The ozone Layer and the greenhouse effect Essay Example for Free

The ozone Layer and the greenhouse effect Essay Ozone, an allotrope of oxygen is present in the atmosphere in only tiny amounts. It is found almost entirely in the stratosphere. It is vital for our survival as it filters out harmful ultraviolet radiation. However if ozone reaches ground level it is harmful to human health. It weakens the bodys immune system and attacks lung tissue. Ozone is extremely reactive and reacts with other gases very quickly but there are also reactions that are producing ozone and without human intervention this ozone would be in a steady state equilibrium. The natural reactions that involve ozone are: In this reaction hindicates the photon of ultraviolet radiation that is absorbed. Reaction 2 is the one that produces the ozone and reaction 4 is the one that destroys it. The is also another reaction that destroys ozone. 5. O3 + h O + O2 This is the reaction that is responsible for the screening effect of ozone, since it absorbs ultraviolet radiation. Chemists are able to calculate the concentration of ozone that should be in the stratosphere by working out how fast the rate of making and destroying occur, but when they actually measured the concentration it was a great deal less than expected. This tells us that there must be something else that is destroying the ozone other that the natural reactions. There are other radicals in the stratosphere that can react with ozone. An example of these is the chlorine atom and the bromine atom. Chloromethane and bromomethane can get into the stratosphere naturally from the oceans and by burning of coal and vegetation. Most of the chloromethane and bromomethane react in the troposphere but some manage to get onto the stratosphere. Once in the stratosphere the chloromethane splits up due to solar radiation and then the chlorine atom is able to react with ozone. The reaction occurs in a catalytic cycle: 1. Cl + O3 ClO + O2 The ClO is another radical able to react again 2. ClO + O Cl + O2 So now there are two reaction competing to destroy ozone 1. Cl + O3 ClO + O2 2. O + O3 O2 + O2 In the stratosphere there is a much lower concentration of Cl atom compared to O atoms, so it would seem that the reaction with Cl would be insignificant but chemists have measured the rate of reaction of Cl with ozone and have found it to be 1500 faster than the rate of reaction with O atoms. Also because Cl atoms are regenerated in a catalytic cycle they play a large part in removing ozone. In the 1930s scientist Thomas Midgley demonstrated a new refrigerant. He inhaled a lungful of dichlorodifluoromethane (CCl2F2) and used it to blow out a candle. He was showing two of the properties of the gas; its lack of toxicity and lack of flammability. CCl2F2 belongs to family known as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), which contain chlorine, fluorine and carbon. Some other useful things about CFCs is there low boiling points and low reactivity. CFCs seemed to be the perfect answer to many problems. They had many uses such as propellant in aerosols, refrigerants, blowing agents for making expanded plastics and as cleaning solvents. In the troposphere they remain unreactive and there estimated lifetime is about 100 years. This gives them plenty of time to reach the stratosphere where they are no longer unreactive. They are split up by the solar radiation giving out the fluorine and chlorine to react in the stratosphere destroying ozone. In 1984 a group of British scientists discovered a hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica due to CFCs. Due to the scientists finding this hole there has been a worldwide ban on using CFCs since 1990. A replacement to CFCs are hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) and hydroflurocarbons (HFCs). The difference with these is that they contain a C-H bond which is quickly broken down in the troposphere before they have time to reach to stratosphere. Unfortunately they are not the perfect solution as they contribute to global warming. The Greenhouse effect occurs in the. Without it the Earth would be uninhabited. By trapping the Suns radiation the atmosphere keeps the temperature high enough to support life. Greenhouse gases are gases that trap the Suns radiation. Burning fossil fuels, therefore releasing CO2 can make more greenhouse gases effectively warming the Earth. The Sun radiates energy mainly in the ultraviolet and visible. The part that is absorbed helps to heat the Earth, and the Earth the radiates energy back into space. Some of the energy radiated is absorbed by the troposphere heat the Earth. This is known as the greenhouse effect. If we release to many greenhouse gases this will in turn heat the Earth more causing sea levels to rise as the ice caps melt. The rise in sea level will leave low-lying coastal place to disappear under-water. Tom Harbud 01/03/2001 Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Patterns of Behaviour section.

Female Foeticide In India

Female Foeticide In India India is a country of incredible ironies. It is a land where people worship myriad forms of female Shakti in quest of wealth, wisdom and power. In this country it is a common sight to see thousands of couples making arduous journeys every year to shrines of goddesses in order to be blessed with a child. But strangely enough, in this country, a couple is said to be ‘blessed only when it has a male child; for a girl is never considered a blessing in our society. Her birth seems to cast a pall of gloom over the entire family. Her birth is not rejoiced, instead the entire family moans. Gender biasness had been the typical attitude of the patriarchal Indian society since time immemorial. The Vedas contained passages which emphasized the necessity of son. ‘May you be the mother of a hundred sonshave always been a popular blessing by elders to young brides. It is indeed an undeniable fact that despite differences in social and intellectual status, almost all the sections of the society do stand on the same platform so far as their craving for male child is concerned. On the other hand, daughters are unwanted, they are considered burdensome and people who do not dare to carry this ‘burden for long dispose them off as quickly as possible, for in Incredible India, ‘killing of the girl child is no sin. Initially the girl child was put to death brutally, being throttled, poisoned or drowned in a bucket of water right after her birth. These had been the common practices followed particularly in the rural areas. However the evil of killing the girl child no longer remained confined to the rural people but equally attracted the urban population too who, despite being educated, seem to show a strong preference for the male child and the subsequent avoidance of the female child. The rapid advancement of science and technology proved a boon for these people as this had made the diabolic slaughter of the female child much easier and more sophisticated than before. The benefits of science, as usual, has again been misused by mankind and today by dint of the pre-natal sex determination tests, the female fetuses are selectively aborted. Hence we can say that in the modern era another shameful chapter has been added to the saga of oppression and exploitation meted out to women, in the form of ‘Female Foeticide. It is indeed heartening that in recent times when India boasts of its scientific achievements and discoveries, when the pages of textbooks are flooded with slogans of ‘Shining India, women in India are not only facing inequality and inequity in every sphere but they are denied even the right to be born. What is Female Foeticide? As a medical term, foeticide is destruction of a fetus. The term ‘Female Foeticide may be defined as the elimination of a female foetus at any stage of pregnancy, after determining its sex. It is also defined as killing of female foetus through induced abortion.Hence ‘Female Foeticide refers to the process of aborting a foetus if, after undergoing sex determination tests or pre-natal diagnostics tests, it is revealed that the foetus is female. In other words, it implies the barbarous act of killing the girl child in the womb itself, unseen and unheard, only for the fact that she is female. The misuse of medical science has facilitated the rapid growth of this heinous crime in the society today. A number of medical procedures are carried out to determine the sex of the unborn child such as : Amniocentesis Ultrasonography Foetoscopy Chorionic villi biopsy Placental tissue sampling etc. Out of these the most commonly used sex-determination test is amniocentesis. It was meant to be used as an aid to detect any abnormality in the unborn child. But over the years, especially since 1978, amniocentesis has become a widely used test by doctors to determine the sex of the foetus between 14-18 weeks of pregnancy. The ultrasound technique has also gained huge popularity. The trans-vaginal sonography has enabled to determine the sex of a foetus within 13-14 weeks of pregnancy and through abdominal ultrasound, sex determination is possible within 14-16 weeks. Whatever be the method employed, the reality is that these methods have made sex determination quite easier and cheaper, thereby encouraging the growth of Female Foeticide at a high rate. Reasons for High Rate of Female Foeticide in India: It has been widely accepted nowadays that girls are emotionally more attached to parents, more responsible in society and by no means less competent than boys. However withstanding all this, the typical orthodox Indian attitude accompanied with several socio-economic-cultural factors pervading in the society has always upheld the need of male child and disfavored the birth of girl child in the family. This has immensely contributed to the rampant growth of female foeticide in the country, thus making India one of the worst nations in the world plagued with skewed sex ratio. The most prominent factors encouraging Female Foeticide in India are listed below: i) Religious factors: The Hindu religion lays great stress on the birth of a son. In a Hindu patriarchal society it is the son who continues the family lineage or ‘Vansh. According to Manu, a man cannot attain moksha unless he has a son to light his funeral pyre. Also, it says a woman who gives birth to only daughters may be left in the eleventh year of marriage.Such gender biased customs and practices in the traditional Hindu society has over-emphasized the birth of sons and discouraged the birth of girl child in the family, thus paving the way for Female Foeticide. ii) Evil of Dowry:Dowry is essentially one of the factors which has encouraged the practice of Female Foeticide to a great extent. Parents find it a better option to avoid the female fetuses itself than to pay exorbitant rates in the form of ‘dowry while marrying off their daughters. Hence in order to escape from dowry people desperately go for sex selection tests and eliminate the female foetus. To most of the couples, especially the middle-class ones, it appears that ‘paying Rs. 500 at present is better than to pay Rs.5,00,000 in future.Conversely, the boy is viewed an asset to fetch fabulous dowry for the parents. Hence boys are naturally preferred to girls. iii)Financial Dependence of Females on Husband or In laws: In India, the socio-economic background has also been the villain behind the tragic female foeticide. Certain communities want to get rid of female child compelled by the circumstances of dehumanizing poverty, unemployment, superstition and illiteracy. iv) Secondary status of women in society: It is generally expected that sons would carry the family lineage forward, provide security and care to parents especially in old age, enhance family wealth and property and perform the last rites and rituals. Whereas daughters would go to anothers house draining out all the family wealth. Moreover they always need to be protected, defended and taken care of , thus imposing an extra burden over the family. Such conservative attitude of the Indian society which essentially regards women a ‘burden is one of the most potent factors which has induced strong son preference and hence encouraged Female Foeticide. All this factors clearly point out that the ever existing gender biasness in our country favoring the male and the stereotype notion of women as ‘burden is the primary cause acting behind the shocking statistics of Female Foeticide in India. Genesisand Growth of Female Foeticide in India: The Chilling Reality The devil of Female Foeticide first crept into the Indian society through the corridors of the northern states which engaged in gross misuse of amniocentesis.Amniocentesis first started in India in 1974 as a part of a sample survey conducted at the All India Institute of Medial Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, to detect foetal abnormalities. These tests were later stopped by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), but their value had leaked out by then and 1979 saw the first sex determination clinic opening in Amritsar, Punjab. Even though women organizations across the country tried their best to put a stop to this new menace, but were helpless because of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act 1971 which permitted the amniocentesis test as it claimed to be used for detection of foetal abnormalities,. According to the MTP Act, if any abnormality is detected between 12 to 18 weeks of gestational period in the foetus, an abortion can be legally carried out up to 20 weeks of pregna ncy. [5] Owing to this provision, amniocentesis could not be banned and its gross misuse continued. Although responding to the situation certain legal steps had been initiated by the government, however, the evil of Female Foeticide could not be curbed out but rather with the passage of time it has become all the more sdangerous. Today the issue of Female Foeticide in India is no longer only an issue of violation of womens rights only but rather it has become a chronic disease. It has become so widespread all over the country today that day by day we are actually inching closer to a nation without women. Weird it may sound, but the shocking statistics revealing the distorted sex ratio in our country compel us to accept this truth. According to the United Nations an estimated 2,000 unborn girls are illegally aborted every day in India. Another glaring example is the demographic profile of India which clearly indicates the profoundness and wide spread prevalence of female foeticide. India is a country of 102.7 crore population, out of which 53.1 crores is of males and 49.6 crores is of females, clearly indicating a deficit of 3.5 crore women. The sex ratio is 933 women /1000 men and child sex ratio is 927 girls for 1000 boys[6]. The intensity of this heinous crime in our country is revealed by the following figures: Sex Ratio(females per thousand males),India: 1901-2001 Year Sex-Ratio 1901 972 1911 964 1921 955 1931 950 1941 945 1951 946 1961 941 1971 930 1981 934 1991 929 2001 933 Thus as per these statistics reveal, the overall sex ratio in India is 933 females for every 1000 males, showing a marginal increase of 4 points from the 1991 census of 929. However, this is a very sorry state indeed and we are doing much worse than over a hundred years ago when the sex ratio was 972 in 1901, 946 in 1951 till the 933 today. The Trend of sex ratios in the age group of 0-6 years all over India Years Sex Ratio 1961 976 1971 964 1981 962 1991 945 2001 933 The above table clarifies that more and more baby girls have either been aborted or killed as infants since 1961 and that this trend continues strong even today. The intensity of sex ratio imbalance in the 0-6 age group in some states of India is indeed horrifying. In Punjab the sex ratio is (793 F: 1000 M), in Haryana it is (820 F: 1000 M), in Himachal Pradesh it is (897 F: 1000 M), in Gujarat it is (878 F: 1000 M). Recent government figures show that in South Delhi, the sex ratio is 762 females per 1000 males, while in Mumbais Borivalli its 728 females per 1000 males. In Jaipur itself, an average of 3500 instances of female foeticide is supposed to be carried per year. These figures undoubtedly point out that the country, is witnessing today the systematic extermination of the female child on a large scale. All most the whole of the country is under the grip of this menace. The following table estimates the intensity of Female Foeticide in the various states of India: States Showing High Foeticide Percentage State Female Foeticide ( percent to All India) Maharashtra 45.1 Madhya Pradesh 15.4 Haryana 14.3 Rajasthan 9.9 Andhra Pradesh 8.8 From the above table we find that ironically the developed and the richest states of India are the toppers in the list where female foeticide is extensive. According to UNICEF study done over 3 years (1994-1996), there are only five states in India where no case of foeticide or infanticide have been reported which are Sikkim, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Jammu Kashmir. An improvement in the child sex ratio whatsoever has only been marked in one state, Kerala, and two Union Territories, Lakshwadeep and Pondicherry. The reports published by various agencies also throw considerable light on this grim reality. The UN reports reveal that between 35 to 40 million girls missing from the Indian population. According to a study conducted recently in India, the first systematic study on female foeticide by an Indo-Canadian team, 10 million female foetuses have been aborted in India, What all the more shocking is according to its report every year, about 50,000 unborn girls-one in every 25-are aborted in India . The UNPFA report on â€Å"India Towards Population and Development Goals† published in 1997 also expressed its concern over the issue. It is estimated that 48 million women were ‘missing from Indias population. The report states â€Å"If the sex ratio of 1036 females per 1000 males observed in some states of Kerala in 1991 had prevailed in the whole country, the number of would be 455 million instead of the 407 million (in the 1991 census). Thus, there is a case of between 32 to 48 million missing females in the Indian society as of 1991 that needs to be explained.† It further stated that, â€Å"The 1991 census is only indicative of this disturbing trend when elsewhere in the world women outnumber men by 3 to 5 percent. There are 95 to 97 males to 100 females in Europe; the ratio is even less, 88 males to 100 females, in Russia, mainly due to causalities of World War 2†. According to the UNICEF report, 40 to 50 million girls have gone missing from Indian population since 1901 as a result of systematic gender discrimination in India. Thus in consideration of all these facts it is quite evident that Female Foeticide has taken a disastrous shape in India. It is the distressing reality of Shining India that the mass depletion of the fairer sex is being carried on boldly without any hesitation, without any fear. Laws in India to Check Female Foeticide : In India in order to stop the indiscriminate abortion of female fetuses several laws have been enacted. The essential provisions relating to the prevention of Female Foeticide are laid down in: Indian Penal Code 1860 The Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act,1971 The Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1994 a) Indian Penal Code 1860:Under the IPC adequate provisions have been made for the protection of mother and unborn child. Under Section 312, 313and 314, the IPC provides to save the women from miscarriage. Miscarriage means the expulsion of the child or foetus from the mothers womb at any period of pregnancy before the term of gestation is completed. Though the term â€Å"miscarriage† is not defined in the I.P.C in its popular sense, it is synonymous with abortion, and consists in the explosion of the embryo or foetus, i.e. the immature product of conception. The stage at which pregnancy has advanced and the form which the ovum or embryo may have assumed are immaterial.Any act intended, not in good faith to cause miscarriage is punishable under IPC. The punishment for this offence is further enhanced if the woman is ‘quick with child. The term ‘Quickening refers to the peculiar sensations experienced by a woman about the fourth or fifth month of pregnancy. The symp toms are popularly ascribed to the first perception of the movement of the foetus. According to Section 312 if any person causes a miscarriage of woman, he shall be punished with the imprisonment up to three years or fine or with both, and if the woman be quick with child, he shall be punished with imprisonment up to seven years and fine also. Under this section a woman who causes her miscarriage or gives consent to miscarry is also liable for punishment. Section 313 provides the punishment for life or ten years and fine, who causes the miscarriages of a woman without her consent. In the case of Tulsi Devi v. State of U.P, the accused women kicked a pregnant woman in her abdomen resulting in miscarriage. She was held to be convicted under Section 313. Section 314further provides that if the act directed to cause miscarriage results in death of the pregnant woman, the offender is punishable with imprisonment of ten years as well as with fine. However the IPC permits abortion for saving the life of the pregnant women. Section 312 allows the termination of pregnancy in good faith for saving the life of the pregnant woman. The term good faith, however, is not a constant term but it is varied from case to case. The General Clauses Act 1897 defines good faith as, â€Å"A thing shall be deemed to be done in good faith where it is, in fact done honestly.† IPC defines good faith as â€Å"Nothing is said to be done or believed in good faith which is done or believed without due care and attention†. In addition to these, Section 315 and 316 provides for protection against injuries to the unborn child. Section 315 lays down that any person doing an act without good faith with the intention of preventing a child to be born or to cause it die after birth is punishable with imprisonment of ten tears or fine or both. Section 316 provides if a person causes the death of a quick unborn child by an act amounting to culpable homicide he shall be punishable with imprisonment for ten years as well as be fined. Like the Indian law, protection to the unborn child has also been recognized and guaranteed in other countries too. Such as in the United States thirty-five states currently recognize the unborn child or fetus as a homicide victim. 25 of those states apply this principle throughout the period of pre-natal development while 10 establish protection at some later stage, which varies from state to state. For example, the Supreme Court of California treats the killing of a fetus as homicide, but does not treat the killing of an embryo (prior to approximately eight weeks) as homicide. The Unborn Victims of Violence Act enacted in 2004 recognizes the ‘child in utero as a member of the species homo sapiens, at any stage of development, who is carried in the womb. This ‘child in utero is recognized as a legal victim if he or she is injured or killed during the commission of any of 68 existing federal crimes of violence and offered legal remedy as per the state laws. However, the f ederal and state courts have consistently held that these laws do not apply to apply to legal induced abortions and do not contradict the U.S. Supreme Courts rulings on abortion.But unlawful abortion however may be considered foeticide, even if the pregnant woman consents to the abortion..Similarly the English law also gives protection to the unborn child. It recognizes ‘Child Destruction as a crime. ‘Child destruction refers to the crime of killing a child capable of being born alive, before it has a separate existence. The Crimes Act 1958 defined capable of being born alive as 28 weeks gestation, later reduced to 24 weeks. b)The Medical Termination Of Pregnancy Act, 1971: The MTP Act is another attempt to prevent high rate of female foeticide in India. This Act aims in preventing large number of unsafe abortions. The Act clearly states that an abortion can be termed legal only when- Termination is done by a medical practitioner approved by the Act Termination is done at a place approved under the Act Termination is done for conditions and within the gestation prescribed by the Act Other requirements of the rules regulations are complied with. It permits termination of pregnancy only when Continuation of pregnancy constitutes risk to the life or grave injury to the physical or mental health of woman or there is a substantial risk of physical or mental abnormalities in the fetus as to render it seriously handicapped or if pregnancy caused by rape (presumed grave injury to mental health) or due to contraceptive failure in married couple (presumed grave injury to mental health).However termination of pregnancy is possible Upto 20 weeks of gestation period only With the consent of the woman. If the woman is below 18 years or is mentally ill, then with consent of a guardian With the opinion of a registered medical practitioner, formed in good faith, under certain circumstances With the opinion of two RMPs required for termination of pregnancy between 12 and 20 weeks. Also such abortion is to be conducted either at a hospital established or maintained by Government or at a place approved for the purpose of this Act by a District-level Committee constituted by the government with the CMHO as Chairperson. Thus this Act on one hand positively aims to improve the maternal health scenario by upholding the validity of legally induced abortions and negatively, on the other hand, seeks to reduce illegal abortions. Also it is to be noted that such strict principles laid down by the Act for the regulation of abortion is a bold attempt by the Indian Legislature to check Female Foeticide. The Act seeks to put an end to the menace of illegal abortions carried out primarily for the elimination of female fetuses. c) The Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulations and Prevention of Misuse) Act 1994:The PNDT Act is the outcome of the realization of the Parliament that a central piece of legislation had become mandatory for stopping the abuse of pre natal diagnostic techniques. When it was quite evident from the mushroom growth of clinics all over that the pre-natal diagnostic techniques were not restricted for the purpose of detection of genetic disorders or chromosomal abnormalities or congenital abnormalities or sex-linked diseases only but was actually leading to female foeticide, for the first time in India, in 1986, a social action group in Mumbai namely the Forum Against Sex Determination and Sex Pre-selection (FASDSP), initiated a campaign. On its pressure the Maharashtra government enacted the Maharashtra Regulation of Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act 1988, which was the first anti sex determination drive in the country. This was followed by a similar Act being introduced in Punjab in May 1994. However both these Acts were repealed by the enactment of a central legislation, i.e. the Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Regulation and Prevention of Misuse) Act 1994, which came into effect from 01.01.1996, banning sex determination tests all over the country. This Act was renamed in 2002 as the Pre- Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act, 1994 (PCPNDT Act) which came to effect from 14.02.2003. The PCPNDT Act chiefly provides for : Prohibition of sex selection, before and after conception. Regulation of prenatal diagnostic techniques (e.g. aminocentesis and ultrasonography) for detection of genetic abnormalities, by restricting their use to registered institutions. The Act allows the use of these techniques only at a registered institutions .The Act allows the use of these techniques only at a registered place for a specified purpose and by a qualified person, registered for this purpose. Prevention of misuse of such techniques for sex selection before or after conception. Prohibition of advertisement of any technique for sex selection as well as sex determination. Prohibition on sale of ultrasound machines to persons not registered under this Act. Punishment for violations of the Act. This Act requires that all diagnostic centres must be registered with the authorities. They are required to maintain detailed records of all pregnant women undergoing scans there. These records must include the referring doctor, medical and other details of the woman, reason for doing the scan, and signatures of the doctors. These records must be submitted to the authorities periodically. For implementing the Act, â€Å"appropriate authorities† are appointed at the state level and work with the director of health services, a member of a womens organization and an officer of the law. At the district level, the appropriate authority is the medical officer or civil surgeon. Advisory committees consisting of doctors, social workers and people with legal training assist appropriate authorities. Supervisory boards at the state and central levels look at the implementation of the Act. The appropriate authority may cancel the diagnostic centres registration, make independent investiga tions, take complaints to court, and take appropriate legal action. It may demand documentation, search premises, and seal and seize material. Courts may respond only to complaints from the appropriate authority. Under the Act the following people can be charged-everyone running the diagnostic unit for sex selection, mediators who refer pregnant women to the test, and relatives of the pregnant woman. The pregnant woman is considered innocent under the Act, â€Å"unless proved guilty†. So far as penalties under the Act are concerned, it consists of imprisonment for up to three years and a fine of up to Rs. 10,000. This is increased to five years and Rs. 100,000 for subsequent offences. Doctors charged with the offence will be reported to the State Medical Council, which can take the further necessary action including suspension. These are the three chief legislative measures initiated in India for combating the evil of Female Foeticide. Judicial Response to Female Foeticide in India: The Indian Judiciary has from time to time come up with ingenious ways to provide protection to the fairer sex and this essentially includes the group of unborn girls too. The Supreme Court in the case of â€Å"Centre for Enquiry into Health and Allied Themes (CEHAT) and others v.Union of India† which was filed under section 32 of the Constitution of India under PIL issued directions to Central Supervisory Board, all State Governments and Union Territories for proper and effective implementation of the PCPNDT Act which mandates that sex selection by any person, by any means, before or after conception, is prohibited. Since 2001, the judiciary has been closely monitoring the implementation of its various orders passed regarding the ban on the use of ultrasound scanners for conducting such tests. Subsequently, it had sought status reports from all states and Union Territories. The Supreme Court also directed 9 companies to supply the information of the machines sold to various clinics in the last 5 years.. Addresses received from the manufacturers were also sent to concerned states and to launch prosecution against those bodies using ultrasound machines that had filed to get themselves registered under the Act. The court directed that the ultrasound machines/scanners be sealed and seized if they were being used without registration. The Supreme Court also asked three associations viz., The Indian Medical Association [IMA], Indian Radiologist Association [IRA], and the Federation of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Societies of India [FOGSI] to furnish details of members using these machines. It is to be noted that since the Supreme Court had issued such directives, 99 cases were registered and in 232 cases ultrasound machines, other equipment and records were seized Today there is an estimated 25000 ultrasound machines in the country, of these 15000 have been registered, owing to the efforts of the Judiciary. The Supreme Court in the case of Mr. Vijay Sha rma and Mrs. Kirti Sharma vs. Union of India the Supreme Court has recently quoted that â€Å" foeticide of girl child is a sin; such tendency offends dignity of women. It undermines their importance. It violates womans right to life. It violatesArticle39(e) of theConstitutionwhich states the principle of state policy that the health and strength of women is not to be abused. It ignores Article51A (e) of theConstitutionwhich states that it shall be the duty of every citizen of India to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women. The architects of the MTPA, 1971, have not taken into consideration the fundamental rights of the foetus to be born. It is submitted that ‘life exists in the foetus while in the womb of the mother and in this context Article 21 of the constitution of India is applicable to unborn person as well.† Current Scenario of the extent of Female Foeticide in India subsequent to the Legislative initiatives and Judicial attempts: It is quite unfortunate that in India despite enactment of effective laws there has been a little change in the psychology and behavior in the people who still have a damn care attitude in causing the death of that most vulnerable being in India the female foetus. The PCPNDT Act has not been successful to curb out this menace completely but has somewhere or the other contributed to the mushroom growth of private clinics all over the country where people desperately visit for conducting sex selective abortions. Another shameful picture which has come out is that of the doctor community, more often labeled as Gods in our country, are seen to commit a blatant violation of law as well as medical ethics. The zeal with which Female F

The Character Falstaff in Shakespeares Henry IV Essay -- Henry IV Hen

The Character Falstaff in Shakespeare's Henry IV Sir John Falstaff has a number of functions in 1 Henry IV, the most obvious as a clownish figure providing comic relief. His many lies and exaggerations entertain because of the wit and cleverness he employs to save himself from paying debts and answering for crimes. He in many ways represents an everyman--a sinner with little shame or honor, who nonetheless maintains at least an outward concern for honor and appearances. "If sack and sugar be a fault, God help the wicked! If to be old and merry be a sin, then many an old host that I know is damn'd. . . . [Banish the others] but for sweet Jack Falstaff, kind Jack Falstaff, true Jack Falstaff, valiant Jack Falstaff . . . banish plump Jack, and banish all the world." (II.iv) Clearly, Falstaff hopes to exculpate himself by arguing that his sins are no worse than everyone else's. And it is this aspect of Falstaff, that he is like the others, that is perhaps the most intriguing--Is Falstaff a foil or mirror of the other characters, notably Hotspur and Prince Hal? We see Shakespeare setting up parallel situations that reveal how we should read the characters. For example, many critics see a kind of teacher/student or even father/son relationship in Falstaff and Hal's relationship. This relationship is not filled with mutual respect however. Falstaff no doubt hopes that his fraternizing with the young Prince will mean a pay-off in titles, money, and prestige when Hal comes into power. Falstaff asks the Prince, "Do not thou, when thou art king, hang a thief" (I.ii); thieving is after all Falstaff's "vocation," so he shows here that he is already thinking of how to gain an advantage of the future king's influence. As for Hal, he c... ...honor of the bawdy house, of the drunken boast, but true honor that is based in fact and in deed. He can rise to the occasion of besting the best of the foemen. He rejects his false "father" Falstaff and rushes to the aid of his real father, saving him in battle. Yet, he has taken something from Falstaff too, and that is his humor, his flexible mind, his joy of life. He lets stand Falstaff's absurd claim that he Falstaff has killed Percy. In this, Hal shows modesty and true self-confidence. To that he has blended Hotspur's valor and honor while avoiding Hotspur's brittle hair-splitting and unalloyed pride. In Hal, Shakespeare successfully merges the two extremes of Falstaff and Percy into a human and humane whole. Works Cited: Shakespeare, William.Henry IV.In The Norten Anthology of English Literature.Eds. M.H. Abrams et all. 5th Ed. New York: Norton, 1987.

sterphen spielberg :: essays research papers fc

Stephen Spielberg has directed some of the most popular, and highest grossing, movies of all time. He has directed six of the top 25 highest grossing movies of all time, and is clearly one of the most notable directors of our day. Stephen Spielberg was born on December 18th, 1947 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Stephen's family moved around a lot, and Stephen had troubles fitting in at school. His peers constantly picked him on for his physical weakness and his ethnic background. Stephen is Jewish, and in his childhood he attended predominately non-Jewish schools. (Reed/Cunneff 139) His father Arnold was a computer engineer, and his mother Leah was a restaurateur. Stephen was a practical joker, who constantly played tricks on his sisters. Stephen found his best mode of expression however, through an old eight-millimeter camera that he had found in his garage. Spielberg focused all of his time and effort into this new form of expression he had found, even at the expense of other things in his l ife. In an article in Time magazine Spielberg said, "From age twelve or thirteen I knew I wanted to be a movie director, and I didn't think that science or math or foreign languages were going to help me turn out the little 8-mm sagas I was making to avoid homework. "(Contemporary Authors 3) Movies were also helping Stephen to escape his family life, where at home things were bad with his parents, and when Stephen was twelve years old his parents got divorced. This only helped to clarify Stephen's love of film. After he completed high school, Spielberg was well on his way to becoming a director. He had already won student awards for some of his short films, and one of them, a movie called Firelight, had actually been shown in a local movie theatre. As a young high school graduate, Spielberg would often take tours to Universal Studios, and then sneak off for hours to tour the lot by himself. He did this almost every day after graduating from high school. (Contemporary Authors 3) At age twenty Spielberg was signed to a seven-year contract with Universal television after an executive of the company saw some of his films. Under this contract, Spielberg would direct Duel, his first TV movie, and his first movie to gain widespread critical attention. The TV film was even released as a feature film in some countries.

musical genres :: essays research papers

Music. Fascinating both by it’s diverse individual styles and the inevitable fusion of different genres which in turn have created other completely new and unique styles of music. Classical music is a perfect example. The earliest forms of classical music were composed in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries and displayed a very complicated and sophisticated form of writing incorporating a wide range of instruments and used the principle of multi instrumentation which achieved a very full symphonic sound which in turn led to the creation of specially designed halls to facilitate the sound. The origins of the music were also diverse, many compositions having been written for the stage, composers such as ‘Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky’ who is responsible for the remarkable musical compositions of ‘Swan Lake’ and ‘The Nutcracker’ wrote his music for Ballet in a style which was not only captivating and enchanting, but also told a story. T chaikovsky was not the only composer to do this, ‘Richard Wagner’ who was a composer of Opera’s also wrote his music in a style that told a story. Wagner changed the concept of opera by viewing it as a ’total art work’ He wanted the Conductor to control all the elements of the dramatic production and to put them to work in projecting the drama through the Music. In the same diversified way the composers of the time wrote for dances to be performed on the stage, others wrote for dances that were popular at the time, such as the waltz, in this instance Composers such as ‘Josef Lanner’ and ‘Johann Strauss’ gave the waltz a whole new life. With their compositions the waltz gained sophistication and superiority Along with a distinctly Viennese light-hearted spirit. But not all classical music composers wrote for the stage or even for dance. Some composed music for the things they felt were important. ‘Johann Sebastian Bach ’ was amongst this group, he was a very religious man who composed for the church, primarily, he was a man of God, and often he would concentrate on the depth of his religion and put it back into his music, as an intense personal statement of faith. But where Bach wrote for the church composers such as ‘George Fredric Handel’ wrote for the general public he was a man of the world who loved to travel and who put this across in his music. Handel’s compositions varied where some were simple others were a lot more vigorous.

Methodology into preparing a business idea Essay

The aim of my project is to research a potential business venture to see if it would be feasible to open a sandwich shop situated at the bottom of the Station Road facing Wallsend Forum. In the beginning I intend for my sandwich shop to be a small, local business which I will eventually expand on if funds permit it. My business is being situated in Wallsend for many reasons. Firstly, I am from the area and know first hand that similar businesses in the area are extremely successful and I believe that by improving some of the more negative aspects of rival business I can make a success of the business. Secondly, the rent on a premises is a lot more reasonable in Wallsend, alternatively I could have chosen Newcastle City Centre, however after looking into the cost of renting an outlet I finally decided on Wallsend, as a property in Newcastle would cost a minimum of 5 times of what I could have in Wallsend, there would be a lot more business in Newcastle, but I could not afford to rent such an expensive property this early into the venture, however, in future it is something I may consider. I have chosen this area because it has a high population of 213,983, it is also linked to many main roads which has a huge amount of traffic each day which I feel will benefit my business. Wallsend also has a bus terminal and has 3 metro stations within walking distance, I believe this will greatly contribute to my business and generate a healthy custom. I will be able to research this by using methods such as questionnaires, surveys and conducting primary and secondary research into similar businesses in the area to compare them to get a good indication of costs and such. To see if my business venture will be successful I will need to conduct various types of primary and secondary research. This is so I can gather information about my type of business and estimate demand and such. All of this collated information will give me an indication of whether my business will be a success. I will be conducting both primary and secondary research as both of them pose benefits to my market research. Primary research will be beneficial because I can aim my questions specifically at my research objectives, therefore I will only obtain necessary information, there is no risk of having outdated information because all of the information will be current, I could also give my potential customers a preview of what type of products they can expect from my business by providing samples. However, there are also negative aspects of using primary research, for example, they can be very expensive and time consuming, organising samples and getting people to help survey will be costly and also time consuming. In addition, there is always a risk of interviewer and questionnaire bias, questions may be worded so it directs respondents to choose a specific answer, which will make the information collected invalid. Secondary research also has its advantages, it is often inexpensive and can be obtained for free, also if you have enough information from various similar businesses it can give a wide overview of the general market, and it is often based on large samples which is extremely beneficial if you cannot conduct a large enough survey yourself, it also often includes official sales figures. Similar to primary research, it also has its drawbacks, the data may be outdated which makes it irrelevant to the current day market, it is never specific to your business and could only contain a small amount of relevant information, if the information required does require a fee, then it can be very expensive however it will report on different kinds of market, including your own, again only providing a small amount of information relevant to your business. I could conduct my primary research in a variety of ways, I could use a postal survey, where I would deliver a survey through the post and expect the respondents to reply, this can be advantageous because it saves a lot of time and money, delivering a postal survey around the area of my business wouldn’t take as long as some other methods and I could do it myself rather than having to employ people to help. However, the amount of surveys I would receive back would be a small percentage of what I had handed out, which would render the process pointless, however if I stated that respondents would receive a free gift the response would be higher. I could conduct a face to face survey in which I would ask questions on the streets of Wallsend. The benefits of this would be that it would raise awareness of my business and create a curiosity amongst the respondents which is already a form of unintentional promotion, and also let my potential customers get to know information about the business before it opens, in addition, the data is quite simple to analyse and it wouldn’t take long to compile the data. On the other hand, this would be quite time consuming as a lot of people refuse to take part in street surveys, also I would need to employ others to help because I would not be capable of conducting a large enough survey to base any decisions on. Finally I could create a focus group, in which I ask groups of 6-8 consumers questions about their expectations of a sandwich shop and analyse their answers. This would be extremely informative and will give the option of interviewing 6-8 people all at the same time, which saves a lot of time. In contrast, it would be very difficult to organise a group of 6-8 people to discuss products and services and I would perhaps have to reward them for their participation, moreover, if my respondents are in a group they may not air their own opinion and just agree with the general consensus of the group which would make my data inaccurate. I have decided to conduct a face to face survey as I feel it would be the most beneficial to my business. Taking into account that I am a relatively small local business opening in an area which has similar businesses I think it would be extremely beneficial to create an awareness of the sandwich shop in advance of the opening. Moreover, the data can be analysed quickly and almost effortlessly. I have chosen this method over the other 2 I have previously mentioned because I feel it would cost the least, and in the first year of my business, costs are paramount. I need to find out potential customers expectations of a sandwich shop and what people expect to pay and what services they think are essential to the business being a success. My questionnaire will take place in Wallsend town centre, as that is where my business is based. When deciding who I want to take my questionnaire I had to look at sampling, I could conduct a random sample survey in which I question people of all ages, sizes, classes and so forth to ensure that I have covered every possible type of person that could be a potential customer, which will give me a representative conclusion based on the opinion of a wide range of different people rather than targeting a specific type. The disadvantage of this is that it can be very expensive and time consuming to pick people at complete random, for example from a telephone book. It can also be a very slow process, depending on the sample size. Instead of using this method I could use a quota sample, which in essence is interviewing anyone and everyone that comes along, similarly to random sampling in that age, size, classes etc, are irrelevant. This sampling method is extremely cheap and effective way of sampling because I can conduct this when and where I like, it is used by most businesses. The only drawback of this method is that your questionnaire may require a specific type of person to survey (men for sportswear for example) so if that were the case this method would be useless. I have decided to use quota sampling when conducting my survey because it is very cheap and flexible in terms of time consumption, which is a far more suitable solution than random sampling in where it would require a lot more work, manpower and time. In addition, my survey is applicable to everyone, as it is a service that everyone, regardless of characteristics, could use at some point.

A Loaf of Breasd Essay

â€Å"A Loaf of Bread† by James Alan McPherson is a story about a man named Harold Green who is accused of cheating customers due to his overpriced products being sold at one of his supermarkets. Throughout the story, Green is faced with a plethora of different obstacles that he has to overcome in order to prove not only to his family, but to himself that he is a honest and caring man. There are many different lessons and themes you can pick out from this story, but one in particular that I feel is important is the relationship between Harold Green and Nelson Reed. Both men are introduced as complete opposites of each other, but as the story progresses they both discover that they are very much alike and the animosity they once shared was nothing more than a mere misunderstanding. By the end of the story, they both learn a lot from each other and that judging someone without knowing their position or seeing things from their perspective can often lead to false verdicts. â€Å"I did not make this world,† he repeated. â€Å"I only make my way in it† This quote perfectly describes Harold Green and his perspective on life. In the beginning of the story, Green is introduced as a selfish but honest man. He knew that he was overcharging customers in his store, but to him it was something he had to do in order to provide for his family even if it meant losing them. â€Å"What is the color of these people?† he asked. â€Å"Black,† his wife said. â€Å"And what is the name of my children?† â€Å"Green.† The grocer smiled. â€Å"There is your answer,† he told his wife. â€Å"Green is the only color I am interested in.† This furthermore shows that Green starts off as a selfish man. He chose to ignore the needs of his customers due to his lust for cash. Nelson Reed on the other hand, was introduced as a very proud and caring Christian man. He believed that what Green was doing was wrong, and felt the need to stand up for his people. Although both men seem to be complete opposites of each other, they still shared similar characteristics. They were both very stubborn and determined to stand up for what they believe in. Green at first, did not want to give in to his wife and give away his products for free. He refused to because he believed he was right, and that he needed to stand up for himself. Reed, although different from Green, shared a similar perspective about the whole situation. He felt the need to stand up for himself and his people. As the two characters progress, they both come to terms on one thing; money rules the world. â€Å"The only thing that matters in this world is money.† This quote by Reed depicts a better understanding between the two. Reed is finally starting to see things through Green’s eyes and realizes that he would’ve done the same thing as Green if he had owed the store. â€Å"Place yourself in my situation†¦ Say on a profit scale of fifteen to forty percent, at what point in between would you draw the line?† â€Å"Forty? Maybe even forty-five or fifty?† the grocer breathed in Reed’s ear. â€Å"In the supermarkets, you know, they have more subtle ways of accomplishing such feats.† Reed slapped his coffee cup with the back of his right hand. The brown liquid swirled across the counter top, wetting the books. â€Å"Damn this!† he shouted.† Although Reed is reluctant to believe he is like Green, he is now putting himself in Green’s shoes. In a way, it’s almost like Reed is giving in to himself. Green does the same thing. One morning Green decides to give in to himself and give out his products for free. In the end, as Green is in the middle of giving out items, Reed walks in and insists that he pay for the loaf of bread his wife had taken for free earlier. â€Å"I think it was brown bread. Don’t that cost more than white?† â€Å"In my store, yes,† Harold Green said. He rang the register with the most casual movement of his finger. The register read fifty-five cents. Nelson Reed held out a dollar. â€Å"And two cents tax,† the grocer said. The man held out the dollar. â€Å"After all,† Harold Green said. â€Å"We are all, after all, Mr. Reed, in debt to the government.† This last quote from the story sums up the change we see in both characters. Green has now learned that there is more to life than just money and himself, whereas Reed learns to respect Green’s profession. The fact that Reed paid full price for the bread shows that he understands Green’s position in contrast to the beginning where he saw it as a crime how Green had overpriced his items. In the end, both men had learned valuable lessons, and although at first were very different and opposing of each other, came to terms that they are no more than two similar people making money for the government.