Ffdfd Essay Example

Ffdfd Essay Tractors: MILLAT TRACTORS LIMITED Analysis of Financial Statements Financial Year 2004 Financial Year 2010 July 27, 2011 RECORDER REPORT 0 Comments Millat Tractors Limited (MTL) was established in 1964 to introduce and market Massey Ferguson (MF) Tractors in Pakistan. An assembly plant was set up in 1967 to assemble tractors in semi-knocked down (SKD) condition. The company was nationalized under Economic Reforms Order in 1972 and started assembling and marketing tractors on behalf of Pakistan Tractor Corporation (PTC), which was formed by the Government for import of tractors in SKD condition. In 1980, the Government decided to produce indigenous tractors and entrusted this task to PTC. In 1981, the MTL took over this task. This was the turning point in the companys history and it went about the task methodically and rapidly. Just in one years time, the company took a giant step towards self-reliance by setting up the first engine assembly plant in Pakistan. The MTL made a strategic decision right in the beginning to bring those manufacturing facilities in-house for which capabilities did not exist in the country and for parts, which required high precision and investment. Therefore, in 1984, sophisticated manufacturing facilities for the machining of intricate components were set up. Currently, critical components like engine blocks, sump, transmission case, axle housing, hydraulic lift cover, front axle support and centre housing are all being machined most successfully in-house at MTL from local sourced castings. In 1992, the company was privatised. The employees joined hands and took over the management by winning an open bid. To maintain its leadership role in tractor manufacturing in the country, the MTL continues to look towards future, to identify and exploit new opportunities and to consolidate existing ones. The Tractor Assembly Plant is part of this philosophy. The plant started its production in 1992. The establishment of this modern plant not only increased production capacity to 16,000 tractors per year on a single shift basis, but also provided a quantum jump to the quality of the assembled tractors and pushed the MTL into the ranks of the major tractor manufacturing companies of the world. We will write a custom essay sample on Ffdfd specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Ffdfd specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Ffdfd specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In 1993, MTL also acquired the management control of Bolan Castings Limited (a Public Limited Company specializing in intricate automotive castings) in partnership with employees of the company, in 1993. The company established a new company named Millat Industrial Products (Pvt) Limited to manufacture quality automotive batteries, thus enabling the Millat Group to capture the efficiencies associated with vertical integration. In addition, the Millat Group comprises of Bolan Castings Ltd. , which produces thin walled castings such as engine block, cylinder head, centre housing etc. Also, Millat Equipment Ltd. produces gears and shafts of international standard for tractors. However, these subsidiaries contributed 1. 18% to MTLs consolidated net sales and 8. 15% to consolidated profit after taxation in FY10 (1. 14% and 6. 50% respectively in FY09). Due to low contribution to consolidated MTL performance, the financial analysis in this report is based on MTLs standalone tractor operations. Recent results (1Q11) The company achieved a sales volume of 29,718 Tractors in these nine months as against 28,939 tractors for the corresponding period of last year, showing an increase of 2. %. During current period, 30,638 Tractors were produced as compared to 29,865 tractors for corresponding period last year, showing an increase of 2. 6%. distribution and marketing expenses actually declined to Rs 431 million as compared to Rs 500 million, while the administrative expenses increased. Operating profit was slightly higher at Rs 2. 3 billion as compared to Rs 2. 2 billion in the same period last year. Other operating income was however higher by 60. 8%, thus pushing the overall income higher. Pre-tax profit for nine months amounted to Rs 2,594. 1 million as compared to Rs 2,355. million of the corresponding period of previous year showing an increase of 10. 2%. Profit after tax increased to 1,807. 2 million from 1,609. 5 million of the corresponding period of previous year, showing an increase of 12. 28%. EPS was recorded at Rs 49. 37 as compared to Rs 43. 97 the same period last year. A new high-spec tractor model in 50hp range the MF-350, was developed for the small to medium sized farmers. The product was well received and was highly appreciated by the farming community due to its improved features such as power steering, oil immersed disc-brakes, heavy duty straddle axle etc. With the inclusion of this new model, Millat now offers a range of six tractor models that best suit our agro-climatic conditions, size of farms and buying capacities of the farmers. Presently, MTL has the highest deletion level of 90% and 55% in low engine and high engine capacity tractors respectively. The lower deletion level in high engine capacity tractors still makes it susceptible to exchange rate fluctuations. In the wake of appreciation, the company is therefore at a greater advantage and vice versa. Millat Tractors has the potential to export the tractors but is restricted because of the agreement with their principals M/s AGCO. RECENT PERFORMANCE (FY10) Net sales increased by 39. 53% from Rs 15. 91 billion in FY09 to Rs 22. 20 billion in FY10. This was due to the increased production of tractors, which enabled Millat tractors to fulfil the unmet demand for tractors in the market. This was a significant achievement for Millat Tractors, as its major competitor, Al-Ghazi Tractors, did not witness any significant increase in sales due to restricted production capacity. The demand for tractors rose due to government support schemes like the Benazir Tractor Scheme. Cost of sales increased by 36. 03% from Rs 13. 0 billion in FY09 to Rs 18. 37 billion in FY10, due the depreciation of PKR against JPY, USD and GBP over July 2009-June 2010. This, coupled with the rise in steel prices, negatively impacted the margins of auto manufacturers and assemblers who import steel and the required components from Japan or elsewhere. With major imports of CKD kits coming from UK, the gross profit of the company is directly related to the Pound Sterling to Rupee price movement and leaves the company susceptible to changes in exchange rate. This resulted in a net 59. 15% increase in gross profit, from Rs 2. 1 billion in FY09 to Rs 3. 83 billion in FY10. Millat Tractors also managed to boost its fundamentals in the operating expenses category, allowing a minor 5. 71% increase in distribution and administrative expenses. Thus the operating profit increased by a large 79. 04%, from Rs 1. 76 billion in FY09 to Rs 3. 14 billion in FY10. Other operating income greatly increased by 126. 47% mainly due to increase in gain on sales of short-term investments. Other operating expenses increased by 52. 54% due to investment in workers profit participation fund. Thus an 86. 1% increase was recorded in the EBIT from Rs 1. 79 billion in FY09 to Rs 3. 35 billion in FY10. Finance cost decreased by 76. 15% due to settlement of short term borrowing from banks, leading to a marked reduction in finance cost. However, taxation incr eased by 95. 85% due to imposition of 17% Value Added Tax on local tractor sales. Thus the profit after taxation increased by 88. 01%, from Rs 1. 22 billion in FY09 to Rs 2. 28 billion in FY10. A lesser increase was witnessed in the earnings per share, which increased by 50. 40% from Rs 51. 87 per share in FY09 to Rs 78. 01 per share in FY10. Market comparison The demand for tractors increased significantly in the year 2009-10. The industry booked a total of 74,000 units as against 40,836 units booked in the preceding year, thus registering an increase of 81%. Federal and Provincial tractor schemes and better support prices of crops, especially wheat and rice, were the main contributing factors towards increase in demand. However, the governments role as not entirely supportive of the industry as import of tractors was allowed free of taxes or duties while the local industry was subject to tariffs under the Tariff Based System. However, despite these odds, Millat Tractors continued to dominate the market and retained its market share. At present there are two tractor companies in Pakistan, which are involved in manufacturing of indigenized tractors: a local company, Millat Tractors Limited, which produces Massey Ferguson Tractors under franchise from AGCO; and Al-Ghazi Tractors Limited which is an entity of a foreign UAE-based Group Al-Futtaim purchased under privatisation in 1992 and manufacturing Fiat New Holland tractors. Millat Tractors possesses 57% of the market share while the rest 43% is held by Al-Ghazi Tractors. The production capacity of each company is currently 30,000 tractors per annum, although Millat Tractors achieves this capacity in double shifts whereas Al-Ghazi Tractors needs to employ a single shift only, due to its larger plant size. In the past, both the companies had failed to meet the supply against increasing demand and the limited capacity of production resulted into abnormal delay in deliveries to the farmers. Thus in FY10, Millat Tractors adopted the policy of working on overtime schedules, to meet the high demand, resulting in a significant increase in sales and profitability from 29,785 tractors produced in FY09 to 40,177 tractors produced in FY10. The sales statistics in terms of the number of tractors similarly increased from 30,234 to 40,080. However, the major competitor, Al-Ghazi Tractors, did not manage to increase its production, where production marginally from 30,183 units in FY09 to 31,430 units in FY10. The market comparison ratios are based on the financial statements of Millat Tractors and Al-Ghazi Tractors for FY10. The financial year of Millat Tractors ended on 30th June 2010, whereas Al-Ghazi Tractors ended its financial year on 31st December 2010. Hence this market comparison is only indicative as the companies may have been subject to different market conditions over their respective periods under review. The profitability ratios show that Millat Tractors achieved a 17. 27 gross profit margin in FY10, compared to 18. 51 of the industry average. This indicates that Millat Tractors is achieving its profit margins satisfactorily, although its competitor Al-Ghazi Tractors is better able to manage its cost of goods sold. The net profit margin of Millat Tractors is similarly slightly lower at 10. 29 compared to 11. 54 prevalent in the industry. Return on assets for Millat Tractors is also lower at 19. 42, compared to the 22. 16 industry average. This means that Millat Tractors is not fully deploying its assets to generate the maximum amount of sales. However, return on equity is much higher at 54. 49 compared to 42. 5 industry average. This is because Millat Tractors has a much lower proportion of equity in its equity-liabilities structure, and coupled with an impressive profitability performance, this gives rise to a high return on equity. The current ratio of Millat Tractors is lower at 1. 40 compared to 3. 57 for the industry. This is because Al-Ghazi Tractors has much lower amount of trade payables, Rs 1. 24 billion, compared to Rs 7. 48 billion of trade payables on Millat Tractors balance sheet. However, since the current ratio of Millat Tractors is higher than the benchmark of 1. 0, it means that Millat has a sound liquidity position and unlike Al-Ghazi, it does not hold excess current assets on its balance sheet. The inventory turnover of Millat Tractors at 40. 15 days is higher than the industry average of 33. 01 days. This indicates that inventory management at Millat Tractors is poorer, thus requiring more number of days to sell the entire inventory stock on hand. However, this can be expected with Millat Tractors approach of meeting the unmet demand for locally manufactured tractors. The day sales outstanding for Millat Tractors is also higher at 7. 37 days compared to 6. 7 days for the industry, due to the higher trade debts of Rs 454 million fort Millat, compared to Rs 364 million for Al-Ghazi. This implies poorer receivables management at Millat, although the higher receivables are to be antic ipated in line with Millats higher sales. Overall, the operating cycle at Millat was recorded at 47. 52 days, compared to 39. 88 days for the industry. Total asset turnover for Millat Tractors was slightly lower at 1. 89 compared to 1. 92 for the industry, implying that Millat has yet to achieve the high sales turnover in line its investments in assets. However, sales to equity ratio for Millat is 5. 0, higher than the industry average of 3. 83. This is to be noted in connection with the fact that the equity-liabilities breakup of Millat is Rs 4. 19-7. 57 billion whereas Al-Ghazi employs Rs 6. 36-1. 30 billion of equity-liabilities. Thus the lower proportion of equity and high sales at Millat Tractors enables it to enjoy a high sales to equity ratio and this indicates a proper utilization of equity investment to generate the healthy sales turnover. The debt to asset ratio at Millat is higher at 64. 37 compared to 40. 69 for the industry, hence the industry can be deemed to be able t o meet its debt bligations in a better manner, compared to Millat. Similarly, the debt to equity ratio is higher at 1. 81 compared to 1. 01 prevalent in the industry. However, this implies the usage of more leverage at Millat Tractors, which is a positive indicator of being able to generate a high return for investors. Times interest earned for Millat Tractors is consequently lower at 352. 30 compare to 1271. 86 for the industry, due to the employment of Rs 10. 29 billion security deposits borrowing whereas AL-Ghazi does not employ any borrowings. However, Millats long term debt to equity ratio is lower at 0. 3 compared to 0. 51 for the industry, implying that the greater proportion of Millats debt is in the category of current liabilities. In line with its impressive profitability performance in FY10, Millat achieved higher earnings per share of Rs 78. 01 per share compared to Rs 61. 24 for the industry. The positive indicators of profitability performance were accordingly transmit ted to the market, hence the market price for MTL stock averaged at Rs 395. 97 per share in FY10, compared to Rs 306. 30 per share for the industry. The price earnings ratio for Millat was also slightly higher at 5. 08 compared to 4. 8 for the industry, indicating that the strong position as the market leader was greatly reflected in the share price of MTL stock. Millats profits were reflected in the dividend per share, which was recorded at Rs 65. 00 per share compared to Rs 43. 75 per share for the industry. However, the book value per share was lower for Millat Tractors at Rs 143. 16 per share compared to an industry average of Rs 219. 92 per share. This was due to a higher total shareholders equity at Al-Ghazi Tractors of Rs 6. 36 billion compared to only 21,468,200 shares, whereas at Millat the figures were Rs 4. 9 billion of equity with 29,284,400 shares. Stock performance Stock returns of weekly continuously-compounded returns over January-December 2010 shows that the standar d deviation of these stock returns is fairly high at 5. 83%. The future stock returns are expected to vary with a standard deviation of 5. 83%: this is to be expected from MTLs high capital gain and healthy dividend payout stock. In addition, the stock price has consistently exhibited an increasing trend throughout FY10, which reemphasizes the strong position of Millat Tractors in the tractor industry. Beta analysis of the company stock over Jul09-Jun10 shows that the beta of Millat Tractors is relatively low at 0. 45, as given by the slope of the trend line. This indicates that the stock is not highly reflective of KSE-100 performance. However, this means that the market factors influencing KSE-100 do not greatly impact Millat Tractors and the company is well poised to outperform the market, in line with its strong fundamentals and secure positioning in the tractor industry. Financial analysis (FY04-10) The profitability ratios of Millat Tractors improved significantly over FY09-10. The gross profit margin improved from 15. 4 in FY09 to 17. 27 in FY10 due to the well-managed cost of goods sold, even in the scenario of depreciating PKR and rising steel prices. The net profit margin increased by a larger amount, from 7. 64 in FY09 to 10. 29 in FY10 since the operating expenses were only allowed a 5. 71%, thus preserving the gross profits of the company. Return on assets increased fr om 17. 91 in FY09 to 19. 42 in FY10 on the back of an 88. 01% increase in profit after taxation, compared to a 73. 47% increase in total assets. The increase in assets was driven by an 86. 73% increase in current assets resulting from a 19. 0% increase in stock in trade, 257. 26% increase in trade debts and a 250. 83% increase in short-term investments. Return on equity increased from 36. 05 in FY09 to 54. 49 in FY10 due to the 88. 01 increase in net income, compared to a 24. 37% increase in total equity. The increase in equity resulted from a 57. 70% enhancement in unappropriated profit, pointing to the strengthening bottom-line of the company. The current ratio decreased from 1. 69 in FY09 to 1. 40 in FY10. This was the consequence of an 86. 73% increase in current assets as mentioned above, compared to a 124. 83% increase in current liabilities. Current liabilities mainly increased due to a 139. 60% increase in trade payables. The increase in current assets and current liabilities was the result of higher working capital requirements at Millat Tractors, in order to sustain the 39. 53% increase in sales over FY09-10. Asset management ratios analysis indicates that inventory turnover decreased from 48. 74 days in FY09 to 40. 15 days in FY10 due to 19. 20% increase in stock in trade. Thus the improved bottom-line performance at Millat Tractors was driven by an increase in sales augmented by improved inventory management, as a result of the implementation of IFS software. However, the day sales outstanding increased from 2. 88 days in FY09 to 7. 37 days in FY10 due to the increase of 257. 26% in trade debts. This points to deteriorating receivables management at the company which resulted in more number of days being required to recover trade debts. Overall, the operating cycle decreased from 51. 62 days in FY09 to 47. 52 days in FY09. Total asset turnover decreased from 2. 35 in FY09 to 1. 89 in FY10, indicating that Millat Tractors has yet to generate a sufficiently high sales turnover to justify the 73. 47% increase in the value of total assets portfolio over FY09-FY10. However, the sales to equity ratio improved from 4. 72 in FY09 to 5. 30 in FY10 due to the lesser 24. 37% increase in total equity compared to 73. 47% increase in total assets. Debt to assets increased from 50. 30 in FY09 to 64. 37 in FY10 as a result of the 121. 97% increase in total liabilities compared to 73. 47% increase in total assets. This implies decreasing ability of Millat Tractors to meet its debt obligations, which are mainly in the category of trade payables; trade payables increased by 139. 60% over FY09-10. Similarly, the debt to equity ratio increased by a lesser amount, from 1. 1 in FY09 to 1. 81 in FY10, because the increase in equity was lesser at 24. 37%. While this bodes negative for Millat Tractors, it also indicates that the company is employing a greater amount of leverage in its working capital requirements, which is likely to enhance sales of the company and ultimately generate higher return for investors. In addition, long-term debt to equity decreased from 1. 53 in FY09 to 0. 43 in FY10, since a 65. 17% decrease was recorded in long-term liabilities. This was mainly due to settlement of deferred revenue and decrease in deferred tax liability. However, the times interest earned increased significantly from 44. 09 in FY09 to 352. 30 in FY10 due to the 86. 71% increase in EBIT coupled with the 76. 15% decrease in finance cost. Finance cost decreased due to the settlement of short-term borrowings since the mark-up accrued on short-term borrowings in the current liabilities category also decreased by 42. 87% over FY09-10. The earnings per share of Millat Tractors increased from Rs 51. 87 per share in FY09 to Rs 78. 01 per share in FY10 on the back of high profitability achieved in FY10. The market price per share also exhibited a strong growth from Rs 227. 0 per share in FY09 to Rs 395. 97 per share in FY10. The growth in profits was shared with the stockholders, by increase in cash dividends per share from Rs 45. 00 per share in FY09 to Rs 65. 00 per share in FY10. Thus MTL stock proved to a high capital gains as well as a high dividend payout stock. Thus the price earnings ratio increased from 4. 38 in FY09 to 5. 08 in FY10, as the healthy performance of the company based on strong fundamentals, was reflected in investors perceptions and the market price of the company. However, the book value per share remained almost constant from Rs 143. 88 per share in FY09 to Rs 143. 6 per share in FY10. This was because the increase in total shareholders equity was 24. 37% compared to a 25% increase in total number of outstanding shares over FY09-10. Future outlook Today, Millat Tractors Limited is the leading company that specializes in the manufacturing of tractors, diesel engines, Forklift Trucks, and a range of other agricultural equipments. Presently the market share of MTL hovers around 57% in terms of sales. With a present production capacity of 30,000 tractors, the company plans to expand it to 40,000 in the years to come. Capacity utilization, however, exceeds 150%. Machining capacity of major components is being bolstered along with Double Shift operation to come at par with the ever-growing demand. High price of oil in the international market is creating inflationary pressure in the economy. As a result, the cost of borrowing has become higher than the preceding years. This coupled with worldwide shortage of steel is gradually rendering the company inefficient in terms of manufacturing cost. Furthermore, the GoP has regulated the prices of tractors. This coupled with lower deletion level for new entrant is creating an uneven playing field. However, the proposal to allow local assemblers to increase the price of agricultural tractors is under consideration. This will provide a breather to the company and will consequently augment the company revenue. Worst energy crisis prevailing in the country and lack of skilled manpower are the major risks which are being addressed through standby energy arrangements and in-house training of workforce. The recent natural catastrophe in the form of floods has worsened the conditions and has posed new challenges of rebuilding the infrastructure and rehabilitation of farming community. Development of new products through innovation and diversification remain in focus for continued growth and progress. Millat has made investments in new machining lines for cylinder block and engine head to maintain high quality standards. In addition, implementation of the IFS software means that the procedural automation and visibility brought by IFS would enable Millat to achieve greater production efficiency in future. The support of the government to the agriculture sector in terms of support prices to the local farmers provides greater opportunities for MTL. This enhanced income available to the farmers will not only enable them to buy agricultural inputs, but also educate themselves to modern agricultural practices to improve productivity, which is low compared to international standards. The government policy to encourage corporate farming will also create a demand for the companys products, which could also include higher horse power range of tractors and implements. COURTESY: Economics and Finance Department, Institute of Business Administration, Karachi, prepared this analytical report for Business Recorder. DISCLAIMER: No reliance should be placed on the [above information] by any one for making any financial, investment and business decision. The [above information] is general in nature and has not been prepared for any specific decision making process. [The newspaper] has not independently verified all of the [above information] and has relied on sources that have been deemed reliable in the past. Accordingly, the newspaper or any its staff or sources of information do not bear any liability or responsibility of any consequences for decisions or actions based on the [above information].

Free Essays on Sabriel

Sabriel by Garth Nix Published by Harper Collins „ ¶ 1995 Sabriel is a story of heroic romance and a bond between father and daughter. Sabriel is of about 491 pages long. Sabriel was born in The Old Kingdom, her father was Abhorsen. She grew up in Ancelstierre at Wyverly College, while her father, who still lived in The Old Kingdom, came to visit her twice a year. This autumn he never came all day. Late in the night a friend of Sabriels came running through the door of her room. There was a disturbance behind a tower door and Sabriel got there quickly. It was a creature, but he was in death. Sabriel went into the realm of death to find the creature. The creature was holding a sack, she heard her father ¡Ã‚ ¦s voice  ¡Ã‚ §take the sack ¡Ã‚ ¨ so she grabbed it out of the creature ¡Ã‚ ¦s hands and returned to life. In the sack she found her fathers sword and charter bells. She left Wyverly College to go The Old Kingdom and find out why her father was dead, and bring him back to life. Sabriel crossed the wall to go to The Old Kingdom. She made it to her father ¡Ã‚ ¦s house but he was not there. She found a cat there he addressed himself as Mogget. Mogget told Sabriel that her father had gone to Belisaere and that they (Mogget and Sabriel) could fly the Paperwing not to far from the house. When they got to the Paperwing Sabriel cast a spell and the engine less aircraft took off. Sabriel remembered that she had to land the aircraft before the sun set, or the Paperwing would crash. Just as she started to land the sun set and her landing was uncontrollable but she safely hit the ground but she skidded all the way into a hole about four hundred feet deep. She woke up injured and Mogget had al ready found a tunnel. They followed the tunnel until it ended in another hole two hundred feet deeper but it had a spring. There were lots of ships there all of them standing there. One ship had a perfect carving of a figurehead so life like. Sabriel saw that... Free Essays on Sabriel Free Essays on Sabriel Sabriel by Garth Nix Published by Harper Collins „ ¶ 1995 Sabriel is a story of heroic romance and a bond between father and daughter. Sabriel is of about 491 pages long. Sabriel was born in The Old Kingdom, her father was Abhorsen. She grew up in Ancelstierre at Wyverly College, while her father, who still lived in The Old Kingdom, came to visit her twice a year. This autumn he never came all day. Late in the night a friend of Sabriels came running through the door of her room. There was a disturbance behind a tower door and Sabriel got there quickly. It was a creature, but he was in death. Sabriel went into the realm of death to find the creature. The creature was holding a sack, she heard her father ¡Ã‚ ¦s voice  ¡Ã‚ §take the sack ¡Ã‚ ¨ so she grabbed it out of the creature ¡Ã‚ ¦s hands and returned to life. In the sack she found her fathers sword and charter bells. She left Wyverly College to go The Old Kingdom and find out why her father was dead, and bring him back to life. Sabriel crossed the wall to go to The Old Kingdom. She made it to her father ¡Ã‚ ¦s house but he was not there. She found a cat there he addressed himself as Mogget. Mogget told Sabriel that her father had gone to Belisaere and that they (Mogget and Sabriel) could fly the Paperwing not to far from the house. When they got to the Paperwing Sabriel cast a spell and the engine less aircraft took off. Sabriel remembered that she had to land the aircraft before the sun set, or the Paperwing would crash. Just as she started to land the sun set and her landing was uncontrollable but she safely hit the ground but she skidded all the way into a hole about four hundred feet deep. She woke up injured and Mogget had al ready found a tunnel. They followed the tunnel until it ended in another hole two hundred feet deeper but it had a spring. There were lots of ships there all of them standing there. One ship had a perfect carving of a figurehead so life like. Sabriel saw that...

The Script Writing of Ancient China

The Script Writing of Ancient China Ancient China is one of the places where writing appears to have developed independently, along with Mesopotamia, which developed cuneiform, and Egypt and the civilization of the Maya, where hieroglyphs developed. The earliest examples of ancient Chinese writing come from oracle bones at Anyang, a Shang Dynasty capital, and contemporary bronze inscriptions. There may have been writing on bamboo or other perishable surfaces, but they have, inevitably, disappeared. Although Christopher I. Beckwith thinks the Chinese may have been exposed to the idea of writing from Steppe nomads, the prevalent belief is that China developed writing on its own. Since the oracle bones belonging to the Shang dynasty were discovered, it is no longer doubted by sinologists that Chinese writing is an autochthonous and very ancient invention of the Chinese....The Use of Writing in Ancient China, by Edward Erkes. Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 61, No. 3 (Sep., 1941), pp. 127-130 Origins of Chinese Writing The Cambridge History of Ancient China, by Michael Loewe and Edward L. Shaughnessy, says the likely date for the earliest oracle bones is about 1200 B.C., corresponding with the reign of King Wu Ding. This speculation is based on the earliest reference to the origins of writing, which dates to the 3rd century B.C. The legend developed that a scribe of the Yellow Emperor invented writing after noticing bird tracks. [Source: Francoise Bottero, French National Center for Scientific Research Chinese Writing: Ancient Indigenous Perspective.] Scholars in the Han Dynasty thought the earliest Chinese writing was pictographic, meaning the characters are stylized representations, while the Qing thought the first writing was of numbers. Today, the earliest Chinese writing is described as pictographic (picture) or zodiographic (graph of the name of the thing), words that for non-linguists mean similar things. As the writing of the ancient Chinese evolved, a phonetic component was added to the pi ctographic, as is true of the paired writing system of the Maya. Names of the Chinese Writing Systems Ancient Chinese writing on oracle bones is called Jiaguwen, according to AncientScripts, which describes the characters as pictographic. Dazhuan is the name of the script on Bronze. It may be the same as the Jiaguwen. By 500 B.C. the angular script that characterizes modern Chinese writing had developed in the form called Xiaozhuan. Bureaucrats of the Qin Dynasty used Lishu, a script still sometimes used. Pictographs and the Rebus During the Shang Dynasty, the writing, which was pictographic, could use the same graphic to represent homophones (words with different meanings that sound the same). Writing could be in the form of what is called a rebus. The rebus example AncientSites lists is two pictures together, one of a bee, and one of a leaf, to represent the word belief. Over time, signs known as determinative symbols were added to clarify the homophones, phonetic symbols were standardized, and symbols were put together to form new words. Chinese and the Sino-Tibetan Language Family Writing and spoken language are different. Period. The cuneiform of Mesopotamia was used to write a variety of languages, including languages from the Indo-European and Afro-Asiatic families. As the Chinese conquered their neighbors, their writing was exported to neighboring countries where it was applied to the indigenous languages. This is how the Japanese came to use Kanji. The spoken language of Chinese is thought to be a member of the Sino-Tibetan language family. This connection between Chinese and Tibetan languages is made on the basis of lexical items, rather than morphology or syntax. However, the similar words are only reconstructions of Old and Middle Chinese. Ancient Chinese Writing Implements According to Erkes (above), the usual objects used in writing were a wooden stylus, to write on wood with lacquer, and the brush and ink (or some other liquid) used to write on oracle bones and other surfaces. Inscriptions also produced Chinese scripts by means of tools that removed rather than wrote on surface material. Suggested Appreciation Activities for Chinese Writing Ancient writings seem so much more artistic than modern computer-generated script or the scrawls most of us now use when we need to leave a handwritten note. To appreciate the elegance of the ancient Chinese writing system, observe and try to emulate it: Try writing letters with a brush and ink.Compare the characters in a column of Chinese writing with Japanese Kanji preferably for the same text (possibly something connected with their shared religion of Buddhism)Look at old Chinese characters and rewrite them, then copy them without the determinatives. (The AncientScripts site has samples to work from.)

Linda Hogan's Dwellings - Knowledge Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Linda Hogan's Dwellings - Knowledge - Essay Example For example, industries dealing with oil continue to be developed, and the remaining land continues diminishing so as to make room for the industrial establishment in the modern world. People have forgotten about the beauty that nature creates, and hence the Mother Nature continues to die day by day. She talks about the relevance of human beings seeking a terrestrial knowledge with the natural world. She melds phenomenal descriptions of the environment with crucial reflections on human’s place in their relationship with nature. A crucial discussion topic in the novel is knowledge. The westernized culture encourages people to gather knowledge through science, and other concrete ways of thinking that are logical. On the other hand, native people gain knowledge through experience and they accept abstract ideas as real ones. Hogan disputes the western definition of knowledge and believes that it is evident through the results, and knowledge of the natural world and cycles. Through her words, it is evident that science has also contributed to evil among humans and also brought isolation of knowledge. Human have developed and are unwilling to accept the things that are superior to them in the natural world. Western culture influence creates a perception that human beings have dominance over nature (Hogan 25). In relation to knowledge, Linda Hogan is a well learned person with a complete knowledge and focuses on the various ways that nature relates with human beings. For example, she had a wider knowledge about terrestrial intelligence. She looks at the various perspectives in the world and has developed philosophies regarding nature. In Dwellings, her focus lies on the terrestrial intelligence of dwelling places and living creatures reinforce the notion of earth as a vital place for all living organisms. Her questioning of Western meanings based on components of the natural world makes us understand the anthropocentric constructions of nature as an ideology wi th many fixed meanings. Dwellings are like a challenge to the places and meanings of people’s perceptive. Dwellings guide us on how to nurture a spiritual connection with everything in the world. Hogan’s approaches are nothing less than magical, mystical, and mythical, which are mostly on the American Indian mythology. She argues that myth is usually false, but after examining myths, they are a form of truth. Animals and places symbolise within the natural world used to dismantle the existing western notion which comes from these myths and shapes her worldview (Hogan 28). In the chapter, â€Å"The Bats†, Hogan describes the bats which associate with blood sucking terrors of Dracula, as sacred creatures that live in two worlds, crediting them with considerable insight and wisdom. There are two animals merged into one as they are milk producing rodents that bear live young and a flying bird. For Hogan, bats have a spiritual relevance in that they act as guardians in the passage into a spiritual state and are intermediaries. According to her, bat people live in between two worlds, and hence referred to as intermediaries between the world and the next. As intermediaries, western culture stigmas have associated them with fear and evil. The bats, therefore, are guidelines to a spiritual existence as opposed to being creatures associated with horrifying darkness (Hogan 42). Another Hogan’s take is on snakes and is similar to that of the bat. She views this in association

The Use of Computers In Psychological Diagnosis Term Paper

The Use of Computers In Psychological Diagnosis - Term Paper Example Psychology has a lot of dimensions and there are different types of psychology present. This paper discusses the use of computers in the abnormal psychology. Abnormal psychology The term abnormal psychology can be defined as a branch or type of psychology that studies the behavior patterns of humans that are unusual, the unusual thoughts and emotions that humans possess that may or may not be causing them to be having a mental disorder. The abnormal psychology tends to consist of various reasons for different types of behaviors. The different behaviors observed in the individuals are due to the situations they have undergone and therefore need to undergo a psychological treatment. The medical professionals that come under this category are the psychotherapists, the counselor, and the clinical psychologists that cater towards the unusual and abnormal psychology behavior of the individual (Barlow and Mark, 2004). Intelligence testing The intelligence testing of an individual tends to f ocus upon the level of the functionality of the intellectual aspects of the individual and this is conducted by carrying out various tests for assessing the intelligence level of the individual. There are computerized tests given to the individuals for their intelligence testing and computerized results are obtained for the tests so that an immediate analysis can be given about the intelligence level of the person (Fernald, 2008). All individuals are at different levels of intelligence and according to their level the intelligence tests are conducted for them on computers. Neurobiological diagnosis Schizophrenia is one of the main diseases that are faced by humans and a neurobiological diagnosis is usually conducted for the... The discussion above depicts that computers are highly vital and an essential element in the field of psychology. Abnormal psychology deals with the unusual behaviors of the individuals such as them having fear or having mood disorders like depression and other such factors. Computers play an important role in the treatment of patients of psychological disorder and also it helps towards the maintenance and evaluation of historical records for longer time periods. Computers can store a large amount of data and results that have been obtained for different types of patients and this makes it easy to refer back to any particular case when in time of need. The assessment results obtained can be categorized as valid and reliable as the age of science has advanced drastically and made things to be conducted systematically, efficiently, and effectively. This report makes a conclusion that the use of computers is the assessment procedures of psychology tend to be reliable and have valid assessments to a large extent as everything has been tested before it has been finally implemented for the individuals. Computer technology has advanced to a very large extent and many aspects in the medical informatics as well as in the field of psychology cannot progress further without the use of computers. Computer use is a necessity in the psychological field and with advancement in science it has proves to give reliable and valid results. It has been analyzed by researchers that computer can analyze results in a systematic way and at a sophisticated level as well.

Sixth Sense Technology Essay Example for Free

Sixth Sense Technology Essay As human beings we are most concerned about physical and digital information. We are growing up with the physical objects around us. We are really fond of interacting with physical objects instead of computing devices. Sixth Sense Technology is a mini-projector coupled with a camera and a cell phone which acts as the computer and connected to the Cloud, all the information stored on the web [4]. Before implementing the sixth sense technology the inventor tried to combine the physical world to digital world creating a gesture interface device that actually acts as a motion sensing device. The basic idea behind this is always objects are connected with gestures that are used to interact with both objects and each other. The first thought was basically regarding taking part of the physical world to the digital world by implementing things like sticky notes coming to a sms or a meeting reminder, writing query connected with paper input output system, pen can draws 3D images and Google map without searching key words. Thus computing became so intuitive. The goal was to connect these two worlds in the first. However we know that people don’t like computing [4]. The reverse operation of previously mentioned concept that is taking digital world to physical world occurred due to the reason human is really interested about information. They want to know about things, basically about the dynamic things going around them. The technology is called as sixth sense technology since it is out of our familiar five senses. This technology is based on wearable gestural user friendly interface which links the physical world around us with digital information and uses hand gestures to interact with them. Thus this becomes a vital issue since people get more aware about their day to day information and this technology provides you a way to carry your digital world always with you wherever you go. Sometime ago these things were amazing and nowadays with this technology people’s lives have become more convenient and informative. By this I’m thrilled to research about the way of connecting two worlds, the technology behind sixth sense and what are the uses of this and further improvements since I’m fond of finding ways of interacting with world of information. . Background and motivation The physical world is set to blur into the digital with the invention of a new ‘sixth sense’ device. This is specifically designed with mobility in mind. And if this new prototype manages to see the commercial light of day, it could hold the potential to become the preferred option for multi-touch devices worldwide. The genius behind this technology, Pranav Mistry says i t’s all about integrating the virtual world with reality and it can really let you connect as a sixth sense device with whatever is in front of you. I’m really enthusiastic in this research area of sixth sense technology since I’m searching for a way to interact with these two worlds and information out of the scope which is always with regard to our five senses. On the other hand it’s an amazing idea to carry our digital world with us where ever we go. This is a wearable gestural interface. We are all human beings. As you I’m always keen on making aware of dynamic information. Imagine that we can experience a live discussion while reading a news paper and we can dial a number on our palm and make a call. We can use any surface to modify our information. Therefore we can pinch many physical things to our digital world. I was so motivated to this technology since it will help us to take better decisions about day to day lives by using instant dynamically changed information. It makes our task effective and efficient. Before the arrival of sixth sense technology the inventor implemented a way to connect part of physical world to digital world. What we are doing physically is replicated in digital world. I’m so interested in learning about that area since it was the approach for the concept of sixth sense technology. And this technology is open source. If we are interested in this we can make our own sensing device. Still some of the testings are done on to make this more advanced. The concept is always with regard of connecting these two worlds. 3. The thrilling potential of sixth sense technology Sixth sense is a wearable gestural interface device that augments the physical world with digital information and lets people use natural hand gestures to interact with that information. The prototype implements several applications that demonstrate the usefulness, viability and flexibility of the system like map application, the drawing application and freehand gestures (postures). The device is comprised of a pocket projector, a mirror, a camera, mobile component and colored markers. This is basically for carrying digital world to the every day physical life. We know that people are really interested to use objects , gestures they are familiar instead of sitting in front of a machine and computing devices. Firstly the researches were carried for taking the physical objects to the digital world. These experiments are done by Pranav Mistry and his group in MIT. We know that when we talk about objects the gestures automatically connected with them. So this was his first thought and implementation. Then he thought about reverse operation since people always need information. You can carry digital information source with you. This device recognizes the objects around us displaying information automatically and letting us to access it in any way we need. The technology allows the user to draw icons or symbols in the air using the movement of the index finger and recognizes the symbols as interaction instructions.

Feminism Essay -- social issues

Feminism In the past and present women have had to endure sexism as a part of everyday life. This is unfair and unjust to the female species. In this paper I am going to be talking about some of the issues of sexism and how they affect women. Some of the issues I will be talking about are the white males club and how non-membership effects women. What are the benefits of having a membership to it. How women are kept in their place by society and by themselves. How has this unequal affected women through their lives and the business world. If women are being liberated or not. What types of problems women are experiencing. These are the issues we will be discussing in this paper. The first issue we will be discussing in this paper is the White Males Club and the benefits of being a member are. To become a member of the white males club is easy if your white and a male, but on the other hand if you’re a women, black, or Native American it’s a different story. The Native Americans h ad to endure many hardships such as genocide, broken treaties, club-controlled reservations, and false promises. The Blacks they had two ways to be treated. The southern blacks were permitted to do three things. They could care for white children, cook, or do some housekeeping. In the north they were put into ghettos and could do what they pleased as long as they kept their distance. White women on the other hand were a different question because they were white and women. This questioning left room for white males to come in and manipulate them. Because of this odd position many women praised the white male protection and forgot about their own suppressed living conditions. For women in the south this meant protection from Black male assault. The other section of women realized that they didn’t have that much power as they thought they did. Over the course of history not much has changed women got to vote and gain a little independence but not much. Today the average man still makes more than the average women. A woman is still far more likely to be poorer than a man. So you have to think to yourself have women really been liberated. I think they have but only to some extent. They have made some good gains like they can hold actual corporate positions, and vote. So they have made some gains but not that much. They still don’t get paid as much and it’s harder for them to f... ...uldn’t be any problem. If women can do as much as men do why can’t they stand there ground and fight back. I would just like to say in this last part that I totally disagree with this paper and think it was ridicules to make us write from a females point of view, and not have the girls right from the males point of view. I believe this was a very sexist paper and making us write this paper was defeating the purpose of this paper. By making write this paper you are striving to defeat sexism were you really created it. Making men right from the female point of view and not having the Women right from the male’s point of view you have just created what was meant to be destroyed only this time it was on the other side. You said in the beginning the point of this paper was to make me do the laundry, but in reality if I worked and she worked I cooked all my food and did dishes then it would be an unequal relationship. By her not doing something around the house you have just created sexism so you see sexism will never be destroyed because someone will always be creating it from either side, as did you. I’m not calling you sexist I’m calling us all sexist because we all help to create it.

Eddie Mabo Essay Essay

I strongly agree with this statement because of his actions and personality throughout the film. My interpretation of this sentence is that Eddie is strong passionate person but he also faces the side of reality, that is, no one is perfect, and this is true what Perkins does to help us relate to Eddie and feel sorry for him. Eddie Mabo represented somebody who wasn’t just going to sit back and take it. Eddie Mabo is tired of being a victim of the unequal rights. He’s perceived to be strong. He fought for what was his right and for his people. People full led of hate have perceived him as being a smart man who was going to ‘beat’ them at their own game. People who have racist views don’t necessarily cope very well with perceptions of strength. They need to perceive people as being weaker then them, less able than them, but in this case Eddie was too smart, and determined. All throughout his life, Eddie Mabo showed us many strengths. He had leadership skills, especially considering his lack of education. He knew how to get people to believe in what he was saying, and was an inspiration to all of them. He was one of the first indigenous Australians to stand up for land rights, and would not back down even when everything seemed to be against him, displaying his powerful determination and belief in himself as a person. He also shows great respect and love for the land and his culture, which is the main driving force behind his fight for land rights. Throughout his life, Eddie Mabo had many obstacles. The first of these was his banishment from Murray Island, as he had to fight for survival from a young age, fending for himself at the age of sixteen. This made growing up very difficult for him as well as the racism he suffered which made it hard for him to get work and shelter.

Modesty in islam

Prophet Muhammad Muslims believe that Mohammad is the last and final Messenger of God to be sent to humanity. He was sent to complete the mission of the previous Messengers (including Abraham, Moses, Jesus and others) of calling people to believing in God and following the guidance and teachings of God. Muslims regard Prophet Mohammad as their highest role model and they aim to follow in his footsteps in all of their actions. This is why Muslims hold Prophet Mohammad in very high regard, and are seriously hurt when anyone tries to belittle him.Mohammad was born in the city of Makkah in Arabia in the year 570 AD. He was an orphan, having lost his father even before his birth, and was therefore raised by his grandfather and his uncle. Although he was from a noble family and tribe, as an orphan he had a difficult childhood. He later started to work as a trader, and through his dealings with the people was known to be extremely honest and trustworthy. In fact, he was nicknamed â€Å"the trustworthy† by the people of Makkah. At the age of 25, Prophet Mohammad got married to his wife Khadija.Mohammad (pbuh) always detested his people's way of life. He did not approve of their idol worship, nor did he approve of the lifestyle that ncluded drunkenness and illicit relations between men and women. Therefore, Mohammad (pbuh) regularly went away from the city to the desert to contemplate life and to seclude and distance himself from the actions and lifestyle of his people. At the age of 40, Mohammad (pbuh) started to receive revelations from God through the angel Gabriel. These revelations were the word of God, conveyed to Mohammad (pbuh) through the angel Gabriel.Mohammad (pbuh) was told by God that he was chosen as a Messenger to his people, and that the revelations he was receiving were the holy Qur'an and they were a messege from God to all of humanity. He was also nstructed to deliver the message to his people, and to teach and guide them. The revelations conti nued for 23 years until shortly before the death of Prophet Mohammad (pbuh). Although Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) was known by his people as â€Å"the trustworthy†, many of them refused to believe in him when he started to teach his message to the people.The leaders of Makkah and the rich classes rejected the message not because they did not believe that Mohammad (pbuh) was saying the truth, and not because they did not believe that the Qur'an was the word of God. In fact, many of them later admitted that they had a feeling in their hearts that it was he truth. However, they rejected the message in order to protect their wealth and power. Mohammad (pbuh) taught people that all humans are equal, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity or tribe. He taught slaves that they had rights and that they were equal to their masters.He taught that the rich must pay a portion of their wealth to the poor. Mohammad (pbuh) was a revolutionary, fghting for freedom. His mission was to free humanity from worshipping false idols, to free the poor from the stranglehold of the rich and to free people from the oppression imposed on them by priests of false religions. All of these teachings scared those who were in power at the time. The leaders were afraid that they will lose their positions of power and leadership, which they had gained based only upon the false pretense that their tribe or tamily was superior to all others.The rich were atraid that they will nave to share their wealth with the poor, even though they had collected this wealth by taking advantage of the poor. The masters were afraid that their slaves would start to ask for their rights. The priests were afraid of losing their unjust hold on people's lives, which they were using to enrich themselves. Mohammad (pbuh) and his followers, the Muslims, were persecuted severely. They were subjected to torture, imprisonment, expulsion, economic and social boycotts. Many of them were killed because of their beliefs. But th ey remained patient and steadfast, and they held onto their new religion of Islam.Mohammad (pbuh) continued to teach his message to the people in secret and in public. After 13 years of enduring these conditions, the Muslims emigrated to A1-Madinah, a city more than 400 km (260 miles) north of Makkah. The Muslims established the first Muslim nation in A1-Madinah, and were ble to practice their religion freely for the first time. As the Muslims began to gain more followers and establish their power in A1-Madinah, their old enemies in Makkah became very uneasy. They saw that the balance of power was switching in favour of the Muslims as Arab tribes started to accept Islam.They attacked the Muslims and after several battles, the Muslims gained the upper hand. The Muslims then sent a large and well equipped army to Makkah to end the attacks once and for all. Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) instructed his army not to harm anyone who did not engage them in fghting. Upon seeing the strength of the Muslim army, the people of Makkah surrendered without much fighting. The Muslims entered Makah once again, this time in a position of power. The Muslim army captured many prisoners, including many of those who had persecuted, tortured and killed Muslims for 13 years before they emigrated to A1-Medina.The prisoners were gathered in front of Prophet Mohammad (pbuh). He asked them: â€Å"What do you think I will do to you? † Knowing how they had treated Mohammad (pbuh) and his followers, the prisoners were afraid that their fate would be death as a punishment for their crimes. However, in an ttempt to ask for leniency, one of them replied: â€Å"You are a kind brother and nephew to us†, reminding Mohammad (pbuh) that they were his people and many of them were from the same tribe as Mohammad (pbuh).Mohammad (pbuh) replied to them: â€Å"You are all free to go! † After this point, the spread of Islam became even faster. Arab tribes began to come to Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) one by one to declare their Islam. Within ten years, Islam had spread throughout Arabia and became one of the main powers in the Middle East. Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) passed away at the age of 63, leaving behind a message and a legacy that has survived to our day. Prophet Mohammad (pbuh) accomplished his mission of delivering the message to humanity.He has left us with the holy Qur'an (the word of God) and the Sunnah (the teachings of Mohammad (pbuh)). Through his sacrifices and those of his followers, Islam today is the largest and fastest growing religion in the world. One out of every five people in the world is a Muslim. It is for this reason that Michael H. Hart (an astrophysicist born in New York City in 1932), in his 1978 book â€Å"The 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Persons in History†, ranked Mohammad (pbuh) as the single most influential person in the history of the world.

Child labour Essay Example

Child labour Essay Example Child labour Essay Child labour Essay A report submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement of Business Communication and Ethics: Report Writing 2014 October I PREFACE It is clear that the practice of child labor in the society would deprive the child of his basic human rights; his right to education and learning; his right to entertainment ND interact with peers as also his right to enjoy the beauty of the world around him and to develop a rounded personality. The children drawn to the labor force are not themselves choosing to work at such an early age. They are rather compelled to Join the labor force against their will by certain familial and social circumstances. The circumstances which bring the minor children to work in the labor force can be characterized as socioeconomic compulsion such as poverty, unemployment of the adult family members etc. The present study has been conducted in the urban localities of Iambi. The study focuses mainly on the factors, which compel the children to adopt occupational roles at a tender age. This study is based on primary data collected from our volunteers. The study contains six chapters. Poverty coupled with rapidly growing population, ignorance and increasing dependency load are behind the grim incidence of children employment in the villages and towns of developing countries. Though India is signatory of various international Conventions and Agreements, there is growing number of child labor in India. They work under very hazardous conditions. Given the magnitude and complexity of the problem, this article is an attempt to formulate integrated approach and various intervention strategies towards eradication of the problem of child labor. Child labor is an integral part of labor force, especially in poor countries. These children are the most deprived section of population forced to enter labor market at tender age to earn a pittance or to contribute to family work, sacrificing personal development. Poverty coupled with rapidly growing population, ignorance and increasing dependency load are behind the grim incidence of children employment in the villages and towns of evolving countries. The exploitative structure, lopsided development, iniquitous resource ownership with its correlation of large scale unemployment and abject poverty have contributed towards increasing child labor among the countries. Child labor hampers the normal physical, intellectual, emotional and moral development of a child. Children who are in the growing process can permanently distort or disable their bodies when they carry heavy loads or are forced to adopt unnatural positions at work for long hours. Children are the greatest gift to humanity and Childhood is an important and impressionable stage of human development as it holds the potential to the future development of any society. Children who are brought up in an environment, which is conducive to their intellectual, physical and social health, grow up to be responsible and productive members of society. Every nation links its future with the present status of its children. By performing work when they are too young for the task, children unduly reduce their present welfare or their future income earning capabilities, either by shrinking their future external choice sets or by reducing their own future individual productive capabilities. Under extreme economic distress, children are forced to forego educational opportunities and take up Jobs which are mostly exploitative as they are usually underpaid and engaged in hazardous conditions. Parents decide to send their child for engaging in a Job as a desperate measure due to poor economic conditions. It is therefore no wonder that the poor households predominantly send their children to work in early ages of their life. One of the disconcerting aspects of child labor is that children are sent to work at the expense of education. There is a strong effect of child labor on school attendance attest and the length of a childs work day is negatively associated with his or her capacity to attend school. Child labor restricts the right of children to access and benefit from education and denies the fundamental opportunity to attend school. Child labor, thus, prejudices childrens education and adversely affects their health and safety. India has all along followed a proactive policy in addressing the problem of child labor and has always stood for constitutional, statutory and developmental measures that are required to eliminate child labor. The Constitution of India has relevant provisions to secure compulsory universal primary education. Labor Commissions and Committees have gone into the problems of child labor and made extensive recommendations. Indians Judiciary, right up to the apex level, has demonstrated profoundly empathetic responses against the practice of child labor. 1. 1 DEFINITION 6 Child labor refers to the employment of children in any work that deprives children of their childhood, interferes with their ability to attend regular school, and that is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful. The term child labor is often defined as work that deprives children of their childhood, their attention and their dignity, and that is harmful to physical and mental development. It refers to work that: is mentally, physically, socially or morally dangerous and harmful to children; and interferes with their schooling by: depriving them of the opportunity to attend school; obliging them to leave school prematurely; or Requiring them to attempt to combine school attendance with excessively long and heavy work. Child labor involves at least one of the following characteristics: Violates a nations minimum age laws Threatens childrens physical, mental, or emotional well-being Involves intolerable buses, such as child slavery, child trafficking, debt bondage, forced labor, or illicit activities Prevents children from going to school Uses children to undermine labor standards The phrase child labor conjures images of children chained into factories, sold as slaves, or forced into prostitution. 7 1. 2 History Child labor in some form or the other has always existed in societies all over the world. Children used to accompany their parents while working in the fields. Moreover they were also expected to help with household chores as well as taking care of the sick and elderly. As most of the work was being done under the watchful yes of the parents, instances of exploitation were rare. Even today work of this sort is not considered exploitative. The worst forms of the exploitation of children started during the Industrial Revolution. It was at this time that machinery took over many functions formerly performed by hand and was centralized in large factories. There was a large scale structural shift in employment patterns. Many artisans lost their jobs and were forced to work in these factories. But the owners of these factories realized that operating many of these machines did not require adult strength, and hillier could be hired much more cheaply than adults. Children had always worked, especially in farming. But factory work was hard. A child with a factory Job might work 12 to 18 hours a day, six days a week, to earn a dollar. Many children began working before the age of 7, tending machines in spinning mills or hauling heavy loads. The factories were often damp, dark, and dirty. Some children worked underground, in coal mines. The working children had no time to play or go to school, and little time to rest. They often became ill. Many of the Jobs that these children specialized in were very dangerous. E. G. The youngest children in the textile factories were usually employed as scavengers and pieces. Scavengers had to pick up the loose cotton from under the machinery. This was extremely dangerous as the children were expected to carry out the task while the machine was still working. While the pieces had the Job of fixing broken threads. It is estimated that these pieces walked almost 20 miles in a single day. Another barbaric practice followed in Victorian times was the use of children as chimney sweeps. Children were also employed to work in coal mines to crawl through tunnels too narrow and low for adults. They also worked as rand boys, crossing sweepers, shoe blacks, or selling matches, flowers and other cheap goods. Some children undertook work as apprentices to respectable trades, such as building or as domestic servants. By 1810 about 2,000,000 children were working 50 to 70 hours a week. About 2/3rd of the total workers in the textile industry were children. Church and labor groups, teachers, and many other people were outraged by such cruelty. They began to press for reforms. The English writer Charles Dickens helped publicize the evils of child labor with his novel Oliver Twist. Two Factory Acts were implemented in 1802 and 1809. Both these acts set limits on the maximum number of hours that a child was allowed to work in a day. But the implementation of these laws was lax and it had very little effect. Non the United States it took many years to outlaw child labor. Connecticut passed a law in 1813 saying that working children must have some schooling. By 1899 a total of 28 states had passed laws regulating child labor. Today all the states and the U. S. Government have laws regulating child labor. These laws have cured the worst evils of childrens working in factories. But some kinds of work are not regulated. Children of migrant errors, for example, have no legal protection. Farmers may legally employ them outside of school hours. The children pick crops in the fields and move from place to place, so they get little schooling. Len India child labor has always existed in the agricultural sector. Children and their parents used to work together in the farms. Moreover the task of taking the cattle to graze was always allotted to children. Although this work was hard and tiring, it did not lead to a worsening of their future prospects. Schooling was not available in most villages and most of the Jobs were still in the agricultural sector. So this work served as training for their future. Large scale exploitation of children in India began with the arrival of the British. Just as the case was in Great Britain, the new industrialists started hiring children who were forced to work in inhuman conditions. Laws against child labor were passed under Employment of Children Act of 1938. These attempts at legislation failed as they failed to address the root cause of child labor in India: poverty. Until and unless the populace was brought out of poverty, it was impossible to take the children out of the labor force. 10 2. CHILD TRAFFICKING Child trafficking, according to EUNICE is defined as any person under 18 who is recruited, transported, transferred, harbored or received for the purpose of exploitation, either within or outside a country. [l] There have been many cases where children Just disappear overnight, as many as one every eight minutes, according to the National Crime Records Bureau. Children are taken from their homes to be bought and sold in the market. In India, there is a large number of children trafficked for various reasons such as labor, begging, and sexual exploitation. Because of the nature of this crime; it is hard to track; therefore making t impossible to have exact figures regarding this issue. India is a prime area for child trafficking to occur, as many of those trafficked are from, travel through or destined to go to India. Though most of the trafficking occurs within the country, there is also a significant nonbelligerent trafficked from Nepal and Bangladesh. Legally, children in India are allowed to do light work, but they are often trafficked for bonded labor, and domestic work, and are worked far beyond what is allowed in the country. They are often forced to work, in the use of contraptions that bound them to be unable to escape and then forced to submit to control. Others may be bound by abuse whether physical, emotional, or sexual. Those forced into labor lose all freedom, being thrown into the workforce, essentially becoming slaves, and losing their childhood. Children, over adults are often chosen to be trafficked for illegal activities such as begging and organ trade, as they are seen as more vulnerable. Not only are these children being forced to beg for money, but a significant number of those on the streets have had limbs forcibly amputated, or even acid poured into their eyes to blind them by gang masters. Those who are injured tend to make more money, which is why they are often abused in this way. [5] Organ trade is also common, when traffickers trick or force children to give up an organ. 1 Poverty in India can be defined as a situation when a certain section of people are unable to fulfill their basic needs. India has the worlds largest number of poor people living in a single country. Extreme poverty, lack of opportunity for gainful employment and intermittent of income and low standards of living are the main reasons for the wide prevalence of child labor. Though it is possible to identify child Barbour in the organized sector, which form a minuscule of the total child labor, the problem relates mainly to the unrecognized sector where utmost attention needs to be paid. The problem is universal but in our case it is more crucial. Poor people have very less or no income because of which they use their children as the source of income by making them to work instead of sending them school. The children below 14 years who work instead of going school are considered as child laborers. Significant logic behind the psychology of poor people for more births is as many children are there that many are the child labor income sources for them. With many children all will get two times meal at least when all go for the work or beg. However, with less (one or two) that may not be possible. In this view, poor people go for more children. They think that their children will either work or beg to feed themselves as well as to their parents at the time when they get old. The poverty, illiteracy and old age dependency are considered as the main reasons for production of Child Labor. In India 14. 4 % children between 10 to 14 years of age are employed in child labor. Children under fourteen constitute around 3. 6% of the total labor force in India. 5 Of Hess children nine out of every ten work in their own rural family settings. Nearly 85% are engaged in traditional agricultural activities. Less than 9% work in manufacturing, service and repairs. Only about 0. 8 work in factories. Child labor in India is a serious problem and a human right issue for the whole world. Quiet a high number of children below poverty line are working in sweet shops, cycle repair shops as helpers and waiters in hotels and restaurants, glass blowing units and carpet making factories. The 2001 national census of India estimated the total number of child labor, aged 5-14, to be at 12. Million. Worldwide, about 215 million children work as child labor, many full times. Industries pay very low wages to child laborers and make them work for long hours in unhygienic conditions. Extreme poverty that exists due to poverty and illiteracy is the main cause of child labor and over and above, psychology of poor people to depend on earnings of their children for their survival Child labor and poverty are inevitably bound together and if you continue to use the labor of children as the treatment for the social disease of poverty, you will have both poverty and child labor to the end of time. 4. Illiteracy and Child Labor Child labor is one of the worst effects of illiteracy. This social stigma has stolen away the childhood of millions of children! The child labor trade is NOT something that can be stopped by a mere change in government because it is the lack of knowledge, rather than the lack of political freedom, that causes children to become laborers. India is the largest democracy in the world. Unfortunately however, India is also home for the largest number of child-laborers in the world. Some 24 million children work more hours each day than the number of their age. The child who becomes a laborer is often end up at abusive work places because they are defenseless and do not say no to an obnoxious master. More accurately, child laborers do not know if they have any rights, including the right to ask for their wages. The grievances of child laborers are muted by their biggest weakness; illiteracy. The burden of life is already on their shoulders. Illiteracy and child labor feed off each other. Parents illiteracy limits their earning potential, causing their children to work to supplement their families incomes. 13 5. Overpopulation and child labor If a country is over populated then child labor is a regular problem to deal with. South Asian countries like Bangladesh are the best example to give in this regard. Over population creates unemployment and the ultimate result is poverty. As I have told before that poverty is one of the main reasons of child labor. Now amusingly its not always true that excess of population create child worker. Because if a country has enough resources and Job opportunities to feed the mouth of all then poverty issue should not bear any importance. But if the resources and Job opportunities are emitted then to feed the excess population cheap source of labor like children can be employed in different forms of work. 14 6. National Legislation and Policies against Child Labor in India The Constitution of India (26 January 1950), through various articles enshrined in the Fundamental Rights and the Directive Principles of State Policy, lays down that: No child below the age of 14 years shall be employed to work in any factory or mine or engaged in any other hazardous employment (Article 24); The State shall provide free and compulsory education to all children of the age six to 14 years. Article 21 (A)); The State shall direct its policy towards securing that the health and strength of workers, men and women and the tender age of children are not abused and that they are not forced by economic necessity to enter vocations unsuited to their age and strength (Article 39-e); Children shall be given opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity and that childhood and youth shall be protected against moral and material abandonment (Article 39-f); The State shall endeavor to provide within a period of 10 years from the commencement of the Constitution for free and compulsory education for all children until they complete the age of 14 years (Article 45). Child labor is a matter on which both the Union Government and state governments can legislate. A number of legislative initiatives have been undertaken at both levels. The major national legislative developments include the following: The Child Labor (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986: The Act prohibits the employment of children below the age of 14 years in 16 occupations and 65 processes that are hazardous to the childrens lives and health. These occupations and processes are listed in the Schedule to the Act. In October 2006, the Government has included children working in the domestic sector as well as roadside eateries and motels under the prohibited list of hazardous occupations. More recently, in September 2008 diving as well as process involving excessive heat (e. G. Irking near a furnace) and cold; mechanical fishing; food processing; beverage industry; timber handling and loading; mechanical lumbering; warehousing; and processes involving exposure to free silica such as slate, pencil industry, stone ringing, slate stone mining, stone quarries as well as the agate industry were added to the list of prohibited occupations and processes; The Factories Act, 1948: The Act prohibits the employment of children below the age of 14 years. An adolescent aged between 15 and 18 years can be employed in a factory only if he obtains a certificate of fitness from an authorized medical doctor. The Act also prescribes four and a half hours of work per day for children aged between 14 and 18 years and prohibits their working during night hours. The Mines Act, 1952: The Act prohibits the employment f children below 18 years of age in a mine. Further, it states that apprentices above 16 may be allowed to work under proper supervision in a mine. 5 The Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection) of Children Act, 2000: This Act was last amended in 2002 in conformity with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child covers young persons below 18 years of age. Section 26 of this Act deals with the Exploitation of a Juvenile or Child Employee, and provides in relevant part, that whoever procures a Juvenile or the child for the purpose of any hazardous employment and keeps him in bondage and withholds his earnings or uses such raring for hi s own purposes shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to three years and shall also be liable for fine. In some States, including Karakas and Maharajahs, this provision has been used effectively to bring to book many child labor employers who are otherwise not covered by any other law and to give relief and rehabilitation benefits to a large number of children. The Minimum Wages Act, 1948: Prescribes minimum wages for all employees I n all establishments or to those working at home in certain sectors specified in the schedule of the Act. Central and State Governments can revise minimum wages specified in the schedule. Some consider this Act as an effective instrument to combat child labor in that it is being used in some States (such as Andorra Pradesh) as the basis on which to prosecute employers who are employing children and paying those lower wages. The Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009: Provides for free and compulsory education to all children aged 6 to 14 years. This legislation also envisages that 25 per cent of seats in every private school should be allocated for children from disadvantaged groups including differently bled children. 6 The fact that many people are unaware about child labor inspired us to take up this topic for the report. To start with the report, we delegated different topics amongst our fellow members, each choosing the topic of their interest. Everyone was asked to collect information pertaining to their topic and condense it in no more than three pages. Each one of us has gone through minor details regarding the researches, exploration and more aspects which are interesting too. We have searched the internet , gone through every article on encyclopedia related to the topic and have ride to keep our matter as short simple and precise as possible.

10 Types of Marriage Records for Family History

10 Types of Marriage Records for Family History The different types of marriage records that might be available for your ancestors, and the amount and kind of information they contain,  will vary depending on the location and time period, as well as sometimes the parties religion. In some localities, a marriage license may include the most details, while in a different locality and time period more information might be found in the marriage register. Locating all available marriage record types increases the chance of learning additional information- including confirmation that the marriage actually took place, the names of parents or witnesses, or the religion of one or both parties to the marriage. Records of Intentions to Marry Marriage Banns - Banns, sometimes spelled bans, were public notice of an intended marriage between two specified persons on a particular date. Banns began as a church custom, later proscribed by English common law, that required the parties to give advance public notice of their intention to marry over three consecutive Sundays, either in church or a public place. The purpose was to give anyone who might have an objection to the marriage, to state why the marriage should not take place. Usually, this was because one or both of the parties was too young or already married, or because they were more closely related than allowed by law.Marriage Bond - a monetary pledge or guarantee given to the court by the intended groom and a bondsman to affirm  that there was no moral or legal reason why the couple could not be married, and also that the groom would not change his mind. If either party declined to go through with the union, or of one of the parties was found to be ineligible- for example, already married, too closely related to the other party, or underage without parental approval- the bond money was generally forfeit. The bondsman, or surety, was often a brother or uncle to the bride, although he could also be a relative of the groom, or even a neighbor of  a  friend of either of the two parties. The use of marriage bonds was especially common in the southern and mid-Atlantic states through the first half of the nineteenth century. In colonial Texas, where Spanish law required colonists to be Catholic, a marriage bond was used in a slightly different fashion- as a pledge to local authorities in situations where there was no Roman Catholic priest available that the couple agreed to have their civil marriage solemnized by a priest as soon as the opportunity came available.Marriage License -   Perhaps the most commonly found record of a marriage is the marriage license. The purpose of a marriage license was to ensure that the marriage conformed to all legal requirements, such as both parties being of lawful age and not too closely related to one another.  After confirming there were no impediments to the marriage, a  license form was issued by a local public official (usually the county clerk) to the couple intending to marry, and granted permission to anyone authorized to solemnize marriages (minister, Justice of the Peace, etc.) to perform the ceremony.  The marriage was usually- but not always- performe d within a few days after the granting of the license. In many localities both the marriage license and the marriage return (see below) are found recorded together. Marriage Application - In some jurisdictions and time periods, law required that a marriage application to be filled out before a marriage license could be issued. In such situations, the application often required more information than was recorded on the marriage license, making it especially useful for family history research. Marriage applications may be recorded in separate books, or might be found with the marriage licenses.   Consent Affidavit - In most jurisdictions, individuals under the lawful age could still be married with  the consent of a parent or guardian as long as they were still above a minimum age. The age at which an individual required consent varied by locality and time period, as well as whether they were male or female. Commonly, this might be anyone under the age of twenty-one; in some jurisdictions, lawful age was sixteen or eighteen, or even as young as thirteen or fourteen for females. Most jurisdictions also had a minimum age, not allowing children under the age of twelve or fourteen to marry, even with parental consent. In some cases, this consent may have taken the form of a written affidavit, signed by the parent (usually the father) or legal guardian. Alternatively, the consent may have been given verbally to the county clerk in front of one or more witnesses, and then noted along with the marriage record. Affidavits were also sometimes recorded to affirm that both individuals were of legal age. Marriage Contract or Settlement - While much less common than the other marriage record types discussed here, marriage contracts have been recorded since colonial times. Similar to what we would now call a prenuptial agreement, marriage contracts or settlements were agreements made prior to marriage, most commonly when the woman owned property in her own name or wished to ensure that property left by a former husband would go to his children and not the new spouse. Marriage contracts might be found filed among the marriage records, or recorded in the deed books or records of the local court.In areas governed by civil law, however, marriage contracts were much more common, used as a means for both parties to protect their property, regardless of their economic or social status. Marriage licenses, bonds,  and  banns all indicate that a marriage was  planned  to take place, but not that it actually happened. For proof that a marriage actually took place, youll need to look for any of the following records: Records Documenting That a Marriage Took Place Marriage Certificate  - A marriage certificate confirms a marriage and is signed by the person officiating at the marriage. The downside is, that the original marriage certificate ends up in the hands of the bride and groom, so if it hasnt been passed down in the family, you may not be able to locate it. In most localities, however, the information from the marriage certificate, or at least verification that the marriage actually took place, is recorded at the bottom or on the back of the marriage license, or in a separate marriage book (see  marriage register  below). Marriage Return / Ministers Return  - Following the wedding, the minister or officiant would complete a paper called a  marriage return indicating that he had married the couple and on what date. He would later return it to the local registrar as proof that the marriage occurred. In many  localities,  you can find this return  recorded at the bottom or on the back of the marriage license. Alternatively, the information may be located in a Marriage Register (see below) or in a separate volume of ministers returns. The lack of an actual marriage date or  marriage  return does not always mean the marriage didnt take place, however. In some  cases,  the minister or officiant may have simply forgotten to drop off the return, or it wasnt recorded for whatever reason. Marriage Register  - Local clerks generally recorded the marriages they performed in a marriage register or book. Marriages performed by another officiant (e.g.  minister, justice of the peace, etc.) were also generally recorded, following receipt of the  marriage  return. Sometimes marriage registers incorporate information from a variety of marriage documents, so may include the names of the couples; their ages, birthplaces, and current locations; the names of their parents, the names of witnesses, the name of the officiant and the date of marriage. Newspaper Announcement  - Historical newspapers are a rich source for information on marriages, including those which may predate the recording of marriages in that locality. Search  historical newspaper archives  for engagement announcements and marriage announcements, paying special attention to clues such as the location of the marriage, the name of the officiant (may indicate religion), the members of the marriage party, the names of guests, etc. Dont overlook religious or ethnic newspapers if you know the ancestors religion, or if they belong to a specific ethnic group (e.g. the local German-language newspaper).

Analysis Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 4

Analysis Paper - Essay Example After graduating, he took a personal journey by roaming through the wilderness areas of Alaska. He abandoned his car in the Mojave Desert, destroyed the license plates, threw away his maps, and burned his money. He later named himself Alexander Supertramp. With that, he liberated himself to indulge in nature freely with unfiltered experiences (Krakauer 12). John Krauker reconstructs a clear prism through which he brings together the unsettling facts of Christopher McClandess’ life. He asserts that an inner obsession and youthful desires propelled McClandess to undertake that journey. By digging deeply, Krauker unravels the wider riddles that the life of McCandless depicts. He integrates the reflective pull of the American jungle on the reader’s imagination. He integrates the fascination of the high-risk activities in the wilderness performed by young people (Krakauer 14). McCandless had grown in the affluent neighbourhood of Washington, D. C. He had graduated with an honours degree from Emory University. His ultimate desire was to undertake an Alaskan odyssey in the wild for a whole summer. He was probably harrowing with the desire to make an extraordinary step in his life. McCandless surprised the world by leaving a nearly perfect life in search of a fantasy. Interestingly, he had left a full trail of travails documents, photos and diaries. In his diaries, he depicts a journey of a hunger experience driven by a kind of immortal grandeur. He mused in the emptiness of the material world. He had planned to attend law school in the future (Krakauer 19). He traversed the country using meagre means. In few times he sought employment and in few times refused help from strangers. He can be defined as an idealist whose life was cut down before he could realise its full benefits. He had made an impact on nearly all the people he had met along his journey. His journey was hastily prepared and ill informed. He