Ambition to Become a Doctor Essay Example for Free

Ambition to Become a Doctor Essay Everybody has an aim in life. Aim or ambition is the inner desire of man. No man can do anything in the world if his aim is not fixed. So, all of us should be very clear about our aim in life. We may face many difficulties in reaching our desired target, but we have to go ahead at any cost. Ambitiousness is a dynamic make. Desire is your psychical susceptibleness to apply your knowledge, surround, relationships, and personality to accomplish happiness. What is felicity? Compartment that can only be driven by the someone and there are a countywide ranging scenarios and ideals that delimit felicity. We as humans want healthiness. Many dream on being rich, noesis and resplendence among their ambitions, but for me, to deliver humankind through treat is the maximal ambition of all. Aspiration is that desire that pushes us to usefulness at maximum level in the confronting of obstacles or challenges. I have already fixed the aim of my life and I want to be a doctor. A doctor lives a noble life.He is always at the service of suffering people.A sick man looks at him with the only hope of getting cured.The smiling face of a doctor makes the patient cheerful. A good doctor is respected everywhere. If I become a doctor I will be kind to the poor and the needy people. I will not charge any fee from them.Helping the helpless will be my duty and practice. I have studied biology and I will seat for the competitive tests for admission to a good and reputed medical college.I shall try to be a good and sincere student and then a qualified doctor. I will do whatever it takes to be a good doctor and and will be sincere to it. After becoming a successful doctor, I have plans of setting up a clinic in a village. I never had any desire to narrow and to metamorphose as a specialist, a physician, a gynecologist or an ear, search and throat specialiser. To be a intellectual unspecialised practitioner here, in my own base is the end of my imagination and, though not a specialiser in any peculiar area, I shall bang enough to raft with the ordinary ailments of vivification and to play in the ethical specialists formerly if they are required. Although knowing the fact, the income from here would be pretty less, but making money will not be my main aim. Also interpretation all these consequential services, I shall also  acquire the capital of subsistence. I vow that I would be loyal to my duty and will give full respect to my job. Days are not far off, I am trying hard to realize my ambition and I wish this dream of mine would be fulfilled.

Criticism And Drawbacks Of The Kuznets Curve Economics Essay

Criticism And Drawbacks Of The Kuznets Curve Economics Essay Environmental Kuznets Curve The Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) is a pragmatically, relationship that is assumed to trace the pollution path followed by countries as their per capita gross domestic product (GDP) grows and describes the relationship between per capita income and of environmental degradation indicators (Unruth and Moomaw, 1998). In the infant stages of development, the levels of some pollutants climb with increases in per capita income, while at advanced levels of development, environmental degradation follows a downward trend as income per capita is moving upwards. These results give rise to a bell shaped curve relating economic growth to environmental degradation, redolent of the relationship hypothesized by Kuznets (1995) between economic and income inequality (Nahman and Antrobus, 2005). The concept of EKC came out in the early 1990s with Grossman and Kruegers (1991) path-breaking study of the potential impacts of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). Origins of the EKC The environmental Kuznets curve is a hypothesized relationship between different indicators of environmental degradation and income per capita. At first stages of economic growth degradation and pollution increase, but further than some level of income per capita, the movement reverses, so that at high-income levels economic growth leads to environmental improvement. This means that the impact of environmental indicator is an inverted U-shaped function of income per capita (Stern, 2003) In other words, the distribution of income becomes more asymmetrical in early stage of income growth and then the distribution moves towards greater equality as economic growth continues (Kuznets, 1955). This liaison between income per capita and income inequality can be represented by a bell-shaped curve. This is viewed as an empirical phenomenon known as the Kuznets Curve (Dinda, 2004). Criticism and drawbacks of the Kuznets Curve The Kuznets Curve has helped in studying the relationship between environmental pollutants and GDP of countries but it does have drawbacks too. Even Kuznets (1955) himself indicated that the Kuznets Curve Theory is not a perfect one and the relationship between income inequality and economic development cannot be assumed. He also declared that lot information in the paper has been speculated and thus further research work must be carried out. The reason behind the development of the Environmental Kuznets Curve Since the last decades, the increasing threat of global warming and climate change has been of major continuing concern. Organisations such as the United Nations have been trying to diminish the unfavorable impacts of global warming through intergovernmental and binding accords. After immense negotiations, the agreement namely the Kyoto protocol was signed in 1997. This protocol has the objective of reducing greenhouse gases (GHG) that cause climate change. The Kyoto protocol recognises limitations to environmental pollutants and necessitates a timetable for realisation of the emission reductions for the developed countries. During 2008 2012 periods the demands reduction of the GHG emissions to 5.2 % lower than the 1990 level. In 2005 it came into force: 178 states have signed and approved the protocol since April 2008 (Halicoglu, 2008). Greenhouse gas emissions particularly carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, are considered to be the core causes of global warming. Consequently, to prev ent global warming a number of countries have signed the Kyoto Protocol and agreed to diminish their emission levels. Galeotti and Lanza (1999) indicated that some developing states refused to sign the Kyoto Protocol based on the argument that the industrialisation and development process should be subject to no constraints, particularly for energy production and consumption. One probable foundation for this position is the belief that while pollution increases with growth in GDP, it happens a point where pollution goes down. This view calls for a careful analysis of the relationship between economic growth and pollution. This relationship is obviously very complex as it depends on numerous different factors such as: The countrys size, The sectoral structure, including the composition of the demand for energy, The vintage of the technology, The demand for environmental quality, The level and quality of environmental protection expenditures. Shafik (1994) reports that the relationship between economic growth and environmental quality has been a source of great disagreement for a lengthy period of time. On one side it has been observed that greater economic activity unavoidably leads to environmental degradation and finally to possible economic and ecological collapse. At the other side is the view that those environmental nuisances worth solving will be tackled more or less automatically as a consequence of economic growth. Previous to 1970, there was a conviction that the raw materials consumptions, energy and natural resources were growing at the same pace as economy grows. In the early 1970s, the Club of Romes Limits of Growth view (Meadows et al., 1972) was brazen about the concern for the accessibility of natural resource of the Earth. They argued that the finiteness of ecological resources would prevent economic growth and advocated for a solid state economy with zero growth to avoid striking ecological circumstances in the future. This view has been criticised on both hypothetical and empirical grounds. Experimental works shows that the ratio of consumption of some metals to income was falling in developed countries during the 1970s, which brings divergence with the predictions set out in the Limits to Growth view (Maleness, 1978). Natural environment not only provide natural resources important for economic development but also execute the vital function of supporting life, if man persist to exp loit environment recklessly, then it would not be able to sustain life any longer. Environmental Kuznets Curve definition and graphical illustration The EKC follows the name of Nobel Laureate Simon Kuznets who had remarkably hypothesized an inverted U income-inequality relationship (Kuznets, 1955). In the 1990s economists detected this relationship between economic growth and environmental degradation. Since then this relationship is known as Environmental Kuznets Curve. According to the EKC theory as a country develops, the pollution increases, but after reaching a specific level of economic progress pollution begin to decrease. The EKC hypothesis suggests that environmental degradation is something unavoidable at the first stage of economic growth, so a developing country is forced to tolerate this degradation in order to develop. In a graphical representation the x-axis symbolize the economic growth which is measured by GDP per capita and the y-axis represents the environmental degradation which is measured by many different pollution indicators such as carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, deforestation etc. The shapes of the Environmental Kuznets Curves. The relation between income and environmental pressure can be sketched in a several ways; firstly one can distinguish monotonic and non-monotonic curves. Monotonic curves may show either mounting pollution with rising incomes, as in the case of municipal waste per capita or decreasing. But, non-monotonic patterns may be more probable in other cases and two types have been recommended, namely inverted-U and N-shaped curves. The pattern discovered in experiential research depend on the types of pollutants scrutinised and the models that have been used for inference. Four speculative opinions are presented in favour of an inverted-U curve for (local) air pollutants, which can be listed as: Positive income elasticitys for environmental quality, Structural changes in production and consumption, Rising information on environmental consequences of economic activities as income rises and More international trade and more open political systems with increasing levels of income (Selden and Song 1994). Others, for example Pezzey (1989) and Opschoor (1990), have argued that such inverted-U relationships may not hold in the long run. They anticipated a so-called N-shaped curve which demonstrates the same pattern as the inverted-U curve initially, but beyond a certain income level the relationship between environmental pressure and income is positive again. Delinking is thus considered a temporary phenomenon. Opschoor (1990), for example, argues that once technological efficiency enhancements in resource use or abatement opportunities have been exhausted or have become too expensive, further income growth will result in net environmental degradation. Despite these considerations empirical evidence so far has been largely in favour of the inverted-U instead of the N shaped relationship (de Bruyn et al., 1998). The shortcomings of EKC analysis A number of critical studies of the EKC literature have been published (e.g. Coodoon, 2003; Ekins, 2000; Fare et al.,2001; Perman, 2003; Stern et al., 1996; Stern, 2004). Theoretical critique This section discusses the criticisms that were raised against the EKC on theoretical (rather than methodological) grounds. One of the main criticisms of the EKC models is the assumption that environment and growth are not interrelated. In simple words the EKC hypothesis assumes no feedback between income and the pollution of environment. Fare et al., (2001) refer that due to the non-availability of actual data on environmental quality is the major restriction of all EKC studies. Environmental quality is something that is not measured accurately. Therefore, a guide of environmental quality, which could be a better measurement, should be developed and used to examine the EKC hypothesis. According to Ekins (2000), consideration in assessing the strength of the estimation is the reliability of the data used. However, there is little sign that the data problems are serious enough to shed doubt on the basic environment-income link for any particular environmental indicator, but the results in fact imply that this might be the case. Stern (2004) draws his attention to the mean median problem. He underlines that early EKC studies showed that a number of indicators: 2 SO emissions, x NO, and deforestation, peak at income levels around the current world mean per capita income. A hasty glimpse at the available econometric estimates might have lead one to believe that, given likely future levels of mean income per capita, environmental degradation should turn down from the present onward. Income is not yet, normally distributed but very skewed, with much larger numbers of people below mean income per capita than above it. Hence, this shows a median rather than mean income that is the relevant variable. Another problem related with the EKC studies is the little attention that has been paid to the statistical components of time series analysis. Very few studies in the past investigated the presence of unit root in time series of variables used to investigate the validity of the EKC. 2) Econometric critique Stern (2004) in a survey argues that the econometric criticisms of the EKC fall into four main categories: heteroscedasticity, simultaneity, omitted variables bias, and cointegration issues. Perman and Stern (2003) investigate the data and models for unit roots and cointegration respectively. Panel unit root tests designate that all three series log sulfur emissions per capita, log GDP capita, and its square have stochastic trends. Results for cointegration are less definite. About half the individual country EKC regressions cointegrate but many of these have limitations with incorrect signs. Some panel cointegration tests point out cointegration in all countries and some accept the non-cointegration hypothesis. However, even when cointegration is found, the form of the EKC relationship varies radically across countries with many countries having U-shaped EKCs. In case theres a common cointegrating vector in all countries it will be strongly rejected. Coondoo and Dinda (2002) carried out an analysis for Granger Causality between CO2 emissions and income in various individual countries and regions. In general model that emerges is that causality runs from income to emissions or that there is no significant relationship in developing countries, while in developed countries causality runs from emissions to income. Still, in every case the relationship is positive so that there is no EKC type effect. Data and Time Series Properties To study the relationship between the GDP of Mauritius and the C02 emission in Mauritius the annual data that are being used are; total C02 emission from 1976 to 2008, the real GDP from 1976 to 2008, the population of Mauritius from 1976 to 2008, inflation rate of Mauritius and the unemployment rate of Mauritius. Source: Energy Data Book(2010) Figure 1: Per Capital CO2 Emission Estimate for Mauritius From these sets of data it can be clearly seen that while population was increasing (Figure 2), during these years the real GDP (Figure 3) has been fluctuating a bit. In mid 1970s after the independence there has been a lot of development and transformation in our country. Our economy was diversified and more jobs were created. Furthermore we received more foreign aid. By the late 1970s our economy deteriorated a bit mainly due to the increase in petroleum price in the world market and this lead to less government subsidies and devaluation of our Mauritian Rupees. Then by late 1980s the economy experience steady growth and also a high level of employment, declining inflation and more domestic savings. This period was also marked by the boom in the sugar industry. Though the development slowed down in the 1990s there was a gradual development of the local financial institutions and at the same time our domestic information telecommunication industry boomed. By the start of the 21st ce ntury there our financial services sector became a very important pillar of the economy with an increasing number of offshore enterprises. Finally our economy developed a lot due to the seafood processing and export during the last 10 years. Figure 2: Population Estimates for Mauritius Figure 3: GDP for Mauritius (without inflation) In the short term real GDP is affected by inflation (Figure 4) because the latter causes a rise in general price of goods and services and consequently this causes a change in investments, savings, consumption and import and export of a country and thus the GDP of a country is affected too. [The equation used to calculate real GDP is; GDP = private consumption+ gross investment + government spending + (exports imports)] Source: Federal Bank of Cleveland (2010) Figure 4: Inflation in Mauritius GDP is also depended on unemployment rate (Figure 5) because according to this equation GDP =  compensation of employees  +  gross operating surplus  +  gross mixed income  + taxes less subsidies on production and imports. Thus if unemployment rate increases in a country, the GDP will decrease. Source: Index mundi (2010) Figure 5: Unemployment Rate in Mauritius While trying to prove the relationship between GDP of Mauritius and the C02 emission of Mauritius, we can also observe how the GDP also affects the C02 emission in each specific sector of Mauritius. Graph 6 shows how the Energy sector and the Transport sector are the main contributors to C02 emission from 2000 to 2006. Source: CSO Mauritius(2010) Figure 6: C02 emission per sector

Composition Of Consumer Co Operative Societies

Composition Of Consumer Co Operative Societies Consumers are unorganized and therefore exploited by traders in price, quality and weight. Consumer co-operatives protects the interests of consumers against artificial scarcity, over charging of prices, supply of sub standard goods and the unfair trade practices distorted by private traders. Definition: Maharashtra Co-operative Societies Act, 1960, defines consumer co-operative society as a society, the object of which is: The procurement, production or processing and the distribution of goods to or, the performance of other services for its members as also other consumers, The distribution among its members and customers, of the profit occurring from such procurement, production, processing and distribution are in proportion as prescribed by rules or bye-laws of the society. A consumer co-operative society is basically formed for the promotion of the interests of the consumers. Composition of consumer co-operative societies: National Co-operative Consumers Federation (1) State Co-operative Consumers Federation (28) Departmental Stores (Apna Bazaar) Wholesale / Central Stores (681) Primary Consumer Co-operative Stores (26469) University College Consumers Stores Consumers Stores of Industrial Workers Consumers Stores for Rural Population Objectives of consumer co-operatives: To educate the consumers to keep their needs within the income limit. Stabilization of market rates. To supply the goods and services regularly at reasonable costs. To protect the consumers from black marketing, increase in market rates, scarcity, cheating and adulteration. To supply proper unadulterated goods and to use proper measurement (weighing scales). To inculcate the habit of savings and economy among the consumers. To control the profit-making tendency Need and importance of consumer co-operatives: Supply of things and services as per needs- The consumer co-operative societies are formed to satisfy the needs goods and services as demanded by the consumers. There are directly contracts with producers and manufacturers of things and required goods are purchased directly from them, thereby the consumers can be supplied with the goods as demanded. Eradication of malpractices of traders- It is found that there are many malpractices in trading like black marketing, artificial scarcity, cheating in measurements, hoarding, etc. proper measurements are not used whereby the consumer becomes ultimate victim of all these malpractices by the traders. There is no place for all these things in co-operative consumer societies and so the consumers are attracted towards them. Necessity of time: India has adopted financial planning and there is importance for public distribution of essentialities of life. The consumer co-operative societies help the government in distributing these essentialities to rural and urban areas of our country. These societies have become very important day by day. Since these societies have been entrusted the job distribution, the consumers are saved from financial exploitation and hardship. Establishment of proper trading system: The consumer co-operative societies supply good quality of things at reasonable cost by using right measurement and pure things. Hence from the viewpoint of customers these societies are very important. Eradication of traders chain: There is long chain in between the producers and consumers. The things are sold at higher cost to consumers because the middlemen add their own profit and expenses. The consumer co-operative societies directly purchase the goods from the producers and chain of middleman can be avoided. Apna Bazaar Apna Bazaar is probably the oldest and largest consumer co-operative multi-state society with a customer base of over 12 lakhs. The Rs 140-crore retail chain, that, for over 55 years remained largely middle-class, Apna Bazaar has 80 outlets in Mumbai, Thane and the neighbouring Konkan region. It has recently opened its first shop outside the state in Goa. It recorded a turnover of Rs 127 crore for the year 2003-04. Apna Bazar, the synonym for the basic needs, Brand name of Mumbai Kamgar Madhyavarti Grahak Sahakari Mandal Ltd Date of Incorporation 9th May 1948 Constitution Multi State Co-operative Society Sector Private Industry Retailing Registered Office 106-A, Govingi Keni Road, Naigaon, Dadar [East], Mumbai 400014 Role of Apna Bazaar: Apna bazaar plays a vital role by market intervention during the shortages of essential commodities. The distribution of these items is taken up by the Apna Bazaar at a loss to fulfill its social commitments. At times of need, Apna Bazaar has diverted its manpower and resources, even at the cost of its own commercial interest, for the public good. Objectives of Apna Bazaar: To undertake wholesale and retail distribution of consumer goods and essential commodities; and to establish department stores; To foster the growth products and new manufacturing units through market support and management advice To lower distribution costs and to introduce fair and better trading practices such as fixed prices etc; and Eradication of malpractices of traders black marketing, artificial scarcity, cheating in measurements, adulteration, etc. Necessity of time public distribution of essential commodities in rural and urban areas. Elimination of middlemen. Management and Organization: Apna Bazaar is headed by a management team comprising a chairman, vice chairman and Hon secretaries. The team largely provides direction to the organization and is not involved in the day-to-day affairs. The day-to-day affairs are managed by an executive team, which consists of a general manager, additional general manager and office bearers of the organization. Outlet Apna Bazaar has a customer base of over 12 lakhs. Apna Bazaar has 80 outlets in Mumbai, Thane and the neighbouring Konkan region. It has recently opened its first shop outside the state in Goa.The break up of the stores is: Items Sold By Apna Bazaar Apna Bazaar has the following three main categories of items: Agro products Branded products Rural products Apna Bazaar sells an immense variety of items through its various departments/retail outlets. These are described below: Furniture: All type of wooden furniture, steel furniture library furniture, hospital furniture, revolving chairs, computer furniture, mattresses, pillows, sofa cushion. Household: Steel utensils, aluminum utensils, non stock, gas stoves, locks, mixer-grinder, juice-cum-mixer grinder, hot-cases, room heater, room convector, geysers, all type of fans, electrical goods, washing machine, air-conditioners, water cooler, voltage stabilizer, generator set, crockery, flasks, plastic items, electrical bulb/tubes and tube fittings, table lamp, emergency light, cell, torch, electric wire, desert cooler, exhaust fans. Footwear: Shoes, sandals, ladies purse, belt, umbrella, school, bag, suit cases, brief cases, file box, file bag, luggage bag. Textile: Woolen suiting, tericot suiting and shirting, blanket, blazer, bed-sheets, pillow cover, dress material, all types of sarees, markein cloth, long cloth, voil, mulmul khadi etc. Handloom: Towels, dusters, curtain cloth, bed-covers, carpets, quilt, durries, jute matting, blankets, pillow covers, door-mats, PVC flooring. Ready Made Garments: Pants, shirts, undergarments, socks, sweaters, leather jackets, ladies suits, petticoats, children garments, rain coats, over-coats, mosquito mat, curtain tapes, machine oil, raxine. Stationery: All types of duplicating, typing, photocopies paper, printing paper, all types of rules registers in different sizes peon books, dak pads, pens, pencils, pen stands, eraser, markers, sign pens, gum-bottles scales, colours, art material, sealing wax, white fluid, sutle, stencil and carbon paper, all type of computer stationery, butter paper, crepe paper, glaze paper, graph paper, file covers, log books, all type of printed forms (Govt. offices), PVC sheet for binding purposes, transparency sheets, ledgers, cash books calculators, computer floppy, fax roll, typewriting ribbon, ammonia paper rolls. Watches: Watches of reputed companies like Titan. Grocery Toiletries: Pulses, spices, atta, rice, oils, tea leaves, and various other edible items, insecticides, disinfectants, phenyle, detergents, soaps, cosmetics, tissue rolls and napkins etc. Medical Surgical Equipment: All types of medicines, medical surgical equipment etc. Members Benefits: Dividend on shares at 12% to individuals, society and government. Purchase rebate on share amount 10% each year. Attractive rate of interest up to 9% on fixed deposit by the members. Facilities Offered By Apna Bazaar to Consumers: Apna Bazaar provides the following facilities to consumers: Quality products at reasonable prices. Variety of items under one roof. 24 hours drugs outlets. Self-service counters Items of high quality tested by its quality- testing laboratory. Display boards and price lists at various counters to enable the customer to make his/her choice. Home delivery, but this facility is only available for purchase from branches. Discount sales periodically on various items Location: The location for the store is selected taking in consideration the residential population in the area, the standard of living of the people, the amount of business the other shops are doing and also future development that are likely to take place in that area in future. Area covered: Apna Bazaar has 80 outlets in Mumbai, Thane and the neighbouring Konkan region. It has recently opened its first shop outside the state in Goa. However the density of Apna Bazaar is high in Naigoan and Chembur Space required: The minimum requirement of area for setting up Apna Bazaar is1000 sq.feet. The biggest store is at Vashi, which is spread across 27000 sq.feet. Target segments: The store was started keeping in mind the lower middle class section of the society. But gradually it has moved up the consumer ladder with the inclusion of the middle class as its target consumer. Now slowly it is drawing the upper class towards it. It now caters to almost all the segments of the society depending on the location. In order to attract the upper class to combat growing competition in the retail industry it is making changes in its product-mix. Change in product Mix: The above table indicates decline in the sales of Rice, Wheat, Pulses etc which shows the change in the food culture/consumption pattern of the consumer. It indicates that the consumers inclination towards ready-to-eat food is increasing. Taking this into consideration Apna Bazaar had made has made appropriate changes in its Product Mix. Slowly the Percentage of food grains, pulses has declined and that of FMCG products has increased. In a couple of years the percentage of poultry products in the product mix would increase whereas that of food grains pluses etc. would decline. This would further change the product -mix of Apna Bazaar. Store Layout: Layout of shop Apna Bazaar does not have any specific layout of shop. But in most of outlet the 1st division you would come out is Vegetable, Fruit, Medical product, food grains, and FMCG product. The only think that is kept under consideration that Heavy Product like 5kg. Sugar, 10kg. Wheat, 5 ltr. Oil is near cash counter for convenience of customer. In case of display they see to it that display at entrance is very colorful attractive. Hence they display cosmetics FMCG product. Besides product, which is new to the market, are also displayed to grab attention of consumer Product Display: The brands are displayed in a very attractive manner .The decision to place a Brand on a particular shall depends upon the Market share enjoyed by the company /Brand. Usually there are 5 Shelves. Out of which 2nd, 3rd 4th shelves are most important ones on which the brand with high market share or high brand equity are placed. These products are always in demand by the customers. Footfalls: In big stores, like the departmental store at Andheri, there are 2000 to 3000 footfalls in a day (on weekdays) on weekends there are around 3000 to 3500 footfalls. In small outlets there are around 100 footfalls on regular days .On weekends there are 200 to 250 footfalls. The footfalls are more especially on Sunday. The footfalls are more in evening between 6.30pm. 8.30pm .Whereas the footfalls are comparatively low during the afternoon slot of 1.30-3.30 pm. Keeping this in mind stores are closed down during this time. In this time the staff are rearrange the merchandise in the store. Sources of Income: Retailing is their core activity and a major part of their income come from the various retail outlets. They supply commodities like Dal, Pulses, Food grains, Cereals to Govt. Institutions, Hospitals for their Canteens. A 30 Days credit is given to them. They also earn income from the company racks that they display in their outlets. These racks contain the products of the particular company and the in turn pays Apna Bazaar for displaying these racks. E.g. Maggie, Colgate, Pepsodent, Vicks, Nescafe etc. They provide space to companies e.g. MEPL (Electronic goods) in order to display and sell their goods by charging rent for space provided. They have 37 Franchise outlets, which act as a source of income for Apna Bazaar as Apna Bazaar supplies 70% of goods. Provide place to banks for opening ATM center by charging rent since almost all the outlets are owned by Apna bazaar. MetLife India signed an agreement with Apna Bazaar Co-operative for selling life insurance policies. Based on the agreement, Apna Bazaar Co-operative shall become corporate agents for MetLife India and offer MetLife India products to its huge customer base. Henceforth Apna Bazaar will enable its customers to build financial freedom through MetLife India products based on need analysis. Apna Bazaar will receive a commission of 35% on Premium amount. Exports: Apna Bazaar is a 55 year old co-operative organization with US $ 37 million annual turnover through 07 departmental stores, 06 super markets 65 retail outlets. Apna bazaar used to export commodities like fish and grapes to Europe. In spite of good earnings on exports they have discontinued the exports from this year .Thus the reasons for the discontinuation were due to: The goods were seasonal in nature. In case of grapes the Jalgoan region in which grapes where cultivated was hit by drought, thereby by affecting the production of grapes. Besides the grapes were sprayed with certain chemicals which were banned in the European countries, thereby further affecting the exports. Besides exports is not Apna Bazaars core activity therefore the decision to discontinue exports was taken. SWOT Analysis: Strengths: Goodwill- Apna Bazaar has built its image over the years as a value for money store, which supplies good quality goods at economical price. Number of Outlets- Apna Bazaar has 80 outlets spread all over Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane and the neighbouring Konkan region, Lanza (Bombay-Goa road), among other places in Maharashtra. All these areas are easily accessible as public transportation is available. Hence providing easy accessibility to the customers. Team work- Although there is no training imparted to the employees at the outlets, there is co-ordination and understanding between them due to which the work goes on smoothly creating a win-win situation for both, the management and the employees. Modernization- Apna Bazaar makes use of modern technology to maintain correct supplier bills and giving accurate bills to customers giving details of each purchase and most importantly showing him the savings he has made while purchasing from Apna Bazaar. They also possess total details of their sales and the percentage of sales in each category so they know where the sales are high and where they are lagging behind. Genuine Products- The products of Apna Bazaar are genuine as they purchase it directly from the companies. Lots of imitations of consumables such as honey, oil, etc. are available in many stores. People get cheated, as it is not easy to identify them. CRM- Apna Bazaar organizes a customer meet for their regular customers called MELAVDA at their anniversary to build stronger relations with their customers. On this day, the customers are offered purchase discounts which show that they have taken corrective steps towards customer satisfaction. Weaknesses Capital- Raising capital for expansion and improvement is also a constraint. Apna Bazaar is bounded by the laws of consumer co-operatives due to which they cannot raise funds from open market. There is also limit prescribed by the consumer co-operatives for number of shares issued by Apna Bazaar. This is a major drawback for Apna Bazaar. Ageing society- Apna Bazar started after World War 2 when there was need of essential commodities at lower prices. But, after liberalization many super markets and hypermarkets have opened up due to which there is explosion of choices. Moreover, people today have the money to go for convenience shopping, and hence, the purpose for opening the co-operative is defeated. Obstacles in recruitment: Apna Bazar does not have the budget to recruit skilled staff. The employees are not well educated and hence, they are not aware of the management practices. A qualified employee demands higher salary, which cannot be given by Apna Bazaar due to their constraints. Hence they cannot appoint a MBA a managerial job. No online retailing: Apna Bazar does not have information about its products online. They should have their own website as it is very important in todays world. They could even learn about customer grievances by the feedback. Price fluctuation: Price Fluctuation is a major threat to Apna Bazar. If the product is bought at a higher price is has to be sold at that price only so as not to incur losses. For example, the price of oil fluctuates a lot. So if the price for oil is Rs. 820 for a can when it is purchased, it will be sold at Rs 820 per can even if the price falls to Rs. 800 per can. In this case the oil available from other shops will be cheaper. Opportunities Brand building: Apna Bazaar can take efforts to build its brand image. For this purpose, a marketing firm can he hired. This will attract more and more people to its outlets. Also, they have upgraded their outlets. This can be the base for attracting more customers as they will soon have all air conditioned stores. Expansion: Apna Bazaar can expand its outlets to other states. At present, they have discovered interests from Madhya Pradesh and Delhi. The initiation is on the anvil. Development in suburbs: People are now moving in the suburbs; infrastructure is developing due to which there is huge potential to attract more customers. Retailing boom: Retailing today is not only about selling at the shop, but also about surveying the market, offering choice and experience to consumers, competitive prices and retaining consumers as well. The establishment of supermarkets and convenience stores has been a great effort to communicate the advantages of organized retailing to customers. Threats: Malls- There are a large number of malls that offer discounts the discounts offered by them are as good as those offered by Apna Bazaar because the malls purchase in bulk and can hence afford to give heavy discounts to the customers. The customer has an explosion of choices and will prefer shopping at these big malls because of the ambience. They get the complete shopping experience at malls. Hence, malls are a major threat for Apna Bazaar. Competition from other stores in terms of- Customer Centric Approach: Most other stores take feedback from the customers in form of grievances, opinions and suggestions. They can find out customer needs and ways to satisfy them. Image: Image of a private retailer is more modern and advanced compared to that of Apna Bazaar. The display is also more attractive in other super markets and hypermarkets compared to Apna Bazaar. Future Plans: Apna Bazaar plans to open outlets in the new housing colonies coming up in the interior suburbs like Kandivli and Thane. Increasing the distribution reach is a strategy to counter competition the co-operative plans to increase its outlets from 80 at present to about 100 by next year. This would comprise department stores, super markets, franchisee outlets and medical stores, both in Maharashtra as well as rest of the country. Apart from that, it has money transfer facility under an arrangement with Western Union money transfer. On the tie-up with HPCL for having Apna Bazaar outlets at the petrol pumps, so far three HPCL pumps have Apna Bazaar outlets and the results are still being analyzed. Apna Bazaar Co-operative has embarked on a restructuring exercise and has appointed Darashaw and Company as strategic consultants. The restructuring involves exiting certain business while adding more services, to be provided under its umbrella. The restructuring plan involves exiting out of businesses like export of fish and grapes, milk processing, manufacturing bakery products like biscuits and also pickles papads and spices. Online booking for provisions through the Net and a centralized system to control inventory are also on the anvil. To begin with the co-operative plans to have a dedicated call center for customers to phone in their requirements, which would then be delivered from the nearest Apna Bazaar outlet. An online presence, on the lines of Sangam Direct-the online initiative of HLL-is under consideration. To ensure minimum inventory and maximum rotation, the co-operative is planning to centralize its supply chain management. It is talking to FMCG majors like Tata, Nestle, HLL and PG to ensure rotation without building up much inventory. While the super markets would be serviced directly by the companies, the requirements of franchisee outlets would be met by Apna Bazaar to ensure better co-ordination. Apna Bazaar operates the Akshay Labh Yojana scheme wherein the customers can deposit Rs. 10,000 at any point of time in the year and get items worth Rs. 100 per month free. They also have term deposit schemes. Apna Bazaar has also entered into an eCRM tie-up with Venture Infotek, the e-infrastructure solutions provider, whereby Venture Infotek provides the integrated end-to-end solutions, with the shared infrastructure and payment-as-you-use payment mechanism, without investment in infrastructure. The first thing on Apna Bazaars plans is to work on all 365 days like other big players. Upgrading the skills of their manpower and create vehicle parking facility are also in their agenda. They plan to have a tie-up with Citibank on co-branding. Regarding credit card, they are on the verge of signing a MoU with SBI. As visual merchandising, a new way for presenting the products will be introduced. The National Consumers Co-Operative Federation has approached Apna Bazaar and enquired about the possibility of running department stores under the brand name Apna Bazaar in Delhi and Madhya Pradesh. Apna Bazaar is planning to open another outlet in Goa as they have got a good response from the supermarket. Recommendations: Government interference has had a major effect on the democratic setup of Apna Bazaar. Therefore, lesser dependence on government should be opted for. Government should help stores like Apna Bazaar with credit at cheaper interest rates. Apna Bazaar should improve their capital assets by enrolling more members and also introduce more product varieties. In the coming years, the economy will be dominated by the retailing sector. Times are changing, organizations are changing. Changing according to times is inevitable. Apna Bazaar has to change its traditional viewpoints. It should adopt new techniques and accept change wholeheartedly. Bringing qualitative changes in their skill and especially mindset will help it to survive competition. Apna Bazaar can open one outlet offering all the products it sells in the 80 outlets so that people get all products offered by Apna Bazaar under one roof. Other activities: Healthy child competition for member children. Ayurvedic camp conducted by apna bazaar every year in November. Consumer bulletins are printed and distributed to consumers, which gives them information about various products stored by them.

Essay on Internet Privacy - Cookies and Privacy on the Internet

Cookies: Privacy on the Internet?      Ã‚   Today, many web sites on the internet can use "cookies" to keep track of passwords and usernames and track the sites a particular user visits (Cookiecentral.com). But, the use of cookies to track user's browsing habits is becoming a concern of many internet users. These concerned people are beginning to think of cookies as an invasion of privacy. Companies with web sites can use cookies to track what sites you visit frequently and then select specific ad banners to send to you on the web while surfing (Cookiecentral.com). Electronic Frontier Foundation's program director, Stanton McCandlish points out, "The potential problem is that companies without a sense of ethics could be doing [the] same thing and selling addresses to offline marketers" (news.cnet.com). The government should realize the hazards of internet cookies and enforce a ban on their use.    For those not familiar with the internet type of cookie, http://www.cookiecentral.com/ provides the definition of a cookie and some of the ways they are used. The site states, "a 'cookie' is a small piece of information sent by a web server to store on a web browser so it can later be read back from that browser." When you visit a cookie-using site on the web, that site will save a small text file in your browser's folder or directory. This file will tell them who you are if you ever visit their site again. The site goes on to explain in more detail the different areas where a cookie can be used. The various tasks that can be performed by a cookie listed include online ordering, targeted marketing, user ID's, and site personalization. It is true that there are some beneficial uses of cookies. For example, personalizing a certain ... ... sites' cookies, these sites will not gain anything from you. If everyone were to stop allowing cookies on their personal computers, web sites would find that cookies do not benefit their business and would possibly stop using them. Tell others about any concerns you may have regarding cookies. You may educate someone about cookies that knew nothing before and help him or her understand why cookies are not an essential part of the internet.         Works Cited Cookies. <http://www.cookiecentral.com /news/0-1003-200-327461.html> (31 Oct. 1999). Privacy in the Digital Age. "Jerry Berman's Testimony". <http://www.cdt.org/testimony/Berman.test.House.5.27.99.shtml> (31 Oct. 1999). Shaking the Cookie Jar. "New Cookie Technology or Existing Cookie Technology Under Attack". <http://www.cookiecentral.com/dscprop.htm> (31 Oct. 1999).   

Janes Resilience to Events in Jane Eyre Essay -- Jane Eyre Charlotte

Jane's Resilience to Events in Jane Eyre The novel Jane Eyre was written by Charlotte Bronte in the 1840’s. Put simply, it is the story of a woman who began her life with nothing but aspired, against the odds, to gain recognition and a better social status. Moreover, it is about her ability to cope with situations and make decisions that affect her life and others. Through these qualities it is possible to describe her as a heroine. This essay will aim to show how Bronte conveys Jane’s resilience – her ability to cope and repel suffering – to the audience. It will also show how Bronte shows how Jane could be considered a heroine; not in the clichà ©d sense of fighting evil but more like her ability to choose good over evil, her selflessness, her courage and her overbearing will to continue to live. With such a poor social status (she was an orphan and a women, who were seen as inferior and had far less opportunities in life during the 1800s than men did), no money and no friends the character Jane needed more than a little ambition and feistiness to succeed in overcoming her obstacle-ridden life. Bronte presents Jane at the beginning of the story as a young girl. She is an orphan who lives with her aunt - Miss Reed - but is extremely disliked by her because it was her uncle who adopted her and is now dead. She also lives with Miss Reed’s three children, Eliza, Georgiana and John who also despise her. Bronte communicates Jane’s status in the family early on - Jane is considered an outcast and treated as inferior to the rest of the family. The torment she suffers is clear from the very beginning of the story, and Bronte is quick to associate Jane’s relationship with the Reeds with feelings of mis... ...dly how Jane evolves from a quiet and bullied girl to a full-grown woman capable of loving with all her heart, respecting herself and finding happiness in unhappy situations. Bronte also shows how Jane becomes a strong individual. I think the novel shows very well how badly women were treated in the 1800’s but also why they deserved the same respect as men. It also showed that status in society does not affect whether a person is bad – this contrast is shown by Bronte in Jane, an orphan girl, being good, and the Reeds, a rich respected family, being horrible. Overall it is a very encouraging story, with many tragic moments but also a happy ending. It not only leaves the reader understanding how social status was viewed in the 1800’s but also leaves them with a feeling of hope and the idea that anyone can change who they are, if they are good people.

Characteristics of a close relationship

Characteristics of a close relationship PSYCH/220 – Positive Psychology: What's Right with me August 17, 2014 It is safe to say as I move along and our population grows we meet new and interesting people every day. Whether we encounter people on the subway, buses, or elevators we form a bond with people even if all we have in common is taking the same train or bus at the same time every day.These situations build comfort and security, the more and more we see each other eventually It would become a dally outing and a friendship or acquaintance can be formed. As stated In chapter 1 1, an intimate relationship does not mean it Is physical or has the potential to become physical; an intimate relationship is structured by six components, an intimate relationship Is formed by Knowledge, Trust, Caring, Interdependence, Mutuality, and commitment. A perfect example for me of this relationship is the one I share with my father.I am 26 years old now and I have been married since I was 2 0 and I have two beautiful boys, and everything I set a new goal and challenge and I accomplish It I hank my dad because I feel he made me the man I am today. Growing up I was a bit difficult and to be quite honest I did not have much of a relationship with my dad, I was always well defended by my mom and I usually always stuck with her. My father was born on Dominican Republic, so his way of living and ways of being where different from what I seen here with my friends and even on Television.Since he had his way and I felt his way was a bad one we never seen eye to eye and we were choices in life, I noticed his happiness, then I started to realize that my father Just anted the best for all his kids, Just that his methods for expressing himself and actions where outdated. I turned over a new leaf with my dad, I consider my father my superhero, my mentor and best friend especially when I had kids of my own. I realized as a father everything my father did for me and my sibling to path the way for us to succeed.An intimate relationship relies on Knowledge, The knowledge of mutual understanding based on self-disclosure which consists on revealing personal details f one's self to another. My father and I have reached, when I am in need of advice or help he speaks from experience, tells me if he had ever experienced a particular situation and how he responded to it. Aside from knowledge we must have Trust, in this case is the security that no harm will be done. I trust my father to give me advice and criticism which will better myself and with my best interest at heart.Now as a father I would assume that possessing the characteristics of caring should be unsaid cause it is a father son relationship, however in reaching a new level of appreciation for my dad I have realized that I not only care for my dad as my father but as a person, as another human being. I care for him because he cares for me and my children; he continues to be a great father and even better gran dfather. These are Just a few of the many characteristics that my intimate relationship with my father consists of. Every day I am grateful to have established this level communication, comfort, and trust with one another.

Racial and Ethnic Groups Matrix Essay

Is this an ethnic or racial group and why? Where did this group originate? How did this group become a part of American culture? What challenges has this grouped faced in the U.S.? How is this group portrayed today in American society? Have you witness any racism or prejudice toward this group? Any additional comments? Native Americans Native Americans are considered a racial group because of the large population Native Americans came to America from Asia in the last Ice Age. Native Americans became a part of American culture with the arrival of horses. The increased mobility helped encourage a period of prosperity for Native American groups whose territories were expanding with hunting. Horses became a part of the spiritual, economic and political culture of Native Americans The biggest challenge for Native Americans is coming through assimilation both force and voluntary. The American people and the US government made various efforts to assimilate Native Americans which included but does not limit federal policies, education, religious acculturation. These physically separated Native Americans from the rest of the United States and imposed nonnative forms of housing such as land use, agricultural and hunting methods Native Americans relationship with the United States government beginning before the American Revolution with the signing of treaties for trade and friendship between Native Americans tribes and European-American colonies. I personally have not witnessed any racism or prejudice towards this group. African Americans African Americans are a minority group. However Blacks is the race where African Americans can classify themselves when it comes to race. African Americans were involuntarily captured and transferred from Africa to colonies throughout the Western Hemisphere to become slaves. In recent years, African Americans have started to demand their history as most people think that American history is just the history of white people. The biggest challenges African Americans face in the US are high out of wedlock birth rates, absent of fathers, and the lack of family support for young African Americans. Media in today’s society portrays young African Americans as criminals, crime victims and predators. According to the Black Agenda Report, it is said that â€Å" The perception of African Americans and other people of color as inferior to whites is rooted in the nations legacy of racial hierarchy†. I haven’t experienced or seen racism towards African Americans but I do recall when Trayvon Martin was killed. Society blamed the shooting because Trayvon was black. While jurors disagreed, many people still feel injustice was served. Hispanic Americans Hispanics are considered an Ethnic group. Hispanics came from a number of countries including Cuba, Spain, Mexico, and Puerto Rico in addition to other South American countries. A number of obstacles had to be handled by Hispanics in the US. In my opinion, the biggest obstacle they had to face is getting a job. Hispanics are typecast as low-level employees, and only a small number of Hispanics are part of upper management in the United States. Hispanics have also been typecast as unskilled workers and troublemakers in the past. They are also considered to be antagonistic and unrefined. As a Hispanic, I have felt prejudice because of the color of my skin. For example a few weeks ago I was in Des Moines and I felt out of place because of the color of my skin. Mexican Americans Majority of Mexican Americans holds religious faith and traditions that are important factors in their everyday life. This is their main difference from other Hispanic groups. Mexicans migrated from Spain and Mexico. They established themselves in the  southwestern states of the United States. Employers requested the Mexicans to be brought into the country in 1942 to fill the labor demand. Mexican Americans also have to deal with a number of obstacles such as being considered as second class citizens and apprehensions on the legality of their immigration. Mexican Americans today are depicted to provide inexpensive labor for occupations that are normally favored by majority of Americans. My parents are Mexican Americans and I have heard stories of where they were discriminated years ago because they were Mexicans in the United States. They worked hard for what they had and yet they felt belittle by Americans. Muslim and Arab Americans Arab and Muslim Americans are very religious and have a good amount of faith. Although these two ethnic groups are typically viewed as one, they have a number of differences. Arab and Muslims come from Middle Eastern countries like Iraq, Morocco, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, and Syria. A number of ethnic groups were influenced by their customs and traditions. They perform a number of work-related functions like managing stores in low-income communities. Arab and Muslim Americans had to deal with a number of obstacles in the US. These obstacles range from a prejudice to abhorrence. A good number of people have a negative view of their religion. Arab and Muslim Americans have been depicted by the US media as barbaric and dishonest especially after 9/11. Americans don’t trust Muslims and Arabs because of what they did to us Americans. Although I have not observed any discrimination against this ethnic group, the media demonstrated prejudice against them after 9/11. Asian Americans The features of Asian Americans demonstrate their difference from other ethnic groups. Asian Americans originally came from the Pacific Islands, China, the Philippines and Asia in general. The Nationality Act of 1965 facilitated the integration of Asians into the American culture. Asian Americans have to deal with a number of obstacles mainly due to the fact that they feel that American society does not accept them, and they are treated as second-class citizens. Asian Americans are known for their excellence in education and technology. They are also successful in their chosen careers. I have not observed any discrimination against this ethic group. Jewish Americans Jewish Americans have a similar culture and religion. A person has the choice of being a Jew. Jewish Americans migrated from a number of countries in Europe including England, Germany and Poland. They also come from the former Soviet Union. Following a decline in the economy in their respective countries in the 1700s, a number of Jews migrated into the US and became integrated into American society. The strengthening of the US economy also contributed to this influx of Jews into the US. One obstacle that Jews had to deal with was when they were blamed for the fiscal crisis in the US. Presently, Jewish Americans represent the second biggest ethnic group in the United States I have not observed any discrimination against this ethnic  group. Anglo Americans Anglo Americans is a diverse ethnic group that features some differences in their skin color and religion. Anglo Americans migrated mainly from Germany, Ireland and England. A good number of them arrived in the US sometime in the 1800s. Anglo Americans have to deal with a number of racial issues in the US since they do not consider themselves as a single race. Other ethnic groups also look down on them as a group. Presently, Anglo Americans are depicted mainly as a dominant culture in the US. They consider the United States as their country and they show that through their actions. This outlook is supported by the media in the US. I have not observed any discrimination against this ethnic group.