Retirement and service 1. Some people recommend that all employees need to be given the opportunity to enjoy a certain years of service, say 25 years with a minimum and maximum age limit for joining service, so that there won’t be any stalemate over the question, when should one retire?’ • Look at the advantages and disadvantages of retirement after a stipulated period of service. 2. Some say remuneration needs to be uniform for employees with similar qualifications and experience whereas some others hold the view that it is the range of responsibilities one is able to carry out that needs to decide on how much one should be paid. • Discuss both the views and say what you feel about equal pay for equal credentials. 3. A good number of employees who retire from service are found to be still able and enterprising. So there is a view that it is good to hold them back in service as long as they remain able. • Look at the ins and outs of such a service arrangement. 4. People who happen to hold positions of greater significance in terms of development need to be given longer periods of service. • How far do you agree or disagree with this view. Ajaypeesdoc.13.6.012 5. Since no government is able to accommodate all the educated and skilled in paid jobs, it is good for governments to concentrate more on areas like defense, food medicine and similar essentials than on employment generation. • Do you think governments can do without generating employment for the educated? • How best can a government address the issue called, unemployment of the employable?

Four ways for this week The number of children who find themselves studying at boarding atmosphere is on the rise these days. • How beneficial is it for children to be inmates of boarding schools? • Is it a positive trend that their number is on the rise? There is an argument that the Net carries greater chunk of objectionable contents than acceptable ones, and therefore, its contents need to be censured. • Argue for and against this view. Satellite channels are being criticized by some as encroachments on people’s privacy and personal interests. • How well founded is this criticism in your point of view? • Is it a good idea to block free airwaves? Global Positioning Satellite technology over the years has revolutionized the way people live their very life in countless ways. • How helpful is satellite technology for human life? • What are the dangers it poses? The internet service providers offer most of their wares almost free of charge. This is taken as the primary reason for all Net related crimes and concerns. • How appropriate is it to believe so? • Do you think it is a good idea to fairly charge Internet services?

String of an idea In this connection, I would recommend that the research and development fraternity - engaged in identifying viable alternative fuel sources across the world - travels a few extra miles and have some out of the box thinking so that they, sooner than later, would be able to develop (come up with) an energy substitute which is safer, less polluting and more sustainable than the conventional ones being extensively used these days which, unfortunately, are causing enormous problems to the Planet, its diversity and biosphere. Streamlining road infrastructure scientifically will be of great help; that is periodically maintaining the existing roads and engineering the upcoming ones to shoulder greater traffic pressures in terms of number of vehicles and their speed and weight today and all the days to come. This is possible by developing flyovers, ring roads, subways, multi-lane fast tracks, bypasses and, of course, all these traffic instruments need to be supported by electronic signaling and signage systems 24x7. The primary recommendation is to understand the fact that the Net as such is manmade and made for man so that it is his responsibility to use it wisely absorbing what is acceptable to one’s culture, belief and state of mind and simply sifting out what is objectionable to one’s disposition. Once this fact is realized, there would not be any confrontation between what is indiscriminately streamed across this information super highway and how it makes an electronic presence friendly or unfriendly to its user. Virtual access to information of all sorts from across the spectrum regardless of time and space is the primary advantage of one’s having an electronic presence. This presence could range from a mere email ID to a full-fledged website of any dimension, say personal, business, community or organizational. Secondly, hosting a domain of any size makes one generate, disseminate, encash information and, above all, stock it on the cyber space for all the ages to come. It is safe, cheap and convenient. Thirdly, it is right to add that people can be in touch with the rest of the world; let it be with likeminded people, a friends’ circle or a community of global dimension. • A source of revenue • A global social platform • A communication landscape • A short cut to be up-to-date and informed • A free space for pursuing hobbies and interests. • An opening to the world of all e businesses, personal and governmental Ajaypeesdoc.12.5.012 Vocabulary: Cyber space, information superhighway, virtual world of knowledge, knowledge economy, online revenue earner, tech savvy, digital knowledge, digital education, digital divide, free access to software, access to engines of knowledge, search engines and their potential, uploading, downloading and disseminating, e learning, e tutoring, e business, governance, medicine and marketing and so on. Four ways for this week