Social Networking Site: Its

Advantages and Disadvantages

media. They can also be regarded as the

storehouse of knowledge as people come to

Yes, there you see a crowd barge in and

shoot out the most fancied and frequently
asked question of the century.. Is there
anyone without a Facebook Account? You are
sure to be insulted, with not a single person
would raise his hand indicative of the fact that
either all of them possess accounts or that the
handful of them without such Accounts are
holding back out of sheer feeling of shame and
embarrassment. This is the scenario faced by
the world today. "The World dominated by
Social Networking Sites". Facebook, Twitter,
What's App and its other counterparts have
become the favorite abode for the world at
large. They have become a part and parcel of
our lives as it takes not more than a fraction of
a second for anything good or bad to go

know about all that is going on around them,

keeping them adequately updated with current
affairs. Social media has laid open the windows
for the users to soar high with the power of their
views, imagination, ideas and opinions. It has
become the most effective tool for initiating a
social cause, be it for lending alms to the poor
or for anything relating to our immediate
surroundings.

The

strength

that

such

campaigns imbibe when presented in the social

media is sure to move mountains and is worth
emulating. The users of social media have
gained something more.. yes their old friends
and acquaintances that they have left out long
ago amidst their haste to get settled in life. They
get to know about the whereabouts of their
friends and have a look at their photos and
videos real time.

VIRAL!!!!
But of course, we shouldn't forget that every
In today's busy world where all of us are striving
to earn a livelihood, life has become extremely
mechanical

and utmost

hectic.

With

the

tremendous advancement in IT sector, the

primary respite to the so called " Mechanical
Men" from their daily chores lies in Social Media
and Social Media in its various manifestations
like Facebook, Twitter and What's App have not
failed to engulf the whole world into its ambit, so
much so that people everywhere are glued on
to the platform provided to them, each one of
them busy creating a niche for themselves in
the virtual media, where they portray their
unique identity, their views and opinions.

sunny day has within its fold, a dreary and

dreadful night and so it is in the case of social
networking sites.. Yes all is not well with
social networking sites. This recent entrant is
sometimes referred to as the Weapon of Mass
Destruction.. for their dynamic power to
destroy anything good on their way, be it the
valuable time or relationship between near and
dear ones. The productive time that is wasted
by people, especially youth in surfing such sites
have nothing to be compensated with and it for
this simple reason that many corporate have
banned such sites during office hours. These
sites offer a fertile ground for cyber fraud and

Social Networking sites have brought about a

cyber evils threatening the community to be

dramatic change in our outlook today. People

staged. There are infinite number of fake

feel free to voice out their opinion and lend their

accounts floated on such sites and people fall

ears to others as they are sure that there would

mercilessly into such traps almost unabated

be supporters for their views as well. These

which is evident from the numerous instances

sites aptly replicate the mass media, several

blared out by newspapers every single day.

times more powerful than the third estate as all

Above all social networking sites lack the

our views may not be acceptable to the print

personal touch that is inherent while receiving a

phone call or a message from your dearest

Indian politics, Vajpayee's stature has not

friend. It is often said that "As you get closer to

just remained firm but actually grown with

time. He is admired by politicians across the

your far away friends through Facebook, you

get farther away from those who are close to
you." Think of the duration of the joy that you
get when you receive a like on face book for any
of your comments/Photos. It is truly not more
than a minute . And what is the whole point in

party lines even if their ideology and their

idea of India differ vastly from that of
Vajpayee's. He is the only non-congress
prime minister to serve a full five year in the

making thousands of friends on Facebook

office. What makes this achievement even

more praiseworthy is the fact that Vajpayee

when in reality you don't have any intimacy with

managed this feat by taking along a large

them and you are sure that they won't turn up

number of different political parties. If the BJP

led coalition ruled under the arch of NDA or

when you are in trouble. Such sites don't forget

to send you intimation about your friend's
birthday.. but do you really need the help of
such

sites

to

remember

your

friend's

birthday??? The latest trend witnessed in

the National Democratic Alliance, Vajpayee

played a stellar role in making this coalition
both "national" as well as "democratic". One
wouldn't be accused of exaggeration if one

Facebook Accounts and chatting with friends

said that Vajpayee made the BJP much more

acceptable to a vast section of society that

whom they meet every day at schools. The

had till then some misgivings about the party.

whole idea of using social networking sites in

He was the liberal, the moderate face of the

such disastrous ways has contributed to its

BJP. He re-imagined the party in his own

disadvantages.

image thereby giving it a pan Indian appeal.

No wonder he is referred to as the Bheesma

society today is among school children opening

It is high time for us to realize that whether

social networking sites are a boon or a bane
depends on how effectively and efficiently it is
made use of by people at large. However it
would not be proper to end without proclaiming
that they have truly helped people overcome
the geographical barriers and have transformed
the whole world into a GLOBAL VILLAGE.

Atal Bihari Vajpayee's Birthday

celebrated as Good Governance
Day, comment?.

Pitahma of the Indian politics. But the

longevity or popularity of his government is
not the only yardstick of his greatness. He
combined his vast experience as a people's
representative with the

foresight of

visionary. In the backdrop of the economic

meltdown India witnessed some major
economic reforms under his leadership. He
gave a tremendous boost to India's military
capabilities by conducting the Pokhran
nuclear test and then steering the economy

In the recent memory of our nation, there

to greater heights in the face of foreign

sanction. He also enhanced India's

have been few politicians who have been the

recipient of our collective respect and

infrastructural capacity by undertaking the

"National Highway Development Project" as

affection as much as Shri Atal Bihari

well as the "Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak

Vajpayee. While there have been numerous

Yojana". He also ushered in "Sarva Siksha

other

have

Abhiyan" which aimed at improving standard

dominated the political scene but Shri

Vajpayee occupies a special place in the

of education at the primary and secondary

level. While trying to strengthen the state of

Indian polity. In the quicksand that is the

our domestic affair Vajpayee also provided a

powerful

politicians

who

much needed impetus to our foreign policy,

tribute to the memory and legacy of Atal

chiefly in trying to improve relations with our

neighbouring countries, of which Pakistan

Bihari Vajpayee.

was undoubtedly the most important. This led

to the historic "Lahore Declaration" and the
starting up off the Delhi-Lahore bus service.
But soon after this Pakistan indulged in
unprovoked acts of aggression and
occupation of the Indian Territory which led to
the Kargil war. During these uncertain times
Prime
Minister
Vajpayee
showed
tremendous fortitude and decisiveness and
along with the courage and heroism of our
soldiers forced the enemy to admit defeat
and retreat. This victory firmly cemented
Vajpayee's place in the annals of history. If

Professional League Tournaments

for budding players, boon or curse.
On examining the title certain things can be
made vivid .Professional leagues have
gained momentum in the recent times that
almost every popular sport is forming leagues
and gaining the media attention. Popular
celebrities

being

franchise

and

the
the

owners
sponsors

of

such
whose

commercial interest is well satisfied through

the popularity.
The events that lead to these changes in the

Narasimha
Rao's
government
was
responsible for ushering economic liberation

sports community was the poor performance

of the Indian men's cricket team in the 2007

then the Atal Bihari government was the

world cup. Hence "Indian Cricket League"

architect of a brave new India. What's makes

was formed by cricketing legends to identify

Vajpayee so likeable and his appeal so

a fresh talent to the game. But this initiative,

enduring is his multi faceted personality. An

orator par excellence he had the rare gift of

before serving its purpose of creation was

suppressed by a commercial banner "Indian

rising above rhetoric and reaching out to his

audience, of infusing them with energy and

Premier League" which opened a cross road.

inspiration. Even his poetry is a testament to

his admiration and hope for a country that he
has served for so long and with distinction. It
is important and even necessary to mention
here that there has been some controversy
over the government's decision to celebrate
25th of December as "good governance day",
but it is important to bear in mind that the
controversy is regarding anointing a
particular day as "good governance day" but
that doesn't take anything away from the
numerous achievements of Shri Vajpayee.
The incumbent government should ensure
that celebrating Vajpayee's birthday as good
governance

must

go

beyond

mere

symbolism; the government must provide

good governance 365 days a year. That
would be a more enduring as well as real

In a nation like India where cricket is an

anthem Professional league for other sports
like Indian Badminton League, Indian Soccer
League, Hockey India League, and Indian
Tennis Premier League are platforms
indicating that a change has occurred in its
perception and the corresponding players will
be mentored for their accomplishments.
Having said that, these leagues can be seen
as a boon because these have increased the
awareness of the game to the nook and
corner of the nation. Indigenous games like
kabbadi is getting importance and it can be
an aspiration for many youngsters that apart
from job opportunities the sport might give
them an identity in international sporting
community for playing a game that they
loved.

The other path of the professional league is

Conflict of interest is familiar term as many

rather crooked than smooth .The franchise

which hold the teams were much aligned to

legends of the gentleman's game are caught

for promoting their personal interests through

the individual interest and it is at their mercy

that the players can play in their team .Due to

the game. These incidents always remind

that nation's premier institution has to be

the issue of sponsors teams like Kerala

Tuskers and Pune Warriors have to move

regulated.

out, but again the future of the players

contracted by them falls at the mercy of other

As the popular saying goes "Too many cooks

spoil the broth "Too many leagues can

franchise.

spoil the sportsmanship unless until they

continue to promote the lone purpose off their

Forms of corruption like betting, match fixing

and Cases of molestation has always been in

formation "nurturing fresh talents". When

institutions like planning commission are

the columns when the leagues commence

their new season's .It will prove to be a curse

questioned for their validity these leagues

can also be brought under legislation to

to the game if the player gets entangled in it

ensure the skills are nurtured for the nation's

and vice versa. Any individual in the country

cause rather than private individuals.

has to work hard for achieving the place, in

such a scenario how he\she can lose their
credibility to corrupt practices. The light

Bringing back Black Money to India will

increase the Indian Revenue, but should
the names be revealed?

shone by such practices through the leagues

is deceiving and proves to be a fatal curse on

The Narendra Modi Government's efforts to

budding players

crack down black money abroad will have a

significant boost in the Indian economy. The

Little is remembered about the national game

of the country and a league was formed only

Swiss Government have already extended

necessary support to the SIT on black money

much after cricket had its own. This it can be

a curse to the budding players who aspire to

and is willing to work with NDA Government

represent their national game.

in power. Infact, the names of some Indian

individuals and entities have already come

Due to the commercialization of the league

celebrity players are sought to promote the

under the scanner of the Swiss authorities

during an ongoing exercise to identify real

individual interest of the sponsors, budding

talents are given a chance and not an

beneficiary owners of funds held in various

banks operating in Switzerland, a senior

opportunity to shine. International players are

Swiss Government official has said. These

efforts by the Swiss Government will help the

found in extent in these leagues but

indigenous talents have gone in shadow.
This can be told a curse to the community.

Indian Government to a great extent to weed

out corruption. In one of the latest report the
Swiss banks have revealed that India has

Suppose the formation of league for cricket

can be a light at the end of a tunnel but there
are many pits in it where the other leagues
have to be careful to protect their players and
the league itself.

more money stashed in Swiss banks than the

combined other countries. According to a
'White Paper on Black Money in India' report,
published in May 2012, the Swiss National
Bank estimates that the total amount of
deposits in all Swiss banks, at the end of
2010, by citizens of India were Rs 9295 crore

or $2.1 billion. The Swiss Ministry of External

create inflationary pressure as Government

Affairs has confirmed these figures upon

request for information by the Indian Ministry

raises tax rate due to its expenses in order to

balance the budget. Terrorism, drug

of External Affairs. However, media reports

say that the total amount of money parked in

trafficking has been a menace for the Indian

Government and the money used for such

Swiss Banks is around Rs 1400 crore. Rs

9295 crore deposited in all Swiss bank by

illegal activities have also effected the

Government's revenue.
The
Special

Indians at the end of 2010, the black money

or the unaccounted illegal money may

Investigation Team (SIT) on black money has

sought details of all major cases of tax

generate from activities like, illegal trade,

evasion and criminal financial fraud being

smuggling, trafficking, terrorism, counterfeit

currency, corruption, arms trafficking, etc.

probed by various investigative agencies

which are mandated to keep a check on

Apart from these activities, illegal money is

also a part of dishonest industrialists, corrupt

circulation of unaccounted wealth. According

to PTI report, the SIT has recently asked for

bureaucrat, scandalous politicians. The black

the data in order to understand the trends

and magnitude of the menace of black

money is one of the major reason for foreign

debt in India leading to high fiscal deficit. If

money and generation of illegal Funds in the

the unaccounted money is brought back, the

country, which is done through a variety of

entire foreign debt can be repaid in 24 hours.

ways like evasion of Taxes and duties,

The Government's revenue is severely

flouting of foreign exchange laws, creation of

affected to running of a parallel economy in

disproportionate assets,

the country. Tax evasion deeply affects

Government's revenue and if some reports

creation of 'benami' properties within the

are

to

be

believed,

the

amount

of

unaccounted money in India equals to 40 per

cent of the GDP (gross domestic product).
The running of parallel economy in the
country have also encouraged corruption
which is deeply-rooted in Indian society. The
NDA-Government's recent move to seek
details from Swiss banks will be one of one
landmark step in eradicating corruption.
Many hawala transactions operating in the
country also contribute to circulation of black
money. The real per capita income of the
people and the national income of the country
are shown as low due to these unaccounted
transactions. If all the black money circulating
in the economy is flowed back into the

country and outside and laundering of wealth

obtained through illegal and corrupt means.
Though we have certain institutions to check
black money like CBDT( Central Board of
Direct Taxes), ED (Enforcement Directorate),
Financial Intelligence Unit, CBEC(Central
Board of Excise and Custom), Central
Economic Intelligence Bureau(CEIB), we still
lack proper legislation to check anti-national
and illegal activities which contribute to
accounted wealth. Hawala system is one
such thing through which money can be
easily siphoned away to different places
without any inquiry. The Indian election
process is one of the major contributor to
black money with crores of wealth generated

national economy of the country, there will a

for campaigning for the candidates in the Lok

substantial rise in the real incomes of the

sabha and Assembly elections. A study by

people and the national income of the

the Mumbai-based Centre for Monitoring

Indian Economics (CMIE) found in 2006 that

country. The illegal money circulations also

each parliamentary poll generates between

modified as time and situation demands. One

$10.19 billion and $11.33 billion of black

money. The Election Commission has also

such body is Planning Commission, under

the chairmanship of Prime Minister. Planning

addressed these concerns in the recently

concluded Lok Sabha election. After last UPA

commission was established in 1950 with the

aim of mirroring the strategies and

Government failed to bring back illegal

money stashed abroad, the people have lot

development ideas of government, for raising

the living standard of citizens in various

of expectations from the new NDA

Government in power to check black money

aspects.

which is severely affecting our GDP and

overall Indian economy. The Narendra Modi
Government who

Relevance of Planning Commission

Planning Commission works in three stages:
first drafting of plans, then implementation of
those plans, and the last one is to evaluate

is already facing severe challenges of high

inflation, low growth and high fiscal deficit will

and analyze the impact of those plans. Till

now 11 five year plans have been executed

have to strategically plan to bring back

with various goals. This is the time for 12th

unaccounted wealth over a period of time.

FYP (2012-2017). The aim of 12th FYP is

The Special Investigation

faster, more

Team

(SIT)

constituted

by

Indian

Government have promised action if any

illegality found. The Government should aim
to have transparent economic management
system, which can only help to root out the
evil of black money and corruption from our
society. Even though it may take a period of
time to eradicate circulation of illegal money
but no doubt the Government's initiative is
welcomed.

and

sustainable

growth. Five year plan provides time bound

execution of government policies, which
makes it more productive. The importance of
FYP can be judged from historical evidences.
It is being implemented since 1950, and no
government has ever dared to think of policy
formulations without this commission. This
has become an integral part of Government
functionaries.
Old
wine
in
new
bottle
The drafting approach for 12th FYP (2012-

Scrapping of the Planning

Commission- Discuss

2017) is more or less plagiarized from its

With the development of Constitution there

were several constitutional bodies which
established. Constitutional body is one
whose functions are mentioned in the
Constitution,

inclusive

for

any

change

in

their

functionalities Constitutional amendment is

required with special majority Eg, Finance
Commission. Such bodies are integral part of
our Constitution.

previous versions. Its aim is faster, more

inclusive and sustainable growth. The growth
in the areas of health, education, life
expectancy, morality rate, employment,
industrial development, environmental issues
etc. are parameters of faster, more inclusive
and sustainable growth. These areas have
already played a significant role in previous
FYPs.

Government

has

given

these

parameters, a place in previous plans. Hence

the draft of 12th FYP can be considered as

Apart from these Constitutional bodies, a

need was raised to make some non-

gist of previous 11 five year plans in a new

structure. The five year plans draft should

constitutional bodies, which can be easily

also include new areas as well, for eg

corruption, female security, male security

strategies and provide a clear cut image of

against false claims etc. It's a high time for

need of a new wine instead of old wine in new

the country. Government must lay down a

strategy and formulate a path to tackle the

bottle.

fundamental problems of the country instead

of making five years plans.

Only

thing

Constant

is,

Change

Planning has its relevance at present

Whether it is the Planning Commission or any

scenario also, but not in the way as it was

other institution, objective should be to

practiced many years ago. It requires more

develop India. It should be free from political

critical thinking and strong analyses which

can meet present demands. Fifty years ago

interference. Instead of scrapping it, more

professionals and experts can be added and

planning was necessary not only to achieve

distributional objectives but also to achieve a

the Planning Commission must be freed from

any political influence.

high rate of growth. That was the time of

making foundation of our existence. Indian
planning

follows

socialistic

economy

approach. It's a high time for planning in

various

new areas

which

people

are

demanding for. We should start thinking in

new prospects instead of following previous
ones blind-folded. Change is continuum
everywhere and at all times. It is required
whenever old system is not able to fulfill
requirement as per expectations.
If not, Planning Commission, then what?
Now the question arises, if planning
commission is scrapped then what will be the
process of planning and under which
organization? It is being recognized that the
new institution will be set up on public-private
partnerships (PPP model). The resources will
be utilized optimally, state governments will
be directed and it will be a sort of organization
that will make our federal system stronger
than ever.
Nutshell
It is evident that, for proper functioning of any
governance,
adequate
planning
is
mandatory. Planning is the first step of good
governance. It is an ongoing process. India is
a

multicultural,

multi-ethical and

multi-

religious country. Experts believe that India

needs an institution that can define the