Free parking in the outskirts to reduce congestion.....

Some say high density of personal cars in urban interiors could be scaled down if the governments can offer free and safe parking lots in the urban outskirts.

·         How feasible is this arrangement in your view?

·         Suggest a few ways to cut down on car density in urban enclaves.

·         Some people support and some others do not. What could be their claims?

·         Argue for and against this idea.

Free parking in town centres 

Shoppers in small town high streets should be allowed to park free, a minister has indicated after towns that scrapped fees saw shopping areas flourish

Shoppers in small-town high streets should be allowed to park free, a minister has indicated, as figures show that councils are raising more money than ever from motorists.

Marcus Jones, who was made high streets minister in David Cameron’s post-election reshuffle, suggested that small town centres could become “parking meter-free zones” in an effort to save shops from closure.

The Government is growing increasingly concerned that punitive parking costs and fines are deterring shoppers from using their local high streets.

Small stores are going out of business as people increasingly shop online to avoid the threat of parking tickets, experts have warned.

Figures seen by The Telegraph disclose that councils in England and Wales are set to collect an additional £39 illion this year in parking revenues compared with last year, reaching a record total of £687 million.

Last year, local authorities took £648 million despite the Government telling them not to use parking charges and fines to raise revenue.

Cardigan council in Wales saw custom in local shops increase by up to 50 per cent after it allowed free parking when thieves destroyed the town’s four parking machines.

Asked whether small towns should become “meter-free zones”, Mr Jones said: “You can look at examples around the country where that very situation is currently in place, and in those areas where they are thinking very carefully about how they attract more people on to their high street and into those smaller town centres.

“Those areas seem to be doing better and I think it’s really important that councils understand that and develop their policies to make sure that they are attracting people to come and shop and frequent the high street.”

He added: “Unfair parking fines push up the cost of living and undermine high streets. Instead, councils should be focusing their efforts on supporting our town centres and motorists, not by raising money through over-zealous parking enforcement.”

In March, the Government announced that motorists would be given a 10-minute “grace period” to avoid a fine when their parking tickets run out. However, Mr Jones made clear that the Conservatives intend to go further and ensure that local authorities stop using parking as a “cash cow”.

“We haven’t ruled anything out,” he said. “It is really important that local areas have the opportunity to consider any impacts on their high streets and town centres. Ultimately, we’re monitoring this very closely because we do take it very seriously.”

He made clear that councils penalising motorists unfairly were putting small shops at risk. “Where they are doing the right things, councils are really making a difference around the country to bring more foot fall on to the high street. But where they don’t do that, there will be consequences.”

Since February, every council should be publishing details of the income they get from parking, how they spend it and how they intend to use any profits.

“The law clearly states that parking fines should not be used as a way of generating revenue,” the Department for Communities and Local Government said.

Ministers have warned that any local authority found to be using parking fines as a way to make money could face reduced levels of government funding.

·         Argue for and against this idea.

Try draw out the pie charts following the following answer. Challenge. The original will follow for sure.

This is an answer to two pie charts comparing the differences in online sales of four heads. Try draw out the pie charts following the following answer. 

Challenge. The original will follow for sure.

The two pie carts compare the difference in online sales for retail trades of Canada in the years 2005 and 2010.

The most significant feature is that the sale of video games, food and beverages was increasing whereas, home furnishings, electronics and appliance sales had visible falls.

It is seen that in 2005, the sale of video game was only 18%, and it went upto 23% in 2010. Meanwhile, food and beverages sales also rose to 32% in 2010, it was only 22% in 2010, a rise by 10%. However, electronics and appliances sales accounted for 35% of the total sales in 2005, but its figure dropped to 30% in 2010; a scale down by five percent. Similarly, the sale of home furnishings posted 15% in 2010, but its 2005 reading was 25%; almost one-fourths of the total sales in comparison.

To sum up, it is evident from the charts that, of the four heads observed, two of them had appreciable upward spirals; and the rest downward.  165 words

Unhealthy eating habits of children. market forces and parents

Though much has been said about the unhealthy eating habits of children the world over, what is done towards rectifying the same is very little. Some say it is due to the belief that parents are responsible for children’s eating habits while others blame the absence of controls on food market forces.

Try to see the substance behind these two views and say what you think of the second opinion? 

There is no dearth for discussions, seminars and media covers on the poor eating habits of the children world over. But there is very little walk on these talks. In this context, it is viewed in different ways: things do not change because the onus is on parents’ shoulders; and it is due to poor controls on food market forces. Both views are of some significance.

At the very outset, the world must admit the fact that all good things take shape in the family, and, in the same way, all bad habits get bred inside the family itself. Bad eating habit is one of them. All the talks on the children’s eating habits, for example, are, unfortunately, going on in one direction, and the new generation nuclear parents, obsessed with the food vagaries of their children, are moving on in the opposite. Precious little could be expected of the pretty busy new generation nuclear parents of the times. If parents cannot, who on earth can!!! None.

This sorry situation notwithstanding, we must not miss out the fact that children are children and they are vulnerable to influences. The media advertisements on food products using cute kids and chubby children entice other ordinary children towards mouth watering food makeovers, exotic dishes, coveting confectionary, yummy junks and sizzling, fizzy beverages. This is dangerous, and governments are not doing much to control these encroachments on children’s eating habits carried out by corporate food chains day in and day out. Food market is a force.

In this context, what I think of the second view is that, even if parents are up for rectifying the food habits of their children, it is not likely to happen, for these days, in most of the families, children call the shots, and parents simply fall prey to their pestering pressures. There should be strict controls over food marketing advertisements. This is my conclusion.   

Today, there is nothing called free press. it is partisan, political..

In the new generation media world, there is nothing called freedom of the press, rather what the world has is a press that is partisan, political and pressured.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this view? 

Stress is not part of life: agree or disagree

Stress, as a matter of fact, is not part of human life; rather it happens due to poor management of life.

Do you agree or disagree with this observation on stress.

One of the most often heard words of this century is ‘stress’. Is stress actually part of human life? It is not, I believe, and if at all we happen to experience it, it is by way of our lack of management skills to deal with our lives. 

At the outset we all must admit the sad fact that man is a poor manager of himself. He has been so for ages, and stress has been with him all thorough. In simple terms, stress happens when things fail to come in tune with our likes or expectations. But things do not work right all the way. We set things and live according to that pattern. This pattern does not actually belong to our ordinary life, rather it is of external forces or contexts; education, job, target, employer, health, wealth, family, friends and future, to mention a few.

Our lives, on the other hand, are driven by individual contents. For example, I cannot change the content of my life; like my abilities, limitations, my genes, my make, my mind, my mood and the like all by myself. But we have a notion that we can change these things. Actually, we cannot. These components get altered when we get ourselves associated with the context of our lives. My limitations change when I juxtapose them with the context of life. My mind changes when I get in touch with another context. So are the rest. If you can be with your real content, there is no stress, but there is simple life. It calls for a lot of management, and we lack it.

What is the bottom line? It is this. Stress is the result of poor management skills. It is not about managing stress, but it is all about stressing our management skills. Our context is the culprit. 

290 words. Ajaypeesdoc. 17.7.15

Higher education and career: quit or go with both

An attempt by LIBIN of Ireland. 

Choosing a comfortable profession at an early stage is really worth considering. However, youngsters   who take up job at an early stage without enough qualification may spoil their further career by themselves. In this contest,  there are many advantages of giving up current jobs and continue with higher education or enjoy both together.

First of all, many employees would like to reach at the zenith of glory with their hard work and dedication which is often more at an early stage of their service. However, many of whom would not be able to move even a step forward as their qualifications are not enough for demanding positions. For instance, company foremen, teachers, managers and the like come under this segment. Although many of young employees are good at their job, their further progress gets halted as they may not be able to on the right track all by themselves. As part of being much better off in the coming days than  of current position either, they have to quit their job.    

     

In this highly competitive world, getting a suitable job as far as an applicant is concerned is really difficult task. Therefore, it is not that much recommended to quit the job and engage in higher education. It is rather good to choose a part time job along with studies. Simultaneously, students get a realistic idea about their future career if they choose a job which is related to their current studies. Apart from that, as part of raising funds, summer holidays are an excellent alternative in which students can have work full-time job and can keep away from boredom of long holidays. Moreover, students can build up confidence and parents can take a breather if their children save money all by themselves for further education.

From above mentioned points,  it can be concluded that education is a highly valuable asset which may not be possible if the valuable time has got elapsed. So promoting higher education in between career is preferable than going with a job for ages.

Children's eating habits. parents and govt. controls

Though much has been said about the unhealthy eating habits of children world over, what is done towards rectifying the same is very little. 

Some say it is due to the belief that parents are responsible for children’s eating habits while others blame the absence of government controls on food market forces.

Try to see the substance behind these two views and say what you think of the second opinion? 

Free education for the youngsters in jails. arguements

Some people argue that younger prisoners should be provided with free education since they have no means for any income. Some others point out that it is unfair as there are a lot many law-abiding youngsters who are struggling hard to get the education of their choice.

What could be their arguments?

It is quite unfortunate that many younger people end up in prisons and they raise a big question mark in front all governments. In this respect, offering them free education is mooted by some, but this idea is not endorsed by others. Obviously, both the views could have their own footing.

Favouring free education for young prisoners is on some grounds. First thing may that these inmates are not born criminals, and most of them are victims of circumstances.  Naturally, they deserve education in the sense that, by the time their terms are over, they are expected to be back to the mainstream. The other claim could be that they would lose their schooling age in the prisons and the time they spend out in jails is the best of their life. They deserve education free; people may argue. 

The other camp, on the other hand, may hold that the State funded education is meant not for those criminals but for the law-abiding. For example, there are countless peace-loving and poor youngsters among the public and they are entitled to get education free. Besides this, great amounts of tax payers’ money is spent for prison welfare and it would be unfair if further funds are channeled for free education. Further, such offers may make prisons a comfortable place. There is a point of course.

The argument supporting and opposing free education for the jailed youngsters are equally strong, and since these prisoners are human resources of some value, it will be a good idea to get them educated. If is free or not free may be decided on consensus.

  265 words. Ajaypeesdoc. 8.7.15

Free education for young prisoners; it is unfair: arguements

Some people argue that younger prisoners should be provided with free education since they have no means for any income. Some others point out that it is unfair as there are a lot many law-abiding youngsters who are struggling hard to get the education of their choice.

What could be their arguments?

Early career and second innings in higher education.

When youngsters take up jobs much early in their life, their higher education expectations get halted and many are found to be stuck between the pressures of their work and the compulsions of their expectations.

·         How advantageous is it to quit their jobs and go for studies?

·         Are there ways to enjoy both work and studies?

Early employment is the order all over the young world, and higher education aspirations of many are found to be taking a beating when they are pitted against the compulsions of their work. In this context, hanging up the shoes for studies offers a couple of advantages. Anyway, there are other alternatives.

Having a second innings at a college is like revisiting a dreamland. For example, higher education phase of one’s life is the most beautiful one and, if one is lucky enough to get back to books and bags and labs and libraries, obviously, there will be great dividends awaiting him or her. Some may get the chance to face the same teachers or go to a different college with a different set of teachers, training, tasks and tests, pleasures and performance. It will be a pack of advantages.  But not many are up for such a fortune.

This stalemate can be ironed out in a couple of ways. It is good press for flexi-time with the employers and manage time between studies and careers. For example, IT-aided work is very common among many and they can very well handle both.  Besides this, what if one picks up some online programmes with contact sessions off and on? It would work. Apart from these, workers may switch over to part-time for a couple of years. Obviously, there would not be any need for sacrificing one’s higher education escapades.

In short, taking a second stint at higher education ambience is really beautiful and beneficial. However, it is good to pursue both by adopting one of the ways suggested here. The employers and higher education centres can go for a concerted move towards this, for formal direct higher education cannot wait much in life.

290 words. Ajaypeesdoc. 7.7.15

The latest task II: career and a second innings in H. education.

When youngsters take up jobs much early in their life, their higher education expectations get halted and many are found to be stuck between the pressures of their work and the compulsions of their expectations.

·         How advantageous is it to quit their jobs and go for studies?

·         Are there ways to enjoy both work and studies? 

Stress is not part of life: it is all about poor management of life.

Stress, as a matter of fact, is not part of human life; rather it happens due to poor management of life.

Do you agree or disagree with this observation on stress.

One of the most heard refrains of this century is stress. Is stress actually part of human life? It is not, I believe, and if at all we happen to experience it, it is by way of our lack of management skills to deal with our lives. 

At the outset we all must admit the sad fact that man is a poor manager of himself. He has been so for millennia, and stress has been with him ever. In simple terms, stress happens when things fail to come in tune with our likes or expectations. But things do not work right all the way. We set things and live according to that pattern. This pattern does not actually belong to our ordinary life, rather it is of external forces or contexts; education, job, target, employer, health, wealth, family, friends and future, to mention a few.

Our lives, on the other hand, are driven by individual contents. For example, I cannot change the content of my life; like my abilities, limitations, my genes, my make, my mind, my mood and the like all by myself. But we have a notion that we can change these things. Actually, we cannot. These components get altered when we get ourselves associated with the context of our lives. My limitations change when I juxtapose them with the context of life. My mind changes when I get in touch with another context. So are others. If you can be with your real content, there is no stress, but there is simple life. It calls for a lot of management, and we lack it.

What is the bottom line? It is this. Stress is the result of poor management skills. It is not about managing stress, but it is all about stressing our management skills. Our context is the culprit. 

290 words. Ajaypeesdoc. 7.7.15

Sugar. Is it so deadly in your place? Can it be taxed like tobacco is?

Many countries in the world have a significant number of deaths occurring from a single dietary factor, sugar-sweetened beverages, and there are people who say sugar is as deadly as tobacco.

Is sugar, in your place, as deadly as tobacco as it is found in many countries?

How fair is it to tax sugar as tobacco is?

No other dietary substance as sweet as sugar has ever generated this strong bitter criticism in terms of the death toll it causes due to its willful intake, especially in liquids. Though its plight is not different in my place, I do not think it is alright to tax it as tobacco is.  

In my country, medical statistics on sugar-related health concerns reveals that four out of every 10 people above forty years are suffering from diabetics. With this is another revelation that the new generation - teenagers and children – is consuming aerated sugary fizzy drinks in great quantities. This is obviously a reflection of the fact that my place is vulnerable to huge number of deaths emanating from sugar. It is almost as deadly as tobacco, but with a slight difference. 

In my view, it is not that fair to see sugar through the same prism used for tobacco. Sugar is inevitable for human life and survival. For example, human body needs regular supply of a certain amount of sugar and its rise is as deadly as its fall. Naturally, sugar has to be affordable for all, and we all know that it is an additive for innumerable edibles. The second thing is that tobacco is an addiction agent and it is a slow killer. Sugar kills, too, but only if taken in excess. Tobacco ensnares people whereas sugar invites people. The latter is manageable.

My conclusion is sugar as a substance is deadly, if not wisely used, and its impact on my place is not different from elsewhere. However, it is rather cruel to tax sugar as heavily as tobacco. What the world needs to know is that one is venomous and the other is virtuous. The world needs to spare sugar from heavy tax net.

285 words. 01.07.15. 4.30 am

Greater freedom and equality: solved paper

Some people hold the view that greater freedom to people will lead to greater equality among them while other say inequality is more among people who are given greater freedom.

Which view do you support and state why? 

People generally believe in the power of freedom and the equality it generates as a result. But these two are contradictory, and greater freedom ultimately would lead to rampant inequality among people. So I find it right to go with latter view.

Freedom as such is a double edged-sword and it calls for wise handling especially in terms of its impact on people and their lives. For example, a free society is free to pursue all possible options of life; let it be money, material, employment, education, entertainment or whatever for that matter. Since people are heterogeneous in countless ways, naturally, everyone of the crowd may not be able to reap the possibilities offered by freedom. Inequality would thrive on such a milieu. Similar is the case with professions. Different professions are seen entirely differently. It echoes inequality.

Let us take the case of a so-called egalitarian society where all are expected to enjoy enough of all types of freedom and opportunities. Here also the freedom to pursue a religion generates inequality, for all religions are not taken equally by different people. For example, India is a free country and people enjoy greater freedom to choose their faiths. But we have a nomenclature called religious minority; a small population section that follows a particular religion. This minority is not equal in many terms, say employment, education and so on. Some are given more and some are given less. If it is not inequality, what it actually is!!!

In short, my supporting arguments and examples state that greater freedom would not ensure greater equality; rather there may be greater possibilities, I would admit. But these possibilities cannot erase inequality. Equality is so evasive everywhere that more freedom cannot ensure it.

285 words

Ajaypeesdoc. 5.7.15

Greater freedom and equality. task II

Some people hold the view that greater freedom to people will lead to greater equality among them while other say inequality is more among people who are given greater freedom.

Which view do you support and state why?