What is More important Ethics or profit?

Ethics are the moral principles that govern a person's behavior. Ethics is concerned with what is
good for individuals and society and is also described as moral philosophy. Profit is a financial
benefit that is realized when the amount of revenue gained from a business activity exceeds the
expenses, costs and taxes.

There are broadly two schools of thoughts that exist regarding the relation between ethics and
profit. One school of thought believes that ethics are prerequisites for a business to be profitable
in a longer run. The other thought is that ethics and profit are mutually exclusive to each other.
If a company is ethical, it may not be profitable. It is imperative that a business or company
define its code of ethics on how it would conduct its business. A company’s framework, I believe,
is defined by management’s values. 

Many factors play an important role in making a business profitable which includes dedicated
and productive employees, expert management teams, and consistent consumer demand. In
addition to these factors, organization that executes a management philosophy that relies
completely on business ethics. Business ethics are proven to be much more beneficial than those
which operate in an unethical manner towards the success of a company. By following the code
of ethics in business, they can plan, track, implement, and evaluate management acts. Being
responsible towards clients, their course of action, and the society can do a lot of benefits for
businesses.

Business ethics for profitable business can be conducted by Business owners and managers
reviewing their standard operating procedures within the company to ensure that they are not
structured in a way which may encourage unethical behaviour and active reviews of strategic
plans and objectives can also be undertaken to make certain that they are not in conflict with
the company’s basic ethical standards.
It is a proven fact that employees who are satisfied with the environment in which they work
are more productive than workers who are unhappy. Unethical practices in the workplace can
cause widespread unrest with employees, leading to a greater sense of dissatisfaction towards
the work However, when business ethics are encouraged from management, the ability of
employees to focus on the work they need to complete to make themselves and the organization
successful increases exponentially. Productivity increases when fewer distractions are present
and morale is high, and this leads to greater profit levels for the company.
Many propose that ethical companies have an advantage over their competitors.  Owners of Ben
& Jerry’s Ice Cream, Starbucks and h&m are quoted as saying “a company driven by values earns
the kind of customer loyalty most corporations only dream of – because it appeals to its
customers on the basis of more than a product.

So in reality ethics are important for profitable business.

 Freedom is a myth
“Freedom” has been an object of study and discussion since antiquity. The definition, extent and
implications of the idea of human freedom have been discussed in disciplines ranging from the
arts, humanities and even the sciences.
Freedom has been variously defined by many people. These definitions can be broadly classified
into 2 categories for simplicity.
External Freedoms
These include Legal and human rights that are conferred on human beings from the outside.
These are circumstantial in nature. Their absence, misuse or withdrawal can be clearly seen and
is usually protested against. These include freedom of speech and expression, freedom of
religion, Freedom from want, Freedom from fear, freedom of association, freedom of thought,
etc.
Internal Freedoms
These are more Metaphysical in nature. Internal freedoms concern our inner mechanisms,
thought- processes and the freedom to self-determination. These are less obviously visible,
more complex and have far reaching consequences for our powers of decision making, judging
accountability and responsibility.

The most contentious issue has been whether human beings can be free at all. For eg-
Freedom of speech and expression is always at threat. People who have power decides whether
the particular speech is ethical or not. If they think it is anti-government, they may term it as a
cause of violence. We often see that many journalists are silenced and some of them even killed.
The fact that those who raise voice against government or rulers are vulnerable make us doubt
the freedom we have in expressing our thoughts. Projecting freedom as a myth. Even in this 21st
century in many societies, minorities and socially disadvantaged groups are vulnerable and are
not in a situation to use their freedom in many aspects though legally they have the political
rights.
Although we have freedom in most of the sectors of our life, people in power generally decide to
what extent it should be given. Recognizing freedom as a fundamental right was the first and
most important step in any society. We do have freedom to choose our lifestyle, to follow a
religion of our choice, to improve our social status, to choose our leaders and to become a leader
etc. Freedom should be consider as an ethical act. The powerful people who uses their freedom
of power to suppress the people under them should be held accountable.
With time, we are exploring the idea of freedom. Hence freedom is not a myth. It is a reality. BUT
Freedom in any aspect should have limitations to prevent causing inconvenience to others.
 Is silence really golden?
“Silence is golden” is one of the oldest proverbs in English. It means, at times it is better to say
nothing rather than talk. Silence can convey a lot more than words. Every coin has two sides and
so do this question. Imagine a board room, Conspicuous silence during any meeting makes you
seem like one of two things: either the most engaged person or the least. But which one of those
things you seem like is determined by the situation and agenda of that meeting. Although
silence is a form of communication, it’s only conspicuous if it’s coupled with inexpression. 
In a confrontational situation, Instead of speaking unpleasant things about others, it is always
better not to judge and to remain quiet. Nobody has the right to portray a bad image of someone
else in public. Arguments usually arise from not keeping quiet and invariably lead the parties to
offend each other which can be very clearly seen in the Lok Sabha. But sometimes, It is better to
speak the truth than to remain silent and let injustice continue.
Being silent can convey two things, either you stand by a decision or you are against it. It usually
depends on the situation. For example, in our personal life silence is the best answer when we
are hurt or ignored by someone. Many companies, when they get into a financial crisis, do not
inform their employees about their unpaid debts, rather work on overcoming the troublesome
condition. Informing the customers and the people about the crisis would create panic and
would definitely bring the downfall of the company. But If your company is in an irrecoverable
crisis, you should inform your clients and your employees about the situation. For eg- the
massive data scandal that was festering for days by facebook.
Silence is golden but at times it also has its drawbacks. A person cannot be always be silent in
every situation of his life especially when it concerns an act of injustice towards him or others.
Not everytime silence is golden.
 Causes of hike in onion prices
In Howrah, while some shopkeepers are selling onions at Rs 150 per kg, others are selling them
at Rs 120 to Rs 130 per kg. Same is the case in national capital. While in Jaipur, vendors are
selling them at Rs60 to Rs100. this unusual surge in the price of onions has hit people hard, not
just consumers but also retailers and wholesalers across the country, but a few states in
particular which have it worse than others. West Bengal is one of those states where the price of
onions has crossed the century mark in several areas. The prices of onions have risen to as
much as Rs 160 per kg, forcing the Centre to facilitate imports through private trade from
Afghanistan, Egypt, Turkey and Iran. 

The biggest reason in such a significant hike in prices of onion is country’s irregular rainfall pattern.
Heavy unseasonal rainfall has locked latest onion produce in wet fields throughout onion growing
states of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Telangana. As a ripple effect, onion prices increased
everywhere in the country. It rained nearly one and a half times more than normal in Maharashtra
between October 1 to November 6, when rains doubled from the year ago in Karnataka and
Telangana received 65% more than usual. This unseasonal rainfall damaged crops on one third of
Maharashtra’s cultivated area.
Farmers from the states affected by unseasonal rainfall are not able to harvest their crop from fields
submerged under rainwater, boosting average wholesale prices by 120% within a night in Nashik
district; from Rs 25/kg on October 19 to Rs 55/kg on November 4.
And in result traders blamed the price hike on short supply from Nasik. Only because of rain there is
less supply. Onion sale hasn’t been hit.

Despite excess rain this year, which led to significant Kharif crop damage and affected crop yield,
hoarding has also played a vital role in escalating onion prices. The current onion crisis is also caused
by traders who are indulging in hoarding and later selling at inflated prices. Farmers derive no
benefit from high prices as they are still selling stacked onions at very low rates. At the other end of
the chain, households are being forced to buy onions at extremely high prices that are having
unsettling effects on their budgets. At present, common people in the country are suffering from a
double whammy of low incomes and high food inflation.

In addition to this the govt’s response was not that much helpful. Although, the government has
ordered that it will punish hoarders if it finds any stocking up on onion to sell it at inflated prices;
when will the prices will come down remains a big question.
 Citizens' responsibility to mitigate climate change
Climate change refers to significant, long-term changes in the global climate. According to
independent analyses by NASA, Earth's average global temperature in 2019 was the second
warmest in last 115 years. Devastating fires in California, Australia and amazon.
Persistent drought in the Southwest. Erratic rainfall and Record flooding in India, Europe
and Africa. A heat wave, of all things, in Greenland, Continousy melting glaciers , Depleting
ground water in parts of asia. Climate change and its effects are accelerating, with climate
related disasters piling up, season after season.
In June 2019, world leaders gathered at the United Nations Headquarters to sign the Paris
Agreement on Climate Change. Ahead of the high-level summit, UN agencies and partners
responsible for the climate change agenda were producing press releases, media advisories, and
running social media campaigns aimed at explaining to ordinary citizens worldwide crises that
is climate change. Why? Because citizen action matters. When it comes to climate change,
government action and citizen participation have to go hand in hand.
However, the problem has been that so far, no agreement has been reached on who should act
and how. Citizens are told to recycle, reduce flying and favour public transport. At the same
time, the non-reusable clothing industry produces massive emissions, air and shipping
companies are using fossil fuels without regulation, and various world leaders are stating that
they will not comply with some of the climate agreements that have already been signed.
As essential as they are, individual actions alone will not make the difference - we commitment,
from business and political leaders at all levels of society to tackle this crisis. But at the same
time Citizens of all the countries need to understand the importance and assume responsibility
for helping their governments stick to the commitment and deliver on their climate agreement
promises. There are many steps that an individual as a citizen can follow to insure that no more
harm is done on the climate. For eg-

 . Switch to 100% green power:

Which can help in reducing greenhouse gas emission by switching to renewables for producing
green electricity like solar power. Thus reducing emission of carbon into the atmosphere.

 Save energy

It might sound like the most original-sounding tip around, but it's as relevant as ever. Saving
energy not only saves you money - it also helps to cut emissions too

 Optimize your diet:

throughout the world, the global livestock industry produces more greenhouse gas emissions
than all cars, planes, trains and ships combined. That doesn't mean that everyone has to become
vegan or vegetarian - even a small shift in diets, with a reduction in meat and dairy products,
and more plant-based foods instead, could reduce the pressure that agriculture places on the
environment

 Avoid plastic wherever you can

 Car pooling and using public transport.
These are just small steps that go a long way. I know reserving climate change is a biggest
challenge but we as a citizen have start somewhere and that is by realising our responsibility
towards it.

My solutions to reduce air pollution

As we all know these last months, Delhi was under red alert due to the sever condition for air
pollution. The capital was under a blanket of thick smog which made it nearly impossible to
breathe. After every Diwali, Jaipur experiences cases of dirt and smog where visibility in
outskirt areas of city goes to zero.  air pollution means the undesirable presence of
impurities or the abnormal rise in the proportion of some constituents of the
atmosphere.
Combustion of fossil fuels, like coal and oil for electricity and road transport, producing air
pollutants like nitrogen and sulfur dioxide. Emissions from industries and factories, releasing
large amount of carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon, chemicals and organic compounds into the air
polluting it Agricultural activities, due to the use of pesticides, insecticides, and fertilizers that
emit harmful chemicals and Waste production, mostly because of methane generation
contribute to this cause.
But its not entirely irreversible. There are steps that can be taken to control this severe case of
air pollution. Many govt initiatives like National clean air program which is a five year plan to
curb air pollution are undertaking the task of checking in and controlling air pollution. I like to
present my solutions, that I believe can reduce air pollution :
When purchasing a new car, consider one that is the most efficient, lowest-polluting vehicle or
even a zero-emission electric car.
2. Walk or ride or car pool or bike when possible.
. Take public transportation.
4. Organize and condense errands into one trip.
5.. Drive less, particularly on days with unhealthful air quality.
7. Maintain your vehicle and keep the tires properly inflated.
8. Get your vehicle tested by pollution under control(poc) which is a test assesses the emission
of a vehicle and checks if it follows the standard pollution regulation. And hands you a PUC
certificate when your vehicles passes it.
9. Conserve energy – remember to turn off lights, computers, and electric appliances when not
in us , as these are also a contributer in air pollution.
10. Say to no to crackers. I cant emphasize this point enough. Not only on Diwali, but on
occasions like wedding,new year, birthdays and even when our cricket team wins.
 Statue of Unity
With the opening of the Statue of Unity, dedicated to the ‘Iron Man of India’, Sardar Vallabhbhai
Patel, India just made its entry into the club of the tallest statues in the world surpassing the statue
of liberty of USA , Spring temple buddha of china and Christ the redeemer of Brazil.

Dedicated to one of India’s founding fathers, and the country’s first Deputy Prime Minister, Sardar
Vallabhbhai Patel, the Statue of Unity, height of (597 ft) 182 metres , stands tall atop Sadhu Bet
island on the Narmada facing the Sardar Sarovar Dam in Kevadiya colony, about a 100 kilometres
southeast of Vadodara, Gujarat.

The project was handed over to Larsen & Tubro at a whopping 2,989 crore, who commenced
construction on 31 October 2014. It was inaugurated on 143rd birth anniversary of Sardar Patel
on 31 October 2018, which also announced to National Unity Day. The massive bronze
Vallabhbhai statue produced at a foundry in China was designed by Indian sculptor, Ram Vanji
Suthar, a Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri awardee for his contribution in the field of arts.
Sardar Patel’s commitment towards the unification of the princely states for the formation of a
consolidated Indian republic, and his tireless relief efforts for the refugees leaving Delhi and
Punjab and integrating the British colonial provinces that were allocated to India, earned him
the title “Unifier of India’. And it was in his memory, and as a mark of his contribution to a
nation, the idea of the Statue of Unity took birth.
 Over 29 lakh tourists visited the Statue of Unity in Kevadiya since it was inaugurated and
revenue of ₹82.51 crore was generated according to the website of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel
Rashtriya Trust. So although, Statue of unity proved a boom for tourism of Gujarat, it also affect
the tribal lives of people living near it. On the day of its inauguration, hundreds of villagers of 73
villages in and around Narmada district did not cook as protest and bandh was also observed in
many villages in the region. the displaced tribal villagers of the statue site did not receive
adequate compensation for displacement till date which is the reason why many of these tribal
villagers protested by hoisting banners that say ‘Your Tourism. Our Destruction’, and ‘Give Us
Back Our Lands’ against the govt on national unity day 2019.
So, as much as Statue of Unity is a success for the economy but at the same time many people
think the govt beoz of it , is invading the lands of the people who are the true inheritors of this
country.
 If winning isn’t everything, why keep a score
If winning isn’t everything, why keep a score is a famous quote by Vince Lombardi which tells us
about two things , first winning indeed is not every time necessary but then why are we always
keeping a score that is how many times in life we’ve succeeded.
Our whole life is a game in itself. And we might not get whatever we want in life, there could be
our different wishes we try to have them but if we didn't get, this doesn't mean we stop trying.
We came to know at every step where we lag behind. It is not the matter of winning or losing
every time but the sense of self satisfaction and contentment. Winning a game increase our
confidence, level, personality. Here comes the part where we can understand why we keep
scores. Score always gives a means of the healthy competition and provide the chance to prove
yourself not only in the game but to yourself as well. score is very important part because score
tells us where we stand and what we have to improve to do better.
Also majority of time, humans needs an inspiration, a sense of motivation. Keeping scores is a
human nature which ensures that whenever we find our self at crossroads of failure , we take
inspiration and motivation from ourselves and face it head on. Also the problem with the
question is, the first and second parts of it are in different time frames.
The 'keeping score' is more of the present part, the today and the 'winning isn't everything' is
more of the future, the bigger picture. There is no point to the today's game if there is no score
and likewise there is no point to the life's game if you get bothered by one day's result.
So yes, winning indeed isn’t everything but we keep scores to remind ourselves that one day
loss doesn’t define our life.
 Make in India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Make in India initiative on September 25, 2014, with
the primary goal of making India a global manufacturing hub, by encouraging both multinational as
well as domestic companies to manufacture their products within the country. Led by the
Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, the initiative aims to raise the contribution of the
manufacturing sector to 25% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by the year 2025 from its current
16%. It is a type of Swadeshi movement covering 25 sectors of the Indian economy which range from
aviation, chemicals, IT, automobiles, textiles, ports, pharmaceuticals, hospitality, tourism, wellness, and
railways have been identified by the government to work for the investors and become a world leader.

The symbol of this initiative is a giant lion having many wheels. This indicates peaceful progress and way
to the vibrant future of the country. A giant walking lion with many wheels represents courage, strength,
tenacity, and wisdom. This national program was designed to transform the country into a global
business hub. Because it contains attractive proposals for local and foreign companies. This campaign
focuses on creating a number of valuable and honored jobs and boost foreign direct investment (FDI)
thereby bringing development. It is also providing skill enhancement in almost every sectors for
improving the status of youths of the country.

Zero defect zero effect’ is a key phrase which has come to be associated with the Make in India
campaign. In the words of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “Let’s think about making our product
which has 'zero defect'… and 'zero effect' so that the manufacturing does not have an adverse effect
on our environment".

This highly beneficiary programme faces several challenges like prevalent labour laws of India, red-
tapism, providing environmental clearance for the big project, low technology and poor
transportation system.

To make India free of unemployment by bringing development and growth this policy is the urgent need.
We can downsize poverty in India to a great level by solving the unemployment issue for youths. Thus the
country economy will achieve a new height after the success of this campaign. This, in turn, may solve
various social issues in the country.
 Can artifical intelligence replace human intelligence?
Movies like robot or ghost in a nutshell often leaves us with the fear of cyborg invasion. With the
fear of us wondering will artificial intelligence replace us completely? When hunting and
gathering were our only requirements, the development of agriculture didn’t mean the end of
life as we knew it.We adapted and evolved.The industrial revolution didn’t result in
unemployment armageddon. Instead, humans created more jobs and reinvented themselves
with the help of new technologies.
Technology and innovation makes our lives easier and helps us do our jobs better. That’s what
AI has in store for us. It makes us more efficient. There’s no denying that automation is hitting the
workplace in a big way. With just the technology available today, around 50% of work activities
can be automated, and 60% of jobs are facing at least some measure of automation. Those numbers
are more than likely only going to increase; the faster technology is innovated and created.
But I do not believe that artificial intelligence will replace human intelligence. My opinion is that
a machine will always fail to completely replace a human being in many instances. it has been
claimed that at least 5 million jobs will be replaced by intelligent machines by the year 2020. I do
agree with this, but stand by my opinion that it is next to impossible for a machine to completely
replace the human input. I hold a firm opinion that there is a wide range of jobs which can’t be
performed without the human finesse. A common example is: “How often are you 100% satisfied
with the machine oriented response on the customer service line?”. As long as artificial
intelligence has not evolved to a point of developing machines which can interact, engage, think,
adapt, and respond exactly in a fashion as a human can, it is not possible for such intelligent
machines to completely replace the human resource.
there is no argument over the fact that there are certain events in which utilization of a robot can
actually turn out to be much more efficient when compared to a human being. However, it is
imperative to state that it is the human finesse that controls, operates, and direct the use of such
a technology. Be it any kind of an industry that makes an extensive use of artificial intelligence,
human input, human interaction, and human judgment can still not be replaced by the
capabilities of an artificially intelligent machine.
There are highly intelligent AI systems like IBM’s Watson that can memorize a bazillion
ailments and recommend treatments. But it will be decades before AI finds a cure for cancer or
old age, because it lacks the creativity and spontaneity that sparks human genius.
Artificial intelligence in many sectors of life do makes it easy for us to carry out our lives but it
can never completely replace our intelligence.
 The pressure to perform destroys childhood

I have niece who is 6 years old. She has at least four tests, one of them a high-pressure timed
math factor test. If she gets more than one answer wrong, she repeats the same test the
following week (which, by the way, is a great way to start an unhealthy competition among
classmates). Some weeks, if they happen to finish a unit in social studies, science, or math, they
also have a unit test. So now we're up to five. And she is just in 1 st grade.

In India, education and academics have been the traditional focal points of stress. Parental
pressure for children to excel in their studies has been unusually high. The pressure to perform
well not only in studies but in every field of young and teenage life completely ruins a childhood
A compelling need to excel in academics coming from the family, often tending to abuse, does
cripple the student’s morale and is one of the greatest causes for failure and breakdown, say
leading psychologists.

With the rise of sports and entertainment as high revenue businesses in India, the traditional
career focus of most Indians has turned to these fields. Most Indian parents are, however,
unable to shrug off the need to pursue academics simultaneously. Sachin Tendulkar, India’s best
known cricketer, caused many parents to sit up and don their thinking hats when he revealed
that his parents allowed academics to take a beating while he was out practicing. And yet, given
the immense competition that is inevitable in any sport or entertainment activity, parents tend
to goad their children into becoming all-rounders and children often end up as victims rather
than success stories When kids feel like each homework assignment is going to make or break
their future or that could determine if they get a college scholarship, that pressure will have
negative consequences.

When parents and teachers put children into high pressure environment, they may experience
constant anxiety. High amounts of stress can also place children at a greater risk of developing
depression or other mental health issues. Pushing kids to excel can damage their self-esteem.
The constant stress to perform interferes with children’s identity formation and causes them to
feel like they’re not good enough.

. It's healthy to want to bring out the best in your child. But sometimes, parents put children
under so much pressure to perform well that their children suffer serious consequences.
 Stumbling blocks or are they stepping stones
“Each is given a bag of tools, a shapeless mass, a book of rules; and each must make ere life is
flown – a stumbling block or a stepping stone.”
Failure is when individuals are unable to meet the desirable or intended objective.  We
ourselves are the only ones who can label what we make out of our failure. Our failure can be
our stepping stone if we take it as a chance of self- improvement. It is like a trial in an
experiment. It depends on our own judgment. Failure can be a delay but not defeat. However, if
one loses heart and the willingness to improve then it becomes our stumbling blocks.

There are two ways to look at the world: the benevolent way or the malevolent way. People
with a malevolent or negative worldview take a victim stance, seeing life as a continuous
succession of problems and a process of unfairness and oppression. They don’t expect a lot
and they don’t get much. When things go wrong, they shrug their shoulders and passively
accept that this is the way life is and there isn’t anything they can do to make it better.

On the other hand, people with a benevolent or positive worldview see the world around
them as filled with opportunities and possibilities. They believe that everything happens as
part of a great process designed to make them successful and happy. They approach their
lives, their work, and their relationships with optimism, cheerfulness, and a general attitude
of positive expectations. They expect a lot and they are seldom disappointed. I hold the
believe the only difference between a stumbling stone and a stepping stone is the way u use
it. Every failure or setback can be your stepping stone only if you choose to learn from it.
One should learn to embrace their flaws by taking it as a feedback and not as the ultimate
chance.  And like Edison said ““No, I did not fail. I discovered 24,999 ways that the storage
battery does not work.”, one should be optimistic & constantly make efforts to improve
performance as opportunities can arrive at any time and turn our failure into success stories. 
 We observe traffic rules by breaking them

How many times have you heard someone say: ‘’I’m a safe driver, I’ve been driving for ‘years’,
and I know what I’m doing” True enough, most of us believe we’re great drivers but the reality
is you may not be the expert you think you are. A friend who had returned from the United
States once told me that when he signed up there to learn driving, the trainer told him, “Driving
a car is a privilege, not a right.” It suddenly allowed me to understand why most — if not all —
drivers in that country tend to stop before the zebra-crossing, allowing pedestrians to pass, or
why they stopped at a red light in the dead of night as surely as they would in peak-hour traffic.

But the In India, we don’t follow traffic rules strictly because we have seen other people who
never follows and never get caught/punished severely. We just tiptoe around them. Our lack of
respect for, and awareness of traffic rules is the primary reason for the bad state of our traffic.
This is because a vast majority of Indian drivers are unaware of road rules and have obtained
their Drivers’ Licences (DL) without undergoing any form of evaluation from the concerned
authorities. After all, it is hard to respect traffic rules without first being aware of them. Even
those of us who have legally obtained our DL have been corrupted by the state of traffic in the
country. Most of four wheeler drivers doesn’t have any idea about the various speed limits
defined for various roads. When they are fined for same ,it is only then they came to know
about it.

We often find it inconvenient to obey traffic rules, especially when we see others around us
freely breaking them. Indian drivers now indulge in a melee when they drive their vehicles
onto public roads and do not care either for traffic rules or the convenience of other drivers.
This results in road accidents, traffic jams and road rage incidents.

This was my personal experience that last year, in December, I appeared for an exam whose
centre was located in outskirts of city. When my exam got over and I was leaving for home by
my car. The route that takes 42 minutes for me to reach home took 1and ½ hour that day. And
it was because of the one of the worst traffic jams I have seen in my life. People were just
driving and jamming their vehicles not thinking that this way it is impossible for everyone to
go about their way. They didn’t care whether a road is one way or not, just yelling at each
other

We, as responsible Indians, have to start respecting and obeying traffic rules and spread
awareness in our families, villages, communities and social circles. Many of our fellow citizens
would benefit from this, especially ones who do not understand the concept of traffic rules.
Some of them might even be able to prevent an accident from happening due to their
understanding of traffic rules. We hold enormous power in our hands that must be wielded to
make a difference in the traffic on India’s roads. We must also act as role models to our
children who will grow up to be responsible drivers and spread awareness themselves. It is
the Indians who have to usher in a change in India’s traffic. After all, if we don’t do it, then
who will?
 There are no facts only opinions

Facts and opinions are often uttered in the same breath; the terms have a
huge difference in their meanings. Whether a statement is a fact or an
opinion depends on the validity of the statement. While a fact refers to the
something true or real, which is backed by evidence, documentation, etc.
On the other hand, opinion is what a person believes or thinks about
something. In finer terms, a fact is a proven truth, whereas opinion is a
personal view, that represents the outlook of an individual, which may or
may not be based on the fact. A fact is universal but opions are personal views on
a matter.

A fact can be an event or information, based on real occurrences which can

be tested through verifiability, i.e. they are supported by proofs, statistics,
documentation, etc. Therefore, a fact is nothing but a verifiable truth or
reality which are agreed upon by consensus of people. Opinion is highly
influenced by a person’s feelings, thoughts, perspective, desires, attitude,
experiences, understanding, beliefs, values, etc., which cannot be tested by
concrete evidence. Therefore, due to individual differences, every person’s
opinion on a particular matter is also different.

Then again, calling something an opinion need not mean an escape to the
fairyland of wishful thinking. If we think of an opinion as one person’s view
on a subject, then many opinions can be solid. For example, it’s my opinion
that science gives us a powerful narrative to help understand our place in
the Universe, at least as much as any religious perspective does. It’s not an
empirical fact that science does so, but it works for me.

Therefore, to know the reliability and utility of an information or statement,

it is vital to understand the differences between fact and opinion, so as to
evaluate things and draw conclusions. While reading comprehension, it is
hard to identify, whether a given expression is a fact or an opinion, as they
are quite commonly juxtaposed by the writers. Facts are always one step
ahead of opinions as facts can be proved to be right or accurate, whereas
opinion may also be right but they cannot be proved as true.
 The single use plastic ban
In early January 2020, China joined the growing movement of more than 120 countries pledging
to ban single-use plastics. The country of 1.4 billion citizens is the No. 1 producer of plastic
waste in the world. It topped 60 million tons (54.4 million metric tons) in 2010 based on a
September 2018 report titled "Plastic Pollution." But China announced it plans to outlaw the
production and sale of non-degradable bags by the end of 2020 in major cities (and everywhere
by 2022), as well as single-use straws by late 2020. Markets selling produce will have until 2025
to follow suit.
But most of us don’t even know what is single use plastic. A single-use plastic is disposable
plastic that's designed to be used once then tossed or recycled. This includes everything from
plastic water drink bottles and produce bags to disposable plastic razors and plastic ribbon —
really any plastic item you use then immediately discard. While these items can be recyclable, in
reality, very few plastic items can be processed into new materials and products. Unlike glass
and aluminum, plastic isn't processed into the same item it was when it was collected by a
recycling center. The quality of plastic is downgraded, so eventually, and inevitably, that plastic
will still end up in a landfill. The single use plastic ban is crucial for us today because plastic in
landfills just doesn't go away. a plastic bag takes 10 to 20 years to degrade, while a plastic bottle
takes almost 500 years outliving all of us. And, even when it's "gone," its remnants remain. In
india what was once a heap of single plastic landfill is now converted into a mountain.
India has put off the ban on single-use plastic items but decided on phasing out single use plastic
by 2022. But there is much speculation about it too. According to one estimate, a complete
elimination of SUPs would result in the unemployment of 4.5 lakhs people engaged in the sector
and 10000 units will be on the verge of closure. Therefore, concerned industries have urged the
government to issue clear guidelines on phasing out SUPs by 2022. And for this reason, the govt
have taken in single plastic use alternatives like :
 aiming to produce packaging material that is recyclable with the use of high viscosity polymer.
For the packaging of milk, the industry is looking to manufacture milk pouches from polyester
filament yarn (PFY). The yarn is recyclable and can be used 45-50 times. The pouches and bags
could be sent back by the customers to their milk suppliers. 
Single use plastic ban is not something we can compromise with. It is a dire emergency to stop
the usage and production of it as its direct consequence on a bigger scale contributes to climate
crises.
 Impeachment process of USA

In 1974, the Judiciary Committee of the US House approved three articles of impeachment
against then-President Richard Nixon, accusing him of obstruction of justice, abuse of
presidential power and contempt of Congress. Recently, the impeachment inquiry against
current president of USA Donald Trump, was initiated by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on
September 24, 2019, after a whistle blower alleged that Donald Trump may have abused the
power of the presidency. BUT what is exactly meant by impeachment?

Impeachment in the United States is the process by which a legislature (usually in the form of

the lower house) brings charges against a civil officer of government for crimes alleged to have
been committed and to hold a trial to determine if he is guilty of that crime. Any civil official can
be impeached, including the Vice President, federal judges, heads of agencies, and of course the
President. Fifteen of the 19 impeachment cases in U.S. history have involved judges, with one
Secretary of War and early Senator in the mix too. Today, however, Senators cannot be
impeached at all. They are instead expelled from Congress via different procedures. The
Constitution does not prescribe a specific process and neither does federal law, leaving
Congress to set its own rules.

Most impeachments have concerned alleged crimes committed while in office, though there

have been a few cases in which officials have been impeached and subsequently convicted for
crimes committed prior to taking office. The impeached official remains in office until a trial is
held. That trial, and removal from office if convicted, is separate from the act of impeachment
itself. The hearing in the Senate, along with a charge in the House that the official has committed
a crime is not a legal one. No penalty, other than removal from office, is brought against a
president in an impeachment hearing.

Generally in an impeachment trial,

 The president would have counsel to represent him at the Senate process.
 The chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court presides over the trial.
 Senators listen to the evidence presented, including closing arguments from each side
and retire to deliberate.
 Senators then reconvene and vote on whether the president is guilty or not guilty of the
crimes he is accused of. It takes a two-thirds vote of the Senate to convict. If the president is
found guilty, he is removed from office and the vice president is sworn-in as president.

In the impeachment trial of president- President Andrew Johnson and for President Bill Clinton
- both ended in acquittals: meaning the presidents were impeached by the House, but not
convicted and removed from office by the Senate.
 Are smart cities really a necessity?

Sufficient fresh water; universal access to cleaner energy; the ability to travel efficiently from
one point to another; a sense of safety and security: these are the kinds of promises modern
cities must fulfil if they are to stay competitive and provide a decent quality of life to their
citizens.
 By 2050, 66% of the world’s population is expected to live in urban areas. The challenge will be
to supply these populations with basic resources like safe food, clean water and sufficient
energy, while also ensuring overall economic, social and environmental sustainability.
As technology grows, the concept of Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things can be used
into planning Smart cities which can gradually tackle several issues in a coexistent society.
A Smart City encompasses an urban development vision that emphasizes the intelligent
management of a city’s resources for the purpose of solving urban challenges. The Government
of India, launched the Smart Cities Mission in 2015 with the Mission to develop the entire
urban eco-system, represented by the four pillars of comprehensive development –
institutional, physical, social and economic infrastructure. Instead of only developing
greenfield cities, the focus of the Smart Cities
On 7 September 2019, the 10,000-acre Aurangabad Industrial City (AURIC)
in Aurangabad, Maharashtra was inaugurated as the first greenfield industrial smart city of
India. There is now a total of 99 cities which have been added to the Smart Cities Mission.
Development of smart cities is no more a choice, but a necessity for India. Rapid migration to
cities is putting huge pressure on the existing resources and infrastructure. It is necessary,
therefore, to deploy innovative solutions to make Indian cities more livable and sustainable for
the communities of tomorrow. Developing smart cities can help solve a host of problems being
faced by the growing urban population. With much being discussed about smart cities in the
recent past, the concept has been well understood by stakeholders and now it’s time to translate
this into reality. 
India’s city governments have been using ICT (information, communication and infrastructure)
for a long time. It exists in a dispersed fashion, be it in municipal services or internal processes.
The need of the hour is to design a strategy by making the entire city as a technological platform
and identifying the applicable areas where smart city projects should be taken up.
The central government has allocated over Rs 7,000 crore for development of 100 smart cities
in the budget. This is a reflection of the government’s political will to promote the concept. But
the existing budgets are insufficient to even fund the regular functions of cities. To supplement
traditional means of funding, alternate funding sources like ‘partnership funding’ can be
identified where large IT companies invest in identifying a bunch of cities and enable them for
efficient delivery by providing them with the expertise to address the critical problems. 
There will be several challenges like willingness of states, data privacy, attracting private
investment, bringing key decision-makers together but the benefits of managing cities in an
intelligent manner outweigh challenges. Also developing smart cities is a continuous process.
We will never be able to say if we have achieved our objectives, because as we get there we will
realise that with rapid technological changes, we will need to continuously redefine our
objectives.

The Hongkong Protest

The 2019–20 Hong Kong protests are ongoing protests in Hong Kong triggered by the

introduction of the Fugitive Offenders amendment bill by the Hong Kong government. Hong
Kong’s government is attempting to pass a law that would for the first time allow extraditions to
mainland China. Although, Hongkong is part of china, it agreed to allow a “high degree of
autonomy” for 50 years, including guarantees of free speech, capitalist markets and English
common law under a “one country, two systems” arrangement for Hongkong.

If enacted, the bill would have allowed the extradition of criminal who are wanted in territories
with which Hong Kong does not currently have extradition agreements,
including Taiwan and mainland China. This led to concerns that the bill would subject Hong
Kong residents and visitors to the jurisdiction and legal system of mainland China, thereby
undermining the region's autonomy and Hong Kong people's civil liberties. Opponents are
concerned that it could open the door for anyone, including political dissidents or civil rights
activists, who runs afoul of the Chinese government to be arrested on trumped-up charges in
Hong Kong and sent to the mainland, where they would face what the U.S. State Department
called China’s “unstable legal system.

 The bill was sparked by the case of a Hong Kong man accused of murdering his girlfriend in
Taiwan. He was arrested in Hong Kong and convicted of money laundering but couldn’t be sent
back to Taiwan for trial there because there’s no legal framework to do so. The Hong Kong
government says the new law will ensure the city doesn’t become a haven for suspected
criminals. As the protests progressed, the protesters laid out five key demands, namely the
withdrawal of the bill, investigation into alleged police brutality and misconduct, the release of
arrested protesters, a complete retraction of the official characterisation of the protests as
"riots", and Chief Executive Carrie Lam's resignation.

The bill was finally withdrawn on 23 October, but the government refused to concede on the
other four demands. On 1 October, while China was celebrating 70 years of Communist Party
rule, Hong Kong experienced one of its most "violent and chaotic days".An 18-year-old was
shot in the chest with a live bullet as protesters fought officers with poles, petrol bombs and
other projectiles. The government then banned protesters wearing face masks, and in early
November a pro-Beijing lawmaker was stabbed in the street by a man pretending to be a
supporter. One week later, a policeman shot one protester at close range when activists were
trying to set up a road block. Later that day another man was set on fire by anti-government
protesters. Protests supporting the Hong Kong movement have spread across the globe, with
rallies taking place in the UK, France, US, Canada and Australia.
 Can creativity and knowledge go hand in hand?
What do you think led to the invention of electricity or an aeroplane or the internet? What made
it possible for man to walk on moon? Or in recent times, what led to the creation of Disneyland
or iPod or Google? If you think about these and all the great discoveries and inventions that
have changed the world, you would realise that they all began with someone’s imagination. No
one actually knew such things could exist until someone dreamt about them and worked
towards making them a reality.
So, knowledge is useful only if you can imagine what all you can do with it. No doubt that the
next step is to gather all the possible knowledge, but the first step is to imagine the possibilities.
Most of the scientists, entrepreneurs and artists vouch for imagination and creativity as the
basis for their great work.
Albert Einstein famously said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
It is difficult to argue this statement, not just because it was said by a genius, but also because
it’s true. It is the imagination and creativity that has been the driving the engine of our
civilization. That said, knowledge and wisdom have helped man transform his imagination into
reality. Once you have a vision of what you want to create, you need to acquire knowledge, dig
into your experiences and seek the existing wisdom to make it happen.
 we cannot discount the importance of knowledge. When knowledge, experience and common
sense come together, it becomes wisdom. Unfortunately, knowledge and wisdom are often used
interchangeably but you need to understand that knowledge is a part of wisdom. For example,
any one with the knowledge of market can identify the potential markets in your industry but it
takes wisdom to go after the right one. Wisdom gives you the power to make right judgement at
the right time. knowledge helps people solve problems. That is true, but it's the application of
that knowledge in a tough situation (creativity) that makes you different from a book full of
boring, outdated facts.
Creativity and knowledge should go hand in hand. Knowledge is valuable when combined
with creativity, creating new, inexpensive solutions. Creativity is the art of atypical and
effective problem-solving and problem-solving. It is a willingness to create new ideas.
 Consequences of using mobile phones in school?

Society has come to a point where the idea of living without cell phones seems ludicrous.
Smartphones are proving useful educational tools - but psychological research highlights the
risk of their presence in the classroom. But as students are developing a strong connection with
their mobile phones, which is leading to a massive loss in their concentration and time spent in
studies. Parents and teachers usually face problem in combating the distraction of students.

One study that followed the impact of schools banning mobile phones found that mobile phones
can have a negative impact on learning through distraction and that their removal from the
classroom can yield an improvement in student performance, especially for the most
vulnerable. New research on college students suggests that the mere presence of a cell phone
can impair learning during a lecture. The study, published in the journal Computers in Human
Behaviour, found cell phones tended to reduce attention and memory — even when they
weren’t used.

 There are so many negatives consequences of allowing mobile phones in schools. Heavy
internet and mobile phone users are prone to lack of concentration in classrooms.
 This also affects their awareness and eventually lead to passive mind
 Moreover, this also leads to weak focus and attention
 Also, Students generally have peer pressure to maintain their image. Even if they do
not want to buy an expensive mobile phone, they will do it for their friend circle
 Children get stressed trying to maintain a proper communication level with parents,
teachers and friends on phone
Anxiety, stress and depression are some of the problems faced by students due to 24-hour
connection with friends and other people. Students fail to set goals for themselves due a
confused state of mind.
Smartphone use will remain an ongoing issue for parents and schools, particularly in terms of
content and what is considered suitable, and also how it should be managed. There will always
be misuse as we have seen recently with students bring mobile phones into examination
settings. Schools should be at the forefront of ensuring their mobile phone use policies and
practice match current telecommunication technologies.
 Is Ignorance is bless

Remember the famous lines of Thomas Gray’s poem, “Where ignorance is bliss, 'Tis folly to be
wise,” meaning that it is better to be unaware of something rather than comfort of knowing it.
The lines reveal the two perspectives of poet where at one side he calls ignorance is bliss and at
the other side states knowledge as misery. There are times when people say that it was better
that I was not aware about the facts. But everytime, we cannot take an easy way out.

Knowledge about certain things is good. Knowing about things beforehand helps us to avoid
problems or allows our creativity to bloom.  A child has to turn into an adult someday, and
ignorance can no longer serve as bliss. Moreover, its innocence and not ignorance that leads to
happiness in a child. Ignorance towards negative actions, negative thoughts and negative
persons is definitely a good thing but Ignorance towards certain areas in life like drugs,
addictions, relations, health, career etc can lead to unhappiness and problems in life. Growing
up is a part of life, and knowledge is a part of growing process, and it doesn’t lead a person to
misery. Knowledge in fact allows a person to differentiate between right and wrong.

Ignorance is bliss for someone who's trying to start a new business but is unaware of all the
limitations to their strategy. That ignorance may be just the thing that propels them forward
instead of seeing only obstacles but there will be a limit of this ignorance so he doesn’t end with
completely destroying his business. For me ignorance is bliss in cases where a person who is
trying to invoke a violent reaction out of me and I maintain my calm by ignoring it. But when the
same person actually tries to harm me in any manner, I like to be very much aware of it.

there are exceptional cases when ignorance can be called as bliss, otherwise being ignorant is
like giving invitation to unending problems in life.