Pakistan Occupied Kashmir

Kashmir dispute (Disclaimer: The author of this blog doesn't take any rights of claiming whatsoever is mentioned in this blog. This is only for information purpose and does not resemble to people's persuasions. The credits of this article is given below.) Click for further more information about the author of this blog.

Shown in green is the Kashmiri region of Pakistan. The dark-brown region is a part ofIndian-administered Kashmir while the Aksai Chin was annexed by China, the Chinese control being tacitly accepted by Pakistan. Area in the North Kashmir region has been ceded by Pakistan to China.

Main article: Kashmir conflict

Kashmir was a princely state, ruled by a Hindu^[5] king, Maharaja Hari Singh. The Maharaja of Kashmir was equally hesitant to join either India–, because he knew his Muslim subjects would not like to join a Hindu-based and Hindu-majority nation^{[citation needed]}–, or Pakistan– which as a Hindu he was personally averse to^{[citation needed]}. Pakistan coveted the Himalayan kingdom, while Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi^{[citation needed]} and Indian PM Jawaharlal Nehru hoped that the kingdom would join India. Hari Singh signed a Standstill Agreement(preserving status quo) with Pakistan, but did not make his decision by August 15, 1947.

Rumours spread in Pakistan that Hari Singh was trying to accede Kashmir to India. Alarmed by this threat, a team of Pakistani forces were dispatched into Kashmir, fearing an Indian invasion of the region. Backed by Pakistani paramilitary forces, Pashtuns invaded Kashmir in September 1947. Kashmir's security forces were too weak and ill-equipped to fight against Pakistan. Troubled by the deteriorating political pressure that was being applied to Hari Singh and his governance, the Maharaja asked for India's help. However, the Constitution of Indiabarred the Indian Armed Forces' intervention since Kashmir did not come under India's jurisdiction. Desperate to get India's help and get Kashmir back in his own control, the Maharaja acceded Kashmir to India (which was against the will of the majority of Kashmiris), and signed the Instrument of Accession.^[6] By this time the raiders were close to the capital, Srinagar. On October 27, 1947, the Indian Air Forceairdropped Indian troops into Srinagar and made an intervention. The Indian troops managed to seize parts of Kashmir which included Jammu,Srinagar and the Kashmir valley itself, but the strong and intense fighting, flagged with the onset of winter, made much of the state impassable. After weeks of intense fighting between Pakistan and India, Pakistani leaders and the Indian Prime Minister Nehru declared a ceasefire and sought U.N. arbitration with the promise of a plebiscite. Sardar Patel had argued against both, describing Kashmir as a bilateral dispute and its accession as justified by international law. In 1957, north-western Kashmir was fully integrated into Pakistan, becoming Azad Kashmir (Pakistan-administered Kashmir), while the other portion was acceded to Indian control, and the state of Jammu and Kashmir(Indian-administered Kashmir) was created. In 1962, China occupied Aksai Chin, the northeastern region bordering Ladakh. In 1984, India launched Operation Meghdoot and captured more than 80% of the Siachen Glacier.

Pakistan maintains Kashmiris' rights to self-determination through a plebiscite in accordance with an earlier Indian statement and a UN resolution. Pakistan also points to India's failure of not understanding its own political logic and applying it to Kashmir, by taking their opinion on the case of the accession of Junagadh as an example (that the Hindu majority state should have gone to India even though it had a Muslim ruler), that Kashmir should also rightfully and legally have become a part of Pakistan since majoirity of the people were Muslim, even though they had a Hindu ruler. Pakistan also states that at the very least, the promised plebiscite should be allowed to decide the fate of the Kashmiri people.

India on the other hand asserts that the Maharaja's decision, which was the norm for every other princely state at the time of independence, and subsequent elections, for over 40 years, on Kashmir has made it an integral part of India. This opinion has often become controversial, as Pakistan asserts that the decision of the ruler of Junagadh also adhered to Pakistan. Due to all such political differences, this dispute has also been the subject of wars between the two countries in 1947 and 1965, and a limited conflict in 1999. The state/province remains divided between the two countries by the Line of Control (LoC), which demarcates the ceasefire line agreed upon in the 1947 conflict.

-This article has been taken from Kashmir Dispute; Wikipedia and the author of this blog doesn't takes any right of claim.

Humanity Insanity

The Question We Should Ask

by Ricky and Aidan DiMartino

*Graphic images are included at the bottom of this post. 

"If you cannot bear to look, ask yourself why. If this were only tissue, rather than a dismembered child, it wouldn’t be hard to look at, would it?

The question we should ask is not “Why are pro-life people showing these pictures?” but “Why would anyone defend what’s shown in these pictures?” The real concern about pictures of unborn babies isn’t that they’re gory, but that they prove the accuracy of the pro-life position.

And if abortion isn’t killing babies... then why are these pictures so disturbing?

Was the solution to the Holocaust to ban the disgusting pictures? Or was the solution to end the killing?

Is the solution to abortion getting rid of pictures of dead babies? Or is it getting rid of what’s making the babies dead?"
~ taken from Randy Alcorn's blog

PHOTOS HAS BEEN REMOVED DUE TO SOME ISSUES REGARDING VIEWS. People still with brave hearts' can view them here -- Original, Di Martino's Blog.

This blog purely resembles the thoughts and perception of a bearer and does not mention any emotional hurts. Weak hearts are requested not to view images for long or can block them. Shashank shrivastava won't take any credit whatever this blog's mentioning.

No Good Thing

by Ricky and Aidan DiMartino

My prayer for the day --

Keep me safe, my God,
for in you I take refuge.

I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing.” 

I say of the holy people who are in the land,
“They are the noble ones in whom is all my delight.” 

Those who run after other gods will suffer more and more.

I will not pour out libations of blood to such gods
or take up their names on my lips.

LORD, you alone are my portion and my cup;
you make my lot secure.

The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
surely I have a delightful inheritance.

I will praise the LORD, who counsels me;
even at night my heart instructs me.

I keep my eyes always on the LORD.

With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest secure,
because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
nor will you let your faithful one see decay.

You make known to me the path of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence,
with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

Psalm 16

CATE 2011, Delhi University

CATE 2011, Delhi University 2011-2012

Students appearing for the Combined Aptitude Test for English (CATE) on June 9 can now download their admit cards from the university’s website — www.du.ac.in. This year, the English department received 9,250 applications for the entrance test conducted for admission to the BA (honours) course in 17 colleges. DU has also uploaded the list of colleges on its website from where admit cards can be collected in person.

Facts:

• • CATE colleges: 17
• • Number of seats: 500-600 for general category
• • Last date: May 31, 2010
• • CATE test: June 9, 2010
• • Declaration of CATE score: June 21, 2010
• • Declaration of first cut-off list: June 22, 2010

Eight more colleges, including LSR and Miranda, to conduct CATE to select English undergrads.

A total of 47 colleges offer English (Honours) in DU.

CATE Syllabus:

There is no defined syllabus for CATE. We have a culture in our country to have a set syllabi for an entrance exam. Students are in the habit of rote-learning during their preparation. However, CATE as an exam will try to evaluate students on their aptitude for literature. Of course, some parts of the test will evaluate students on their knowledge but a larger section will consist of evaluating aptitude. Students do not need.

CATE Application Form:

Students need to get a demand draft of Rs 300 from the State Bank of India in favour of ‘Registrar, Delhi University’ to procure the form. It is a one-time payment, they don’t need to give any fee at the time of submission of the form.

FAQS

How many colleges are participating in Common Aptitude Test in English?
17 colleges will admit students in English (hons) through CATE. Among them six — Lady Shri Ram College, Miranda House, Bharti College, Shaheed Bhagat Singh College and Deshbandhu College — have joined the test this year. CATE will have comprehensive questions and questions with multiple choices. Unlike previous years when the forms were only available at Arts Faculty, this time the forms will be sold in all colleges that are part of the test
What is eligibility criteria?
Any student with minimum 60% aggregate with at least 60% marks in English will be eligible
On filling up of forms
Do we need to submit the common admission form in person?
Admission form does not require any signature or a photograph of the candidate. Anyone can submit it between May 28 and June 11
Do we need to attach a copy of the marksheet with the admission form?
Documents are not required with the form. Original certificates and marksheets will be required at the time of admission
Is there any age bar for admission? Are compartmental candidates eligible for admission?
There is no age bar for admission to DU. Candidates with compartment in one subject can apply. If successful, these candidates will be given provisional admission and will be required to clear their compartmental exam
Do we need to apply for hostel at the time of submission of admission forms?
A separate form of the college has to be submitted for a hostel seat. Admission to a college does not ensure a seat in the hostel
Is there any deduction of marks if the student comes from a different state or a board other than CBSE?
DU does not deduct marks of students coming from outside Delhi
Are there any scholarships available for students?
The department of science and technology offers scholarship of about Rs 5,000 per month to the candidates who were among the top one percent in class X or XII board results and to those whose names appeared in the IIT-JEE extended list The scholarship is available only to those who are applying for BSc (hons) in physics, chemistry, zoology & botany

After its success last year, Delhi University’s (DU) common entrance lest for English (Honours) has now found more takers among affil­iated colleges.

Apart from the institutions from last year (Ramlal Anand evening has pulled out this time), another eight haw decided to join Combined Aptitude Test for English (CATE).

The department of English will be ready with the final list of new participating colleges by April 15.

Sought after colleges such as Lady Shri Ram College and Miranda House are among the new participants. A total of 47 coleges offer English (Honours) in DU. CATE provides students an opportunity to secure admis­sion in English (Honours) at some of the best colleges irre­spective of one’s Class XII per­formance.

The participating colleges give 70 per cent weight-age to CATE score and 30 percent to Boards Performance.

This, consequently, had led to a huge rush of applicants in the examination’s first year itself.

“Colleges, especially Hindu College, Shivaji College and IP College, were very happy with students who came in through CATE. Many had read the texts in the syllabus already. It was unprecedented,” said Sumanyu Sathpathy, head, English Department, DU.

“CBSE marks do not reflect one’s interest in literature. We are keen on admitting students through CATE.” said Saswati Sengupta, teacher-in-charge. English, Miranda House.

Unlike last year, the sale of forms and registration process will be decentralised.

“All 19 colleges associated with the examination will be selling common CATE forms t his year, which will be an OMR (Optical Mark reader) form,” added Sathpathy.

OMR sheets require students to mark their choices by coloring circles on the sheet which are scanned and read by a com­puter. The evaluation process too will see changes. “This time, examinees will mark their cor­rect choices for MCQs on an OMR sheet. We will evaluate subject answers of only those candidates who meet the MCQ cut-off.” added Sathpathy.

The CATE-2010 information bulletin states that “most teachers of English in colleges have come to believe that a candidate’s performance in the Class XII examinations is not necessarily indicative of his/her aptitude for studying literature in English”.

Though entrance tests were conducted by some colleges for admission to the B.A. English (Honours) course, the university administration felt that too many individual tests put a great deal of pressure on students.

Twelve colleges of the university began using CATE last year. More than 8,000 forms were sold and more than 6,000 students sat for the test. Most of the participating colleges are also believed to have experienced an improved student intake.

The colleges will also function as centres for sale and receipt of CATE application forms which will be available from May 20 to 31.

Since nearly 10,000 candidates are expected, some colleges which are not accepting CATE would also function as examination centres. There are 23 examination centres in all. The examination will be conducted on June 9 from 10 a.m. to 11-30 a.m. The results will be declared on the university website on June 19 and the first cut-off list would be declared soon after.

Students wanting to appear for CATE should have a minimum percentage of 60 per cent marks in English (Core, Elective, Functional) in the Class XII Board examination and a minimum of 60 per cent marks in the best four subjects aggregate.

CATE would test a student’s aptitude for taking up English Honours as a course of study and aims to evaluate language, grammar and writing skills. The paper would consist of two parts. While the first part will have multiple choice questions, the second part will consist of descriptive type questions.

While students will have to attempt both sections of the paper, only the scripts of students who qualify in the first part will have evaluation of their responses for the second part. There is no negative marking.

The final score will be determined by taking into consideration the best-of-four-subjects score of the student in the Class XII examinations and the CATE examination on a 30:70 basis.

The participating colleges will make their admissions to the course based on cut-offs points declared by them after the CATE scores are announced.

Students in the categories of Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes, physically handicapped, foreign students and those seeking admission through the sports or ECA quota do not have to appear for CATE. Such students will be admitted according to the relevant university rules.

Colleges not using CATE cannot conduct separate tests to admit students and will have to use Class XII marks as the criterion for admission.

Colleges which are not affiliat­ed with CATE will have to admit students on the basis on their Class XII Board marks.

The participating colleges give 70% weightage CATE score and 30% to Board performance

Participating Colleges

New Colleges:

1. Lady Shri Ram
2. Miranda House
3. Shaheed Bhagat Singh
4. Deshbandhu
5. Shyama Prasad Mukheriee

Old Colleges

1. Delhi College of Arts and Commerce
2. Kamla Nehru
3. Hindu
4. Indraprastha
5. Maharaja Agrasen
6. Shyamlal
7. Shivaji
8. Zakir Hussain
9. Zakir Hussain(E)
10. Swami Shraddhanand
11. Satyawati (E)

Important Figures

• Number of seats last year : 450 (approx)
• Number of Application last year: 10,000

Important Dates

• Form sales this year: LAST WEEK OF MAY (tentative)
• Last date for submission: JUNE 6 (tentative)
• Date of examination: JUNE 9 (tentative)

• CATE 2011 Admit Card
• CATE 2011 Eligibility
• CATE 2011 Forms
• CATE 2011 Pattern
• CATE 2011 Result
• CATE 2011 Schedule
• CATE 2011 Syllabus
• CATE Colleges
• CATE Cut Off
• CATE Sample Papers
• CATE Score

Life, then and after

Google Reader: "so i was going through my posts and realised its been exactly a year since the calendar i did for breast cancer awareness. a year later, i featured in Dabboo Ratnani's calendar alongside the biggest stars. what a year its been for me. from before actress to after actress - one hell of a journey!
have done some really interesting shoots this year and worked with some extremely talented photographers! sharing some pictures with you'll.
in other news, the awards have been flowing in. Dabangg being nominated in at least 10 categories in every award ceremony makes our whole team so proud! i've won the best debutant award from waves, aaj tak, apsara, lions club, star screen and the zee cine awards! whew! my parents are proud and i feel great!
the best part was winning the award on the same stage as my father who won the lifetime achievement award at the zee cine awards in singapore! lots happening...think ill make a clean sweep this year? fingers crossed!" -by Sonakshi sinha

BREAKAGE feat. JESS MILLS - FIGHTING FIRE

Should AMBITION be impossible to achieve?

-        Ambition and a contented personal life need to be contradictory to each other. Make your ambition almost impossible to achieve!

Less Ambitious people suffers less criticisms in life, moreover they have secured life, with their own decent degree and a well-paid ten to five job and they tend to settle down comfortably in it. With almost everything in life is compromised and probably satisfactory to them leads an average life with no high standards and public networks and moreover with the results they get are not-so-disappointing because of their less expectations and depressions are much lower as compared to a well career-obsessed person who’s dreams are not merely dreams but the mad-passion to achieve, goes down in dumps when results are not up to the peak. They inculcate their life to the career, they are obsessed with. 

“The pace of my life should be such that, I won’t be able to know how months of this year will pass under my consequences of HARDWORK. I should have no time to be in touch with friends with their hangouts and shall not improve my skills in those nicotinic activities such as sharpening smoking skills. I have to work round the clock to keep up with competition and should not get over-confident, you see, I AM NOT RELATING TO RAKHI SAWANT, at least. I must have confidence but when that confidence comes on to the public spectacles then, it might be known as OVER-CONFIDENCE, keep the dare-to-commit mindset and don’t let the magma spill out of your mouth. By this behavior I presume that there wouldn’t be any intimacy left between my once-upon-good friends and me. Though I am familiar with lots of people courtesy ‘FACEBOOK’ but on social networks we are trading intimacy with familiarity.

The digital world is crazy, perhaps addictive to these networks as since we decide when we open or shut the conversations liable to our feelings.”

I am increasingly finding myself a bit-of lonely in the middle of every work or study buzz happens. I think it is the lack of ‘me’ time that makes me feel so. How many times I gaze myself onto the mirror, Questioning about WHAT I DID? WHAT I HAVE TO DO? WHAT SHALL BE DONE? May be I am missing my own company, my own thoughts. Or I am missing being with the closest friends ever had. And that is the reason for me seeking out people out there on FB which have no relevance to me as in physically, mentally & spiritually.

And yet how would we be any different from animals, if we all did was, eat, sleep and exist in the small space we call ours and we are happy to mark its boundaries as ours? WHAT IS LIFE, IF NOT AN ASPIRATION? A stress to LIFE, to reach out the BIG-GOALS. It is that aspiration no matter how unattainable or unachievable the goal is, which life lifts us above the circumstances that merely acts as boundaries when we see them as walls. Break those walls, make your ambition almost impossible to achieve. “If a blacksmith were to dream of being an Astronaut, chances are that he may at least end-up setting up a small business for himself more improved than blacksmith’s rather this time a goldsmith and could carve out is lifestyle better. On the other hand is resigned to his lot, he were to have no ambitions in life, he would die a blacksmith and so would his future generations because of ‘no ambition’ mindset has prevailed to next generation too. Genetics could be changed, CHANGE IS GOOD but provoking this thought to become madness and desperation for their life is too difficult. An impossible dream may set a better life, ahead for us.

The problem is not with dreaming, but making that dream an obsession; not with almost impossible ambitions, but with making that drive the be-all and end-all of your existence. Ambition and a contented personal life need not to be contradictory to each other. But on the same hand we must not compromise the personal life of studies to those with the Ambitious phrases and idioms with friends. We should be able to distinguish between ambition that is within the realms of possibility and that which may be impossible to achieve. Knowing that, we need to strike the balance between over-riding ambition and contented personal life of studies. There are phases when one needs to give one’s all to studies and others when needs to back out with equal confidence and give due importance to personal life of studying sentimentalism. Balance and Time management is the key – certainly not easy as it sounds!

Have you heard, “better Socrates dissatisfied than a pig satisfied”? Is the life more interesting when we are in big trouble with more fear of loosing high respect or the boring life with no high ambition and lesser respect? Who in their right mind would want to lead the life of a pig with no questions of the world, no rude complaints and no high ambition? Socrates with his dissatisfied mind, his curiosity and mental turmoil would certainly be the choice of every rational person. I know, this all is highly insensitive in practical ways but what more important is at last, “A TRY”.  A try to that BIG world, which you once thought was almost unachievable, is now just in front of you just a few hard miles away. 

Go grab it, it's never too late to realize what we face. Have a positive perception and the REAL LIFE also have a CTRL-Z, CTRL-V and CTRL-X options!

“Sapne dekhne se hi unhe pura karne ki ichcha jagti hai”

... Wrote with the help of SUNDAY, TIMES LIFE! (Vinita Nangia, vinita.nangia@timesgroup.com)

Attitude Matters, Attitude sells.

To See what people really value, watch when they put their money, where their mouths are- literally! People tip more when the wait person makes them feel good, Friends Care more when they are sure the other would lend a Helping Hand, Colleagues always have that Disguise Intentions, though they don't ought to Show them When at work and moreover... Even Parents get their child to Hostel or boarding School not because to facilitate, but the reason might lie in their Work pressure, So that they Don't want to Spend Extra TIME (caring) With them! 

Even, I Am in a Situation itself, that I have Financial problem, and Again over that parental Emotional Drama! I am like, Fed up of all things in my Life, YET I AM STILL LIVING in the Sense of REGRETS, For Being BORN into this Cruel WORLD! I would Surely Make up my Mind Doing something as where as my Career issues are concerned. The EGO still lies, I would certainly call it being self-worth. 

Would Pursue my Career and Life WITH MY OWN GRATITUDE And Here lies My ATTITUDE! 

Develop your skills being more Attitudinal and worth yourself more each day, People value - for the Way yuh make them Feel!

People BUY FEELINGS! The more sooner yuh understand it the more it will be Benificial forr YUH!

LOVE YUH ALL!


-The Above note is written by Shashank Sriv in collaboration with ECONOMIC TIMES (CITINGS) and partially it Reflects my life too!

Certainly Doesn't needs to be Taught! I Could understand MY problem MYSELF, better!