How to read a balance sheet

courtesy : http://www.rediff.com/money/2009/jan/30forbes-how-to-read-a-balance-sheet.htm

A balance sheet, also known as a "statement of financial position", reveals a company's assets, liabilities and owners' equity (net worth). The balance sheet, together with the income statement and cash flow statement, make up the cornerstone of any company's financial statements.

If you are a shareholder of a company, it is important that you understand how the balance sheet is structured, how to analyse it and how to read it.

How the balance sheet works

The balance sheet is divided into two parts that, based on the following equation, must equal (or balance out) each other. The main formula behind balance sheets is:

assets = liabilities + shareholders' equity

This means that assets, or the means used to operate the company, are balanced by a company's financial obligations along with the equity investment brought into the company and its retained earnings.

Assets are what a company uses to operate its business, while its liabilities and equity are two sources that support these assets. Owners' equity, referred to as shareholders' equity in a publicly traded company, is the amount of money initially invested into the company plus any retained earnings, and it represents a source of funding for the business.

It is important to note, that a balance sheet is a snapshot of the company's financial position at a single point in time.

Know the types of assets

Current assets
Current assets have a life span of one year or less, meaning they can be converted easily into cash. Such assets classes are: cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable and inventory. Cash, the most fundamental of current assets, also includes non-restricted bank accounts and checks.

Cash equivalents are very safe assets that can be are readily converted into cash such as US Treasuries. Accounts receivable consists of the short-term obligations owed to the company by its clients. Companies often sell products or services to customers on credit, which then are held in this account until they are paid off by the clients.

Lastly, inventory represents the raw materials, work-in-progress goods and the company's finished goods. Depending on the company, the exact makeup of the inventory account will differ. For example, a manufacturing firm will carry a large amount of raw materials, while a retail firm caries none. The makeup of a retailers inventory typically consists of goods purchased from manufacturers and wholesalers.

Non-current assets
Non-current assets, are those assets that are not turned into cash easily, expected to be turned into cash within a year and/or have a life-span of over a year. They can refer to tangible assets such as machinery, computers, buildings and land.

Non-current assets also can be intangible assets, such as goodwill, patents or copyright. While these assets are not physical in nature, they are often the resources that can make or break a company - the value of a brand name, for instance, should not be underestimated.

Depreciation is calculated and deducted from most of these assets, which represents the economic cost of the asset over its useful life.

Learn the different liabilities

On the other side of the balance sheet are the liabilities. These are the financial obligations a company owes to outside parties. Like assets, they can be both current and long-term. Long-term liabilities are debts and other non-debt financial obligations, which are due after a period of at least one year from the date of the balance sheet.

Current liabilities are the company's liabilities which will come due, or must be paid, within one year. This is comprised of both shorter term borrowings, such as accounts payables, along with the current portion of longer term borrowing, such as the latest interest payment on a 10-year loan.

Shareholders' equity

Shareholders' equity is the initial amount of money invested into a business. If, at the end of the fiscal year, a company decides to reinvest its net earnings into the company (after taxes), these retained earnings will be transferred from the income statement onto the balance sheet into the shareholder's equity account.

This account represents a company's total net worth. In order for the balance sheet to balance, total assets on one side have to equal total liabilities plus shareholders' equity on the other.

Read the Balance Sheet
Below is an example of a balance sheet:

Source: http://www.edgar-online.com

As you can see from the balance sheet above, it is broken into two sides. Assets are on the left side and the right side contains the company's liabilities and shareholders' equity. It also can be seen that this balance sheet is in balance where the value of the assets equals the combined value of the liabilities and shareholders' equity.

Another interesting aspect of the balance sheet is how it is organized. The assets and liabilities sections of the balance sheet are organised by how current the account is. So for the asset side, the accounts are classified typically from most liquid to least liquid. For the liabilities side, the accounts are organized from short to long-term borrowings and other obligations.

Analyse the balance sheet with ratios

With a greater understanding of the balance sheet and how it is constructed, we can look now at some techniques used to analyze the information contained within the balance sheet. The main way this is done is through financial ratio analysis.

Financial ratio analysis uses formulas to gain insight into the company and its operations. For the balance sheet, using financial ratios (like the debt-to-equity ratio) can show you a better idea of the company's financial condition along with its operational efficiency. It is important to note that some ratios will need information from more than one financial statement, such as from the balance sheet and the income statement.

The main types of ratios that use information from the balance sheet are financial strength ratios and activity ratios. Financial strength ratios, such as the working capital and debt-to-equity ratios, provide information on how well the company can meet its obligations and how they are leveraged.

This can give investors an idea of how financially stable the company is and how the company finances itself. Activity ratios focus mainly on current accounts to show how well the company manages its operating cycle (which include receivables, inventory and payables). These ratios can provide insight into the operational efficiency of the company.

There are a wide range of individual financial ratios that investors use to learn more about a company.

Conclusion

The balance sheet, along with the income and cash flow statements, is an important tool for investors to gain insight into a company and its operations. The balance sheet is a snapshot at a single point in time of the company's accounts - covering its assets, liabilities and shareholders' equity.

The purpose of the balance sheet is to give users an idea of the company's financial position along with displaying what the company owns and owes. It is important that all investors know how to use, analyse and read one.

gift of 2009 a Pandora's box

well every year gives people a gift.2008 went and applied the breaks on cruising ship of the economies around the world.2009 is here gift is getting unwrapped and straight away existence  of Pandora's box are getting stronger.gaints are closing,appending production,giving the pink slips.even the corporations like MicroSoft and TATA who never had done a pink slip job have indicated their will to do so.well after the name TATA here one wud be amazed coz it was being claimed that India Inc. is immune to slow down,but thanks to the IST-Indian strechable time ,every event or effect appears in the land of aryans a bit late; like liberalization,globalisation,or now the  market slump .India Inc. was able to maintain a growth rate of 7% last year even when  there was braking,slipping all over the world market.but why are we now worring abt it.reason is same IST-every thing comes here with some delay. effects of miserable market are very clear.on 1 hand tisco is working 4 days a week,on other employees are asked to go for leave.some body is announcing no perks,other is asking for low salaries."dude congrats slump is here".then adding to miseries is satyam and wipro,who are facing legal issues,and deterioting the image of IT India. while govt. says that after second stimulus there will be no more packages,rbi says no more rate cuts.well the future is not that bright and clear.i just feel like fiction getting real,remember the movie "Death Race"."well guys if every thing goes the current way,we need to get physic like stathom for sure.hmm .. this is just the aagaaz of 2009,and picture abhi baaki hai mere dost" 

big daddy of cricket

it was post 1996 world cup that the BCCI -Board of Cricket Control in India was facing supreme financial crises.but after that world cup there were two teams who actually grew leaps and bounds they were team srilanka and BCCI. yes team BCCI ,bcci went commercial way,brought in team sponsors,gear sponsor ,food sponsor,etc.soon the cricket mad country made the game one of the highest paid profession in india. youth dream abt playing in team even just for a year courtsy :ad world ,fashion,fee,etc.ten years later this board became the richest board in the world so rich that it paid 70 % of money to icc.but has this economic dominance brought the glory. the answer is seems to be blurr: BCCI was board whose players were involved in match fixing,drugs, ill behaviour.even though the board governs all the money matters and have supreme influence in the ICC,still the max number of players penalised for misbehavior are indians and from sub continent.in any issue the players from non sub continent gets warning and subconti guy get a match bann or fee cut.and BCCI sits and watch it just.further it started IPL -Indian Premeir League which turned to be "INDIAN PROFIT LEAGUE".the reason to start it were many and major was to help local tallent to match the international one;but it was hardly supported.just making 6 icon players they thought that their moral duty was over.the lowest paid players were from india whereas mr.controversy enjoyed a million dollars.was that fair.these IPL players from india were than hardly seen any where.is that wat they care about.we say that cricket is religion in india,but those who play it and donot make it to team india are reduced to beggars.further the richest board of the world provides only 1 training centre for bowlers.there are hardly enough bowling machines( do we actually have any??).the rural tallent is untapped and unconcerned.wat is actually cared about is that president of board is also big name in politics.that means the game is also now infected with virus of politics.they care about wat rbk wants,wat sahara wants,wat pepsi wants.they don't care about the need of a biomechanical institute and advanced technology.i donot mean to say that they have not done anythng for game,but they seem to have lost the track on which game prospers,players grow and genius are discovered.the BCCI of 96 in 2008 has actually turned into a showroom of players,glamour,wealth,shud be names as" Board of Cricket Commerce in India".well the bottom line is if u are BIG DADDY then behave like one.

grow up mr.chief minister

"PDA is not the culture of rajasthan" said the CM. well there are a lot of things that are not a part of the culture but he hardly noticed.there is definitly some respect involved when u say somthng to the ex CM above that too a lady,but that is never thought of.this is one of them.well Mr.Chief minister should know this that the youth of the state is well educated abt there culture.they know how to behave in public,they very well know how to respect their elders,what to do and what not to do.a person from such high office delivers these kind of statements in media,that too for own community doesn't go with the highness of the position.well the point is we the youth knows clearly our boundaries and jobs.but it just might be that people from such high offices have skipped the other jobs of high priority,like,1.what to do for oil refinery2.where should be IIT be placed,3.how to serve sweet water in remote villages,4.how to restore the water banks(taal katora-jaipur,ramgarh-jaipur to name a few),5.how to bring projects like NANO,6.how to deal with electric power shortage,7.how deal terrorism and upgarde the Police,8.reduction of sale tax to bring the petrol prices and other product prices down9.establishing the higher education institution of the likes of IIM,IIT,AIIMS,etc. 

these are some major problems of the state not thePDA.well i don't get a reason for this when i have so much of important work to do ,how can i get time to deliver such statements ,oooppppppppppsssssss that means u know i am not buzzy and "an empty mind is devil's workshop".well the point here is that we the people choose u to sort out these kinda problems and not to play blame games and glamour glamour.u solve our basic problems and we are enough aware of what is our culture and what is not

Dont Quit

Recently time has not been good.Things are not going my way.Sometimes it feels that I should quit everything. But then I remember the beautiful poem by Edgar A. Guest which keeps me going :

DON'T QUIT

When things go wrong, as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all uphill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high,
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest, if you must, but do not quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about,
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow.

Often the goal is nearer than,
It seems to a faint and faltering man,
Often the struggler has given up,
When he might have captured the victor's cup,
And he learned too late when the night slipped down,
How close he was to the golden crown.

Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far,
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.

written by

Edgar A. Guest
(1881-1959)


हार नहीं मानूंगा, रार नहीं ठानूंगा,
काल के कपाल पर लिखता, मिटाता हूँ,
गीत नया गाता हूँ, गीत नया गाता हूँ |

- Atal Bihari Vajpayee

Should media be regulated by govt . ?

There has been a lot of talk recently regarding the role and responsibilities of media in criminal cases(eg. Aarushi murder case) as well as at the time of crisis(26/11 mumbai terror attack).Supreme court of India and the media are cross swords as the supreme court has issued a notice to the govt. of India to lay down guidelines for the regulation of fourth estate coupled with the new media such as TV and Internet.Fourth estate remains is an independent pillar of our democracy along with the other three namely judiciary,executive and legislative. The roles and responsibilities of each is very well defined and the constitution refrains a body from interfering into the working or decision making of others. Therefore the question arises that is the judiciary right in limiting the rights of the fourth estate through legislative? Is fourth estate not able to control itself ?Do we need laws to curb the freedom of the media ?The biggest asset for the citizens of India is the free media.Even the most developed countries like USA and UK doesn't enjoy this privilege. Media is a very powerful tool as it educates people about their rights, inform people about their duties, bringing justice to many people, upbringing many cases to the light of the people, ensuring human rights, becomes a mean of knowledge & communication, bringing awareness on social and political causes, and what not.Then what happens that suddenly this powerful tool becomes a headache for the people as well as the govt. machinery? If this is such a useful tool then why do we need to regulate it? I believe that the made race for TRP and the day by day increasing no of 24 X 7 news channels have made us felt the need for judiciary intervention. No doubt that media defamed the sacred father - daughter relationship and the way it covered the whole case was no less than a circus. Supreme court rightly says that such coverage by media influences the impartial trial of the case and creates bias and affects the fundamental right to free and fair trial guaranteed by the constitution of India.Also a strong need for regulation on media was also felt when they almost support terrorist to prolong the hostage drama and fight against our commandos and all this just for an exclusive report.Media also infringes the people's right to privacy when it makes public the private life of celebrities.But is it only media which is to be blamed? No. Media gets this opportunity to interfere in other pillars of democracy because they allows it to do so. Because they doesnt do their job properly so media has to step in whatever its motive may be. Its the loopholes in the working of the judiciary, executive and legislative which allows media to be a judge or make mockery of the situation. Then what needs to be done in order to ensure the smooth and proper functioning of the media without interfering and without being interfered by the judiciary or legislative. There should be no doubt that we can't afford to lose its freedom to government because if it happens, it will lose the transparency and the very purpose of the free and independent media will be lost. For print media, there is already a committee called, Press Council of India, in effect since 1966. As far as digital media is concerned there need to be a committee comprising of the eminent media personality nominated by the media itself, retired or active supreme court judges and one or two members from the information and broadcast ministry of the govt. of India. This committee must lay down guidelines for the conduct of the media.Also this committee must ensure a proper action on faulty news agency or news channel in case any infringement of personal or social rights is done. it must also ensure that proper heed is paid to the complaints from general public, recommendations from court is being taken into consideration and to ensure the quality of news served. I believe these steps along with some matureness in the thinking of the media people will make India a true democracy with all the four pillars strong and intact.

Techvibes'09 - WINNING MOVIES

Winners :




Runner up :

Why should Satyam get govt. bailout ??

morph guru asks :

the govt is planning to bail out satyam, and to take over a stake in satyam.
why should common man pay for the sins of Raju?the govt should drop any plan of providing any support to Raju and satyam? what do u think ?

guru galav replies :

Hey Anshul. Your concern for the hard earned money of the tax payers seems to be genuine and I appreciate that. As per my knowledge, govt. is not bailing out Satyam, instead its looking for a potential buyer to keep the corporation running. Well, the question posed here is if there is no buyer, should govt. bailout the company ?? Prima facie, we think that why should we pay for someone else's sin. Why do we give our money when we didnt gain anything( sounds very practical and capitalistic right !!), but for once, just think about the 50,000 ( source :wikipedia ) employees who'll lose their jobs if the shutters are closed .You are keeping at stake future of around 50,000 X 4 = 2,00,000 people. God forbid but if something happens to us tomorrow, wouldnt you expect the same from the govt. ?? This is what is govt. for, to secure the people from sins of some handful of people. That is why our country is socialistic. No doubt we should reform our system, should keep a better check on the company's finances as well as the auditors. But once the damage is done, the govt needs to make sure that least no of people are effected. when someone dear to you falls ill, you dont let him die like that right, you pay for his medicines and stuff. The same analogy i think applies here as well.

R - Day discussion

I got an sms on republic day

"India is a country where pizzas reach home faster than Police and Ambulance."

While the statement is true, is it right to be so cynical and skeptical about our very own nation. Is it right to pass such messages an auspicious day like 26th January.

Need your views on the topic !!!

Amitabh vs. Oscars

India is in a festive mood as Slumdog( कच्ची बस्ती का कुत्ता ) millionaire(SM) gets
nomination in 11 categories for Oscars. Well, don't want to spoil the mood but remember that SM is not an Indian entry, so even if it wins the award doesnt come to India. So what, we Indians always find an excuse to celebrate ( do you remember cadbury dairymilk's advt. - kenya jeet gaya ).With all the Indians goin ga-ga over the academy awards, one person doesnt seems to feel comfortable with the hullabulla, Mr. Amitabh Bachchan and has once again raised the question that is winning an Oscar a true reflection of the perfection of Indian cinema, is it the ultimate goal?? Well, I dont think so. Renowned hollywood actor, Will Smith says," At American film festival, americans are goin to win, at french film festival, french are goin to win." We have an entirely different kind of cinema and thus it isnt necessary that our movies are well understood by the foreign jury. Secondly and the biggest reason I think that Indian movies are not able to make it at Oscars is that, India can have an official entry in only one category, i.e. "Best Foreign Film". Rest all the categories are reserved for Hollywood flicks. Hence the chances of making it to Oscars are very very slim. Given entry in other categories, I dont think some Indian movies will not give a neck to neck fight to hollywood flicks. What is the solution to this then. Cant we have Indian Oscars?? OMG, what have I said. One can jot down thousand points why cant we have Oscars of our own right from political intervention to opaque jury to regional bias blah blah blah. Dont we all know that what is happening to the Goa film festival. Therefore the only option left is to keep shut and let us again be jubiliant about the SM success. Jai ho !!

Well, coming back to our main topic, Mr. Bachchan has a problem the way India is depicted in the movie. Isnt it a reality?? Why do we always run away from the facts. If you really want to eliminate this face of India, you will have to accept that it exists. The solution doesnt exist in running away from the problem but in accepting it. He thinks that if he'll close his eyes, the world will go blind. No sir, that is not happening. And there is nothing wrong with the story, it shows the journey of a boy from a slum to a millionaire. Mr. Jai Prakash Chowksey says that this is the same Amitabh who became Amitabh because of these slumdog fans. These are the people who lifted him from thorn to throne, and now when he has become a king he deny the very existence of these people. Sorry Mr. Bachchan but this is not done.

TechVibes'09 Posters

Courtesy : Tejeshwar Prasad - Bsc. A & M

marjaani marjaani

"marjaani marjaani oyee khashmanukhaye marjaani".the latest song from the brand SRK.

well it is now established that he runs box office irrespective of the challenges posed to him.he is entertainer, truely bollywood badshah. now it is also proven that he does now require a script to make movie a big hit (courtsy : rab ne bana di jodi), a pathetic movie yet one of the biggest box office hits of '08. a question comes to my mind that is it really that we audience dammmm... fool that we made rab ne that big hit or is it the charisma of the Brand SRK.whatever it may be he became the saviour of another brand(u know which).now the question is can something similar happen to our senior officers and govt. so that we can give a gr8 farewell to the chetah,chetak,mig-21,etc that have served our armed forces with heroism and passion.in this age of gadjets internet multiplexes srk's still we require 10-15 years to buy some of the most essential weapons and accessories for our true heros.gov. and our authorities must remember that Brand SRK can be recreated may be not with shah rukh some other celeb,but if lose a fighter jet we loose crores of rupees spent on training ;above everything we loose a hero a son of nation.but u people understand the language of rupee and dollars only so i had to bring in the money factor,that cannot be ever compared with the patriotism of a soldier.that is why i feel that we need some one like Brand SRK in these positions who can with his charisma make our nation prosper and go fast and solid on these kind of sensitive and important issues."marjaani marjaani".

"JAI HIND" MAY INDIA GROWS FASTER THAN DREAMS,STRONGER THAN WILL ,AND GREATER THAN ITSELF

Thank you

I would like to thank the contributors of this blog

1. Mr. Anshul Mathur - morph guru
2. Ms. Anjali Awasthi - @njali a.
3. Mr. D. K. Mishra - DK

thank you all for giving your valuable time to the blog.
Hope to see more and more posts from you in future as well.

Regards
Ashish Galav - guru galav
(admin)

Guidelines for implementing ban on smoking in public places

Smoking in Public Places

• Smoking is strictly prohibited in all public places in India
• Public Places" include auditoriums, Auditorium, Hospital Buildings, Health Institutions, Amusement Centres, Restaurants, Hotels, Public Offices, Court Buildings, Educational Institutions, Libraries, Public Conveyances, Open Auditorium, Stadium, Railway Stations, Bus Stops/stands, Workplaces, Shopping Malls, Cinema Halls, Refreshment Rooms, Discotheques, Coffee House, Pubs, Bars and Airport Lounge.
• Any violation of this act is a punishable offence with fine upto Rs. 200
• However, a hotel having thirty or more rooms or restaurant having a seating capacity of thirty persons or more & airports may provide/have a separate smoking area or space, as required by the rules.
• The owner, proprietor, manager supervisor or in-charge of the affairs of a public place shall ensure that:
  • No person smokes in the public place (under his jurisdiction/implied)
  • Display board of minimum size of 60 cm by 30 cm with the message "No Smoking Area - Smoking here is an offence" at the entrance(s) of the Public place and conspicuous place(s) inside is mandatory
  • No ashtrays, matches, lighters or other things designed to facilitate smoking are provided in the public place
    
• The owner, proprietor, manager, supervisor or in charge of the affairs of a public place shall notify and display prominently the name of the person to whom a complaint of any violation may be made
• If the owner, proprietor, manager, supervisor or the authorized officer of a public place fails to act on report of such violation, the owner, proprietor, manager, supervisor or the authorized officer shall be liable to pay fine equivalent to the number of individual offences.

As per the notification GSR 417(E) dated 30^th May 2008, the Central Government has revised the rules to ‘Smoking in Public Places‘ w.e.f 2^nd October, 2008.

For more information on Prohibition of Smoking in Public Place :

• visit http://www.mohfw.nic.in.
• Prohibition of Smoking in Public Place Notification
• Guidance sheet for implementation of the ‘Smokefree Rules’ under Tobacco Control Laws

Ban on smoking in Public

THE MINISTRY of Health and Family Welfare is ready to implement the ban on smoking at public places in India from October 2onwards. The ministry issued the notification for the ban under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products (Prohibition of Advertisement and Regulation of Trade and Commerce, Production, Supply and Distribution), Act 2003. At first glance, it’s very clear that the law will make the smokers incapable of smoking anywhere they like. But the question is whether this law will prove more effective as compared to the previous law or not? Central Health minister Anbumani Ramadoss had said that according to the GSR 417(E) declaration of May 30, 2008, the new law, which is going to be implemented from October 2, 2008, is a renewal of the old one. That means the old was not much effective in controlling ‘public smokers’. Then what will be the end result of the new one?

The law imposes strict ban on the smoking at public places like auditoriums, hospitals, health centers, parks, hotels, pubs, government offices, courts, educational institutions, libraries, roads, shopping centers, malls, theaters, stadiums, bus stops, railway stations, coffee houses, bars, airport lounges etc. This time the law is quite hard and anyone caught smoking in public places or private organisations will be fined Rs 200, which may rise to Rs 1,000. Persons in a position of responsibility in institutions shall be authorised to impose and collect the fine against the violation of section 4. The law will also allow any individual to detain people found smoking in public places and take them to a magistrate. So if you find anyone smoking in the bus stop you can make him lose Rs 200. But states like Bihar and Maharashtra have expressed their inability to implement the ban. Now, if a state is unable to implement the law then what can a mere citizen do? Only one or two will raise their voice. So a special squad to find law breakers is necessary. Otherwise, the law would be like the closed circuit cameras placed in public places of Delhi, which were found ‘switched off’ at the time of serial blasts.

The best advantage of the new law is that, from October 2 onwards, common people would be unable to light a cigarette outside their houses. If one wants to smoke, he/she should go to a hotel or an airport having ‘smoking zones’. But, for a long time in most of the hotels and public/private offices there has been a ‘No Smoking’ board. Then who would be ready to make ‘smoking zones’ (except some profit making bars, hotels etc having regular ‘smoking’ clients) as now the law gives them power to say “leave the cigar.” If anyone is found smoking inside companies or offices included in the ‘ban’ list, the penalty should be paid by the owners/mangers/supervisors of concerned organisations.

Also, in public places, no one should be allowed to provide ashtrays, match boxes, lighters or anything, which smokers can use.

Central Health minister had said that in the last ten months in England around 45,000 people have quit smoking and he expects something like this to happen in India soon. But the population of smokers and social situation existent in India is quite different as compared to England. So there should be a strict enforcement of the new law. Cigarettes contribute 85 per cent to the total excise revenues collected from the tobacco industry, amounting to Rs 8,500 crores. So the question is whether Ramadoss is ready to cut these profits, given that more than twice that amount, is spent by the citizens of India to cure the diseases caused by tobacco every year. There is no dearth of laws in India. Most of the laws are helpful but fail due to slack implementation. Let’s hope that the new law, which is coming into effect from Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary proves effective for the better health of the nation.

Compulsory Voting

What is compulsory voting?

Most democratic governments consider participating in national elections a right of citizenship. Some consider that participation at elections is also a citizen's civic responsibility. In some countries, where voting is considered a duty, voting at elections has been made compulsory and has been regulated in the national constitutions and electoral laws. Some countries go as far as to impose sanctions on non-voters.

Compulsory voting is not a new concept. Some of the first countries that introduced mandatory voting laws were Belgium in 1892, Argentina in 1914 and Australia in 1924. There are also examples of countries such as Venezuela and the Netherlands which at one time in their history practiced compulsory voting but have since abolished it.

Advocates of compulsory voting argue that decisions made by democratically elected governments are more legitimate when higher proportions of the population participate. They argue further that voting, voluntarily or otherwise, has an educational effect upon the citizens. Political parties can derive financial benefits from compulsory voting, since they do not have to spend resources convincing the electorate that it should in general turn out to vote. Lastly, if democracy is government by the people, presumably this includes all people, then it is every citizen's responsibility to elect their representatives.

The leading argument against compulsory voting is that it is not consistent with the freedom associated with democracy. Voting is not an intrinsic obligation and the enforcement of the law would be an infringement of the citizens' freedom associated with democratic elections. It may discourage the political education of the electorate because people forced to participate will react against the perceived source of oppression. Is a government really more legitimate if the high voter turnout is against the will of the voters? Many countries with limited financial capacity may not be able to justify the expenditures of maintaining and enforcing compulsory voting laws. It has been proved that forcing the population to vote results in an increased number of invalid and blank votes compared to countries that have no compulsory voting laws.

Another consequence of mandatory voting is the possible high number of "random votes". Voters who are voting against their free will may check off a candidate at random, particularly the top candidate on the ballot. The voter does not care whom they vote for as long as the government is satisfied that they fulfilled their civic duty. What effect does this unmeasureable category of random votes have on the legitimacy of the democratically elected government?

A figure depicting the exact number of countries that practice compulsory voting is quite arbitrary. The simple presence or absence of mandatory voting laws in a constitution is far too simplistic. It is more constructive to analyze compulsory voting as a spectrum ranging from a symbolic, but basically impotent, law to a government which systematic follow-up of each non-voting citizen and implement sanctions against them.

This spectrum implies that some countries formally have compulsory voting laws but do not, and have no intention to, enforce them. There are a variety of possible reasons for this.

Not all laws are created to be enforced. Some laws are created to merely state the government's position regarding what the citizen's responsibility should be. Mandatory voting laws that do not include sanctions may fall into this category. Although a government may not enforce mandatory voting laws or even have formal sanctions in law for failing to vote, the law may have some effect upon the citizens. For example, in Austria voting is compulsory in only two regions, with sanctions being weakly enforced. However, these regions have a higher turnout average than the national average.

Other possible reasons for not enforcing the laws could be complexity and resources required for enforcement. Countries with limited budgets may not place the enforcement of mandatory voting laws as a high priority still they hope that the presence of the law will encourage the citizens to participate.

Can a country be considered to practice compulsory voting if the mandatory voting laws are ignored and irrelevant to the voting habits of the electorate? Is a country practicing compulsory voting if there are no penalties for not voting? What if there are penalties for failing to vote but they are never or are scarcely enforced? Or if the penalty is negligible?

Many countries offer loopholes, intentionally and otherwise, which allow non-voters to go unpunished. For example, in many countries it is required to vote only if you are a registered voter, but it is not compulsory to register. People might then have incentives not to register. In many cases, like Australia, an acceptable excuse for absence on Election Day will avoid sanctions.

The diverse forms compulsory voting has taken in different countries refocuses the perception of it away from an either present or absent practice of countries to a study of the degree and manner in which the government forces its citizens to participate.

change we need is change indeed

today mr.barrak hussien obama took his place for the first time in the oval office.this is a sure sign of change,a change that represnets approach,society,and many more things.aaj hum logo ko aise hi change ki zaroorat hai.we need change in our society,political system,etc.hum logo ko change chahiye railways mein taaki kabhi bhi waiting ya no trains found na mile,jab bhi hospital jaye to doctor mile,and woh full dedication k saath check up kare,housing board zarooratmando ko ghar de,bussinessman tax na churaye.raju,dawwod,jaise logo ko eleminate kiya jaye,to innovation ko elevate kiya jaye.hum vote daale to yeh soch k nahi ki yeh hume resevation dilayega,ya yeh meri black income badhwayega,rather yeh soch k daale ki yeh hum sab ko kahin achchi position mein le jayega.change we need is change indeed.so let the change happen with u ,within u and around u to develop new and better world

Martin Luther King Jr. 's Dream

While delivering the greatest speech of the 20th century, " I have a dream ", Martin Luther King Jr. would have never thought that his dream will get fulfilled so early. Who would have thought a little back in 1970s that a negro can enter the White House as a president.The same White House house which was built a by the blacks but slaves. No one thought that a African-American, Obama( Barack Hussain Obama) can swear in as a president from the capitol hill. The same country which didn't allow black to vote till 70s or were supposed to leave a seat for a white person in buses and other public transport will chose a negro as their President only after 30 years or so. The world is surprised by the change American people have brought in themselves. Obama has recieved a throne of thorns from Bush Jr. and the world is looking at him for another miracle. He a charismatic speaker. Americans have sent him to the DC believing on his slogan "Change we need" he gave in his presidential campaign. Now not only Americans but the whole world is looking at him for the change. He has to toil right from Day1 in the Oval Office be it global meltdown, the wars at Iraq and Afganistan, the environmental frontor the Israel-Arab conflict. Now being proven that he is a very good orator, he gotta prove that he is a very good leader as well, because as the father of the modern management, Peter Ferdinand Drucker said "Effecrive leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results and not attributes." Obama has himself raised the bar of expectation of the people by comparing himself again and again with Abrahim Lincoln.Now is the time for him to act, to show his real mettle. Lets hope he can paint the picture he made with the right colors. Ahmen!!!

every idiot is special

aaj mujhse kisi ne poocha ki ,pichle 4 saalo mein aapne kya seekha.yu to course mein bahut kuch tha par jo experience se seekhta hai woh hi important hoota hai.in 4 saalo mein ne seekha ki har panga sirf 3 wajah se ho sakta hai jarr jooru and jarra.means land ,lady and wealth.to humare yahan aksar pange second reason se hoote hai. yeh hi fact hai.par kabhi kabhi kuch bando k andar jorru k hormones bhi aa jate hai, to unko bhi is catgory me shamil kiya jaa sakta hai.ab is story ka pehla panna way back 4 yrs ka hai,tab me bahut naya tha and mujhe yeh sab nahi pata tha.tab pehli baar pata chala ki panga jorru hi shuru kart hai.hmmmm........ tab do pagli si ladkiyo ne aag laga di thi , aur humare manchale naujawan petrol leakr nikal pade.hume kya , hume thodi jala rahe hai,par aisa nahi tha,chahte hue ya na chate hue bhi hume bhi petrol ki bhaap leni padi.ek hi jagah k logo ne do grps bana liye ,jab climax peak pe pahucha ,tab ek dramatic turn aaya ,aur dono pagli si ladkiya ,sagi behno ki tarah samne aa gayi.jawano ko embarrsment hua,kuch ne tabhi seekh liya ki pagli ladkiyo ki politics se door raho par kuch naujawano ko dyslexia hai, woh bechare abhi tak nahi samjhe.to yeh tah mera pehla xperience about panga.next post will have the next xperience.tab tak humare dyslexia k patients k liye "bechare zameen par,every idiot is special"

statutory warning

me and meri life both are rocking others.rocking here actually means that we literally rock other people and their life.me logo ko bol bol kar thak gaya hun ki mujhe tang mat karo ,meri satak gayi to sab k liye dikkat ho jayegi.doosro ki life unsettle ho jayegi and mujhe gas ho jayegi.hass hass k sab ko maaf kar raha hun,to logo ne soch liya ki yeh motu bahut aalsi hai kuch karne k liye.ab in donkeys( i'm sorry if it sounds to be a racial comment;courtsy bhajji,sab kuch similar sound karta hai) ko kaun samjhaye ki hum woh log hai ,jo haat chodne me vishwaas nahi rakhte kynki hum loog tab lan game ya cricket nahi khel rahe jab bhagwaan akkal baat rahe the.ab mein chain se rehna chahta hun,par nahi kuch logo ko pasand nahi ki mera supar khurafati dimaag rest kare.please in logo ko koi bata do mein abhi lanka laga ne k mood mein nahi hun.yeh sab isliye bata raha hun ki apni dono betiyon ki shaadi mein bahut se logo ne bahut se pange kiye,ab agar kuch kiya to  "baygon machchro ka antt turant"

HUSAN K LAAKHO RANG,EK RANG YEH BHI

ek ladki thi . thodi achi woh dekhti thi,itra k style maar k ladko se kaam karva ti thi.

ek baar kuch aisa hua ki apne boyfriend se usne ek loofar ko air travel karvane ki baat bhi kar daali.na jaane phir kya hua ki boyfriend ki jagah woh lofar aa gaya,phir kya tha jaise saara jahan unka hoo gya.saari sharam aur leehaaz unhone bech khaya,aur unse adne waalo ko alag alag situation mein phasa ke apna kaam banaya.ab halat yeh hai ki woh lofar uske kehne pe tunn hoke kisi ko bhi dhamka aata hai.us loofar ko bhi nahi pata ki uska patta bhi katne waala hai,aur woh bhi begaani shaadi mein abdulaah dewaana hai.isiliye pyare aise chikne chehro se doooooooooooooooorrr rehna chahiye . "ALL OUT LAGAIYE CHAIN KI NEEND SO JAIYE AND KUCH LOOGO KO DOOOR BAHGAIYE"

transparecy in ur stake is must

ek baar ki katha hai hai yeh doosto!

ek gadha tha jo apne aap ko duniya mein sabse akal mand samjhta tha;uska malik roz uspe rui daal kar ek puliya jo nadi pe bana tha usse par kar city mein rui (cotton) bechne jaata tha.ab roz k is kaam se chutkara paane k liye gadhe ne ek din soocha ki mein paani mein se hokar jaunga to rui kharab ho jayegi and maalik ka nuksaan ho jayega. but pani lagte hi rui bahut bhari ho gayi and gadhe ki lanka lagg gayi. "so the moral of the story is agar aap apne aap ko smart samjhte ho to doosro ko bewakoof nahi samjhna chahiye.agar kuch dekhana hai to usse permanently dekhao aise nahi ki jab pahad pe tracking karni ho tab to kuch nahi ;and jab kaam ho to______"

Samajhdaroo ko ishara hi kaafi hai

my asshole batchmates

why do some people think that consuming some alcohol makes them super hero type and entitles them to take on any one?why are some people ready to spoil any thing that has nothing do with them? the worst part is that they do it to people who belong to the same community . above that they do it to prove some one that they are social workers and servants and will help any one.

shud satyam get a bail out

the govt is planning to bail out satyam, and to take over a stake in satyam.
why should common man pay for the sins of Raju?the govt should drop any plan of providing any support to Raju and satyam? what do u think ?

BIT Tech Fest '09

courtesy :
http://ankita1.blogspot.com/


BIT Tech Fest '09

Tech Vibes '09

List of Events

1. Paper / Poster Presentation
   Present a technical paper/poster based on any research problem in category of management, IT, animation, etc. Power Point Presentation preferably. The abstract should be submitted on/before 12th January. Each paper will be given 8 min.
   Team : Max. 2 per team
2. Caricature / Portrait Making
   Show your sketching skills. Depict an eminent personality in a simple way using your imagination. Problem to be given on the spot. Students should bring their own material.
   Team : Individual
3. Cartooning
   Time to laugh and make others laugh. Draw a cartoon strip or a scene on the given theme. Theme to be given on the spot. Students should bring their own material.
   Team : Individual
4. Blitzkreig: Fastest Programming
   Code the problems and debug the codes in the least time in C/C++ .
   Team : Individual
5. Business Plan
   The budding enterpreneurs get a platform to transform their bussiness idea onto a paper and present it. Convince the judges why your idea is the best.
   Team : Max. 3 per team
6. LAN Gaming
   Enjoy the taste of gaming with games like NFS, CS
   Team : Individual
7. Mindbender: Word Games, Puzzles and Trixies (1st years only)
   Team : Individual
8. Boom!: Car Racing (Robotics)
   Race your robot through the track bursting any 4 balloons on the way. Balloons can be anywhere on the track.Maximum height of balloons- 25 cm above the ground. Track - 50 cm wide
   Robot Spec. : Max Size at the beginning of the race- 20x20x20 cm3,The size may increase during the course of the race. Manually controlled(wired/wireless), On board power supply
   Team : Max. 2 per team
9. Trail Blazer: Line Follower Competition
   Follow the pattern with caution and detect objects placed on the side of the track(not in front of the bot). Track width - 4 cm, 2 sec stoppage at the obstacle.Robot Spec. : Max size: 30x30x30 cm3,
   Team : Max. 3 per team
10. Robo Soccer
    Bring the excitement of sports field onto a wooden board and play soccor with the robots. Goal (width-60 cm and height-50 cm)
    Robo Spec. : 2 robots, Max size :30x30x30 cm3, manually controlled
    Team : Max. 3 per team
11. Insomnia: Overnight Coding
    Heres a chance for programming lovers to prove their skill. Questions will be given on day1 in the evening the programs have to submitted next day in the morning. Exact details to be given later.
    Team : Individual
12. IT Quiz (1st years only)
    Team : Max. 3 per team
13. Magic of Advertising
    Make an advertising plan for a product or service and make the people buy it. Product or service will be given 15 min before the presentation. The plan should include promotion strategy, target market, price, place, etc. Enactment is not allowed.
    Team : Max. 3 per team
14. Web Designing
    Design a website with the help of softwares like photoshop, flash. Topic to be given on the spot.
    Team : Max. 2 per team
15. ETrix: Electronic Circuit Design
    Design and debug the circuit based on simple digital and analog electronics concepts. Problem to be given on the spot.
    Team : Max. 2 per team
16. Business Quiz
    Team : Max. 3 per team
17. Short Movie Making
    Make a short movie. Theme : Tech Vibes'09, take pictures during the fest, make a movie and submit it. Movie length - Max. 10 min. Exact time of submission to be given later.
    Team : Max. 2 per team
18. Hardware and Software Projects
    Students can prepare their projects and display the during the fest.
19. Futuristic Machine Modeling
    Use your imagination power and make a model of the machines that can be the future and display them.

For all robotics competitions,bots with circuits or chassis taken from any readymade kits or cars etc will be disqualified.

NOTE: Registrations are open till January 10, 2009. Entries should be sent in the following format:
Event Name :
Team Member1 name, roll no and phone no, semester:
email of member1:
Team Member2 name, roll no and phone no, semester:
email of member2:
and so on...
(roll no format - eg. 2BE/5005/05)
The entry should be sent to both email addresses:
swati29.05@bitmesra.ac.in
ankita5005.05@bitmesra.ac.in

BIT Tech Fest '09

courtesy :
http://ankita1.blogspot.com/


BIT Tech Fest '09

Tech Vibes '09

List of Events

1. Paper / Poster Presentation
   Present a technical paper/poster based on any research problem in category of management, IT, animation, etc. Power Point Presentation preferably. The abstract should be submitted on/before 12th January. Each paper will be given 8 min.
   Team : Max. 2 per team
2. Caricature / Portrait Making
   Show your sketching skills. Depict an eminent personality in a simple way using your imagination. Problem to be given on the spot. Students should bring their own material.
   Team : Individual
3. Cartooning
   Time to laugh and make others laugh. Draw a cartoon strip or a scene on the given theme. Theme to be given on the spot. Students should bring their own material.
   Team : Individual
4. Blitzkreig: Fastest Programming
   Code the problems and debug the codes in the least time in C/C++ .
   Team : Individual
5. Business Plan
   The budding enterpreneurs get a platform to transform their bussiness idea onto a paper and present it. Convince the judges why your idea is the best.
   Team : Max. 3 per team
6. LAN Gaming
   Enjoy the taste of gaming with games like NFS, CS
   Team : Individual
7. Mindbender: Word Games, Puzzles and Trixies (1st years only)
   Team : Individual
8. Boom!: Car Racing (Robotics)
   Race your robot through the track bursting any 4 balloons on the way. Balloons can be anywhere on the track.Maximum height of balloons- 25 cm above the ground. Track - 50 cm wide
   Robot Spec. : Max Size at the beginning of the race- 20x20x20 cm3,The size may increase during the course of the race. Manually controlled(wired/wireless), On board power supply
   Team : Max. 2 per team
9. Trail Blazer: Line Follower Competition
   Follow the pattern with caution and detect objects placed on the side of the track(not in front of the bot). Track width - 4 cm, 2 sec stoppage at the obstacle.Robot Spec. : Max size: 30x30x30 cm3,
   Team : Max. 3 per team
10. Robo Soccer
    Bring the excitement of sports field onto a wooden board and play soccor with the robots. Goal (width-60 cm and height-50 cm)
    Robo Spec. : 2 robots, Max size :30x30x30 cm3, manually controlled
    Team : Max. 3 per team
11. Insomnia: Overnight Coding
    Heres a chance for programming lovers to prove their skill. Questions will be given on day1 in the evening the programs have to submitted next day in the morning. Exact details to be given later.
    Team : Individual
12. IT Quiz (1st years only)
    Team : Max. 3 per team
13. Magic of Advertising
    Make an advertising plan for a product or service and make the people buy it. Product or service will be given 15 min before the presentation. The plan should include promotion strategy, target market, price, place, etc. Enactment is not allowed.
    Team : Max. 3 per team
14. Web Designing
    Design a website with the help of softwares like photoshop, flash. Topic to be given on the spot.
    Team : Max. 2 per team
15. ETrix: Electronic Circuit Design
    Design and debug the circuit based on simple digital and analog electronics concepts. Problem to be given on the spot.
    Team : Max. 2 per team
16. Business Quiz
    Team : Max. 3 per team
17. Short Movie Making
    Make a short movie. Theme : Tech Vibes'09, take pictures during the fest, make a movie and submit it. Movie length - Max. 10 min. Exact time of submission to be given later.
    Team : Max. 2 per team
18. Hardware and Software Projects
    Students can prepare their projects and display the during the fest.
19. Futuristic Machine Modeling
    Use your imagination power and make a model of the machines that can be the future and display them.

For all robotics competitions,bots with circuits or chassis taken from any readymade kits or cars etc will be disqualified.

NOTE: Registrations are open till January 10, 2009. Entries should be sent in the following format:
Event Name :
Team Member1 name, roll no and phone no, semester:
email of member1:
Team Member2 name, roll no and phone no, semester:
email of member2:
and so on...
(roll no format - eg. 2BE/5005/05)
The entry should be sent to both email addresses:
swati29.05@bitmesra.ac.in
ankita5005.05@bitmesra.ac.in