Archives April 2013

In 1979, American Terry Miller showed that it was possible for a car to run on compressed air alone. After developing his Air Car One, which he built for $1,500, Miller patented his method in 1983. Instead of burning fuel to drive pistons with hot expanding gas, air cars used the expansion of compressed air to drive the pistons. Initially energy is involved in compressing the air, and this is usually done with electricity, but it is still a more environmentally friendly process than that of gasoline cars. Many companies are developing air cars, though they are yet to be released for the public; this is likely to happen in the very near future. There are a few drawbacks that the air car must overcome before it hits the market big time. When air expands from its compressed state, the engine is cooled and this can encourage icing. Also, in more...

The Judiciary plays a vital role in the Indian federal set up. It means India has two sets of governments, the central or the union government and the state governments. The Constitution, clearly demarcates the powers of the both the sets of governments into different lists of subjects. These lists are called the Union List, the State List and the Concurrent List. Inspire of clearly marked areas of functioning there is always a possibility of dispute between the centre and the state or between the state governments. Here comes the judiciary which plays an impartial role in such situations. As per the Constitution of India, the judiciary has full power to resolve the dispute between the centre and the states or between states. Moreover, the judiciary is also responsible to ensure that the rights Of citizens are respected and protected and the powers of the government do not cross the more...

Science is one of the greatest blessings for us today. We live in an age of science. Humanity enjoys some of the best comforts of the present-day world to the development of swift means of transport. Railways on land, ships on sea and aero planes in the air enable us to travel from one place to another in the shortest possible time. Journeys now take only a few hours. Travel has become rapid and comfortable. We swim like fish in water and fly like birds in air. Space flights are today opening new vistas to mankind. Interplanetary travel may one day become a reality. Besides this, the discovery of electricity and the diversity of ways in which it is being used have revolutionized life. Electricity is being used in homes, in offices and in factories. Electric fans, electric lamps, electric heaters and score of other electrical appliances have made life more...

The foreign policy of India is not a sudden growth  According to Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister  of free India, "It is a policy which flows from our past, from  recent history, from our national movements and from various  ideas we have proclaimed." India being a great lover of peace, gives stress on world  peace. Hence, achievement of world peace and international  understanding is the main aim of our foreign policy. As colonial  rule left us a poor and underdeveloped country, so progress  and development were the main objectives. This meant  that  peace and security were extremely important for us. Hence, friendly relations with all the neighboring countries were  essential. We believe that international disputes should be  settled through negotiations and peaceful means and not by  force. Owing to this, we want to settle the Kashmir problem  peacefully. Non-alignment is the most important element of our foreign policy. more...

The problem of beggary is widespread in our country. We  come through hordes of beggars wherever we go-on street   corners, at traffic lights, at temples and even historic, monuments. Beggars are people who depend on alms from other people for their living. They are of numerous kinds. Some are physically handicapped, either lame or blind or crippled and so take to begging. There are some people who having lost their everything, become beggars. However, some are able- bodied people, who instead of doing some graceful work, undertake begging as their profession. Sometimes, they start this profession due to extreme poverty but most of the times they prefer it because it enables them earn their living easily. We also see child and orphan beggars at every nook and corner. The handicapped beggars easily win the sympathy of the people. They are really in need of our help and they should more...

Students should devote themselves primarily to their studies. But in the modem age, a book-worm is not regarded as an ideal student. Now he has many duties besides studies. Students, being a vital part of society, should take part in the community service. India  is  a  poor and developing country. It is not possible for the government to do everything alone. So, students have a lot of work to do. During long vacations and other holidays, they can go to villages and teach the illiterate people there. They can also make them conscious of the role of health and hygiene. They should often visit backward villages and slum areas, point out why epidemics occur there. They should also induce them to take part in cultural programmes. During floods, famines and epidemics, students can serve the suffering humanity. A student's education is incomplete if he is not involved actively in social more...

The moon is a heavenly body shining in the sky at night. It looks like a large round silver plate. The moon is a natural satellite of the earth. It moves round the earth in twenty-eight days. The moon has no light of its own. It is lit up by the light of the sun. There are no living beings on the surface of the moon. There is no air, no water and no soil on its surface. It has only sand and rocks.  The shape and size of the moon appears to change everyday. The part towards us and.  We can see only one side of the revolution and rotation are equal. Moonlight is very soft and nice. We can enjoy the beauty of moonlight at night. The lunar eclipse takes place when the earth comes between the sun and the moon. The gravitational force of the moon is more...

They are so commonplace today that many people even have them in their cell phones; some companies have even added them to digital watches. Digital cameras are now taken for granted, but it was only in 1975 that the first prototype was produced. Steve Sasson (b. 1950) had recently graduated in electrical engineering before taking a job with Kodak. His assignment was a broad one: Was it possible to make a camera using solid-state electronics? Starting from Scratch, he gathered together various pieces of electronic equipment including a movie camera lens, an analog-to-digital converter, and, most importantly, charge-coupled devices (CCDs). By December 1975 Sasson's rough prototype was ready for initial testing. Weighing in at 8 pounds (3.6 kg) and the size of a toaster, the camera was hardly portable, but Sasson convinced a lab assistant to pose for a test shot. It took twenty-three seconds for the image to be more...

One morning, I saw a ghastly accident on my way to school. Suddenly, I heard a crash. Turning to look, I saw a horrible sight. A scooter and a car had apparently collided with each other. All I could make out before the crowd of passers-by rushed towards them was a pool of blood, shattered glasses and a man lying on the road. It seemed to me that there was far too much noise and nobody seemed to be doing anything to help the accident victims. However, some intelligent, alert persons must have rung up the hospital, for soon an ambulance came, followed by the police who cleared away the crowd. I watched it from a safe distance. I saw the badly wounded man, who had been riding the scooter, being lifted on to a stretcher and put into the ambulance. The occupants of the car were also suffering from more...

I am now an old coin and have been in circulation for many , many years. I am worn out now and the lion's head on my face is very faint. But I still remember my early youth when I was in the government treasury, with my bright companions. I shone  rightly then and the lion's head glittered brightly. My active life began when I was paid out from the counter of a bank, along with other new rupees, to a gentleman who got a cheque encashed. I went off jingling in his pocket, but I was not there for long, as he gave me to a shopkeeper. The shopkeeper looked pleased when he had me in his hand, and said, "I have not seen a new rupee for some time", and he banged me against his counter to see if I was genuine. I gave out such a clear more...