Shopping Carts

Shopping Carts

Online shopping carts are beneficial tools for E-Commerce websites and help customers organize their orders. An online shopping cart is the virtual equivalent of a real shopping cart. Customers can browse a website and select items that they wish to purchase. They can then place their selections in a shopping cart, which will remember their items. Customers can then choose to buy their items immediately or later on. They can also edit the number of items in the shopping cart. Customers can add as much as they want, and they can store items to reference at a later time.

An online shopping cart is a software application that runs off a web server. This application is connected to your website, and you can customize it to match your company's colors, themes, and layout.

Shopping Cart Software

There are many software programs available for shopping carts. You should conduct some research to determine which would be the best for your business. You can consult your web host for recommended options. You could also research other shopping sites to see how they use software. You should select a manageable and high quality program. Examples of online shopping carts include X-Cart, eCartsoft, and DesignCart. Businesses may purchase shopping cart software for a flat fee of about $200, or they may choose to pay monthly rates of about $19.99. You may need to pay installation fees for some programs. Some companies offer promotional rates and free trials, so you can try some programs out before you make a final decision.

Open Source Shopping Cart

The biggest advantage for open source carts is that they are free. The disadvantage is that open source programs have limited options for technical assistance. These programs have the same features as other programs, but they are less easy to use. When they malfunction, you will need to resolve the problem on your own. In any case, open source carts are great options for technically-savvy merchants. Since they are free, your maintenance costs will be lowered. OpenCart is a popular open source program.

Turnkey E-commerce Websites

Turnkey websites come with all the tools for an online business to operate. They are a great option for webmasters who may not have time or skills to set up an online store. With turnkey websites, all the tools are preloaded for high functionality and visually appealing content. These websites are great options if you aren't technically savvy. Fortune3design and BizAtomic provide these services.

Hosted E-commerce Solutions

Major website hosts offer e-commerce services. You will have a variety of templates and themes to choose from, and you may choose to purchase marketing products. These sites also come with several options for payment processing. While PayPal is a great option, it does not meet everyone's needs. Through hosted e-commerce solutions, you can host a website, select a secure server, and customize your preferences. Free services provide a limited number of options and will require you to display advertisements.

Web Desing

Web Design

Web design is the process of creating and building websites. There are many steps that are involved with designing websites. The website should be designed with an understanding of the target audience. You can design a website on your own using free website templates, or you can hire a web designer to build it for you.

Website Templates

Website templates are user friendly tools that can be used to build a website. You can design and create a website using premade and pre-coded web templates that are available for free or for a low cost on the Internet. Instead of spending endless hours on designing each and every web page from scratch, you can simply use a high quality website template and add your own content to it to create a unique website. You can choose from different kinds of formats including Flash, HTML, PHP, and CSS.

Web Design Tutorials

A web design tutorial provides step by step instructions on how to create a website. Even if you do not have expertise, you can create one with the help of tutorials. You can teach yourself all aspects involved with designing, owning, operating, and managing your own web site. Certain web design tutorials also available in video formats that demonstrate all the steps involved in building a website.

Web Designers

Web designers and website developers are people who can help you build a website.

Depending on the nature of the business, web designers can create a simple or complex website. A web designer plans the theme, layout, color combination, and content of the website based on your specific requirements.

Web Usability

Web usability is the process of making your website user friendly. It includes providing easy navigation so that users can find what they need in a quick and efficient way. Usability involves factors like ease of learning, efficiency of use, and optimized content. Proper usage of web usability can increase traffic to your website and improve your website ranking.

Photoshop

Adobe Photoshop is a professional image editing software package that helps you to edit, manipulate, and crop images. It is a popular program among web and graphic designers. It provides a certain set of image transformation tools for editing 3D and 2D images. Photoshop also has enhanced vector graphics tools like gradients, styles, and masks.

Flash

Flash, commonly known as "Macromedia flash" or "Adobe flash," is an animation tool that can be used to add animations to web pages. Flash enables you to watch the animation immediately after you have designed your webpage. Flash uses raster graphics (tiny colored dots) to draw photos and vector graphics (math formulas) to draw animation shapes and resize formats. It also supports bidirectional streams of both audio and video.

CSS

Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) is a powerful tool that a website developer can use to control the design and the feel of the web page. It is mainly used for creating a set of styles that can be applied to fonts, tables, and to other attributes of a web page. Using these style sheets, you can create interactive websites. CSS lets a developer to separate the layouts and styles of a web page from the actual data or information that is to be displayed.

Marketing

Email Marketing

Overview

E-mail marketing helps business expand their customer base. E-mail marketing is one of the simplest ways to distribute information with little cost and effort. Over time, e-mail marketing has become less effective due to spam filters. Even if a company sends a legitimate e-mail message, a spam filter might catch and delete it.

Businesses can use e-mail marketing to attract new customers. E-mail marketing introduces new products to existing customers as well. Businesses will also use e-mail to promote last minute deals when they want to clear inventory quickly. When used with the correct strategies, e-mail marketing is efficient and effective. You can use e-mail marketing to advertise your products in an unobtrusive way.

Benefits

Many newer businesses will begin with e-mail marketing as a quick, streamlined, and cost effective way to test out its advertising. E-mail marketing is effective for small, medium, and large businesses. You can purchase mailing lists from mailing list companies to reach your target vertical market.

E-mail marketing requires minimal energy and effort. Your business can quickly develop innovative strategies to reach a wide range of people. You can also show your customers that you are an environmentally friendly business by eliminating your paper marketing campaigns. Showcase your business as unique and environmentally conscious.

How It Works

First, figure out a marketing plan. Who are you trying to target? Why are you trying to target them? Are they a demographic group that uses e-mail frequently? What product are you advertising to whom?

Then, design your e-mail and campaign. Create all relevant deals, images, content, and graphics. Once your e-mails are ready, compile all necessary mailing lists. Your customers might have signed up for a mailing list, or you might purchase a mailing list from a distribution agency.

At this point, you are ready to send your e-mails. Amend your strategy as needed.

Companies/Brands
Benchmark, Constant Contact, and Stream Send offer e-mail marketing solutions.

Good Education

Making sure children in developing countries get a good education

Issue

More than 57 million children around the world do not go to primary school. At least 250 million children cannot read or count, even if they have spent four years in school.

Every child should have the chance to go to school. But it’s not just about getting them into the classroom. It’s also about making sure they are well taught and that what they learn actually improves their opportunities in life.

Without a good education, they will be less likely to get a job and look after their families in the future. With fewer people in work and more people in need of support, they will struggle to prosper, holding their own countries back and ultimately the global economy.

High quality education can change this, helping to transform countries for the benefit of us all. Quality education helps citizens work together to create strong, open institutions and societies. An extra year of good schooling lifts a country’s yearly economic growth by 1%, making poor countries richer and, in the long run, less in need of foreign aid – and more able to trade.

Actions

Our priorities are:

1. improving learning
2. reaching more children - especially those in fragile states
3. keeping girls - particularly the most marginalised - in school

We concentrate on primary and lower secondary education, but also invest in high quality higher education, skills and early childhood education.

By 2015, we will:

1. raise the standards of education, training 190,000 teachers (99,000 trained so far) and introducing better testing of pupils’ progress - we will also give parents more of a say in their children’s education so they can make sure their children benefit from high quality teaching

2. get more children through school, supporting 11 million children in primary and lower secondary school

3. get up to 1 million more girls into school, through the Girls’ Education Challenge - girls are disproportionately absent from the classroom and yet they are more likely to pass on the benefits of their education to their family and boost economic growth

4. support higher education by improving the quality of more than 200 Higher Education Institutions across Africa and Asia - we will also support 750 to 800 Commonwealth students per year with scholarships to pursue their careers with UK universities

5. spend half of our direct education aid on unstable or war-torn countries where more than two-fifths of the world’s out-of-school children are found, and where a lack of education can directly contribute to conflict

6. support more research into the best ways to get children into school, keep them in school, and improve the quality of their education

Water Pollution

Small dams are effective against 

water pollution

The pollution issue is very complex issue to solve because of many different factors and variables involved in the whole pollution story. Every single day a new interesting study pops our broadening the reach of this global issue by adding new factors into the equation. One of the latest factors involved are small dams and reservoirs.

According to a latest study by Steve Powers, a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Notre Dame's Environmental Change Initiative small dams and reservoirs play major role in pollution prevention by trapping various water pollutants.

This is said to be of particular importance in agricultural lands of the Midwest U.S., where there are lots of small, but aging dams that are „threatened by long-term structural decline and are also filling with sediment“. This ability of small dams and reservoirs to trap water pollutants is extremely important for the health of our environment because these small dams affect the movement of water and wastes through the environment.

Powers acknowledges that these dams are small individually but their total sum has a global surface area comparable to that of all large reservoirs added together.

This study also showed the negative environmental effects which were manifested in an increase in downstream transport of nutrient pollution after the dam was removed. Small dams affect greatly global water quality and thus we should make certain steps to prevent them disappear.

Many regions from all over the world are vulnerable to water quality changes caused by accumulation of sediment and phosphorus behind dams. Preserving small dams means not only improved water quality but also cleaner and healthier environment.

Art of Communicating

The Art of Communicating

INTRODUCTION:

There are several basic skills that you need to acquire in order to improve your interpersonal communication skills. Effective communication is an essential part in our everyday lives. In this seminar you will be introduced to the basic interpersonal skills, which in turn will help you achieve more effective personal communication skills. The importance of each skill will be identified through a series of exercises that will be presented.

PROBLEM:

If you don’t present yourself with believability, you cannot achieve interpersonal success. It is an essential element of any presentation.

SOLUTION:

Learn the nine major behavioral skills:

1. Eye Communication
2. Posture, and Movement
3. Ggesture, Facial Expression
4. Dress, Appearance
5. 8 ways to transmit your voice
6. Language, Non-Words
7. Listener Involvement
8. Humor
9. Learn to use your Natural Charisma

Learn about Abraham Maslow’s Four Stages of Learning:

1. Unconscious Incompetence-we are not aware of our interpersonal communciation habits.
2. Conscious Incompetence-we learn that we are not competent at something.
3. Conscious Competence-we consciously make an effort to learn a new skill.
4. Unconscious Competence-the skill set happens automatically at an unconscious level.

The Four Stages of Speaking:

1. The non-speaker: people at this level avoid “public” speaking at all costs.
2. The occasional speaker: people at this level reluctantly accept speaking assignments.
3. The willing speaker: fear is not a drawback at this level.
4. The leader: at this level people are driven to present themselves and their ideas.

Paper Wastage

Paper Wastage

What We Can (and Should) Do About It

All of us are aware that the ultimate source of paper is the forest. There is a direct correlation between the amount of paper used and the number of trees felled to obtain it. Although everyone talks a lot about “saving trees” and “deforestation”, most of us don’t think twice about wasting paper. Paper is used everywhere – in schools, colleges, homes and offices – and very often, the wastage is much more than the usage. The reason for this is simply a careless and callous attitude: we use the whole sheet of paper just to note down a shopping list; we use a crisp new sheet to print a small paragraph; we print notices on only one side of a sheet and don’t bother to use the other blank side-the list is endless.

To be specific, I’ll take the example of a very well-known MNC (whose mailing portal we all use), where one of my friends interned this summer. She was shocked to see the extent of wastage there- everyday, instructions to interns were given on printed sheets, which were later disposed of in the bin. The company has an active CSR wing and is doing a lot for the society, but in my opinion, by carelessly wasting so much paper, it is clearly abdicating its responsibility towards the environment.

Most unfortunate is the fact that we don’t even recognize the amount of waste we generate unnecessarily. I claim it’s unnecessary because it can be easily reduced. All we need, is to be a little more careful and sensitive – using the blank side of bills to note down shopping items; reusing envelopes by pasting a sticker on the address area; using one-side-used sheets for rough printouts; requesting our bills and bank statements to be e-mailed to us; recycling newspapers and magazines and so on.

Returning to the example given above, the company could mail the directives to its interns, or post a single notice on the office information board to give out common instructions. Essentially, we need to minimize waste by reusing and recycling (when reuse is not possible). I truly believe that these small steps can go a long way in conserving paper and saving our precious forests.

And to conclude on a lighter note, perhaps we could also ban exams, to reduce the wastage of paper!

Importance Of Trees in Our Life

The Importance Of Trees 

Trees are very important to our environment. It purifies air and also provides fruits, woods for human beings. But the ever-increasing population is destroying the existing forest cover, which in turn will lead to the destruction of humankind itself. TREES ARE the largest and the longest living organisms on earth. To grow tall, the trees display miraculous feats of engineering and a complex chemical factory. It has the ability to absorb water and salts from the earth and transport them up to the leaves, sometimes over 400ft above. By means of photosynthesis, the leaves then combine the water and salts with carbon dioxide from the air to produce the nutrients, which serve as food for the tree. In this process, trees create wood, as well as many chemicals, seeds and fruit of great utility to man. Trees also remove carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, from the air.

Trees are very important to our environment. Tropical rain forests are of particular significance; although they now occupy less than six per cent of the land surface of the earth, they sustain more than half of the biological species on the planet. 

Not with standing the debt we owe to trees, its emotive power, and its importance to other forms of life, the forested area of the earth is steadily being depleted. This in turn is leading to the degradation of the environment and the extinction of many species. A real danger cropping up is that in the near future man will destroy a large proportion of the present population of other species on earth, creating an uninhabitable environment, and then will die out himself. If this happens, it will not be the first time that a large proportion of the species on the earth have been extinguished.

Kyu Beti Hoti Hai Parai

Kyun Duniya Ne Ye Rasm Banai Hai

Karke Itna Bada Kehte Hai Ja Beti Tu Parai Hai

Pehle Din Se Hi Usko Ye Paath Padhaya Jata Hai

Saja Ke Lal Jodhe Main Dulhan Banaya Jata Hai

Chuda Deti Hai Beti Se Baabul Ka Ye Ghar

Kyun Duniya Ne Ye Zalim Rasm Banai Hai

Karke Itna Bada Kehte Hai Ja Beti Tu Parai Hai

Rote Hai Khud Phir Usko Bhi Bahut Rulate Hai

Apne Haathon Se Darwaje Tak Chod Aate Hai

Har Din Yaad Karte Hai Bahut Yaad Aate Hai

Iss Rasm Ne Kyun Beti Se Hi Ki Bewafai Hai

Karke Itna Bada Kehte Hai Jaa Beti Tu Parai Hai

Saath Beti Ke Phir Bahut Dahej Bhi Jaayega

Saayad Phir Bhi Na Bhoj Ye Sar Se Utar Paayega

Royegi Maa, Jaate Dekh Baabul Na Sambhal Paayega

Deke Judai Beti Ko Kyun Is Rasm Ne Saja Sunai Hai

Karke Itna Bada Kehte Hai Ja Beti Tu Parai Hai

How We Succeeding in College?

Succeeding in College

Just as in elementary school through high school, your success in college requires high motivation and effort, strong study skills, effective time management, and good test-taking strategies. But college success requires much more. Once you move from high school to college, you will generally find that students are more motivated and competent than in high school; teachers are more demanding; the work is more difficult; and students are expected to be independent. Further, if you are living away from home for the first time, you will have many new experiences.

Here are some ideas that will help you succeed in college:

Have Clear Goals

College success requires commitment and a lot of hard work. You must be very certain about the importance of a college education.

1. Be clear about why you are going to college.
2. Establish specific goals you wish to accomplish.
3. Know what it will take to reach these goals.
4. Be certain your goals are consistent with your interests and abilities.
5. Be flexible - change your goals if needed based on your experience as you progress through college.

Get Financial Aid if Needed

College is expensive. Even if you attend a public college or university and live at home, you still must pay for tuition, fees, and books. There are many sources of financial aid that can help you meet the high costs of college. Become aware of and pursue these sources.

1. Consider all possible sources of financial aid in addition to your college's financial aid office.
2. Meet all deadlines for submitting applications and documentation.
3. Respond quickly and completely to all requests for additional information.
4. Be persistent in following up your application.
5. If you do receive financial aid, meet all requirements to keep and continue your aid.

Manage Your Money

1. There are many ways to spend money in the college setting for other than education purposes. Take steps to ensure that you do not waste the money set aside for your college education.
2. Set a budget and keep to it.
3. Be careful about your use of credit cards. Don't overspend. Pay balances promptly to avoid high interest costs.
4. Open a checking account and carefully monitor your balance.
5. Keep your cell phone under control. Those minutes and fees can really add up.

Stay Physically and Emotionally Healthy

You will need to be at your best to succeed in college. This means taking care of your body and maintaining a good frame of mind.

1. Get enough sleep.
2. Don't rely on coffee and drinks that contain high doses of caffeine to provide you with energy. Foods such as pasta, peanut butter, non-sugar cereals, and fresh fruit are healthy alternatives to provide the energy you need.
3. Avoid junk foods. Fast food is convenient but usually not good for you.
4. Use the services of the student health office. These services typically include emergency treatment, low cost examinations, and low cost or free medication.
5. Use the services of the counseling office. The professionals there can help you overcome feelings of loneliness, depression, and anxiety.

Choose a Professor Carefully

In college you get to select your schedule of classes. Most classes offer more than one section so that you can choose not just the day and time but the professor who is teaching that section. Often you will find student ratings of professors on the Internet. You can get even more feedback by talking to other students. Try to choose a professor who demonstrates the following characteristics.

1. Maintains adequate office hours.
2. Provides constructive feedback.
3. Adapts to different styles of learning.
4. Grades fairly.
5. Is highly competent in the subject being taught.
6. Establishes clear and reasonable requirements.
7. Provides a positive learning environment.

Work With Your Advisor

As a student you will be assigned a faculty advisor to help you with both academic and career issues. It is up to you to get the most out of this guidance.

1. Know your advisor's office location, schedule of office hours, and contact information.
2. Schedule an appointment with your advisor at any time you have problems that affect your academic performance.
3. Consider your advisor's ideas when selecting your major or at any time you are considering changing your major or career goals.
4. Have specific questions in mind whenever meeting with your advisor.

Make Good Use of the Library

You are going to spend a lot of your time in college at the library. Take full advantage of this major resource.

1. Get to know the resources of the library as soon as you get to college.
2. Learn to use its computer resources and card catalogs.
3. Make good use of its equipment such as copy machines, microfiche readers, production facilities, etc.
4. Check out its quiet study areas. Sign up for their use if required.

Get Involved in Campus Life

There is a lot more to college than just classes. A college campus is an exciting, dynamic environment that can provide you with many opportunities for enhancing your college experience.

1. Join a student organization that is consistent with your interests. You will find many organizations from which to choose.
2. Join a club in your major. This cannot only help you in your studies but can provide contacts that may be very useful in your future career.
3. Join an intramural team. This is a great way to keep yourself in good physical shape and make new friends.
4. Attend social events. Your college experience should not be all work and no play.
5. Yes - success in college takes effort. But this effort will provide benefits to you throughout your life. The ideas presented above can help you to make your college experience a successful one.

Education System in India

Education System in India

History

  Education in India has a very long history. Ancient India had the tradition of 'Gurukuls'. Under this system students have to live at the 'Ashram' (abode) of the teacher and get the education. This form of the education is known as 'Guru-Shishya Pramapara'. 

  At that time education was treated as a matter of personal concern and it was not at all emphasized on mass production like modern education industry. The making of man was regarded as an artistic and not the mechanical process. According to the ancient Indian education the training of the mind and the thinking process were essential for the acquisition of knowledge. 

  The formal admission ceremony was known as 'Upanayana'. With the accomplishment of this ceremony the child had to leave his home for the 'ashrama' where he would receive education. It was supposed to be the re-birth of the child and was known as 'Dvijya', which means, "twice born". Sanskrit was the language of teaching. It was supposed to be the language of learned men. The academies of higher learning were known as 'Parisads'. The education system involved of three basic processes, which included 'Sravana', 'Manana' and 'Nidhyasana'. 

  In the 'Sravana' stage of education, students received 'shrutis' knowledge, which was passed orally from one generation to another. The second stage was 'Manana' which means that pupils had to think themselves about what they have heard. They have to make their own inferences and assimilate the lesson taught by their teacher into the life. The third stage 'Nidhyasana' means complete comprehension of truth and its use in the life. 

   In ancient India women were given the equal right to education and teaching. Women seers like 'Gayatri' were prominent participants in educational debates and the proceedings of the 'Parishads'.( Assemblies) It was mainly the Brahmins followed by Kshatriyas that received education at the Gurukuls while the boys from the lower caste learnt their family trade from their fathers. 

  Few of the most important universities of India in the ancient times were Taxila, Vikramshila and Nalanda. Taxila University of 7th century BC was famous for medical studies and a galaxy of eminent teachers such as Panini, the well known grammarian, Kautilya, the minister of Chandragupta Maurya, and Charaka, a medical teacher of  repute. 

  Nalanda was the highest learning center not just of India but also of the entire South Asia. Students from foreign countries like China, Japan, Korea used to come here for higher studies. It had around 10,000 students and teachers on its roll cards. The University had eight colleges. And one of the colleges had four-storied building. It was one of the earliest examples of  residential cum learning complex. 

Vikramshila University. Varanasi was famous for religious teachings. In the South, Kanchi was famous for its studies while the Vallabhi University was no less. Huan Tsang in his records mention the university to be at par with Nalanda and Vikramshila universities. 

  India had several great minds at work, which contributed in every aspect of life. The concept of zero, decimal and Pythagoras Theorem were all developed here. 

  As India progressed from ancient to medieval its education system deteriorated. Various factors were responsible for the degradation of this most efficient and most ancient education system of the world. 

 Present

The present educational system of India is an implantation of British rulers. Wood's Dispatch of 1854 laid the foundation of present system of education in India. Before the advent of British in India, education system was private one. With the introduction of  Wood's Dispatch known as Magna Carta of Indian education, the whole scenario changed. The main purpose of it was to prepare Indian Clerks for running local administration. Under it the means of school educations were the vernacular languages while the higher education was granted in English only. British government started giving funds to indigenous schools in need of help and thus slowly some of the schools became government-aided. 

  Contemplating on the new system which was introduced Mahatma Gandhi expressed his anguish in following words, "I say without fear of my figures being challenged successfully, that today India is more illiterate than it was fifty or a hundred years ago, and so is Burma, because the British administrators, when they came to India, instead of taking hold of things as they were, began to root them out. They scratched the soil and began to look at the root, and left the root like that, and the beautiful tree perished. The village schools were not good enough for the British administrator, so he came out with his program. Every school must have so much paraphernalia, building, and so forth. Well, there were no such schools at all. There are statistics left by a British administrator which show that, in places where they have carried out a survey, ancient schools have gone by the board, because there was no recognition for these schools, and the schools established after the European pattern were too expensive for the people, and therefore they could not possibly overtake the thing. I defy anybody to fulfill a program of compulsory primary education of these masses inside of a century. This very poor country of mine is ill able to sustain such an expensive method of education. Our state would revive the old village schoolmaster and dot every village with a school both for boys and girls. " 

   Today education system in India can be divided into many stages. 

Pre- Primary - It consists of children of 3-5 years of age studying in nursery, lower kindergarten and upper kindergarten. At this stage student is given knowledge about school life and is taught to read and write some basic words.

Primary - It includes the age group of children of 6-11 years studying in classes from first to fifth.

Middle - It consists of children studying in classes from sixth to eighth.

Secondary - it includes students studying in classes ninth and tenth. 

Higher Secondary - Includes students studying in eleventh and twelfth classes.

Graduate - Here, a student goes through higher education, which is completed in college. This course may vary according to the subject pursued by the student. For medical student this stage is of four and a half years plus one year of compulsory internship, while a simple graduate degree can be attained in three years. 

 Postgraduate - After completing graduation a student may opt for post graduation to further add to his qualifications. 

Eco-friendly Holi

Tips for Safe and Eco-friendly Holi

For Indians, Holi is the time for unabashed fun, frolic and laughter. We celebrate Holi with a fervour that is maddening and keeps us in a tizzy. Family and friends come together for this festival of colours and forget everything else for the day. Colours, delectable delicacies and the proximity of near ones is indeed a heady mix. Playing with colours is not only tradition. It is something that all of us wait for all year long. However, there is something that we feel you should know about colours.

Synthetic and artificial colours can harm your health and especially your skin in disastrous ways. Here are a few reasons why you should stay away from them and opt for a safe and eco-friendly Holi:

The artificial colours available at your local grocery store are made from non-food grade dyes such as metal, leather, plastic and paper. Just imagine what they will do to your skin and hair!

Synthetic colours cause extreme dryness. This causes the top layer of the skin to break and makes it suspect to the dangers of easy bruising. The affects go away only after extensive medical assistance.

Some ready-to-use colours for Holi are prepared using hazardous chemicals such as Melachite, Rhodamina, Auramine and Methylviolet. These chemical produce the various hues of green, violet, orange, yellow and green. They also cause irritation, respiratory problems and in fact can accelerate an asthmatic condition.

Consistent research has proven that the use of synthetic colours might lead to cancer. The various chemicals and other industrial products that form these colours are believed to have carcinogenic properties that might lead to cancer.

One will find harmful items like starch, mica and wheat flour in synthetic colours. These harsh ingredients contribute to your skin abrasions post the Holi revelry!

Well, by now we hope that we have warned you enough against synthetic colours! However, do not let your spirits dampen as there is an amazing safe and eco-friendly way to celebrate Holi this time! We recommend the use of organic and naturals colours this Holi. Organic colours are safe and you can have as much fun! Here is why you should go the organic way this Holi!

Owing to their rising popularity, organic colours are easily available. They are also extremely pocket-friendly, so you can binge shop for them! No paucity of safe and eco-friendly colours for you this time!Made from natural colours, these colours are skin friendly.

Experts are of the opinion that these colours are photo sensitive in nature and become active when exposed to the sun. They have certain properties in them that are helpful in getting rid of the micro organisms that are harmful for your skin.

If you do not want to buy organic colours you can make them at home! Palash and Hibiscus flowers are excellent sources of colour. All you need to do is add them to water and boil it. Filter the boiled concoction and your colour for Holi is ready. For an aromatic fragrance, add a few drops of rose water and you are ready to rock this Holi!

Another reason why you should opt for the environment friendly organic colours this Holi is that by doing so, you will, in your little way, promote the growth of small scale industries. Therefore, it is add to your bag of good deeds!

Organic colours are an excellent alternative to artificial colours. They do not harm your skin and also lead to less toxic waste. This is good news for the environment as well. Therefore, this time when you step out to buy your favourite pink gulaal, think about what that packet of synthetic colour will do to you. Opt for the safe organic variety this season and your skin and hair will thank you!

MODERN YOUTH

PROBLEMS OF MODERN YOUTH

“We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future.”—Franklin D. Roosevelt.East or West, North or South, youth everywhere, is in a state of restlessness and revolt.

It was so in the past and it shall be so in future as well, howsoever glamorous and glittering the social fabric might become, and howsoever secure and stable they might feel under the new dispensation. The young have never rested on their past laurels; nor have they felt contented with their present possibilities. The chords of their impulses, instincts and intuitions are always vocal and vibrant. No doubt, the problems of youth in different parts of the world, under different socio-political systems, differ in contours and contents. But one thing is almost certain that  the modern youth is up against problems, the like of which did not exist in the past. ‘Youth in turmoil’, ‘Unrest among youth’, ‘Youth in revolt’, ‘Angry young man’—these epithets are not just literary coinage or journalistic flourishes, but a vociferous voice of protest of vast segments of populations that have seen and suffered the all-round erosion of values and the wreckage of their dreams.Having been influenced by the philosophies of ‘individualism’ and ‘existentialism’, the urban youth is in a state of defiance against the old order, whether that order comes from the elderly generation or the powers-that-be. If they find themselves in a state of alienation or estrangement in the present set-up, the fault lies as much with their socio-economic milieu as with the education system. Deprived of the opportunity to develop intel­lectually, many suffer from the problem of subjective isolation and self-estrangement.

 Among red-tapism and bureaucratic control over the strings of both private and public sectors, the cream of the country finds itself uncared and un-solicited for. It is under these trying and turbulent circumstances that the best brain of the country starts draining out.Those who succeed in finding jobs or some means of subsistence in India, do not find life a sweet-song or a care-free comfort. A host of prob­lems keep staring them in their faces—inadequate houses, transport and sewerage; poor medical and recreational facilities; neurotic noise pollution, shortages, dust and smoke; crimes and ever-expanding slums and what not.live and colourful period of their lives is consumed andHlvltlcn most profane and abject in the ever-exploding towns. Bliot’s Prufrock measured his life by counting the sips ofl modern youth in India measures his life by standing inI ind pushing in buses, and finally by removing the grey hairHlk problems are social, economic and psycho-emotive, butm trnund who can share his sad and solitary existence.I With his lonely state of life, the urban youth have remained| profundity of spiritual heritage of the land, mysticism, thef \Mtis and -Upanishadas and teachings from their respectiveN ftonvtheir formative years in schools. Fed on scientific datatfionomic, political and social theories, the victim finds him-*nd utterly helpless, when caught in the tempests of someOf jolted by some inexplicable tragedy.illltn emanating from differences in class and socialIkind the acute sense of these disparities lead to the accumulation” Ich have an -explosive potential. The ‘angry young man’i •> he joins the army of job-seekers, and is no more prepared, l of his aspirations to the prevailing realities. In most casesI • round peg in a square hole and vice-versa. ,I youth who comes to towns and cities in large numbers are I freed from the cramping controls of traditional institutions, ^nily, caste, etc. The freedom gained and the energy released |flOt find satisfying outlets in the urban areas, which present •Of adjustment and abound in unwholesome excitements and The inadequate food and residential arrangements, the : In educational institutions, the psychological tension and tted by the more competitive, individualistic and imper-.nt, coupled with the uncertainties of future employment, 1 socialisation. Despite their outnumbering the urban youth, l available to the rural lot are qualitatively different. This „,alities that have come to divide the educated and somewhat nI, and the unlettered and the underprivileged rural people in k The deteriorating economic conditions of the villages, and the rtw development-cum-job opportunities of cities is the primary .Uth migrating from the countryside to the slums and squalor of »  Influx signifies a kind of ‘brain drain’ towards the cities and i M Urgent and immediate programme for rural resource development IHtf Igement of the rural youth in the development of these areas, so ftl ll halted and the problems that follow un-planned and haphazard ipMlon are put under check. J1 Independence was once an inspiring social ideal, and the struggle for independence brought to the foreground some of the finest qualities of the Indian youth. The nationalist struggle was undoubtedly associated with a moral ferment; it did throw up a leadership wliicti had strong bonds with the people, and which rose to great heights of moral courage and dedication. In the person of Gandhi, India did throw up a leader whobecame a symbol of Indian awakening. But Indian leadership in the period following indepen­dence has not been able to transform the challenge of national development into such an overpowering cause; the programme ofplanned development has not caught the imagination of the youth, nor has it released spiritual ferment and energy to any appreciable extent. The fundamental causes of this weakness are socio-political; they lie in the ambivalent attitude of the leadership, to the challenges of development and moral rejuvenation.

 The leadership’s failure to inspire the youth with their ideal thinking and action has made the Indian youth into either cynics or snobs, unable to cope with the day .to day problems and predicaments.

One of the big failures of the Indian models of development has been the inability to realise that we are dealing with a very different kind of society, comprising many linguistic and ethnic groups craving for recognition of their rights to preserve their ethnic identity and linguistic entity. Having been exploited and neglected for long, the young l>loodamong these groups took up the cause of their communities, and thus came in direct conflict and confrontation with the State authority.

In the West, the dilemma of the modern youth is born out of factors that are alien to the youth in the developing countries. If poverty, ignorance and unemployment are our curses, affluence and permissiveness are the bane of their homes, most of which are shattered, as well as broken. The cult of Hippism, Drug addiction, violence, aimless murders, et al proves beyond doubt that mere material prosperity is not the end of all problems. The largest number of psychologists and psychiatrists flourishing in USA points to the widespread enigma of neurosis-clam-mental sickness most prevalent among the youth there. In the countries of Eastern Europe, the problems of youth are that of transition from a closed society to the open.

All said and done, modern youth, particularly Indian youth, can again contribute towards a big push to India’s growth and progress. Thinking and dynamic elements among the youth will haves to organise themselves for serious self-education, before they can organise the participation of the yoifth in this vital, national task.

Teaching Kids Manners

10 Great Tips For Teaching Kids Manners

It has been said by some that children are like sponges, they tend to soak up everything and every influence around them. Although Sociologists maintain that manners are unenforceable, it is very obvious that these standards or norms of behavior, if reinforced, can become a way of living for any child or adult. The key to teaching children to behave mannerly, as little ladies and gentlemen is instruction. Although we do not see as many 'Finishing Schools' thriving in our culture, teaching your child proper social grace, etiquette, intercultural competence, morality, politeness and more will go a long way toward aiding his or her success in life both socially and in business. Employers, friends, family and more like classy people. The mannerly person not only impresses others, but he or she is quick to commend another on their behavior. Manners are about respect and honor for self and for others.

Follow these helpful tips for teaching your own child manners.

Model manners. If you want your child to model manners, you must make sure you do as well. This is definitely not an area in which you can get them to do as you say and not as you do. First step to having a mannerly child is being a mannerly parent.

Practice at home. It is unrealistic for your child to just pick up the habit of good manners by telepathy. He or she needs to have lots of practice in the fine art of social graces. Take time to engage in role playing with your son or daughter. For instance, practice how to be courteous when using the telephone.

Give him or her the words.There are 5 words that should be among the first in every child's primary vocabulary. These should be used while speaking to children as young as 6 months old. Try this when your infant, toddler or young child tries to grab something from you, you withhold the item and direct them to ask politely. You say to them something like, "Say please." Or with an older child you might direct him or her to use the whole sentence and "Say, mom, may I please have a piece of cake?" Here are Five phrases that your child must master 'Thank you.' 'Please?' 'May I …' 'Excuse me.' And 'No, thank you.' No exceptions-these are required.

Give your youngster positive reinforcement. Children love praise; especially when it comes from a parent or loved one. Very often parents respond only to their children's undesirable behavior, ignoring their victories and positive actions completely. This choice may actually have the reverse result. Children want attention anyway they can get it-even if that means doing bad things. Encourage.

Be patient. It is true that most children are self-centered by nature. Every parent recognizes this very early in the parenting charge. Again stay encouraged, just as with anyone learning how to do what is right, children need time to understand how to be mannerly. Teach them the importance of respecting others' feelings and needs and you will go a long way toward achieving this end. As they learn to listen more, speak less, esteem others and humble themselves their golden rule behavior will begin to shine forth.

Learn to coach.The field of Life Coaching is becoming more popular and needful. Many people are finding that they need someone to not only hold them accountable but to listen to their dreams, desires and assist them in goal setting. Help your child to establish social goals that will better equip him or her for daily interpersonal communication and interaction. It is no secret that people don't really like to be around others who are rude and obnoxious. No parent wants this for their child. Make a point to sit down and talk with them and listen to areas of struggle they may have when interacting with other people.

Teach table manners.If you need help with learning which fork to use and where your napkin goes, we can help you here at About.com or there are many great manners and etiquette books available to assist you in getting it right. Once you understand the rules be sure to share them with your son or daughter.

Correct him or her on the spot. Very young children often times don't realize what they are doing. For example, if you are speaking with a friend and your child interrupts you. Beg your friend's pardon and let your child know that his or her interruption is inappropriate. Or if your child calls an adult by his or her first name, take the moment to correct him or her. Make sure you use sensitivity in these types of situations. If you have an overly sensitive child you might want to excuse yourself and speak with him or her privately.

Speak well.Speech habits are so important. Often parents may sabotage their children's speech patterns by using slang and lazy habits themselves. Again, this is an area in which you need to model the correct behavior. Unless you want your child to speak in a sloppy, slang-ridden way, be well-spoken yourself.

Lose the prejudices. Your children are going to model your biases. If you hold strong opinions about a particular group or person, you should not make this a public point. No one has the right to interfere with the perfect liberties we hold as Americans, however, you don't want to perpetuate intercultural prejudices. 

Teach your children to judge a person by the 'content of their character' (Martin Luther King, Jr.) I hope these tips are helpful as you seek to teach your children to behave with manners and etiquette within society and in their daily lives.