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even hypothetical(you will find hypotheticalexamplein Essay No., 42 and 62 of this, book)., Read the title carefully.lt may seem compficated,but the answer, could be easy to, write., Take the followingcase:, "The inclinationof human beingsfor more and, more advancementsin technology, and modernisationfor the bettermentof living standardis bound, to tamper the, environmentand create threatsto life on earth. To what extent, do you agree with, this?", It may be difficultto understandas to what is exactlyasked,, but if we pay attention, and grasp the largeridea,we would find that we are basically, asked to write about, "damageto the environment, due to humanactivities,, largelypollution.", Focuson the broadkeywordsof the title (may underlinethem)., Thinkingover them, can give you a very good start or introduction.You get, keywords such as, communication,, entertainment,, technologyand so on., An essaytitle can be anythinglike:, Topic 1: Studyingand workingabroadprovidesinternationalexposure, and develops, thinking of a person, but at the same time, the host culture, affects a person,s, mentalityto producemany negativeeffects.What is your opinion?", Topic 2: People do not need to learn differentforeign languages, whatsoeverand, computerscan be used to translatethe languagesfor them. To, what extentdo you, agreewith this?, Topic 3' Though modernlife is much facilitatedby automobiles,, it would have been, betterif they were not invented.Do you agreewith this statement, or not?, Topic 4: Nowadayswe find a lot of problemsdue to more and, more productionof, rubbish.why this situationhas arisenand how it can be tackled?, Understandwhat kind of essay is asked to you and answer accordingly., lf you are, askedto give your opinionor whetheryou agreeor disagree(Topic, 1, 2 and 3), it is, good to write on both views for comparisonand then, concludewith an opinion., However,take care that your compositioncarries a flow towards, the ending and, your opinionmatcheswith what you give more weightage, to in the contentabove.lf, you are asked direct questionsor given bullet points (Topic, 4), you must address, them properly.

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TYPE 1: AGREE OR DISAGREE, Modern life has changed the old mindset of many people of getting up, early. Do you prefer to be one of them or believe in rising early?, Modern life has made many of us forget the age-old saying, "Early to bed, early, to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise." I still believe in it and feel that, life becomes disorderly when one develops a regular habit of getting up late., The day I get up late, the whole day goes in a very lethargic manner and at the, end of the day I regret having wasted one day of my life., Some night birds may complain that social life destroys when one rises early, as he cannot go to night parties or socialise till late nights. Some creative, people like authors, poets etc. have given credit to the deadly silence of, darkness for the popping of their most creative ideas. Sometimes professions, decide the choice of getting up early or late., An early riser's day starts with full energy which flows in for the whole day. You, are getting an hour or two extra by getting up early, which can be utilised in a, fruitful manner by pursuing your hobbies or activities like exercise, yoga,, meditation, reading etc. If not anything else, at least you can find time to pray to, God, which will give tremendous positive energy to face day-to-day, challenges. You get an opportunity to enjoy nature in the form of cool fresh air,, chirping of birds, early morning silence. Furthermore, inhaling oxygen in higher, concentrations early morning makes you feel fresh and energetic. It is, scientifically proven that early risers are less prone to diseases. I would also, like to indicate that no saint or spiritually advanced person would have ever, advised getting up late as they must have realised the enormous benefits of, getting up early., I have really worked hard to mould myself for the habit of getting up early;, needless to say, it has proven to be tremendously beneficial., Decisions often prove to be the crucial turning points of our lives, so a, person should never make any decision alone. Do you agree with this, statement?, I a bit differ to the above statement that a person should never make decisions, alone. Decision making needs to be weighed on a variety of factors., It is to be understood why a majority of decisions are taken by parents in one's, childhood, like taking admission in school, buying clothes or buying toys, just, because a child is immature. Parents can understand well what is better for, their child. As it grows, it starts understanding life and becomes well-aware of, its existence and wants. Gradually, it gains enough maturity to realise where it, wants to lead its life. Important decisions like pursuing a career are already, given serious thoughts by the individual, and he only seeks the seal of, approval from his parents. It is seen that many successful people have always, used their sixth sense for making crucial decisions, though sometimes not, 6

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approved by their loved ones. Taking advice or second opinion, however, may, help if a person is not sure of his decision or is in dilemma., Many people argue that a person may be carried away by emotions and take, wrong decisions if he does not take opinion of the experienced people,, especially in the decisions like selecting a life partner. For them, I would say, that it is not the fault of lone decision making, but it is the way of decision, making that may lead to a disaster. You need a good rhythm between your, heart and mind to make your life musical. Influence and inspiration are enough, for help in decisions. Even logical or combined decisions prove to be wrong., Every individual more or less has a hidden desire to live on his own terms., Even if decisions would be wrong, an individual would always have the, satisfaction of taking his decisions himself and would not regret., Difficult times or bad experiences are valuable lessons for the future. Do, you agree or disagree with this statement?, Life is a rollercoaster ride, and every individual would agree upon that most, experiences in our lives during difficult times become valuable lessons for the, future as "experience is the best teacher.", “, To err is human." We all tend to make several mistakes in life intentionally or, unintentionally and often face miserable consequences. We may get, disappointed initially, but these experiences give us a picture of the real world, and teach us to guard against the evils to come. They open our eyes and teach, us to differentiate between good and bad. They also teach us to adapt to new, environment and change with time. The real person in us comes out during our, difficult times. They also test our relatives and friends and make us realize who, our true friends and real well-wishers are. In a nutshell, I would say that difficult, experiences help a person to be a better human being and value his life., Though no one wants a bad experience, fate brings it and we cannot stop it to, do that. I believe it is positive to see bad experiences as valuable lessons, but, it is not needed to wait for the bad experiences to occur in our lives to learn, valuable lessons. To learn from someone else's experience is also a valuable, lesson that every individual must follow to avoid falling into the trap of bad, habits. For instance, when one knows smoking is injurious to health and may, cause cancer, he must not try and have the experience of it., We get all sorts of lessons in our lives, good and bad. I would just say we, should not keep rewinding in our minds such moments that have caused, sorrows and pain and torture ourselves. We just need to remember the lessons, got from them and move ahead in our lives to learn new lessons and become, better day by day., Success is solely achieved by hard work, luck does not play any role. Do, you agree or disagree?, 7

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Success means the ability to turn your dreams and goals into reality, and for, that, you have to work hard. If we have a look at the life of some people who, have achieved success, we find that they accomplished it with sheer hard work, and positive attitude. Hard work has always been the key to success, but let us, be very honest, luck does play a small role to achieve success. There are so, many people in this world who work very hard, still are unable to fulfil even their, basic needs., To achieve success and fulfil your dreams, hard work is a must, but the, chances of getting success surely depend on luck. It does not mean that, people should sit idle and do not work at all and wait for their luck. There are, many people who exactly do that. They would do everything according to their, horoscope, i.e., "Let me see if today is a lucky day or not." It is really a big, hindrance to their capabilities and even makes them discredit what they have, in them., Until and unless you do not attempt doing something through hard work, you, can never achieve success. Even Thomas Edison who invented electric bulb, succeeded after failing for 1000 times. If he would have waited for the luck, factor, he would never have invented the bulb., To conclude, let us be assured that there is no other short cut to success other, than hard work, but it should be with a positive attitude and approach. If you, work hard, take right decisions at the right time, luck will follow you. There is a, famous saying, "Where there is a will, there is a way." We must learn to see, failures as the stepping stones to success. Luck is beyond our control as we, cannot create luck, but we can work harder and challenge it., , Some say that hostel life is a must for a child to learn most practical, lessons of life, which it would never be able to learn at home. Do you, agree? Would you send your child to hostel?, I do agree that a child would be very well trained to face practical challenges of, life by staying in a hostel, but the negativities of hostel life make many people,, including me, apprehensive about sending their own child to hostel., In hostels, there is a fixed schedule which students need to abide by, through, which they are able to discipline themselves and learn to value time. They, themselves are responsible for their daily routine work like washing clothes,, keeping surroundings orderly and clean, arranging bed etc. and so become, self-dependent. Children from different cultures and backgrounds intermingle, in a hostel, which increases a child's tolerance and flexibility., Though the abovementioned benefits are there, I think home provides the best, environment to a child. When a child is young, nothing is more important for it, than love and affection of the family. At a tender age, a child is very much, susceptible to fall into wrong habits, so it is important that it be brought up, 8

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under family guidance. Moreover, the one living in a hostel also comes under a, negative psychological impact of things like ragging or overuse of abusive, language by other hostilities. He is likely to develop a typical behaviour, reflecting overinfluence of mischievousness. As a school teacher for a part of, my life, I myself could easily distinguish a hostel child just by his behaviour., Sometimes hostel food is such that a child develops dislike towards taking, food. Another difficult task for a child is to get over the feeling of homesickness., I believe that just for the sake of a good practical experience one should not, experiment sending his school-going child to hostel as that is not the real age, to learn all the practical lessons of life. For college studies, the decision is okay, as the child is mature and prepared enough to go for a thrilling and challenging, hostel experience., , Reading fiction is more pleasurable than watching movies. Do you agree, with this statement or not?, It goes very much on an individual choice whether to prefer reading fiction or, watching movies. Both have their own advantages., While reading fiction, one can always take the liberty to conceive his own, fantasies as there’s no limit to one's imagination. As per me, this is the real, charm of reading fiction. There is a variety of fiction books available on any, subject, so a person who enjoys reading fiction is left with a lot many choices, that expand his range of interests. Needless to mention, reading has some, basic benefits in that it improves the skills of reading and writing. It is one of the, best ways to build up our language structure and vocabulary skills. This makes, us participate and speak in public discussions with more confidence. Reading, also offers us convenience of place and pace. An addict of fiction reading, enjoys the benefit of never feeling lonely as generally he does not seek any, other company except books., On the other hand, watching motion pictures too has its advantages., Audiovisual effect of motion pictures is definitely more impactful than reading, and imagining. Watching them does not require any skill other than knowing, the language. They can be seen at a stretch m short time. In fact, they are a, boon to non-readers as some great literary work would only have remained, restricted to readers if there were no movies. For example, the great, Bollywood movies like "Omkara" and "Maqbul" are based on the work of, Shakespeare's Othello and Macbeth respectively. This even shows that, movies have broken the barrier of language and boundary. Some other, benefits include a chance to view exotic locations and to know the trendy, attires, which would not be possible while reading fiction., According to me, watching movies is definitely entertaining, but reading fiction, would be much beneficial as it has a lot more to give besides its entertainment, value., 9

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The entertainment choices have changed now as the modern technology, has provided us newer options. The leisure activities earlier were more, productive and were a good show of creativity. Do you agree or, disagree?, I certainly agree that leisure activities are changing due to advancement in, technology. Modern technology has very much entered the field of, entertainment. Leisure centres equipped with latest technology have become, modern means of entertainment. It is evident that entertainment choices have, changed., Talking about my country, India, in the past, people had a lot of free time. As, there were no TVs, CDs or DVDs, people used to engage themselves in, creative skills. Children and youngsters used to play local games like kabaddi,, kho kho, hide-and-seek etc., which provided them good physical exercise., There were also many indoor games played in those days like chess, ludo,, cards, carom etc., which helped them in developing their mental skills. Even, women used to engage themselves in activities like stitching, embroidery,, painting, handicraft making etc. So, people used to be much creative and tend, to utilise their time in a productive manner. People also used to socialise a lot,, which enhanced their communication skills., However, at present, the scenario has totally changed. People, especially, non-working women, have become addicted to TV as a lot of entertainment, channels are available. Children and youngsters engage themselves in playing, videogames or chatting on internet, so they have become lazy and less, socialising. Instead of playing outdoor games, they prefer to watch games like, cricket and football on TV, so they do not get enough physical and mental, exercise. Modern hobbies also make use of technology, like the hobby of, playing computerised musical instruments. Such instruments can be played, easily, and some inbuilt tunes are also available. This makes people less, explore their creative skills in music., Excess of anything proves to be dangerous. On the same note, overuse of, modern technology restricts mental growth. Thus, I feel people should make, use of modern technology but not at the cost of their creativity., With a global culture evolving, some people feel that traditional music is, getting superseded by international music. Do you agree with this, statement?, People listen to music for various reasons like to change mood, to relieve, stress, to be nostalgic or simply for entertainment. It has always been a source, of inspiration to many artists. Due to its therapeutic value, it is also used as a, cure for many psychological disorders. Music, thus, is intangibly dissolved in, our lives., 10

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Talking about the variations in music, in India itself we find different music in, every region, every state. Due to globalisation, our folk music has, disseminated to different parts of the world and is getting worldwide, recognition. In this scenario, it is obvious that even music from other countries, would be adopted by our country., Some people think that the youth are highly influenced by such foreign music, and so are forgetting their own traditional music. I slightly differ from this, opinion. I feel music has only one language, be it national or international. The, kind of music does not make any difference as the end result is the same - a, soothing effect. Due to technological progress, people are now exposed to, multiplicity of music. As far as folk music is concerned, it is still played on social, occasions like marriages and even on festivals when youngsters dance on its, tunes with great exuberance. In fact, it is also getting highly popular, internationally through movies. So, it would not be right to say that it is losing its, popularity. A lot of Indian classical music maestros like Ustad Bismillah Khan,, Ustad Amjad Ali Khan have also highly contributed in making our music, international., Mother nature has provided us with beautiful music like sound of chirping birds,, flowing water, blowing wind, and even silence of nature has its own music. It is, a language in itself and knows no boundaries. A healthy exchange of music, has done nothing less than bringing people closer and giving them a chance to, know other cultures., To play a leader's role is a difficult task, so one should prefer to follow a, leader than being a leader himself. Do you agree or disagree with this, statement?, I disagree with the given statement. Everyone attempts to be a leader, somewhere, such as at home, at workplace, in social circle or in public., Leadership is everyone's dream except for those who have renounced the, world. Most of the wars from ancient time till today are fought to prove, leadership., A good leadership comes out with virtues like wisdom, knowledge, powerful, speech, flexibility to mould oneself as situation demands, emotional, intelligence, mental strength and so on. When people fail to become a leader,, they try to blanket their own incapability as it is a human tendency to find, replies to failure and shift burden elsewhere. They utter demotivating, statements like, "Leadership is a bed of thorns and is futile." The fact is that, leaders are appreciated worldwide; one of the best examples is Mahatma, Gandhi. Escapism is a symptom of psychologically disturbed personality., Naturally, such a person can never become a leader and "grapes are sour" is, the only excuse he has., Being a leader in itself is a matter of pride as he knows he is the best. He is a, role model to his group. "Leader commands, others follow." Leaders are, 11

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lawmakers, and lawmakers are not bound to follow the law. It is always the, leader who receives the biggest share, sometimes the entire. He gets respect, and does not have to put much of his physical effort to use. "Pawns are for, sacrifice, not king," as Vishwanathan Anand once said. His importance for the, group may get him maximum protection. He has the freedom to follow his wish,, though with a sense of responsibility. As nothing comes for free, he has to bear, maximum responsibility and blame too when failures are met., I would conclude with a firm view that one should always aim for leadership as, wishing to be just a member itself is a setback in life., With the coming of new mass communication media like television and, internet, newspaper is losing its importance. Do you agree with this or, not?, The face of communication changed with the advent of newspaper as it, became very easy to communicate with people at large and spread any, message. As technology advanced, mass media like television and internet, came offering more services. It was believed that newspaper will soon be, disregarded as an outdated form of media. This, however, did not happen and, does not seem a reality in the near future., I believe that newspaper is the most common form of media connected to, almost everyone's life. For most of us, the day begins with newspaper., Reading newspaper along with bed-tea is a daily routine of many people., Newspaper has many advantages over other media such as radio, television, and internet, which can be put up as follows., One can read newspaper at his own convenience. It offers a great deal of, flexibility as it can be read anytime, anywhere and in any frequency. It is cheap, and convenient to carry. It can be piled up, so one also has the benefit of, referring to some old news if required. It puts more stress on the local news., Moreover, it definitely improves our language skills. It also provides some extra, benefits like one can get information about radio and television programmes as, well train schedules. It includes advertisements for businesses, shops,, educational institutes, matrimony etc. and job vacancies. It also provides, entertainment in the form of jokes, cartoons, crossword etc. Newspaper, supplements carry articles covering a variety of topics ranging from, entertainment to religious preaching. "Ascent" in The Times of India is a, supplement that provides valuable career- and management-related, knowledge, which is of use to every ambitious person., Thus, it is obvious that no other media facility can replace newspaper. It was, an important form of media in the past and would continue to maintain its, position for the coming many years., , National costume or traditional wears of a particular country are an, important part of the culture of that country, but with globalisation of, 12

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cultures and other exchanges taking place, now they seem to be losing, importance. To what extent do you agree with this statement?, The national costume or traditional wears of a country have their own, uniqueness. They reflect a lot about the country like its culture, traditions,, climatic condition etc. Just like other national identities, it is the duty of the, citizens of a nation to preserve the value of their national costume and, traditional wears., As the pace of life is increasing, people are avoiding to wear traditional dresses, in their routine. They have become more practical, hence look at the comfort of, the dress rather than emotions. They mostly go for casual dresses or formal, wears while at work because many times wearing traditional dresses is, cumbersome and time-consuming. Taking India's national costume for, instance which is "shervani" for men and "sari" for women, it is really difficult to, carry oneself comfortably in it for long hours. Moreover, as globalisation has, taken place, a variety of clothes are available, so it also goes on the personal, choice of what to wear., I still do not believe that national costume or traditional dresses have lost their, importance. In my country, people still wear traditional dresses on social and, religious occasions. They still feel proud when they wear traditional dresses., Even national leaders wear national costume when they visit other countries, as they represent their nation. In international events like Olympics, Miss, Universe etc., each participant represents a particular country by wearing the, national costume. This all signifies the value of national costume and, traditional dresses and their place in people's heart., Although the use and preference of national costume and traditional dresses, has reduced over the years and they have gone out of our routine, they still are, a source of inspiration to modern fashion and trends and have maintained their, importance., In the past, education was pursued either as a formality or just to meet, the criteria for job, and now, it has become an ongoing process. Do you, agree or disagree with this statement?, In today's era, man can stand nowhere without education. I certainly agree that, now education has become a lifelong process., In the past, the pace of life was slow. People were contented with their lives., Farming was the main occupation in those times, which needed no formal, education. As technology came in and industries developed, people started, gaining qualifications for different types of jobs. Even with this, competition, was less as the population was less. People believed in lifelong jobs and used, to remain in one job till they got retired. Gradually, the scenario changed, and, with this, the concept of education too., , 13

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At present, the importance of education has increased and even the bachelor's, degrees do not hold much value. If a person wants a better job, he has to go for, further education and extra qualifications. Today, people aim for a luxurious life, and hence go for specialised skills, seeking bright future prospects. Education, does not leave them even if they wish. In this age of globalisation, they need to, learn different languages. They also have to be aware of new technology and, its use. In a way, education has gone beyond degrees. Different companies, hold training programmes and workshops for skill improvement and upgrading., Employees attend them either willingly or under compulsion to remain, competent. Sometimes the field itself demands an individual's effort to expand, his knowledge. Let us take IT field for instance. Fast developments in, hardware, software and programming keep the IT professionals on their toes., It is obvious that those who keep on upgrading themselves or gain education, as per the requirements of work can secure their jobs. Multi-skilled people are, preferred as companies want a single employee to handle a variety of tasks., I believe that as career consciousness has increased, people have easily, accepted the need of taking education seriously and making it a lifelong, process., Looking at the increasing value of education, government should make, primary education free and compulsory. Do you support this idea for, your country?, Mass education is very much required in countries with very high population, such as India, my own country, and China. The widespread illiteracy in such, countries is definitely a big hindrance in their progress. Many governments are, supporting education at the primary level by making it free and compulsory., They have realised that progress cannot be made with illiterate and backward, people. It is time for us to take this step now., In my country, India, where more than 60% of the population lives in the rural, areas, it is a big challenge for the government to create awareness about, education and spread literacy. Government needs to take some effective steps, to make rural people realise the importance of education. Even in the urban, setting, a high proportion is living below the poverty line. High cost of education, stops them to send their children to schools, and good education of their, children just becomes a dream for them. The caste system in India is also, responsible for the non-uniformity in terms of education. Level of education in, the lower and backward castes needs to be risen. As the government realised, the need, it made primary education free, but not compulsory, so it has not, been proving effective. Both free and compulsory primary education can, achieve the desired result., Making primary education compulsory would also reinforce children's right for, education. It would have a positive effect in controlling child labour too, which, often makes parents take a back seat on their child's education., Free and compulsory primary education would not only be a help to those who, cannot afford the cost of education but would also change the mentality of, people neglecting education as an essential part of life. On the whole, this, 14

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approach combined with some other programmes like "poverty eradication", would call for nicer developments., Mothers get free time by sending their children to nursery schools, and, they can utilize this time in activities like job, socializing etc. Nursery, schools also help in the development of children. Do you agree or, disagree with these statements?, Nursery schools are primarily aimed to give the knowledge of basic things to, small children, between the age 3 and 5. Mothers are always occupied in, taking care of their children, but if the children are sent to nursery schools,, mothers are relieved and can engage in activities of their interest, En nursery schools, children gain a valuable learning experience, which builds, up their foundation. It is their first exposure to the outside world. They meet, other children of their age and learn to make friends, to give and share, and to, adjust with others. Nursery schools conduct various fun activities like fancy, dress competition, drama etc. This helps the children to develop a sense of, participation and understand the importance of winning. Activities like drawing, and block building enhance their creativity and imagination. They slowly raise, their level of intelligence., Mothers too can make productive use of the time they save. They can find a, suitable job and make productive use of their knowledge. This will also help, raise their family income. Moreover, they will have a good chance to go, through self-development. They can create their own identity and social status., Why only job, they can go for their hobbies or activities of interest like, embroidery, handicraft making, even kitty parties. This can help them upgrade, their skills and entertain themselves., I agree that nursery schools help in the overall growth and development of, children. Children become emotionally stronger as they learn to stay away, from parents. Even mothers get a change in their routine of being occupied, with children or household activities. Still I think whatever a mother does, her, first priority should be her child and she needs to manage her time in such a, way that there is no loss in the degree of maternal love and affection and the, child does not feel neglected., , People do not need to learn different foreign languages whatsoever and, computers can be used to translate the languages for them. To what, extent do you agree with this?, In this age of globalisation, people travel a lot for different reasons like further, education, better job prospects, for trade or business expansion and so on. In, such a scenario, it is expected that people should be multilingual. If not so,, computers can solve the problem up to some extent by translating the, languages., 15

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With the advent of technology, it is very easy nowadays to translate the, languages using computer software, which can help a person avoid any, interpreter for a number of purposes. One can easily use a foreign language to, correspond even without having a sound knowledge of it. Moreover, it is very, much possible to carry a computer wherever you go, hence more, convenience., On the other hand, when one goes in a foreign country, it is always good to, know the language used there, as with computers, correspondence is, possible, but face-to-face communication still is quite impossible. Moreover, it, would be difficult to make friends and adjust with the surroundings and culture, without knowing that language. When one goes abroad for business purpose,, knowing the local language is an added advantage. When one stays in a, foreign country, he needs to indulge in many small and big dealings at every, step, as in shopping, asking for assistance or help from someone, where, communicating in the local language becomes essential., According to me, learning foreign language is better if one does not want to, restrict his opportunities. Using a foreign language when needed definitely, increases one's confidence and improves his overall personality and, performance. But, of course, computers can always be a support if one gets, stuck anywhere with the usage of a foreign language., Many people think that teachers are not just for academic teaching, but, they have a bigger responsibility than this. Do you agree with them?, There is a saying in my country, "Acharya devo bhava," which means teachers, are next to God. Right from the ancient times, teachers are put on the highest, position. I fully agree that teachers have much to do than just teaching, academic subjects., Teacher is like a potter who moulds the earthen vessels in whichever form he, wants. A child's mind is like raw clay and is very much ready to be moulded in, the shape it is guided to. A good teacher always feels responsible to develop a, child's conscience. He has the potential to become a friend, philosopher and, guide for his students. With this special position in students' life, he often acts, as their role model. His words highly influence the minds of the students., Students always try to imitate his actions or implement his teachings, so he, has to be much careful of his behaviour., Now, we see that most teachers have become too professional. A study by, Save the Children India with The Ministry of Women and Child Development, (2007) shows two out of every three children in India suffer from physical, abuse from their teachers at school. With teachers turning hostile, students are, found to lose interest in studies and respect for the teachers. As they lack, personal concern for their students, obviously the much respected bond, between the students and teachers would weaken. If a teacher passes any, 16

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negative comment or abuses any student, it gets imprinted in the student's, mind so strongly that sometimes it is seen to blast out in a very bad manner., Thus, it very much lies in the hands of a teacher to make or ruin the life of a, student. It is good if teachers understand what is expected from them and do, justice to it., Children spend a great deal of time in school, more specifically in class, with the classmates with whom they not only study but also do many, other activities. Many people believe that a school-going child is more, influenced by its classmates for its performance in the school than even, its parents. To what extent do you agree with this statement?, Schools are like second home to children. The school environment, especially, the peers, becomes an important part of children's lives. Parents no doubt, provide a good moral support and help in studies, still classmates are the ones, who affect a further great deal with their performance and behaviour., Barents expect a good result from children, hence motivate them to study. If, parents themselves had a good academic performance, they are good, examples to be followed. The degree of moral support by parents is definitely a, key factor that affects a child's performance. Helping children with their, homework and assignments and during their exams makes many parents, almost feel like repeating their school. Sometimes parents are too pressurising, as the child's result is often the centre talk while socialising and it is a matter of, great pride being a topper's parents. Now, parents are seen taking great, interest in the child's studies and taking frequent visits to school to check the, status and progress of their child., While at school, a child is in a close association with its classmates. It is an, interesting relation where it both competes and cooperates with its peers., Studies and extracurricular activities in school demand competition and, cooperation both. There is such an environment in class where complexes,, inhibitions and performance create groups and there is a tug of war among, them. Generally, a child is part of a group that supports its psychology. An, academically poor child, for instance, would match with others of its kind in, most cases. However, it is not only about studies but also about socialising, where the brilliant and smart outdo others., I believe both parents' and classmates' behaviour and attitude combined, together determines the success of a child. The extent of success surely, depends on how and from where a child gains positivity to achieve its goals., There has been a remarkable progress in the information technology, field in the last few decades. Still there are many who are not familiar, with it and are unaware of its benefits. It creates two extreme poles in the, society and leads to social problems. To what extent do you agree with, this?, Now, information technology has become the backbone of many fields such as, trade and commerce, education, healthcare and so on. It has become a way of, 17

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life in the elite sections of the society where people have become habituated to, use it in every aspect of living. However, there are people who are still, untouched by the concept of IT., The advanced countries are enjoying maximum benefits of IT., Computerisation of almost every field in such countries has replaced the, manual working style. IT products like mobiles, MPS, laptops have, revolutionised the life of people and have become needs, not luxury. Even in, the developing countries, the urban people have access to the technology and, have improved their quality of life., However, in the backward and poor countries, we will find that there is a very, small section of the society making use of IT. Development and import of IT in, such countries is very less due to lack of funds. Low level of education and, poverty in such countries make people ignorant of IT and its benefits. Also, the, rural areas in developing countries have yet to develop and catch up the, booming technology., Certainly, the above-discussed technology gap leads to formation of a, polarised society. When people least exposed to technology move to a place, which is highly equipped with IT, they are often unable to deal with work, smartly. They face exploitation and rejections and sometimes fall into the, abyss of despair and frustration., I feel that there is a need to achieve a balance among all the sections of the, society. It is possible only with efforts at the national and international level., The financial and technological help from developed countries and balancing, act of organisations like UNO can make underdeveloped and developing, countries also expand their IT resources., Computers may have brought tremendous benefits to mankind, but their, negative impact on children cannot be overlooked. Do you agree or, disagree with this view?, The positive side of computer is so strong that often people ignore thinking, about its negative impact. It is a bitter reality, however, that children are the soft, targets of negativity of the computer usage., Advantages of computer use by children are limited mostly to gaining, knowledge or sharpening their intelligence and entertaining themselves by, playing computer games, whereas the list of disadvantages is very long. We, can broadly mention them under three headings - physical, mental and social., Weak eyesight and obesity are most common physical disadvantages. Obese, children wearing spectacles is a common scene nowadays. Consumption of, junk food has increased and exercise has decreased among the children due, to computers. Computer addiction often makes children lose interest in artand sport-related skills. The outdoor playing habit of children is getting, affected, and I myself see this effect in my locality where children less often, come out to play than earlier. Children are becoming more and more introvert, or rebellious with their addiction to computers. Many children are exposed, accidentally to porn contents on internet, which gives rise to psychological, 18

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abnormalities in them. We often find children lost in their fantasy, withdrawing, themselves from the society. Not only their studies are affected, their social, detachment sometimes leads them to nervous breakdown too. Today, we, hardly find children at libraries or museums. Even their tolerance power,, physical as well as mental, has drastically fallen. Crime rate among the, children is increasing, and more disturbing factor therein is their, non-regrettable attitude., Conclusively, everything that glitters is not gold. It may be a status symbol for, parents that their child is well-acquainted with computer, but overall impact is, negative for children as well as tomorrow's society. A highly mentally intelligent, child under the influence of computer with no emotional intelligence is nothing, more than a computer moving on its feet and doing certain human acts, according to me., The entire face of agriculture industry has changed due to coming of, modern technology. It has proven extremely beneficial to the farmers,, but one cannot overlook its effects on the environment and society. Do, you agree?, Modern technology has brought a lot of desirable changes in the agriculture, industry. Changes in techniques are seen right from sowing seeds to, harvesting crops. But, it is equally true that it has adversely affected the, environment and human beings., Due to modern equipments of farming, less manpower is needed and land is, cultivated in a better manner. It has helped in increasing the yield of crops and, generating more profit for farmers. Due to genetic engineering, it is possible to, get different fruits and vegetables throughout the year. One can also get, seedless fruits and fruits in different shapes and colours. For example, now, watermelon is also available in square shape with yellow colour from inside., Different irrigation systems have developed like drip irrigation, sprinkler, irrigation etc., due to which farmers do not have to depend entirely on the rains, for the production of crops. Transportation facility has made it possible to send, the food stuff in any part of the world., However, extensive use of chemical fertilizers has caused an increase in land, and water pollution. When chemical fertilizers seep in the land, they are, absorbed by the crops and ultimately are consumed by us with food intake,, which affects our health. When the same chemical fertilizers go in water,, aquatic life is affected. Due to the practice of inorganic farming, real taste and, nutrition of the fruits is getting lost., One definitely cannot stop the use of modern technology in farming as it has, proven to be quite beneficial. However, one can surely try and reduce its, harmful effects on the society by taking certain measures. I suggest that proper, guidance should be given to farmers on the usage of chemical fertilizers. They, should make more use of natural fertilizers to stop further harm to the, environment. Organic farming should be practised more to benefit the society, as well as environment., 19

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Though modern life is much facilitated by automobiles, it would have, been better if they were not invented. Do you agree with this statement?, The invention of automobiles has been a landmark in the history of, transportation. They are so much a part of modern life that despite their flaws, they cannot be dispensed with., Increased standard of living is reflected today with more number of cars. For, personal transportation, having a car means having too many conveniences in, the form of commuting, travelling to and fro the child's school, visiting friends, and relatives, roaming around, long drives and travelling out. Single families, with cars are a trend these days where cars are playing an important role in, maintaining the strength of the family tree. They have a big contribution, towards urban sprawl. A good amount of people are able to choose a suburban, upbringing for their children, away from the congestion and pollution of inner, parts of the city. This, in turn, has lowered population density in the city, centres. Cars have made US typically "a country on wheels." As far as goods, transportation is concerned, modern economies are still much dependent on, trucks., Contrastingly, increased automobiles simply means increased number of, accidents and increased air and noise pollution. They are monsters in the eyes, of environmental conservationists with their role in increasing air pollution., Automobile emissions increase air pollutants like carbon dioxide and carbon, monoxide and contribute to "greenhouse effect" or in other words "global, warming." Toxic hydrocarbons in the emissions are the major contributors to, urban smog. We all know how detrimental these auto emissions are for our, eyes, skin and cardio respiratory health as they commonly cause eye irritation,, dullness of skin and shortness of breath., I am not wrong if I say that technological advancement can never be stagnant, as materialistic needs of humans will have no end. That is why man just did not, stop at the invention of wheel and went on to invent automobiles. Problems are, there to work out and not to regret for the invention., The inclination of human beings for more and more advancement in, technology and modernisation for the betterment of living standard is, bound to tamper the environment and create threats to life on the earth., To what extent do you agree with this?, With ongoing industrialisation and technological advancement, human beings, are enjoying more and more facilities and comforts, but side by side,, environmental damage has also occurred and will continue with this process., Pollution and some other threats have emerged as burning issues., Environmentalists have shown a serious concern over such issues and are, demanding environmental conservation., 20

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Air pollution is the most common form of pollution on earth. The chimneys of, factories give out smoke which contains poisonous gases like carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide. They mix with the air and deteriorate the environment., Vehicular smoke does the same. Human activities in the sector of industrial, processes, transportation, agriculture etc. have increased the concentrations, of greenhouse gases. This is causing global warming and leading to melting of, icebergs and rising of sea level. Even the ozone layer of atmosphere, which, protects us from harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun, is damaged. Industrial, chemical wastes are discharged into rivers. They finally reach the sea and, harm the aquatic life. The solid wastes are dumped on ground, which pollute, the soil and underground water. The loud noise of big industrial machines, causes noise pollution. People who are exposed to such a loud noise for long, term suffer from hearing impairment. Vehicular traffic also causes noise, pollution., Land and water pollution is also caused by the disposal of rubbish, particularly, the non-biodegradable waste like plastic, by individuals. Electricity-generating, nuclear power plants also dump their nuclear waste deep in the land or, oceans, which may cause life-threatening hazards. Massive deforestation is, leading to soil erosion and loss of soil fertility and adverse climatic changes., Thus, technological progress and environmental deterioration are going hand, in hand. Man is now facing a big challenge of environmental conservation. He, must take stringent steps to control the situation and save this beautiful planet., The use of machines has much increased in the last few decades, causing a reduction in the amount of manual working. Do you favour this, change?, Modern technology has equipped us with machines, still a lot of people believe, in manual working. Those who favour machines argue that machines turn our, hard work into "smart work." Both viewpoints hold a sound base., Manual working allows people to use their physical and mental potential both., Losing this habit definitely affects their growth and ability to some extent. For, creative work, manual working best satisfies one's creative instincts to bring, uniqueness. Often masterpieces are produced in this process. Let us take an, example of traditional handicrafts of a place. The handicrafts prepared by the, skilful artisans of that very place are valued just because they are original and, no machine can bring that touch of originality. Manual working at homes by, housewives and by children is often encouraged from the health point of view., Machines undoubtedly are faster, more convenient and energy saving., Households and industries are much facilitated with machines. Personal use of, machines fetches people more free time. Industrial use of machines, on the, other hand, serves a big purpose of reducing manpower for work and, increasing output. But here, if we talk about developing countries with a large, population, it cuts employment for people. Insufficient knowledge of machine, handling and operating is often detrimental to uneducated workers as they end, up getting injuries, disabilities or sometimes death working with machines., 21

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Technical failures can also disturb the whole working system and lead to, losses., To end, we have to accept that machines are necessary for progress and, development, and it is time that we get accustomed to its use. However, in, order to compensate for the bad effects, we still need to keep our manual skills, intact to be put to use whenever needed., While developed countries are more and more strengthening their economies, by machine use in industries, Third World has to be strategic in catering to the, employment needs of their population and balancing it with mechanisation., Creative artists should be given a free hand to express their art, and, government should not have any kind of interference to control their, expression. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this, statement?, Art is a form of creation. We all know that creation has no limits. So, why to, restrict the creativity of an artist?, Art is in various forms like painting, drawing, sculpture making, film making and, so on. It reflects the tradition and culture of a particular region or country. If, artists become famous, they bring name and fame to their country. They can, also spread their culture in other countries. They even have the power to, change the thoughts of the society. Therefore, if they are not restricted in any, manner and given free grounds to express their creativity, they can give their, best. Other artists are also encouraged to express their creativity, and, ultimately, the country benefits from it., Sometimes artists misuse liberty to catch public attention and be in limelight., As there are no rules to decide the limit of freedom of expression, nothing can, be done to stop it. It is seen that sometimes uncontrolled expression of the, artists hurts the sentiments of people. Such issues become highly, controversial if they go against a particular religion or community, and this is, evident in certain high-profile cases involving famous authors like Salman, Rushdie and Tasneema Nasreen., I feel that all artists have their unique ways of expressing their art. Government, should encourage them financially so that they do not hesitate to bring out their, creativity, though government may have a limited control over their expression., Artists themselves should take it as a moral responsibility to bring about, positive changes in the society rather than engaging themselves in, unnecessary controversies., Tourism has emerged as one of the biggest industries of this decade,, but its disadvantages cannot be overlooked. To what extent do you, agree with this statement?, , 22

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Due to the advancement in technology, the world has become a smaller place., People can easily travel anywhere across the world as good transportation, facilities are available. This is one of the important reasons why tourism has, developed as an industry. It is a valuable source of foreign exchange for the, governments of countries like Switzerland, Mauritius, Malaysia and many, others. It also helps flourish many other industries like food, hotel, handicraft, etc., Tourism provides us an opportunity to visit the places of historical value or, places with scenic beauty, which was only a dream in the past. We get a, chance to see the people, culture and traditions of other parts of the country as, well as world. Government is benefited a lot through this industry, so it tries to, boost it by organising fairs, exhibitions, cultural events and so on., On the other hand, this industry gives rise to a lot of problems too. Tourist, spots become overcrowded. They are also getting commercialised. This, destroys the natural beauty of that very place. Visitors or tourists litter the place, with wrappers, fruit skins, cold drink cans etc., which spoils the environment., There are problems with traffic, which ultimately leads to pollution. It causes, harm to the greenery of the place. Sometimes even the antisocial activities like, smuggling and drug trafficking are promoted. The culture is also affected to a, certain extent. For example, when foreigners come to visit a certain place, the, local people are influenced by them, especially the youngsters. Sometimes, they develop an inferiority complex for their own culture and try to copy them., I completely agree with the given statement. Government must try to maintain, the tourist spots properly and preserve the natural beauty. Strict rules and, regulations should be implemented against any kind of illegal activity., With privatisation, government can reduce its burden and people also, get many benefits. Do you agree with the idea of a complete privatisation, of public sector?, I disagree with the idea of shifting burden of all public sector enterprises from, the government to private groups or individuals., Privatisation offers benefits like quality services, quick response to the, customers, more varieties and innovations in the market and one-off cash, boost to the government. Thus, from one angle the idea of shifting burden is, tempting, but does not have practical applicability. Looking at the scenario in, my country, India, today government is handling almost all services. It will not, be harsh to state that it faces hurdles and even fails on some fronts, but that, cannot be an excuse for replacement. Total privatisation would be a deathblow, to our democracy. Increased privatisation (private hospitals, private schools, etc.) already has made facilities expensive. New laws are required to regulate, the private bodies. Corruption at top posts remains undetected. Dictatorship, and more economical differences will creep in with total privatisation. The, nation as a whole will be affected as the private groups will target profits only, and will not enter a low-profit zone. No social obligations would be casted on, private groups or individuals. A complete privatisation will lead to a, 23

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materialistic life. Common man would be crippled and suppressed by the, higher society., According to me, the best solution is that the government allow private bodies, to enter feely into public services. It would give the government a healthy, competition and thus would lead to a better performance of theirs. New job, opportunities will also help the government bring down unemployment ratio., Rich people will spend their money more than ever. Foreign funds will, dramatically increase foreign revenue. Result would obviously be a much, better economy. Parallelly, the government would take care of the common, man., I conclude by stating that replacement is not a good idea, but cooperation, and/or competition between the government and private bodies would balance, all sorts of instability and a new energetic system will emerge out of a corrupt, and incapable system., , Spending more money on weapons means government is neglecting the, quality of life and development within the country. Do you agree with, this statement?, Spending on weapons is important for security and defence, but it definitely, demands an explanation if a nation spends excess on its armoury., Third World nations need to prioritise their development and economic growth, while budgeting. Overspending on weapons would not allow them to properly, fund healthcare, education, industries, technology and so on where their, requirements are higher. Quality of life cannot be put at stake just in the name, of defence. Merely wasting money behind buying of arms, like Pakistan does,, may lead to high dissatisfaction. But then, there are countries having serious, conflicts with each other, like India-Pakistan, Iran-Iraq, Israel-Iran, where wars, could break out anytime. There are countries where a high crime rate calls for, more spending on weapons for internal security. Furthermore, terrorist attacks, have become a pain in the neck for many countries., Developed countries are able to direct more funds for the research and, production of new weapons to raise their stocks of weapons or even sell them., Even their stockpiling huge amounts of new weapons seems unjustified as, their intentions are often just to remain in power more than anything else. The, arms race started by developed countries also influences the developing, countries to follow them and thereby wasting a lot of funds. Alternatively, this, huge sum of money can be spent on improving quality of life worldwide and, advancing technology further for the betterment, for example behind, immunisation, space exploration., No country wants its strength to be wasted in wars, and organisations like UNO, are there to mediate warring countries. This has caused a reduction in the, 24

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chances of wars. Moreover, now when we are heading towards a robust, globalisation, countries would be needing more support and cooperation from, one another and this can happen only in a state of peace and harmony. It is, better if countries unanimously decide upon minimising weapon usage and, spending on it as there are other areas to worry about., , TYPE 2: OPINION, Some people enjoy change, while others like their lives to stay the same., Compare these two approaches to life and present your opinion., Some prefer to live as they have lived for decades, while others try to change, their lives with changing times. Both the approaches have their own pros and, cons., Humans tend to resist change initially as risk factors creep in with trying new, things. Living without change and sticking to old habits gives us stability, because we know what we will do next. Through this fixed approach, people, can avoid lots of mistakes as there is no experimentation. Doing familiar things, gives a comfort level and leads to success in its own way. Success needs, constant hard work. If you instantly switch over to another thing after meeting a, failure, it is definitely a lack of persistence in you and moves you away from, striving for solutions., On the other hand, some people prefer to experience different things. Change, is sometimes inevitable for success. It requires a person to have, self-confidence and daring to take risks. Such people have a great positive, attitude. They look forward to seeking new excitements and meeting new, challenges in this rapidly changing world. Thus, they get more opportunities to, succeed. They say, "No risk, no profit." For example, a farmer who adopts new, technologies is bound to reap more in less time and with less effort than a, farmer who sticks to old, traditional methods. New things simply bring new, knowledge. Tendency to change makes a person adventurous and lively. It, increases one's thinking power and helps him to become rational., When nothing stays the same and everything around us is in constant, progress, why shouldn't we change? I believe change is inevitable to keep, pace with changing times. Those who do not change are inflexible. They do not, take chances and miss good opportunities which may never come again., How free time should be spent can be planned in advance or left, unplanned. Which way do you favour and why?, Some people believe in planning free time to make the best of it, while others, feel that "free time" sets you free from your routine chores and schedule of, important work and hence should be left unplanned. Most of us adopt both the, ways, which is a right thing to do as per me., 25

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Now, we value "free time" more than ever as we are always short of it. I think, planning for whatever little free time we get daily would make it shorter. There, should be some change in our ways of spending time for priority work and, leisure. The former always has requirements like discipline, planning, time, management and so on. Leaving free time unplanned gives us a good break, from all those disciplinary steps and sets a good balance. There is a different, pleasure in doing whatever comes to your mind at random. Suppose you just, got free from your work and you get a call from a friend unexpectedly asking for, a movie and then you rush out. The excitement would be less if it had been, planned out., On the other hand, planning is needed when the duration of free time is more., On weekends, we all have reservations to make as our free time is not just, ours but of our near ones too. Also, now advanced technology has left us with, many choices to spend our free time, and we often get confused with them. We, may want to engage in more than one activity, which definitely would require a, good planning. Planning also helps us to avoid blunders and fiascos, and, disappointment due to them, imagine not getting movie tickets in the last, minute spoiling your mood., I think it is wise to choose any one way of spending free time depending upon, the situation., Both indoor and outdoor activities can be pursued during leisure time., What is your preference for the spending of leisure time, indoors or, outdoors?, In today's hectic life whenever one gets leisure time, it is like a celebration time, for him. Technology has increased the ways to spend the leisure time both, indoors and outdoors. What one opts is entirely situational and mood-based., Nowadays, I prefer spending leisure time indoors making it a quality time for, the family or doing activities mainly including watching television, yoga,, meditation, internet surfing, playing computer games, reading, and last but not, the least, having a good sleep. I like watching news channels and informative, channels like National Geographic and History. Being inquisitive, I further, satisfy my hunger of knowledge through net surfing on the subjects of my, interest. When not in mood of brain labouring, I just listen to music or play, computer games., This was not the situation always in my life. Computer and television were not, so common when I was a child, hence outing was common. We would have, frequent friends' gatherings where we would just have fun together or play, some outdoor games that kept us physically fit. Many times we would plan our, outings long before, for events like picnics. Through outings, we felt united as a, strong bond of brotherhood connected us. We acquired many skills like, forgiveness, cooperation, team spirit and leadership. We opted indoors only in, unavoidable circumstances such as bad weather or illness., 26

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Situations tend to change. Today, indoor activities are very common due to, lack of time, more convenience and increased options due to advanced, technology. No one can deny that if properly chosen, indoor activities too have, many advantages such as remaining updated with current stream, increasing, knowledge and improving mental strength., Both opportunities, spending time indoors or outdoors, should be given equal, consideration. Though I am compelled to opt for indoors today, I do not regret, for the same and enjoy outdoors too whenever get a chance. For me, leisure, time is more important than how I spend it., Do you believe in spending money and enjoying life in present or in, saving and investing it for future?, To live in today, i.e., working hard for money and spending it for enjoyment in, present, is a youngsters' thought, whereas saving and investing money rather, than spending it on momentary pleasures is a mature thought., Choosing to spend money does not mean to enjoy life in a materialistic sense, with whatever you have. It is just that you give present more priority than, future. Killing all the desires today and not living life to the fullest, how in the, future do you expect to spend that money when you are old or left alone?, When people earn money, they should spend it on themselves for relaxation, and recreation, and for getting energy, motivation and inspiration to do their, jobs better. There is a famous proverb too, "All work and no play makes Jack a, dull boy." If you do not enjoy what you earn, you live a dull and boring life., There should be a proper planning of budget for necessities, fun things and, vacations too. One should not live like a miser., But, what if you live a longer life than what you had expected, or there is a, financial disaster or a jobless situation? Moreover, emergencies like accidents, come without any warning and we all are aware what problems old age brings., Agreed that when you save or invest today, you sacrifice a little, but then, you, are prepared for any rainy day. You will have a secure future, and survival, would become very easy without a change in lifestyle. Talking about myself,, the feeling that my investment of today is my financial security of tomorrow, itself is so relieving as future means uncertainty., To conclude, a person should spend to make himself happy, but very wisely., Saving too is necessary to make the best investment for a bright tomorrow, ahead., Gifting is an important feature of social life, but some people find it, nothing more than an obligatory system. Do you believe in this system, or not?, Gifting is a good gesture, a subtle way to express feelings. It works like a, cherry on a cake n any relation. Gifts can be given as a token of love, return of, one's gratitude or just to follow the tradition., 27

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Whenever one sees or uses a gift, the memories of the gift giver starts, lingering on his mind. If the gift is given according to the need, it serves both, the purposes, remembrance as well as utility. In business circles, gifting is a, formal gesture made simply to maintain relations or to build new relations., Here, gifts sometimes disguise the bribes, which definitely is a misuse of gift, system., Time has made gift system a hard-core tradition and an obligation on many, occasions, marriages and social functions for instance. Many times the, closeness of relations is judged cased on the gift's cost. Due to this, many, people have to stretch out of their financial capacity on important occasions to, gift. Nowadays, gifts judge the status and high class people often end up, participating in the rat race of status show in the name of gifting. Naturally, in, this situation, the warmth of the feeling in giving a gift dies out. Sometimes gifts, are deceptive as they are given to oblige someone for gain of some kind. The, efforts of buying a gift go in vain if the receiver does not like it or does not use it., This even hurts the sentiments of the person who gives it. Thus, it is, considered more wise and practical these days to gift cash., I would not like to advise people on gifting as it is for an individual to decide, how much socially viable he wants to be using this system. But, I definitely, would say that giving gift irrelevant of any occasion would only bring pleasant, surprise and smile on the other person's face, and I would never go against it., Many people think it is wrong to make quick decisions as a person, indulging in decision making without a long, careful thought is bound to, err. What is your preference in decision making, quick or more, time-taking with due consideration?, It is true that decisions demand caution and reckoning, but it does not mean, that they should be connected with time always. I agree to the belief of the, people who think it is not right to make a decision quickly, but I also disagree to, them who think one should always avoid making quick decisions. By and large,, decision making is subjective. Some people are fast in calculating the, conclusion, while some are not. It even varies in one particular individual from, decision to decision., Decisions should be taken in accordance with the demand of the situation. If a, spontaneous reaction is needed, one cannot linger himself in the state of "to be, or not to be." For example, while driving a vehicle, a person needs to take an, instant decision if someone suddenly comes in the way. He may end up with, an accident if delays his decision. At times, there are issues where decisions, do not need much of consideration. Some routine or least important decisions, should be instant. Thinking on them will be a waste of time., Thoughtful decisions are advisable when one is not in a good state of mind., There are some other issues like marriage, career, or even buying a house or, property that require deep consideration. Here, a quick decision may turn out, to be a blunder., , 28

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In the end, I would say that fast decisions and decisions taken after due, consideration both are part of life. No one should stick to just one of them. Both, are to be used wisely as per the need, not messing with each other. They are, like sword and shield; absence of one of these accessories may lead a person, to defeat. All that matters in decision making is that it should give the desired, result, that too timely., People differ in their tendencies to work alone or in a team. Compare, both the types of working and state your choice., In the modern world, we are not allowed every time to make our choices in, working. Still people have some preferences which make them work, comfortably. Working alone or as a part of a team is one such choice., The present work scenario tells us the importance of teamwork. Teamwork is a, success mantra for the new generation. Most of the work activities require, team effort, so even the organisations prefer people to work in teams. Let us, go through some of the benefits it offers. The distribution of work cuts the, workload of team members. In team working, people are benefitted due to, coordination, cooperation and sharing of work. When too many people work, with the same goal, even weak performers get motivation and support of the, other team members. Decisions are taken with a mutual consent, and hence, a, single person cannot be blamed for any failure., On the other hand, there are some lone professions like poetry, writing,, painting etc. where people like to work alone. This is mostly because they, make use of an individual's creativity. In this working style, a person is free to, work in the manner he wants. He enjoys this freedom, and if he gets success,, the whole credit goes to him. There are no disturbances, clashes and, distractions, which are usually a part of team working. Many freelancers also, enjoy this kind of working., I think teamwork is a smart option which gives fast results. It is rare to find a, work that can be accomplished single-handedly. Even if lone working is, possible, it is only in a particular oftase of work. A writer alone can just put his, ideas on paper, but then it has to pass Trough several hands in the process of, publication to finally become a book and reach people., Is watching events or performances (sports, dramas, concerts etc.) live, better than watching those on television?, Entertainment is a part and parcel of our lives. Before the invention of, television, people •would go in large numbers to watch events like sports and, concerts live, and now, they have a choice which offers them comfort and, convenience, but with limitations., Let us start with live performances. They provide more enjoyment as we can, actually watch each and every move of the performers. We can decide what to, see and where to focus. All the happenings are in front of our eyes and nothing, is hidden, so we have the most accurate details with us. There are many other, 29

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thrilling aspects associated like meeting the star performers, shaking hands, with them and taking their autographs., On the other side, TV viewing is time and money saving as we do not have to, travel to the stadium or hall and buy the tickets. The comforts of home allow us, to watch an event in any posture and even do some other work while watching., Often small things like sipping tea or coffee along with viewing add to our fun., We can even change the channel in the boring times. Let us take example of a, cricket match on TV to understand some other benefits. The replays and close, camera angles help us to analyse various things in the match like the, techniques used, the mistakes done etc. The commentary provides us the, comments and opinions of the experts and enriches our knowledge of the, game., I feel TV is a more feasible option to us as we cannot think of attending every, important event live due to various reasons. However, I equally believe that TV, viewing cannot produce the level of thrill and excitement that we experience in, the atmosphere of that very c-'ace where an event is held., Changing city, state or country for university education is quite common, nowadays, and with this, students are often found confused making a, choice between the university dormitory or an apartment in the, community. What would you prefer and why?, Both the given options have their pros and cons; hence, the choice becomes, subjective. I would prefer to live in an apartment in the community as I see, more benefits in that option., At the university dormitory, one definitely has the ambience of education to, help him concentrate more towards his goal. He is in the company of other, students and hence gets the benefit of knowledge sharing. He is not at all, worried about the household work like cleaning, washing, cooking and so on,, which saves his time. Generally, the university dormitories are near the, education campus, which saves the commuting time as well as transportation, cost., Yet, the university dormitories are not my preference. Limitations and, restrictions in the dormitory in terms of food, entertainment, outings and so on, would bind me. I would feel cut off from the outer world. I feel the life becomes, stereotyped at university dormitories. One of the biggest disadvantages at, university dormitories is ragging, not to forget theft and bullying too. These all, troubles can be avoided if one lives in an apartment. He is a free bird there and, can do whatever he wants without any restrictions or fear. It is interesting to, interact and know people of the community around. Community also gives the, feeling of safety, which is very important during studies. More importantly,, family members could be called if one gets too homesick or falls ill. One can, argue about lack of discipline and time management living alone in an, apartment. For those, I would say managing things alone without any company, would definitely require these qualities and make a person more responsible., , 30

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Conclusively, one should weigh both the options from his own perspective and, opt for the one where the scale leans. However, one should not forget that, study and result are more important than the place of residence., Hobbies are given a lot of importance nowadays and are generally, perceived as stress busters. Still many people believe that they divert us, from our important routine and waste our precious time. Give your, opinion., Hobbies are recreational activities and hence give a lot of pleasure. In today's, age, when the life is becoming really hectic, hobbies are considered to be the, best way to relieve stress. However, many people hold a different opinion and, feel that one should focus on the priorities of life and avoid anything that, distracts., Hobbies help us to bring out our hidden talents. They also help us to develop, our overall personality. They help us to recharge ourselves and channel our, energy in a particular direction. One can always increase his creativity through, hobby. A person's nature and interests can also be judged to a certain extent, from the selection of his hobbies. Hobbies related to music give you relaxation, and entertainment, while hobbies related to sports give you good physical, exercise. A lot of people convert their hobbies into profession in the long run, and get name, fame and money., Some people think hobbies are a waste of time. Some parents feel that their, children should spend their time in studies instead of wasting their time in, hobbies. They feel that the children neglect their studies and responsibilities, once they get engrossed in their hobbies. Some hobbies like photography and, videography are really expensive. An ordinary person cannot afford such a, hobby. Some hobbies are not productive like collecting photographs of, different celebrities, collecting feathers etc., According to me, a person should pursue a hobby if it is a productive use of, time or helping him in any manner, but if the hobby is non-productive, then he, should resist from pursuing such a hobby, instead should pursue some activity, which is useful in the normal flow of life., While some keep pets for personal pleasure and other purposes, others, feel that it is a selfish decision. Whom do you favour?, Keeping pets is an age-old trend which is going on from the days of kings and, queens. They are generally kept for affection, companionship and fun that they, provide. Different animals and birds like dogs, cats, tortoises, rabbits, fish,, parrots, doves etc. are kept as pets., The system of keeping pets is very common in developed countries. The, reasons of keeping pets there are different altogether. There, they mostly stay, either alone or in nuclear families, so they are always in need of a company., The emptiness in their lives is filled by pets, which are always known to give a, warm and faithful company and unconditional love. This type of contentment, 31

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helps the owners relieve their stress and remain emotionally balanced. Pets, have other uses also. For instance, if pet is a dog, then it can help in guarding, our house, and if it is a cat, then house can be freed of mice., On the other hand, keeping pets has a negative side too. It is quite extravagant, to keep a pet and most of the times only rich class could afford it, so nowadays, it is more of a status symbol than emotional reasons. Pets need constant, attention, so there should be one person constantly occupied after them, if we, want to go out, then we have to make proper arrangements for them., Sometimes guests are not comfortable to enter the house with pets. Pets also, require proper cleaning and training; otherwise, they make the house dirty., Often when they pass away, family members could not come out of the shock, for days., It depends on an individual's choice whether to keep a pet or not. I personally, do not favour keeping pets as I feel one has no right to take away their freedom, just for personal pleasure., In western countries, the culture freely allows people to marry someone, of their own choice, while in other cultures, parents choose the partner, and arrange marriage. Which do you think is the better system?, Closed and conservative cultures, like in many Asian countries, do not give, people much of an individual choice, not even for a crucial decision like, marriage. However, in the changing scenario, love marriages are becoming, common as people have started becoming individualistic. This is more so, because of the western influence., In case of love marriages, it is easy to adjust with each other as both the, partners are well aware of each other's nature and behaviour. There is greater, understanding, so even if there are differences of opinions, partners are able to, deal with the problems without clashes. However, many times people readily, agree to make compromises for love marriage, but the situation after marriage, often turns them off, especially in case of intercommunity marriages. Often in, love marriages family backup or support is missing, so there are no, moderators at the time of clashes or disputes between the couple., For arranged marriages, parents consider several factors for match-making, such as horoscope, family background, income, character, social status and, so on. Thus, it is a bond between the two families, not just two people. It is easy, for a girl to adjust in a new family if she knows the family environment, customs, and traditions beforehand. Often the couple enjoys the early phase of married, life when there is curiosity to know more and more about the partner and hence, a charm. However, many times there is a big mismatch in the thinking,, behaviour, likes and dislikes of the partners, which leads to dissatisfaction and, maladjustment. Many such couples often drag their married life because of the, family pressures., Whether love or arranged, I think the success of a marriage lies in the efforts, from both the partners to get along well with each other. It can happen only, 32

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when the two have the same level of dedication and commitment in the, relationship., Nowadays, the concept of marrying late, i.e., after 30, is becoming, popular and a lot of young people are taking this decision even against, their parents' wishes. What arguments can be made for the decision to, marry before or after 30, and which do you favour?, The marrying age of a person generally depends on the country and society. In, Asian countries, generally individuals marry at an early age, while in developed, foreign countries, it is very common to marry after 30., Before 30, people have more options to select a partner. People are not rigid, about their likes and dislikes as they are quite young, so they can easily adjust, with their partner. Marriage before 30 increases the duration of married life, so, they can enjoy more time together with their partner. They can have children, early and so can get settled well in their lives. However, before 30, people are, immature, so they may regret in future if a wrong decision is made in selecting, a partner. They may not be able to handle the social relations properly., Sometimes boys are not settled in their career before 30, so their growth may, get restricted. If girls marry at an early age, they may not be able to complete, their studies., After 30, the criteria for the selection of partner are clear, so a better selection, can be made. The individuals are mature, so understanding between the, partners is good. They make more efforts to adjust themselves in married life, as they try to avoid unnecessary, clashes. They are settled well in their career,, so they can easily enjoy their married life. However, the choices for the, selection of partner are much limited after 30. There might be more ego, clashes as both the partners have independent thinking. It becomes difficult to, change the habits and thoughts of an individual after 30, which may lead to, dissatisfaction and frustration., According to me, age between 25 and 28 is the perfect age for marriage as the, individuals n this age range are mature enough to select the partner and are, also settled well in their career., Though dieting aims to regulate body weight, undertaking it sometimes, drastically harms the health of a person. Give your opinion., Nowadays, people have become very much health conscious. Everybody, wants to look fit with a perfect figure. To achieve this, people try different, methods of dieting., A proper diet programme under the guidance of a dietician definitely helps not, only to control and reduce weight but also to avoid the health problems related, to overweight in future. This type of diet programme puts a cut on sweets, junk, food, fried food, carbonated drinks, alcohol etc. In a way, it teaches good, eating habits. Professional advice makes sure that you do not damage your, digestive system and other organs that may be affected., 33

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People, mostly youngsters, confuse themselves with starvation as dieting., They go hungry for the whole day or either have water or juices only, which, actually causes internal dysfunction of some kind. There are few who consume, pills available in the market without prescription of doctors for suppressing, hunger. Few make themselves vomit after each meal. It is also seen that few, youngsters minimise their diet and go to extreme of not eating for days, together. Such practices are a sign of eating disorders like anorexia and, bulimia. In the long run, they develop physiological as well as psychological, disorders. Losing weight should not end up in losing health. There have been, controversies over dieting disasters in extremely skinny supermodels like Kate, Moss., As a layman, my advice is to eat lots of fruits and vegetables and avoid much, oily and junk food if you really want to maintain a good health. A normal human, body needs a well-balanced diet to function properly. In case dieting is needed, for a cause like overweight or obesity, an expert's guidance is a must as he, only has the right knowledge to suggest a diet to suit your physiology., Many people think that one should be aware of his family history even if, it demands tracking it out, while others think it is no use knowing, family's past. What is your opinion on tracking family history?, Our birth in a particular family is our destiny, it is not in our hands. People of, explorative nature would love to track their family history, and there are also, people who believe "history is to forget" and would not bother at all to collect, any information about their past generations., Many people with great forefathers are brought up listening to their stories and, are always inspired by them. However, some accidentally find out a royal, lineage when they dig out their family origin and enjoy flaunting it. This is how a, genealogical research can help us, but tracking family history is more than, that. Tracking just the names is useless, what is important is their work, values, and achievements so that one knows where he stands. Even the intensity and, frequency of genetic or hereditary diseases come to the knowledge of people,, and they can start taking precautionary measures to fight them. Let us take this, example of one Mr. X who knows that he stands a chance to have coronary, artery disease through his family history. He can cautiously change his lifestyle, with the increasing age to prevent the disease come as a shock to him and his, family., However, overindulgence in such a tracking out of curiosity makes one spend, excessive time behind it. Sometimes nothing significant comes out of it as not, everyone is bestowed with a rich family history. It remains mere a collection of, names and professions of a few past generations. Often knowledge of family, history is disastrous leading people to keep old enmities alive. It may also, reveal unpleasant facts that one would regret knowing., Tracking family history is good if it is done with the aim of getting useful, knowledge or for some future development. In fact, it is worth giving as an, 34

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assignment in school. However, one should not forget that it is their present, that influences their future more, not their past., With increased burden of studies, children look for various options to, entertain and relax themselves. In many homes, watching television is, the most preferred leisure activity, which even makes children drop, activities like reading books. Can television watching be preferred over, the reading habit of children?, No doubt television is an excellent source of entertainment for children, but, how can we shut our eyes to its unhealthy side-effects! Also, when it is at the, expense of a constructive activity like reading, we need to give it a thought., There are many shows on TV that are educational, but there are many shows, that are inappropriate too. For example, even with a very high entertainment, value, Shinchan, a very popular animated character, manifests ill-mannerism., Another example is of one of the most popular cartoon shows, Tom and Jerry,, whose violence is accepted lightly being comical. When a child watches TV, all, the images and sounds on screen take over its mind and suppress its, imagination., When a child reads a book, it uses its mind's eye to create images and gives, exercise to its imagination muscles. There is a large variety of books available, in the market, but it is important to decide the right kind of book for a child. Girls, are interested in fairy tales, fantasies, whereas boys prefer adventurous tales,, general knowledge books etc. To encourage them for reading, one has to give, them a proper atmosphere., First of all, parents themselves should limit their TV watching and understand, that they are wasting an opportunity to interact with their children by occupying, themselves with TV. Every day before going to bed, if they make it a point to, discuss about the book, it will encourage the child to read more. Reading, expands a child's understanding of the world, its language skills and makes it, more attentive and responsible., To my view, watching TV can be sacrificed for reading books in case of a child, as in this crucial stage when studies, enjoyment and imagination building ail, the three are its priority, reading serves it better., Some people believe that until the age of 6 or 7 years children should be, allowed to stay at home and play, while others believe young children, should be sent to school as soon as possible. Which view do you, support?, Childhood is the foundation of life. It is a flexible stage, and hence, we can, mould the character of children in the way we want. School is an important part, of childhood. It is not only a place to study but also a place where children learn, social interaction., 35

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Many people believe that children should be sent to school at the age of 3 or 4, years. There is more convenience in this opinion because of today's, fast-paced life. Both parents remain busy to cope up with the high cost of living., Also, the social structure is changing as joint families are now breaking into, nuclear families. It is better to send a child to a place like nursery or playschool, rather than keeping a maid for its care at home., However, we cannot neglect a child's needs before taking such a decision., According to psychologists, very young children of the age 3 to 4 years require, more social and emotional security from their family members than from the, unfamiliar people. A child's primary need is to know its immediate environment,, and by doing this, it becomes a better earner. Till the age of 6 or 7 years, it, becomes confident enough to face the society outside. Also, at this age, it is, more capable to follow the education pattern in school., As per my opinion, a child should enter a school only when it is prepared for it., I think at the age of 4 or 5 years, the child starts becoming independent as far, as its day-to-day needs are concerned. It likes to interact with its peer group, and starts adopting group play activities. It is also sensible enough to grasp the, teachings in a new environment. However, care should be taken that it enjoy, its childhood and get a loving environment in that tender age., Homework is a part of school life. Many people feel that giving, homework daily to school children works well for them, while some feel, it is an unnecessary burden on them. What do you think about it?, Homework is definitely essential for a school-going child. However, giving, homework daily may not be supported by many people as it affects a child's, routine in some or the other way., I think that daily homework actively engages children in learning process., Writing multiplication tables daily for a regular period as homework, for, instance, is an effective exercise for children to remember them. It helps them, to be at par with the class studies and form the habit of revision. Compulsion to, devote time for studies daily can improve their study performance and make, them score better in exams. Through daily homework, they can learn spellings,, improve their handwriting and develop their writing skills. They learn to, manage their time. In short, daily homework instills in them a sense of, responsibility and appreciation of work motivates them and makes them feel, confident and accountable., Some may feel that daily homework is not necessary as it burdens their studies, and makes them sacrifice a valuable part of their leisure time that restricts their, growth. Here, I would say that young children do not realise the importance of, revision or studies and so need to be disciplined by giving daily homework, though it seems to be an extra burden initially. Looking at a broader aspect,, daily homework gives parents an opportunity to connect with their child., Parents would know where the real struggling of child is and be helpful in, solving its problems., 36

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Here, I have some suggestions to give. Teachers have to be a bit innovative, and give such homework which is really useful and not merely a time killer. I, feel in primary grades daily homework should be compulsorily given for the, above-mentioned reasons, but as the grades go higher, children should not be, pushed for doing daily tasks. I feel they become mature enough to understand, its importance, so instead, they should be given more of the projects and, practical work., Some people believe that uniform should be kept compulsorily in every, school, whereas others disagree and believe that children should not be, imposed with any such kind of restriction and allowed to wear whatever, they want. What is your opinion?, I am strongly of the opinion that uniform should be kept in schools. Uniform is, the identity of any school. A school's reputation is judged from the uniform it, keeps. It creates a sense of unity, discipline and belongingness among the, students. It also has many other purposes., If there is no uniform, students may develop superiority or inferiority complex, by comparing their dress with other students, as they all come from different, financial backgrounds. I myself have faced this problem at my school as we, had no school uniform. I hardly had 6 to 7 pairs of clothes that I needed to, repeat the whole year, which gave me a good amount of complex. Having, school uniform would save one from facing this situation. It saves the cost of, buying new dresses. Even when schools arrange any picnics or trips, it, becomes very easy to distinguish the students by uniform and keep a count of, them. It helps even when any student gets lost., However, some people feel that children do not get a chance to wear a variety, of dresses and they get fed up wearing the same dress. They should, understand that children are getting trained to follow certain rules, and, moreover, they can always have a chance to wear a free dress after the, school. Many also feel that uniform causes unnecessary expense as children, grow fast and the size of uniform does not fit and it becomes useless. But,, overall I feel it reduces the yearly expense on the clothes., For the above-mentioned reasons, I would again opine that uniform should be, kept. If students want a change, then once a week schools can give permission, to wear free dress. This way, both the purposes are served., There are many differences in the nature and characteristics of city side, people and countryside people. The city side people have a better way of, living than countryside people, and hence, they always influence the, countryside. Still there are many values and characteristics in, countryside people which should not be lost. What are your views, regarding this?, , 37

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City side and countryside people differ in many ways. The upbringing and, values given in city side and countryside are totally different and play a major, role in moulding the nature. Let us have an insight into the way of living and, values of city people and country people., There are many qualities in the city people which influence the people living in, villages. People in cities are broad-minded and ambitious as they are, well-educated. They deal smartly in day-to-day situations. They are more, aware of the happenings around the world and hence sound knowledgeable., They are able to do intelligent planning of finances, like investments. Their, sense of using technology and fashion also influences the countryside people., However, despite the low standard of living in countryside, there are many, values worth retaining. People living in countryside are simple, generous,, friendly and cooperative. They are always ready to help those who are in, trouble. They are strongly bonded with their family members and still believe in, joint family system. They live a good social life as well. They do not hesitate to, do physically strenuous work. They have less needs and are content. They, face a lot of hardships and adversities in life. For example, in many villages in, Rajasthan, people have to go miles to fetch drinking water. Such hardships, make them mentally strong enough to bear the stress and strains of life. The, moral values like honesty, loyalty and cooperation are more common in, countryside than city side., It is quite obvious that the thinking and outlook of countryside people is, changing now. According to me, this is certainly a development, but at the, same time, I strongly feel that the countryside people should not lose their, originality totally. In fact, they can help city people revive the human values, which they have forgotten in their chase towards materialism., Some people like to try new activities, even if doing so is risky. Other, people prefer to do things they already know how to do. Which do you, think is better?, A person's nature shapes up from the upbringing and surroundings he gets., Adventurous nature of some people urges them to try something that others, have not tried. Depending upon the liking, adventurous people can go either, for a mental challenge or a physical challenge., Why people do not want to break the monotony of life and make it more, interesting? I think the answer to this question is that they are apprehensive, about the results and lack the courage to meet failures. Sometimes "I am not, adventurous" is just a pretence to hide confidence lack for one's mental or, physical capability. They feel good about the fact that by living an ordinary life, at least they are not putting their dear ones' life at stake., People with a spirit of adventure enjoy immense pleasure while facing an, adventure. Adventure adds spice to their life, which the monotonous routine, takes away from them. These are the people who have the potential to become, trend-setters and inspiration for others. Their efforts will go unnoticed or even, 38

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criticised if they fail; however, if they successfully accomplish an adventure,, they get a unique sense of achievement and satisfaction, which is beyond a, normal person's experience. Often big adventures lead them to name and, fame. On the other side of it, risk sometimes takes its toll and they end up with, some kind of loss. A physical adventure, for instance, may give a person an, injury for a lifetime. On the same note, an adventure like starting a business, putting in a heavy investment may also cause a person to crash in future., I think without trying something new, no progress is possible. If there were no, adventurous people, there would have been no advancements in the world., Even an ordinary person should be ready to take calculated risks for higher, achievements in life., Traditionally, males used to be found as bosses. Now, with the society, becoming broad-minded, people have started accepting females too as, their bosses. What is your preference for a boss, male or female?, Just as the traditional roles of males as breadwinners and females as, homemakers are dissolving, only males as bosses has also started sounding, old-fashioned with females handling big positions in the companies, successfully, like Indra Nooyi as the first female CEO of PepsiCo. The, following paragraphs discuss the working style of both and present a, conclusion., Generally, males have more physical stamina, so they can work for longer, hours. They do not have to worry much about domestic responsibilities and are, ready for frequent touring, which is good from a company's point of view. They, are quite aggressive and ambitious, can be shrewd enough to play dirty politics, or compromise with the moral values to fulfil their goals. But then, they are, found to be quite dominant and egoistic generally, so are less flexible with their, working styles. They might not be ready to understand the problems of, employees under them, so would not always be there in the good books of, their employees., On the other hand, female bosses are better planners. They are much softer in, their behaviour and have the ability to take work from their employees tactfully., A more disciplined and well-behaved approach can be seen in employees, reporting to them. They can build and maintain relations with other companies, with their pleasing personalities, which benefit the company. However, they, are quite emotional, so at times others take advantage of it. Many times their, household problems defocus them from their work. It is also seen that majority, of the times male employees do not like to take orders from a female boss due, to ego problems., On the whole, I feel the respect for the boss comes with his/her potential and, persona irrespective of the gender., , 39

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Lifestyle and culture of different countries are becoming similar. Is it a, positive development or negative?, The world is becoming a global village with increased mobility. Differences, among the countries are slowly resolving due to growing media culture., Television, mobiles and internet have emerged as "connecting" mediums in, the modern world. People are exposed to different cultures and lifestyles, through media. As a result, their mental horizon has broadened. This, in turn,, has led to greater acceptance of each other's ideas, thinking and values. There, are many factors behind the cultural and lifestyle similarities across the world., People in developing countries are greatly influenced by the culture and, lifestyle of people in advanced western countries. Mostly youngsters find it, modern to be dressed like them and follow the western trends. They dream to, achieve high standards of living prevalent in advanced countries., On the other hand, we can also see the inclination of many foreigners towards, our religion, cultural values and living style. "Geeta" and "Ramayana" have got, global. Yoga and meditation have gained worldwide popularity., This development has brought many positive changes such as reduced racism, and increased religious tolerance. Mixed cultural values have evolved, which, has both positive and negative effects. Losing respect for one's own culture,, forgetting one's own traditions and customs, and losing respect for one's own, language often come out as negative effects. Under the influence of western, culture, we can also see people developing a craze for imported items and, seeming less interested in products manufactured in their own country. They, seem uninterested in learning traditional skills, like folk music and dance,, neglecting them as being old-fashioned., I think increasing similarities in lifestyle and culture is a good sign as far as, growing relations among the countries are concerned, but people should be, careful not to get obsessed with foreign culture and lifestyle up to the extent of, losing the good old traditional values completely., Studying and working abroad provides international exposure and, develops thinking of a person, but at the same time, the host culture, affects a person's mentality to produce many negative effects. What is, your opinion?, As the transportation and communication facilities have increased, the world, has become a smaller place to live. More and more young people from, developing countries are going abroad for higher studies and jobs as they get, attracted by better educational facilities and job opportunities in developed, countries. Migration of people is also common nowadays. All this is leading to, greater international cooperation and formation of a global culture., When students and professionals go abroad, they become exposed to a new, cultural environment. No doubt intermingling of cultures gives rise to cultural, differences, but when students learn to cope up with them, their mental horizon, 40

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is broadened. They get a valuable international exposure in the study or work, atmosphere., On the other hand, there are chances that they get negative influences from, the host culture. They get influenced by the foreign culture and high living, standards. Many of them begin to lose respect for their own culture and get, carried away with the negativities of the host culture. Even in Indian cinema,, this point is well-highlighted in movies like "Purab aur Paschim." They feel, superior to the people in their homeland and start developing wrong notions, about them. They feel shameful in following their traditional way of living and, change their lifestyle. They start living in sophistication and start losing the old, family values. Often they rebel against their parents with their firm decision of, not returning to their homeland, which leads to family conflicts., I strongly feel a person should have enough mental strength to digest the, cultural differences when he goes abroad. He should appreciate good cultural, practices of the host culture, but he should also be able to escape from the, negative practices prevalent in the host culture., With the advancement in medical science, now it is quite common for, people to live up to the age of 100, and further medical research would, make it possible for the normal humans to live even longer than that Is, this desirable or not?, Science has revolutionised each and every field. It has done miracles in the, field of medicine. Diseases like malaria, tuberculosis and leprosy which were, untreatable few decades ago can now easily be treated. Some of the diseases, like smallpox are completely eliminated. Now, it has become very easy to live a, healthy life due to science., If science progresses in this manner, then it is possible that in the near future, people would be able to live much longer. In a way, it would be good for people, who want to see their grand-grandchildren. Old generation would be able to, share more experiences with young generations, so the youth would benefit., The families would get good support of elders and would be able to keep their, culture and traditions alive for a longer time. One would get a chance to see, frequent changes in technology and lifestyle and enjoy a life full of comforts for, more years., On the other hand, as the people would grow old, they would go on becoming, weaker and weaker and would have to depend on their families to fulfil their, needs. The families may get tired of their responsibilities in the long run. There, would be a wider generation gap, and the old generation would get a culture, shock. If people live long, then retirement would be at an older age and it would, surely lead to unemployment problems. Moreover, they might get bored of, living such a long life as there would be no goals for them., , 41

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I believe that stress should be put on quality of life rather than the length of life, as we all want to enjoy life to its fullest. I think first science should try to improve, the quality of life and then challenge the nature., A big part of the society believes that "sex" is such a subject that cannot, be talked about with children and time teaches them everything about it, on their own. What is your opinion about giving sex education in, schools?, "Sex" is everywhere in the society today from television to computers, mobile, to advertisements etc. For instance, the porn stuff of the internet, which opens, the world of sex, is just a finger-click away. In spite of the efforts of many, parents to save innocence of their child, the fact is that now it is difficult for, children to resist it and they start going for it without any protection., Children nowadays have become very independent, and in a curiosity to have, the experience or to feel like a grown-up or to rebel against their parents, they, get into a relationship. The need for sex education is to provide them, knowledge about all the possible consequences, i.e., from infections to, pregnancy. Though many parents treat their children as friends and give them, freedom of speech, but when it comes to discuss about physical activity, they, feel shy. Also, there is a fear that education at an improper time or inadequate, information might tempt the child to know more. If given in a "warning" way, it is, possible that a child go exactly against it., Parents may find it difficult to make their child sit and listen to them for even, five minutes, while teachers hold the children for forty-five minutes without, disturbance. Teachers can teach them the scientific and emotional aspects, and give the correct knowledge of sex. They can teach them precautions, before and after sex to avoid problems. They can also solve their queries, regarding it without hesitation. Facing school teachers regarding sex is less, embarrassing for children than parents., I think it is a conservative thought not to educate children about sex and that, we should have a broad-minded approach towards it. Sex education should be, provided in schools in an informative way to make sure that the teenagers, understand the seriousness of their decision of having sex., Parents are often confused in making a choice between single-sex, education and co-education when it comes to sending their children to, schools. Give your opinion with proper arguments for any one., The choice of keeping children in single-sex education or co-education entirely, depends on personal preferences and thoughts. In the past, people were, conservative, so mostly they preferred to send their children to single-sex, education, but now, people have become broad-minded and are quite, comfortable keeping their children in co-education. Both the types of education, have their own advantages and disadvantages., 42

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When children study in co-education, they know the other sex well and get, quite comfortable in the company of other sex right from the childhood. They, remain in much discipline, and even a healthy competition in studies is, developed between them. Various social and cultural activities that the two, genders share, like dramas and picnics, make them understand each other in, a better way and adjust well. They do not develop any prejudices for the, opposite sex from whatever they hear and start giving more respect to it when, they see its abilities. They develop a broad thinking which prepares them for, their future environment, like adjusting with the partner and working in offices, with the other gender., Sometimes it is seen that students indulge in romantic relationships and get, diverted from their studies. The consciousness with the other sex often makes, them uncomfortable and sets them back in their study performance and other, dealings. Many times the parents of a girl child hesitate to send her in, co-education for safety reasons as incidences of harassment and molestation, also occur., In my opinion, co-education is better as it is seen that students of single-sex, education are not able to run a good practical life because of lack of exposure, of the other sex in the early stages. Moreover, it is not fair to sow the seeds of, gender discrimination right from the childhood as it may harm the progress of a, society., Growing children have good grasping power. They absorb learnings, from everywhere, in a classroom with a teacher and outside it through, daily activities. Compare both the types of learning., Although formal education begins in a classroom, home is the place where one, starts to learn the lessons of life. Bookish knowledge imparted in classroom, helps in career building. On the other hand, daily activities and dealing with, different types of people provide practical knowledge and experience, which is, useful in daily life., One learns a great deal through daily experiences. Daily activities such as, cleaning, washing, playing etc. practically train a child. It learns communication, skills through interaction with family members, friends, relatives, guests etc. It, learns manners and discipline. It learns to deal with people by receiving and, answering phone calls, talking to neighbours, travelling, buying things from, market and so on. It learns to understand the human nature. This is the prime, time for character building. It learns values like giving, sharing, understanding, others' problems, adjusting with others and helping others. It learns to control, emotions and gain stability of mind. All this lays a foundation for its future life., Childhood games like imitating parents or acting like doctor or teacher help in, preparing children for their future roles., Schools and colleges provide an environment of study as well as learning, other things such as time management, discipline, respect, making friends,, playing together, socialising etc. Teachers also influence the children a great, 43

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deal and are role models to them. Their conduct, habits and behaviour are, closely observed by children. Besides academic teaching, a lot of experiences, are shared by the teachers, which help children develop practical thinking., They also teach moral values and make children aware of sensitive issues of, the society. Extracurricular activities organised by the educational institutes, promote team spirit and a feeling of competitiveness and inculcate qualities of, self-discipline and leadership., According to me, classroom education and education through daily activities, and surroundings complement each other for complete education of children., Hence, both are essential., Technology has changed the way of teaching. Learning through internet, is becoming quite popular. Many predict that in the near future it will, replace schools. What is your opinion?, The conventional way of teaching is challenged with the coming of internet., Internet has dissolved the boundaries as it reaches any part of the world to, educate the people., In many countries, the concept of education through internet has become very, popular. On internet, students can easily get information about anything they, want. They can save the school journey time. They do not have to go as per, the class and can learn at their own pace. Just think of a brilliant student, he, can really do wonders in studies by making it fast-paced with the assistance of, internet. However, knowledge imparted is bookish and impractical. Lack of, face-to-face interaction harms the communication skills of students. Moreover,, they may not develop their intellectual level and become less creative. Sitting, in front of computer for long hours affects their physical health adversely. We, can see children becoming fat and lazy and developing weak eyesight due to, spending more time on computers. They may start accessing sites restricted, for them and divert from studies., On the other hand, education given through schools has more life. Students, get an opportunity to interact with teachers and other students. They get a, competitive environment. Apart from teaching, other classroom activities such, as debates, elocutions etc. can increase the confidence of students to a great, extent. Schools also have many extracurricular activities which can help, students remove stage fear, develop interpersonal skills, sportsmanship etc., and to be more practical. Computers cannot teach moral values to students, like teachers do., I think internet will never replace schools entirely as perfect teaching is not, possible without any human involvement. It can just be used as a supporting, tool for learning., It is difficult for the educators to deal with children of different, intelligence levels in the same class. Some favour grouping intelligent, , 44

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and weak students and providing separate teaching to each group for, better results. Do you support this view?, Children are put in a particular grade according to age in our education system., It is obvious that all children are not of the same intelligence level and, sometimes it becomes difficult for educators to teach them in the same class., Therefore, some people feel that there should be separate teaching for, intelligent students and weak students., If we look at the benefits, then yes, intelligent students can be taught at their, pace and the sessions can be made more interesting for them and the same, thing applies to the weak students. Thus, both the categories of students would, enjoy learning. Moreover, different teaching tactics can be adopted in each, group to give students maximum benefits. In mixed group, many times weak, students could not cope up with the pace of studies, come under high pressure, and get demotivated. When they are separated, teachers can handle them, tactfully and bring them back the lost confidence., On the other hand, weak students would automatically develop an inferiority, complex if they are made to realise that they are weak in studies by separating, them. In addition to that, the other group might not treat them well, which can, have a direct effect on their psyche. On the contrary, when the students study, in a mixed group, a sense of competition develops and weak students are, motivated to study. Even intelligent students can help weak students in studies, and the bond can be strengthened. This way, even weak students would not, feel belittled., In my opinion, children should not be separated as only academic abilities are, not enough to judge the intelligence of the students. I would rather suggest, what I had in my school, and that is extra coaching to weak students. It serves, the purpose best as teachers save their time and energy and yet maintain the, effectiveness., There is much importance of school and college both in one's life, but, which one do you think is more important from career point of view?, School life and college life are two different milestones towards one's career., According to me, both are equally important, comparing them is like comparing, the innocence of childhood with playfulness of youth in the journey of life., In school, a child is basically trained for its future studies by loading with the, basics of different subjects through both classroom teaching and home, assignments. This gradually helps a child to identify its inclination towards a, particular subject or field. A strong student-teacher bond is found in school life,, and it is very much required for a teacher to understand a child's psychology, and mould it in a proper manner. Extracurricular activities in school help in, all-round development of a child. I would like to give my own example here. I, was timid as a child. In my school, there were all kinds of activities like skating,, 45

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swimming, dancing, yoga, music and arts in which students were made to, participate compulsorily. Through this, I came out of my reserve and brought, out my hidden potential. School life focuses on qualities like manners,, discipline, punctuality, good moral conduct etc., which makes the foundation of, our lives strong., College plays an entirely different role though. In college, a student focuses on, selected specialisation and his pursuance of career very much depends on his, choice. Here, a free environment is provided as students are well-aware of, their priorities. A lot of emphasis is put on self-work as they are expected to, utilise facilities like library for referencing. College allows students to take a lot, of initiatives which help them to develop their interpersonal skills, management, skills, leadership qualities, team spirit etc. This is much needed to lead their, practical lives., Thus, school and college life complement each other and the lessons of each, are to be grasped well to achieve real success in career., Increased ragging in colleges has caused much concern in the recent, times, and many people want it to be completely banned. What is your, opinion on this issue?, College life is an important period in one's life. One can cherish its sweet, memories for the whole life. However, experience of ragging can be a real, nightmare to many., Ragging within an ethical limit can be real fun. Even then, one needs to figure, out the psychology of a student if he could stand it. Simple ragging could just, be an informal session where fresh students are made to introduce and, entertain very sportily. Fun-loving newcomers too enjoy it, and often it is a, beginning of relation building among them and the seniors. This relation, building helps them in getting any study-related help from the seniors and also, results in good coordination during any tests or cultural programmes in the, college., On the other hand, unrestrained ragging leads to disasters. Seniors put, indecent demands in front of their juniors. They are made to dance or act, against their wish, which may include cheap and vulgar movements, causing, them tremendous embarrassment. In extreme cases, the new entrants are left, molested, sometimes resulting in on-the-spot death. Many students who, experience serious ragging choose to commit suicide out of shame or guilt, feeeling. It is a sad reality that most reputed institutions in India like IIMs, IITs, and AIIMS are also not left out of "unhealthy" ragging., If ragging cannot be made healthy, interesting and fruitful, it leaves us no, choice except canning. But then, the first exposure of the fresh and existing, students is a significant event, and if college authority takes interest in it and, makes it a college event with a proper check, 1 think chances of any bad, occurrence can be eliminated and a healthy environment can be %lt by all the, students., 46

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Some people say that if youngsters work and support their studies as, well as bear their expenses themselves while earning degrees in, colleges, then it is a good practical lesson for them, while the others, hold an opinion for the youngsters just to focus on their studies with, parents to bear all their expenses. What do you think is better for them?, It is mostly seen that the culture and beliefs of a society are more responsible, for the decision whether students should work while studying. In the cultures of, developed western countries, individualism is valued and youngsters are, treated as adults after the age of 18. They take up jobs as they have to bear the, cost of their education and other living expenses. On the other hand, in the, majority of eastern countries, parents support their children for their education, and other expenses until they are able to stand on their own feet., There are many advantages of starting to work early. It reduces financial, burden on the family. The youngsters can gain work experience and skills., They gain interpersonal skills and confidence, which enhances their, personality. They develop independent thinking and problem-solving attitude,, which imparts them decision-making power. They develop a sense of maturity, and responsibility and learn to value money and time. As they are financially, independent, they can also satisfy their increasing needs and pursue their, hobbies. They can also financially contribute in their families if they are facing, financial crisis., On the flip side, it is difficult for the youngsters to fully concentrate on their, studies. They get less time for recreational activities. They cannot even enjoy, their college life to its fullest. As they become independent at an early age, the, emotional attachment between them and their parents decreases. They may, take undue advantage of their freedom and indulge in some bad activities like, smoking, chewing tobacco, taking drugs etc. They may become, money-minded and lose interest in their studies., In my opinion, there is nothing wrong with youngsters working out as long as, they can take care of their studies and work without tension. It is a good, learning experience for them which helps them in their future life., Some people think that the sole goal of university is to prepare students, for employment, while others disagree and say that it helps students in, many aspects of personal life. Give your views., Education widens a person's mental horizon and helps him develop broad, thinking. Through education, a person can gain knowledge and build up his, career. In order to earn a qualification, one needs to pass through several, stages of education ranging from school to college. As university education is, the last stage before the starting of career, many people believe that it, prepares students for employment only, but the fact is that it serves a lot many, purposes., 47

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Universities provide specialised education in fields such as medical,, engineering, commerce etc. They maintain a separate library, which supports, the curriculum. They provide laboratory facilities to science- and, technology-related subjects. They send students to factories and industries so, that they get practical experience. This job-oriented training helps them to, understand the working conditions and also gives them an idea about, competition in the market. They also create job opportunities for the students, by arranging campus interviews., Looking at the other aspects of universities, they also organise co-curricular, activities such as cultural programmes, sports, debates, fairs etc. Students', participation in stage programmes helps them remove their stage fear. Many, times students themselves are given the responsibility of organising the, events, so they learn to take initiatives and get some management skills. This, kind of environment helps them gain confidence and interpersonal skills and, learn qualities like cooperation, leadership etc. This leads them to, self-development and face competition. They realise the value of participation, and winning and even learn to digest defeat., Thus, universities not only provide job-oriented education, but they also, perform other functions which help the students in their personal life. Practical, training prepares them to tackle with critical situations and to solve the, problems. They gain many qualities such as self-confidence and positive, attitude, which help them in their future life., University funds have to be spent judiciously as it decides in which, direction students will incline not only while taking education but also, after it when they actually face the world and are in the race of survival., Do you think that universities should be concerned only about studies, and spend much of the funds behind libraries or they should spare equal, funds for sports activities too?, Whether universities should give equal funds to libraries or sports activities is a, subjective •natter. We will find many people who just think that universities are, the temples of higher education and their primary aim is to make students, design a good career. However, besides academics, universities can do a lot, more and make a big difference in the lives of students., There is no denying in this fact that universities' main activity is to provide, education that can only be achieved by providing the latest books and study, material in libraries. As students need the latest edition of books or study, material for various subjects they are studying, updating the library is, mandatory every year. With advancement in technology, now universities have, the option of reducing the money to be invested on libraries. Internet access, can easily provide students a lot of reference material. Thus, universities can, save some money which can be used to invest in the sports activities., , 48

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Sports activities cannot be overlooked. With these very sports, we take pride, when our sportsmen represent our country in big international sporting events., We are so overwhelmed by their success that we all start dreaming about, representing our country. Sports not only create sportsmen but also create, awareness about health, which in turn makes a person more active. It, develops a person's overall personality. Sports teach sportsman spirit,, teamwork, competitiveness etc., which are much needed in practical life. In, fact, now extracurriculars are as important as academics. So, if University A, has no sports activities but just a good academic reputation and University B, has both, more people would opt for the latter., To conclude, it is a fact that universities are about education, libraries etc., but, as sports in today's world are equally important, equal funds should be allotted, to sports activities too., To encourage young males and females and give them equal chance at, the tertiary level of education, should government allot equal seats to, both genders in every subject?, To give equal opportunities to males and females, many think that universities, should keep equal seats for them in every subject., One among several prejudices in the society is that some fields are only, suitable for males and some only for females. Result is that females hesitate to, go in male-dominated fields and vice versa. Even parents are reluctant to send, them to monopolised fields of the other gender. Fifty percent reservation for, girls and boys each would help to break this monopoly. It can fade away, prejudices for any gender-specific field. In a way, it is a good encouragement, to males and females both to come out of their shells and enter each other's, forte., However, I feel the disadvantages of this system are more. With this, reservation system, the gender with more rush for admission and seats, narrowed may develop a feeling of injustice. Another point of consideration is, connected with different preferences of males and females due to the different, mental and physical capabilities, like males preferring engineering, marketing, etc., whereas females preferring nursing, beauty care, teaching etc. It is, possible that initially the seats get occupied, but later on there are chances that, the dropout ratio go high or in the worst case seats remain empty. In any case,, the right of an eligible candidate on that seat is taken away simply because of, this arrangement. Also, getting admission due to reservation and not the merit, may be a direct blow on one's self-esteem. I think by making such a, reservation we ourselves are discriminating genders, which is not right for the, society., Thus, I am not in favour of such a reservation system. My experience says that, real achievement is in students working hard and obtaining seats on their own, merits. This only can give them a sense of self-satisfaction and motivation to, study further. If the intention behind such a reservation is to promote higher, 49

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education in girls, giving scholarships or making the university education, discounted for them till they come equal are better steps., Do you think that the sacrifices made by the famous sportspersons are, in proportion to the amount of media and public attention gained and, income from the sport?, Initially, sports were solely a source of entertainment locally. Gradually, they, grew more competitive and became commercial events on national and, international platforms. Today, with media's involvement and efforts, good, sportspersons are portrayed as celebrities and gain a good amount of, popularity., Sportspersons get popular according to the popularity of that particular sport in, the country itself. For instance, in India, cricketers get more public as well as, media attention than other sportspersons as cricket is the most-viewed game., As sports are being glamorised by media, sportspersons get a lot of extra, benefits. They start getting advertising assignments. In fact, a lot of companies, sign them up as their brand ambassadors. They get rewards by the, government as well as big corporate houses for good performances in, important events. As they are offered jobs by the corporates, they get a good, opportunity to secure their present and future to cope up with the instability of, sports career. They become role models for many., On the flip side, a lot of sacrifices are made and a lot of efforts are put in to, achieve the position they are on. They have to practice for long hours. Fitness, is their only asset. Losing it puts their career into danger. They have frequent, tours which keep them away from their families. Their career being shaky and, short-lived, earning has to be quick. Sports field is like a battleground for them, where they are under a great pressure to show their best every time they enter., Not doing so harms their image and let them down of the public's eye, and, eventually, they may end up thrown out of the sport. Their personal life is, constantly intruded by media., To conclude, all I can say is that life of a famous sportsperson is not at all a bed, of roses, and hence, he is worth the name, fame and money that he receives., Material success and fame are often attributed to some talent Do you, think it is possible to get name, fame and money even if there is no, talent?, We come across both types of people, those who have either been rich and, famous without any talent and people having genuine talent but are not valued, or appreciated., We always wonder why some are born with a silver spoon in mouth. Children, of a royal family, for instance, would always make others jealous. They may, choose to live wealthily without having to do anything when they grow up,, 50

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being mere caretakers of their huge ancestral property. Similar is the case of, royalty income which benefits even the children of talented people in, professions like singing and writing. Some other people too are very lucky, or, we can say that stars favour them. They accidentally find hidden treasures or, win tottery and become rich. Their lifestyle, then, makes them famous. This is, the power of luck! Without it favouring, many geniuses (scientists,, archaeologists etc.) die an anonymous death without meeting success even, after a plenty of researches., Many rags to riches stories of celebrities like J K Rowling and Oprah Winfrey,, on the other hand, make us believe in success due to talent. Then, why every, talented person is not rich and famous? Firstly, not every talented person, targets fame and riches. For those who were ambitious enough to aim for it but, could not achieve may have failed due to reasons like not getting appropriate, exposure, not having knowledge to market the talent, suffering mass, opposition, having bad luck, missing opportunities, inability to use current, technology and so on. Thus, talent needs to club with a positive attitude, hard, work and the support of surroundings for real success., I think talent always stands a chance to kiss success in the form of name, fame, and money, but without talent, it is pure luck that brings such success and it, can only be short-term as the person will soon be forgotten., Media has a big role to play in the spread of any news and curiosity, building. Which type of news do you feel media should give more focus, to, good or bad?, We are living in an age where every adult is supposed to update himself, instantly with the latest happenings and rapid changes. In fact, all of us are, literally coping up with the news and information overload through various, sources like television, internet, radio and newspaper. Any news, good or bad,, catches a massive public attention if media gives it more footage., Bad news is often broadcasted as "breaking news" on television news, channels. Even in newspapers, it finds a prime location to catch public's eye., Bad happenings or crime news catches early attention as it is different from, usual, regular happenings. People are curious to know more and more about it, as they think, "It can't happen to me." On the top of it, TV or print media often, does hammering of the same news for an indefinite period of time, which, makes people interested to know real-time developments in the news story., News on a serial-killing, for instance, would make people quite desperate to, know about the further moves of the killer and efforts being made to catch him., Bad news also gains publicity as it provides warning and alarming signals., Good news, on the other hand, is related to technological advancements,, sports, celebrity events and so on. Such news can be further glamorised to, catch more attention of the readers or listeners. It definitely has a healthy, impact on people's mind and is good for children too who are psychologically, weaker to digest crude realities and shocking news. Even for the bad news,, 51

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sometimes media has to perform a mildening role by reducing the shock, intensity to lessen the panic., I think media should focus on such news that carries weightage to cause some, kind of social development and is oriented to generate awareness and, consciousness in the burning issues of the society., Video camera is one of the modern devices which has been proven quite, beneficial for the security purpose. However, many feel it is an intrusion, in the life of public. Give your opinion., Modern technology has given many benefits to mankind. One of its advents,, video camera, is being used successfully for security purpose., Nowadays, video cameras are commonly used at public places like bus stops,, railway stations, airports, temples etc. They have been proven to be a very, effective tool to reduce crimes like robbery, theft etc. They have put a check on, the terrorist activities as they cannot take chance to terrorise as freely as, earlier. They are also used in big offices and shops to keep an eye on the, activities of staff and visitors' movements. In case of any shoplifting, it, becomes very easy to track the culprit due to video cameras. During 2002 riots, in Gujarat, a famous Pantaloons shop was ransacked and the police could, easily find the culprits with the help of video cameras. Even wealthy people, keep video cameras for security in their homes. They can provide important, clues in case any mishap occurs., On the other hand, there are certain limitations of using them. At the time of, electricity failure, they are useless. They are quite expensive and even, consume more electricity. Moreover, some people also feel they intrude the, privacy. In a way, they are right because many times the staff does not feel, comfortable as there is a constant watch on it. They get conscious and come, under unnecessary stress, which may cause job dissatisfaction and eventually, they may end up leaving the job. Many times video cameras are misused to, make porn MMSes by fixing them at places like hotel rooms and trial rooms., The innocent victims are tremendously agonised with guilt and shame without, any fault of theirs., I think people have to accept the intrusion of video cameras in the privacy if, they really feel that safety and security is their priority., In view of ongoing development of the city, it has been announced by, the local government authority that a new high school may be built in, your community. Do you support or oppose this plan and why?, I am very happy that government has taken such a decision and give my total, consent to it., As I live in a suburban residential zone, the plan will be of a great value. First of, all, I would appreciate the plan as suburbs are appropriate for opening a, school. For us, it would be like a drop in a thirsty mouth as we are devoid of a, 52

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high school in the vicinity. Till now, children were at risk of transportation, hazards when they were sent to distant areas for higher education and parents, had to put their safety at stake, but now, it will not be so. Children may also, enjoy an extra benefit of playing in the school ground beyond school timings if, permission granted. Opening of a high school will be a great motivation to, those parents who still do not take higher education seriously. This will also call, for development of roads and commercialisation in my locality. Such a, commercialisation would be visible with more number of stationery,, photocopying, refreshment and garment shops., However, peace would be disrupted due to school crowd particularly at, opening and closing time of the school. The passers-by would face much, inconvenience during that time. Also, there is a possibility of occurrence of, illegal activities in the school compound such as drug dealing. Moreover, the, chances of theft will also increase as the doors will open for strangers to visit, the locality frequently., Though there are some drawbacks with the opening of high school in my, community, I fully support this plan of government as it will only lead to an, increase in the level of education. This step is to be accompanied with strict, rules and regulations inside the school premises and a proper security in the, school against any type of antisocial activity., Suppose there is a plan of opening a new hypermarket in your area. Do, you favour or oppose this plan?, The proposed plan leaves me with ambiguous feelings as I can see its pros, and cons., Talking about my area, it presently has no hypermarkets, so it would be a good, opportunity for this hypermarket to gain business and establish itself. Local, people would have the convenience to shop from a superstore in the locality, itself, which would save their time and money as A to Z items would be, available at one stop and that too at the same price that local vendors offer if, not less. In fact, people are likely to get one more money-saving option in the, form of bulk purchase schemes. Furthermore, there is a good opportunity for, local people to get hired over there. Last but not the least, it would enhance the, value of the area and make it more popular., Though it seems a good plan in the first place, it requires one to see its other, side too. For this, one needs to know the factual reality of my area. It is already, too congested with a significant portion belonging to middle class community, and an unplanned infrastructure. Above that, transport rush of the hypermarket, would aggravate the problem of traffic congestion. Though it would include a, parking space of its own, chances are there that the people coming there park, on the roadsides or in our local spaces during heavy rush. Moreover, it will, undoubtedly lead to an increase in air and noise pollution. Another point of, concern is for the small shops, some even older than 10 years, whose, 53

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business would be directly affected with the opening of this hypermarket. The, saying "rich becomes richer and poor becomes poorer" will go true in this case., Considering everything, I feel that the changing lifestyle of people needs such, a venture to be undertaken. Every development demands some sacrifice,, turning back to it is utter foolishness., Big shopping malls are becoming popular day by day, still small markets, are surviving. Do you think that they will be able to survive for long?, Commercialisation has grown rapidly in the modern era. Consequently, the, shopping facilities have increased and cities are flooded with hi-fi shopping, complexes. This has affected the small markets and broken their monopoly of, many years., The shopkeepers and vendors in small markets are flexible on price. It is a, blessing to the regular customers as they have a wider scope to bargain., Shopkeepers themselves give special attention, relaxation in price and, privileges like credits to regular customers. Due to Sequent visits, often good, customer-owner relations are developed and comfort level rises. However,, investment and profit margin of such shopkeepers and vendors is quite lower, compared to the big shopping malls, and therefore, their stocks are limited and, hence the business. They are easily affected by the fluctuating market, conditions., Nowadays, big shopping malls are pulling the customers through attractive, displays and schemes. Due to bulk purchase from the companies directly, they, can afford to sell the products at a lower price than the other small retailers and, the customers are benefited. They sell mostly the branded products, and, hence, the quality is assured and chances of cheating on price are negligible., They are one-stop destinations for shopping with luxuries Ike central, air-conditioning, escalators etc. Credit card payments provide us the, convenience of shopping without any cash. Iscon Megamall, the biggest mall, in Gujarat, provides all the above benefits and so is highly popular., Big shopping malls are opened with a huge investment. They can survive, under adverse market conditions for a pretty long time. It is becoming very, difficult for small retailers and vendors to compete with them. Still I think small, markets have a place in people's heart as they are very much used to the, traditional way of shopping, and it will take some time for them to adapt to the, new concept., The view that old buildings should be knocked down to give way to the, development in terms of new infrastructural facilities is opposed by, many people who still believe in preserving the historical heritage., Which view do you support?, Old buildings and monuments reflect the culture and heritage of a particular, place. Though these buildings have a great historical value, many people feel, 54

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that they are useless and simply occupying the valuable space of the city and, should be demolished., I hold a different opinion on this. I believe if they are maintained well, they can, be a good source of foreign exchange as many foreigners are interested to, visit such places. Some of the old buildings have religious significance, and, some are even ancestral homes which give an idea of the architectural, expertise of the past time. Such buildings make the city popular and attract, companies to invest there, which increases the employment opportunities in, that particular city., Many times it is seen that though an old building has a great history,, government does not put in extra efforts to attract more visitors or to, popularise. For instance, Sidi Saiyad Mosque in Ahmedabad has got a rich, history and is highly famous in Asia for its minute carving. Many foreign, researchers come to this mosque for the research purpose, but local people, are hardly aware of its history. No special efforts are seen to be made by the, government to maintain it and preserve the rich heritage, which if done will also, attract the visitors in large numbers and generate revenue., I would definitely say that old buildings need to be preserved, but at the same, time, the old buildings which are in completely desolated condition or are worn, out should be demolished as they pose a danger to the nearby buildings. They, can also be handed over to some private organisations to get them converted, into hotels or resorts., Some countries have banned smoking at public places and in office, buildings in the favour of society. What is your point of view regarding, it?, It is really appreciable that some countries have taken this extreme step of, banning smoking in public places and office buildings to reduce exposure to, environmental tobacco smoke. The statutory warning on the cigarette packets, is just a meaningless legal formality. Even generating awareness is a hopeless, exercise for the people where smoking is accepted by the culture itself. It is, good to see that governments have realised that there should be a limitation on, people's behaviour or habits when it affects other people, especially their, health and safety., Research has continuously provided evidence that passive smoking or second, hand smoke causes the same problems as direct smoking including lung, cancer, heart diseases, asthma etc. However, there are some other concerns, like about young children who cannot escape the bad effects of smoking. We, can only ban people from smoking in public places, but we cannot force them, to leave smoking. Ultimately, they are going to smoke at home, hence affecting, young children directly., It is believed that smoking ban drastically affects the revenue generation from, the tobacco industry. I believe that the boost economy can get with more, healthy people in the workforce can do far more than just nullifying this loss., 55

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There is also a good evidence that smoking ban does not economically hurt, the hospitality industry. Instead, it promotes tourism as non-smokers wishing, the ban are always more in proportion to the smokers., To conclude, let us be honest in making this smoking ban successful as it will, not only affect people around us but also will affect the overall environment as, air pollution will be less. We must continue to promote and strengthen public, health policies and practices, if not for ourselves at least for our children and, further generations to come and live in this beautiful, clean environment., Some countries have rules for the number of children in a family, while, in the others there is no government interference in this matter. Is it right, for the governments to implement such rules for population control?, When a government introduces rules for population control, it puts a restriction, on personal freedom, but the economic status of the country or the fear of, population explosion and carbon emissions propels the leaders to enter the, personal sphere of the individuals., Overpopulation has been responsible for almost all the socio-economic ills and, the lack of development in countries like India and China. It is seen that the, states with higher population growth also have higher poverty, lower literacy, and poorer public health. From a broader perspective, it does not seem wrong, if government takes the charge of controlling population in its hands., However, population control measures, wherever they have been applied,, affected women more than men. It caused them increased suffering through, sex pre-selection, repeated abortions and violence. Undesirable, consequences like higher proportion of ageing people and imbalance in the, boys to girls ratio may line up strict enforcement of family planning policies in, the long run as is now felt in China after implementation of its one-child policy, over the last 30 years. Furthermore, enforcing a child norm is an inadequate, strategy unless the need of properly functioning primary health centres is, fulfilled. The focus should be on enabling couples to plan their families by, providing them adequate information and quality services., To conclude, I would say that if need be a child norm clubbed with the step of, enhancing the status of women is a right approach as it would curb the, suffering for women and female infanticide. I think government can dictate, terms of population control only if the situation is grave to an utmost degree. If, it is a democracy, citizens have to be taken in absolute confidence as to why, the rule is needed. The policy has to be flexible so that it could be withdrawn, when the need is over. This all needs a great concern and sense of, responsibility on the part of government., Is it required that wealthy nations share their wealth among poorer, nations to solve their problems like food scarcity, lack of education,, , 56

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healthcare facilities and technology or poorer nations themselves, should tackle them?, There is a divide of rich and poor in the world where many poor nations, in Asia, and Africa, suffer a heavy lack of development and wealthy nations enjoy, much better quality of life with their enormous resources., There are many countries like Somalia and Ethiopia where people are dying of, starvation. It is foolish to talk about their development when such is the plight., For another poor country Bangladesh where floods occur every now and then,, it is obvious to have an economic crisis with every devastation due to flood., Poorer nations in a state of helplessness have no choice except being, dependent on wealthy nations and organisations like World Bank and, International Monetary Fund., Wealthy nations should not forget that much of their enrichment is because of, the poorer nations, as Dependency Theory suggests. They enjoy being, powerful and want to maintain this status. But, if the talk is about starving, people in rags in many impoverished nations, the question is of moral, and for, that, power ego should be put aside. It would really be an ethical task to help, poorer nations. A wealthy nation can direct some of its additional funds, such, as those for space exploration or arms race, for the economic growth of, backward countries. This, in turn, can help it get more cooperation from them, for its own benefit., Such a monetary aid, however, should not slow down the efforts of poorer, nations to achieve their economic growth on their own. They themselves, should be determined enough to find out various means to achieve so like, exploiting their natural resources and employing new techniques to raise, productivity. Their progress also depends on how they cut unnecessary, expenditures, like not buying weapons unnecessarily; develop technology;, increase job opportunities and make citizen-friendly policies., A helped country needs to understand the value of help it gets and utilise it with, proper planning according to its requirements and aim for self-dependence., The concept of universal language is appreciated by many who feel that, only one language in the world would help in many ways, while others, criticise it. What is your opinion?, Different countries have their different national languages. The nationality of a, person can be identified by his language. Countries with more than one, language reflect a rich cultural diversity, but this situation is also problematic in, many ways. Presently, English can be called a universal language as half of, the world population is using it. Developing countries like India, Pakistan and, China have now understood the importance and benefits of English language,, and government in these countries now provides facility of English-medium, schools., , 57

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Undoubtedly, there are many advantages of accepting a universal language., Through universal language, a particular country can develop its business, relations and increase its economic strength. It is hard to learn different, languages to deal with people of different nations; use of a universal language, is more convenient. People can understand the culture and traditions of other, countries, which helps in developing healthy relations among them., This builds a foundation for good business and social relations. People can live, with peace and harmony., As every coin has two sides, there are disadvantages also if a universal, language replaces other languages. Adopting universal language leads to, westernisation of culture, which has many bad effects. Those who generally, speak universal language forget their own language and culture and their, children follow the same. For example, India is well-known for its culture and, traditions all over the world, but nowadays, people in big cities have forgotten, their culture and language., By looking at the scenario of increasing technology and development in, developed countries, I agree to universal language replacing other languages,, but only to some extent. As far as business relations, exchange of technology, and educational and economic purpose is concerned, it is all right. At the same, time, people should not totally leave their own language as it is the identity of, the nation and its people., , Is job rotation a practice worth adopting by the organisations?, In this world of competition, companies adopt different methods for faster, growth and development. Employers are always in search of ways to increase, the work efficiency and output. One of the latest steps in this direction is job, rotation., Job rotation has become very common in many sectors like banking, railway,, library etc. Many organisations are encouraging job rotation because they are, benefited a lot. The employees get a change from their monotonous work, routine, so their work efficiency increases. They take interest in work. They, become multi-skilled. If an employee is absent, the work is not suffered. One, does not have to depend on a particular person for the work, so ultimately the, company is benefited and its output increases. It also helps to reduce, malpractices like corruption. This type of practice also proves cost effective. It, is up to an organisation how to carry out job rotation effectively according to its, requirements., On the other hand, some jobs require specialised knowledge or specific, operational skills, which cannot be replaced by other persons. For example,, job of a computer technician cannot be replaced by a person from some other, 58

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department. Some people are expert in their jobs. If their job is rotated, their, efficiency decreases. Also, the other person may not be able to maintain the, same expertise level. Sometimes unnecessary pressure is laid on them, because they constantly have to prove themselves. This leads to frustration,, and they may leave the job. In this case, company may incur losses., Thus, job rotation is an innovative step which is practiced by many, organisations. However, it may or may not be possible depending on the, nature of work and work conditions., Taxes are imposed by the government to have public's contribution for, the revenue. Is it right to consider tax a burden and escape paying it?, Tax money collected by government is used to fund basic amenities, provide, various services to citizens and for government administration and projects,, running of jails and defence system, and many other operations. It is not wrong, to say that "taxes run a country." Thus, it is very important for a government to, make people pay taxes., Let us analyse what makes citizens crib about taxes. People's reluctance to, pay taxes is mostly a representation of their dissatisfaction with government, inefficiencies in serving them. They blame government for things like lack of, infrastructure, poverty and unemployment, but they are not completely wrong, as tax revenue is misused in some or the other way in every country. In, developed countries, however, because of higher satisfaction from, government's functioning, citizens may be more willing to pay taxes. Another, factor generating dissatisfaction is the tax structure itself. Often the complexity, of tax system drives people away from paying taxes. It is also felt that the tax, rates are high and tax slabs are unequal. It is difficult to question the, government on an "unfair" tax system, so they feel it is not unethical if one, goes for tax avoidance or tax evasion., Not paying taxes, however, is not at all a right approach. This mentality can, drastically affect a country's revenue generation, my own country, India, for, that matter. But then, it is equally desired that government come up with a fair, tax structure and also make people aware where the taxes are being diverted., Even lowering the tax rates can help a country increase its tax collection as it, would increase compliance among the taxpayers. Tax reform should also be, fast so that no public grievance or non-compliance remains for long. A proper, tax system backed up with strict tax laws can produce the best results., To conclude, I would say that it is the duty of every citizen to pay tax and the, duty of every government to use it appropriately in public interest., Child labour is a social evil prevalent in many countries. Does it exist in, your country? What is your opinion on its abolishment?, "Working children" sounds pathetic as childhood can be correlated to only, enjoyment and studies. Child labour is seen in the society in varying degrees,, 59

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from working in a household to stone breaking. A sad fact associated with it is, that people often turn their backs on child labour or be hypocrites when asked, about it., India is a country with many impoverished families having lots of children. "No, family planning" mentality of slums and villages floods them with children. It is, obvious that the parents cannot afford their livelihood due to insufficient, earning and end up forcing them into child labour. Many street orphans are, also child labourers, which is a graver situation than of the child labourers with, families., The use of children is rampant in many industries such as matchstick, carpet,, sari, firecrackers and so on. A much publicised and controversial example of, this is the match and firecracker industry in Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu, where, thousands of children used to work earlier. Being children, they cannot raise, their voice against the exploitation they suffer and ne only choice they have is, to remain dumb and work. They remain devoid of the normal childhood, pleasures and opportunities for growth and learning. Besides, the unhygienic, and hazardous working conditions make them suffer from diseases like, tuberculosis, asthma and skin problems. Their disturbed childhood often leads, them to the world of crime., In the household working, sometimes children are fortunate enough to get, good treatment, facilities and opportunities, but at the end of the day, that is, also just a return for the labour a child does., In the end, I would just say that any kind of child labour harms the childhood, and snatches the rights and freedom of children. We all need to understand, that it is a crime and try to abolish it wherever it exists., Some people think that slaying animals for food is brutal and not, required. Others believe it is an unavoidable part of a diet. Which stand, do you take?, Discussions about the food habits and preference often lead to a debate over, vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. A non-biased approach, however, helps, us to understand why people differ in their preference., People eat non-vegetarian food for various reasons. For some people, it is a, compulsion, like those who live in cold regions where they have to eat, non-vegetarian food for body warmth. In western countries, lack of vegetation, reduces the availability of vegetables and makes vegetarian food very, expensive. In this situation, it is quite obvious and common to rear animals for, food and feed the population. It is not felt to be wrong or unethical as one, believes in "survival of the fittest and humans as the supreme beings." There is, very much the same belief and tradition for seafood on islands like Japan and, Philippines where it is equivalent to plant eating." Some people also eat, non-vegetarian as a part of tradition in their religion, like Muslims do on Bakri, 60

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Idd where they need to kill a goat and feast over it. Meat is also advised for a, good physique to people in body building and athletic sports., Contrastingly, in certain religions, eating non-vegetarian is tabooed, so is, avoided. Besides, a WHO report says that human beings contract around 159, diseases due to consumption of non-vegetarian food. If we consider the, benefits, vegetarian food will definitely excel non-vegetarian food. Advances in, technology have made vegetarian food easily available in most parts of the, world now. Even the most developed countries are turning towards it. A large, variety is available in vegetarian food, and it is proven to be a balanced diet., Another advantage is of the fibre content, which helps in removing toxins and, eases digestion. It lacks in non-vegetarian food., I believe in supporting the "green revolution" and not killing animals merely for, satisfying the hunger when a choice is there., Animal activist and welfare groups have always risen their voice against, animal testing for drugs and medical research. Do you think they hold a, correct viewpoint?, Man has been using animals for various purposes from ages. While the use of, animals in farming and transportation is considered "normal," uses like animal, testing in the medical field and non-vegetarian food have always been, criticised by a section of the society as cruel and unethical. Talking about, animal testing, a simple question arises, "if not animals, then who?", The use of animals for medical research, experimentation and testing is many, times unavoidable to check the efficacy and risk factors associated with any, drug or chemical before human application. The risk factors include harmful, side-effects, odd reactions, allergies and death in extreme cases; hence, direct, human application is a big risk. "Human subjects" is an alternative to it, but, again, no human would like to risk his life unless helplessness-driven., However, the use of animals on a large scale for experimentation and their, mishandling is unjustified. A large number of animals are sacrificed in the, name of testing even if not necessary. The careless attitude of drug and, cosmetic companies towards the laws of animal testing certainly puts a, question mark on animal rights. Often the negligence of researchers leaves, animals in a tormenting phase with unbearable pain and suffering and, ultimately death. Now, when scientific community has come up with new, technologies as animal testing alternatives like computer modelling, synthetic, skin etc., the medical and pharmaceutical fraternity should welcome them and, resort to them wherever possible., I think if we cannot do without animal testing, at least we have to be as humane, as possible in using and treating the animals, and their use should be restricted, to only such areas of research and testing where no other alternatives are, available., Crime among the adolescents is referred to as "juvenile delinquency.", Do you think juvenile delinquents can be dealt like regular criminals?, 61

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Offences by the adolescents are typically put in a separate category of crime, as their causes and impact are different from the regular crime. As different, countries have different juvenile delinquency laws, punishments are also, different. Alternative approach to punishment is treatment and correction,, which I believe is the right thing to do., Punishing by sending an adolescent to jail may not serve the purpose of, reforming him. It permanently closes the doors for him to lead a normal life as, the society would never accept him once he goes to jail. In jail, there are, chances that he meet antisocial elements, get influenced by them and later on, become a mere puppet of their hands. The bad experiences of jail would not be, wiped out of his mind for lifetime, and either he would live with a constant guilt, feeling breaking his confidence forever or would go in the world of crime where, he would be accepted readily. Thus, I would say authority itself is committing a, crime by sending adolescent delinquents to jail and spoiling their lives., Instead, they can be sent to rehabilitation centres where proper counselling is, provided to make them realise what is right and what is wrong and turn them to, a constructive path. Often psychiatric treatment becomes necessary looking at, their bitter past. They can be given alternative punishment of doing social, service, through which as a human they would grow. For instance, a, delinquent can be sent to an orphanage or an old age home and be impelled to, serve over there. This can help him understand others' grief and plight and, make him more responsible towards the society. Even the society would be, proud of him serving the needy and welcome him back whole-heartedly, forgiving his past., All in all, a juvenile delinquent should be treated differently as discussed, above, as he is not criminal in a true sense., Capital punishment, or death penalty, is a debatable practice. In many, countries it is valid, while others consider it inhuman and are against it, What are your views?, Every country has its own set of punishments to maintain law and order. If the, punishments are strict, a person will think twice before committing a crime., Capital punishment is one such form of punishment, but it is not accepted by all, the countries and is highly controversial., Punishment is basically given to make a person realise his mistake. If there is, even a slightest chance that a criminal can be diverted from the wrong path, and can be reformed, then he should be rehabilitated and brought back in the, society. In the case where the conscience of the criminal is dead and there are, no chances of him to regain a normal state of mind, he becomes dangerous for, the society and capital punishment can be considered valid. Terrorists and, serial killers fall in this category., , 62

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However, the death penalty or the capital punishment is a human decision, so, there are chances of wrong judgments being given. Even manipulating the, evidences to turn the judgment in one's favour is common nowadays. People, find out the loopholes in the judicial system and try to take advantage. This, results in innocent people getting punishment and guilty people coming out, with clean hands. Thus, if a person given capital punishment is actually not, guilty, then it is definitely the biggest failure of our justice system and puts a, question mark on capital punishment., 1 strongly believe that the circumstances in which a crime is committed should, always be taken into account. For example, if a murder is done for, self-defence, then the murderer can be considered non-guilty and not a threat, to the society. However, a cold-blooded murderer cannot be forgiven and, needs to be punished severely, in extreme cases by death penalty, in the, favour of society., "Euthanasia," a word new to many people around the world, refers to, self-imposed death or mercy killing of a person with terminal illness, when he does not have a slightest chance of survival. The, non-advocates of euthanasia feel it is non-ethical and cannot be, legalised. Do you feel it should be legalised?, Some countries like Switzerland, Belgium and Netherlands have already, legalised some forms of euthanasia, but there are some ethical and political, issues attached to this burning issue which makes it illegal across the world., Personally, I do believe that it should be made legal, but only under certain, circumstances. If a patient is on life-support system or with terminal illness, which causes him relentless pain and distress, then euthanasia should be, considered. This not only relieves him of his pain and misery but also provides, relief to his near and dear ones who too go through a tremendous mental, agony. From a larger perspective, it is also good for a country where hospitals, remain full of such patients, with no hope of cure, just occupying the space., Thus, it is a practical and human approach to grant the patient his last wish to, end, his life in a merciful and relatively painless manner., Just to see the other side of it, what if the family members or immediate, relatives are allowed to take the decision of mercy killing? A big worry is that in, several places where poverty is extensive, people would use this as a weapon, and not care for the old and ill ones. Even a patient can be victimised for some, personal gains like property by getting a legal permission for mercy killing, adopting wrong ways. So, the only thing which can be done in this situation is, that laws should be put in place to make sure that there are proper standards, to avoid any unnecessary death., If medical science had not advanced to the levels it has, a terminal illness, patient would have already been dead and the end-result would have been the, same as euthanasia. Once again, I would favour it, but with proper laws, enforced making it impossible for anyone to take advantage of it., 63

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It is believed that creating human clones is like entering God's zone and, doing His duty, which is not acceptable to many for ethical reasons., What are your views on duplication of humans?, For years, scientists have been fascinated with the possibility of creating, human life by means other than natural birth. Animal cloning is a step taken in, that direction, but human cloning is something that is facing a highly critical, opposition., Benefits definitely are there. One major benefit is getting cure for, life-threatening genetic disorders like thalassemia and cystic fibrosis, and the, ability to harvest human organs or create animals so that their organs can be, used for transplant surgery. The other benefit would be for infertile couples, wanting a child. However, this can only be achieved through human, experimentation, thus risking humans. Furthermore, this issue goes against, most religious beliefs., It took hundreds of attempts for scientists to get the first mammal clone, Dolly, sheep. Data from these experiments clearly show the problems involved. Till, date, very few cloning attempts have remained successful. Cloning poses a, threat to the life of mother. Also, there are major risks of birth defects. It means, that even human cloning is likely to have similar negative outcomes. I think it is, only a waste of time and money to encourage this kind of research. It has also, been much debated that scientists should not take the work of God into their, hands. Even if human cloning is successful, it would only end up in bringing, disastrous results. For instance, crime detection would be impossible with the, same fingerprints. The identity of a person would come under suspicion., With human cloning, there are more negative effects than the positive ones., Natural childbirth has worked fine for humans as well as animals for billions of, years, then why do we need to disrupt their natural order of life? All countries, should join hands to enforce a complete ban on human cloning., "Brain drain," also termed as "human capital flight," is a phenomenon, where skilled and qualified people of developing countries are found to, move to developed countries to serve there. Many people are against it, and argue that it decreases the skilled workforce of a country for a rich, one and slows down its development. What is your opinion about it?, Brain drain is much noticed in the current scenario with increased, globalisation. India, my country, is shortlisted to be one of the top countries, with brain drain. One may perceive it to be good and bad both., It is very obvious for many people to express a concern over brain drain. A lot, of government funds go to institutions across the nation from where people, come out turned doctors or engineers, and when it is their time to contribute,, some other country gains their brains. Their services go for an already rich, 64

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economy, which too is in need of human recourse to feed the industries, therein. What they consider is huge monetary benefits and a good standard of, living, ignoring even the inferior treatment or humiliations they experience, there., Let us look at it the other way now. More work choices and opportunities in the, rich countries allure people to migrate there and they do migrate. Practically, thinking, there s nothing wrong in it as why should they suffer if their own, motherland is insufficient to cater to their needs. Countries like India and China, are really struggling to cater to the large population they have in terms of, career opportunities and growth. Thus, the movement of the people to other, countries is totally justified. In fact, it is not always so that the country with, so-called brain drain is at loss. Though people earn in a foreign country, they, send money to their dear ones in homeland, which could be directed in the, domestic market. Often people go with the intention to invest in their own, country once financially capable to do so and save money there., I think that in the current scenario people's flow from one country to another for, work and settlement is natural and unstoppable. Also, when the world is talking, about global economy, "brain drain" and "brain gain" have to exist. Attempts,, however, could be made to restore equality., Global interest in using nuclear power as an alternative source of energy, is on the rise, but it certainly needs attention. What do you have to say, about it?, As non-renewable sources are getting exhausted, scientists are in a continual, search of other alternative sources of energy. Nuclear power is one such, alternative source of energy which is being used presently for a variety of, purposes., Many developed countries make use of nuclear energy for producing, electricity. Countries like US and France are the top users of nuclear energy as, a source of electricity. One of the biggest advantages is that it produces cheap, electricity with less pollution. For many years, radiation from radioactive, substances like radium has been used for the treatment of cancer. Radioactive, substances are also used in medicine, agriculture and industry. The shelf life of, perishable food stuff increases and it remains fresh for a longer period when, exposed to radiation without a change in taste. Nuclear explosives are used for, explosions in the mountainous areas to lay roads, for building dams and even, for mining purpose. Water retention capacity of a dry land can also be, increased through blasts., On the other hand, the safe storage and disposal of nuclear wastes is the, biggest issue with the use of nuclear energy. According to United States, Environmental Protection Agency standards, it will take 10,000 years for, radioactive decay to pose no threat to the environment. Nuclear power plant, workers and people living in the vicinity are at a risk of cancer induced by, nuclear radiation. Furthermore, the production of electricity through nuclear, 65

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power plants requires large amounts of water, which means sacrifice of a part, of fresh water. The initial investment cost to set up a nuclear power plant is too, high, so only some countries could afford it., The use of nuclear energy is unavoidable at present, but its disposal is of major, concern. One must find a solution to it at the earliest or find some other better, alternative source of energy., , TYPE 3: QUESTION TYPE, Parenting is an art, and good parenting leads to good upbringing of a, child. Who makes a better parent according to you, a mother or a father?, The primary assumption that mothers are better caretakers is a self-fulfilling, statement which keeps fathers in a secondary position in their children's lives., Let us have a look at the pattern: When a baby is born, it is the mother who, knows everything that needs to be done. She is clearly the most capable and, efficient person to look after the newborn. Women are good at looking after, children because they have always done it. They devote time and attention, that is required to become good at this. With the more "efficient" doing the job,, fathers take a back seat. It is a common scene in the hospital or at home that, whenever the fathers hold the baby, they are always corrected., Comparing the parents of the past, we find that their pre-defined roles made, them complement each other in parenting. Mothers took care of the children at, home, and fathers ensured that they get best education, good facilities and, well-planned holidays. Occupied in earning for the family, fathers could at best, spend some quality time with the children, still always expected to teach, discipline and practical thinking to them. Being housekeepers, mothers were, more closely bonded with the children, teaching moral and religious values and, emotional side of the life., Let us accept this fact that both the parents have an equal role to play in the, overall development of the child. To bring up a child with proper values, both, father and mother should share equal responsibility, especially in today's, scenario when both parents are working and that too in nuclear families., Just giving birth does not make the mother a better parent, and providing a, better life to the children does not make the father a better parent; it is all about, loving, caring, supporting and encouraging, scolding and comforting, always, standing by them, which both, mothers and fathers, are capable of. To, conclude, both father and mother together make the best parents., , 66

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It is seen that boys tend to follow their fathers and girls their mothers. Is, the influence of a father more on the son and that of a mother more on, the daughter?, Parents turn out to be the prototypes for their children as they observe their, parents so closely and follow them. It is obvious that a girl would take on her, mother and a boy his father in most aspects being of the same gender., However, this would only be for the gender-specific characteristics., Traditionally, a girl is mentally prepared since childhood to understand, household responsibilities by her mother. Her mother is the best person she, could follow as she only guides her. She accompanies her mother while she, cooks, operates household equipments, goes shopping and such stuff. A, friendly mother is the one who gives her advice in her emotional turmoils. A, father may not understand the psychology of a daughter when she comes with, typical girlish matters and demands. Many times it is found that a father is more, protective about the daughter than being friendly and liberal. This, in fact may, create a distance between the two., On the other hand, boys learn their future role from their fathers. As boys are, supposed to be breadwinners in future, they naturally incline towards the father, for learning the ways to earn. Fathers influence them with their experience of, dealing with the outside world. Boys depend on fathers for many practical, advices on studies, career, extracurricular activities and so on. We see many, father-son pairs in the same profession, particularly businesses, like the steel, tycoon Lakshmi Mittal and his son Aditya Mittal., However, I believe every child has a mixed influence of mother and father both., As "opposites attract," often mother would be more affectionate towards the, son and father towards the daughter. In the modern times, when men and, women are at par in many cultures, mother and father are both equal in most, aspects of parenting and hence their influence., Children's behaviour goes parallel to the parents' behaviour. If they are, made to follow strict rules, they wither or become rebellious. How can, parents go about setting rules for children?, It depends totally on the purpose or the task that needs to be done how strict, the parents should be., Parents should not go overboard to make children follow rules they have set, because once the parents start compelling them too much, they get frightened, of their parents and are fearful of sharing anything with them. Parents should, always act as a friend or guide to their children. Let us take an example that, your child is a musical prodigy. As parents you can see that he feels awkward, in social gatherings. Instead of pointing his fearfulness out, it is better to, encourage him to interact with others with a reaction like, "I am so pleased that, you are making friends at your music class." This will boost up the child to, come out of his shell and improve his social skills., 67

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Such rules should be established that make sense and can be easily followed., Parents who ask teachers who work with their child are usually found to be, successful in interacting with their child because they are not enforcing but, setting rules according to their child's needs. It is very much necessary that, parents convince their children to study hard. Family arguments should be, avoided in front of children until there is an obvious streak of maturity in them., Parents need to understand that children are emotionally intense, which leads, them to moodiness and bossy behaviour. Understanding the school options for, the child and selecting the best option is one of the finest things parents can do, for their child. There can be burnouts even with forcing the child to take up, career of your choice., It pays off to try to keep your child as a child because the result is a, well-adjusted child, better equipped for adulthood when the time comes. A little, understanding goes a long way., , It is commonly seen that children work around the house once they are, grown enough to be able to help their parents. Should they be made to, work around the house, or it is not their age to give a helping hand?, Childhood is supposed to be a worriless period of life. However, if children are, made to handle small work responsibilities of the household, they prove to be, better learners., Working around the house, children definitely provide a helping hand to, parents. Working parents are somewhat relieved of the household burden., Such children understand the needs of their parents and are courteous, towards the house servants too. They can be dependable in emergencies like, unexpected guests, illness in family. When they do things like a small shopping, around the house, they practically learn to deal outside the house., Housebound activities like answering calls or helping in cleaning, cooking,, serving food and so on make them play a noteworthy role and make others feel, their presence. If they get an opportunity to work using technological, equipments, they definitely increase their smart-working skills. For instance,, use of equipments like microwave, vacuum cleaner and lawn mower makes, them understand how manual working can be replaced with machines and, work can be done faster. This attitude can help them in studies where they can, use computers to their benefit., However, many times parents fail to understand the priorities of children., Sometimes children are made to do household work at the cost of their studies,, which is always their first priority. Even their playtime is cut in fulfilling the, household duties given to them. Now, when TV is not an idiot box anymore,, there are frequent interruptions by parents for some work even when children, watch knowledge stuff on TV., I think working around the house for children should not be from help point of, view, but should be for learning and satisfying their curiosity. If it is forcible and, 68

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excessive, it can be related to child labour, which is no less than doing a crime, by snatching their rights to play, study and enjoy., In some countries, home cooking is a disappearing skill. What is the1, situation in your country? Should children he taught the skill of home, cooking?, India is a country with a vast variety of cultures. Each and every culture has its, own specialty of food, like North Indians are identified with "chole bhature,", South Indians with "idli dosa," Bengalis with their varieties of fish and Gujaratis, with "khaman dhokla." These are quite common to be cooked in Indian, kitchens. I certainly disagree that culinary skills are disappearing in India., With youngsters choosing western food to eat, like pizzas and burgers, some, people believe the importance of home-cooked food will soon be forgotten, but, in a country like India, western food is mostly referred as "junk food," eaten just, for a change of taste. Its popularity is also due to its easy availability and, economical price. I think now with an increase in health consciousness, more, and more people are turning towards home-cooked food., With the advancement in technology, the change in preparation of food is, amazing. The convenience with appliances like microwave and refrigerator, makes home cooking faster and easier. People are able to preserve a lot of, food items at home and thus prepare1 several dishes according to the choice of, family members. Though it is very common now to eat out at restaurants,, health is a big concern for people. At home, they prefer as simple food as it, could be., Youngsters have started using new fat substitutes available in the market to, cut down fat and calories. Readymade pastes have given them more choices, to experiment in the kitchen. Home cooking skills help them learn cooking with, the raw material available and about proper hygiene. Now, with many children, staying away from families for education, I think home cooking is all the more, necessary to help them in independent living., I, hereby, conclude that the Indian home cooking tradition has definitely, undergone a change with a new look and preparation but only for more, convenience and style., i;, Now, we see a lot of comfort and convenience in the life of children., Their lifestyle has undergone a huge change in that their habits,, activities and even social behaviour are not what they used to be earlier., Which factors are responsible for this kind of change, and is it desirable, or not?, There is a drastic change in each and every field due to rapid advancement in, technology. Technology touches everyone's life; even the children are not left, out. Their lifestyle has changed more in a destructive way than constructive., Now, they are found to be more lazy, fat and unsocial., 69

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Nowadays, children get a lot of comforts at home. They do not get enough, exercise as the manual work is very less. They do not have to walk much as, either they avail transportation facilities or have their own vehicles. Even, parents readily give them pocket money for their expenses, and they spend, much of it behind junk food, which is tasty but is high-calorie. Now, computer,, television and videogames have replaced outdoor games. Even the modern, constructions do not allow the children to play outdoor games as there is hardly, any space to play., The unsocial behaviour of the children is the result of changing cultural values, and behavioural changes in the parents themselves. Joint families are now, breaking and nuclear families are evolving. Thus, children remain devoid of the, moral and social values that grandparents generally give. Busy parents have, kept this task at the back seat. Many children remain locked in their homes, as, both the parents work, and turn unsocial. There are many such families in my, neighbourhood where this situation can be seen. Apart from this, modern, parents often do socialising without involving children., Undoubtedly, modern life is full of luxurious facilities, but children are needed, to be taught self-control and self-discipline in order to make them live a healthy, life. As parents and teachers are the best guides to children, they should make, all the possible efforts to teach and guide the children in social values and try to, remove any unsocial element from their minds., In the changing scenario, working of married women on one hand marks, an age of women's liberation and leads to the youth facing problems and, suffer on the other. Discuss., We keep listening of women's rights, women's liberation, gender equality and, so on, but how fair it is if the man and woman both work all day and then the, woman has to get up early and stay up till late and do all the house chores, herself! A working woman has her two legs in two different boats, or we can, say that she keeps juggling between work and home. She is exposed to more, tensions and pressure than a housewife., A mother, whose priority is her family, in most cases tries to sacrifice the initial, years for the child's growth, but few have to continue with their jobs due to, reasons like husband incapable of earning sufficient money. In some cases,, individual growth takes over and the child suffers at home. There is a high, likelihood that a child devoid of proper parental care and attention get spoilt. A, cultureless and misbehaving child is what it is reported as. Such youth tend to, go out of control and develop a carefree attitude. They are much prone to get, influenced by the outside company and indulge in misdeeds., But then, if the goal of a woman's life was to get married, stay at home, take, care of the house and depend on somebody for finances, what was the reason, to get educated? Young men want an educated and brainy partner to manage, 70

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their household, but when it comes to contribute to the household affairs, they, often show a mean mentality by telling it 1 just women's responsibility., I think it is unfair if women are told to switch back to their traditional role of, homemaking. It is time that men contribute to homemaking and share the, responsibility of children the way women are contributing in sharing the, responsibility of earning., Who do you think is better prepared to deal with the problems in future, environment, a child from a rich family or a child from a poor family?, Although each and every phase of life holds its own importance, childhood is, the period determining the basic nature and character of a person. Like a, scratch on a stone, it is difficult to erase the impression of childhood, experiences. Rich and poor upbringing, thus, would condition two different, children in two different manners and would definitely have an impact in, adulthood too., Children brought up in rich families get all their demands fulfilled easily and, hence shape up an impatient nature. They hardly have to make adjustments or, compromises of any sort, which further makes them rigid and less cooperative., Luxuries affect their tolerance power and tendency to work manually. Think of, a child habituated of air conditioner and getting luxuries like constant, attendance by servants, how long can he bear the heat and would he get up, with plates in hand from the dining table? We can imagine what work habits, such children will develop. Not always so, children of rich families often grow, up as individuals with a winning attitude and superiority, which they inherit from, their ambitious and successful parents., On the other hand, harsh treatment by life teaches poor children acceptance,, flexibility and ability to digest "no." They get a typical "street smartness" as, playing tricks for small achievements often becomes their habit. However,, when poverty takes a toll on them, their grudge is manifested by acts like, "snatch if you don't get." A lot of negativity can be seen in life of such children,, and they often develop an attitude of not struggling hard and blaming destiny, behind every failure., I think too much wealth and too much poverty both are injurious to children and, affect their handling of future environment. Still in any case, proper nurturing, and support of the immediate society can make them more or less the same in, their practical abilities., What are the reasons for youngsters getting more indulged in activities, like shopping in their leisure time? Should they be diverted to other, activities?, As globalisation has taken place, a lot of multinational brands have entered our, market. We cannot deny the fact that today's youngsters are left with a lot more, 71

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options to shop than the past generation, so it is obvious that they spend a, great deal of their leisure time in shopping., In this materialistic world, it has become very important to look smart,, presentable and impressive. Youngsters are well-aware of this, so they utilise, the available leisure time for the same and end up in shopping. Moreover,, today's youngsters have started engaging themselves in part-time jobs to earn, their pocket money and have become more or less self-dependent. Many of, them do not have any family responsibilities, hence could easily spend for their, pleasures. Alluring shopping malls also play a big role in tempting them for, shopping. Besides clothes, there is a variety of accessories also available like, purses, wallets, chains, bracelets, watches, shoes etc. These accessories and, clothing range from cheap to high price, which caters to different classes and, makes shopping not restricted solely to rich-class youngsters., Seeing this fast-paced life, the value of time has increased more than ever. If, youngsters would waste their precious time in shopping, then it would be a, heavy loss on their as well as the nation's part. I think this is where the, responsibility of parents and concerned elders come, making children realise, the value of time and money and diverting them to other productive hobbies, like sports, swimming, dancing etc. They can also be encouraged to do, community welfare work through which they would learn to serve the society, and be well-aware of the ground realities of life., I am not against shopping, but excessive shopping is definitely not in the, favour of anybody. For youngsters particularly, shopping is good to the extent, of necessity, but certainly not luxury., Youth is a period of life when the abilities of a person can be at his prime, and if utilised properly can take a nation to newer heights. How feasible, is it for the young people to turn towards voluntary community work,, and up to what extent can they go for it?, A young adult who shows any sign or effort to do something for the society, shows a strong moral character. Volunteering can become one of the best, ways to make friends, help community and gain valuable life experience., There are certain benefits of working for a community without expecting any, returns in cash or kind, accompanied by a few negative aspects too., Volunteering by youth provides a good chance to experience the world around, and make them more responsible citizens in the future. Apart from learning, good work ethics, one can also get a taste of future profession. Furthermore,, community welfare can be at a faster rate as the youth tend to be, enthusiastically involved in whatever activities they indulge in. It is a good idea, for them to join NGOs like YUVA, which gives them a good platform., Just as every coin has two sides, this kind of work by youth too has its pros and, cons. Overindulgence or a higher degree of commitment can make one spend, 72

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quite a lot of time in it, and in this process, his studies or other schedule would, be hampered. At times as the teens are undertrained, they may develop a, feeling of not knowing the task, hence lack of comfort level. Again, a young, volunteer who works with a particular section of the society he does not belong, to may form a wrong impression and may face a serious lack of cooperation., It is definitely good to work for the society for the betterment of it, and it is a, matter of pride for a nation if the youth take interest in it. However, to avoid the, above-discussed negative effects, one should accompany a volunteering, young adult initially and satisfy all his queries, secondly teach him the, importance of time management and to lead a balanced life., The significant rise in crime among the youth is alarming and is a big, concern to the governments across the world. What are the reasons and, solutions?, Increasing crime can be considered a hidden curse behind the boon of, advancement in technology. It is even more shocking to know that the ratio of, youngsters involved in crime is very high. The entire blame cannot be put on, youth for this situation. A lot of factors are needed to be considered., Many young people are found overambitious and want to achieve their goals in, short time. They do not hesitate to take short cuts to earn quick money. They, are quite immature and can be easily trapped by someone. Increasing poverty,, unemployment and competition is causing frustration and hopelessness, among the young people. This also sometimes forces them to take wrong, steps. Bad company or negative influences from friend circle are sometimes, responsible for the loss of moral values in young people and, in turn, lead to, committing crime. Many times watching of poor-quality programmes also, influences their psyche. Often a free culture is responsible for the abnormal, psyche of the youth. Incidents of school shootouts are quite common in, developed countries like USA. Just two years back, a massacre happened in, Virginia, USA, where a student killed around 30 people in the university., I feel as parents play a major role in upbringing, they should start teaching their, child moral values right from its childhood so that it becomes well-aware of the, right and wrong. Next comes the responsibility of the schools where they, should keep regular counselling sessions for the betterment of students' future., Government should also try and reduce unemployment and poverty, which are, the root causes., In this way, if combined efforts are made to channel the youth in proper, direction, they can become a driving force and push the nation to newer, heights. After all, we all can expect a better tomorrow if the youth is in right, spirits., It is found that closeness among the family members is reducing day by, day and the bond among the family members is not so strong as earlier., , 73

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Why has this change happened, and how can the degree of closeness, among the family members be increased?, It is definitely true that families are not as close as they used to be. There was, a recent survey on television citing the importance of families eating together, at the dinner table. It may be surprising to many, but a fact is that most families, do not eat together anymore. People prefer to have their food while watching, television or at study table, computer table etc. We tend to multi-task while, eating instead of focusing on our loved ones. Fathers and mothers are not, devoting time to their respective families and have become less responsible., This is largely due to increased divorces, single parents, both working parents, and the "me and my life" attitude., A happy family life is one of the life's greatest blessings and its absence is a, misfortune, but it is sad that even in India the social life is fractured. There are, tremendous tensions as families are engrossed in conflicts and hatred or fight, for better and more., Most of us spend our evenings at home, but do we use that time to bond with, our near and dear ones? We do the reverse, we retire into our private rooms, and watch TV like couch potatoes. My grandfather used to say that "families, just do not happen." Family ties can be strong only if it is a top priority of our, parents. Parenting means just one word "love," and we all need that. Right, communication is another important thing to bring families together. However,, it should be based on mutual respect without blaming or criticising, or giving, judgments or rules to follow. Furthermore, keeping family traditions alive is, also vital in family life., We should take pride that India is the original champion of family concept. Our, Vedic culture promotes "Vasudev kutumbakam," which means "world is a large, family." Let us preserve this value., Neighbourhood is the immediate society which holds a great value in, making our social life successful. What do you think are the desirable, qualities in neighbours?, Neighbours are considered our next door relatives. It is so true, as when help is, needed, they are the first ones to stand beside us. Life is quite smooth if the, neighbours are good, and it is more fun to stay at house if they are jolly., The definition of a good neighbour may differ slightly from person to person,, but the basic qualities remain the same. The most important quality which, neighbours need to possess is friendliness. When they are friendly, we can be, comfortable with them. We do not have to face any unnecessary problems, from their side and can easily enjoy our leisure time with them. We can also, arrange frequent meals or trips together. I am really privileged to have good, neighbours. We frequently arrange get-togethers on our main terrace of the, flats. However, sometimes overfriendliness is seen when they start taking the, relations for granted. For instance, they come to my house anytime and ask for, 74

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small, small grocery items. I think in such a situation they should be realised, the inconvenience caused due to their behaviour in such a way that they are, least hurt., Moreover, they should be cooperative and helpful so that at the time of, emergencies we can bank on them. However, they should not intrude in our, private matters if not asked to do so. They should know their limits, as, sometimes due to interference there are chances of disputes, which in turn, may increase the distance with them., To sum up, I would say that neighbours should know when their presence is, required. This is the key to keep the relations evergreen. Needless to mention,, when so much is expected from neighbours, we too are expected to be good, neighbours by someone., What are bad guest behaviours? What is our responsibility as a good, host?, Our culture says, "Atithi devo bhava," which means guest is God. Since, ancient times, guests have been given a high value in our culture, so it is, believed that if you satisfy a guest, you are directly serving God. It is altogether, a different matter of discussion, though, whether they really behave as God or, not., In this fast-paced life, it causes a lot of inconvenience when guests just drop at, any time. For instance, just recently it happened that some guests came during, our lunch time without intimating us and the lunch had to be re-prepared for, them, which was laborious and a big waste of time. It is not so that we do not, like their arrival, but such situations take away the hearty feeling to welcome, them. The saying "an unbidden guest is ever a pest" rightly goes here. I hate, the type of guests who are big gossip mongers as they merely visit us to, spread the gossip about others or to dig a new spicy scoop. There are some, other guests with uncivilised children who create havoc in our house by either, making the house messy or breaking things around. On the top of it, the guest, hardly bothers to scold them or even pay attention to them. In this case, we just, have to become dumb spectators. There are certain guests on whom the, following saying would totally fit: A guest is like a rain; when he lingers on, it, becomes a nuisance. They come to stay with us for a long period of time and, with their high demand list become a pain in our neck., To conclude, I would say that whether the guests are good or bad, we should, always try to be a good host and show our best hospitality. We should treat, them as we like to be treated by them., Lone travelling and travelling with companions both have their pros and, cons. Discuss and state your preference., , 75

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The question of travelling alone or with companions is a matter of personal, preference. In today's world, people travel from one place to another for, various purposes like work, recreation or vacation. Besides work tours,, travelling generally is such an experience wherein people get rest and, relaxation, enjoy and discover new things, and make new friends., Travelling with friends allows one to share the challenges and experiences of, travel. By sharing costs of travelling, one tends to save money also. Still I, believe in travelling alone because you have complete independence. It is a, great opportunity to immerse yourself in the analysis of your inner self or get an, ecstatic feeling by getting lost in nature's beauty. It inspires you to meet new, people and gives you the freedom to live and travel as you feel like. It also, gives you the time to catch up with your reading, which one has to skip in this, fast-paced life., But, many people get sick even while thinking of travelling alone. When you, travel alone, you can get bored easily. Furthermore, you have to be very, responsible and alert. You may have to regret if you get bad health, like, diarrhoea or motion sickness, or any emergency or mishap. Bad elements may, cheat you or take advantage of you finding you alone. Lone travelling, thus, is a, real challenge and requires looking for information about the travel destination, such as culture, food, language, climate, facilities and so on. It is advisable to, be well-prepared in advance for such a travel., I myself prefer to travel alone as I enjoy my own company more than anyone, else's and seek adventure. If I still miss a company, I get it by befriending fellow, travellers. Only if you are very old, I would request to accompany yourself with, somebody to take care of you., Materialism puts money on the highest position. Still money is not the, only thing people work for. Discuss other reasons for people to work., As Garth Brooks, a famous American country singer, said, "You aren't wealthy, until you have something money can't buy," we all would accept that money is, not the only wealth and there are things that money cannot buy but still mean, to us. Thus, money is not the only motive for people to work, there are a lot, many., A person works in an environment for eight to ten hours. If he is told to work in, an environment where he does not enjoy working and is simply given a, handsome amount of money, I wonder how long he could survive! The fact that, people are in every kind of profession itself implies that they enjoy their part of, work. For instance, a teacher does his work not simply for money or because, he does not have any other option but also because he enjoys teaching., Similarly, why many scientists devoted their entire lives just for one or two, inventions? Was it money? No, it was simply their passion towards their work, that pushed them so hard., , 76

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People also work for exposure. There are people who find a peculiar pleasure, in dealing with different people while out at work, each one with a different, psychology. This makes them understand life from different angles and, viewpoints. They grow their practical dealing and social abilities. Many people, work for name in the society as hard-earned name brings a sense of, achievement. Even the people born with a silver spoon in mouth are found to, struggle and work just to satisfy their inner self by achieving something on their, own. Many people work for their desire to be remembered even after they die., To conclude, I would say a person cannot live with money alone. Work is the, best way to fulfil subjective desires. On the top of everything, as a social being,, one never wants to lose the feeling that he is living a worthy life., Everyone seeks happiness in life and find out different ways to achieve, it. As it is a subjective feeling, everyone perceives it in a different, manner. Is happiness difficult to define? What do you think makes, people happy?, Happiness is a positive state of mind. Most of us successfully achieve it, temporarily, but it is an art to learn to be happy forever. It is easy to get, short-term pleasures materialistically, but to sustain the feeling of happiness, it, is believed that the only way is self-enlightenment or spiritual practices., Happiness cannot be defined as the concept of happiness varies from person, to person. Some people connect happiness with wealth and material success,, while for some it may only be a love-based relationship. It also varies with age., For instance, youngsters get happy when they get good jobs, whereas children, become happy merely by getting toys. Some people become happy when they, achieve their goals. Incorporeal factors like health, relationships, and, circumstances also affect the state of mind. Sometimes a person with a lot of, wealth is also unhappy if he is not satisfied. In the same way, if you compare, your life with others and have a pessimistic view towards life, then also you get, unhappy. Thus, satisfaction is very important to become happy., To remain happy, it is very important to keep a positive attitude even with the, change in circumstances. A person can become a master of his mind and, control it in such a manner that nothing affects it adversely. It is possible by, becoming aware of one's existence, which in turn lessens the desires and, expectations. Spiritual knowledge helps people to realise the fact that, happiness lies within themselves only., According to me, at the first place, it is very important to know what real, happiness is. Without it, people just waste their whole life in search of, happiness. I feel a person should learn to enjoy each and every moment of life, rather than waiting for happiness to come., Truth is a basic moral value, and more or less we all believe in it., However, life is such that it is not always possible to stick to this value., To what extent, do you think, can we speak truth?, 77

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Truth is a basic moral value which is taught right from the childhood by parents, and teachers. All religious books also teach us to speak truth. A person is, trusted more if he speaks truth. A person gets success in the long run only if he, follows the path of truth. It is an important virtue which reflects the good, character of a person. Mahatma Gandhi is one of the best examples of truthful, people. He wanted others to be aware of his way of implementing his principles, in his life and its effect, which he did through his autobiography "The Story of, My Experiments with Truth" that is full of illustrations where he experimented, with truth., Sometimes it is not possible to speak truth. It might not always be easy to, digest it. In certain professions, like medical, law, politics etc., a person has to, speak lies, but there is some difference. Doctors have to speak lies to save the, life of patients, whereas politicians speak lies to get votes. Sometimes media, also has to hide truth in the interest of society. Thus, it is very important to, know for what reason a lie is spoken., It is mentioned in Bhagvat Geeta that lies spoken for the betterment of others, are not lies. At the same time, a person should not speak lies for his selfish, motives. Some people have the habit of speaking lies, which is bad. They have, to speak hundred lies to hide one. They easily lose the respect and trust of, others. They can never build good relations in their lives and always have to, live with guilty conscience., According to me, a person should always follow the path of truth. Though it, looks difficult initially, ultimately it gives you success. I believe in "Satyamev, jayate," which means "Truth always wins.", The craze of fast food is increasing. With an increase in the popularity of, fast food, the popularity of traditional food is falling down. Describe the, scenario and state how does this change in eating habits affect the, people?, Food habits have changed greatly from past. A trend of instant food has come, up as people go for getting foods which are readily available or easily made., Today, in big cities, it has become a trend to go out on weekends to enjoy fast, food. Traditional food is struggling to retain its value in this changing scenario., As preparation of traditional food is time-consuming and requires a lot of, planning, working women find a good option in fast food. Besides this, there, are also many other factors which have led to an increase in the popularity of, fast food. Nowadays, a variety of fast food is available like pizza, sandwich,, burger, bhel etc. at the roadside at cheap rates, so youngsters get a good, change of taste. Moreover, such food can easily be packed and carried, anywhere. A lot of multinational companies like McDonald's and Domino's, have also opened their food outlets across the world and are attracting people, through mouth-watering food and tempting offers. Advanced technology and, globalisation has made food exchanges so common that it is possible now to, relish continental food items in the comforts of your own city., 78

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In this craze of eating fast food, people overlook its effect on health. It has high, calories and less nutritional value, so its regular eating can result in obesity, and cholesterol problems. It is prepared quite spicy, which leads to health, problems like acidity and indigestion. If it is not hygienically made or is stored, longer, then the chances of food poisoning are very high., I myself have cut my fast food intake after a bitter experience of suffering from, severe food poisoning through fast food from a roadside vendor one year ago., I suggest others to value traditional food as it is healthy and nutritious. Fast, food should be eaten just for a change, and it should not become a habit., One of the consequences of development and modernism is loss of, traditional arts and skills. How much is the need to preserve such skills, in the modern times?, Earlier, traditional skills were a way of life. In the Indian context, skills like, embroidery, handicraft, cot making etc. were less of an income source and, more of a social pastime. As rural life started shrinking and people started, detaching with their roots, lifestyle choices changed too. Now, as advanced, technology is making our lives easier, basic traditional skills are gradually, vanishing from our day-to-day life. Personally, I disagree that it is pointless to, try and keep our traditional skills alive. Had ancient India not discovered "zero,", I doubt if technology would have ever advanced to such an extent. We all know, that "zero" was invented through traditional methods., I do not doubt the presence of technology in our personal and professional, lives. It definitely has brought drastic changes and benefits in our lives., Traditional ways are often discarded by saying that they are time-consuming,, less accurate and old-fashioned. We are now following western styles, but we, are not aware how many families in India are surviving on the cottage, industries where people weave saris, bed sheets, mats, carpets on the looms., By just opting for technology, so many people will lose their source of income., If not endowed with, at least we all are aware of such skills which keep us, connected with our roots. It is our responsibility as good citizens to help the, people dependent on traditional skills for their livelihood. We can use, technology with a blend of traditions. Therefore, in my opinion, rather than, forgetting the ancient traditional arts and skills, we should try and save them, from disappearing completely. Let us take pride in our traditional ways of life, because that will keep on reminding our future generations from where we, began. Each country in this world is known not only because of its different, name, but because of its distinguished culture and traditions., Why do some people go for playing dangerous games like car racing,, bullfighting etc.? Is it advisable to participate in such games, and should, government take responsibility of participants' lives?, , 79

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Games are a great source of entertainment, and various types of games are, played all over the world. However, some games like scuba diving,, mountaineering, bullfighting, car racing etc. go beyond entertainment and put, the life of people in danger. Surprisingly, many countries are known to have a, dangerous game as their national game, like bullfighting in Spain. People are, very much thrilled to watch or even participate in such games., There are many reasons for people's participation in such games. Mainly, people go for playing such dangerous games just for a change. These games, provide them thrill, excitement and good fun, and break the monotony of life., Participation in such games also makes people earn quick money and get, instant fame., I feel that when people participate in such games just for entertainment or for, personal reasons, government should not take any responsibility, but if they, take part in any big tournaments where they are representing their country,, then definitely government should take responsibility of their lives. Winning, prestigious tournaments is a matter of pride for the whole nation. Government,, of course, should be encouraging the participants of such tournaments and, should show readiness to provide compensation in case of any injury or death., Not only this much, government can also provide them training facilities and to, knowhow of safety measures., I think participation in such games shows how bold attitude people of a, particular country, have. With proper training, precautions and safety, measures, even an ordinary man can remove the hidden fear elements and, feel different. If not participation, just learning such games is also enough for, people to have an all-new outlook towards life., Some people like to spend a lot of money on their looks and appearance,, while some do not. What factors influence people to spend behind, fashion? To what extent should a person be fashion conscious?, Looks are an important part of personality. Nowadays, people have become, very conscious about their looks. A person's appearance makes his first, impression on others. Fashion enhances the way a person looks. This is the, main reason why youngsters like to spend more money on fashion. They want, to look good and have an impressive personality., Due to increased commercialisation, marketing of products has become easy., As the media culture has grown up, manufacturing companies prefer to, promote their products through media. They present their advertisements in a, glamorised manner. This appeals the youngsters to a great extent. Dazzling, showrooms in the commercial areas attract people to buy the products. Sales, and discount offers in big showrooms too attract people., The use of cosmetic products has increased. Women, being more beauty, conscious, spend a lot of money on facial, bleaching, thermal treatment,, different hairstyles and so on. The use of hair dyes and hair colours is also very, 80

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common nowadays. Highly sophisticated beauty clinics provide the latest, forms of beauty treatments like cosmetic surgery and face-lifting, which are, very costly. Such treatments help people look young. Some people are over, conscious about their looks. They enter the rat race of fashion and follow the, latest trends in fashion. Many imitate the fashion style of models and, celebrities., Thus, fashion has become a high-profit market now. Everybody wants to look, good. However, one should spend only an affordable amount of money on, fashion. People should keep their income in mind while spending on fashion, and should not unnecessarily waste money. After all, inner qualities are more, important than outer looks., , Some believe that purpose of clothing is just to protect the body from, weather and that covering the body by clothes is nothing more than a, way to live in a civilised society, while some believe that its importance, is much associated with the personality and behaviour. What is the, importance of clothing in life according to you? Should one dress, according to the occasion?, Our first impression is definitely by our clothing whether we want or not, as in, this fast-paced life nobody would spare much time to know a person. Though, one says "beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder," he cannot neglect the outer, beauty which is enhanced with clothing., Clothing gives us outer personality and inner confidence. Even those who say, that "appearances are often deceptive" are not spared to be judged by others, through their clothing. Every time you open your wardrobe and ask what you, are going to wear, you are actually asking yourself who you are going to be, today. Thus, it is very much in your hands how you want to portray yourself in, front of others., Clothing has to be according to the occasion. When you go for an interview,, you cannot risk dressing up casually as it sends a signal that you are not, serious about your job. Wearing traditional clothing on religious occasions and, functions like marriages itself is a tradition followed. People not believing in, dressing up as per the occasion become a laughing stock or are "odd men, out." Going to a picnic in formal wears would definitely do so. In the same way,, being in a party or disco not in party attire makes you a rustic in the eyes of, others. I do not feel there is a need for anyone to unnecessarily get into, embarrassment of this kind. Clothing depends on seasons too. For instance, it, is commonly preferred to wear cotton in summers, which are too hot in my, country, as it absorbs sweat and makes comfortable. Thus, there are no, excuses of not wearing clothes according to occasions., , 81

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To sum up, it is to be accepted that not just clothing but "proper" clothing is the, need. I feel we need to be prudent choosing it as the variety is confusingly, wide., No one can deny the power of media in the present world. It holds a, notorious Image too with its attempts to intrude in the private lives of, celebrities. Why do they need to do so, and is it fair on their part?, Media and celebrities are inseparable as they both are equally in need of each, other. Celebrities need media to keep themselves in limelight and promote, them, while media finds celebrities the easiest option to be used for their, headlines as their news would sell like hot cakes. However, many times these, celebrities fall prey of media as media overindulges in their private lives., Celebrities are the role models to the common people. Media caters to the, demand of public by attempting to track their each and every move. It is the, media that sets a celebrity's image so high that they become icons, living, legends, and for some they are just next to God. Their lives no longer remain, personal. In this situation, even a celebrity has to understand how important it, is for him to take care of his moral conduct. It is media only, however, that, shocks the die-hard fans of a celebrity by revealing hard-to-believe truths as it, happened in case of Sanjay Dutt and Salmaan Khan, two of the Bollywood, superstars., On the other hand, celebrities are the soft targets for media for its search of, sensational scoops and gossips for which media people cross their limits at, times to the extent of entering their bedrooms, which I feel is unethical. Love, affairs, breakups and linkups may just be regular Page 3 news, but it leaves, many celebrities uncomfortable. Often what media portrays is half real or ends, up being a rumour. Many celebrities are traumatised in the name of sting, operations carried out by media to bring out the reality of much spoken about, casting couch in the Bollywood industry., My conclusion goes very well with the famous line from Spiderman, "With great, power comes great responsibility." Media has to understand its responsibility, and learn to use its power for a right cause. I believe privacy is for everyone to, be respected., Celebrities like film stars, sports stars etc. have a large crowd counting, very high on them. How much attention do you think should be given to, the opinions of such celebrities?, "Fame" brings people into limelight, but it also subjects them to a severe, consciousness of what they speak and what they do since everything gets, noticed. Their statements when released by media have the potential to, change the view of society or meet strong reactions, take the case of film star, Aamir Khan's statements on much controversial Narmada Dam Project. I think, 82

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except the few intellectually known public figures, the opinions of rest of them, must be weighed just like that of the ordinary people., The influence of famous people in the society is beyond a normal level, and, they are role models to many. Their opinions in their own field matter largely as, they have proven themselves in it, thus are able to carve a path for others. It is, the result of their sound knowledge and experience of their journey to success., In addition, many celebrities are observed to be high-minded and great, thinkers. They can give serious and countable opinions on anything ranging, from literature to politics. This knowledge building by them may be because, they do not want to sound foolish or blank when asked for opinions or they feel, a greater responsibility towards the society or sometimes just to satisfy their, own intellectual hunger. Whatever the case is, their opinions are always worthy, to be noticed and thought upon., On the other hand, we also find celebrities with a severe lack of general, knowledge and current issues. They can be found giving absurd opinions. The, intelligent crowd can catch their ignorance; however, over-influenced fans or, followers would still believe in them and get misled., Celebrities are nothing but humans; hence, their opinions cannot be absorbed, directly. Influence of a celebrity should not blindfold the individuals, but they, have to be judgmental in their decision to listen them using their own sense of, right and wrong., Movies play a complex role in^ the society as they are not just the mirror, of the society but even influence the society for changes. What role do, you think movies play in the society?, Generally, movies have big effects on the society by being controversial, by, being heartwarming, or sometimes they just tend to entertain the public., Earlier, some filmmakers tried to create awareness about the social norms and, practices of the society and fight against the wrong practices through the, medium of movies like "Bandini," "Do Bigha Zameen" etc. Later on came, movies like "Guddi" which informed the audiences about movie-making, techniques and distinguished the glamour of the movies from the real life. Then, came an era where violence, crime, romance and sex were shown in the, movies. Amidst all this, religious movies like "Jay Santoshi Ma" strengthened, people's belief in God. As change is inevitable, we find transition in the recent, years with the changing values in the films in the perception of relationships,, love, lifestyle and so on. Youngsters watch movies of Yash Chopra and Karan, Johar and copy the hairstyles, dresses and western trends, so are the, marriage functions marked by the songs and dances of their movies., Children are most vulnerable to be affected by movies. They fantasise about, performing the acts of their heroes like Superman, Spiderman or Krishh and, many times end up getting serious injuries or even losing their lives. Few years, ago, after watching the movie "Bunty aur Bubli," there had been incidents of, forgery and cheating. Though movies like "Chak De India" and "Lage Raho, 83

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Munnabhai" were very encouraging and delivered good virtues, violence, shown in a recent movie "Ghajini" cannot be ignored. If good virtues can be, digested by the society, so can be the bad ones. Violence- and crime-based, movies too give an idea of spreading violence and crime tricks., To conclude, it can be said that moviemakers carry a responsibility towards the, society they should try to deliver ideas or concepts that affect people's lives for, betterment., In one's house, there is always a room to which one is attached the, most. Which is that room for you? Give appropriate reasons for your, choice., Everybody has one or the other special room in the house. For me, my study, room is the most important one., I have taken special pains for decoration and arrangement in my study room., As white is my favourite colour, I got the walls of this room painted milky white., It reflects the light and keeps the room well-lit. Moreover, the good vibes, generated due to its effect is a feel-good factor. These walls are, complemented with soothing white curtains. My hobby of reading has, gradually made me give my room a shape of a small library. Presently, I have a, collection of more than 500 books which are arranged in a systematic manner, in special racks made up of teakwood. Besides my books, a study table and a, computer, there is nothing to make it congested. I am very much possessive, about this room, so I generally do not allow strangers to enter it. Even my, friends do not dare to touch the books kept in my room without my permission., My books are like an invaluable treasure to me, and they understand my, emotional attachment with them very well and respect it., When I am in my house, I mostly spend time in this room in the company of my, books. As there are no distractions in this room, I can also spend a qualitative, time with myself. I believe it is very important to spend time with yourself as it is, very much needed to analyse yourself at regular intervals and act upon your, shortcomings., I know that in every home it is not possible to have a study room separately, due to lack of space, but I feel that there should always be a space in house, which you can consider your own and where you can just be yourself., , Life has many good things to enjoy, and one of them undoubtedly is, friendship. Which one important quality would you seek in a friend to be, able to enjoy his/her company?, Reliability, frankness, cooperation etc. are the synonyms of "true friendship,", so these qualities are needless to be talked about. Considering other desirable, qualities, the most important quality I seek is good sense of humour. Even, Mahatma Gandhi said, "If I had no sense of humour, I would long ago have, 84

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committed suicide." Thus, even great people give so much importance to this, quality., I feel that friends are the closest beings to anyone. They are the ones in whose, presence we do not need to wear any kind of pretence. Whenever we feel low,, they are the first ones to flash in our minds. However, like a feather in a crown,, good sense of humour is the charm of any friendship. Due to their good sense, of humour, they would make the atmosphere pleasant, light and spread, happiness wherever they go. They make your world full of hopes, and you are, always encouraged to achieve the impossible. People with this quality are, mostly optimistic and are always welcomed with open arms everywhere. Such, people become centre of attraction in gatherings and entertain everyone., Here, I would like to clear that good sense of humour does not mean being, indecent in the name of fun., I would not seek company of a trustworthy but a serious friend anywhere and, anytime as I am too fussy about my mood. Contrastingly, I always have an, easy tuning with friends having a good sense of humour and do not feel a need, to work on comfort of the relation. Such friends are a medication for me, so, whenever I take a dose of their company in a bad mood, all my worries vanish, like smoke in no time., In the end, I would just say that humorous friends fill your life with joy and, laughter and leave you with endless memories to treasure upon., Imagine your wheel of destiny spins and you get 10 million dollars as, surprise money. How would you spend it and why?, People run after money for the whole of their lives, but when asked what they, would exactly do if they get a surprise chunk of money, then majority of the, brains go vacuumed as they have never had thought of it. Now, when I am shot, with this question of suddenly getting 10 million dollars, pondering over it, I feel, it is very important to plan the spending as it is said for money, "Easy to come,, easy to go.", I would not like to put all my eggs in one basket, so I would divide money in four, parts. First part would be spent after fulfilling my long-awaited dreams. I would, have an aristocratic villa built far from the urban setting with all the luxuries, imagined. I would go for a world tour with my family as I feel that one should, salute God for creating this beautiful earth full of scenic landscapes by not, missing even a part of it., As the saying goes, "A penny saved is a penny earned," I would like to keep, aside one-fourth part of my money as savings. It will leave me with a fixed, income, self-dependence and a security for lifetime., It is rightly said, "If you don't speculate, you can't accumulate," so my third part, would be of investment. I would intelligently invest my money in certain stocks,, which would help me earn some quick bucks in short time. Besides this, I, would have my own business set up to multi-fold the money., 85

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Last part would go in charity as I believe it is our responsibility to give back to, the society to express gratitude towards God. I would open a trust funding, education for orphans and needy children as it is my strong belief that children, are future of the nation and educating them is a great help to the nation., Imagine that you get a chance to stay on an uninhabited island as an, adventure holiday and you are allowed to take one important thing with, you apart from the basic necessities. What would it be and why?, Travelling to a secluded island definitely would be one of the most adventurous, experiences of life. While getting away from all the hustle and bustle, one, should take such a thing that would still make him feel that he is not alone there, - a diary with a pen. It would give you precious memories for the lifetime., In one's solitude, one would seek a companion who if not responsive could at, least give satisfaction of being listened by. When you write something in a, diary, you actually tell it what you cannot to others. Hence, in a way, it is your, best friend. As one would get deep mental peace, he would literally fall into, self-analytical and philosophical thoughts, which is a rare occurring in this, materialistic world. This would be the time when you realise what your true, emotions and personality is. If you do not put into words what you exactly feel, in such a state, you would lose it all once you get back to the world. Diary is the, space where you can jot it all and gain something from it later on., Each day would bring a new challenge, and facing it would be a real adventure., For instance, one would have a tough time remembering the ways in the, bushes. Here is when the diary can come to use where one can draw maps to, help him in his routine. The diary writing and reading would avert you from the, horrors of living alone. Adventure apart, the poetic instincts in you will push you, to praise the nature and outpouring would fill a lot many pages of your diary,, thus satisfying your creative mind too., I believe no other thing would do what a diary could. Unusual experiences like, this really can make your diary sensational and could even be presented to the, world., There are always some customs of a country which a person feels proud, of. Discuss a custom of your country which you feel proud of and want, people of other countries to follow., There are hundreds of cultures around the world, and every culture has its own, uniqueness and identity. There would always be certain things to be, appreciated or criticised for any culture. I would not like to belittle any culture, by glorifying my culture, but as the question is being asked about one custom, that I feel proud of in my culture and want people of other cultures to follow, I, have to answer it with the custom of touching feet of elders., We have an age-old custom of touching feet of elders to greet them. It is a way, to give respect to them and creates a positive impression on whoever is, 86

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present. Right from the childhood, we are taught to follow this custom, so it is, strongly ingrained in our culture. Apart from casual socialising, it is much, noticed on occasions like social gatherings, functions and festivals. It is, important to the extent that sometimes our virtues are judged by our approach, towards it. Disrespecting it is a sign of improper upbringing. That is why, unintentional skipping of this custom by me is always followed by a reminder of, my parents. Moreover, when we bow down, we always remember that they are, more experienced, much valued and are to be looked upon with utter respect., This helps in avoiding arguments with elders and taking their invaluable inputs, seriously., There is also one spiritual belief behind it. It is believed that whenever a person, bows down, he is blessed with the elders by putting the hands on his head., This helps in transmitting positive vibrations from the elder's body to the, blessed one., Thus, this custom definitely helps in bridging the two generations. This custom, is so magnificent and its application so simple that without hurting any religious, sentiments it would touch people's heart., Imagine a foreigner from a developed country plans to visit your city., What would he like and dislike about your city?, My city, Ahmedabad, is situated in Gujarat. Being an Ahmedabadi, I may be, blindfold to the ills of my city being emotionally attached to it, but if asked to a, foreigner about it, especially from a developed country, his point of view may, differ. Let us analyse it from his viewpoint., He might not be so impressed with the overall infrastructure of the city. Old part, of the city has many old structures, narrow streets and alleys, which is, reflective of our past civilisation. It might be a hindrance to progress to his, eyes. There is a serious traffic congestion problem in this part of the city, which, causes a lot of inconvenience. Even the traffic sense among the people over, here is highly lacking, which I feel ashamed of. Another unavoidable problem is, of wandering animals, which would be quite astounding to a foreigner. My city, is a dry city, so he might face difficulty if he has the habit of taking liquor. The, cleanliness of the city is also not according to the standards of a megacity., I bet, however, he would love the city if he starts knowing the people out here., People here are easygoing, fun-loving and helpful by nature. They enjoy, multicultural festivals with full vibrancy and pomp without any discrimination of, caste or creed. Navratri and Uttarayan are important festivals of Gujarat. On, Uttarayan, my city becomes the venue of international kite-flying festival where, foreigners from different countries come to participate. This is the city where, even girls move around safely till late nights. Transport system is ranked as, one the best of the country, so he would not find much problem in going, anywhere in the city., I would only say that he would adore my city if he appreciates the core beauty, rather than the outer one., 87

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Nowadays, big corporates offer handsome pay packages to the people, and make them earn like many businessmen do. However, preference to, do a big job or a business calls for consideration of many factors and is, not an easy decision to make. Discuss and give your own preference, with reasons., With the advances in technology, earning prospects have increased, tremendously whether it is a job or a business. An individual can choose any, one that suits him better depending upon his abilities and height of ambition., Many factors influence the decision making like the family background,, environment etc., At present, many multinational companies have ventured into the market, so, doors for employment have opened along with their coming. In fact, high pay, packages are offered to skilled people. They are able to fetch good incentives, and packages without any investment or risk. People enjoy security in terms of, fixed income. Since working hours are fixed, people get time to enjoy with their, families. However, job stability is less in today's competitive market., On the other hand, running a business also has its pros and cons. People, might be overstressed due to risk involved. Earnings can be unlimited, but, losses also can be huge. People need to put in a lot of hard work and then also, success is not guaranteed, which leads them to frustration or maybe, depression. The struggles and crisis in a business is a real test of patience., However, people get a free hand to work wherein they get an opportunity to, prove themselves and credit of the success entirely goes to them. Educational, background is never a criterion to start a business. There are many examples, of people becoming business tycoons without a sound educational, background, like Dhirubhai Ambani., If given a choice, I would definitely go for a business because for me work, freedom is work enjoyment, and if work is enjoyed, money would definitely, follow it. I also believe if a person has a skill, then definitely he should have the, courage to utilise it to its fullest., Transfer or change of place is either for betterment or a helplessness., Children's outlook on transfer or change of place can be completely, different from what an adult has. What advantages and disadvantages, do you think does it have from children's perspective?, Due to advancement in technology, the pace of life has increased. The, standard of living and cost of living has also increased. To cope up with this,, people have to earn more. For this, they have to be ready to move to other, places for promotions or better opportunities. It has both positive and negative, effects on children., Due to transfers, children get an opportunity to visit different places. They get a, chance to know about the culture, customs and traditions of a particular region., They get exposed to a different environment, so they become broad-minded,, 88

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smarter and more confident. They learn to adjust in any situation and make, friends wherever they go. They practically learn the languages at the places of, transfer and become multilingual. A child in my neighbourhood is well-versed, with four to five different languages as that family had been to many states due, to transfers., On the other hand, there are many disadvantages also of frequent transfers or, change of place. Children cannot keep friends for long time. With every, transfer, they have to make new friends, so they may get emotionally disturbed, every time they change the place. Sometimes they are not able to adjust with, the climate and food of a place and spoil their health. Sometimes they have to, repeat their grades at the new place, and it directly affects their studies. If the, transfer is in less developed cities or rural areas, their growth gets restricted., They do not learn anything new there, but instead, they learn abusive words, from the local people., Parents should prioritise the needs of children. They should avoid transfers if, possible. If at all they have to get transferred, then they should take care of the, emotional needs of children and see that they do not feel lonely and, depressed., "Telecommuting" is a new working system which is giving a soft option, to the office workers as it involves working from home for a part of the, week and communicating with the office using electronic technology., This working system is now adopted by many companies all over the, world. Discuss its pros and cons., "Telecommuting" has brought about obvious changes in the traditional way of, working in a normal office setup. Many big organisations like IBM, Accenture, are using this concept successfully. Adopting this concept can change the, functioning of any organisation greatly., As opposed to the environment in a normal office, there are less workers on, any typical day. Social atmosphere of an organisation is affected greatly., Colleagues are not able to maintain good social terms as they do not spend, much time together. There may be a lack of mutual understanding, harmony,, cooperation and team spirit among the colleagues due to reduced direct, communication. Frequent phone line disconnections or temporary service, faults can ruin the functioning of this system and delay the work. A, home-based sedentary job can drastically affect the work efficiency of people., Companies may not get the maximum output from them if they become lazy in, the comfortable environment at home., Looking at the other side, an individual office worker has many substantial, benefits by this system. He is able to save time getting dressed up and, travelling to work. In fact, parents feel blessed as they see their children, working at home in front of their eyes. "Telecommuters" are able to work as per, , 89

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their convenience. Those who wish to work more are able to do so. It is easy to, manage household work and socialising also with work., If this concept goes well, the structure of the urban life would change. There, would be less vehicular rush on the roads during peak hours, and the, companies would have to spend less in infrastructure and other facilities., Companies would not be bound to employ people from local area only, so they, would not have to restrict their skill search to a certain area, city or country, but, it can be around the world., The concept of "one job for a lifetime" has become old. How can the, individuals and governments deal with the instability in the job market, and multiple-job scenario?, As the cost of living and standard of living has risen, it has become difficult to, live a comfortable life with just one source of income., Increased population has led to job scarcity, exploitation and unemployment., Earlier, government jobs were in abundance and were for lifetime, but now,, there is saturation in government jobs. Liberalisation and increased, entrepreneurial spirits have led to more competition. There is less job security, and increased work pressure nowadays. Irregularities of the job market put the, employees on alert and on the lookout for another job. In the current global, recession, for instance, retrenchment and reduced recruitment has affected, people worldwide. High ambitions and expectations also make individuals, search for better job opportunities. For many, multiple jobs satisfy the desire of, a better standard of life. Thus, the old mentality has changed and it is very, common now to have more than one job in one's lifetime., In this scenario, people have to become flexible, as in doing a part-time job or, business in addition to their full-time jobs or considering other job options. For, this, they should expand their range of skills and upgrade their knowledge., They should be ready to take up further studies to excel in their career., The governments should boost the industrial sector and generate more, employment opportunities. Recruitment of people on the basis of selection, procedures and exams at the state or national level is also a good idea., Workshops and training programmes should be arranged as and when needed, for better work exposure. More correspondence courses and part-time courses, should be made available to the working population wishing to pursue further, studies., I think the current and future work conditions are required to be dealt with a, systematic, planned approach by the individuals and governments both., Strong, smart workforce of a country, after all, leads it ahead of others., The pace of life has increased, and now, people pay more attention to, their work. There are many factors that lead to working more, and, 90

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consequently, the work stress increases. State the reasons behind work, stress and suggest ways to deal with it., Stress is a side-effect of almost any kind of physical and mental exertion. We, tend to apply a lot of brain and energy at our workplace and become victims of, stress. Let us discuss the factors causing stress at work and the ways to, overcome it., There is a stiff competition nowadays in each and every field. People have to, do a lot of work to stay in the competition. They have to work for extra hours, and do a lot of hard work to prove themselves. There is always a pressure of, finishing work in time and deliver a good quality as well. Sometimes people, work out of their limits in order to make a good impression for promotions and, further progress. Rapid advancement in technology is also a major factor that, leads to stress. Employees have to upgrade their knowledge as and when the, technology changes in the company. For this, they have to give extra time and, do extra efforts., I also feel stress of work whenever there is more workload. But, as per my, experience, stress can be reduced by making a proper work schedule. Rather, than working for long hours continuously, people can take a few small breaks, in between to relax themselves. It is equally important that people do their work, with proper focus and concentration. People should not blindly run after, money, but they should also learn to enjoy their work. They should take proper, care of their health to cope up with the stress. Daily meditation can also help, people stay calm and stress-free., Truly, stress of work has increased a lot because of high cost of living, less, remuneration, more competition, changes in technology and so on. But, there, are many ways to reduce stress such as setting priorities, proper scheduling, and time management., Companies now believe in fast growth. One prerequisite for that is to, think about the satisfaction and happiness of the employees. Do you, think that success of a company lies in its retaining the employees by, giving extra benefits over their salary?, We cannot deny the fact that growth of a company depends on its employees,, so they should give extra benefits or perks to their employees to retain them., There are many ways of giving benefits. If it is given in the form of salary, increment, then a significant part of it would go in taxes and would not benefit, the employees personally. Basic allowances like transportation allowance,, dearness allowance and benefits like free medical insurance are really in the, personal interest of the employees, if given. As they achieve higher targets,, they can also be given incentives in the form of cash bonus, gift vouchers or, even free trips. If the designation of an employee is high, then companies can, 91

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think of other facilities like free club membership, funding education etc. They, can also give small gifts to their employees on festivals or important occasions, as a gesture of love and affection, which helps in generating loyalty and, boosting economic security towards the company. Many companies also give, some unusual benefits which make the employees feel more attached to them., For instance, Microsoft gave the facility of free grocery delivery and dry, cleaning to employees in 2007., I believe employees are the assets of a company. These extra benefits can, motivate the employees to work harder and more efficiently for the company., To meet the high cost of living, it has become very common for an employee to, look for better opportunities, so it has become very difficult to retain the, employees in a particular company, especially the efficient and skilled ones. If, perks are given, they would be instantly relieved of some financial burden,, could arrange financial security and would be more productive at work., Thus, in today's scenario, the policy of giving extra benefits to the employees is, fruitful to the employees and companies as well., Employees need to be good co-workers in order to maintain a good work, environment in any organisation. Which good qualities can one expect a, co-worker to have?, Co-workers are people who share workplace with one another. While working, in an organisation, at times co-workers become more important than a boss as, one can avoid meeting boss at times but not the co-workers. Working with, co-workers becomes smooth if they possess certain desirable qualities., First and foremost, a co-worker should have a good moral conduct, especially, with the opposite sex, in order to be respected by others. Another very, important quality that he should have is a helpful and co-operative nature. This, not only eases working for all, but is particularly remarkable when a person, joins the organisation, as co-workers would be his first helping hand. They can, break the ice themselves for the new one and make him familiar with the, organisation. This would help him to be at ease, enjoy the work and increase, the productivity. I still remember the first day at my job when I was pathetically, nervous. One of the co-workers took initiative to talk to me and helped me, meet the rest of the staff, and consequently, I eased out. The next most, desirable quality is to avoid backbiting. This is very important as when the staff, is large, backbiting can fuel misunderstanding among the staff members and, ultimately spoil the whole office environment. Thus, a co-worker should, discipline himself to refrain from such a habit and keep up decorum within the, organisation. A proper amount of tolerance is also needed in co-workers as, many times such situations arise where lack of tolerance results in verbal, arguments. Furthermore, they should be willing to accept responsibilities and, take initiatives. This allows a healthy distribution of work among the workers., Though it might be rare to find all these qualities in a single co-worker, we can, at least try to be an ideal co-worker, inspiring other colleagues to be the same., 92

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Many people are in favour of the age of retirement criterion set at 60., However, some still believe that the decision to retire should entirely be, at the discretion of an individual. Should the age of retirement be fixed, around 60?, Generally, people get retired around the age of 60. Old age brings many, problems in their lives. Healthwise, most of them become feeble and show lack, of efficiency. However, those who maintain good health can still work with, good efficiency and benefit the company., There is no doubt that old people have a lot of experience as they have worked, for so many years. They have good understanding to deal with different types, of working conditions. They have a mature and responsible way of working,, which makes them handle any type of situation very calmly. As seniors, they, can share their valuable experience with the young co-workers and guide, them. This is the reason why we see people on top management posts like, CEO and Director in their 50s., However, people above 50 years have less working capacity as they have, physical limitations. Now the work conditions change rapidly, and sometimes, they are not able to keep pace with the changes. It is difficult for them to, change their working style. They are not even well-versed with the new, technology. They lack passion for work and achievement. Thus, they are not, aggressive enough to achieve targets in time, which is very much in today's, work culture. On the contrary, young people have knowledge of latest, technology and are multi-skilled. They work with energy and zeal. Moreover,, due to stiff competition, they are ready to work even at low salaries. So, in the, present scenario, companies prefer to work with young people., Looking at today's scenario of increasing unemployment, I think that people, should be made to retire at the age of 60 or 65 to generate job opportunities for, youngsters, but at the same time, old people cannot be neglected and, government should come up with good schemes for financial security of old, people., Old age homes are seen as houses of the dejected and abandoned, senior citizens in many countries. However, in many countries, they are, socially well accepted dwelling places for the old people. How do you, see them?, Old age homes were originally built with an idea to give shelter to the old, people who were alone and did not have anybody to take care of. With the, people becoming individualistic, a tradition of keeping parents in old age, homes started. It is much prevalent in western countries than eastern., If we look at the eastern countries where people prefer to live in joint families, it, is seen that old people are very much dependent on their children for, emotional and sometimes even financial reasons. In the family, they feel more, 93

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complete and satisfied. They guide the family and give selfless love as they are, much emotionally attached. They also pass on moral values to their, grandchildren and are a good support to them. Thus, the idea of old age, homes is obviously not welcomed by many people here. In fact, children taking, the step of sending their parents to old age homes are looked down upon by, the society., In western countries, the culture is different in a sense that old people are, mentally prepared to stay alone in old age without expecting any support from, the young generation. They themselves do not like to depend on others and, move to old age homes to stay in a company of their own age. There, they do, not feel lonely as they get the people of same age with whom they can easily, share their joys and sorrows and pass their time. They have a lot of activities, over there which keep them busy and bring life into their monotonous routine., There is no question of a choice between home and old age home in countries, where old age homes are culturally accepted. However, in my country where it, is a moral duty to care for the parents at home, old age homes cannot be just a, convenient option., Generation gap is proven by science to be a natural phenomenon. Every, next generation differs from the previous one. Discuss the reasons, behind this phenomenon and changes that you find in today's young, generation from the earlier generation., Change is inevitable as the world would always be on wheels. Generation by, generation situation changes and latter generation moulds itself to fit to the, new requirements., Today's young generation got exposure of TV and internet from the very young, age, so their intellectual horizons have already expanded making them way, smarter the earlier generation. Even my country, India, which holds an image, of strong family and social values, has experienced a good amount of change., Evolution of global culture and increased importance of individuality has, gradually alleviated the joint family system that had inculcated the virtues of, sacrifice, sharing, caring, cooperation and tolerance, which people used to, abide by throughout their lives. New virtues of practicality, broad-mindedness, and versatility are now prevailing. Nuclear family upbringing has made a high, proportion of today's youth more demanding, less tolerant, but definitely more, confident., One big change that I notice with today's generation is that they would not, settle for less. They are not ready to compromise with the circumstances and, live life as it comes. They are proving themselves to be go-getters irrespective, of the class, background or status. Their multi-tasking and techno-savvy, approach helps them to achieve their ambitions. However, this overambitious, attitude sometimes ends up ruining their life., , 94

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Moreover, as opposed to non-rebellious attitude of yester-children, today's, children would dare to go against their parents and live life on their own terms., They do not follow the old traditions blindly and need logical reasons behind, following the age-old customs., Conclusively, I would say that change is a part of life and is always required for, the progress of mankind. None of the generations is right or wrong from their, point of view. They stand on different peaks. Yet, no one can deny that the, peak on which today's generation is standing is surely higher than the peak of, yesterday's generation., Discuss the constructive and destructive uses of mobile phones., With the ongoing advancement in technology, new gadgets keep coming to, compensate the needs of human beings. Mobile is one such gadget comforting, our lives., Mobiles have helped people remain connected with the world from wherever, they are. At the time of emergencies and calamities, they are one of the most, used tools for supplying immediate help. Constant modifications are done in, mobiles to provide us with facilities like messaging, camera, recording, internet, and so on. As a matter of fact, now they can serve as a good replacement of, laptop., The flip side of mobile, however, counteracts the benefits. It emits infrared rays, which directly affect the body part exposed to. According to Australian Health, Research Institute, increased electromagnetic radiation due to mobile phones, and other transmission devices will make almost one-third of the world, population susceptible to ear, eye and brain cancer besides some other, disorders like heart ailments, impotency etc. Overuse of mobiles takes away, the privacy and sometimes even the peace of mind. Wherever we are, at work,, at home or in a social gathering, we are hammered with either the calls or, messages. It has led to a big nuisance with youngsters misusing it to harass, others. Even with prohibition of its use in educational institutions, students feel, proud in breaking the rule considering it modern and stylish. It is a boon to, roadside paparazzi for whom taking snaps is just too easy with more advanced, mobiles. Let us move towards some grave offences now. The privacy of, women is very much at stake as cases of MMS scandals are getting too, common. Using SIM cards for threatening is a new trend in the crime world, with them being easy to discard after use., Conclusively, mobile technology definitely has brought a revolution and, changed the way to work, to socialise and to entertain, but let us be more wise, and responsible in using it., The advent of information technology has provided us with computers,, and today, computerisation is synonymous with development How have, computers changed our lives? Are we facing any problems due to them?, , 95

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Computer usage has increased by leaps and bounds in each and every sector, we can imagine and has totally changed the face of life., Computers have much reduced manual labour and also tedious paperwork,, which has saved a lot of paper and thus contributed to the environment., Derivations of computer like laptop and palmtop have added to the, convenience by being handy. Computer with internet facility becomes, phenomenal. Through it, we get showered upon by loads of information and a, multitude of opportunities and services. An online shopping site like eBay is not, only giving shoppers a choice but is also providing people an opportunity to set, up a home-based business. Most of the service sectors have been, computerised such as banking, library, railway, airline etc. making the work, easier, faster and convenient for people. One may not even realise how much, computers have imbibed in our day-to-day lives whether it be transactions by, credit cards, taking money from ATM, online bookings or even e-shopping. It, would not be an exaggeration to say that globalisation has become possible, just due to the invention of computers., Computers have increased productivity and can do work of many people at a, time. Hence, some argue that it has increased unemployment. On the, contrary, the coming of computers has paved way to the whole new IT industry, which has provided jobs to millions of people worldwide. Outsourcing, for, example, has generated much employment in developing countries. However,, people have to acquire computer skills to grab such opportunities. Even up, gradation of skills is needed from time to time., Unarguably, computers have made our lives easier, but we need to be careful, on our increasing dependence on computers as the time would not be far when, this intelligent machine would control us if not wisely used., Television and internet have brought revolution in the field of, communication and entertainment, but their excessive use has a, negative impact too. Discuss both the views., There is a drastic change in each and every field due to rapid advancement in, technology. People are enjoying a lifestyle where latest technology is playing a, big role. Talking about communication and entertainment fields, television and, internet can be called modern choices which have become a necessity now,, but also harming us in certain ways., People are exposed to a variety of channels on TV. There is a variety of, programmes to satisfy the interests of people of all age groups. This has made, it a favourite pastime of people. It is a good medium to gain knowledge., Programmes on channels like Discovery and National Geographic enrich our, knowledge. A host of news channels are a constant source of news and, information. With evolution of internet, people have got just another alternative, of television. People spend hours on internet doing a range of activities like, chatting, surfing, e-mailing and so on. It is an ocean of knowledge and hence a, , 96

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good source to get updated. It has a wide range of utilities ranging from online, shopping to e-commerce., They have replaced the old choices of entertainment. However, their, excessive use has led to many problems. People are becoming lazy and, sedentary. There is less interaction among the family members now., Socialisation has reduced. Creative ability and thinking power is also affected, as people are not spending enough time in constructive things. Lack of, physical exercise due to increased TV-watching time is inviting many health, problems also. Watching poor-quality stuff on internet and TV is giving rise to, abnormal behaviours and loss of cultural values., In the past, people had simple pleasures of life. The use of advanced, technology for entertainment has affected this mentality. It has created many, desirable options, but at the same time, we are paying a heavy cost of this, development., The modern modes of transport have helped people to cope up with, fast-paced life. Even in this scenario, bicycles' use is prevailing for many, reasons. Should people continue using it or discard it?, It is an amazing fact that bicycles are still being used in this jet age. What, makes it so accountable despite being a slow mode of transport can be, debated upon., Bicycle is still one of the cheapest modes of transportation. It is very much, economical as it does not require any fuel. It provides good exercise, so many, intentionally use it from health point of view. In advanced countries, trendy, bicycles with attractive designs and gears are available, which breaks its, traditional image and makes it modern and stylish. It is a good option to choose, for short distances. There is also less botheration of finding parking space or, following traffic rules with it. Children love riding it, and it is the only optional, mode for them till a certain age. Moreover, it is an environment-friendly, transport as it does not create air or noise pollution. For this reason, many, countries have started promoting it to combat global warming. They have, found out different ways to promote it like constructing special bicycle lanes, and bicycle parking stands at the public places., On the other hand, it has certain limitations like it consumes more time and is, not feasible for long distances. People with heart problems and pregnant, women cannot ride it. Many times people hesitate to ride it as its use is, considered below dignity or status. Another major drawback of using bicycle is, its lesser load-carrying capacity. It can be called a traffic-inducing vehicle as, multiple bicycle users can disrupt the traffic flow to a great extent., Presently, we should continue using bicycles wherever possible for, environmental preservation till other eco-friendly alternatives are found., However, thinking about fast-paced life, I would definitely not advise its use as, 97

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a primary mode of transport. I think in future they would just be popular from, exercise point of view and as leisure vehicles., , Evolution of technology has imparted us a life full of comforts and, luxuries, but it has also brought problems to keep mankind struggling, for the solutions. Discuss., Science and technology go hand in hand and create wonders for mankind., One gives the principle and the other implements it. However, one is wrong if, he says that technology is always rewarding., If mankind was to prosper, technology was the tool. From the invention of, wheel to the latest automobiles, there has been no looking back for the most, intelligent beings on earth. Humans kept researching, and advances in, technology kept on upgrading the living standard. It made our every dream a, reality. Otherwise, talking to and seeing a person far distant, traveling miles,, flying in air all would never have become possible. It has changed just, everything. Manual farming is now machine farming. All industries are, technologically equipped to better meet the growing needs of ever-increasing, population. A modern individual eats technology, drinks technology and sleeps, technology. Technology for him is like "soul in a body" - indispensable. TV,, mobile, computer, MP3, camera - he has everything that he wishes., Technology has tapped every field, may it be healthcare, transportation,, communication, information technology, education or space exploration. Let, us see, for instance, how technology has revolutionised healthcare industry., CT scanners and MRI machines now detect such body conditions which were, impossible to detect earlier without any invasion, example tumours. Thus,, benefits of technology are endless., It is not an exaggeration to say that we are not just habituated but have, become the slaves of technology. Its undesirable effects too are countless. If, automobiles were not there, the earth would not be so polluted. Technological, disasters like airplane crashes and derailing cost lives. Technology like nuclear, weapons has the potential to destroy the whole world. Problems raised by, technology take another big proportion of people for solution and a lot of, expenditure on research., I would end by saying that the importance of technology is bound to increase,, but it is in our hands to choose our path, construction or destruction., Different means of communication are in use as an alternative to, face-to-face communication. How can they be compared with, face-to-face communication?, Due to advancement in technology, various means of communication have, developed. People in ancient times used to communicate through pigeons and, 98

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ambassadors. Today, they communicate through phones, letters, e-mails and, so on. I think different means of communication can be best compared by, comparing the chances of miscommunication in each of them., Indirect communication saves time in today's hectic schedules. It is preferred, over face-to-face, or in person, communication many times. This is okay if the, purpose of communication is not very important. In fact, sometimes we, ourselves want just a message to be delivered without much of the interaction., This communication is quite common in such situations when there is much, clarity in one's mind of what to deliver or one needs to be straight or to the, point, for instance giving orders to the subordinates., Sincerity towards the reason of communication can be judged by the way of, approach. Researchers have come to a conclusion that success ratio of, face-to-face communication is distinctively high to indirect communication., Though one has to give much of his time for face-to-face communication, it is, worth spending. "Success prevails over the time spent to achieve it." What we, wish is not always achieved in indirect communication. Direct communication, lets the communicators know each other's mental state and hence guides for, further communication. One with good observation skills can judge the, knowledge of the other towards the subject of communication. One can show, his emotions too. The biggest advantage, thus, of face-to-face communication, is of "more probability of success to the cause of communication." Even the, busiest people attend their meetings and conferences, which itself proves the, statement., Briefly, I would favour to opt the other options of communication when purpose, is formal or one-way communication suffices or face-to-face communication is, wanted but is unfeasible. Otherwise, face-to-face communication is the best, way to communicate., , In the modern world, advertising is seen as a powerful medium to make, things known to the public and increase profits. How genuine is the, advertising field, and how effective is it to serve the above-stated, purpose?, Advertising has become one of the most important mediums to survive in the, present competitive world of business. It is a way to inform the people about, the launch or features of a product, or the services offered. There are various, modes of advertising like newspaper, television, radio, magazines, pamphlets,, hoardings etc. The following paragraphs are an insight into the positive and, negative aspects of advertising., Companies can easily highlight the features of their products through, advertising. It is even good for the consumers because they get a lot of choices, in choosing the products. Due to high competition in the market, the, companies constantly come out with different schemes to market their, products. Public comes to know about such schemes only through, 99

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advertisements. In this way, both companies as well as consumers are, benefited., However, some advertisements are based on fantasy and are far from reality., A particular section of the consumers becomes their soft targets. For example,, one of the advertisements of a biscuit company shows that by eating that, biscuit children gain certain superpowers through which they become very, strong and can even fly. This provokes children to buy that biscuit; often they, force their parents to buy it. Many companies make use of such marketing, tactics. They over claim their products and misguide the consumers., Large-scale advertising includes surveys, campaigning, appointing brand, ambassadors and so on, and the cost of such an exercise is included in the, cost of the product. Ultimately, the cost has to be borne by the consumers., In summary, advertising has become a very big industry through which a lot of, people get employment. The benefits from this industry certainly cannot be, overlooked. Therefore, there is no question that advertising business should, run, but ultimately, consumers should understand their needs before buying a, product and should not get carried away by advertisements., Museums are often thought to be boring, and many people perceive, visiting them a waste of time. What do you think is the importance of, museums, and how can they be made interesting?, Museums are the places for collection of antiques. They can be called a bridge, between the past and present. They are the reflection of a country's history and, culture, thus are a valuable source of knowledge for children as well as adults., There are different kinds of museums like cloth, coin, car, kite and so on., Though museums are a rich source of our heritage, it is quite a sad fact that, people are not much interested in visiting them. Instead, they prefer to visit, places of entertainment like multiplexes, gardens or restaurants. There are, many reasons for it. Firstly, in case of many museums, the authorities hardly, take interest in advertising them, so people are not aware of their existence, even if they are in the locality itself. Secondly, many are not maintained, properly, so people do not enjoy going there. Lastly, no assistance or, information is provided when people visit there., The authorities can generate good revenue from museums if they pay a little, more attention towards them. Their first job is to attract the people towards, museums. For this, they can arrange frequent exhibitions and show short films, on the museum's history. Nominal entrance fee should be charged from people, for maintenance funds. Many palaces, like of Mysore and Udaipur, are already, converted into museums and are attracting a lot of foreigners generating much, revenue. I also feel that authorised guides should be appointed so that correct, information is imparted to the visitors and the visits are fruitful. In this manner,, all the small and big museums need to be paid attention., , 100

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Again, museums help in preserving the cultural and artistic heritage of a, society. There is a strong need to change the attitude of people towards, museums as our cultural and historical legacy is precious enough to be kept, intact and passed on., , Animals are an indispensable part of the forests. Now, human, interference has increased in the lives of animals and they are not as, free as earlier. Is there really a need for manmade dwelling places for, animals like zoos, or do we have some other option?, Zoos can be considered a good place for entertainment and education both., People get a chance to see the animals right in front of their eyes. When, children see wild animals which they have read about in books or have seen, only on channels like Discovery and National Geographic, they also get, thrilled. Even government can generate good revenue from them if maintained, properly., From the point of view of people, the idea of zoos is perfectly fine. But, what, about the condition of animals in zoos? In zoos, animals are kept in cages and, hence lose their freedom. It is also found that they lose certain basic animal, instincts, like hunting, in their captivity. They are psychologically affected when, they are devoid of natural environment, which sometimes lead to death. Many, times zoos are not maintained properly and even food is not served properly,, which deteriorates their health. Even the incidences of teasing and, harassment by the visitors are noted. In short, it is quite a selfish decision to, keep the animals in zoos., Some may argue that animals remain safe in zoos and endangered species, can be protected. For them, I would say that sanctuaries serve a better option, as the security and animal protection laws are very strict now. Animals are also, not devoid of their natural environment and flourish well. Even people get a, chance to see the animals in their natural surroundings and observe their living, style in a better way. Many sanctuaries aim to protect a particular species, which is on the verge of extinction, for example Gir sanctuary in Gujarat for, lions. This really helps to maintain the food chain and ecological balance., According to me, the number of zoos should be limited. Instead, government, should focus on increasing the number of sanctuaries for the above-mentioned, reasons., , Disabled people, though being the citizens of a country, have always, remained a subject of sympathy instead of gaining equal status in the, society. What should government do to improve their condition?, Mere existence does not mean that one is living, but one should have a life of, dignity even if he is disabled. Unfortunately, disabled people are found to be a, 101

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social stigma. Being citizens, they should be given equal rights as well as, status in the society, but they are discriminated everywhere., Government has always raised its hands by either establishing mental, asylums or shifting its burden to NGOs and other charity organisations. Even, society avoids the disabled by abandoning them from the mainstream. They, are ill-treated and often found being either a subject of mockery or sympathy., They face a lot of hardships at all steps of life like schooling, job placement,, marriage, travelling etc., Here, I would say that the disabled people do not need our pity, they need our, support. Government needs to open its eyes and take aggressive steps to, improve the condition of the disabled. It should give them financial assurance, by reserving their seats for jobs and also give allowance to the disabled who, cannot work at all so that they no longer remain a liability. Free educational, facilities should be provided to them. All public places should have facilities to, support people with special needs. Special laws need to be enforced against, any discrimination, and it is to be taken care that they do not remain merely on, papers. It is an injustice if they keep suffering either due to lack of, implementation or lack of awareness. Talking about my country, India, 3%, seats are reserved for the disabled in public sectors as per Disability Act 1995,, but hardly the seats are allotted to them and even the awareness is less., Thus, a country cannot progress if the significant population of disabled people, is ignored for being a part of the workforce. They have all the rights for ample, opportunities like a normal human unless the disability is grave enough to, leave them useless for the society., , The concept of "transnational" marriages is not strange anymore. It can, be seen as a welcome change in the scenario where cultural, intermingling can sow the seeds of global cooperation and peace. How, do you see transnational marriages? Discuss how successful they can, be., With intermingling of cultures, marrying a foreigner is an obvious, consequence, which produces both desirable and undesirable effects on the, individuals and the societies., A "transnational" marriage provides a good chance to an individual to live in a, foreign country. It can really change the life of the partner who gets the, citizenship rights in a developed country after such a marriage. The partners, start respecting each other's culture, and their children can enjoy the traditions, of both the cultures. On the whole, such marriages can resolve cultural, differences, make societies broad-minded and reduce racism. When famous, people indulge in this kind of marriage and make it successful, for example, Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, others also remove their misconceptions, about such a marriage., 102

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A "transnational" couple initially enjoys each other's company and is fancied, when people look at them as an unusual couple, but eventually, the vast, differences in their food habits, dressing, religion, customs, traditions, values, etc. may lead to conflicts between them. Day-to-day adjustments may take a, toll on them. Moreover, in these cases, families generally are not ready to, accept a foreigner as a part of the family. One of the partners has to leave his, homeland and has to be ready to remain away from the family and relatives., One may even be forced to change the religion. In this situation, partners, realise that it is quite difficult to make their marriage survive., According to me, a marriage between two foreigners can be successful only, when there is a real and strong bonding of love. The differences in this kind of, marriage are too huge to cope up with, and hence, such a decision should be, deliberate and never impulsive. Success of such marriages, however, can, really change the orthodox societies, and cultural acceptances beyond the, boundaries will make our world truly a global village., Sports are an important part of our lives, and their occurrence on an, international platform does more than just entertaining the people, worldwide. Discuss the benefits and drawbacks of big international, sporting events., Globalisation has made international sporting events like Olympics, Cricket, World Cup, Soccer World Cup etc. a common occurrence. They are held with, the consent and participation of different countries for entertainment at a global, level and also to promote international cooperation., Sportsmen as well as visitors from all over the world come in large numbers to, be a part of these international events, so arrangements have to be made on a, very large scale. The host country either has to build infrastructure or expand, the existing facilities such as stadiums, guest houses, hotels, restaurants etc., Proper transportation, communication and entertainment facilities also have to, be provided. The host country also has to bear a huge maintenance cost. All, this makes such events extravagant. A large, dedicated security staff is also, needed, as if any mishap occurs, it will be a blemish on the reputation of the, host country. This can be understood from the death of Bob Woolmer, late, cricket coach of Pakistan, during Cricket World Cup 2007 generating a lot of, hue and cry over the death mystery and the security of Jamaica., On the other hand, different cultures intermingle at one place in such, international events. This promotes a feeling of participation, friendship and, cooperation. Opening and closing ceremonies in certain events like Olympics, reflect the culture and traditions of the host country in the form of traditional, dresses, songs and dances. Such an event also serves as a source of valuable, foreign exchange for the host country and gives a big boost to its tourism, industry. This helps to recover the funds directed on building infrastructure and, providing facilities. Media also plays an important role in creating the hype and, making the event popular., 103

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In this world where peace and harmony are losing with increasing tensions, among the countries, big international sporting events are like linking threads, for the world and hence should be held at regular intervals., There are many temptations for people to move to cities. Nowadays many, cities are found to be overcrowded, and the rise in urban population often, has undesirable effects. What do you think are the reasons behind, increase in the size of cities, and what consequences does it bring, about?, Migration is commonly seen everywhere. People of big cities migrate to other, countries, mostly developed countries, whereas of countryside migrate to city, side due to various reasons., Continuous migration has been seen from countryside to city side in the recent, years leading to fast urbanisation. People are coming to cities in search of, employment. They want to improve their standard of living, as less facilities are, available in the countryside. Farming is the main source of earning in the, villages. Many villagers who have lost their farms are forced to come to cities, for their livelihood. Many people come for better educational facilities for their, children, as no big schools are available in the countryside. Many people also, come to cities looking for better medical facilities., As a consequence, we find that cities are getting overcrowded. Government is, not able to fulfil the basic needs of all the people even in the cities. Slum areas, are expanding day by day, due to which a lot of sanitation- and hygiene-related, problems are created. Ultimately, it results in the spread of many diseases in, the form of epidemics. As demands are increasing in cities, the cost of living is, also increasing day by day. The unemployment problem has also worsened,, which has resulted in increasing number of thefts and robberies in cities., If the migration continues in this manner, then it will definitely create some, serious problems. This situation should be taken seriously, and active steps, should be taken to stop it. Government should provide better medical,, educational, transportation, communication and entertainment facilities in, villages. Government should also set up some big industrial units in villages so, that villagers can get employment there itself. A recent example of this kind of, step is Gujarat government's approval for the Tata Nano project in Sanand,, Gujarat, which is providing employment to many in the villages there., Abuse of illicit drugs like cocaine, heroin, marijuana etc. has become an, issue of global concern as a large number of people, particularly the, youth, across the world are victimised of drug addiction. Who can be, held responsible for this issue, and how can it be dealt with?, Drug abuse has become a big international problem, and the victims are, people of all age groups and from all the sections of the society. Drug, 104

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trafficking is a serious crime, which is mainly responsible for the spread of drug, abuse problem., Drug peddlers carry out illegal selling of drugs mainly in the setup of schools, and colleges as the youngsters are an easy target. Often they are trapped by, some antisocial elements and unknowingly become a part of the drug abuse, network. Sometimes it is too late by the time parents come to know about it., Mental sufferings due to failure in love, family problems, financial problems,, hopelessness etc. also force people to start taking drugs. Thus, mostly the, circumstances lead people to drug addiction, and hence, they are more to be, pitied for rather than be blamed for this problem. It is a big challenge for them, to successfully come out of their addiction. Hollywood actress Drew, Barrymore, for instance, was a victim of childhood drug abuse but successfully, underwent drug rehabilitation, which can be inspiring to many., The main culprits are the people involved in illicit production and trafficking as, they spread this evil in the society just to make money despite knowing its bad, effects. Smuggling of drugs has now turned out to be a big network and has, taken a form of international crime. Even governments have failed to deal with, this issue effectively as the smugglers tend to escape from the hands of law., Strict international laws are needed to curb drug racketeering. Government as, well as social organisations should try to create awareness by organising, camps and through media such as newspaper and television. At lower levels,, schools and colleges can educate the youngsters about the bad effects of, drugs and keep a strict watch inside the premises to prevent drug dealing. I, think such efforts at smaller and bigger levels can definitely make a difference., , Education is not the only criterion for getting a job now as we find that in, many countries people remain jobless even after completing their, studies. What are the reasons behind youth unemployment, and what, problems arise due to it?, This statement is completely undeniable that many nations around the world, are facing a problem of massive unemployment. The fact that it is more, rampant among the youth even after completing studies is very disturbing., Youth unemployment rates have been growing annually at more than 15% all, over the world as per a survey., Following points can be cited as the various reasons for unemployment. An, enormous increase in the global population is obviously one of the biggest, factors. Unplanned and uncontrolled growth of technology is also causing, havoc on job opportunities. Computerisation and automation has led to, technological unemployment. In addition to the above-mentioned reasons,, lack of experience is a big handicap for young people. Wherever you give an, interview, the first thing you are asked is experience. Every time external, factors are not to be blamed. Sometimes it is seen that the youth themselves, , 105

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do not want to work if they do not get the desired jobs or sometimes desired, salaries., It is, therefore, vital that efforts should be made to reduce youth unemployment, as the unemployment experience itself brings a lot of serious, long-lasting, effects. It makes the youth vulnerable to antisocial activities. The youth tend to, go berserk and involve themselves in thefts, hold innocent kids for ransom or, even can get involved in terrorism. Unemployment takes a heavy toll on the, health of the youth. There have been instances of jobless young people going, into depression, or even worse, taking on to drugs. Studies have found an, association between unemployment and psychological problems like, depression., General format of education is such that getting jobs is the primary focus, but, never self-employment. If stress is laid on self-employment, it will generate, employment for others too. Such an approach can really help us fight this, problem along with the principal approach of population control and generating, more employment opportunities. Let us get our youth their right for, employment., , This is an era of globalisation, and we all are experiencing its good and, bad effects both. Discuss., Globalisation, a catchword today, has connected nations all over the globe, resulting in fast global development., There is a remarkable impact of globalisation on economies of several nations., Liberalisation in trade and business policies has encouraged free trade and, has attracted a large number of investors from developed countries to invest in, the developing countries. Increased communication flow among the nations is, connecting people worldwide and is easing out sharing of information at the, corporate level. Globalised transportation too has made the movement of, goods and people to happen without much of the hassle. Now, even the, developing and underdeveloped countries are able to enjoy the benefits of, latest technology due to increased technology sharing. Cultural barriers can, also be seen breaking with increased migration, and the result is "global village, effect." As cooperation has increased, countries also feel it a common, responsibility to tackle some global issues like pollution, global warming,, environmental conservation, terrorism, nuclear weapons and so on. In fact,, difficult goals like disarmament and disease-free society also seem achievable, when we look at increased global support., Let us look at its negative side now. With greater economic globalisation, a, single sinking economy can badly affect multiple economies. Now, there is a, greater risk of diseases getting transported to other nations. The current, "swine flu" pandemic, whose outbreak began in Mexico, has caused a medical, emergency to break out in many countries including my own, India. People are, also blaming globalisation to be a cause of brain drain and culture loss evident, 106

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in many countries as East is coming under the influence of West. Corporations, also take advantage of weak regulatory system of other nations to work with no, pollution control measures., Globalisation now prevails at a much higher degree, and the results are much, obvious. A wise thought would be to take more benefits out of this, unpreventable phenomenon keeping up the efforts to minimise its negative, impact., Outsourcing is providing effective solutions to employers by changing, the way to do business, but still it is receiving a lot of criticism. Discuss., Recently, there has been an accelerated shift towards outsourcing where, companies contract with third parties to perform some functions for them., These include manufacturing goods on their behalf, providing data services, and IT support, and even providing customer care or billing services. This has, been especially evident in "offshoring," where a company of the West or a firm, it contracts with recruits workers in a lower-wage country like China or India for, its jobs., Outsourcing, on one hand, is a cost-saving exercise for any large organisation., When it ties up with a third party or itself employs a large number of people in, another city or country for outsourcing where the cost of setting up the needed, infrastructure is way below what it would cost at the place they are situated and, the wages and overheads too low, it saves huge money and increases, profitability. From a global perspective, offshoring helps development of, underdeveloped countries by generating large-scale employment there., On the other hand, many people perceive offshoring simply as a way to exploit, cheap foreign labour highly unfairly. Another criticism it faces is that it does not, necessarily benefit the consumer through quality service or lower prices., Moreover, outsourcing process itself rises the amount of time to obtain the, task. Increased public rage on offshoring is also due to the fact that people in, many developed countries are facing increased unemployment as a result of it., From the cultural point of view, there is certainly harm to one's culture when he, is asked to adopt some other culture or mentality as a part of work, in call, centre jobs for instance., I think outsourcing is a boon to ambitious entrepreneurs wishing to do a, fast-growing large-scale business. From a larger perspective, it is a highly, developmental step towards increasing globalisation. It should definitely, continue, but in a healthy way, as an entirely selfish approach to it definitely, would cause dissatisfaction to many., The past world had greater peace and harmony than now. In the present, world where there are destructive activities like wars among the, countries, use of hi-tech weapons and violence everywhere, how safe is, it to bring up children?, 107

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Science has made a remarkable progress in each and every field. It has given, tremendous benefits to mankind, but along with the benefits, one cannot, overlook the disadvantages it has brought., I certainly agree that the world has become less safe to live in. Modern and, hi-tech weapons are being used for the wars which leave their side-effects, even after the completion of the war. Though a lot of organisations are working, for world peace, the threat of war is still prevailing, so hi-tech weapons are, produced and sold openly in the name of defence of the country. Such, weapons are then misused by the terrorists. Many other factors also contribute, in destructing the peace. In my country, every now and then, riots occur either, in the name of religion or for fighting against injustice. Even politicians take, advantage of the religious disputes for their own selfish motives., Crime rate has also increased due to reasons like overpopulation,, unemployment, poverty etc. Media, like TV and films, has a tremendous, influence on the young generation and often arouses criminal tendency. In, many movies, the villains are portrayed as heroes, and they negatively, influence the new generation. Youngsters try to imitate villainous acts in real, life and do not think of the consequences. The increasing cost of living has also, resulted in increasing incidences of theft and robbery in the society., Thus, we can say in a way that the world has become a less safe place to bring, up children, but we have to accept the change as we have no choice. We, should learn to adapt to the changing environment as it has also brought many, pleasant changes in our lives., Nowadays, we find a lot of problems due to more and more production of, rubbish. Why has this situation arisen, and how can it be tackled?, The fast-pace development today is bringing comforts and luxuries in life, but it, also has some undesirable effects. We can see that the amount of waste, produced by an individual has increased greatly compared to past. Even, industrial waste has increased greatly with increased number of industries., This leads to pollution and problems with waste disposal., There are several reasons behind the increase in the amount of rubbish per, individual, per household. Now, the use of plastic and other disposable items, has increased to a great extent. Let us take an example of "polythenes." They, have increased our convenience and have become a part of our routine life,, but we forget how badly they spoil our environment. Now, we believe in using, use-and-throw items more and thereby create more rubbish., Earlier, people had limitation to use local products due to lack of transportation, facilities. Now, the products are transported from far-off locations and hence, are packaged to avoid any loss or tampering. After the purchase, the packages, become useless and we throw them away. Nowadays, there is also a trend of, ready-to-eat or canned food, and once the food is eaten, the packages or, empty cans are readily thrown away. Furthermore, greater use of modern, technology is leading to an increase in electronic waste., 108

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Government should try to generate awareness in people about the, environmental problems caused by rubbish. People should be encouraged to, minimise the use of nonbiodegradable things like plastic. Governments can, also encourage people to sort out the household wastes and send the, recyclable waste for recycling. Laws have to be strictly implemented for the, treatment and disposal of industrial waste., I think it is necessary that individuals cooperate with the governments to deal, with this problem. The situation is already alarming, and it is high time now that, we switch over to eco-friendly practices to prevent further damage to the, environment and save the globe., , Increased transportation has given rise to more number of road, accidents. Road accidents are the cause of a large number of deaths, worldwide. It has become one of the major problems for many countries., Who is more responsible for this situation, government or individuals?, According to a WHO report, India has highest number of road accident deaths, in the world. It is a sad fact that thousands of people in my country lose their, lives in road accidents every year. It is practically impossible to find out the, solution of this problem as road accidents are unpredictable and depend on, the very circumstances at a given time. However, many times precautions can, help avoid accidents., In most of the instances, individuals themselves are responsible for the, accidents. They have no road sense, and they flout the traffic rules. Most of the, youngsters drive recklessly and meet with accidents. Sometimes the drivers, are drunk, especially the truck drivers, and this causes them to lose their, senses and eventually lose control over the vehicle. Sometimes parents are, also responsible as they allow the children to drive the vehicles even though, they are underage. Parents should not give them such liberty. Instead, they, should educate them about the traffic manners. Drowsiness is also one of the, reasons for the increasing number of accidents. This is the case with the, people who go for long hours of journey., Government is also responsible for road accidents to a certain extent. Many, times they fail to take care of traffic control requirements properly. The traffic, rules are not implemented strictly, and people escape even if they are in fault., There is a lack of vigilance in issuing of driving license. Even it is the, government's duty to lessen the nuisance due to wandering animals on the, roads, which are often the cause of accidents., I feel that something fruitful can be achieved only if instead of blaming each, other, government and individuals cooperate towards the common goal of, reducing the number of accidents., , 109

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Acute shortage of freshwater in different parts of the world is a big, concern for the governments of those countries. What can be the, solution to this problem?, Though we are critical of imprudent use of freshwater, most of us do it in one, way or the other. Parallel to this, increased pollution has caused irregularities, in seasons and rainfalls and has aggravated the freshwater problem. Many, places are facing frequent droughts and decrease in groundwater levels. Even, river water is getting contaminated due to dumping of garbage and industrial, waste. Almost 70% of all available freshwater is used in agriculture, which is so, huge that one definitely feels a need to save water there., In many developed countries, it is found that drinking water is more expensive, than liquor. For example, in UK, some non-branded beer cans are cheaper, than bottled water. Now this, I would say, is an extreme situation. Furthermore,, usage of freshwater is chargeable in many countries. In one way, it is good as, people would not waste water unnecessarily, but at the same time, I feel it is, their right to use the basic amenity like water without much restriction., For many years, scientists are working on the ways to desalinate sea water, and take it to use as they know that solution to this would be bidding goodbye, to water scarcity forever. Till now, processes like distillation, electrodialysis, and reverse osmosis have got some success in purifying sea water, but still, there is a long way to go as they are costly and problematic to use on a large, scale. Only rich countries like Saudi Arabia could afford it where large-scale, sea water purification is carried out at Al Jubayl to meet freshwater needs of, the citizens. Just obtaining freshwater is not sufficient, but we need to save, water wherever we can. This demands promotion of water recycling and, practices like using drip and sprinkler irrigation that can reduce water, consumption in agriculture., There are already vigorous efforts going on to fight this problem. Till a, permanent solution is found, as an individual, it is our responsibility to stop, wasting water and use it wisely., A lot of futuristic ideas often get a cold response by people until they, turn into reality. What do you think is the future of space tourism, a much, talked about concept?, Space tourism is a futuristic idea which is much hyped by the science fiction, writers. Researches are going on at present, and it seems that it will be a, reality soon., Of course, it will be a good option for those travel freaks who are now fed up of, the earth travel destinations. The space experience will change the outlook of, people and will make them think about the problems on earth from a different, angle. They will be able to actually experience the space fantasies which they, have had for years through films or books. They will not only enjoy it as the, 110

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most exotic experience but will also increase their space knowledge. They will, take pride in space visit as it will be a status symbol., The darker side of space tourism involves a lot of risk and some unpleasant, facts. First and foremost, there is a big risk of mishaps in this kind of travel due, to technical failures. It will be a great mental challenge for the travellers and, crew both to deal with anything unexpected as no help from earth could reach, them. Hence, people will have to accept the fact that they may not come back, home once they started. Secondly, space travelling cost would be out of reach, of an ordinary man. Thirdly, the space environment is not suitable to all, so, people will have to prove their adaptability first. Furthermore, people would, lack services and facilities they are used to on earth like hotels, games,, comfortable sight-seeing etc. The space views will create excitement only for a, limited time, and then it will be difficult to pass time., Space tourism, of course, is a thrilling concept, but I think a lot is to be done to, make it safer and better in the eyes of people., , 111

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ESSAY OUTLINES, 1. Should government support more to students of science faculty or to the, students of regular faculties like arts and commerce?, Each field important in its own way, Science helps in technological progress - used in sectors like agriculture,, transportation, industries, construction, space etc., but studies very costly, -scholarships can support students of poor financial background - can produce, scientists and develop technology, Business expansions, marketing, trading knowledge requires commerce, studies - wide scope in commerce field in this age of globalisation management studies also too expensive - arts reflect culture of a country - help, preserve the culture - help in gaining glory worldwide - creativity/uniqueness of, an individual comes out All fields support each other - government cannot be, biased and should give equal importance to every field - can provide, scholarships to potential candidates to study further irrespective of faculties can make the criteria of education loans easy so that more students opt for, higher studies or specialised studies, 2. Is invention of robots fruitful or dangerous?, Advantages: Robot usage in industries saves time and energy - production, increases -industries gain more profits - at present limited to only industries,, but in future can be used in medical field or even for household chores - will, provide great help to homemakers - they will not need personal servants, Disadvantages: Maintenance cost very high - increases unemployment chances of technical mishaps - sedentary lifestyle may invite a lot of diseases may be used for evil reasons - machines may control humans in future, 3. Should children be encouraged for competition?, Advantages: Participation increases confidence - develops qualities like, sportsman spirit, team spirit, leadership etc. - gives spirit to fight and win develops winning attitude - teaches to handle stress - teaches to focus on the, goals - challenges mind and body - losing teaches to digest disappointments increases tolerance -competition at every stage of life whether desired or not,, so better train right from childhood, Disadvantages: A child may shatter completely if competition not taken in right, spirit -may lose confidence forever - excessive pressure from parents to win, may cause unnecessary stress - may adopt wrong ways to win, 4. What are the advantages and disadvantages of invention of aircrafts?, Advantages: Increased mobility - distance no longer remained geographical, -increased trade among countries - saved time to travel resulting in increased, business- made it easy to get emergency help from other countries at the time, of calamities -different flights like helicopters, jets, space shuttles etc. useful in, their own way -boosted space exploration, 112

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Disadvantages: Air fares are high - common people cannot afford - increased, air pollution and chances of air traffic in the near future - aircrafts damage, ozone layer -increased noise pollution near airports - air crashes - war planes, invented, 5. How does violence shown on television and in the movies affect the, society?, Scenario: A lot of violence shown in the name of entertainment - easy access, to international movies with violence - many violent video games directly affect, the young crowd, Effect: Young crowd imitates action scenes - may lead to accidents - easily, misguided -get ideas to commit crimes like robbing a bank or train - crime rate, among youngsters increases - children are brought up with a lot of negativity, around - may get deviated from good social values, Censor board should be stricter - violent movies should be shown only at late, nights -parents should not allow children to watch excessively violent shows or, movies, 6. Should the students at university be assessed with formal exams or, through continuous assessment like course work and projects?, Advantages of formal exams: Students will take theory seriously and be, thorough with it -will develop grip on writing skill - have to perform entirely by, themselves, so will not rely on others for practice, Disadvantages of formal exams: It will be more of a memory test - result will, totally depend on the mental state or condition of student at the time of exam, no matter how brilliant he is - if any health problems occur during exam time,, then whole year wasted Advantages of assessment through projects or course, work: Every student will get a fair chance - a lot of other skills like creativity,, spontaneity, practicality etc. will be tested -will get real experience of their, future jobs, Disadvantages: May take help of others or copy someone's project, so difficult, to judge the individual contribution - project or course work may not cover each, and every aspect of a subject, 7. Discuss possible ways to encourage public transport., Reasons to encourage public transport: Private transport has increased air, pollution and traffic congestion - leads to global warming, Ways to encourage: Make public transport cheaper - increase the frequency give special concession to school goers and senior citizens - maintain, punctuality - aware people about its importance and tell to contribute by using, more of the public transport -keep special day for the use of public transport, only - give privileges to regular users, 8. Every country needs to remember its past To what extent do you agree?, Past is very important for any country - is the foundation of any country - the, root of any culture lies in its past - many people gave away their lives to get, independence -tribute must be given to such martyrs by remembering them 113

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can keep track of the development at different stages in the past - this, knowledge helps in further development - can avoid repetition of the mistakes, done in the past, 9. Trend to use alternative forms of medicine is increasing. Write, advantages and disadvantages., Advantages: Many alternative forms of medicine like ayurveda, homeopathy,, acupuncture, acupressure, reiki, yoga, meditation etc. - ayurveda claims to, remove certain diseases from root - effects are long lasting - very helpful in, remote areas -forms like meditation and reiki have no side-effects - they help to, prevent a lot of diseases, Disadvantages: Long treatment duration - needs a lot of patience - mostly do, not give instant results, so instant cure or healing is not provided in many, conditions - may be effective more as preventive measure rather than curative, measure - needs to see the suitability of the body - no prior testing of the, medicine before its usage, 10., It is not necessary to teach handwriting skill to children in this, computer age. Do you agree?, Scenario: After the coming of computers, writing work has reduced - less, written communication in the work scenario - a lot of time consumed in manual, writing, so typing is preferred - computerised work in demand, Importance of handwriting skill: Dependence on computers from a very young, age is not good - writing gives good exercise to hand as well as brain - bad, effect on eyes through computers from a very tender age - handwriting, important for theoretical exams - graphology still in use where near accurate, predictions of a person's nature are made through handwriting - still many, companies demand handmade bio-data, 11., Many animal species are endangered due to human activities. Do, we need to save them?, Animals used for various purposes since ages - use of different body parts of, wild animals like skin, nails, teeth for leather, jewellery etc. - due to, deforestation, animal homes taken away - many wild animals at present are at, risk of getting extinct - their extinction may imbalance the whole ecological, cycle by disturbing food chain - they have all the rights to stay on earth - is the, moral duty of humans to save animals -though extinction of animals is a natural, process, current rate is much higher due to human activities - under the, Endangered Species Act in India, it was declared that species are of aesthetic,, educational, ecological, recreational, historical and scientific value, 12., Will internet replace books completely in the near future?, After the coming of internet, access to any kind of online books has become, easy -getting information on any kind of topic is just a click away - it saves time, and energy to browse through the books - gives a variety of options at a time saves money too -internet resource even richer than a library - excellent, resource for making projects or assignments for the students - can be, 114, , 13.//S education a critical factor in the development of a nation?

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accessed at any time of the day Internet has definitely replaced books as main, source of information, but can never completely replace books - libraries would, still be used for the students who take up reading as a hobby - reading books, has its own charm - when required to read for longer time, books are best - can, be read even while travelling or in the sleeping position, Foundation of a country becomes strong with high literacy ratio - society, becomes well-civilised and broadminded due to a high education level - people, become well-aware of their rights - become more particular about choosing a, right candidate as their leader -standard of living improves - education creates, good employment opportunities -educated people can understand global, problems in a better way and even contribute towards them - are more, concerned for the environment - crime rate reduces, 14. What are the negative effects of computer games on children?, Make children addicted to them - children lack concentration in their studies, -violent and sexist computer games cause an abnormal behaviour to develop, -abusive and corrupt language is used in computer games - health problems, arise due to constant playing like weak eyesight, sore back etc. - children lack, physical exercise and become unfit and victim of a sedentary lifestyle - harms, their communication skills as become less interactive and reluctant to go, outdoors - inspired to commit crime, , 115

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15. What are the positive and negative effects of frequent change in, fashion?, Positives: Wider choice in clothes and accessories - rapid change in fashion, breaks the monotony of dressing - improves personality - people have become, fashion conscious and take their outer appearance seriously - fashion industry, gets benefit - gives employment to many, Negatives: Change in fashion means changing wardrobes frequently - waste, of money - youngsters spend a lot of time in shopping - many times blindly, copy the fashion whether it suits the climate, culture and/or personality or not many times vulgarity catered in the name of fashion by fashion magazines and, fashion channels -discrimination increases among rich class and middle class, through fashionable clothes, 16. What are the changes noted in the students' behaviour? Is it good, or bad?, Reasons: Increased competition in studies/more study stress - increased, career consciousness - pressure from parents - nuclear family upbringing, so, lack of parents' care and attention - change in the attitude of teachers psychological effect from media - more technology/facilities available, Positives:, Have, more, general, knowledge, more, experimentative/innovative/inquisitive/explorative - discuss studies and, current topics -more ambitious/career conscious/smart/result-oriented oriented to use of technology like internet for studies - interested in, extracurricular activities, Negatives: Lack of moral values - influenced by bad company (more, vulnerable) -give less respect to teachers/elders - argumentative with teachers, - hard to be punished by teachers - impatient/restless - offensive towards, teachers -increased criminal tendency - shootouts at school - non-regrettable, approach - highly practical - money-minded, Advice: Given more attention - dealt with a friendly attitude/advised friendly, -motivated by parents and teachers - properly counselled for their behaviour, and problems, 17. What are the advantages and disadvantages of disarmament?, Advantages: Peace and harmony will prevail - increase in globalisation - more, cooperation among the nations - focus on other global issues - more funds to, fight poverty and diseases, and for improving living standards, development,, technological research etc., Disadvantages: Non-compliance and secret weapon production - searching, other ways to fight like cyber war - effect on defence, unemployment for the, non-civilians - can be possible only if all the countries support or hidden threat, of sudden war, 18. What are the reasons and consequences of overpopulation?, , 116

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Reasons: Religious belief of a community - desire to have a boy child - no, government control on family planning - ban on abortion - decreased infant, mortality rate increased lifespan, increase in aged population - increased, immunity and ways to fight diseases - decrease in deaths due to fatal diseases, Consequences: Saturation of opportunities - increased poverty and, unemployment -more demand, less supply - more congestion - more waste, production - more pollution resulting in an increase in global warming - lack of, food due to sacrifice of agricultural land - more exploitation of natural, resources - deforestation, wild life in danger, 19. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having singie, currency, worldwide?, Advantages: No botheration to people for currency exchange - eliminate, foreign exchange costs - good for international travelling and international, business transactions - more stability in international businesses due to, absence of fluctuations in the exchange rates, Disadvantages: Need of uniform standards for currency use - unbiased, international bodies for currency making, distribution and check forgery, 20. What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a cashless, society?, Advantages: Various forms of electronic cash (bank cards, credit cards, debit, cards, mobile phones, electronic banking, ATMs etc.) - no need to carry cash, anywhere, more safety and security - easy transactions - less time, consumption during transactions - a curse on people who make black money, Disadvantages: Large money to be spent on setting up the needed, infrastructure -chances of big losses in case of credit/debit card loss or theft need of immediate action on losing credit/debit cards - not feasible for small, purchasing - people will fall victims to hacking, 21. Should corporal punishment be allowed in schools?, Advantages: Discipline in children - can be controlled, would not spoil teachers will not be taken for granted - more sincerity towards homework and, studies Disadvantages: Teachers may take advantage - less tolerance in, teachers - children may be beaten in the name of punishment - chances of, injuries - extreme physical torture may lead to death - human rights violation, 22. Should financial education be taught to children?, Advantages: Would learn to value money - understand the importance of, saving -improve their money-spending habits - become responsible - more, advantageous in high school, Disadvantages: Would make them practical and responsible in early ages may decrease enjoyment in their lives as they may cut their spending, unnecessarily -will increase their study burden - is not so useful as children, hardly make crucial decisions regarding money, 117

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23. Is rote learning a good method or not?, Advantages: Good for some foundational learning like multiplication tables,, alphabets of a language - no need of referring book every now and then - can, learn in a timely manner, Disadvantages: Monotonous way of learning - used as a tool just to pass, exams -affects the ability to comprehend - weaker ability to defend during, discussions, arguments and debates - a rote learner may give a false, impression of having knowledge of a particular subject, 24. Should one follow his own culture wherever he goes or should he, accept, the culture of the host country?, Advantages and disadvantages of following one's own culture: Preservation of, one's culture and traditions - new generation also learns about original culture, and traditions, may become strength of a family - will keep them connected to their, roots, New generation may feel ashamed - may be inconvenient to follow, not suiting, the new place - one becomes less flexible in adopting other culture's values rigid mentality not allowing to gel with other people - people may make fun of, Advantages and disadvantages if you follow other culture: Become, broad-minded -become more flexible and practical - adjust well in a, multicultural society -develop a dislike for one's own culture and may get, overinfluenced by other cultures and adopt its negativities, 25. People have less politeness than they used to have. Give reasons., Pace of life is fast - less socialising - loss of joint family culture inculcating, moral values, - nuclear families - less interaction with family members as all are busy brought up with less family values - less tolerance - influence of other cultures, due to globalisation, - people becoming self-centred and materialistic, 26. Should teachers be friendly or strict?, Strict teachers: Students give regular attendance - complete their work in time, -sometimes develop disinterest in the subject - develop temporary respect for, teachers, at times students' frustration may come out as violent outburst, Friendly teachers: Students take more interest in the subject - can easily share, their problems and teachers may become their mentors - teachers give extra, attention and special techniques to learn - sometimes overfriendly attitude, results in diversion from studies - if friendliness is partial, other students are, affected, 118

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27. Advertisements on toys and fast foods are aiming at children. Some, say, it, has negative effect on children as well as family. Do you agree?, Negative effects: Children become demanding - family budget gets upset sometimes ads are tempting and succeed in manipulating the children children start avoiding nutritious food - face health problems like tooth and gum, problems, fatness etc. -internal competition among children through displaying, their toys - toys are often personified in the ads - children get allured by the, fantasies in the ads, 28. In some countries, number of people opting to live alone is, increasing, every year. Is this a negative or positive development?, Positive development: Self-dependent - may become jack of all trades as, handle more work on your own - may devote more time to your field - get more, time for self-development, Negative development: May suffer from many psychological problems like, depression -become introvert and get socially cut off - may fall into bad habits, or illegal activities, 29. Children are experiencing social, educational and commercial, pressure., What are the causes, and what measures can be taken?, Causes: High competition - level of education getting high - need to score more, for getting admission in desired fields - small families, parents pressurise, children to fulfil their dreams - more comparison with other children - intelligent, child is a matter of pride for parents, so they pressurise to perform well - many, children working, like in ads, serials, films - feel more pressure, are exploited, sometimes Measures: Parents should understand the mental capacity of a, child - let the child live life in its own way, 30. Is teaching foreign language(s) to children in primary schools, desirable, or, not?, Positive side: High grasping power, so learn faster - become multilingual from, early age - develop better communication skills - good to know other, languages like French and Spanish in this age of globalisation - widens their, mental horizon - learn about other cultures - get help of technology in learning, like online resources, language learning software etc., Negative side: Knowledge of other languages may be useless in future sometimes give more attention to language learning than other important, subjects - feel more burden of studies - do not get proper environment to use, the language, so learning may go waste, 31. People should change their jobs at least once in their lifetime, instead, of, sticking to one particular job for lifetime. Do you agree?, 119

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Agree: People get chance to meet different people - upgrade their knowledge do not remain frog in a well - increase their chances of progress - can break, monotony of work - become more flexible and develop adaptability - have real, test of ability, 32. Research says majority of criminals commit crime when they are set, free., Why is it so? What could be done?, When criminals go to jail, they get used to that atmosphere - they get company, of same kind of people - a lot of bullying and illegal activities are seen in many, jails - often their conscience dies staying longer in such kind of environment many times due to psychological impact of being tagged as criminals, they find, no point in improving themselves - get in touch with a lot of antisocial elements, in the jail itself who try to brainwash them and assure them to give a helping, hand when they go out - find the path of crime much easy for breadwinning, Solutions: Reformation should be brought in the environment of jails - an eye, should be kept on the internal activities of jail - proper counselling needs to be, given to prisoners by arranging good sessions from spiritual leaders/saints even government should create some employment opportunities for them, when they are freed from the jail so that they do not follow the same path, 33. Should government reserve seats for women for higher positions?, Scenario: Women have started working out - hardly gain top positions in big, corporate sectors - still discrimination found - women are exploited at times to, reach higher positions, Opinion: Reservation may create dissatisfaction at times to the company higher designations have high responsibility, so should only be given to, deserved candidate -reservation instead of helping women may affirm women, to be weaker sex - though a bit of discrimination going on at present, in near, future women will prove their capabilities to attain higher positions - so favours, from government not needed, 34. Should public speaking be taught to children in school? Is it, important, to, start that early?, Scenario: High competition - need to be multi-skilled - a lot of expectations, from a child since small age - "survival of the fittest," so need public speaking, Benefits: Children will develop confidence and boldness - develop clarity of, speech as well as thoughts - become smart from young age - maximum, grasping power, so develop the ability faster - will not remain suppressed - in, future may stand to protest against injustice, 35. Museums and art galleries of any country should display the, artefacts, and, art of its own culture rather than other cultures. Do you agree?, Agree: The main purpose of museum is to keep the history and culture of the, country alive - museums are the only place where people visit to have an, 120

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insight into the past of their country - they pass on "the past" to next generation, - even when foreigners come to visit a museum, they come with the intention to, know more about that particular country - that is the uniqueness of a museum, and that is how it would remain of high value in every country - thus, museums, should utilise this platform to represent their country - same with the art, galleries - artists get inspiration from their country itself -however, artists can, be given liberty to express their creativity with no restriction of any, geographical boundaries, 36. Society is based on laws and rules. The individuals who want, freedom, would face problems in society. Do you feel you are taking away, individual, right to live?, Disagree: Any society to run smoothly needs law and order - solely focusing on, individual happiness may create havoc - if every individual would want his, freedom of behaviour, it would be impossible to remain in society - it would be, like living in jungle where survival of the fittest counts - civilisation is the thing, which differentiates us from the animals - thus, adjustments and sacrifices for, others are very much essential for humans to progress to higher level, 37. Some people help their community directly, while others help, through, national and international organisations. Discuss both ways., Direct help: A person remains directly in touch with the needy, so understand, the problems at ground level - no mediators, so less chances of corruption Join, national or international organisation: Can work on a larger platform - for, resolving global issues, international platforms are a must - such organisations, get more financial help - help activities can be spread through a strong network, system, 38. Will woman leaders be less violent than men?, Women are soft by nature - they may run a country without any selfish motive they will put nation's progress first - but this field is very much male-dominated, - it may not be possible to retain the position with only good motive, needs a, fearless leader - many lady leaders also had the same amount of dirty politics, or violence in their rule like Indira Gandhi or Benazir Bhutto, 39. Government should spend more budget in medical and education, fields, than entertainment and stadiums. Do you agree?, Government should prioritise budget for medical and education fields as its, main duty is to look after public welfare - they are the basic necessities of, citizens - without education and healthcare facilities, people cannot lead a, satisfied life nor their standard of life improves - if these two facilities are, sufficient, people would be satisfied with the government, 121

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Entertainment and stadiums are also important in terms of generation of, revenue -many private organisations are interested to invest, so government, gets good income, 40. People can learn a language better if they migrate to a country, where, it, is, spoken. Do you agree?, Agree: Language learning needs continuous practice - if taken classes for a, short time to learn a language but not used, may become useless - language, comfort comes with a proper environment - a person continuously listens the, language and has to use that in communication, so automatically learns it certain usages and slangs of that language can be learnt only in that country there is a motivation to learn that language as there is no escapism to learning, - it becomes a compulsion to learn that language to communicate in offices or, to socialise, so automatically drives a person to learn faster -as the language is, used in day-to-day activities, a person becomes fluent in it, which is not, possible in one's own country, 41. Should we enjoy one long vacation or several short vacations?, Pace of life has increased - stress increased at work - need to maintain quality, of work under stress - work is tedious or monotonous - so several short breaks, much useful -instant energy needed to cope up with stress - can easily go for, short trips during weekends - no need to plan beforehand like big vacations long-term planning needed for long vacation, which may not be possible in this, fast-paced life - frequency of long vacation can hardly be once or twice a year short vacations less expensive and need no permission from authorities, 42. Is it fair that teachers and doctors get less salary than, sportspersons, or, film stars?, Importance of doctors and teachers: They do not get much media attention, so, nobody takes note of them - but they play a vital role in the society - health and, education is in their hands - in short, future of the country lies in their hands - it, is their right to demand high salary - it is also government's duty to keep them, satisfied On the other hand, sportspersons and celebrities are icons - one, needs to know that they are not paid highly by the government - a lot of, companies sponsor them and they, get money - even film stars are signed by the producers and they decide the, money - it is entirely fair, Doctors and teachers should be credited for what they do - government can, increase the pay slabs of doctors and teachers to get improved services from, them, 43. Are safety laws necessary?, , 122

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Safety laws are important as many lives can be saved - at factories, workers, are protected by wearing hats or safety jackets - even during road travel, laws, like wearing helmet or seat belt assure the safety of a person, Though many feel such safety laws take away freedom, but they are required, -accidents happen only sometimes, but one needs to remain prepared every, time -prevention is better than cure, 44. Modern medicines help to live long. Do you agree?, They help to cure many diseases - their effect is faster and are used for quick, relief -easily available everywhere - many diseases have vanished - many, vaccines available, which provide lifelong immunity from certain diseases - due, to modern technology, operations are possible and can save lives, At the same time, new diseases are popping up - still for many illnesses like, blood cancer or AIDS, medicines are not found, 45. Is it necessary to spend money on space exploration?, Lots of satellites and space shuttles have been sent to space - have helped in, many ways, like in weather forecast, taking pictures of earth and other planets,, telecommunication etc., Sometimes unnecessary waste of money, like astronauts going to space for, less worthy research - it may be a waste of time and money, as it costs billions, of dollars of a country - no need to waste money on projects like exploring new, planets or other galaxies as it is nothing more than a subject of curiosity - does, not help common man in any manner who struggles to survive on earth - thus,, need to set only a limited budget for space exploration, just to be helpful to, mankind, 46. Nowadays, women have started working out. Should government, provide, staff and other facilities to look after the children of working women?, It is necessary for women to go out to cope up with increasing cost of living - it, is equally important for women to take care of house and children - many, women are not able to continue their career just due to their children government should provide creches for working women - they should be, opened in the residential areas to be convenient to mothers - private creches, too expensive, so help should be provided by government - separate, transportation - flexibility in working hours - non-transferable jobs, 47. Canyovernment education be preferred over private education?, Government education: Less expensive^- encouragement in the form of, meals, books etc. - there can be misadministration and mismanagement - rich, people may not like the standard, Private education: Expensive - quality teaching - more attention to students stress on extracurricular activities - provide good facilities - more pressure on, teachers to deliver good quality, 123

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Suggestions: Government should put efforts to change the mindset of people, on the quality of government education - should have a consistency in, maintaining same good standard in all institutions, 48. Do children learn quickly than adults?, Small children learn quickly as grasping power is high in young age - no social, responsibility, so concentrate well - their only aim is studies - get motivation to, learn from parents or sometimes parents even pressurise - curious to learn, new things, especially of their interest - many times environment inculcates a, learning attitude Adults are trapped in the family or social life - cannot, concentrate completely on learning something new - generally they have to be, self-motivated as hardly any encouragement is given by others - if there is, really a desire, a person can learn at any age, 49. Destruction of forests may put the world to an end. Do you agree?, Forests give life to earth - trees used for medicines, fuel etc. - logging done for, getting wood for furniture, paper etc. - trees take in carbon dioxide and release, oxygen and purify the air - amount of carbon dioxide on earth will increase in, the absence of trees, which will put life in danger - forests help in formation of, clouds and hence in bringing rainfall - due to deforestation, soil erosion takes, place making the soil barren or infertile - forests are the homes to many, animals - till forests are there, living beings would exist as they are necessary, to run ecological cycle, 50. Should women be allowed to join armed forces?, May not be able to bear physical strain as a part of the duty - less aggressive, and more emotional - lack killer instinct - may lack mental capacity to handle, pressure -can be treated immorally if caught by enemy - can do non-combat, jobs such as doctor, nurse, cook - can handle technical jobs where they can, use their intelligence, COMMON LINES, 1. There is a drastic change in each and every field due to rapid advancement, in technology., 2. Due to rapid advancement in technology, the pace of life has increased., 3. Modern technology has entered each and every field., 4. Modern technology has drastically affected the way of living., 5. The fast-pace development today is bringing comforts and luxuries in life,, but it also, has some undesirable effects., 6. The standard of living and cost of living is increasing day by day., 7. As population is increasing, competition is becoming tough to withstand., 8. There is a stiff competition nowadays in each and every field., 9. Due to advancement in technology, the world has become a smaller place., 10. People have become more materialistic and money-minded., 11. We have now entered an age of globalisation., , 124

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12. Although formal education begins in a classroom, home is the place where, one learns the lessons of life., 13. Education widens a person's mental horizon., 14. Education is a must in today's age., 15. In today's age, it is necessary for each and every person to realise the, value of education., 16. In today's era, man can stand nowhere without education., 17. Education is a basic requirement to live a good life., 18. Schools are much necessary to make the base of the students strong., 19. The world is becoming a global village., 20. Due to increased pace of life, life has become stressful., 21. Science has revolutionised each and every field., 22. Science has made a remarkable progress in each and every field., 23. Commercialisation has grown rapidly in the modern era., 24. Science and technology go hand in hand., 25. This is an age of women's liberation., 26. Women are stepping out of their houses., 27. Migration of people has become very common nowadays., 28. Looks are an important part of personality., 29. Trees are one of the major life-supporting systems on the earth., 30. Hobbies are recreational activities pursued during leisure time., 31. Success means the ability to turn your dreams and goals into reality., 32. Change is a part of life and is always required for the progress of mankind., 33. Change is inevitable., 34. Childhood is supposed to be a worriless period of life., 35. Stress is a side-effect of almost any kind of physical and mental exertion., 36. Knowledge is the best charity., 37. Life is a rollercoaster ride., Some similes that can be used:, A ship without sailor: Youth is like a ship without sailor without good, teachers., Soup without salt: Life without colours is like soup without salt., A bird without wings: Life without education is like a bird without wings., Eyes without vision: Life without goals is like eyes without vision., A fish without water: A man without money is like a fish without water., Use of some words:, Handicapped: Without education (without technology etc.), a man is, handicapped., Debate/debatable: 1. Having uniform in schools or not is an issue open for, 125

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debate, 2. Cloning is a debatable issue., Controversial: Reservation for women for higher posts is a highly, controversial issue., Pros and cons: Every new invention has its pros and cons., Burning issue: Pollution (deforestation, terrorism etc.) is a burning issue., , 126

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MUST-KNOWWORDS, Absurd, , Blindfold, , Convenience, , Abundant, , Blunder, , Conventional, , Accompany, , Boost, , Convict,conviction, , Accomplish, , Breadwinning, , Cuisine, , Activist, , Broad-minded, , Curiosity, , Adhere, , Burnout, , Deforestation,, reforestation, , Administer, , Campaign, , Deject, , Adornment, , Chores, , Deliberate, , Aesthetic, , Climaticzones, , Deny, , Aggravate, , Cloning, , Desolate, , Alleviate, , Commercialisation, , Desperate, , Allure, , Compel, , Detach, , Ambiguous, , Complement, , Deterioration, , Annoyance, , Compulsory, , Dilapidated, , Anonymous, , Conceal, , Diminish, , Appreciate, , Concern, , Discriminate, , Assignments, , Conflict, , Disguise, , Audience, , Conservative, , Dominant, , Avail, , Consume, , Dormitory, , Biased, , Contemplate, , Eco-friendly, , Biodegradable,, non-biodegradabte, , Contemporary, , Ecologicalbalance, , Blemish, , Controversy, , Elite, , 132

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Emerge, , Gfobalwarming, , Inquisitive, , Emphasise, , Globalisation, , lntermingle, , Endangered, , Go-getter, , lntervene, , Enforce, , Gratitude, , Intoxication, , Enhance, , Guarantee, , Legacy, , Entice, , Habitat, , Lethargic, , Environmental, hazards, , Harmony, , Levy, , Environmental, preservation/co, nservation, , Hazard, , Liability, , Environmentalist, , Heritage, , .Life-threaten, ing, , Epidemics, , Hindrance, , Logging, , Ethical, , Homemaking, , Lucrative, , Euthanasia, , Host, , Malpractice, , Extinct, , Hygienic, , Mandatory, , Extravagant, , Hypothetical, , Manipulate, , Exuberance, , lmpart, , Materialistic, , Fascinate, , lmpoverished, , Miserable, , Feasible, , Incidentally, , Monotonous, , Fiasco, , Inculcate, , Multilingual, , Foodchain, , Individualistic, , Multitasking, , Forbid, , Indulge, , Narrow-minded, , Forthcoming, , Inevitable, , Nerve-racking, , Foster, , Inflation/deflation, , Noteworthy, , 133

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Nuisance, , Prohibit, , Sophisticated, , Optimistic, , Provoke, , Stressbuster, , Outlets, , Pursue, , Stringent, , Outweigh, , Quote, , Subjective, , Overburden, , Ravage, , Substitute, , Ovenruhelming, , Rebellious, , Supersede, , Peer, , Recession, , Superstitious, , Perception, , Reckless, , Tangible,intangible, , Perks, , Reckoning, , Tempt, , Perspective, , Rectify, , Tertiary, , Pessimistic, , Rehabilitation, , Therapeutic, , Phenomenon, , Reliable, , Upbringing, , Physiological, , Retrenchment, , Urbanisation, , Potential, , Revive, , Vague, , Precaution, , Revolutionised, , Versatility, , Prejudice, , Scenario, , Viable, , Prerequisite, , Scintillating, , Victim, , Preservation, , Setback, , Vivid, , Prevail, , Socialreformer., reformation, Solitude, , Vulnerable, , Prodigy, , 134, , Well-acquainted

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CONFUSABLES, Accept (willinglyreceive):He accepted my gift with happiness., Except (not including):All excepf him were present., Expect (to think that somethingwill probabtyhappen):He expected me to drive him home., Access (right or opportunityto reach or use or visit): People living in urban areas have, access to technology., Excess (morethan enough):There is excess sugar in the tea., Adapt (adjust):Try to adaptto the changingcircumstances., Adept (skilful):He is adept in the art of flattery., Adopt (legallytake into a relationship):, My aunt adopteda boy last week., Addition (to add): I am not good at addition., Edition (copiesof a book, newspaperetc. issuedat one time):The first editionof this book, was publishedin 1996., Affect (to producean effect on): The shock affected her badly., Effect (resultof an action):My advicehad no effecfon him., Advice (n) (suggestion):, We mustfollowthe adviceof our teachers., , Advise(v) (suggest):, I advisedhimto seea doctor., Band (flat,thin stripput roundsomething;, groupof musicians):, I tied the paperswith, rubberband., Bend (forcesomethingstraightinto a curveor angle):He bends down to tie his shoelace., Bear (to tolerate;a largeanimal):I cannot bearthis insult., Beer (an alcoholicdrink):I do not drink beer., Beat (strikerepeatedly;defeat):The rain beaf loudlyagainstthe roof., Bit (pasttense of bite,a smallquantity):A dog bit me in my leg., Beet (a vegetable):Beetroof is good for our health., Brake (a devicefor stoppingvehicle):The driverappliedthe hrakes in time., Break (separateinto pieces under a blow or strain; interval):Children often break my, windowglasswhile playingcricket., , 135

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Stationary (not moving):The sun is stationaryandthe earth movesaroundit., Stationery (writingmaterial):My unclehas a stationery shop., Tail (hindmostpart of an animal):The monkey uses its tail to jump from one tree to, another., Tale (a short story):Childrenare fond of fairy fales., The tapin the kitchenis leaking, Tap (deviceby whichthe flow of liquidcan be controlled):, for the last 2 days., Tape (in cassettesand videos;used for tying up): I need some blank fapes to recordsome, new songs., Taste (flavourin mouth):I do not likethe fasfe of Chinesedish., Test (exam):My last fesf did not go well., Temper (stateof mind):Do not lose your temper., Tamper (meddlewith):After his death,they tamperedwith his will., Their (belongingto them). Their houseis very big., There (at that placeor position).There is a book on the table., Through (goingin one side and out of other):We are passingthrough a jungle., Throw (to fling):We shouldnot throw stonesat animals., Thorough (complete,not superficial):The doctor did a thorough examinationof the, patient., Very (in high degree):I am very upsetwith your performance., Vary (to change):Flowersvary in colourand size., Wait (to wait for somebody):I had to wait for fifteenminutesfor the bus", Weight (load):Her doctortold her to reduceher weight., Wet (not dry): Her cheekswere wef with tears., Wander (go about from place to place aimlessly):We spent the morning wandering, aroundthe old part of the city., Wonder (think;surprise).I wonderwhetherhe will pass in the exam., Want (desire):Everybodywants a peacefullife., Won't (contractionof "willnot"):They won't approveyour proposal., , 140

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apartfrom, , l . exceptfor, 2 . in additionto, , as a matterof fact, , in reality,actually(usedto, add detailsto something, just said,especially, when, theseare surprisingor, unexpected), , at a stretch, , in continuity, , at anyrate, , in any case,whatever, happens, in great hostility, , at daggersdrawn, at one'swit's end, , quitepuzzled,at a, completelosshowto act, , at stake, , risked, , back and forth, , to and fro, , backup, , support, , bankon, relatedphrase:count, on, be a great hand at, , relyon, be an expertat, , be/getcarriedaway, , lose self-control(be, guidedby emotionsor, feelings,not reason), , be in the good books, of, , havea good impression, on, , bearwith, , toleratepatiently, , behindbars, , In pnson, , 143, , 1. Apart from the ending,, the film is reallygood., 2. Apart from grammar,, vocabularywill also be, tested., Technologyhas affected, our way of living.As a, matter of fact, many of, us have becomeslavesof, technology., I can work twelvehoursaf, a stretch., At any rate, I want to go, abroad., fndia and Pakistanareat, daggers drawn., He was at his wit's end, regardingthe solutionof, the problem., We need this contracthundredsof jobs are at, stake., Many parentshave to, travel back and forth the, children'sschoolevery, day., The workers backed up, their leader., You can bank on me for, money matters., He is a great hand at, makinqspeech., He is mentallyvery, strong;he will not gef, carried away with any, negativity., Brilliantstudentsare, always in the good, books of theirteachers., You need to bear with the, inconvenience, for some, time., All the criminalsshouldbe, behind bars.

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l'come about, , happen, , A rift came about in the, padv., , come across, , meet or find bY chance, , cometo an end, , cease, , cometo light, , get revealed, , cometo the point, come intoplay, , come to the chief Partof a, matter, come into action, , come up to, , reachthe expected, , cope up with, , cut down, , deal effectivelY(with, somethinsdifficult), wish for something, impossible, reduce, , cut off, , separate, , cut one's own throat, , harmoneselfor one's, lnterests, , I came across an old, friendwhen I was goingto, the market., Finalfy,the war came to, an end., Many new facts about, universehave come to, Iisht recently., Don't profong, come to, the point., Dishonestyhas come, into play in business, nowadays., I want lo come up to mY, parent'sexpectations., I listenmusicto cope uP, with stress., World peace is a cry for, the moon., He has cut down his, smokingheavily., Due to heavyfloods,, severalvillageswere cuf, off from the headquarters., You have cut your own, throat by not accepting, the iob offer,, , cutshort, , bringan end fast, , cut-throat competition, , severecomPetition, , danceto one'stune, , obey blindly, , deal with, , handle, , devoidof, , lacking, , dig one's own grave, , be the causeof one's own, ruin, , cry for the moon, , 146, , I wantyouto cut short, the description., Thereis a cuf-throat, competitionin thejob, marketnowadays., Moderngirls refuseto, dance to the tune of, their hushands., The teacher dealt with, the subiectin detail., Orphans are devoid of, parents'love and, affection., Don't dig your own, qrave bv challenging, me.

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get to the bottomof, , He wanted to get to the, bottom of the mvsterv., Do you get along well, with vour colleagues?, The noisychildrenget on, my nerves., I want to gef rid of my, nail-bitinohabit., , get along, , and, fullyinvestigate, explain, be in harmony, , get on one's nerves, , causeworry, , get rid of, , be freed or relievedof, , getthrough, , gef, pass(anexamination, etc.) Myfriendjustcouldn't, throuqhhisfinals., , gift of the gab, , abilityto talk convincingly His glft of the gab made, him a publicfisure., preparefor action, We have to gird up our, loins to defeatthem., The mediagave a false, misrepresent, colour fo the whole, incident., give freedomto work as, He was given a free, hand in this iob., one wishes, in To maintain, a relationship,, a mutualunderstanding, which each personagrees therehasto be give and, take., to do someof the things, that otherwants, I gave up my effofts to, cease, stop smokinq., 1. He hit the tableso, 1 . lose all strength, hard that it gave, and break(or fall), way., 2 . be replacedby, 2. This old building, something, has to be knocked, down to give way, to a new one., You shouldgo abouf this, begindoing, in a properwav., 1 . We should go through, or, 1" discuss, in, this case once again., scrutinise detail, 2 . She has just gone, 2. undergo, through a divorce., proceedin a badly, lf I am nervous,my dance, steps qo havwire., manner, disorqanised, Populationgrowthand, be closelyconnected, go hand, unemployment, in hand., lt goes without saying, be too obviousto need, thatit willbe a difficultiob., mention, , girdup one'sloin, give a falsecolourto, , give a free hand, give and take, , grveup, give way, , go about, go through, , go haywire, go handin hand, , go withoutsaying, , 148

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move heavenand, earth, , makeextraordinary, efforts He moved heaven and, , next door, , in the next houseor room, , nip in the bud, , stop in the beginningitself Badhabitsin children, , nulland void, , invalid,havingno legal, authority, , off and on, , intermittently, , earth to stabilisehis, business., My best friend lives next, door to me., , shouldbe nippedin the, bud., The courtdeclared, the, contractto be null and, void., , once and for all, , It is rainingoff and on, nowadays., disorganised,, out of order Thingsare going off the, rails after the unexpected, strikeof some employees, of our company., recently, Of late,she has openeda, cosmeticshop in the, town., closeto deathor the end, My grandfathergave me, of usefulness, some lessonswhen he, was on his last /eqs., usedto emphasise, that, It was not a good, the oppositeof whatisjust decision.On the, statedis actually, true, contrary, it was a, mistake., at once,without, I cannotgive you a, deliberation, definitereply on the spur, of the moment., extremely, happy, When I was selectedfor, the job, I felt on top of, the world., considering, everything, On the whole, the, schemeis qood., definitelyand finally, Let'ssettlethisissue, , once in a bluemoon, , veryrarely, , once in a while, , occasionally, , one'scupof tea, , fleldof one'sskill, , off the rails, , of late, , on one'slast legs, on the contrary, , on the spur of the, moment, on top of the world, , on the whole, , once and for all., We go for a movie once, in a blue moon., They visit us once in a, while., , 153, , Gettingadmission, in llM is, not everybody's cup of, tea.

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takeup, tamperwith, the long and the short, of it, the orderof the day, , throughthickandthin, throwa party, , engagein, , I have taken up the job of, a reporter., changesomethingwithout Someone had tampered, permission(oftencausing with the switches., damage), the matterin brief, The long and the short, of it is that the case is, hopeless., thatwhichis currentor, Corruptionin government, commonnow,usual, offices is fhe order of the, happening, day., underallconditions, Some of my friendsare, alwayswith me through, thick and thin., give a party, They arethrowing a, , party on target, achievement., , throwoutof gear, , disturbthe workingof, , tightcorner(orspot), , difficultsituation, , time and again, , manytimes, , tit for tat, , doingsomething, unpleasantto someone, becausehe has done, somethingunpleasant, to, you, , try one'shand, , attempt,testone'sability, , tug of war, , strugglebetweentwo, parties, , turn a deaf ear, , disregard, , turn one'sback upon, , abandon, , turn over a new leaf, , changeforthe, better/beg, in something, newfor betterment, , 159, , The strikershave thrown, the factory out of gear., I am in a tight corner due, to lack of funds., Time and again I have, told you to improveyour, handwriting., Our neighbourskept, harassing,so we took this, step. lt is a tit for tat", He has tried his hand on, manyjobs., A tug of war is going on, betweenthe two, companiesfor this, contract., He turned a deaf ear to, my advice., Her parents turned their, back upon her when she, marriedagainsttheirwish., Now, one year afterthe, shutdownof his company,, he has turned over a, new treaf.