Rbi and Its Roles

1. RBI and its Roles Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is the central bank of India. It monitors, formulates and implements India’s monetary policy. Established in the year 1935, RBI was nationalized in the year 1949. Owned fully by the Government of India, Reserve Bank has 22 regional offices in various state capitals of India with its headquarters located in Mumbai. It has a majority stake in the State Bank of India. Role of RBI RBI formulates the monetary policy, thus regulating and supervising the economy of India. RBI is the supreme banking authority in India.It sets the guidelines according to which the banking operations and financial systems within the country functions. i. Issuer of currency RBI is the sole authority for the issue of currency in India. Major currency is in the form of RBI notes, such as notes in the denominations of two, five, ten, twenty, fifty, one hundred, five hundred, and one thousand. RBI has two departments – the Is sue department and Banking department. The issue department is dedicated to issuing currency. All the currency issued is the monetary liability of RBI that is backed by assets of equal value held by this department.Assets consist of gold, coin, bullion, foreign securities, rupee coins, and the government’s rupee securities. The department acquires these assets whenever required by issuing currency. The conditions governing the composition of these assets determine the nature of the currency standard that prevails in India. The Banking department of RBI looks after the banking operations. It takes care of the currency in circulation and its withdrawal from circulation. Issuing new currency is known as expansion of currency and withdrawal of currency is known as contraction of currency. ii. Banker to the governmentRBI acts as banker, both to the central government and state governments. It manages all the banking transactions of the government involving the receipt and payment of money. In addition, RBI remits exchange and performs other banking operations. RBI provides short-term credit to the central government. Such credit helps the government to meet any shortfalls in its receipts over its disbursements. RBI also provides short term credit to state governments as advances. RBI also manages all new issues of government loans, servicing the government debt outstanding, and nurturing the market for government's securities.RBI advises the government on banking and financial subjects, international finance, financing of five-year plans, mobilizing resources, and banking legislation. iii. Managing government securities Various financial institutions such as commercial banks are required by law to invest specified minimum proportions of their total assets/liabilities in government securities. RBI administers these investments of institutions. The other responsibilities of RBI regarding these securities are to ensure – * Smooth functioning of the marke t * Readily available to potential buyers * Easily available in large numbers Undisturbed maturity-structure of interest rates because of excess or deficit supply * Not subject to quick and huge fluctuations * Reasonable liquidity of investments * Good reception of the new issues of government loans iv. Banker to other Banks The role of RBI as a banker to other banks is as follows: * Holds some of the cash reserves of banks * Lends funds for short period * Provides centralized clearing and quick remittance facilities RBI has the authority to statutorily ensure that the scheduled commercial banks deposit a stipulated ratio of their total net liabilities. This ratio is known as cash reserve ratio [CRR].However, banks can use these deposits to meet their temporary requirements for interbank clearing as the maintenance of CRR is calculated based on the average balance over a period. v. Controller of money supply and credit RBI has to regulate the claims of competing banks on money suppl y and credit. RBI also needs to meet the credit requirements of the rest of the banking system. RBI needs to ensure promotion of maximum output, and maintain price stability and a high rate of economic growth. To perform these functions effectively, RBI uses several control instruments such as – * Open Market Operations Changes in statutory reserve requirements for banks * Lending policies towards banks * Control over interest rate structure * Statutory liquidity ration of banks vi. Exchange manager and controller RBI manages exchange control, and represents India as a member of the international Monetary Fund [IMF]. According to foreign exchange regulations, all foreign exchange receipts, whether on account of export earnings, investment earnings, or capital receipts, whether of private or government accounts, must be sold to RBI either directly or through authorized dealers. Most commercial banks are authorized dealers of RBI. ii. Publisher of monetary data and other data R BI maintains and provides all essential banking and other economic data, formulating and critically evaluating the economic policies in India. In order to perform this function, RBI collects, collates and publishes data regularly. Users can avail this data in the weekly statements, the RBI monthly bulletin, annual report on currency and finance, and other periodic publications. 2. Asset and Wealth Management: mutual fund, different types of mutual fund and various products and services offered by mutual fund companies Mutual FundA mutual fund is a professionally managed Medium or vehicle that pools money from many investors and invests it in stocks, bonds, short-term money market instruments and other securities. Mutual fund is managed by professional managers who have deep knowledge and understanding of Stock Market, Bonds, money market. The combined holdings the mutual fund owns are known as its portfolio. Types of mutual fund Mutual Funds are of various types depending upon the f ollowing: 1) On the basis of structure This includes open-ended funds and close ended funds I.Open-ended funds Liquidity is the key feature involved which means these funds are like Open Box where investors can enter into or exit from an open-ended scheme anytime at NAV (Net Asset Value) related prices. Open ended funds are popular with investors because they operate in similar way to stock market where no maturity or lock-in period is involved. II. Close-ended funds A close-ended fund or scheme has a stipulated maturity period for eg. 5 – 7 years. The fund is open for subscription only during a specified period at the time of the launch of the scheme.Investors can invest in the scheme at the time of the initial public issue and thereafter they can buy or sell the units of the scheme on the stock exchange where the units are listed. In order to provide an exit route to the investors, some close-ended funds give the option of selling back the units to the mutual fund through p eriodic repurchase at NAV related prices. 2) On the basis of asset class On the basis of Asset classes there can be Equity scheme wherein you invest in shares, Debt or Income scheme wherein you can invest in govt. ecurities, balanced scheme wherein you can invest in both equities and fixed income securities. 3) On the basis of investment objectives Investment objectives can be Growth scheme or Income scheme or Balanced scheme. | Growth Scheme| Income Scheme| Balanced Scheme| Aim| To provide capital appreciation over medium to long term| To provide regular and steady income to investors| To provide both growth and income by periodically distributing a part of the income ; capital gains they earn| Invests| Invests a major part of their fund in equities| Invest in fixed income securities like bonds and corporate debentures. Invest in both bonds and shares| 4) Other types A. Sector specific scheme Invest only in sector for eg. Infrastructure fund would invest in infrastructure companies . Sectoral funds carry a higher risk along with a higher potential to generate returns. This is because their fate moves with the sector in which they invest. Therefore if that sector performs well, they generate excellent returns. B. Index scheme Index attempts to replicate a stock market index or as closely as possible by investing in the stocks that form that index in the very same proportion.So a NIFTY index fund would have the same 50 companies that make up Nifty in the same weightage. The aim of an index fund is to replicate the performance of that market index. So if the markets are rising, then your investment will rise with almost the same percentage and if it is falling, you will get similar negative returns. The main advantage of investing in an index fund is the low Expense Ratio that is incurred in these funds as compared to other investments because it is passively managed funds. C. ELSS (Equity linked saving schemes)An Equity-linked saving scheme (ELSS) is a great inv estment option that offers the double benefits of Tax saving and capital Gains. Money collected under ELSS is mainly invested in equity and equity related instruments. ELSS Schemes have 3 years Lock-in period. Because of this, fund manager can have portfolio of stocks that can outperform over a period of time. The best way to invest in ELSS is through Systematic Investment Plan (SIP). With SIP you can invest a small amount every month for a specific time period.

Christine de Pizan

Christine de Pizan: c. 1365-c. 1430 1. Christine’s life shows a glimpse into the changing worldview in numerous ways. For one, she became educated as a child and continued her education throughout her life, she also was able to support her family as a single mother on her own by working independently, and he writings were symbolically revolved around women in such a way that they rebuked the negative teachings by most scholars. 2.As a girl, Christine had an unusual life because her father, who was the Astrologer for Charles V, ensured that she would receive the best education possible. Later when she became older and was married, her husband also encouraged her to continue her studies. Unlike most women during the middle Ages, she was able to receive an education, as well as the support to do so. After the death of her husband she had to support her family on her own, she did so by writing short stories and poems, which people paid for. She was able to get herself out of debt this way. . Basically Christine is saying, that’s she never doubted God and his perfection, creation of all things good, wisdom. But what she doesn’t understand is how it is that women have been so heavily scrutinized and labeled with flaws if people of the faith truly believe that God created all things good. This is why she’s so angry and frustrated, she then goes on to say why wasn’t she made a man, since men are all said to be so perfect. She apologizes &and asks forgiveness for her negligence of his service, due to the fact that she is not a man. . Christine says it is not about gender, that does not make one lower than the other. It lies within that individual’s conduct and virtue. 5. She says that not all men’s opinions are based on reason, it can’t be assumed that becoming educating and learning the natural sciences can be bad for mores. Men also don’t like it when women know more than they do. 6. They say that educatin g women has become beneficial and still is beneficial, being taught a good doctrine can in no way have a negative effect on anything.It is simply irrational. 7. Christine’s mother wanted her to do girly things, things that women should do such as spinning and weaving. On the other hand, her father wanted her to be educated and watch her learn and grow to become an intelligent young woman. This illustrates the clash between the Medieval and Renaissance worldviews because her mother wanted her to do things women â€Å"should† do and her father wanted her to do the opposite, by gaining an education. 8. The auses of misogyny are from men who are ignorant, these men blame women because they either hate women because they are simply far more intelligent than they are and naturally good hearted, others who hate women are crippled and the only way for them to impose their misery on others is by blaming women who make others happy, and finally men who have spent much of their y oung years sleeping around can’t anymore and they like to sabotage women’s lives by disgusting others because they can’t enjoy sexual pleasures.I do think that all of these still exist in our society, as well as in others. For example, I had a discrepancy with a guy friend of mine, who is a boxer like I am and he had the idea that he could beat me; his reasoning for it was solely because I was a girl. He did not have any other valid reason as to why he could beat me, he didn’t bring in my statistics either, which made even more pathetic that he would think such a thing. Another example in our society is of a young man who was in college that contracted aids.This man went around the entire college campus sleeping with other women so that they would also have the disease without telling them prior to their relations. He was miserable, so he wanted to make other women feel his pain. I think these attitudes are rooted deep in our society and I’m not su re that they will ever go away. 9. They contribute much of civilizations advancements to Minerva, Isis, and Ceres. Isis was an Egyptian goddess, who has been mostly named as the goddess of rebirth. She was known for spending time amongst her people and taming men.She also taught women how to weave, grind corn, spin flax, and make bread. Minerva was a Roman goddess, who was associated with poetry, medicine, wisdom, weaving, crafts, war, artillery, and trading. It is said she developed numbers and musical instruments. Ceres was a Roman goddess also, she was known for being the goddess of agriculture and fertility of the land. 10. No I think Christine suggests that it shouldn’t be excluded from men. She implies in the first paragraph that if men read the truth they’d shut up, hold their tongues, and lower their heads in shame for such stupid ignorance.

“An absolutely ordinary raibow” by Les Murray Essay

In Les Murray’s ‘An Absolutely Ordinary Rainbow’, there is a clear unconventional portrayal of the hero, and he shows many heroic concepts as a result of the dramatic techniques used to convey the notion of the weeping man not being society’s ‘conventional perception’ of a hero. The poems persona is simply an un-named ‘observer’ who tells the story, in a third person present tense narrative form (â€Å"they†) which assists in portraying the notion that a weeping hero actually did walk the earth and that its just not an event created in the mind, of the peoples and society’s reactions to this weeping man and the affects he has had on the people. The subject matter of this poem is the nature of this weeping man. A concept of the hero this poem communicates is that a hero is strong, he possesses the heroic quality of power. Les Murray develops this notion of a hero through un-conventional heroic forms. The first technique employed by Les Murray is listing. This technique is used to highlight the superiority and power the weeping man has over the people- heroic quality’s which come under the notion of his strength. because there is no actual description of the man’s physical superiority, his heroic strength lies in more mental aspects( uconventional heroic traight). This makes he’s quality of power even greater and more heroic because he has something which not everyone else can obtain and is thus harder to come by, he’s quality is special, unique and because of its power it is greatly feared (the strength which lies in a persons mind). The power and strength held in the man’s mind is so great that even â€Å"The fiercest manhood, the toughest reserve, the slickest wit amongst us trembles with silence(at the man)†. This listing emphasizes that he’s strength is greater than any other that exists. Evidence of the man’s immense mental strength is shown through listing and contrasting. The result of the sheer extent of his mental power is highlighted through him converting the once pessimistic skeptics of him,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"ridiculous, says a man near me†, into â€Å"believers†. What shows the power within his mind is so great and heroic, is in the way he executes and uses he’s quality. Through unconventional methods, rather than he speaking words to the people, he’s mind is so strong that he needs only show he’s mighty emotions to get his message across â€Å"he cries out†¦ not words but grief, not messages but sorrow†. Les Murray has contrasted the two opposites of communication, verbal(words,messages) and non verbal(grief,sorrow), ‘not’ and ‘but’, emphasize the superiority of the non verbal means. Therefore, the mans mighty power is he’s emotions, his weeping. The second concept of the hero put forward in the poem is of normality, it defies the orthodox visions of a hero which make him out to be a supernatural being. This poem presents that a hero is human and as the name of the poem suggests he is â€Å"ordinary† on the outside, however â€Å"he’s heroic qualities lie within-George V Higgins- Studies of poetry 2nd edition†. The hero’s normality is shown in the juxstapositioning of the allusion to Christ and supernatural beings through symbols which they are renowned for â€Å"some will say a halo or force stood around him† and the short blunt statement of â€Å"there is no such thing†. The specific positioning of the dogmatic statement â€Å"there is no such thing† boldly eliminates any truths behind the hero having any of these supernatural powers of halos and forces. Another technique used to emphasize the hero’s normality and to show that he is just an ordinary person is the use of diction and syntax in the final stanza. â€Å"He simply walks between us mopping his face†¦.man who has wept†. The word choice of ‘simply’ indicates connotations of naturalness, plainness and commonness towards the hero, while the position of ‘simply’ adds emphasis to the meaning that he is just an ordinary man among them, and â€Å"with his writhen face and ordinary body† has done something incredible, he has wept. Through he’s spontaneous weeping Les Murray presents a 3rd concept of the hero which is of a hero being mysterious and attention grabbing. The heroes mystery to the people is what he has to say or show, which in this case is hidden inside his weeping and furthermore the reason for his weeping. His ability to grab peoples attentions is shown through the observers constant curiousness and apprehensiveness. This is shown through the repetition of allusions to very popular social meeting places in Sydney and curious talk of this weeping hero going round and round these places reaching the minds of so many people â€Å"the word goes round repins, the murmur goes round Lorenzinis†. Also, the peoples immense desires to uncover the mysteriousness of the hero are shown through the metaphor where by the people are so enthralled with the weeping man that they yern and long his â€Å"tears† (his message, his reasons for weeping) â€Å"as children for a rainbow†. Through the hero’s use of his mysteriousness he achieves the heroic deed of being able to grab a sceptic peoples undivided attention, and have them in a position where he places himself in power to influence them in whatever means he wants. Through the use of techniques, Les Murray communicates interesting concepts of this unconventional hero effectively. The weeping man’s quality’s of being able to influence others and attain their attentions through his strength in sending across messages in unconventional ways make him heroic because he is just but a simple and ordinary man. Whether or not the weeping man achieved his un mentioned purpose is irrelevant, he is still a hero because he’s purpose may of just been to cause this widespread feeling of belief among disbelievers, which he accomplished and is shown in the last line â€Å"evading (converted) believers†.

Short essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Short - Essay Example Of course students need to know these subjects, if for no other reason than it makes them a well-rounded thinker. However, a better case can be made that teaching them a different language is even more important to their cognitive capacity and their ability to find employment in today’s global economy. Enrollment in foreign language studies today is at its highest level since 1968. Parents and students are realizing the importance of communicating with both allies and adversaries, to interact with them on their terms, not just our own. People in foreign countries appreciate being spoken to in their naà ¯ve language, at least an attempt to and resent the arrogance of some Americans who expect them to speak English. More than half of Europeans speak at least two languages fluently but less than 20 percent of Americans. Until just recently, enrollment in foreign languages classes had been dropping dramatically in public schools reaching a low point in 2008 when only 25 percent of students were taking a foreign language class, only 15 percent of students in rural areas. Only about half of colleges require foreign language credits to graduate, down from two-thirds just a decade previous. This foreign language discrepancy should be concerning. The U.S. needs diplomats, entrepreneurs, b usiness leaders, physicians, technicians, intelligence and military officials, politicians, historians, scientists, artists, managers and writers who can effectively communicate in other languages. Foreign policy experts, vital to the nation’s security, will always be needed and must be able to speak in a variety of languages particularly Farsi (Iran), Mandarin (China) and Arabic, Russian, Bengali (India) among others in emerging economic and military nations. The National Defense Education Act was passed during the height of the Cold war following the launch of Sputnik, the world’s first satellite, by the Russians in 1957. The Act provided federal funds to public schools

CSR and Fair Trade Approaches to Economic Development Essay

CSR and Fair Trade Approaches to Economic Development - Essay Example This analysis of CSR and Fair-Trade initiatives has revealed that the private corporate sector in conjunction with NGOs can be the main driver for economic development particularly in the developing countries. The evolvement of CSR conception from the philanthropic approach to the pro-poor policies whereby communities are economically empowered through fair trade and mutually beneficial projects is a welcome advance that can lead to an enabling sustainable development. More involvement by the corporate sector is nevertheless, necessary in future including enacting laws that make it a requisite for corporations to inject back some tangible funding to local communities. Although proponents of free trade have maintained the need for a pure capitalistic model, recent events including corporate scandals and collapse depict the need to spread wealth away from the top equitably to cushion the poor against devastating effects of economic upheavals, which is ethically and morally obligatory f or the more wealthy corporations and nations.

CASE STUDY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

CASE STUDY - Essay Example George also needs to realize that it is not his wife’s fault and it is not due to her negligence that their daughter is unable to perform the basic activities of daily life. Among the primary things that he will have to realize is that he will have to step up and help his wife and child in this time and most importantly realize that without his support and patience, his family will suffer even more. Apart from George, I would want to see his wife Teresa and if possible, their children. In the case of Teresa, it is evident that she is suffering from severe depression which might have had an onset after the delivery of her daughter J.J. It is possible that she suffered from a severe case of Post-partum depression which was never treated and worsened into the depressive state that she is currently in. George has indicated that his wife shows an inability to remain emotionally calm and is often crying when he reaches home at night with L.B, his older child. This is indicative of the fact that Teresa is having trouble coping and due to the fact that she receives absolutely no moral and psychological support from anyone, her condition is worsening with time. By talking to Teresa, I would perform a depression assessment using discourse. I would also want to see George’s two children, L.B and J.J. The couple’s daughter three year old daughter is reportedly suffering from autism. The child supposedly cannot speak even though she is 3 years old. By seeing her I would like to confirm this prognosis. I would use the Psycho-educational Profile Revised (PEP-R) assessment for this child. For Teresa, the chosen assessment tool is discourse. This is due to the fact that her symptoms are clearly indicative of the fact that she is suffering from major depression and talking things out in depth with her is going to help me get to a concrete prognosis much quicker. The reason I

Research Article Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Article - Research Paper Example This relationship is the essence of organizational behavior as Sims (2002) defines organizational behavior â€Å"as the actions and attitudes of people in the organization.† These actions and attitudes of people are greatly shaped by their personality traits and play a significant role in their organizational performance. Similarly, the research article also deals with the advancement of organizational effectiveness. This is done by providing ways to effectively manage the various dimensions of an individual’s personality such as extraversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, emotional stability and openness to experience. Elanain’s (2007) article starts with an introduction which discusses previous researches regarding the relationship between personality and job performance. The existing literature indicates a significant relationship personality traits and performance dimensions. The introduction then gives a definition of personality traits as enduring patte rns of thought, emotion, and behavior that are not likely to change over time and explain people’s behavior across different situations. ... The article further indicates an inconsistency in the personality-performance relationship which is explained by individual variables and situational conditions that encourage or limit the influence of personality attributes on performance, and influence the relationship between personality traits and performance. In order to control the effects on Organizational Citizenship Behavior, an individual dimension (work locus of control) and situational dimension (organizational justice) are used. The introduction ends with an explanation of the purpose of the study which is to examine the relationship between FFM personality traits and OCB after controlling the impact of the control variables (Elanain, 2007). The overall introduction is quite logical and explanatory. It provides readers with the definitions and descriptions of variables involved in the study. Furthermore, the introduction also provides evidence from previous researches that support the existing research paper. On the othe r hand, the author mentions the purpose of the research at the end of the introduction, but there is no further explanation provided. In addition, there is no section of Problem of the Statement which would have been helped the readers understand the issue under study better (Elanain, 2007). Theoretical Framework/Hypotheses The author then discusses the literature review which is divided into three parts; the Five-Factor Model (FFM) of Personality, the Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCB) and predicting OCB from personality. Here the author provides the five dimensions of FFM that include, Extraversion (sociable vs. introverted), Agreeableness (cooperative vs. competitive), Conscientiousness (organized and planful vs. unorganized and careless),

Analyzing an article - Heel Lancing in Newborns Essay

Analyzing an article - Heel Lancing in Newborns - Essay Example (Morrow, 2010) The results of this research could help significantly for the nursing profession as it gives an idea for the nurses on when to perform the heel lancing procedures. The total number of infants employed in the study was 42. The setting was such that the infants were selected if they satisfied two conditions. First, they should have greater than 37 weeks of gesticulation period and secondly, they should have successfully undergone the total serum bilirubin (TSB) procedure. (Morrow, 2010) The entire research was conducted in a successful and popular tertiary hospital. The dependent variables used for the measurement included the behavioral response of each child. The independent variables included the squeeze level of the nurse, the position of holding the new born and the condition of whether it swaddled or not. The independent variables were determined by the nurses who were holding on to the baby. The dependent variables were measured using Neonatal Inventory Pain Scale (NIPS) which uses a scoring instrument that scores the behavioral responses in the range between 0 and 1 and based on the total score, the pain is measured. (Morrow, 2010) The hypothesis is that the time for which the neonate’s heel is squeezed would be greatly reduced if the neonate is held in upright position combined with it being swaddled up. Such a reduction of time would greatly help in minimizing the sufferings of the neonates during heal lancing procedures. The strength of the study is that it was performed in real time situations and hence strengthens the validity of the results. Also, there is not much deviation of the results when compared with those of the theoretical approach. The weakness of the study is that it did not provide information about alternate findings on the same subject. Also, infants of mothers affected with certain diseases and troubles like diabetes were not considered for testing, which questions

Evaluation of structure and composition of early childhood narrative Essay

Evaluation of structure and composition of early childhood narrative - Essay Example 3 "Chinese children, generally speaking, include more narrative components,evaluative information, and temporal markers in their narratives over time.However, the growth patterns and rates of change for each child on eachnarrative measure vary (Chang,Chein Ju 2004,page 83-104)". All of these three criteria (narrative structure, evaluation, and temporality) are kept in mind when analysing the stories I have collected from children in the appropriate age range. This essay will employ the Labovian six part narrative model and Hoey's concept of problem-solution pattern to assess the texts. Appendix (1) shows examples of the concepts that will be employed and tested against the children's narrative. Not all of these elements are present in every story, but a majority of the Labovian model fits the narratives. Appendix (1): Labov's and Hoey's Approaches These two concepts will be used to test the data below. Fig. 1: Labov's six part model (Labov. William, Waletzky.J 1967) ABSTRACT- What happened in the beginning ORIENTATION- Who, where and when COMPLICATING ACTION- What happened EVALUATION- The high point RESOLUTION- What finally happened CODA- Final summary which brings listener and speaker back to the present time Fig. 2: Hoey's concept of predictable patterns Situation (optional) Problem Response OR Negative Evaluation Positive Evaluation and Or Result Or Result Hypothesis My hypothesis is that as a child is introduced to... This study builds on many other works as the Labovian model is now frequently used to assess children's narratives, (Kernan, 1977; Eaton, Collis and Lewis, 1999). The idea of linguistic and narrative development in children is also a popular issue. One study that specifically charts the evolution of child narrative with age is Telling stories of experiences: Narrative development of young Chinese children a study by Chien-JuChang in which young Chinese children were visited in their homes at age three years and six months and then at three month intervals for the next nine months. This essay will employ the Labovian six part narrative model and Hoey's concept of problem-solution pattern to assess the texts. Appendix (1) shows examples of the concepts that will be employed and tested against the children's narrative. Not all of these elements are present in every story, but a majority of the Labovian model fits the narratives. My hypothesis is that as a child is introduced to more narrative texts, and comes to identify narrative components, that he or she will

Emersons Love in Retrospect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Emersons Love in Retrospect - Essay Example He writes in Experience that life is "a train of moods like a string of beads," through which we see only what lies in each bead's focus. He knew that there is no need for us to apply critical thinking so that we may comprehend the meaning of a soulful glance between two persons. Though love cannot be quantified, it can be understood almost naturally because every wants to love and be loved and seeing someone loving generates profound interest and fondness from them. Seeing love induces us to a mood of love and euphoria itself. Out of all many love stories which I have encountered on different forms of media, it is the story contained in the film Titanic that I have greatly appreciated. Gracing movie theatres in 1997, the film tells the ill-fated love story of Jack Dawson (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslett) set against the sinking of the RMS Titanic in her maiden voyage. Rose, unyielding to the fate of having upper class Caledon Hockley as her future husband, falls into a relationship with charming and adventurous but lower class Jack. The intensity of their love can be shown in the way they look at each other's eyes. Take for example the still from the film shown. In this picture, we see the melding of the passion and emotions that burns from deep within them. The way they held each other's arms arouses a cornucopia of feelings and thought that I have felt when I experienced love.

There are two questions. I need to analyze and give my opinion Research Paper

There are two questions. I need to analyze and give my opinion - Research Paper Example Economic theory covers the four major fields of human society i.e. consumption together with aggregation, household production and the choices concerning investments to be made over the time, uncertainties, the influence of competitive equilibrium over crime, social interactions, economic growth, etc. and lastly the imperfect competitions like monopoly (Becker). Economic theory has a great significance in forming a sound social order. There is nothing eccentric and strange about its place in the social life of humans. Rather it is highly applicable and provides solutions to many problems(Wellington 384-388). Considering the given scenario in the light of economic theory, the basic commonalty that I have identifiedis that they both are the result of consumption and aggregation issues on the micro economic level. In both the situations Sam Slime has exploited the victim.However, in the first scenario he has used the usual criminal tactics of robbing and therefore he got trapped by the police but in the other situation he used the political influence so as to get hold of his hidden motives. As stated in the economic theory the fundamental force behind the criminal activities is the competitive equilibrium which indicates that the fluctuation in the market prices of fundamentally required commodities effected the overall consumption of Sam Slime.This enabled him to indulge into such criminal acts while on the other hand his social interactions withpoliticians helped him to achieve his evil desires. In the second situation he benefitted from the poor political structure prevailing in the country. He just simply became a loyal supporter of the politician who then imposed tax over the victim so as to get $50 from him which was eventually given to Sam Slime.Research indicates that in a consumer-capitalist society prevalence of justice is comparatively difficult than other social systems. Irremediable acts such as the one committed by Sam Slime are a consequence of conv entional economic theory and overall unethical practices(Trainer 7-23). Stealing money using any means is not only a criminal activity rather it is also a highly unethical conduct. However, when such an act is committed using the laws and political influence than it causes greater damage which is the most significant difference in both the situation. In the first case, Sam Slime robbed $50 though it was the only amount left with the victim.Yet it was not that detrimental for him as he was able to save his life by giving the money.But in the second case when he refused to pay the tax so as to keep safe his $50, he was caught up by the police and was convicted for law violation although his act was completely justified. This indicated that theft done on the national level or through the use of political influence as in the given scenario produces much more detrimental consequences. Is stealingthrough the political process any less morally reprehensible than  stealing done individual ly? Ethics are the fundamental driving forces of human life whose absence might lead to irreparable consequences not only for the individual but also for the people around him. Ethics are responsible for the rational humanactivities and also to keep humans far away from offense (Bruno). Stealing is yet another criminal act which is condemned legally, morally and socially. However when it is correlated with the political process then it is slightly difficult to analyze its moral status. In

To Think or Not To Think, That is The Question Essay Example for Free

To Think or Not To Think, That is The Question Essay â€Å"Judgment matters: it is what separates winners from losers† (260). Blink by Malcolm Gladwell is a book about understanding how we arrive at the judgments we make. There are two ways that we make every decision: in the blink of an eye or with well thought out decision making processes. In this book Gladwell explores the many different ways that we make decisions using our adaptive unconscious. He attempts to convince the reader that snap decisions can be just as good as ones we ponder upon. In all aspects of our life we are continuously making decisions. Often times we go with our instincts. An instinct is something that is created by a collage of past experiences and the knowledge we have gained from them. The unconscious can make better decisions than the conscious at times. Have you ever had a â€Å"gut reaction† to something and then thought about it for a while and changed your mind? Frequently thinking is the wrong thing to do and the instinctive decision was the best one. Teaching us how the mind works during decision making is Gladwell’s main goal. From there it is up to us. The book begins with the story of the Getty Museum in California and the fourteen month process involved in their purchase of a Greek kuoros. The museum hired lawyers, geologists and researched the basics on what the style of a Greek kuoros would be. Eventually they were satisfied with all the information they had gathered and they purchased the statue. There was a big problem though. Numerous art experts looked at the kuoros and within seconds had a bad feeling about it. Their instincts were telling them that the statue was a fake. After much debate, the museum resigned itself to listing the kuoros in their catalog with the words â€Å"About 530BC, or modern forgery† (8). One way to hone our instincts is using something called thin-slicing. This is the process where you slow down what is happening. You take thin slices of time and use the pieces of knowledge you gain from that slice to make your decision. Gladwell draws on multiple studies and experiments to explain this. The study that is the most prevalent and mentioned throughout the book was what would become The Mathematics of Divorce by John Gottman. In this study Gottman videotaped couples engaging in a discussion about a contentious topic in their marriage. There were multiple sensors monitoring the couple’s physical changes, such as heart rate and movement. He found that by breaking down the videotaped interaction into fractions of a second and applying the information to a mathematical chart he was able to predict divorce rates among the couples. After watching just an hour of video tape per couple, Gottman is able to predict the divorce rate in the span of fifteen years with ninety-f ive percent accuracy. The next section of the book explains what defines a snap decision. When you experience something there is a feeling of knowing. You can’t explain how you know, you just know. He gives the example of tennis coach Vic Braden. Braden is able to predict when a tennis player is going to double-fault on his serve before the player had even released the ball from his hand. Braden was searching for an answer as to why he was able to do this and he couldn’t find one. It was a snap judgment, an instinct and something that cannot be explained. Instincts can also lead you astray. Gladwell’s chapter about Warren Harding explains how the former president rose up through the political ranks based solely on his appearance and the way he spoke. He was not a terribly impressive man intellectually, but voters went with their first impression of him. He won because he was the most handsome and eloquent candidate, not because he was the best. Our first impressions are not 100% reliable. We all have associations between certain things that are ingrained in our unconscious minds and we’re not even aware of them. There are stereotypes inside everyone, even when we consciously think there are not. Gladwell explains that â€Å"unconscious  attitudes are not compatible with values† (85). Our experiences create our first impressions, including those experiences that are negative. As I stated earlier, associations become ingrained in our unconscious minds even if we’re not aware of them on a conscious level. That is a case where a snap decision would be one made without having enough information. The opposite can be true as well. Sometimes we have too much information. Gladwell tells the story of heart attack diagnoses at the Cook County Hospital in Chicago. The doctors were running many tests and gathering too much information to accurately separate patients of different heart attack probabilities. The hospital reformed the way they analyzed heart attack patients by talking extensively with them along with doing some minimal testing. Using this new system proved to be more effective than when they were amassing a large amount of data. The author states that â€Å"truly successful decision making relies on a balance between deliberate and instinctive thinking† (141). Gladwell goes on to cite a study by Jonathan Schooler and Timothy Wilson regarding people’s preference in jam. Random shoppers at the grocery story were asked to sample several types of jam and rank them in order based on which was the best. When asked to explain why they made the choices they did many of the shoppers changed the order in which they’d ranked the jams. Why? Because when you have to explain an instinctive decision it’s difficult to put into words. This can lead people to change their choice to one that can be explained. One snap decision that was difficult to explain involved the shooting of Amadou Diallo, and unarmed man, by four police officers. They spotted Diallo in a dark entry way in a bad part of town late at night. When they spoke to him, he did not comply with their orders and began pulling something from his pocket. The situation was unfolding quickly. The officers didn’t take time to thin slice what was happening, to read Diallo’s mind. They assumed he was reaching for a gun, so they shot him. In truth he’d only been reaching for his wallet. Events need to be slowed down and thin sliced in order to listen to what instinct is telling us. We need to  pay attention to what is occurring in fractions of seconds, not in minutes. Gladwell states, â€Å"Every moment – every blink – is composed of a series of discrete moving parts, and every one of those parts offers an opportunity for intervention, for reform and for correction† (241). In the end, it is up to each of us to explore our adaptive unconscious and discover the pieces that make up our snap decisions. Gladwell clearly states his opinion, â€Å"The best we can do, I think, is try to puzzle out the right mix of conscious and unconscious analysis on a case-by-case basis† (269). We need to know what goes on inside our minds so that we can make solid judgments and know when to think and when to react without thinking. This book opened my eyes to many things. I found the studies fascinating and informative. The theory of thin-slicing is definitely something I’m going to try to use in my daily life, slowing things down and really paying attention. I believe there is a lot to be learned about what guides my choices and molds my snap judgments. This book is very relevant to the world of work. Business today moves faster than ever before. Information shoots back and forth at lightning speeds thanks to the progress that’s been made in communications technology. It’s vital that business people know how to read their own minds and are aware of some of the biases that may be involved in instinctual judgments that they make. There are so many times in business when you need to make urgent decisions and don’t have the luxury of time to contemplate. Another area where this book’s insight would be valuable is human resources/hiring. The sections on hidden prejudices serve as an invaluable reminder that we may have firm beliefs, but there are stereotypes hidden within our unconscious mind. It is good practice to be aware that how you are behaving, your body language, will affect how the potential employee will behave during an interview. Even if what is being said is benign, our faces show everything. Gladwell words it perfectly: â€Å"The face is not a secondary billboard for our internal feelings. It is an equal partner in the emotional process† (208). The quote at the beginning of this paper shows the attitude we must take when dealing with business in the twenty-first century. You have to possess the ability to make solid judgments in minimal time. Business decisions made now have an extremely large impact on society as a whole, directing the world down whatever path it goes. If the decision makers are able to look inside and see what makes them tick they will make better choices. Business today has a social responsibility, just as every person has a social responsibility. Gladwell leaves us by clearly defining the weight that is on our shoulders, â€Å"It is not enough simply to explore the hidden recesses of our unconscious. Once we know about how the mind works – and about the strengths and weaknesses of human judgment – it is our responsibility to act† (276). So one last time I quote this author, â€Å"Judgment matters: it is what separates winners from losers† (260). Works Cited Gladwell, Malcolm. Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking. 2005. New York: Back Bay Books/Little, B

The Indus Water Treaty

The Indus Water Treaty 13. The Indus flows through the north-west of India and Pakistan. It arises within Tibet from a holy lake called Mansarovar, the mouth of the lion. After rising in Tibet, the Indus runs north-west between the Karakoram and the Himalayas. In Kashmir, the river crosses the Line of Control (LoC) and enters Baltistan. The principal tributaries of the Indus in the west are Kabul and Khurram rivers, while its five main tributaries in the East are the Jhelum, Chenab, Ravi, Sutlej and Beas rivers. INDUS BASIN RIVERS 14. The British laid the foundation of the Indus Basin River System in the late 19th Century. The system did exist prior to the British annexation of the area but in a rudimentary form. The irrigation network constructed during the British rule, especially after 1885, was based on perennial canals which led off from river-spanning weirs and head works. Vast areas which had remained inaccessible under the traditional irrigation system were brought under cultivation by this canal system. In the Punjab, two major systems of irrigation were developedBari Doab and the Sutlej Valley Project. 15. In the 19th century, the British constructed most of what is today the worlds largest contiguous irrigation system in the Indus Basin. However, the boundaries between the two states drawn in 1947 paid no attention to hydrology. Eighty per cent of the irrigated area was in Pakistan, but after Partition a large portion of the headwaters for the rivers which serviced most of this immense area were in Indian-held Kashmir. 16. Seeing that India and Pakistan were unable to resolve this issue, the World Bank offered its help. After 10 years of intense negotiation, in 1960 the IWT was signed by then Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, Pakistani President Ayub Khan and the World Bank. 17. Originally designed as one scheme  [4]  , however, with the partition of the subcontinent in 1947, including the province of Punjab, the Indus system was also divided; while the head works fell to India, the canals ran through Pakistan. With a view to attaining the most complete and satisfactory utilization of the waters of the Indus basin and recognizing the need for fixing and delimiting the rights and obligations of each country in relation to the other , both states, as part of the Indus Waters Treaty agreed to following provisions of the treaty:- Essential Provisions  [5]  of the Treaty 18. There are four essential elements to the treaty (Articles of treaty attached as appendices). The first relates to the division of the waters. The waters of the three western rivers (the Indus, the Jhelum and the Chenab) were allocated to Pakistan, and the waters of the three eastern rivers (the Ravi, the Beas and the Sutlej) were allocated to India. 19. The second was a financing plan to assist Pakistan in building the vast replacement works (Tarbela Dam on the Indus and Mangla on the Jhelum in Pakistan-held Kashmir and the massive link canals) which were needed to store and transport water from rivers in the west to the irrigated areas of Pakistan. India contributed about 20% of the almost $1 billion (in 1960 dollars) required. 20. The third element relates to use of the hydroelectric potential of Pakistans rivers before they reach Pakistan. This was a major bone of contention in the negotiations. India had a legitimate desire to harness the hydroelectric potential of Pakistans rivers before the rivers reached the Line of Control. Pakistan was well aware that the 10 backbone of its economy was irrigated agriculture that was built around the natural flows of the rivers, and thus worried that its security would be seriously compromised if India built dams which could alter the timing of water coming to Pakistan, especially from the Jhelum and the Chenab. The compromise reached in the IWT was that India could use the hydro potential on the rivers, but that there would be restrictions on the manipulable storage that India could construct on these rivers, thus eliminating the possibility of the dams being operated in a way that would adversely affect Pakistan. 21. The fourth element of the treaty is the dispute resolution mechanism, which sets up rules whereby first recourse is for the Indian and Pakistani IWT commissioners to resolve potential problems. If this fails then there are provisions for external arbitration, either through a neutral expert appointed by the World Bank, or through an international court of arbitration. Treaty as Success Story 22. The treaty is widely described as the only institutional mechanism that has worked between India and Pakistan over the past 50 years. In part this is because of the intelligent design of the treaty, but it is also true that it worked because for decades India did very little to develop the hydropower resources on the Jhelum and the Chenab in Indian-held Kashmir. 11 Effects of the Treaty 23. Positive Aspects for Pakistan. The treaty assured  [6]  Pakistan, permanent water supply for its canal system. The principal benefits were:- (a) It helped Pakistan gain independence from India for ensuring its supplies by binding India to a formal international treaty. (b) The treaty helped regulate the flows of the Indus and its tributaries. About 80 percent of the total water is produced during the monsoon period July to September. Storage projects undertaken due to the treaty ensure water availability during winters and enhanced canal diversions. (c) It helped to revolutionize the agricultural sector. 24. Negative Aspects for Pakistan. The negative outcome for Pakistan was the loss of eastern rivers and with this, land surrounding these rivers largely irrigated by traditional methods was adversely affected. However, this loss was compensated by the construction of storage reservoirs, canals and diversions. The other drawback was the rise in inter-provincial discord, especially in recent years, due to reduced flow in the Indus. 12 25. Positive Aspects for India. The major benefits that accrued from the treaty to India were :- (a) The treaty enabled India to harness the eastern rivers to its benefit. It helped in diverting waters to arid areas like Rajasthan and develop irrigation facilities. (b) India could also build run-of-the-river hydroelectric plants on the western rivers and flood control storage facilities, though no storage facilities have been built so far. 26. Negative Aspects for India. The losses to India were :- (a) Ceding western rivers to Pakistan hampered growth of Jammu Kashmir, as water resources in the state could not be harnessed. (b) Increased differences amongst basin states as they began contending higher allocation of water. (c) Absence of an exit clause in the treaty shut Indias options, though Article XII of the treaty provides for a modification of the treaty. 13 Resolution of Salal Dam Controversy C:UsersAdminPicturesSALAL DAM.bmp 27. After the signing of Indus Waters Treaty, the first dispute India and Pakistan were engaged in was over the construction of the Salal Dam by India on the Chenab River. Under the terms of the Treaty, India submitted its plan to the Permanent Indus Commission for Pakistans approval in 1968. A run of- the-river  [7]  hydroelectric project, Salal was deemed crucial for the agricultural needs of the Indian Punjab and economic progress of the country. In 1974 Pakistan officially objected to the design of Salal project arguing that it did not confirm to the criteria for design of such hydroelectric projects laid down under the Treaty. 28. During the course of the negotiations, several options were discussed for reaching to a final settlement including resort to the arbitration procedure provided in the Treaty. Finally, India agreed to make some changes in the design of the dam including reducing 14 the height of the dam and to the permanent closure of the diversion canal after the hydel plant had been commissioned. 29. The resolution of this dispute was hailed in both countries and is still quoted as a case of successful diplomacy over water sharing between Pakistan and India due to the concessions made under the Salal Agreement signed in April 1978. Challenges to the Treaty Although the Indus Rivers support the worlds largest irrigation system, the unused waters of the rivers, which now go to waste into the Arabian Sea, have an equally large useful potential. These could reclaim from the desert an area equal to that already developed. Another 26 million acres could be turned into smiling fields of wheat and rice and cotton food for hungry and work for the unemployed [Shivananda, 1961: 4-5, emphasis added] 30. Over the last decade this situation has changed dramatically. India has initiated a major programme of hydropower development across its Himalayan region. As part of this strategy, and in part to try to address the grievances of the Kashmiri people, India has constructed and is constructing and planning a large number of large hydropower projects on the headwaters of Pakistans rivers (the Indus and especially the Jhelum and Chenab) in Indian-held Kashmir. 15 31. Almost all the disputes over water that have arisen between India and Pakistan are about dam projects constructed or being constructed by one of the two parties. The negotiations over these issues involve divergent concerns and interests, based on their interpretations of the Indus Water Treaty. Under this unprecedented pressure, the IWT is creaking. The Indian perspective is that Pakistan uses the treaty to put an unending set of obstacles in Indias path. The Pakistani perspective is that New Delhi operates with impunity, and that the cumulative upstream water storage being created by India constitutes an existential threat to Pakistans security. The major disputes have been over the following projects:- Wullar Barrage/Tulbul Navigation Project 32. The second challenge to the treaty came regarding the construction of the Wullar Barrage, as it is called by Paksitan, or Tulbul Navigation Project as termed by India. The dispute arose in 1984 when India began to build the barrage and navigational project at the mouth of the Wullar Lake on the River Jhelum. In 1986, Pakistan referred the case to the Indus Commission, and in 1987 work was halted on the project by India. The main point of dispute is that Pakistan views the project as a storage work while India claims that it is a navigational project. 16 33. These divergent positions are further urged in the light of specific provisions of the Indus Waters Treaty. For Pakistan, the project violates Article I (11) that prohibits both parties from undertaking any man-made obstruction that may cause a change in the volume of water. Article III (4) prohibits India from storing any water on the western rivers. Further, sub-para 8 (h) entitles India to construct incidental storage work on the western rivers only after the design has been scrutinized and approved by Pakistan. Its storage capacity should not exceed 10,000 acre feet of water. Pakistan argues that the existing water level in the Wullar Lake is enough for small boats to navigate between Baramula and Srinagar, so there is no need to store additional water. It further argues that the dams storage capacity was 32 times more than the 10,000 maf capacity provided under the Indus Waters Treaty. 34. India, on the contrary, contends that despite the broad principles governing the Treaty, India has been allowed, under certain conditions, to construct a barrage in the light of Article 3 (4) conditions, which are enlisted in Annexure D and E of the Treaty. India views the project as an attempt to make the Jhelum navigable, not a reservoir. 35. Controlling water for navigation is permissible under the Treaty. More than a dozen rounds of talks have been held to date over the construction of this barrage but it remains the oldest and longest lasting water dispute between India and Pakistan. 17 The Baglihar Dam Issue http://wikimapia.org/p/00/00/52/34/74_big.jpg 36. The differing views of Islamabad and New Delhi first came to a head after India started constructing the 450 megawatt (MW) Baglihar project in 1999 on the Chenab River. Pakistan believed that the Indian design violated the IWT because the dam included gated spillways which meant that the manipulable storage was larger than that allowed under the IWT. The Indian view was that if they were unable to operate the reservoir more flexibly, it would rapidly fill with silt, as had happened in the earlier Salal project. The Indian and Pakistani IWT commissioners were unable to resolve the difference, with Pakistan asking the World Bank to appoint a neutral expert in 2005. 37. The essence of the neutral experts verdict, delivered in 2007, was that: the IWT had a provision for updating the implementation of the treaty as new knowledge accumulated; what has emerged as global good practice for silt management would be 18 impossible with the rigidities of the treaty; and therefore India should be allowed to draw water out of the dam at lower levels than those specified in the treaty. 38. To understand this interpretation a brief technical digression is needed. Water stored behind a dam is divided between live storage, which the operator of the dam can manage through both gated spillways and power intakes, and lower-level dead storage, which the operator cannot manage as he does not have outlets in the dam low enough to release this water. 39. The neutral expert, applying considerable semantic subtlety, essentially argued that live storage was not the same as manipulable storage. He argued that only storage that could be used for the operational purpose of generating power constituted live storage. So if India was creating more manipulable storage on the grounds that this was necessary for silt management, then, in the judgment of the neutral expert, this was not live storage and should be allowed. This finding would only make sense if Pakistans concern in the treaty was to define exactly where the power outlets could be in the Indian dams (which it never was and is not). But it makes no sense if Pakistans concern was Indias capacity to manipulate flows into Pakistan (which it always was and still is). 40. For Pakistan the (non-appealable) Baglihar verdict was a huge blow because it reinterpreted the IWT to remove the fundamental physical protection (limits in manipulable storage) which Pakistan had against the creation of an Indian ability to seriously manipulate the timing of flows of water into Pakistan. 19 41. From the Pakistan perspective, salt was rubbed into this raw wound when India did not (in Pakistans view) comply with the IWT-specified process for filling Baglihar. The Kishenganga Hydroelectric Project 42. Present flashpoint of Kishenganga Hydroelectric project in Indian-held Kashmir is unique. In India the westward-flowing Jhelum River has two main tributaries. The northern tributary, which flows at a substantially higher elevation  [8]  in the foothills of the Himalayas, is the Neelum River. The southern tributary, which flows at a much lower elevation, is the Jhelum itself. The two tributaries join just after they reach Pakistan. This odd configuration offers a unique opportunity build a barrage across the Neelum, build a tunnel down to the Jhelum, put a power station at the bottom and generate substantial amounts of power. There are two obvious sites where this can be done one upstream in India and one downstream in Pakistan. ALT.jpg (36381 bytes) 20 43. The engineers who drew up the IWT were well aware of these possibilities and stipulated that India could build its project only if there is no existing use which will be affected in Pakistan. India is now building the eastern scheme (the 330 MW Kishenganga project) while Pakistan is building the western scheme (the 1,000 MW Neelum-Jhelum project). The immediate stakes and investments are large approximately $350 million in India and $1,000 million in Pakistan. Disillusioned with the neutral expert process after Baglihar, in May 2010 Pakistan declared this to be a dispute to be taken to a Court of Arbitration. 44. The Neelum-Jhelum case is unique because it is the one case in the Indus Basin where there is an intrinsic conflict between India and Pakistan. In all of the other cases upstream storage of water in India could, if normal relations pertained, easily be translated into benefits for downstream Pakistan. These benefits would include the more reliable timing of flows, storage of water during floods and perhaps even energy sharing. 45. The situation is further complicated by the fact that India has a series of hydropower projects being planned, designed and constructed on the headwaters of Pakistans three rivers which will create something like 40 days of live storage on the Chenab alone. From the Pakistani perspective this ability to hold and release water constitutes a serious threat to water security in Pakistan. 21 IWT: Internal Regional Problems 46. Besides these dam projects, there are several internal and regional issues that strain the Indus Waters Treaty. The most important is the view of the people in Jammu and Kashmir who see the Treaty as exploiting  [9]  their rights by both India and Pakistan. People of the northern areas in Pakistan are also opposed to dam projects in Pakistan like the Mangla dam. 47. Secondly, hostile anti-Pakistan segments in India view the Indus Water Treaty as giving undue concessions to Pakistan, which Prime Minister Nehru signed to purchase peace. Since it did not bring peace to Kashmir, they want to revisit the concessions given to Pakistan under the Treaty. 48. Third, Pakistan also has serious problems regarding the sharing of Indus waters among its four provinces. This is evident with entrenched controversy being present in the country on every planned dam. The shortage of water has deep political, economic and social effects. For example, farmers in Sindh point their fingers at Punjabi landlords, and accuse them of stealing their share of the Induss water. 49. Finally, there are environmental and ecological changes which call for consideration. Because of climate change, the Himalayan glaciers are melting at an alarming rate. For water resources, this means an increase in water initially due to 22 flooding. Within the next 50 years, however, experts believe there will be a 30 to 40 percent  [10]  drop in glacial melt because the glaciers will have receded. A strategy to create more storage capacity for water is the only option available, but one has to remember that glacial melt is not only water but also silt that will reduce the capacity of the reservoirs. This aspect has not been considered at the political level or at least has not gained prominence. 50. Essentially the following two features have shaped Pakistan-India water politics: (a) The underlying concern of both states is the political aspects that water entails. This aspect is believed to be the catalyst  [11]  behind the hydro politics in which both countries are engaged. Thus, the discussion on water issues has always been there in almost every dialogue between India and Pakistan, and now it figures in the high level talks that reflects the dominance of water issues. (b) Most of the time, Pakistan being the lower riparian follows up on these issues on sharing of waters more vigorously. It has objected to almost all the projects planned by India on the western rivers calling them a violation of the 23 Indus Water Treaty. Nonetheless, India does not accept this view and takes defensive positions.

Graduation Speech -- Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Good evening parents, teachers, honored guests and soon to be graduates. My name is Ed Burrower, I'm the senior class president. A few weeks ago, I was told that I would be speaking at graduation. I was asked to put together a speech for tonight -- I've become experienced at speech writing over the past couple of weeks. The speech that you are hearing is the fourth one I've written, the recycle bin needs to be emptied at home and I need a new highlighter. Thank you, Mr. Mier, you get an "A+" for your help as my speech teacher but an "F" for saving trees. Tonight I'd like to talk to three groups of people. I'd like to talk to the teachers here at Batman High School, to the students leaving Batman and to the parents of those students here. If you're not a member of one of these groups, don't feel left out. I'm truly sorry, I have a three to five minute time limit that has been placed on me by persons that I shall not name. First of all, I'd like to talk to the parents of this class. I feel like I should talk with you first because you've put up with us the longest. You should be commended for your dedication. We'll never realize the amount you gave up for us until we're sitting where you're sitting and our children occupy our seats. Thank you for being there for our good times, more importantly our not so good times. Thank you for being there for us now and for being there for us later on, as we continue to need your loving support and wisdom. Now, I'd like to address the teachers. If you were unwilling to go the extra mile, many of us wouldn't have made it here tonight. I'd like to thank those of you who gave that extra support that so many of us have needed over the years. You've given us tools, not just facts, not just ... ...mories, accomplishments and dreams. Is everyone's toolbox the same? No, but is everyone's dream the same? No. Each of us is going off in our own direction. We'll need different tools for the different dreams we choose to pursue. I hope that makes sense to you. A point that needs to be made tonight is the only one who can close your toolbox, the only one that can stop you from following whatever your dream, is you. There will always be room for more tools -- more memories, new experiences, grander accomplishments, and yes, even bigger dreams. I will always look back with fondness on everything that I've learned here, but I look forward with even greater anticipation on the good things to come. Tonight, let's all take a moment and look forward. Forward to our dreams, not our of fear, but with confidence that someday they will be our reality. Thank you, all of you.

Meridia: The New Anti- Obesity Drug :: Diet Pills Health Obesity Essays

Meridia: The New Anti- Obesity Drug Introduction In today’s society the hegemonic belief surrounding weight is that thin is in and fat is out. With over half of the American population being overweight, the diet craze has swept the nation. However, a bigger player has come into the weight loss scene, the pharmaceutical industry. After the abrupt withdrawal of two anti- obesity drugs from the market in 1997, the pharmaceutical industry has been looking to fill the void in this area of the market. Meridia (sibutramine hydrochloric monohydrate), manufactured by Knoll Pharmaceutical Co, enters with caution what now appears to be a virtually deserted and uncertain anti- obesity market. The drug works to suppress appetite via serotonin (and norepinephrine) re-uptake inhibition. How Does Meridia Work? In the fall of 1997, fenfluramine (the fen half of the popular fen-phen drug combination) and Redux (dexfenfluramine) were recalled after the drugs were linked to potentially fatal heart valve abnormalities. In November of 1997, only a few months after the withdrawal of fenfluramine and Redux, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved Meridia. Meridia is a class of drug known as monoamine (serotonin and norepinephrine) re-uptake inhibitors. It falls in the same class of many anti- depressants such as Prozac. Serotonin is a chemical released in the brain after you have eaten a meal, which makes you feel full. When a nerve impulse reaches the end of the nerve (the nerve terminal), the impulse causes the release of chemicals called neurotransmitters. The neurotransmitters are released in the space between the two adjacent neurons, this region is called the synaptic cleft. Usually once the neurotransmitters have bound to their receptors (the neurotransmitter and the recept or fit like a lock and a key) on the adjacent nerve, transport proteins work to reabsorb the extra neurotransmitter back into the nerve terminal so that they can be reused. However, Meridia acts to inhibit the reabsorption of serotonin so the that signal lasts longer, thus giving the sensation that you are full for a longer period of time. This method is thought to effectively reduce the caloric intake of an obese individual due to appetite suppression. For an informational video on the mechanism of action for Meridia visit the world wide web at www.4meridia.com/hcprof/fma.htm. How is Meridia Different from the Recalled Drugs?

The Art of Advertising: Newtype USA :: Art

The Art of Advertising: Newtype USA "If advertising is not an official or state art, it is nonetheless clearly art" (Schudson). This wonderful quote clearly describes the type of advertising found in Newtype USA. The three most used techniques by advertisers in this magazine is the use of minimalist art, color, and beautiful scenery. All of these techniques appeal to an artist, and most people who watch anime tend to draw in their spare time. This makes sense considering all of the products they have in Newtype are all Japanese animation (anime). While looking through this magazine I found that every single advertisement was beautiful. Anybody that draws can appreciate the beauty of animation and in the end the quality of the graphics portrayed in the ad plays a big part in whether or not a person will purchase it. This being said, it makes it easy to understand why they use these techniques to advertise. The first major technique found in Newtype is minimalist art. This technique is usually used for anime that is done by an especially good company. The idea is that they don't need a fancy advertisement, because their characters are very well drawn. All they have to do is post a single image of one character from their anime on a solid back drop and plant their logo on it. When an anime fan sees a beautifully drawn character, the first thing they think is that it must be a great anime and they want to know what it’s all about. The fact that the company producing the anime obviously has immense talent in drawing a single image is a big selling point too. Next, the technique of using beautiful scenery in advertisements is probably the most used in Newtype. Leo Burnett described it best when he said, "I regard a great ad as the most beautiful thing in the world† (Art). Certain anime companies prefer beautifully detailed backgrounds to perfection in individual characters. In their advertisements the consumer will notice the background images of castles, flowers, skies, etc. Recently they have also been using a lot of computer graphics instead of basic animation to really enhance the background experience. This has the same effect to the customer that the minimalist art has in that they instantly appreciate what they are seeing. The consumer is impressed with the quality of scenery in the advertisements making them want to buy the product.

Advertisement Analysis: American Beauty

Ever since civilization began, trends have socialized groups on how to dress, think, and act; it becomes an absolute necessity to support whatever is in vogue or risk ostracization. Modern businesses create advertising in American media by following these cultural trends. Whether it is through periodicals, radio, or the all powerful television these companies use effective methods to psychologically convince their intended audience to buy either a product or service. These advertisements perfectly reflect how Americans perceive sex, social status, and gender roles. A prime example of this concept is a television commercial by Old Spice soliciting scented body wash to women with boyfriends or husbands. The sales pitch begins with an attractive black male in a bathroom egotistically claiming superiority over every woman’s significant other adding that men make a mistake in their body wash which is actually buying anything other than Old Spice. The setting spontaneously changes to a yacht at sea where the actor woos his female audience with show tickets and diamonds. The actor then confidently promises that if their men smell like Old Spice as well then anything is possible. As a final note, he randomly confesses that he is on a horse as a catchy jingle plays in the background. This commercial is extremely effective in selling to women by creating a stereotypical romantic man to serve as a salesman. The advertisement conveys the notion that women will only be satisfied if their men are not only very attractive but can provide a lifestyle of infinite luxury using humor, subconscious promises of success, and the Old Spice man himself. Humor is the most explicit tool this advertisement uses in appealing to the audience being over the top to produce positive emotions within each viewer. The most apparent example is how cocky the Old Spice man is in his presentation of the product. It is amusing how he arrogantly degrades other men for their use of â€Å"lady scented body wash† and how they unfortunately cannot be him. The Old Spice man’s presentation is so egotistical yet suave one cannot help but be amused. Spontaneous scene changes from a bathroom to a yacht to on a horse are also ridiculously hilarious because they are random. The positive emotions evoked by humor are pivotal in order to sell a product. After watching the funny commercial positive feelings resurface whenever someone sees the same product inside a store; the odds that they will buy Old Spice body wash over another brand become very high. This concept brings to light that in American culture people enjoy humor. Humor can provide variations to a monotonous lifestyle as well as make people happy. Most people do not actively seek to be depressed so if humor can lead to amusement then people will actively seek for positive reinforcement. The writers of the Old Spice commercial understand the importance of humor and incorporate it with selling their personal hygiene product so that people will psychologically associate the two together. The association of an emotional response with a tangible object is not uncommon with advertisements because it is an effective way to sell on a subconscious level. By incorporating images of materialistic wealth such as a yacht, diamonds, and horseback riding on a beach Old Spice appeals to the American desire to possess limitless wealth. On the advertisement, the Old Spice man falsely claims that â€Å"anything is possible if your man smells like Old Spice† as he possesses excellent physique and is surrounded by various forms of materialistic wealth. To women the advertisement subconsciously implies that if they buy Old Spice body wash it is possible for their men to own a yacht, diamonds, and horseback ride on a tropical beach. The commercial wants to invoke feelings of desire and associate them with their product so that people will buy it. For middle class Americans, the demographic group whom the advertisement primarily targets, it is very possible to achieve a comfortable standard of wealth being able to eventually retire and live a lifestyle the way they please. Most people do not actively seek to become destitute therefore advertisements wisely do not portray the Old Spice man as homeless in a gutter using body wash to smell clean. The association of their product with negative imagery would result in poor product sales because feelings evoked by imagery like humor attach to a product in the minds of viewers. Understanding human psychology is pivotal in soliciting a product. The advertisement’s most powerful tool in attracting attention toward Old Spice body wash is sexual appeal because within American culture sex is a sensitive topic often considered taboo in conservative social circles. The Old Spice man exudes enough confidence to be considered arrogant, has irresistible charm, and has a sexy body in the eyes of women; he is the archetype of a romantic lover. The Old Spice man is deliberately placed in the advertisement to distract women from making a completely rational decision in buying the personal hygiene product. The real message the commercial makes is to specifically buy Old Spice body wash but the product is not even introduced until a full ten seconds after the advertisement begins with the attractive man commanding women to â€Å"look at your man, now back to me† three times. What women really observe is a romantic fantasy with the man their man can smell like on a boat showered with luxury gifts. The advertisement reflects the cultural belief that women lust for an attractive and wealthy man; it also plays on the racial stereotype that men of African descent are sexually well endowed being that the Old Spice man is black. For men specifically Old Spice implies that it will make them more desirable in the eyes of women smelling no longer like a lady but a man. This concept demonstrates how powerful sex appeal is in the advertisement epitomized by the Old Spice man himself. Old Spice wants to make their product sexually desirable so it will sell. Without the element of sex many products would not sell as well as they presently do because there is no explicit desire attached. People like sex. More specifically, people long to become sexually attractive and if a product can make a promise to do so people will buy it. It is well understood that companies make advertisements to sell their product to make a profit. In order to stand out among the competition advertisements play on the psychology of targeted viewers by making references to humor, misleading information, and sex. In American culture sex is the most powerful because of how sex is socially perceived as indecent or lewd while being very much ingrained within society. It is to retailer’s advantage that a product carries an additional label beyond its intended use because of how people like to think they are getting more with what they pay for. It can be very easy for consumers to fall for ploys by advertisements; they are Venus fly traps set to catch their next prey.

Simpson Company ACL Assignments Essay

Determine whether the record counts in the three tables are consistent with the information you received from the IT department. Simpson master file of accounts receivable has 64 records which is consistent with IT. Simpson shipping documents for cut-off tests has 47 records which is not consistent with IT records that totals 45. Question 5. Determine if the amounts for each of the four transaction types are consistent with the information you received from the IT department. The number of IN sales invoices totals $1,525,763,83. This is consistent with what IT has said. The number of PM payments from customers totals $-890,466.09. This is not consistent with what IT totaled to be $860,466.09. The number of CM credit memos totals $-191,358.22. This is not consistent with what IT totaled to be $181,276.35. The number of WO write-offs totals $-4,725.85. This is not consistent with what IT totaled to be $4,725.85. Question 6. Determine whether there are any transaction types other than the four included in the introduction to the case. List the exceptions, if any, and describe the likely cause of exception. Exception(s): The transaction number 924 has a transaction of IY. Cause(s): The reason for IY is because it is a typo, it should say IN. We figured this out because the document number for the IY is I-88496 which is consistent with document types for IN. Question 7 Determine the customer name for any customer records you identified with the unusual transaction type. Even though customer names are not included in the sales transaction table, this table can be related to  the Simpson master file table, which does include names. We discovered the customer number 262001 from the sales transaction table and filtered this number in the Simpson master file. The name that is linked to this customer number is Bully Industries.

Hr Manuel-Hbm Pharmaceuticals Lahore Essay

There are certain easons behind adapting the employee recommendations intensively. Firstly, current employees know the best about the jobs need to be filled so, they can better recommend person who can better perform the particular jobs. Secondly, current employees will never suggest an applicant unless they make sure that he or she can perform confidently in front of managers. Because sending incapable applicant distort the image of employee who is promoting new applicant. 3. 1. 2. External searches: Other sources of recruitment are newspaper advertisements. This is the most popular method the company uses when it wants to publicly announce about its vacancies. Besides, HBM also use notifications pasting on different locations like walls and polls. The notification carries information of ‘Argent need of medical representative†. This help company to generate wide pool of applicant for the recruitment purpose Recommendations: Our company HBM uses advertisements for recruitment but company should also use the cyberspace method for recruitment. This method will ultimately help company to reduce its recruitment cost. Universities and collages notifications: HBM should use university and collages as sources of recruitment. Company should place information on the universities and collages notice boards and the websites. There company can capture fresh candidates. This method is also a cost effective method and beneficial for the recruitment. 3. 2. Selection phase: Company selection criteria include number of step the candidate has to pass through. 3. 2. 1. Initial screening: At this stage of selection, criterion company see that if candidate is fulfilling the minimum qualification, the candidate who meets the minimum qualification standard is then passed and eligible for the next coming stage. Rests of the candidates are rejected. 3. 2. 2. Completed application: HBM use a simple application form which contains simple questions like Name, Address, Telephone and Other personal information. It may include candidate’s experience, education and other experience certificates. Upon verification, if company finds any information faked, the candidate can be rejected. 3. 2. 3. Employment test: Because HBM’s major workforce is SPO (Sales Promotion Officer), merely SPO’s are required to qualify in the test. This simple test is based on memory the candidate is required to memorize medicine literature then his pronunciation, speaking fluency is checked. The pass candidates proceed for the next stage. In contrast, HBM does not take any test for candidates who are striving for other professions like accountant, storekeeper and security guard. Comprehensive interview: Here directors and zonal sales managers take the comprehensive interview. Applicant’s confidence and its emotional stability are checked here. Almost all candidates, belong to different knowledge background are required to pass through the comprehensive interview in order to check their confidence level. 3. 2. 5. Unconditional Job offers: After the comprehensive interview if applicants perform intelligently, HBM will offer conditional or unconditional job. Recommendations: HBM should use employment test for accountants, storekeepers and other applicants in order to measure applicant’s abilities, communication skills and analytical skills. Depending, which applicant fall in which category that’s how company can fill vacancy with who is better fit for the particular job. SPO’s should also be given test to gauge their selling techniques as they spend most of their time in selling medicine. SPO’s personal grooming should be give significant importance during hiring process. For Accountant position, HBM must take test to make sure their analytical skills 4. Socialization and Orientation Plan: Loneliness and a feeling of isolation are not unusual for new employees-they need special attention to put them at ease. So, the organization must follow the socialization process to update each new employee about the values and norms of working at HBM Pharmaceuticals. 4. 1. Socialization Process: †¢ Pre-arrival stage: The organization will use selection process to inform prospective employees about the organization as a whole. †¢ Encounter stage: If the new employees found the differences between their expectations about job and reality then these employees should be socialized to detach them from their previous assumptions and replace these with the organizations’ pivotal standards. †¢ Metamorphosis stage: Higher management will provide help to recently hired employees in case of any problem they faced during working in the organization. Each individual should be informed about the evaluation process. That is, they’ve gained an understanding of what criteria will be used to measure and appraise their work. A trusted environment should be developed and maintained by the higher management so that each employee should feel comfortable to work with the organization. Socialization of new employees can also be possible through the new-employee orientation process. 4. 2. New-employee Orientation Process: Activities that introduce new employees to the organization and their work units are the part of orientation. 4. 2. 1. The CEO’s Role in Orientation: The CEO as the head of the company’s executive management should participate in the orientation process to encourage new employees to work for this organization and also let the new employees to talk about their concerns. The CEO should visit each regional office at the announced date for at least once in a month to meet collectively with all new employees. 4. 2. 2 HRM’s Role in Orientation: The role of Human Resource Department is very important in the orientation because generally this department is responsible for recruiting and selection process. Currently, as there is no functional HR Department in the HBM Pharmaceuticals, so it is the duty of Director Sales and Zonal Sales Managers (ZSM’s) to play their role by conducting the official gatherings where the new employees will meet with the old employees and their interactions will develop. If the new employee is hire as Regional Sales Manager (RGM) or Zonal Sales Manager (ZSM) then The CEO will be present at the orientation ceremony. If the new employee is hired at other position, except that mentioned above, than the ZSM’s are responsible for orientation. ZSM should offer these new employees what else he/she can do for them in the future. 5. Training and Development Plan: 5. 1. Employee Training: There are two types of training available in HBM Pharmaceuticals: one for the new hiring and the other is for the existing employees. 5. 1. 1. New employees: Training is only available for new hiring as Sales Promotion Officer (SPO). It is mandatory that new employees for all other positions available should be experienced and they should have the skill set required for the specific job. 5. 1. 2. Existing employees: Major portion of job positions in HBM Pharmaceuticals is sales oriented. If the employee at certain level is not fulfilling his/her responsibilities according to the job description then he/she will be offered a training session by his/her immediate officer. In that meeting, problem should be discussed with the targeted employee and try to identify the potential solution for that problem. If the officer recommends then the employee should be sent on training. Training can also be offered in such a case if the existing employee is promoted from one position to other position and the management perceives that training is needed to enhance the skill set and abilities of the employee. 5. 2. Determining training needs: 5. 2. 1. SPO: The job of Sales Promotion Officer is very critical for the organization. Newly hired SPO should be offered 1 month training: to enhance his/her subjective knowledge about the products; to increase communication skills; and to develop the interpersonal skills to work as a team. Existing SPO’s have to fulfill their targets. If any SPO is unable to fulfill his/her target then RSM/ZSM will discuss the matter with him/her at weekly meeting. RSM/ZSM will try to identify and solve the problem. If the SPO can not improve his/her performance after the counseling session then RSM/ZSM can recommend a training session for the particular employee. 5. 2. 2. Office staff: Training will be offered to office staff if working pattern has changed in the organization. For example: by implementing new technology equipment, or the addition of new process in the job description of office staff. 5. 2. 3. RSM/ZSM: These are experienced staff. Their responsibilities are also high because it is their duty to manage a group of subordinates. Managerial level skills are required for that job. If the employee at this position has some problem regarding his/her attitude or leading a team then Director Sales can recommend a training session to enhance their interpersonal skills as well as their leadership skills. 5. 2. 4. The CEO and Director Sales: HBM Pharmaceuticals is a partnership concern and it is owned by two persons: one is CEO and other is Director Sales. So, training is the personal discretion of these two individuals. If they think that through training, they can manage their business more effectively then they can go for a training session. 5. 3. Training Methods: There are several methods which can be used by the management to train their employees according to their needs and the job position. 5. 3. 1. SPO: For new joining SPO’s, it is most appropriate to use â€Å"classroom lectures† to train them because this is the method used to increase their subjective skills. It will also helpful for them to enhance their communication skills. For existing SPO’s to increase their productivity, RSM/ZSM should meet them personally and give them personal support. Due to this meeting, the problem will be solved and along with benefit, SPO’s morale will be increased. 5. 3. 2. RSM/ZSM: Classroom lectures as well as On-the-Job Training Methods are used to train RSM/ZSM. Director Sales will recommend the most appropriate method according to the situation and problem. 5. 4. Employee Development: Employee development focuses more on the employee’s personal growth. Successful employees prepared for positions of greater responsibility have analytical, human, conceptual and specialized skills. 5. 4. 1. Employee Development Methods: There are several methods which are used to develop managerial and non-managerial staff. Appropriate method selection will depends on situation. 5. 4. 2. Developing Office Staff: Job Rotation is the appropriate and recommended method to develop office staff. The concerned authority can choose horizontal or vertical Job Rotation to develop office staff according to the skill set of the staff. 5. 4. 3. Developing SPO to Senior SPO: Job Rotation is a good method to develop the abilities of SPO so that he/she can become Senior SPO. Vertical Job Rotation can be selected for this situation. 5. 4. 4. Developing Senior SPO to RSM: RSM is quite big position for senior SPO. So it is recommended that â€Å"Assistant-to-Position method† should be used to develop senior SPO to RSM. Senior SPO will work as an assistant to RSM to get in depth knowledge of the responsibilities of RSM and he/she can develop himself/herself in a better way according to the new responsibilities. 5. 4. 5. Developing RSM to ZSM: RSM and ZSM both are managerial positions and the position holders are experienced professionals. The only difference is the level of responsibility. ZSM is responsible for the sales of whole zone which is a quite big responsibility. Therefore, it is recommended that â€Å"Assistant-to-Position Method† and â€Å"Lecture courses and Seminars† are used to enhance the decision making skills of RSM and to improve more team management skills. 5. 4. 6. Developing ZSM to Director Sales: In the current organization settings, ZSM can only become Director if he/she became the partner of HBM Pharmaceuticals. It is recommended that the position of Director Sales should not be fixed for Partners and ZSM should be developed to this position on the base of his/her performance. 6. Performance Appraisals: Performance appraisals must convey to employees how well they have performed on established goals. It’s also desirable to have these goals and performance measures mutually set between the employee and the supervisor. 6. 1. Appraisal Methods: There are several methods which are used by management to evaluate employee performance. According to the nature of business of HBM Pharmaceuticals, we are recommending a method called â€Å"Using Achieved Outcomes to Evaluate Employees† or â€Å"Management by Objectives (MBO)†. 6. 1. 1. Management by Objectives (MBO): Four ingredients are common to MBO program: 6. 1. 1. 1. Goal specificity: The objectives in MBO should be concise statements of expected accomplishments. Tangible objectives should be expressed in the statements. 6. 1. 1. 2. Participative Decision Making: Participative decision making should be used by manager and employees, in setting objectives and agrees on how they will be achieved. As the interests of managers and employees are directly linked with stretched objectives and achievement of these objectives then they will definitely put their maximum effort to achieve those objectives. 6. 1. 1. 3. An explicit time period: Each objective has a concise time, too, in which it is to be completed. In our situation, it is 1 month. 6. 1. 1. 4. Performance Feedback: Continuous feedback on performance and goals are recommended. Twice a week meeting should be conducted by ZSM to get performance feedback and to discuss the routine matters with the field staff and to countercheck the performance whether the sales are meting the monthly goal plan. 6. 2. Performance Evaluation Standards and Appraisals: There are different performance evaluation standards for different positions: 6. 2. 1. Office Staff: If the office staff performs their responsibilities according to their Job Description then their salary will be increased by Rs. 500 quarterly. If the employee performance is excellent from consecutive 3 months then a special pay raise can be offered by the Director Sales. 6. 2. 2. SPO: Each SPO has some sales targets given by RSM/ZSM. It is his/her responsibility to fulfill those targets. Performance Appraisal meetings should be conducted at the end of each quarter. Upon the achievement of 80% targets for consecutive 4 months: 30% basic pay rise. Upon the achievement of 80% targets for consecutive 3 months: 20% basic pay rise. 6. 2. 3. RSM/ZSM: Upon the achievement of 80% targets for consecutive 4 months: 30% basic pay rise.

Adidas Sustainable Development Strategy Essay

The textile and the apparel industries face nowadays a lot of evolution due, first to macroeconomic consequences and then because of the growing eco-friendly influence. To understand the key challenges of the sustainable development in the textile and the apparel industries, we, first, need to get the whole picture of the situation. The global textile industry is getting through a struggling time for the global economy due to crisis. This situation increases the price volatility of raw materials and energy resources. We can also add-up to this trend, the rising labor cost that contributes to amplify the negative effects on the industry. This uncertainty in the marketplace leads to lack of projection for years to come. At a worldwide stage, the textile market knows different situations. Europe is facing a recession while North American market is struggling. This current trends leads to reduced worldwide sale perspective. In Asia, the situation is more complex. China is the major actor in the market. More and more, price rises in China due to a higher domestic demand and higher wages. See more: Distinguish between problem-focused coping and emotion-focused coping Essay This economic trend creates opportunities for other Asian countries to become new sourcing targets (Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Sri Lanka and Indonesia). However, new countries doesn’t have necessary quality and quantity requirement, which put companies in a huge dilemma in 2012 and for years to come†¦ Concerning sustainable development in the textile and apparel industries, many challenges are expected. For years and years, consumers have wanted cheap and trendy clothes, no matter where they came, who produced it and the material composition of the purchase. Now, they have changed their mind in many aspects. Consumers expect more and more socially acceptable workplaces to employees in production. They want companies to focus on improving human being, which includes better work conditions and better salary. However, this desire is problematic and contradictory for the industry. Indeed, this change will imply higher price that only a minority of consumers are up to pay. Key actors on this market need also to be responsible and active in the society and towards communities. Apart from this, consumers also require that companies produce in environmentally friendly way, which represent the main key challenge. Consumers care more and more to let enough raw materials for future generations and avoid global over consumption. The Chemistry industry brings solution to replace these raw materials. However, it can’t replace every material: water, which is an essential factor for production of textile, energy (it concerns mainly non-sustainable sources, except solar and other sustainable energies) and raw materials (real organic cultivations are insignificant in the industry). However, instead of raw materials, regenerative raw materials are more and more used. There is line and hemp that are resistant and doesn’t need pesticides. However, it can be only use for particular textiles. Besides, we can find chemical fibers, which represent 60% of the current market. They are better than natural fibers but are dependent on petroleum. This problem is a bit compensated by the fact it can be recyclable in PET bottle for instance. Cotton represents only 38% of the market in volume and wool, 2%. For dyestuffing, Chemistry has also played a huge role. Now the synthetic process replace natural because it turns out to be more ecological and with a better quality. Moreover, we can also save resources like energy and chemicals by using sustainable development energies like solar, wind or hydroelectric energies. We have to consider fossil energy and try to replace them by renewable energies to avoid price pressure and volatility. Companies want also to develop environment-friendly production technologies for textile industry. Most of the time, Chemistry helps to save resources because they are less demanding in water for finishing and dyestuffs and in energy for washing. They clean fibers better, reduce amount of defective goods and preserve machines. However, huge tests and controls are required to avoid toxic and harmful component to spread into our daily life through our clothes Another key challenge for the industry is to develop the recycling economy. A model called 3R illustrates this targeted economy: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. It follows this chain: â€Å"resources-products-consumer-renewable resources† to implement the closed-cycle logistics. Moreover, this cycle allows controlling the process of contamination in this cycle. The second-hand purchases can optimize purchases and sustainability by creating a new business out of the current one. Besides, improving quality of final can be seen as a key challenge. It prolongs life cycle and also improve reuse value. Eco-tax on new materials could be set up to allow development of material re-use technology and business. After seeing the global situation of the current market, actors that want to play a major role in the future have to turn these challenges and strains into opportunities to differentiate and bring new standards in the textile and apparel industries. What are the stakeholders’ expectations? Employees of the Group  The employees of Adidas have the expectation that we can expect from different workers. They expect to have good working conditions to properly conduct they everyday job. Thus, some flexible hours, good working environment, ergonomic machinery are some expectations that Adidas employees might have. Of course, the salaries needs to be fair and the possibility of career evolution should be interesting too. They would prefer a merit-based rewarding system and a fair policy. Then, working in an ethical company can make them proud to work for Adidas and avoid internal conflict of interest. Also, they expect to have the freedom of joining a work council or any other unions. Finally, having the guaranty to have their health and safety assured during their working hours, with proper social protection. All these aspects are employee’s expectations that can be encountered worldwide. Authorizes government, trade associations, shareholders, Board of Directors All those stakeholders have different expectations. The government aims to see their citizen rights preserved, the legislation respected and the economy supported. A government needs to be objective and act for the benefits of â€Å"its people†. Thus they can on one side wants to impose restrictions on companies to prevent abuses but also want to support them financially or administratively to attract them and push them to invest in their country, and supporting the economy. The trade associations expect Adidas to respect international treaties on trade and to act in respect of the International regulations. On the other side, board of directors wants to see Adidas following the strategy they established to be sustainable. They want the company to be profitable but in a sustainable way. The board of directors wants the company have a better image and increase its sustainable development reputation. Finally Shareholders expect the company to be profitable and to have a direct result from its sustainable development strategy. They want Adidas to be sustainably profitable. Business partners unions, suppliers, service providers Business partners unions wants Adidas to respect the labor rights for the workers. They want working conditions to be assured and health & safety policy respected. They expect Adidas to secure the job of employees and avoid economic firing. The suppliers expect Adidas to respect their contract and fulfill their contractual obligations toward sustainable development. Also, they want Adidas to have fair practices and have equitable deals with them. On their own sides, service providers also wants Adidas to have fair practices and to involve them in their sustainable strategy by training them and providing them the means to be real partners. Workers in our suppliers’ factories These stakeholders are those who have the highest expectations toward Adidas. They expect Adidas to treat them equitably and to have fair practices with them. They want to have the same working conditions and the same rights than the Adidas employees. They want to have a decent wages, without child labor, with the acceptable health and safety benefits. They want Adidas to train them and to help them to evolve without remaining simple second-hand workers. They want to be fully integrated in the sustainable strategy of Adidas and in the future of the company. Opinion-formers journalists, community members, special interest groups Opinion formers such as journalists, expect Adidas to respect its engagement toward sustainable development. They want to be assured that the sustainable strategy of the company is a real commitment and not a simple â€Å"faire-valoir†. Community members on their own side, expect Adidas to respect their community and its environment but also to serve its interest. They want Adidas to offer them employment, to support education and to help the community to benefit from Adidas activities. Special interest group will push Adidas to respect their own interest. For instance, Greenpeace will push Adidas to respect environment, â€Å"SOS racisme† will expect Adidas to have non-discriminatory human resource policy, etc. Customers: Professional sports people, distributors, retailers, consumer Customers are the final people to satisfy. They are lat but not least. Customers expect Adidas to have fair prices, to respect their engagement in terms of sustainable development while maintaining the quality of their product. They also expect that the new sustainable development strategy will not impact their buying power by tremendously increase the price of Adidas products. Sports people want to be sure that the various Adidas products are ethical, with low impact on the environment and that are made by factories that respect sustainable working conditions. Distributors and retailers want Adidas to respect its positioning and identity but expect that Adidas will continuously improve its sustainable development policy. How does the company meet the challenges of the industry? Being a global business: This involves a strong and worldwide suppliers network. To be sure that suppliers rules are respectful of Adidas engagement, Adidas is fully transparent on its activities.  « We seek to be open about our operations, for example, by disclosing our global factory list to the public or submitting our global supplier compliance programme to evaluation and accreditation by the fair Labor Association. (Adidas,5) Beyond all contractual regulations that we will see below, transparency is an essential way to enable external organizations, such as the Fair Labor Association, to check the working conditions in Adidas suppliers. However, there is always information’s that kept secrets and not disclosed. It is important to keep a strong control on it. Being competitive: According to Adidas, the response to this challenge is: not at any price. â€Å"The adidas group Workplace Standards are fundamental to our relationships with our suppliers and are contractual obligations. While we have our own team that assesses how well our suppliers are complying with our supply chain code, we also work with external monitors to complement our measures. † (adidas, 5) Adidas apply strict rules and regulations that are contractually based in order to respect the company regulations on health, safety, labour rights and environmental conditions. On all these aspects, Adidas provides training and detailed guidelines to its suppliers. It has also involved a strong information system such as Fair Factory Clearinghouse platform, to monitor the conduct of its supplier. Apparently Adidas has done everything possible in this sector. However, it is essential to keep a strong control on supplier to avoid some â€Å"under-the-radar† issues such as the ones in Indonesia: (http://www. peuples-solidaires. org/suite317-indonesie-adidas/). Being environmentally responsible: Adidas is fully engaged in reducing its footprint. Adidas aims to: Save energy and reduce carbon emissions, save water, reduce the use of raw materials, using more environmentally friendly materials, reduce waste, reduce toxicity, for example through using less toxic chemicals and through fforts to reduce the pollutants in waste water at supplier factories, improve the environmental footprint of raw materials, improve the environmental footprint of products, manage supplier performance through auditing, measuring and reporting against key performance indicators, use management systems to drive continuous improvement (Adidas, 9). Adidas is acting in every step of its value chain and also by controlling its suppliers. However, this is useless if the distributors are not committed. For example distributing an eco-friendly product by using trucks that will strongly pollutes during the transportation is not coherent. Adidas is so powerful that it can make pressure on distributors to be committed in its environmental program. Being an employer of choice: This objective passes through managing people in a sustainable way. Adidas has developed an entire Human Resources Strategy based on three pillars: â€Å"create a working environment that stimulates team spirit, passion and engagement, instill a performance culture based upon strong leadership, be an employer of choice†(Adidas, 5). To do so, Adidas has developed a performance-based rewarding system throughout bonus program, profit sharing and additional compensation components. Moreover the training of employees is emphasized with different talent management programs (Adidas, 59). This enables people to enhance their perspectives. The whole working environment is made to be attractive with health and safety policy, respect of labor rights and liberty to join work council. Nonetheless, in the 2012 sustainable report, Adidas focus on Germany and USA. There are few words on the working environment offshore. We are not sure that those conditions are respected worldwide as it was in Indonesia. Moreover if the rewarding system is performance-based, we do not know anything about the career evolution system.