Thursday, April 22, 2021

Conservation of Nature

Nature is an important and integral part of mankind. It is one of the greatest blessings for human life; however, nowadays humans fail to recognize it as one. Nature has been an inspiration for numerous poets, writers, artists and more of yesteryears. This remarkable creation inspired them to write poems and stories in the glory of it. They truly valued nature which reflects in their works even today. Essentially, nature is everything we are surrounded by like the water we drink, the air we breathe, the sun we soak in, the birds we hear chirping, the moon we gaze at and more. Above all, it is rich and vibrant and consists of both living and non-living things. Therefore, people of the modern age should also learn something from people of yesteryear and start valuing nature before it gets too late.

Significance of Nature

Nature has been in existence long before humans and ever since it has taken care of mankind and nourished it forever. In other words, it offers us a protective layer which guards us against all kinds of damages and harms. Survival of mankind without nature is impossible and humans need to understand that.

If nature has the ability to protect us, it is also powerful enough to destroy the entire mankind. Every form of nature, for instance, the plantsanimals, rivers, mountains, moon, and more holds equal significance for us. Absence of one element is enough to cause a catastrophe in the functioning of human life.

We fulfill our healthy lifestyle by eating and drinking healthy, which nature gives us. Similarly, it provides us with water and food that enables us to do so. Rainfall and sunshine, the two most important elements to survive are derived from nature itself.

Further, the air we breathe and the wood we use for various purposes are a gift of nature only. But, with technological advancements, people are not paying attention to nature. The need to conserve and balance the natural assets is rising day by day which requires immediate attention.

Conservation of Nature

In order to conserve nature, we must take drastic steps right away to prevent any further damage. The most important step is to prevent deforestation at all levels. Cutting down of trees has serious consequences in different spheres. It can cause soil erosion easily and also bring a decline in rainfall on a major level.

Polluting ocean water must be strictly prohibited by all industries straightaway as it causes a lot of water shortage. The excessive use of automobiles, AC’s and ovens emit a lot of Chlorofluorocarbons’ which depletes the ozone layer. This, in turn, causes global warming which causes thermal expansion and melting of glaciers.

Therefore, we should avoid personal use of the vehicle when we can, switch to public transport and carpooling. We must invest in solar energy giving a chance for the natural resources to replenish.

In conclusion, nature has a powerful transformative power which is responsible for the functioning of life on earth. It is essential for mankind to flourish so it is our duty to conserve it for our future generations. We must stop the selfish activities and try our best to preserve the natural resources so life can forever be nourished on earth.


Wednesday, April 14, 2021

An Essay on Indian Culture

 

Indian culture

Indian society has traditionally been heavily based around a caste system, which places stringent restrictions on social mobility and the ease with which people considered to belong to a particular caste can interact with members of other castes. However, in modern India in a business context, and certainly within leading Indian and international companies, caste-related identification is no longer the norm. Over the last 50-60 years the Indian legislature has increasingly passed laws to reinforce the more modern outlook and to promote and support social welfare.
Family values are a hugely important part of Indian life. Arranged marriages are very common, and marriage as a concept is taken very seriously, leading to an extremely low divorce rate. It is normal to see large, patriarchal families spanning many generations. A lot of smaller businesses are likely to be family-run and owned, and there will be a preference for employing other family members where possible.

Clothing

In India, traditional clothing varies hugely in different parts of the vast country. It is common to see draped, flowing outfits, such as the sari for women, and the dhoti for men. In recent years a passion for bright colours and shiny and ostentatious jewellery and accessories has become more apparent in female dress. In urban areas, it is common to see both men and women wearing more Western-influenced clothes, and in a business context suits and ties for men are the norm.

The Indian Language

India has 2 official languages, Hindi and English, which are spoken very widely. However, there are also 21 other languages which are recognised by the Indian Constitution, and overall there are more than 1500 languages spoken across the country. Prominent languages include Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, Marathi, Urdu, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Punjabi and Assamese. If you are visiting India, it would be wise to look up which languages are widely spoken in the particular area that you will be spending time in, as learning a few words or greetings in those languages will stand you in good stead.
Due to British colonial influence, English is spoken widely in the context of education, government and business. In North and Central India, Hindi serves as the de facto lingua franca, however in the South there has been some resistance to the promotion of Hindi as a national language, with southerners feeling that it will diminish the importance of their regional languages. As a result, in the South of India, English is the more commonly heard of the two official languages.

Written Hindi

Although it may look very different from Western European languages, Hindi is in fact from the same root family of Indo-European languages that includes, amongst others, English, German and Dutch.
Hindi is written in the Devanagari script, which is comprised of 33 consonants and 11 vowels, and should be read from left to right.
As with most major world languages, Hindi has many local and regional dialects which are mutually intelligible. Modern Standard Hindi is the official variant which is commonly used in government and throughout the business world.
Hindi can also be transliterated into the Latin script so that it can be read and pronounced by people with no knowledge of the Devanagari script.

Etiquette & customs

Indian etiquette is an unusual mixture of British and Asian influences. Therefore in some ways their customs will seem familiar to westerners, and in other ways they differ greatly.
Some of the ways in which Indian etiquette differs from western etiquette are as follows:
Dining etiquette can be very different in India. It is considered proper to eat with your hands, and in a lot of restaurants or when you are eating with locals, cutlery may not be provided, though in most places spoons can be provided if asked for. If you do try to eat using your fingers, make sure you only use your right hand and not your left, even if you are left-handed, as the left-hand is considered to be ‘unclean’. Also, as common sense would suggest, your fingers will be dirty from eating with them, and as such do not try to serve yourself so as to avoid dirtying the serving spoon, but wait to be served by a waiter or your host.

Religion

India does have a diverse religious make-up, including Buddhism, Islam and Christianity, but by far the most widely practised is Hinduism. Hindu temples are therefore extremely commonplace throughout the country, and many traditions and practices from Hinduism have become intrinsic parts of Indian culture. For example, it is common to remove your shoes as a sign or respect before entering a temple and indeed before entering into someone’s home.

India is famous for the wide range of exuberant festivals that take place throughout the year, including Diwali, Ganesh Chaturthi, and Holi, to name a few.

Business meeting advice (if doing business in India)

First Meetings

When first meeting someone, it is common to be introduced to them by a third party. Indian culture places a great deal of importance on personal relationships, and many business relationships will be built upon a personal foundation. Therefore being introduced by a mutual acquaintance will stand you in good stead.
As a result of British colonial influence, handshakes are the standard greeting in a business environment. Be aware, however, that in a lot of situations it is not normal for men and women to shake hands with each other due to religious influence, so keep your eyes open to try and see what is expected by the people you are meeting with.

If meeting with a group of people, be sure to greet each person individually rather than addressing them as a group. Due to the influence of hierarchical Indian social structure, the oldest or most senior person present should be greeted first, followed by the next most senior, and so on.

Business Meetings

The work day in India typically starts at 10am, though in major cities it can be considerably earlier, so if in doubt schedule meetings no earlier than mid-morning. It is considered good manners in India to be slightly late, so make sure you factor this into your schedule. However, you should also be aware that Indian business people who are used to dealing with westerners may expect you to be punctual.
It is common to exchange business cards on first meetings, and small gifts such as sweets would also be well received. Avoid touching, other than the initial handshake, as this is considered rude.
Normal business dress for both men and women is western in derivation, and it is common to see suits and ties on men, and pant-suits or long skirts on women. If you are not used to the heat of a tropical country, make sure you try to dress smartly yet in a way that you will be comfortable.
When talking to Indian people, make sure to be aware of your body language, as much significance will be attached to it. Avoid “aggressive” postures, such as folded arms or hands on hips, and also avoid putting your feet up on furniture or pointing them at another person, as, like the left hand, the feet are considered unclean. Be aware that sustained eye contact is not necessarily usual, especially when speaking to someone of a lower or higher status.
When negotiating agreements, expect there to be many rounds of back and forth. In India business decisions are rarely made quickly or lightly, so it is important not to get frustrated by any delays you experience.

Names

Titles are important in India, and as such people should be addressed formally, i.e. title (Mr, Dr, etc.) and surname. Only use someone’s given name if they have expressly given you permission to do so.

Management advice, when managing Indian employees

This section will be particularly helpful if you are relocating to India and intend to work.
There are a number of factors to have in mind when managing Indian employees.
The Indian approach to business roles is generally formal and hierarchical. Therefore a boss is expected to be a boss, and to act as such. Avoid doing tasks that would normally be completed by someone at a lower level than you, as this is likely to damage your reputation and your credibility.
Decision-making in Indian companies tends to be top-down, and therefore junior staff will expect to be given clear and comprehensive instructions rather than coming up with their own ways of working. If you are in middle-management, then avoid making decisions or devising strategies unless you have already been given the green light by top management, otherwise you may not receive it.
When making small talk with Indian people, avoid touchy or taboo subjects, such as India’s poverty, the caste system, immigration and any difficult areas in international relations. If you are looking to make conversation you would be well advised to talk about sports, particularly cricket, or to ask them questions about their country, as Indians are rightly very proud of their country’s long and rich history and culture.

 

An Essay on Natural Resources

 

Human life is unimaginable without natural resources, and it is precise because of these resources that any form of life sustained on this planet with comfort. Natural resources are anything and everything obtained from nature and used by us, starting from elemental air, water, and sunlight to even organic elements like fossil fuels, minerals, timber, etc.

Natural resources that are obtained from living organisms or are eventually formed because of living organisms are called Biotic elements, like forests, birds, animals, fishes, or other marine organisms, fossil fuels (because they are formed because of the decay of organic materials), etc. Natural resources that refer to the non-living elements of nature are called Abiotic resources. Examples of abiotic resources are sunlight, wind, tide, soil, minerals, etc.

The resources like solar, wind, hydro, geothermal, and biomass are called renewable resources because they are present abundantly in the world and are self-replenishing in nature. And the resources like fossil fuels, iron, freshwater, coal, nuclear elements, etc. that took million years for the formation and can eventually perish (cannot be reproduced) are called non-renewable resources.

Hence, it is essential to preserve resources so that they can be present in the future for us and our succeeding generation’s use and benefit. Everyone needs to know natural resources because our survival depends on those. We also need to educate and make people aware of the hazardous effect of the absence of these resources.

Natural elements are present everywhere around the world but not equally distributed. Humans have learned efficient ways in which they can use the natural resources present in their region for their benefit. Like in India, a variety of soil and humid weather has allowed the prosperous growth of agriculture. The areas of the country that are surrounded by sea eventually developed advanced skills in fishing.

Some examples of how we use our natural resources are, using of water for drinking and production of hydro-electric power, sunlight is necessary for plant growth and also providing us heat and vitamins, plants are our primary source of oxygen and food, coal is used for electricity production and as a fuel for vehicles, etc.

With trade and commerce came globalization, and now we are dynamically evolving to find ways in which we can modify methods of using natural resources to create products to serve us better. But we have to remember that not all resources are unlimitedly present in our ecosystem. If we are not careful about the consumption of these resources, then they will eventually exhaust, then we might not have an alternative to survive without those.

Saturday, April 03, 2021

Technological Influence on Society

 Technology affects the way individuals communicate, learn, and think. It helps society and determines how people interact with each other on a daily basis. Technology plays an important role in society today. It has positive and negative effects on the world and it impacts daily lives. We are living in an era where technological advances are common. The internet and cell phones are some examples. However, with technological advances, there’s a downside to it all.

One aspect of technology that has had a great impact on society is how it affects learning. It’s made learning more interactive and collaborative, this helps people better engage with the material that they are learning and have trouble with. Also, it gets you better access to resources. With the creation of the internet, it gives us access to information at a twenty-four-hour rate and you have access to almost anything online. In addition, it allows students to get work done easier. Students can take quizzes and exams more easily, and teachers being able to hold online classes can be very effective. It also  expands the boundaries of the classroom, encouraging self-paced learning. People can access learning through YouTube and social media. This helps students learn better than sitting down for lectures and reading from textbooks. These technological advancements made learning more fun and convenient.

Another way technology has impacted society is through communication, how we talk and communicate with one another worldwide. Technology brought many new methods of electronic communication. For example, there are emails, social networking, you can facetime a person that lives on the other side of the world, and here’s video conferencing where you can have conferences electronically. Lastly, the technological advancements that were made within the health industry have helped keep people safe and healthy. There are many innovate apps on phones that although people to watch their weight, how many calories they intake, heart rate and other health properties any time of the day. There’s increased accessibility of treatment available, there’s the change in healthcare that adds benefits for the elderly, and hospitals using advanced technology within their surgical rooms.

However, studies show that mobile communication affects people in a negative way when it comes to being sociable and making face-to-face contact. Mobile technology can decrease communication and relations between people. There’s less personal time, where you find that you don’t enough time for yourself because you’re always in contact with someone. Also, it can be distracting from your schoolwork. There is also loss of privacy, because anyone can find you anywhere, at any time of the day. In conclusion, all of these things impact how humans act today. Without technological advancements, our way of life would not be as complex. Technological influences shape the way humans act today.