India – My Study Times

Inflation :

INFLATION
Increase in general price level due to increase in demand without any corresponding growth in output is called inflation. When increased spending leads to economic growth, it is called inflation. This reduces the value of the home currency and won’t let it buy the same amount as it would earlier. The rise in the general price level is always on the board. Rapid hike in prices has called for great frustration and unrest among the people. Inflation is a product of excess demand in the economy. However, due to this product, the rich become richer, and the poor become poorer. In spite of the fact that the concerned authorities have taken up many measures to develop the economy, inflation is still a matter of concern. Lack of general awareness is the primary reason that all the measures of planned development fail each time. Also, India being a vast nation, the least information percolates to the lower levels. The unaware customer allows himself to be robbed due to which he is no less to be blamed for the state of affairs.

Moreover, moving towards urbanization and achieving better standards of living, has rapidly increased the cost of living. People, these days demand more than they used to demand earlier. Continuous fall in the rupee can also be a reason to this change in the demand. A significant chunk of the government’s annual income is its taxation policy. The taxes they receive from the ordinary people are used for public welfare and to make living easy for the public. But there exists a lack of control and check over government spending. Corrupt officers have pocketed a good amount without any shame, which results in low-quality services and creation of numerous loopholes in the system. As a result, the benefits of these expenditures do not reach the public. Inflation majorly affects the middle-class people and the salaried people. There is a continuous rise in the most used commodities like kerosene, petrol, railway fares, cooking gas and other items of daily use. Such unforeseen price level changes have left the common man helpless. Greedy traders, black marketeers and hoarders should also be brought to light with the corrupt officials. Hoardings of essential commodities, deprive the nation of much-needed resources. Moreover, it serves as a bad example.

As government alone is not responsible for such plight of the economy, customers will also have to join hands to bring down the continuous price rise. The loss of faith and morality caused by inflation can be revived with the help of government’s fiscal policy and RBI’s monetary policy.

Government should curtail all the wasteful expenditures as in this way it would reduce the budget deficit. Secondly, price fixing in the case of commodities of daily use can also be a measure of aid. Malpractices like hoarding should checked and regulated. These kind of practices should be strictly discouraged. A suitable system of distribution should be developed for the lower section of the society. General mob can try and invest their money in equities. Buy assets because equities are a better bet on the face of inflation in comparison to bonds and cash.

Right intention to make India, a better place is all what we need. Let us join hands and help our government to bring down the soaring prices.

As every coin has two sides, inflation also has a better side. According to some economists, inflation is good for the economy to some extent because if deflation prevails in the economy, situations can be worse. Deflation compels people to stop spending which ceases the money supply and further increases deflation. The entire economy can collapse. Inflation is considered to be a good indicator of economic growth unless it is hyperinflation.

History of Ancient India

History of Ancient India began with the Indus civilization and the arrival of the Aryans. These two stages are usually known as the Pre-Vedic and Vedic period. The first Veda is the org which tells about the past of India and is the earliest source of information. According to the ambiguous and vague astronomical information is likely to be composed around 1500 BC-1000 BC.

Ashoka’s Period

In the fifth century, the majority of India was under the rule of Ashoka. The sixth Century B.C. was a period of immense turmoil in India. The empire of Magadha, one of the sixteen grand Janapadas had become supreme over other kingdoms of the Ganges Valley. This period also saw the emergence of a variety of deviating sections in India. This was the time when Buddhism and Jainism come forward as popular protestant movements as a serious challenge to the Brahmanic prevailing attitude.

Ashoka was one of the most commanding kings of the Indian subcontinent. A head of the Mauryan Empire, Ashoka ruled over the country from 273 BC to 232 BC. The reign of Emperor Ashoka sheltered most of India, South Asia and beyond, stretching from present day Afghanistan and parts of Persia in the west, to Bengal and Assam in the east, and Mysore in the south.

Mauryan Period

This period was pursued by the Mauryas out of which the most renowned was Ashoka the Great. But his eminence rests not so much on military conquests as on his celebrated abandonment of war.

Chandragupta Maurya was the founder of the Maurya Empire in India. He is recognized for bringing together the minute fragmented kingdoms of the country and combining them into a single large empire. As per the Greek and Latin accounts, King Chandragupta Maurya is known as Sandracottos or Andracottus. The great economist of the world “Chanakya” had given their tips about economics in this period.

Guptas’ Period

For the next four hundred years (after the great Mauryas), India remained politically separated and feeble. It was constantly raided and plundered by foreigners. Steadiness was refurbished by the Guptas. The Gupta age was the period of tranquility and opulence and witnessed an extraordinary blossoming of art, literature and the sciences. This period also saw the foundation of Hindu temple architecture.

Harshavardhana’s Period

After the Guptas there was serenity, in the era of Harshavardhana of Kannauj. A Chinese traveler, Hsuen-tsang visited India from 629 – 645 A.D. during the reign of Harshavardhana. His account gives us a chance to make a note of the changes that had taken place in the lives of the Indian people since the rule of the Guptas.

Harshavardhana was an Indian Emperor, who ruled over the northern parts of India for a period of more than forty years. His empire was spread over the states of Punjab, Bengal, Orissa and the entire Indo-Gangetic plain, lying to the north of the Narmada River.

Each epoch is matchless in its unique culture. In the same way Indian art forms have endlessly progressed over thousands of years. In ancient India, a range of art forms like paintings, architecture and sculpture evolved. The history of art in ancient India set in motion with prehistoric rock paintings.

India and its neighboring countries are so similar in culture and climatic conditions that the region is on occasionally called the Indian sub-continent. In ancient times the geography of India was a slight different than what it is these days. In the northern part of India stand the Himalayan Mountains and the Hindu Kush stand in the North West.

In the Vedic age people did not have a settled life and were nomads but with development in agriculture people started to settle down in groups. The organization was mostly tribal and the head of the tribe was supposed to be the raja or the King.

The predominant religion in ancient India was Hinduism. The ancestry of Hindu religion can be traced back to the Vedic period. Hinduism is believed to be the oldest of foremost religions and initiated in northern India.According to Greek philosophers slavery did not exist in ancient India.

Aryabhatta’s Inventions

Aryabhatta, the great astronomer and scientist, discovered zero. The Indus valley civilization was one of the most advance civilizations in provisions of town planning etc.

Read More about Aryabhatta : Biography of Aryabhatta

Indus Valley Civilization

Indus Valley Civilization was an ancient civilization that flourished in the Indus and Ghaggar-Hakra river valleys, now in Pakistan, along with the northwestern parts of India, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. The civilization, which is also known as Harappan Civilization, lasted from 3300 BC to 1700 BC. The discovery of the Ancient Indus River Valley Civilization was made, when the Harappan city, the first city of Indus Valley, was excavated.

Read Also : History of India – Cave to Home

Vedic Period

The Vedic Period or the Vedic Age refers to that time period when the Vedic Sanskrit texts were composed in India. The social order that flourished during that time is known as the Vedic Period, or the Vedic Age, Civilization. The Vedic Civilization flourished between the 1500 BC and 500 BC on the Indo-Gangetic Plains of the Indian subcontinent.

The Vedic period spotted the end of the history of ancient India and thus the commencement of the Incredible India .

Questions on History of ancient India :

Outline of ancient India
Ancient India History
Ancient Civilizations for Kids
Ancient India From the Indus Valley Civilisation to Mughal Imperialism
When did ancient India begin and end?
What is the history of India?
Who all invaded India?
What is ancient India?
Significance of Ancient Indian History
Brief History Of India
Revisiting the history of ancient India

Importance of Sanskrit Essay , Article , Speech

Importance of Sanskrit : Whatever we have learned about our country; its traditions, ethics, beliefs has come from the primary language of India – Sanskrit. It has come down to us as a legacy and has told a bunch of stuff about the times of yore. Sanskrit is the only language which has preserved its pristine clarity. It is the language of the ancient India which tells us about the Vedic period and its civilizations. The name comes from the root word – sam-skar meaning – to put together or compose.

About Sanskrit Language

Sanskrit is also referred as a refined and sophisticated way of speech. It is the prime and the most sacred language of Hinduism. This is the only language used to perform all the ritual rites in major ceremonies like prayers, weddings and other spiritual activities. Shlokas, Mantras and Hymns are recited in Sanskrit as it is said to be the most sacred and pure language. Sanskrit is known as the deva- bhasha, meaning Lord of languages and in India it is regarded as the mother of all the languages across the globe. There is a chance that it is one of the oldest languages on the earth. This language is known as more perfect than Greek, more copious than Latin and more refined than either. Sanskrit is regarded as the most scientific language and the perfect vehicle of communication by connoisseurs like – Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , Max Mueller , Mrs. Indira Gandhi and Sir William Jones to name a few. It differentiates itself as the only language which has built in method of pronunciation, word formation and grammar.

Mother of All Languages ( Importance of Sanskrit )

This language has significantly contributed to the entire world in many ways. It has given some very vital root words to the English language and mostly all the Indian languages including- Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil and Bengali. It has an astounding vocabulary – having 96 words for a single feeling – love. This tells that it is a language of love and humanity, peace and tranquillity. It is also called the language of heart. Whatever be the emotion one wishes to display – devotion, love, affection, fear, threat, anger, compassion, benevolence, admiration, surprise the most appropriate words of Sanskrit can flow like a gushing stream. No wonder, it is the oldest surviving literature in the world!

Base of Sanskrit Language

Sanskrit is based on root syllables and words. It is the only language which is derived from a root, as no other language has this characteristic it can be said that Sanskrit is probably the origin of verbal and written communication. The greatest epics of the Indian history are written in this language like- The Ramayana and Mahabharata. Mahabharata qualifies as the world’s largest epic with over 100000 verses. It is also recommended as the top language for use in Computational Linguistics and Artificial Intelligence by NASA. Sanskrit’s grammar is so great that no other language can match up.

Current Scenario About Sanskrit Language

The current status of the Sanskrit language is pitiable. The mother language needs special and urgent security. This is because of the acute fondness of the youth towards the European languages. The idea that this is a step towards transformation has made us think Sanskrit is an obsolete language. This is our responsibility to bring back the language which is the foundation of communication. For this we require to take some actions. We need more and more schools to teach Sanskrit and have some best quality Sanskrit teachers which tell the students about its- origin, importance and use so that they may understand their mother tongue well and have basic command on it. Even higher education should be encouraged in this particular language that students get deeper knowledge about the language which has given birth to almost all the languages across the globe.

Questions

Why is Sanskrit said to be the mother of many languages?
Why should we be interested in Sanskrit
What is the importance of Sanskrit ?

Judicial System In India

Judicial System In India.
The Indian Judiciary is partly a continuation of the British legal system established by the English in the mid-19th century based on a typical hybrid legal system in which customs and legislative law have validity of law. There are various levels of judiciary in India – different types of courts, each with varying powers depending on the tier and jurisdiction bestowed upon them. The Indian judiciary is independent of the executive and legislative branches government according to the Constitution.
Composition of Supreme Court.
The Constitution originally provided for 1 Chief Justice Of India and not more than 6 other judges. The Constitution authorises the Parliament to provide by law fixing the Strength of the Supreme Court. The Parliament passed the Supreme Court ( Number of Judges) thus accordingly, a Constitutional Amendment Act in 2008 has increased the Strength of Supreme Court to 31 (1 chief justice + 30 other judges).
Qualification to be a judge of Supreme Court.
• A person must be a citizen of India.
• He/She must have been, for at least 5 years, a Judge of a High Court or of two or more such courts in succession.
• Or an Advocate of a High Court or of two or more such courts in succession for at least 10 years.
• Or the person must be, in the opinion of the President, a distinguished jurist.
Appointment of Judges of Supreme Court.
While appointing the chief justice of India the President may consult such judges of the Supreme Court or High Courts as he deems considers it necessary.
Jurisdiction and Powers of Supreme Court.
The jurisdiction and powers of the Supreme Court can be classified into the following:
1. Original Jurisdiction : As a federal court, the Supreme court decides the disputes between different units of the Indian Federation.
(a) The centre and one or more states.
(b) The centre and any state or states on one side and one or more states on the other
(c) Between two or more states.
2. Writ Jurisdiction : The Supreme Court is empowered to issue writs including habeas corpus, mandamus, prohibition for the enforcement of the fundamental rights of an aggrieved citizen.
3. Appellate Jurisdiction : It enjoys a wide appellate jurisdiction on
(a) Appeals in constitutional matters.
(b) Appeals In criminal matters
(c) Appeals in civil matters
(d) Appeals by special leave.
4. Advisory Jurisdiction : The Constitution (Article 143) authorises the president to seek the opinion of the Supreme court in the two categories of matter :
(a) On any question of law or fact of public importance which has arisen or which is likely to arise.
(b) On any dispute arising out of any pre-constitution treaty, agreement, covenant, engagement.
5. A Court of Record : The judgments, proceedings and Acts of the Supreme Court are recorded for perpetual memory and testimony.
6. Power of Judicial Review : Judicial review is the power of the Supreme Court to examine the constitutionally legislative enactments and executive orders of both the Central and state governments.
High Courts.
There are 24 High Courts at the state level. Constitution of India mandates that they are bound by the judgments and orders of the Supreme Court . These courts have jurisdiction over a state, a union territory or a group of states and Union territories. Below the High Courts are a hierarchy of subordinate courts such as the civil courts, family courts, criminal courts and various other district courts. High courts are Instituted as constitutional courts under Article 214 of the Constitution.
District Courts of India .
The District Courts of India are established by the State Governments in India for every district or for one or more districts together taking into account the number of cases, population distribution in the district. They administer justice in India at a district level.

South India Geography , Culture , Heritage , Demographics

South India which is known for its graciousness and simplicity. The following article will let you know some basic stuff about the southern part of India.

Geography of South India

South India is a peninsula in the shape of an upturned triangle bound by the Arabian Sea on the west, by the Bay of Bengal on the east and Vindhya and Satpura ranges on the north.

Climate

The region has a tropical climate and depends on monsoons for rainwater. It has a non-arid type of weather with lowest mean temperatures of 18 °C (64 °F). The most humid is the tropical monsoon climate characterized by moderate to high year-round temperatures and seasonal heavy rainfall above 2,000 mm (79 in) per annum.

Economy

As per the 2011 census of India, the anticipated population of South India is 252 million, around one fifth of the total population of India. The average literacy rate in South India is approximately 80%, significantly higher than the Indian national average of 74% with Kerala having the maximum literacy rate of 93.91%. Poverty rate is at 19% while that in the other Indian states is at 38%. The per capita income is Rs. 19,531 (US$290), which is more than twice of the other Indian states (Rs. 8,951 (US$130)).

The economy of South India past the independence of the nation conformed to a socialist framework, with firm governmental control over private sector participation, foreign trade and foreign direct investment. Tourism contributes significantly to the GDP of the region with more than 50% of domestic traveller visits.

Demographics

Languages

The leading linguistic group in South India is the Dravidian family of languages, a family of approximately 73 languages. The major languages spoken comprise Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam.

Religion

Hinduism is the foremost religion with about 80% of the population adhering to it. About 11% of the population follows Islam and 8% follow Christianity.

Culture and Heritage

Arts

The customary music of South India is known as Carnatic music. The central instrument that is used in South Indian Hindu temples is the nadaswaram, a reed instrument played along with thavil, a sort of drum instrument to generate an ensemble. South India is home to several dance forms such as Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, and Kuchipudi.

Cinema

Films in regional languages are widespread; this includes Kannada cinema, Malayalam cinema, Tamil cinema and Telugu cinema. South Indian movies have gained a lot of popularity now and people are big fans of the stars, one of the most famous is Rajnikant.

Literature

South India has an independent literary custom dating back over 2500 years ago. The first acknowledged literature of South India is the poetic Sangam literature, written in Tamil 2500 to 2100 years ago.

Architecture

South India has two distinct styles of architecture, the Dravidian style of Tamil Nadu and the Vesara style of Karnataka. The temples considered of porches or mantapas preceding the door leading to the sanctum, gate-pyramids or gopurams, which are the principal characteristics in the quadrangular enclosures that surround the more distinguished temples and pillared halls used for many purposes and are the invariable accompaniments of these temples. Besides these, a South Indian temple classically has a tank called the Kalyani or Pushkarni. Thegopuram is a monumental tower, typically ornate at the entrance of any temple in Southern India. This forms a major feature of koils, Hindu temples of the Dravidian style.

Cuisine

Rice is the staple diet, while fish is an essential component of coastal South Indian meals. Coconut and spices are used extensively in South Indian cuisine. Idli, dosa, uthappam, appam, pongal and paniyaram are well-liked dishes for breakfast. Rice is served with sambar, rasam and poriyal for lunch. Chettinad cuisine is famed for non-vegetarian items and Hyderabad cuisine is popular for its biryani.

Main Cities

Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Coimbatore and Thiruvananthapuram are amongst the main IT hubs of India. Bangalore is also known as the Silicon Valley of India. Software exports from South India grossed over 640 billion (US$9.5 billion) in fiscal 2005–06. Chennai, known as the “Detroit of Asia“, accounts for about 35% of India’s overall automotive components and automobile output.

Read Also :

This was a brief introduction to the southern part of India and I personally believe that one should definitely enjoy this magnificent place once in their lifetime.