Saturday 5 November 2011

Get Out Of The Rut Of Materialistic Greed .... Queenie-tessential

Roti, Kapda Aur Makaan: the three necessities of life that we take for granted.  In fact, not only do we assume they will always be there, but we take them to a new level, where they no longer are a necessity, but a luxury.  What happens when it is taken away from your?  When you don't know where you will sleep tonight or where your next meal will come from, or if your are left with one pair of clothes to survive?  Ever thought of that?
***
Rohit (Timmy) Narang challenged himself by doing a TV challenged himself by doing a TV programme where he would have none of the above.  Timmy runs Ambassador Sky Catering, where they provide thousands of meals per day.  Ironically, he was chasing a grain of rice not knowing when and where he would get his next meal.  "We seed food on plates being wasted.  None of us blink at it.  We go to fancy restaurants and pay dollars for gourmet food.  Imagine if you don't know when and how you will find a morsel of food," he said, narrating his recent experience.  "Your attitude in life changes.  Your behavior towards people change.  You are in survivor mode, and all you care about it how will you feed yourself."
***
We sleep on comfortable beds in our air-conditioned rooms.  We aspire for bigger homes and furniture that spell luxury.  Even pillows today have their own hierarchy.  "What if you really don't know where you will rest your tired body?"  Timmy asked.  The world of luxury has hit us like a hurricane.  Clothes have to be stylish and branded, otherwise they are not up to the mark.  "I probably have clothes that are lying for years in my closet with tags still on them," he laughed.  "The funny thing is the more we have, the more we think about it and the more complicated our lives become."
***
The experience has changed Timmy completely.  "I now worry about my driver's meal times," he said, referring to how many times we overlook the fact that those who work for us may not have eaten till late in the day.
***
"We have way more than we need.  If we really reflect on our lives, we need so much less than we have.  Life is so much simpler and better when you are out of this rut."
***
"But you knew the experience would be temporary?"  I asked him.  He paused and answered, "Yes, it was temporary, but when someone like me, who has been a stickler for nutrition and good food which I have every few hours, gets none... all this become a reality," he said.
***
"My friends mocked me when I planned on going for this," he reminisced.  "Today, I feel a strength within me that is powerful.  I know I can live without materialistic greed," he said to me convincingly.
***
"It's time to reflect," he said, "To give back to people who don't have all this.  Not with money, but real food, clothes and shelter.  Unfortunately money sometimes does not reach them," he said.  "We have much more than we need.  We have to prioritise and it's time for me to make people who don't have 'roti, kapda nor makaan' feel better," he said, with a positive spirit.........

Makings Of A Great Hero.... MANI SHANKAR

I get up every morning and tell myself I want to enjoy life at office today.  But I end up preoccupied, nervous or just plain sad.  At night, I look back and realise that I failed once again.  Tell me how to enjoy life.  Make it a short answer, something I can hold in my heart.............. -- Divya, Age 26
*** 
Swami Vivekananda once famously said, "This world can only be enjoyed by Heroes."  Nobody said it better.  So, if you want to enjoy your life, be a Hero.  That's your short answer.  Hold that in your heart everyday.
***
Now, for the long explanation.  For starters, "Hero" isn't gender specific.  It doesn't mean a male matinee idol.  It doesn't mean a sports sensation or a rock star.  It doesn't mean the celebrities, the champions or the men we sometimes wished we were.  A hero is none of them.  Hero is actually a state of mind.  It's your response to the world - your reflection of your inner-self.
***
How do you become a hero?  To begin with, be on good terms with all persons, with the world, with the situation you find yourself in right now.  A hero never rages against reality.  She accepts her reality even as she moves to change it.  Anger isn't her favorite emotion.  She is calm, in the face of adversity, has the strength to smile when others feel the need to cry.
***
A hero never compares herself to others.  She knows that there will always be someone better, fairer, sexier, smarter, richer, more successful than herself.  She has the courage to feel good about anyone who is in that list, and has the strength not to let them shake her aim or goal.
***
A hero is interested in her own career, however humble it may seem.  She knows the world has a way of putting down everyone.  She will learn to ignore the world and pursue whatever she does till she does it fantastically well, for she knows that is the gateway to future success.
***
A hero is always looking for virtues in others.  Even though she knows there are more frauds than good people, she is never hesitant to seek and praise goodness, greatness or any other virtue in anyone.  She can do that because she is confident of herself.  Her foundations are rock solid within, and this liberates her.  She is nobody's fool.  When she cuts someone down, it is with minimum force - done with poise and grace.
***
A hero is gentle on herself.  She knows how precious her life is, how beautiful all life is.  She knows she is a visitor to this planet, here on a short holiday, and it's important to have fun in every moment.  So nothing really needs to be taken very seriously.
***
She is smart enough to know that if she doesn't live her present moment in happiness, she isn't likely to live the future moment either. 
***
So look at yourself every morning, Divya, look at the inner self, look at the true your, till a radiant smile spreads across your face.  You know you are a hero.  You will live today like a hero.
***
Nothing and nobody will come in your way, for you hold the keys to your life, and your happiness is solely in your hands.  Now go ahead and have a truly great day.... 

Tuesday 20 September 2011

Don't cry over challenges ... MANI SHANKAR...

ANY ONE WHO LOSES CANNOT BE CALLED A LOSER.  BUT THE GUY WHO GIVES UP WITHOUT EVEN TRYING IS  A REAL LOSER
When will our society arrive at a stage where people are not labelled winners and losers?  Why are we always pitted against each other, made to compete for everything?  Why do we make life so damn tough for others?  I need to know this immediately," says 14 year-old Prithvi.
***
Despite the philosophical nature of the questions you have raised.  I am quite sure that one of the three things has recently happened to you:
1.  You performed badly in a test or exam.
2.  Some girl you fancied told you to get lost.
3.  An older sibling, a teacher or a parent scolded you or called you a "loser" for something  you did or did not do.
***
Even if none of these things have happened, get the word "loser" out of your head, now and forever.  It should no longer exist in your vocabulary.  Here's why.  There is a serious difference between losing and being a loser.  Anyone and everyone who loses cannot be called a loser.  In fact, no one who loses can be termed a loser.  But the guy who gives up without even trying is a real loser.
***
We compete for everything because as humans, we are programmed to be eternally dissatisfied with whatever we have.  It's in our nature to fight with each other all the time.  But don't let that worry you.  Conflict is a fact of life.  Better prepare for it.
***
Don't get philosophical and start feeling sad about the world either, for only stiff competition can bring out the best in you, sharpen your mind, strengthen your sinews, make a real man out of you.
***
So whether it's the exam hall or the cineplex mall, you are going to be competing for marks, for chicks, for attention, for practically everything.  You can't get soft on the world and cry about why we make life so tough for ourselves.
***
Life would be boring without the spice of challenge, without obstacles and conflicts.  Imagine if every boy had a proper girlfriend and everyone was going steady all the time... yuck!  Where
s the spice of getting a "look" from someone who is already "booked"?  Life would be like driving a thousand miles on a road that goes straight on a plain flat countryside.  Where's the scenery, where are the bends and turns, the bumps and uphill climbs?
***
If you have absolutely everything you want in life and there was nothing more to aspire for, you would die out of sheer boredom.  If you have nothing in life and have given up wanting any thing, your brain would shrink and wither away.  So stop snivelling about life and become tough.
***
We all need an identity for ourselves.  When you grow older, you need to look back and mark the milestones of your life and say "here is where I wrote my entrance exam", or "on this day I won that trophy" or even "I was wearing this shirt when she walked out of my life", or "on this very place we lost the finals".  All those milestones are nothing but obstacles you managed to overcome, or which overwhelmed you.  Either  way, they are great moments that defined your life.
***
So friend, forget about defeat and victory.  Concentrate on being there and doing that.  In life, even losing something after heroically trying is a very great achievement. 
***
So stuff the philosophy and get your ass cracking.  Sweat it out, bury your head in that book, get your sleeves dirty, whatever.  Just get real with life......
"WE COMPETE FOR EVERYTHING BECAUSE WE ARE PROGRAMMED TO BE ETERNALLY DISSATISFIED WITH WHATEVER WE HAVE.  BUT DON'T LET THAT WORRY YOU.  CONFLICT IS A FACT OF LIFE."
*******************....... MANI SHANKAR.. The author, a film, director, will help the youth strike a balance in their relationships.... 

Allot Worry A Small Slot In Mental Circuit... ANUPAM KHER

The renowned actor decodes the finer nuances of human psyche and behaviour and shows the route to self-improvement...
Anxiety has never been judged as a positive emotion.  It is linked with everything that is worthy of being discarded - nervousness, worry, stress and many more.  People with the anxiety syndrome are not too difficult to detect either.
***
They are tense, edgy, have a nervous look about them and they display a giveaway sometimes.  Like nervously biting their nails, or even chewing a handkerchief.  For them, life is a series of worries; will their child come back safely from school, will their children pass in their exams this year, do you think the maid is thinking about quitting her job?
***
And the worries are not just about the todays.  They stretch into tomorrows and the days after.  Will the children find suitable life partners, will the spouse remain faithful to them when they grow old, what happenes if they contract a life threatening disease?
***
In contrast, there are the what-me-care types; the people who have never known a worry.  They go through life blithely, having never known what a crinkled frown is.  You may think that such people are darned lucky.  But pause awhile and consider the baggage that such an attitude brings.
***
They never review their lives, never look back in introspection - let alone in anger - they just coast along from day to day.  Is this the correct state of bliss to be in?  Certainly not.
***
So you will realise that sometimes what we perceive to be a good state of being is also fraught with a lot of pitfalls.  If the worrier is caught up  in his thoughts and cannot break away from them to carry on with constructive endeavours, the what-me-worry folk may not be doing any mid-course correction at all and may go on from blunders to disasters.
***
Contrary to what we are led to believe, the worrier therefore may actually be sometimes better off than someone who never worries.  The ideal situation would of course be to have a blend of both; to worry just a little, not overtly.
***
Unfortunately, it is the worriers that are always noticed, not the never-worry folks.  Only those close to the latter know that beneath their self-assured facade may lie a lifetime of errors.
***
What does one do to stop worrying all the while?  For starters, one should consciously limit one's worrying hours.  Instead of getting vexed all the time, it would be a good first step to curtail worry time to say, an hour at a fixed time.  That would make the person conscious of his tendency when his mental circuitry gets into the loop.
***
Snap out of it and wait till the appointed hour.  I find this method more effective than telling people to put a blanket ban on putting on their worry caps.
***
And what should those people who are without a care do?  They should stop believing that they are in a state of bliss.  It is time for them to wake up and get real about their life and routine.  As I say, it is time to take a close look in the mirror...... ANUPAM KHER

Thursday 1 September 2011

Hope is the best miracle worker in life... Anupam Kher

THE CHANGE WITHIN
I had written some weeks ago about now different people have different ways of coming to terms with the loss of a loved one.  What is  however infinitely more difficult than coping with death, is coping with near-death.  I am referring to people who are living with terminal illnesses, like cancer, AIDS, or diseases of the autoimmune system which have no cure, as yet.  
***
Not only are many such patients unable to accept reality when confronted with it, but there is a huge proportion of patients who buckle down mentally as disease destroys them slowly, ever so slowly.  Therefore, to help them countenance their fate, almost all such illnesses have large support groups.  That is why in such cases, there is a debate on whether the patients ought to be informed about the true state of their health or not.
***
Last week I met two survivors of the Big C at a funeral occasion.  It was at the mourning ceremonies of one of the most energetic actors of yesteryear, Shammi Kapoor, who crossed the Great Divide.  At the ceremony, I met the scion of one of the country's largest film production houses, who was looking paler than usual.  He was one of the brightest youngsters in the industry and was working on offering entertainment on the internet and also on cellphones.  Now, he had lost some weight and some of his crowning glory.  I asked him what the matter was.  "I am down with cancer," he said starkly.  "But cancer has chosen a wrong victim... I am determined to fight back," he said,with determination in his eyes.
***
At the same place, I also met another woman who also told me about her battle with cancer.  "I read your columns which are filled with hope," she said.  "And now you must write about people like us, and give others who are battling such illnesses, hope..."  So here I am madam.
***
And I realised then that my younger brother Raju too had successfully, and very bravely, waged a battle against cancer a few years ago.  Raju was down with cancer of the urinary bladder and a stage came when the surgeons had to remove his bladder completely to save him.  That entailed him to a life with a catheter sticking out of him and his fluid being collected in a pouch by his side.  Not a pleasant existence for anyone.  But miraculously, the surgeons managed to fashion a bladder from his large intestine, sparing him the indignity of life with a puch.  Raju has been back on his feet since then, busy acting and directing television shows and doing the things he had always been doing.
***
Very often, life does not end with such illnesses.  There are thousands of cases of people who have fought back and overcome such illnesses.  The genius of physicist Stephen Hawking is one shining example.  As I say, a bend in the road is not always the end of the road.............
****
THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF CASES OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE FOUGHT BACK AND OVERCOME WHEN THE DOCTORS HAD WRITTEN THEM OFF..........

Monday 25 July 2011

TAKE PRIDE IN YOUR STRIDE.. MALLIKA BHATIA

BEING PROUD OF YOURSELF ISN'T SUCH A BAD THING, TAKING PRIDE IN YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS, THE VALUES AND BELIEFS THAT YOU UPHOLD IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF ONE'S PERSONALITY.  OF COURSE, ONE NEEDS TO KNOW WHERE TO DRAW THE LINE TOO
***
A high or inordinate opinion of one's own dignity, importance, merit, or superiority, whether as cherished in the mind or as displayed in bearing:  this is how a dictionary defines 'pride'.  Clearly its meaning is quite obvious to all of us.  It is what we do with it and how we let it affect us which causes all the trouble.
***
Another dictionary defines 'pride' as "a feeling of deep pleasure or satisfaction derived from achievements, qualities, or possessions that do one credit".  It is the same feeling; all that's changed its how we perceive it, how we react to it and yet again, how we let it affect us.  The purpose is to feel pride by the second definition.  Once we understand the difference between the two, it is an effortless process.
***
It is very important for all human beings to be proud of themselves, without the pride.  The boundary is thin, and hence a little tricky too.
***
In general terms, a deep feeling of happiness and satisfaction on ones achievements, accompanied by a desire to learn and grow more is the appropriate balance; it is achieved when one is ready to learn from everyone regardless of his/her stature, social standing, age or education; and also from every situation, regardless of our being involved directly, indirectly, or not at all.
***
The difference comes when we cross the fine line and move to superbia from pride.  Pride also has humility as an integral part, yet just by being aware of our humility we take away its purity.  The mere fact that we are aware of it goes against the true nature of being humble.  If we are humble, then we just are.  Awareness is not a necessary part of it.
***
People can look up to you for your values, work or beliefs and would ideally make you feel satisfied with yourself as a human being.  It might not be the criterion for you to define and derive your satisfaction, yet it might help.  It can also motivate you to learn, refine and grow more.  That's pride.  On the other hand, expecting people to appreciate you because you have strong values is a reflection of your feeling of superbia or pride by the first definition.
***
Buddhism provides a definition of pride that fits best in this case, "Pride is defined as an exaggerated positive evaluation of oneself, often based on a devaluation of others.  It results in a kind of attachment to oneself and aversion to others".
***
Superbia creates expectation.  Expectation to be complimented, to be followed, to be praised and even to be idolised.  All this may be very subtle but on introspection, it clearly hits the face.  Even if your first reaction on reading this is, "I don't feel so", just peep inside once.  Think objectively and be honest to yourself while doing this analysis.  If you find no traces of these feelings, then please be proud of yourself as you truly do posses a quality that's commendable.  And if your find even slight traces, be proud of yourself for being strong enough to admit to it and being ready to change.  Only when we accept our shortcomings can we actually get down to working on them.
***
Accepting your shortcomings is another huge part of moving from superbia to pride.  When we can't see our faults, we are completely blinded by negative or inappropriate pride.  We keep looking for excuses outside ourselves for things going wrong.  Even while trying to evaluate a given situation we would be able to effortlessly see how someone else caused us trouble, how they are the main reasons for things back-firing and not going our way.  We almost seem synonymous to being victims.  We are the victims, not of others but of our own inappropriate sense of pride.  Another thing that pride does to us it that it creates presumptions.  We we operate out of negative pride, we naturally operate out of a                    pre-conceived notion about ourselves, which may not be what the other person thinks of us.  Like we can easily tell the difference between an actual hard worker and a person who constantly seems/looks busy, similarly in the case of pride, we may believe that our pride does not show, but it is quite evident inn our actions, reactions and perceptions.  Hence, it's a huge cycle of faulty self image, presumptions followed by unreal expectations and finally what goes for a toss is, where it all started from, 'pride'.
***
Why not just value yourself for what you are.  Be realistic about your characteristics, have appropriate self-esteem, right amount of dignity, correct perception of your achievements.  Why not be ready to learn and change, to be willing to improve, to become better people by simply taking pride in your stride.
......  The writer is a counselling psychologist and a holistic healer

Lord Is My Shepherd ... DOMINIC EMMANUEL

AFTER SHARING some of my experiences from the scenic environs of Kerala about how spiritual life without God is impossible just at tea leaves (branches) have no life without being attached to the plant; about beginning our day the way singing birds do and experiencing God's infinite care as good shepherds much the way the shepherds look after their sheep, I can't resist myself telling you how spiritually refreshed I felt by discovering a nice little brook of cool and clear water down in the valley.
***
In my last days of exploring the lush green tea gardens, listening to birds and devouring everything that came my way, in the valley I found a stream of crystal clear water at the foot of two clusters of mountains.  Going that far was a tough call for someone like me who is used to city roads, but I found a well-paved path, which led to that deeper portion of the stream where the quantity of water was more.
***
As I made my way further down the stream, the unmistakable sound of the water flowing over the little rocks and pebbles forming its own dance is stark contrast to the utter stillness of the valley was much more soothing than the recorded music of meditation halls.  One could sit for hours and listen to that sound feeling comforted and uplifted.  I began to see and feel why the sound of water flowing as well as the sound of the ocean waves are said to be therapeutic.
***
Having sat there for quite some time, I could not but stretch my hand out to touch the water.  Quite spontaneously I took the water with my bare hands and began splashing it on my face.
***
I can hardly describe in words how I actually felt doing that.  But it stealthily lead me to a memory of a Hindu friend of mine who had once told me how when she lost her dear mother, he father who happened to be familiar with the Bible went  to a nearby church in New York and reciting Psalm 23 meditated on it to calm him down during that sad bereavement.
***
The precious Psalm, which is frequently used by both Jews and Christians to pray and meditate upon and which has been set to music by several composers goes like this:
***
"The Lord is my Shepherd, there is nothing I shall want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures;
***
"He leads me beside quiet waters;  He refreshes my soul;
***
"He guides me along the right paths for his name's sake.  Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil, for your are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me..."
***
While churches, temples, mosques and gurdwaras provide one an opportunity to pray and worship in a more structured and systematic way, I found that for the Psalmist (Psalms were supposedly composed by King David), the presence of God in all such places and imagined that even deer and birds would find a shelter on God's altar.
***
It all suggests that, as the poems of Rabindranath Tagore amply  affirm, one can commune with God right in the midst of forests, hills, rivers and everything that nature has given us.  "Thanks you Lord for your beautiful creation."  

                        ______  The author, a founder-member of Parliament of Religions, is currently the director of communication of the Delhi Catholic Church.  He was awarded the National Communal Harmony Award 2008 by the Government of India.  He can be contacted at frdominic@gmail.com

Tuesday 28 June 2011

Abbreviations and Acronyms - 784

1. RSDP : It stands for Ranjit Sagar Dam Project. It was in the news in March 2001 when this Rs. 3,800 Crore project was dedicated to the nation by the Prime Minister.

2. BALCO : It stands for Bharat Aluminium Company. It was in the news in March 2001, in connection with disinvestment of 51 percent of its equity to Sterlite Industries for Rs. 551.5 Crore.

3. NEAR : It stands for Near Earth Asteroid Rendezvous. It was in the news in Feb. 2001, when it landed on the surface of Asteroid Eros after a five-year, 2-billion miles journey.

4. APCRH : It stands for Asia Pacific Conference on Reproductive Health. It was held in Manila in Feb. 2001.

5. PMK : It stands for Pattali Makkal Katchi. It was in the news in Feb. 2001 in connection with its pulling out from NDA to join ADMK front to face forthcoming Tamil Nadu Assembly elections.

6. AA : Alcoholics Anonymous

7. AAFI : The Amateur Athletics Federation of India

8. ABC : Atomic Biological and Chemical (Warfare); Audit Bureau of Circulation

9. AC : Ante Christum (Before Christ), Alternating Current; Ashoka Chakra; Air Conditioner

10. AD : Anno Domini (in the year of our Lord)

11. ADAM : Animated Dissection of Anatomy for Medicine

12. ADB : Asian Development Bank

13. ADBS : Advanced Development Bank

14. ADC : Aide-de-camp (help or assistant)

15. AFP : Agence France0Presse

16. AG : Accountant General; Adjutant General

17. AGP : Accelerated graphics port

18. AGP : Accelerated graphics port

19. AH : Anno Hegirate (Mohammed's flight from Mecca to Medina, 622 AD)

20. AI : Artificial Intelligence; Air India

21. AICTE : All India Council for Technical Education

22. AIDS: Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome

23. AIFF : All India Football Federation

24. AIIMS : All India Institute of Medical Sciences

25. AINEC : All India Newspaper Editor's Conference

26. AITUC : All India Trade Union Congress

27. ALGOL : Algebraic Oriented Language.

28. AM : Ante Meridiem (before noon); Amplitude Modulation

29. AMIE : Associate Member of the Institute of Engineers

30. ANC: African National Congress

31. ANERT : Agency for Non-conventional Energy and Rural Technology

32. ANN : Artificial Neural Network

33. ANZUS: Australia, New Zealand US (Pacific Pact Nations)

34. AOC: Air Officer Commanding

35. APCTT : Asian and Pacific Centre for Transfer of Technology

36. APD : Automated Peritoneal Dialysis

37. APEC: Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation

38. APM : Administered Price Mechanism

39. ARPANET : Advanced Research Project Agency Network

40. ART : Assisted Reproductive Technologies

41. ASAP : as soon as possible

42. ASCII : American Standard Code for Information Interchange

43. ASEAN : Association of South East Asian Nations

44. ASEM : Asia-Europe Meeting

45. ASLV : Augmented Satellite Launch Vehicle

46. ASSOCHAM : Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry

47. ASP : Application Service Provider, Association of Shareware Professionals

48. AT & T : American Telegraphic and Telephone Co. Ltd.

49. ATC : Air Traffic Control

50. ATM : Automated Teller Machine, Abode Type of Manager

51. ATP : Adenosine Tri-Phosphate

52. ATS: Anti-Tetanus Serum

53. AU: Astronomical Units.

54. AVARD: Association of Voluntary Agencies for Rural Development

55. AVRC: Audio Visual Research Centre

56. AVSM: Ati Vishisht Seva Medal

57. AWACS: Airborne Warning And Control System

58. B2B: Busines to Business

59. B2C: Business to Consumer

60. BARC: Bhabha Atomic Research Centre

61. BBC: British Broadcasting Corporation

62. BBS: Bulletin Board Service

63. BC: Befor Christ

64. BCG: Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (anti-TB Vaccine)

65. BENELUX: Belgium, Netherlands and Luxembourg

66. BGA: Blue Green Algae

67. BHEL: Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd.

68. bhp: brake horsepower

69. BIFR: Board for Industrial and Financial Reconstruction

70. BIMARU : Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh

71. BIMSTEC: Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand Economic Cooperation

72. BIOS: Basic Input Output System

73. BIS: Bank of International Settlement

74. BIT: Binary Digit

75. BOLT : Bombay Stock Exchange On-Line Trading; Build-Operate-Lease-Transfer

76. BP: Blood Pressure

77. BPL: Below Poverty Line

78. BPO: Business Process Outsourcing

79. BPR: Business Process Re-engineering

80. bps: bytes per second

81. BRO: Border Roads Organisation

82. BSE : Bombay Stock Exchange

83. BSF: Border Security Force

84. BSkyB: British Sky Broadcasting

85. BSNL: Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited

86. C2C: Consumer to Consumer

87. C-in-C : Commander-in-Chief

88. c.v.: Curriculum vitae

89. C/0: care of

90. CA: Chartered Accountant

91. CAD: Command Area Development; Computer Aided Design

92. CADA : Command Area Development Authority

93. CAG: Comptroller and Auditor General of India

94. CAN: Calcium Ammonium Nitrate

95. Cantab: Cantabrigian (of Cambridge University)

96. CAPART: Council for Advancement of People's Action and Rural Technology

97. CAPES: Computer-Aided paper-less Examination System

98. CAS: Conditional Access System

99. CAT: Career Aptitude Test; Common Admission Test; Computerized Axial Tomography ( also called CT); Computer Adaptive Test

100. CBA: Colliding Beam Accelerator.

101. CBDT: Central Board of Direct Taxes

102. CBFC: Central Board of Direct Taxes

103. CBI: Central Bureau of Investigation

104. CBM: Confidence Building Measures

105. CBSE: Central Board of Secondary Education

106. CBU: Completely built-up

107. CCPD: Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis

108. CD: Compact Disk: Certificate of deposit

109. CDAC: Centre for the Development of Advanced Computing

110. CDM: cold dark matter

111. CDMA: Code Division Multiple Access

112. CEO: Chief Executive Officer

113. CERN: Conseil European pour la Researche Nucleare (European Laboratory for Nuclear Research)

114. cert: Computer Emergency Response Team
cf compare / refer (L. Confer)

115. CFC: Chloro Fluoro Carbon

116. CFL: Compact Fluorescent Lamps

117. CFO: Chief Financial Officer

118. CFSL: Central forensic Science Laboratory

119. CGFNS: Commission on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools

120. CGI: Common Gateway Interface

121. CGS: Chief of General Staff; Centimetre, Gram, Second

122. CIA: Central Intelligence Agency

123. CID: Criminal Investigation Department

124. cif: cost, insurance and freight

125. CIGAR: Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research

126. CII: Confederation of Indian Industry

127. CIS: Commonwealth of Independent States

128. CISC: Complex instruction-set omputing

129. CISCE: Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations

130. CITU: Centre of Indian Trade Unions

131. CKD: Completely Knocked Down

132. CMIE: Centre for Monitoring the Indian Economy

133. CMP: Common Minimum Programme

134. CNC: Computerised Numerical Control

135. CNN: Cable News Network

136. CO: Commanding Officer

137. COD: Cash on delivery

138. COFEPOSA: Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Act

139. COMPS: Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Prediction System

140. COMSAT: Communications Satellite Corporation

141. CONCORD: Council of North Indian States for Co-operation and Regional Development

142. COPRA: Consumer Protection Act

143. CORBA: Common Object Request Broker Architecture

144. COSMEP: Consortium of Schools of Mathematics Experience Programme

145. Costford: Centre of Science and Technology for Rural Development

146. CPI/M: Communist Party of India / Marxist

147. CPR: Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation

148. CPWD: Central Public Works Department

149. CRIDA: Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture

150. CRIS: Centre for Railway Information System

151. CRISIL: Credit Rating Information Services of India Ltd.

152. CRM: Customer Relations Management

153. CRR: Cash Reserve Ratio

154. CRY: Child Relief and You

155. CSIR: Council of Scientific and Industrial Research

156. CSO: Central Statistical Organisation

157. CT: Computerised Tomography

157. CTBT: Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty

158. CVR: Cockpit Voice Recorder

159. CWC: Chemical Weapons Convention

160. Cwt: Hundredweight (112lb)

161. CYMK: Cyan, Yellow, Magenta, Kinda

162. D & C: Dilation and Curettage

163. D.Litt.: Doctor of Literature

164. D.Phil.: Doctor of Philosophy

165. D.Sc: Doctor of Science

166. DAP: Di-Ammonium Nitrate

167. DC: Direct Current; District of Columbia

168. DDT: Dichloro-diphenyl-trichloro-ethane

169. DET: Directory Entry Table

170. DG: Dei Gratia (by the grace of God)

171. DHSD: Duplex-High Speed Data Service

172. DIG: Deputy Inspector General

173. DMA: Direct Memory Access

174. DMK: Dravida Munetra Kazhagam

175. DMZ: Demilitarized Zone

176. DNA: Deoxyribo-nucleic Acid

177. DPBS: Developmental Press Bulletin Service

178. DPEP: District Primary Education Programme

179. DPT: Diphtheria, pertussis and tetanus (vaccine)

180. DSB: Digital Satellite Broadcasting

181. DSL: digital subscriber line

182. DSP: Digital Signal Processing

183. DTP: Desktop Publishing

184. DTS: Digital Theatre System

185. DV: Deo Volente (God willing)

186. DVD: Digital Versatile / Video Disc

187. DVI: Digital Video Interactive

188. DVS: Desktop Video-Conferencing Software

189. E & OE: Errors and Omissions Excepted

190. E-MAIL: Electronic Mailing

191. EAM: emergency action message

192. ECA: Essential Commodities Act

193. ECG: Electro Cardiogram

194. ECGC: Export credit guarantee corporation of India

195. ECOSOC: Economic and Social Council (UN)

196. ECR: Electron Cyclotron Resonance

197. EDI: Electronic Data Interchange

198. EDMS: Electronic Document Management System

199. EEG: Electro Encephalogram

200. EEZ: Exclusive Econimic Zone

201. EFTA: European Free Trade Association

202. e.g.: exempli gratia (for example)

203. EGP: Exterior Gateway Protocol

204. EIS: Executive Information System

205. EL: Electro-luminescent

206. ELINT: Electronic Intelligence

207. ELISA: Enzyme Linked Immuno-Sorbent Assay

208. ELT: English Learning and Teaching

209. EMI: Equated Monthly Installments

210. EMRC: Educational Media Research Centre

211. ENIAC: Electronic Numerical Integrator and Calculator

212. ENT: Ear, Nose and Throat

213. EOF: end of file

214. EOS: Electronic Online System International

215. EOU: Export Oriented Unit

216. EPABX: Electronic Private Automatic Branch Exchange

217. EPIC: Enhanced Proliferation Control Initiative

218. EPI: Expanded Programme of Immunisation

219. EPIRB: Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon

220. EPROM: Erasable, Programmable Ready Only Memory

221. EPS: Encapsulated Postscript

222. EPZ: Export Processing Zone

223. EQ: Emotional Quotient

224. ER&DC : Electronic Research and Development Center

225. ERM: European Exchange Rate Mechanism

226. ERNET: Educational and Research Network

227. ERNIE: Electronic Random Number Indicator Equipment

228. ESA: European Space Agency

229. ESCAP: Econimic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific

230. ESMA: Essential Services Maintenance Act

231. ESP: Extra Sensory Perception

232. ESR: Electron Spin Resonance

233. et al.: et alii (and others)

234. et. seq: et sequentia (& what follows)

235. etc. et: cetera (and so forth)

236. ETT: Embryo Transfer Technology

237. EURATOM: European Atomic Community

238. EUTELSAT: European Telecommunications Satellite

239. EVE: economic valuation of the environment

240. EVR: Electrovideo Recording

241. FAO: Food and Agriculture Organisation

242. FAQ: Fair Average Quality; Frequently Asked Question

243. FBI: Federal Bureau of Investigation

244. FBTR: Fast Bredeer Test Reactor

245. FBW: Fly-By-Wire

246. FCI: Food Corporation of India; Fertilizer Corporation of India

247. FCNRA: Foreign Currency Non-Resident Accounts

248. FCRA: Foreign Contribution Regulation Act

249. FEMA: Foreign Exchange Management Act

250. FICCI: Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry

251. FIDE: Federation Internationale d'Echecs

252. FIFA: International Foodball Federation (Federation Internationale de Football Association)

252. FII : Foreign Institutional Investors

253. FIPB: Foreign Investment Promotion Board

254. FIR: First Information Report

255. FIRE: Fully integrated robotised engine

256. FLAG: Fibre optic Line Around the Globe

257. FLC: Foreign Legal Consultant

258. FM: Frequency modulation

259. FMCT: Fissile Material Cutoff Treaty

260. fob: free on board

261. for: free on rail

262. FOSDIC: Film Optical Sensing Device for Input to Computers

263. FPD: Flat panel display

264. FPO: Fruit Products Order

265. FRCP: Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians

266. FRCS: Fellow of the royal College of Surgeons

267. FRGS: Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society

268. FRS: Fellow of the Royal Society

269. FTII: Films and Television Institute of India

270. FYI: for your information

271. G7: Group of Seven (US, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Japan and Canada) G8 includes G7 pluse Russia

272. GAAP: Generally Accepted Accounting Practices

273. GATE: Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering

274. GATS: General Agreement on Trade and Services

275. GBP: Geosphere-Biosphere Programme

276. GCC: Gulf Co-operation Council

277. GCR: Grey Component Replacement

278. GDP: Gross Domestic Product

279. GDR: Global Depository Receipt

280. GEDIS: Gateway Electronic Data Interchange Services

281. GEF: Global Environment Fund

282. GEMS: Gateway Electronic Mail Service

283. GHQ: General Headquarters

284. GI: Government Issue (American Soldiers)

285. GIS: Geographical Information System

286. GMAT: Graduate Management Admission Test

287. GMDSS: Global Maritime Distress and Safety System

288. GMO: Genetically Modified Organisms

289. GMRT: Giant Metrewave Radio Telescope

290. GMT: Greenwich Mean Time

291. GNP: Gross National Product

292. GOP: Grand Old Party (Republican Party)

293. GPS: Global Positioning System

294. GPSS: Gateway Packet Switching System

295. GRACE: Ground Rules and Code of Ethics

296. GRAM: Geo Referenced Area Management

297. GRE: Graduate Record Examination

298. GRS: Gender Reassignment Surgery (Sex Change)

299. GSI: Geological Survey of India

300. GSLV: Geo-Synchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle

301. GSM: Global System for Mobile Communications

302. GSP: Generalised System Preference

303. GUI: Graphical User Interface

304. GVW: Gross Vehicle Weight

305. HAL: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited

306. HB: Hard Black

307. HBV: Hepatitis-B Virus

308. HDML: Hyper Devices Mark-up Language

309. HF: High Frequency

310. HFD: High Frequency Doppler

311. HIV: Human Immunodeficiency Virus

312. HMI: Himalayan Mountaineering Institute

313. HMV: His Master's Voice, Heavy Motor Vehicle

314. Hon: honourable, Honorary

315. hp: horse power

316. HRPT: High Resolution Picture Transmission

317. HSD: High Speed Diesel

318. HSRRSS: High Spatial Resolution Remote Sensing Satellite

319. HT: High Tension

320. HTML: Hyper Text Markup Language

321. HTR: High Temperature Reactor

322. http: Hypertext Transfer Protocol

323. HUDCO: Housing and Urban Development Corp.

324. HV: High Voltage

325. HVAC: Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning

326. HVNET: High Speed VSAT Network

327. i.e.: id est (that is)

328. IA: Indian Airlines

329. IA & AS: Indian Audit and Accounts Services

330. IAAI : International Airport Authority of India

331. IAEA: International Atomic Energy Agency

332. IAMR: Institute of Applied Manpower Research

333. IARI: Indian Agricultural Research Institute

334. IAS: Indian Administrative Service

335. IATA: International Air Transport Association

336. ibid or ib.ibidem (Latin): in the same place; book or chapter

337. IBM: Internation Business Machines

338. IBRD: International Bank for Reconstruction and Development

339. ICAO: International Civil Aviation Organisation

340. ICAR: Indian Council of Agricultiral Research

341. ICBM: Inter-Continental Balistic Missile

342. ICCR: Indian Council for Cultural Relations

343. ICJ: International Court of Justice

344. ICMR: Indian Council of Medical Research

345. ICPD: International Conference on Population and Development

346. ICRA: Investment Information and Credit Rating Agency of India

347. ICRISAT: International Crops Research Institute for Semi Arid Tropics

348. ICSE: Indian Certificate of Secondary Education

349. ICSI: Intra-Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection

350. ICU: Intensive Care Unit

351. ICWA: Indian Council of World Affairs

352. ICWAI: Institute of Cost and Works Accountants of India

353. IDA: International Development Agency

354. IDBI: Industrial Development Bank of India

355. IDE: Integrated Device Electronics

356. IEEE: Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineers

357. IELTS: International English Language Testing System

358. IFAD: International Fund for Agricultural Development

359. IFC: Industrial Finance Corporation; International Finance Corporation

360. IFS: Indian Foreign Service; Indian Forest Service

361. IGF: India Growth Fund

362. IGIDR: Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research

363. IGNOU: Indira Gandhi National Open University

364. IIPA: Indian Institute of Public Administration

365. IISCO: Indian Iron and Steel Company

366. IIT: Indian Institute of Technology

367. ILO: International Labour Organisation

368. IMAP: Internet Mail Access Protocol

369. IMCO: Inter-government Maritime Consultations Organisation

370. IMEWS: Integrated Missile Early Warning Satellites

371. IMF: International Monetary Fund

372. in cog: in cognito (in disguise)

373. INA: Indian National Army

374. INDIPEX: Indian International Philatelic Exhibition infra dig infra dignitatum (below status)

375. I.N.R.I.: Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum (Jesus of Nazareth, Kind of Jews)

376. INS: Indian Newspaper Society

377. INSAT: Indian National Satellite

378. INSDOC: Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage

379. INTACH: Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage

380. INTELSAT: International Telecommunication Satellite

381. INTUC: Indian National Trade Union Congress

382. IOC: Indian il Corporation

383. IP: Internet Protocol

384. IPC: Indian Penal Code

385. IPCL: Indian Petro-Chemicals Corporation Ltd

386. IPO: Initial Public Offering

387. IPS: Indian Police Service; Inter Press Service

388. IQ: Intelligence Quotient

389. iq: idem quod (the same as)

390. IRA: Irish Republican Army

391. IRBM: Intermediate Range Ballistic Missie

392. IRC: International Red Cross

393. IRDP: Integrated Rural Development rogramme

394. IREDA: Indian Renewable Energy Development Agency

395. IRRI: International Rice Research Institute

396. IRS: Indian Revenue Service

397. ISBN: International Standard Book Number

398. ISC: Indian School Certificate

399. ISDN: Integrated Services Digital Network

400. ISI: Indian Standards Institution, Inter Services Intelligence

401. ISKCON: International Society for Krishna Consciousness

402. ISO: International Standards Organisation

403. ISRO: Indian Space Research Organisatio

404. ISSN: International Standard Serial Number

405. IST: Indian Standard Time

406. ITA: Information Technology Agreement

407. ITBP: Indo-Tibetan Border Poice

408. ITI: Information Technology Agreement

409. ITU: International Telecommunication Union

410. IUCAA: International University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics

411. IUCD: Intra-Uterine Contraceptive Device

412. IUI: Intrauterine Insemination

413. IVF: In-Vitro Fertilisation

414. IVM: In-vitro Maturation

415. I-R: Infra Red

416. JCO: Junior Commissioned Officer

417. JIPMER: Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research

418. JP: Justice of Peace

419. JPEG: Joint Photographic Expert Group

420. KG: Knight of the Garter; Kindergarten

421. KKK: Ku Klux Klan (US. Secret society-Anti-Negro, Anti-Jewish)

422. KMT: Kuomintang (Chinese National Party)

423. KRC: Konkan Railway Corporation

424. LASER: Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation

425. LASIK: Laser in situ Keratomileusis

426. LCA: Light Combat Aircraft

427. LCD: Liquid Crystal Display, Least Common Denominator

428. LCM: Lowest Common Multiple

429. LERMS: Liberalised Exchange Rate Management Scheme

430. LIC: Life Insurance Corporation (of India)

431. LIPS: Language Independent Programme Subtitles

432. LIS: Land Informtion System

433. LL.B.: Bachelor of Laws

434. Loc: cit Loco citato (at the place quoted

435. LPG: Liquefied Petroleum Gas

436. LSD: Lysergic acid diethylamide

437. Lt.Col.: Lieutenant Colonel

438. M: monesieur (Minister)

439. M.A.: Magisiter Artium (Master of Arts)

440. M.D.: Doctor of Medicine

441. M1: Money supply with public

442. M3: Aggregate monetary resources

443. MAD: Mutually Assured Destruction

444. MAIT: Manufacturers Association for Information Technology

445. MASER: Microwave Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation

446. MBA: Master of Business Administration

447. MBBS: Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery

448. MCC: Marylebone Cricket Club

449. MCLR: Medium Capacity Long Range

450. MDA: market development assistance

451. MFN: Most Favoured Nation

452. MICR: Magnetic ink character recognition

453. MIDI: Musical Instrument Digital Interface

454. MISA: Maintenance of Internal Security Act

455. Misc.: Miscellaneous

456. MIT: Massachusetts Institute of Technology, US; Master Instruction Tape

457. MKS: Metre Kilogram Second (System)

458. MI: Military Intelligence

459. MLA: Member of Legislative Assembly

460. Mlle: Mademoiselle (Miss)

461. MLP: multiple line printer

462. Mme: Madame (Mrs.)

463. MMTC: Minerals and Metas Trading Corporation

464. MMX: Matrix Manipulation Extension; Multimedia extension

465. MNC: Multi-National Corporation

466. MODEM: modulator demodulator

467. MODVAT: Modified Value Added Tax

468. MOSFET: Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistor

469. MOU: Memorandum of Understanding

470. MP: Member of parliament; Madhya Pradesh

471. MPEG: Motion Picture Experts Group

472. mph: miles per hour

473. MPLAD: Member of Parliament Local Area Development

474. MRA: Moral Re-Armament

475. MRCP: Member of the Royal College of Physicians

476. MRTPC: Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices Commission

477. MS/MSS: Manuscript/Manuscripts

478. MSCI: Morgan Stanley Capital International

479. MTBE: methyl-tertiary-butyl-ether

480. MTCR: Missile Technology Control Regime

481. MVC: Maha Vir Chakra

482. NAA: National Airports Authority

483. NAAC: National Assessment and Accreditation Council

484. NABARD: Nation Bank for Agriculture and Rural Developement

485. NAFED: National Agricultural Co-operative Marketing Federation

486. NAFTA: North American Free Trade Agreement

487. NASA: National Aeronautics and Space Administration

488. NASDAQ: National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotation

489. NASSCOM: National Association of Software and Service Companies

490. NATO: North Atlantic Treaty Organisation

491. NATPAC: National Transportation Planning and Research Centre

492. NAV: Net Asset Value

493. NB: nota bene (note well)

494. NC: Network Computer

495. NCAER: National Council of Applied Economic Research

496. NCC: National Cadet Corps

497. NCERT: National Council of Educational Research and Training

498. NCO: Non-Commissioned Officer

499. NCSA: National Centre for Supercomputing Applications; National Computer Security Association

500. NDA: National Defence Academy

501. NDC: National Development Council

502. NDES: New Data Encryption Standard

503. NGO: Non-Government Organisation; Non-Gazetted Officer

504. NICD: National Institute of Communicable Diseases

505. NIMHANS: National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences

506. NIV: National Institute of Virology

507. NMDC: National Mineral Development Corporation

508. NMR: Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

509. NOC: No Objection Certificate

510. NPC: National Productivity Council

511. NPT: Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

512. NRF: National Renewal Fund

513. N&S: Network and Systems

514. NSEI: National Stock Exchange of India

515. NSP: Native Signal Processing

516. NSUI: National Students Union of India

517. NTPC: National Thermal Power Corporation

518. NTSC: National Television System Commission

519. O & M: Organisation & Methods

520. OAPECL: Organisation of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries

521. OAS: Organisation of American States

522. OAU: Organisation of African Unity

523. OCD: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

534. OCR: Optical Character Recognition

535. ODA: Overseas Development Administration

536. ODI: Open Data Link Interface

537. OECD: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development

538. OGL: Open General Licence

539. OIC: Organisation of Islamic Conference

540. OIGS: On India Government Service

541. OK: All Correct (slang)

542. OLE: Object Linking and Embedding

543. ONGC: Oil and Natural Gas Corporation

544. OOP: Object Oriented Programme

545. Op. cit.: Opero Citato ( in the work cited )

546. OPCW: Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons

547. OPEC: Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries

548. OPV: Oral Polio Vaccine

549. ORT: Oral Rehyderation Therapy

550. OXFAM: Oxford Committee for Famine Relief

551. Oxon: Oxoniensis (of Oxford University)

552. PAC: Public Accounts Committee

553. PAL: Phase Alternation Line

554. PAN: Permanent Account Number

555. PAYE: Pay as you earn

556. PC: percent; post card; Personal Computer

557. PCA: Professional Chess Association

558. PCM: Pulse Code Modulation

559. PCMCIA: Personal Computer Memory Card International Association

560. PDA: Preventive Detention Act, Personal Digital Assistant

561. PEC: Project and Equipment Corporation

562. PEN: (International club of) Poets, Playwrights, Essayists, Edutors and Novelists

563. PERT: Project Evaluation and Review Technique

564. PETA: People for Ethical Treatment of Animals

565. PGIMER: Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research

566. PGM-FI: Programmed Fuel Injection

567. PGP: Pretty Good Privacy

568. Ph.D.: Doctor of Philosophy (Philosophiae Doctor)

569. PHDCCI: Punjab, Haryana, Delhi Chamber of Commerce and Industries

570. PIB: Press Information Bureau

571. PIGS: Pre-implantation Genetic Screening

572. PIL: Public Interest Litigation

573. PIM: Personal Information Management

574. PIN: Postal Index Number

575. Pixel: Picture element

576. PLAB: Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board

577. PM: Post Meridiem; Prime Minister

578. PMG: Post Maaster General

579. PMUPEP: Prime Minister's Urban Poverty Eradication Programme

580. PNR: Passenger Name Recorder

581. POTA: Prevention of Terrorism Act

582. POW: Prisoner of War

583. PPP: Purchasing power parity; Point-to-Point Protocol

584. PPS: Post Post Scriptum (additional post script)

585. PROLOG: Programming logic

586. PS: Post Scriptum (written after); Private Secretary

587. PSLV: Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle

588. PSN: Processor Serial Number

589. PTA: Parent-Teacher Association

590. PTIL: Press Trust of India

591. PTO: Please Turn Over

592. PVC: Poly Vinyl Chloride; Param Vir Chakra

593. PWD: Public Works Department

594. PZD: Partial Zonal Drilling

595. QED: Quod Erat Demonstrandum (which was to be demonstrated or proved)

596. Q Queue: qed Quod Erat Demon-Standum (that which was to be demonstrated)

597. QR: Quantitative restriction

598. QSO: Quasi-stellar object

599. qv: quod vide (which see)


600. R & D: Research and Development

601. R & M: Renovation and Modernisation

602. RABMN: Remote Area Business Message Network

603. RAC: Reservation Against Cancellation

604. RADAR: Radio Detecting and Ranging

605. RAM: Random Access Memory

606. RAPD: Random Amplified Polymorphic Deoxyribonucleic Acid

607. RAW: Research & Analysis Wing

608. RBI: Reserve Bank of India

609. RCC: Reinforced Cement Concrete

610. RD: refer to drawer

611. RDX: Research Department Explosive (Cyclotrimethylin Trinitrate)

612. REM: Rapid Eye Movement

613. RFC: Request for Comments

614. RH: Rainwater Harvest

615. RIP: Requiescat in pace (May he or she rest in peace); Raster Image Processor

616. RISC: Reduced Instruction-set Computing

617. RITES: Rail India Technical & Economic Services

618. RLO: Returned Letters Office

619. RMS: Railway Mail Service

620. RNA: Ribonucleic acid

621. ROM: Read Only Memory

622. RONW: return on net wotrth

623. RPM: Revolutions per Minute

624. RSE: Renewable Source of Energy

625. RSS: Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh

626. R.s.v.p.: Respondez S'il Vous Plait (Reply if you please)

627. RTG: Radio-isotope Thermoelectric Generator

628. SACLANT: Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic

629. SASE: Self-addressed stamped envelope

630. S & T: Science and Technology

631. SAC: Space Application Centre

632. SAIL: Steel Authority of India Limited

633. SAM: Surface to Air Missile

634. SAPTA: South Asian Preferential Trade Agreement

635. SARS: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome

636. SASER: Sound Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation

637. SAT: Scholastic Aptitude Test

638. SAVE: SAARC Audio-Visual Exchange

639. SCABA: Self contained Air Brathing Apparatus

640. SCI: Shipping Corporation of India

641. SCM: Supply Chain Management

642. SCSI: Small Computer Systems Interface

643. SCUBA: Self-contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus

644. SDR: Special Drawing Rights

645. SEANWFZ: South East Asia Nuclear Weapons Free Zone

646. SEBI: Securities and Exchange Board of India

647. SENSEX: Sensitivity Index (of Share Price)

648. SET: Secure Electronic Transmission

649. SEZ: Special Economic Zone

650. SFCI: State Farm Corporation of India

651. SGPC: Siromani Gurudwara Prabandak Committee

652. SHAPE: Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers, Europe

653. SIDS: Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (Crib Death)

654. SIFT: Sperm Intra-Fallopian Transfer

655. SIM: Subscriber Information Module

656. SITA: Suppression of Immoral Traffic Act

657. SITE: Satellite Instructional Television Experiment

658. SLFP: Sri Lanka Freedom Party

659. SLR: Statutory Liquidity Ratio; Single Lens Reflex

660. SLV: Satellite Launch Vehicle

661. SMTP: Simple Mail Transfer Protocol

662. SNA: System Network Architecture

663. SOHO: Small Office Home Office

664. SOLAS: Safety of Life at Sea

665. SPCA: Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

666. SPECT: Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography

667. SPTM: Self-Printing Ticketing Machine

668. STAR(TV): Satellite Television Asian Region Ltd.

669. START: Strategic Arms Reduction Talks

670. STC: State Trading Corporation

671. STD: Subscriber Trunk Dialing; Sexually Transmitted Diseased

672. STP: Software Technology Park

673. STQC: Standardisation Testing and Quality Control

674. SUNFED: Special United Nations Fund for Economic Development

675. SUV: Sports Utility Vehicle

676. SVP: Saturated Vapour Pressure

677. Swift: Secure worldwide immediate fund transfer

678. SWOT: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats

679. T & D: Transmission & Distribution

680. TA: Territorial Army; Travelling Allowance

681. TACAMO: take charge and more over

682. TADA: Terrorist and disruptive Activities (Prevention Act)

683. TAFE: Technical and Further Education (in Australia)

684. TAFTA: Trans-Atlantic Free Trade Agreement

685. TAPS: Tarapur Atomic Power Station

686. TB: tuberculosis

687. TBSE: Technology Bureau for Smalle Enterprise

688. TCP: Transfer Call protocol, Transmission Control Protocol

689. TDA: Trade Development Authority

690. TDMA: Time Division Multiple Access

691. TELCO: Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company

692. TERLS: Thumba Equatorial Rocket Launching Station

693. TFT: Thin-Film Transistor

694. TIFAC: Technology and Information Forecasting and Assessment Council

695. TIFR: Tata Institute of Fundamental Research

696. TIPS: Technology Information Pilot System

697. TIPTOP: Tape input-tape Output

698. TISCO: Tata Iron and Steel Company

699. TLC: Total Literacy Campaign

700. TMO: Telegraphic Money Order

701. TNG: The Next Generation

702. TNT: Trinitro-toluene

703. TOEFL: Test of English as a Foreign Language

704. TPM: Total Productivity Maintenance

705. TQM: Total Quality Management

706. TRACT: Transportable Remote Area Communications Terminal

707. TRIMS: Trade Related Investment Measures

708. TRIPS: Trade Related Intelectual Property Rights

709. TRYSEM: Training of Rural Youth for Self-employment

710. TSE: Test of Spoken English

711. TTC: Telemetry, Tracking & Command

712. TTE: Travelling Ticket Examiner

713. TWE: Testof Written English

714. TWT: Two Way Time

715. UCI: Universal Childhood Immunisation

716. UCIL: Uranium Corporation of India Ltd.

717. UCR: Under Colour Removal

718. UGC: University Grants Commission

719. UHF: Ultra High Frequency

720. ULEV: Ultra Low Emission Vehicle

721. UNCED: UN Conference on Environment & Development

722. UNCIP: United Nations Commission for India & Pakistan

723. UNCLOS: United Nation Convention on the Law of the Sea

724. UNCSTD: United Nations Conference on Science and Technology for Development

725. UNCTAD: United Nations Conference on Trade and Development

726. UNEP: United Nations Environment Programme

727. UNESCO: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation

728. UNFPA: United nations Population Fund

729. UNI: United News of India

730. UNICEF: United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund (now, 'United Nations Children's Fund)

731. UNIDO: United Nations Industrial Development Organisation

732. UNITA: Unionfor the Total Independence of Angola

733. UNMOGIP: United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan

734. UNOPS: UN Office for Project Services

735. UNPROFOR: UR Protection Force

736. UNRRA: United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration

737. UNU: United Nations University

738. UPA: United Progressive Alliance

739. UPS: Uninterrupted Power Supply

740. UPSC: Union Public Service Commission

741. URL: Uniform Resource Locator

742. USAID: United States Agency for International Development

743. USO: Udaipur Solar Observatory

744. USP: Unique selling proposition

745. VABAL: Value Based Advance Licensing

746. VAN: Virtual Area Network

747. VAT: Value Added Tax

748. VATIS: Value Added Technology Information Service

749. VBT: Vainu Bappu Telescope

750. VC: Vice-Chancellor, Victoria Cross; Venture Capital

751. VCR: Video Casette Recorder

752. VD: Venereal Disease (see STD)

753. VESA: Video Electronics Standard Association

754. VHRR: Very High Resolution Radiometer

755. VHS: Video Home System

756. VIP: Very Important Person

757. VIRUS: Vital Information Resources Under Siege

758. VPI: Vital Information Resources Under siege

759. VPP: Value Payable Post

760. VRML: Virtual Reality Modelling Language

761. VRS: Voluntary Retirement Scheme

762. VSAT: Very Small Aperture Terminal

763. VSSC: Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre

764. VTEC: Variable Valve Timing and Lift Telectronic Control

765. VTR: Video Tape Recovder

766. WAIS: Wide Area Information Service

767. WARDEC: Wargaming Development Centre

768. WAY: World Assembly of Youth

769. WDM: World Debt Market

770. WEF: World Economic Forum

771. WFTU: World Federation of Trade Unions

772. WG: Working Group

773. WHO: World Health Organisation

774. WIMP: Weakly Interacting Massive Particle; Windows, Icons, Menus, Pointers

775. WMD: Weapons of Mass Destruction

776. WMO: World Meteorological Organisation

777. WPI: Wholesale Price Index

778. WTO: World Trade Organisation

779. WTP: willingness-to-pay

780. WWF: World Wildlife Fund, now renamed Worldwide Fund for Nature

781. WWW: World Wide Web

782. WYSIWYG: What you see is what you get

783. XBT: Expandable Bathy Thermographic

784. Xmas: Christmas

Monday 27 June 2011

The Art Of Giving And Receiving_ PETER JONES

As the Governor of the Bank of England wades into the fray, it does not seem too much to ask of bankers to make it clear that they are spending a portion of their bonuses on the Big Society.  Those who already are must overcome their modestry and let us know about it.
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Euergesia - "benefaction, philanthropy" - was a virtue of the well-born Greek.  Many inscriptions and statues, erected by the euergetist to himself or by a grateful people, attest the practice.  The culture spread to Rome.  Over 11 years, Pliny the Younger spent two million sesterces on his home town in benefactions.
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Discussion about the theory of giving was intense.  In general, euergetism was personal and reciprocal: it served the interests of the giver - everything from patriotic display to political self-advancement - as well as that of the recipient.  But in fifth-century B.C.  Athens, radical democrats thought a lavish benefactor might be seeking political advantage.  So they invented the leitourgia (out "liturgy"), under which the 300 richest citizens in any years were ordered to subsidise state activities.  Greeks then started to argue that the generous man did not look for a return.  But this meant that, if one was done a good turn, one should refuse on principle to respond.  If so, did this make receiving the benefit a nuisance?  Some argued it did.  To get out of this bind, the Roman Stoic Seneca defined a beneficium as "an action which gives pleasure and finds pleasure in so doing, from a natural and spontaneous inclination".  Seneca does agree that "everyone who serves another has thereby served his own advantage" but goes on to insist that the advantage consists not in what one gets back, but from the fact that all virtue is its own reward.  Aristotle by contrast drew an analogy with the artist, who rejoices in something he has created.
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A famous Greek benefactor, T. Claudius Atticus, offered to hand over his vast fortune to the emperor Nerva.  "Keep it", said Nerva, "and use it well".  Come on, you bankers, do the same: prove you are a load of euergetists.  You can start with launch of www.classicsforall.org.uk.... By arrangement with the Spectator...

Tuesday 21 June 2011

How Gandhi became Gandhi... GEOFFREY C. WARD

Some years ago, British writer Patrick French visited the Sabarmati ashram on the outskirts of Ahmedabad in Gujarat, the site from which Mahatma Gandhi led his salt march to the sea in 1930.  French was so appalled by the noisome state of the latrines that he asked the ashram secretary whose job it was to clean them.  A sweeper woman stopped by for an hour a day, the functionary explained, but afterward things inevitably became filthy again.
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But wasn't it a central tenet of the Mahatma's teachings that his followers clean up after themselves?
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"We all clean the toilets together, on Gandhiji's birthday,"the secretary answered, "as a symbol to show that we understand his message."
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Gandhi had many messages, some ignored, some misunderstood, some as relevant today as when first enunciated.  Most Americans - many middle-class Indians, for that matter - know what they know about the Mahatma from Ben Kingsley's Academy Award-winning screen portrayal.  His was a mesmerizing performance, but the script barely hinted at the bewildering complexity of the real man.  Who was at the same time an earnest pilgrim and a wily politician, an advocate of celibacy and the architect of satyagraha, a revivalist, a revolutionary and a social reformer.
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It is this last avatar that interest Joseph Lelyveld most.  Great Soul  concentrates on what he calls Gandhi's "evolving sense of his constituency and social vision", and his subsequent struggle to impose that vision on an India at once "worshipful and obdurate".
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This is not a full-scale biography.  Nor is it for beginners.  Lelyveld assumes his readers are familiar with the basic outlines of Gandhi's life, and while the book includes a bare-bones chronology and is helpfully divided into South African and Indian sections, it moves backward and forward so often, it's sometimes harder than it should be to follow the shifting course of Gandhi's thought.
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But Great Soul is a noteworthy book, nonetheless, vivid, naunced and clear-eyed.  The two decades Gandhi spent in South Aftrica are too often seen merely as prelude.  Lelyveld treats them with seriousness they deserve.
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"I believe implicitly that all men are born equal", Gandhi once wrote in the midst of one of his campaigns against untouchability.  " I have fought this doctrine of superiority in South Africa inch by inch".
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It actually took a long time for the Mahatma to turn that implicit belief into explicit action, lelyveld reminds us.  When Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi arrived in Durban from Bombay in 1893, he was a natty 23-year-0\old British-trained lawyer, hired to help represent one wealthy Muslim Indian trader in a dreary civil suit against another, and primarily interested in matters of religion and diet, not politics.
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Initially, Gandhi was simply affronted that discriminatory laws and bigoted custom lumped educated well-to-do Indians like him with "coolies", that impoverished mine, plantation and railroad workers who made up the bulk of the region's immigrant Indian population.  The non-violent campaigns he waged to bring about equality between Indians and whites over the next 20 years would lead him to advocate equality between Indian and Indian, first across caste and religious lines and then between rich and poor.
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Soon after returning to India in 1915, Gandhi set forth what he called the "four pillars on which the structure of swaraj would ever rest":  An unshakable alliance between Hindus and Muslims; universal acceptance of the doctrine of non-violence, as tenet, not tactic; the transformation of India's approximately 650,000 villages by spinning and other self-sustaining handicrafts; and an end to the the evil concept of untouchability.  Lelyveld shrewdly examines Gandhi's noble but doomed battles to achieve them all.  
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He made a host of enemies along the way - orthodox Hindus who believed him overly sympathetic to Muslims, Muslims who saw his calls for religious unity as part of a Hindu plot, Britons who thought him a charlatan, radical revolutionaries who believed him a reactionary.  But no antagonist was more implacable than Bhimrao Ramji Ambedkar, the brilliant, quick-tempered untouchable leader who saw the Mahatma's non-violent efforts to eradicate untouchability as a sideshow at best.  He even objected to the word - Gandhi coined for his people - "Harijans" or "children of God" - as patronizing; he preferred "dalits", from the Sanskrit for "Crushed", "broken".
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Sometimes, Gandhi said Indian freedom would never come until untouchablility was expunged; sometimes he argued that untouchability could be eliminated only after Independence was won.  He was unapologetic about that kind of inconsistency.
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As lelyveld has written in Move Your Shadow, "Gandhi had hoped to bring about India's freedom as the moral achievement of millions of individual Indians, as the result of a social revolution in which the collapse of alien rule would be little more than a byproduct of a struggle for self-reliance and economic equality".  Foreign rule did collapse, in the end, "but strife and inequality among Indians worsened".
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Gandhi is still routinely called "the father of the nation" in India, but it is hard to see what reamins of him beyond what Lelyveld calls his "nimbus".  His notions about sex and spinning and simple living have long since been abandoned.  Hindu-Muslim tension still smoulders just beneath the uneasy surface.  Untouchability survives, too, and stand-issue polychrome statues of Ambedkar in red tie and double-breasted suit now outnumber those of the sparsely clothes Mahatma wherever dalits are still crowded together.
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Gandhi saw most of this coming and sometimes despaired.  The real tragedy of his life, lelyveld argues, was "not because he was assassinated, nor becuse his noblest qualities inflamed the hatred in his killer's heart.  The tragic element is that he was ultimately forced, like Lear, to see the limits of his ambition to remake his worlds."
......................... GEOFFREY C. WARD, a biographer and a screenwriter for documentary films, spent part of his boyhood in India and is currently writing a book about Partition....

GREAT SOUL CONCENTRATES ON WHAT HE CALLS GANDHI'S 'EVOLVING SENSE OF HIS CONSTITUENCY AND SOCIAL VISION', AND HIS SUBSEQUENT STRUGGLE TO IMPOSE THAT VISION ON AN INDIA AT ONCE 'WORSHIPFUL AND OBDURATE... IT IS A NOTEWORTHY BOOK... VIVID AND NAUNCED...........

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