Our bodies our politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Our bodies our politics - Essay Example Another article written by Rebecca Chalker examines this issue in its specific aspect, namely in terms of knowledge and understanding of the female sexuality and female genitalia. The author concludes that women around the world do not have enough knowledge about their sexuality and the structural features of their female reproductive system. In turn, in her article, Emily Martin conducts an even deeper analysis of the problem. This allows her to come to the conclusion that modern notions of masculinity and femininity have an impact on scientists ideas about the features of the reproductive functions of men and women. In particular, Martin points out that science considers the process of menstruation as a phenomenon, which marks the death of the female eggs (failed production), while the process of maturation of sperm is being evaluated solely from the positive point of view as a surprising phenomenon that allows men to produce millions of spermatozoons. Finally, the value of the vid eo from Betty Dodson is that it provides an opportunity for all women to obtain important information about the structure of their genitals, namely the internal clitoris. In addition, the value of a given video is also in the fact that Betty draws attention to the fact that â€Å"that women get erections just like men.† This information allows all women to improve their sexual experience and make their sexual pleasure more diverse. As one can see, the main reason for the problems identified in all of these articles is related to gender stereotypes that continue existing in modern culture and science. Femininity is seen as a phenomenon associated with such qualities as weakness, passivity and inertia. For this reason, masculinity presupposes the rejection of any characteristics that suggest its association with femininity. In science, this has led to the fact that the features of female

Consider East Africa and its extensive trade route. Why is it Essay

Consider East Africa and its extensive trade route. Why is it important What does it say about the impact of Africa in the world What does it say about ancient Africa Pick your one focus, go deep - Essay Example Aksum and the Swahili Coast were the first to be mentioned as the important trade regions. The coast of East Africa is a part of extensive trade networks throughout the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean. Aksum was located in Eritrea and Ethiopia. It is remembered for its splendid stone monuments, gold coins, and elaborate palaces (Ade-Ajayi 80). In the sixth century, the Aksumite kings extended their empire to the southern Arabia. International trade developed in that region where markets were established in urban areas concentrated along the coast regions full of wealth and power. The merging of Arab, African and Indian peoples along the coast of East Africa produced Kiswahili language and Swahili culture. Ivory, gold and slaves were the goods that were traded globally along the Swahili coast. The negative effect of the existence of the East African trade route was the slave trade. The slave trade was conducted by both Europeans and Arabs. European slave traders came in the 17th century, taking the African slaves into the islands of America and Indian Ocean. The slave trade in Africa caused social disruptions among people, depopulation of certain regions, and increasing of violence, as a result, of firearms trade (Ade-Ajayi 85). The slave trade ended later resulted to a justification for European colonizing the East Africa. Europeans began exploring East Africa in the 15th century. Vasco de Gama and other Portuguese explorers started the connection between the Europe and African Coast that later lead to centuries of trade and domination of Africa by Europeans. Other explorers came later including Christian missionaries. When the slave trade was deemed as illegal, Europeans had engaged into other types of trade (Ade-Ajayi 89). The industrial revolution in Europe needed cheap raw materials for its factories in which East African colonies provided large quantities of agricultural goods,

How important is the setting in R L Stevensons portrayal of a double life in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Essay Example for Free

How important is the setting in R L Stevensons portrayal of a double life in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Essay The strange case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde was written in 1886 by Robert Lewis Stevenson. Robert Lewis Stevenson was born and brought up in Edinburgh in the 1850s. He was part of a middle class family, his parents were strict Christians and it was very important to them that Stevenson behaved respectfully. When Stevenson was a child, Stevensons nanny frightened him with stories of hell and suffering which may have contributed to his ideas in the novel. When he was a young man in Edinburgh he may have used a false name or a hidden identity in order to indulge himself in forbidden activities or he may have fantasized about them, like crime, affairs and homosexuality. In Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde Stevenson uses his experiences to describe the unpleasant side of life. The novel is about how Dr Jekyll leads a double life and its devastating consequences. The book reflects Victorian concerns about city life such as crime and poverty. The novel is set in the city of London and is significant in the novel because in general most gothic novels at that time were set far away or in unfamiliar surroundings, yet Stevenson sets the novel in London which shocked readers because it was a place they all knew which made them think that the themes discussed in the novel could be happening near them. This makes it more frightening to the reader and therefore made it a more popular novel. In the novel Stevenson describes London as labyrinths of lamp lighted city. This suggests that the city makes it possible for people to easily lose themselves in London. We see this in the novel when Stevenson says he was often absent; for instance, it was nearly two months since she had seen him till yesterday (the day of the murder). This tells us that Hyde was often absent and it relates back to people losing themselves in the city. Another important aspect of the setting is the weather, which for most of the novel is described as fogged city moon This creates an atmosphere of mystery and unknown and it also suggests that something might be about to happen. The chapter which describes the Carew murder case is an important event in the novel because the murder forces Mr Utterson to investigate and piece together the link between his friend Dr. Jekyll and the murderer Mr Hyde. The reader learns, however, that they are the same person. Stevenson sets the murder scene in a lane which the maids window overlooked and interestingly chooses the murder to be brilliantly lit by the full moon. He does this in order to display every detail of the murder and to show the viciousness of the attack. For example the murder is described as a storm of blows, under which the bones were audibly shattered. This tells us how brutal and violent the murder was by the maid being able to hear the victims bones being broken. It also gives the reader the full affect of the damage that had been done. The murder is particularly shocking because it enables the maid to describe the murder so well as a result of the murder scene being so brilliantly lit by the moon. The characters houses in the novel also suggest something about them, Dr Jekylls house, for example, is described as having a great air of wealth and comfort. Hydes rooms are described as well furnished, but theyre located in Soho which is a seedy area full of unrespectable people. The themes in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, for example crime and concealing forbidden activities touched on issues Victorians were concerned with because it was set in a familiar place and it made people think the sort of themes discussed in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde could be happening around or near them. Darwins ideas about evolution and how human beings descended from apes changed Victorian beliefs. His ideas about people being evolved from apes suggest that animalistic urges and desires might be present in all men. Victorians tended to see crime as being carried out by the poor, who they thought of as being more brutish or animal like. Hyde is described as ape like but he is the other side of Jekyll, so Stevenson is saying all men are capable of brutish behaviour, regardless of their class. He is also described like this because of the brutal behaviour he shows during the Carew murder case. This suggests that Hyde is less evolved than other human beings. The reader learns however that Hyde is also Jekyll; this makes the reader think that anyone is capable of ape like behaviour. Another theme that is discussed in the novel involves people leading a double life. The idea of a double life, like the one Jekyll leads, would have appealed to Victorian readers because of the familiar background the novel was set in. Also Victorian codes of behaviour and social rules were strict and repressive, so people liked the idea of breaking out of this. In this novel the setting is important because it creates a sense of uncertainty and creates atmosphere because of the novel being set in dark and fog for most of it. Stevenson created a genre called urban gothic, this is because he set the novel in a familiar place and also at the time he wrote the book. He created a modern urban setting in order to engage his readers which mean they feel all the emotions more intensely because they can imagine it happening to them. The idea of the double life in the novel not only is of interest to Victorians but also to modern day readers because of the familiar setting. The phrase Jekyll and Hyde personality is used today when someone shows two very different sides of their personality because the book is about Dr Jekyll who leads a double life as Mr Hyde. So by saying a Jekyll and Hyde personality it is like saying a split personality. We can see many of the ideas that are in the novel in our present times for example leading a double life and this suggests that the ideas behind the novel are still as relevant today as they were in Victorian times.

The Indian Armed Forces

The Indian Armed Forces The Indian Armed Forces have long enjoyed the reputation of being one of the finest in the world. The armed forces render invaluable service to the country, in times of war as well as during peace, ensuring the security of the nation. They are also called to help restore law and order, ensure the safety of the people in times of internal strife, provide help and relief to victims of natural calamities also contribute to the building of vital infrastructure facilities like roads and bridges in remote and war torn areas. The Indian Armed Forces are facing an acute shortage of officers in all three services. The shortage of officers in the Army is around 11,500 and in the Navy, it is around 1507. Air Force is approx 1237 offrs short of its requirement  [1]  . Statement of Problem. Is there a need to enhance the social standing of Armed Forces personnel to continue to attract the right talent to serve the nation? Hypothesis Though the profession of arms is a calling not a career, lately, some decline in the status social standing of the combatants, particularly the officer cadre of the three services has been perceived. It has led to the present generation of youth preferring other professions, leading to a significant shortage of officers in all the three services. If not arrested, this trend can get aggravated and begin to compromise operational efficiency of our Armed Forces. Justification For the Study Though the subject of status of Armed Forces has been touched upon by a large number of eminent personalities, no writer has comprehensibly addressed the complete issue. The approach of all the writers was either towards financial aspirations or changing social environment or it was a fragmented effort, touching a large number of inter-related issues, eg promotional aspects social standing in civil society. Prominent writings on present day leadership challenges, change in socio economic environment, growing involvement of Armed Forces in IS duties, changes in the Warrant of Precedence etc along with practical approaches to meet the present day challenges have been drawn up by a large number of military minds, journalists, politicians eminent scholars. It is felt that there is a requirement of articulation of these works in a comprehensive manner to recommend an appropriate approach towards the issue. Scope. This paper aims to highlight the erosion in status in the Armed Forces starting from the time of Independence. The reasons for this erosion will be debated. The lack of intent and complete endeavor of defence and civil personnels will be brought to light. Finally some recommendations for making the Defence Services more attractive would be discussed. Methodology It is proposed to study the subject in the following parts:- (a) Part I. Status of Armed Forces Officers before Independence. (b) Part II. Post Independence era. (c) Part III. Pay commission effects. (d) Part IV. Warrant of Precedence Present Status. (e) Part VI. Intent and endeavor with Limitations Positives (f) Part VIII. Recommendations. Source of Data The study has been conducted based on books and columns written by eminent writers on the subject, official history and gazete notifications of GOI, newspaper articles and write ups from internet sites. A bibliography of sources is attached. PART I STATUS OF ARMED FORCES OFFICER BEFORE INDEPENDENCE Warrant of Precedence Before 1947 Status of the Commander-in-Chief. The Warrant of Precedence of British India kept the Armed Forces Officers on a very high pedestal. The Precedence in India was regulated till the independence by a Royal Warrant which was promulgated on the 6th of May 1871  [2]  . As per the Royal Warrant, the Army Chief, the erstwhile Commander-in-Chief was higher in rank to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court while Military Officers above rank of Major-General were higher than the Judge Advocate General of India also the Secretaries to the Government of India. Status of the Major-Generals. It is important to note that First Class Civilians of 28 years standing were equated with Major-Generals while in the present day it is with IAS of 14 years of service. Similarly Civilians of 20 years standing were equated with Colonels and included Commissioners of Divisions. Status of the Colonels Below. Inspector General of Police, then the highest post in any state were similarly equated with Chief Engineers were in the same league as the Colonels. The next grade comprised of the Third Class Civilians of 12 years standing who were equated with the Lieutenant-Colonels. These comprised of the Under-Secretaries to Government of India, Inspector-Generals of Jails etc. The next grade comprised of the Fourth Class Civilians of 8 years standing who were equated with the Majors and so on. The Comparison. It is evident from the above comparison, the high esteem of the officers of the Armed Forces which they enjoyed during the era. The Inspector General was responsible for the complete state but was considered equivalent to a Colonel of a Battalion with 20-25 officers. The same was required because the State machinery was generally static but the Armed Forces were considered to be working in a volatile environment requiring split second decision making which resulted in a situation of life death. There was no requirement felt of large number of officers in the police, where the job was to catch thieves and petty criminals. This task was found suitable for the lower staff in the police forces comprising one Darogah, one Jamadhar and a number of constables who were maintained at each district headquarters  [3]  . Later the same were controlled by the Deputy Superintendent, Inspectors, Head Constables and Constables. The Indian Armed Forces as the Preferred Occupation of Royals and Dynasties The Kashtriya Way of Life. Kashtriya meaning warrior formed one of the four varnas (social orders) in Hinduism. Kshatriyas constituted the military and ruling elite of the Vedic-Hindu social system outlined by the Vedas and the Laws of Manu  [4]  . A Kshatriya was a fighting man, he was bound by the holy scriptures to govern as a Dharma-Raja, with the main duties being protection of his subjects and livestock. The people looked upon Kshatriyans to protect them from all dangers. The great kings and generals on ancient and medieval India took pride in their Kshatriya lineage and took pride in being the kings and warriors in the army. The British Age. During the British Empire, most of the royals had to give up the rights to their land. Some of the royal dynasties even acted as British protectorates. In such times, only some of the dynasties could kept their own armies but the same was not possible with the smaller states. In time, it became a tradition of the royal princesses to either join the British Indian Army or to command their own troops in their small princely states. It was considered bounteous for these princes to command troops in the old Kshatriya ways, be it in the Indian army or the state troops. Serving the Army. Due to the above reasons, the British Indian Army was always associated with the rich royalty who served its ranks often rising to the officer cadre due to their competence and efficiency. Even after independence, the tradition continued. The Indian royalty found itself in the whos who of Indian army with few of them rising up to the highest ranks while serving the Army. Some of the prominent names among them are Colonel Sardar Bahadur Muzzaffar Jung Bahadur Thakur Girdhari Singh, O.B.E, O.B.I Brigadier Th. Harish Chandra Singh, V.S.M. of Kuchela royal family  [5]  ; Capt Amarinder Singh of Patiyala royal family  [6]  ; Brig Sukhjit Singh, MVC of Kapurthala royal family  [7]  ; Brigadier Bhawani Singh, MVC of Jaipur royal family  [8]  . The tradition of joining the Army gradually started to decline with time. The reasons can be attributable to a large number of facts to include the changing socio economics, the changing of family values and the perceived social standing of Armed Forces personnel in civil society. PART II POST INDEPENDENCE ERA START OF THE DECLINE Involvement of Mil in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Mayanmar in their pol affairs During the middle of 20th Century, most of the countries in Indian peninsula got their independence. Independent India found itself sandwiched between large numbers of politically unstable states in which the military frequently thrust itself in the political arena replacing the democratically elected political leaders. Large numbers of coups were accomplished by the military in the nearest neighborhood of India which fuelled mistrust for the Indian Generals in the political circle. The political class often found itself worried because of presence of influential leaders in the military. Military coups in Pakistan began in 1958 and number three successful attempts. There have also been numerous unsuccessful attempts since 1949. Since its independence in 1947, Pakistan has spent several decades under military rule (1958 1971, 1977 1988, 1999 2008)  [9]  . On the other hand, Bangladesh had military coups in 1975, 1977, 1981, 1982, 1996 then in 2007. Bangladesh remained under military rule from 1975 1990 under two different military rulers  [10]  . Mayanmar had its share of military rule when democratic rule ended in 1962 when General Ne Win led a military coup dà ©tat  [11]  only after fourteen years of democracy. The reaction by the politicians to all of the above was obvious. Firstly the Defence Services were increasingly isolated from the process of decision making in defence matters. During the British era, India was perhaps the only country in the world which had a single Commander-in-Chief for all the three Services. In 1947, this arrangement was discarded and each Service came to have its own Commander-in-Chief, independent of each other. The nomenclature of the three Chiefs was changed in 1955 from Commanders-in-Chief to Chiefs of Staff. In this set up, the Chiefs of Staff are not part of the Ministry. They are not authorized to take any decision on behalf of the Government nor issue any Government orders. These functions are performed by civil officials in the Ministry of Defence (MoD). The Service Chiefs continue to function as Commanders-in-Chief of their Service  [12]  . Each war increased the popularity of the Indian Army among the common masses and the status of the service chiefs was lowered after successive wars in the Official Warrant of Precedence due to the perceived threat of a possible coup by the Armed Forces. Such was the popularity of eminent military leaders like Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw after the 1971 Bangladesh libration that late Indira Ghandhi feared a massive military coup in 1977  [13]  . Mistrust of the Political class fuelled by Bureaucrats. The mistrust of politicians for the military generals was always exploited by the bureaucrats in every way to increase the rift between them. The incidents of armed rebellions coups in the neighboring countries the world over always added fuel to the fire. Gradually the military generals were sidelined by their political masters the bureaucrats made a place for themselves in between the political masters the military started making important decisions which made an impact on national security matters. Tradition History of Police Ranks The Police followed the following system of rank badges till about independence : (a) Superintendent of Police / Assistant Inspector General of Police. Three Stars (Upgraded to Crown on reaching the basic pay scale of Rs 950/-). (b) Deputy Inspector General of Police. Crown with one Star. (c) Inspector General of Police (highest police rank). Crown with Two Stars. In the late 1950s and early 60s, the police establishment went in for a major overhaul and upgradation of rank badges. This followed the introduction of additional ranks such as Selection Grade etc. To meet new ranks, rank badges were appropriately upwardly modified. Contrary to popular perception, the Ministry of Defence very vehemently protested the rank confusion created by junior police officers wearing senior military rank badges but the issue was sorted out in a high level meeting between MHA and MoD (the meeting is documented and minuted) where it was rather unusually concluded that there could be no confusion between police and military ranks since police rank badges are silver in colour whereas military ranks are made of brass, and it was also decided that rank badges would not reflect the actual status comparison of military and police officers. This later resulted in the rank of DIG (then established by pay and by the MHA as being between a Lt Col and a full Colonel) weari ng rank badges as worn by a Brigadier of the Army. So far so good. But this came to haunt the military years later when by forgetting the historical background of the issue; police officers started demanding status and pay equation by virtue of the rank badges worn. The skewed situation got adversely solidified when the 6th CPC commented about an established relativity between a Brig and a DIG in all probability based on the equality of brass carried on the shoulders by the two ranks  [14]  . PART III PAY COMMISSION EFFECTS Effect of Successive Pay Commissions The Post War Pay Committee of 1946. The first attempt at rationalisation of the remuneration structure was made by the Post War Committee in 1946. The mendate of the Committee was to produce pay scales exclusively to Indian conditions, to simplify the pay system and achieve maximum amount of harmony between the three Services. A decision was also taken by the Government that the future pays of the Armed Forces should be linked with civil pays. Based on these parameters and guided by the Post War Pay Code of the British Armed Forces, the Post War Committee recommended a remuneration system based on the following equations  [15]  :- (a) Service officers should broadly receive equal treatment with police officers. (b) A fully trained infantry soldier with three years service was equated with a semi-skilled worker who in turn was equated with an Able Seaman of the Navy and the juniormost Leading Aircraftman of the Air Force. Comparison of Officers. The closest comparator to Defence Services officers was identified as the Police as both wore a similar uniform due to the fact that the Indian Police was manned by mostly retired British Army Officers in the past. This relativity had no other logic with regard to job content. The same continues till date, much to the detriment of the Service officers pay scales. In establishing this relativity, it was agreed that the end of the Maj scale should not exceed the end of the Senior Time Scale of the Police in which the SP was placed, thereby establishing a linkage between the two. The next link in the Police then was the DIG. The Service representatives sought a linkage of the DIG with the rank of Lt Col. However, DIG was finally placed between the service ranks of Lt Col and Col. One of the factors in establishing this linkage was that the three pillars of administration, namely the DIG of a Range, the Commissioner of a Division and the Commander of a Military Di strict (of the rank of Colonel) had near identical years of service, were of approximately the same age and required to socially interact with each other. The Raghuramaiah Committee Report. Consequent to the Second Pay Commissions Report in 1960, a Departmental Committee, headed by Shri Raghuramaiah, examined the pay and allowances of the Armed Forces. It stated that  [16]  :- The Service representatives felt that pay scales approximating to the scales prevalent on the civil side were preferable to the existing pay structure, but that a revision would be such a complex and lengthy process that it was not practicable at the present juncture. In view of these practical difficulties, we decided that the present pay structure might be retained until such time as the Government finds it convenient to carry out a detailed review. Initiation of Major Changes in Cadre Structure by IAS IPS. As the benefit of a review of their conditions of service and pay scales could not be done, the Armed Forces emerged into the post second Pay Commission scene with a arithmetical revision of their pay and allowances. At this stage the Civil Services, especially the IAS and IPS, initiated major changes in their cadre structure. A Selection Grade was introduced in the IPS, between the SP and DIG. This grade was equated to the service rank of Col and pressure was built up for revision of DIGs pay scale. By 1969, the DIG had overtaken the rank of Col, and started drawing relativity with the ranks of Commodore and Brigadier, thereby lowering the status and relativity of the Armed Service Officer vis a vis the Police. The Third Pay Commission. In early 1970, the Government while announcing the formation of the 3rd Pay Commission, for the first time, entrusted the task of reviewing the pay and allowances of the Armed Forces to a Pay Commission and not to a Departmental Committee. However, there was a major difference between the terms of reference as applicable to the Armed Forces and that of the civilians. In the case of the Armed Forces, the Commission was not asked to make recommendations on the conditions of service but take them as given. This difference was prominently highlighted by the Commission in their report. On the question of the presentation of the Services case, the Commission was of the view that the service personnel should have the liberty to represent their case directly before them like civilian employees. But this request to the Ministry of Defence was turned down on the grounds that the requirement of Armed Forces discipline would not permit such an approach. Thus the three S ervices could not explain their case directly to the Pay Commission. As a result, many of the anomalies injected by earlier Committees remained uncorrected  [17]  . Status of Officers. The main thrust of the services was to seek parity in pay scales with the IAS. The Third Pay Commission was of the view however that the officer cadre of the Armed Forces was an omnibus group of individuals of varying disciplines, status and job responsibilities. Whilst there would certainly be some categories, though difficult to identify, who could claim parity with the IAS, the 60,000 strong Armed Forces officer cadre could at best be compared with the Class I officers cadre which had a similar disparate composition. Parity with IAS was therefore not accepted and the existing relativities were retained  [18]  . Expert Cell. The Ministry of Defence now created an Expert Cell comprising the Chairmen of the three Services Pay Cells, a Joint Secretary and an Additional Financial Adviser. The Expert Cell was asked to scrutinise the Memorandum of each Service and give their own views to the Pay Commission. Unfortunately no agreement could be reached between the Service Members on the one side and the Ministry of Defence on the other. Eventually a report was submitted only by the Service Members. This resulted in the impact of their report being lost and the Third Pay Commission had to seek views of Ministry of Defence seperately. Compensation for X Factor. In the British Armed Forces Pay Structure, the X factor compensated for the uniqueness and distinct disadvantages of service life. Service Headquarters sought the extension of the X factor to the Indian Armed Forces. The Third Pay Commission examined the advantages and disadvantages of Service life, considered that the former outweighed the latter and concluded that there was no justification for the X factor. One of the advantages of naval life taken into consideration was the opportunity for naval personnel to visit distant foreign countries at Government expense  [19]  . Formulation of Rank Pay. The third pay commission also crafted a rank pay out of the existing pay for defence personals. This was to differentiate the pay from Captain to Brigadier in a running pay band. It was specified by the pay commission that the rank pay was part of basic pay for calculation of all emoluments for consideration of status. The successive pay commissions continued with the same. But in the sixth pay commission, when the rank pay was abolished, the pay of all service personals was calculated erroneously as rank pay was not taken into consideration. This created a major anomaly. Research of XLRI Jamshedpur for sixth pay Commission in Estimating cost of Benefits For Armed Forces to government Incongruous Deductions XLRI Jamshedpur was tasked by the sixth pay commission to estimate cost of benefits of all government servants including defence personals. In their estimate, mundane things like loans for housing, car computer, canteen facilities, medical care etc were taken into consideration to calculate the cost of living of defence personals. The picture thus pasted was a very rosy one. The problems faced by defence personals in form of frequent transfers, separation from family, lack of stable education for wards of defence personals were not taken into consideration. Comparison with IPS, PMF and Other gp A services The sixth pay commission compared the Brigadier rank of Defence forces with DIG of the IPS. This comparison was wrong because the DIG was placed between Lt Col Col in all previous comparisons. The DIG wore the insignia of Ashoka a Star till early 1970s but later it was changed to Ashoka three Stars. On being questioned, it was clarified by the MoH that police ranks wear Silver Stars which was different from the Brass Stars of the military hence no comparison was possible. The Commission also used the PMF for comparison with the Armed Forces forgetting that PMFs are not Group A services. A service is considered Group A service only if at least 80 % of its employees hold ranks equivalent to Jt Secy above. The same was utilized by the bureaucracy in creating a rift between the Armed Forces the CPMFs quoting the problems faced in empowerment of CPMFs whenever the injustice faced by the Armed Forces were highlighted. Delinking the rank pay from the basic pay caused a major setback to the pay parity of Armed Forces with the other Group A services. Certain ranks with a higher pay scale till fifth pay commission turned up with a lower grade pay after the Sixth Pay Commission. In a noteworthy judgment, the Supreme Court of India directed that Rank Pay forms part of Basic Pay. The same was prayed by the Govt of India to reconsider the same is still pending. Comparison with Defence Support Services It must also be brought to light that Defence Support Services like Defence account services, Ordinance Board Services etc which are primarily existing for supporting the Armed Forces now enjoy a better pay scale that what is enjoyed by the services they serve. Also the promotion rate is much faster with an officer making it to Jt Secy level in 16 yrs while a equivalent Maj Gen makes it after almost 32 yrs of service. The Govt Doctors also have a faster promotion rate due to the MACP scheme but the same could never be implemented for Armed Forces doctors due to the acute disparity they would cause. PART IV WARRANT OF PRECEDENCE PRESENT CONDITION Successive Lowering of Status The status of Armed Forces Officers was lowered after each war as it was perceived by the civil society that the image of Armed Forces Officers was augmenting the political as well as bureaucratic class found itself threatened by the same. Analysis Effects of 6th pay commission to Include Financial Effects The pay commission was near sighted in determining the grade pay of Armed Forces Officers but when faced with a large amount of criticism, it delinked grade pay from status clarified that grade pay was only for determining inter services seniority. This was a knee jerk reaction but the damage was done. The grade pay differences was not only to be used to determine the seniority for all practical purposes but also determined the amount of Entitlements Benefits for all personals. This caused a major Financial Loss to all personals including loss of Social Standing among peers. Misinterpretation of the Warrant by Vested Interests The Warrant of Precedence shows Jt Secy to the GOI to be equivalent to Maj Gen. The official warrant does not cover the lower ranks. This was taken as a guide map by vested interests in equating all civil posts of IG police similar posts with a Maj Gen. In view of the above, it must be stated that very few posts are equivalent to Jt Secy to the GOI posts like IG police of a state is not equivalent unless empanelled by the GOI. These minor rules are not known by a large number of people are being used by some persons for their advantage. The Economic Boom the Present IS Situation The boom in the economy added to the aspiration of all persons including that of the Armed Forces. The present IS situation also increased the commitments lead to further increase in difficulties faced by the Defence personal. The same was not adequately compensated by the successive pay commissions or the government thus causing a steady decline in their strata in the society. Status as Perceived by the Society In the present society where the visible factors of money power are taken as guidelines for deciding the Social Standing of a person, the persons of Armed Forces take a beating. This has caused a visible change in the social environment has also affected the intake of officers in the Armed Forces. This of status has even affected the parity which is perceived by the civil society which can be seen from various agencies intake of ex-servicemen. In a recent UCO bank intake, the post of Security Officer was open to Commissioned Officer in Army (Captain)/Navy (Lieutenant)/Air Force (Flight Lieutenant) and to Any officer in the rank of Inspector (Executive)/Inspector (GD) from Para-Military forces like BSF, CRPF, ITBP, CISF etc. Shortage of Officers in the Armed Forces The Armed Forced are facing a acute shortage of officers in all three services. The shortage of officers in the Army is around 11,500 and in the Navy, the shortage is around 1606. The numbers which are less in Air Force is around 1342. This shortage is causing serious hamper in the operational efficiency of the services the trend need to be arrested at the earliest. Noteworthy Judgment Rank Pay Judgment Maj Dhanapalan case are major judgments of Honorable Supreme Court of India stating rank pay forming part of basic pay for all intent purposes. The Supreme Court slamming the union for treating Armed Forces personnel like beggars in respect of emoluments and pension asking authorities to adopt a more humane approach towards those bravely defending the countrys borders. Treatment of Veterans by Civil and Military The agenda of One Rank One Pay is present in the election manifesto of most of the National parties but no party in power has done anything on the same except giving lip service. The ex-servicemen returning their medals to the President of India was a day of national shame but no concrete steps have yet been taken to meet the demands. PART V LACK OF INTENT AND ENDEAVOR CERTAIN POSITIVES Approach of Govt to Incl Politicians and Civil Bureaucrats The apathy towards Armed Forces was well observed when the Committee of Secretaries formed to look after the anomaly of Sixth Pay Commission was formed without a military member and established more anomalies in its verdict. The Group of Ministers formed after the same to look into possible anomalies has not given any verdict even after a year of its formation. When the veterans demanding One Rank One Pension marched toward the Rashtrapati Bhavan for returning their medals, the President who is the Supreme Commander of Armed Forces did not even feel it important to meet them and assigned a Joint Secretary to receive the medals in her behalf. Negating the Effects of AVC Commission AVC Commission lowered the intake service for the rank of Captain to two years and that of Major to six years. This was done to increase the satisfaction level of the officers of the three services. The same effect was reversed by the Sixth Pay Commission in which the grade pay of all ranks Captain onwards was lowered such that now the Major equaled the Captain of the pre-AVC Commission days. It must be noted here that the Major of post AVC Commission is not even authorized the Majors Accommodation he possesses in a military station but now being equal to a erstwhile Captain, is authorized only the Captains Accommodation. This may not be a area of concern in a pure military station, but causes major embarrassments in a mixed station where the status has declined substantially. Similar problems exist for all military ranks. The Working of Mil Machinery Before the

Sacrifice in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson and Rocking Horse Winner by

The point of view of tradition in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is the normal once of year gathering on the townspeople. This gathering is held in order to pick, via a lottery drawing, to decide who in the town is going to be stoned to death. â€Å"The people of the village began to gather in the square, between the post office and the bank, around ten o’clock; in some towns there were so many people the lottery took two days and had started on June 26th, but in this village, where there were only about three hundred people, and the whole lottery took less than two hours, so it could begin at ten o’clock in morning and still be through in time to allow the villagers to get home for noon dinner.† (Kennedy & Gioia, 2013, pp. 251). The fact that the people gather and discuss everyday issue prior to the start of the lottery all point to the blind tradition of selecting some to be stoned to death. The author also points out in her story that no one knew when or why the tradition of the lottery began. Even not knowing Tessie Hutchinson, at first had no issues with the annual event. It was only when she â€Å"won† the lottery that she developed the point of view that was bias or judgmental. Mrs. Hutchinson protests the process of the lottery and the town’s methods, â€Å"It isn’t fair, it isn’t right† Mrs. Hutchinson screamed, and then they were upon her.† (Kennedy & Gioia, 2013, pp. 256). The interpretation of the stoning is that the town quantifies the reason to murder to satisfy the harvest. The point of view of materialism in the Rocking Horse Winner by D.H. Lawrence is the seen from inside the mind of child in the story, Paul. â€Å"He went off by himself, vaguely, in a childish way, seeking for the clue to â€Å"luck,† Absorbed, taking n... ...ing horse, her desires are never satisfied. In conclusion, both short stories you can see that they both arrive at a sacrifice of the protagonist’s from different paths. The Lottery is from the view point of blind tradition and The Rocking Horse Winner is from the view point of materialism, the love of money. Although both stories are similar with sacrifice as the end result, the sacrifices are for to completely different circumstances. Tessie Hutchinson’s sacrifice is to satisfy the harvest, which benefits the town. Paul’s sacrifice is to satisfy his mother happiness, which benefits an individual. References APA: Kennedy, X. J., & Gioia, D. (2013). Symbol. In J. Terry, K. Glynn & D. Campion (Eds.), Literature: An Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama, and Writing (7 ed., pp. 234-245; pp. 250-256). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education Inc.

school hazing :: essays research papers

People are obsessed with the interrelation between different demeanors. Weather it be art and literature, matching shoes and shirts, or between men and women. We live in a society full of irreverent and dysfunctional relationships. In-fact, we were lucky enough to live during the time of The Break-up Heard 'Round the World, other wise known as when Jennifer Aniston and Brad Pitt broke up. The reason why the masses of literate minds are sucked into this timeless display of courtship is because they themselves have experienced similar relationships and knowing that they are not alone in the miserably bleak world of despair in the vain quest for love and acceptance. The many degrees of alliances, how strong they are, why they are being maintained, and what possible stresses can be applied to them by antagonists are all real world situations. People like to critique other people, and Hamlet is full of many archetype characters. Hamlet is based off of consanguinity, and the ext ream effe ct it has on people. People have aspirations and people want love. The relationships displayed in Hamlet revolve around personal lives clashing around ambitions. Ambitions driven by greed or revenge. "The serpent that did sting thy father's life/Now wears his crown." (Ghost 1,5) Hamlet talks to his fathers ghost and finds out that his uncle, his fathers own brother killed his father. From here on he is driven to get revenge for his fathers death. The rest of the play he puts on an antic disposition so he can get the information he wants and not have to explain why he is acting they way he is. If everyone thinks that Hamlet is crazy then they will not be suspicious. Hamlet is determined at all costs to kill Claudius from then on. "Does it not, think the, stand me now upon-/He that hath killed my king, and whored my mother,/...is't not perfect conscience/ To quit him with this arm?" (Hamlet 5,2) Hamlet is on the brink of killing Claudius and will soon have the chance. "Here, thou incestuous, murderous, damned Dane,/ Drink off this option. Is thy union here?/ Follow my mother." (Hamlet 5,2) This was said after his duel with Leartes, after he knew he was going to die. He makes Claudius drink from the poisoned cup his mother drank from. One of the last things he does is ensure that his vengeance is complete.

Organizational Behavior and Design Essay

Leadership exists in both formal and informal fashion. Formal leadership is defined by Byrnes (2003, p. 160) as ‘leadership by a manager who has been granted the formal authority or right to command’. Formal authority in this sense means those elements that automatically come with leadership – perhaps a title, an office, a budget, the right to make decisions, a set of subordinates, a reporting relationship, and so on. Formal leaders are appointed or elected to lead the group by virtue of such characteristics as their position in the organization and their interest or expertise in relation to the group’s focus. A formal leader is one who possesses organizational authority to direct and control the activities of subordinates. The individual issues orders and instructions to his subordinates by virtue of his formal authority within the organization. The formal leader is responsible and accountable to those who have elected him in a formal way. At the managerial or executive level, this paper asserts that formal leadership is not always necessary; at least, the execution of formal authority by the leader must constantly depend on the situation. The main reason behind this assertion is that formal leadership strategies that carry out perceived improvements do not always generate a common vision among leadership groups. Nor does formal leadership always establish or follow guidelines for carrying out improvements. For instance, Durk Jager, former Procter & Gamble (P&G) CEO, has many traits of a good manager and may have managed P&G well during his time but he was not seen by those whom he managed as being the leader. This example just implies that formal authority is not the sole basis of leadership in part because leadership relationships are based on additional resources other than authority, like expertise and interpersonal skills. The formal leader cannot depend solely on the use of formal authority because subordinates seldom put maximum effort under the pressure of authority. Being a successful businessperson or manager does not make a person a good leader. Just because someone is assigned a formal leadership role does not guarantee that the person will be the only leader of the group, or will become effective in the said role, as evidenced in the aforementioned example. A top level manager like Jager that has considerable authority but lacked leadership qualities is likely to be less effective than a supervisor with little authority but a high degree of qualities. People in formal leadership positions may wield force or authority using only their position and the resources and power that come with it, but never get the cooperation that people who exercise both formal and informal leadership at the same time. Informal leadership can be valuable assets to an organization’s formal leadership, and they can use their influence to work with the goals of the organization. In this light, giving managers formal authority is less important than ensuring that their expertise, creativity, initiative and interpersonal skills infuse organizational improvement efforts. Further, while most open-minded formal leaders believe in their own importance, seeing themselves as central to the health of the organization, they do not always regard it as essential that they review either their role or organizational convictions. Furthermore, strictly formal organizations can seldom define all the possible variations of responsibility and personal interaction to be expected of all members in all situations. Nevertheless, organizations appear to be founded upon a basic system of stable expectations regarding differential responsibilities and relationships among the members. This is not a one-way process. That is, it is not the organization alone which sets up role expectations for its members. The members set up expectations for each other and for the organization as a whole. Moreover, while group members can agree upon which members hold the position of leader, the inconsistencies between such agreement and the attempts to evaluate leadership in terms of group productivity is evidently due to a low correlation between actually influential behavior and formal leadership status. In conclusion, it would be highly beneficial for an organization if members think of leadership as a behavior, not a formal role, as it will extend the capability for leadership behaviors to all organizational members and call for a change in how the organization approaches leadership development, which then should focus beyond managers or future managers to include all organizational members. Such a conception of leadership does not require that the functions of leadership be vested in one person. Any person who influences the group is playing a leader’s role and in this sense several individuals may be viewed as leaders at different times. In this paper, it is accepted that leadership may shift among group members depending upon the situations confronted by the group. Formal leaders, then, are office holders elected to play the most influential roles most of the time. The informal or effective leaders are the individuals who in fact do play the most influential roles most of the time. Those in formal leadership positions may have final authority, but others, within their own more constrained domains, will still need to draw on virtually the same set of leader attributes. These other’ leaders support the organizational leadership and extend the reach of those in formal leadership positions. Their leadership is manifest through their ability to work effectively with others, derive consensus, take initiative, question, and propose. These forms of participation in leadership are rarely considered as leadership per se, especially from traditional (i. . , narrow) perspectives. Rather than viewing leadership as the province of a few elites that have formal leadership role designations, an alternative perspective of this paper views leadership as an outcome of effective social structures and processes. It is the aggregate ability to create shared work that is meaningful to people and to add value to an organization. From this latter perspective, everyone can and should participate in both formal and informal leadership.