Absolute Truth – Is There Such a Thing as Absolute Truth

Is There Such A Thing As Absolute Truth? There are two answers for the question, â€Å"Is there such a thing as absolute truth? † The answer could be either yes or no. In my opinion, the answer is yes, because every individual lives his or her life in various experiences. Some people claim to know the absolute truth. Individuals based their truth on experiences and emotions and at times not logically consistent. When force fields such as emotions are present decisions are made then opinions are formed.For example, politics, I state politics because it never has a common ground. In politics you’re either Democrat or Republican, and both parties feel their plan is the absolute truth. As an American, we have the right to our own opinion but realize that our opinion is not the absolute truth. To make the statement that there is no absolute truth is invalid. Because one plus one does equal two so there is absolute truth which can be proven and understood. Is there such a thi ng as absolute truth?Yes, because of human conscience that â€Å"duty† within us that tells us that certain things are right and wrong. Therefore, our conscience let us know there is something wrong with pain, hunger, rape and makes us aware that love, peace, and charity are positive things for which we should strive for. In my opinion it so important to understand the concept of absolute truth in all areas of life this includes religion, because consequences exist in life for being wrong.For instance, a nurse can give a patient the wrong amount of a medication that can kill them; having an investment broker make the wrong monetary decisions can put you and your family in poverty; getting on the wrong bus will take someone where they do not wish to go; and dealing with an cheating spouse can result in the destruction of a family and potentially divorce. There are so many religions in this world that attempt to give their meaning and definition to absolute truth.Your existence is absolute truth which is simple. Through religion, mankinds seek God, we hope for the future, forgiveness of our sins, peace in the midst of struggle, and answers to our deepest questions. Religion is really proof that mankind is more than just a highly evolved creature. God implanted in man the desire to know him, and God is indeed the Creator, which makes Him the standard for absolute truth, and with His authority that establishes the absolute truth.

Equality Diversity And Inclusion Essay

Promote equality and inclusion in health, social care or children’s and young people’s setting 1 understand the importance of diversity, equality and inclusion. 1.1 Explain what is meant by diversity, equality and inclusion. Diversity – The concepts of diversity it embrace’s acceptance and respect it means understanding that each individual is different and unique, and recognizing our individual differences. These can be along the dimensions of: see more:explain how to promote anti-discriminatory practice in your work with pupils Race Ethnicity Gender Sexual orientation Socio-economic status Age Physical abilities Religious beliefs Political beliefs Discrimination is about creating a fairer society where everybody will be to participate and has an opportunity to fulfil their potential, individual and group diversity needs to be considered in order to ensure that everybody’s needs and requirements are understood, and responded to e.g. development of flexibility in working practices and services. Another example of diversity in a setting were you have children of different culture, race or religion etc, is where by you teach and encourage the children to respect and embrace differences from other people in a positive way regardless of how they look or talk, and you as a practitioner need to respect the children and their families as well of the different backgrounds. Equality – in the workplace it takes on the same meaning as it does in your everyday life. It is defined as treating people the same as each other, regardless of their differences and to be held in the same esteem as someone else. An example is that men should not be paid more than women solely because they are male, or white people should not be paid more than no whites because of their race. The differences could go on because of different judgemental factors such as not  being worthy as their counterparts in the workplace. Inclusion – the term ‘inclusion’ means the act of including one another and no one is treat differently. Inclusion values diversity meaning no will be left out it also places individuals at the centre planning and support, the right of every child, infant or his/her family. Also their ability to participate in a range of activities and contexts. The desired results of inclusive experiences for children or elderly with or without disabilities and their families include a sense of belonging. 1.2 describe the potential effects of discrimination. There are different ways in which discrimination takes place these could be: Direct discrimination Indirect discrimination Victimisation There are also different bases of discrimination such as: culture disability age social class gender sexuality health status family status Every one of these reasons of discrimination is used by individuals and groups within society to exclude others from life’s chances. There are different effects on people depending why they are being discriminated against. People who are discriminated against can experience short or long term effects, in the short term effects people may feel anger and loss of their self-esteem. In the long-term effects they may be further reaching such as detrimental employment prospects or a lack of motivation. The effects are therefore to fold an effect on the individual themselves, and on their place and status as a whole. These affects have been recognised and there are now a number of laws in place which deal with equal rights for  every one there’s loads of different emotions people can feel if being discriminated against these could be: Scared Anxious Low self-esteem Feeling isolated Upset Feel like and outcast Depression Nervous Low confidence Passive or aggressive behaviour Disempowerment Restricted opportunities 1.3 explain how inclusive practice promotes equality and supports diversity Inclusive practice means to include people from all backgrounds, race and ethnicities and age etc therefore it supports equality and diversity as it includes every one and treating them fairly. As everyone is included all people are equally level, with no judgment passed on because of their age, sex, race or sexual orientation etc, therefore this promotes equality. In the case of providing health or social care to a person, every one receives the same care and treatment or in the case of employment/staff, decisions whether or not to employ/promote them based soley on their skills and ability to do their job. There are many laws in place to legislations in place so that service users and health care professionals, have basic guidelines that must be followed so that it promotes all three of equality, diversity and inclusion therefore every ones treated equally these legislations include: Sex discrimination act Mental health act The children act Race relations (amendment) act Human rights act Data protection act nursing and residential care homes regulations

Independence day speech Essay

independence Day- the day when British left the golden bird free from their rule. But the bird was left looted, harassed, with the slightest of hope to survive. Then followed a long fight for the survival of golden bird. 64 years have passed and the country is still ‘developing’. The whole world says and even we believe that we are the citizens of an independent country. But a question always keep on hovering in my mind, the answer to which I never found out. You also give it a try. Is India really free? Are we not bound by so many handcuffs of ever growing poverty, illiteracy, unemployment, crimes, men-women inequality, limited technology and the worst of all which potentiate other bounding forces too- Corruption? Shocked seeing the figure Don’t be because there is still a large figure behind the scene which the CBI has failed to suspect. â€Å"Angrez chale gaye par inhe chod gye†- the best phrase that can describe our corrupt politicians and high commanding officers. And why only blame these famous names. Even an  ordinary man is giving them a tough competition- Wrong ways to save income tax, Under table income, and what not. Fighting with any outsider is easy but how to fight with someone amongst ourselves. How to punish a crow from within a group of parrots? And what adds to the tragedy is that everyone is inside this dirty cave of corruption. Those who are in the light of honesty and truthfulness don’t want to make an initiative to clean this dirt. A grand salute to those great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, Swami Vivekanand, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Bhagat Singh who broke a revolt against British and drove them back to their home. Today again we need such leaders to drive corruption out of this beautiful country. Then we all will proudly say that â€Å"Yes!! We are the citizens of an independent country which flies unbound in the sky of glory and success†. Happy Independence Day to all !! Let us vow to make our country a free bird again. Jai Hind!!

Divorce as a stressor leading to family crisis Essay

Divorce as a stressor leading to family crisis - Essay Example Divorce is identified to be under different psychological stressors that adversely affect the lifestyles, health along with attitudes of the divorced couples. In this regard, the ABCX Model is used as an important tool based on which family stressors and family functioning procedures are identified during stress situations. It also depicts the procedures in accordance with which families can cope with stress, which is associated with divorce. Contextually, the essay emphasizes applying the topic of divorce in relation to four elements of ABCX model in order to have a better understanding of the implications of the stressor in an individual life. Divorce generally changes the social life of the individuals due to the loss of supportive aspect. In this respect, divorced couples witnessed to possess lower level of well-being and psychological conditions due to different stress situations that they undergo. In this regard, the ABCX model is used as an effective measure of coping with suc h stress situations. The stresses associated with divorce are related with the components of ABCX model in the following section. According to the article of Rosand et al. (2014), in the present societal scenario, divorce is determined to be increasing specifically in the Western societies by a considerable extent due to various factors that include relationship dissatisfaction, emotional distress and inadequate education programs among others.

The Notebook Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Notebook - Research Paper Example This particular scene, â€Å"It’s Not Over,† appears in the second half of the film and again is on the water, a realistic setting. The couple, Noah and Allie, has been separated for seven years, but now they are reunited and spend an emotional weekend reacquainting themselves with the reasons they fell in love years ago and discovering the twists in events that have kept them apart. The water is not red this time, nor is the water calm, but choppy and the wind blows through young Allie’s hair. It begins to rain and she tries to protect herself with a dish towel, which clearly isn’t going to help as the rain becomes a torrent. Noah laughs at her flimsy attempt to protect herself from the downpour. As in the opening scene of the film, in â€Å"It’s Not Over,† there are the elements of a rowboat and a lake. In the opening scene, however, the waters are peaceful, suggesting a calm situation, for now. The general coloring of the film’s opening scene is in red tones, suggesting that the calm and peace is not meant to last, but that the characters will experience turbulence at some point. In the film’s opening, the adult Noah, played by James Garner, is rowing the boat on the red, but calm waters. The red color cast on the water is also used later in some of the clothing worn by Allie. As the film unfolds, we learn that the color red is symbolic of Allie’s very passionate nature which strongly impacts their relationship. The reunited lovers are happy on the water, but as the storm ensues and they reach the dock, unexpressed emotions gush forth and Allie asks Noah why he never wrote to her. The sky is dark and windy, and the lovers becoming soaked. The weather’s elements all invoke the emotional climax of the scene. We see in the scene’s tranquil beginning, the lovers in their boat. It is across the lake from the camera, a widescreen shot showing the characters in

ME GLOBAL ACASE FOR CULTURE Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ME GLOBAL ACASE FOR CULTURE - Case Study Example However, in 2011, this company registered its best performance in the market. The company sales were high, thus resulting in great profits. Despite this, MEGlobal is still faced with different problems, which have prevented it from achieving stable performance in the market. This paper therefore, addresses some of the problems MEGlobal experiences, and the possible solutions to these problems. The main challenges of MEGlobal have their roots in the management of the company. MEGlobal is a joint venture, therefore, this company, like many other joint ventures, has experienced considerable obstacles, which have influenced the company negatively. Dow Chemical Company of the United States and Petrochemical Industries Company (PIC) of Kuwait own MEGlobal jointly. In 2004 when the joint venture was formed, Dow contributed technology and expertise, while PIC contributed finances. Once the joint ownership documents were signed, MEGlobal began operating as a joint venture. During the initial period of this joint venture, great profits were realized. However, after considerable period, these profits came down (Hayes 1). Cultural difference in this company presents a major problem. This problem has been experienced since the initial developmental years of MEGlobal. This joint venture resulted in the integration of employees from the two different countries. These have different cultures, therefore, initially; it was a challenge for them to get along harmoniously without any misunderstandings based on their cultural differences. Employees from Dow had to work with Kuwaitis, while other Kuwaitis were transferred to Canada. Cultures for Kuwait people and Canadians are different, therefore, initially, it was hard for the employees from different cultural backgrounds to coordinate and cooperate. For a company to succeed there must be a coherent culture in the company, which all employees adhere to. Poor integration and communication in the company

Malware and how it affects the system and the Victim also how it get Essay

Malware and how it affects the system and the Victim also how it get into a Victim machine - Essay Example software as rogue security software, spyware, worms, adware, dialers, Trojan, computer virus and key loggers among others which normally appear in the form of active contents, codes as well as scripts (Klaus, 2013). However, it is worth noting that malwares are different from defective software in the regard that defective software may be legitimate software which would have had defective bugs before release and which were not corrected. Malwares get access into a personal computer system through a variety of ways, which include through an exchange of contaminated files, accessing contaminated online materials or even through legitimate download of corrupted software from the online stores. Attackers or the developers of these malware are known to attach the malware onto legitimate software online and as such, unsuspecting victims purchase the software only to have the harmful software get into their computer system. However, such malware as spyware spread through individual installation by visiting security holes or even though installation of corrupted programs from harmful websites. Ill intentions by hackers or malware developers lead to the design and programming of the harmful software in order to access sensitive information from organizations or even private system. These software programs are used to steal sensitive financial, personal or even business information, which is targeted by the hackers. Besides the use of malware to gather or ‘steal’ important information from corporate systems, the malicious software is used to disrupt the operations of computer systems and as a result bring about much suffering to organizations or corporate. The software has been used in many instances to target government operations, bank systems as well as corporate and private security systems for profit gains by the hackers (Reavis, 2012). The working of the different malicious software differs from one type to another. Worms and virus are known to target executable

A Change in My Life Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A Change in My Life - Essay Example Because of my hard work and the effort that I put in my educational endeavors, I got very good grades in my final primary school exams and qualified to enter high school. I was so happy with my achievement that I was determined to ensure that my performance would always remain high in my new educational level. With this in mind, and considering the great promise that I had in academics, I was admitted into high school. High school turned out to be quite different from primary school and this was mainly because there were more freedoms and new people who I had to study with. Most of my old friends from primary school went on to a different school and at first; life in the new environment was quite lonely. However, after a few weeks, I was befriended by some of the most popular students in the school and this, I felt, was a great privilege. In primary school, I had never really been popular, with the little popularity that I had having been based on my academic performance. Whereas other students had concentrated on fun and what I thought were good things in life, I had concentrated on my studies and that was the reason why I was among the best. However, in high school, all this changed because, for the first time in my life, I was among the popular kids. Most of the other students looked up to me and it felt wonderful and in my mind, nothing could be better. From that time, I put my academics in the background and I instead concentrated on spending time with my new friends and having fun because that is what I thought high school was all about. As a result of my new lifestyle, my academics began to take a beating but while this was happening, my new friends convinced me that because I was a clever guy, I could always catch up whenever I wanted.  Ã‚  

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 9

Rhetorical Analysis - Essay Example It also informs the audience of the challenges faced by various individuals who went through the school. These people are mostly blacks who sacrificed themselves to the betterment of the society. Obama as the president of the United States made the speech. In the two speeches, Obama claims that Americas are the authors of their own destiny. He also amplifies the notion that no difference that exists between blacks and whites. Moreover, he concurs that no one should be given preferential treatment based on color, but he or she must work hard to have such privileges. Obama use of ethos is highlighted in the two speeches and amplifies challenges and problems faced by American people. The perfect union speech was made when Obama campaign was in jeopardy. This was due to racial profiling that was taking place in opposing camps and some sections of the media. Moreover, his relationship with Reverend Jeremiah Wright and being part of his election campaign. He had been making speech consider ed offensive to some of the racial groups. These were mostly done during the Sunday sermons. For example, he talks of mistreatment of blacks by the whites (Carney and Sullivan 1). However, Obama disengages from the pastor by showing the history of racial differences in United States. He believes that the sentiments of the Reverend are because of what he went through during his upbringing in the fifties. He informs the audience that resentment is a characteristic of both whites and the blacks that may be caused by either missing opportunities in their lifetime. Obama connection with Reverend Jeremiah Wright was a point of concern to the audience. This is because he could be perceived as offering support to the blacks at the expense of the whites. This meant that most of the whites could note vote for him during the democrat primaries and election that were few days ahead. Moreover, other could have labeled him as a racist and thus not suitable for the unification of the American peop le. However, the speech broadcast to all Americans helped change most of the perceptions. This reached most of the people who had eligibility to vote. They identified themselves with the challenges Obama was going through. Consequently, they viewed Obama leadership as likely to be inclusive and not condoning racial profiling. Moreover, Obama strong appeals to ethos are seen as he distances himself from Wright. This occurs as he identifies himself as a person involved in the racial history of America. He considers himself a person of a mixed race background. In fact, he concurs to have been raised by white grandmother. He believes that his life has been surrounded by racial inequality. On the other hand, he is an astute politician with a form of education not achieved by many in the society. He manages to show that person’s upbringing does not shape his or her destiny. This gives him authority to make claims. He also handles the issue of Reverend Wright without appearing to da mage his character. He pleads with black Americans to â€Å"embrace the burden of our past without becoming victims of our past† (Jones 1). Obama understands these burdens as he is labeled as a racist during primaries. Moreover, he once heard the white grandmother-talking saying that she was cautious of the Black Americans in their neighborhood. Moreover, he puts Wrights views on the mistreatment of the blacks into historical context. He did this with

Case Study 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Case Study 4 - Essay Example Our objective will be to optimize the application of our dataset toward more effective CRM. The set includes both audio-visual information and electronic-data information. To focus efforts and avoid legal ethical questions, we will concentrate of the electronic-data portion. This mainly includes information gathered from telecommunications and membership cards transactions. The end product would include a GUI expressing the current trends in customer behavior and accepting inputs that translate into operational measures and investigate correlations to help optimize our influence over buyer behavior. The reasons for not using all of the available data is two-fold -- one is ethical, the other operational. The operational reason is work flow related. To avoid scope creep, we limit our focus on each component of any project. The ethical reason is about questions of personal privacy in a public way. While applying numerical data is more objective because any identifying information may be stripped from the dataset during data analysis. However, it may not be outside the scope of an expanded version of this process to apply some of the audio-visual

Probability in Healthcare Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Probability in Healthcare - Assignment Example Treating variation for time spent on Physical Education is evident that it offers health benefits to elementary schooling going children. The experiment was done to 300 elementary school going children from different schools. The probability of P.E reducing obese was 0.8. This was considered a positive significance and the probability was close to one. Thus, it was depicted that Physical education plays a significant role in reducing the rate of obesity among children. The researchers also identified a gender difference: additional Physical education reduces weight three times more than to girls of the same age. The explanation behind these results is that PE among other physical activities is complements for boy child (Increased PE makes boys to be more active), but substitutes for girls. The researcher further stated that the challenge was to ensure more girls take part in physical activities in order to reduce their obese rates. Thus, elementary schools should consider adding more time to Physical education classes to increases the probability of curbing obesity amongst school going

Native Americans vs. Whites Essay Example for Free

Native Americans vs. Whites Essay Native Americans had no other option than assimilation. Today, we have the right to choose. Back in the days you had rights only if you were part of the elite society, in this case, a white person. White people were so hungry power that they did whatever they had to as to gain all the land that belonged to the Native Americans. They took advantage of the inocense of the Native Americans and achieved their goals. Whites wanted total control over the Native Americans, they forced them to assimilation, tricked them and took everything away from them. Back in the 1800s white americans came into the Sioux lands where Native Americans settled, they wanted to have their lands, the gold and all those sources which back then meant a lot.. White people always wanted to have total control. They believed everything had to be done as they said because they were superior and for it they ruled and they deserved everything they wanted. They forced the Native Americans to leave their home lands and put them to live on reservations. Some reservations were the Lakota, Pine Ridge, Rosebud and Standing Rock. Whites wanted the Native Americans to become so like them that they banned the Ghost Dance on Lakota reservations in December 1890, then on Pine Ridge and Rosebud as the rites of this religious fervor continued. Native Americans were very naive, but still they struggled againt the whites trying to remain with some dignity and being loyal with in themselves. As the Ghost Dance was banned, Short Bull, Kicking Bear and Sitting Bull tried to resist since they didnt like to be told what to do. By the end, a struggle struck where Sitting Bull died, and none of the Native Americans efforts were worth since the whites always had their way. Assimilation should be an option not an obbligation. Whites wanted the Native Americans to mish into their culture, customs and beliefs as a way to assimilate and become more like them. They wanted Indians to convert into christianity and to speak their languange (English). They even gave them Christian names and banned eveything that was not good for the whites eyes. Native Americans had no saying in this whole situation, they either accepted it or died (second option was the best for the whites since they wanted to exterminate the indian race). Charles Eastman, once called Ohiyesa was a great example of this assimilation. He couldnt resist to the white orders so he became assimilated, he was going to med school and had a romance with Elaine Goodell, a teacher of the reservations. Native Americans passed through a lot, they were tricked and constantly abused. They were forced to leave their lands and put to live on reservations, where life wasnt easy at all. Some refused to leave their lands but as the situation worsen, they had no other option than accepting. Native Americans and whites were not always fighting, they usually traded and negotiated peacefully. Things went peacefully until the whites started tricking the Indians, like signing the treaty of Traverse de Sioux; when Red Cloud signed it they were promised many things which never happened, the whites tricked him and now he had no option than signing or all of the tribe would be killed. Also General Sherman and General Custer, they were always trying disastrous things against the harmless Native Americans, like burning their homes and forcing them to do things they didnt want to. The whites betrayed the Native Americans, but there was nothing the Indians could do, if they tried to rebel against the whites they would end up just like Sitting Bull. It is clear that the only way Native Americans could survive was by assimilating. I think the whites went too far. They were very rude and hard to the Indians. I believe we were all born with differences and were all raised differently, just as the Native Americans and the whites, but to the eyes of God we are all equal, and for that major reason we should all accept who we are. Assimilation was a great option, but it was opt to them if they wanted it or not. Native Americans were very ignorant and whatever they were said they would believe it. I think many of the events that happened could have been prevented if the whites tried to communicate and kept real the promises they made to the Indians. Most of this was for the governments fault, but it is more than obvious that they will never accept it. http://alyidel. blogspot. com/.

Public Healthcare In Malaysia Health And Social Care Essay

Public Healthcare In Malaysia Health And Social Care Essay This chapter of the paper would explain on the introduction to this study and issues background. It would consist of problem statement, objectives, research questions, scope, significant of the study, limitations and some important terms that will be use in this research. Introduction Healthcare system in Malaysia is one of the crucial sector focus by the government. The healthcare services can be divided into public and private sector. There are many efforts done by the government to increase country healthcare quality such as by including healthcare aspects in formulating 10th Malaysia plan strategies that are: Strategy 1 : Establish a comprehensive healthcare system recreational infrastructure Strategy 2 : Encourage health awareness healthy lifestyle activities. Strategy 3 : Empower the community to plan or implement individual wellness programme (responsible for own health) Strategy 4 : Transform the health sector to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the delivery system to ensure universal access It showed government really concern in improving and fulfilling people healthcare necessity. The public healthcare in Malaysia consist of government public hospital and clinics. public and private sector has spend billion of money in providing better healthcare and it will continuing increase align with the increase of Malaysia population. According to country health plan in 10th Malaysia plan for 2011-2015, population of Malaysia has increase till 28.3 million and 2.32 million of it was immigrant and foreign workers. Moreover, 24.4 % from the total immigrants residing in Sabah. It means the number population will keep increasing from year to year. The more higher population would need the more good healthcare providers. The public and health sector has invest lot of money in ensuring the current healthcare availability is enough in fulfilling people high demand. The table below shown total expenditure on health from 1997 to 2008. Therefore, in 23rd October 2009, prime minister YAB Dato Sri Najib Tun Razak established 1Malaysia clinics under 1Care programme of 1 Malaysia concept. According to the prime minister 1Malaysia concept is define as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦provide a free and open forum to discuss the things that matter deeply to us as a Nation. It provides a chance to express and explore the many perspectives of our fellow citizens. What makes Malaysia unique is the diversity of our peoples. 1Malaysias goal is to preserve and enhance this unity in diversity which has always been our strength and remains our best hope for the future. I hope this Website will initiate an open and vital dialogue exploring our Malaysian identity, purpose, and direction. I encourage each of you to join me in defining our Malaysia and the role we must play in its future. Each of us despite our differences shares a desire for a better tomorrow. Each of us wants opportunity, respect, friendship, and understanding (1Malaysia Booklet). The definition of 1Care Malaysia is national health restructuring system that provide more choice of quality health care, better healthcare coverage that require by the population based on solidarity and equity. This new system should improve old system by providing new effort in enhancing people healthcare quality (Maimunah binti A hamid, 2010). 1Malaysia clinics objective is to provide affordable and quality healthcare treatment to the local residents especially for middle and local income group. It manage by medical assistance and only applicable in handling minor treatment and limited medicine prescription. Currently, there are 100 clinics with additional RM 17.2 Million budget (Nes strait times, 2012). In sabah only there are 20 clinics and 2 (Sulaman sentral kota kinabalu and Bandar Leila, Sandakan) of it has been upgraded to Klinik Kesihatan. The upgraded of 1Malaysia clinic to become Klinik Kesihatan is because the positive response from loal residents and the clinic received more than 100 patients per day. The upgraded is hope to provide better services to the people with extra expertise (Utusan, 2012). TOTAL EXPENDITURE ON HEALTH, 1997-2008 (RM, NORMINAL VALUE) Year Expenditure on Health (RM million) Expenditure on Health as % of GDP Total GDP (nominal value) (RM million) 1997 8,213 2.9 281,795 1998 8,966 3.2 283,243 1999 9,743 3.2 300,764 2000 11,516 3.4 342,612 2001 12,520 3.7 334,309 2002 13,620 3.8 360,568 2003 19,164 4.6 418,769 2004 21,378 4.5 474,048 2005 21,915 4.2 519,451 2006 24,788 4.3 572,555 2007 30,228 4.7 641,864 2008 35,149 4.7 740,721 Source: Malaysia National Health Accounts 2007 PROBLEM STATEMENT Malaysia government has established lot of healthcare effort in order to increase public health quality for example 1Malaysia clinic and klinik kesihatan. These two clinic is related to each other and offer almost the same system of service delivery and purpose. This study conduct to identify the comparison between these two clinics based on certain aspects of effectiveness. There are a few issues arise related to these government healthcare program. The first issues is related to the reliability of 1Malaysia clinics services, the concern shows by president of the Malaysian medical association (MMA), Dr. David Quek. He said that the establishment of 1malaysia clinic provides low healthcare standard system because it operates by medical assistance and nurses only. He also reminded the ministry, the limitation of knowledge among medical assistance and nurses in giving medical advices and medicines would affect the healthcare services in Malaysia (the sun, 2010). It not aligns with the modernization of Malaysia and this kind of system similar with healthcare system during world war. He also showing concern related to 1malaysia legality, according to Medical Act 1971 its illegal for a medical assistance to manage a clinic (the star online, 2009).   The provision referred by Dr David Quek is Medical Act 1971 Section 33. (1) (f), the section stated: 33(1) Any person not registered or exempted from registration under this Act who (f) uses the term clinic or dispensary or hospital or the equivalent or any of there terms in any other language in the signboard over his place of practice in purported practice of medicine or surgery as a person registered under this Act; shall be guilty of an offence against this Act. It showed that there are some doubt by the public related to the 1Malaysia clinic effectiveness. The effectiveness of 1Malaysia clinics is a major corcern to the public because of the high cost of establishment. Government allocated RM 10 million for 50 clinics in 2010 and RM 7.2 Million in 2012 for adding 20 more clinics, it cost lot of country money allocation for established all clinics for the public (Bernama, 2012). The failure of this clinics can cause loss to the country with the high expenses given. After establishment of 1Malaysia clinic, government came with another idea for improving people healthcare quality especially for middle and low income group by upgrading the 1Malaysia clinic into klinik kesihatan. For those 1Malaysia clinic that exceed 100 patients per day, the clinic would be upgraded to klinik kesihatan and 1 doctor would be provided. Klinik kesihatan as a replacement of 1Malaysia clinics guesting to provide better service and medication compare to before the u pgraded. This study will focusing on comparing between 1Malaysia clinics and Klinik kesihatan in a few effectiveness aspects. It also hope to answer a few main questions related to the improvement of services between before and after upgraded. In Malaysia there is limited proper study done related to the evaluation of this healthcare program especially when it related to the 1Malaysia clinics. it also very difficult to find comparison study between government clinics for such as 1Malaysia clinic and klinik kesihatan. By conducting this study, it may assist in evaluate whether this program that cost RM 10 Millions is resulting good result for the public. In addition, this study also may help in figuring out the relevant of 1Malaysia clinic implementation and service changes happened through the upgrading process. Objectives To identify comparative analysis between 1 Malaysia clinic and Klinik Kesihatan in term of: Accessibility Availability Treatment Staff services Environment Waiting time Research questions Comparative analysis between 1 Malaysia clinics with Klinik Kesihatan: What is the people preference between 1 Malaysia clinic and Klinik Kesihatan? Why? What are the rationale the establishment of the new healthcare program, 1Malaysia clinics compare to existed government health clinics? What are the differences between these two clinics: Which of the clinics provides better accessibility to the patients? Which of these clinics better in term of availability? Which of these clinics provides better health treatment to the patients? Which of these clinics provides friendlier services to the patients? Which of these clinics provides a better treatment environment? Which of these clinics provide better waiting time? Scope Of Study This study will be conducted at Klinik kesihatan Sulaman sentral, kota kinabalu sabah. The respondents of this study consist of representative of health ministry, both clinics staffs and patients. SIGNIFICANT OF STUDY This study is significant as a feedback to the policy maker. The policy maker is refer to government especially ministry of health that responsible in formulating and implementing any healthcare programs. Result of this thesis can be use as one of the feedback especially to 1Malaysia clinics and Klinik Malaysia implementation. Not only that, policy makers also can beneficial from this study by referring to the findings and it can give them some ideas related to the current service quality provided and from the analysis also it can be use as one way to improvise the healthcare practices in the future. The other beneficial gain from this study is as a contribution to the body of knowledge in this discipline. In Malaysia, there were very limited past research done related to government healthcare services especially comparative study between two government clinics. Most of the past study only focusing on on customer satisfaction and comparison between public and private clinics only. The study conducted can be as one of the reference and source to the future researchers because it rare to find any comparative study related to the two government healthcare services especially related to 1Malaysia clinics. It is because 1Malaysia clinics is still in progress and new programs that established by the prime minister under 1Malaysia concept in 2009. Besides that, this comparative study between 1Malaysia clinic and Klinik kesihatan can be as one of the information sources for the public. It because public has lack of information related to these clinics and only a few people notice about the upgrading and changes happened. Through this study, it can provide some understanding to the public about the public clinic system and the reason of upgrading of 1Malaysia clinics. Finally, they can realize the government effort in providing better healthcare to the people especially for the middle and low income group. LIMITATIONS The first limitation is difficulty in searching for past research. There lack of study done related to healthcare service in Malaysia especially in comparing between government healthcare services. It can be a challenges to the researcher in finding past research related to the 1Malaysia clinics and Klinik kesihatan because of it a new programs and no focus done related to this topics. Result from the difficulty, it hardly to find strong statement to support details in this research. The second limitation is in analysis the information. This study is a qualitative research and the information gain from interviewing respondents from ministry of health, clinics staff and patients that experienced the services. It means the information gather from the interview, it can be a limitation to the study to observe the body language of interviewee carefully and at the same time make sure all the interview details taken taken into account.Furthermore, it also a challenge for analysis the information received and make ensure the result is based on the actual interviews. In order to overcome this limitation, the researchers has use another way of recording the conversation so at the interviews conducted all the attention can be given in asking, understanding and observing the respondents. Limitation also exist in finding the right patient respondents, it because the respondents should be someone who has been received treatment from both 1Malaysia clinic and klinik kesihatan so the information given more reliable and convenient if the patients experiencing both clinics treatment. It would be time consuming for search the right respondents to be interview.

Chaucers Canterbury Tales - Importance of Order in Knights Tale Essa

The Importance of Order in Knight's Tale    Chaucer claims to place the Knight's Tale just after the General Prologue by chance, the drawing of lots. The Knight draws the short straw, and all are glad for it. The appropriateness of his lengthy tale to follow is clear on some levels, and barely perceptible on others. I intend to launch my investigation of the Knight's Tale with a scrutiny of these three statements, and perhaps we shall find an interesting conclusion in this, albeit a disputable one. The honorable Host, Harry Bailey, begins this famous day of pilgrimage by calling everyone together to draw lots, "He which that hath the shorteste shal beginne." (838) He calls the Knight to draw first, presumably as a gesture of respect, as he refers to the Knight as master and lord. Harry continues to speak for a short moment, as we have the visual image of the Knight stepping up to claim his straw. The host continues to call up two more pilgrims, but quickly decides that everyone might as well draw in a free-for-all. And surprise! The Knight finds himself holding the short cut. Is it possible that Harry managed to give the Knight the short straw intentionally? "Now draweth cut," says he, "for that is myn accord" (840). A close eye may suggest some punning going on in that line: Now draw the cut (short) straw, for it is my wish. The words "cord" and "accord" were both used in Middle English, so we may be able to find some double meaning there as well. If indeed Harry wishes to giv e the Knight the "cord," there are several interesting cases to think on: a) the cord is simply the short straw, b) the cord is the hangman's rope, or c) the cord is a unit of wood cut for fuel. The hangman's rope would make for subtle sarcasm, but... ... immediate effects on the Miller, who cares not a bit for courtesy or order but only reckless lust. Hence, the Miller follows with a tale that Palamon could have appreciated, had he not known the ways of chivalry, but only those of lechery. Works Cited and Consulted Benson, Larry D., ed. The Riverside Chaucer. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1987. Chaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. The Norton Anthologyof English Literature. Seventh Edition. Two Volumes. Ed. M. H. Abrams. NewYork: Norton, 2000. Cooper, Helen. The Structure of The Canterbury Tales. Athens: U of Georgia P, 1983. Modern Critical Views: Geoffrey Chaucer, Ed. Harold Bloom. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1985. Spearing, A.C. Chaucer: The Knight's Tale. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1995. Williams, David. The Canterbury Tales, A Literary Pilgrimage. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1987.

Maternity Leave in Australia Essay -- Papers

Maternity Leave in Australia Maternity leave allows women to take leave of absence from their job to give birth and care for their children. The International Labor Organisation sets minimum standards for maternity leave. These include a right to 12 weeks' paid maternity leave and prohibition against dismissal during maternity leave. Although a member of the ILO, Australia has never ratified its convention concerning maternity protection ---- we have no standard maternity leave provisions. Australian law entitles women to 12 months' unpaid leave and for more than 25 years the Commonwealth Employees Act has entitled Commonwealth employees to paid maternity leave. About two-thirds of women in the workforce, however, are not entitled to paid maternity leave and many working women are ineligible for unpaid leave because they are casual employees. Is it time to change maternity leave entitlements in Australia? Australia has one of the least generous maternity leave provisions of industrialised nations. Australiaand the...

Should the 22nd Admendment be Repealed Essay -- essays research papers

In the political world today there are so many different opinions about several different topics. The topics that I will address to you will be, should the 22nd Amendment be repealed and also should the foreign born be allowed to run for president. In both topics you may have your pros and cons, but I am strongly against the both of them because I feel that the Constitution should not be taken advantage of. Government should not be allowed to manipulate the Constitution to suit his or her needs. While making adjustments to the Constitution to allow different things to take place for convenience doesn’t leave any form respect of the Constitution. There should be a line drawn to keep this from happening for years to come on these issues and others as well. Some will like for the 22nd amendment to repealed to keep who they like in office, but my feeling towards this is give other the opportunity to make our world a better place. There are more than enough qualified people to mak e a difference for our country no need to stick to one person who eventually will get tired of it anyway. In addition, with the foreign born, this issue came to play all over Schwarzenegger getting backed up by Congress and other governors in California to try to make necessary changes to the Constitution (CNN News, 2004). According to the US Term Limits, the 22nd amendment states, No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of Preside...

Lady Capulet Analysis Essay

Capulet’s wife is the matriarch of the house of Capulet, and Juliet’s mother. She plays a larger role than Montague’s wife, appearing in several scenes. In Act One, Scene three, she refuses to talk to her daughter about marriage, as she feels uncomfortable about it, but in Scene four, she is pleased about Count Paris’s â€Å"interest† in her daughter. When Tybalt is killed in Act Three, she expresses extreme grief and a strong desire for revenge on Romeo. In Act Three, Scene 5, she becomes very angry with Juliet for refusing to marry Paris, and she coldly rejects her, saying â€Å"Talk not to me, for I’ll not speak a word; do as thou wilt, for I am done with thee†. By the final act, she is nearly overcome by the tragic events of the play.[6] We know that Juliet was born when her mother was 14, thus she is about 28 years old, and her husband is many years older than her. Calling her â€Å"Lady Capulet† is a modern convention; it is an echo of Juliet’s form of address in 3.5.65: â€Å"my lady mother†.[4] In the first quartos the stage direction and speech headings can be â€Å"mother†, â€Å"wife†, or even â€Å"old lady†, but nowhere â€Å"Lady Capulet†. Lady Capulet Character Analysis Like many other mothers of teens, Lady Capulet and her daughter clearly have a troubled relationship. The interactions between Lady Capulet and Juliet are strained and distant. Lady Capulet does make an effort to reach out to her daughter now that she’s of an age to be married. But it’s obvious that Juliet’s closest bond is with the Nurse; Lady Capulet never even comes close to challenging that. As a result, Lady Capulet doesn’t come across as a particularly great mom. The big question with her character is why. Why isn’t she close to her daughter? Why isn’t she supportive when Juliet needs her most? Just when Juliet needs her mom’s support, Lady Capulet coldly ignore her daughter’s pleas to help her avoid marrying Paris. After Lord Capulet storms out, Juliet turns to her mother to soften her father’s punishment. Juliet begs her even to delay the marriage. Lady Capulet responds, â€Å"Talk not to me, for I’ll not say a word / Do as thou wilt, for I have done with thee† (3.5.15). That’s pretty cold. What’s up with that? There could be a few different things going on here. It seems very likely that Lady Capulet herself had an arranged marriage with Juliet’s father, and it seems she went along with it obediently. When Juliet rebels against the planned marriage with Paris, she is rebelling against her mother’s way of life, and against the kind of marriage that Lady Capulet learned to suffer through. If Lord Capulet is an abusive husband, that gives Lady Capulet further reason to refuse to defy his wishes, even for the sake of her daughter. Also, in Shakespeare’s day, women were expected to be â€Å"obedient† to their husbands. We should also mention that some rather edgy modern interpretations of the play go so far as to say that Lady Capulet is having an affair; or at least actively pursuing one. We’re guessing these productions of the play are picking up on Lady Capulet’s over-the-top praise of Paris’s manly virtues (1.3.9) and her excessive grief over Tybalt’s death (3.5.7 The Nurse foils the character of Juliet’s mother, Lady Capulet. As her mother, Lady Capulet should know everything that there is about her daughter; she should know how old she is and her innermost feelings. However, Lady Capulet knows neither. Early on in Act 1, Lady Capulet is unsure of Juliet’s age and the Nurse has an extended speech in which she explains to Juliet’s mother how she knows how old Juliet is better than her mother does. Additionally, throughout the play, it is the Nurse that Juliet goes to for advice and assistance, not her mother. From the beginning of the play it becomes obvious that Juliet Capulet is being pushed into the idea of marriage by her mother, Lady Capulet. Lady Capulet is a minor character who first enters the play by demanding to speak to her daughter. She explains to Juliet that a handsome man named Paris would like to be her husband, and makes it clear that his wealth will bring Juliet an easy lifestyle. Her speech is unselfish, and shows that she does care for her daughter. Her round character exhibits her impatience and her inability to maintain a relationship with her daughter. This is proven when Juliet’s mother is left in the dark about her secrets, and the Nurse is confided in. The Nurse acts as a foil to Lady Capulet because of her nurturing nature. In the time period, the rich are portrayed as proper and superior, and an appropriate lady must remain obedient to her husband. So when Capulet threatens to throw Juliet into the streets it is only natural that Lady Capulet supports his decision. The play conveys Lady Capulet as rude and self-serving, but also as a caring mother. By being an opulent noblewoman in the late 1500’s she comes across as snobby which can be overlooked due to the time period. The first time you see Lady Capulet in the movie â€Å"Romeo and Juliet† you notice her eccentric behavior. Her apparel and attitude scream for attention. When she speaks with Juliet about marriage it seems that she wants her to marry wealthy Paris for her own†¦

Business Strategic Management on McDonald’s in India Essay

1.1 McDonald Corporation worldwide McDonald‟s Corporation, headquartered in Oak, Brook, US, is a fast food chain established by Maurice and Richard McDonalds. Since its establishment in 1940 when the company operates as a barbecue with customers queuing up for a limited service, the company has grown to become the world‟s largest hamburger food chain serving 68 million customers daily in over 119 countries. The company attains its international recognition following the purchase of a franchise right by Ray Kroc in 1955 who establish the presence of the company in other regions (Gilbert, 2009; Business Education, 2011). 1.2 McDonald’s India McDonalds entered India in 1996 through a joint venture with local firms such as Hardcastle Restaurants Private Limited and Connaught Plaza Restaurants Private Limited. However, contrary to the company‟s expectation, McDonalds faced some tough time been accepted by the consumers due to perhaps cultural mismatch between the locals culture and what McDonalds represent – the American culture (Habib, et al., 2011). Through its localization strategy (Times Magazines, 2011; The Start Newspaper 2011), McDonalds changed its product menu from beef burger to lamb and vegetable burger given the large vegetable consuming population, altered its store design, reduce the product price by 10-15% so as to suit the customer‟s taste and preference. This localization strategy has paid off because McDonalds has over 300 restaurants in various parts of India serving over 500,000 customers on daily basis. 2. Macro environment analysis in India After years of economic dwindling, the Indian economy is fast growing in recent years, thus impacting positively on the fast food industry. For example, Subramanian, (2013) notes that Indian economy grows at 6.4% annual rate from 2002 to 2011 with an average rate of 7.7%. This has enhanced the rise of the middle class group after years of wide gap between the rich and poor. This rising middle social class opens more investment potential for companies especially fast food companies because the more income people  earn, the more likely they would spend such on food. Also, another prevalent concept in India is the tendency to eat outside which has increased from 2-4 times a week to 4-8 times. Goyal and Singh, (2007) assert that food diversity in India is characterized by India‟s diversified culture comprising diverse states. Although Indians like to have homecooked meals – a concept supported religiously as well as individually, recent years has witnessed a slight shift i n food consumption patterns among urban Indian families toward eating outside owing to increasing awareness and influence of western culture. The rising middle class group and consumer‟s tendency to eat outside has affected the fast food industry positively in that Nayak, (2013) notes that the India fast-food industry grows at 40% rate and the market value is expected to reach 70 billion rupees ($1.1 billion) by 2016. 3. Micro business environment in India using PESTLE The political, economic, sociocultural, technological, legal and the environment factors influencing the India fast food market is discussed here. 3.1 Political factor McDonald‟s and other fast food chain are expected to obey labeling and packaging regulations and health and safety guidelines as stipulated by the Indian government and its food regulatory bodies. This is because of the growing concerns of the health effect of consuming fast food (Ali, et al. 2011). For example, the fast food consumption has been shown to increase calorie intake, weight gain which exposes consumers to the risk of facing diabetes. Given this, fast food is been criticized by health practitioners and consumers activists for high calorie content and Trans fat. 3.2 Economic factor India‟s increasing income level per month which was Rs5130 in 2011 and Rs5,729 in 2012-2013 (The Economic Times, 2013) gives McDonalds and other fast food chains a good economic prospect for profitability and better market performance. However, the low setup cost of fast food outlets and franchising create rapid expansion in that operators keep prices low so as to attract customers (Gilbert, 2009). For example, McDonalds offers  financing and training assistance for new franchisees so as to help better manage their cash flow and keep business profitable. 3.3 Social factor Consumers changing lifestyle offers both opportunities and challenges to the fast food operators. While outlets who provide healthier and more natural food menu would benefit from consumers‟ changing eating habit to organic food, operators who do not provide healthier food options would loss customers. For example, when McDonalds entered India, it did not realize the desired results because while over 70% Indians are vegetarians, the company‟s burgers were made with beef as other markets. Thus, the company localized its products and outlets so as to suit the consumer‟s tastes and preferences by offering vegetarian burger and revamping the outlets‟ design (Srikant, 2013). 3.4. Technological factor Technological advancement helps fast food companies to streamline value creation process so as to enhance efficiency (Srikant, 2013). For example, through advanced food processing technology, Help Desk Service, network and application consolidation, the operations of McDonalds in India is greatly improved. Also, just-in-time order and delivery is done over the internet and TV, social media and radio are used to advertise the products and maintain customer relationship management. 3.5 Environmental factor There is a growing concern about environmental issues associated with fast food consumption in India (Times Magazines, 2011). For example, fast food is said to be one of the largest consumers of paper products leading to millions of pounds of food packaging waste littering roadways, clogging landfills and spoiling quality of human life. 3.6 Legal factor Given the increasing environmental concerns of fast food consumption, the  operators are required by law to use environmentally friendly materials such as recyclable materials in packaging products so as to avoid wastes littering roadways and landfills (Times Magazines, 2011). Also, McDonald‟s in India and other firms are required to maintain fair advertisement programs so as not to make false advertising promises. 4. Industry analysis India‟s fast food industry is a fast growing market characterized with many players and challenges. Michael Porter‟s five forces model is used to analyze the competition level and profitability (see Figure 1). 4.1 Entry barrier India‟s fast food industry is a fast growing market due to increasing middle class population, changing lifestyle towards eating outside and low setup costs although major existing players such as McDonalds enjoys economics of scale and strong brand recognition. This increasing market potential encourages many potential firms to enter the market. Business Wire, (2011) reports that the India fast food market grows at an annual rate of 30-35% because of increasing social class grow and consumers‟ changing lifestyle. 4.2 Existing rivalry Since the entry rate of India fast food market is high, there are quite a number of current fast food firms competing for the same customers. Given this, McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) and other competitors compete over customers through price reduction, product localization to suit tastes and preferences and revamping the outlets to be more convenient and smart. While the price war attracts more customers, it tends to reduce the profitability rate of the companies since the reduced product prices would increase production costs. Rapoza, (2012) reports that McDonald‟s India cuts 6-15% products prices in order to increase its customer base. 4.3 Substitutes products Although the threat of substitute products in the fast food market is moderate, food available in foodservice, retail outlets and homemade serve as substitute products (Haberberg and Rieple, 2008). However, the convenience and family dining experience associated with eating outside on fast food outlets reduce the threat of substitute. For example, while consumers can cook at home cheaply, the lack of convenience element in homemade food increases consumers‟ chances of eating on fast food outlets. 4.4 Suppliers power The suppliers‟ bargaining power is moderate in the India fast food market. This is because with the growing competitive supply chain alliances, supplier bargaining power appear to be limited (Srikant, 2013). However, the firm to enjoy higher bargaining power depends on who has a more technology control and strategy. 4.5 Buyers power The buyer‟s bargaining power seems moderate to high in the India fast food market. For example, the industry‟s competitiveness enhances consumer‟s bargaining power and consumers are highly price-sensitive (Muhlbacker et al., 1999) with little/no switching cost among fast food chains. But, major companies like McDonald reduce buyer‟s power through providing product range that cater for the whole demographic, rather than focusing on a single segment. For instance, McDonalds targets children with its „Happy Meals‟ products offerings while professionals with breakfast options and take – away coffee. 5. Success factors McDonald‟s in India targets children, youth and the young urban family who are either vegetarians or non-vegetarians. To survive and succeed in the India market, McDonalds understand consumer‟s needs and satisfy such needs profitability. Table 1 shows consumers‟ needs and the determinants of the industry survival and success. Table 1 indicates that consumer‟s needs are changing from benefits such as tastes and quantity to a more healthy food menu deliver in a clean and conducive environment at an affordable precise. The survival spectrum of the table is the survival factors. According to the table, fast food firms can survival the intense market competition through price cutting since  consumers are price sensitive and efficiency. However, the other end of the spectrum is the determinants of the industry‟s success story. According to the table, firms can succeed if they differentiate base on product uniqueness and costs and designing products to satisfy local tastes and preference. 6. McDonalds India and value chain McDonald‟s India internal environment is characterized by purchasing raw materials from suppliers, preparing food and serving customers. Table 2 shows the value creation process of McDonalds in India. It shows the various stages and activities involved in the value creation processes. For example, McDonalds purchases raw materials from its fixed, pre-defined suppliers which are subsequently prepared and served to customers in a clean and comfortable environment. Although India‟s supply chain network was underdeveloped during the early stage when McDonalds penetrated the country, McDonald‟s has taken steps to improve the situation. The company works with local suppliers and farmers to source all its requirements. This indicates that McDonalds has over the years streamlined its business through its strategic and threshold resources to become a key player in the India market. 7. Business-level strategy In the company‟s level strategy, the issues considered are resources and capabilities, positioning approach, differentiation and costs strategies. 7.1 Resources and capabilities While McDonald‟s resources are the useful assets which help the company create a cost or differentiation advantage which rivals cannot acquire easily, capabilities entail McDonald‟s ability to use its resources effectively and efficiently (Gilbert, 2009; Business Education, 2011). Examples of McDonald‟s resources include: corporate brand identity such as brand image, brand reputation and brand equity. Other resources include strong technical know-how, installed customer base and patents and trademarks. An example of McDonald‟s capability is its skill in bringing a product to the Indian market faster than rivals who help the firm enjoys first-mover benefit. McDonald‟s resources and capabilities form distinctive competencies which facilitates innovation, efficiency, quality and customer responsiveness. A resource-based view is used to explain McDonald‟s resources and capabilities (see Figure 2). According to the resource-based view theory, McDonald‟s uses its resources and capabilities to produce a competitive advantage which subsequently yields an excellent value creation. The model indicates that McDonald‟s must develop a competitive advantage through resources and capabilities which are superior to competing products. 7.2 Positioning approach McDonald‟s India positions the brand through utilizing its resources and capabilities which ultimately develops into costs and differentiation strategies. This is aimed at delivering product benefits exceeding competing brands at lower costs. This indicates that McDonald‟s India positions itself in the fast food industry through its low-cost and differentiation strategies. 7.3 Differentiation and costs strategies While differentiation strategy entails delivering superior product benefits that exceed competing products, costs strategy entails delivering product that benefits at lower costs. This is directed at achieving a competitive advantage that would help McDonald‟s deliver superior value for customers and superior return for the firm. 8. McDonald’s India analysis The company‟s strengths and weaknesses as well as opportunities and threats are discussed here. Table 3 balances the internal and external environment of McDonald‟s in India Table 3: McDonald‟s in India‟s SWOT analysis STRENGTHS While there seems to be a fair balance of the strengths and weaknesses, the former outweighs the latter. This indicates that the firm stands a chance of utilizing its market position to become a strong force to recognize if it will convert its weaknesses into strengths. For example, McDonald‟s could invest in public relations to change the negative perception consumers have towards fast food so as to increase consumers brand association and preference. On the external environment, while the growing middle class population indicates more disposable income on fast food, the intense competition may not allow McDonald‟s to capture on the trend but through aggressive campaign. 9. Corporate-level strategy McDonalds India‟s mission is to become consumer‟s most favorite place to eat. The mission is designed to be achieved through its global strategy of „plan to win‟ approach by offering superior consumer experience. The company is guided by its operational strategic goals of lower costs, quality products delivered at quick speed in a flexible environment (Business Wire, 2011; Rapoza, 2012). For example, it serves as the costs leader in the fast food market through its economies of scale and cost control mechanisms. On the quality, it provides tasty and healthy options without compromising the standard. McDonalds entered India through a joint venture with Hardcastle Restaurants Pvt. Ltd and Connaught Plaza Restaurants Private Limited who spearhead the promotion of McDonald’s operations in West, South and North regions (Srikant, 2013). The relationship between foreign partner and the locals is a mutual one in that human capability, marketing expertise and operational know-how are shared among the associating firms so as to achieve a mutual benefit. For example, while McDonalds uses its strong global market expertise and presence in promoting the brand in India, the two partners use their knowledge on the local complete latter efforts. McDonalds involves both in forward and background so as to have a better control over the supply chain and logistic function of the fast. For example, McDonalds India 12 diversifies into related products on the area of healthier product offering, franchising, upstream and local product sourcing. This indicates that the firm expands tap into growth potentials in the market by introducing more products-line and increase market share. This fulfills consumers‟ unmet needs because it becomes more attractive and better competitor. Diversification gives the firm more control over market by capturing profitable opportunities and gaining access to crucial resources. However, diversification has the risk of not selling the new products or generating enough revenue to cover the investment costs. 10. McDonald’s India structure and control pattern McDonald‟s India adopts decentralized management structure in its task allocation, coordination and supervision towards goal achievement. This indicates that each of McDonald‟s outlets in India has a restaurant manager who allocates, coordinates and supervises the operations so as to ensure that the sales quotas and performance is achieved (Business Education, 2011). However, middle-line managers and training managers assist the restaurant manager to achieve the organizational goals. While the manager and assistant managers oversea the daily running of the outlet, the delivery crew members perform basic operations such as procuring materials and preparing and packaging food menu and ensuring customers satisfaction. While the decentralized structure helps each restaurant to implement policies and strategies according to their peculiar needs and tastes, it could cause inconsistent service quality and standards among the restaurants in different regions. 11. Recommendation McDonalds in India should take note of the needs and expectations of the local consumers. Thus, the following points must be considered in order to attract and increase the customer base in India. McDonald‟s India should offer superior value through unique product benefits at affordable price and ensure consistent service quality. The company should offer food menus comprising many options so as to suit consumers‟ varying tastes and preference McDonalds India should offer healthier menu options and enhance its brand image through investing in public relations The company should provide convenient and quick services to meet consumers changing lifestyles 12. Conclusion McDonalds penetrated the India market in the 1996 due to growing middle class population, changing lifestyles, and the tendency for dual partners to hold full time job. However, the company did perform well at the initial years due to cultural mismatch between McDonalds who represents the American culture and the locals who epitomizes the India culture. To achieve greater results, McDonalds revamped its store outlets, reduced price by 6-15% and product location. If the company wishes to maintain its market position in the emerging market, it must streamline its product benefits to include health concerns of the consumers. References Ali, I. et al. (2011). â€Å"An exploratory study on the web-based customer relationship management in the fast-food industry in Malaysia†. 2011 2nd International Conference on  Economics,  Business  and  Management  [online]  Vol.  22(14).  Available:  Fast foodwww.ipedr.com [Accessed: 13 October, 2013] Business Education, (2011) McDonald’s Company Facts Home Page [online]. Available: http://www.bized.co.uk. [Accessed: 13 October, 2013] Business Wire, (2011) Research and Markets: The fast food market in India: Indian fast food market is growing at the rate of 30-35% Per Annum, 04 August [online]. Available: http://www.businesswire.com [Accessed: 7 October, 2013] Gilbert, S. (2009) The Story of McDonald 1st ed. Minnesota: Creative Education Grant, R.M. and Jordan, J. (2012) Foundations of strategy, 1st edn. West Sussex: John Wiley & Sons Ltd Goyal, A. and Singh, N.P. (2007) â€Å"Consumer perception about fast food in India: an exploratory study†, British Food Journal [online], Vol. 109(2), pp. 182-195. Available: www.emeraldinsight.com [Accessed: 22 October 2013] Haberberg, A. and Rieple, A. (2008) Strategic Management: Theory and Application, Oxford University Press Habib, F.Q. et al., (2011) â€Å"Consumers‟ preference and consumption towards fast food: evidences from Malaysia†. Business Management Quarterly Review [online], Vol.2 (1), pp. 2180-2777. Available: www. eprints.uitm.edu.my [Accessed: 13 September, 2013] Porter, M.E. (2008) Competitive strategy: techniques for analyzing industries and competitors US: Simon and Schuster 15 Rapoza, K. (2012) Some McDonald‟s struggling in India†, Forbes Magazine, 22 July [online]. Available: www.forbes.com [Accessed: 13 October, 2013] Srikant, P. (2013) McDonald‟s goes vegetarian in India†, Amity Research Centers [online]. Available: www.ecch.com [Accessed: 13 October, 2013] Subramanian, A. (2013) â€Å"Why India‟s economy is stumbling†, The New York Times, August 30 [online]. Available: http://www.nytimes.com [Accessed: 20 October, 2013] The Start Newspaper (2011) McDonald’s: â€Å"Think Global, Act Local the Marketing Mix [Online] Available from: http://biz.thestar.com.my [Accessed: 13 October, 2013] Times Magazines, (2011) McDonald’s: â€Å"Think Global, Act Local, and the Marketing Mix [Online] Available: http://www.time.com/time [Retrieved: 13 October, 2013] The Economic Times, (2013) India’s per capita income rises to Rs 5,729 per month, 7 February, [online]. Available: http://www.articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com [Accessed: 13 October, 2013] 16

Actus Reus – Paper

ACTUS REUS: OMISSION & CAUSATION The general basis for imposing liability in  criminal law  is that the defendant must be proved to have committed a guilty act whilst having had a guilty state of mind. The physical elements are collectively called the actus reus and the accompanied mental state is called the mens rea. It is the fundamental duty of the prosecution to prove both of these elements of the offence to the satisfaction of the judge or jury beyond reasonable doubt. In the absence of such proof the defendant will be acquitted.ACTUS REUS An actus reus consists of more than just an act. It also consists of whatever circumstances and consequences are recognised for liability for the offence in question – in other words all the elements of an offence other than the mental element. The term actus reus has been given a much wider meaning by Glanville Williams in his criminal law. He says : When he use the technical tern actus reus we include all the external circumstance s and consequences specified in the rule of law as constituting the forbidden situation.Reus must be taken as indicating the situation specified in the actus reus as on that, given any necessary mental element, is forbidden by law. In other words, acus reus means the whole definition of the crime with the exception of the mental element – and it even includes a mental element in so far as that is contained in the definition of an act. Actus reus includes negative as well as positive elements. For example, as stared earlier, the actus reus of murder is the causing of death of a person.It also includes circumstances, such as the person whose death has been caused was not as a consequence of a sentence or death given to him or that the death was caused within the territorial jurisdiction of the state. OMISSIONS IN CRIMES Omissions are controversial for two main reasons_ first, whether and to what extent it is justifiable omissions rather than acts; and secondly, whether liabilit y for omissions rather than act requirement in criminal law. Pursuing the second point here, much has been made above of the importance f requiring proof that the defendant voluntarily did something to produce prohibited conduct or consequence. In so far as this can be termed an ‘act requirement’, are omissions a true exception to it? If they are, is this another argument against criminalizing them? One much-discussed preliminary question is the distinction between acts and omissions. Sometimes it is argued that certain verbs imply action and therefore exclude liability for omissions, and that the criminal law should respect. The distinctions flowing from this. English courts have often used this linguistic or interpretive approach.It has led to a variety of decisions in different statutes, without much discussion of the general principles underlying omissions liability. The law commissions considerably draft criminal code may be said to signal the continuation of this approach, by redefining the homicide offences in terms of ‘causing death’ rather than ‘killing’, and refining the damage offences in terms of ‘causing damage’, rather than ‘damaging’, so as ‘to leave fully open the courts the possibility of so constructing the relevant (statutory) provisions as to impose liability for omissions’.The draft cod would therefore remove any linguistic awkwardness in saying, for example, that a parent killed a child by failing to feed it; but it does so in this specific instance, and without proclaiming a general principle, that the act requirement may be fulfilled by an omission of a duty can be established. Attachment to the vagaries of the language is no proper basis for delineating the boundaries of criminal liability.In some situations the courts, following the linguistic approach, have nevertheless found themselves able to impose omissions liability. In Speck (1977)3 the defendant was charged with committing an act of gross indecency with or towards a child. The evidence was that an 8 yr old girl placed her hand on his trousers over his penis. he allowed that hand to remain there for some minutes, causing him to have an erection.The court of appeal held that the defendants failure to remove the hand amounted to an invitation to the child with the act, or it created a duty in an adult to put an end to the innocent touching of this kind, with omissions liability for not fulfilling the duty. The analysis is similar to that in miller (1983) where D fell asleep whilst smoking, woke up to find the mattress smouldering, but simply left the room and went to sleep elsewhere. He was convicted of causing criminal damage by fire, on the basis that a person who initiates a sequence of events nnocently and then fails to do anything to stop the sequence should be regarded as having caused the whole sequence. On this view the conduct constitutes a single, continuing act; Miller caused the damage because he took no steps to extinguish the fire he had innocently started. It must be doubted whether these efforts to find an act which then coincides in point in point of time with defendants knowledge and intentions are convincing. surely the courts are imposing liability for an omission on these cases, by recognizing that a duty arises.Speck is a little different from miller since the original act of the speck was of the girl, and the duty must therefore amount the recognition of an obligation on an adult to put an end to the indecent yet innocent touching by a child. In so far as these decisions appear to extend the statutory wording, are they objectionable on grounds of retroactivity and lack of fair warning, or defensible as applications of existing common law doctrine to new situations?In other situations it seems possible to offer plausible reasons for regarding the same event as either an act or an omission, and in some cases the courts have sought to exp loit this ambiguity when dealing with problematic medical issues. Yet it is one thing to say that a healthcare professional who decides not to replace an empty bag for a drip-feed has made an omission, whereas switching a ventilator off is an act; is another thing to maintain that the act-omission distinction should be crucial to any determination of the criminal liability in the two situations.In Airedale NHS trust v bland (1993)the house of lords held that it would be lawful for a doctor to withdraw treatment from a patient in a persistent vegetative state, even though death would inevitable be hastened by that conduct. The house held that the withdrawal of treatment would constitute and omission, and thus regarded the duties of the doctor as the central issue. The decision was that the doctor a doctor has no duty to continue life supplying treatment when it is no longer in the best interest of the patient, having regard to responsible medical opinion.However the court of appeal d eclined to adopt this subterfuge in Re A(conjoined twins: Surgical separation), holding that the surgical separation of the twins would undoubtedly an act, and subsequently deciding that carrying out an operation which would result in the death of one twin in order to save the life of other could be justifies on the grounds of necessity. This demonstration of the fragility of the act-omission distinction of the vagaries fthe English language indicates that it may be simplistic to oppose omissions liability in the principle.There are some clear cases of omission in which it is desirable to have criminal liability, such as the parent who neglects to feed her or his child or neglects to protect it from abuse. Omissions can be involuntary or not, in the same way as acts; and provided, that the harm resulted because D failed to intervene, it can be argued that omissions are also causes. Omissions liability ay therefore satisfy the principles that no one should be held liable for bodily m ovements that he or she did not or could not direct.It may also satisfy the principle that no person should be held liable for the conduct or consequences that he or she did not cause. But one point of the act requirement is to exclude liability for mere thoughts that do not result in some bodily movement, and omissions fall foul to that. They do so for a good reason – that certain positive duties to act are so important that they can rightly be made the subject of criminal liability. Of course, such a duty should also be defined with sufficient certainty and made known to those affected by it.So long as these formal requirements are fulfilled there can be no fairness objection to holding a person liable, provided that he or she is capable of taking some steps to carry out the duty. CAUSATION IN CRIMES An event is very often the result of a number of factors. A factor is said to have caused a particular event if, without that factor or, the event would not have happened. Thus , a man is said to have caused the actus reus of a crime, if, that actus would not have occurred without his participation in what was done. Some casual relationships has to be established between his conduct and the prohibited result.A man is usually held criminally liable only for the consequences of his conduct as he foresaw, (or is crimes of negligence, he ought to have foreseen). The act must be the causa causans, ie, the immediate or proximate cause of the effect. When the facts are direct and simple, then establishing the causal nexus between the act and the effect may not be difficult, as for instance in a case of person shooting another person and thereby killing him. The causation can also be without any direct physical act. if the victim asks his way on a dark night nd the accused with the intention of causing his death, directs him to a path that he knows will bring him to a cliff edge , and the victing suffers a fatal fall, this is clearly murder, though the accused has done nothing more than utter words. This can be true in cases of abetment, incitement and conspiracy. In the instances stated above, it is not difficult to establish the direct result between the cause and the effect. The difficulty arises only in cases of multiple causation, where it is difficult to establish the imputability. Example: A, intending to kill B but only wounds him very slightly.A clearly has the requisite mens rea for murder, that is, he foresees and desires B’s death. Not let us assume that on his being ta ken to the hospital in an ambulance, a piece of masonry from a building falls on the ambulance and kills B; or, alternatively, that B has a rare blood disease which prevents his blood from coagulation so that the slight wound leads to his death, which it would not have done if he had not been suffering from this disease; or, alternatively, that B refuses to have the wound treated and dies of blood poisoning, which would not have occurred if B had had the wo unded treated.In all these cases, a problem of causation arises, i. e. , did A cause B’s death for the purposes of the criminal law so that he can be convicted of murder? If the result is too remote and accidental in its occurrence, then there is no criminal liability. CAUSATION AND NEGLIGENCE The difficulty of causation arises very often n cases of negligence. It has t be established that first, the conduct of the person was negligent and secondly, that but for the negligent act of accused, the accident would not have occurred. In other words, the actus reus should be causally connected to the act, which should be proved to be a negligent.In order to impose criminal liability under S 304A, IPC, it is essential to establish that death is the direct result of the rash or (and) negligent act of the accused. It must be causa causans – the immediate cause and not enough that it may be quasa sine qua non, ie, proximate cause. There can be no conviction when rashness or negl igence of third party intervenes. In Suleman rahiman mulani v state of Maharashtra the Supreme Court has approved his rule. In Suleman rahiman mulani the accused who was driving the jeep struck the deceased, as a result of which he sustained serious injuries. The ccused put the injured person in the jeep for medical treatment, but he died. Thereafter, the accused cremated the body. The accused was charged under s304A and 201 of the IPC. As per s 304A, there must be direct nexus between the death of a person and rash and negligent act of the accused that caused the death of the deceased. It was the case of the prosecution of the accused had possessed only a learner’s license and hence was guilty of causing the death of the deceased. The court held that there was no presumption in law that a person who possesses only a learner’s license or possesses no license at all, does not know driving.A person could for various reasons, including sheer indifference, might not have b een taken a regular license . there was evidence to show that the accused had driven the jeep to various places on the previous day of occurrence. So before the accused convicted under s304A, there must a proof that the accused drove in a rash and negligent manner and death was a direct consequence of such rash and negligent manner. In the absence of such evidence no offence under s 304A was made out. The accused was acquitted of the charges. MINIMAL CAUSATIONWhen death of a person is caused after medical treatment, it cannot be said that the treatment was not proper or inadequate, or had better treatment been given, the death would not have taken place. This is because, the intervention of the doctor is in the nature of minimum causation and hence its intervention would have played only a minor part, if any, in causing death. As far as the IPC is concerned, explanation 2 of s 299 specifically states that if an act causes death, even death could have been avoided by proper remedies and skilful treatment, the act shall be deemed to have caused death and the person will be criminally liable.If death results from an injury voluntarily caused, the person who causes the injury, therefore, is deemed to have caused the death, although the life of victim might have been saved if proper medical treatment, provided that it was administered in good faith by a competent physician or surgeon. In Moti singh v state of uttar Pradesh the deceased gayacharan had received two gunshot wounds in the abdomen which were dangerous to life. The injury was received on February 1960. There was no evidence when he was discharged from the hospital and whether he had fully recovered or not.He, however, died on march 1 1960. His body was cremated without post mortem being done. The supreme court held that the two gunshot injuries were dangerous to life were not sufficient for holding that gyancharans death, which took place about three weeks after the incident, was on account of the injuri es received by him. The court observed that in order to prove the charges on gyancharans murder, it was necessary to establish that he had died on account of injuries received on him.Since, the was no evidence to establish the cause of death, the accused could not be said to have caused the death of gyancharan. A crucial aspect highlighted by the court in the case was that the connection between the primary cause and the death should not be too remote. CONCLUSION Causation is a complex topic, with which we have been able to deal only brief here. Proof of causation is often said to be an essential precondition of criminal liability, but there is reason to doubt the generality of that requirement, notably in respect of accomplice liability and vicarious criminal liability.Rather than insisting on a universal requirement of causation, it may be preferable to argue that liability should be negatived, in general, by the voluntary intervening act of another. Several criticisms of the judi cial approach to three exceptional categories of case hace been advanced above. Often the explanations given by the courts are unconvincing. Whilst the traditional or standard causal theory emphasizes the significance of the last voluntary act, there is no reluctance to took wider or to massage the term ‘voluntary’ in certain situations, especially where D clearly stated that the sequence of events by doing a wrongful act.The challenge is to re-examine the intuitions that lead judges and others to their conclusions (the wrongful act theory, the approach to medical mistakes etc. ) with a view to constructing a law that ensures that the courts respect the various principles . BIBLIOGRAPHY 1. P. S. A. Pillai – Criminal law 2. Glanville Williams book on criminal law 3. www. lawteacher. com ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Page 427, principles of criminal law, Glanville will iams [ 2 ]. Duff, criminal attempts, 317-20 Glanville Williams [ 3 ]. 65 CR App R 161. [ 4 ]. (1983) 2 AC 161 [ 5 ]. Criticisms by jc smith (1982) Crim LR 527 and 724, and D.Husak, philosophy of criminal law(1987), 176-8 [ 6 ]. See I. M Kennedy, Treat me right (1988) 169-74 [ 7 ]. (1993) AC 789 [ 8 ]. 4 ALL ER 961 [ 9 ]. Emery (1993) 14 Cr App R (s) 394, aand the new duty by the domestic violence, crime and victims act 2004. [ 10 ]. Glanville Williams, ‘criminal law- causation’) [ 11 ]. Rustom sherior Irani v state of Maharashtra(1969) ACC Cj 79 (SC) [ 12 ]. Md rangawalla v state of mahaarashtra AIR 1965 [ 13 ]. However a driver is expected to anticipate reasonably foreseeable negligent act to road users as contributory negligence has no application in criminal law. [ 14 ]. Re san pai (1936) 14 rang 643

Beowulf and The Modern Day Hero Essay

A hero does something for the greater good of world. A hero is brave and weather in any state of affairs. Beowulf and Irena Sendler a societal worker who smuggled over 2. 500 Judaic out of injuries manner put their lives on the line to protect their world. While each warriors have their differences both believe in bravery and triumphing over evil. In his concluding conflict Beowulf goes up against a firedrake that take a whole ground forces to get the better of. Caught up in his brave high Beowulf does non recognize the effort that lies in front of him. Beowulf describes. â€Å"scant respect for the firedrake as a menace. no apprehension at all of its bravery or strength. for he kept traveling frequently in the past† ( 2348-2351 ) . Beowulf is caught up in his past glorifications blinding him from the realization of how unsafe the firedrake is. Bing brave agencies one knows their bounds. Irena Sendler knew that she could non move entirely in delivering over 2. 500 guiltless ki ds. Ambulance drivers would transport kids under the floor boards while constabulary officers would be bribed to let traffic through an belowground corridor. Unlike Beowulf Irena knew that she needed aid to mouse past the elephantine Nazi government to deliver 1000s of Judaic kids. is non caught up in being labeled as a hero for put on the lining her life to salvage over 2. 500 guiltless kids. Beowulf provinces. â€Å"I have wrestled the hilt from the enemies’ manus. avenged the evil done to the Danes ; it is what was due† ( 1668-1670 ) Beowulf battles for justness and to revenge those who have done incorrect. By contending for your beliefs Beowulf shows that you can non terrorise without reverberations. In 1943 the Nazi party commenced a settlement of the Warsaw ghetto. Irena believes. â€Å"Every kid saved with my aid and the aid of all the fantastic secret couriers. who today are no longer populating. is the justification of my being on this Earth. and non a rubric to glorification. † Irena did non desire the rubric of glorification she merely fought for her beliefs in a non-violent mode. Unlike Beowulf she did non necessitate to travel out and revenge the Nazis for their despicable Acts of the Apostless towards humanity. A hero is brave and will set their lives on the line to protect world. Beowulf and a Irena are brave no affair how dashing each of their undertakings were. A hero stands up for the greater good of people when he witnesses mankind being threatened. While a hero comes in all different ways both possess the same qualities. MLA Format HEVESI. DENNIS. â€Å"Irena Sendler. Lifeline to Young Jews. Is Dead at 98. † Nytimes. com. Nytimes. com. 13 May 2008. Web.

Republic Day (India) Essay

Parades, distribution of sweets in schools and cultural dances In India, Republic Day honors the date on which the Constitution of India came into force replacing the Government of India Act 1935 as the governing document of India on 26 January 1950.[1] The date of 26 January was chosen to honour the declaration of independence of 1930. It is one of the three national holidays in India. While the main parade takes place in the national capital, New Delhi, at the Rajpath before the President of India (currently Pranab Mukherjee, the anniversary is also celebrated with varying degrees of formality in state capitals and other centres. India achieved independence from British rule on 15 August 1947 following the Indian independence movement noted for largely peaceful nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience led[citation needed] by the Indian National Congress. The independence came through the Indian Independence Act 1947 (10 & 11 Geo 6 c. 30), an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom that partitioned British India into the two new independent Dominions of the British Commonwealth (later Commonwealth of Nations): India and Pakistan. [2] India obtained its independence on 15 August 1947 as a constitutional monarchy with George VI as head of state and the Earl Mountbatten as governor-general. The country, though, did not yet have a permanent constitution; instead its laws were based on the modified colonial Government of India Act 1935. On 28 August 1947, the Drafting Committee was appointed to draft a permanent constitution, with Dr.B. R. Ambedkar as chairman. While India’s Independence Day celebrates its freedom from British Rule, the Republic Day celebrates the coming into force of its constitution. A draft constitution was prepared by the committee and submitted to the Assembly on 4 November 1947. The Assembly met, in sessions open to public, for 166 days, spread over a period  of 2 years, 11 months and 18 days before adopting the Constitution. After many deliberations and some modifications, the 308 members of the Assembly signed two hand-written copies of the document (one each in Hindi and English) on 24 January 1950. Two days later, it came into effect throughout the nation. Celebrations See also: Delhi Republic Day parade The main celebration is held in the capital New Delhi. Celebrations are also held in state capitals, where the Governor of the state unfurls the national flag. If the Governor of the state is unwell, or is unavailable for some reason, the Chief Minister of the state assumes the honour of unfurling the National Flag of India. On this day 26 January Indian flag is hoist by the Presidents of India and after that national anthem is sung by the all groups in the standing postion. India Will Celebrate Its Republic Day With Pride And A Faint Hope For The Mighty Lokpal Dr. Bikkar Singh Lalli On January 26, The Republic of India, world’s largest liberal democracy, rich in ethnic diversity, with over 1.3 billion people speaking hundreds of languages, will be celebrating its secular birth. Perhaps there is no better day than Jan. 26 to reflect on the opening words of the Indian Constitution, the document that enshrines the foundation of the world’s largest democracy begins with ‘We the People of India†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Hopefully, on that day of joyous celebrations, caste, creed or religion for people of India, will not matter at all. It was January 26 of 1950 when the constitution of India came into force and India attained a sovereign status. The Preamble of the constitution seeks to establish what Mahatma Gandhi described as â€Å"The India of my dream: – —.woman will enjoy the same rights as man†. India will celebrate its 63rd Republic Day on Jan.26. Its supercharged economy has been the envy of the world. The dreams of Mahatma pay fi tting tribute to the people of a nation who, from all corners of the planet, are fuelling the spectacular growth of their homeland. During 2010-2011 alone India received $58 billion from Indian Diaspora. â€Å"The people of India, whether they live in India or elsewhere, are the engine of India.† For 2012 however, the economic forecast appears to be a bit gloomy mostly due to the turmoil in the global economy, especially in the Euro-zone Problems in the global economy and the  government’s inability to control corruption at home, will affect the government’s revenue-raising capacity in 2012. In fact, the Central excise collection fell by 6.5 per cent in November. That shortfall will affect the investment on infrastructure: like proper roads, power supply and railways that gives better opportunities to the poor to earn more. Thousands of villages remain with little or no power supply. Significantly, core sector industries (power, steel, coal, petroleum refining, electricity, cement, natural gas and oil) grew extremely slowly at 0.1 per cent in October 2011. The slowdown in the EU is also affecting Indian exports which grew only by 4.2 per cent in November 2011. Inflation, which is close to double digit again, will hit the poor hard unless food prices are brought down drastically. This economic melt-down will affect the poor most. Over 800 million Indians are living below the poverty line, and this year about 22 million more will be added to that number with the 2.8 per cent growth in population. For people in dire straight, republic day or for that matter any historical event has no real significance. Anna Hazare’s campaign against corruption is laudable. But, is it possible to cleanse the polluted polity and change the greedy mindset with the passage of a Lokpal Bill? You cannot legislate social change. The democracy, the super-watchdog which should deliver all-round accountability, has become extremely weak and wasteful in India. Election to five States has been announced. To curb irregularities, to fight corruption, the commission has announced steps to reduce the role of black money in elections The politicians accepting funds, for fighting an election, know that a quid pro quo (pay-back) is involved. There are also wealthy fighting elections using their own unaccounted funds. They pay off the party leadership to get nominations. For the elimination of corruption and other maladies afflicting Indian polity, what matters most is the moral and social climate of a country. If this climate is healthy, dry and dirty bushes would not come about. â€Å"The soil would support greener pastures which would throw up upright and earnest people who in turn would choose upright and earnest leaders. One would reinforce the virtues of the other. And the nation would move from clean to cleaner public life, from strength and stability to greater strength and stability.† Every party in power has played havoc with watchdog institutions so as to control them for its narrow ends. Democracy ought to have ensured accountability of institutions. Votes  should have weeded out corrupt but the opposite has been happening – the honest rarely win elections. There is a need for political movements that can change the national consciousness; a task being addressed by movement against corruption and for a Lokepal Unfortunately, no one in our national leadership is applying his or her mind to bring about this change. As log as an elected official is not answerable to the electorate in his/her constituency, corruption cannot be eradicated. In his address to the nation the Dr. Manmohan Singh, a man of impeccable integrity and vision, will give a very hopeful message to the nation, regarding the health of the nation’s economy. He has already announced his decision to allow qualified foreign investors (QFIs) to directly invest in the Indian equity marke t. In his address at the 99th Annual Session of the Indian Science Congress in Bhubaneswar (Orissa) on Jan.3, he said that: â€Å"As we head into the Twelfth Plan, there are some objectives we must try to achieve in the Science and Technology sector. First, we must ensure a major increase in investment in R&D, including by industry and strategic sectors. Second, we must ensure the creation of a new innovation ecosystem. Third, we must achieve greater alignment of the Science and Technology sector with the inclusive development needs of our nation. Fourth, we must expand basic science infrastructure. Fifth, we must encourage greater research collaboration among universities and national laboratories.† In order to compete with China, India has to do much more that what PM is aiming at. India has been seriously lagging behind in education. By 2012, it aims to educate as many as seven crore learners out of which six crore will be women. With more than 400 universities and over 20,000 colleges, the student enrolment in India has crossed 12.9 million in 2007 – 2008. Millions of children go to school every day. But for 10 million street children there, 50,000 in the streets of Delhi alone, there is no schooling and no home. They are either rag pickers or engaged in other hazardous jobs, and for them the word ‘secular democracy’ is â€Å"hopelessly meaningless† and redundant. It is estimated that there are 80-100 million children out of schools and are trapped in endless cycle of exploitation. Moreover, India has the dubious distinction of having the largest number of child workers in the world. They need protection, loving homes and good education. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, on Jan.10, described child malnutrition as â€Å"national shame† and said health, education  and sanitation sectors must collaborate to shape national response to the problem. â€Å"These sectors can no longer work in isolation. Health professionals cannot solely concentrate on curative care. Drinking water providers cannot be oblivious to the externality of their actions. School teachers need to be aware of the nutritional needs of adolescent girls,† he said after releasing a new research by Hyderabad-based Naandi Foundation on the status child malnutrition in India. According to that research 59 per cent kids are stunted and 42 percent are underweight. Solving malnutrition is in India’s self-interest with a huge economic return on investment. It is estimated that malnutrition costs the economy $29 billion per year in India. – as of reduced productivity and earning and increased health costs. Today, more than one third of the world’s undernourished children reside in India. A country where 79 per cent of the milk samples tested (Jan. 10, 2012, Delhi fared worst), were found to be either contaminated or diluted, cannot expect their toddlers to be in excellent health. Even with the most modern technology and access to medical facilities in most parts of the country, over four lakh newborn babies still die within 24 hours of their life in India, and 2 million children die before they turn the age of five. Most of these children die because of diarrhea, pneumonia, measles and post-natal; complications. According to India’s third National Family Health Survey of 2005-06, 70 per cent of children between six months and 59 months are anemic. Every day 1379 unborn babies are being killed. This is happening in a land where 33 crore gods and goddesses are being worshipped. As a fast emerging world power under the stewardship of a pragmatic academic and realistic visionary, India has started playing a very constructive role on the world stage. However, it has to tackle some very serious problems like extreme poverty, child labour, chronic corruption, infanticide, dowry murders, unacceptable inequality and fast growing population. These problems cannot be tackled without a collective resolve by Indian leadership. Let us congratulate the people of India on that momentous day. Let us all recall the quote from Tagore: â€Å"Where the mind is without fear and the head held high. Where knowledge is free and the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls†¦. let my country awake†.