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Top 11 Science Exams You Must Take After Class 12th

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For 12th pass students it is likely a turning point for them, not “likely” actually! They have a turning point after class 12th. Well it will be easy, if proper research is done before getting enrolled for the courses. Students have to select the courses, which suits him the best and can go ahead with them.

I will list out the courses which 12th pass science students must opt for. However, there are some most common ones that will be listed, and gradually we’ll move to a list which will guide you on some other courses, which generally people are not aware of. So, let’s start with the common ones-

  • Engineering: This is one of the most commonly chosen exams after having passed class 12th from a science background. Engineering field is saturated. But there are some other branches, which are yet to be chosen, like Chemical Engineering, Petroleum Engineering, Instrumentation and Control Engineering, Mechatronics, BioMedical Engineering.

For getting in courses like B.E/B.tech, B.Arch. and Planning, some of the exams are JEE, BITSAT, NATA, and many more. There are some engineering colleges, which specifically conduct their own exams, like VITEE, IPU-CET, AMU (B.tech). So, think well and research as per the scope, and definitely which yields your interest.

  • Medical: Students who had their subjects in 12th, as Physics, Chemistry and Biology, this field is chosen as the best option. Some of the exams related to this are: AIPMT, AFMC, AIPVT etc. The courses offered in these exams are MBBS, BDS. Moreover, nowadays, getting these degrees will not help much, you need to have some post-graduation degree. Besides, there are many super specialty courses coming in, which you must suffice with your degrees, in order to get through the stiff competition. This career is well esteemed in society. But at the same time, it also has lots of demands too.
  • Merchant Navy: Like the Armed Forces, this career is also an exploratory one. At the same time, it is well-paid also! You may take up courses related to this field, like- Marine Engineering, Marine Technology etc to build one such career. But the hard truth is, the candidate has to go on marines and sub-marines for years. Life is very tough, and sacrificing too.
  • Fashion Designing: If you have the talent for sketching, designing, then this field is for you. This field requires a lot of innovation in creating unique and exquisite attires, and doing productive modification on the old designs, to make it look like a new style in the fashion world. It does have various exams like NIFT, NID etc. which are taken by various colleges.
  • Hotel Management: The students willing to have a creative field in the food and hospital industry, should go for hotel management. National Council for Hotel Management and Catering Technology (NCHMCT) is such an exam which caters to such industries.
  • Civil Aviation as a Pilot: This is a very stylish and high paying profession. But to choose this field as a career is not a cake walk. There are certain pre-requisites to apply and become eligible for this field. Foremost thing is you have to be medically fit and adhere to some physical and medical norms, after which you have to undergo a commercial pilot’s training, to get a license. This training is a bit expensive. If flying is your desire and if you can’t afford to undergo commercial pilot’s training, you may go and join the Indian Air-Force and become a pilot there. Upon retiring from there, you may use that very flying license to get a commercial pilot’s license with relative relief.
  • Field of Pharmacy: One of the great fields, which students are quite unaware of is the pharma field. Exams like B. Pharma followed by M. Pharma is a deadly combo, which can take you to profiles like Research Scientists or Lecturers. Another good course is Pharm D. It is like an integrated course of B Pharm, M Pharm and a bit of MBBS! Pharm D graduates have got high demands abroad!
  • BAMS and BHMS doctors: Well, this is the Ayurveda material. Upon completing Bachelor of Ayurveda, Medicine and Surgery (B.A.M.S.). It is a graduate degree given after the study of five and a half years duration, including 1-year internship, you’ll get the post of a Doctor, but an Ayurvedic one. Currently, Ayurveda is preferred by majority, due its nil side effects. Another course BHMS, which stands for Bachelor’s Degree in Homeopathy Medicine and Surgery. In India this course is equivalent to MBBS. Curriculum duration is the same as BAMS’.
  • Architecture and Interior Designing:  Well, if you are proficient enough, a fortunate career lays ahead of you. You may join the public sector, private sector or have your own startup! This involves drawing plans and maps for infrastructure. It is the odds, which generally candidates overlook.
  • Agriculture Sciences: This course is a basket full of opportunities. You may even own a government job. Many candidates from science backgrounds do not research well and undertake exams which their family wants them to take. Do not let go easily, instead go for your expertise and interests.
  • Management: Want to work in MNCs? Looking for managerial posts and Industry knowledge? Go for management courses, BBA, B.com, etc. You can go for various entrance exams which universities and colleges conduct. You may follow it with MBA or M.com or PGP courses, which have a great scope in corporate, besides if you have any work experience before MBA that is an added advantage, which boosts your growth of success in MBA and placements.

Final Say

Any exam you take, the reason behind to choose such exams should be your personal and professional growth.

Unmasking the secrets of the GM Diet

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When losing weight, every person wants to be around a diet schedule that can magically cater to their weight loss schedule. Have you heard about the GM diet? Do you know that it promises to help you lose your weight in just 7 days? Read on to find out more about it.

What is the GM diet?

The inception of the GM diet since 1985 was based on the idea of increasing worker efficiency of General Motors. It enabled them to lose a good 10-17 pounds in just a week. What’s more? This diet is as simple as anything.

What is the whole ‘plan’?

The spirit of the diet lies in understanding how to limit the intake of food to certain portions, types and intake of water. It focuses on consumption of a number of complex carbohydrates and low calorie vegetables that work on the system to shed off the weight.

Daily plan for 7 days!

  • Day 1: On the first day, it is recommended that you consume only fruits such as papaya, apples, oranges, watermelon and more, except banana. You should not starve at any point and consume as many fruits as you like. Drink lots of water along with the fruits.
  • Day 2: On this day, you are supposed to consume an assortment of vegetables such as boiled potato and other cooked or uncooked vegetables. You cannot use any oils in preparing these veggies. Avoid all fruits and beverages on this day.
  • Day 3: By this time, your body is adjusting to the new diet. Today, you have to try a combination of fruits and vegetables in your diet. Avoid all dairy and beverages on this day. The sugar from the fruits will help you feel better by the day end.
  • Day 4: On this day, you have to stay on a diet of bananas and milk alone. Throughout the day, you will be eating eight bananas and three glasses of milk. Bananas bring instant energy in your body and also aid in digestion.
  • Day 5: The diet on this day is composed on tomatoes, brown rice and lots of water. Compared to the last 4 days, this day is going to be a feast for you. For lunch, take a serving of brown rice, prepared in minimum oil. You must intake a lot of water on this day to combat with the high amount of uric acid in your body.
  • Day 6: On this day, you will be taking in a large amount of food again. Like the fifth day, follow the same pattern and add vegetables to the diet on this day. By this day, you will be able to witness a visible weight loss.
  • Day 7: On the last day of the diet, you will be taking in brown rice, any vegetables and fruit juices. One serving of the rice and unlimited serving of vegetables will help you finish off the diet.

The Final Word

Hopefully this easy 7 day diet plan helps you get your diet right!

Muscling – The Madness of Supplements

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We all want to look smart and beautiful. The latest trend among youngsters is to be fit and having a leaner physique by building muscles. Gym goers who do exercises such as weight lifting often want a muscular body and will not hesitate to take some supplements to aid their muscle building and / or to reduce their weight as part of a bodybuilding diet. A lean body enhances your self esteem and makes you more confident. But in order to get such a body, do we follow the lucrative path of taking supplements to build our muscles and /or lose those extra kilos? Is this really helping us or is it doing more harm than good?

A lot of people take supplements and stimulants either for weight loss or for muscle building. Many of the supplements being sold in the markets and in the online world are either illegal or very detrimental to the health of the person taking it. A lot of products advertise to reduce body fat or slim down by burning fat. Some of these products are so harmful that they have resulted in death of the person in extreme cases. Even if certain supplements are beneficial, no product should be misused or abused and they should always be taken in moderation under the correct dosage.

Protein Supplements

Proteins contain amino acids that are the building blocks of our body including muscles. People opt for protein supplements in the form or shakes, bars or tablets. An optional method of increasing your protein intake would be to eat a protein rich diet which would include vitamins and other nutrients. If you take more than the required amounts, these supplements can increase the risk of osteoporosis and may also cause kidney complications.

It is advisable to eat a wholesome meal with a rich protein diet such as meat, eggs, milk and cheese to naturally build more muscles. If you want to take protein supplements, you should always purchase a reputable brand and check the labels for the correct dosage and do not take more than the necessary amount.

Steroids

Steroids are taken as a medicine for a major number of illnesses by a doctor’s prescription. However, they are also being misused as a body building enhancement. They are lucrative as they contain testosterone which induces muscle growth and raises levels of endurance and strength.

The major effects of excessive steroid use include hair loss, prostate enlargement, gynecomastia, testicular atrophy, increased estrogen levels, increase in blood pressure, kidney and heart damage, liver damage and acne. It is not recommended to take steroids for building your body / muscles and people should stop the blatant misuse of these important yet harmful drugs.

Workout and Fat burning Supplements

Supplements that are taken prior to workouts and other fat-burning supplements contain a high amount of caffeine and other stimulants. These stimulants cause a wide array of harmful effects on the body which include nervousness, irritability, insomnia, addiction and dependency, heart palpitations and rhythm abnormalities, weight loss, tremors, mild hypertension, hallucinations, convulsions and heart attack. People who have any form of heart ailments should not use any supplements or stimulants to thrust their bodily performance in the gym and/or build muscles.

All you need to know about Shiv Sena Party

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The Shiv Sena is a popular Indian political party which has made headlines, time and again. This far right party is guided by the typical pro Marathi ideology and Hindu nationalism. Its founder, Shri Bal Thackeray, brought the party into existence in 1966. All members of this party, make themselves known as Shivsainiks and the movement for which this party was formed, was to demand preferential treatment for the Maharashtrians, over the people who migrated to the city. 

About the origin of the party

Bal Thackeray was a Mumbai based cartoonist before he started this party. He used to publish his works of satire in the weekly magazine ‘Marmik’. It was through this magazine that he began expressing his ideas on the whole migrations system. This led to the founding of the Shiv Sena on 19 June 1966. The party unemployed Marathi’s in large numbers, who then began getting involved in attacks on south Indian establishments, forcing them to employ Marathi’s as well.

Today, the party is headed by Bal Thackeray’s son, Uddhav Thackeray, who became the party leader in the year 2004. Now, after his father’s death, he is the leader of the party but refuses to take on the title of ‘Sena Pramukh’.

The structure of the party

Being the founder and the leader of the party, it was mostly Bal Thackeray himself, who was seen taking all major decisions related to the conduct of the party. The members and activists of the party, who called themselves Shiv Sainiks, were responsible for implementing the actions of their leader.

During his last days in the year 2012, owing to ill health, Bal Thackeray ensured that the day to day affairs of the party are carried out and overlooked by his sons Uddhav Thackeray and Aditya Thackeray. At that time, son Uddhav Thackeray had been entrusted with the leadership of the Yuva Sena, which is the young wing of the party. However, later that year, after the death of Bal Thackeray, the reigns of the party leadership were handed over to him.

Since the year 1976, the party has maintained its headquarters at the Dadar locality of Mumbai. However, in order to address various issues of the party members and the locals in general, the party has instituted various ‘Shakhas’ that spread out all across Maharashtra and are responsible for overseeing the local issues in their respective localities. Owing to its objectives, the Sthaniya Lokadhikar has also affiliated with the Shiv Sena, where their main objectives are the preservation of the rights of Maharashtra’s people, in relation to employment.

Stories of internal conflict

When there is politics and a mass congregation of crowds collected at one place, there are bound to be clashes between people. It is said that Raj Thackeray, nephew of Bal Thackeray, left the party in the year 2005, owing to some internal conflicts, sparking controversies. The break away became even rife with speculation when he went on to form another party, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. Since, then, there have been frequent clashes between the two parties on several issues.

What are the ideologies of the party?

The party states that it is committed on an 80-20 percent strata to social service and politics. According to party data, it is believed that the Shiv Sena has played a central role in the freedom of five lakh slum dwellers in Dharavi, Mumbai. The anti Dalit party has come forward to place its views in favour of the Marathi’s and has clearly opposed Namantar Andolan. The party has also shown active protest against Pakistan and actively opposes any Indian Pakistan activity.

The Shiv Sena has bagged an entry into the Guinness World book of records for collecting the maximum amount of blood in a day. Time and again, the party has come forward to help fellow citizens such as in the case of drought affected farmers in the Marathwada region in 2015.

Alliance of the Shiv Sena with the Bharatiya Janata Party

The party is based and originated on the Hindutva ideology. However, over the years, it was felt that the ideology of the party was weakening. Therefore, since the year 1989, the Shiv Sena and the Bharatiya Janata Party, have been in a coalition with each other, both, for the Lok Sabha and the Maharashtra Assembly. However, this marriage of the two parties came to an end in 2014, over seat issues in the Maharashtra assembly elections. After that, the two parties contested the elections independently. The Bharatiya Janata Party received a major win over here and after further negotiations between the two parties, they now govern the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation together today.

The election symbol of the party

As approved by the election commission of India, the party has a symbol of a bow and arrow, drawn on a saffron flag. The symbolism of this emerges from the strong Hindu nationalist sentiment that the part reserves. It relates to the proper symbolism used in Hindu temples and the tilak that is drawn across the forehead. The purpose of the bow and arrow is to symbolise hitting the target and again, this reserves a special relevance in the Hindu mythology, which is why it was brought into use by the party. Therefore, the party manifests its ideologies and practices in a very transparent manner that is deeply religious, ethnic and regional. Owing to the farfetched ideologies of the party, it is also a symbol of being an enemy to anyone who is not a Marathi. This has made the party an extremely fascist and extremist party in the modern times, which becomes very visible through the use of their unique party symbol.

The final say

Despite its extremist nature, the Shiv Sena is a popular party in the Maharashtra region. It has achieved many high accolades since its inception and continues to do so even today. The leaders of the party still walk along the original ideologies of its fathers.

Top 10 Mistakes to avoid during exams

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Exams subject us to an uncomfortable amount of pressure which can make us feel as though this absolute sum of our education is landing us in this one exclusive chance to prove ourselves. However, the pressure and the stress of the exam situation can lead us to make some silly mistakes which can cost you a lot of marks. But, if you keep calm and plan well, you can avoid these mistakes and prevent losing out on those precious marks. Better exam techniques can definitely make a world of difference. So, here are the 10 mistakes you must strictly try to avoid during exams.

Not reading the question properly

The first piece of advice that every teacher ever gave you for the exams is this and please know that no matter what grade you are in, you cannot overlook this piece of advice. There are questions whose answers go up to a couple of pages. So, if you get the wrong end of the stick at the beginning, you may end up wasting a lot of time and this will definitely cost you your precious marks.

Tips: Highlight the most important words of the question and read the question twice or thrice to know what the examiner is really asking.

Not doing past papers

If your teacher provides you with all the last year papers and you still don’t find time to look through each one of them ten times over, then it is totally your fault. These past year papers tell you exactly what you can expect from your exam paper.

Tip: Your questions may be worded differently but if you can answer the questions from the last 5 years, you’ll be ok. 

Cramming the night before

There’s no doubt that you do have the ability to pick up small bits of information in the few hours before the exam; however, more important than studying for those extra two or three hours is ensuring that you get a pleasant good night’s sleep. When you rest well, you’ll be able to think fast and recall things more quickly.

Tip: Go to bed quickly!

Stressing out when other people write loads

The very fact that the person sitting next to you has written the complete Harry Potter series while you have only added a smiley in front of your name doesn’t mean that they are any better than you. As long as you are confident about what you are doing and have put in enough thought and revision, what others around are doing is irrelevant.

Starting with the hardest questions

You may wish to tackle the hardest stuff first but this certainly is not going to be the best idea. The idea is to collect marks in your bank rather than tackling questions that you may not be sure of.

Tip: Start with questions you are confident about.

Eating the wrong foods beforehand

Consuming too many carbs like pasta, bread or chips right before an exam is going to make you feel sluggish. So, strictly avoid such a diet and keep it simple.

Tip: Your pre exam diet has to be all about protein.

Not knowing when to move on

There may be times in your exam, when you get a question from your favorite chapter, section or topic. That’s when you may want to go on and on with it. If you do this, the problem is that you are shooting yourself in the foot by neglecting the other questions.

Tip: Answer a given question only in accordance to the marks it will fetch you.

Now knowing when to give up

Sometimes, despite the endless revision, you might just not know how to answer. That’s when you might be tempted to just throw some words at a page with a hope of fetching some marks.

Tip: It is best to spend time on questions that might actually get you some marks. However, if you have time towards the end, do not leave any question unanswered.

Not drinking enough water

Dehydration is indeed the most common cause of lack of concentration and fatigue. When your cells dry out, they begin to work less efficiently. So, make sure you drink enough water to keep you focused.

Tip: Carry with you a water bottle.

Leaving the exam early thinking you’re finished

Finishing your exam before time is certainly the best feeling ever. However, if you leave the exam early just to enjoy your post exam celebrations, you are doing it all wrong.

Tip: Use the time you have to check and revise all that you have written.

Final Say

Hopefully, due knowledge of these common mistakes and tips to overcome them will help you avoid them in your exams! Your welcome!!

Shall Akhilesh Yadav be Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh again in 2017 Election

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The state of Uttar Pradesh is rife with the fresh elections atmosphere these days. Day by day as the constituencies take it to the polling booths, the outcome of the assembly elections of this year become quite clear. The current chief minister, Shri Akhilesh Yadav is seen devoting his efforts in full swing to bag the crown of chief minister once again. As he attempts to seal his chances against the Bharatiya Janata Party, it becomes clear each day that the stronghold of the Yadav family shall continue.

The present scenario

As of now, the third phase of the elections is being conducted which covers the regions of Kanpur and Avadh, both of which happen to be the stronghold of the Yadav family. Owing to stiff competition with the Bharatiya Janata Party, it might be difficult to bag the essential seats in these constituencies. However, owing to the high voter turnout as of now, it can be expected that the results will be in favour of the Samajwadi party. There is a common consensus between the party leaders and the obvious choice for the leader, who will take the chair of the Chief Minister, is Akhilesh Yadav. Not long before now, the party tied up with the Congress party and Akhilesh and Rahul Gandhi have been seen campaigning together for these elections.

What the near and dear ones say

When it comes to the Yadav family, the father, Mulayam Singh Yadav has high aspirations from his son, after the two were in the spotlight for a major rife between them last year. Even mother Sadhna Yadav, speaks highly of her step son, Akhilesh Yadav and expresses her deepest desire to see him become the Chief Minister once again. She sees her son and Akhilesh as equals and her support for the present Chief Minister is a prominent backing that he needs to succeed.

The social media scenario

When there is something huge happening in the country, social media does not stay behind in putting up its views, in whatever manner, at numerous platforms. In one such gig, a spoof video is making the rounds around the internet, as the UP elections continue. According to this video, it is predicted that Akhilesh wins the elections this time as well and made the Chief Minister of the state. The title of the video is ‘Akhilesh returns’ and is wholeheartedly dedicated to a positive inclination towards a successful result of the UP elections in favour of Shri Akhilesh Yadav. Taking a step ahead, this video also takes a severe dig at the prime minister and his council for their move on demonetisation. 

The final say

With most of the cards in their favour, it is expected that the party will take a win and seeing how Akhilesh Yadav has transformed the face of the state during his last term, it will be prudent for him to take the reins this time as well, and move the party in the right direction.

Can India Convert into a Cashless Society

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A cashless economy is one when there is minimal or null flow of cash for financial transactions in the society and all transactions are done through the use of credit cards, debit cards, direct debit, electronic clearing and payment systems such as Immediate Payment Service (IMPS), National Electronic Funds Transfer (NEFT), Real Time Gross Settlement (RTGS). With the demonetisation of the Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 notes undertaken by the BJP led Government in November last year, there are numerous discussions being undertaken by economists and thinkers alike on whether our country can actually turn into a cashless society?

India has always predominantly been a cash-driven economy where almost all major financial transactions are carried out through cash. With advancement of banking channels and digital cards, the urban metro cities have marginally moved onto cashless transactions by swiping their debit and credit cards in various stores and online e-commerce websites. However, these electronic transactions account for less than 5% of all transactions being carried out in our country. India also has an enormous number of currency notes in circulation, which is far higher than in other large economies – India had 76.47 billion currency notes in circulation in 2012-13 compared with 34.5 billion in the US. The Reserve Bank of India has also set out a plan called “Payments and Settlement Systems in India: Vision 2018”, to encourage electronic payments to help India move and progress into a cashless society in the long term.

The Hardships

But the reality paints a dismal picture. There are a variety of reasons as to why India is still largely an economy driven by cash. Some of the major reasons are as hereunder:

  • No Banks available – A large number of villages and towns in the rural areas of India are still bereft of banks. This leaves the people with no other option but to carry out their activities by the use of cash. Many villagers have to travel a long distance to visit a bank and withdraw cash.
  • No extra cost for cash transactions – Whether one pays by card or cash, the cost of the product is the same. In fact, many establishments charge an extra 1% or 1.5% surcharge if you pay through cards. This is a major hindrance and doesn’t motivate people to spend more on the same product and they rather pay the amount through cash.
  • Technical issues – Payments through cash is easy and convenient as there are no fears or technical issues faced as in card transactions. There can be network issues or internet non-availability or the fear of computer crashing in case of card transactions. India is still a country where there is no internet connection in rural areas or poor connection which makes it unfeasible for setting up POS machines for card transactions.
  • Large unorganized sector – India has a large unorganized sector of traders, retailers and shopkeepers who may be illiterate or not having the means and resources to set up the infrastructure for offering card based payments. They do not have the inclinations to encourage the consumers to pay through cards either.
  • Lack of knowledge and education – This is one of the primary reasons for cash driven economy.
  • Jan Dhan Yojana accounts – Bank accounts have been opened through Jan Dhan Yojana but most of them are un-operational.

Benefits of a cashless economy

  • Transaction costs will get cheaper – If the traffic of people using digital payments increase, this will automatically bring down the transaction costs being levied currently for digital transactions. This will also lower the cost of printing, transporting and storage of physical cash.
  • Reduces risk of carrying notes – By making the society cashless, people wouldn’t need to carry lot of cash especially when they travel or go on holidays or for purchase of expensive commodities such as gold or real estate. This saves them from theft or mischief.
  • Reduces corruption and black money – One of the major reasons for turning the society into a cashless economy is to reduce and eliminate corruption, money laundering and use of black money in the country. If all transactions are conducted digitally, this will leave a trail behind and the black money will be accounted and converted into white.
  • Increase tax for the Government – Once the cash in the society is accounted for, people will pay the correct and stipulated amount of tax which in turn will increase the Government funds that can be used for the welfare of the state.

How can India be converted into a cashless economy?

  • Access to banking facilities need to be improved – The Government should ensure that banking facilities are provided to all people in the country and should strive to set up branches in small villages and rural areas as well. The Jan Dhan Yojana accounts need to be monitored and encouraged.
  • Proper technical infrastructure needs to be developed – Technically sound, safe and secure infrastructure and payment gateway systems need to be developed to carry out digital transactions. Banks should allocate the necessary resources to set up payment gateways and ensure more consumer friendly measures are adopted to motivate people to switch to digital life. People should be protected from cyber crimes and have faith in the digital payment gateway restored.
  • Abolish card payment charges – There should be no additional fees levied on card transactions. People are skeptical to pay more than the required cost and hence resort to cash rather than card payment.
  • Tax Rebates – The Government should introduce tax rebates for consumers and traders who base their transactions solely through digital payments such as e-wallets or cards.
  • ATM withdrawal limits – Banks and the regulators should set up ATM transaction limits (some are already in place) to limit people from making unrestricted ATM withdrawals.
  • Education – The poor and illiterate people should also be educated about the banking methods in the country and should be encouraged to keep bank accounts for their financial transactions. Even in metro cities, majority of the people are unaware about the latest software and means to carry our payments through their mobile phones.

India has a long way to go to turn into a cashless economy. It is still at a very nascent stage and strong and effective measures will have to be introduced by the Government to encourage more people to switch to using digital means of payments such as e-wallets, credit and debit cards and net banking.

Use of mobile and telecom industry sector will play an important role in the digitalization of India. The Government should provide incentives to the private sector banks and companies for mobilizing them to develop the requisite software and infrastructure to provide more people with means to use their phones to carry our digital transactions and help transform India into a digital economy. This should initially start from the metro urban cities and later switch on to the other rural areas.

Difference between constant and define function in PHP

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  1. const takes a plain constant name, whereas define() accepts any expression as name. This allows to do things like this:

for ($i = 0; $i < 32; ++$i)

{

    define(‘BIT_’ . $i, 1 << $i);

}

  1. const are always case sensitive, whereas define() allows you to define case insensitive constants by passing true as the third argument:
  2. Since PHP 5.6 const constants can also be arrays, while define() does not support arrays yet. However arrays will be supported for both cases in PHP 7.

const FOO = [1, 2, 3]; // valid in PHP 5.6

define(‘FOO’, [1, 2, 3]); // invalid in PHP 5.6, valid in PHP 7.0

  1. Consts cannot be defined from an expression. const FOO = 4 * 3; doesn’t work, but define(‘CONST’, 4 * 3);
  2. It is well known that PHP define() is slow when using a large number of constants.
  3. Finally, note that const can also be used within a class or interface to define a class constant or interface constant. define cannot be used for this purpose.

Current affairs – how does it help it GDs and PIs

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Nowadays almost all major examinations hold Group Discussions (GDs) and Personal Interviews (PI) prior to the final selection of successful candidates. Be it the management exams such as CAT, the competitive examinations or the Bank exams – all consist of the GD followed by the PI rounds.

A GD involves a larger number of candidates who sit together in a controlled environment and are given a topic on which they have to share their personal views and have a discussion on it with the other candidates. They are silently observed by an examiner who notices the candidate’s body language, listening skill, speaking skills, cooperation skills along with his ideas and views. It becomes easy to shortlist a limited number of candidates from a larger group based on their performance in the GD owing to the competition of a larger number of candidates eyeing for a limited number of seats in a college / job. A candidate successful in the GD round is then called for a PI where there is a one to one interaction between the examiners and the candidate. This interview becomes very personal where a candidate’s personal and professional background is brought into limelight coupled with a host of other questions which may range from your hobbies to your viewpoint on a current happening.

To do well in both the GDs and the PIs, it is very important to be aware of the current affairs happening in the country especially in the field of your intended profession. Suppose you are appearing for the CAT GDs and PIs; in such a case, you should be well aware of the current happenings in the field of business and management apart from other sectors. The topics given in GDs are usually those which are of a debatable character and can involve a discussion between the candidates. Even in a PI, an examiner can ask for your views on any latest and highly debatable current affair and you wouldn’t want yourself to be caught unawares in such a situation.

You need to be abreast with the latest news of the year not limited to your country but also the important international news. You should start reading a newspaper daily for about 3-4 months prior to your examinations and also subscribe to a magazine in the field of your intended profession which will keep you continually in touch with the latest happenings and knowledge in that sector. The best tool in the modern times is the use of the internet for seeking knowledge and being abreast with the current affairs ranging from political to sensational news. You can also watch a news channel every day for the breaking news around the world and try to get a deeper perspective on important and grave matters. Try to have short but interesting discussions with your peers, teachers and parents about the current happenings as this will also prepare you to share your viewpoint while listening to other’s perspectives also.

Having the knowledge is just half the battle and for winning the battle, you need to articulate your thoughts and give a voice to your thoughts by presenting your viewpoint in an assertive yet polite manner through the GD and the PI. Never lose your cool and try to maintain your composure by having a pleasing body language and don’t be nervous or shy to speak up. Speak loud and clearly but don’t sound aggressive and adamant. Don’t keep thinking about whether your point is correct or not as there is no right or wrong answer in a discussion. Listen to the points made by the other speakers and try to include their viewpoint along with your views as this will show your leadership skills which will have a positive impact.

The examiner judges you based on your overall presentation of your thoughts and your ability to manage yourself in a stressed situation. Your aptitude and intelligence has already been seen in the written exams and the GD and PI levels are conducted to assess your personality and communicative skills.

Demonetisation – Whether it helps in Controlling Corruption and Black Money

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The Modi Government sent shockwaves across the nation on November 8, 2016, where it took the bold and unprecedented step to demonetise the Rs. 500 and Rs. 2000 notes effective from the same day midnight. Never had any nation taken such a step in the recent times where the legal tender which marked the major share of the currency and economy in the country would become pieces of junk paper from the same day itself. The two denominations of currency account for 86% of all the currency in circulation (equivalent to 11% of GDP), hence one can well imagine the chaos and hardship the common man has faced with the sudden withdrawal of these notes from circulation.

The announcement was welcomed by half the population with jubilation as our Prime Minister echoed a sentimental and patriotic essence in our hearts were the major reasons for the demonetisation was to eliminate corruption and black money from our nation which has forever been riddled with such social perennial problems. The BJP welcomed the move and labelled anyone criticizing demonetisation to be someone who was hoarding black money. A lot of debate has been going on since then by the top economists, the experts and the thinkers and while the common man may believe that this move will help in eliminating black money and corruption, majority of the learned people believe that demonetisation is not necessarily an effective tool to eliminate and curb out black money or corruption from the country.

What exactly is black money?

Black money is a term used to denote “undeclared money”. Basically it is the money which a person does not declare to the government and hoards it by not paying tax on it. It may be received either by legal activities or illegal activities.

This move is highly debatable and let us first examine how this will help in controlling black money and corruption:

  1. India predominantly is a cash economy As a country, the economy of India is mainly controlled by cash. The poor and illiterate people use cash for their daily living and earnings. The poor labourers who are daily wagers do hard work throughout the day and earn money in cash at the end of the day. Similarly all the lower levels of economy such as house maids, servants, vegetable vendors, small roadside shops – use cash as a means of earning money. But it is not only these people who use cash but even the rich and the corrupt people deal in cash as there is no account of such inflow of money. A person taking a bribe will prefer to take cash rather than a cheque or deposit in a bank. Hence, since the whole economy of India is predominantly a cash economy, there would be many people hoarding such cash in their homes or hiding it away.
  1. Parallel economy The hoarding of black money, corruption, counterfeit currency and terror financing have resulted in creation of a parallel economy where unaccounted cash is being used for these harmful activities. These activities have hampered and derailed our growth and development as a nation and economy. The demonetisation move will help check these activities.
  1. Check on black money By demonetizing the 500 and 1000 Rs. notes, the Government has taken a bold step which will force the people hoarding black money or using counterfeit notes to either destroy them or declare it to the banks while depositing them. Stringent rules have been put by the Government into effect which will keep a track on a person’s income and their previous tax records and whether their deposits are coming from an accounted source or are unaccounted for.
  1. Terror financing One of the biggest menaces of the country in recent times is the problem of terrorism especially in Jammu and Kashmir. The terrorists are usually financed by their terror fund groups with counterfeit currency thus introducing into our economy counterfeit currency to buy weapons and carry out dangerous activities. By declaring the 500 and 1000 Rs. notes illegal, the terror funding will be hit to some extent for a short period of time till they again start printing counterfeit notes.
  1. Controlling inflation Black money also increases inflation in the country. Black money and counterfeit currency is used to purchase real estate and land and by demonetisation, the inflation in the real estate sector can be checked to a large extent. This will prove to be beneficial for the middle class and common man who wish to purchase properties as the prices of the properties will come down as there will be less people using their black money to purchase properties.
  1. Check on hawala transactions Hawala transactions deal in illegal transfer of money though informal remittance systems. It is estimated by the Interpol that the hawala transactions rake in 40% of the country’s GDP. This is done usually by cash and counterfeit currency. Hence, the demonetisation will help check hawala activities.

There are also many arguments against the move. Some of them are:

  1. New methods of money laundering Nowadays, people do not stack money at homes or in hidden places in gunny bags. There are more new ways to use the black money where people can stash it in offshore bank accounts in Panama or Switzerland or buy benami properties or purchase foreign currency. People usually buy real estate properties or purchase assets such as paintings or gold with the black money. Only a limited number of people store their ill gotten wealth in cash. Hence this move will not affect the majority of black money hoarders.
  1. Demonetised bank notes form 86% of legal tender The demonetised Rs. 500 and Rs. 1000 note form 86% of the legal tender in the country and one can well imagine the plight of the nation when these banknotes goes off circulation. The worst hit are not the black money hoarders but the common man and the poor daily wage labourers in both the urban and rural areas. Also, majority of the middle class population does not still use digital banking methods or cards for transactions. Therefore, it is the common population that is affected the most.
  1. Voluntary disclosure of income schemes Giving incentive to the people is probably the best way to eliminate black money. The Voluntary Disclosure of Income Scheme which was implemented by the NDA Government had a provision of 45% total tax and penalty and had raked in Rs 65,000 crore of black money by September 2016. This not only brought back undisclosed and unaccounted income back to the banks but it also provided for revenue to the Government. In the present case, the Government has spent a lot of money on the printing costs and whole implementation of change.
  1. Previous demonetisation Demonetisation was carried out in 1978, where the then RBI Governor IG Patel was also not in favour as he believed it was being done to target some members of the opposition. He was of the thought process that the black money hoarders would not keep the black money in currency form and this thought is still being widely supported.
  1. Government introduces Rs. 2000 note On one hand, the Government wants to make the economy cashless and become digital while on the other hand, it introduces a large denomination note of Rs. 2000. It is difficult to understand as to how the introduction of this high denomination note will help in curbing black money. It will become easier for people to stash more notes in this denomination as it will require less space and weight.

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