Wednesday, April 2, 2008

BHARAT RAKSHAK.....................

The Indian Army is one of the armed forces of India and has responsibility for land-based military operations. It has the primary responsibility of maintaining the peace and security of the country, patrolling the borders and conducting counter terrorist operations. It also conducts rescue and humanitarian operations during calamities and disturbances, and has frequently been called upon to maintain the internal security of the country.
The Indian Army has a total troop strength of around 2.5 million (1.3 million active and 1.2 million reserve) and is the second largest standing army in the world. It is a completely voluntary service - the military draft never having been imposed in India. Indian Army is one of the major contributors to various United Nation missions. The army has rich combat experience in diverse terrains, considering India's diversity on this front, and also has a distinguished history of serving in United Nations peacekeeping operations.

Presently, the Indian army has dedicated one brigade of troops to the UN's standby arrangements. The large number of sustained troop commitments India has come in for much praise for taking part in difficult operations for prolonged periods.
The Indian Army has participated in several UN peace-keeping operations, including the ones in Angola, Cambodia, Cyprus, Congo, El Salvador, Namibia, Lebanon, Liberia, Mozambique, Rwanda, Somalia & Vietnam. The army also provided a paramedical unit to facilitate the withdrawal of the sick and wounded in Korea.

Thursday, March 27, 2008

GOVERNMENT MUSEUM,CHENNAI


Government Museum, established in 1851, is located in Egmore, Chennai, South India. The Museum complex consisting of six buildings and 46 galleries covers an area of around 16.25 acres (66,000 m²) of land. The objects displayed in the museum cover a variety of artifacts and objects covering diverse fields including archeology, numismatics, zoology, natural history, sculptures, palm-leaf manuscripts and Amravati paintings.

FRIENDSHIP THROUGH SPORTS....................


The 2007 Military World Games are scheduled to be held at the twin-cities Hyderabad - Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh, India from October 14 - October 21, 2007. Some parts of games were also held in Mumbai. According to press release by the organizers nearly 5000 athletes from 101 countries participated. The motto of the games was 'Friendship Through Sport'. Russia emerged on top of the Medal Tally with 42 Gold, 26 Silver and 28 Bronze medals. China, second with 36 Gold, 22 Silver and 13 Bronze while Germany came a distant third with 7 Gold, 10 Silver and 13 Bronze.

Flower of the Blue mountains.................

Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) is a shrub that used to grow abundantly in the shola grasslands (the origin of Water) of Western Ghats in South India above 1800 metres. The Nilgiris, which literally means the blue mountains, got its name from the purplish blue flowers of Neelakurinji that blossoms gregariously only once in 12 years.
Neelakurinji is the best known of a genus that has flowering cycles ranging from one to 16 years. Plants that bloom at long intervals like kurinji are called plietesials. The genus has around 300 species, of which at least 46 occur in India. Besides the Western Ghats, Neelakurinji is seen in the Shevroys in the Eastern Ghats. It occurs at an altitude of 1300 to 2400 metres.
The plant is usually 30 to 60 cm high on the hills. They can, however, grow well beyond 180 cm under congenial conditions.
Once they used to cover the entire Nilgiris like a carpet during its flowering season. However, now plantations and dwellings occupy much of their habitat. The Save Kurinji Campaign Council organises campaigns and programmes for conservation of the Kurinji plant and its habit.
In 2006, Neelakurunji flowered again in Tamil Nadu and Kerala after a gap of 12 years. Apart from Nilgris, Neelakurinji grow in grass lands of Eravikulam, hills between Klavarai in Tamil Nadu and Vattavada, near Munnar in Kerala during the season from August to December.
Kurinjimala Sanctuary protects the approximately 32 km² core habitat of the endangered Neelakurinji plant in Kottakamboor and Vattavada villages in Devakulam Taluk, Idukki district of Kerala

we cannot always build the future for our children,but we can build our children for the future.............

The United Nations General Assembly recommended in 1954 (resolution 836(IX)) that all countries institute a Universal Children's Day, to be observed as a day of worldwide fraternity and understanding between children and of activity promoting the welfare of the world's children. It suggested to governments that the Day be observed on the date which each considers appropriate.
The date of 20 November marks the day in which the Assembly adopted the Declaration of the Rights of the Child, in 1959, and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, in 1989 and is often the day chosen by countries as their own designated day to observe Universal Children's Day.
State governments are responsible for passing legislation providing a day and name appropriate for their compliance with the United Nations General Assembly resolution. United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights / UN Committee on the Rights of the Child



In India Children's Day day is celebrated on November 14 every year. This date the marks the birth anniversary of independent India’s first Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. Children's day is celebrated on this day in recognition of his lifelong passion and work for the welfare, education and development of children and young people.




Tuesday, March 25, 2008

5300 years ago, the Ice Man used natural laxatives and antibiotics...........Birds use herbs to protect their nests...LET US KNOW ABOUT HERBS..

The use of herbs to treat disease is almost universal among non-industrialized societies. A number of traditions came to dominate the practice of herbal medicine at the end of the twentieth century:
The herbal medicine system, based on Greek and Roman sources
The Ayurvedic medicine system from India
Chinese herbal medicine (Chinese herbology)
Unani-Tibb medicine
Shamanic Herbalism
Many of the pharmaceuticals currently available to physicians have a long history of use as herbal remedies, including opium, aspirin, digitalis, and quinine. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 80 percent of the world's population presently uses herbal medicine for some aspect of primary health care.Herbal medicine is a major component in all traditional medicine systems, and a common element in Ayurvedic, homeopathic, naturopathic, traditional Chinese medicine, and Native American medicine.
The use of, and search for, drugs and dietary supplements derived from plants have accelerated in recent years. Pharmacologists, microbiologists, botanists, and natural-products chemists are combing the Earth for phytochemicals and leads that could be developed for treatment of various diseases. In fact, according to the World Health Organisation, approximately 25% of modern drugs used in the United States have been derived from plants.
Three quarters of plants that provide active ingredients for prescription drugs came to the attention of researchers because of their use in traditional medicine.[verification needed]
Among the 120 active compounds currently isolated from the higher plants and widely used in modern medicine today, 80 percent show a positive correlation between their modern therapeutic use and the traditional use of the plants from which they are derived.
More than two thirds of the world's plant species - at least 35,000 of which are estimated to have medicinal value - come from the developing countries.[verification needed]
At least 7,000 medical compounds in the modern pharmacopoeia are derived from plants


Few herbal remedies have conclusively demonstrated any positive effect on humans. Many of the studies cited refer to animal model investigations or in-vitro assays and therefore cannot provide more than weak supportive evidence.
Artichoke may reduce production cholesterol levels in in vitro studies. Clinical evidence of reduction in serum cholesterol is lacking.
Soy and other plants that contain phytoestrogens (plant molecules with estrogen activity) (black cohosh probably has serotonin activity) have some benefits for treatment of symptoms resulting from menopause.
Butterbur (Petasites )
Calendula
Cranberry may be effective in treating urinary tract infections in women with recurrent symptoms.
Echinacea extracts may limit the length and severity of rhinovirus colds; however, the appropriate dosage levels, which might be higher than is available over-the-counter, require further research.
Elderberry may speed the recovery from type A and B influenza. However it is possibly risky in the case of avian influenza because the immunostimulatory effects may aggravate the cytokine cascade.
Feverfew is sometimes used to treat migraine headaches.However, many reviews of these studies show no or unclear efficacy. However a more recent RTC showed favorable results,Feverfew is not recommended for pregnant women as it may be dangerous to the fetus.
Garlic may lower total cholesterol levels
Ginger
Purified extracts of the seeds of Hibiscus sabdariffa may have some antihypertensive, antifungal and antibacterial effect. Toxicity tested low except for an isolated case of damage to the testes of a rat after prolonged and excessive consumption.
Magnolia
Milk thistle

Nigella sativa (Black cumin) has demonstrated analgesic properties in mice. The mechanism for this effect, however, is unclear. In vitro studies support antibacterial, antifungal, anticancer, anti-inflammatory and immune modulating effects. However few randomized double blind studies have been published.
Oregano may be effective against multi-drug resistant bacteria.
Pawpaw can be used for insecticidal purposes (killing lice, worms).
Phytolacca or Pokeweed is used as a homeopathic remedy to treat many ailments. It can be applied topically or taken internally. Topical treatments have been used for acne and other ailments. It is used to treatment tonsilitis, swollen glands and weight loss.[citation needed]
Peppermint oil may have benefits for individuals with irritable bowel syndrome.
Pomegranate
Rauvolfia Serpentina, high risk of toxicity if improperly used[citation needed], used extensively in India for sleeplessness, anxiety, and high blood pressure.
Salvia lavandulaefolia may improve memory
St. John's wort, has yielded positive results, proving more effective than a placebo for the treatment of mild to moderate depression in some clinical trials A subsequent, large, controlled trial, however, found St. John's wort to be no better than a placebo in treating depression However more recent trials have shown positive results or positive trands that failed significance. A 2004 meta-analysis concluded that the positive results can be explained by publication bias but later analyses have been more favorable.The Cochrane Database cautions that the data on St. John's wort for depression are conflicting and ambiguous.
Saw Palmetto can be used for BPH. Supported in some studies, failed to confirm in otherrs.
Shittake
Valerian root can be used to treat insomnia. Clinical studies show mixed results and researchers note that many trials are of poor quality.
Vanilla
Ocimum gratissimum and tea tree oil can be used to treat acne.
Green tea components may inhibit growth of breast cancer cells and may heal scars faster.
Lemon grass can lower cholesterol.[citation needed]
Honey may reduce cholesterol. May be useful in wound healing.

Universal Postal Union.

The Universal Postal Union (UPU, French: Union postale universelle) is an international organization that coordinates postal policies between member nations, and hence the world-wide postal system. Each member country agrees to the same set of terms for conducting international postal duties. Universal Postal Union's headquarters are located in Berne, Switzerland

The UPU established that
1. There should be a more or less uniform flat rate to mail a letter anywhere in the world;
2. Postal authorities should give equal treatment to foreign and domestic mail; and
3. Each country should retain all monies it collected for international postage.

One of the most important results of the UPU treaty was that it ceased to be necessary, as it often had been previously, to affix the stamps of any country through which one's letter or package would pass in transit; the UPU provides that stamps of member nations are accepted for the whole international route.
After the foundation of the United Nations, the UPU became its specialized agency.
In 1969 the UPU introduced a new system of payment by which fees were payable between countries according to the difference in the total weight of mail between the respective countries. These fees were called terminal dues. The new system was fairer when traffic was heavier in one direction than the other. As this affected the cost of the delivery of periodicals, the UPU devised a new "threshold" system, which was implemented in 1991.
The system sets separate letter and periodical rates for countries which receive at least 150 tonnes of mail annually. For countries with less mail, the original flat rate has been maintained. The United States has negotiated a separate terminal dues formula with thirteen European countries that includes a rate per piece plus a rate per kilogram, and has a similar arrangement with Canada.