INDIAN REMOVAL

Early in the 19th century, while the rapidly-growing United States expanded into the lower South, white settlers faced what they considered an obstacle. This area was home to the Cherokee, Creek, Choctaw, Chicasaw and Seminole nations. These Indian nations, in the view of the settlers and many other white Americans, were standing in the way of progress. Eager for land to raise cotton, the settlers pressured the federal government to acquire Indian territory. Andrew Jackson, from Tennessee, was a forceful proponent of Indian removal. In 1814 he commanded the U.S. military forces that defeated a faction of the Creek nation. In their defeat, the Creeks lost 22 million acres of land in southern Georgia and central Alabama. The U.S. acquired more land in 1818 when, spurred in part by the motivation to punish the Seminoles for their practice of harboring fugitive slaves, Jackson's troops invaded Spanish Florida. From 1814 to 1824, Jackson was instrumental in negotiating nine out of eleven treaties which divested the southern tribes of their eastern lands in exchange for lands in the west. The tribes agreed to the treaties for strategic reasons. They wanted to appease the government in the hopes of retaining some of their land, and they wanted to protect themselves from white harassment. As a result of the treaties, the United States gained control over three-quarters of Alabama and Florida, as well as parts of Georgia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Kentucky and North Carolina. This was a period of voluntary Indian migration, however, and only a small number of Creeks, Cherokee and Choctaws actually moved to the new lands. In 1823 the Supreme Court handed down a decision which stated that Indians could occupy lands within the United States, but could not hold title to those lands. This was because their "right of occupancy" was subordinate to the United States' "right of discovery." In response to the great threat this posed, the Creeks, Cherokee, and Chicasaw instituted policies of restricting land sales to the government. They wanted to protect what remained of their land before it was too late. Although the five Indian nations had made earlier attempts at resistance, many of their strategies were non-violent. One method was to adopt Anglo-American practices such as large-scale farming, Western education, and slave-holding. This earned the nations the designation of the "Five Civilized Tribes." They adopted this policy of assimilation in an attempt to coexist with settlers and ward off hostility. But it only made whites jealous and resentful. Other attempts involved ceding portions of their land to the United States with a view to retaining control over at least part of their territory, or of the new territory they received in exchange. Some Indian nations simply refused to leave their land -- the Creeks and the Seminoles even waged war to protect their territory. The First Seminole War lasted from 1817 to 1818. The Seminoles were aided by fugitive slaves who had found protection among them and had been living with them for years. The presence of the fugitives enraged white planters and fueled their desire to defeat the Seminoles. The Cherokee used legal means in their attempt to safeguard their rights. They sought protection from land-hungry white settlers, who continually harassed them by stealing their livestock, burning their towns, and sqatting on their land. In 1827 the Cherokee adopted a written constitution declaring themselves to be a sovereign nation. They based this on United States policy; in former treaties, Indian nations had been declared sovereign so they would be legally capable of ceding their lands. Now the Cherokee hoped to use this status to their advantage. The state of Georgia, however, did not recognize their sovereign status, but saw them as tenants living on state land. The Cherokee took their case to the Supreme Court, which ruled against them. The Cherokee went to the Supreme Court again in 1831. This time they based their appeal on an 1830 Georgia law which prohibited whites from living on Indian territory after March 31, 1831, without a license from the state. The state legislature had written this law to justify removing white missionaries who were helping the Indians resist removal. The court this time decided in favor of the Cherokee. It stated that the Cherokee had the right to self-government, and declared Georgia's extension of state law over them to be unconstitutional. The state of Georgia refused to abide by the Court decision, however, and President Jackson refused to enforce the law. In 1830, just a year after taking office, Jackson pushed a new piece of legislation called the "Indian Removal Act" through both houses of Congress. It gave the president power to negotiate removal treaties with Indian tribes living east of the Mississippi. Under these treaties, the Indians were to give up their lands east of the Mississippi in exchange for lands to the west. Those wishing to remain in the east would become citizens of their home state. This act affected not only the southeastern nations, but many others further north. The removal was supposed to be voluntary and peaceful, and it was that way for the tribes that agreed to the conditions. But the southeastern nations resisted, and Jackson forced them to leave. Jackson's attitude toward Native Americans was paternalistic and patronizing -- he described them as children in need of guidance. and believed the removal policy was beneficial to the Indians. Most white Americans thought that the United States would never extend beyond the Mississippi. Removal would save Indian people from the depredations of whites, and would resettle them in an area where they could govern themselves in peace. But some Americans saw this as an excuse for a brutal and inhumane course of action, and protested loudly against removal. Their protests did not save the southeastern nations from removal, however. The Choctaws were the first to sign a removal treaty, which they did in September of 1830. Some chose to stay in Mississippi under the terms of the Removal Act.. But though the War Department made some attempts to protect those who stayed, it was no match for the land-hungry whites who squatted on Choctaw territory or cheated them out of their holdings. Soon most of the remaining Choctaws, weary of mistreatment, sold their land and moved west. For the next 28 years, the United States government struggled to force relocation of the southeastern nations. A small group of Seminoles was coerced into signing a removal treaty in 1833, but the majority of the tribe declared the treaty illegitimate and refused to leave. The resulting struggle was the Second Seminole War, which lasted from 1835 to 1842. As in the first war, fugitive slaves fought beside the Seminoles who had taken them in. Thousands of lives were lost in the war, which cost the Jackson administration approximately 40 to 60 million dollars -- ten times the amount it had allotted for Indian removal. In the end, most of the Seminoles moved to the new territory. The few who remained had to defend themselves in the Third Seminole War (1855-58), when the U.S. military attempted to drive them out. Finally, the United States paid the remaining Seminoles to move west. The Creeks also refused to emigrate. They signed a treaty in March, 1832, which opened a large portion of their Alabama land to white settlement, but guaranteed them protected ownership of the remaining portion, which was divided among the leading families. The government did not protect them from speculators, however, who quickly cheated them out of their lands. By 1835 the destitute Creeks began stealing livestock and crops from white settlers. Some eventually committed arson and murder in retaliation for their brutal treatment. In 1836 the Secretary of War ordered the removal of the Creeks as a military necessity. By 1837, approximately 15,000 Creeks had migrated west. They had never signed a removal treaty. The Chickasaws had seen removal as inevitable, and had not resisted. They signed a treaty in 1832 which stated that the federal government would provide them with suitable western land and would protect them until they moved. But once again, the onslaught of white settlers proved too much for the War Department, and it backed down on its promise. The Chickasaws were forced to pay the Choctaws for the right to live on part of their western allotment. They migrated there in the winter of 1837-38. The Cherokee, on the other hand, were tricked with an illegitimate treaty. In 1833, a small faction agreed to sign a removal agreement: the Treaty of New Echota. The leaders of this group were not the recognized leaders of the Cherokee nation, and over 15,000 Cherokees -- led by Chief John Ross -- signed a petition in protest. The Supreme Court ignored their demands and ratified the treaty in 1836. The Cherokee were given two years to migrate voluntarily, at the end of which time they would be forcibly removed. By 1838 only 2,000 had migrated; 16,000 remained on their land. The U.S. government sent in 7,000 troops, who forced the Cherokees into stockades at bayonet point. They were not allowed time to gather their belongings, and as they left, whites looted their homes. Then began the march known as the Trail of Tears, in which 4,000 Cherokee people died of cold, hunger, and disease on their way to the western lands. By 1837, the Jackson administration had removed 46,000 Native American people from their land east of the Mississippi, and had secured treaties which led to the removal of a slightly larger number. Most members of the five southeastern nations had been relocated west, opening 25 million acres of land to white settlement and to slavery.

INDIANS PAID LESS IN US

Bangalore: Indians are paid nearly 20 times less than their counterparts in the U.S. and Switzerland. According to 'Prices and Earnings' study conducted by Swiss banking major UBS, employees in New Delhi and Mumbai earn an average net salary of $1.6 and $1.2 per hour, respectively.

In contrast, Swiss cities Zurich and Geneva, have topped the charts with the highest average net incomes in the world of as much as $22.60 and $20.40 per hour. "Swiss workers earn the most. Zurich and Geneva top the rankings in our international comparison of wages. By contrast, the average employee in Delhi, Manila, Jakarta and Mumbai earns less than one-fifteenth of that amount," the report stated. Workers in the U.S. also earn at the higher end of bracket with people in New York earning an average salary of $19 per hour, while those in Los Angeles get $13.90 per hour. Workers in London receive an average net wage of $13.90 per hour, it added.

In terms of the gross hourly wages, workers in Western Europe and North America have the highest gross hourly wages averaging at $20.2 and $21.0 respectively, the survey said. While, in Asia and Eastern Europe, workers receive an average of $5.5 per hour before taxes and social security contributions are deducted from the salary.

UBS's report 'Prices and Earnings' is a global review of the prices of goods and services, wages, payroll taxes, working hours and purchasing power in 73 cities on every continent. The survey also pointed out that earnings do not just differ from country to country but also vary among employers within a single city. However, the earnings gap between public and private-sector jobs is particularly stark in emerging and developing countries, it added.

FACTS OF SUN

Our sun has an expected lifetime of about 11 billion years.

Our sun and the surrounding planets orbit around the center of the Milky Way galaxy once every 250 million years.

Only 55% of all Americans know that the sun is a star.

On its trip around the sun, the earth travels over a million and a half miles per day.

No solar eclipse can last longer than 7 minutes 58 seconds because of the speed at which the sun moves.

Lightning bolts can sometimes be hotter than the sun. (about 50 000º F)

It takes only 8 minutes for sunlight to travel from the sun to the earth, which also means, if you see the sun go out, it actually went out 8 minutes ago.

In Spit Bergen, Norway at one time of the year the sun shines continuously for three and a half months.

In Newport, Rhode Island it is illegal to smoke from a pipe after sunset.

In Devon, Connecticut, it is unlawful to walk backwards after sunset.

If the sun stopped shining suddenly, it would take eight minutes for people on earth to be aware of the fact.

For 186 days you can not see the sun in the North Pole.

Every eleven years the magnetic poles of the sun switch. This cycle is called"Solarmax".

Because of the speed at which the sun moves, it is impossible for a solar eclipse to last more than 7 minutes and 58 seconds.

Aztecs believed that the sun died every night and needed human blood to give it strength to rise the next day. So they sacrificed 15,000 men a year to appease their sun god, Huitzilopochtli. Most of the victims were prisoners taken in wars, which were sometimes started solely to round up sacrificial victims.

At the distance at which our sun is located from the center of the Milky Way galaxy, Earth and the rest of our solar system are moving at a speed of about 170 miles per second around the center.

At its center, the sun has a density of over a hundred times that of water, and a temperature of 10-20 million degrees Celsius.

All the coal, oil, gas, and wood on Earth would only keep the Sun burning for a few days.

An area of the Sun's surface the size of a postage stamp shines with the power of 1,500,000 candles.

Your fingernails can turn yellow from wearing nail polish and from the sun.

If the entire solar system were the size of a quarter, the sun would be visible only under a microscope, and the nearest star would be 300 feet away.

The Sun provides our planet with 126,000,000,000,000 horsepower of energy every day.

If the earth were the size of a quarter, the sun would be as large as a 9 foot ball and would be located a football field distance from the earth.

More than 1 million earths would fit inside the sun.

99% of our solar systems mass is concentrated in the sun.

The sun is 330,330 times larger than the earth!

HUMOR - THE BOSS

A man wanted to buy his son a parrot as a birthday present..
The next day he went to the pet shop and saw
three identical parrots in a cage.

He asked the clerk, "how much for the parrot on the right?

The owner said it was Rs. 2500.
"Rs. 2500.", the man said. "Well what does he do?
"He knows how to use all of the functions of Microsoft Office 2000,
responds the clerk.
"He can do all of your spreadsheets and type all of your letters."

The man then asked what the second parrot cost.
The clerk replied, Rs. 5000, but he not only knows Office 2000,
but is an expert computer programmer.

Finally, the man inquired about the cost of the last parrot.
The clerk replied, "Rs. 10,000."
Curious as to how a bird can cost Rs. 10,000, the man asked what this
bird's specialty was.
The clerk replies, "Well to be honest I haven't seen him do anything.

But the other two call him *"BOSS"!!

Guinness World Record in teaching online

Guiness Book Record for teaching 1934 students online from 16 centres worldwide
Dr. Subramonian, Principal of Dr.R.V.Arts and Science College, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu having two records to his credit one is for Continuous Teaching for 61hrs 35mts.(Limca Book of Records-2006) for which he has received the certificate from His Excellency the Governor of Tamilnadu. The second record is for teaching 1934 students online from 16 centres worldwide for this he received the certificate from the hands of His Excellency the former president of India Dr.A.P.J.Abdul Kalam

INDIAN CHESS BOY

Mitrabha Guha was admitted to Dibyendu Barua Chess Academy on 14.11.2005 at the age of 4 years and 2 months.

Mitrabha Guha played his first tournament at the age of 4 years and 3 months in the All Bengal Rapid Tournament held at Monohorpukur, Kolkata as the youngest player.

He participated in the Boys under 7 Chess Championship at the age of 4 years and six months in April 2006 held at the Gujarati Bhawanipur Society, Kolkata also as the youngest player of the tournament.

He participated in the Chess for Youth (under 25) held at Netaji Indoor Stadium, Kolkata and won 5 matches out of 9. He was the youngest player there.

He represented the state of West Bengal in the National Under 7 Boys Chess Championship held at Goa on Nov�2006 when he was 5+ of age and won six out of the possible eleven matches.

He played numerous tournaments between his age of 4 to 6 years held within the state.

He played his second West Bengal under 7 state championships in 2007 at the age of 6+years held at the Bhowanipur Gujarat Society and won the championship to become the Boys Champion.

Mitrabha Guha played in the Chess for Youth�2007 held in the Netaji Indoor Stadium, Kolkata and was the runners-up in the under 8 category.

Next he participated in the National Under 7 Boys Championship held at Lucknow where out of the 10 matches he won 8 matches, drew 2 matches and lost only 1 match and was placed all India 4th at the age of 6+. (Master Anubhav Tuknayat was placed 89th in the all India Ranking in the same event).

In April 2008, he participated in the West Bengal under 7 Chess Championship held in Kolkata and scored 7 wins out of 7 matches and won the championship.

He participated in the Chess for Youth�2008 held in the Netaji Indoor stadium and was the champion there by winning all the 8 matches he played.

He will be playing his third consecutive National Under 7 championship this year as the top seeded player. (Master Anubhav Tuknayat will not be playing in this category since his date of birth his 21.12.2000 and age limit will be limited to those players who was born after 1.1.2001).

He has won numerous tournament in his age group namely All Bengal Tournament held by Lake Town Cultural Association, Kolkata, Modern Chess Academy, City chess forum, Halisahar, Hoogly District Chess Association, Behala Chess School and many others where he was the Boys under 7 champion.

Mitrabha studies in Class I of South Point School, Kolkata.

INDIANS IN AFRICA

South African Tourism's Indian expert Alexis Kriel looks at some interesting facts about India's relationship with South Africa.

• Between 1860 and 1911 some 140 000 Indians arrived in South Africa as indentured laborers. The majority of them were Hindus from Madras, Travancore, Orissa and Bengal. Today, there are almost a million Indians living in South Africa - the largest group outside of India and Pakistan
  
  
• The first ship to arrive in South Africa (with Indians) was the SS TRURO. There were 348 laborers onboard. They were categorised as 2 % Brahmins, 9 % Kshatriyas, 21 % Vaishyas and 31 % Sudras, 27% Scheduled Castes, 3 % Christians and 4 % Muslims.
  
  
• In 1860, of the indentured laborers who arrived in South Africa, 35% were women. The number was later raised to 50%.
  
  
• The first Indians who came to South Africa did not work only on the sugar cane plantations; they also worked on the railways, dockyards, municipal services, the coalmines of Northern Natal and in domestic service.
  
  
• The name of the first immigrant, recorded on the list of the ship Truro, was Davarum.
  
  
• The first major temple erected in South Africa was in 1899. It was a Ganesha Temple at Mount Edgecombe in Durban and was built by an indentured laborer from India known as Kistappa Reddy.
  
  
• Today, 140 years later, after playing an integral role in South Africa's transition to democracy, Indians occupy positions in parliament and are contributing to every facet of life in South Africa.
  
  
• The origin of the word sugar appears to have its root in India, where its earliest form was the word 'sarkara'. And the word 'candy' is derived from the older word for sugar, namely 'khanda'.
  
  
• Mahatma Gandhi arrived in South Africa in 1895, to appear in a court case on behalf of an Indian client, and made his home here. He stayed in South Africa for 21 years. He started his passive resistance movement in South Africa.
  
  
• Gandhi's ideas of Satyagraha (Sanskrit for "truth and firmness") evolved in South Africa.
  
  
• During the Boer War, Gandhi organised a corps of Indian stretcher-bearers; and again during an outbreak of plague on the Witwatersrand. After the South African war, Gandhi practised as an attorney in Johannesburg.
  
  
• Gandhi said that the single most creative time of his life (and the time that changed the course of his life) was when he was in South Africa, where he began to teach a policy of passive resistance to the South African authorities.
  
  
• Gandhi only returned to India in 1915, after the government of South Africa made concessions to his demand for recognition of Indian marriages and the abolition of the poll tax. Back in India, he fought for independence from Britain with the strength and ideas that he had developed in South Africa.
  
  
• South African law relating to the 'Admissibility of Confessions' is adapted from section 25 of the Indian Evidence Act of 1872.
  
  
• Algoa Bay, now known as Port Elizabeth, means 'towards Goa'; and Delagoa Bay, now known as Maputo, means 'from Goa'.
  
  
• There are places in South Africa that are named after Portuguese voyagers travelling between Portugal and Goa and stopping over in South Africa.
  
  
• A few places in South Africa are named after Alliwal (walla) - the place where the British defeated the Sikhs in India: Alliwal; Alliwal North - founded in 1849 by Sir Harry Smith (the governor of the Cape) to commemorate his victory in India over the Sikhs; Aliwal Shoal - a dangerous shoal on the Natal South Coast; and the former name of Mossel Bay was Aliwal South.
  
  
• Kippersol is an Indian origin name for a tree widely found in South Africa.
  
  
• The common word for a tangerine (which is called a naartjie in South Africa) is probably derived from the Tamil word nartei for a citron.
  
  
• Bunny Chow - a favourite South African dish - is made from a vegetarian curry of beans, sold as a take-away food in a ½ loaf of bread, and comes from the word bhannia (the vegetarian shopkeeper caste) and chow (from the Chinese language).
  
  
• Mynah birds, which were introduced to Durban from India, are one of the most common birds found in Natal and Gauteng. It appears in leading South African bird books.
  
  
• A bhajiya is known by many South Africans as a 'chili bite'.
  
  
• Did you know that the following Bollywood stars have visited South Africa: Sharukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Rani Mukherjee, Zayed Khan and Saif Ali Khan?
  
  
• Did you know that Bollywood movies are widely available in South Africa and large movie theatre chains like Ster-Kinekor increasingly show Bollywood films?
  
  
• Filmmaker Mira Nair used a South African screenwriter, Helena Kriel, for her script for the movie Karma Sutra and their collaboration on the script and the writing of the script took place in Durban in South Africa.
  
  
• The Bollywood movie "Dil ka Rishta" was filmed in Cape Town. And the movie "Shikari" is shot extensively in the jungles of South Africa.
  
  
• A Durban consortium is planning a multi-million dollar film studio to help visiting film crews from India.
  
  
• Shilpa Shetty is about to shoot a film in South Africa with Mahmud Sipra.
  
  
• All the spices of India are available in South Africa and there are many excellent Indian restaurants.
  
  
• Indians in South Africa celebrate the festivals of their homeland, like Ratha Yatra, Deepavali, Kavadi, Eid and Mohurram.

CRICKET

2,500-pound machine strapped around Flintoof's knee to save his cricket career

2009-08-30 14:20:00

England all rounder Andrew Flintoff is praying that the 2,500 pound machine strapped around his knee will save his cricket career. The Lancashire all-rounder has to strap himself to the contraption for eight hours every day as he starts his gruelling rehabilitation from his latest operation. The state-of-the-art Continuous Passive Motion equipment was prescribed by surgeon Andy Williams and is designed to bend the 31-year-old Ashes hero's knee up to 1,500 times a day, News of the World reported. "I had a choice of either using this machine or doing three sets of 500 knee bends a day, so I thought the machine might be the way forward. I strap my leg into it for eight hours a day. It bends my knee up and down all the time and makes sure the movement is controlled," Flintoff revealed. "I will have the machine on most of the time, even when I'm sleeping. The hard part is getting used to having your leg strapped into a machine for most of the day. It's designed to help with the healing but, inevitably, my right leg is going to waste away a bit and the muscles are going to disappear. There's not a lot I can do about it because I can't bear any weight on my right leg for six to eight weeks." Flintoff underwent keyhole surgery in London on Monday night - just a day after helping England beat Australia at the Oval to regain the Ashes. It was the second op on his troublesome knee and the ninth of his career, following four on his left ankle, two for hernias and another on his back. Flintoff announced his retirement from Test cricket during the Ashes after admitting his 16-stone body could no longer cope with five-day cricket. "I have set myself a target of returning for the tour to Bangladesh, which is from mid-Febuary to the middle of March, but whether that's realistic or not, I'm not sure," admitted Flintoff. "There is a possibility I may not play again. It's something I'm going to have to be prepared for in case the operation is not as successful as I hope. There will be a question mark in my mind about whether I have played my last game until I know how the operation has turned out. "I'd be lying if I said it hadn't crossed my mind, but the success rate for an operation like this is pretty good," the paper quoted him, as saying. (ANI)

TOP 10 IT IN INDIA

Rank	Names	Sales (in Rs mill)
1	TCS LIMITED	97,272
2	WIPRO LIMITED	82,330
3	INFOSYS TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED	71,297
4	SATYAM COMPUTER SERVICES LIMITED	35,209
5	I-FLEX SOLUTIONS LIMITED	11,386
6	TATA INFOTECH LIMITED	9,743
7	CMC LIMITED	8,074
8	MPHASIS BFL LIMITED	7,657
9	MASTEK LIMITED	5,670
10	NIIT LIMITED	3,984

TOP 10 COMPANIES IN INDIA

1. Reliance Industries: The main business of Reliance is in the energy sector (oil and gas). However, it has strong presence in garments and telecommunication sectors too. According to Forbes, annual sale of Reliance is $18.0 billion. This company is very popular in the share market among investors.
2. Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) : It is one of leading oil and gas companies in Asia and one of most profit making corporations in India. It is trying to become a global player.
3. State Bank of India Group : It is the largest bank in India and of the largest in the world. It is also the oldest bank in South Asia. Its history goes back to 1806. According to Forbes, it has $156.4 billion of assets- very impressive!
4. Indian Oil: Again, an oil company. According to Forbes, its sales are $34.6 billion and thus it has the largest sale for an Indian company.
5. National Thermal Power : It is owned by Indian government and it made $1.3 of profit against sales of $6.1 billion.
6. Icici Bank: It is the largest bank in the private sector. It is also a popular company in the share market. In television channels, you can find their ads round the clock.
7. Steel Authority of India: It is a public sector company and it has several plants in India. It is one of the fastest growing companies in the public sector. Its profit figure of $1.6 billion is quite impressive too.
8. Tata Steel: It is a company with a great heritage. It is a company in the private sector. It was India's first and largest steel company in the private sector.
9. Tata Consultancy Svcs (TCS ): Among the top ten companies, TCS is the only company related to Information Technology. It has made its mark in outsourcing and its market value is $19.5 billion. It is quite impressive considering the fact that it has only $1.9 billion of assets.
10. Tata Motors : Tata Motors came into the headline this year for its effort to build the World's cheapest car . These days; Tata Motors is trying to expand its business both in home and abroad.
This list shows that Indian companies are often neglected by the western media. Outsourcing to India is causing a lot of jobs in the west and that is why the western media is interested about Indian tech companies. It is time that the international media takes more note of the top Indian companies.

IMPROVING THE EDUCATION SYSTEM

Badri has written up his thoughts on the problems with our current education system in his blog Thoughts in Tamil. His post is in Tamil. For all those others who can't read Tamil, here's an English translation of his post. Badri has incidentally made a conscious choice to blog in Tamil rather than in English.

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The Indian Education system is in great trouble. These are some of the faults I find in the current education system.

• Several children do not even get a basic elementary education.
• The rich and upper middle class in cities find decent quality private schools to send their children to. Even in these schools, getting a pass in the exams is the priority, not learning. Even these schools fail in teaching various arts, and in particular common sense to children.
• Both the private and government schools in smaller towns and villages are uniformly pathetic.
• Even if a student graduates from a higher secondary school, there are not enough colleges. The only hope left to most high school graduates is correspondence education. It is not clear to me whether one can be motivated enough to study through the correspondence course material sitting at home.
• Even if one graduates from college, the graduates are mostly unemployable, because of poor quality course material and teaching in the colleges. I have myself seen a number of such people while interviewing them for various posts in my organization.

Despite all this, several thousand young men and women have been leading our nation forward. On just about all counts of economic indicators including the foreign exchange reserves, "India is Shining". Just imagine where we can be if only we resolved our education related problems?

Here are some of my (not so complete) ideas:

1. Compulsory free education should be made available till Class XII

   The state and central governments should completely absorb the cost of providing free education till 12th standard to every child, irrespective of caste, religion and economic status. This should cover not just school fees, but also free books, food if necessary, uniform clothing and even a place to stay if the parents cannot afford that to their children. Those with money can always opt for their favourite private school, and feed their own children. Alternately, some rich may decide to send their children to the govt. schools.

2. Govt. schools should be run by private entities/entrepreneurs.

   It is very doubtful if the government can manage hiring qualified teachers and provide quality education to children. Like in the USA, the government can opt for building the schools and make them available to private companies on a long-term lease, based on auction. The organization that comes up with the lowest bid and agrees to maintain the best quality education would be chosen to run each school in each locality.

   We need to introduce a concept of 'education credit'. It is an amount equal to the average cost incurred in teaching a child in the privately run Govt. schools. This education credit is made available to every child. The child can either avail of the education by exchanging this credit in the Govt. owned and private operated school, or cash this portion against the fees and other costs incurred by them in a completely private school. This way, the tax payer does not have to feel miffed that his her money is used only to train OTHER children. Panchayat and municipalities must own and manage the school premises and oversee the operation of the private entities running the school.

3. All education above higher secondary school level should be primarily dealt with by private entities.

   If some state governments wish, they can run colleges, but it should be unnecessary. Students should be offered lenient education loans at very low interest rates.These loans are liable to be paid only after the students finish their education and find a job of their own.

   That is, free education until higher secondary; but paid-for education after that. Those who can't afford to pay for this higher education get low-cost and lenient loans. This kind of comfortable educational loans are made available to students in USA.

4. Alternate education must be promoted

   It appears to me that there is no need to teach anyone for more than 3 hours a day till the secondary school. Therefore, the available education infrastructure can be used more effectively through the shift system. Three normal shifts can be run between 0700-1000, 1100-1400 and 1500-1800 hours. An hour gap in between for the children to leave the school and the next set to walk in. In the late nights - from 1900-2200, the facility can be used to provide education to old and unlettered. Facilities such as the building, furniture, library, computer centre, laboratories and play fields can be used very efficiently in this
   manner.

   Further, individual teachers wanting to run their own curriculum can be entertained to use the nearby school facilities including the building, furniture, library, computer centre and laboratories. Like the 'Gurukula' method, a single teacher can lead a group of about 20 children from 1st to 12th standard. The students can write their 10th and 12th standard examination under the National Institute of Open Schooling. Nothing stops those who graduate through this system from joining the available colleges. Through the 'education credit', each student can pay his teacher. This helps the teacher earn a reasonable income and the student is also guaranteed quality infrastructure.

5. College education through correspondence system to be increased

   In each town, "Tutorial" colleges (as they are called in Chennai) can be set up by individuals who enroll their students in a correspondence course run by authorised universities. [This is applicable only to non-professional courses.] The day-to-day training is provided by these Tutorial colleges. The timings can be flexible, allowing for the students to also find a part-time work during the day.

6. Impediments in the way of setting up for-profit private colleges to be removed

   Today, only a charitable trust can set up educational institutions. Therefore, honest entrepreneurs interested in making profits will not get involved in spending their time and setting up quality educational institutions. The result is that only criminals who plunder money illegally in the name of "charitable trusts" get involved in providing education, and make money through capitation fees. To stop this, the government should allow for for-profit companies to set up educational institutions.

   This move will result in considerable capital flowing into the education sector. These colleges so set up will still come under the purview of the education ministries around the country, and so the government can still regulate the fees charges for providing the education. This is akin to regulating the distribution of power in Mumbai and Delhi. The government regulator only decides the upper limit cost per unit of power. Similar regulation now exists in telecom. Therefore it is perfectly possible to bring about the same in education as well.

   I do not claim that these suggestions, if implemented, will remove all problems we have in our education sector. However I am hopeful that they can alleviate the problem considerably.

10 SECRET OF SUCCESS

1. How You Think is Everything.

Always be positive. Think Success, not Failure. Beware of a negative environment.

This trait has to be one of the most important in the entire list. Your belief that you can accomplish your goals has to be unwavering. The moment you say to yourself “I can’t…”, then you won’t. I was always given the advice “never say I can’t” and I’d like to strike those words from the dictionary.

I’ve found that from time-to-time my attitude waivers. A mentor of mine once said “it’s ok to visit pity city, but you can’t stay and there comes a time when you need to leave”. Positive things happen to positive people.

2. Decide upon Your True Dreams and Goals: Write down your specific goals and develop a plan to reach them.

Write down my dreams and goals? Develop a plan to reach them? You mean like a project plan? Yes, that’s exactly what this means. You may have heard the old adage: A New Years resolution that isn’t written down is just a dream, and dreams are not goals.

Goals are those concrete, measurable stepping stones of achievement that track your progress towards your dreams. My goal is to start a second career as a freelance writer – what are your goals?

3. Take Action. Goals are nothing without action.

Be like Nike and “Just do it”. I took action by reaching out and started writing. Every day I try to take some action towards my goals. It may be small, but it’s still an action. Have you taken action towards your goals?

4. Never Stop Learning: Go back to school or read books. Get training & acquire skills.

Becoming a life long learner would benefit us all and is something we should instill in our kids. It’s funny that once you’re out of school you realize how enjoyable learning can be. What have you learned today?

5. Be Persistent and Work Hard: Success is a marathon, not a sprint. Never give up.

I think every story of success I read entails long hard hours of work. There is no getting around this and there is no free lunch. But, if you’re working towards something that you’re passionate about, something you love – then is it really work?

6. Learn to Analyze Details: Get all the facts, all the input. Learn from your mistakes.

I think you have to strike a balance between getting all the facts and making a decision with incomplete data – both are traits of successful people. Spend time gathering details, but don’t catch ‘analysis paralysis’.

7. Focus Your Time And Money: Don’t let other people or things distract you.

Remain laser focused on your goals and surround yourself with positive people that believe in you. Don’t be distracted by the naysayer’s or tasks that are not helping you achieve your goals.

8. Don’t Be Afraid To Innovate: Be different. Following the herd is a sure way to mediocrity.

Follow through on that break-out idea you have. Ask yourself “What would I do if I wasn’t afraid?”

9. Deal And Communicate With People Effectively: No person is an island. Learn to understand and motivate others.

Successful people develop and nurture a network and they only do that by treating people openly, fairly and many times firmly. There is nothing wrong about being firm – just don’t cross the a-hole line. How do you deal with people?

10. Be Honest And Dependable: Take responsibility, otherwise numbers 1 – 9 won’t matter.

Seven Leadership Principles

Seven Leadership Principles

by Don Gleason, Park Society Discussion, Orlando, FL

My growth has been greatly enhanced by learning to sail. I have a thirty year old 12 foot Dolphin Sailboat and a 24 foot Com Pac made in 1981. They are perfect for exploring all the lakes and seaways around where I live. The lessons learned relaxing and reflecting on these old boats have enhanced my own spiritual growth and journey to recovery.

The following are small insights in seven principles that have helped me gain perspective and stay on course. Some of us never learned to “sail” very well in the arena of personal integrity, growth through adversity and recovery from failure. As you go ponder these thoughts, I pray you’ll learn to navigate your own craft in stormy weather or the deep blue calm seas…keeping upright on a true course.

I. FACE THE RIGHT DIRECTION!

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight” Proverbs 3:5-6

The wind can be blowing nicely, but if I am not positioned correctly I go nowhere. When I tack at the right angle, I really get moving.

Face up to your weakness, as well as your strengths. Use God’s word and the power of His Spirit to fill your sail. Leaders take responsibility for their lives and the direction they take.

Leaders cast the vision and set the direction.

II. PAY ATTENTION TO THE HULL!

“Know well the condition of your flocks, And pay attention to your herds…” Prov.27:23

Cracks appear in the hull from time to time from stress, abuse, and normal wear and tear. It takes time to turn the boat over and sand out the rough spots and fill in all the cracks and “dings”. But if you take the time, your boat will stay seaworthy.

Take time to really examine your own life…the places where you might be “leaking”. Are certain habits creeping back? Are cracks appearing in your recovery? It may be time to put in a little extra “rehab work” with a brother or a counselor.

Leaders don’t shy away from self examination.

III. EXPECT ADVERSE WINDS!

“Consider all joy when you encounter various trials…” James 1:2

Without the wind, I will sail nowhere, but strong opposing winds can at times be terrifying. How can I sail straight when the wind is coming at me? Setting the right course and constantly adjusting it keeps me on track.

Are you staying on course? Are you making the right “course corrections” in your life to help you keep your top lines working and your bottom lines intact?

Leaders know how to continually adjust to keep on course.

IV. WHEN IN TROUBLE, LET GO! “In You, O LORD, I have taken refuge; Let me never be ashamed. In Your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; Incline your ear to me and save me. Psalm 71:1-2

Sometimes I get caught in a gust that threatens to capsize by boat. I have learned that instead of getting tipped over, all I have to do is let go of the sail and the tiller. The boat automatically positions itself into the wind, and I can try again.

What do you need to let go of? Your reputation? Your shame? The idea that you can “manage” your sin? While you’re not the “perfect Christian guy” you often portrayed…you’re not the sum of your sin either. Let go of both extremes and let God direct you into safe waters of healing, help and recovery.

Leaders have great resiliency.

V. PREPARE YOUR CREW!

“So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, "Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests carry seven trumpets of rams' horns before the ark of the LORD." ⁷Then he said to the people, "Go forward, and march around the city, and let the armed men go on before the ark of the LORD." But Joshua commanded the people, saying, "You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard nor let a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I tell you, 'Shout!' Then you shall shout!"

Joshua 6:6,7 & 10

Maggie, our Labrador dog has learned the hard way. When I yell, “We’re coming about…!” she jumps from the bow to the center of the boat. She got tired of sliding off the bow into the lake every time I made a sharp turn. Even the dog wants to be told when we’re changing direction.

Men usually move at light speed and can get ready in a moment’s notice. Those around them often have a hard time adjusting to these rapid course corrections. We often forget the comfort of those around us depends on us communicating what we know might lie just ahead. Learn to read the wind and prepare those around you for what’s looming on the horizon.

Leaders share their insight and communicate with their crew.

VI. INVITE OTHERS TO SAIL WITH YOU!

“Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. ⁴Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others” Philippians 2:3-4

Sailing alone can be great. It provides peace and relaxation, or skill and stamina depending on the day’s wind. Watching the reaction of a first time sailor to six dolphins rising out of the water in the Gulf is a thrill for both of us. We sailed around Honeymoon Island after crossing the Dunedin Bridge and sailed by some spectacular beaches. We talked about life, and the ups and downs we faced. By sunset, we had seen how God provides the wind, the sea and helped us to get back to a safe harbor.

Others need to hear how you sail into growth or recovery. You’ve faced strong winds and rough waters. Invite another guy to lunch. Share your story and your struggles. Be an encourager. Lead a bible study with a few other guys, or organize one and find someone to lead it. Someone has to initiate to make it happen…why not you? Keep an eye out for the guy on the horizon who needs to be invited in.

Being “inclusive” is a mark of leadership.

VII. THERE’S ALWAYS MORE!

“The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it upon the seas and established it upon the waters” Psalm 24:1-2

The world is more than two-thirds water and I’ll never run out of new places to sail and explore. I won’t ever get bored with the same old scenery or feel like there are no new adventures. I’m off to enjoy warm winds, colorful skies and deep blue water!

The great news is that you can continue to grow for the rest of your life into a deeper more intimate relationship with God and others. You don’t ever have to stop, and it’s not something that is ever “complete” or that you eventually “retire” from. As you grow you’ll have a greater capacity to lead and influence those around you.

Leaders who persevere are in for the long haul, and not just a seasonal run.

Conclusion:

Leadership in this context simply means taking initiative and responsibility for your own actions. As you do this, there will be plenty of opportunity to positively impact those around you. It is a natural byproduct of growing in a healthy relationship with God and others.

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7 Simple Rules to Ensure the Sales Executive's Commission in a Downturn

Author: Souma Das

Area Vice President - India Sub Continent, Citrix Systems India

'Financial Tsunami' is the new phrase that has been coined to describe the current global market scenario. As the global markets reflect the U.S. financial meltdown, and Asia Pacific markets follow the Dow Jones and Nasdaq paths, the biggest worry of the Indian IT industry is how to steer clear the ship in these turbulent times. Are there any strategies or economic pathways that one can follow with confidence to tide over the Financial Tsunami?

Having successfully steered the organization through the dot com burst and the following slowdown, I have come to realize that in tough times, one needs to get back to the basics. Put your head down and follow some simple but effective rules with a clear focus on business.
Let me offer my 7 simple rules for sales people to combat the downturn:

Be close to your customer: Ensure that you are talking to your customer on a regular basis. In tough times your customers also look towards you for advice on how to leverage their existing infrastructure. By being in constant and regular touch with your customers you will have a pulse on how their business needs and priorities are changing and how you can help them to overcome the downturn. Tough times are opportunities for you to establish long lasting relationships with your customers. Remember that in good times everyone wants to be your friend but in tough times only your true friends stand by you. Be the true friend to your customer.

Articulate your service: Be articulate in communicating your organization's key messages to your customers. Convey to them in clear terms how your organization's offering or services can deliver a better and faster RoI to help them retain their competitive edge. Do you know your customers adequately to be able to explain to them how you can deliver a better RoI in a shorter timeframe or how you can help them leverage their existing infrastructure?

Innovate: A crisis is a great time to innovate, when you may have to think of ways of staying ahead of the competition, of being more efficient, of coming up with different marketing or product bundling ideas. Great innovative ideas originate at war times; likewise, wonderful business schemes come up to one's mind during challenging economic times.

Execute ruthlessly: The best strategic and business plans are worthless without proper execution. Focus ruthlessly on execution and keep an eye for details. Keep your eyes and ears open to your customers and follow up with them for their needs. Execute on your account plans without letting a day of plan slip out of schedule. If a customer has informed you to call them on a particular day, don't slip on that. If you don't execute on your plans, your competitor will do. Be paranoid about execution.

Leverage the team: As a sales person, you should be constantly leveraging the organization's resources to win deals. This is the time to focus clearly on leveraging all the resources at hand. Ask for input, both internal and external, partner the sales and tech teams, and utilize the marketing and back office personnel like a customer care team. They might know where the biggest opportunities or real efficiencies exist. Ask them, act on their recommendations, and recognize them for their ideas.

Act fast: Analyze your work and look at the time taken for each activity. Reduce the time taken for each action by 25-50 percent. If you used to take 6 hours before to send out a quote to the customer, now try to do it in 3 hours by working effectively and by leveraging all the resources. If you would normally take 3 hours to fix up meetings for the day, do the work a few days in advance so that each day has a clear direction and pre-appointed customers to meet. When this is done, it provides you with a competitive advantage.

Educate your eco-system: Talk to your eco-system of partners, service providers, and vendors. Make them understand the changing landscape as it pertains to your industry, and instill in them a sense of urgency. Leverage their knowledge and help them to improve their efficiency. Work with their sales teams and be a leader to them.

These 7 rules apply to your daily and regular sales days as well. But in tough times it really pays to follow these simple basic rules and implement them.

As a sales person with over 20 years of experience, I found these rules very effective and they have been my guiding light, and I hope they become yours too

How to Plan for your goals...

Muthukumar Gopal...

Project Planner a...

I receive this question from many students even from staffs, whenever I visit to educational institutions for any seminars or workshops. It is a classic question too.

“How do I set and track my goals personally and professionally…”

I suggest them the white paper technique. It always works.! Let me share it here, and I am sure this will help many readers.

Whenever you feel, you have to do something for the improvement in your professional and personal life… and don’t know where to start and what to do - follow these steps. I suggest do this exercise in early morning time, because your thinking level will be high.

1. Take a white sheet, just add your name and current date, and space for target date at the left corner of the sheet

2. Divide the sheet into 4 sections and name them as Strengths, Weakness, Goal Statement, constraints. Write “To Do” in the backside of the sheet.

3. Now add your strengths

a. It should be your professional and personal strengths – for example: good in visual basic programming, certified graphic designer, public speaker, confident enough to talk to new people suddenly, good knowledge in latest mobile devices, read books, having good contacts in social networks etc.

4. Add your weakness

a. Again, this should be covering professional and personal things – for example: Average English communication knowledge, poor email writing skills, No idea about what is going on other side of office, Less knowledge in current technical updates around you, lazy, Health limitations, hesitations to take new opportunities etc.

5. Now – Just write one clear statement about what you want to become in specific duration

a. For example: I want to become a Tech Lead, with good knowledge in Windows Mobile Programming, at a reputed organization in 1 year. (Add the after one year date as target date in the top of the sheet.)

6. It’s time to add our steps to reach the goal. Before that we should know our constraints – so that we can make plans to cross it.

a. Add your constraints – this can be taken from your weakness list

b. For example: if you have English communication knowledge in weakness, add it. Logically, every weakness will have an impact while you plan for your feature. So we have to cross almost everything.

7. Turn the sheet. Now you have “To Do” section.

a. For every constraint you have on the other side – write a crossing procedure.

b. For example: If you have “no idea about what is going on other side of office” – write “Get new friends” – you can choose the supporting activities from your strengths.

c. For example: if you have “poor email writing skills” – write “Get information about how to write efficient emails - Write more test emails in blog – and ask your friends to verify them”.

d. For example: If you have “Less knowledge in current technical updates around you” – write “Visit online technical news websites 15 mins every day and discuss with friends”

8. Fill as much as you can – but I suggest try to add 10 ‘To Do’ Items.

9. Stick this sheet in your personal desk – read ‘To Do’ section at least once in a day – I suggest morning times, before you start any work.

10. Follow it, add marks for every day in your specified duration. If you don’t do it any day, minus marks.

11. Review your Track sheet every weekend, know your progress. If it is less than expected, speed up – it’s your life. If you are in good marks, present some small gift to yourself J

12. You can see the improvement in 2 weeks. J .

It is very simple to do, but very efficient in results. There are different names in management field for this technique (for example: SWAT), but this is simplified for anyone – student, professional, business guys.

I am attaching simple templates for this exercise. I hope it can give you a basic idea. Visit here for template:

http://sites.google.com/site/gvmuthusite/

IT ENGINEERS COMMIT SUICIDE

Bangalore: In the last one week two young IT engineers, one was working with Wipro and another with HCL, committed suicide. Both the engineers died by jumping from their office building.

Wipro engineer, Vishal Yadav (29), had a BE in electronics and hailed from Madhya Pradesh. Since May 17, 2004, he was working with Wipro as a Business Analyst and had gone on leave for two months. Interestingly, he had put in his papers via e-mail and was supposed to be relieved of his duties on August 31.

At around 10:20 pm on Wednesday, Vishal jumped from the top floor of S-II building of Wipro that has 12 storeys. When security supervisors heard a loud thud, they rushed to the spot and found Vishal down with blood around his body. They took him to the hospital, but it was in vain as doctor declared him brought dead. Doctor said, "With multiple head, spinal and thigh fractures, he might have collapsed within minutes after the fall."

HCL (Hindustan Computers Limited) engineer, Vikas Kumar Sharma (26), hailed from Munger district in Bihar. Since January 01, 2009, he was working with HCL as a Senior Network Analyst. He was living with a cousin in Delhi's Katwaria Sarai area. Though he was on a official off on Wednesday (August 19), he decided to report for the duty. The company cab had brought Vikas to the office around 4.30 am. Around 5.50 am Vikas jumped from the 5th floor of the office building. He was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him brought dead.

In both the cases, Police have been trying to find the reason of the death as they could not find any suicide note or any threat related information till now. In the case of Vishal, police framed eight questions and sent them to the human resources department of Wipro, but even after 24 hours, they were unable to get any personal details of the dead man. However, an HR executive of Wipro said, "We have been directed not to reveal any information or photograph of the employee. It is just that he had quit the job and was serving the notice period."

A police officer said, "We are not ruling out murder. There are lots of unanswered questions and it is for Wipro to clear the doubts."

In the case of Vikas, Noida's Superintendent of Police (City) Ashok Tripathi said, "The company's officials did not inform the police about the incident. Authorities at Max Hospital, where the victim was taken to, informed us."

In 2009, two suicide news of big IT companies' employees came in limelight. There are many engineers who are being harassed and forced to resign from the company. Last week, one of the former Wipro employees had informed media of the way he was sacked from the company. You can check this link to read that story - http://siliconindia.com/shownews/Sacked_Wipro_employee_alleges_harassment-nid-60537.html/1/2"

QUIT SMOKING

I remember thinking that I will never quit smoking. I tried quitting cold-turkey and with NRT, but both of them failed. I guess it's normal to have a hard time quitting when you're a certified smoker of twenty years. I must admit the psychological factor played a major role in the dilemma. Oh how I loved those cigarettes! There were times when I drove several miles to get that last cigarette of the day. I liked how it would instantly relieve stress, which was probably the main reason I smoked, but I also loved making smoke rings.

Regardless, deep inside I realized that I needed to quit. I was smoking almost 2 packs a day and knew that if I didn’t stop, it would eventually kill me, (I did quit thanks to Smoke Deter, but more on that later).

My first attempt to quit was using the good old cold-turkey (you quit without external help) method. Scientists have estimated that a smoker who quits cold-turkey needs to try 6 times, I tried 26 times and still couldn't quit. This "technique" was especially hard for me since I smoked so much for such a long time. It made me mad at everything and sensitive, plus I lost all of my concentration up to a point where I couldn't drive properly. I can sympathize with people who are unable to quit using this method.

The following attempt involved Nicotine Skin Patches. Those are effective to a certain degree, but they have a major downside: they are addictive too. Of course I would pick patches over cigarettes any day, because you’re not inhaling chemicals in the smoke, but you remain addicted nonetheless. Too bad that at the end of my expensive 400-dollar-three-month-supply I was craving for a cigarette. Apart from that I must say that I was really surprised with how effective they were. You should Patches if you don't have luck with Smoke Deter.

The 3rd thing I tried is a solution which was recommended by a friend of mine, which is called Smoke Deter. At first I was a bit skeptical. My BS sensors usually turn on when I hear about herbal solutions. Nevertheless it was much cheaper than patches so I gave it a chance.

Surprisingly it’s been 4 months since I've touched a single cigarette. I can breathe easy now. I have a healthier skin tone. And I gotta tell you, smokers smell bad (you notice it when you become a non-smoker). I've been recommending it since to all my friends and colleagues who want to quit. Probably the only downside is that my local pharmacy didn't have it. But nothing's perfect I guess.

For additional information about this quitting aid click this link.

INDIAN FOOTBALL

College in Indian Football Centre Partnership

Stockport College has formed a unique partnership with Bharati Vidyapeeth University, Liverpool FC and Kickworldwide to create the Abhijit Kadam Memorial Football Development Centre (AKMFDC) in Pune, India.

Liverpool FC will offer the technical expertise and Kickworldwide co-ordinates the venture. Stockport College will be offering advice on how to develop the centre where players get professional training and full time education.

Steve Mort, Manager of Stockport College Academy of Sport said: "Our experience in England has proved so extensive that we were subsequently approached to be a partner in this unique venture."

Steve added: "Our project here is fitting academic and competitive football together at AKMFDC. As a UK College partner we are excited about this football development centre and committed to high quality service."

Students in India will get a proper knowledge through academics for the first time. The centre opens in September and Stockport College is looking to host the first set of students in the 2010 intake.

Kennedy leaves political vacuum

By Daniel Sandford BBC News, Washington

Mr Kennedy was worried that his death would derail healthcare reform

With Senator Edward Kennedy's funeral still a day away, discussions over his succession have already begun, in part prompted by the senator himself.

Under Massachusetts law, there should be a special election to fill his seat in the Senate between 145 days and 160 days after it becomes vacant.

That would mean a vote in January or February of next year.

But, in a letter he wrote just days before his death, Senator Kennedy said that the rules in Massachusetts should be changed because, in his words: "It is vital for this Commonwealth to have two voices speaking for the needs of its citizens and two votes in the Senate during the approximately five months between a vacancy and an election."

Senate arithmetic

Everybody knows what his main concern was. Without his vote in the Senate, the Democrats' chances of getting their contentious healthcare reform through this autumn are badly diminished.

Universal healthcare was a long-cherished dream for Senator Kennedy, and the thought that his death might scupper the plans was clearly weighing heavily on his mind in his final days.

His seat is vital because of the nature of Senate arithmetic.

Under the "cloture" rule, if three-fifths of Senators support a motion, opponents are barred from blocking it by talking it out (a tactic known as a "filibuster"). Three-fifths of the 100-seat house is 60.

There are currently 40 Republican Senators, which means the Democrats need every one of their seats, as well as the Independents (Democrat-leaning Bernie Sanders and Joe Lieberman), to make sure any healthcare legislation is passed.

Of course there is no guarantee that all senators will vote along party lines but the Democrats are certainly going to need all the votes they can get.

Mr Kennedy's widow Vicki is reportedly not interested in taking his seat

In his deathbed letter, Senator Kennedy proposed that the Massachusetts governor should appoint an interim senator until the special election is held.

The current Governor, Deval Patrick, is a Democrat, and would presumably appoint someone sympathetic to the party's health care cause.

Governor Patrick has said he supports the idea of a rule change but it would need to be passed by the Massachusetts legislature, which is by no means guaranteed.

The next question is who might fill the seat. Will it be a Kennedy, continuing the political dynasty?

Speculation on family successors has centred on his widow Vicki (though the family says she is not interested) and his nephew Joseph Kennedy.

Joseph is the son of Robert Kennedy. A former member of the House of Representatives, he is currently running a charity, distributing discounted heating oil to the poor.

Beyond the Kennedy family, there is no shortage of potential candidates for the seat. Possible appointees include Michael Dukakis, who ran for the presidency in 1988, and former Labour Secretary Robert Reich.

Massachusetts is accustomed to having high-profile senators.

The other seat is held by John Kerry, who was the Democratic nominee for president in 2004.

Edward Kennedy's predecessor (though there was a brief an interim appointment) was his brother John, later President Kennedy.

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MAKE MISTAKES

Think about this. When you were a child still learning how to walk, how many times did you fall before learning to stand straight? How many times did you fall before being able to ride your bicycle for more than a minute without falling? If you had opted not to fall, could you have still opted to stand or to ride the bicycle?

Sorry, there are no shortcuts to success. You learn swimming by swimming only. And making mistakes is a part and parcel of the process of learning. Making mistakes is nothing but finding out ways which simply dont work. When Edison's initial 10000 experiments failed before he finally succeeded in inventing the electric bulb, instead of calling them failures he said, "I have simply found 10000 ways which wont work".

And hence, DO NOT look at failure as a failure, instead look at it as a step towards success. Infact a success itself is not an end either. Each success is a milestone. There is always a next milestone to be reached. And there are steps of about a mile long between two successes. These steps are nothing but failures. So there is no shortcut to success. Infact there is no shortcut to any place worth going!

What is the difference between a mistake and a failure? Well, mistake is what you do - the cause, and failure is the outcome of that mistake - the effect. But at the same time it is the failure which many a times, infact most of the times is the cause for another well sought after effect - success.

So what do you need to convert your failure into success. Simple. Learn from it. For there are no mistakes made in life, there are only lessons learnt, provided you dont repeat your mistakes. Atleast repeat it differently. Life does not give a second chance many a times. At least not when skydiving. If you dont succeed in the first attempt, then skydiving is definitely not for you :)

Did any of your friends tell you that they haven't done any mistake at all? Well, yes it is possible, provided they have never tried anything new. If you have done no mistakes in the past 2 years, then you have wasted two precious years of your life. Now be cautious, making a mistake is not the same as making a crime. Mistake is what you make without knowing that you are making a mistake. You are not aware of the outcome and are trying out an action whose outcome goes against your expectations, and then it becomes a mistake. Where as a crime is making a mistake, very well knowing about it.

So if I dont know that a person will be hurt if I slap him, then is that a crime or a mistake? Well, by the definition of law it is a crime, but if you are so novice that you need a law to tell you that it is a mistake, then you are simply not fit to make any mistakes. For your mistakes will be too costly for you :)
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Now there is so much to learn in this world that I will need a hundred lives to make all the mistakes on my own and learn from them! So please do learn from others mistakes also. The best place to learn this would be to read autobiographies of great, the not so great, of all kind of personalities. Because, each autobiography contains details of a life term of mistakes in it! Autobiographies of people like Adolf Hitler - Mein Kempf - contain mistakes that didnt work - a billion people suffered from that. Autobiographies of people like Mahatma Gandhi - My Experiments with Truth - contains mistakes that did work - that made a billion people follow commands of a single man - a man who was half naked and had nothing except for the stick in his hand.

Did somebody tell you that his views about the world have not changed in the past twenty years? Then, either he has experienced every damn thing in this world 20 years ago, or he has never learnt anything new in the past 20 years. The former is a rare case, and most possibly it is the latter. As we gain more experience in life, so do our views keep changing. In fact changing would be an inappropriate term for that. In reality our views would be upgrading or updating, for better or worse depending on our surroundings - friends and family - and the events that we encounter. A misguided youth might become a terrorist from an innocent teenager - or the same person might become a well known scientist - all depending on what happened to him and how he reacted to what happened to him.

But again, ideology is different from our views. We can stick to our ideology without changing it, and that is definitely possible. I can stick for my lifetime to an ideology of saving this beautiful nature from man-made pollution and to prevent the life on this planet from becoming extinct due to man-made havocs. But my views on how to achieve that will keep changing constantly as the scope of my experience widens.

So mistakes are like a feedback loop. They give feedback about our actions that are not worth being repeated. It is a process of learning - learning now not to walk by walking incorrectly, learning how not to ride by driving wrongly, learning how not to solve a calculus problem by using a wrong formulae, and in the process of making mistakes, understanding how things function. There are no experts on this planets who havent made mistakes. And the greatest experts on this planet are those who have made the largest number of mistakes, and hence have become experts by knowing all those ways which do not work, and hence which they will not try again. A Gary Kasporov or a Vishwanathan Anand became world chess champions by making almost all those wrong moves prior to achieving that title.

When we are born our brain is an empty database. And it is the mistakes that we make that enable us to gather the information that we feed into our brain. Mistakes are not just limited to a single person. A family, a society, a country, all learn from their mistakes. The reason we brush in the morning, the reason we take bath, the reason we follow traffic rules, the reason our country has an army, the reason we use passwords, the reason we have a democratic system, the reason stock market goes down, the reason for a powercut, the reason UN came into existence, each of these have a history of past lessons which the generations, people, societies, nations have learnt from their past mistakes. History hence, should not be merely treated as just the past, but should be looked upon as lessons from the past. And it applies not just for human history, but for individual history as well.

While your success shows you your strength. Your failures reveal your weakness to you. And hence recognize your weakness from your failures. Its more important than knowing your strength.

Larry Ellison had no hesitation in admitting that he lacked the necessary skills to run a large sales force and a large service organization. When he saw that his weakness in administrating Oracle's sales force resulted in Oracle losing $12 million in 1991, he simply appointed Ray Lane (whom he discovered with the help of head hunters) as the COO (Chief Operating Officer) of Oracle in 1992 and handed over to him all the responsibilities of reorganizing Oracle's sales force, rebuilding the service operations and introducing strict management processes in Oracle. Larry Ellison limited himself to what he knew he was really good at - to build new products and to articulate the company's vision. The result - Oracle has not looked back since then.

Steve Jobbs, the Apple CEO, had no hesitation that Apple's success needed its arch rival Microsoft's cooperation, and hence by saying "Apple has to move beyond the point of view that for Apple to win, Microsoft has to lose" Jobs invited Bill Gates without hesitation to acquire $150 million stake in Apple and to enter its Board of Directors. Not everybody can do that. You should be really brave to give up on your false egos. Giving up on our false ego is the best way to correct our mistakes without having to make them in the first place. Even though SAP and Oracle are fierce competitors in the ERP space, SAP still uses Oracle's database as the backend for its enterprise suite. And that's because SAP knows its strength and where to concentrate. It has no business building databases. Its simply not their pie. False egos prevent us from realising our weakness and from utilising our strengths.

It is not the number of failures that we should be worried about. It should be the quality of our attempts that we should be looking at irrespective of whether we fail or succeed. Look at a spider. No matter how many times we destroy its web, it doesnt get angry, it doesnt cry, it doesnt give up, it simply starts building a new web again from scratch. Now that has a great lesson in it. Never give up and always be prepared to start your life from scratch. Which is why Abraham Lincoln, the great American president succeeded in entering the white house, inspite of all his past failures.

Getting to the top is not difficult, what is really difficult is continuing to be at the top. And to be there you should be aware of your strengths and weaknesses equally, and should be willing to give up your false ego and take calculated risks.

And again finally, please dont mistake a crime to be a mistake. When you know that what you are doing is wrong ,and yet do it, then it is no mistake, it is simply a crime, irrespective of whether legally it is a crime or not. Nobody knows you better than your self. Be answerable to your self and you will succeed in life. You dont have to be answerable to anybody else.

All the mistakes are waiting to be made. Good Luck.