. Such exhortations only create adversarial relationships, as the bulk of the causes of low quality and low productivity belong to the system and thus lie beyond the power of the work force.
11. a. Eliminate work standards (quotas) on the factory floor. Substitute leadership.
    b. Eliminate management by objective. Eliminate management by numbers, numerical goals. Substitute leadership.
12. a. Remove barriers that rob the hourly worker of his right to pride of workmanship. The responsibility of supervisors must be changed from sheer numbers to quality.
    b. Remove barriers that rob people in management and in engineering of their right to pride of workmanship. This means, inter alia," abolishment of the annual or merit rating and of management by objective (See Ch. 3 of "Out of the Crisis").
13. Institute a vigorous program of education and self-improvement.
14. Put everybody in the company to work to accomplish the transformation. The transformation is everybody's job.

"Massive training is required to instill the courage to break with tradition. Every activity and every job is a part of the process." ^[23]

Seven Deadly Diseases

The "Seven Deadly Diseases" include

1. Lack of constancy of purpose
2. Emphasis on short-term profits
3. Evaluation by performance, merit rating, or annual review of performance
4. Mobility of management
5. Running a company on visible figures alone
6. Excessive medical costs
7. Excessive costs of warranty, fueled by lawyers who work for contingency fees

"A Lesser Category of Obstacles" includes

1. Neglecting long-range planning
2. Relying on technology to solve problems
3. Seeking examples to follow rather than developing solutions
4. Excuses, such as "Our problems are different"
5. Obsolescence in school that management skill can be taught in classes^[24]
6. Reliance on quality control department rather than management, supervisors, managers of purchasing, and production workers
7. Placing blames on workforces who only responsible for 15% of mistake where the system desired by management is responsible for 85% of the unintended consequences
8. Relying on quality inspection rather than improve product quality

Deming's advocacy of the Plan-Do-Check-Act cycle, his 14 Points, and Seven Deadly Diseases have had tremendous influence outside of manufacturing and have been applied in other arenas, such as in the relatively new field of sales process engineering.^[25]

Quotations and concepts

In his later years, Dr. Deming taught many concepts, which he emphasized by key sayings or quotations that he repeated. A number of these quotes have been recorded.^[26] Some of the concepts might seem to be oxymorons or contradictory to each other; however, the student is given each concept to ponder its meaning in the whole system, over time.

• "There is no substitute for knowledge." This statement emphasizes the need to know more, about everything in the system. It is considered as a contrast to the old statement, "There is no substitute for hard work" by Thomas Alva Edison (1847–1931). Instead, a small amount of knowledge could save many hours of hard work.

• "The most important things cannot be measured." The issues that are most important, long term, cannot be measured in advance. However, they might be among the factors that an organization is measuring, just not understood as most important at the time.

• "The most important things are unknown or unknowable." The factors that have the greatest impact, long term, can be quite surprising. Analogous to an earthquake that disrupts service, other "earth-shattering" events that most affect an organization will be unknown or unknowable, in advance. Other examples of important things would be: a drastic change in technology, or new investment capital.

• "Experience by itself teaches nothing."^[26] This statement emphasizes the need to interpret and apply information against a theory or framework of concepts that is the basis for knowledge about a system. It is considered as a contrast to the old statement, "Experience is the best teacher" (Dr. Deming disagreed with that). To Dr. Deming, knowledge is best taught by a master who explains the overall system through which experience is judged; experience, without understanding the underlying system, is just raw data that can be misinterpreted against a flawed theory of reality. Deming's view of experience is related to Shewhart's concept, "Data has no meaning apart from its context" (see Walter A. Shewhart, "Later Work").

• "By what method?... Only the method counts."^[26] When information is obtained, or data is measured, the method, or process used to gather information, greatly affects the results. For example, the "Hawthorne effect" showed that people just asking frequently for opinions seemed to affect the resulting outcome, since some people felt better just being asked for their opinion. Dr. Deming warned that basing judgments on customer complaints alone ignored the general population of other opinions, which should be judged together, such as in a statistical sample of the whole, not just isolated complaints: survey the entire group about their likes and dislikes. The extreme complaints might not represent the attitudes of the whole group. Similarly, measuring or counting data depends on the instrument or method used.

• "You can expect what you inspect." Dr. Deming emphasized the importance of measuring and testing to predict typical results. If a phase consists of inputs + process + outputs, all 3 are inspected to some extent. Problems with inputs are a major source of trouble, but the process using those inputs can also have problems. By inspecting the inputs and the process more, the outputs can be better predicted, and inspected less. Rather than use mass inspection of every output product, the output can be statistically sampled in a cause-effect relationship through the process.

• "Special Causes and Common Causes": Dr. Deming considered anomalies in quality to be variations outside the control limits of a process. Such variations could be attributed to one-time events called "special causes" or to repeated events called "common causes" that hinder quality.

• Acceptable Defects: Rather than waste efforts on zero-defect goals, Dr. Deming stressed the importance of establishing a level of variation, or anomalies, acceptable to the recipient (or customer) in the next phase of a process. Often, some defects are quite acceptable, and efforts to remove all defects would be an excessive waste of time and money.

• The Deming Cycle (or Shewhart Cycle): As a repetitive process to determine the next action, the Deming Cycle describes a simple method to test information before making a major decision. The 4 steps in the Deming Cycle are: Plan-Do-Check-Act (PDCA), also known as Plan-Do-Study-Act or PDSA. Dr. Deming called the cycle the Shewhart Cycle, after Walter A. Shewhart. The cycle can be used in various ways, such as running an experiment: PLAN (design) the experiment; DO the experiment by performing the steps; CHECK the results by testing information; and ACT on the decisions based on those results.

• Semi-Automated, not Fully Automated: Dr. Deming lamented the problem of automation gone awry ("robots painting robots"): instead, he advocated human-assisted semi-automation, which allows people to change the semi-automated or computer-assisted processes, based on new knowledge. Compare to Japanese term 'jidoka' (which can be loosely translated as "automation with a human touch").

• "The problem is at the top; management is the problem." ^[21] Dr. Deming emphasized that the top-level management had to change to produce significant differences, in a long-term, continuous manner. As a consultant, Deming would offer advice to top-level managers, if asked repeatedly, in a continuous manner.

• "What is a system? A system is a network of interdependent components that work together to try to accomplish the aim of the system. A system must have an aim. Without an aim, there is no system. The aim of the system must be clear to everyone in the system. The aim must include plans for the future. The aim is a value judgment. (We are of course talking here about a man-made system.)" ^[21]

• "A system must be managed. It will not manage itself. Left to themselves in the Western world, components become selfish, competitive. We can not afford the destructive effect of competition." ^[21]

• "To successfully respond to the myriad of changes that shake the world, transformation into a new style of management is required. The route to take is what I call profound knowledge—knowledge for leadership of transformation." ^[21]

• "The worker is not the problem. The problem is at the top! Management!" ^[27] Management's job. It is management's job to direct the efforts of all components toward the aim of the system. The first step is clarification: everyone in the organization must understand the aim of the system, and how to direct his efforts toward it. Everyone must understand the damage and loss to the whole organization from a team that seeks to become a selfish, independent, profit centre." ^[21]

• "They realized that the gains that you get by statistical methods are gains that you get without new machinery, without new people. Anybody can produce quality if he lowers his production rate. That is not what I am talking about. Statistical thinking and statistical methods are to Japanese production workers, foremen, and all the way through the company, a second language. In statistical control, you have a reproducible product hour after hour, day after day. And see how comforting that is to management, they now know what they can produce, they know what their costs are going to be." ^[28]

• "I think that people here expect miracles. American management thinks that they can just copy from Japan—but they don't know what to copy!" ^[28]

• "What is the variation trying to tell us about a process, about the people in the process?" ^[21] Dr. Shewhart created the basis for the control chart and the concept of a state of statistical control by carefully designed experiments. While Dr. Shewhart drew from pure mathematical statistical theories, he understood that data from physical processes never produce a "normal distribution curve" (a Gaussian distribution, also commonly referred to as a "bell curve"). He discovered that observed variation in manufacturing data did not always behave the same way as data in nature (Brownian motion of particles). Dr. Shewhart concluded that while every process displays variation, some processes display controlled variation that is natural to the process, while others display uncontrolled variation that is not present in the process causal system at all times.^[29] Dr. Deming renamed these distinctions "common cause" for chance causes and "special cause" for assignable causes. He did this so the focus would be placed on those responsible for doing something about the variation, rather than the source of the variation. It is top management's responsibility to address "common cause" variation, and therefore it is management's responsibility to make improvements to the whole system. Because "special cause" variation is assignable, workers, supervisors or middle managers that have direct knowledge of the assignable cause best address this type of specific intervention.^[8]

• (Deming on Quality Circles) "That's all window dressing. That's not fundamental. That's not getting at change and the transformation that must take place. Sure we have to solve problems. Certainly stamp out the fire. Stamp out the fire and get nowhere. Stamp out the fires puts us back to where we were in the first place. Taking action on the basis of results without theory of knowledge, without theory of variation, without knowledge about a system. Anything goes wrong, do something about it, overreacting; acting without knowledge, the effect is to make things worse. With the best of intentions and best efforts, managing by results is, in effect, exactly the same, as Dr. Myron Tribus put it, while driving your automobile, keeping your eye on the rear view mirror, what would happen? And that's what management by results is, keeping your eye on results." ^[2]

• "Knowledge is theory. We should be thankful if action of management is based on theory. Knowledge has temporal spread. Information is not knowledge. The world is drowning in information but is slow in acquisition of knowledge. There is no substitute for knowledge." ^[21] This statement emphasizes the need for theory of knowledge (see: epistemology, Shewhart cycle, C. I. Lewis).

• "The most important figures that one needs for management are unknown or unknowable (Lloyd S. Nelson, director of statistical methods for the Nashua corporation), but successful management must nevertheless take account of them." ^[22] Deming realized that many important things that must be managed couldn't be measured. Both points are important. One, not everything of importance to management can be measured. And two, you must still manage those important things. Spend $20,000 training 10 people in a special skill. What's the benefit? "You'll never know," answered Deming. "You'll never be able to measure it. Why did you do it? Because you believed it would pay off. Theory." Dr. Deming is often incorrectly quoted as saying, "You can't manage what you can't measure." In fact, he stated that one of the seven deadly diseases of management is running a company on visible figures alone.

• "By what method?" ^[26] When information is obtained, or data is measured, the method, or process used to gather information, affects the results. Dr. Deming warned that basing judgments on customer complaints alone ignored the general population of other opinions, which should be judged together, such as in a statistical sample of the whole (Sampling (statistics)). Changing the method changes the results. Aim and method are essential. An aim without a method is useless. A method without an aim is dangerous. It leads to action without direction and without constancy of purpose. Deming used an illustration of washing a table to teach a lesson about the relationship between purpose and method. If you tell someone to wash a table, but not the reason for washing it, they cannot do the job properly (will the table be used for chopping food or potting plants?). That does not mean just giving the explanation without an operational definition. The information about why the table needs to be washed, and what is to be done with it, makes it possible to do the job intelligently.

மௌனம்

அதிர்வுகளால் மனதை அளந்தேன்
எனக்கு புரியவில்லை
மௌனம்?

--
Regards
Vijayashankar

Our Motherland - The Great INDIA

STATES AND CAPITAL States Capital Andhra Pradesh Hyderabad Arunachal Pradesh Itanagar Assam Guwhati Bihar Patna Chhattisgarh Raipur Goa Panaji Gujarat Gandhinagar Haryana Chandigarh Himachal Pradesh Shimla Jammu and Kashmir Summer Capital: Jammu Winter Capital: Srinagar Jharkhand Ranchi Karnataka Bangalore Kerala Thiruvananthapuram Madhya Pradesh Bhopal Maharashtra Mumbai Manipur Imphal Meghalaya Shillong Mizoram Aizwal Nagaland Kohima Orissa Bhubaneswar Punjab Chandigarh Rajasthan Jaipur Sikkim Gangtok Tamil Nadu Chennai Tripura Agartala Uttaranchal Dehradun Uttar Pradesh Lucknow West Bengal Kolkatta   Union Territory Capital Andaman & Nicobar Port Blair Chandigarh Chandigarh Dadra and Nagar Haveli Silvassa Daman and Diu Daman Delhi Delhi Lakshadweep Kavaratti Pondicherry Pondicherry      Presidents of India Dr.Rajendra Prasad (Jan. 26, 1950 to May 13, 1962) Dr.Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan (May 13, 1962 to May 13, 1967) Dr.Zakir Husain (May 13, 1967 to May 3, 1969) Varahagiri Venkatagiri (May 3, 1969 to July 20, 1969)(acting) Justice Mohammed Hidayatullah (July 20, 1969 to August 24, 1969)(acting) Varahagiri Venkatagiri (August 24, 1969 to August 24, 1974) Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed (August 24, 1974 to Feb. 11, 1977) B.D.Jatti (Feb. 12, 1977 to July 25, 1977)(acting) Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy (July 25, 1977 to July 25, 1982) Giani Zail Singh (July 25, 1982 to July 25, 1987) R.Venkataraman (July 25, 1987 to July 25, 1992)   Dr.Shanker Dayal Sharma (July 25, 1992 to July 25, 1997)   K. R. Narayanan (July 25, 1997 - July 25, 2002)   A P J Abdul Kalam July 25, 2002 - July 25, 2007   Pratibha Patil July 25, 2007 - till date  Prime Ministers of India Jawaharlal Nehru Aug. 15, 1947 - May 27, 1964 Gulzari Lal Nanda May 27, 1964 - June 9, 1964 (Interim) January 11 -  24, 1966(Interim) Lal Bahadur Shastri June 9, 1964 - January 11, 1966 Indira Gandhi Jan. 24, 1966 to March 24, 1977 Jan. 14, 1980 to Oct. 31,1984 Morarji Desai March 24, 1977 to July 28, 1979 Charan Singh July 28, 1979 - Jan. 14, 1980 Rajiv Gandhi Oct. 31,1984 to Dec. 1,1989 V. P. Singh Dec. 2,1989 - Nov. 10, 1990 Chandra Shekhar Nov. 10,1990 - June 21, 1991 P. V.  Narasimha Rao June 21, 1991 to May 10, 1996 Atal Bihari Vajpayee May 16 to June 1, 1996 H. D.  Deve Gowda June 1, 1996 to April 21, 1997 I. K. Gujral April 21, 1997 - Nov. 28. 1997. Atal Bihari Vajpayee March 19, 1998 - May 22, 2004   Dr. Manmohan Singh May 22, 2004 - till date National Animal of India Tiger is scientifically known as Panthera tigris. It is a member of the Felidae family and the largest of the four 'big cats' of the Panthera genus. On an average, a tiger is about 13 feet in length and 150 kilograms in weight. The pattern of dark vertical stripes that overlay near-white to reddish-orange fur is the distinct recognition of a tiger. By nature, the tiger is a keen predator and carnivore. The Panthera tigris is a native of the eastern and southern Asia. Known as Lord of Jungles due to its grace, agility, power and endurance, Tiger is also the national animal of India. Choice of Tiger as National Animal Tiger was chosen as the National animal of India due to its grace, strength, agility and enormous power. As the tiger is also considered as the king of Jungle, it was an obvious choice for the National Animal category. Since time immemorial, the tiger has been considered as a Royal Animal. Often, The Tiger as the National Animal of India symbolizes the power, strength, elegance, alertness, intelligence and endurance of the nation. Declining Population of Tiger There is a steep fall in the population of tigers in the world. Due to illegal smuggling of Tiger Skin and other body parts, there are very few tigers left in the world today. According to the World Census of Tigers, there are only 5000 -7000 tigers in the world today. Out of which, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, China and Myanmar claim to have a population of 3000 to 4500 and India alone claims to have a population of 2500 to 3750. In India, out of the eight known races of the Panthera Tigris species, the Royal Bengal Tiger, is found throughout the country except in the north-western region. Project Tiger in India Due to the extreme threat of extinction of the tiger species from the country, the Indian Government launched Project Tiger in 1973. Project tiger was focused to preserve the remaining tiger population in the country and increase the breeding of the species so that new population could be added to the existing one. Under this Project, 23 tiger reserves were established throughout the country, covering an area of 33,406 sq. km for providing safe and comfortable shelter to the tigers in the natural environment. By 1993, there was much improvement in the tiger population in the country. However despite the increase in population, the population of tigers in the country is still not satisfactory compared to the effort and money put in the project. This is due to the illegal poaching of the tigers and negligence of authorities towards the alarming situation of the tiger population in the country. National Anthem of India National anthem can be described as a patriotic musical composition of a country, which reminds and praises the history, traditions and struggles of its people. At the same time, it has to be recognized as the official national song, either by the nation's government or by convention through use by the people. The national anthem of India is 'Jana-gana-mana', composed originally in Bengali, by Rabindranath Tagore. It was adopted as the national anthem of India, in its Hindi version, by the Constituent Assembly, on 24th January 1950. 'Jana-gana-mana' was first sung on 27th December 1911, long before Indian gained independence, at the Calcutta Session of the Indian National Congress. The complete song consists of five stanzas. As for the playing time of the full version of the national anthem, it will take up approximately 52 seconds. A short version, consisting of first and last lines of the stanza (playing time approximately 20 seconds), is also played on certain occasions. National Anthem In Hindi Jana-gana-mana-adhinayaka, jaya he Bharata-bhagya-vidhata. Punjab-Sindh-Gujarat-Maratha Dravida-Utkala-Banga Vindhya-Himachala-Yamuna-Ganga Uchchala-Jaladhi-taranga. Tava shubha name jage, Tava shubha asisa mage, Gahe tava jaya gatha, Jana-gana-mangala-dayaka jaya he Bharata-bhagya-vidhata. Jaya he, jaya he, jaya he, Jaya jaya jaya, jaya he! Translation In English Thou art the ruler of the minds of all people, Dispenser of India's destiny. The name rouses the hearts of Punjab, Sind, Gujarat and Maratha, Of the Dravid and Orissa and Bengal; It echoes in the hills of the Vindhyas and Himalayas, Mingles in the music of the Yamuna and Ganga And is chanted by the waves of the Indian Sea. They pray for thy blessings and sing thy praise. The salvation of all people is in thy hand, Thou dispenser of India's destiny. Victory, victory, victory to thee. The Story Behind Translation Jana Gana Mana was translated, from Sanskrit to English, by Rabindranath Tagore and the music on this English Translation was set in Madanapalle, a small town in Andhra Pradesh. As to the story behind this translation, in 1918 Tagore was invited, by controversial Irish poet James H. Cousins, to spend a few days at the Besant Theosophical College (BTC). James was serving as the principal of the college, at that time. On February 28, while attending a gathering of students at BTC, Rabindranath sang the Jana Gana Mana in Bengali. Suddenly, he thought of translating the song in English. A few days later, in Madanapalle, Tagore wrote down the English translation of the song. Cousins' wife, Margaret, who was an expert in Western music, set down the music for this English version. The framed original English translation is still displayed in the library of Besant Theosophical College in Madanapalle. National Bird of India The Peacock, Pavo cristatus (Linnaeus), is the national bird of India. Emblematic of qualities such as beauty, grace, pride and mysticism, it is a multihued, swan-sized bird, with a fan-shaped crest of feathers, a white patch under the eye and a long, slender neck. Much in contrast to the natural phenomenon, the male specie of the bird is much more strikingly stunning than its female counterpart. The male bird, peacock, flaunts a gleaming blue breast and neck and a spectacular bronze-green train of around 200 elongated feathers. It is capable of extending its tail erect like fan as ostentatious display. The elaborate courtship dance of the male, fanning out the tail and preening its feathers is a beautiful sight. On the other hand, the female bird, peahen, slightly smaller than its male counterpart. Brownish in color, the female bird also lacks the train visible in the male specie. Peacock is predominantly found in the Indian sub-continent, ranging from the south to east of the Indus river. Jammu and Kashmir, east Assam, south Mizoram and the whole of the Indian peninsula also is home to this impeccable bird. The bird lives in jungle lands near water and is thus, chiefly found in the wilds in India (sometimes, domesticated in villages as well). Peacock is illustrated in pictures accompanying Indian Gods and Goddesses. The sacred bird of the India, the bird was once bred for food, but now hunting of peacocks is banned in India. It is protected not only by a religious sentiment, but also by parliamentary statute. Peacocks have been given full protection under the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Apart from India, it is also involved to the cultures prevalent in Far East, Ancient Persia, Greek and Christian. While the figure of peacock features in various Islamic religious buildings, the bird is symbolic to 'Resurrection of Christ' in Christianity. Coming back to Hinduism, peacock is portrayed as the image of the God of thunder, rains and war, Indra. People believe that, when a peacock extends its tail erect like fan for an enchanting and mesmerizing demonstration, it indicates that rainfall is on the cards. Though this might sound strange, but the fact is somewhat true. On seeing the dark clouds, peacock outspreads its tail and starts dancing in rhythmic fashion. Its dance movement has been incorporated in most of the Indian folklore, including Bharatha Natyam. In southern part of India, peacock is considered as a 'vahana' or vehilce of lord Muruga. Features Of Peacock The male specie, peacock, is characterized with a 2.12 m (7.3 ft) length, in full breeding plumage, and weighs about 5 kg (11 lbs). The female bird - peahen, on the other hand, is about 86 cm (34 in) long and weighs about 3.4 kg (7.4 lbs). Adoring the glistening blue-green plumage, the Indian peacock has an extension of feathers on its back. Each feather is exemplified with an eye at its end. The Indian peahen is a mixture of dull green, grey and iridescent blue, with the greenish-grey color outweighing. The bird is mostly found in the dry semi-desert grasslands, scrub and deciduous forests and feeds on mainly seeds, but some also eat insects, fruits and reptiles. National Calendar of India The Saka calendar used as the official civil calendar in the country is the National Calendar of India. It is used in India besides the Gregorian calendar by the Gazette of India, news broadcasts by All India Radio, calendars and communication document issued by control of Government of India. The Saka calendar, often referred as the Hindu calendar is originally named as Saka Samvat. It is also used for the calculation days of religious significance in the Hindu Religion in the country. You will always find a Saka calendar alongside a Gregorian Calender in an Indian Home. Formation of Saka Calendar In the Indian civil calendar, the initial period is the Saka Era. The Calendar is said to have begun with King Salivahana's accession to the throne. It is used as a reference for most astronomical works in Sanskrit literature written after 500 AD. The calculation of 'thitis' i.e. dates in this Calendar are done in accordance with the actual positions of Sun and Moon in the universe. In the Saka calendar, the year 2009 AD is 1932. Adoption of Saka Calendar as National Calendar The current national calendar of India i.e. the Saka Calendar was adopted as the National Calendar in 1957 by the Calendar Reform Committee which also made efforts to coincide the astronomical data and harmonize the usage of this calendar after rectification of some local errors. It came into usage from March 22, 1957 according to the Gregorian calendar which was actually Saka Era, Chaitra 1, 1879 according to the Saka Samvat. It was adopted as the National calendar in order to synchronize the usage of 30 different kinds of Calendar used in India at that time. An Overview of the Saka Calendar Saka Calendar is said to have begun from the vernal equinox of A.D. 79. The usage of the Calendar began from aka Era 1879, Chaitra 1, which corresponds to A.D. 1957 March 22. The Saka Calendar is similar to the Gregorian calendar on the terms that even the Saka calendar has a normal year of 365 days and a leap year has 366 days. In a leap year, an intercalary day is added to the end of Chaitra month of the year. There are 12 months in Saka Calendar which are named as Vaisakha ,Jyestha ,Asadha ,Sravana, Bhadrapada, Asvina , Kartika Margasirsa , Pausa , Magh, Phalgura ,Chaitra. National Flag of India The National Flag of India, also called the 'Tiranga', was adopted during an ad hoc meeting of the Constituent Assembly of the country. The meeting was held on the 22nd July 1947, twenty-four days prior to India's independence from the British (which took place on 15th August 1947). Based on the flag of the Indian National Congress, which was designed by Pingali Venkayya, the flag is also the war flag Indian Army, hoisted daily on military installations. The heraldic description of Indian National Flag is Party per fess Saffron and Vert on a fess Argent a "Chakra" Azure. Design National Flag of India has been designed in such a way that it forms a horizontal tricolor, with the colors - saffron, white and green, in equal proportions. The deep saffron (kesari) color is at the top; white is in the middle, while dark green forms the bottom. The ratio of the width of the flag to its length is 2:3. In the centre of the white band of the flag is a navy blue wheel, comprising of 24 spokes, which represents the Ashoka Chakra, seen on the abacus of the Sarnath Lion Capital of Ashoka. The diameter of the chakra approximates to three-fourth of the width of the white band of the flag. Significance The preamble of the flag code of India describes the significance of the colors and the chakra in the 'Tiranga'. It was amply described by Dr. S. Radhakrishnan in the Constituent Assembly that unanimously adopted the National Flag. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan explained: "Bhagwa or the saffron colour denotes renunciation of disinterestedness. Our leaders must be indifferent to material gains and dedicate themselves to their work. The white in the centre is light, the path of truth to guide our conduct. The green shows our relation to soil, our relation to the plant life here on which all other life depends. The Ashoka Wheel in the center of the white is the wheel of the law of dharma. Truth or satya, dharma or virtue ought to be the controlling principles of those who work under this flag. Again, the wheel denotes motion. There is death in stagnation. There is life in movement. India should no more resist change, it must move and go forward. The wheel represents the dynamism of a peaceful change.." Flag Code After 52 years, the citizens of India are free to fly the Indian National Flag over their homes, offices and factories on any day. On 26th January 2002, the flag code was changed, giving Indians the freedom to proudly display the national flag any where and any time. However, there are still some rules and regulations upon how to fly the flag, based on the 26th January 2002 legislation, which should be followed by the citizens. These rules and regulation includes certain dos and don'ts, which have been explained below. Do's The National Flag may be hoisted in educational institutions (schools, colleges, sports camps, scout camps, etc.) to inspire respect for the Flag. An oath of allegiance has been included in the flag hoisting in schools. A member of public, a private organization or an educational institution may hoist/display the National Flag on all days and occasions, ceremonial or otherwise, consistent with the dignity and honor of the National Flag. Section 2 of the new code accepts the right of all private citizens to fly the flag on their premises. Don'ts The flag cannot be used for communal gains, drapery, or clothes. As far as possible, it should be flown from sunrise to sunset, irrespective of the weather. The flag cannot be intentionally allowed to touch the ground or the floor or trail in water. It cannot be draped over the hood, top, and sides or back of vehicles, trains, boats or aircraft. No other flag or bunting can be placed higher than the flag. Also, no object, including flowers or garlands or emblems, can be placed on or above the flag. The tricolor cannot be used as a festoon, rosette or bunting. National Flower of India Lotus, botanically known as the Nelumbo Nucifera is the national flower of India. The Lotus plant is basically an aquatic plant with wide floating leaves and bright aromatic flowers which grow only in shallow waters. The Lotus plant has floating leaves and flowers. It has long aerated stems.. The lotus flowers are extremely beautiful with an overlapping proportional motif of petals. It is considered to be a sacred flower and occupies unique position in the art and mythology of ancient India. This flower has been an auspicious symbol of Indian culture since time immemorial. Choice of Lotus As National Flower The Lotus Flower symbolizes divinity, fertility, wealth, knowledge and enlightenment. It is also regarded as a symbol of triumph as it can survive to regerminate for thousands of years. Lotus represents long life, honor, and good fortune. Untouched by the impurity despite growing in mud, the flower is also meant to symbolize the purity of heart and mind. It holds additional significance for Hindus, as it is regarded as the symbol of many Gods and Goddesses and is often used in religious practices. It was because of these noble meanings and cultural significance that made the founding fathers of modern India enshrine the lotus in the Constitution as the National Flower. Cultural Significance of Lotus From ancient times the lotus has been considered to be a sacred symbol in Asian traditions representing sexual purity. It is also regarded as the symbol of purity and divinity by several religions. Hindus relate it to their Almighty, Vishnu, Brahma, Lakshmi and Sarasvati who are often depicted sitting upon this pious flower. As Lotus also stands as the symbol of divine beauty, it is used as a symbol to describe the beauty of Lord Vishnu by referring him as the 'Lotus-Eyed One'. In the Hindu Mythology, the unfolding petals of Lotus signify the expansion of the soul. As the Lotus carries piousness despite growing from the mud, it is said to represent a caring spiritual promise. The Buddhists consider the Lotus Flower to be sacred and auspicious as the flower stands for faithfulness in their religion. The lotus plant has also been cited as a sacred flower extensively in the ancient Puranic and Vedic literature. Lotus Trivia Apart from India, Lotus is also the national flower of Vietnam. In Egypt the Lotus Flowers are considered to auspicious because they are regarded as the symbol of Sun God. Lotus seeds are medicinal in nature and are used for the treatment of kidney, spleen, and heart ailments. They are also considered beneficial in the treatment of Leucorrhea, palpitation and insomnia. Lotus seeds are also used as antidotes in mushroom poisoning. The seeds, leaves and tubers of the Lotus Flower are edible. National Fruit of India Mango, cultivated in India since times immemorial, is regarded as the National Fruit of the country. Described as the "Food of the Gods", in the sacred Vedas, the fruit is grown almost in all parts of India, except the hilly areas, but is mainly available in the summer season only.. There are more than 100 varieties of mangos in India, in a range of colors, sizes, and shapes. The common names used in context of the fruit are, Mangot, Manga, and Mangou. The eact origin of the term 'mango' is not known. It is believed to have come from the Portuguese term 'manga', which is probably from Malayalam 'manga'. Mango finds a mentioned in the Indian history as well. In fact, the famous poet Kalidasa is known to have sung its praises. Apart from that, ancient Greek King Alexander the Great and Chinese pilgrim Hieun Tsang have been said to have savored its taste. Historical records also mention the instance of Mughal Kinf Akbar planting 100,000 mango trees in Darbhanga, known as Lakhibagh. Mangos, liked for their sweet juice and bright colors all around the world, are known to be rich in vitamin A, C, and D. Description Mangoes are available in different sizes, ranging from 10 to 25 cm in length and 7 to 12 cm in width. In terms of weight, a single mango can be as heavy as 2.5 kg. The fruit come in a wide variety of colors, such as green, yellow, red, and even various combinations of all these colors. Mango has a flat, oblong seed in the center, which is covered by the sweet pulp. Covering the pulp is a thin layer of skin, which is peeled off before eating the fruit. When ripe, the unpeeled fruit gives off a distinct, resinous sweet smell. Varieties A large number of mango varieties can be found in India. the most popular ones include 'Alphonso' (also called 'Hapoos'), 'Amrapali', 'Bangalora', 'Banganapalli' (also known as 'Benishaan'), 'Bombay', 'Bombay Green', 'Chausa', 'Chinna Rasalu', 'Dashaheri' ('Daseri'), 'Fazli', 'Fernandian', 'Gulabkhas', 'Himayath' (a.k.a. 'Imam Pasand'), 'Himsagar', 'Jehangir', 'Kesar', 'Kishen Bhog', 'Lalbaug', 'Langda' ('Langra'), 'Mallika', 'Mankurad', 'Mulgoa', 'Neelam', 'Pairi', 'Pedda Rasalu', 'Rajapuri', 'Safeda', 'Suvarnarekha', 'Totapuri', 'Vanraj' and 'Zardalu'. Cultivation Frost-free climate is best for the growth of Mangos. If temperatures drop below 40? F, even for a short period, the flowers and small fruits already grown on the tree can get killed. In other words, warm and dry weather is required for the cultivation of the fruit. This is it available in the summer season only. Mango can grow well in large containers and a greenhouse as well. Mango trees are shady in nature.. They grow very fast and can reach a height of as much as 65 ft. The life of mango trees is generally very long and some specimens are known to be over 300 years old and still fruiting. National Song of India Composed by Bankim Chandra Chatterji in Sanskrit, the song Vande Mataram was primarily conceived to serve as a motivation to the people in their freedom struggle. Though it was penned down in 1876, the first publication emerged in the year 1882 in 'Anandamatha' amidst doubts of a ban by the British Raj. Sharing an equal status with Jana-gana-mana (National Anthem of India), the song was first sung in the 1896 session of the Indian National Congress. Vande Mataram served as a voice against British rule during the freedom struggle. Initially, people with patriotic fervor flocked the streets of Calcutta and other metropolis, shouting the slogan 'Vande Mataram' or 'Hail to the Mother (land)!' Terrified by the impending danger, British banned the expression of song and imprisoned freedom fighters, who disobeyed the command. Vande Mataram initially served as the National Anthem of India, but later Jana-gana-mana was adopted as the anthem of independent India. This was because the Muslim sect in India felt that the song was biased, as it depicted the nation as 'Ma Durga', a Hindu Goddess. Though Vande Mataram aptly illustrated the pre-independence national zeal and passion, it was espoused as the National Song of India. In the following lines, we have provided the wordings of the National Song of India and its English translation. National Song Of India Vande maataraM sujalaaM suphalaaM malayaja shiitalaaM SasyashyaamalaaM maataram || Shubhrajyotsnaa pulakitayaaminiiM pullakusumita drumadala shobhiniiM suhaasiniiM sumadhura bhaashhiNiiM sukhadaaM varadaaM maataraM || Koti koti kantha kalakalaninaada karaale koti koti bhujai.rdhR^itakharakaravaale abalaa keno maa eto bale bahubaladhaariNiiM namaami taariNiiM ripudalavaariNiiM maataraM || Tumi vidyaa tumi dharma tumi hR^idi tumi marma tvaM hi praaNaaH shariire Baahute tumi maa shakti hR^idaye tumi maa bhakti tomaara i pratimaa gaDi mandire mandire || TvaM hi durgaa dashapraharaNadhaariNii kamalaa kamaladala vihaariNii vaaNii vidyaadaayinii namaami tvaaM Namaami kamalaaM amalaaM atulaaM SujalaaM suphalaaM maataraM || ShyaamalaaM saralaaM susmitaaM bhuushhitaaM DharaNiiM bharaNiiM maataraM |" English Translation Mother, I bow to thee! Rich with thy hurrying streams, bright with orchard gleams, Cool with thy winds of delight, Dark fields waving Mother of might, Mother free. Glory of moonlight dreams, Over thy branches and lordly streams, Clad in thy blossoming trees, Mother, giver of ease Laughing low and sweet! Mother I kiss thy feet, Speaker sweet and low! Mother, to thee I bow. Who hath said thou art weak in thy lands When the sword flesh out in the seventy million hands And seventy million voices roar Thy dreadful name from shore to shore? With many strengths who art mighty and stored, To thee I call Mother and Lord! Though who savest, arise and save! To her I cry who ever her foeman drove Back from plain and Sea And shook herself free. Thou art wisdom, thou art law, Thou art heart, our soul, our breath Though art love divine, the awe In our hearts that conquers death. Thine the strength that nervs the arm, Thine the beauty, thine the charm. Every image made divine In our temples is but thine. Thou art Durga, Lady and Queen, With her hands that strike and her swords of sheen, Thou art Lakshmi lotus-throned, And the Muse a hundred-toned, Pure and perfect without peer, Mother lend thine ear, Rich with thy hurrying streams, Bright with thy orchard gleems, Dark of hue O candid-fair In thy soul, with jewelled hair And thy glorious smile divine, Lovilest of all earthly lands, Showering wealth from well-stored hands! Mother, mother mine! Mother sweet, I bow to thee, Mother great and free! National Tree of India The national tree of India, banyan is a very huge structure, long and deep roots and branches symbolize the country's unity. One can find banyan trees in throughout the nation. The huge sized tree acts as a shield, protects from hot sun. This is the reason why the tree is planted near homes, temples, villages and roadsides. In the rural parts of the country, banyan tree is considered as the focal point of the Panchayats and the gathering place for village councils and meetings. The tree is also considered sacred by the Hindus of India. With high medicinal value, banyan is often used as a herb to treat and cure many diseases. Given below is the description of banyan, the national tree of India. Importance In The Indian Culture The tradition of worshipping 'sacred' trees is prevalent among the people following Hinduism, since ages. Rig Veda and Atharva Veda stipulate that trees should be worshipped, for their inevitable role in human life. Banyan is considered one among the sacred trees. In the Hindu mythology, Lord Shiva is sometimes depicted sitting in silence, under the banyan tree, with the saints sitting at His feet. With its seemingly unending expansion, the banyan tree symbolizes eternal life. In Hindu culture, the tree is often called 'kalpavriksha', a Sanskrit word, which means 'a divine tree that fulfills wishes'. Married Hindu women worship the banyan tree to lead a long and happy married life. Features Banyan tree is characterized by a tangle of branches, roots and trunks. The tree is deeply rooted, which may spread across several acres. It is huge in size, thereby giving protection from hot sun. The tree bears fruits that look like figs. The fruits, which appear red in color when matured, are not edible. The dark green leaves of the tree are large and leathery. This is the reason why, the leaves are used as animal fodder. The flowers produced by the tree often attract wasps, for pollination. An old banyan tree can reach more than 656 feet in diameter and can be as tall as 98 feet. The rubber, produced from the sticky milk of banyan tree, is used for gardening. Trivia The name 'banyan' is derived from Banias, who rested under the trees to discuss their strategies regarding business. The widest tree in the world - the Great Banyan - is located in Kolkata. The tree is about 250 years old. Historical records say that Alexander the Great camped under a banyan tree that was large enough to provide shelter to his army of 7000 men. In many parts of the world, the wood and bark of the banyan tree are used for making paper. People even make use of the roots of the tree to make ropes, in order to secure wood bundles. The sap produced by banyan tree is often used to produce shellac, a strong adhesive. It can also be used to make surface-finisher. Women in Nepal crush the root of the banyan tree with a paste to make a herbal product, which is used by them as a hair and skin conditioner. In India and Pakistan, the twigs of banyan tree are sold as toothpicks in order to promote dental health. Banyan tree is well known for its medicinal uses. Its sap is a medicine for treating external skin inflammations and bruising, dysentery, toothaches and ulcers. Its bark and seeds are used to produce a herbal tonic that can cool the body. Diabetic patients are also treated by the tonic made from banyan tree.    CONSTITUTION OF INDIA   The Constitution of India was drafted by the Constituent Assembly. The Constituent Assembly held its first sitting on the 9th December, 1946. It reassembled on the 14th August, 1947, as the sovereign Constituent Assembly for the Dominion of India. The proposed Constitution had been outlined by various committees of the Assembly like: a) Union Constitution Committee b) The Union Powers Committee c) Committee on Fundamental Rights. It was after a general discussion on the reports of these Committees that the Assembly appointed a Drafting Committee on the 29th August, 1947. The Drafting Committee, under the Chairmanship of Dr. Ambedkar, embodied the decision of the Assembly with alternative and additional proposals in the form of a 'Draft Constitution of India which was published in February, 1948. The Constituent Assembly next met in November, 1948, to consider the provisions of the Draft, clause by clause. After several sessions the consideration of the clauses or second reading was completed by the 17th October, 1949. The Constituent Assembly again sat on the 14th November, 1949, for the third reading and finished it on the 26th November, 1949, on which date the Constitution received the signature of the President of the Assembly and was declared as passed. The provisions relating to citizenship, elections, provisional Parliament, temporary and transitional provisions, were given immediate effect, i.e., from November 26, 1949. The rest of the Constitution came into force on the 26th January, 1950, and this date is referred to in the Constitution as the Date of its Commencement. Preamble: WE, THE PEOPLE OF INDIA, having solemnly resolved to constitute India into a SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC and to secure to all its citizens: JUSTICE, social, economic and political; LIBERTY of thought, expression, belief, faith and worship; EQUALITY of status and of opportunity; and to promote among them all FRATERNITY assuring the dignity of the individual and the unity and integrity of the Nation; IN OUR CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY this twenty-sixth day of November, 1949, do HEREBY ADOPT, ENACT AND GIVE TO OURSELVES THIS CONSTITUTION. Purpose of Having a Preamble: The Preamble to our Constitution serves two purposes: - A) It indicates the source from which the Constitution derives its authority; B) It also states the objects, which the Constitution seeks to establish and promote. The Preamble seeks to establish what Mahatma Gandhi described as The India of my Dreams, "…an India in which the poorest shall feel that it is their country in whose making they have an effective voice; …an India in which all communities shall leave I perfect harmony. There can be no room in such an India for the curse of untouchability or the curse of Intoxicating drinks and drugs. Woman will enjoy as the same rights as man." Fundamental Rights: Indian Government have provided six basic rights to every citizen India. So, as to provide a democratic environment for the peopel of India to live in. Here, we are describing each fundamental right in detail to help you in understanding our constitution. The Fundamental Rights embodied in the Indian constitution acts as a guarante that all Indian citizens can and will lead their lifes in peace as long as they live in Indian democracy. These civil liberties take precedence over any other law of the land. They include individual rights common to most liberal democracies, such as equality before the law, freedom of speech and expression, freedom of association and peaceful assembly, freedom of religion, and the right to constitutional remedies for the protection of civil rights such as habeas corpus. In addition, the Fundamental Rights for Indians are aimed at overturning the inequities of past social practices. They have also been used to in sucessfully abolishing the "untouchability"; prohibit discrimination on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth; and forbid trafficking in human beings and also the forced labor. They go beyond conventional civil liberties in protecting cultural and educational rights of minorities by ensuring that minorities may preserve their distinctive languages and establish and administer their own education institutions. Originally, the right to property was also included in the Fundamental Rights; however, the Forty-fourth Amendment, passed in 1978, revised the status of property rights by stating that "No person shall be deprived of his property save by authority of law." Freedom of speech and expression, generally interpreted to include freedom of the press, can be limited "in the interests of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with foreign States, public order, decency or morality, or in relation to contempt of court, defamation or incitement to an offence" Here we have defined the six fundamental rights as per the constitution of India:- 1. Right to Equality 2. Right to Particular Freedom 3. Cultural and Educational Rights 4. Right to Freedom of Religion 5. Right Against Exploitation and 6. Right to Constitutional Remedies Fundamental Duties: These Fundamental rights have been provided at the cost of some fundamental duties. These are considered as the duties that must be and should be performed by every citizen of India. These fundamental duties are defined as: It shall be the duty of every citizens of India: - ?       To abide by the Constitution and respect its ideals and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem; ?       To cherish and follow the noble ideals which inspired our national struggle for freedom; ?       To uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India; ?       To defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so; ?       To promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities; to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women; ?       To value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture; ?       To protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wild life, and to have compassion for living creatures