Policy Making and Poverty - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 7 Words: 2161 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2019/04/15 Category Society Essay Level High school Topics: Poverty Essay Did you like this example? It is evident that a large population in the United States of America still lives in poverty despite the fact that this country has one of the most stable economies across the globe. Those living in poverty experience hardships that are mainly seen via the deprivation of material possessions. The aspect of poverty does not spare either the old or the young ones. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Policy Making and Poverty" essay for you Create order From this aspect, childhood poverty has also been prevalent over the years. Childhood poverty, in this case, applies to situations where children are brought up in conditions that deny those stable homes, quality education, and sufficient nutrition. Most of the adults living in poverty are faced by conditions such as lack of skills required for them in order to be termed productive. Moreover, adults living in poverty lack adequate academic qualifications, which causes them to have limited wages. The problem of poverty has led to a situation where people have to forego essential aspects such as healthcare in favor of meeting their basic needs. Statistics indicate that fifteen percent of Americans are living in poverty. This percentage translates to approximately fifteen million children and thirty million adults. This number of people living in poverty cannot be taken for granted since this country has one of the most stable economies across the globe. Additionally, these poverty lev els do not only affect the poor, but also affects the stability of the American economy. According to (Ferman, Louis, Joyce, Kornbluh, and Alan, 116-133) poverty is a problem that can only be overcome via the development of effective policies to tame it. It is also expected that poverty levels in the USA will become extensive under the current administration. This is a clear indicator that the USA government has failed to develop adequate and effective policies that can be used to fight poverty. This means that due to the lack of proper policies most of the Americans will still not be able to enjoy the American dream and also the pursuit of happiness. The declaration of independence was based on the aspect of the American dream and the pursuit of happiness. However, over the years, this statement still remains to be a dream. The real reason as to why the United States of America has failed to address poverty is due to poor planning and the lack of adequate policies to handle this problem. The federal government has failed to come up with incentives and strategies needed to make the USA economy stronger. Instead, the government has been focused on maintaining its status quo of becoming the worlds leading economy. In order to reduce poverty, the federal government should work towards ensuring that it puts effective plans in place. In this case, the government should try and focus on aspects such as minimum wage. Minimum wage policies involve looking into aspects such as regulating the labor market. Additionally, the government should also plan on how to handle issues such as the provision of health care, education, and housing. Therefore, having better policies will ensure that there is sustainability in the growth of the economy and this may lead to the reduction of unemployment levels. In conclusion, critical planning and the development of effective policies can help in alleviating poverty in the USA. Statistics indicate that the poverty rate in the USA is approximately thirteen percent. However, the measures used to calculate the poverty rate levels were developed in the early 1960s. This percentage translates to approximately forty-two thousand people. These statistics indicate that most of the Americans believe that poverty is on the rise. These levels of poverty indicate that inequality in America has been on the rise. Additionally, the statistics indicate that the government has failed in fighting poverty. Also, the poverty levels in the USA has led to calls by IMF to have the federal government tackle this problem. If not tackled in advance the problem is expected to escalate into levels that will be difficult to manage. The statistics on poverty levels also show that the USA government has failed in ensuring equity in income distribution. This data on poverty levels shows that the people considered poor in the USA are those who are not able to meet the various economic need s. Moreover, these people also tend to live minimally when compared to the normal living standards. Additionally, the statistics indicate that poverty has also destabilized the USA economy. These statistics have also led to the federal government come up with measures of combating poverty. The data collected on poverty can be used to deal with this problem. Limited data on poverty can limit the monitoring of data on poverty. However, with this data, the federal government can be able to come with policies needed to handle these problems. Statistical analysis of poverty can be used to ensure that poverty eradication aid is allocated to the people who need it. Moreover, this data can be used to direct various investments to people who need it. This data can also be used in the implementation of short term and long term policies that can be used to fight poverty. This data can also be used in the identification of the beneficiaries of the various poverty elimination programs. The allocation of aid to people living in poverty can be an overwhelming task. However, through the use of statistical data, the government can be able to formulate guidelines that can be used to aid people living in poverty. The use of a single data source to deal with poverty is not effective. The use of diverse data helps in ensuring that the data to be used in dealing with this problem is credible. The use of different disciplines, in this case, will ensure that the data to be used for analysis is of quality. Accurate data, in this case, can be used in the development of accurate plans to handle the problem of poverty. Additionally, the use of different discipline will ensure that the policymakers are able to have a clear understanding of the aspect at hand. In conclusion, the use of different sources will also provide an in-depth analysis of poverty. This in return will help in better planning on how to eradicate poverty. The poverty measures that have been used to determine the poverty index in the USA has been a bone of contention. To start with the different aspects used to determine poverty tend to be confusing. The main approaches used are the threshold of poverty and the family income. To start with the definition of a family can be contradicting. A family is defined as people living in the same household. However, it is evident that the family has a broad definition. Most commonly, the family is defined as people who are related via the aspects of birth or marriage. In some instances, families consist of single parents, multiple parents and at times unrelated people residing together. Such aspects make it hard to measure poverty levels this concurs with the aspects presented in the film this is according to (DewiDewi. Whats Eating Gilbert Grape). It is evident that the use of such parameters to measure poverty levels does not put into consideration aspects such as pensions, social security, and taxes to name a few. The current approach used to measure poverty in the USA does not also include noncash benefits that individuals may be entitled to. Also, it does not put into consideration capital gains and aspects such as child support. The downfalls in this system have led to questions and contradictions. For this matter, it is evident that improvements should be done on this measure. The fact that poverty measures in the USA are valuable indicates that reforms should be implemented on the current approach. The measures should also be able to indicate the estimates used and how these estimates influence data interpretation. Poverty measures should mainly focus on income, earnings, and income inequality. These three approaches can be used to come up with an appropriate measure of rating poverty. The federal government can develop a number of policies that can best address the aspect of poverty. Having a sustainable economic growth is some of the vital factors that can be used to deal with poverty. Economic growth ensures that the general income in a community is able to increase. This results in the creation of employment opportunities. Increases in employment opportunities lead to an equal distribution of income in the society and thus leading to the reduction of poverty levels. However, care should be taken in order to ensure that economic growth does not widen the gap between the poor and the rich. This can only be achieved by ensuring that people living in poverty are empowered. The development of unemployment reduction policies can also help to deal with the problem of poverty. The development of such policies should mainly focus on empowering aspects such as free training for people who do not possess any skills. This can help such people provide both skilled and unskilled labor to the economy. These policies to reduce employment should focus on the minority groups and women. This is because these two groups are prone to poverty. Therefore, the policies should address specific geographical settings. This is because poverty is mainly associated with specific geographical positions. Moreover, planning to improve the infrastructure in such areas can also lead to the development of economic stimulus. On the other hand, the economic stimulus can help in the reduction of unemployment via the creation of employment opportunities. Employment can also be reduced via the implementation of monetary and fiscal policies. It is evident that reducing the interests rated and cutting on taxes can help in boosting the aggregate demand. The federal government should also introduce plans to make the labor markets more flexible. This will ensure that organizations are able to hire workers easily without facing a lot of setbacks generated by federal regulations. Implementation of progressive taxation policies can also help deal with poverty. Progressive taxation helps to ensure that people who have a high income are taxed more when compared to those who earn a merge income. Progressive taxation helps to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor. This ensures that there is equality in the generation of national income. Additionally, progressive taxation also helps to ensure that welfare organizations are exempted from taxation. Through this such organizations can be in a better position of empowering the poor people. Increasing the national minimum wage would be effective in eradicating poverty. This is because the low paid employees will be able to receive more wages and thus helping to cap the wage inequality. However, the implementation of such a policy will require to follow a well-formulated plan. This is because increasing the national minimum wage would result in companies employing fewer people due to the fact that they may be unable to afford labor. In such a case, the government can opt to reduce taxation on companies that tend to employ people at meager wages. Currently, education in the USA is very expensive. This means that a lot of people are not able to pursue their education to their satisfaction. Subsidizing public services such as education can allow many people to access education. This means that a lot of potentials that could have been lost is tapped. Moreover, people can have a chance to become successful in life by investing in their own education. Creating success opportun ities for the less fortunate can help in eradicating poverty. The healthcare industry has also been experiencing a lot of problems. These problems have made it impossible for people living in poverty to access quality healthcare services. This means that such people spend more on their healthcare since they are not in a position to afford healthcare insurance (Ferman, Louis, Joyce, Kornbluh, and Alan, 119). Subsidizing on the cost of healthcare can help such people reduce the amount of money that they spend on their healthcare. The money can alternatively be used in the development of income generating programs. Moreover, spending less money on their health care means that they will have enough to look after themselves and their families. Subsidizing the cost of healthcare will require effective planning. That is the government can develop policies that will allow people to purchase health care premiums based on their income. Lastly, the government should also establish universal basic income. This can be used to ensure that people are able to benefit from government funding despite their income. However, the implementation of such policies should ensure that there are no disincentives that may be associated with such a policy. In conclusion, poverty is a serious problem that requires well-established plans and policies in order to be eradicated in the USA. Works Cited DewiDewi. Whats Eating Gilbert Grape Full,MovieOn-line. Full,MovieOn-line. July 12 2018. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VolcME18olM. Ferman, Louis A., Joyce L. Kornbluh, and Alan Haber. Poverty in America; a book of readings. (1968).

Beyond the Divide Book Report Essay - 828 Words

Book Report BEYOND THE DIVIDE By: Kathryn Lasky The reason I chose this book is because it is about a different culture and a different life than of anyone I know. Beyond the Divide is about a young Amish girl who felt suffocated living in the Amish community. Meribah Simon had grown up in the Amish community and the strict rules of the community felt like walls closing in around her. Her father had been shunned by the elders of the community and when Meribah found out that her father was leaving to join the gold rush she decided to go with him. On the trip to California there were many good times and just as many bad; if not more. On the journey she and her father were traveling with a group of people that were going to†¦show more content†¦When some time had passed Meribah’s father had gotten a wound from helping someone fix something. 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Essay on Cultural Anthropology Culture And Religion Essay Example For Students

Essay on Cultural Anthropology : Culture And Religion Essay Cultural anthropology has taught me a lot in such a short time. This class has been very eye opening to me and has made me think more about the different cultures around me and just how important it is to learn about them. One of the things I have learned is how religion is related to culture. Culture is behaviors of a community such as the food they make, the music they listen to, and the rituals they take part in. This can be very similar to religion because a culture is based off of their religious beliefs. Some cultures do not eat pig because it is against their religious beliefs. Some cultures listen to particular songs because it is based off of their religious beliefs. Another thing cultures relate closely to is languages. Without language a culture cannot be passed down because there is no way to tell of the cultures ways. For instance many native american rituals have been lost because they were written in languages that now, not even the elders know how to speak. This is why language and religion are both very important aspect of culture. One down side of having so many different cultures and religious beliefs in ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism is the belief that ones group is superior based off of language,behavior, customs, and religion. You see this everyday especially in America. America is awful when it comes to equality. Especially the group of white americans who believe that everyone should speak english because english is a â€Å"superior† language. America does not have a national language or religion because it is supposed to be the land of freedom and equality but that does not stop all of the ethnocentrism we see. People who express ethnocentrism are very judgmental. In all reality there are so many different relig. . has given me significant insight about people all over the world. At first I thought this class was stupid and I didn t get why I needed to take it. My major is social work why would cultural anthropology relate to me? But in all reality this class out of all my prerequisite will help me out the most. In social work it is important for me to be able to relate to the family. If I do not understand their religion and culture it could be very hard for me to do my job and help the family. Every culture has a different family structures and traditions that could be crucial to know about when it comes to solving their problems. What the american culture seems as wrong another culture might see it as okay and that is very important to look at. This class has taught me that learning about other cultures is important and I am excited to study more about these other cultures.

Other Island Named Cuba Essays - CubaUnited States Relations

Other Island Named Cuba The Other Island Named Cuba Getting ready for landing was a new experience this time. Although I have flown to many places on many different size planes, this landing was different. I could see the houses and buildings below. The cars and people were like ants moving around. This is actually the typical site from the window seat of any plane that is about to land. To me it was very different. We were about to touch ground in Havana, Cuba. The place where my parents were born, raised and educated. This was also the place where my parents were married and had their first child, and also, the place they had to flee from in order to continue practicing their beliefs. I was arriving to my roots. A place that my family hadn't seen in forty years. I would be the first of my blood to set foot on that island since 1959. It is important to understand why my family fled their country while many others stayed behind. My Grandfather was Chief Justice of the Supreme Court during that time. His position and that of his family was in threat of political injustices from the Castro Regime. In order to avoid this from occurring, my Grandfather had my family fly out first (at the time it was still possible without too much questioning) and then he was given political asylum in the Argentinean Embassy. Once the plane touched down I felt both excited and scared. In the passed I was told stories that if anyone of us ever visited Cuba, that there was danger of us being held prisoner because of who our parents and grandparents were. This obviously concerned me since my purpose for the travel was merely to have the opportunity to see where my roots were from. I was also concerned because I was traveling with my wife who is of British decent, and regardless of the fact that she speaks fluent Spanish, could also get in trouble just by being with me. It was quite funny to see and hear people talking with the same accent and slang that I was brought up with. All I could think to myself was...'my God, this is where it all comes from My wife was also intrigued to hear the Cuban people express themselves. Once we were out on the tour bus and heading towards our hotel, it suddenly hit us... we had traveled into the past. Every vehicle, building, street and sidewalk was either exactly the way it was forty years prior or in most cases, in a forty year deteriorated state. Nonetheless, it was amazing to see cars, trucks and busses of the 50's traveling all around us. It was like being in an old movie and we were the main characters. Once we arrived at our hotel, that image shifted slightly. Most touristic hotels are either new or refurbished to look new in order to attract tourism. The ironic... no... painful reality of all this, is that the Cuban citizens are not allowed to enter the premises of any hotel in Cuba. It doesn't even end there. They are not even allowed to enter restaurants, bars, or nightclubs, regardless of whether they have U.S. currency or not. It's just because they are Cuban. This to me was the absolute kick in the face. It's like if one night I decided to go to TGIF in Miami (which is where I was born and raised) and they stopped me at the door (no courtesy included), and tell me that I should know better than to try and go into the restaurant... that I should know that all US Citizens are barred from eating at a nice place. It is strictly for tourist he would say. Anyone listening to a story like that would think my elevator didn't go to the top floor. Well, it is exactly that way in Cuba t oday and has been that way for about thirty to thirty-five years. This was not the reason for my traveling here. I was here to learn about MY roots, my people, and my family. By day two, we had met up with a very nice man by the name

7 Important Considerations for Writing a Postgraduate Personal Statement Essays

7 Important Considerations for Writing a Postgraduate Personal Statement Essays 7 Important Considerations for Writing a Postgraduate Personal Statement Essay 7 Important Considerations for Writing a Postgraduate Personal Statement Essay You are applying for postgraduate but you don’t know how to write a postgraduate personal statement. Well don’t worry†¦ a lot of students don’t know how these statements are written. Even if some students know how to write it they certainly don’t know how to write a compelling one. Basically this statement, which is also referred as a statement of purpose, allows the applicant to elaborate on his/her experience, potential, skills and determination. There are some statements that ask the applicant to answer particular questions while there are also some that only asks general questions. The statement of purpose is a golden opportunity for an applicant to stand out. It is indeed an opportunity that allows you to describe your influences, motivation, determination and your worth to the team of the admission department. In this application you are given a wonderful chance to list down the reason why you are seeking admission in this university and the personal or professional goals you have in mind. The statement of purpose also allows you to discuss your talent and skills that you possess and which you are not able to discuss in the standard admission application. Without further ado, let us discuss the 10 important considerations that are necessary for writing an eye-catching postgraduate personal statement. Before jotting down letters onto your personal statement, first brainstorm and create a list of material that you want to include and discuss in the statement. Keep the list specific and concise. Also check out the prompt that is given by the university at the time of acquiring the admission application. Analyze the prompt carefully and see what types of requirements you will need to keep in mind while writing. Now, briefly explain what makes you different and special from the rest. This explanation will help you in setting yourself apart from other applicants who are applying for the same postgraduate program. Convince them that you are the best fit not only for the university but also for the community of your field. List down some particular reasons why you are only interested to get admission in their university. It may be that their fee is affordable than other universities or they offer some special programs that others don’t. It may also be that they are the most prominent university in the country. Also explain them how you came to know about them. List down and explain any work experiences that you have had. This demonstrates your interest in your field of interest. List and discuss your career goals that you have set in your mind. However, keep the explanation concise and specific. Don’t tell but demonstrate and give evidence to support your claims. List and discuss your most prominent qualities and strengths. Yet again, you have to support those qualities or strengths with supporting evidence. One more important consideration that one needs to take into account is that the opening of the statement must be an attention-grabbing one. It must be able to hook the reader right from the start.

Rainforrest Deforrestation and Its Impact on Society essays

Rainforrest Deforrestation and Its Impact on Society essays Tropical rainforests cover 5 to 6 percent of the earths surface and they are disappearing at an alarming rate. Many ecologists, scientists, and even rock stars and countless other people all over the world have formed groups to help ease the destruction of the tropical rainforests. Many of these groups are trying to repair the damage that has already occurred as a result of this destruction. Most of the deforestation of the rainforests that we see today is through carelessness, and large corporations striving to make a profit. Today there are more than 150 activists groups that are concerned about the rainforests livelihood. Over consumption and overpopulation are the two main ways in which the destruction of the rainforests are destroyed. The United States is the largest user of natural resources and America contributes to more the destruction of the rainforests than any other country. In addition, the population of the world has grown exponentially over the last few decades, which has called for more use of natural resources to support the billions of people inhabiting our earth now. Every year an area the size of the state of Florida is destroyed. Many of the effects of the destruction are evident and some of these effects are long term. In the past, the people that are native to the tropical countries where the rainforests exist have cut down the trees in order to build homes, furniture, and to use as firewood. This use of the trees from the rainforest had had a minimal impact on the ecosystem of the rainforests. The trees used by the natives would regenerate themselves due to natural process, commonly known as Mother Nature. However, as of late, the individuals that are causing the destruction are not the natives, but rather people outside of the countries where the rainforests exists. For decades the natives have lived in harmony wit...

Choosing a Career - Pharmacy School Personal Statement

Choosing a Career - Pharmacy School - Personal Statement Example I feel these feelings are based on my childhood experiences. I came to the United States from Vietnam at the tender age of ten. Since then I have received so much love and support from this country that I feel it is time for me to start paying back and what better way to do it then as a pharmacist. My interest in sciences began quite early in life when I used to visit the local drug store with my parents. I was always impressed as to how the pharmacist always knew which medicine to dispense and to whom. It was this curiosity that made me take up a part-time job at the drugstore during my school intervals. This job helped me obtain a better understanding of particular illnesses and their cures through various drugs. I developed an insight into the general know-how of drugs particularly the usage, the allocation and the regulation of drugs. Consequently, I focussed my attention on the field of sciences at the high school. Mind you I wasn't a bookworm I actively participated in extra curriculum activities including various clubs and community service. Nevertheless, as a result of my deep interest in sciences and practical experience at the drug store, I was able to secure my graduation from high school. It was that memorable day that I decided to pursue pharmacy as a career. I feel that the prime purpose of seeking education is to develop the innate qualities of an individual to the fullest extent possible. Any education theory is strongly based on a conception of the aim in life and the laws of mental change. I personally believe that education is the development of intellectual and moral qualities. A Doctor of Pharmacy Degree would provide me with the requisite knowledge to help me in fulfilling this goal not to mention fuel my career aspirations. Moreover, I feel that pharmacy is a field that has become an integral part of today's world. The profession is respected across the globe and has great potential in various industries. I have always believed that time that slips away never comes back and I for one, plan to make the most of my time and to achieve as much as I possibly can in the shortest time possible. The Doctor of Pharmacy degree would be the stepping stone for me to materialize this goal. My career aspirations have remained the same since my high school graduation and it is rarely that a decision made right after high school continues to be the right one later on in life. In my case, I am sure my decision is not only correct but is perfect for me and in line with my future goals. I have been happily working at a retail pharmacy as a pharmacy technician for the past two years. That job has further strengthened my belief in the pharmacy career. I have even evaluated future job opportunities and studied the requirements various companies have with their pharmacy candidates. I have kept all this information in mind and when finally selecting this degree as my final and only choice. Keeping my long-term goals in mind I feel that I don't just want to succeed in life but I want to succeed while gaining job satisfaction. For this to be possible I must ensure that I get the relevant degree from a respected college, followed by the right job befitting my profile and eventually enjoy a comfortable future with a good quality of life. I feel that I would make an extraordinary pharmacist thanks to my love for people and for the profession.     

Modern and Contemporary Asian Art Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Modern and Contemporary Asian Art - Article Example Marko Mori was born in 1967, in Tokyo Japan. Her father was an inventor and real estate manager. On the other hand, her mother was a historian of European art. Mori started working as a fashion model in 1980 while studying at Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo. She later on moved to London to study at the Chelsea College of art and design. She studied there until 1992 when she moved to New York and took part in the independent program at the Whitney Museum of American art. Mariko currently resides in New York and Tokyo. Marko Mori was born in 1967, in Tokyo Japan. Her father was an inventor and real estate manager. On the other hand, her mother was a historian of European art. Mori started working as a fashion model in 1980 while studying at Bunka Fashion College in Tokyo. She later on moved to London to study at the Chelsea College of art and design. She studied there until 1992 when she moved to New York and took part in the independent program at the Whitney Museum of American art. Ma riko currently resides in New York and Tokyo. In 1996, Marko Mori released a video titled, link of the moon. In the video, the five aspects of humanity get clearly illustrated (Bailey 2000, p.4). These are birth, death, love, sex and beauty. The video uses DVD on five screens to display the movements involve in martial arts. In the video, Marko Mori holds a crystal ball which symbolizes transformation and transportation. There are curious passers-by who seem less concerned with Marko Mori. They pass by her. The passers-by can be symbolized in the capsule as colorful distortions. Marko Mori started her large scale self portrait in the mid 1990’s. She used multimedia techniques to establish herself with performances and videos of the traditional Japanese rituals. Her themes illustrate everything in the modern Japan while showing the trends in fashion experienced in Japan. One can hardly point out on a style used by Mori. Hers is a collection of many styles blended together. Her belief, which is neither Buddhist nor Shiro, comes out clearly in her artworks (Smith et al 2008, p.6). Her belief seems to stem from technology. Technology in some aspects can be described to be Mori’s religion. Her use of technology in an artwork is quite well blended. She manages to integrate the two, technology and art, to bring out the ideas she wants to express. In Nirvana, which got released in 1997, Mori transforms into a flying divinity. This can be said to have been borrowed from the Buddhism religion. She, however, does not recreate a symbol with this art. She rather manages to express a divinity of the future. This is the extent to which Mori manages to use technology in her artistic work (Wu et al 2010, p.1).

Gospel Essentials Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Gospel Essentials - Essay Example In the previous epochs He was thought to be the center of the Universe and literally everything was revolving around Him. With this regard one should also dwell on some characteristics that are attributed to God Who is perceived as â€Å"a being conceived as the perfect, omnipotent, omniscient originator and ruler of the universe, the principal object of faith and worship in monotheistic religions† (God, 2011). Indeed, one of the major aspects that should be mentioned in particular is His perfection: no other being in the Universe can be as perfect. God is also regarded as the Creator of everything (DiVincenzo, 2012). It is quite obvious that everything that exists in the world was created by Him. Prior to the beginning of all things, nothing existed but God. The process of creation is explained in detailed in the book of Genesis. Keeping this in mind, one might ask a legitimate question: if everything was created by God, is evil, death, suffering and other negative aspects of life created by Him as well? According to free will theodicy, it was, but for the purpose of greater good. Speaking of human nature, one should note two important aspects. On the one hand, it must be said that just like all other beings, humans were created; however, â€Å"God created mankind in His own image† (Genesis 1:27). On the other hand, due because Adam and Eve committed the Original Sin, they could no longer live in Eden. There are many opinions about purpose of human life. While some people suggest that there is not distinct purpose since life should be perceived as the greatest gift that a person can receive, others point out that humans were created to praise the Lord. That is why the purpose of the human life is to love the Creator and follow the guidelines that were designed by Him. If people chose not to do so, this causes a considerable number of problems in their lives. Indeed, when humans forget about God and focus on the visible world, with all its

The Use Of Child Soldiers In Warfare Criminology Essay

The Use Of Child Soldiers In Warfare Criminology Essay When looked back upon our childhood, memories of playgrounds, games and friends are often remembered, not even in our darkest nightmares would we imagine having to fight in warfare. Instead of playing sports, many children are forced to carry weapons, act as spies, decoys, and assassins. In addition to traditional warfare, children clear minefields, act as suicide bombers, and serve as messengers and sex slaves. Almost 5,000 children are still in military groups within Sierra Leone, and Myanmar, also known as Burma, holds an estimated 50,000 child soldiers. Despite the fact that many humanitarian organizations like UNICEF and CARE (Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere) have focused on this issue for decades, it is only in the last few years that international media organizations started sending pictures of eight-year-old children carrying AK-47s in the jungle of Sudan to the living rooms of people in the United States and Europe. In the last decade, more than two million children have been killed due to participation in warfare. An astounding forty-one countries in the world have children under the age of 18, and sometimes much younger are used in warfare by rebel groups and even by governments. They are denied basic human rights and are often abused terribly, and the practice of training young children to destroy and kill perpetuates cycles of violence in war-torn countries. The chronic problem occurs when former child soldiers are rehabilitated into society and are unable to socially adapt with other people, for example, shell shock. Despite this sad reality that child soldiers face, it remains very difficult to enforce child soldier laws on an international, national and regional laws. When countries release child soldiers from military service, they often lack the resources to help them through the transition. Trained in war, children are psychologically damaged and need rehabilitation. They are often ost racized by their own families or communities. They will often return to violence unless they receive help. The Problem in Sudan Sudan, the largest country in Africa, with more than 10,000 children serving in military organizations, clearly illustrates all of the issues facing children in warfare. The Juvenile Care Council Sudanese, an official government agency, often takes children into custody directly off the street. Children out running errands or playing are scooped up and quickly forced into military camps. The government does not attempt to notify a childs family, who may not see the child again for several years. If a child manages to escape the clutches of the military, he or she is at risk of being picked up by the other side, Sudans rebel armyà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA). Childrens rights while they are serving as soldiers in Sudan are violated in a number of ways. Beyond the forcible capture, reports indicate that while in government custody children are denied their rights of religious freedom and forced to take a Muslim name and to convert to Islam. On the other side, the SPLA rebel organization often recruits with promises of food and then forces its new recruits to walk hundreds of miles from their homes. The problems in Sudan are deep rooted. The government denies any use of children and instead points to a Sudanese law that prohibits the recruitment of anyone under the age of eighteen into the military. the rebel group SPLA is hidden in the shadows of the country and out of the control of the government, international observers, and aid workers. Forced Recruitment Schools become a source of military manpower, and government forces as well as rebel forces often snatch children right from their desks. Although this kind of abduction is a common tactic, it is rarely documented and therefore difficult to regulate. During their recruitment children often experience extreme brutality, such as being forced to witness or participate in their parents executions, or suffering beatings from their captors. Tragically, in addition to losing their families, many lose their identity as they are forced to forget their names, ages, and the towns or villages they came from. Obedience Once captured, drafted, or volunteered, a child undergoes training that is often incredibly brutal and intended to desensitize him or her to violence and ensure compliance. Reports in Central America found that children are forced to kill animals and drink their blood. They are burned with cigarettes, beaten, verbally abused, and even killed if they resist. Children are also taught to abuse and kill each other for disobedience. Resistance to abide orders and attempts to escape are met with brutality, often losing an ear or limb for their actions. Since a childs home community may associate such injuries with violent rebel groups, the community often rejects the child, these scars in themselves can prevent children from returning home. In addition, child combatants often suffer from post-traumatic stress and may continue their violence outside of war, withdraw from social interactions, and suffer from nightmares and hallucinations. A child who has witnessed violence and brutality may need assistance in healing from guilt, anger, fear, and hatred to lessen the chances that he or she will return to violence. In many cases child soldiers have been written off as a lost generation with no hope of emotional and physical rehabilitation. Debating the Numbers Overall, the lack of agreement on the age of majority poses an obstacle for counting the number of children soldiers and also for establishing international guidelines to prevent child militias. estimates on the numbers of children active in some capacity of war range from 87 countries with close to one million children in combat, to 30 countries with 300,000 children active in war. Why Children? Causes and Consequences Economic Conditions: Economics also play a crucial role in the formation of child soldiers as families with the lowest incomes are most vulnerable to military recruiters and abductors. Lack of education, the inability to pay off the recruiters, being orphaned, the need of the family for income from the military, and many other factors of poverty make a child easy prey to harsh and dangerous military involvement. Children who grow up in poverty without clean water, safe shelter, and education are the most vulnerable. Forced recruitment tends to target poorer children. While poverty-stricken families have few resources and little recourse for finding and retrieving a child taken by a military organization, wealthier families can send their children out of the country for educational purposes, bribe authorities to release their child, or buy out their childs obligation to a military operation. in Sudan, the SPLA provides grand illusions of food and safety, causing parents to relinquish their children freely because they believe their lives may actually be better in a militia. On the other side, children appeal to military groups who are strapped for resources. They tend to be more economical, since they eat less and demand lower wages, if they are even paid. If a child is paid he may earn an important salary and contribute to the well-being and continued existence of an entire family. Political Situations: There are a variety of reasons why children are dragged into this horrific lifestyle and are unable to escape. Many of these reasons are internal conflicts, which may include ethnic conflicts, revenge for murdered family members and even due to propaganda promoting violence. However, the most likely reason is due to a shortage of adult fighters because of many long years of civil wars within war-torn countries. Government publicity actions in times of war can be an additional source of the problem. The use of parades, propaganda, rallies, and even anthems and pledges teach children that war is an honorable activity and that soldiers have exciting and rewarding duties. Good Things Come in Small Packages Unfortunately, the very nature of childrenà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬not being fully grown either physically or emotionallyà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬plays a contributing factor. physical size often contributes to capture; kids are easier to transport than adults. Children are also less likely to attract suspicion and can easily plant bombs and engage in intelligence-gathering operations. If apprehended, children often face less harsh punishments from the law than do their adult counterparts. An additional benefit for a military or rebel group is that adult soldiers of the other side may not fire on child soldiers. The International Arms Trade The international trade in small arms is intricately tied to the issue of children in warfare. Technology has in recent years created smaller guns, plastic explosives, hand grenades, and overall lighter weapons. Children are more able to handle the new instruments of warfare. For example, assault rifles like the Russian-built AK-47 and the American M-16 are easy to carry and to use. These new weapons are also less expensive. The United Nations Research Institute for Social Development found that in some African countries the guns sell for US$6 apiece. Some observers argue that countries that sell these weapons aggravate the problem as they continue their very profitable sale of small arms to governments or groups supported by governments who employ children as combatants. Preventions: Crime without Punishment Despite the fact that popular international attention is only beginning to focus on children in armed conflict, efforts to prevent children from participating in warfare are more than 70 years old. The issues revolve around what rights children have, if these rights compete with the rights of parents, and what rights countries have to form and recruit their own militaries. The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child prohibits the forced recruitment of all children under 18, yet still allows a government to accept volunteers at 16. The United States, like most countries, argues that it is its sovereign right to form an army of its choosing. Recent History and the Future The Future of Children in Combat: Good News and Bad Depending on where you look, the future for preventing the involvement of children in warfare is encouraging. In the spring of 2001 the SPLA in Sudan released 3,500 children to UNICEF, and in August 2001 all but 70 returned to their homes. A recent poll of Americans found that 75 percent of people surveyed felt that child survival should be both an American and an international priority. there are hundreds of international organizations and non-governmental organizations working on monitoring the use of children in warfare, negotiating their treatment while in combat, and assisting in their reintroduction to civilian life. Organizations like UNICEF, UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), the International Committee for the Red Cross, the World Food Program, and the International Rescue Committee, as well as private groups like Save the Children and CARE, employ hundreds of doctors, counselors, and researchers to address this problem. Children often prove themselves very adaptable. With medical attention, counseling, and vocational training, many former soldiers return to a normal life. In Sierra Leone, one representative from Amnesty International reports that the majority of them have really improved they are back in schools. Once they are in the right environment, we start to see the change very quickly.

Physical and Chemical Properties Essay

Did you observer any chemical changes in this experiment? Yes What evidence did you use to decide that something was a chemical change? I observed during the application of the hydrochloric acid to some of the substances bubbling, and smoking Give at least two examples of chemical changes you observed. Green changed from blue to application of HCL to Mg smoking and bubbling and CuCO3 Classify the following properties of sodium metal as physical or chemical: †¢ Silver metallic color: Physical †¢ Turns gray in air: Chemical †¢ Melts at 98oC: Physical †¢ Reacts explosively with chlorine gas: Chemical Classify the following changes as physical or chemical: †¢ Water freezes at 0oC: Physical †¢ Baking soda when combined with vinegar produces bubbles: Chemical †¢ Mothballs gradually disappear at room temperature: Physical †¢ Ice cubes in a freezer get smaller with time: Physical †¢ Baking soda loses mass as it is heated: Chemical †¢ Tarnishing of silver: Chemical How would you show that dissolving table salt is a physical change? Because the salt doesn’t change to something else, it stays salt. Boil the water and the salt will still be there, not something else. Cleanup: Mix the leftover sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid in your beaker. This will neutralize them. Now, pour them down the drain with lots of water. Place the small amount of solid chemicals left (if any) in a small plastic bag and put it in the trash. After the burner fuel has completely cooled, screw the cap on tightly and store it in your LabPaq.

Mentha Farm Business Plan

Mentha Farm Business Plan (Mentha Garden) Executive Summary Mentha Garden is a 10 acre farm dedicated to the production of Menthol oil (Pipermint oil). Mentha Garden is located at Fatehpur in Barabanki , Uttar pradesh. Mentha Garden is working hard to become a leading producer of Menthol oil in Barabanki for the Stage 2 level industry. Barabanki ranks number one in menthol oil production, which constitute 65-70% of Indian production. Menthol oil is used in Pharmaceuticals, Chewing  Tobacco, Pan  Masala, Perfumery  Compounds, Toothpaste, Mouth  Washes, Oral  Preparations, Confectionery, Cigarettes  .Keys to Success Mentha Garden has identified two keys that will be instrumental in their success. The first is the implementation of strict financial controls. By having the proper controls, production efficiency will be maximized. The second key is the recognition and implementation of the philosophy that 100% customer satisfaction is required to ensure a profitable business. Profits are a by product of satisfying customers, not the other way around. Products Mentha Garden is a 20 acre farm that concentrates on the growing of different variety of Mentha.Mentha Garden will feature:- Mentha  Arvensis-Initially  the  crop  grown  was  called  Japani  mint/  Mentha  Arvensis  but  subsequently  the  problems  of  rains  &  dryness,  this  crop  was  developed  and  known  as  MenthaShivalik. Mentha  Piperita- The  USA  being  the  main  producer  of  Mentha  Piperita  similarly  it  is  also  called   American  piperita. Though  India  is  developing  the   quality  of  Mentha  Piperita   Comparing  to  US  crop  but  we  have  not  yet  been  able  grow  successfully  till  now. Process  of  Deriving  Menthol  Crystals  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Stage  1:  Farmers  level Mentha  arvensis  leaves  are  boiled  and  oilà ‚  is  extracted.Iron  vessel  is  used  for  the  same. Stage  2:  Industry  level Mentha  oil  extracted  in  stage  1  is  frozento  minus  60  degrees  Celsius. This   takes about  6  to  7  days. Aluminium  vessel  is  used   here. The   output   consists   of   30%  De? Mentholised   Oil   (DMO)   and   70%  Flakes. Stage  3:  Industry  Level These   flakes   are   heated   at   40  degrees   Celsius. The  liquid  obtained  is  filtered  by cloth  and  loaded  into  a  machine. Crystals   are  sown  in  this  liquid  and  kept  for  15  to   20  days. The  output  is  70%  crystal  and  30%   residual  mentha  flakes. Iron  vessel  is  used   in in  this  process.Market Menthol Garden sells Raw Menthol oil to the Industry level -2 on market price . Management Team Menthol Garden will be lead by the Sujeet patel and D. K Patel(father). Father brings a wealth of business and management skills to the Garden. Sujeet patel will be responsible for the business operations of the farm and marketing of oil. Financial Plan- Mr. D. K Patel is doing menthol oil farming traditionally but I wanted to apply my Botanical knowledge as well as management skills , what I have learnt in my 12+3+2 level of education .

How to overcome writers block - Emphasis

How to overcome writers block How to overcome writers block Fear is the underlying emotion behind writers block. An inability to start writing hours before deadline may trigger the fight or flight response, leaving us in a cold sweat and frowning at a blank screen. But psychologists have found that the causes of writers block are much more complicated than blind panic. The foundations of the problem are laid down by the way we think and our patterns of behaviour. Avoidance makes it worse Avoiding writing not only wastes time, but it also makes writers block worse, according to behavioural theory. Psychologist Burrhus Skinner coined the term negative reinforcement: thats when a particular behaviour (such as turning off an alarm) is rewarded because it makes a bad feeling or unwanted sensation go away. Avoiding writing is also an act that is negatively reinforced because it brings us relief (albeit temporarily). The trouble is, since rewarded behaviour is strengthened, were more likely to carry on doing it. The inner voice We may have negative expectations about a report we have to write. The pessimistic thoughts might be caused by an overly critical boss, or we might be born worriers. Either way, our inner voice can sometimes say unhelpful things we are barely conscious of, like, The report might not be good enough or even People will think Im stupid. Evidence of our shortcomings is unpleasant, so we keep the imagined outcomes at bay by postponing the writing task. But the longer we go without disproving our need to worry, the more likely we are to keep putting it off. In other words, if we never start the project, well never see that it isnt going to be a disaster. Negative thinking There is a strong association between negative thinking and writers block. One experiment, from researchers at Princeton and Yale, found that combining writing training with strategies from cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) was an effective way to overcome writing anxiety. Participants using this combined approach wrote higher quality documents than a group who were given only writing training. CBT is a goal-orientated talking therapy that helps people to challenge negative thinking. According to Aaron Beck, the clinical psychologist who developed the approach, human behaviour often stems from the way we think. And rational thinking leads to constructive behaviour. Reframe your thoughts In the Princeton/Yale study, participants were asked to identify negative self-statements those thoughts that inhibited coping behaviour and update them with more productive ideas. For example, Ill never get this work done is an example of black-and-white thinking, the tendency to evaluate yourself, people or situations in extreme terms. After looking at evidence for and against the idea that the work would never get done, the thought could be reframed into something more positive: I may be very busy, but I am experienced enough to finish the task. Catching yourself in the act of avoidance and negative thinking can be the point where you begin to unblock your writing. Writing in the blog Psychology Today, business coach Margaret Moore suggests ways to get rid of your inner critic. These include logging your negative thoughts in a notepad, identifying the feelings that lie behind the thoughts to get to the root of the block, and even telling your inner voice to shut up!. We can think of a few stronger words you might want to use. For techniques on how to beat the block, see our article Tips for breaking through the barrier. Reference: The efficacy of cognitive-behavior therapy and writing process training for alleviating writing anxiety by Peter Salovey and Matthew Haar was originally published in Cognitive Therapy And Research Vol 14, Number 5 (1990).

revo----lution essays

revolution essays Throughout the course of history, in the Untied States of America, many groups have beneficially influenced the modern day practices and values of the American citizenry. Most Americans hold organizations such as the NAACP, womens civil rights movement, and ACLU in high regard for their contributions and dedication to the working class. However, the Industrial Workers of the World, better known as the IWW, have been brushed under the carpet even though the contributions they have made to the modern day labor force is truly immeasurable. So why is this the case? Is it because the IWW functioned on Anarchist Syndicalism principles and were thought of as Unamerican in a Democratic society? Is it because America embraces capitalism while the IWWs revolutionary vision focused on capitalism as the demise of the working class? The answer to both these questions is probably yes! This, however, is a true tragedy! The IWW when brought under close examination not only had a huge impact on mode rn day labor practices, but also the goals and the means that were employed to produce them are uniquely American rather than Unamerican as most Americans believe. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries the working class in the United States was simply modern day slavery to big business. Much of the working class worked long hours in unsafe conditions and were paid very little for their work. However, they could not simply stop working because many workers had families to clothe, feed, and shelter. As conditions worsened, some members were beginning to become irate at big business owners and formed a revolutionary union in Chicago in 1905 called the Industrial Workers of the World . In order to fight big business and capitalism, the general goal of the IWW was to combine the American working class and eventually wage earners all over the world into one big labor union with an industrial basis and a ...

Chinese Women today-qz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Chinese Women today-qz - Essay Example China, home to one in five of the worlds women, is around the few nations where women are encountering a rights rollback, as stated by feminists, scientists and information from the All-China Womens Federation, which is designated and run by the legislature to speak to womens hobby. In the 1950s, women appreciated top-down additions gave by the Communist Party and Mao Zedongs proverb that "whatever male friends can do, female companions can do, as well." The blinding shine of the most recent 35 years of budgetary additions clouds the way that while Chinese women have profited from the climbing tide lifting all vessels, they are indeed losing ground. Women livelihoods are falling in respect to mens; conventional demeanor are transferring women to the home; and ladies net fortune may be contracting. While female parliamentary representation somewhere else is climbing, the rate of ladies in Chinas national council, the National Peoples Congress, has level lined for a long time at a little more than 20 percent. Regardless of a compelling authority account that womens rights are overall secured, there is no development in essence to secure women According to numerous feminists, there is no political will to enhance women’s standing. A little gathering of men set approach in China, and they dont see ladies rights as a standard issue. Additionally, women need financial clout. The oft-touted reality that Chinese women possess 7 of the 14 positions on a year ago Forbes rundown of capable billionaires. Numerous women have been closed out of what may be the greatest amassing of land fortune ever, esteemed at over $17 trillion in 2010" by the bank HSBC, she composed. A dubious change to the Marriage Law passed in August says that in separation, unless challenged, property returns to the legitimate manager, leaving numerous women who cannot demonstrate their budgetary commitment with nothing. Generally, although equality has never been attained,

Legal Systems and Contract Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Legal Systems and Contract Law - Essay Example Vindication becomes critical mechanism to compensate victims for dereliction of duty and examine contract for awarding appropriate damages2. The established clauses for breach of contract in sale of goods are: Non-performance of contractual duties, in terms of delivery of goods at the designated place. In the contract, the importance of implied terms becomes critical constituents of contract per se. They are not explicitly agreed upon by the parties but are implied by knowledge and therefore, legally binding3. The implied term proposes that the agreement or contract enables the other party to benefit from the contract as intended4. In the case, the judge had ruled out that the general rule of the contract interpretation is not as important as the intention of the parties that is manifested within the contract. Indeed, parties’ duty to cooperate is fundamental obligation which entitles the other party to benefit from the contract. Thus, the seller must make efforts to comply with reasonable requests which is not written but implied explicitly orally and by expression. The contract was made between two parties which were based in two different countries. As such, the physical delivery of goods at the correct destination become important factor for the buyer for achieving desired business objectives that are intended to be served by the contract. Delivery details of the goods as proposed within the contract by Metalique are distinct in their date of delivery but not in the destination. The seller was aware of the plans of buyer and therefore, supply of the same should conform to the plans of buyer. As such, it can be correctly inferred that Metalique had prior knowledge of the manufacturing site of Amethyst at Aberdeen, where the goods were required to complete the production of sports cycles. Thus as per the contractual terms and destination of

Market Opportunity Identification Lab Report Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Market Opportunity Identification - Lab Report Example The report will also evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT) posed by the Chinese market. The potential consumer market in China for the online travel services offered Wotif.com will be analyzed in order to gauge the attractiveness of the market. The Chinese economy has experienced a tremendous growth in the recent past. Before the economic recession set in, the economy of China was growing at two digit levels annually (Ding 5). It is notable that even with the impacts of the global financial crisis negatively affecting many economies in the world, China is still experiencing a significantly higher economic growth rate. The Chinese economy is greatly diversified with categories such as manufacturing, mining, energy, services, real estate among others. This implies that the growth in the economy cuts across all the major economic sectors including tourism and Information Communication Technology (ICT). Thus, China is an attractive international investment destination as its economy offers chances for business growth and expansion. It is notable that China has the highest population in the world currently standing at over two billion people (Tian 2011). The majority of the population comprises of local people. The high population offers a huge domestic market that can be harnessed for business gain. China has a stable political environment with the leadership of the country entrusted on the Communist Party. The transition structures in China are clear and there are no chances of political upheavals or drastic changes in policy. The Communist Party elects the President who is the head of state and the Prime Minister who serves as the head of government. The centralization of power has ensured that there are uniform economic policies in China and minimal chances for political upheavals. The government has also adopted

Education System Comparison Between Usa and Latvia Essay Example for Free

Education System Comparison Between Usa and Latvia Essay Introduction Everyone knows that in nowadays there are many possibilities and ways to learn, but in Latvia this is very topical theme right now. Many of the high school graduates want to learn abroad. And I do not think that this is good, because like about half of the students or people that go to learn abroad, never comes back to the native country. That is why I have chosen this topical theme. I am going to study educational systems in these countries. I am going to poll some of the 12th grade students about what are they thinking about learning in USA. I want to achieve that kind of position when a student reads my research project and especially the higher education in Latvia part he changes his mind and stays to learn here. My hypothesis for this Research Work is the education systems in Latvia and in the USA are different and this is a reason why people in Latvia choose the USA for studies very often. The Aim of the Research Work is to compare the education systems in the USA and in Latvia and to find out middle school students opinion about studies in Latvia and in the USA. The main objectives of the Research Work are: †¢ To collect the information about educational system in Latvia †¢ To collect the information about educational system in the USA †¢ To make a questionnaire and analyze the results of middle school students opinion about studies in Latvia and in the USA Educational system in USA Education in the United States is provided mainly by government, with control and funding coming from three levels: federal, state, and local. School attendance is mandatory and nearly universal at the primary and secondary levels. At these levels, school curricula, funding, teaching, and other policies are set through locally elected school boards with jurisdiction over school districts. School districts are usually separate from other local jurisdictions, with independent officials and budgets. Educational standards and standardized testing decisions are usually made by state governments. The age for compulsory education vary by state, beginning at the age five to eight and ending at the age of fourteen to eighteen. A growing number of states are now requiring school attendance until the age of 18.[6] 1.1 Preschool There are no mandatory public prekindergarten or crà ¨che programs in the United States. The federal government funds the preschool program for children of low-income families, but most families are on their own with regard to finding a preschool or childcare. In the large cities, there are sometimes upper-class preschools catering to the children of the wealthy.[6] 1.2 Elementary and Secondary Education Schooling is compulsory for all children in the United States, but the age range for which school attendance is required varies from state to state. Most children begin elementary education with kindergarten (usually five to six years old) and finish secondary education with twelfth grade (usually eighteen years old). In some cases, pupils may be promoted beyond the next regular grade. Some states allow students to leave school at the age of 14–17 with parental permission, before finishing high school. Most parents send their children to either a public or private institution. According to government data, one-tenth of students are enrolled in private schools. Approximately 85% of students enter the public schools, largely because they are free (tax burdens by school districts vary from area to area). Most students attend school for around six hours per day, and usually anywhere from 175 to 185 days per year. Most schools have a summer break period for about two and half months from June through August. This break is much longer than in many other nations. Originally, summer vacation, as it is colloquially called, allowed students to participate in the harvest period during the summer. However, this remains largely by tradition.[6] Parents may also choose to educate their own children at home; 1.7% of children are educated in this manner. 1.2.1 Junior high school Junior high school is any school intermediate between elementary school and high school. It usually includes seventh and eighth grade, and sometimes sixth or ninth grade. In some locations, junior high school includes ninth grade only, allowing students to adjust to a high school environment. Middle school is often used instead of junior high school when demographic factors increase the number of younger students. At this time, students are given more independence as choosing their own classes. Usually, starting in ninth grade, grades become part of a student’s official transcript. Future employers or colleges may want to see steady improvement in grades and a good attendance record on the official transcript. Therefore, students are encouraged to take much more responsibility for their education.[6] 1.3 Higher education Post-secondary education in the United States is known as college or university and commonly consists of four years of study at an institution of higher learning. There are 4,352* colleges, universities, and junior colleges in the USA. Students traditionally apply to receive admission into college, with varying difficulties of entrance. Schools differ in their competitiveness and reputation; generally, the most prestigious schools are private, rather than public. Admissions criteria involve the rigor and grades earned in high school courses taken, class ranking, and standardized test. Most colleges also consider more subjective factors such as a commitment to extracurricular activities, a personal essay, and an interview. While numerical factors rarely ever are absolute required values, each college usually has a rough threshold below which admission is unlikely.[2] *- January 2009. data from www.ed.gov Once admitted, students engage in undergraduate study, which consists of satisfying university and class requirements to achieve a bachelors degree in a field of concentration known as a major. The most common method consists of four years of study leading to a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), a Bachelor of Science (B.S.), or sometimes another bachelors degree such as Bachelor of Fine Arts (B.F.A.), Bachelor of Social Work (B.S.W.), Bachelor of Engineering (B.Eng.,) or Bachelor of Philosophy (B.Phil.) Five-Year Professional Architecture programs offer the Bachelor of Architecture Degree (B.Arch.) Professional degrees such as law, medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry, are offered as graduate study after earning at least three years of undergraduate schooling or after earning a bachelors degree depending on the program. These professional fields do not require a specific undergraduate major, though medicine, pharmacy, and dentistry have set prerequisite courses that must be taken before enrollment.[2] Some students choose to attend a community college for two years prior to further study at another college or university. In most states, community colleges are operated either by a division of the state university or by local special districts subject to guidance from a state agency. Community colleges may award Associate of Arts (AA) or Associate of Science (AS) degree after two years. Those seeking to continue their education may transfer to a four-year college or university. Some community colleges have automatic enrollment agreements with a local four-year college, where the community college provides the first two years of study and the university provides the remaining years of study, sometimes all on one campus. The community college awards the associates degree, and the university awards the bachelors and masters degrees. Graduate study, conducted after obtaining an initial degree and sometimes after several years of professional work, leads to a more advanced degree such as a masters degree, which could be a Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MS), Master of Business Administration (MBA), or other less common masters degrees such as Master of Education (MEd), and Master of Fine Arts (MFA). After additional years of study and sometimes in conjunction with the completion of a masters degree, students may earn a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) or other doctoral degree, such as Doctor of Arts, Doctor of Education, Doctor of Theology, Doctor of Medicine, Doctor of Pharmacy, Doctor of Physical Therapy, or Doctor of Jurisprudence. Some programs, such as medicine, have formal apprenticeship procedures post-graduation like residency and internship which must be completed after graduation and befor e one is considered to be fully trained. Other professional programs like law and business have no formal apprenticeship requirements after graduation.[3] Entrance into graduate programs usually depends upon a students undergraduate academic performance or professional experience as well as their score on a standardized entrance exam. Many graduate and law schools do not require experience after earning a bachelors degree to enter their programs; however, business school candidates are usually required to gain a few years of professional work experience before applying. Only 8.9 % of students ever receive postgraduate degrees, and most, after obtaining their bachelors degree, proceed directly into the workforce.[7] 1.4 Basic Curricular Structure Generally, at the high school level, students take a broad variety of classes without special emphasis in any particular subject. Curricula vary widely in quality and rigidity. The following subjects are fairly universally required in the United States: †¢ Science (usually two years minimum, normally biology, chemistry and physics) †¢ Mathematics (usually two years minimum, normally including algebra, geometry, algebra II, and/or trigonometry) †¢ English (usually four years minimum, including literature, humanities, etc.) †¢ Social Science (usually three years minimum, including various history, government/economics courses) †¢ Physical education (at least one year) Many states require a health course in which students learn about anatomy, nutrition, first aid, sexuality, and birth control. Anti-drug use programs are also usually part of health courses. In many cases, however, options are provided for students to test out or perform independent study in order to complete this requirement. Foreign language and some form of art education are also a mandatory part of the curriculum in some schools.[6] 1.5 Extracurricular activities A major characteristic of American schools is the high priority given to sports, clubs and activities by the community, the parents, the schools and the students themselves. Extracurricular activities are educational activities not falling within the scope of the regular curriculum but under the supervision of the school. These activities can extend to large amounts of time outside the normal school day; home-schooled students, however, are not normally allowed to participate. Student participation in sports programs, drill teams, bands, and spirit groups can amount to hours of practices and performances. Most states have organizations which develop rules for competition between groups. These organizations are usually forced to implement time limits on hours practiced as a prerequisite for participation. Many schools also have non-varsity sports teams, however these are usually afforded less resources and attention. The idea of having sports teams associated with high schools is relatively unique to the United States in comparison with other countries. Sports programs and their related games, especially football and/or basketball, are major events for American students and for larger schools can be a major source of funds for school districts. High school athletic competitions often generate intense interest in the community. Inner city schools serving poor students are heavily scouted by college and even professional coaches, with national attention given to which colleges outstanding high school students choose to attend. State high school championship tournaments football and basketball attract high levels of public interest. In addition to sports, numerous non-athletic extracurricular activities are available in American schools, both public and private. Activities include musical groups, marching bands, student government, school newspapers, science fairs, debate teams, and clubs focused on an academic area or cultural interests.[5] 1.6 Electives Many high schools offer a wide variety of elective courses, although the availability of such courses depends upon each particular schools financial resources and desired curriculum emphases. Common types of electives include: †¢ Visual arts (drawing, sculpture, painting, photography, film) †¢ Performing arts (drama, band, chorus, orchestra, dance) †¢ Technology education (woodworking, metalworking, automobile repair, robotics) †¢ Computers (word processing, programming, graphic design) †¢ Athletics (cross country, football, baseball, basketball, track and field, swimming, tennis, gymnastics, water polo, soccer, wrestling, cheerleading, volleyball, lacrosse, ice hockey, field hockey, boxing, skiing/snowboarding) †¢ Publishing (journalism/student newspaper, yearbook/annual, literary magazine) †¢ Foreign languages (Spanish, French are common; Chinese, Latin, Greek, German, Italian, Arabic, and Japanese are less common)[5] 1.7 Advanced Courses Many high schools provide Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses. These are special forms of honours classes where the curriculum is more challenging and lessons more aggressively paced than standard courses. AP or IB courses are usually taken during the 11th or 12th grade of high school.[6] 1.8 Home Schooling There was 1,3 million children that were home schooled in 2008, up 74% from 1999 when the US Department of Education first started keeping statistics. This was 2.9% of all children. Parents select moral or religious reasons for home schooling their children.[1] 1.9 School grades As you can see in the table (Table N.1), in the U.S. the first year of compulsory schooling begins with children at the age of five or six. Children are then placed in year groups known as grades, beginning with first grade and culminating in twelfth grade. Typical ages and grade groupings in public and private schools may be found through the U.S. Department of Education. Many different variations exist across the country.[2] For more foreseen scheme of education in USA see Appendix N.1. 1.10 Grading scale In schools in the United States children are continually assessed throughout the school year by their teachers, and report cards are issued to parents at varying intervals. Generally the scores for individual assignments and tests are recorded for each student in a grade book, along with the maximum number of points for each assignment. At any time, the total number of points for a student when divided by the total number of possible points produces a percent grade which can be translated to a letter grade. Letter grades are often used on report cards at the end of a marking period, although the current grade may be available at other times. Although grading scales usually differ from school to school, the grade scale which seems to be most common is as follows. The grading is based on a scale of 0-100 or a percentile. Note that in some jurisdictions the D grade (or that below 70) is considered a failing grade. In other jurisdictions a D grade is considered passing in certain classes , and failing in others. If you need a concept of grading scale, see Table N.2.[6] Table N.2 Example grading scale in USA |E,N,U or F |D |C |B |A | | |- | |+ |- | |arodpamatskola |vocational basic school |9-year education may be |2 |no | | | |incomplete | | | |arodvidusskola |vocational secondary school|9-year education |3 |no | |arodgimnazija |vocational gymnasium |9-year education |4 |yes | |arodskola |vocational school |general secondary education |1-2 |no | | |(postsecondary) | | | | As it is seen from table (Table N.4), just one type of vocational schools – four year vocational gymnasium concurrently to vocational training provide general secondary education and, consequently, access to higher education.[10] 2.8 Access to Higher Education In principle, access to higher education is general for all holders of general secondary education certificates. However, the institutions of higher education are free to determine which of the elective subjects must have been taken by the applicant at the secondary school in order to become eligible for admission to a chosen program. There are no fixed all-Latvian rules determining the admission system and it may differ between different institutions and even between different faculties of the same institution of higher education. The main forms of admission procedure may be as follows: †¢ 1 to 4 competitive entrance examinations; †¢ a competition of diplomas plus an interview by the Admission board, which may include general questions in subjects important to the chosen specialty; †¢ just a competition of diplomas (usually judging by the marks in subjects important to the chosen program and/or average mark in the secondary school certificate); †¢ knowledge of Latvian language is evaluated in these cases when the applicant has not had Latvian as the language of instruction in secondary school. An admission board consisting of staff members is formed in all higher educational institutions to carry out admission procedures in accordance with conditions announced at least 5 months before.[9] 2.9 Higher Education 2.9.1 Academic higher education (AkadÄ“miskÄ  augstÄ kÄ  izglÄ «tÄ «ba) is understood as a general higher education based upon fundamental and/or applied science. Academic education can be (and in most cases is) divided into two stages. A student has to perform a thesis of a Research Work at the end of each stage. I. First degree An academic degree and a Bachelor diploma (Bakalaura grÄ ds) can be awarded after successive completion of the first stage. Bachelor degree is an intermediate degree and can be treated as a completed higher education only in these cases when duration of program is 4+ years. However, part of the students leave universities having a bachelor`s degree and find their gap in the labor market. II. Second degree Academic master degree (MaÄ £istra grÄ ds) and the appropriate diploma is awarded after the second stage of academic education and should be treated as a complete university-type higher education. Master degree or a degree equivalent to it (e.g. medical studies are of a level of master`s degree but name of master`s degree is not applicable) can be awarded after total duration of 5-7 years of university studies. Master degree (or equivalent) is required for admission to doctoral studies. III. Higher degrees There are two of doctoral degrees in Latvia Degree of Ph.D. (Doktora grÄ ds) Holders of master`s degree are eligible for doctoral studies and the holders of Ph.D. is expected to be achieved in a 3-4 year period of full-time doctoral studies after a public defense of doctoral thesis. After defense of habilitation thesis you are awarded with a degree of habilitated doctor (habilitÄ“ts doktors). Doctoral degrees are awarded by specialized councils: †¢ promotion council (promocijas padome) awarding the degree doktors only †¢ habilitation council (habilitÄ cijas padome) awarding both doctoral degrees. The regulations for awarding of doctoral degrees are set and the promotion and habilitation councils are appointed by Latvian Science Council (Latvijas ZinÄ tnes Padome). 2.9.2 Higher professional education (ProfesionÄ la augstakÄ  izglÄ «tÄ «ba) is a higher education based upon applied science. It provides knowledge and skills for professional activities. Acquirement of the programs of professional studies can take place independently of academic studies, concurrently to or after them. Non-university type higher education institutions offer higher professional education programs leading directly to professional qualifications. To be treated as a completed higher education, the duration of professional studies has to be not less than 4 years. University-type higher education institutions may offer 1-2 year programs leading to professional qualification after achieving bachelor degree (bakalaurs).[8]

Card readers :: essays research papers

1. OPEN EEPROM Just what it means - open a saved EEPROM image 2. SAVE AS This has 3 options (different ways to save the image of the card) a. NORMAL HEX b. ASCII ENCODED HEX c. BIN FILE 3. VIEW This has 5 options:. a. ATR INFO- this is a break down of what is in the ATR of your card b. HU MAP- this is a map of where different data is at on the hu image. c. TIER DATA- is the data from the different tiers on the card d. EEPROM DUMP- is what you see after you read the card and then pull it. e. MESSAGE WINDOW- is the first thing you see when you put your card in. 4. EEPROM This has 7 options: a. CLEAN EEPROM - This is what you do when you want to clean any data off your hu image b. CLEAR PASSWORD - This is what you use to clear the pass word from a card that has one on it. c. CLEAR IRD - This has two options: 1. UMMARRY- this will unmarry the card to use in another ird 2. SET TO VIRGIN- that is what it does. d. CMD 90 BLOCKING - This has two options 1. TURN ON 2. TURN OFF e. FIX ATR 4TH BYTE - This is for IVAC cards. f. PATCH FILE - This has two options. (also used to patch a file into your image or card) 1. NORMAL HEX FILE 2. EXTREME HEX FILE g. CAM/ZKT TOOLS - This has three options 1. STORE CAM/ZKT 2. PATCH CAM/ZKT 3. SAVE CAM/ZKT FOR H CARD E. CARD - This has 5 options a. CHECK ATR - will do just that. b. UTILITIES - This has 6 options 1. CHANGE AREA- this is to change time zone, zip and locals byte 2. CLEAR PASSWORD 3. CLEAR IRD - This has 2 options under it aa. UNMARRY bb. SET TO VIRGIN 4. CMD 90 BLOCKING - Again has two options aa. TURN ON bb. TURN OFF 5. FIX 4TH BYTE 6. READ USW - This tells you what your USW is. c. READ CARD - This is always the first thing you do....read your card. d. WRITE CARD - This has two options 1. CURRENT EEPROM - This will write the current EEPROM image that you have loaded. 2. HEX FILE - This will write a hex file to the card

Financial Analysis of Tcs and Tech Mahindra

ACCOUNTS PROJECT Submitted By: Kriti Singh Roll No: 236 Section-D, LBSIM, Delhi 1. ) Calculation of Ratios: (All figures used For calculation are in Rs crores) Liquidity Ratios: 1. Current Ratio Formula: Current Ratio=Current Assets /Current Liability Current Ratio of TCS : For 2012: 23275. 09/10465. 01 = 2. 224 For 2011: 17036. 41/7246. 03 = 2. 3511| | Current Ratio of Tech Mahindra: For 2012: 19809/17007 = 1. 16475 For 2011: 18412/15295 = 1. 20379 2. Quick Ratio Formula: Quick Ratio= Quick Current Assets/Current Liability Quick Ratio of TCS:For 2012: 23257. 32/10465. 01 = 2. 223 For 2011: 17013. 59/7246. 03 = 2. 347 Quick Ratio of Tech Mahindra: For 2012: 19807/17007 = 1. 16463 For 2011: 18406/15295 = 1. 20339 3. Cash ratio: Formula: | Cash Ratio of TCS: For 2012: 6003. 37/10465. 01 =0. 5736 For 2011: 4700. 85/7246. 03 =0. 648 Cash Ratio of Tech Mahindra: For 2012: 1389/17007 = 0. 081 For 2011: 1938/15295 = 0. 126 Leverage Ratios: 1. Debt-Assets Ratio: Formula: Debt to Assets = tot al debt / total assets Debt-Assets Ratio of TCS: For 2012: 116. 26/41394. 49 =0. 0028 For 2011: 69. 27/32681. 04 =0. 0021Debt-Assets Ratio of Tech Mahindra: For 2012: 11266/63454 = 0. 177 For 2011: 11827/60804 =0. 194 2. Debt Equity Ratio: Formula: Debt to Equity Ratio =  (Short Term Debt + Long Term Debt)/Tangible N. W. Debt to Equity Ratio of TCS:For 2012: 116. 26/29840. 13 =0. 003 For 2011: 69. 27/24651. 22 =0. 002 Debt to Equity Ratio of Tech Mahindra: For 2012: 11266/34369 = 0. 327 For 2011: 11827/33810 =0. 349 3. Interest coverage Ratio Formula: Interest Coverage Ratio =  (EBIT) / interest.Interest coverage Ratio of TCS: For 2012: 13945. 54/22. 23 =627. 32 For 2011: 11047. 1/26. 48 =417. 18 Interest coverage Ratio of Tech Mahindra: For 2012: 7494/1025 =7. 3112 For 2011: 9173/1113 =8. 2416 4. Total Debt Ratio: Formula: Total Debt Ratio = Total Debt / Capital Employed Total Debt Ratio of TCS: For 2012: 116. 26/30929. 48 =0. 00375 For 2011: 69. 27/25435. 01 =0. 0027 Tota l Debt Ratio of Tech Mahindra: For 2012: 11266/46447 = 0. 425 For 2011: 11827/45509 =0. 259 Activity Ratios: 1. Inventory turnover Ratio: Formula: Inventory Turnover Ratio = Cost of Goods Sold/Inventory Cost Inventory turnover Ratio of TCS:For 2012: 35398. 69/ 17. 77 =1992. 04 For 2011: 26907. 89/22. 82 =1179. 132 Inventory turnover Ratio of Tech Mahindra:For 2012: 46638/2 =23319 For 2011: 42861/6 =7143. 5 2. Receivable’s turnover Ratios: Formula: Receivable Turnover Ratio = Sales/ Accounts Receivable Receivable’s turnover Ratio of TCS:For 2012: 48893. 83/11520. 35 =4. 244 For 2011: 37324. 1/8194. 97 =4. 554 Receivable’s turnover Ratio of Tech Mahindra:For 2012: 52430/12431 =4. 217 For 2011: 49655/9643 =5. 149 3. Payable turnover Ratios: Formula: Payable Turnover Ratio = Cost/ Average Payables Payable turnover Ratio of TCS:For 2012: 35398. 69/ 3247. 87 =10. 89 For 2011: 26907. 89/2572. 33 =10. 46 Payable turnover Ratio of Tech Mahindra:For 2012: 46638/4684 =9. 9 56 For 2011: 42861/3034 =14. 126 4. Fixed assets turnover Ratios: Formula: Fixed assets turnover Ratios = Sales/ Fixed Assets Fixed assets turnover Ratios of TCS: For 2012: 48893. 83/6564. 97 =7. 4 For 2011: 37324. 51/5440. 98 =6. 85 Fixed assets turnover Ratios of Tech Mahindra: For 2012: 52430/8153 =6. 430 For 2011: 49655/6608 =7. 5143 5. Total assets turnover Ratios: Formula: Total assets turnover Ratios = Sales/ Total Assets Total assets turnover Ratios of TCS: For 2012: 48893. 83/11520. 35 =4. 244 For 2011: 37324. 51/8194. 97 =4. 554 Total assets turnover Ratios of Tech Mahindra: For 2012: 52430/63454 =0. 826 For 2011: 49655/60804 =0. 816 Profitability Ratios: 1. PBIT Ratio Formula: PBIT Ratio = EBIT/Sales PBIT Ratio of TCS: For 2012: 13945. 54/48893. 83 =0. 285 For 2011: 11047. 1/37324. 51 =0. 959 PBIT Ratio of Tech Mahindra: For 2012: 7494/52430 =0. 1429 For 2011: 9173/49655 =0. 1847 2. PBT Ratio: Formula: PBT Ratio = EBT/Sales PBT Ratio of TCS: For 2012: 13923. 31/48893. 83 =0. 284 For 2011: 11020. 62/37324. 51 =0. 2952 PBT Ratio of Tech Mahindra: For 2012: 5790/52430 =0. 1104 For 2011: 8060/49655 =0. 1623 3. PAT Ratio: Formula: PAT Ratio= EAT/Sales PAT Ratio of TCS: For 2012: 10413. 4/48893. 83 =0. 212 For 2011: 9068. 04/37324. 51 =0. 242 PAT Ratio of Tech Mahindra: For 2012: 4606/52430 =0. 0878 For 2011: 6967/49655 =0. 1403 4. ROA Ratio: Formula: ROA Ratio= EBIT/ Total Asset ROA Ratio of TCS: For 2012: 13945. 4/41394. 49 =0. 336 For 2011: 11047. 1/32681. 04 =0. 338 ROA Ratio of Tech Mahindra: For 2012: 7494/63454 =0. 118 For 2011: 9173/60804 =0. 15 5. ROE Ratio: Formula: ROE Ratio= EAT/Stockholder’s Equity ROE Ratio of TCS: For 2012: 10413. 4/29840. 13 =0. 348 For 2011: 9068. 04/24651. 22 =0. 367 ROE Ratio of Tech Mahindra: For 2012: 4606/34369 =0. 134 For 2011: 6967/33810 =0. 206 Analysis of Ratios: Liquidity Ratios: Ratio| TCS| Tech Mahindra| | 2012| 2011| 2012| 2011| Current Ratio| 2. 224| 2. 3511| 1. 16475| 1. 20379| Quick Ratio| 2. 2223| 2. 347| 1. 16463| 1. 20339| Cash Ratio| 0. 5736| 0. 648| 0. 081| 0. 126|Ideal current ratio is 2:1. In case of TCS in both years current ratio is almost equal to it. It means company has just the adequate amount of current assets. In case of Tech Mahindra, Current ratio is less than it in both the years. But it is still greater than 1:1. So the company still has sufficient assets to pay its short term obligations. Quick assets means current assets – inventory – prepaid exp. So, it is more conservative measure. Ideal quick ratio is 1:1. It shows that TCS and Tech Mahindra have very less current investments in terms of inventories and prepaid expenses so the ratios are almost equal to the current ratios.Cash ratio is most conservative measure of three as it comprises only cash and marketable securities. TCS keeps more current assets in cash than Tech Mahindra. Leverage Ratios: Ratio| TCS| Tech Mahindra| | 2012| 2011| 2012| 2011| Debt – Assets ratio| 0. 0028| 0. 00 21| 0. 177| 0. 194| Debt To Equity Ratio| 0. 003| 0. 002| 0. 327| 0. 349| Interest Coverage Ratio| 627. 32| 417. 18| 7. 3112| 8. 2416| Total Debt Ratio| 0. 00375| 0. 0027| 0. 2425| 0. 259| Analysis of a firm’s capital structure is essential to evaluate its long-term risk and return prospects. Debt – assets ratio implies portion of total debt in capital structure of a company.The more this ratio is the more risky company is because cost of debt is always greater than cost of equity. So, it is preferred to have more amount of equity than debts. For both TCS and Tech Mahindra, debt ratio is good enough though TCS has better debt ratio. Interest coverage ratio measures the protection available to creditors as the extent to which earnings available for interest cover interest expenses. In case of both companies in both years debt holders are secured as enough profit is available with firm but in case of TCS debt holders are very much secured.Payment of interest on debenture s is always preferred to payment of dividends on equity and preference shares. Activity ratios: Ratio| TCS| Tech Mahindra| | 2012| 2011| 2012| 2011| Inventory Turnover Ratio| 1992. 04| 1179. 132| 23319| 7143. 5| Receivable’s Turnover Ratio| 4. 244| 4. 554| 4. 217| 5. 149| Payable Turnover Ratio| 10. 89| 10. 46| 9. 956| 14. 126| Fixed Assets turnover Ratio| 7. 44| 6. 85| 6. 430| 7. 5143| Total Assets Turnover ratio| 1. 18| 1. 142| 0. 826| 0. 816| Activity ratios describe the relationship between the firm’s sales/cost of goods sold and the assets needed to sustain operating activities.The higher the ratio, the more efficient the firm’s operations as relatively fewer assets are required to maintain a given level of operation. Inventory turnover ratio measures the efficiency of the firm’s inventory management. A higher ratio means inventory does not remain in warehouses for long time. In both years Tech Mahindra has higher ratio than TCS has. Since both are s oftware companies, need for inventory is very less. Hence the ratios are so high. Receivable turnover ratio measures the efficiencies of the firms credit policies and indicate the level of investment in receivables needed to maintain the firm’s sales level.The higher this ratio, the lesser the period in which debtors pays money. Its almost similar for both the companies for 2011-12. For 2010-11, Tech Mahindra is slightly ahead in comparison to TCS in this parameter . It implies that Tech Mahindra gives credit to its customer for lesser time period than TCS does. In 2010-11 average credit time given by TCS is 365/4. 554=80 days approx. while by Tech Mahindra is 365/5. 149=70 days. Payable turnover ratio implies the time duration after which company makes payments to its creditors. The higher ayable turnover ratio, the earlier company makes payments to its creditors. TCS’s payable turnover ratio is slightly better than that of Tech Mahindra in 2011-12. For 2010-11, Tech Mahindra has better payable ratio than TCS as it makes payment to its creditors earlier. Fixed assets turnover ratio measures the efficiency of long-term investment. This ratio reflects the level of sales generated by investment in production capacity and shows the efficiency level of fixed assets. The higher this ratio means more productive and efficient are fixed assets or long-term investments.From table it is clear that investments of TCS are slightly more productive than of Tech Mahindra for 2011-12 but it was reverse by almost the same amount for 2010-11. Total assets turnover ratio considers total assets instead of only current assets so; it measures overall efficiencies of all assets (current fixed). TCS has a better ratio than Tech Mahindra has. Profitability Ratios: Ratio| TCS| Tech Mahindra| | 2012| 2011| 2012| 2011| PBIT Ratio| 2. 224| 2. 3511| 0. 1429| 0. 1847| PBT Ratio| 0. 284| 0. 2952| 0. 1104| 0. 1623| PAT Ratio| 0. 212| 0. 242| 0. 0878| 0. 1403| ROA| 0. 336| 0. 338 | 0. 118| 0. 150| ROE| 0. 48| 0,367| 0. 134| 0. 206| This is the most important ratio because both shareholder’s and stakeholder’s profit/gain depends on profitability of company. These ratios measures profitability in terms of % of sales. Debenture holders are much concerned about PBIT(profit before interest and tax) as they are paid interest out of it, government is more concerned about PBT(profit before tax) as it charge tax on this profit, shareholders are more concerned about PAT(profit after tax) as they are paid dividends on the basis of it. For both the companies there is a little change in these ratios over the previothemyear.Also profitability of TCS is more than Tech Mahindra. ROA measures the management’s ability and efficiency in using the firm’s assets to generate profits and it reports the total return accruing to all providers of capital(debt and equity) while ROE considers amount available for distribution to shareholder’s. Both RO A and ROE are undoubtedly better for TCS than those of Tech Mahindra. TCS is giving superb rate of return on equity to its shareholders as 33-34 % in last two years while that for Tech Mahindra is 15-17%. The relationship between ROA and ROE reflects the firm’s capital structure. 2. Horizontal, Vertical and Trend Analysis Items selected For horizontal, vertical and trend analysis are: Items | TCS| Tech Mahindra| | 2012| 2011| 2012| 2011| Shareholder’s Fund| 29579. 23| 24504. 81| 34432| 33840| Inventory| 17. 77| 22. 82| 2| 6| Fixed Assets| 6564. 97| 5440. 98| 8153| 6608| Cash and bank balance| 6003. 47| 4700. 85| 1389| 1938| Creditors| 3247. 87| 2572. 33| 4684| 3034| Debtors| 11520. 35| 8194. 97| 12431| 9643| Total assets/liabilities| 41394. 49| 32681. 04| 63454| 60804| Vertical Analysis: In vertical analysis Auditors calculate portion of one item in total assets/liabilities in terms of percentages.Items | TCS| Tech Mahindra| | 2012| 2011| 2012| 2011| Shareholderâ€℠¢s Fund| 71. 45| 74. 98| 54. 26| 55. 65| Inventory| 0. 042| 0. 069| 0. 003| 0. 009| Fixed Assets| 15. 85| 16. 64| 12. 848| 10. 86| Cash and bank balance| 14. 5| 14. 38| 2. 18| 3. 18| Creditors| 7. 846| 7. 871| 7. 381| 4. 9| Debtors| 27. 83| 25. 07| 19. 59| 15. 85| Horizontal Analysis: In horizontal analysis Auditors calculate % change in an item over a base year. Here Auditors are considering 2009-10 as base year and will calculate % change. Items| TCS| Tech Mahindra| | 2012| 2011| 2012| 2011| Shareholder’s Fund| 95. 29| 100| 97. 50| 100|Inventory| 60. 87| 100| 33. 33| 100| Fixed Assets| 95. 25| 100| 118. 30| 100| Cash and bank balance| 100. 83| 100| 68. 55| 100| Creditors| 99. 68| 100| 150. 63| 100| Debtors| 111. 01| 100| 123. 59| 100| Trend Analysis: For TCS: For Tech Mahindra: 3. Suggestions: i. Creditors: Since the debt ratios are less, there is a lot of assets and equity backing for the debts. It’s a safe bet to lend to both of these companies. ii. Banks and Finan cial institutions : Interest Coverage ratio is high. So lending to these companies is a safe thing to do. (More so to TCS which has excellent Interest Coverage Ratio) iii.Investors: Both the companies have high ROE. So it’s a good option to invest in them. Returns of TCS are as high as 34-36% while that of Tech Mahindra are 15-17%. iv. Government: Tax benefits can be tightened a bit. Because with the proportion of sales tax appears to be less. PBT and PAT ratios for both the companies are almost equal. v. Management: Crediting policies should be changed a bit. Because software industry being a intangible industry can’t rely much on low recievables turnover ratio. 4. Accounting Policies TCS Fixed Assets Fixed assets are stated at cost, less accumulated depreciation / amortization.Costs include all expenses incurred to bring the asset to its present location and condition. Fixed assets exclude computers and other assets individually costing ` 50,000 or less which are not capitalized except when they are part of a larger capital investment program. Depreciation / Amortization Depreciation / amortization on fixed assets, other than freehold land and capital work-in-progress is charged so as to write-off the cost of assets, on the following basis: Type of asset Method Rate / Period Leasehold land and buildings Straight line Lease period Freehold buildings Written down value 5%Factory buildings Straight line 10% Leasehold improvements Straight line Lease period Plant and machinery Straight line 33. 33% Computer equipment Straight line 25% Vehicles Written down value 25. 89% Office equipment Written down value 13. 91% Electrical installations Written down value 13. 91% Furniture and fixtures Straight line 100% Intellectual property / distribution rights Straight line 24 –60 months Rights under licensing agreement Straight line License period Fixed assets purchased for specific projects are depreciated over the period of the project. InvestmentsLo ng-term investments are stated at cost, less provision for other than temporary diminution in value. Current investments, except for current maturities of long term investments, comprising investment in mutual funds are stated at the lower of cost and fair value. Inventories Raw materials, sub-assemblies and components are carried at the lower of cost and net realisable value. Cost is determined on a weighted average basis. Purchased goods-in-transit are carried at cost. Work-in-progress is carried at the lower of cost and net realisable value. Stores and spare parts are carried at cost, less provision for obsolescence.Finished goods produced or purchased by the Company are carried at lower of cost and net realisable value. Cost includes direct material and labtheir cost and a proportion of manufacturing overheads. Tech Mahindra Fixed Assets including intangible assets: Fixed assets are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation. Costs comprise of purchase price and attributable c osts, if any. Depreciation / amortization of fixed assets: (i) The Company computes depreciation of all fixed assets including for assets taken on lease using the straight line method based on estimated useful lives.Depreciation is charged on a pro rata basis for assets purchased or sold during the year. Management’s estimate of the useful life of fixed assets is as follows: Buildings 28 years Computers 3 years Plant and machinery 5 years Furniture and fixtures 5 years Vehicles 3-5 Years Office Equipments 5 years (ii) Leasehold land is amortised over the period of lease. (iii) Leasehold improvements are amortised over the period of lease or expected period of occupancy whichever is less. (iv)Intellectual property rights are amortised over a period of seven years. (v) Assets costing upto Rs 5,000 are fully depreciated in the year of purchase. vi)The cost of software purchased for internal use is capitalized and depreciated in full in the month in which it is put to use. Invest ments: Long term investments are carried at cost. Provision is made to recognise a decline other than temporary in the carrying amount of long term investment. Current investments are carried at lower of cost and fair value. Inventories: Components and parts: Components and parts are valued at lower of cost and net realizable value. Cost is determined on First-In-First Out basis. Finished Goods: Valued at the lower of the cost or net realisable value. Cost is determined on First-In-First Out basis. . ) Key Highlights TCS a. ) Auditor’s Report 1. Auditors have audited the attached Consolidated Balance Sheet of TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES LIMITED (â€Å"the Company†) and its subsidiaries (collectively referred as â€Å"the TCS Group†) as at March 31, 2012,the Consolidated Statement of Profit and Loss and the Consolidated Cash Flow Statement for the year ended on that date, both annexed thereto. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’ s management and have been prepared by the management on the basis of separate financial statements and other financial information regarding components.Their responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on their audit. 2. Auditors conducted their audit in accordance with the auditing standards generally accepted in India. Those Standards require that Auditors plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatements. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements.An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by the management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Auditors believe that their audit provides a reasonable basis for their opinion. 3. Auditors did not audit the financial statements of certain subsidiaries whose fina ncial statements reflect total assets (net) of ` 4825. 13 crores as at March 31, 2012, total revenues of ` 7601. 89 crores and net cash inflow amounting to ` 514. 17 crores for the year ended on that date.These financial statements and other financial information has been audited by other auditors whose reports have been furnished to us, and their opinion in so far as it relates to the amounts included in respect of these subsidiaries is based solely on the report of other auditors. 4. Auditors report that the consolidated financial statements have been prepared by the Company’s management in accordance with the requirements of the Accounting Standard (AS) 21, Consolidated Financial Statements prescribed by the Central Government under Section 211 (3C) of the Companies Act, 1956 and other recognized accounting practices and policies. 5.Based on their audit and on consideration of the separate audit reports on the individual financial statements of the Company and the aforesai d subsidiaries and other financial information of the components, and to the best of their information and according to the explanations given to us, Auditors are of the opinion that the attached consolidated financial statements give a true and fair view in conformity with the accounting principles generally accepted in India: (i) in the case of the Consolidated Balance Sheet, of the state of affairs of the TCS Group as at March 31, 2012; (ii) in the case of the Consolidated Statement of Prof t and Loss, of the profit of the TCS Group for the year ended on that date; and (iii) in the case of Consolidated Cash Flow Statement, of the cash flows of the TCS Group for the year ended on that date. b. ) Management Discussion The Company’s strategy to support longer term growth is to continually extend the core IT services business by expanding its geographic reach, industry coverage and service capabilities and by deepening existing client elationships, building or acquiring emergi ng businesses and adopting or creating new business models and business solutions. Risks The Company has put in place an Enterprise-wide Risk Management (ERM) programme based on the Committee of Sponsoring Organisations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) framework. Reports are placed before the Board of Directors at regular intervals. The risk management process is continuously improved and adapted to the changing global risk scenario. The agility of the risk management process is monitored and reviewed for appropriateness with the changing risk landscape. The process of continuous evaluation of risks includes taking stock of the risk landscape on an event driven as well as quarterly basis.The risk categories covered under the ERM programme includes strategic, operational and financial as well as compliance-related risks across various levels of the organisation. This includes risk assessment and mitigation at the company level, business / functional unit level, relationship level an d project level. c. ) Corporate Governance Effective corporate governance practices constitute the strong foundations on which successful commercial enterprises are built to last. These practices are categorised through principle based standards and not just through a framework enforced by regulation. It develops through adoption of ethical practices in all of its dealings with a wide group of stakeholders encompassing regulators, employees, shareholders, customers and vendors.Strong leadership and effective corporate governance practices have been the Company’s hallmark and it has inherited these from the Tata culture. The Company will continue to focus its resources, strengths and strategies to achieve its vision of becoming a truly global leader in software services, while upholding the core values of excellence, integrity, responsibility, unity and understanding, which are fundamental to the Tata companies. By combining ethical values with business acumen, globalisation w ith national interests and core business with emerging business, the Company aims to be amongst the largest and most respected global organisations. The Company elieves in adopting the ‘best practices’ that are followed in the area of corporate governance across various geographies. The Company has a strong legacy of fair, transparent and ethical governance practices. The Company has adopted a Code of Conduct for its employees including the Managing Director and the Executive Directors. In addition, the Company has adopted a Code of Conduct for its Non-Executive Directors. Both these codes are available on the Company’s website. The Company’s corporate governance philosophy has been further strengthened through the Tata Business Excellence Model, the Tata Code of Conduct for Prevention of Insider Trading, as also the Code of Corporate Disclosure Practices.The Company has in place an Information Security Policy that ensures proper utilisation of IT resource s. The Company is in compliance with the requirements stipulated under Clause 49 of the Listing Agreements entered into with the Stock Exchanges with regard to corporate governance. Tech Mahindra a. ) Auditors’ Report The audit was conducted in accordance with the auditing standards generally accepted in India. Those Standards require that auditors plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatements. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and the disclosures in the financial statements.An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and the significant estimates made by the Management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. Auditors believe that their audit provides a reasonable basis for their opinion. (a) Auditors have obtained all the information and explanations which to the best of their knowledge and belief w ere necessary for the purposes of their audit; (b) In their opinion, proper books of account as required by law have been kept by the Company so far as it appears from their examination of those books; (c) The Balance Sheet, the Statement of Profit and Loss and the Cash Flow Statement dealt with by this report are in agreement with the ooks of account; (d) In their opinion, the Balance Sheet, the Statement of Prof t and Loss and the Cash Flow Statement dealt with by this report are in compliance with the Accounting Standards referred to in Section 211(3C) of the Companies Act, 1956; (e) In their opinion and to the best of their information and according to the explanations given to them, the said accounts give the information required by the Companies Act, 1956 in the manner so required and give a true and fair view in conformity with the accounting principles generally accepted in India: (i) In the case of the Balance Sheet, of the state of affairs of the Company as at 31st March, 2012; (ii) In the case of the Statement of Profit and Loss, of the profit of the Company for the year ended on that date and (iii) In the case of the Cash Flow Statement, of the cash flows of the Company for the year ended on that date. b. ) Management Discussion Opportunities Growth in Emerging MarketsCompared to the subdued growth expected in developed markets, emerging markets will continue to drive relatively higher growth due to new spectrum licensing, migration to direct to home platforms, broadband penetration, focus on value added services and conducive regulatory environment. This will create opportunities for the software service providers who can assist operators in achieving their business objectives in these areas. Moreover, as the developing world focuses on shift of Mobility, it may bring in huge investments in this area which could create opportunities for companies like Tech Mahindra. Legacy to Next Generation IT transformationTelecom is a dynamic and evolving indus try with high focus on consumers’ changing demands. Service providers around the globe, on the back of dropping legacy revenues and high costs, are looking to transform their clients’ legacy platforms into next generation platforms. This will enable clients to optimize their product portfolio, and rationalize the costs associated with running the systems. These transformation initiatives will lead to outsourcing opportunities. Tech Mahindra has been at the forefront of helping its clients transform their businesses in line with the changing global telecom environment. Increased scope of outsourced activitiesAccess to talent and cost optimization is the key driver for outsourcing. Telecom service providers are adopting several outsourcing strategies to benefit from off shoring. One of the trends is services which traditionally were done in house are now being included in the scope of global sourcing. In the network domain, network outstheircing provides an opportunity f or wide range of services like field services, maintenance & support, E2E implementations and network infrastructure management. Managed services deals to cover network legacy systems have been tried in the mature markets and a similar trend will continue for the coming years. Adoption of Next Generation TechnologiesThe telecom industry continues to adapt and evolve with new technologies and new ways to communicate. Successive waves of new technology in wire-line, wireless and IP domains have been sweeping the industry landscape. The Telecom industry is also altering to cope up with the changing needs and behavitheir of consumers and increased competition. Customers believe in convenience, choice of services, responsiveness and cost as important parameters to choose their service provider. Success in current business environment is characterized by the ability to adapt to the higher user expectations on the one hand and a rapidly changing technology environment on the other.As mobil e broadband penetration expands, quick monetization has become a strategy of paramount importance for telecom service providers. Service providers are now focusing on providing solutions to enterprises by enabling their applications to be accessed via mobile platforms such as smart phones and tablets. With the growth in social network media across the world, coupled with higher broadband penetration, users have been voicing their views about quality of services. Analysis of user sentiments on such social networks, within limits of privacy laws, is another area where there has been a growth in demand. Threats Reduction in Telecom Spending The global economy is going through turbulent times and most companies are reacting to the increased volatility.Though cash-rich, telecom companies have turned cautious due to the challenging macroeconomic environment. The decisions cycles on new discretionary spend are prolonged. The service providers continue to focus on reducing costs by adopting measures such as optimizing IT Spend and postponing investments. Such cost-saving measures could have an adverse impact on outsourcing. Global IT companies posing challenge with growing India presence Global IT service providers such as Accenture, HP, CapGemini and IBM are expanding their presence in India and pose a challenge to Indian IT service companies with their global client relationships, deep pockets and domain knowledge. Risks High customer concentrationIn FY 2012, revenues from the leading client, top 5 and top 10 clients account for 37%, 68% and 78% respectively. Though customer concentration has been declining over the years, loss of any of these clients could have a material adverse impact on their revenue and profitability. After Mahindra Satyam’s merger with the Company customer concentration will reduce significantly. Withdrawal of tax benefits In the past Auditors benefited from certain income tax incentives under Section 10A of the Income Tax Act (for the IT services that Auditors provide from specially designated â€Å"Software Technology Parks† or STPs) and also from Section 10AA of the Income Tax Act (for the IT services Auditors render from units set up in SEZs).As a result of these incentives, their operations in India have been subject to relatively low tax liabilities. The income tax benefits available to STP units have been discontinued from 1st April 2011. As this withdrawal was foreseen, the Company decided to set up facilities in SEZ units at various locations as the units set up in SEZ area would continue to provide them with tax benefits similar to those in STPs. Auditors commenced operations in SEZ units at Hinjewadi Pune, Chennai, Kolkata and Chandigarh. Additional units are coming up at Noida. But despite this, tax incidence will increase over the previous years due to withdrawal of Section 10A benefits.In addition, there is no assurance that the Indian government will not enact laws in the future that would ad versely impact tax incentives further and consequently, their tax liabilities and profits. When their tax incentives expire or are terminated, their tax expense will materially increase, reducing their profitability. Exchange rate risks The exchange rate between the Indian Rupee and the British Pound and the Rupee and the U. S. Dollar has fluctuated widely in the recent past and may continue to fluctuate significantly in the future. The average value of the Rupee for the FY 2011-12 against the British Pound appreciated by approx 7. 7% and against U. S. Dollar by approximately 4. 4% for the FY 2010-11.Accordingly, their operating results have been and will continue to be impacted by fluctuations in the exchange rate of the Indian Rupee with the British Pound, the U. S. Dollar along with other foreign currencies. Any strengthening of the Indian Rupee against the British Pound, the U. S. Dollar or other foreign currencies, as witnessed in the last year, could adversely affect their pro fitability. c. ) Corporate Governance Report The Company believes that Corporate Governance is a set of guidelines to help fulfill its responsibilities to all its stakeholders. It is a voluntary code of self-discipline to ensure that the Company abides by highest ethical standards. In line with this philosophy, the Company follows healthyCorporate Governance practices and has been reporting the same in annual report even before the Company was listed in August 2006. Board of Directors: The Composition of the Board is in total conformity with Clause 49 of the Listing Agreement, as amended from time to time. The Company has a balanced mix of eminent executive, non-executive and independent directors on the Board. The total strength of the Board of Directors is eleven. The Company has a Non-executive Chairman, who is a professional Director in his individual capacity and belongs to the Promoter Group and the number of independent directors is seven which is more than half of the total strength of the Board as required by the provisions of the Listing Agreement.The number of Non-Executive Directors is ten which is more than 50% of the total number of Directors. The Company is managed by the Vice Chairman & Managing Director and the Management Team. The Board reviews and approves strategy and oversees the performance to ensure that the long term objectives of enhancing stakeholder value are met. The Independent Directors and the Senior Management have made disclosures to the Board confirming that there are no material financial and/or commercial transactions between them and the Company which could have potential conflict of interest with the Company at large. The Board meets at least four times a year and the maximum gap between two meetings is not more than four months.During the year 2011-12, six meetings of the Board of Directors were held on 20th April 2011, 26th May 2011, 12th August 2011, 15th November 2011, 8th February 2012 and 21st March 2012. Agenda for the Board Meetings containing all necessary information / documents is made available to the Board in advance to help the Board to discharge its responsibilities effectively and take informed decisions. In some instances, documents are tabled at the meetings and the concerned manager also makes presentations to the Board or Committees. None of the Directors on the Board is a member in more than 10 committees or acts as a Chairman of more than 5 committees across all companies in which he is a director.The directors of the Company are not inter se related. CEO / CFO Certification As required under Clause 49 V of the Listing Agreement with the Stock Exchanges, a Certificate on the Financial Statements for the financial year ended on 31st March, 2012 has been given to the Board of Directors by the Vice Chairman & Managing Director and the Chief Financial Officer of the Company. Code of Conduct All the Directors and senior management personnel have affirmed compliance with the Code of C onduct/ Ethics as approved and adopted by the Board of Directors and a declaration to that effect signed by the Managing Director. The Code has been posted on the Company’s website – www. techmahindra. om Policy for prohibition of Insider Trading In compliance with the provisions of SEBI (Prohibition of Insider Trading) Regulations, 1992, (as amended from time to time) and to preserve the confidentiality and prevent misuse of unpublished price sensitive information, the Company has adopted a policy for prohibition of Insider Trading for Directors and specified employees of the Company, relating to dealing in the shares of the Company. This policy also provides for periodical disclosures from designated employees as well as pre-clearance of transactions by such persons. Whistle Blower Policy The Company has a Whistle Blower Policy in place.In terms of this policy, all employees are encouraged to report any instance of unethical behaviour, fraud, violation of the Company ’s Code of Conduct or any behaviour which may otherwise be inappropriate and harmful to the Company. The policy provides a mechanism for employees to raise concerns that relate to violation of the Code of Conduct, Accounting, Internal Controls, Auditing Matters and applicable national and international laws including statutory / regulatory rules and regulations. This policy has been communicated to all employees and has been posted on the Company’s Intranet for ready access. Risk Management: The Company has a well-defined risk management framework in place. The risk anagement framework adopted by the Company is discussed in detail in the Management Discussion and Analysis section of this Annual Report. The Company has established procedures to periodically place before the Board, the risk assessment and minimization procedures being followed by the Company and steps taken by it to mitigate these risks. 6. ) Share Prices Analysis Share Prices of TCS as on 29th August ar e nearly Rs 1352. 90. It has increased from approximately Rs 954 to Rs 1352. 90. Share prices have been on the increase in the last year. According to the price movements and ratios calculated it is a very good buy. Share Prices of Tech Mahindra as on 29th August are nearly Rs 875. 80.It has increased from approximately Rs 617 to Rs 875. 80. Share prices have been on the increase in the last year. According to the price movements and ratios calculated it is a good buy. Comparing both together TCS is a better buy. 7. ) Key Improvement Areas and Ratings a. ) Key Improvement Areas Both should try to reduce their debtors. Tech Mahindra should increase its volume of current assets. Rest both the companies are high performing companies as seen by the analysis and share prices. b. ) Rating TCS is better than Tech Mahindra as the ratios are fairly better for it. Also from investment point of view share prices and ROE has been better for TCS. Also profitability of TCS is higher.