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Our wider Advisory Committee boasts an impressive collection of falconers with a wide range of skills, ranging from academic research and writing to technological expertise with high-grade exhibition technology.
Our overseas members, Peter Devers and Patrizia Cimberio, are experts in different fields who have kindly volunteered their assistance. Peter has an incredible knowledge of falconry history and has edited a reprint of possibly the world's scarcest printed falconry work in English – "A Short Discourse of Hawking to the Field" (only one copy is known to exist, in Yale University) which his detective work attributed to Sir Thomas Sherley. Patrizia has worked with a number of prestigious institutions, including the Vatican Museum. She worked with the Vatican to produce an electronic "turning pages" version of Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II's monumental treatise on falconry, De Arte Venandi cum Avibus" with an Arabic translation for the Third International Festival of Falconry in Abu Dhabi – a true example of falconry transcending religious and cultural barriers.
Originally from Estonia, Jevgeni Shergalin maintains an electronic archive for the Falconry Heritage Trust, based in Wales. This organisation, international in scope, works with local archives and falconers around the world and offers bursaries and other support to researchers of falconry heritage. Jevgeni has assisted with many publications, notably those where translation from Russian has opened up new avenues, and is our liaison with the FHT.
Other Committee members include active falconers with a passion for heritage, including collectors of historic books, artwork and other items, and they boast experience in business, politics and academia. Helen McDonald is an academic who has worked at both Oxford and Cambridge and produced anthologies of poetry, radio plays, a published study on the historical and cultural significance of the falcon and, most recently, her critically acclaimed autobiographical title, "H is for Hawk." This remarkable book, winner of both the Johnson Prize for Literature and the Costa Prize, follows in the footsteps of T.H. White's "The Goshawk." Dr David Fox is an academic historian and museum curator with interests in the Zulu Wars alongside his passion for hawking with eagles, on which he has recently published a title.
Our Committee's collective skills and experience in not only every form of falconry practised in the British Isles, but also in all potential disciplines and areas of study we could feasibly require, enable us to put across our passion for falconry's heritage to fellow falconers and the wider public alike.


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Katlin Isaacs Wins NC Level 10 Championship
Article Featured in WXII 12 High School Playbook
East Surry's Katlin Isaacs Wins State Gymnast Title
East Surry's Katlin Isaacs won the state title in gymnastics' highest level of competition this weekend.
Isaacs, a senior who took up gymnastics at the age of 5, edged out Alyssa Tucker by just one-tenth of a point at the Salem Gymnastics Sports Center.
In four events, Isaacs totaled a composite score of 37.4. She was second out of 18 finalists in the uneven bars and fourth in both the vault and balance beam.
There are some girls who are good in a category or two, but Katlin is well-rounded, said mom Lisa Isaacs.
Her best event is probably the floor exercise, but Katlin was bothered this year by a high-ankle sprain suffered back around Thanksgiving, according to Lisa.
Isaacs had three long tumbling runs in the floor exercise and needed a step on all three landings, but made no major mistakes. She finished ninth with a 9.15.
Not dropping off too much for any event is a key to a high finish. Lisavette Soto was first for both the floor exercise and the vault, but she was fifth in the uneven bars, then had a rough go on the balance beam. She finished with an 8.95 on the beam, while Isaacs was 9.50.
Soto finished fourth.
This is Isaacs' fifth state championship, but the first at the highest level of competition.
At age 6, she competed in the level-four championship and won. Then after moving up in difficulty, she also won for the sixth, seventh and eighth levels all before reaching the seventh grade.
For the past six years, she has been competing at level 10, the highest point, but she's battled injuries, Lisa said.
In the seventh grade, Katlin suffered an elbow injury that resulted in a loss of proper blood supply to the joint, her mom said.
It was a scary time for the family, wondering if the bone would heal back properly. Pro football and baseball star Bo Jackson had to undergo hip-replacement surgery after a similar loss of blood flow caused his hip socket to deteriorate.
Isaacs had her arm in a cast for a month, then in a locking arm brace for two more months as the injury finally healed.
As a freshman, she scored high enough to qualify at the state level to advance to the regional and national levels. The family traveled out to Seattle, Wash., for the national meet.
In her sophomore year, Isaacs suffered a shoulder injury and needed surgery to repair the torn labrum.
She developed a winged scapula afterward, which is a condition where the shoulder blade gets out of position and can be seen pushing out from the back. Lisa Isaacs said doctors had warned that this is a problem for about one in 15 people who have this type of surgery and rehab.
Isaacs lost some rotation of her arm and needed months to get back to normal. By the time she was cleared to return to gymnastics, it was March 23 of last year, meaning she'd lost the chance to compete for the state title as a junior, too.
Still, she competed well enough to qualify for the regionals, then made first alternate for the national team.
So despite the high ankle sprain that limited her practices this winter, Isaacs came into this weekend intent on a strong performance.
"Winning was more shocking than anything," the senior said. It was her first all-around meet of the season as she hadn't competed in the vault since her ankle injury.
Going into the event, Isaacs and her coach, Jason Braun, knew exactly what she needed to do to qualify for the regional meet in Florida next month. The benchmark already was set at 34.0. As long as she could average an 8.5 per event, then Isaacs would qualify and have three more weeks to prepare and improve.
She easily made the qualifying score, along with a dozen other girls at the meet.
Braun said he was concerned about the vault going into Sunday. She had only been practicing that for the previous two weeks.
When a gymnast hits that springboard at full intensity, it can be 10 times the force of her body pressure on those ankles, Braun said.
The same goes for the impact on landing, but at least there the blow can be softened with pads. For the springboard, padding would reduce height, so the ankles have to take the pounding.
Isaacs said she wasn't that worried about vault, but was concerned about the uneven bars. Then that turned out to be her highest finish.
Several others had mistakes in their bar routines, including Raleigh's Hannah Sobhan, who fell flat on her stomach from the high bar.
Isaacs said she felt really bad for those girls. The gymnasts from the Raleigh school have come to Winston-Salem to practice with her before, so she feels pretty close to them.
The girls were split into small squads on Sunday to move among the events.
"In your group, you kind of become your own team," Isaacs said. "Unlike other sports, we don't talk down on each other."
All six of the girls in her squad finished with a 34 or higher and will move on to the regional meet April 12 in Florida.
There will be gymnasts from eight states competing together, but only the top seven will qualify for the national tournament. The eighth and ninth finishers will be in the next-level event, the National Invitational Tournament. Both events will take place May 11 in Hampton, Va., according to Braun.
GO KAITLIN! WE ARE PROUD OF YOU!
News & Announcements, Salem Gymnastics in the News
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Salem Gymnastics & Swim – Sports Month
Top 10 Reasons Summer Gymnastics is Sensational
Strickling wins State Championship
Meet Matthew, age 3
Comments on the recent headlines concerning Abuse
Salem Gymnastics & Swim – an Award Winning Company
The Surprising Academic Benefits of Swim Lessons
Understanding Swimming Levels
Fall schedule is now live!
Salem Swim Opens July 30th
The Benefits of Year-Round Swimming
Try a One Day Mini-Camp
WXII TV visits Salem Gymnastics
Summer schedule is here!
Salem Gymnasts win Regional Gold
Learn-to-Swim Program is Coming to Our Gym
Salem Swim Coming This Summer
Salem Gymnastics & Swim Lays a Good Foundation for Life
New Dance-nastics Studio
Kenny Morphis Inducted into Region 8 Gymnastics Hall of Fame
Hannah Fallanca & Local Gymnasts Rockin' College Gymnastics
Haley Bodenheimer is Named 2012 EAGL Rookie of the Year

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


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Sport At Its Best
The Irresponsible — And Unnecessary — Behavior of the College Football Playoff Committee Vandy's Sarah Fuller Joins Growing List of Inspiring Women in Sports
Joe Namath Misleads Seniors in Medicare Advantage Ad
By League of Fans On December 2, 2020
By Ken Reed
When it comes to sales pitches to seniors about insurance to fill the gaps in Medicare coverage, there is a lot of incomplete and deceptive information involved. And sometimes, total misinformation.
Unfortunately, Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Namath is contributing to the confusing mess.
In a TV ad, Namath tells viewers to "get everything you're entitled to." He then lists several extra benefits seniors can get by purchasing Medicare Advantage plans, "all at no extra cost," according to Namath. He then urges people to "call the number on your screen now. It's free."
There's only one problem. The actual cost can be substantial. A couple who buys a Medicare Advantage plan could pay up to $13,400 a year before their new plan pays for anything.
According to Trudy Lieberman, a fellow at the Center for Advancing Health and a health, retirement and insurance writer for Consumer Reports and Columbia Journalism Review:
"These are new benefits the government has allowed private insurers to sell in the hope of getting more seniors to leave traditional Medicare in favor of a privatized system. By transferring more costs to seniors, the government saves money."
The bottom line: Congress has allowed a complicated and chaotic marketplace for seniors to navigate.
"It's just too complicated," says Bonnie Burns, a Medicare consumer advocate.
"No wonder people throw up their hands. That's why people sign up for an Advantage plan with little or no premium and find out what the costs really are as they use benefits through the year."
Burns added, "It would be so much easier if Medicare Advantage plans and drug plans were standardized so people could figure this out."
Namath's endorsement has only served to muddy the waters further for seniors.
Say it ain't so Joe.
— Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans
Sports Forum Podcast
Episode #6 – League of Fans' Sports Forum podcast: The Need for Quality Physical Education in Our Schools is Greater Than Ever – The guest is Clayton Ellis, a SHAPE America board member, former national physical education teacher of the year, and one of our nation's leading advocates for getting our young people to be more physically active.
Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Anchor.
Follow on Facebook: @SportsForumPodcast
More Episodes on Apple Podcasts; Spotify; Google Podcasts; PocketCasts; & Anchor
Episode #5 – League of Fans' Sports Forum podcast: Youth Sports with Positive Coaching Alliance Founder Jim Thompson – Thompson started Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA) in 1998 to help create a movement to transform the culture of youth sports from "win-at-all-costs" to a positive, character-building experience.
Episode #4 – League of Fans' Sports Forum podcast: The Biggest Issue in Sports Today? Brain Trauma – The guest is Patrick Hruby, a journalist who has done extensive research and in-depth writing on the topic of brain trauma in sports, most notably football.
Episode #3 – League of Fans' Sports Forum podcast: Coaching Styles with Sports Sociologist Jay Coakley – The guest is veteran sports sociologist Jay Coakley, a former college athlete who went on to earn a Ph.D. in Sociology from Notre Dame.
Episode #2 – League of Fans' Sports Forum podcast: College & High School Athletics: Where Do We Go From Here? The guest is John Gerdy, a former college athlete and NCAA and SEC administrator who became a sports reformer later in his career.
Episode #1: The inaugural episode of League of Fans' Sports Forum podcast. The topic is Title IX and equal opportunity in sports. The guest is long-time Title IX and civil rights activist Donna Lopiano.
"How We Can Save Sports" author Ken Reed appears on Fox & Friends to explain how there's "too much adult in youth sports."
Ken Reed appears on Mornings with Gail from KFKA Radio in Colorado to discuss bad parenting in youth athletics.
"Should College Athletes Be Paid?" Ken Reed on The Morning Show from Wisconsin Public Radio
Ken Reed appears on KGNU Community Radio in Colorado (at 02:30) to discuss equality in sports and Title IX.
Ken Reed appears on the Ralph Nader Radio Hour (at 38:35) to discuss his book The Sports Reformers: Working to Make the World of Sports a Better Place, and to talk about some current sports issues.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NT2MKwmopE
Sports & Torts – Ken Reed, Sports Policy Director, League of Fans – at the American Museum of Tort Law
League of Fans is a sports reform project founded by Ralph Nader to fight for the higher principles of justice, fair play, equal opportunity and civil rights in sports; and to encourage safety and civic responsibility in sports industry and culture.
Ken Reed's Author Page on Amazon


Search Marketing Standard Magazine | Covering Search Engines > Content > Content Marketing > Are You Making These Mistakes With Online Media?
Attracting the attention of the online media and securing editorial coverage is baclofen without prescription a lucrative side effect of producing and distributing online press releases and articles. Column inches in an industry-specific trade publication or website of a local newspaper are invaluable a�� the exposure can boost sales, drive extra traffic, help create brand recall and give credibility to your business.
However large or small the website youa��re targeting for an editorial feature, the writer in buy prazosin online question is undoubtedly very busy. A rambling introduction to your PR may help with your SEO word count and keyword density, but it will almost certainly result in the message being deleted before ita��s read in its entirety.
Keep the first paragraph of your PR succinct and to the point a�� this is your chance to explain in a few short sentences why the journalist should keep reading. Whet the appetite, include the salient facts, and keep background information for the end of the release. If the person reading takes the time to get that far into the piece, you can be sure theya��ll be interested in learning a little bit more about who you are and what your company does.
One of the biggest bug bears of busy journalists is having to wade through lots of meaningless phrases such as a�?outside the box,a�� a�?the weba��s favorite,a�� etc. This simply conceals the nuts and bolts of the story and where can i buy clomid pills, acquire lioresal. claims such as being the favorite which arena��t backed up with fact clutter the release. No matter how good your website or how many links you have included, unproven boastings can also undermine your authority, harming your chances of being covered. Journalists have a habit of sniffing out the truth so will pay little notice to unsubstantiated claims. Make too many of them and they will run a mile from your story for fear of publishing something that is untrue. In order to win trust and convey your message accurately, keep the tone of the release professional and clear but leave meaningless phrases such as a�?heads upa�� and a�?touch basea�� in the boardroom.
Before you issue your first release, youa��ll need to give any target publications a call or email to request contact details for the news desk. Even if doxycyclin online you speak only to the receptionist and dona��t get to speak to a journalist, be polite and thank the person for their help. You may think that the person youa��re speaking to doesna��t have the power to veto a website inclusion or a storya��s publication, but that isna��t always the case. If youa��re rude or fail to recognize that the person answering the phone has helped you, youa��re already off to a bad start.
Likewise, if you send an email requesting contact details for your new distribution list, recognize that ita��s your first contact with that outlet and the impression they have of you and your business is based on that initial message. Use a spell check, keep the message brief, and explain in short where youa��re from and why youa��d like the information. Also be sure to use an email address associated with your domain such as [email protected] or [email protected] rather than a personal email, as these can look unprofessional.
One of the hangovers from the days of link building by building as many links as possible without focusing too cialis 20. much on relevance or quality is a tendency to target as many people as possible with each release. If you send your PR out to every single journalist, website and publication you can think of, ita��s likely that your message will fail to resonate with the majority. While ita��s true that editorial coverage on a good website doesna��t happen overnight, increasing the number of recipients in order to up your chances of picking up a link is not the right approach.
Just like you have a select list of favorite hobbies, so journalist and websites have very small remits and areas of interest. Creating too large a list and issuing the same standard PR to everyone results in a lack of targeting which can lead to no coverage at all. Rein in your link buy levothroid building instincts by keeping lists small and personalizing the release for that particular group. This will have much more success in the long run as the few tweaks you make to target each new group will increase the chances of your story being deemed relevant.
5. Not Asking Yourself Why Should They Care?
The primary function of a news website or blog is to inform the readership about events of interest. It isna��t to give your business coverage or a needed link. Failing to ask yourself why your reader should care and then conveying that in your release is sure to turn off more media than it attracts.
If you can avoid the above five mistakes when placing your online press releases and news items, you'll have a headstart on getting your content noticed and, more importantly, published. Just try to put yourself in the position of the recipient of your content prednisone reviews when you put together the package, and plan and execute accordingly.
Good post (especially that the first point touches on the fact that bloggers should be to the point)! All bloggers should read this post, because it really annoys me when they write 5 page articles knowing that I can go to another website blogging on the same topic in less than a minute. It makes no sense to me so thanks for the article :) I hope more people read it.


The Secretary is now calling for nominations for the positions of President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and notice of interest in the non-elected position of Membership Officer. The incoming Office-Bearers and ordinary committee members will take up their positions at the conclusion of the AGM to be held on 26 February 2019. The official nomination form is appended to this newsletter and can also be downloaded from the Group's website.
Note that current Office-Bearers will have completed their 3-year terms allowed by the Constitution but may nominate for another position than the position currently held including ordinary committee member. The four current ordinary committee members will not have completed 3 years.
PS: See attached file "Nomination form for elections 0119.docx" — Ed.
One member, Olin, recently asked about Windows XP — Yes, before the recent Main Meeting, we showed that this option on our multi-boot setup still works.
It'll be interesting to see if we can get his XP programs to install and run properly. They didn't quite work on the night.
Then we can have the usual Q&A and other discussions.
The usual Q&A and other discussions.
See the iTWire article on 31 January 2019 Written by Alex Zaharov-Reutt.
Optus has launched its fixed 5G wireless service, with three sites live now in January 2019, and 1200 to be delivered by March 2020, but is 5G safe?
People in the ACT suburbs of Dickson and Manuka, and the NSW suburb of Glendenning, who want to be Optus 5G customers, can register at the Optus 5G website and, if accepted, can be connected during Q2, 2019.
Another 57 suburbs will be covered by the first 50 Optus 5G sites, with the full list below, and these suburbs in the ACT (9 sites), NSW (22 sites), QLD (13 sites), SA (3 sites) and WA (13 sites).
A brilliant announcement, with future prospects of 1Gbps connections†. This can't come soon enough for me. This afternoon (January 31), my NBN internet cut out at 5:30 pm during the wild winds marking the cool change after near 40 degree heat. It leaves you absolutely helpless, wondering how you can keep in touch with friends and relations, receive and pay your bills or get Google information. It came back on about 7 hours later — Ed.
See the How-To Geek article by CHRIS HOFFMAN @chrisbhoffman JANUARY 28, 2019, 6:40AM EDT.
Windows 10's next update is the April 2019 Update, which is version 1903 [ April is month 04 — Ed. ] and was codenamed 19H1 during development. It features a light theme, speed improvements, and lots of polish. There are no crazy new features like My People or Timeline.
This article includes everything new as of Insider Preview build 18323, released on January 24, 2019.
Home Users Can Now Pause Updates, Too!
Upper_westsider — That is really ambitious! I hope they get this one right the first time. After last year, I have very little confidence.
Dale Burke — I for one as a Windows 10 Insider and Power User am thrilled to see these changes. What I'm worried about is the average Joe having to learn all these new features. I believe there will be a steep learning curve and it will confuse and alienate a good many users.
Jim — I am already alienated.
Zingger 73 — Now, if this really happens, all they need to do is make a slide presentation part by part to help those who don't understand what is happening.
Frank Hutchings — I'm still waiting for the October 2018 Update!
See the iTWire article by Sam Varghese 30 January 2019.
Microsoft 365 services may have to be renamed to something with a smaller number†, given that they have once again gone on the blink, with affected users unable to authenticate to, and access, them.
A notice from Microsoft said: "Dynamics 365, LinkedIn, and other services that leverage Azure Active Directory are, or were, also affected by this event."
The issues began at 9.15pm UTC on Tuesday, 29 January (8.15am AEDT on Wednesday).
The company said the preliminary root cause was degradation of a portion of third-party managed network infrastructure that facilitates authentication requests and access to Microsoft 365 services.
This is the second time in as many weeks that the 365 services have been hit by outages.
†Windows 365 implies that it is up 365 days/year. A better name might be Windows 180 if we're lucky — Ed.
This article shows exactly why people are wary of online-only logins to their own Operating System. And outsourced to a third-party managed network infrastructure — absolutely unbelievable! Now, if this ever happens to me ... — Ed.
See the TechRadar article by Matt Swider 29 January 2019.
The chance you'll see Huawei phones and routers in the US grew bleaker today, as the Chinese telecom firm has officially been criminally charged by the US government.
Huawei, now the No. 2 smartphone manufacturer in the world ahead of Apple, faces 23 criminal charges spanning two separate indictments by the US Department of Justice. It breaks down to 13 counts of financial fraud, Iran sanctions violations and money laundering, and 10 counts of theft and charges stemming from that action.
"Criminal activity goes back at least 10 years and goes all the way to the top of the company," said US Attorney General Matthew Whitaker in a press conference unsealing the indictments.
The first set of criminal charges surround Huawei CFO Wanzhou Meng and a little-known affiliate named Skycom. Meng, who happens to be the Huawei co-founder's daughter, was arrested in Canada in early December and faces extradition to the US.
Skycom is said to be a Huawei affiliate set up to do business in Iran and undermine US trade sanctions on the Middle Eastern country. The US government accuses Huawei of covering up this fact by lying and committing bank and wire fraud, and it singles out Meng in particular.
"As early as 2007, Huawei employees began to misrepresent its relationship with its Iranian affiliate," said Whitaker. "Huawei employees had allegedly told banking partners that Huawei had sold its ownership interest in Skycom."
That didn't happen according to the indictment, with Whitaker noting, "In reality, Huawei had sold Skycom to itself."
PS: "Chinese electronics giant Huawei allegedly offered bonuses to any employee who stole trade secrets".
See the Business Insider article by NICK BASTONE JAN 29, 2019, 12:55 PM.
DISCLAIMER: This Newsletter is provided "As Is" without warranty of any kind.


The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Senatorial candidate for Anambra South zone in the coming February 16, 2019 general election, Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu, has won his appeal filed against the earlier verdict of an Abuja High court which had invalidated the party's senatorial primary conducted last October.
An Abuja division of Appeal Court, on Thursday, while affirming Ukachukwu as the party's senatorial candidate for Anambra South, ruled that the Apo High court lacked the territorial jurisdiction to entertain the matter and that it was also filed out of time.
Ukachukwu was declared as winner of the APGA senatorial primary election for the Anambra South zone which was held at the Ekwulobia Township stadium with 211 votes as against 177 votes scored by Ambassador Bianca Ojukwu, while two others Dr Okey Chidolue and Chief Ikenna Mbazulike-Amechi scored two votes each, and Dr Anslem Enyimba got 1 vote.
However, Chidolue approached the Apo High Court, Abuja presided over by Hon Justice Valentine Ashi which upturned the primary poll, but declined awarding the candidature to Chidolue.
When the Motion came up for argument, the applicant respondent, Chidolue insisted he was not properly served and the matter was adjourned to allow room for the proper process service on Chidolue.
However in its verdict on Thursday, the court affirmed Ukachukwu as the duly and validly elected Anambra South Senatorial candidate for APGA.
Speaking on the development, an aide to Ukachukwu, Mr Chukwudubem Ezekwe, said the judgment was coming on a date his principal rounded off tours of the 119 electoral Wards within the senatorial zone, which he believed is a sign that he would emerge victorious at the poll.


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The Senate Health Care Bill Would Do Almost Everything Trump Promised It Wouldn't
What President Donald Trump promised, and what the health care bill actually does, according to the CBO score.
President Donald Trump takes the stage for a rally in Cedar Rapids, Iowa on June 21, 2017.Scott Morgan / Reuters
June 26, 2017, 11:55 PM UTC / Updated June 27, 2017, 1:03 PM UTC
By Jane C. Timm
President Donald Trump said his health care would be better and cheaper than Obamacare.
But that's not how things are turning out.
Based on the president's previous statements, people would enjoy lower premiums and deductibles. A replacement would cover everybody, including those with pre-existing conditions. There would be no cuts to Medicaid.
Now, as Senate Republicans finalize their legislation while Trump advocates for its speedy passage, the question is: Does the bill keep the president's promises?
Here's how Trump's vows on the campaign trail and after taking office stack up against the findings from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office report released Monday.
1. "We're going to have insurance for everybody … There was a philosophy in some circles that if you can't pay for it, you don't get it. That's not going to happen with us."
— Trump to the Washington Post in January 2017
What the CBO Score Says
By 2026, 22 million fewer Americans would be covered than under the current law. That's only a slight improvement from the 23 million Americans estimated to lose coverage under the House GOP bill, and a far cry from "insurance for everybody."
2. "I'm not going to cut Social Security like every other Republican and I'm not going to cut Medicare or Medicaid."
— Trump to the Daily Signal in May 2015
The Senate bill slashes Medicaid, leaving 15 million fewer people covered by 2026. Overall, $772 billion less will be spent on the program, but the cuts could go deeper as the Senate bill sets Medicaid on pace to grow more slowly than the House health care bill beginning in 2025. (The CBO score only looks at a ten-year window.)
While the House version of the bill also cut Medicaid, the Senate's cuts are deeper in the long term but slightly less severe in the short term.
3. "Will have much lower premiums & deductibles while at the same time taking care of pre-existing conditions!"
— Trump tweet in April 2017
"Our healthcare plan will lower premiums & deductibles — and be great healthcare!"
— Trump tweet in May 2017
Without factoring in subsidies to buy insurance, average premiums will rise ahead of 2020, and fall thereafter by about 30 percent, the CBO report notes. This is largely because plans under the bill would offer less comprehensive coverage and pay a smaller percentage of health care costs than the plans available under the existing bill.
Overall, out-of-pocket costs would rise for most people, according to the report. Deductibles will be higher. Roughly half the population lives in states that will obtain waivers in order to define which benefits must be covered by insurers, and they would see a "substantial increase" in their out-of-pocket costs. Things like maternity care and mental health could become far more expensive in states that use waivers to cut them from the list of benefits that must be covered.
The CBO also notes that states who seek those waivers could see annual and lifetime limits — which were banned under Obamacare — imposed.
Insurers will be barred from refusing coverage to or charging individuals with pre-existing conditions more than other individuals, however, though state waivers will allow insurers to stop covering some of the benefits Obamacare deemed "essential."
We will immediately repeal and replace ObamaCare - and nobody can do that like me. We will save $'s and have much better healthcare!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 9, 2016
— Trump tweet in February 2016
The Senate's bill repeals the largest parts of the Affordable Care Act — axing the individual and employer mandates, the Medicaid expansion, many of the taxes on the wealthy and insurers, while rolling back most of the subsidies.
When it comes to saving individuals money on health care, the CBO evaluates that in many cases, health care will actually be more expensive. Older Americans — who can now be charged more based on age — and certain low income Americans will particularly see hiked costs. But the CBO also estimated that the bill would save taxpayers $321 billion by 2026.
Sam Petulla contributed.


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Palladium: Adventure in Greece Game Review
Do you want to plunge into the ancient Greek mythology and culture atmosphere? In this case, we have to bring your attention to Palladium. The game combines 3D graphics, action, and quests elements.
Now let's find out the key features of this game!
First of all, we have to mention that the game does not take up much storage space, that's why the installation will not last too long. Plus, Palladium supports multiple platforms – Windows, Mac, and Linux.
The game is played in the first person. You will play as an archaeologist Andreas. The major task here is to find an ancient artifact Palladium that brings success and fortune to the owner. For this, Andreas will have to go to Greece along with two adventurers – a girl and a man.
The girl is a specialist in Greek mythology, therefore you will solve all types of riddles in a few seconds. Another companion has a technical mindset, so he will help you pass the traps in a distinctive way.
While playing, you will have to carry out a great variety of tasks – e.g. overcome obstacles, go through the maze, collect useful items, solve puzzles, and so many other interesting things.
Users can complete the game in two ways, therefore the game provides multiple endings. All the provided riddles are unique and logical, and some of them are quite tricky. So, we can surely say you will not get bored!
In addition to the aforesaid, Palladium boasts a quite user-friendly interface. All the locations and animations are thoughtfully developed and fully match the game's genre.
The playing process is filled with unexpected plot twists. The game also provides users with a wide range of dialogues between the characters that will help them to track the plot.
Summarizing all the points, Palladium is truly worth downloading. This is definitely a must-have game for all adventures and quests buffs. Highly recommended!
Ninja Runner | New Double Jump App Review
ID Guard Offline App Review


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Getting more local is fundamental to a good intergovernmental system
Home /Politics/Getting more local is fundamental to a good intergovernmental system
Written by Alfred M. Wu.
The Third Plenum of the 18th Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Central Committee has stirred a heated debate about the forthcoming reforms and the country's future direction. Some argue that the plenum, parallel to that in 1978 is the beginning of the "2.0 version" of "reform and opening up". Others are cynical of the reforms and claim it is a case of old wine in new bottles. From my point of view on central-local fiscal relations, the top leadership is not committed to fundamental reforms in this area, which will have profound implications in the near future.
Commenting on the Third Plenum, Professor Li Yining, a renowned economist in China, argues that the Chinese government should tackle four important relationships: state and market, the central government and local governments, the urban sector and the rural one, and state-owned enterprises and the private sector. The Third Plenum provided some solutions to the dysfunctional central-local fiscal relationship. However, some fundamental issues have not been mentioned, let alone being addressed.
Public finance is the basis and the pillar of public governance, as noted by The Decision of the CCP Central Committee on Several Important Issues of Comprehensively Deepening Reform released on 15 November 2013. A well-functioning public finance system is an institutional foundation for protecting market unity, safeguarding social justice, and realizing long term stability in China. More intriguingly, the decision claimed that both central and local initiatives should be taken into consideration when making a modern public finance system. In reality, this saying borrows from Chairman Mao Zedong's earlier argument. At that time, he argued that China should learn intergovernmental management from the USA as the two countries share similar circumstances—a huge territory and a large population.
The current Chinese government seems determined to promote a modern public budgeting system to improve public services and reduce corruption. The decision made by the Third Plenum claimed to build a transparent government budget wherein the review of the budget will focus on expenditure and policy rather than budget balance or deficit. It means that the budget review will be more on substantial level instead of simply making ends meet. More importantly, a multi-year budget framework will be promoted whereby a long-term, forward-looking budgeting plan will be put in place in the future. More familiar to the outside world is that the Chinese government will embrace an accrual basis of budgeting, which may create possibilities of dialogue between the Western world and China on public finance issues. Previously, the Chinese public finance and budget system, borrowed from the former Soviet Union, was not transparent to the general public in China but also to outside observers. It caused great troubles beyond public finance and budgeting.
More intriguing is that the central government makes clear that it will shoulder more responsibility for financing public services in the future. The central state will be responsible for national defense, foreign affairs, homeland security, and the regulation governing a single market in China. Spending on some projects related to social protection and inter-regional infrastructure will be shared by central and local governments. The central government can ask local governments to implement central mandates but the central government will arrange central transfers to compensate local governments.
Why did the central government orchestrate these reforms? Naturally, the fiscal issue is central to governing the state. A well-functioning intergovernmental fiscal system will improve public welfare provision, reduce government debt, and advance income redistribution in China. In the meantime, the dysfunctional fiscal system creates substantial problems at the grassroots level. For example, local governments being short of revenue leads to a widening gap in providing public services in rich and poor areas, large local debts. In addition, as leasing land is a major source of income for local governments, they are eager to lease lands to developers in a bid to save themselves. Otherwise, loans from banks would default, pay arrears in the public sector would occur and public schools might close down. Any of these scenarios could lead to social unrest.
The fundamental problem is that China's central-local fiscal relations, especially on the revenue side, have become too centralized. A re-centralization of revenue in China since 1994 has led to local governments falling short of sufficient revenues while meeting the ever-increasing demands for public services. Therefore, once local governments have week fiscal capacity, some of them reduce their public services to avoid bigger troubles; on the other hand, local governments promote property market to boost local revenues or incur large local debts without knowing how to pay back.
After 1994, the year the tax-sharing reform took place, the central share of revenue increased substantially. The ratio of central government revenue to the national total revenue was only 15.5 percent in 1978; after several rounds of central-local bargaining, the share increased to 38.4 percent in 1985. After that, it declined further to 22 percent in 1993. Nevertheless, the central government claimed 55.7 percent of the national revenue almost overnight. Since then, the central share of budgetary revenue has stayed at roughly 50 percent until now. Meanwhile, the central share of expenditure declined over the past 15 years. The year 1980 saw a peak. During that time, the central government shouldered 54.3 percent of total spending for public services and others. It hovered roughly 30 percent between 1994 and 2003. After that, it declined substantially over years. In 2011, the central government only spent 15.1 percent of the national total expenditure. The gap between central revenue and central expenditure has enlarged sharply. Therefore, the Chinese central government is super rich as of today. In the meantime, local governments have to cry for handouts from the central government, request for more central transfers while obsessing with land financing to boost local revenue.
The centralization of government revenue has some implications for political and social aspects. Zhou Xueguang, a professor at Stanford University, observed that, "What is distinctive about the Chinese bureaucracy in recent years includes both the growing scope of policy areas and the greater extent of centralization in resources and decision-making authority, as compared with other national governments or the Chinese government in the early years of reform".[1]
In addition to the change in central-local fiscal relations, the central government has also playing the political game to make the central state more powerful. Some scholars have discussed "soft centralization" in China in recent years.[2] That is, some important government organs, such as those regulating the market, have been directly controlled by provincial governments or the central government in the name of avoiding local protectionism. In reality, becoming more central may not reduce local protectionism and corruption at both the grassroots and central levels.
Noticing the problems inherent in an over centralized system, localization is a continued demand from the intellectuals. The reality is that though some pro-inland policies have been adopted in the past 15 years, substantial differences between provinces still exist, and to some extent have been exacerbated. Decentralized governance has the benefits of aligning revenue and responsibility, thus rendering local governments more prudent in their use of public money. Decentralized governance may also pave the way for democracy as local governments have to listen to taxpayers rather than the central government in Beijing.
Before the Third Plenum, the Development Research Centre of the State Council, China's top official think tank, released a roadmap for China's reform in the coming decades, dubbed "3-8-3 plan". 8 key reform areas have been targeted: the government administrative system, state monopoly sectors, land ownership and administration, financial sector, the fiscal system, management of state assets, business innovation, and further opening-up of the economy. Specifically, in the reform related to public finance, a delineation of responsibilities between central and local governments is highly prioritized in political agenda.
Unfortunately, the blueprint released by the CCP mainly touches on rather technical issues while major issues remain unaddressed. For example, a stable, justifiable source of local revenue has not been discussed. So far, local governments in the coastal area have increasingly relied on land revenues while those in inland China count on central transfers to cover their costs. In some county governments, almost 80 percent of government spending is from the central transfers. Though the central control has been strengthened, the negative impact of this fiscal structure is significant and unignorable. The Chinese government in recent decades has attempted to justify its rule based on social policy-centered approach rather than growth-centered approach. It means that welfare provision rather than GDP generation is more crucial to gain public support. Nevertheless, there are no such institutional arrangements making the transition take root in China.
"Unspecified powers belong to local governments", some Chinese public intellectuals argue. Professor Li Yining opined recently that if local governments can manage certain public affairs effectively, the central government should be hands-off. Instead of borrowing Chairman Mao's ambiguous statement on central-local governments, the Chinese government should embark on bold, fundamental reforms to addressing dysfunctional intergovernmental management in China.
Dr. Alfred M. Wu is Lecturer in the Department of Asian and Policy Studies at The Hong Kong Institute of Education. He is the author of the forthcoming book Governing Civil Service Pay in China (NIAS Press, University of Copenhagen, 2014).
[1] Zhou, Xueguang. "The Institutional Logic of Collusion among Local Governments in China." Modern China 36.1 (2010): 57.
[2] Mertha, Andrew C. "China's 'Soft' Centralization: Shifting Tiao/Kuai Authority Relations." The China Quarterly 184 (2005): 791-810.
China's Proposed "State Security Council": Social Governance under Xi Jinping
Pursuing mutually incompatible goals: Resilient SOEs, Leading Small Group, and the Market
TAGS: budget centre-local fiscal policy governance local reform


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100 Questions on Indian Constitution for UPSC 2020 Pre Exam
100 MCQ's on Constitution of India:-
1. The Governor of a State is appointed by the President on the advice of the
(a) Prime Minister
(b) Vice- President
(c) Chief Minister
(d) Chief Justice
Answer: Prime Minister
2. The President gives his resignation to the
(a) Chief Justice
(b) Parliament
(c) Vice President
(d) Prime Minister
Answer: Vice President
3. For what period does the Vice President of India hold office ?
(b) Till the age of 65 years
(d) 2 years
Answer: 5 years
4. Who among the following holds office during the pleasure of the President ?
(a) Governor
(b) Election Commissioner
(c) Speaker of Lok Sabha
Answer: Governor
5. Which of the following is not true regarding the payment of the emoluments of the President ?
(a) They can be reduced during a Financial Emergency.
(b) They are shown separately in the budget.
(c) They are charged on the Contigency Fund of India.
(d) They do not require any parliament sanction.
Answer: They are charged on the Contigency Fund of India.
6. The total number of members nominated by the President to the Lok Sabha and the Rajya
Sabha is
7. Which one of the following does not constitute the electoral college for electing the President
of India ?
(a) Elected members of Lok Sabha
(b) Elected members of the Legislative Assembly of each state.
(c) Elected members of the Legislative Council
(d) Elected members of Rajya Sabha
Answer: Elected members of the Legislative Council
8. The council of Ministers in a Parliamentary type of Government can remain in office till it
enjoys the support of the
(a) Minority of members of the Upper House of Parliament
(b) Majority of the members of the Upper House of Parliament
(c) Minority of members of the Lower House
(d) Majority of the members of the Lower House of Parliament
Answer: Majority of the members of the Lower House of Parliament
9. Which of the following appointments is not made by the President of India ?
(a) Chief of the Army
(b) Speaker of the Lok Sabha
(c) Chief Justice of India
(d) Chief of the Air Force
Answer: Speaker of the Lok Sabha
10. Who appoints the Prime Minister of India ?
(a) Lok Sabha
(b) President
(c) Parliament
(d) Citizens of India
Answer: President
11. The first woman Governor of a state in free India was
(a) Mrs. Indira Gandhi
(b) Mrs. Vijaya Laxmi Pandit
(c) Mrs. Sarojini Naidu
(d) Mrs. Sucheta Kripalani
Answer: Mrs. Sarojini Naidu
12. Minimum age required to contest for Presidentship is
(a) 23 years
(b) 21 years
(c) 35 years
(d) 30 years
Answer: 35 years
13. The charge of impeachment against the President of India for his removal can be preferred by
(a) Both Houses of Parliament
(b) Speaker of Lok Sabha and Chairman of Rajya Sabha
(c) Rajya Sabha
(d) Lok Sabha
Answer: Both Houses of Parliament
14. The Chief Minister of a Union Territory where such a set up exists, is appointed by the
(a) Lt. Governor
(b) Majority party in Legislature
(c) President
Answer: Lt. Governor
15. Who was the first Prime Minister of India ?
(a) Jawaharlal Nehru
(b) Mrs. Indira Gandhi
(c) Dr. Rajendra Prasad
(d) Mahatma Gandhi
Answer: Jawaharlal Nehru
16. In case a President dies while in office, the vice President can act as President for a
maximum period of
(b) 3 months
(c) 6 months
Answer; 6 months
17. The Union Council of Ministers consists of
(a) Cabinet Ministers, Minister of State and Deputy Ministers
(b) Cabinet Ministers and Chief Ministers of the States
(c) Prime Minister
(d) Cabinet Ministers
Answer: Cabinet Ministers, Minister of State and Deputy Ministers
18. Who administers the oath of office to the President of India before he enters upon the office ?
(b) Speaker
Answer: Chief Justice
19. Who among the following enjoys the rank of a Cabinet Minister of the Indian Union?
(a) None of the Above
(b) Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission
(c) Deputy Chairman, Rajya Sabha
(d) Secretary to the Government of India
Answer: Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission
20. A person who is not a member of Parliament can be appointed as a Minister by the President
for a maximum period of
(a) 9 months
(c) 12 months
(d) 6 months
Answer: 6 months
21. When can a President use his discretion in appointing the Prime Minister ?
(a) When no political oarty enjoys a clear majority in the Lok Sabha.
(b) Only when the Lok Sabha has been dissolved.
(c) In all circumstances
(d) In no circumstances
Answer: When no political oarty enjoys a clear majority in the Lok Sabha.
22. If in a country there happens to be the office of monarchy as well as a Parliamentary form of
government this monarch will be called
(a) Head of the State
(b) Head of the Cabinet
(c) Head of the government
(d) Both Head of the government and State
Answer: Head of the State
23. One feature distinguishing the Rajya Sabha from the Vidhan Parishad is
(a) Power of impeachment
(b) Indirect election
(c) Nomination of members
(d) Tenure of membership
Answer: Power of impeachment
24. Chief Ministers of all the states are ex-officio members of the
(a) Planning Commission
(b) National Development Council
(c) Inter State Council
(d) Finance Commission
Answer: Inter State Council
25. Who, among the following, has the final right to sanction the expenditure of public money in
India ?
(a) Speaker
(d) Parliament
26. Which of the following is not an essential qualification for appointment as a Governor ?
(a) He must not be a member of either House of Parliament.
(b) He should be a domicile of the state to which he is being appointed.
(c) He should be a citizen of India.
(d) He must have completed the age of 35 years
Answer: He should be a domicile of the state to which he is being appointed.
27. The President nominates 12 members of the Rajya Sabha according to
(a) Their performance as office bearers of cultural societies.
(b) The recommendations made by the Vice President.
(c) Their role played in political set up of the country.
(d) Their distinction in the field of science, art, literature and social service.
Answer: Their distinction in the field of science, art, literature and social service.
28. Which Article of the Constitution empowers the President to appoint a Commission to
investigate the condition of backward classes in general and suggest ameliorative measures?
(a) Art 342
(b) Art 344
(c) Art 340
(d) Art 339
Answer: Art 340
29. Who can initiate impeachment proceedings against the President of India ?
(a) Either House of Parliament
(b) Any Vidhan Sabha
(c) Only Lok Sabha
(d) Rajya Sabha
Answer: Either House of Parliament
30. Who was the member of the Rajya Sabha when first appointed as the Prime Minister of
(a) Lal Bahadur Shastri
(b) Charan Singh
(c) Morarji Desai
(d) Indira Gandhi
Answer: Indira Gandhi
31. What is the minimum age for appointment as a Governor ?
32. Chief Minister of a State is responsible to
(b) Rajya Sabha
(c) Legislative Assembly
(d) Governor
Answer; Legislative Assembly
33. The administrative and operational control of the Armed Forces is exercised by the
(a) Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs with Prime Minister as the Chairman
(b) Ministry of Defence
(c) Three Chiefs of the Army, Navy and Air Force Staff
(d) President
Answer: Ministry of Defence
34. What is the position of a Minister of State in the Central Government ?
(a) He is a Minister of Central Government but not a member of the Cabinet.
(b) He looks after the interests of the State Cabinet.
(c) He is the nominee of the State Governor.
(d) He is the nominee of the State Cabinet.
Answer: He is a Minister of Central Government but not a member of the Cabinet.
35. Who among the following is directly responsible to Parliament for all matters concerning the
Defence Services of India ?
(a) President
(b) Prime Minister
(c) Defence Minister
(d) Cabinet Committee on Political Affairs
Answer: Defence Minister
36. How many times the President of India can seek re-election to his post ?
(a) Once
(b) 3 times
(c) 2 times
(d) Any number of times
Answer; Any number of times
37. Who among the following has the power to form a new state within the Union of India ?
(a) Speaker of Lok Sabha
(d) Supreme Court
38. Is the Prime Minister bound to advise the President on matters on which his advice is sought
(a) If the Council of Ministers so desires.
(b) Yes
(c) No
(d) It is discretionary
39. When the Vice President officiates as President he draws the salary of
(a) Chairman of Rajya Sabha
(b) Both (A) and ( C )
(d) Member of Parliament
40. Who among the following can attend meetings of the Union Cabinet ?
(b) Cabinet Ministers
(c) Ministers of State
(d) Deputy Ministers
Answer: Cabinet Ministers
41. Who among the following has the Constitutional authority to make rules and regulations
fixing the number of members of the UPSC
(a) Vice- President
(c) Home Ministry
(d) Cabinet Secretary
42. Under whose advice the President of India declares Emergency under Article 352 ?
(a) Chief Ministers of all states
(c) Cabinet
(d) Council of Ministers
Answer: Cabinet
43. Who acts as the President of India when neither the President nor the Vice President is
available ?
(a) Seniormost Governor of a State
(b) Chief Justice of India
(d) Auditor General of India
Answer: Chief Justice of India
44. A proclamation of emergency issued under Article 36 must be approved by the Parliament
(c) 1 Month
(d) 6 weeks
45. The Union Council of Ministers is appointed by the
(a) President of India according to his discretion
(b) President of India on the advice of the Prime Minister
(c) Prime Minister of India
Answer: President of India on the advice of the Prime Minister
46. The President can proclaim emergency on the written advice of the
(d) Union Cabinet
47. The Union Council of Ministers is collectively responsible to
(a) Rajya Sabha
(c) House of the People
Answer: House of the People
48. Article 78 of the Constitution deals with
(a) President's power to get information from the Council of Ministers.
(b) Prime Minister's duty regarding keeping the President informed about the government's
decisions and policies.
(c) Emergency powers of the President
(d) President's power to send advisory messages to the Parliament.
Answer: President's power to send advisory messages to the Parliament.
49. The maximum duration for which the Vice President may officiate as the President, is
(a) 1 year
50. The President's Rule in a State can be continued for a maximum period of
(b) 1 year
(d) 2 1/2 years
51. The Chairman and members of State Public Service Commission are appointed by the
(b) Chairman, UPSC
(c) Governor
52. When a State Governor dies or resigns, who normally exercises his functions till a new
Governor is appointed ?
(a) Chief Justice of the High Court
(b) Advocate General of the State
(c) Secretary General of the Governor
(d) A person designated by State Cabinet
Answer; Chief Justice of the High Court
53. When a financial emergency is proclaimed
(a) Union budget will not be presented
(b) Salaries and allowances of any class of employees may be reduced
(c) Repayment of government debts will stop
(d) Payment of salaries to public servants will be postponed
Answer: Salaries and allowances of any class of employees may be reduced
54. Who appoints the Chairman of the UPSC ?
(b) Speaker of Lok Sabha
55. Which of the following is correct regarding the Governor of a State ?
(a) All of the above
(b) He can recommend to the President to impose President's Rule in the State.
(c) No money bill can be introduced in the State Legislature without his prior permission.
(d) He has the power of issuing ordinances when the legislature is not in session.
Answer: All of the above
56. If the President wants to resign from office, he may do so by writing to the
(a) Chief Justice of India
(d) Vice- President
Answer: Vice- President
57. Is the Prime Minister bound to advise is sought ?
(a) Yes, if the Council of Ministers so desires
58. The five year term of the President is calculated from the
(a) First day of the month following the month he assumes charge
(b) Date of his election result
(c) Day he assumes charge
(d) First day of the month he assumes charge
Answer: Day he assumes charge
59. Who is the ex- officio Chairman of the Council of States ?
(b) Leader of the opposition
(d) Speaker
60. Under which Article of the Constitution is the President's rule promulgated on any state in
(a) 326
(b) 370
(c) 380
(d) 356
Answer: 356
61. At a time, President's rule can be imposed on a state for a maximum period of
Answer: 1 year
62. The Chairman of the Planning Commission in India is the
(c) Minister of Planning
(d) Finance Minister
63. When Parliament is not in session, the President can promulgate an ordinance which is to be
ratified by the Parliament within
(a) 6 weeks from the reassembly of Parliament
(b) 6 months from the reassembly of the Parliament
(c) 6 weeks from the date of issue of ordinance.
(d) 3 months from the date of issue of the ordinance.
Answer: 6 weeks from the reassembly of Parliament
64. The President of India is elected by an electoral college comprising of
(a) Elected members of Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies.
(b) Elected member of both Houses of Parliament and State Legislative Assembly
(c) Elected members of both Houses of Parliament.
(d) Elected member of State Legislative Assemblies
Answer; Elected member of both Houses of Parliament and State Legislative Assembly
65. If the office of the President of India falls vacant, within what time should the next President
be elected ?
(a) Within 2 months
(b) Within 1 year
(c) Within 6 months
(d) Immediately
Answer: Within 6 months
66. The President can proclaim a state of emergency in case of
(b) Threat to financial stability of the country.
(c) External aggression or internal disturbances threatening the security of the country.
(d) Failure of Constitutional machinery in a particular state.
67. In the election of the President, the value of the vote of the Lok Sabha members
(a) Differs according to the geographical size of the respective state.
(b) None of these
(c) Differs according to the number of votes a member represents.
(d) is same
Answer: Differs according to the number of votes a member represents.
68. The Indian President is
(a) None of these
(b) Titular executive
(c) Real executive
(d) Real/Titular executive
Answer; Titular executive
69. The minimum age required for becoming the Prime Minister of India is
70. The President may for violation of the Constitution be removed from the office by
(a) The Prime Minister
(b) The Electoral College consisting of members of Parliament and the State Legislatures.
(c) Impeachment
(d) A no- confidence vote
Answer: Impeachment
71. In which of the following situations does the President act in his own discretion ?
(a) In returning a proposal to the Council of Ministers for reconsideration
(b) None of the Above
(c) In appointing the Prime Minister
(d) Both of these
Answer: In returning a proposal to the Council of Ministers for reconsideration
72. The Prime Minister, Union Cabinet Minister, Chief Minister and Council of Ministers are all
(a) National Development Council
(b) Regional Council
(c) Planning Commission
(d) Zonal Council
Answer: National Development Council
73. The President's Rule in a state means that the state is ruled by
(a) A caretaker government
(b) The Chief Minister nominated by the President
(c) The Governor of the State
(d) The President directly
Answer: The Governor of the State
74. The Chief - Minister of a Union Territory whenever such a set up exists, is appointed by
(a) The Lt. Governor
(b) The majority party in the legislature
(c) The President
(d) The Prime Minister
Answer: The Lt. Governor
75. Under what article of the Constitution of India can the President take over the administration
of a state in case its constitutional machinery breaks down ?
(d) Art 83
76. The President can make laws through ordinances
(a) Only on subjects contained in the concurrent list
(b) Under no circumstances
(c) On certain subjects even when Parliament is in session.
(d) During the recess of the Parliament
Answer; During the recess of the Parliament
77. Which of the following qualification is not essential for a person to become the VicePresident ?
(a) He must be an Indian.
(b) He must be qualified to be a member of the Rajya Sabha.
(c) He must not be less than 35 years.
(d) He must be a graduate.
Answer: He must be a graduate.
78. How many types of Emergency have been visualised in the Constitution of India ?
(a) Four
(b) Three
(c) One
(d) Two
Answer: Three
79. The impeachment proceedings against the Vice- President can be initiated
(a) Only in Lok Sabha
(b) In neither Hosue of Parliament
(c) In either House of Parliament
(d) Only in Rajya Sabha
Answer: Only in Rajya Sabha
80. Who appoints the Lt. Governor of Jammu and Kashmir?
(a) Chief Minister of the State
(c) Chief Justice of the High Court
81. The President of India can be removed from his office by the
(a) Parliament
Answer: Parliament
82. If the President returns a Bill sent to him for his assent and the Parliament once again passes
the Bill in its original form, then the President
(a) Can seek the opinion of the Supreme Court on the bill
(b) Gives assent to the bill
(c) Can once again return the bill for further reconsideration
(d) Can ask for a referendum on the bill
Answer: Gives assent to the bill
83. If a Minister loses a no- confidence motion, then
(a) Lok Sabha is dissolved
(b) Only Prime Minister and that Minister resigns.
(c) The whole Council of Ministers resigns
(d) The Minister resigns
Answer: The whole Council of Ministers resigns
84. The only instance when the President of India exercised his power of veto related to the
(a) Indian Post Office (Amendment Bill)
(b) Dowry Prohibition Bill
(c) Hindu Code Bill
(d) PEPSU Appropriation Bill
Answer: Indian Post Office (Amendment Bill)
85. The control of the preparation of electoral rolls for parliament and legislature vests with the
(b) Election Commission
Answer: Election Commission
86. What is contained in the tenth schedule of the constitution ?
(a) Languages recognised by constitution
(b) Forms of oath or affirmation
(c) Laws that cannot be challenged in any court of law
(d) Provision regarding disqualification on grounds of defection
Answer: Provision regarding disqualification on grounds of defection
87. The Election commision holds election for
(a) The Parliament, State Legislature and the posts of the president and the Vice-President
(b) The parliament, State legislative Assemblies and the State Council
(c) The Parliament
(d) The parliament and the State Legislative Assemblies
Answer: The Parliament, State Legislature and the posts of the president and the Vice-President
88. For Election to the lok sabha, a nomination paper can be field by
(a) Any citizen of India
(b) Any citizen of India whose name appears in the electoral roll of a Constituency
(c) Anyone residing in India
(d) A resident of the Constituency from which the election to be contested
Answer: Any citizen of India whose name appears in the electoral roll of a Constituency
89. In India, political parties are given recognition by
(a) Election Commission
(d) Law Commission
90. The Vice President is elected by an Electoral College consisting of members of
(a) Both Houses of Parliament and state legislative
(b) Both Houses of Parliament
(c) Lok Sabha
91. The election Commision dose not conduct the elections to the
(b) President's election
(d) Local Bodies
Answer: Local Bodies
92. The maximum age prescribed for election as president is
(a) No such Limit
Answer: No such Limit
93. The power to decide an election petition is vested in the
(a) High Court
94. To elect the President of India, which one of the following election procedures is used ?
(a) System of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote
(b) Secondary voting system
(c) Proportional representation through list system
(d) Collective Voting system
Answer: System of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote
95. In which year were the first general election held in India ?
(d) 1947-48
Answer: 1951-52
96. Election to the house of the people and the Legislative Assemblies of States in India are
conducted on the basis of
(a) Single Transferable vote
(b) Propotional Representation
(c) Limited sufferage
(d) Adult Franchise
Answer: Adult Franchise
97. Who appoint the Chief Election Commissioner of India ?
98. Which among the following is not a part of the electoral reforms ?
(a) Installation of electronic voting machines
(b) Appoinment of election Commissioner
(c) Registration of Political parties
(d) Disquallifying the offenders
Answer: Installation of electronic voting machines
99. Recognition to a political party is accorded by
(a) The Election Commision
(b) A Committee of Whips
(c) The ministry of parliament Affours
(d) The speaker of the Lok Sabha in the case of national Parties and the Speaker of Legislative
assemblies in the case of regional parties
Answer: The Election Commision
100. The Chief Minister of a state in India is not eligible to vote in the Presidential election if
(a) He is a member of the Upper House of the State Legislature
(b) He is a caretaker Chief Minister
(c) He himself is a candidate
(d) He is yet to prove his majority on the floor of the Lower House of the state Legislature
Answer: He is a member of the Upper House of the State Legislature
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Indian Constitution Quiz 2 | Constitution of India...
Indian Constitution Quiz 1 | Indian Polity Quiz


PSTET 2019 – PSTET is a Teacher Eligibility Test conducted every year in the state of Punjab by State Council of Educational Research and Training with the motive of selecting eligible and capable candidates for the designation of teacher for primary (class I to class V) and for upper primary level (class VI to VIII). Candidates qualifying the examination successfully will be considered eligible to apply as a primary or upper primary level teacher in the schools of Punjab. Candidates will get eligibility certificate of teaching which will be valid for seven years issued by the official authority after the successful qualification of the exam. All those candidates who wish to nurture their career as a teacher of primary or upper primary schools in the state of Punjab should definitely fill the PSTET Application form 2019. Application form for PSTET 2019 will be available from June 2019 and can be filled till July 2019. PSTET Admit card 2019 will be available from August 2019. Date of PSTET 2019 examination is expected to be lying in August 2019. PSTET Result 2019 will be declared in the month of September 2019, expectedly. Candidates are first required to check the eligibility criteria framed by the official authority in order to submit the application form successfully.
This article will discuss all the details of PSTET 2019.
State Council of Educational Research & Training, Punjab conducted PSTET every year with the motive of selecting eligible candidates for the designation of primary and upper primary level teachers. Conducting authority will be responsible for releasing the notification of PSTET 2019on their official website via online mode only.
Notification will be released by June 2019 and application forms will be made live with the release of official notification only. The application will be entertained until July 2019. Authority will release the exam pattern, syllabus, procedure of selection in the notification. Candidates are advised to keep visiting our articles as we will update our article accordingly whenever the notification release.
Below we are furnishing the dates of events of PSTET 2019 but the dates mentioned below are tentative as the official authority hasn't announced any official schedule yet. Once the official authority will announce the exact dates, we will update the same here only so stay updated.
Eligibility criteria are a set of instructions in terms of Nationality, age limit and educational qualification framed by the official authority to select candidates. All those candidates who satisfy the eligibility criteria framed by the official authority will be able to fill the application form successfully. It is the most important and prior step to be performed by the candidates. If any candidate is found ineligible during the process of recruitment, his/her candidature will be canceled by the official authority. We have provided the eligibility criteria for both primary and upper primary level teachers. Candidates are advised to first check their eligibility here and then if they find themselves fit should fill the application form.
1. Applying candidate should have passed the senior secondary or equivalent exam with an aggregate of 50% marks and should have passed or appearing in final year of 2-year Diploma in Elementary Education.
4. Applying candidate should have passed senior secondary examination or equivalent with minimum 45% marks and have passed or appearing in final year of 2-year Diploma in Elementary Education, recognized from NCTE (Recognition Norms and Procedure), Regulations, 2002 are applicable.
5. Candidates who have a graduate degree and have passed or appearing in final year of 2-year Diploma in Elementary Education are also eligible to apply.
1. Applying candidates should have passed graduate degree and should have passed or appearing in final year of 2-year Diploma in Elementary Education (by whatever name known).
2. Candidate should have done graduation with an aggregate of 50% marks and passed or appearing in 1-year Bachelor in Education (B.Ed.) / 1-year B.Ed. (Special Education).
3. Applying candidate should have completed their graduation with at least 45% marks and passed or appearing in 1-year Bachelor in Education (B.Ed), in recognition with the NCTE (Recognition Norms and Procedure) Regulations issued from time to time in this regard.
4. Applying candidate should pass the Senior Secondary (or equivalent) exam with an aggregate of 50% marks and pass (or appearing in final year) 4-year Bachelor in Elementary Education (B.El.Ed) / 4-year B.A/B.Sc.Ed or B.A. Ed/B.Sc.Ed.
Eligible candidates will be now being able to fill the application form.
The application form will be available on the official website SCERT (State Council of Educational Research and Training) and can be filled via online mode only.
The online application form will be available from June 2019 on the official website of the recruiting body.
Candidates are required to upload their scanned photograph and signature while submitting the application form.
Applications will be entertained until July 2019 only. No application will be considered thereafter.
Candidates are also required to pay the application fee for PSTET 2019 in accordance with their category respectively.
Last date to pay the application fee successfully will lie in July 2019.
How to fill PSTET Application form 2019?
Candidates can follow the below given simple step in order to fill the application form of PSTET 2019.
Step 1: First visit the official website to fill the application form.
STEP 2: Make of New Registration: Candidate is first required to register himself/herself by making online new registration.
STEP 3: Go to Login Page after Registration: After the completion of registration go to the login page and login by inserting the credentials.
STEP 4: Fill Application Form/Edit: After login to the page fill the online application form and fill the details required carefully and after completion check all the details again.
STEP 5: Payment of Application Fee: Candidate now pay the application fee via internet-Banking/E-Challan payment/Debit Card & Credit Card.
STEP 6: After that Upload Signature, Photo and other Documents (if needed) for the successful submission.
Step 7: Click on 'Submit tab' now.
Step 8: Now take printout of the application form for future use.
There will be 5 subjects in the question booklet.
Each section will carry 30 questions.
There will be 150 questions in the booklet.
Time duration for the examination will be 2 hours and 30 minutes.
There will be 4 subjects in the question booklet.
Each section will carry 30 questions except section 4 that will carry 60 questions.
Candidates are required to check the syllabus of PSTET 2019 to prepare well as candidates can prepare well if they know from what topic the question booklet will be prepared. We are providing the syllabus of paper 1 and paper 2 below.
The syllabus of this subject encompasses the knowledge of the requirements of vivid learners along with adequate information about the characteristics of modern age facilitators and teachers.
The syllabus of this subject encompasses the concept, problem-solving abilities, pedagogical understanding of the subject and syllabus of class I to V.
This section will include principles of teaching, teaching-learning materials, unseen prose passage comprehensive and continuous evaluation, and development of development skills.
Unseen prose passage, unseen poem, literacy terms, verbs, idioms, modal auxiliaries, phonetic transcription, and basic knowledge.
This will consist of water, clothes, natural resource, basic need, resources, food, and care etc.
Questions will be asked from social science topics and pedagogical knowledge.
Candidates are informed that admit card is the most important document to be carried to the exam center.
Admit card will be available on the official website of SCERT; candidates will be able to download it from the official website only.
Admit card will be available from August 2019.
Admit card will release the venue of the examination, timing of the examination and reporting timing to the examination center and instructions to be followed by the candidate.
If any candidate fails to carry the PSTET Admit card 2019 to the center of examination then he/she will not be allowed to enter in the examination hall by the invigilators.
Admit card will be evidence and identity of the candidate required to showed to the invigilator.
How to Download PSTET Admit Card 2019?
Visit the official website first of the official authority as admit card will be available via online mode.
Click on PSTET Admit card 2019 link.
Provide with your registration number and date of birth to download the admit card.
Now, Your Admit card will appear on your computer screens.
Download it and keep it safe till the final selection procedure.
PSTET Result 2019 will be available on the official website of the official authority after the commencement of the examination.
Result of PSTET 2019 will be declared in September 2019.
Candidate can view their result by inserting their registration number on the official website.
Candidate's selection is based on the PSTET Entrance exam 2019 completely.
Candidates will be shortlisted on the basis of their score in the examination for the interview round.
Successfully qualified candidates in interview round will be able to get the eligibility certificate.
Successfully qualified candidates will get the eligibility certificate from the authority.
Validity of the certificate is seven year for all category candidates.
There is no restriction on the number of attempts. Candidate can apply as much as he wants.
If any candidates wish to improve their score they can apply again.
Candidate is required to score 60% in order to qualify PSTET 2019.
Candidates belonging to reserved category (SC/ST/PWD/OBC) will get 5% concession.
PSTET Qualifies can apply in schools that are managed by Punjab state government/local bodies and aided school.
PSTET Qualified can also apply to unaided private schools that consider PSTET.
Above given article was brief about PSTET 2019 important dates, PSTET Eligibility criteria 2019, PSTET Application form 2019, PSTET Exam Pattern 2019, PSTET Syllabus 2019, PSTET Admit card 2019, PSTET Exam Result 2019, PSTET Selection Procedure 2019, Eligibility certificate, PSTET qualifying marks 2019. If candidate has any query regarding PSTET 2019 he/she is free to comment in the comment section given below. To stay updated about the examination all candidates are required to visiting the page and stay updated.


Tyson Foods, Cargill and their competitors are projected to push meat production to record levels this year at 103.3 billion pounds, up 1.3% over 2018, according to U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates. But just because there is more to purchase doesn't mean consumers will eat more. Per capita consumption is expected to decrease about 1.3 pounds this year to 217.3 pounds.
More U.S consumers are adopting flexitarian diets that limit the amount of animal protein they eat, although that was not the reason cited in the report by Derrell Peel, extension livestock marketing specialist with Oklahoma State University. He said the decrease in per capita consumption reflects improved meat trade and increased meat exports along with normal population growth.
He reports total 2019 meat imports are projected to decrease to 4.3 billion pounds, the lowest since 2013. The U.S. also expects record meat exports of 17.4 billion pounds which include beef, pork, chicken, turkey, veal and lamb.
Beef production is expected to increase about 1.1% this year, to a record 27.2 billion pounds. Peel noted that weather impacts are holding carcass weights well below year ago levels so far this year and annual average carcass weights are projected to only increase slightly year over year. Cattle slaughter is projected to increase by about 1% year over year. In 2019, per capita beef consumption is expected to decrease to 56.8 pounds (retail basis), down from 57.1 pounds one year ago, Peel noted.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reports the hog industry continues to increase capacity and production is expected to rise 27.1 billion pounds in 2019, up 2.7% year-over-year. Consumers are expected to eat an average of 51 pounds of pork in 2019, up slightly from a year ago.
"An improved pork trade balance is projected with year-over-year decreases in pork imports and significant increases in pork exports. Higher projected pork exports are partly due to anticipated increases in pork imports in China as a result of losses in Chinese pork production due to African Swine Fever," Peel noted.
Broiler (chicken) production estimates have been trimmed from earlier expectations with latest projections of a 1.1% increase to 42.6 billion pounds in 2019. Per capita broiler consumption is projected to decrease fractionally year-over-year to 92 pounds with increased broiler exports taking up most of the increase in production, he added.
Turkey production and consumption are projected to decrease in 2019. Total poultry, including broiler, turkey and other chicken production is expected to be fractionally higher in 2019.
Peel said these projections are made with the best data available at the time. But, there are many other factors that could impact meat production and consumption this year, including weather, disease, trade and U.S. and global macroeconomic conditions as well as feed markets.


Why does Bubble force me to use SVGs?
My landing page SVG is 3mb, if I use a PNG/JPG it's only 3KB but they are blurry.
Why does Bubble force me to use an SVG and make PNGs/JPGs blurry?
I've whipped up a quick 1 page ecommerce site but will have to swap to Big Commerce or Shopify if I can't use PNG/JPG as it takes 7.2 seconds to download the index page due to large image sizes.
Is there some other way around this/a CDN or something for example as otherwise the site is unusable.
Note this is on a personal plan but as described by Bubble staff elsewhere, paying more does not lead to faster speed, only more capacity.
If you have a 3Mb SVG, you're doing SVG wrong. That's kind of all.
How did you make your SVG… like a photo trace or something? SVG = Scalable Vector Format. It's for shapes, not machine-learning interpretations of shapes, ya know?
I'm taking the .ai and exporting it to SVG and then compressing it in the image optin compression tool. Is this not going to create a small SVG ever? - if not anything else I can do?
Why does Bubble force me to use an SVG?
It's a pain of a work-around, but you can bypass Imgix and reference the "master" file directly on Amazon S3 by inserting an IMG tag using a Bubble HTML element.
I've not yet reported this as a bug, but it probably should be.
Ahhhhh thanks this is really helpful. I'll play around with this tonight.
Thanks so much for taking the time to give me some tips.
Please post the results if you figure this out?
I'm dealing with several small svg's, basically icons. I paste the svg's xml inline using an html element so there is no separate load of the svg image file, it gets loaded (inline) with my app. So I presume your app download size would be 3MB larger (if that's the actual size of the svg's xml file) but it may load much faster since it is part of the initial "app bundle" that is downloaded when the page loads?
Not aware of any way to compress an svg, other than using a text editor to remove all unnecessary spaces/line breaks from the xml. I'm pretty sure a tool like this does the same thing. Worth a look.
Yep I think there must be something off about my main landing page SVG, I'll go back into the .ai and take a look.
I have tried loading the page with a State that is a list of images instead of doing a search on the parent group and then loading parent's group image but I couldn't see much of a difference.
I use ImageOptim to remove the SVG metadata but you're right it hardly removes anything. I might get 2% file size improvement.
Double-checking how many below-the-fold images I load on page load when I could load them when scroll hits x pixels.
FWIW, I've learned that not all SVG converters are the same. Some simply "disguise" the original PNG format by base64-encoding the image data and wrapping it in an SVG tag, while others actually attempt a "true" conversion by finding the edges within the image and creating paths.
The real issue, in my mind, is the apparent lack of control over the file format and properties of the image which gets served by Imgix to the browser. For instance, I can create a really well-optimized PNG which gets uploaded to Bubble's Amazon S3 servers intact; but then Imgix converts it to a JPG before serving it to the browser.
In case you don't realize it, images used in a Bubble application are not served directly from the Amazon S3 storage. They are automatically processed by Imgix. I might be missing or misunderstanding something about the way Bubble works, but there appears to be no way to alter that behavior.
I'm with @shot on this one. Seems there should be a way to force rendering of a PNG as PNG if desired.
As for the giant SVG file, you can "minify" them, but (like Adobe's native .ai format) its a vector format used to describe shapes/line art. For such applications it will nearly always be radically smaller than rendering that line art as a bitmap format.
First of all I found the original .ai contained an embedded image and therefore it was never going to work as an svg.
To use a png so that they are not blurry I followed @shot's advice by using inline html.
I made the html element the same size as the actual image.
To ensure it was responsive I added the inline style max-width:100% and I also made it responsive in the editor with a minimum width and ticked Keep element proportions when resized.
Height of image when resizing the page was different to that of the SVG so Imgix was doing something there but it looks good after a little change to overall Y positioning.
Page speed is still E 53% and 8 seconds to download on GTMetrix so guess the SVG size didn't have much to contribute to that. Page size went from 6.22MB to 3.77MB and I think I can get this down further. Subjectively, speed doesn't seem 8 seconds, more like 4, and I'll keep chipping away at it.
PS. For me it didn't matter whether the PNG had a transparent background or white, they were both blurry using the Image element.
Maybe you started there, but just to be sure: have you tried to set the output density of images to at least 2?
I had bubble apps with blurry PNG images before too, but not since I set this to 2.


text:
Sprinkle Of Glitter
Ed Miliband joins Sprinkle of Glitter on YouTube
Tuesday 5 May 2015
It's not every day you see a politician on YouTube star Louise Pentland's (aka Sprinkle of Glitter) channel. However yesterday, that's exactly what Louise's 2 million subscribers were treated to.
The vlogger's interview with Labour leader Ed Miliband has already racked up over 140,000 views and begins with a message encouraging all viewers to vote. The video then shows Louise asking Ed a series of questions including one about what Labour stands for.
"We're trying to stand up for everybody in our society not just a few people at the top of the country who are the richest and most powerful."
Sprinkle Of Glitter for Strictly Come Dancing!
YouTube star Louise Pentland confesses to dancing dream and 26 minutes later #GetLouiseOnStrictly is trending
Along with the discussion of key topics such as the NHS, zero hour contracts and education, Miliband lays out the basics of politics for Louise, including how long a Prime Minister who's elected will be in power:
"It's for five years…this government that we've got at the moment, this Conservative government, introduced a system where it's fixed for five years- the Prime Minister used to decide when to call an election."
Asked if this meant he thought the Conservatives had actually done something good, he responded, "We agree with that actually, we agree with there being a fixed term of people being elected".
Miliband also goes on to discuss his own personal interest and success in politics, which he attributes to his parents, who were both refugees:
"If you have that kind of life experience, it makes you care and realise that politics matter…that's the way they [his parents] brought me up"
"They must be very proud of you," Louise responds.
Meet the UK's Vlogging superstars
Louise Pentland
What exactly are the 'Christmas bubbles' that are currently under review, and what are the festive rules right now?
All of your questions on the coronavirus bubble system, answered.
As Little Mix become a trio, we look back on some of their best moments as a girl band of four
It's the 2011 X Factor throwback for us ❤
Sonequa Martin-Green opens up about racism and the importance of representation as she becomes one of GLAMOUR's December digital coverstars
To boldly go.


text:
The Battle For Dharma in Feudal Democracy
(Hinduwebsite Editorial - Exploring Truth Amidst Illusions and Distortions)
In a feudal society, people are treated according to their social, political or economic status. The idea of social justice varies from person to person, and laws become tools in the hands of the rich and powerful to further their ends and oppress their enemies.
If the haves in such a scenario commit crimes, such as killing someone, patronizing criminals or illegally buying and using weapons to establish dominance, they will do so with the expectation that the laws should be leniently applied to them, and they should be condoned for their misdeeds.
If you impose democracy upon such primitive feudal communities, what will happen? The poor and the less privileged will suffer enormously, and chaos and confusion of values will reign due to misinterpretation of laws, unfair laws, and unequal justice.
Feudal democracies are for the rich and powerful, by the rich and powerful and with the rich powerful. The less privileged may cast their votes, and the leaders may promise to improve their lot, but in the end their interests remain secondary.
The most influential and powerful people in such democracies remain powerful, as they corner most benefits, protect their interests and their friends and family members and enjoy immunity from punitive laws, while they invoke the same laws to intimidate and coerce others into silence or submission.
When laws become unequal and when you believe that certain people and classes of people are above the law and exempt from punishment, you can expect that democracy becomes a mere shadow, and the order and regularity of society a distant ideal.
The social structure in that feudal democratic rule will be nothing but a layered caste system or class system, justified by tradition or custom, which aims to consolidate and legitimize power in the hands of a few while limiting opportunities for peace and happiness to the majority.
In a democracy, all people are equal, at least from the perspective of law and governance. Laws are the only protection available to the citizens of a democratic nation from oppression and injustice.
Therefore, none should be considered above the law. The laws should be respected and equally and impartially applied to all. Criminals shall not be allowed to escape punishment even if they belong to prestigious families, their forefathers were royalty or served the nation, their relations hold powerful positions, or they can buy freedom with money and power.
There will be no redemption for the world, especially for the developing countries, if they allow inequalities and unfair laws to prevail, or if they misuse and misinterpret existing laws to favor a few. Historically, countries where laws are strictly enforced are proven to be rich and prosperous while those where it is not done happen to be poor and backward.
Therefore, democratic nations should ensure that for the order and regularity, no one should be placed above law or exempted from punishment for civil or criminal misconduct.
Secondly, judiciary must be given complete freedom and authority to interpret the prevailing laws strictly according to the established principles and practice and deliver justice. Once a judgment has been given, individuals and vested interests should not be allowed to obstruct its enforcement or politicize it. Jurisprudence must be left to the courts alone, not to the politicians, police force, feudal lords, diplomats, journalists or the influential voices of society.
In today's world, in democratic countries everyone has an opportunity to voice their opinions and concerns, but no government can be run according to the cacophony of discordant voices.
The purpose of any government is to govern according to prevailing laws and established practices. One may show humanity in decision making, but it should be done without personal motive, favor or partiality.
The laws in a democracy are part of a social contract between people and its government. Its purpose is to protect the weak and the helpless from the powerful and wicked. This fundamental aspect of democracy and principle of social justice should never be lost sight of.
The laws and the constitution are the only protection people have from the government and those who are in government. Therefore, people have a special responsibility to uphold those laws and not denigrate them. If they do it, it will be against their own interests.
One of the principal Upanishads of Hinduism contains this ancient wisdom, "Dharmo rakhsita rakshatah." It means, if you protect Dharma (law), Dharma will protect you. It is precisely what we have stated above.
Laws should not be selective. They should not be interpreted according to convenience or political ideology. They are not meant to protect only the privileged sections of society or oppress others. The equal enforcement of laws without fear and prejudice is vital to the order and regularity of society. Only then you can live in a country with peace, security and stability.
Hinduism, Problems, Prospects and Future Challenges
Changing Dynamics of Public Opinion In Hindu Community
Hindu Gods and Goddess in the Entertainment Industry
Hindu Society Contemporary Problems
Hindu Women's Right to Worship in Temples
Need For Religious Unity and Harmony
The Knowledge and Practice of Hinduism
Sexuality and Spirituality in Hinduism
Generosity or Charitable Giving By Hindus
Confusion Over Indian History
The Alternate History of Mohenjodaro, the Movie
Swami Nityananda - Time For Truth
Decline in Moral Values and Crisis of Faith
Islamic Fundamentalism is a Virus
Practising Charity as a Virtue in Hinduism
A Look at the Growing Campus Unrest
Insulting the Faith of a Billion People
Bollywood Seculars and their Hidden Agenda
Should Christmas be a Public Holiday in India?
Conditioned Ignorance, The New Social Trend
Phoolan Devi - The Faith of a Dacoit
Why the Disaster Happened At Kedarnath?
Love Jihad - War in the Name of Love
Protest as Self-Expression and Public Duty
Aspects of Racial Discrimination
An Example of Racial and Religious Prejudice
In Defense of Rabindranath Tagore and V.S.Naipaul
Teaching Religion in Classrooms
Practising Hinduism the Hindu Way


The fact that she thought she could waltz into Chicago and get away with a multimillion-dollar kickback scheme or that this life-long educator cared more about stuffing her own pockets than about improving the public education system for Chicago's children.
Let's not even talk about her sending an email to a former boss that makes her look like a gambling addict.
Byrd-Bennett was supposed to be someone education advocates could trust to be straight with them, especially when decisions were being made around the closing of 50 Chicago schools.
But the former schools chief was forced to take a leave of absence, then resign, over the investigation into $23 million in no-bid contracts given to her former employers.
On Thursday, Byrd-Bennett was charged with mail fraud and wire fraud. She is expected to plead guilty and cooperate with prosecutors.
Her cohorts and former employers, Gary Solomon and Thomas Vranas, owners of The SUPES Academy and Synesi Associates, also were charged.
In 2012, Mayor Rahm Emanuel picked Byrd-Bennett to lead Chicago's predominantly African-American school system after a school strike pushed out Jean-Claude Brizard.
Apparently, Byrd-Bennett wasn't in the seat for even one hot minute before she figured out a way to grow her hefty six-figure salary with a kickback scheme.
Some of the responsibility for this breach falls on the Chicago Board of Education for not challenging Byrd-Bennett's request to give a former employer millions in no-bid contracts in the first place.
It's also fair to knock Emanuel for missing the red flags these deals should have raised.
The mayor has the last word on what's happening with CPS. Byrd-Bennett's indictment shows he took his eyes off the prize.
Obviously, Byrd-Bennett, 66, is the biggest culprit. She has been in the education business a long time. This isn't a case of her not knowing the legal boundaries.
According to the feds, Byrd-Bennett actually discussed kickbacks in detailed emails.
That certainly doesn't sound like someone who cares about her own reputation or the affairs of a school district that was headed toward bankruptcy.
While Byrd-Bennett is the first Chicago schools CEO to be charged with corruption, we've seen the dynamics for this kind of corruption play out before.
In 1996, James Harney, a former administrator, was convicted of taking kickbacks from four construction companies.
People were outraged, in part because Harney siphoned off already-scarce resources at a time Chicago's dilapidated school buildings were making headlines.
Obviously, the mayor can't do anything about personal greed. But he can make it harder for potential grafters by sending a clear message that everyone is going to be held accountable.
In this instance, the mayor's appointed school board treated his appointed schools chief like she could do no wrong.
The indictment gives proponents of an elected school board an even stronger argument.
Sadly, Byrd-Bennett, who was in a position to inspire parents and ensure that public school children get better educational opportunities, turned out to be just another taker.


After a long period of cold weather, it is only normal for one to crave the warmth of summer and want to have fun outdoors. If the heat of the sun rings your bell and you long to be at the beach badly, then a vacation in Koh Samui will do amazing wonders for you. While on the island, it is best to try one of the villas in Koh Samui for your fun holiday. A 10-bedroom property that will make you feel like a royal in the tropics is Villa Kalyana. This is a fully air-conditioned villa and is perfect for the whole family. It is kid-friendly and is only half an hour away from Chaweng, which is good for those who want to visit this very vibrant part of the island.
The southern part of the island is known for its peaceful atmosphere and is the setting of some of the best villa retals in Koh Samui. Villa Kalyana is a modern retreat at the middle of a paradise. A good 40 minutes from the airport, this is the perfect Samui holiday home for those who are looking for a good dose of privacy. Half an hour away is a golf course, while a good number of dining places can be reached easily from the property as well.
Beachfront villas in Koh Samui are ideal for very special occasions such as weddings. Villa Kalyana's beach is simply breathtaking. Very fine pure white sand borders the water, while tall coconut trees add a distinct and undeniable tropical vibe. The great thing about villas in Koh Samui is that most of them have really good amenities. Villa Kalyana has an activity room, with exercise machines and a billiard table. There is an internet connection, a library, and a TV room as well.
Comfortable and convenient tropical living is the kind of holiday you'll have while at Villa Kalyana. The place has a beautiful garden, a parking area, and facilities for all kinds of water sports as well. Here you can ride a kayak boat, play badminton, or enjoy beach volleyball. You can also play at the beach or just relax in the pool no matter what time of the day. The villa has a nice kitchen, which houses cooking equipment needed to make really great meals. There is also a grill onsite, plus an al fresco dining area so everyone can enjoy delectable dishes while being able to admire the tranquil water views.