Shutdown Day

Shutdown Day is a Global Internet Experiment whose purpose is to get people to think about how their lives have changed with the increasing use of the home computer, and whether or not any good things are being lost because of this.

The idea of Shutdown Day project is simple – just shutdown your computer for one whole day of the year and involve yourself in some other activities: outdoors, nature, sports, fun stuff with friends and family – whatever, just to remind yourself that there still exists a world outside your monitor screen.

It is obvious that without computers we would find our life extremely difficult, maybe even impossible. If they disappeared for just one day, would we be able to cope?

Be part of one of the biggest global experiments ever to take place on the Internet. The idea behind Shutdown Day is to find out how many people can go without a computer for one whole day, and what will happen if we all participate!

Shutdown your computer on 03 May 2008 and find out!

Check more here

OBC Quota in Educational Institutes

The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the 27% OBC quota in higher educational institutions like IITs, IIMs and other central universities.For more information about the news read here.

According to the bench of judges the present suggestion on implementation of this 27% quota does not violate the basic structure of the constitution. But then has anyone ever thought whether the ratio of the actual population of the OBC’s to the quota justified? When was the last census stating the actual population of the OBC’s carried out. By the way does anyone know that “The list presented by the commission to the Central Government is dynamic (castes and communities can be added or removed) and will change from time to time depending on Social, Educational and Economic factors.” Source:Wikipedia

Mandal commission in 1980 submitted a report saying that OBC’s(inc Hindu and non-Hindu tribes) constitute around 50% of the population. However, this findings was criticized as based on “fictitious data”. The only official census about the OBC population was carried out in 1931. How can someone be so dumb that they can allocate the quota based on data from some report submitted 70 years back??

The case on this issue had been going on in Supreme court for a long time and a law had been made in this regards. But on 29 March 2007, the Supreme Court of India, as an interim measure, stayed the law providing for 27 percent reservation for Other Backward Classes in educational institutions like IITs and IIMs. This was done in response to a public interest litigation — Ashoka Kumar Thakur vs. Union of India. The Court held that the 1931 census could not be a determinative factor for identifying the OBCs for the purpose of providing reservation. The court also observed, “Reservation cannot be permanent and appear to perpetuate backwardness“.

But then now, today on April the 10th, 2008, Supreme Court again passed the verdict saying that the quota can be implemented as it does not violate the structure of the Constitution. What? By doing this the Indian Government is contradicting the Constitution itself which supports the ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity.

How can you say each and every individual of our society is equal when you only are dividing everyone on the basis of caste. Just because he is from OBC he should get more preference. Have you ever thought what will be the effects of this?

Just imagine, a person who has passed some diploma course from some arbit college and to make it worse a person who just managed to pass meagerly in his graduation, getting a post of a lecturer in one of the IITs or IIMs since he belongs to OBC and there is a reservation of around 27% for OBC’s for the post.! What will happen to the quality of teaching.? Think about the future of the students studying in premier institutes like IITs, IIMs and NITs at least. Or actually you need not bother since half of the students themselves are going to be OBCs. So why take tension, right? Its just gonna get worse!

The most benefited people are going to be the children of MPs and MLAs. They need not bother about there future anymore. There fathers would get fake OBC certificates or actually do something and officially declare their caste to be an OBC and thats it. Done. Their future is secured. Do graduation somehow. And then come join politics and revive the future of the country.

Our preamble states that each citizen should be given EQUALITY of status and of opportunity but I dont think with the quota coming up, the citizens of the country will be provided with equal opportunities. I guess the  time is not far away when the people not belonging to OBC, SC, ST, etc will require a quota to thrive for existence.

Anyway, the only thing we can do is wait and watch the show. Fight hard for existence. Best of luck for the future guys!

Read more about the population of OBCs in India here.

Read about Other Backward Classes here.

Read about the constitution of India here.

25 Most Significant Events in India (After Independence)

Breaking News Online
Greetings Readers! Welcome to the 1000th post at Breaking News Online. We kept wondering what we should offer to our readers on this special occasion, but later realized something related to India would fit into this category. To refresh the memory of our readers and pay tribute to Mother India, we have come up with 25 most significant events in India post-independence.

We admit that there are hundreds of such events that could have been included in this list. Many people may differ with this list and instead suggest other events. So, we apologize in advance for not being to able to include their favorites.

We had sought our readers’ opinion and suggestion on this dream post. We have included the names of some readers who have given their valuable opinion and suggestion. A few readers suggested the events and I did the research to shed further light on those. They are listed in a chronological order. Without further ado, let’s take a tour of the events that made a significant impact on India and its people.

Read more here

Have come a long way

For so long I have felt that
I have always been…

There were tough times, hard situations to face,
an option somewhere existed which could make you go back
But then you were scared to go back, because
You were afraid of what you would face.

This…is not what I am here to say.

Since the last few months being like this, until now
I have made many a mistakes, but somehow
convinced myself with facts that i have done none,
just to believe you force it.

…not what I am here to say again.

I have been in to many a situations, where
i was tried and tested.
Somehow I always shut the door of my mind,
This time its open, wide open
for an uncomfortable guest.

This Is what I am Here to Say

Like a sound from light, I realize,
It is that time
Which is still running,

Running away from me, from you and from us.

ps: The fest is over!

Been there, done that

…and felt this before.

The feeling is familiar, but then i have not felt it in a while. It just comes and goes, and stays for sometime to make me feel guilty. To make me feel better (and also guilty), by remembering the good old days. I am many things but not the one which i am. And what i am is good enough for now, for me, for you and for all. For some reason me being like this is justified, or rather for some things and someone. Things may not work for us the way we want, but they are for the good of all of us. What comes out of my mouth, may not be truth, may not be what i mean. My actions may not be for the good. It sounds and feels miserable.

Have i said too much?

But then don worry what comes out of my mouth is nothing to worry about.

ps: It may not seem right or true… But it s true, it is true. Is it?

Something So Simple

Sometimes very simple things can make a difference. Something so simple like a good morning message in the morning can make your day good. A flash of a message on your mobile screen can cheer you up, make you feel special, its so different from rest of the feelings and you just cant explain it how exactly it feels like. But then it just feels different and special! 🙂

ps: Its weird and different!