Evolution of the World Bank Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Evolution of the World Bank - Case Study Example The World Bank is a group of five closely associated international organizations responsible for providing finance and advice to countries for the purposes of economic development and eliminating poverty. Its five agencies are: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD); International Finance Corporation (IFC); International Development Association (IDA); Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA); and International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID). The World Bank's activities are particularly focused on economically backward developing countries. These activities are in fields such as agriculture and rural development (e.g. irrigation, rural services), human development (e.g. education, health), infrastructure (e.g. roads, urban regeneration, electricity), governance (e.g. anti-corruption, legal institutions development) and environmental protection (e.g. pollution reduction, establishing and enforcing regulations). Each of these organizati ons has their own aims and objectives. The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) aims to reduce poverty in middle-income and creditworthy poorer countries by promoting sustainable development through loans, guarantees, risk management products, and analytical and advisory services. The IBRD and IDA provide loans at preferential rates to member countries, as well as grants to the poorest countries for developmental activities. Most of the times loans or grants for specific projects that may result in improvement of policy changes. For instance, loans to improve coastal environmental management that may be linked to development of new environmental institutions at national and local levels and to implementation of new regulations to limit pollution. The main activities of the IFC and MIGA include investment in the private sector and capitalizing insurance respectively (Wikipedia, 2007a). The IBRD was established in 1944 as the original institution of the World Bank Group. It is structured like a cooperative that is owned and operated for the benefit of its'185 member countries (web.worldbank.org, 2007). IBRD raises most of its funds on the world's financial markets. In 1946 the Bank had an authorized capital of $10 bi11ion, worth about 20 times as much today. However, all through its development it has been singularly garnered more controversy and criticism than any other international financial or development institution. In 1993 the Bank's total callable capital was almost $166 billion, though of that only $10.53 was paid in (Rich, 1994). The income that IBRD has been generated from the time of its inception has allowed it to fund development activities and to ensure its financial strength. As a result of this it is enabled to borrow at low cost and offer clients good borrowing terms (web.worldbank.org, 2007). From mid 1946 to mid 1986 the World Bank lent a total o f $160 billion for 4,000 different projects in around 100 countries, and has even more increased in the last few decades. By any reckoning the Bank's resources are huge (Hardy, N.D.). Till date IBRD has not suffered any losses

CourseHND health and social care (topicworking in partnership) Essay

CourseHND health and social care (topicworking in partnership) - Essay Example Client interactions form the basis of Client involvement. Client interactions sometimes are nerve wracking. To involve clients it is essential to build a strong client relationship. A good starting point is to work on the little things like Having informal meetings outside of your formal meetings with the client that can really help your status as their trusted advisor. Hence you can get some information that was not shared in the formal meeting that can even further help you serve their business needs. It also might help you to learn more details about their business, which also helps you to provide service to them better. Client involvement is based on the premise that people with learning disabilities and mentally ill is people first. It focuses throughout on what people can do, with support where necessary, rather than on what they cannot do. The various changes in client involvement have resulted in innovative approaches to partnership working. Effective partnerships are very essential to achieving social inclusion for people with learning disabilities. The changes have made the client groups with mentally ill and learning disabled more independent and respectable. The changes also provide the clients core services which are seamless fast and responsive. By working in partnerships with other local agencies, the clients are provided physical, social and emotional support with life limiting disorders in their own homes as an alternative to hospital-based care. b) Objective To illustrate the development of working in partnership prior to NEW LABOUR GOVERNMENT and to analyze various legislation issues. Development prior to New Labour Government Prior to New Labour Government partnership working was not widespread because of A lack of agreement about values and service objectives. An inability or unwillingness to agree on financial arrangements. Low priority being given to joint working within organizations. Children Act 1989 Under the Children Act 1989, Local Authorities, have a general duty to safeguard and promote the welfare of children within their area who are in need. Local Authorities should work in partnership with parents; the first option must be to work with the parents by voluntary arrangement. The authority by working in partnership with the local agency must assess a child's needs and promote the upbringing of children. The following have been provided by working in partnership with the local authorities: Day care for pre-school and other children. Provision of accommodation for children Advice and assistance for mentally challenged children. NHS Community Care Act 1990 The NHS and Community

Three most common drugs in USA Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Three most common drugs in USA - Research Paper Example The research has also concluded that, over five years people have come fonder of marijuana, mainly including the group age of 12 or older. The survey of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has recorded that, 70,000 of the population hits under this age group. This usage of marijuana drug is increasing because of the announced legalization of marijuana, comprising the medical terms. Usage of marijuana has been legalized by the two states of America, Washington and Colorado. On the other hand, the other 20 states have approved and consent the usage of marijuana on the medical terms only. This is the reason, why people of age 12 or older are accessing marijuana easily in Washington and Colorado. Even the Justice Department of US refused to take any challenge against the legalization of marijuana. The people in these states can openly be prosecuted by the federal law, even if they stood by the state law. President Obama said that, the usage of drugs is committed for the public health purpose only, not a criminal justice problem. The legalized law of marijuana other than the medical purpose is allowing people a free hand to go for this drug, â€Å""These statistics represent real people, families and communities dealing with the devastating consequences of abuse and addiction." (Leinwand) Cocaine is another type of drug which is being roughly used is America. The survey conducted by The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), has recorded that in the year 2008 there has been 1.9million users of cocaine. Out of this number approximately 359,000 has been recorded as the current crack users. The most age group of Americans using cocaine is the adults from age 18 to 25 years old. Men are highly involved in the usage of cocaine as compared to women. Powder cocaine has been in the use of the students of 8th, 10th and 12th grade from late 1990s. But the previous record

Economics essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Economics - Essay Example Fortunately, Economists are getting their due importance in policy making. It's economists who shout both in praise and against all policy decisions of different countries. And at least in a few cases, they themselves get divided in ideas and concepts. Regarding certain policies a group of economists come up with words and swords against another group of economists. Each group depends upon different theories at different times. Basically they keep in mind their own basic view and proceed. For giving stress to their views, depend on theories according to their convenience, that's all. Economics is supposed to act in such a way to wipe out tear from all the human eyes in the world. It should address the issues of poverty, famine and basic needs. All the theories may be different in ways of action but aim the same target: bring prosperity to human race. From theories to application - here starts the real game. Economists have made so many jargons familiar to the common man. But what's the end result Did it take us anywhere they planned or predicted This question stands as a very big unanswered question before mankind, especially these days. In the initial years of the new millennium what the Economic World has been experiencing was boom, boom and boom. The IT boom, banking boom, insurance boom, etc. could be cited as shining examples. Predictions also were aplenty. It was pointed out that the IT boom will stand for many more years. According to economists, banking and insurance were also going to record a trajectory of growth. Many reasons were given numbered one by one to substantiate their point of view. Banking habit is not developed among a large number of people. And an attempt was started by governments of various countries to bring more citizens of theirs to banks. Different packages were announced including zero balance accounts and any time money withdrawal facility. Similarly, it was observed that major chunk of the population remain outside insurance net. Studies were conducted which revealed that there are countries which have only upto a mere 10% of their population keeping insurance policies. Based on the se sorts of observations and statistics, so many new economic concepts were introduced by economists. Since the economists were having crucial role in policy making, their views and beliefs turned out to be policies. Political leaderships were depending much on economists in planning future. Since they themselves were ignorant of economic concepts, believed blindly what was advised. There are cases where enough studies were not conducted or even common sense was applied before reaching in far reaching policy decisions. And such policies affected the concerned economy very badly also. Offshoring of jobs is a typical example. Kathy Sanborn writes: In an article by Paul Craig Roberts ("How the Economy Was Lost"), he explains how the offshoring of jobs helped to create a lower tax base for American communities. Because US workers could no longer keep their IT and software engineering jobs due to 1) offshoring and 2) foreign workers coming in on H-1b work visas, our highly trained technical workers' salaries plunged. In addition, corporations began a mass exodus of manufacturing jobs

Tall nettles by Edward Thomas Essay Example for Free

Tall nettles by Edward Thomas Essay The narrator of this poem, which is written in two quatrains, describes a corner of the farmyard in which tall nettles cover old farm implements and suggests that he likes it because it is a reminder of mutability (liability to change) and the transience of life. The first stanza tells us that the nettles tower over the implements, except for the roller handle, as if they want to assert the supremacy of life and hide the fact that even things made from the most obdurate materials are subject to change and will eventually disappear. Yet, it is implied, the nettles grow in spring and will die in due course and what is now hidden will be revealed once again. The words cover up mean the nettles grow over but also imply attempt to conceal. The stanza also poses the paradox that truth can be revealed through illusion. The illusion here is that life is triumphant, as we know that the implements are lying under the nettles and will be revealed once again when the nettles themselves die and the illusion will be revealed for what it is also. The painting assonance of the short -u- vowels in cover, done, rusty and butt, together with the frequent pauses between the items in the list, convey an impression of exhaustion and reinforces the notion of something that is moribund or very near death. In the second stanza, the narrator explains why he likes this corner of the farmyard most. He tells us that he likes the dust on the nettles a reminder of mortality which is never finally removed although temporarily washed off by the showers that may briefly refresh but otherwise make no difference at all (it is an illusion that they do). He makes it clear that he has no unnatural liking for death by saying that he also likes the bloom (covering of fine powder, here representing the fullness of life) on flowers. However, the yoking of bloom and dust, and  dismissive tone of the word any, suggests that he knows the bloom will disappear also, and the flowers become dust, just as will the nettles when they die. The longer, more euphonious vowels (I, bloom-prove, flower-shower, sweetness), the inversion of the usual word order in the first line, the mellifluous flow of words, and the repeated admission that he likes certain things, convey an impression of sincerity and warmth, which in turn suggests how much he values the lesson he has learnt from this otherwise neglected and insignificant part of the farmyard. In this context, then, it becomes clear that the word nettles in the title (nettles are a stinging plant) is ambiguous and refers not only to the plants that are covering the implements but also to the principles of mutability and transience which are hidden be the nettles, and which people find hard to contemplate because it is not easy to accept the inevitability of death.

Secularism In India | An Analysis

Secularism In India | An Analysis Secularism in India as Gandhi and Nehru saw it is distinctly different from the Western view of secularism. The Gandhi-Nehru secularism places the importance of the states neutrality between Indias many faiths. Indias independence eventually came as a result of Congress success in 1946 elections,  [1]  and as a result the emergent India embodied an idea of a political community that was brought together by modern notions such as individual rights, democracy, and citizenship irrespective of religious or other markers of ethnic identity.  [2]  The Congress party embraced a version of nationalism that promoted an inclusive and plural vision of the Indian state irrespective of religious or other identities. According to Amartya Sen, the roots of Indian secularism can be traced back to its long and diverse multi-faith history.  [3]  Indias constitution grants its citizens, individual as well as group rights.  [4]  As such, Indias secularism tends to emphasize the neutrality of the state in religious affairs as opposed to a strict separation of the state from religion. According to Sen, the first view requires the state to be equidistant with respect to all religions meaning that the state treatment of different religions and religious communities will be symmetrical. The second view requires that the state has absolutely no relationship with any religion.  [5]   For the purpose of this essay first we will look if as per the Constitution India is secular State and second how Hindu nationalism affects Indias secularism. Evolution of constitution Nehru initiated the process of constitution making with the eight point resolution for Independent India on December 13th, 1946. According to the resolution India was to be a union of the provinces and the princely states. The constitution guaranteed the upholding of equality, justice, and freedom to the people of India. Along with these the constitution had special provisions for the people from the scheduled class, backward and under-developed areas. The constitution of Independent India had many things in common with the Government of India Act 1935 except the incorporation of Universal Adult Franchise as article 326 in June 1949 which marked its major differentiation with the Government of India Act.  [6]   The Constitution did not contain the word secular till the 42nd Amendment in 1976, in Article 25(2)(b). Prof. K.T. Shah was the only member who made an effort to get a provision regarding the secular character of India included in the Constitution. The following amendment, moved as Amendment No.366, was defeated on 3rd December 1948.  [7]   The State in India being secular shall have no concern with any religion, creed or profession of faith; and shall observe an attitude of absolute neutrality in all matters relating to the religion of any class of its citizens or other persons in the Union. The following extract from the speech of Pandit Laxmi Kanth Maitra on 6th December 1948 quoted by Justice R. A. Jahagirdar can be said to reflect the consensus of the members: By (a) secular State, as I understand it, is meant that the State is not going to make any discrimination whatsoever on the ground of religion or community against any person professing any particular form of religious faith. This means in essence that no particular religion in the State will receive any State patronage whatsoever.  [8]   As the BJP Home Minister L.K. Advani is quoted by James Chiriyakandath to have said: The Constituent Assembly drew up a secular Constitution essentially because theocracy is alien to Indias history, tradition and culture. The concept of Sarva Panth Sammabhav (equal respect for all faiths) has always been regarded as an essential attribute of the state and statecraft of our country.  [9]   The non-discriminatory character of a secular State is undoubtedly imprinted on the Constitution. There is individual and collective freedom of religion the right to freely profess, practice and propagate religion. Every religious denomination has been given the fundamental right to establish and maintain its own institutions and to manage its own affairs in matters of religion (Art.25).  [10]   While Article 25 gives individuals complete autonomy with regard to practice and performance of religious rituals, Article 26 allows every religious group an equal opportunity to operate within the prescribed domain, which is defined by the law.  [11]   Equal treatment of all religious denominations requires that the state does not associate itself with a particular religion or recognise a particular religion as the majoritys religion which in Indias case is Hinduism, the constitution rather disassociates itself from it. Article 27 stipulates that no person shall be compelled to pay any taxes, the proceeds of which are specifically appropriated in payment of expenses for the promotion or maintenance of any particular religion. Article 28(1) says: No religious instruction shall be provided in any educational institution wholly maintained out of State funds.  [12]   These articles indicate separation of state and religion. Moreover, the silence of Indian constitution over the provision of an official religion speaks the most about separation of state and religion. As Smith says, What the constitution does not say is just as important as what it does say. On citizenship, the Indian constitution recognises the people of India as the citizens where the state has nothing to do with their religion, faith, belief or caste and acclaims to treat all citizens equally. Article 15(1) ensures religion as not being a cause of discrimination. It states: The state shall not discriminate any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, and place of birth or any of them. Article 16(1) and (2) states: There shall be equality of opportunity for all citizens in matters relating to employment or appointment to any office under the state.  [13]   No citizen shall, on the grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, descent, place of birth, residence or any of them, be ineligible for, or discriminated against in respect of, any employment or appointment under the state. The employment of the three clauses, individual and collective freedom of religion, separation of state and religion and citizenship in the Indian constitution excludes the role of religion in defining the relationship between the union and its citizens. Emergence of Hindu nationalism and role of Hindutva in Indian politics The Bharatiya Jana Sangh (BJS) and the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha had been in the Indian political arena since 1951 and 1915 respectively. It was the political and institutional context of Indian politics in the 1980s, and not Hindu nationalist ideology per se, that facilitated the emergence of the BJP.  [14]  For BJP Hindu nationalism equates Indian-ness with Hindutva (Hindu-ness)  [15]  as the threat that nationality is based on territory and not religion.. For this essay the impact of Hindu nationalism on Indias secularism is explained by assessing a) the Uniform Civil Code, b) the Ayodhya controversy and c) Article 370 of the Indian Constitution which gives Kashmir special status within the Indian union. We also look at d) the saffronization of education in India through a reinterpretation of Indian history by Hindu nationalists. According to Savarkar a true citizen of India is one for whom India is not just the matribhoomi (motherland) but also the punyabhoomi (sacred land).  [16]  These two notions are congruent for Hindus Hindus, Jains, Buddhists and Sikhs whom they regard as the true citizens of India. According to this argument, Christians and Muslims pose a cultural threat to Indian (Hindu) culture since their punyabhoomi does not coincide with the territory of India. They can live in India so long as they do not assert their identities and conform to the larger Indian (Hindu) culture.  [17]   The Hindu nationalist agenda operates at multiple levels within Indian society. The BJP (and its predecessor, the BJS) serve as the political arm of Hindu nationalism. The RSS fulfils a militant and ideological role; the Bajrang Dal is an organization aimed at radicalizing Indias Hindu youth; the Vishwa Hindu Parishad works as a social and cultural body espousing Hindu nationalism (and even works with the radical elements within the Hindu diaspora); and the Vidya Bharti works as the educational arm of the RSS. Together, these and numerous similar organizations form what is known as the Sangh Parivar built around the RSS that aims to promote Hindu nationalism. In 1948 RSS was temporarily declared to be an unlawful organization and its activities were proscribed as a result of Mahatma Gandhis assassination by Nathuram Vinayak Godse, an RSS devotee. The Hindu Mahasabha, another political group of HIndutva escaped ban at this time but their activities were forbidden these groups were forced to maintain a lower profile. Since independence, Congress party dominated the Indian political scene until 1989. Congress partys hegemony began to gradually decrease after Nehrus death in 1964. Indira Gandhis imposition of emercy between 1975 and 1977 caused mass disillusionment with the Congress party across India. This ultimately led to the election of the first non-Congress party government in 1977, led by the Janata Party, a coalition of parties that included the BJS. Within this political context BJP formed in 1980 entered national politics in India. BJP tried an attempt to appear as a more moderate party and capture wider popular appeal which alienated the RSS, which in turn supported Rajiv Gandhi and the Congress party in the 1984 elections to demonstrate its displeasure.  [18]  As a result, the BJP returned to its Hindu nationalist ideological core. Use of religion by Indira Gandi in the state of Punjab to challenge the appeal of its regional rival, the Akali Dal, a Sikh religious party and later Raj iv Gandhis reversion of Supreme Court judgment that had granted alimony to Shah Bano  [19]  further assisted BJPs Hindutva cause rise. BJP used Congress partys decision to pacify the Muslim orthodoxy to argue that this step was contrary to the spirit and practice of Indian secularism as it privileged the sectarian interests of a particular religious community. In 1989 Rajiv Gandhi began his electoral campaign in Faizabad district, where the town of Ayodhya is located. There he promised to create a Ram Rajya (rule of Ram), again playing majoritarian politics. BJP started to openly criticise the Congress partys manipulation of religious symbols as pseudo-secularism. However, the Congress party lost the 1989 elections and the era of coalition and minority-led government of V. P. Singh which was supported by the BJP from the outside. In order to secure the support of the now mobilized lower castes, V. P. Singhs government put forth an affirmative action program the Mandal Commission that promised 27 percent of all government jobs and places in institutions of higher education.  [20]  In order to offset political split within the Hindu community, L. K. Advani launched a 10,000 kilometer-long rath yatra in 1990. He expected the twin pillars of Mandal and Masjid would ensure the rise of hindu nationalism rise in Indian politics. While the BJP was only able to win 7.4 percent of the popular vote in the 1984 general elections, its vote share increased to 21 percent in 1991.35 In 1996 the BJP formed a coalition government that only lasted 13 days, while the 1998 BJP-led coalition government, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), survived for a year. Finally, in 1999 the BJP-led NDA government formed the first non-Congress government that survived the full five-year term with Atal Bihari Vajpayee as its prime minister. Jaffrelot has shown that the Hindu nationalist movements strategies include both radical and moderate elements.  [21]  The BJPs radicalized, militant nature is demonstrated by the Babri Masjid demolition in 1992 and the Gujarat violence a decade later ensured the support of its core constituency and the RSS. In spite of their coalition with ideologically different parties, the BJP succeeded in promoting a Hindu nationalist version of Indian history by implementing changes to the National Curriculum Framework.  [22]  The specific policy issues that were crucial to the Hindu nationalist agenda were; Uniform Civil Code: In the late 1980s the controversy created by the Shah Bano case gave the BJP the ammunition to criticize the policies of the Congress party as catering to minority-ism and being pseudo-secular. This case is an example of this tension between individual and group/religious rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution.  [23]  The Indian state did not show the same zeal for reform in Muslim laws as it did while enacting the Hindu laws in 1955 and 1956. According to Articles 37 and 44 of the Indian Constitution, the establishment of a uniform civil code is a directive principle for the Indian state in making laws, even as it is not enforceable by any court.  [24]   BJP still remains committed to the implementation of a uniform (Hinduized) civil code. The Ayodhya Controversy: The destruction of the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya in 1992 and controversies surrounding this mosque had been around since the nineteenth century, this issue had remained dormant since Indias independence.  [25]  In the 1980s, the BJP used this issue as a political rallying point to unite the Hindu electorate irrespective of caste or language in an attempt to construct a Hindu vote.  [26]  As an electoral strategy the Ayodhya issue paid off. The BJP increased its vote share from 11.4 percent in 1989 to 21 percent in the 1991 general elections.  [27]  The construction of a Ram temple at the site of the destroyed mosque remains on the agenda of the Hindu nationalists. The Ayodhya controversy erupted again in February 2002. This attack had all the signs of a systematic and pre-meditated political violence on minority Muslims in which the state government was an active party. This led to the rise of Hindu nationalism supporters so much so that Narendra Mo di even campaigned on the Hindutva platform in the state elections in 2002 and won. The Hindu nationalists further threatened that Gujarat experience would serve as a laboratory to be replicated elsewhere in India.  [28]   According to Nussbaum, Hindu nationalism in general, and the Gujarat incident in particular, poses a serious threat to the survival of democracy in India.  [29]  However, the general outrage amongst the Indian public in other states led BJP to drop this issue from their 1999 NDA election manifesto try to replicate it in other Indian states. Article 370 and Kashmir: Article 370 of the Indian Constitution grants Kashmir special status within the Indian union. Kashmir is Indias only Muslim-majority state but enjoys special provisions such as restrictive land-ownership. Article 371 of the Indian Constitution allows the governments of certain states such as Nagaland and Mizoram in northeast India to legislate on the ownership and transfer of land in these regions, thereby restricting migrations of Indians from elsewhere in the country.  [30]  Indias Lakshadweep islands also enjoy a similar status as even Indian citizens require special permission to enter this restricted region.  [31]  However, it is only the Kashmir issue that is important to the Hindu nationalists given the complex history of its accession to the Indian union after independence.  [32]   Reinterpretation of History and Changes in the Educational Curriculum: In an attempt to show that India is the matribhoomi of all Hindus, the Hindu nationalist historians claim that the Vedic Sanskrit-speaking Indo-Aryan peoples were indigenous to India, thereby implying that no Indo-Aryan migration into the subcontinent ever occurred.  [33]  to show that all of Indias Hindus are the descendants of the original inhabitants of the subcontinent.  [34]  Islamic political dominance in the subcontinent has been reinterpreted by the Hindu nationalists to emphasize the more militant aspect of the rule of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb and the exploitation of their Hindu subjects. Periods of Hindu-Muslim cultural syncretism and good governance of Akbar is absent from the Hindu nationalist narrative of this period of Indias history.  [35]  Furthermore, these revised textbooks have deleted references to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi in 1948 by a member of the Hindu Mahasabha. T he textbooks blame Muslims for the partition of India.  [36]  Since the BJP has a long-term agenda to redefine Indian identity, they were not hesitant to use their power while in government to redefine Indias past with the intention to mould the future generations understanding of Indias history along their ideological lines. According to the twin tolerations argument, a broad range of religious-state relations are possible in a democracy.  [37]  BJPs single major success has been the communalization of Indian politics by changing the discourse on secularism. It has affected in two ways. First, in spite of the rise of Hindu nationalism, a standardization of Hinduism appears to be occurring for the first time in the religions history. Second, Indias lower castes are increasingly conforming to the religious and social norms of the upper castes as they climb the socio-economic ladder. This is resulting in further homogenization within Hindu society.  [38]   Is India a secular state? What is India and who is an Indian are simple questions that are extremely difficult to answer.  [39]  One should note that the territorial idea inevitably becomes part of all nation-states, but territory does not have to be the defining principle of national identity.  [40]  The constitution makers without mentioning the word secular wrote a secular constitution. Though the constitution does not define who or what is a Hindu, but it defines followers of Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism as Hindus for purposes of Hindu temple entry. Article 25 (2) (b) (Explanation II) states: the reference to Hindus shall be construed as including a reference to persons professing the Sikh, Jaina or Buddhist religionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Would this be to prevent the conversion of Dalits to Christianity or Islam, to reform Hinduism to make it palatable to the former untouchables? The Hindu Marriage Act of 1955 applies to (a) any person who is a Hindu by religion in any of its forms and developments, including a Virashaiva, a Lingayat or follower of the Brahmo, Prarthana or Arya Samaj; (b) to any person who is a Buddhist, Jain or Sikh by religion, and (c) to any person domiciled in the territories who is not a Muslim, Christian, Parsi or Jew by religion.  [41]   In other words, legally there is no such thing as a Buddhist, Jain, or Sikh marriage, is this another attempt to deny other religions a distinctive identity and absorb them in the Hindu fold? Although freedom of religion is granted under the constitutions Article 25 (1), in 1982, when a few hundred Dalits embraced Islam in Meenakshipuram, Indira Gandhi characterized conversions as a threat to national security and the central government took measures to curb conversions. Is it not ironic that the Indian state is ready to deploy army to cleanse out Sikh insurgents from Golden Temple and Muslim rebels from Charar-i Sharif, but not protect Babri Mosque from the Hindu activists? Article 16 (2) of the constitution prohibits discrimination in public employment on religious grounds. Per Presidential orders of 1950 and 1956 the beneficiaries of Scheduled Castes reservation can only be Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists but not Christians and Muslims. Predominantly Hindu army of Kashmir was absorbed in the national army in 1947; whereas Hyderabads largely Muslim army was disbanded, rendering nearly 20,000 jobless. Are Indian armys infantry regiments not still based on religion (Sikh regiments), or ethnicity (Gorkha) or caste (Rajput) or region (Garhwal) in which members of other faiths, ethnicities, and regions are barred? Are government school texts in Hindi and regional languages not saturated with signs, symbols idioms, phrases, and icons of Hinduism? Have the textbooks of history and social studies not been filled with gross distortions of Indian history of all eras, ancient, medieval and modern portraying Muslims and Christians to be the villains, traitors and foreigners? Based on the constitution and political practice including congress partys can we not say India is as secular as India can be No Less, No More.

Essay --

The Effects of Concussions on the NFL For many years the NFL has been considered one of the most painful and dangerous sport played in the United States. But is it too Dangerous? The uprising number of concussions is shocking. NFL analysts survives suggest a 14 percent increase of concussions for the year 2013. Player safety rules have also been implemented into the official rule book. The three main effects that concussions have on the NFL today are big hits, big plays, and the defensive game played today. The NFL is known for its gruesome de-cleating hits on players, but the rising number of concussions has stripped players from being able to make these types of plays anymore! After the 2011 lawsuit, the NFL realized that new player safety rules had to be enforced into the NFL rule book. Rules such as no crown on crown to the helmet outside the tackle box have taken away the element of â€Å"big hits† in a football game. 1Redskin’s safety Brandon Meriwether was fined $42,000 for a helmet to helmet hit on Packer’s running back Eddie Lacey. Thank God for technology, because back in the 40’s they played football with leather a helmet. Also the NFL stated a new rule that each NFL team has to have a neurologist placed on the sideline for every official game. Jet’s player Jeremy Kerley suffered from a mind boggling week one injury. Kerley passed the mandatory concussion evaluation and soon after returns to the team. Suddenly, the following same day Jeremy was diagnosed with a concussion. I agree with the saying taking one the team, but playing with a concussion is like playing with fire. Some big hitters in the NFL are viewed as dirty players because of their bone crushing tackles. A lot of coaches like to blame big hits for the fact of... ...grams such as bigger, faster and stronger, there is no way that we can stop concussions from happening. I still watch and love football today but some part of me doesn’t think the defensive game is the same merely because of concussions. Although I think football should still be played in today society, a lot of people are viewing the game differently because of concussions. I disagree with hurting players, but some of the calls made this year dealing with tackling have made my mouth drop several times. Concussions effects on big hits, big plays, and defensive game style have changed the NFL for the worse. I understand that refs have to make what they see right calls, but in many cases players perform perfect technique and still get penalized. Although the NFL game is played at a high level, I believe concussions have taken some of the intensity away from players.