Do governments exploit its people Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Do governments exploit its people - Essay Example The third point that will be scrutinized in the essay is how governments exploit her people in cheap labor. Lastly, government use human weakness behavior to exploit her people, thus accepting the existence of certain companies in the country. These companies produce addictive products, some of which are not healthy to the human body. It is always seen as though the employers somehow exploits their workers by not paying them more profits, while in the reality, after a worker looks at his pay check , he will realize the real exploiter is the government. The government takes several forms of taxes before the paycheck even reaches the worker, resulting to net loss. Citizens are nothing more than serfs are under the current taxation system, serving government and those in power (Floyd 16). Over-taxation denies the ability of a worker to decide how best he can use his salary earned. People are therefore, unable to meet their basic needs with the low NET salary. Although the government imposes high taxes on its people they still end up paying more to receive public services e.g. in hospitals and schools. Tax avoidance by huge firms, organization and political leaders undermines the faith of the public in the government. All these injustices and unfairness in taxation by governments erodes the social values that abide t he societies together (Floyd 27). Nevertheless, these taxes are being invested in lobby groups and political investments. Pluralistic ignorance has been used by the government to influence the minority group’s behavior and beliefs to that of the majority to its own benefit (Jens 12). It results people supporting something that they really do not like. Citizens believe other’s supports reflect their true thoughts. Governments have joined in the social media like twitter and face-book making more people takes part on their discussion. The government does this to manipulate people

Self awareness and career development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Self awareness and career development - Essay Example This theory explains the need of self awareness and how it will be useful in leading a better life. According to this theory, one can develop interpersonal skills. A person should co-operate with his team members and must be a good team player. If a person following Holland's theory will have a strong career and will find it easy to develop his skills. This will help in minimizing the problems with in colleagues. This theory will guide in enhancing one's personality in terms of his behavior, skills and growth in career. Without self awareness, a person cannot progress in career, as they find it difficult to move well with others and unable to carve a niche for himself. Holland's theory of career development comprises of two categories that helps in achieving careers that are stable. Aim of his theory is to enhance people's interests and help them pursue in their career which leads to success. According to Daniel Goleman(1995), emotional intelligence plays a vital role in self awareness and career development. Emotional intelligence sharpens one's attitude of analyzing others. (Goleman 1995). This theory Emotional intelligence helps a complete organizational process, right from the selecting a candidate, conducting test and interviews and appointing him in a correct job. It takes care of client's service and the client's relationship with the manufacturer. Almost all the organizational activities can be done in a perfect manner by following this theory. Theory on emotional intelligence can be used to know the abilities and capacity of an employee. This paves the way to a successful career. Major disadvantage is, this theory fails to concentrate on the behavior and elements like a person's character. Possessing a good emotional intelligence and not having interpersonal skills will not help in getting a good career. Instead a person must have both these skills to be sure of his career development. As mentioned by Goleman (1995), there are two categories of emotional intelligence. One deals with self understanding in terms of behavior, realization of one's goals. The second category emphasizes on knowing other's feelings and behavior. The important concept of this theory is self motivation, managing and understanding own emotions. Relationship management and managing other's emotions are also a part of emotional intelligence theory. All this in turn leads to self awareness and enhances social skills too. By increasing the emotional intelligence one can be more successful in his career. I personally feel that, Goleman's theory concentrates only on emotional aspects, but in lacks in describing the situational aspects. Though behavior is an important part, knowing only that is not sufficient in developing self awareness. This theory is useful only to understand our own behavior. As mentioned by Albert Bandura (1995), self efficacy is one of the major qualities one should definitely possess. Efficacy is, having a trust in oneself and faith in his abilities to control and manage. One should believe in his talent so that he can excel in his life. (Bandura 1995). In a problematic situation, how a person reacts and behaves also comes under efficacy. One can have a control on his behavior and is responsible for his normal

Industrial Revolution and Social Security

Industrial Revolution and Social Security Strengthen Social Security Up until the Industrial Revolution, economic security for most people was maintained by working until old age and then being taken care of by ones’ children and family members. This type of economic uncertainty drastically changed when President Roosevelt pushed for and signed into law the Social Security Act of 1935. During the ceremony for Social Security Act’s signing, President Roosevelt stated that it is â€Å"a law that will take care of human needs and at the same time provide for the United States an economic structure of vastly greater soundness† (Roosevelt, 1935). Roosevelt also states in his speech that while the program is not a safeguard against all economic problems in our future, we do need it to protect our citizens who are or would be unable to work. Since President Roosevelt passed the Social Security Act, there has been much debate in reforming Social Security with many seeking privatization of the program. This paper aims to show why we should not privatize Social Security but, rather, search for alternative means to strengthen it. We need to strengthen Social Security because it has and still protects future benefits against inflation, has proven to reduce poverty for our elderly, and is efficiently and soundly administered. Social Security appears quite similar to an employer-sponsored pension plan on the surface, but they are inherently different. The program calls for individuals to put part of their income aside in the form of a payroll tax while working in which they would receive monthly payments upon retirement. Balancing equity and adequacy is the primary benefit of Social Security. Equity allows people to receive more of what they put into Social Security. Hence, people with higher incomes would also put more into the program and also receive more benefits upon retirement. The Social Security plan, under the system of adequacy, dismisses periods of low income such as when a worker becomes disabled or unemployed. Instead, it uses an increased ratio of income for the poor than the wealthy. In addition, Social Security benefits are indexed against uncertainties regarding length of life and inflation and has proven to be America’s most beneficial program against poverty (Goda, 2011, pg.1). If we privatize Social Security, we would surely erode the basis of ensuring a sufficient base income for people whove struggled their whole lives. Low-income workers would not be able to make enough money to invest into their accounts in order to maintain their standard living for when they choose to retire (Heiger, 1997). Also at a larger risk to poverty during their old age are the people in the middle-class. They would not get equal returns because of the inherent nature of the financial markets, and those who receive negative returns would not be able to survive from other sources (Heiger, 1997). The financial markets fluctuate up and down, and some people would retire with meager returns during long economic downturns such as the Great Recession of 2009. For those who live to be very old, some well into their 80’s and 90’s, they would just outlive their investments. For example, if they dumped their savings into investment vehicles such as annuities during their r etirement, those investments would be greatly reduced by inflation the longer they live. Before Social Security, the highest rates of poverty were in the elderly age group. People dont realize these days that the program had reduced the poverty of elderly Americans from 35 percent to about 10 percent (National, 2012). This percentage falls under the 12 percent value of the American population (Poverty, 2013). Social Security provides for the potentially destitute millions of American elderly, who are no longer able to work and in retirement, the financial stability they need to sustain their lives. Since the elderly do not have to depend on their working children, Social Security also provides an indirect benefit to their off springs. There are two other benefits in which Social Security provides to people under age 65. The first benefit is income during long-term disability and income for a worker’s dependents who die before their retirement (ProCon.org, 2014). This type of benefit also doesn’t carry the stigma of similar programs such as welfare. For middle-class workers that have employer-sponsored retirement programs, Social Security was never meant be a singular source of income during retirement. Social Security’s value is clear when looking at it as a means of income of a retirement investment group. The benefits from Social Security maintain their worth since they are adjusted for the annual cost-of-living while other types of investment assets get eaten away and used up as a person becomes older into retirement. In addition, workers will come to acquire greater individual risks as companies continue to move away from pensions towards 401(k) plans and other types of programs with unreliable payouts (Cammack, 2012). Against that backdrop, the Social Security program carries much more protection against the sway of the economic markets. To denationalize Social Security would be to allow Americans the choice to withhold a small percentage of their pay as an investing into individual accounts, keyword being choice. So what is wrong with giving workers the choice to opt-in or not? This type of reform brings with it steep reductions for the younger workers who elect to stay in the program (Heiger, 1997). Wealthy individuals and workers who have higher incomes would not want to participate in the program but rather â€Å"choose the market-based system† (Heiger, 1997). While it may appear to be a choice, privatizing Social Security would make it such a bad investment for high-income people. They would just all bail out, so they don’t have to invest their earnings to balance the pool for the low-income workers’ retirement pensions (Heiger, 1997). In essence, without universal participation, the financially less-well off would be left to fend for themselves† (Heiger, 1997). There would be a gaping hole of future benefits for low income funders who choose to remain in the program, and this would completely defeat the purpose of the program and eventually dissolve it. The participation of individuals from all income brackets is the reason Social Security works and is sustainable. The program will be similar to welfare if the wealthy and high-income individuals choose to not participate. The participation of individuals from all age groups is another reason Social Security (Rose, 1990). For years now, the retirees of the program were paid by the taxes from workers which is the entire the basis of Social Security. Those workers would, in turn, be paid by the taxes in the next generation of workers for their Social Security retirement benefits. However, in 1983, an increase in age limit for benefits eligibility in addition to payroll taxes being increased were amended to the Social Security Act (Social, 2014). The tax increase brought in surplus money, more than the amount needed to maintain the Social Security benefits at the time. The purpose of the increase â€Å"was to have the Boomers prepay part of their old age benefits† (Johnston, 2012 , pp. 10). The extra money generated from the increased taxes were also used to â€Å"pay off federal debt† and purchase Treasury bonds (Johnston, 2012, pp 10). Essential, the government was lending itself money. This act generated controversy among proponents of Social Security privatization yet it is the same as workers using the money to buy the bonds themselves. The government is required to pay back what it owes and in this case, â€Å"Social Security is virtually risk-free because it is backed by the full faith and credit of the government† (Heiger, 1997). In the end, this principally articulates that the program’s future recipients need the taxes of the workers who come after them to keep the Social Security benefits ongoing. Since its inception, many people such as former Kansas Governor Alf Landon had outspoken views against Social Security (Landon, 1936). Landon and critics of Social Security have argued that the program is a fraud and that the overhead costs are too high to sustain the program. However, the program itself has only seen reductions in administrative expenses year after year and as of 2013 accounted for only 0.7% of the fund’s total expenditures (Kunkel, 2013). This percentage is still below the costs of the average 401(k) fees of 0.72% per year, with highs close to 2% per year, charged by plan administrators (Deloitte, 2009). With such a low overhead cost over private plan administration, the government clearly shows how efficiently it administers the Social Security program. Social Security has definitely provided Americans protection against destitution with adequate supplemental income and allowed people who have worked their entire lives to maintain their standard of living during retirement. While Social Security has undergone many reforms and continues to need improvement, privatization is not the key. In its proven history of increasing efficient, decreasing the poverty of our elderly, and hedging benefits against inflation, Social Security must continue to be strengthened with centralized government policies and administration. To privatize Social Security, to fundamentally take it away from the whole of our nation’s people, would be unconstitutional. Works Cited Cammack, R. (2012, January 5). From defined benefit to defined contribution: a systematic approach to transitioning retirement plans. Retrieved October 1, 2014, from http://www.shrm.org/hrdisciplines/benefits/articles/pages/transitioningplans.aspx Deloitte. (2009). Inside the Structure of Defined Contribution / 401(k) Plan Fees: A Study Assessing the Mechanics of What Drives the All-In Fee. Defined Contribution/401(k) Fee Study. Retrieved October 1, 2014, from http://www.ici.org/pdf/rpt_09_dc_401k_fee_study.pdf Goda, G. S., Shoven, J. B., Slavov, S. N. (2011). HOW WELL ARE SOCIAL SECURITY RECIPIENTS PROTECTED FROM INFLATION?National Tax Journal,64(2), 429-449. Retrieved October 1, 2014 from http://ezproxy.snhu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/871907293?accountid=3783 Heiger, M., Shipman, W. (1997, July 22). Common objections to a market-based social security system: A response. Retrieved October 1, 2014, from http://www.cato.org/pubs/ssps/ssp10.html Johnston, D. C. (2012, May 12). Social Security is not going broke. Retrieved October 1, 2014, from http://blogs.reuters.com/david-cay-johnston/2012/05/04/social-security-is-not-going-broke/ Works Cited Kennedy, D. M. (2010). A NEW DEAL COMPROMISED.American Heritage,60(2), 26-28. Kunkel, S. (2013, January 28). Social Security Administrative Expenses. Retrieved October 1, 2014, from http://www.ssa.gov/oact/STATS/admin.html Landon, A. M. (1936). I Will Not Promise the Moon: ECONOMIC SECURITY, ADMINISTRATION BILL, REPUBLICAN PROPOSAL.Vital Speeches Of The Day,3(1), 26. Poverty. (2013). InThe encyclopedia of elder care: The comprehensive resource on geriatric health and social care. Retrieved October 1, 2014 from http://ezproxy.snhu.edu/login?qurl=http://search.credoreference.com.ezproxy.snhu.edu/content/entry/spenelderc/poverty/0 ProCon.org, Social Security. (2013, September 12). Privatizing Social Security Pros and Cons [Press release]. Retrieved October 1, 2014, from http://socialsecurity.procon.org/#Background Roosevelt, F. D. (Writer). (1935, August 14). FDR Social Security Act Speech [Television broadcast]. In FDR Social Security Act Speech. Retrieved October 1, 2014, from https://archive.org/details/fdrbig Rose, N. E. (1989). Work relief in the 1930s and the origins of the social security act.Social Service Review,63(1), 63. Retrieved from http://ezproxy.snhu.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1290931445?accountid=3783 Works Cited Social Security (United States). (2014, October 1). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 10:28, October 1, 2014, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Social_Security_(United_States)oldid=629217299

Afrocentric vs. Eurocentric Worldviews :: Afrocentrism Eurocentrism Essays

The Afrocentric, or African-centered, worldview is very different from the Eurocentric, or Europe-centered, worldview. Afrocentrism is centered around the beliefs that: . The highest value of life lies in the interpersonal relationships between men; . One gains knowledge through symbolic imagery and rhythm; . One should live in harmony with nature; . There is a oneness between humans and nature; . The survival of the group holds the utmost importance; . Men should appropriately utilize the materials around them; . One's self is complementary to others; . Change occurs in a natural, evolutionary cycle; . Spirituality and inner divinities hold the most significance; . There are a plethora of deities to worship; . Cooperation, collective responsibility, and interdependence are the key values to which all should strive to achieve; . All men are considered to: be equal, share a common bond, and be a part of the group; . The Afrocentric worldview is a circular one, in which all events are tied together with one another. The Eurocentric worldview is centered around the beliefs that: . The highest value of life lies in the object, or in the acquisition of the object; . One gains knowledge through counting and measuring; . One should control and dominate nature; . There is a dichotomy, or separateness, between nature and humans; . The survival of the fittest holds the utmost importance; . Men should have an unlimited exploitation of the materials around them; . One's self is distinct from others; . Change occurs to meet the immediate objectives, and is quite arbitrary; . A distant, impersonal god holds the most significance; Afrocentric vs. Eurocentric Worldviews :: Afrocentrism Eurocentrism Essays The Afrocentric, or African-centered, worldview is very different from the Eurocentric, or Europe-centered, worldview. Afrocentrism is centered around the beliefs that: . The highest value of life lies in the interpersonal relationships between men; . One gains knowledge through symbolic imagery and rhythm; . One should live in harmony with nature; . There is a oneness between humans and nature; . The survival of the group holds the utmost importance; . Men should appropriately utilize the materials around them; . One's self is complementary to others; . Change occurs in a natural, evolutionary cycle; . Spirituality and inner divinities hold the most significance; . There are a plethora of deities to worship; . Cooperation, collective responsibility, and interdependence are the key values to which all should strive to achieve; . All men are considered to: be equal, share a common bond, and be a part of the group; . The Afrocentric worldview is a circular one, in which all events are tied together with one another. The Eurocentric worldview is centered around the beliefs that: . The highest value of life lies in the object, or in the acquisition of the object; . One gains knowledge through counting and measuring; . One should control and dominate nature; . There is a dichotomy, or separateness, between nature and humans; . The survival of the fittest holds the utmost importance; . Men should have an unlimited exploitation of the materials around them; . One's self is distinct from others; . Change occurs to meet the immediate objectives, and is quite arbitrary; . A distant, impersonal god holds the most significance;

Weibo And Chinese Society

The new media, different from television, magazines, books or paper-based publications, is a new form of mass communication, which contains technologies that enable digital interactivity. For example, websites, video games, Internet all belong to the new media. Currently, the new media is becoming increasingly popular and sharply changing people's life. The advent of Webb in China is one of the most prominent examples, which is also the topic I am going to analyze in this passage.Chinese Webb, similar to twitter used worldwide, is a micro blob, by which people can post words, pictures and videos on the Internet. The general public or the organization can create their own account easily and share things with their followers so they can communicate freely with each other. Some celebrities and government officials also own Webb accounts and in this way, Webb helps to create a two-way communication between famous people and Chinese Internet users.Research showed that people spend at leas t one hour per day checking Webb messages on their cellophanes or on their laptops, while spend only fifteen minutes on reading newspapers. It is very common in current Chinese society to see people using Webb every day to check the latest news, share daily life, or chat with friends, etc. Nearly fifty percent of the Internet users in China have Webb accounts and use it regularly. Among these people, most of them are from the younger generation who are more open-minded to the new technology.This paper consists of two parts. The first part aims to understand the effects Webb has made ten years from now on Chinese society. The second part talks about Chinese government policy and the progress China has made reflected by the proliferation of Webb. Speaking of the impact of this new media, Webb has impressively changed the traditional mass media. Prior to the turn of the century, only journalists with an official degree can be reporters and public news, which they thought were newsworth y.However, in nowadays, with the advent bowie, the general public can be the first one to reveal something important happened around them by posting Webb using only forty Chinese characters. Sometimes these posts can be the sources of the news on next days newspaper. For example, on March 2013 a man robbed a store and fell down on his way running. This accident was firstly recorded by a citizen who happened to pass by in that neighborhood. Then he quickly posted this on Webb and called the police. Immediately, this post was reposted thousand times and known to many people in this city.Later on, the newspaper bought the pictures taken by the Webb user and published as the next days headline news. In this way, the general public is helping professional journalists find newsworthy things happened around them and change the traditional humdrum way of publishing. In addition, the extensive use of Webb is acting like a supplement of paper- erosion reports. Every famous news agency has the ir own Webb accounts, whenever there was an influential news, there would be a short post to give people a brief Introduction of what happened. Also, Webb can be a place where the journalists post updates in a continuous event.For example, when the missing airplane MYNAH accident happened this year, every progress the rescue group had made was posted through Webb. While we were waiting anxiously for the latest news-if there were survivors, how was their family numbers, where was the plane, what caused this crash, etc. Overall news agencies post the latest contents immediately when there were new discoveries. The general public simply need to refresh their Webb to look for the latest news, which makes it more convenient and quickly. The advent of Webb also has tremendous impact on the daily life of the general public.Firstly, Webb users can follow official accounts based on their interests-what kind of news they care about most, which celebrities they esteem and want to know more abo ut. For instance, a person likes sports might follow soccer players and other sports news related accounts. A person cares about health eight become a fan of Chinese Healthy Diet on Webb. In this way, the Webb users can conveniently receive information specifically what they want to know by using the Internet. Moreover, by reposting these webs, Webb users can share the interested news with other followers and show the support for the original Webb user.Besides that, Webb users can also follow private accounts, which consist of one's family members, friends and co-workers. Even if people cannot meet each other every day, they can still keep in touch and let others know what happened in their life by posting Webb. In the current society, Webb is a good immunization tool to help promote the interaction between people who are busy working or studying every day and cannot meet each other because they live far away. My own example can best illustrate this point. Study abroad, which means I can only meet my family members and friends once a year.But regularly post on Webb about what I have learned, what I have done, how I feel, etc. My friends can like or comment on my posts so we would not feel so far from my life in a remote country. The use of the micro blob also provoked great repercussion on the whole society, especially on the political field. Since a two-way communication teen government officials and the general public was built up based on the proliferation of Webb. Almost every civic servant in China has their Webb account and is required to post their weekly work publicly.If Internet users have problems with the policy or officials' behaviors, they can comment under the post or send a private letter through Webb. It is the government officials' duty to reply in time to the citizens and explain every action they take until the askers receive a satisfied answer. Making sure that the general public has a clear understanding of what the government is doing is a task for government officials through their communication on Webb. It is also common for people to show their support to certain policy or government officials through the use of Webb.Due to the impressive influence it has on the whole society, once a post was sent by a civic servant or a department in the government, it would be repost at once by thousands Of Internet users who advocate this proposal. Therefore, with the power Of the Webb users, it is easy to distinguish if an action or policy by the government is welcomed to the public in society. On the other hand, Webb can dramatically help to supervise the political yester and other charitable organizations. Before the proliferation of Webb, it is relatively hard for the public to directly oversee the behaviors of the authorities and social groups.This kind of supervision is mostly achieved by the specialized department set up to keep an on the behaviors of the government officials. However, nowadays, people can freely post a nything they discovered in their daily life and keep an eye on the celebrities what they have posted through Webb. The Webb users also supervise the misbehaver Of government officials in political field and urged he related department to investigate. Two examples happened in 201 1 and 2012 Chinese society can best help to explain this point.In 2011 a Webb user with the account number Mime Guy posted several micro blobs about her Mistreat and big houses. And her title was the manager of the Chinese Red Cross, which was revealed in her Webb profile. This made the Webb users pretty confused: where did all her money come from? How can she afford such luxury? With more and more people paying attention to this young girl with such unusual background, the Red Cross was forced to response to this issue. Although that this organization clarified it had no connection with Mime Guy, the public do not think that is the real truth.Also, the Public Security Bureau began to investigate the relatio nship between Mime Guy and the Red Cross. Specially, they suspect this so-called manager had improper relationship with the chairman of the board, so she could have access to the money people donated to the Red Cross and used it for big houses and Mistreat. Later after the Mime Guy affair, the Red Cross was mistrust by the public for a long time and was required by the relevant department to reveal its edged to the society and become completely transparent. Another case happened in 201 2 was triggered by one picture taken by a Webb user in a car accident scene.The post on Webb showed that in this kind of occasion, the government official was smiling instead of grieving for the hurt people, which made the general public angry. Afterwards, this official was severely criticized by the people on Webb. People even found out all his other pictures taken in different occasions to see if he was eligible to be a civic servant. Eventually, people found that in many pictures, he wore efferent costly watches, which were not accordance with his income earned from his job. With more and more people doubted the sources of the money, relevant department began to investigate in this case.They found out that a large amount of the money of his fortune was from corruption. This official used the convenience of his position to make money for a long time so he had money to afford expensive watches and big houses. As a result, this official was â€Å"sent â€Å"by the Webb users into prison. Of course, the spread of Webb is a two-edged sword , which means it can also exert negative effects on society. For instance, there is a group of people who open Webb accounts only to sell products, which makes the Internet environment full of commercials.It is difficult to regulate these commercials because it is hard to tell if the product is of good quality based on the limited information Webb posts can provide. Also, the freedom people possess when they use Webb makes the online environme nt increasingly complex. Diverse people holding totally different opinions can equally and freely express on Webb. On rare cases, immoral people purposely release fake news to the public in order to tarnish others' reputation or cause a society panic. The general public might get confused based on the complicated information they receive.There was once a water company being framed by a piece of news in Beijing Daily. It reported that the water from Ongoing Company was not clean and could not achieve the water standard in China. Later on, this news was posted by several Webb users without testing its accuracy. Along with the spread of this breaking news all over the Webb environment, this company got stuck in trust crisis and had a significant decline In monthly sales. Thousands of Internet users showed their anger and disappointment to this water company ND the news Was reposted in a large scale.However, when Ongoing Company went to test its water in the Quality Supervision Bureau, the result showed Ongoing water was clean and had achieved the water standard. It turned out the news was distorted and afterwards misused by the Webb users. This example showed that it is equally easy for both the truth and fake news spread out through Webb and the latter would absolutely damage the social order to some degree. The spread of Webb and its effects can be the introduction of the second part of this paper, which explains the Chinese society progress and the overspent policy.Because of the significant impact Webb exerts on Chinese society, the government has taken specific measures to regulate the Webb environment. Moreover, the policies, being increasingly flexible and allowing for more freedom, can reflect the Chinese progress in recent ten years. Fifty years ago, Chinese people were not used to freely speak in the public at all, nor were they allowed to criticize the government officials and the policy. In my father generation, people who dared speak out the actual e valuation of one policy might even end up being caught into prison because they were considered ooh aggressive.Almost every thing they said or did was under the guidance of the government. People did not have a way to express their thoughts, not to mention giving advice to the government. Obedience blindly might be the best words to describe the people living in that period. However, in the new era, with more rights are given to the general public, people are changing their mind accordingly. They begin to say something in public instead of stubbornly listening to the authority. Webb is an excellent tool to help achieve this transformation within this background.With the advent of Webb, people are having a channel to easily express themselves. They can set up an account and apply their personal design to the home page. They can post words and pictures. These Webb contents do not limit to their daily life about what they have done and how they feel which are mainly shared with their f riends and family members. Webb users can also use the micro blob to comment on recent events happened in China and in the international scale. For example, after the plane crash MYNAH, many Webb users criticized the inappropriate behaviors of the Malaysia government and airplanes.Another example would be the lawsuit in 201 1. The driver, whose father is Gang Lie-a government official, was interrogated in court because he triggered a car accident, which caused one people dead and one people severely injured. Hundreds of Webb users posted on Internet their complaints because they thought the court was treating this criminal inequity due to his special social Status. This case reflects a big progress which not only means the government is giving more freedom to people, but also means people are more willing to discuss the current affair and becoming the masters of their own country.Still, I cannot deny that there are restrictions on Webb use. Offensive words and pornographic contents are definitely not allowed to exit on Webb. Besides, the regulation on political field is relatively strict compared to the policies used to regulate the Internet in other countries. However, even if there are certain amount of restrictions on the contents people can post, it is too a large degree progressive compared to before. The limitations are primarily in political area, especially when the reputation and safety of central government were threatened by aggressive speech on AIBO.If happened, the relevant accounts might be suspended and the posts would be deleted as soon as being found. Moreover, this Webb user might even be arrested if the post had caused a severely negative effect within the whole society. This is a comparatively strict punishment compared to the policies made on pornographic or fake news. To the latter one, the account might still be used. Only the specific vibe contains pornographic or violence contents would be deleted by the administrator. The policies in sensitive period in China, (for example, when minorities groups ere trying to split China) are harsh compared to that in normal times.The government is controlling Webb environment to stop the rumors, which aim to cause social panic. During that special period, Internet users even cannot post webs including sensitive words such as â€Å"split of China† â€Å"The independence of Tibet† or the names of the sensitive characters in the political fight. All in all, Chinese society is making progress in the new millennium, not only in terms of economics, but also in political and cultural area. The policy and laws enacted by the government guarantee freedom and democracy to the public.Chinese people's minds are opening to the world and becoming more autonomous accordingly. They use Webb to share their life, enjoy the rights they are accorded to help master the country. It is not possible for the social organization or government to block a piece of news they do not want the public to know any more. With the extensive use of Webb, all the information around them and directly affect them would spread quickly and has a significant effect within the whole society. People have already stepped into a new era with the extensive use of Webb and the old days will never come back.

How Iceland Was Formed Essay

Iceland, situated on top of a hotspot experiences severe volcanic activity one of the most well known eruptions was in 2010 when Eyjafjallajokull erupted seriously disrupting European air traffic. Iceland is situated is situated in the mid Atlantic ridge a seam in the Earth’s surface under the North Atlantic Ocean where the Eurasian and North American plates slide apart. This island has more than 200 volcanoes which is thought to be what created this island. This picture shows that Iceland sits on a constructive plate boundary as the newest parts of the island are right in the middle of the island, in fact, the new parts are in such a way that you could probably make out whereabouts the boundary is in relation to island. This theory is also confirmed by the way that the oldest parts of the island are right on the outside of Iceland. This picture shows where island is in relation to the mid Atlantic ridge and as you can see it is almost right in the middle of it. This picture also shows that the plates are moving away from each other, suggesting that the mid ocean ridge is going to get bigger as time goes on. Which means Iceland could expand a bit as well. This picture shows an aerial picture of a fissure zone in Thingvellir, Iceland, that is a land exposure in the mid Atlantic ridge. To the right of the fissure is the North American plate pulling west away from the Eurasian plate which is to the left of the fissure.

William Shakespeare Context Essays - Shakespearean Histories

William Shakespeare Context Essays - Shakespearean Histories William Shakespeare Context Context William Shakespeare is likely the most influential writer in the English language. The son of a mildly successful glove-maker, Shakespeare was born in 1564 in Stratford-upon-Avon in northern England. He married in 1582 and had three children. Around 1590, at the height of the English Renaissance, he left his family behind and traveled to London to work as an actor and playwright. Both public and critical success quickly followed. Shakespeare's career bridged the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I, and he was a favorite of both monarchs. James granted Shakespeare and his company the greatest possible compliment by making them the king's players. Shakespeare died in 1616 at the age of fifty-two, the author of numerous sonnets and 38 remarkable plays, some of which were not only inarguably brilliant, but so influential as to effect the course of literature and culture ever after. From time to time controversies flare up about whether Shakespeare, a man of middling education and stature, could possibly be the author of such incredible literature. Many theories are forwarded, offering the credit of authorship to such diverse figures as Sir Francis Bacon, Edward de Vere, or the Earl of Oxford. But in the absence of definitive proof that Shakespeare is not the author of the work credited to him, Shakespeare will continue to be assessed as one of the preeminent artists the human race has ever produced. 1 Henry IV is one of Shakespeare's so-called history plays; it forms the second part of a tetralogy, or four-part series, which deals with the historical rise of the English royal House of Lancaster. (The play which comes before it is Richard II; it is followed by 2 Henry IVthat is, Henry IV Part 2and Henry V.) The play was probably composed in the years 1596-1597. Set around the years 1400-1403, the action of 1 Henry IV takes place two centuries before Shakespeare's own time. In general, it follows real events and uses historical people, although Shakespeare significantly alters or invents history where it suits him. For instance, the historical Hotspur was not the same age as Prince Hal, and Shakespeare's Mortimer is a conflation of two different historical people. The play refers importantly back to the history covered in its prequel, Richard II, and a quick review of the events of that work might prove helpful in understanding its characters' motivations. Among Shakespeare's most famous creations is Falstaff, Prince Hal's fat, aged, and criminally degenerate mentor and friend. His wit is legendary and irreverent. Falstaff has many historical precedents: he owes much to archetypes like the figure of Vice from the medieval morality plays and Gluttony from the seven deadly sins pageants; the arrogant soldier (miles gloriosus) from classical Roman comedy; and the Lord of Misrule from folk festival tradition (see the Norton Anthology). But ultimately he is a unique creation, second among Shakespearean characters only to Hamlet as an object of critical interest. The play mixes history and comedy innovatively, moving from high scenes of kings and battles to low scenes of ruffians in taverns and engaged in robberies. Its larger themes include the nature of kingship, honor, and loyalty; its great strengths include a remarkable richness and variety of texture, a fascinatingly ambiguous take on history and on political motivations, and a new kind of characterization, as found in the inimitable Falstaff. Summary King Henry IV, the aging king of England, is very disappointed in his son: everybody in the land knows that Prince Hal, the heir to the throne, spends most of his time in taverns on the seedy side of London, hanging around with highwaymen and vagrants. His closest friend among the rascally crew is Falstaff, a sort of substitute father figure; a worldly, fat old man who steals and lies for a living, Falstaff is also an extraordinarily witty person, who lives with great gusto. Trouble is brewing in England. A discontented family of noblemen, the Percys, starts to plan a rebellion against the King. This family, which helped King Henry rise to power, is angry because they feel the King has forgotten his debts to them. The Percy forces are headed by young Harry Percy, called Hotspur. Hotspur is a youth of Prince Hal's own age, but is

Most Important Symbols in The Great Gatsby, Analyzed

Most Important Symbols in The Great Gatsby, Analyzed SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Have you ever come across an object or an image in a book that was really over-described? That the author seemed way too over-invested in? Most of the time, that feeling is a hint that what you've encountered is a symbol! The Great Gatsby features many objects and images that pop up exactly like this. But how do you interpret Great Gatsby symbols once you've found them? And how can you find symbols that don't have as much signposting around them? In this article, I'll take you through an explanation of what symbols are, how to locate them, and how to write about them. I'll also point you to in-depth articles about each of the most important symbols in The Great Gatsby. Roadmap to This Article What are symbols and why do authors use them? How do you find symbols in a work of fiction? Tips and advice for writing essays about symbols Links to our detailed, in-depth discussions about the key symbols in The Great Gatsby Quick Note on Our Citations Our citation format in this guide is (chapter.paragraph). We're using this system since there are many editions of Gatsby, so using page numbers would only work for students with our copy of the book. To find a quotation we cite via chapter and paragraph in your book, you can either eyeball it (Paragraph 1-50: beginning of chapter; 50-100: middle of chapter; 100-on: end of chapter), or use the search function if you're using an online or eReader version of the text. What Is a Symbol? Think about your own life. You probably save mementos from travel, or meaningful events, because they represent the experience or your connection a person rather than simply because they are airplane tickets or dried flowers. Just like these mementos are symbols of your feelings, memories, or hopes, so a symbol in a work of literature is something concrete that stands for an abstract idea. In other words, it's when an object, a character, or a place doesn't just represent that type of object, but also evokes a feeling or a concept. This means that symbols have several layers of meaning, most of which are often hidden at first. What you are doing when you interpret a symbol is going above and beyond the object's literal definition to see a deeper, less obvious meaning. Remember, symbols do not always have the same meaning or interpretation, so a particular symbol's significance varies depending on context between different works, or even within the same work. Symbols vs. Motifs A symbol isn't the same thing as a motif. A symbol occurs once or a few times, but a motif runs through the whole work. A symbol tends to be something concrete that represents or stands for an abstract idea or concept, but a motif's meaning typically comes from the different ways and situations in which it recurs. For example, in The Great Gatsby, one important symbol is the green light on Daisy's dock, which is a concrete object that also represents the abstract concepts of yearning and the American Dream. Those same themes are also connected to one of the novel's many motifs- Gatsby's verbal tic of calling everyone "old sport." This phrase isn't a symbol, but its oddness point to the not-quite-successful way Gatsby is trying to act like the social elite. That being said, you could always make the case that a particularly resonant instance of a motif is in itself a symbol of some idea! In literary analysis, to the maker of the best argument go the spoils. Symbols vs. Themes A symbol isn't the same thing as a theme. Symbols are objects that carry a literal and one or several figurative meanings, while themes are central ideas that can usually be summed up in a word or a phrase. Symbols help explain themes, demonstrate varying versions of a theme, or build emotional richness into the way a theme works in the book you're reading. For example, one theme in The Great Gatsby is "morality and ethics." But we can't know what the novel wants us to think about morality or ethics until we notice that the only symbolic representation of a higher moral power in the book is the inanimate billboard of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg. This symbol represents a lack of moral oversight in the world of the novel. This crown: a symbol of monarchy? Of imperial oppression? Of unbearable ostentatiousness? Depends on the context. Why Do Authors Use Symbols? At its core, a symbol is a literary device that enhances fiction by building richness and adding color, depth, and realism. Rather than having the author have to explain everything in a heavy-handed way, symbols allow readers to discover connections between characters, bits of plot, and different settings on their own. Authors also use symbolism to tie certain things that may initially seem unimportant to overarching themes, or to connect disparate objects or places to unify a work- all without having to be didactic or moralizing. For example, in The Great Gatsby, the symbol of the valley of ashes connects West and East Egg to the industrial poverty that the rich Long Islanders would rather simply ignore. Finally, symbols create a more active and engaging reading experience for you! Hunting for symbols and interpreting their meaning makes you think, and it also makes you have a much more visceral, emotional reaction to the abstract ideas central to the book. In the case of The Great Gatsby, watching Gatsby reach in vain for the green light makes us feel his yearning much more than if the author had simply written, "Gatsby wanted to reunite with Daisy." How Do You Find Symbols? Mostly likely, your assignment will pick out specific symbols for you to analyze. However, often teachers ask you to find and explore a symbol of your own choosing. So how do you know what's just a thing and what is imbued with a deeper meaning? Symbols Are Everywhere First, you have to realize that almost anything can be a symbol. Place. Often a setting isn't simply a location where events happen. Sometimes it's also a shorthand, evocative way of representing a particular set of people or their ideas. For example, in The Great Gatsby, Myrtle's Manhattan apartment isn't simply a place for her to host parties, but it also stands for her ambition and aspiration to leave her working-class life behind. More globally, it stands for the vulgar approximation of the upper class that the East Egg crowd scorns and mocks. Object. This is probably the most common type of symbol- a thing that carries meaning over and above its inherent thing-ness. In this novel, almost every object described at any length can be seen a symbol. Think, for instance, of the ridiculously expensive pearl necklace Tom gives Daisy before their wedding. He means it to be symbolic of his love for her, but it is also clearly a symbol of the way he uses his wealth to control other people (something he will later do with Myrtle). More globally, it symbolizes the rich using their money to get their way. Action. Sometimes, a character's actions, gestures, ways of speaking, or behaviors are themselves symbolic, representing an idea about that character alone, or about a group of similar people. One of Gatsby's most telling gestures is the outstretched arm pose he does several times in the book (like at the end of Chapter 1 or in the beginning of Chapter 8). One of Gatsby's most defining characteristics is his striving drive to attain Daisy's love and a position in the upper class- basically, a life that's just out of reach. His habitual gesture of reaching for the ungraspable symbolizes this trait. Person. Infrequently, a character can also function as a symbol of a greater idea. This is literary device is hard to pull off, because making a person into a symbol tends to take away at least some of their individuality and personhood. This is exactly what happens in The Great Gatsby, where Daisy is at once herself (lover to Gatsby, cousin to Nick, wife to Tom, mother to Pammy), and also a symbol of the American Dream and its flaws. Is adjusting a cufflink: a symbol of impeccable taste? Prissy fussiness? Anxiety? Depends on who is doing it and why. Universally Meaningful Symbols Some symbols are culturally universal. That means that in almost every place, these objects will have layers of meaning built into them. So feel free to interpret these universally meaningful symbols in any work you come across! Here are some examples: Colors. Most civilizations imbue colors with meaning, although that meaning is by no means always the same either from one culture to another, or even within the same culture. For instance, think about the way we perceive the color red. It can sometimes represent a warning (red means stop), but at other times, it's a symbol of love and passion (red roses mean romance). In our case, The Great Gatsby places lots of significance on the color green, for example, which is associated both with hope and with sickness and death. Celestial Bodies. The moon, the sun, stars- these are all potential symbols. They don't play as prominent a role in The Great Gatsby as they do in some other books, but you can still find a lot of significance in the way the moon tends to illuminate the truth. It's particularly evident in Chapters 8 and 9, when the moon makes Gatsby look like a criminal to Nick after Myrtle's murder, and when Nick imagines East Egg as a creepy El Greco painting or as the lush shore Dutch sailors would have seen. Plants, Nature, Weather Events, or Bodies of Water. If it's naturally-occurring, and if it intersects with the characters in any way, chances are it can be read as a symbol of something. Weather, in particular, plays a key function in this novel, especially when in extreme situations, like when Gatsby and Daisy's reunion is almost ruined by a downpour, or when the tense confrontation in the Plaza Hotel is made even more excruciating by the unrelenting heat. In each case, the weather can be interpreted as a symbol for the characters' emotions. Body Parts. It's not surprising that humans find other humans' bodies to be of particular significance. Whenever a book pays a lot of attention to hands, eyes, lips, or any other part of the body, there are bound to be layers of meaning behind it. In this novel, bodies are very important symbols of how characters are perceived. Whether it's Myrtle's gruesomely graphic corpse which speaks to the many ways her body is mistreated, or Daisy's siren-like voice, which points to the way Gatsby sees her more as a mythically desirable prize than as a real live person, body parts are meaningful. Discrete and Original Symbols Many symbols aren't ones that have universal associations, but are instead more idiosyncratic and book-specific. Here are some tips for how to locate these less obvious Great Gatsby symbols. Lingering Description. Pay close attention to places or objects that are described at length, especially if the novel comes back to them multiple times, or if their description has a key element that slips its boundaries and starts being applied to other things. For example, in The Great Gatsby, the valley of ashes is a strange, dusty, gray place that is never referred to by its real place name (Queens), or some made-up town name (like West Egg and East Egg), but is instead given this Biblically-inflected nickname. Not only that, but the dust and ash that cover everything in this place are also said to coat the people that live there- so much so that even when George leaves his garage, he is still described as "ashen" (8.110). Incongruity. Anything that is either completely out of place in its surroundings, or is creepy, confusing, mysterious, or discomfiting in some way is probably a symbol. For example, the billboard with the eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg clearly unnerves everyone who looks at it. And it's totally out of place: it's the only colorful object in the gray valley of ashes, and it's advertising something that is no longer being sold. Character Obsession. Anything that one of the main characters is fixated on is probably a symbol. In our case, Gatsby's unyielding focus on the green light at the end of Daisy's dock clearly marks this as no ordinary shore marker for night sailing. Why is that chair not like the others? What does symbolize by standing out? Tips and Advice for Writing About Symbols Most of your assignments will ask you to analyze a symbol and explore its significance in the novel. So how do you do this well? There are two different types of essay you can build. How to Write an Essay Built Around Close-Readings This kind of essay is a great way to show your engagement with the text. Because you'll stay so close to what is on the page, you'll be protected from making your essay too broad, generalized, and unsupported by evidence. How do you write this kind of essay? When you're planning your essay, look for each instance of the symbol you'll be discussing. One good way to do this is to use an online, searchable version of the text here (like this one or this one), and search for keywords associated with your symbol. Remember to first read the book all the way through to know what you're looking for, and to try several versions of your keyword when searching. When you're writing your essay: First, build out from the instances of the symbol you found. Discuss the symbol's meaning in each context, paying close attention to the author's word choice, sentence structure, and any literary devices like similes or metaphors. How does the symbol stay the same with each appearance? How does it change between appearances? What does this change or lack or change demonstrate? Second, link the symbol to its larger meaning within the novel through these choices the author made about the way the symbol is described. What theme or themes is this symbol is connected to? What does it represent for the characters associated with it? How can you tell? How to Write an Essay Built Around an Argument This type of essay is great if you're making a statement about why a symbol is the way that it is, or why it's being used to represent what it represents. You can use it to show your understanding of the book as a whole. How do you write this kind of essay? First, follow the same planning steps as the close-reading essay above. Then: Make an argument. It's not enough to just describe the symbol and explain its possible meanings. Instead, you have to make sure that you're making some kind of point about why/how the symbol works. How do you know if you're making an argument and not just saying the obvious? If you can imagine someone arguing the opposite of what you're saying, then you've got an argument on your hands. Work from the text out. You'll still need to do a certain amount of close reading to nail this essay, so start small by analyzing chunks of the text where the symbol pops up, and then broadening your points out to the rest of the book. This way, your argument will be strengthened by textual evidence rather than seeming to come out of nowhere Don't overthink it. For example, it's fine to argue that the green light on Daisy's dock stands for delusional optimism- but it definitely doesn't stand for environmental degradation. Watch out for stretching your symbol analysis too far from what the text is telling you. Do these paintbrushes symbolize creativity? Sure. A wealth of resources? Maybe. Industrialist waste? Probably not. Analyzing The Great Gatsby Symbols This novel is very rich, symbol-wise. For in-depth discussion of the most important object symbols, check out our articles on: The green light on Daisy's dock The valley of ashes The eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg Some characters (primarily the women) are often treated as symbols as well. For more on how that works, read our guides to: Daisy Buchanan Myrtle Wilson The Bottom Line A symbol in a work of literature is something concrete that stands for an abstract idea. A symbol isn't the same thing as a motif, since a motif's meaning typically comes from the different ways and situations in which it recurs. A symbol isn't the same thing as a theme, which is a central idea that can usually be summed up in a word or a phrase. Authors use symbols to help explain themes, demonstrate varying versions of a theme, or build emotional richness into the way a theme works in the book you're reading. Almost anything can be a symbol: a place, an object, an action, or even a person. Some symbols are culturally universal, like colors, celestial bodies, plants and nature, or parts of the body. Many symbols are book-specific symbols. You can find them by paying attention to any objects that are described at length, are out of place in its surroundings, are creepy, confusing, mysterious, or discomfiting in some way, or are obsessed over by one or more characters. Most of your assignments will ask you to analyze a symbol and explore its significance in the novel. You can either write an essay built around close-readings, analyzing how the different ways a symbol is described in the novel connects it to a specific theme. Or you can write an essay built around an argument, where you prove a particular interpretation of a symbol in the book. What's Next? Learn how to write about the themes in The Great Gatsby that symbols are usually linked to. Explore the differences between symbols and motifs further in our overview of The Great Gatsby's motifs. Brush up on the context of these symbols with our summary of The Great Gatsby. Get help on other assignments by reading our guides on analyzing or comparing and contrasting characters and learning how to identify personification, imagery, tone words, and rhetorical devices. Need help building your vocabulary to analyze other works of literature? We teach you all the literary devices you must know, the literary elements that appear in every story and first/second/third person POV here. If you're analyzing poetry (or Shakespeare), you'll also want to check out our articles on iambic pentameter and assonance. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Analysis Of The Uk Renewable Energy Industry Environmental Sciences Essay

Analysis Of The Uk Renewable Energy Industry Environmental Sciences Essay Renewable energy is the energy generated from natural resources such as biomass, sunlight, wind, rain, tides, and geothermal heat, which are renewable, that is, naturally replenished(Wikipedia, 2010). Renewable energy technologies are essential contributors to energy supply portfolio, as they contribute to world energy security, reduce dependency on fossil fuels, and provide opportunities for mitigating greenhouse gases (IEA, 2007). Renewable energy is also considered by some to be a potentially significant contributor toward the economic development of rural areas, a means of reducing poverty through the creation of employment and improving the quality of lives (Mark et al, 2008). Renewable energy sources were very unpopular in the past decades because of their comparative cost disadvantage. With the exception of large hydropower, combustible biomass, and larger geothermal projects, the average cost of renewable energy are generally not competitive with the wholesale electricity an d fossil fuel prices(IEA, 2007). However, this decade has witnessed a tremendous development in renewable energy sector. The rising oil prices, issue of global warming , carbon gas emission, terrorism and political instability in many oil producing countries in the middle east are the major forces driving this development. The International Energy Agency estimates that nearly 50% of global electricity supplies will need to come from renewable energy sources in order to reduce carbon dioxide emission by 50% by 2050 and minimise significant, irreversible climate change impacts (IEA, 2008). During the five- years period from the end of 2004 -2009, worldwide renewable energy grew at the rates of 10-60% for many technologies (REN21, 2010). In 2008 for the first time, more renewable energy than convectional power capacity was added in both European Union and United States, demonstrating â€Å"a fundamental transition† of the world’s energy markets towards renewable (Eric et al, 2009). Renewable energy sector is growing at a very amazing rate in UK. Between 2003 and 2009 there was 138 per cent increase in power generation from renewables in the UK, but faster rates of growth were recorded in Northern Ireland (702 per cent), East Midlands (268 per cent), North East (211 per cent), Scotland (188 per cent), South East (146 per cent) and Yorkshire and the Humber (139 per cent) (DECC, 2010). Higher growth rate is expected in the next decade. This can be inferred from the fact that power generation from the UK’s oil and gas and nuclear reactors have been on a long-term downward trend and tend towards the end of their life span (Keynote, 2008). As a result, UK government has devised a comprehensive approach to support the development of the renewable energy sector through the UK renewable energy strategy 2009. Renewable energy in UK is supported through a range of measures. The renewable obligation Order requires electricity suppliers to purchase a spec ified amount of the electricity they supply from renewable sources (Keynote, 2010). Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) are obtained to demonstrate that renewable sources have been used. The climate change levy is a fossil-fuel tax from which exemptions can be obtained by using certain renewable technologies. Capital grants are available for research and development for a wide range of renewable energy projects. Grants are also available for the cultivation of energy crops. Obviously, these are good incentives to stimulate investments in renewable energy. However, investors need assurance that these incentives and subsidies will be available over a larger part of the product life cycle and not just trap-in-incentives. This will enable renewable energy companies to build a more stable and viable strategic plan to take best advantage of the incentives.

Clean room assignment engineering practice Lab Report

Clean room assignment engineering practice - Lab Report Example The next step in the fabrication process is to create the buried channels by implanting phosphorous ions in areas that will eventually be covered by polysilicon gate electrodes. The n-type semiconductor formed by phosphorus contains negatively charged electrons as the primary charge carriers and forms a pn-type diode structure, which serves to localize potential wells deep beneath the silicon/silicon dioxide interface. The potential well illustrated in the central portion of Figure 1 is a schematic drawing of the diode structure. The primary function of the buried channel is to localize integrated electrons away from the silicon/silicon dioxide interface, where they can become trapped during charge transfer. By localizing charge deep within the p-type silicon substrate, transfer of charge occurs more efficiently with a minimum of residual charge remaining in the gate. After the buried channels are formed within the silicon substrate, a layer of silicon dioxide is thermally grown on the silicon wafer surface to provide an insulating base for the gate electrodes. Next, a phosphorous-doped layer of polycrystalline silicon (polysilicon) about 5,000 angstroms thick is grown on top of the oxide layer. This layer of polysilicon comprises the gate electrodes (see Figure 1) and is transparent to visible light, making it an ideal substance for use in CCDs. Although, the fabrication of a complete CCD takes additional steps, the basics of the MOS capacitor assembly have been completed at this point." I Vs V Characteristics (According to M.Aceves, O.Malik, V. Grimalsky V.5 No. 2 (2004) P. 236-237), National Institute for Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics ( INAOE), Electronics Department.) The dynamic I-V characteristics of these MOS structures when linear voltage sweep (60 v/ sec) was applied to the metallic semitransparent gate is shown in the diagrams below. Dynamic I-V Characteristics of fabricated MOS capacitor with silicon dioxide as insulator with positive (above) and negative (below) charge recorded when a triangular sweep voltage ( 60 v/s) was applied to the gate. References Process specialities Inc Davidson Michael - National High Magnetic Field Laboratory,1800 East Paul Dirac Dr, The Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 32310 Aceves, Malik, Grimalsky - National Institute for Astrophysics, Optics and Electronics ( INAOE), Electronics Department, P.O 51 AND 216, Puebla, Pue, Mexico. Physics and

Managing High Performance commons assessment Essay

Managing High Performance commons assessment - Essay Example The firm also has to identify appropriate personnel to be promoted to management positions. This will be the focus of this paper. Performance management is defined by Armstrong as â€Å"the process of establishing shared understanding about what is to be achieved and how it is to be achieved, and an approach to managing and developing people that improves individual, team and organizational performance† (2009 p. 55). This implies that an organization has some goals or objectives to be achieved and these should be shared by all employees. In other words, employees should strive towards achieving company goals if the company is to have sustained success. However, employees are different and as such have different performance levels. Some are high performers while others are low performers and the managers should deal with low performance as early as possible for the success of the company. According to Cardy and Leonard (2011 p 137-138) it is not only low performance that needs to be checked but also high performance to understand success factors and enhance them. Rewarding high performance is also essent ial in ensuring the company maintains best talent by keeping such employees motivated. One way to achieve this goal is through promotions and recognitions. The first question that managers need to ask themselves is; who are the high performers? In this case, as a consultant I would advice the management to have a carefully devised job description which outlines what is to be performed, standards of performance, and how to measure performance (Armstrong 2009). The goals or standards against which performance is to be measured should be a mutual understanding between management and employees so that they can own up the process and be able to assess their own performance. Those who achieve beyond the expected standards are considered high performance and are best suited for promotions.

Obeservation of Users Experience of Samsung Galaxy Phones Essay

Obeservation of Users Experience of Samsung Galaxy Phones - Essay Example An important series feature of this series is that it has android operating system with high speed processors up to GHZ speed. Besides, it supports 3G. Galaxy series phone models are available in both LED and LCD displays. The nine smart phone models which include in the Samsung Galaxy series is (a) Samsung Galaxy 5i5503 (b) Samsung Galaxy Prop (c) Samsung Galaxy 55115510 (d) Samsung Galaxy Fit S5670 (e) Samsung Galaxy Pro B7510 (f) Samsung Galaxy 315801 (g) Samsung Galaxy Ace S5830 (h) Samsung Galaxy S19000 (i) and Samsung Galaxy S II. Samsung Galaxy S II is the latest model. Praises for this phone includes statements like: â€Å"Few words for this handset â€Å"Simply the best Smart phone,† yes it is a best Android Powered smart phone with furious and blazing features. It is the successor of Galaxy S, with some improvements† (9 Smartphones in Samsung Galaxy Series [Review & Prices], 2011). The price of this series comes in the range of 165 to 619.98.The latest version Galaxy has online readers functions. The security functions of the Galaxy are much developed, including device encryption in the latest Galaxy series. It also has a feature of Cisco Web EX with the help of this technology a secure online meeting can be done. Dual Core Application Processor: The equipment has high speed capabilities to support multitasking. It also enables high speed web page loading and other features like image editing high speed gaming etc. With these capabilities it facilitates high performance and has a very slim design which makes it very handy for use. It is about 8.49mm and easy to grip. It has a look with its battery cover. A huge gallery of song and music can be stored in this, including online searching, discovering, and downloading track with ease. There are also many applications available on Samsung store for better performance software which we can download and installed without any difficulty. The music system is bass enhanced and gives good quality even at highest volume of sound. Samsung mobile can transfer data by using Microsoft exchange server which keeps the user up to date with contacts, events and so on. Another improvement is the concern about security and its management. Samsung and Sybase work together for managing and securing the android devices. â€Å"This partnership provides the comprehensive capabilities that it requires to allow mobile workers access to enterprise assets using the Samsung GALAXY S II. It can now confidently extend corporate security policies to the Samsung Android platform, allowing for the adoption of both personally owned and corporate owned GALAXY S II’s† (Simply the Best Smartphone!, 1995). â€Å"Making the impossible possible. Samsung Dual Core Application Processor is the ultra responsive answer to mobile performance, providing high-speed multitasking, quick web page loading, quick reaction speeds, a smoother UI, lightning fast image editing and high performance gaming. An d with its screaming fast encoding/decoding ability, which supports all (1080p/30fps) video playing and shooting, outshines the other dual core processors. Seamless video or music streaming gets a big boost with the super fast wireless standard HSPA 21Mbps. outstanding computing power, outstanding performance† (Samsung Galaxy S Review, 2006, p. 1). Thoughts, Feelings and Process: The

External Business Enviroment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

External Business Enviroment - Essay Example De Rome (2006) describes environment as the surroundings where a person or an entity gets influenced. This means the circumstances that surround us are the environment. Same as we perceive the surroundings, the businesses gets affected the same way. Environment is very important when we discuss the nature of the business and its location. Perhaps, the environment controls businesses and can either make them profitable or else shut these off. The word external is described as any force, issue, person, or anything connected to outside, (Bradley C. Karkkainen, 1994 ; William H. Rodgers, 1994). This refers to everything that is connected with the exterior of a certain thing, is called external. External in this report, will be discussed with reference to the forces that influence a change in the business environment and its strategies. U.K. is a well stabled, prosper and a developed nation, and that’s a major reason behind many businessmen who want to invest in United Kingdom. United Kingdom’s environment is a business friendly and is also very welcoming to new trends, which makes the market profitable and every business find a way to the profits because of the cosmopolitan nature of the country. London is considered to be a magnet for global businesses and investors. Moreover, the European Union serves as an addition to the market of London. Businessmen just intend to enter in to the single largest market of the world, with the world leading financial services of the world. By now, it is fairly understood that how is the U.K. environment in terms of businesses, operate and why are the investors so keen to invest in the pool.

Right to die Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Right to die - Essay Example The golden rule applies to the majority of people since many people are unable to justify the treatment of an individual through certain ways. However, distinctive treatment applies when one is willing to admit the treatment of the other person through justification when positions reverse (Rachels, 1986). Therefore, according to Rachel’s arguments and use of the golden rule, Euthanasia only applies when one person admits to treating the other with the same measure as he or she receives the same treatment. On the other hand, Kant’s issues on morality and the golden rule regards as a major historical alternative to utilitarianism. Kant sought expressions of all morality in a single principle that viewed sophisticated versions of the golden rule. Besides, emphasis on Euthanasia need to act on rules applied globally while behaving like everyone else. The idea applies to one supreme principle of morality called categorical imperative. The principle represents Euthanasia since it demonstrates maximum acts of individuals at the same time according to the universal law on the rights to die. Moreover, emphasis applies in demonstrating individual actions while making decisions to focus on general rules that everyone is willing to follow before making any decisions (Rachels,

Employer of Choice Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Employer of Choice - Assignment Example ng the five most important elements or criteria that I look for in a prospective employer are those factors which fit my lifestyle, accommodate my need for a personal life outside of work, and are also flexible. Health Benefits- Health insurance is becoming increasingly more important as the cost of health care continues to rise. Health insurance, though not something we use every day, can be considered a form of personal risk management, spreading risk out among a number of individuals, thereby preventing the possibility of personal catastrophe should something happen. This is a high priority when I am choosing potential employers. Opportunity for promotion and growth. With goals of moving up the corporate ladder it is important that the company that employee’s me allows me the opportunity to expand and increase my skills and abilities, preventing any position from becoming stale as I strive to take advantage of promotion opportunities and positions offering more responsibility. A wage or salary comparable to the median to upper range for the type of position that I am seeking. Because I know that I am well trained and educated in my field I expect to be compensated on a level between the median and upper level as reported by various consulting companies. A company that is financially secure and solid. A company that is well established and strong will ensure that there is less risk of layoffs, closure’s and staff reductions, while also providing more opportunity for professional growth. Edward Jones is currently seeking financial advisers and branch operators and provides extensive training in order for their employees to be successful. They also offer generous benefit packages, employees have schedules that promote a healthy family lifestyle, offer extremely competitive wages and as a company are financially solid and secure. Edward Jones is also rated number five by Fortune Magazine in 2012’s best companies to work for (Jiminez). Though Boston

Right to die Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Right to die - Essay Example The golden rule applies to the majority of people since many people are unable to justify the treatment of an individual through certain ways. However, distinctive treatment applies when one is willing to admit the treatment of the other person through justification when positions reverse (Rachels, 1986). Therefore, according to Rachel’s arguments and use of the golden rule, Euthanasia only applies when one person admits to treating the other with the same measure as he or she receives the same treatment. On the other hand, Kant’s issues on morality and the golden rule regards as a major historical alternative to utilitarianism. Kant sought expressions of all morality in a single principle that viewed sophisticated versions of the golden rule. Besides, emphasis on Euthanasia need to act on rules applied globally while behaving like everyone else. The idea applies to one supreme principle of morality called categorical imperative. The principle represents Euthanasia since it demonstrates maximum acts of individuals at the same time according to the universal law on the rights to die. Moreover, emphasis applies in demonstrating individual actions while making decisions to focus on general rules that everyone is willing to follow before making any decisions (Rachels,

Speech Social Media Essay Example for Free

Speech Social Media Essay Assalamualaikum and Good evening Puan Wan Narmi Aziana Wan Abdullah our lecturer and my lovely friends. My name is Noor Adibah Binti Abdul Hamid. The reason why I’m standing here because I would like to tell about the advantages and disadvantages of Social Media. First of all, I would like tell you what is social media. Social media is the social interaction among people in which they create, share or exchange information and ideas in virtual communities and networks. Andreas Kaplan and Michael Haenlein define social media as a group of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2. 0 and that allow the creation and exchange of user-generated content. Think of regular media as a one-way street where you can read a newspaper or listen to a report on television, but you have very limited ability to give your thoughts on the matter. Social media, on the other hand, is a two-way street that gives you the ability to communicate too. Here I will give 3 advantages of social media such as worldwide connectivity, real-time information sharing and free advertising. 1. Worldwide Connectivity No matter if you are searching for that former college roommate, your first grade teacher, or an international friend, there is no easier or faster way to make a connection than via the social network. Although Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and MySpace are probably the most well known social networking communities, there are new websites popping up regularly that are dedicated to allowing people to connect and to interact via the Internet. Through such sites, individuals make new friends or business connections or extend their personal base by connecting and interacting with friends of friends and so forth. These connections can help one with a variety of things such as: Finding romance Seeking a new job Locating assistance Getting and giving product and service referrals Receiving support from like-minded individuals Making or receiving advice on career or personal issues In many ways, social communities are the virtual equivalent of meeting at the general store or at church socials to exchange news and get updated on friends and families. Snail mail pen pals have been replaced by virtual avatars and private messages sent via the social network. 2. Real-Time Information Sharing Many social networking sites incorporate an instant messaging feature, which means you can exchange information in real-time via a chat. This is a great feature for teachers to use to facilitate classroom discussions. A study by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation shows these networks can be used as effective vehicles for students to pursue self-paced online learning. In addition, the Internet is the ultimate online textbook. Students no longer need to take out six library books at a time. Much of what they need to know they can find online. School is not the only setting where this type of real-time information sharing can be beneficial. Social networking can provide a tool for managers to utilize in team meetings, for conference organizers to use to update attendees and for business people to use as a means of interacting with clients or prospects. 3. Free Advertising Whether you are non-profit organization who needs to get the word out about your upcoming fundraiser or a business owner marketing a new product or service, theres no better way to get your message in front of millions of people 24/7. The best part is it that you can spread the word through social networking profiles for free. You can promote one product, service or idea or many because you are limited only by the amount of time you wish to invest in the endeavor. There’s also a disadvantages of social media such as face to face connections are endangered, risk of fraud or identity theft and time waster. 1. Face to Face Connections are Endangered A huge advantage of these social communities has a reverse side effect that  is also a big disadvantage of social networking: they reduce or eliminate face-to-face socialization. Because of the autonomy afforded by the virtual world, individuals are free to create a fantasy persona and can pretend to be someone else. It is hard to say no, be rude, or ignore someone when you are looking them in the eye. Its incredibly easy and quick to unfriend or unfollow someone or simply block their efforts to make a connection. Just one click of the mouse and your problems are over. Unfortunately, this feature of online socialization cheats people of the opportunity to learn how to resolve conflicts in the world outside the Internet and it could retard or cripple ones social skills developments. Tweens and teens are at higher risk because those years are when they are learning to interact with others or build and maintain relationships. A report from the National School Boards Association shows that of the children in these age groups that use a social network, 41 percent spend their time posting messages. They are not spending this time in face-to-face interactions with their peers or others nor are they developing the necessary social skills for future success. 2. Risks of Fraud or Identity Theft Whether you like it or not, the information you post on the Internet is available to almost anyone who is clever enough to access it. Most thieves need just a few vital pieces of personal information to make your life a nightmare and if they successfully steal your identity, it could cost you dearly. A report on CNET reveals over 24 million Americans put their personal information at risk by posting it on public sites such as social communities. 3. Time Waster A Nielsen report explains that social networking can be a big waste of time that sucks 17 percent of our Internet time down the non-productivity drain. While it is true that some of that time is likely spent in making and maintaining important business, social or professional connections, it is also true that it is easy to become distracted and end up spending valuable time on games, chats or other non-related activities. Dorie Clark of the Huffington Post reports Facebook users spend about six hours each month  on the site, while social networkers spend three times as much time on those communities as they do on other online activities like email. CONCLUSION Because networking in online social communities is still a relatively young online trend, whether or not social networking is harmful is still unknown. Like any other type of networking or social club with which individuals become involved, it is a good idea to do your homework and make sure that you know what you are getting into. Understand the terms of use, the rules and regulations, and be clear on issues like security and privacy. Take responsibility for your own safety and integrity and never join something just because it is trendy or all your friends are doing it. In evaluating the advantages and disadvantages of social networking, its best to err on the side of caution and information. After all, the lack of both can have a devastating effect. REFERENCES 1. Kaplan Andreas M., Haenlein Michael (2010). Users of the world, unite! The challenges and opportunities of social media. Business Horizons 53 (1). p. 61.doi:10.1016/j.bushor.2009.09.003. 2. Kietzmann, Jan; Kristopher Hermkens (2011). Social media? Get serious! Understanding the functional building blocks of social media. Business Horizons54: 241–251. doi:10.1016/j.bushor.2011.01.005. 3. file:///F:/Social%20media%20-%20Wikipedia,%20the%20free%20encyclopedia.html 4. file:///F:/What%20Is%20Social%20Media%20%20-%20Definition%20and%20Examples.html 5. file:///F:/Advantages%20and%20Disadvantages%20of%20Social%20Networking.html

Analysis Of Life Insurance Industry In India Economics Essay

Analysis Of Life Insurance Industry In India Economics Essay Since inception the Indian life insurance industry has its own origin and history. It has passed through many hurdles and hindrances in order to attain the present status. However, the income earning capacity of an individual citizen of a nation and the eagerness and awareness of the general public are the two key determinants of the growth of any insurance industry. In the Indian context, the insurance habits among the general public during the independence decade was rare and in the following decades, it has slowly increased. There was a remarkable improvement in the Indian insurance industry soon after the economic reform era (1991). After 1991 the Indian life insurance industry has geared up in all respects, as well as it is being forced to face a lot of healthy competition from many national as well as international private insurance players. In this paper we have analyzed the performance of LIC over a time period of 1980 to 2009, attempt has been made to analyse the overall performance of Life Insurance Industry of India between pre- and post economic reform era. To measure the current status, volume of competitions and challenges faced by the Life Insurance Corporation of India and to measure the effectiveness of investment strategy of LIC over the period 1980 to 2009. Data were analysed by using Regression, Trend Analysis and Anova. The study reveals that there is a tremendous growth in the performance of Indian Life Insurance industry and LIC due to the policy of LPG. Insurance industry also improved a lot due to the emergence of Private sector and opening up for foreign players. Further there is also a huge change in the investment pattern of LIC. There is a increasing trend toward the investment in Stock market by LIC from 60% to 93% from 1980 to 2009 due to the effective regulation of SEBI and increasing transparen cy of stock market. I. Introduction Life insurance is a contract for the payment of a sum of money to a person assured on happening of the event ensured against. Usually the contracts provide for the payment of the amount on a date of maturity or at a specified date at periodic intervals or at unfortunate death, if it occurs earlier. Life insurance is universally acknowledged to be an institution, which eliminates risk, substituting certainty for uncertainty and comes to the timely aid of the family in the unfortunate event of death of breadwinner. Life insurance is civilisations partial solution to the problems that caused by death. In short, life insurance is concerned with two hazards that stand across the life-path of every person: 1.That of dying prematurely is leaving a dependent family to fend for itself. 2. That of living till old age without visible means of support. The nationalization of insurance business in the country resulted in the establishment of Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) in 1956 as a wholly- owned corporation of the government of India. Indias life insurance market has grown rapidly over the past six years, with new business premiums growing at over 40% per year. The premium income of Indias life insurance market is set to double by 2012 on better penetration and higher incomes. Insurance penetration in India is currently about 4% of its GDP, much lower than the developed market level of 6-9%. In several segments of the population, the penetration is lower than potential. For example, in urban areas, the penetration of life insurance in the mass market is about 65%, and its considerably less in the low-income unbanked segment. In rural areas, life insurance penetration in the banked segment is estimated to be about 40%, while it is marginal at best in the unbanked segment. The total premium could go up to $80-100 billion by 2012 from the present $40 billion as higher per capita income increases per capita insurance intensity. The average household premium will rise to Rs 3,000-4,100 from the current Rs 1,300 as will penetration by the existing and new players. Indias ratio of life insurance premium to its GDP is around 4 per cent against 6-9 per cent in the developed world. It could rise to 5.1-6.2 by 2012 in tandem with the countrys demographic profile. India has 17 life insurers and the state owned Life Insurance Corp. of India dominates the industry with over 70 percent market share, though private players have been growing aggressively. Considering the worlds largest population and an annual growth rate of nearly 7 per cent, India offers great opportunities for insurers. US based online insurance company ebix.com plans to enter the Indian market following deregulation of its insurance sector. In a diverse country such as India it is imperative that a universal insurance infrastructure be created to maximize efficiency in the insurance industry. Online insurer ebix.com can offers the Indian market a business-to-consumer internet portal where consumers have more choice while purchasing insurance and an internet-based agency management system that will help agents work more efficiently with multiple carriers. Foreign holding in Indian insurance companies is limited to 26 per cent. The market is moving beyond single-premium policies and unit linked insurance products which are easier to sell. The agency model is the dominant sales channel accounting for more than 85 per cent of fresh premiums but overall inactivity and attrition is much higher at 50-55 per cent than the global average of 25 per cent. GIVE REFERENCE II. Review of Literature In the present section an attempt has been made to examine the review of literature related to the study. Rao, R.T.S. (2000) in this article had explained the phenomenal growth experienced by life insurance industries recently, in line with the countrys improving economic fundamentals. By comparing the growth, penetration, density and other insurance variables, he had shown that India is still an underdeveloped insurance market, it has a huge catch-up potential. According to him even though there is strong potential for expansion of insurance into rural areas, growth has so far remained slow. Considering that the bulk of the Indian population still resides in rural areas, it is imperative that the insurance industrys development should not miss this vast sector of the population. Goyal, K. (2004), in this article has reviewed that private insurance companies had reason to celebrate with the lifting of the sectoral cap in the insurance sector to 49 per cent in the Union Budget 2004-05, as against 26 per cent earlier. However, to offset the excitement, there was also an imposition of service tax of 10 per cent on the risk premium for life insurance, which has the industry with mixed feelings. The FDI hike has been a much-awaited plea of these companies, who believed that they could plough in more money into the business if their foreign partners were permitted an increased holding. Jain, A.K. (2004), revealed that Waves of liberalization have done wonders to proper the insurance occupation to the status of a career with a bright future. The average mindset, particularly of younger generation in India was very amenable to the changes in insurance as an avenue where exhilarating opportunities are opened up in changed environment. Krishnamurthy, S. (2005) in this article had reviewed that Insurance companies have a pivotal role in offering insurance products which meet the requirements of the people and, at the same time, are affordable. Some of the challenges faced by the insurance sector pertain to the demand conditions, competition in the sector, product innovations, delivery and distribution systems, use of technology, and regulation. With the liberalization and entry of private companies in insurance, the Indian insurance sector has started showing signs of significant change. Ray, Subhashish and Pathak, Ajay. (2006) opined that ever since the privatization of the insurance sector in India in 2000, the industries has been witnessing the birth of numerous private players, mostly joint ventures between foreign insurance giants and Indian diversified conglomerates and each one is trying to make an inroad into the huge untapped market. Sinha, Ram Pratap. (2007) opined that the deregulation of general insurance industry in India is having far-reaching consequences in terms of market size, structure and operational practices. As compared to the international standards the penetration level of general insurance companies in India is quite low and, therefore, has tremendous potential for growth. His analysis revealed that the public sector insurers dominate the private sector insurers in terms of mean technical efficiency in constant returns to scale, while the private sector insurers have a slightly higher mean technical efficiency than the public sector insurers in variable returns to scale. Goswami, P. (2007) in this article had reviewed that the insurance industry in India was opened up to private sector participation in the year 2000. Prior to this, Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) of India was the sole player in the life insurance industry in India. In six years since the entry of private players in the insurance market, LIC has lost 29% market share to the private players, although both, market size and the insurance premium being collected, are on the rise. In 2005, life insurance accounted for 79% of the total insurance market in India. It was found that the responsiveness dimension of service quality provides maximum customer satisfaction in the life insurance industry in India. Sabera. (2007) indicated that in March 2000, when the Government of India liberalized the insurance sector, lifted the entry restrictions for private insurance players, allowing the foreign players to enter into the market and start their operations in India. The entry of private players helps in spreading and keeping the operation in the Indian insurance sector which in turn results in restructuring and revitalizing of public sector companies. III. Research Methodology The research article is based upon descriptive as well as exploratory research. Secondary sources of data collection have been adopted for the study. The relevant and required data are collected from the text books, national and international articles, RBI Bulletin (various issues) as well as annual reports of LIC. The Statistical tools used in this research article are Correlation, Regression, ANOVA, the method of least squares and linear trend. The method of least square has been used for analysing the overall performance of Life Insurance Industry of India between pre- and post economic reform era and to measure the current status, volume of competitions and challenges faced by the Life Insurance Corporation of India. For processing the data and estimating the results, Excel, SPSS-16 packages have been used. Objectives: The following are the objectives of the present study To analyze the overall performance of Life Insurance Industry of India between pre- and post economic reform era To measure the current status, volume of competitions and challenges faced by the Life Insurance Corporation of India To measure the change in the effectiveness of the investment strategy of LIC over the period 1980 to 2009. Hypothesis: The study is based on the hypothesis that There is no significance difference in the performance of Life Insurance Industry between pre- and post economic reform era There is no significance Change in the pattern of the investment strategy of LIC over the period 1980 to 2009. Status and Position of Indian Life Insurance Industry in the pre LPG era In India, life insurance in its modern form came from England in the year 1818. The first life insurance was Oriental life insurance Company started by Europeans in Calcutta. All the insurance industries established during that period of time were brought up with the purpose of looking after the needs of European community and Indian natives were not being insured by these companies. Later on with the efforts of eminent people like Babu Muttylal Seal, the foreign life insurance companies started insuring Indian lives. But still Indian lives were being treated as sub-standard lives and heavy extra premiums were being charged on them. However in the year 1870, Bombay Mutual Life Assurance Society heralded the birth of first Indian life insurance company and covered Indian lives at normal rates. Starting as Indian enterprise with highly patriotic motives, insurance companies came into existence to carry the message of insurance and social security through insurance to various sectors of the society. Bharat Insurance Company (1896) was another one of such companies inspired by nationalism. The Swadeshi movement during 1905-1907 gave rise to more insurance companies. The United India in Madras, National Indian and National Insurance in Calcutta and the Co-operative Assurance at Lahore were established in 1906. In 1907, the Hindustan Co-operative Insurance Company took its birth in one of the rooms of the Jorasanko, house of the great poet Rabindra Nath Tagore, in Calcutta. The Indian Mercantile, General Assurance and Swadeshi Life (later Bombay Life) were some of the companies that established during the same period. Prior to 1912, India had no legislation to regulate insurance business. However in the year 1912, the Life Insurance Companies Act, and the Provident Fund Act were passed. The Life Insurance Companies Act, 1912 made it necessary that the premium rate tables and periodical valuations of companies should be certified by an actuary, but in actuall the Act discriminated between foreign and Indian companies on many accounts, putting the Indian companies at a disadvantage. The first two decades of the twentieth century saw lot of growth in insurance industries. From 44 companies with total business-in-force of Rs.22.44 crore, it rose to 176 companies with total business-in-force of Rs.298 crore in 1938. During the mushrooming of insurance companies many financially unsound concerns were also floated which failed miserably. The Insurance Act 1938 was the first legislation governing not only life insurance but also non-life insurance to provide strict state control over insurance business. The demand for nationalization of life insurance industry was made repeatedly in the past but it gathered momentum in 1944 when a bill to amend the Life Insurance Act 1938 was introduced in the Legislative Assembly. However, it was much later on the 19th of January, 1956, that life insurance in India was nationalized. About 154 Indian insurance companies, 16 non-Indian companies and 75 provident were operating in India at the time of nationalization. Nationalization wa s accomplished in two stages; initially the management of the companies was taken over by means of an Ordinance, and later, the ownership too by means of a comprehensive bill. The Parliament of India passed the Life Insurance Corporation Act on the 19th of June 1956, and the Life Insurance Corporation of India was created on 1st September, 1956, with the objective of spreading life insurance much more widely and in particular to the rural areas with a view to reach all insurable persons in the country, providing them adequate financial cover at a reasonable cost. In the year 1956, LIC had 5 zonal offices, 33 divisional offices and 212 branch offices, apart from its corporate office. Since life insurance contracts are long term contracts and during the currency of the policy it requires a variety of services needs felt in the later years to expand the operations and place a branch office at each district headquarter. Re-organization of LIC took place and large numbers of new branch offices were opened. As a result of the re-organization servicing functions were transferred to the branches, and branches were made accounting units. It worked wonders with the performance of the corporation. It may be seen from the fact that about 200.00 crores of New Business in 1957 the corporation crossed 1000.00 crores only in the year 1969-70, and it took another 10 years for LIC to cross 2000.00 crores mark of new business. But with the re-organization happening in the early eighties, by 1985-86 LIC had already crossed 7000.00 crores Sum Assured on new polic ies. Table 1. Growth of LIC between 1959 and 1999 Table 1. Growth of LIC between 1959 and 1999 S.No. Particulars 1957 1999 1 Annual Business: Sum Assured Policies First year premium 336.3 crores 8,00,000 14 crores 75606 crores 14857000 4171 crores 2 Business in force: Sum Assured Policies Renewal premium 1477 crores 5686000 74 crores 459201 crores 91726000 16136crores 3 Group Business in force: Sum Assured No. of Lives 5.29 crores 69558 crores 21671000 4 Life Fund: 41040 crores 127389.06 crores Source: Secondary Data Annual Reports of LIC. Progress of Indian Life Insurance Industry in the Post LPG Era Insurance sector reforms: In 1993, Malhotra Committee headed by former Finance Secretary and RBI Governor R.N. Malhotra was formed to evaluate the Indian insurance industry and recommend its future direction. The Malhotra committee was set up with the objective of complementing the reforms initiated in the financial sector. The reforms were aimed at creating a more efficient and competitive financial system suitable for the requirements of the economy keeping in mind the structural changes currently underway and recognizing that insurance is an important part of the overall financial system where it was necessary to address the need for similar reformsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ In 1994, the committee submitted the report and some of the key recommendations included: 1) Structure Government stake in the insurance Companies to be brought down to 50%. Government should take over the holdings of GIC and its subsidiaries so that these subsidiaries can act as independent corporations. All the insurance companies should be given greater freedom to operate. 2) Competition Private Companies with a minimum paid up capital of Rs.1bn should be allowed to enter the industry. No Company should deal in both Life and General Insurance through a single entity. Foreign companies may be allowed to enter the industry in collaboration with the domestic companies. Postal Life Insurance should be allowed to operate in the rural market. Only One State Level Life Insurance Company should be allowed to operate in each state. 3) Regulatory Body The Insurance Act should be changed. An Insurance Regulatory body should be set up. Controller of Insurance (Currently a part from the Finance Ministry) should be made independent. 4) Investments Mandatory Investments of LIC Life Fund in government securities to be reduced from 75% to 50%. GIC and its subsidiaries are not to hold more than 5% in any company (There current holdings to be brought down to this level over a period of time). 5) Customer Service LIC should pay interest on delays in payments beyond 30 days. Insurance companies must be encouraged to set up unit linked pension plans. Computerisation of operations and updating of technology to be carried out in the insurance industry The committee emphasized that in order to improve the customer services and increase the coverage of the insurance industry should be opened up to competition. But at the same time, the committee felt the need to exercise caution as any failure on the part of new players could ruin the public confidence in the industry. Hence, it was decided to allow competition in a limited way by stipulating the minimum capital requirement of Rs.100 crores. The committee felt the need to provide greater autonomy to insurance companies in order to improve their performance and enable them to act as independent companies with economic motives. For this purpose, it had proposed setting up an independent regulatory body. MAJOR POLICY CHANGES Insurance sector has been opened up for competition from Indian private insurance companies with the enactment of Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority Act, 1999 (IRDA Act). As per the provisions of IRDA Act, 1999, Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority (IRDA) was established on 19th April 2000 to protect the interests of holder of insurance policy and to regulate, promote and ensure orderly growth of the insurance industry. IRDA Act 1999 paved the way for the entry of private players into the insurance market which was hitherto the exclusive privilege of public sector insurance companies/ corporations. Under the new dispensation Indian insurance companies in private sector were permitted to operate in India with the following conditions: Company is formed and registered under the Companies Act, 1956; The aggregate holdings of equity shares by a foreign company, either by itself or through its subsidiary companies or its nominees, do not exceed 26%, paid up equity capital of such Indian insurance company; The companys sole purpose is to carry on life insurance business or general insurance business or reinsurance business. The minimum paid up equity capital for life or general insurance business is Rs.100 crores. The minimum paid up equity capital for carrying on reinsurance business has been prescribed as Rs.200 crores. The Authority has notified 27 Regulations on various issues which include Registration of Insurers, Regulation on insurance agents, Solvency Margin, Re-insurance, Obligation of Insurers to Rural and Social sector, Investment and Accounting Procedure, Protection of policy holders interest etc. Applications were invited by the Authority with effect from 15th August, 2000 for issue of the Certificate of Registration to both life and non-life insurers. IRDA has so far granted registration to 12 private life insurance companies and 9 general insurance companies. If the existing public sector insurance companies are included, there are currently 13 insurance companies in the life side and 13 companies operating in general insurance business. Today LIC functions with 2048 fully computerized branch offices, 100 divisional offices, 7 zonal offices and the corporate office. LICs Wide Area Network covers 100 divisional offices and it connects all the branches through a Metro Area Network. LIC has tied up with some Banks and Service providers to offer an on-line premium collection facility in selected cities. LICs ECS and ATM premium payment facility is an addition to customer convenience. Apart from on-line Kiosks and IVRS, Info Centers have been commissioned at Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, New Delhi, Pune and many other cities. With a vision of providing easy access to its policyholders, the LIC has launched its SATELLITE SAMPARK offices. These satellite offices are smaller, leaner and closer to the customer. The digitalized records of the satellite offices will facilitate the customer anywhere servicing and many other conveniences in the future. LIC continues to be the dominant life insurer eve n in the liberalized scenario of Indian insurance industries and is moving fast on a new growth trajectory surpassing its own past records. LIC has issued over one crore policies during the current year. Table-2: Total Life Insurance Premium (Rs. Crore) INSURER 2007-08 2006-07 2005-06 2004-05 2003-04 2002-03 2001-02 LIC 149789.99 127822.84 90792.22 75127.29 63533.43 54628.49 49821.91 (17.19) (40.79) (20.85) (18.25) (16.30) (9.65) (42.79) Aviva 1891.88 1147.23 600.27 253.42 81.50 13.47 NA   Bajaj Allianz 9725.31 5345.24 3133.58 1001.68 220.80 69.17 7.14 Bharti Axa 118.41 7.78 NA   NA NA NA NA Birla Sunlife 3272.19 1776.71 1259.68 915.47 537.54 143.92 28.26 Future Generali 2.49 NA   NA NA NA NA NA HDFC Std 4858.56 2855.87 1569.91 686.63 297.76 148.83 33.46 ICICI Pru 13561.06 7912.99 4261.05 2363.82 989.28 417.62 116.38 IDBI Fortis 11.90   NA NA NA NA NA NA ING Vysya 1158.87 707.20 425.38 338.86 88.51 21.16 4.19 Kotak Mahindra 1691.14 971.51 621.85 466.16 150.72 40.32 7.58 Met Life 1159.54 492.71 205.99 81.53 28.73 7.91 0.48 Max New York 2714.60 1500.28 788.13 413.43 215.25 96.59 38.95 Reliance Life 3225.44 1004.66 224.21 106.55 31.06 6.47 0.28 Sahara 143.49 51.00 27.66 1.74 NA   NA NA SBI Life 5622.14 2928.49 1075.32 601.18 225.67 72.39 14.69 Shriram 358.05 184.17 10.33   NA NA NA NA Tata AIG 2046.35 1367.18 880.19 497.04 253.53 81.21 21.14 Private Total 51561.42 28253.00 15083.54 7727.51 3120.33 1119.06 272.55 (82.50) (87.31) (95.19) (147.65) (178.83) (310.59) (4124.31) Total (LIC+Private) 201351.41 156075.84 105875.76 82854.80 66653.75 55747.55 50094.46 (29.01) (47.38) (27.78) (24.31) (19.56) (11.28) (43.54) Note: Figure in bracket indicates the growth over the previous year in percent. Two way ANOVA Source of Variation SS df MS F P-value F crit Rows 49560705298 17 2915335606 37.2725415 4.7941E-36 1.723833402 Columns 1069788739 6 178298123.2 2.27954002 0.0417493 2.188760765 Error 7978104529 102 78216711.07 Total 58608598567 125 Analysis and Interpretation Table 2 shows total life insurance premium during the year 2001-02 to 2007-08. The proportion of premium collected by LIC out of total premium collected by life insurance industry is declined from 97% in 2001-02 to 74% in 2007-08. It indicates the increasing competition from private sector. ICICI prudential is becoming a stronger and stronger player by keeping over a lot of business of LIC. But still there is a lot of scope of development in the life insurance industry where private sector will be a challenge in the front of LIC. By applying ANOVA at 0.05 level of significance, It is being observed that there is a significance difference in the performance of LIC and other Private Sector insurance companies over a period of 2001-02 to 2007-08 Table 3: Total Life Insurance Premium Year (X) Total life insurance premium (Y) U=X-A/ H U2 UY 2002 50094.46 -3 9 -150283.38 2003 55747.55 -2 4 -111495.1 2004 66653.75 -1 1 -66653.75 2005 82854.80 0 0 0 2006 105875.76 1 1 105875.76 2007 156075.84 2 4 312151.68 2008 201351.41 3 9 604054.23 718653.57 0 28 693649.44 Source- compiled from table 2. Y = A+BX ÃŽÂ £Y=nA+B X ÃŽÂ £XY=A ÃŽÂ £X+BÃŽÂ £ X2 Y=A+Bu ÃŽÂ £Y=nA+B ÃŽÂ £U ÃŽÂ £uY=A ÃŽÂ £u+B ÃŽÂ £u2 ÃŽÂ £Y=nA A= ÃŽÂ £Y/n ÃŽÂ £uY=BÃŽÂ £ u2 B= ÃŽÂ £uY/ ÃŽÂ £u2 A= ÃŽÂ £Y/n A= 718653.57/7= 102664.79 B= ÃŽÂ £uY/ ÃŽÂ £u2= 693649.44/28= 24773.19 Y=A+B (X-2004) 102664.79+ 24773.19 (2012-2004) 102664.79+ 24773.19 (8) 300,850.35 crore Based on the middle year 2005, the trend value for the year 2012 can be calculated using the linear function Y=A+BX, where, AB are constant. If we substitute the values in the trend line equation, the expected total LIC premium for the year 2012 is Rs. 300,850.35 crores. It shows that the total business is in increasing trend. Table 4: Investment strategy of LIC (Rupees crore) Year Sector-wise Instrument-wise of which Total (2 to 5) Or (6 to 7) (end-March) Public Private Joint Co-operative Stock exchange securities Loans 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 1979 3411.9 618.1 29.9 527.8 2733.8 1853.1 4587.7 1980 3915.5 770.1 0 602.1 3113.4 2173.6 5287.7 1981 4707.8 647.2 0 665.5 3591.3 2725.6 6020.5 1982 5410.7 698.7 32 753 4040.6 2612 6894.4 1983 6189.7 787.4 32.7 825.2 NA NA 7835 1984 7020.8 891.4 40.1 905.3 NA NA 8857.6 1985 7919.5 1010.6 51.2 972.9 NA NA 9954.2 1986 9063.8 1121.3 68 1036.