Monday, September 30, 2019

The Separation of Religion from School

Probably no single movement so greatly affected colonial America than the protestant reformation. Most of the eurpeans who came to America were protestants, but there were many denominations. Lutherans from Germany settled in the middle collonies along with Puritans and Presbyterians. The reormation placed great emphasis on the written word. Sectarian schools were needed to promte the growth of each religious sect. Luther's doctrines made it necessary for boys and girls to learn to read the scriptures. While the schools that the colonies established in the 17th century in New England, southern and middle colonies differed from one another, reflecting a concept of schooling that had been left behind in Europe. Most poor children learned through apprenticeship and had no formal schooling at all. Where public school systems existed in European countries such as france and gemany, they were dual systems. When a child of the lower and middle class finished his elementary schooling he could go on to a vocational school. The upper class child was tutored for nine years and then went to a secondary latin school. The purpose of the latin school was to prepare for a university, from which he could emerge as a potential leader for his country. With the American education system there was chance to climb the social ladder. Those who did go to elementary school were taught reading,writing, math and religion. Learning consisted of memorizing stimulated by whipping. The first textbook the New England Primer was America's own contribution to education. Used from 1609 until the beginning of the 19th century, its purpose was to teach both religion and reading. the child learning the letter A for example also learned that † In Adams fall, We sinned all. † As in Europe schools were strongly influenced by religion. This was also true of schools in the New England area settled by Puritans. Like the Protestants of the Reformation who established vernacular elementary schools in germany in the 16th century the Puritans sought to make education universal. They took the first steps toward government supported education in the colonies. The â€Å"Old Deluder Satan Act† passed in 1647 by puritans in Massachusetts requirded every child be taught to read. Puritan or not all of the colonial schools had clear cut moral purposes. Skills and knowledge were considered important to the degree that they served religious ends and trained the mind. Early schools supplied the students with moral lessons not just reading writing and math. Obviously the founders saw it necessary to apply these techniques so that students learned particular values. The Industrial revolution began in europe and spread to America a few decades later. One effect of the change from an agricultural to industrial economy was the demand for schools to train students for the workforce. Vocational and industrial education better supplied students with the knowledge to enter a career rather than religious studies. The vocational value of shop work was considered part of general education. The need for skilled workers and the demand for high school education for those not bound for college caused manual training to gain speed. Educaton was coalled upon to meet the needs of employers. Practical content was in competition with religious concerns. Vocational education was more significant in the middle colonies beacuse the land wasn't very fertile. people had to look for work other than farming. The academy that Franklin founded in 1751 brought education closer to the needs of everyday life. Subjects were more practical seeing how business and industry was driving the economy. Religious classes could not pay the bills or make a living.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Misconception Essay

No, humans did not evolve from monkeys, but did we evolve from apes then? Well turns out even though we are more closely related to apes than monkeys, we still didn’t evolve from them. So who or what did humans evolve from? Scientists believe that humans share a common ancestor with modern African apes (gorillas, chimpanzees). This ancestor lived five to eight million years ago, but hold on if this was true wouldn’t this mean that humans and apes would be exactly the same? According to evolution we would be, but the ancestors species diverged into two separate linages one being the apes and chimps and the other one being an early human called a hominid. There were many different hominids but over time the hominids who didn’t go extinct, evolved and diverged thus becoming a new species. The statement that humans come from monkeys is a misconception because if that were true then we would have no monkeys, but instead all of those monkeys would be humans; that or the monkeys would be slowly evolving into human like creatures over time. The theory of evolution completely refutes this statement for the reasons stated previously. The theory suggests that we didn’t come from monkeys or apes but from a common ancestor this can be depicted by a tree of life with many branches. The tree is the common ancestor and the branches are the many species that came from that ancestor. Over time some branches fall off while others flourish turns out we were one of the flourishing branches. The evidence that this is in fact a misconception is fossils and modern day observations. Scientists have found many different kinds of hominid fossils. They are all significantly different and some share the traits of monkeys and apes while some share characteristics of humans nowadays. For example homo sapiens being the ones mostly related to us have a large brain size a forehead that rises sharply, eyebrow ridges that are very small, a prominent chin and a much lighter bone structure than past hominids.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Compare and contrast the ways in which both writers deal with these themes Essay

Hardy and Hill both present the reader with female characters who are isolated and ostracized by society. Compare and contrast the ways in which both writers deal with these themes. Susan Hill and Thomas Hardy are clearly both interested in the role of women and their position in society. The female protagonists, in `I’m the King of the Castle and `The Withered Arm’, are insecure as they lack a man to provide them with social status and respect. As a consequence of their troubled pasts, they are rejected from society, and are both left vulnerable and desperate. Helena Kingshaw represents a certain class of women in post-war England, the setting for Susan Hill’s novel, who found themselves lacking the emotional and financial support of a man. The superstition in those days left these genteel, unskilled women in a shameful position. Society rejected those spurned by men and many became objects of gossip of a malicious nature. Similar nonsensical teachings in Victor ian times, the setting for `The Withered Arm’, also left abandoned women, such as Rhoda Brook, viewed as social outcasts. Thomas Hardy is clearly sympathetic to such women, especially those reaching the stages of their lives where he suggests, through a careful adjective selection â€Å"worn†, they may be becoming desperate for a husband. He seems to consider them as isolated victims of the stereotypical image of women as a possession, classed by looks and fortune, and his novel exposes the hypocrisy in society. The isolation of the female protagonists is immediately obvious in their places of residence. Warings is â€Å"some distance away from any other house† and Brook lives in â€Å"a lonely spot high above the water meads†. Also, references to their past hint at their isolated feelings, â€Å"Tis hard for she†, and this is confirmed in how they act around others. Brook’s way of coping is to silently work â€Å"somewhat apart from the rest.† Conversely, Kingshaw tends to babble and desperately try to please others and make a new start in life. Hill’s language choices for Mrs. Kingshaw’s affected speeches reflect her desperation to belong to a certain class. This is the opposite of Brook, who would rather survive without pity and stay in isolation. Neither woman ever admits that it is isolation and loneliness which make them act as they do, for example, their unusual attitudes towards their sons. Kingshaw practises superficial mothering gestures, â€Å"she always wanted to lean over him†¦,† whereas Brooks’ life is completely lacking in affection towards anyone, until she meets Gertrude Lodge. However, at least then it is genuine, unlike Kingshaw’s desperate attempts to `do things by the book,’ without actually meaning any of it. She just wants to be satisfied that she has all she can get, while Brook is more accepting of her fate. Brook is however similar to Kingshaw, in that she is extremely self-absorbed; she asks her son to discover, â€Å"if she’s tall, tall as I,† and was, â€Å"not observing that he was cutting a notch†¦in the chair.† This could be compared to how Kingshaw never realises the trauma Edmund Hooper puts her son through, as again she is not observant enough. In spite of the women’s preoccupation, both children are very accepting and obedient to their mothers. The more archaic language of Hardy’s novel makes it easier for us to identify with Rhoda’s concerns which seem, especially to the modern reader, to be over small things, such as how â€Å"ladylike† a woman is, and this again promotes the roles of women in both societies. In `I’m the King of the Castle’ it is frowned upon for a woman, with the status of housekeeper, to wear make-up and dress up. As in `The Withered Arm’ this is because a woman’s dress sense reflected their position in society. We see how the Farmer Lodge’s pretty wife’s wealth gives her the right to wear, â€Å"a silver coloured gown†. On the other hand, the affect a woman’s appearance on the male protagonists of each novel is different in that Hooper’s opinion of her looks seems relatively insignificant to how he had been â€Å"impressed by the graceful letters of Mrs. Helena Kingshaw.† Whereas, Gertrude was worried about her disfigurement because in `The Withered Arm’, â€Å"men think so much of personal appearance.† Both writers also convey to the reader how lack of status generates a fear within the women to change from their set principles. We notice this in Kingshaw’s displays of stereotypical motherly affection and more subtly in Brook, through her indignancy when her son suggests she goes to see her successor; â€Å"I, go to see her!† The two women are forced into these ways of dealing with their isolation by their shared insecurity. Their two different ways of coping both have their drawbacks: Kingshaw is so busy trying a good impression and secure her future with Kingshaw that she cannot form a proper relationship with her son. Brook is so busy ignoring her past and avoiding her problems that she bottles up her bitterness, again destroying a relationship, with her friend, Gertrude Lodge. Eventually, their sad positions lead both women to make a â€Å"last, desperate effort† to conquer the things on their minds, but in both cases it results in another’s unhappiness. For Kingshaw, achieving a life with Mr. Hooper lead to her son’s suicide. For Brook, trying to overpower the â€Å"confronting spectre† in her dream lead to disfigurement of her only friend. This also shows how, like Kingshaw, her isolation makes her romanticise things and let her imagination get carried away. However, where Brook gets upset by guilt of what she brings upon others, â€Å"I hope your arm is well again ma’am?†, Kingshaw is portrayed as a much shallower character and never notices her effect on others. Instead, she romanticises things such as her relationship with Mr. Hooper; â€Å"He likes me.† Effective grouping of words, such as the description of Brook being held to Gertrude Lodge by a â€Å"gruesome fascination† also show the obsessive behaviour of the female characters, due to the amount of time they spend alone, thinking. Kingshaw is obsessed with determination to believe that her â€Å"life is changing, everything is turning out for the best.† In contrast the simple platitudes of her speech, Hardy writes in long, complex sentences, allowing us to see the depth of Brook’s worried fixations. Through these obsessions, there is an underlying fear for both women that they will lose the person in their lives who means something to them, and could save them from complete ostracization. This adds a sense of dread to both novels, and pathetic fallacy reflects this darkness in the hostile environments surrounding them; â€Å"the wind howled dismally over the heath.† Hardy is able to convince us of Brook’s isolation through her introspective t houghts and memories. However, the limited capacity of Mrs. Kingshaw to think and understand leaves even her speech artificial. So Hill uses `flashback’, interspersed with the episodic narrative to emphasise Kingshaw’s troubled past, showing us how her life has been shaped and influenced, convincing us of her isolation. Also, being a rather claustrophobic text, we given an increasing fear of unavoidable disaster in `I’m the King of the Castle’, as all the action takes place over a ten-month period. On the other hand, ‘The Withered Arm’ is set over a much longer period of time and informs the reader of ill-feeling towards Rhoda from outside the immediate circle of protagonists. Through these very different structures, Hardy and Hill both create an increasing sense of doom for the two female protagonists. The absence of love in both characters’ lives undermines their confidence and relationships, resulting in isolation. Warings reinforces the theme of isolation as it is completely set apart from events in the normal world and, as in `The Withered Arm’, the accumulation of hostile imagery of the surrounding countryside further emphasises their loneliness and vulnerability. In both novels the main requirement of women was dynasties, so those rejected by men were despised and ostracized from society. This put both Brook and Kingshaw lacking status and in a very pitiable position. Nevertheless, due to the way the two writers deal with the themes of isolation and ostracization of the female protagonists, as a reader I never felt for Kingshaw quite the sympathy I did for Brook. As Hill presents Helena Kingshaw as so shallow a character, we feel so much anger at her dismissive attitude to her son that it is almost as though she deserves anything. By contrast, Hardy deliberately presents Rhoda Brook, â€Å"her red eyes weeping†, as a more pitiful character who seems much more the victim of her bad luck.

Friday, September 27, 2019

How and why does ethnic identity affect the beauty cross-culturally Research Paper

How and why does ethnic identity affect the beauty cross-culturally - Research Paper Example Often, it is the financial imperatives of mass consumerism that gains the upper hand. As a consequence, ethno-cultural idea of beauty is in a process of losing its prominence. This essay will further substantiate this claim, namely, that ethnic identity mediated notions of beauty is challenged and weakened in contemporary America. To begin with, let us take the case of the United States which has evolved as a melting pot of cultures, races and ethnicities. As a result, American society has developed the aesthetics that is based on inclusiveness as opposed to exclusiveness. While this inclusiveness is a sign of racial equality in one sense, it has less noble connotations, too. In other words, the assimilation of African Americans into mainstream culture is as much a reflection of social progress as it is a measure of commercial opportunity. â€Å"As minority spending power and social interactions of different racial groups in America have increased over time, advertisers have increas ingly been concerned with reaching minority ethnic groups through visual inclusion. With minority purchasing power increasing, this contingency could no longer be ignored by marketers. However, many companies were initially leery of offending the White majority that was their consumer base. In a 1953 study, only 0.6% of ads contained African Americans. By 1980, that frequency had increased to approximately 5.7%, indicating that the country was becoming more comfortable with the use of Blacks in advertisements.† 1 One of the key features of ethnic identity is skin tone. It is also a key factor in racial classification. Skin tone is not merely a statistical or academic detail in practical life. For an individual, his or her skin tone has implications in all realms of life – be it social, official or political. Skin tone is also identified as a specific variable at the root of racially related issues. Hence, while universality of beauty is a laudable idea, the flip side of it is discouraging. For example, researchers have correlated skin tone with â€Å"feelings of self worth, attractiveness, self control, satisfaction, and with quality of life.† 2 The theory of ‘colorism’ is of salience here, which states that people of lighter-skin tone (across ethnicities) are given privilege over dark-skinned members of the same community. The interesting finding here is the applicability of this concept across and between ethnic groups. For example, â€Å"African American's tend to feel more favorable towards Black models with a lighter skin tone. This phenomenon is not exclusive to African Americans because colorism is concerned with actual skin tone, as opposed to racial or ethnic identity. Research done by Shyon Baumann (2008) has shown that people within our culture, regardless of race, have a set of ideals about how people should ideally look, including judgments regarding skin color. Lightness and darkness of skin tone have specific me anings attached to them and we subconsciously relate those meanings to those we encounter.† 3 The statistical veracity of the theory of colorism is a setback to ethnically identified notions of beauty. It is a serious dent to the preservation of authenticity and nativity in an atmosphere saturated with uniformity and conformity. There are qualifications to the theory of colorism though for people with strong ethnic identification feel more affinity towards a model which resembles their own features. Likewise, black consumers generally respond

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Elections and Political Parties in Central & Eastern Europe Research Paper

Elections and Political Parties in Central & Eastern Europe - Research Paper Example The modern values of democracy can only be properly protected and advanced through well-established political systems. Politics is a non-violent way of advocating for the rights and freedoms of individuals needed to ensure that each person gets the opportunity to express him/herself and achieve the objectives that he/she has set for him/her. Countries in Central and Eastern Europe have some of the most elaborate and well developed political systems in the world. These old democracies have citizens with a very high appreciation for the values of democracy1. However, the political systems adopted by various countries have huge variations in procedures and the values they emphasize upon. To demonstrate these differences, we have picked two countries; Germany and Ukraine to examine the differences between their political systems. Germany is one of the most interesting republics when studying political systems. During the cold war that lasted from 1950s to 1990, it was divided into two pa rts; East Germany under the socialist political system and west Germany under the capitalist system. Even its capital Berlin had a wall dividing it into east and west regions. However, after the end of cold war and reunification of Germany, it is now under a strong capitalist political system, being a multiparty democracy. During the times of the cold war, the political system was made of only three parties. However, nowadays, with the formation of various coalition parties, the voters have a wide choice of parties to choose from2. However, it resembles most of the major economies in that its parties can be divided into two groups based on the ideologies they adopt. The two groups are either center right or center left. Each of the groups is made up of a number of smaller parties and coalitions. It is very common to find coalition governments taking over power after elections in Germany. Besides the political parties, there are other major components of the German system of governme nt. These components include the executive headed by the president. The president serves the country for a term of five years and can only lead for two terms. The second component is the lower house called the Budegstag. It has members representing voters and elected every 4 years. This house is headed by a chancellor elected from among the members. The third component is the upper house called Bundesrat. Unlike in most other countries, members of the German upper house are appointed from the cabinet rather than being elected by the voters. Each state appoints a representative to the upper house and has the liberty of recalling him/her whenever they wish. It is also worth noting that the representation of states in the upper house is not equal. Like in almost every other country, the German political system has a judiciary responsible for enforcing its laws. It is the main protector of the German constitution. Ukraine was one of the countries under the former USSR. It gained its ind ependence after the collapse of the USSR in 1991. After this, it went through many political transformations into its current position. The Ukrainian parliament is the most powerful organ of governance that the country has. The parliament adopted a document called the declaration of state sovereignty. The declaration stated that the parliament was the only organ with the powers to speak on behalf of the state. Besides parliament, the presidency is the next most important component of the political system in Ukraine. The president has powers to appoint representatives to various international forums and people to represent the president in various occasions and functions. The president is elected in an election held every five years. A president is allowed two terms in office each five years long. Next to him is the prime minister responsible for dealing with various executive functions of the government. The prime minister also heads the council of ministers3. The

Oscar Pistorius; I Blame Myself for Taking Reevas Life Essay - 87

Oscar Pistorius; I Blame Myself for Taking Reevas Life - Essay Example Second, he has to deal with the prosecution and prison sentence of 25 years to life if he is found guilty of premeditated murder. And lastly, he has to deal with public scrutiny because the trial is publicized around the world. He did not only lose his girlfriend but also his privacy and possibly, earning the wrath of many people around the world. It is like, he against the world for accidentally killing his girlfriend. The news is credible not only because it used law terms such as cross-examination, premeditated, and that the defense, as well as the prosecution’s argument, are presented. In addition, the actual coverage of the trial was shown (but is not record anymore because it is already over) for the viewers to see and hear the actual proceeding of the trial. The news cannot be more credible than that. The news is about the annexation of Crimea, a province of Ukraine by Russia. In this news, it is about the seizure of the Crimea airbase by Russian troops. Putin alleged t hat many of Crimean residents are of Russian root and they are annexing it to protect its citizens. As a backgrounder, this happened after the ouster of former Ukraine President _who ordered the killings of demonstrators after they protested the President’s agreement with Russia. Ukrainians wanted their future with the European Union and not with Russia. At present, United States are threatening for more sanction against Russia with Putin just shrugging off the possibility of harsh sanctions. Putin’s troops, however, remain a threat to Ukraine. My thought here is that Russian President Vladimir Putin is clearly wrong because no matter how he argues it, invading another country’s province is wrong. He is behaving like Second World War Europe where countries will just invade any countries.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Newdow case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Newdow case - Essay Example Since conservatives are likely to support the religious aspect then they are more likely to oppose changes on the pledge. The conservatives would prefer the oath to have some religious significance other than being a meaningless political or social statement. Most religious people, who are often considered to be conservative, were opposed to Newdow opinion since they felt that it was morally repugnant. A true conservative would be opposed to any move to fully separate the state and religion as the Newdow case required. For a conservative, inclusion of religious value in school aspects helps in shaping them morally. For them the phrase in the pledge is a mere acknowledgement of a religious nation and does not affect anyone’s beliefs. Furthermore, conservative would argue that no one is usually forced to recite the contentious phrases. Additionally, conservatives fell that it is part of their responsibility to share their belief with others. Conservatism is all about practicing morality in addition to maintaining the existing norms. It entails supporting that which affects the majority and in the case of Newdow, the majority was those opposed to removal of the phrase. Conservatives would thus oppose any moves to remove the contentious phrase (Williams

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Information society Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Information society - Essay Example The greatest forces behind the creation of an information society are the western civilised nations and various organisations like the UN, EC, IBRD and the OECD. The lessons learnt from the process of industrialisation have shown these groups that the development of information infrastructures and development frameworks is important for the Information Society (Audenhove et. al., 1999). The policies suggested by these groups broadly recommend the creation of opportunities where competition is encouraged, investments from the private and public sectors are to be supported and the free flow of every kind of information is strongly urged (Europa. 2006). While these policies have been lauded for their foresight, they have also been objected upon due to problems with their application especially in the third world and the developing regions. The development of an information society is supposed to include the entire world but the policies are often seen as weak when it comes to their usefulness in places where the basic necessities of life can not be found. Areas like sub-Saharan Africa and some regions of Asia lack basic facilities like water and electricity and there are some analysts who believe that without these basics no information society can ever be created (Audenhove et. al., 1999). It is therefore important to study the strengths and weaknesses of the policies for information society development in the third world since these could very well point to our collective future as a humane society. Since the last decade or so, the creation of an Information Society and the creation of a common Global Information Infrastructure have been on the ‘to do’ list of the G7 nations and their allied organizations. Sociologists and thinkers have been hard at work trying to create the policies which would encourage the development of both the above mentioned systems. As a foundation for this society, the creation and interconnection of high speed data

Monday, September 23, 2019

American Films in the 1970's Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

American Films in the 1970's - Essay Example Their thematic and stylistic innovations represented a radical break from Hollywood's classic paradigms. The decade saw a revolutionary change in the outlook of film critism also. Films were now being perceived as personal art pieces rather than only commercial blockbusters. Films were no longer evaluated in terms of their stories, but as art works whose style and mise-en-scene were more important than their contents. The 70s witnessed the birth of some of the most inspiring and exhilirating films directed by the greatest of film makers of the era. Nashville a 1975 classic is arguably one of finest films of the century that can be regarded as one of the finest masterpieces of the film making wizard, Robert Atman. Written by Joan Tewkesbury and produced by Robert Atman himself, Nashville features Altman's trademark overlapping dialogue that depicts classic improvisation and film making brilliance. The 159 min overwhelming fantasy, deals beautifully with classical real country music, deftly touching gospel music businesses in Nashville Tennessee. The characters in te film, evolve from real country music figures that material on U.S presidential politics. The film craftilly weaves together multiple storylines that eventually coalesce in the final half-hour in a climactic sequence at the Parthenon in Nashville. The movie widely despised from the mainstream country-music community at the time of its release, with many artists believing it was ridiculing their talent and sincerity. Since then, however, the songs that were mostly composed by the film's actors themselves have achieved a certain popularity in alternative-country circles, well away from the world of the music establishment. Among its many musical sequences, the song "It Don't Worry Me" is the film's theme, heard sporadically throughout and then performed at the climax. The 70s also witnessed the emergence of class film makers such as John Cassavetes. His films such as A Woman under the Influence are hailed as masterpieces despite the fact that they are incorporated with superficiality, gasp, and an in-your-face self-indulgence kind of a feeling. They are also sometimes blamed to carry a blatant artificiality in them. A Woman Under the Influence is one of the most devastating films ever made and is arguably the masterpiece of John Cassavetes' lauded career. with a startling realism, the film depicts supremely the relationship between a housewife on the verge of a nervous breakdown and her blue collared worker husbend. It's a marriage unlike any other seen before on the American screen - Nick (Falk) and Mabel (Rowlands) love each other intensely but that's not enough to keep her from descending into madness. In this shockingly intimate drama, housewife Gena Rowlands suffers a nervous breakdown and Dixit Page 5 her blue-collar construction worker husband, Peter Falk, decides to have her committed.Despite a dramatic theme of insanity, the film doesn't make a melodrama out of Mabel's crazy moments. Instead, painfully long scenes are wittnessed o this family together and with their social circle (particularly his construction work

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Advantages and Disadvantages of Being the Only Child Essay Example for Free

Advantages and Disadvantages of Being the Only Child Essay What are the pros and cons of being the only child? There are some options in this subject. Some children feel well withouth siblings but others dream about a brother or a sister. One of the main advantages of being the only child is that your parents pay attention only to you. You are the most important person in their lives. Parents do everything for you. For example, if you want a new toy or some clothes they go to a shop and just buy it for you. Moreover, you have everything for yourself. You do not have to share the room, the computer and any other things. What is more you get more presents or more money. In addition to that, there is no person to quarrel with. You are alone and no one can take your things and do something wrong with them. No one disturbs you. You are a family pet and you get all parential love. On the other hand there are also some disadvantages. First of all, the only children are very spoiled and selfish. They are used to thinking that they are the most important people so they must have everything only for themselves. When something is not going according to the way they planned it, they get angry. But it is not all. Being the only child means that parents put preassure on you. You have to still prove that you are the best. You have to het a A for every classroom test otherwise your parents will be disappointed with you. Last but not least, the only child may sometimes feel lonely. Other children can go out with siblings for example to a disco, to friends or even to school. The only child must go solitary or with friends, although it is not the same. They have nobody who can borrow them some clothes or other things. To sum up, being the only child has many advantages but also a lot of disadvantages. Being such a child can be good, although in my opinion these people feel lonely and sad. Personally, I do not want to be the only child.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Analysis of the Indo Nepal Mahakali Treaty

Analysis of the Indo Nepal Mahakali Treaty CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Humans beings depend a lot on the natural resources provided by the nature for their survival. The recent period of human history differs with the earlier period in its strikingly high rate of resource utilisation. In the present environment, apart from energy the other important focus of any nation is in garnishing fresh water, one of the most precious natural resource. Water is required for the domestic use, industrial purpose and agriculture. With the increasing human population and depleting natural resources, as perceived by most, water is likely to be a source of major conflict in the near future. As per analysis, with the impact of global warming and population boom, by the year 2025 our world would be suffering from dramatic effects of hydrologic poverty. There would be great disputes and even war over water. For a country, water is brought by two ways, either as precipitation over her national territory or as inflow from upstream countries in the same river basin. The use and misuse of water in the upstream countries affects its quality and usage in the downstream country. South Asia is a region for both water abundance as well as water scarcity. The Hindukush Himalayan region together with the ancillary mountains is one of the largest store houses of fresh water in the world with most of the nations of this sub continent depending on the same in one way or the other. However, water problem in Asia is already severe, with a large population not having access to safe drinking water. Both India and Nepal share one of the largest geo hydrological region called the Ganga Brahmaputra basin. Most of the major rivers of the sub basin of Ganges river originates from Nepal and thus are trans boundary in nature. Nepal occupies 13 percent of the total drainage of Ganges basin and in terms of annual water flow; it contributes up to 45 percent. In dry seasons, Nepals contribution to the total run off is almost 70 percent[1]. The hydrological features bind both India and Nepal geographically as far as water resource is concerned. There is considerable scope for joint endeavour between both the nations on issues pertaining to water resource development and water management. However various issues relating to the same has not been smooth .The geopolitical influence, big small country syndrome, failure to understand each others sensitiveness and negative approach has led to a situation which may become a source of future conflict and a major issue in shaping the eventualities between both the countries. METHODOLOGY Statement of Problem This dissertation attempts to analyse the genesis of the problem with regard to the Indo Nepal Mahakali treaty and suggest measures to resolve the deepening divide. Hypothesis The Mahakali treaty is formally operational. However, there is a disagreement over interpretation of the provisions. A negotiation based on equitable sharing, i.e. having equal rights on utilisation of the water resource and related benefits depending on each riparian states economic and social need can resolve the deepening divide. Justification of the Study Water insecurity is omnipresent in the region, visible in conflicts and tensions erupting within and across countries. As water is becoming a scanty and critical resource with every passing day, sharing and management of trans-boundary water continues to be a bone of contention in any attempts to build a common understanding, stability, peace and cooperation in the region. Though there are a numerous treaties as far as sharing of trans- boundary river is concerned, however in many places the bilateral treaties signed by different countries and India themselves have become sites of conflict. For a fast developing economy and for a nation like India which believes in the principles of peaceful co existence, there arises a need to address issues which are of concern. As regards to the region is concerned, water governance specifically and ecological governance at large has never been as strong, nor as urgent as now with the growing impact of global warming and depleting fresh water bodies. There has always been the big versus small nation syndrome on many such issues. The need to resolve issues pertaining to trans boundary water is very much essential for peace and cooperation in South Asia. Therefore there arises a need to institute a framework for water governance that is fair, equitable and environmentally sound and resolve such issues which when addressed appropriately could go a long way in the development of the region as a whole. Scope This study concentrates on the Mahakali Integrated Development Treaty under the backdrop of various principles of international law governing international rivers and thereafter advocates some suggestions to resolve the conflict. Although various other joint water resource development treaties currently in place between the two countries are inextricably linked with the subject, the same debate has been excluded from the subject. Method of Data Collection Information for this dissertation was obtained from documentary and non- documentary sources. Cyber media was adequately accessed to obtain the latest views on the subject. A bibliography is appended at the end of the text. Organisation of the Dissertation It is proposed to study the subject in the following manner:- Chapter II: Background of the Treaty. This chapter tries to examine the various issues and treaties pertaining to water sharing between the two countries which had a direct impact on the course of the Mahakali water treaty. Chapter III: The Provisions of the Treaty This chapter deals with the twelve mutually accepted articles of the Mahakali water treaty concerning the integrated development of the Mahakali barrage between the erstwhile His Majestys government of Nepal and the government of India. Chapter IV: Issues of Conflict Though the treaty is formally operational, however the implementation of the provisions has been slow due to disagreement over interpretation of the provisions. This chapter tries to analyse the differences that had emerged between both India and Nepal on various issues pertaining to the treaty. Chapter V : Principles of International Law Governing International Rivers In this chapter the four basic theories with regard to the water rights of various riparian states are dwelled upon. Chapter VI : Possible Measures to Mitigate the Conflict. Though steps have been initiated to resolve the conflict still there are differences over the treaty. In this chapter an endeavour has been made to study various methods to mitigate the deepening divide. CHAPTER II BACKGROUND OF THE TREATY Both India and Nepal share many rivers such as Kosi, Gandaki, Karnali and Mahakali. In order to harness the benefits of the Mahakali river between India and Nepal, a multipurpose project was planned. The Mahakali treaty though provides for a construction of a project on the Mahakali river however it has its background to various historical events, which led to the conclusion of these agreements. As regard to the Indo Nepal water treaty, the water resource development dates back to 1920 when the British Indian government decided to build the Sarda barrage to irrigate the United Province. As per the treaty, Nepal government agreed to transfer 4093.88 acres of her land on the eastern banks of Mahakali river to build a barrage. In exchange Nepal received an equal amount of forest land from the British Indian government to the east[2]. In addition the British Indian government also agreed to give 50,000 rupees, a supply of 4.25 cubic meters per sec (cumsecs) out of an annual flow of 650 cumsecs during dry season and 13 cumsecs of water in the wet season which could be further increased to 28.34 cumsecs if water was available[3]. The project was undertaken by the British Indian government for its own benefit and at her own cost in addition to an equitable transfer of land with some benefits as regard to sharing of water is concerned, being provided to the Nepal government. In 1954 India and Nepal signed the Kosi agreement which entailed construction of a dam on the Kosi river for the use of the river water. The Kosi river is one of the major rivers of Nepal. One of the peculiarities of the river being that it shifts its course frequently and used to flood the plains of Bihar. The Kosi project agreement was signed with the aim of preventing floods in Bihar, diverting the confined water for irrigation and hydropower generation (20,000 KW)[4]. The 1.15 km barrage was completed in 1962. The barrage was entirely in Nepal with the eastern main canal in India[5]. the project was seriously criticised at all levels in Nepal, the complaint being that it was a sell out of national property for Indias benefits and that nothing had been obtained for Nepal in return for a huge expenditure of resources. Subsequently on Nepals insistence, talks were held to revise the agreement in 1966. Later in 1982 the western main canal was completed of which 35 km stretch of the c anal passed through Nepal which was designed to irrigate 356000 hectares of land as far as Darbhanga in India towards the west and 11000 hectares of land in Nepal[6]. Though the project was completed; however there arose a discontented feeling in Nepal. Nepals concerns were that the project gave limited benefit to her compared to India. Though India adjusted to the concerns of Nepal, the agreement created a rift in the relations between the two countries and Nepal became cautious for initiation of any new agreement. In 1959 India and Nepal signed the Gandak Irrigation and Power Project Agreement. As per the agreement, Nepal government allowed India to construct a barrage at her own cost. The barrage was designed to irrigate 920,000 hectares of land in the state of Bihar and 37,000 hectares in western Nepal from the eastern main canal and similarly 930,000 hectares in Uttar Pradesh and 20,000 hectares in Nepal from the western main canal[7]. The barrage was constructed on the Indo Nepal Border. The agreement met similar criticism as had the Kosi project. The discontented feelings arising from the Kosi and the Gandak irrigation project were the reasons which inhibited any progress on the projects to include the Pancheswar and Saptakosi to name a few later on. Furthermore a constitutional amendment made Parliamentary ratification necessary by two third majorities for any treaty or agreement relating to natural resources which affect the country in a pervasively grave manner or on a long term basis. In the meantime, in 1983, India began constructing the Tanakpur Project. The project was started unilaterally on the land which was transferred to India under the Sarda agreement[8]. Problems started on the eastern afflux bund that required tying the barrage to the high ground on the left bank in Nepal. India needed about 2.9 hectares of Nepalese land to construct an embankment to prevent back water effects due to the barrage. In lieu Indian agreed to provide 25,000 cusecs of water as well as supply 25 MW of electricity. Nepal however demanded 50 and 59 percent share in water and electricity respectively. Nepals public stand was that India never consulted or brought to notice any prior information on the issue. The project arrived at a political stale mate. In December 1991 during the visit of Nepalese Prime Minister to India, it was concluded that Nepal government would allow construction of the 577 meters left afflux bund in its territory so as to prevent a recurrence and to ensure poundage of water at the dam site. In return India agreed to provide 1000 cusecs of water annually with 10 million units of electricity. However the issue led to a political turmoil in Nepal. The opposition in Nepal wanted the Tanakpur project understanding to be treated as a treaty and thus requiring ratification. In October 1992 under a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), India agreed to provide 20 million units of electricity against the previous figure of 10 million units to Nepal[9]. The Supreme Court of Nepal affirmed its verdict on a petition filed on the issue that the MoU between the governments was indeed a treaty but left it to the government of Nepal to decide whether a simple majority or a two-third majority would be required for its ratification[10]. The political turbulence on the issue led to the Prime Minister of Nepal dissolving the parliament and in the fresh polls in 1994 none of the party received clear majority to form a government. Subsequently a new government under Communist Party of Nepal United Marxist Leninist (CPN UML) was formed being in majority. Under the new government renegotiations were sought on the Tanakpur project. The Nepalese government demanded increase in quantum of electricity as well as water and construction of a storage high dam at Pancheswar upstream of Tanakpur site on the Mahakali river[11]. The Mahakali Treaty The flow of the Mahakali river is through the districts Danchula, Baitadi and Dadeldh in the hills and subsequently the river flows through the Kanchanpur district in the plains. After the river arrives into the plains it turns into a border between both the countries. The river joins the Ghagra river in the Indian territory. In 1971, Nepal began her Mahakali Irrigation project. Under the 1920 Sarda agreement, Nepal was permitted to utilise its share of river water. For the project, World Bank provided the assistance[12]. In 1977 both India and Nepal agreed to jointly investigate the possibilities of harnessing the Mahakali river further between the two countries. It was the fourth major water treaty being considered between the two countries. The treaty concerned the development of Mahakali river for the benefit of both the countries. The treaty was signed between India and Nepal in 1996. The treaty was signed under the back drop of previous treaties which had led to a feeling of mistrust as far as water agreements were concerned and to a great extent shaped the outcome of the Mahakali treaty. The treaty tried to bring within its fold other treaties and tried to arrive with principle of cost benefit sharing. The treaty provides for the construction of and use of a giant, multipurpose project on the Mahakali river called as the Pancheswar project. In January 1996 the Mahakali treaty was ratified in Nepalese parliament by more than two third majorities. However prior to ratification, the Nepalese parliament unanimously passed a stricture on the treaty which redefined the water rights. The features of strictures were as under[13]:- The electricity generated by Nepal would be sold to India as per the avoided cost principal. Constitution of Mahakali Commission on agreement with the main opposition party in the parliament as well as with the recognised national parties. Equal entitlement in the usage of the waters of the Mahakali river. The saying that Mahakali is a boundary river on major stretches between the two countries implies that it is basically a border river. CHAPTER III THE PROVISIONS OF THE MAHAKALI INTEGRATED DEVELOPMENT TREATY The treaty came into existence in 1996 and is called as the Mahakali Integrated Development Treaty. The treaty is designed by India with the aim of mutual sharing of the river as well as the electricity generated therein. The treaty comprises three projects as under:- The Pancheswar Multi Project[14] It is a major project entailing construction of a 315 m high dam across the Mahakali river between Pithoragarh and the Baitadi district of Nepal. This project contains the most important content of the treaty. It proposes a joint indo Nepal hydroelectric project on the river on the basis of 50 percent cost benefit split. The Tanakpur Hydropower Project[15] As per the treaty, Nepal to continue to have sovereignty over the 2.9 hectare which was needed to build the eastern afflux bund, as well as a hectare of pondage area. In return India would provide 1000 cusecs of water in the wet season and 300 cusecs of water in the dry season. Also India would provide 70 million units of electricity to Nepal and construct an all weather road to connect Tanakpur barrage to Nepals East West highway. The Sarda Barrage[16] As per the treaty Nepal has a right to supply 1000 cusecs of water from the barrage during the wet season i.e. between May 15 to October 15 and 150 cusecs in the dry season from October 16 to May 15. Also India is bound to maintain a flow of minimum 350 cusecs of water to preserve the river ecosystem. The project tries to develop a principle of sharing cost benefit. It recognises Mahakali as a border river on major stretches between the two countries. The agreement also covers flood management and irrigation aspect apart from power generation. The treaty was signed on 12 February 1996 by the Prime Ministers of India and Nepal at Kathmandu. The treaty comprises twelve articles excluding the preamble as given in succeeding paragraphs[17]. Article 1 As per the Article 1, Nepal would have the right to a supply of 28.35 cu m/s (1000 cusecs) of water from the Sarda barrage in the wet season (i.e. from May 15 to October 15) and 4.25 cu m/s (150 cusecs) in the dry season (i.e. from October 16 to May 14). Also India has to maintain a flow of not less than 10 cu m/s (350 cusecs) downstream of the Sarda barrage in the Mahakali river to maintain and preserve the river eco system. Moreover in case the Sarda barrage became non functional due to any cause, the following would be adhered:- Nepal shall have the right to a supply of water as mentioned above by using head regulators as mentioned in Article 2. The water that is supplied would be in addition to the water to be supplied as mentioned in that paragraph. India shall maintain 350 cusecs of water flow from Tanakpur Power Station downstream of Sarda barrage. Article 2 As per the joint communiquà © of 21 October 1992, for the construction of the eastern afflux bund on the Tanakpur barrage, at Jimuwa and subsequently tying it up at EL 250 m in Nepal, Nepal gave consent to about 577 m i.e. 2.9 hectares of land. However Nepal proposed to have her sovereign control on the land including the pond age area which falls in Nepalese territory and thus free to exercise all attendant rights thereto. Also in return to the land for construction of the eastern afflux bund, Nepal would have the right to the following:-: A supply of 1000 cusecs of water in the wet season and 300 cusecs during the dry season from the date of agreement and for which India would construct the head regulator(s) near the Tanakpur barrage along with the waterways of the required capacity up to the border which would be operated jointly. India would construct a 132 kV transmission line up to the Nepal-India border from the Tanakpur Power Station so as to supply 70 million kwh (unit) of energy on annual basis free of cost from the day the treaty is in force. In case of any development of any storage project(s) including Pancheswar Multipurpose Project, the under mentioned arrangements would be made at the Tanakpur Barrage: Additional water ways and head regulators would be constructed to supply additional water to Nepal up to the Indo-Nepal border which would be operated jointly. Nepal shall have additional energy which would be equal to half of the incremental energy generated from the Tanakpur Power Station, on a continuous basis from the date of augmentation of the flow of the Mahakali river and shall bear half of the additional capital cost at the Tanakpur Power Station for the generation of such incremental energy. Article 3 As per Article 3, Pancheswar Multipurpose Project would be constructed on a stretch of the Mahakali river where it forms the boundary between the two countries thereby both the nations would have an equal entitlement in the utilization of the water of the river without prejudicing to their respective existing consumptive use of the waters of the river. The countries would agree to implement the project on the Mahakali river in accordance with the Detailed Project Report (DPR) being jointly prepared by them. The project would be designed and implemented on the basis of the following principles: The project would be designed to produce the maximum benefit. All benefits accruing to both the countries would be assessed accordingly. The project shall be implemented in a way to include power stations of equal capacity on each side of the Mahakali river. Both the power stations shall be operated in an integrated manner and the net energy generated shall be equally shared. The cost of the project shall be borne proportionately by both the countries in terms of the benefits accruing to them. Both the countries shall endeavour to mobilize the finance required for the implementation of the project. A portion of Nepals share of energy shall be sold to India and the quantum and cost of the energy would be as mutually agreed. Article 4 India shall supply 350 cusecs of water for irrigation of Dodhara -Chandani area of the Nepalese Territory. The technical and other details would be mutually worked out. Article 5 The water requirement of Nepal would be given prime consideration in the utilization of the waters of the Mahakali River. Both the countries would be entitled to draw their share of water of the river from the Tanakpur Barrage and/or other mutually agreed points as provided for in the treaty and any subsequent agreement between the countries. Article 6 Any project, other than those mentioned in these articles, to be developed on the Mahakali river, where it is a boundary river, shall be designed and implemented by an agreement between the countries on the principles established by this treaty. Article 7 As per Article 7, to maintain the flow and desired level of the water of the Mahakali river, each country undertook not to use, obstruct or divert the water of the river which might adversely affect the natural flow and level except by an agreement between the countries. However, this would not preclude the use of the waters of the Mahakali river by the local communities living along both the sides of the river, not exceeding five percent of the average annual flow of the river at Pancheswar. Article 8 Article 8 stipulates that this treaty should not preclude planning, survey, development and operation of any work on the tributaries of the Mahakali river, to be carried out independently by either of the country in their own country without adversely affecting the provision of Article 7. Article 9 As per Article 9, there shall be a Mahakali river Commission guided by the principles of equality, mutual benefit and no harm to either of the country. The Commission would be composed of equal number of representatives from both the countries. The functions of the Commission would be as under:- To seek information, inspect all structures included in the treaty and make recommendations to take steps for implementation of the provision of the treaty. To make recommendations to both the countries for the conservation and utilization of the Mahakali river as envisaged and provided for in the treaty. To provide expert evaluation of projects and recommendations. To co-ordinate and monitor plans of actions arising out of the implementation of the treaty. To examine any differences arising between the nations concerning the interpretation and application of the treaty. The expenses of the Commission would be borne equally by both the countries. The Commission once constituted would submit the rules of procedure as drafted to both the countries for their concurrence and both the nations shall reserve their rights to directly deal with each other on matters, which may be in the competence of the Commission. Article 10 Under Article 10, both the countries could form project specific joint entities for the development, execution and operation of new projects including Pancheswar Multipurpose Project on the Mahakali river for mutual benefit. Article 11 Article 11 states that if the Commission fails under Article 9 of the treaty to recommend its opinion on any dispute relating to the matter within a span of three months or if either of the countries disagrees with the recommendations of the Commission, then it would be deemed that the dispute has arisen and would be submitted to arbitration for decision. In such a case also the country going for such a stand would give a minimum of three months notice to the other. Arbitration would be conducted by a tribunal composed of three arbitrators. One arbitrator shall be nominated by Nepal, one by India and the third jointly by both the countries. However neither of the arbitrator should be a national of either of the country. The third arbitrator would preside over the tribunal. In case both the countries fail to agree upon the third arbitrator, then, in a time period of three months after receipt of a proposal, either of the nations can request the Secretary-General of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at the Hague to appoint such arbitrator who should not be a national of either country. The procedures of the arbitration would be determined by the arbitration tribunal and the decision of a majority of the arbitrators would be assumed as the decision of the tribunal and would be accepted as final and binding. For the provision for the venue of arbitration, the administrative support and the remuneration and expenses of its arbitrators would be as agreed upon by exchange of notes between the nations and in that, both the countries can decide on alternative procedures for settling differences which would have aroused in the treaty. Article 12 Following the conclusion of the treaty, the earlier understanding arrived at by both the countries concerning the utilization of the waters of the Mahakali river from the Sarda and the Tanakpur barrage, which had been incorporated in the treaty was to be deemed to have replaced by this treaty. The treaty would be subject to ratification and would enter into force on the date of exchange of instruments of ratification and would remain valid for seventy five years from the date of its entry into force. The treaty would be reviewed after every ten years or earlier as required by either of the country and make amendments if required. CHAPTER IV ISSUES OF CONFLICT The treaty came into existence on 12 February 1996. The articles lacked specificity which led to ambiguity over the interpretation of the treaty. The differences which emerged out after the treaty came into existence are given in succeeding paragraphs. The Issue of Border River and Prospect of Equal Sharing[18] As far as border river is concerned, the river acts as boundary river on major stretches (refer Appendix P put sketch as per pg laid water of hope). Nepal argues that the river is a border river where both the countries differ as far as the interpretation of treaty is concerned. As far as equal sharing is concerned, Nepal argues that as the river belongs to both the countries therefore each country owns 50 percent water. The river flows as a boundary river between Pancheswar and Banbassa. As Nepal has interpreted the issue of equal entitlement, it claims half of the share of the river water between the locations. However Indias stand is that equal sharing implies that the river per se does not belong to either of the country and can be used by either as per the requirement. Upper riparian country cannot own any water and subsequently sell it to lower riparian country where the lower riparian country as such would receive the water due to natural flow. For India, equal sharing implies that both the countries equally share the incremental benefit and cost that is attached to the Pancheswar project. Existing Consumptive Use[19] Another major difference that exists is regarding the protection of consumptive use. Nepals concern is that in the treaty, only Nepals existing consumptive usage has been quantified and not of India. Furthermore as per the treaty (Article 3), the sharing of the capital cost of the Pancheswar project would be proportionate to the relative incremental benefit which have to be considered after protecting existing consumptive use of water of the river. Nepals concern is that the 2 mha land irrigated from lower Sarda barrage is outside the scope of the agreement as it is mostly dependent on the water from Ghagra or Karnali river for most part of the year and is dependent on the Mahakali river only from July to October. However Indias stand on this issue is that the system is very much under the treaty. The Kalapani Issue Kalapani as experts feel is a disputed area. It is roughly a 35 sq km area at the junction of India, Nepal and China[20]. Indian troops have been stationed there since 1962. There is though no relation between the boundary issue at Kalapani and the Pancheswar project but one of the strictures passed along on Mahakali in Nepalese Parliament states Mahakali as well as the location of its sources basically as a border river[21]. A Parliamentary committee took up studies to clarify the status of the Mahakali river and the issue of Kalapani emerged. As per the 1816 Segauli Treaty between Nepal and British India, Mahakali river would mark as the border between India and Nepal. The issue of contention is as to which of the stream actually constitutes as the source of the river. Nepals stand is that the Lipu Gad rivulet should mark as the border which implies that the area of Kalapani which is to further east should be part of Nepalese territory, however Indian experts fee l that the Mahakali river beings much downstream where the stream from Kalapani spring and Lipu Gad meet. India however reiterates that the issue should be settled based on old records, documents and survey reports. Site for Re regulating Structure.[22] A site was needed below the main dam to store and subsequently make controlled release of water passing through the Pancheswar dam and then meet the irrigation requirements further downstream. There were two locations which rose for discussion for construction of re regulating structure. First was at Rupaligad which Nepal preferred during the negotiation of the treaty. A re regulating structure at Rupaligad would generate about 240 MW of electricity owing to low height, of about 60 m. Also due to the low height, it would have limited storage capacity. For India, the site did not offer much benefit owing to lower production of energy and offers little of her irrigation demand. Indian experts feel that the site further downstream at Poornagiri would enable construction of a re regulating structure of 180 m height which would produce up to 1000 MW of energy as well as provide adequate storage. Nepals concern on this issue is that a dam at this site would inundate 2, 50,000 hectares of agricultural land and also displace 56,000 people from Nepal hills. Nepal looks at the proposal as a project designed by India to irrigate vast tracts of agricultural land in Uttar Pradesh. The Question of Power Tariff With the project in place a maximum of 6480 MW of electricity can be derived. As per Article 3 of the treaty, the power stations of equal capacity should be constructed on eithe

Friday, September 20, 2019

Methods of Estimating For Cost Planning in Construction

Methods of Estimating For Cost Planning in Construction In the Construction industry, cost planning is a vital management process for control the overrun cost of project and gets maximum returns to the client within client agreed budget. Generally Quantity Surveyor as a Cost Manager who is involve to prepare cost planning and cost controlling process for specific stages with respect to the RIBA plan of work. There are some significant estimating methods for cost planning process utilize in construction project. Hence those methods give preliminary estimate for the client at the design stage. And Pre-Contract Cost Planning and Cost Control process are also very important to successful planning, design and construction of projects and is aimed at providing best value solutions. Basically it is a pre-costing method of a project. In addition, Term of life cycle costing can be described, according to the definition of Hoar and Norman (1990) noted as appropriately defined the life cycle cost of an advantage as the present value of total cost of the asset over its operating life including initial capital costs, occupational costs, operating costs, etc. Specially, Quantity surveyor monitors the cost of every phases of a construction project as a cost manager to minimize the costs of the project and to make more cost savings for the project success. INTRODUCTION This report emphasizes for identifying critical phases of pre contract cost planning and controlling process in the life cycle of project with respect to the RIBA plan of work how to manage them and how to obtain a maximum turnover of the project within the quantity surveyors role as a cost manager. Hence, this study will discuss significant project pre contract cost planning and controlling process, such as methods of estimates for cost planning for different stages of RIBA work plan, pre-contract cost planning and cost controlling process with respect to the RIBA plan of work a client/consultant may adopt during each stage, the term life cycle costing and related terminology and the quantity surveyors role as a cost manager, in the life cycle of the project. MAIN BODY Explain the methods of preparing estimates for cost planning for different stages of RIBA work plan. What Is Cost Planning? The Cost Planning is a method of cost controlling the cost (Price to client) of a project within a pre-determined sum up to the tender stage. (Page3, Cost studies) Cost Planning give advice to client how much will be project cost. As well, cost planning will advise when the expected expenses will most possible occur. Hence its important for get required project finance and for determining possible project profit. Methods of Estimating for Cost Planning There are some significant estimating methods uses in construction industry for Cost planning process. Those methods give preliminary estimate, hence Quantity Surveyor has to modify predetermine data considering the followings, such as , market conditions, Size, number of storeys, specification level, inclusions exclusions, service, site foundation conditions and other factors. Conference Estimating Method RIBA Stage A of Options Appraisal and stage B Design Brief, This method uses for preparation of the initial price estimate give to the client. It is based on a cooperative view of a group of persons, and not quantify in any particular way. Financial methods RIBA Stage A of Options Appraisal and stage B Design Brief, This method fixes a cost limit on the building design, according to the unit of accommodation or rental values. Unit method RIBA Stage A of Options Appraisal and stage B Design Brief, The unit method is multiplies desire standard unit of accommodation by an approximate cost per unit. Not required specific drawings, specifications, only the concept of the project relevant to the required function. For example: Schools costs per pupil enplace Hospitals costs per bed enplace Car parks cost per car space Estimate = Standard units  of accommodation x Cost per unit Cube method   Design Stage This is the superseded method because of inherent disadvantages; this method needs some sketch drawings, historical cost data, Superficial area method RIBA Stage B Strategic Briefing and also can be used for Stage C This is presently most common use method, its use for early price estimating purposes. The area of each of the floors multiplied by the cost per square meter. Mostly important Storey heights, plan shape and methods for when choose on the rate to be used. Story enclosure unit method This technique use weightings for the estimating the building elements Elemental Cost estimating Detail Design Stage (Production information Stage F) This can use to establish the approximate cost of a construction project. It analyzes, the cost of the project on an elemental basis, using from other similar projects. Also provides cost advice during the design process. Detail drawings are required. For example: Approximate Cost estimating Approximate quantities present additional detailed approximate estimate. No particular rules of  measurement exist, Also significantly more information is required from the designer.. For example: Resource analysis (Pre Construction Stage Tender Documentation -G) This method is traditionally adopted by contractors estimators to decide their individual rates for measured items in bills of quantities. All individual measured items are analyzed into its element parts such as labour, materials and plant. This method is not a pre-tender method of price prediction strictly. The pre-contract cost planning and cost controlling process with respect to the RIBA plan of work a client/ consultant may adopt during each stage What Is Pre-contract Cost Planning? Pre Cost planning is very important to successful planning, design and construction of projects and is aimed at providing best value solutions. basically it is a pre-costing method of a project. As well as Pre-estimation of a design proposal will give clear picture about the cost to the employer and design team. Pre-Contract Cost Planning Process The pre-contract cost planning process according to the RIBA plan of work 1998; it can be described as follows. Pre-Design Inception of Feasibility Pre-stage A Work Stage A (1) Work Stage B (2) Establishing the need (Establish the budget) Options Appraisal (Cost of preferred solution) Strategic Briefing (Target cost) Pre-construction Stage Work Stage C Work Stage D Work Stage E Outline proposals (Prepare initial cost plan) Detailed Proposals (Firm Cost Plan) Final Proposals (Cost checks, design against cost plan) Work Stage F Production Information (Final cost checks of design against cost plan) Graph 2.1 Pre-stage A (Establish the budget) Client appointing clients management team (Consultants) such as, client representative, cost consultant, according to his requirements. Identify objectives, physical scope of project, standard of quality of building and services, timeframe and establishing the budget. Emphasis nature of clients problems and functional requirements on proposed project. Work Stage A (Options Appraisal) Consultant has to identify of client prerequisite and possible limitation on development and cost of the ideal solution. Prepare technical, functional and cost studies by consultant and then it should enable to the client to take decision on his project weather he can continue the first proposal or could do some changes to the first proposal etc. also select the possible procurement method. Work Stage B (Strategic Brief) Consultant has to prepare initial cost suggestion to the client based on an outline statement of clients needs, also to determine target cost. This establish an initial budget for client Client has to investigate availability of finance for the project and value of money framework. Pre Contract Cost Control Generally Pre contract cost controlling process is implement from this stage according to the RIBA plan of work as mentioned by chart 1.2, Pre Contract Cost Control process give ensure the cost of the project is within the clients budget or not. Hence pre contract cost control is very essential in a project since it is planning, design finalizing and tendering and selecting a suitable contractor too. Outline Proposals- Stage C Consultant has to involve preparing outline proposal and estimate of cost as initial cost plan. As well as Investigate the site conditions and preliminary sketches for requirement of cost plan. Evaluate strategic brief through consideration of time, cost, risk and environmental issues. Also establish design management procedures. Detailed Proposals Stage D At this stage, consultant prepares full detailed proposals for the client, and also prepares firm cost plan detailed elemental cost plan etc. Clint tem evaluate outline proposals for make the final decision, Receive design and cost input from client appointed team and extend detailed design solution. And review procurement advice. Final Proposals Stage E Consultant has to prepared final proposal at this stage. Carry out cost check of the design as it develop against the cost plan, hence it Confirmation of the cost limits for the project. Most cost effective in satisfying level of project brief to confirm or put final budget and to check the elemental cost targets. Consultant prepares all required submission for legal approvals. Production Information Stage F All legal approvals should have completed when at this stage. This is the assessment of lowest acceptable tender price based on completed contract documents. And also ensure that the completed designs are controlled within the cost limits. Supply all required information for final cost checks of design against cost plan. Explain the term life cycle costing and related terminology. Definition of the life cycle costing According to definition of Hoar and Norman (1990) appropriately defined the life cycle cost of an advantage as the present value of total cost of the asset over its operating life including initial capital costs, occupational costs, etc. Hence life cycle costing related with the time stream of costs and benefits that flow throughout the life of the project. There are number of term use in industry to identify different stages in the life cycle costing techniques, hence flowing are the specially use in construction industry. Life cycle cost analysis (LCCA) Quantity surveyor assist to prepare this, based on collection and analysis of historic data on actual costs of occupying building (running cost and performance). Life cycle cost management (LCCM) Actually it is derived from life cycle cost analysis and identities, by this way client can be compare building cost and controlling occupancy cost throughout the life of building to get maximum value. Life cycle planning (LCCP) This is as part of life cycle cost management; it is constitute the prediction of total costs of a building, part or individual element taking account of initial capital costs, subsequent running cost and residual values. There are several costs related with acquiring, operating, maintaining disposing of a construction or building system. Hence related costs generally fall into Initial Costs, Energy Costs, Operation, Maintenance, and Repair Costs, Replacement Costs, Residual Values, Finance Charges, Non-Monetary Benefits or Costs. For Example: Sieglinde Fuller Source: Sustainable Building Technical Manual / Joseph J. Romm, Lean and Clean Management, 1994. Life cycle costing Terminology Explain the Quantity Surveyors role as a cost manager, in the life cycle of the project. Role of the Quantity Surveyor as a Cost Manager Quantity surveyor is the person/ firm who manage the cost relating to the construction projects, such as new constructions, maintenance work and renovations. Quantity surveyor monitors the cost of every aspects of a construction project as a cost manager. Furthermore when study about Quantity Surveyors in Cost manger position also have to be identified their duties and Responsibilities properly. He should conducting feasibility studies and writing procurement reports at project inception stage. He should manage estimating and cost planning process and presenting the final cost plan. He should manage the procurement process, and make certain that all phases with pre-qualification, enquiry, analysis, selection and contract preparation are carried out effectively. Ensuring that post-contract cost variances and change control tasks are directed effectively. Involving with cost checking and valuation works to manage them effectively. Preparation of monthly post-contract cost reports and presenting them to the client. Preparation of value engineering and life cycle costing, and also final accounts negotiated and agreed process. Give leadership role mange the client and other consultants, at all project phases. Working with top managers and directors, and identify and performing new opportunities to improve the cost management procedures. CONCLUSION/RECOMMENDATION Pre contract stages are vital important phases of construction project to execute pre-contract cost planning and controlling process in a proper way for completion of project successfully within client brief, hence as identified thorough this report, Quantity Surveyor has critical responsibility as cost manager involve to carried out entire pre-contract cost planning process in a proper way.

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Adolescent Peer Pressure :: Peer Pressure Essays

Between the ages of twelve and nineteen is a period in a teenager's life that determines what kind of adult he or she will become. This period of adolescence, also known as the "formative years", is the subject of much study and research to determine why adolescents are vulnerable to the phenomenon called peer pressure. The disturbing number of incidents of teenage drug use, teenage pregnancy and teenage suicide is most assuredly the reason that fuels the need for such research. Perhaps it is because as children they are taught the importance of having and maintaining friends. Or perhaps they don't feel that they can talk to their parents or teachers when problems arise. Or maybe they simply want to rebel against the pressures placed on them as youths. Because adolescents spend their time either at home or in school, it is within these confines that the answers to adolescents' behavior lay. In other words, family and school can sometimes cause adolescents to give in to peer pressure because of an overemphasis on the importance of social adjustment, a lack of interest or communication on the part of the parents and teachers, and the unrealistic expectations that these entities create. Although the purpose of attending school is to receive an education, it also provides children with a medium through which they can develop relationships with other children that eventually turn into friendships. The ability to form friendships can be traced back to even the pre-school years and its importance henceforth emphasized by eager parents who want their children to fit in at school. "Interactions with friends or other peers are crucial for the development of a mature morality." (Juvonen, p.11) Most would agree that social interaction is important but sometimes parents are guilty of over-emphasizing this importance. Let's recall the numerous birthday parties where every child in the neighborhood was invited to come regardless of whether or not they were actual friends. This desire to socialize children also occurs in the classroom at school. "The classroom setting represents not only an educational arena but a powerful social context in which the psychological adjustment of children and adolescents can be affected."(Juvonen, p.248) Teachers tend to promote social interaction by assigning exercises that require working in pairs or groups. Furthermore, when a teacher spots a child playing alone, they will encourage him or her to join the other children while overlooking the possibility that the child might have preferred to be alone.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

A Worn Path and The Jilting of Granny Weatherall Essay -- Compare/Cont

In the short stories A Worn Path by Eudora Welty and The Jilting of Granny Weatherall by Katherine Anne Porter, both women overcame several obstacles. In A Worn Path, Phoenix Jackson faced obstacles such as her age, physical challenges, and how others viewed her. Granny faced obstacles such as dying, feeling betrayed by her children, and disappointment in her love life. In A Worn Path by Eudora Welty an elderly African American woman named Phoenix Jackson picks a cold December day to make yet another perilous journey to a near by city to get medicine for her ailing grandson. On the way this old woman faces many obstacles, both natural and man-made. Phoenix draws upon her perseverance and willingness to sacrifice herself to help her throughout her journey, but it is the undying love for her grandson that truly guides and drives her to her final goal. She is described as being a very old woman. â€Å"Her eyes were blue with age. Her skin had a pattern all its own of numberless branching wrinkles and as though a whole little tree stood in the middle of her forehead, but a golden color run underneath, and the two knobs of her cheeks were illuminated by a yellow burning under the dark (Welty 386). These all show an indication of her old age. Also, her loss of memory indicates her old age. It was only until Phoenix reached the doctor’s office she remembered why she went on her journey. â€Å"My grandson. It was my memory had left me. There I sat and forgot why I made my trip†(Welty 394). Another character in the story was a white man who was a hunter. When Phoenix falls in the ditch, he helps her out of the ditch. Even though the hunter helps Phoenix, he still poses as a threat to her, because it seems he did not want her to finish her journey. This is made apparent when he states, â€Å"Why, that’s too far! That’s as far as I walk when I come out myself, and I get something for my trouble†(Welty 391). In addition, like her name, Phoenix seems ageless. When she stops to drink water from the spring she says, â€Å"Nobody know who made this well, for it was here when I was born†(Welty 391). When she encounters the hunter and he asks her how old she is she says, â€Å"There is no telling, mister, â€Å"said, â€Å"no telling† (Welty 392). Again her age is emphasized when she goes to t he doctor’s office and the nurse ask her why she never went to school. â€Å"I never did go to school, I was too old a... ...e must have due a great compensation in the afterlife. The greatest wrongdoing was that having been promised a Heaven, an eternal life, and Granny was once again left alone. Granny was much like Phoenix Jackson, they both had to overcome obstacles or challenges in life that made them stronger. Granny had to deal with the heartache and pain of being deceived and disappointed by what she thought was love and Phoenix had to overcome the obstacles of traveling a difficult Journey because of the love she had for her grandson. Fate can control humans’ lives and can help humans reach the end of the challenging path. Phoenix’s and Granny Weatherall’s ability to withstand and overcome these challenges shows their strong determination, and the will power to endure hardship and continue to be strong. Works Cited Bartel, Roland. â€Å"Life and Death in Eudora Welty’s â€Å"A Worn Path.’† USA: Harcourt Brace and Company, 1998. 45-48 Kirsznerand and Mandell, Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. Earl McPeek. USA: Harcout, Inc., 2001, 1997,1994,1991. 388-395 Porter, Katherine Anne. â€Å"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall.† Literature: Reading, Reacting, Writing. Fort Worth: Harcourt, 2000.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Benefits of having consistency throughout organisation Essay

There are many benefits of having consistency throughout any organisation, whether it is in the workplace or in customer interactions. Meeting demands consistently requires the attention of top leadership and it is becoming an increasingly important factor in various industries (Pulido, Stone and Strevel, 2014). This brief will highlight the advantages of having consistency throughout ‘Prestige Worldwide’ and how we can adopt it. Consistency is the key to making customers happy, which is the aim of this organisation. In order to provide maximum customer satisfaction, the customers must have a consistent ‘customer journey’, i.e. the cumulative experience of interactions that a customer has with a company (Pulido et al, 2014). Research by McKinsey & Company (2014) suggested that evaluating the customer journey is 30% more predictive of overall customer satisfaction than individual touch points, which makes increasing customer satisfaction easier to do. Even more importantly, Hallowell (1996) found that improved satisfaction leads to increased customer loyalty. Loyal customers are likely to retain our service and recommend our service to others, thus increasing our customer base and generating more business. McKinsey & Company found that consistency improves customer satisfaction by 20%, lifts revenue by 15%, and lowers the cost of serving customers by 20%. There is also a correlation between overall customer satisfaction and journey experience consistency, as shown in the graph to the right (Pulido et al, 2014). Research has highlighted many advantages and no notable disadvantages; hence this issue is something Prestige Worldwide should consider as part of its management strategy. McKinsey & Company lists three aspects that must be consistent which we should target; 1. Customer journey consistency: Customers interact with different branches of our organisation throughout their customer journey, and it is important for their interactions to be consistently exceptional. This is harder to maintain in a large corporation, but because we are relatively small it will be easy to adopt. 2. Emotional consistency: Customer satisfaction and loyalty are heavily influenced by emotions encompassed in a feeling of trust (Beard, 2014), meaning that consistency is important to forge a relationship of trust with customers, which is important for long term growth. We must strive to be a company that customers comfortable with and trust. 3. Communication consistency: It is important to make and meet promises, and equally important to highlight the delivery of these promises. Our marketing communications should focus on the delivery of promises, because that will influence customer perception and enable us to generate a reservoir of goodwill and first-rate reputation. Slogans are commonly based on customer satisfaction, with an example being â€Å"Satisfaction guaranteed† by Wal-Mart, and Prestige Worldwide should follow this process (Henard, Szymanski, 2001). Concluding the consistency for Prestige Worldwide, it is recommended that we implement it into our business. A suitable plan of action would be to adopt a journey-based approach with customer interactions by making their transitions between departments more seamless while tracking progress, fix areas where negative experiences are common due to them having 4-5 times more impact than a positive experience, and to do it now (Morris, 2014; Pulido et al, 2014). In order to build intense customer loyalty and reap its benefits, we must be consistent; otherwise our customers may lose confidence in our service. References Beard, R. (2014). Is consistency the secret ingredient to customer satisfaction?. Retrieved from http://blog.clientheartbeat.com/consistency-customer-satisfaction Hallowell, R. (1996). The relationships of customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, and profitability: an empirical study. International journal of service industry management, 7 (4), p. 27-42. Hyken, S (2013). Amaze every customer every time: 52 tools for delivering the most amazing customer service on the planet. Np.: Greenlead Book Group Press. Morris, T. (2014). 3 Tips for Creating a More Consistent Customer Journey | Parature. Retrieved from http://www.parature.com/consistent-customer-journey/ Pulido, A., Strevel, J. and Stone, D. (2014). The three Cs of customer satisfaction: Consistency, consistency, consistency. McKinsey & Company, March. Redbubble. (2014). Prestige Worldwide logo.[Image] Retrieved March 24,2014, from http://ih0.redbubble.net/image.13336929.5818/sticker,375Ãâ€"360.u1.png Pulido, A. and Strevel, J. and Stone, D. (2014). Customer satisfaction survey: Who’s up and who’s down. [Image] Retrieved March 24, 2014 from http://mckinseyonmarketingandsales.com/customer-satisfaction-survey-whos-up-and-whos-down Szymanski, D. M. and Henard, D. H. (2001). Customer satisfaction: a meta-analysis of the empirical evidence. Journal of the academy of marketing science, 29 (1), pp. 16-35.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Spark’s Message in a Bottle Intro

This section will provide brief description on various significances of the study. To students. The proposed study will aide students facing emotional difficulties such as peer pressure while academically struggling. To teachers. The proposed study will help teachers to have deeper understanding with their students having trauma. With this, teachers will have stronger foundation as guidance of their apprentices. To future researcher. The proposed study will benefit and help the future researcher as this serve as their guide. This would be a key with our economy continually struggling o move ahead.Scopes and Limitations The scope of this study is the breakthrough of an individual in traumatic events in life particularly with the loss of a love one. This provided steps gathered from reliable sources on how to deal with such situations. On the other hand, this study limits with psychological/emotional renewal. Methodology The method used in this study was the descriptive one. It aims to describe and interpret what the topic is. The said method in research writing fitted this study as it involves the elements or interpretation of the meaning or significance of what is described.Also, the technique used by the group was content analysis which can be applied to examine any piece of writing or occurrence of recorded communication. Approach to Literary Criticism The process of descriptive research which goes beyond mere gathering suited as the group made moral, humanistic or affective approach defined closed to â€Å"morality' of literature and to questions of ethical goodness or badness directly affected by the also made in this study as breakdowns concerns personality, inner drives and neurosis. Procedure The researchers, with the procedure of making this study, analyzed first the novel they are to use.They gathered useful resources primarily tackling the problem they are to focus on. The making of a thesis comes next together with the formulation of questions they are to answer in this study. They made an outline from the data they have in hand and started taking notes. Lastly, the group has started the formulation of their paper. Instruments Used The researchers used instruments such as books and internet resources for the study. Articles from reliable magazines and academic papers were also considered by the group. The novel which became the basis of the study was entitled Message in a Bottle written by Nicholas Sparks.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

PCI DSS stands for Payment Card Industry Essay

The senior management has been advised by the legal department that the organization will need to become PCI DSS compliant before using online applications that accept credit cards and customer personal information. The management isn’t familiar with PCI DSS compliance; therefore, the management asked you to prepare a recommendation explaining PCI DSS compliance, how the organization can move through the compliance process, and the consequences of noncompliance. PCI DSS stands for Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. PCI DSS originally began as five different programs: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and JCB data security programs. Each company creates an additional level of protection for card issuers by ensuring that merchants meet minimum levels of security when they store, process and transmit cardholder data. PCI DSS specifies 12 requirements for compliance, organized into six logically related groups called control objectives. Each version of PCI DSS has divided these 12 requirements into a number of sub-requirements differently, but the 12 high level requirements have not changed since the inception standard. The control objectives are Build and maintain a secure network, protect cardholder data, maintain a vulnerability management program, implement strong access control measures, regularly monitor and test networks and maintain an information security policy. The requirements for compliance are, install and maintain a firewall configuration to protect card holder data, do not use vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and other security parameters, protect stored cardholder data, encrypt transmission of cardholder data across open public networks, use and regularly update anti-virus software on all systems commonly affected by malware, develop and maintain secure systems and applications, restrict access to cardholder data by business need-to-know, assign a unique ID to each person with computer access, restrict physical access to card holder data, track and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data, regularly test security systems and processes and maintain a p olicy that addresses information security. According to Visa, no compromised entity has yet been found to be in compliance with PCI DSS at the time of a breach. Assessments examine the compliance of merchants and services providers with the PCI DSS at a specific point in  time and frequently utilize a sampling methodology to allow compliance to be demonstrated through representative systems and processes. It is the responsibility of the merchant and service provider to achieve, demonstrate, and maintain their compliance at all times both throughout the annual validation/assessment cycle and across all system and processes in their entirely.

Saturday, September 14, 2019

How do religious believers respond to challenges posed to them by scientists? Essay

Challenges to religious belief started around the time of the renaissance, before this the Church had almost complete control over people’s views, although criticisms were present. Since the only literate people were generally monks or priests for a considerable amount of time, challenges to religion were dismissed. However gradually times changed and with them so did attitudes. Although there were other arguments of a more philosophical and theological nature beforehand Galileo’s idea of heliocentricity was one of the first arguments to challenge religion in a way it had never been challenged before; scientifically. The idea that our world was the centre of the universe that is to say the geocentric view had been held since the time of Aristotle. This idea implies that the world is not the most important thing, just another component in the vast universe; this was the beginning of science opposing religious ideas. Presently there are many challenges to the existence of a creator specifically the Judeo Christian God who is responsible for the account of the creation of the world in Genesis. One of the major arguments against Genesis is Darwin’s theory of evolution. It says that contrary to the story of Genesis, humans evolved from apes and were not made, as we are now, on the 6th day of creation. Christians react very differently to this theory. Some choose to ignore it completely arguing that science can make mistakes and evolution is still only a theory. They might say that if God is all powerful, nothing is impossible and we cannot see the bigger picture. Other Christians present theories such as irreducible complexity and intelligent design; these are usually more liberal Christians. Some might say that the two ideas can be united saying that one asks how while the other, religion, asks why. On the matter of Creation itself there are many controversies. A young earth creationist would believe that the account of Genesis is completely true and that the earth is between 6000 to 10,000 years old. They would dismiss any scientific ideas perhaps saying that they can’t disprove God or maybe choosing to remain ignorant of scientific theories. If a scientist challenged this view using fossils as evidence, a young earth creationist may argue that God had put them there deliberately to test our faith. Some Christians and religious believers would say that we are not supposed to know everything because we wouldn’t understand and its part of God’s plan, they might say that if God had intended us to know then he would have included it in the Bible or the Holy Scripture belonging to the believer. Religious believers that belong to Islam methodically reject Darwin’s theory of evolution and often refuse to discuss it. However Koran has a similar creation story to the Bible and therefore the same problem of days. Many Muslims claim this is figurative and that days is supposed to mean period of time and therefore wriggle out of one of the challenges to their belief. Earlier while talking about evolution intelligent design and irreducible complexity were mentioned. These are popular responses by more liberal Christians to problems created by science. Intelligent design is a modern extension of the teleological argument; it argues that processes such as evolution are best explained by an intelligent cause and not just a random occurrence of mutations. It is therefore quite a popular compromise for Christians, it doesn’t contradict science and seems to unite the two; science is true but God made it happen. Irreducible complexity is an idea by Michael Behe, an American biochemist. He says that certain organisms are irreducibly complex that is to say that if you follow the evolutionary chain back far enough, you come to a point where it cannot be broken down anymore, the whole thing, however simple, has to exist simultaneously. Behe uses the example of a mousetrap saying that without any one part it could not function. Behe is widely criticised and slated by scientist because he is filling gaps in scientific theory with God using little or no concrete evidence, some say he has created a â€Å"God of the gaps.† Some more liberal Christians often present the Yom argument in the discussion of creation. The word day is used in Genesis but it was translated from the Hebrew word â€Å"Yom† which means any period of time from 24 hours to an indefinite span of time. Science clearly says that the entire universe was not made in an earthly week, using Yom as a period of time means that Genesis no longer has to say that the universe was made in a week, more just 6 stages. This can end the conflict of timescale to a certain extent.

Friday, September 13, 2019

Budgeting and Financing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Budgeting and Financing - Essay Example No matter how one refer to it, it's a tool to help him/her to prioritize spending and manage money-no matter how much or how little he/she has. A fiscal deficit is regarded by some as a positive economic event. For example, economist John Maynard Keynes believed that deficits help countries climb out of economic recession. On the other hand, fiscal conservatives feel that governments should avoid deficits in favor of a balanced budget policy. Fiscal deficit is an economic phenomenon, where the Government's total expenditure surpasses the revenue generated. It is the difference between the government's total receipts (excluding borrowing) and total expenditure. Fiscal deficit gives the signal to the government about the total borrowing requirements from all sources. The fiscal deficit is the difference between the government's total expenditure and its total receipts (excluding borrowing). The elements of the fiscal deficit are (a) the revenue deficit, which is the difference between the government's current (or revenue) expenditure and total current receipts (that is, excluding borrowing) and (b) capital expenditure. The fiscal deficit can be financed by borrowing from the Reserve Bank of UK (which is also called deficit financing or money creation) and market borrowing (from the money market that is mainly from banks). It is the fund used by an establishment to produce physical assets like property, equipments or industrial buildings. Capital expenditure is made by the establishment to consistently maintain the operational activities. Arguments: Fiscal deficit lead to inflation According to the view of renowned economist John Maynard Keynes, fiscal deficits facilitate nations to escape from economic recession. From another point of view, it is believed that government needs to avoid deficits to maintain a balanced budget policy. In order to relate high fiscal deficit to inflation, some economists believe that the portion of fiscal deficit. Expert recommendation Financial advisors recommend that the Government should not promote disinvestment to reduce fiscal deficits. Fiscal deficit can be reduced by bringing up revenues or by lowering expenditure. Logically, there are two ways in which the fiscal deficit can be reduced - by raising revenues or by reducing expenditure. However given the character of our State and the constraints of a liberalized economy, the government has not increased revenues. In fact, in budget after budget the government has actually given away tax cuts to the rich. Even when it has tried to raise revenues, it has been through counterproductive means like disinvestment. The main impact of the policy of reduced fiscal deficits has therefore been on the government's expenditure. This has had a number of effects. First, government investment in sectors such as agriculture has been cut. Secondly, expenditure on social sectors like education, health and poverty alleviation has been reduced leading to greater hardship for the poor already bearing the brunt of liberalization. Perhaps most importantly, in an economy going through a recession the government is not allowed to play any role in boosting demand. CATEGORY B Q. No. 1 Why