CELEBRATING WOMANHOOD

CELEBRATING WOMANHOOD

8th March is celebrated as #InternationalWomen'sDay. 
Its a  day to celebrate the achievements of women in Economic, Social & Political fields. 
Its a day to Respect & appreciate women for their contribution in making this world a beautiful place to be.

 History :

First women's Day was celebrated on 28th Feb,1908 in USA.
Thereafter it was celebrated in Austria, Sweden, Germany , Switzerland on 19th March, in 1911
It was in the 1977, that UN declared 8th March as International day for Women's right & World Peace.
Since then , 8th March is celebrated as International Women's Day all over the world. 

Objective :  Women Empowerment , Gender parity

Current status of women in society :

Today, Successful Women can be seen in every sphere of society from Universe down to Farms, such as 

1.हवाई सुंदरी  : Astaonaut, Pilot, Air Hostess
2.दवाई  सुंदरी  : Doctor, Nurse
3.पढाई सुंदरी  : Teacher
4.लडाई सुंदरी : Army, Air-Force, Boxing
5. बुवाई - जुताई - कटाई सुंदरी : Farming
6. चढ़ाई सुंदरी : Mountaineer
7. कमाई सुन्दरी : Entrepreneurs

                                   And Above All
 
8. घर बनाई सुंदरी : Home Maker

Let us have a look at some celebrated women to draw inspiration from :

1.

Sunita Williams - Astronaut

2.

Women in Army

3.

Mary Kom- Boxer

4.

5.

Rimpi-The Farmer

 6.

Indira Gandhi- One of most powerful woman in world

 7.

Ms Chanda Kochar - CEO,ICICI bank

8.

Malala Yousafzai- The child crusader for Girls Education

 9.                            

                                And The Home maker :

House is made of Wood & Stone

Only a woman can make a house a Home

Every Mother/Every Wife

कभी शबनम कभी शोला , कभी माशा कभी तोला

कभी बूँद कभी मोती , कभी ज्वाला कभी ज्योति 
पल में छाँव, पल में  धूप , नारी तेरे कितने रूप 

हो कोई भी रूप तेरा , हर रूप में ख़ूबसूरत है 

माँ ,बहन ,पत्नी ,बेटी  > नारी प्रेम की मूरत है 

Challenges :

Some challenges still exist in the path of Women empowerment & Gender parity :

> Female Foeticide
> "Girl is a Liability & Boy is an asset" mindset
    (Surprisingly even women share this mindset)
>  Dowry custom
>  Little say in decision making
> Domestic Violence against women
> Crime against women on street
> Crime against women at Work place
> Portrayal of women as objects of desire in Ads/ Movies
> Rural - Urban Gap in women empowerment

Conclusion :
 
Whatever a Man gives to a Woman, she multiplies and gives it back.
Give her groceries-she gives you a meal
Give her a House-she gives you a home
Give her a sperm-she give you a baby
Give her a caring smile-she gives you her heart

Give her a little push - she gives you a big kick.

Women make this world a beautiful place to be.
Today is the day to celebrate womanhood.

Happy Women's Day !

 


 

BUDGET 2016 INDIA

UNION BUDGET 2016, INDIA

#BUDGET2016

Background :

> Indian Economy grew at an impressive 7.6% in 2015-16
> Foreign Exchange Reserves at highest ever : US $ 350 Billion

Challenges in 2016-17 :

> Risk of Global slowdown & turbulence

> Addl burden due to recommendation of 7th Pay commission & OROP :  Estimated Rs 1,10,000 crore 

Tax Proposals :


>Tax rebate increased from Rs 2000 to Rs 5000 for Tax payers  having income up to Rs 5 Lacs. It means effective increase in exemption limit by Rs 30000 for this category of Tax payers. 

>Maximum Limit for Deduction for House Rent for Tax payers  (not in receipt of HRA) increased to Rs 60000 from Rs 24000
 

>Additional Deduction for Int on Housing Loan up to Rs 50000 for First time House Buyers where Home Loan amount is NOT more than Rs 35 lacs & cost of House is NOT more than Rs 50 Lacs & Home is purchased between 01-04-16 to 31-03-17)

> 10% Tax on Dividend Income in the hands of Payee where Dividend amount exceeds Rs 10 Lacs

 (It means Mukesh Ambani will be paying Addl Tax of More than Rs 100 crore , Wipro chairman Premji Azim  will be paying more than Rs 150 crore additionally) 

 

 > Surcharge on Income above Rs 1 Crore increased to 15% (from 12%)

> Lump sum Withdrawal from NPS, EPF etc in excess of 40% to be taxed

(This proposal has faced a stiff opposition and may be withdrawn)

>  1% TCS on purchase of cars costing more than Rs 10 Lacs

>  1% TCS on purchase of ANY goods & Services above Rs 2 Lacs in CASH


> New Mfg Company incorporated after 1.3.16 given option to be taxed @ 25% (plus cess )provided No deductions are claimed under other sections of Income Tax act 

> Companies with annual turnover of up to Rs 5 crore to be taxed @ 29% (plus cess) 

 > For start up businesses set up between Apr 16 to Mar,19, full tax exemption for 3 out of first 5 years

> Holding period of shares in unlisted companies for claim of Long term capital gain reduced to 2 yrs from 3 yrs

> 0.5% Krishi Kalyan Cess on all Taxable Services wef 01-06-16

 > 1% Infra Cess on Small Cars (Petrol,LNG)

> 2.5% Infra Cess on small Diesel cars

> 4% Infra Cess on SUV / high capacity cars

> Clean Environment Cess on coal @ Rs 400 per tonne 

> Immunity Scheme to declare previously undisclosed income / Asset @ 45% all inclusive Tax. No questions asked. Limited Period scheme.

> Penalty provisions rationalised. 50% in case of Under reporting and 200% in case of Mis Reporting of Income

> Stay of demand mandatory where case is under appeal and assessee has paid 15% of disputed Tax

> E assesment scheme to be launched in 7 cities for assessment of scrutiny cases on e-platform without direct face to face inter action with Assessing Officer  

> TDS provisions rationalised

    TDS on Brokerage /Commission : Limit raised to 15000 , (from 5000 ) Rate reduced to 5%  (from 10%)

    TDS on Contracts : Limit raised to Rs 100000 (from Rs 75000

> Presumptive Scheme of taxation extended to businesses having annual TO of up to Rs 2 crores.(subject to conditions)

> Excise duty of 1% (Without Input claim ) / 12.5% (with Input Claim)  levied on Jewellery

> Excise duty of 2% (Without Input Claim) / 12.5% (With Input Claim)  on Readymade Garments  

> Excise duty on Tobacco raised by  10- 15%

> Commitment to provided Stable & predictable Tax regime

> GAAR (General Anti Avoidance Rules) to be implemented with effect from 01-04-2017

> GST to be implemented with effect from 01-04-2017 

Agriculture :

> To reduce dependency on Monsoon, Irrigation to be given a big boost by :

1) Addl 28.5 Lacs hectare of Farmland to be brought under irrigation
2) Irrigation fund set up with initial corpus of Rs 20000 crore
3) Ground Water resource Management to focus on recharging of fast depleting Ground water - Funds allocated Rs 6000 Crore
4) Target to dig 5 Lacs addl ponds / wells under MGNREGA

> Action plan to tackle droughts 

> Emphasis on Organic Farming : 5 Lacs Acres to be brought under Organic Farming

> E-market platform for Agricultural produce to reduce dependency of farmers on middlemen

> Crop Insurance Scheme to protect farmers in distress
    Allocation Rs 5500 Crores

> Rs 15000 crores for Interest subvention on Loans by farmers

Rural Sector :

> 100% Village electrification target by 01.05.2018

> Budget allocation for MGNREGS Rs 38500 Crores

> Rs 19000 crore to connect villages by Road

> Digital Literacy Mission to cover 6 crore addl rural households in next 3 years

Health :

> Health Insurance cover of Rs 1 Lac for each family

> 3000 Medical Stores to be opened to provide generic drugs at affordable  prices

> National Dialysis Programme to provide Dialysis services at affordable cost

> Rs 9000 Crore for Swachh Bharat Programme

Education :

> Target to set up 10 Public & 10 Private Educational Institutions to be made World class in quality of Education & Research

> Higher Education Funding Agency to provide loans for higher education : initial Fund Rs 1000 Crore

> Digital Depository for School & College certificates, mark sheets etc

Skill development :

> 1500 Multi skill development centres to impart multiple skills to enable youth to make a living

> A no of online courses to be started for training in multiple disciplines to encourage entrepreneurship

Infrastructure :

> 10000 Kms of New National Highways to be approved & commenced 

> Ambitious plan to generate Nuclear Power over next 15-20 years. Rs 3000 crore for 16-17.

> Under served  Airports to be developed

Governance :

> Committee set up for Rationalisation of Human resources in all ministries

> Targeted Delivery of Financial Subsidies & benefits direct to beneficialry through Aadhar framework

> Price stabilisation Fund of Rs 900 Crore to maintain prices of Pulse

> Rs 25000 crore for recapitalisation of Banks 

> New Company Formation in 1 day

> एक भारत -श्रेष्ठ भारत : Annual event to connect States & Districts to for exchange of Trade, culture, Travel & Tourism

> Commitment to Fiscal Discipline 

Impact on Market Place :

Things Costlier :


> Cars
> Cigarettes , Cigar, Gutkha
> Readymade garments
> Gold, Jewellery
> Mineral Water, Soft Drinks
> Air Travel
> Eating Out,watching movies
> Beauty Parlour

Things Cheaper :


> Leather Footwear
> Refrigerated Containers
> Microwave Oven
> Agarbatti
> Ambulance , Ambulance Services
> Pacemaker
> Set Top Boxes, Router
> Make in India Mobile Phones
> LED lights

And finally a look at Where the Rupee comes from and where the Rupee goes to :

  Conclusion :

The Budget is clearly focused on Agriculture & Rural Sectors.
Due emphasis is given to "Make in India" project of PM Modi by tweaking Excise & Custom duties here and there to encourage domestic Industries like I T Hardware , Capital Goods  & Defence.

The Government has tried to take from Super Rich & Rich and given to the poor. Sincere steps are taken to prevent leakage of revenue and to ensure that benefit reaches directly to the targeted beneficiary.

Infrastructure, Education , Skill development, Environment are also given due importance.

Overall its a balanced budget in right direction.

  

Impression by Sand Artist Sudarshan Patnaik,Puri

  



 

THE ART OF RELATIONSHIP

THE ART OF RELATIONSHIP

#Relationship is the way "Two persons connect with each other"

It is an established fact that Persons with strong relationships live a   Longer, Healthier & Happier Life.
There are different kinds of relationships that we live :

1. Parent - children Relationship (different stages)
2. Relationship with spouse
3. Relationship with Friends / relatives
4. Business relations

Each of these have specific attributes & requirements.

However,there are some simple Rules of Relationship that apply universally to ALL Relations. The rules are  known to all of us yet we often overlook to implement them. These cost nothing and yet go a long way in cementing a relationship.Here is a refresher on simple #rulesofrelationship :

  1.  Say "Thank You" :
     
Saying "Thank You" is an expression of our appreciation & gratitude for some one who has done some   thing nice for us without any self-interest & compulsion. It shows the person that we have noticed his / her efforts and motivates him / her to do more for us.

Caution : Do not overdo it.Lest the word loses its value. Further, there are different rules of saying" Thank You" to different categories of persons depending on closeness / intimacy.

 2. Say "Sorry" :

In our day to day interactions, we often un intentionally hurt persons. We must realise and admit our mistakes. First to ourselves and then to the person whom we have hurt. By Saying "Sorry" (and actually meaning it) , we convey to the person that we value the relationship more than our ego.

 

Caution : Don't just "mouth" the word. Say it from "Heart". And make sure that the mistake is not repeated in future.

3. Pay Compliments : 

We are so very generous in criticizing persons for their acts of omissions & commissions. But we are not so liberal when it comes to paying compliments. It costs nothing to pay an honest & sincere compliment, when ever some one deserves it.  It goes a long way in cementing a relationship as it spreads Love & motivates persons to do more.

Caution : Compliment must be Honest & Genuine. No compliment is better than a forced  artificial compliment. Artificiality shows.

4.  Exchange Gifts :

A gift is the physical expression of our Love & affection for a person. A gift need not be necessarily be pricey  A thoughtful gift is enough as a token of love. We should  value a gift  not by its price tag , but by the feelings it carries along with it. 

5. See the other person's perspective :

Before drawing any conclusion or passing a judgment about a person, we must try to see the other person's perspective. We should place ourselves in his / her shoes and try to see , feel & think just as the other person does. It will help us in understanding his / her situation better. My be , it will change our opinion about him / her.In any case, we must respect other person's feelings & views even if we do not agree.

  6. Let go :

Holding a grudge against someone for a long time does no good. We must learn to let go of the hard feelings and hold on to the relationship. 


7. Never take persons for granted :

Taking someone for granted is when we do not appreciate persons for what they are, have to offer or are doing for us. It is when one’s actions or presence is not noticed in the relationship. More often than not, we take those for granted  who are closest to us. (Just like salt & water. Since these are readily & always available to us, we hardly notice their presence) .This should be avoided because we never know when persons start drifting away....slowly but surely.

8. Stop chasing those who do not choose you back and do not ignore those who really care about you

Sounds obvious ? But we often do this. We go on chasing those whom we love even if they do not love us back equally or reciprocate. Isn't is  like irrigating  barren land with precious water ? Long term relationships are based on Mutuality & Reciprocity.

 The converse is also sometimes true. 
We ignore those who really care about us.
We must remember that at the end , the person who keeps us happy is not necessarily the one whom we love, but the one who loves us.

 9. Do your Duty :

Never ignore your duty in a relationship. We must continue to fulfil  all our obligations in a relationship even if the Love & warmth is missing.

 10.  Never close channels of communications :

Never completely close channels of communication with any one. If things are not going well, maintain a calculated distance (may be less / may be more ) but never completely close channels of communication with any one. You never know, when equations change. In any case, a person can always be an Acquaintance, if not more.

Conclusion :

TRY IT TO BELIEVE IT

पहले इस्तेमाल करें , फिर विश्वास करें

LIFE (& DEATH) AT SIACHEN

                                                                                     

Life at Siachen 

Siachen, the world's highest battlefield, has taken another toll ...10 Indian Army Bravehearts who got buried under 35 feet of snow in an avalanche last week

Siachen is one battlefield where more lives are lost due to extreme weather than due to actual warfare.

Here are some Bone - chilling facts of Life...and death at Siachen :

Location :
It is located in Karakoram range of Himalayas, at an altitude of 18000 - 20000 feet above sea level.

Challenges :
The extreme weather conditions at the glacier have made the region practically un inhabitable.

Temperature : (-) 25 degree celsius to (-) 60 degree celsius
Blizzards (Snow storms) : Winds @ 100 miles per hour, lasting for weeks at a stretch
Avalanche : A regular affair 

Such extreme weather conditions make Life tough in many ways : 

1.Frostbite :
Gross danger to limbs. If finger touches metal (trigger of rifle), it will stick and has to be amputated. It may even fall off.

Holding Gun with antifrost gloves

 2. Avalanches : The glacier is prone to avalanches , burying the soldiers alive.
3. Snow winds / Blizzards : Winds @ 100 miles per hour , lasting for weeks at a stretch
4. Low oxygen : Oxygen is only 10% of  Oxygen available at Sea level. It means soldiers have to continually wear Oxygen masks.
 

Oxygen Mask-can't do without

5. The soldiers take bath once in 1-3 months. They wear Thermal socks (14 pairs for 90 days duty)
6.  The soldiers stay in Igloos, the size of a King size bed wherein 6 soldiers stay together. And they have nothing but Kerosene to keep themselves warm

Igloo- The size of a King Size bed - Home to 6 Soldiers

 7. They boil snow for their water requirement. Take canned food. (Orange becomes as hard as a cricket ball & Potato can't be meshed with a hammer). Fresh food is a luxury. Loss of appetite is a side effect.
8. They have to constantly shovel snow during snow fall to save their posts from getting buried underneath.
 

Shovelling Snow-Daily

 9.  And they have to be on a constant vigil, patrolling the region to spot enemies.

10. Logistics : Food, arms & ammunition are supplied by IAF helicopters. Two engine helicopters cant land there. Supplies are thrown from air and soldiers at the glacier have to retrieve the same. A make shift helipad is made at a height of 21000 feet (world's highest helipad) where small helicopter (Cheetah) lands, with its engine & rotor on). The operation has to be completed quickly to escape firing by enemy.

 

World's highest Helipad @ 21000 feet

 11. After effects of 90 days duty at Siachen :

    Eyesight impairment, Hearing impairment, Loss of memory, Loss of appetite, depression, damage to limbs

12. And yet our gutsy soldiers have the spirit to  play cricket & do yoga at Siachen.

Cricket at Siachen 

                                       

It is really difficult to tell what is more difficult at Siachen .... Life or Death ?

But then, For our braveheart soldiers :

"Doing Difficult things is a matter of Routine. The Impossible takes a little longer"

Our soldiers Live where even vegation can't survive.

But at what Cost ?

Casualties :   India has lost close to  850 soldiers at Siachen since 1984.

Amar Jawan

Cost :  It costs Rs 5 Crore per day to maintain army outposts at Siachen.

Strategic Importance of Siachen : The glacier is strategically important to keep Pakistan & China from encroaching into Kashmir / Ladakh and to avoid another Kargil.. India now controls 2/3rds of the glacier, thanks to Operation Meghdoot launched in April,1984, just days before Pakistan was about to capture the region. 

The latest tragedy : Last week, we lost 10 more bravehearts.

"They(and their families)  gave their Today so that we can live our tomorrow."

Salutes to You...and your families

And finally, the unanswered question :

जीने के लिये बहुत है , छोटा सा जहाँ 

बस थोड़ी सी जमीं और थोड़ा आसमाँ

होना  चाहिए खेतों में ,अन्न और  जल जहाँ

क्यूँ  बोते हैं मौत की ,  हम फसल  वहां ?


A tribute to braveheart Indian Soldiers who go down fighting but keep the Indian Flag High......always

झंडा  ऊँचा रहे हमारा