Insurance

Years back insurance was considered a luxury, then a comfort. But its almost a necessity in the present world. Life is full of risk by all means. None is free from the risk of a natural disaster or a riot or from a terrorist attack. So most people prefer to have a minimum precaution to lighten the disaster they may face in future. Here lies the scope and importance of Insurance. Insurance is a hedging instrument used as a precautionary measure against future contingent losses. This instrument is used for managing the possible risks of the future. This is a mode of financially insuring that if such a incident happens then the loss does not affect the present well-being of the person or the property insured. Thus, through insurance, a person buys security and protection.

Different types of insurance is used to cover different properties and assets such as vehicles, home, health care etc. Basically, an insurance policy can also be known as a protection net which secures you from any financial losses in future. All you have to do is pay the insurance agencies a specified amount every month, known as premium, so that they can take care of you by providing you financial back up in case of a sudden health emergency or a fatal incident.

There are two ways for getting an insurance done.

One way is to visit an agent and consult him for the best option you can avail for your situation. And then, trust him/her for their suggestion on the type of insurance they feel is right for you.

The other way is to research and choose on your own, the type of insurance which will be best suited for your situation. You should research the market as well as the net, to look for the best insurance companies, and further more, the most suitable type of insurance that they offer. Also explore the various types of policies which are available to you in the market, and then compare to decide which one to choose finally.

Health Care Insurance

With such high medical and health care costs these days, it’s hard to even think about visiting a doctor. But what about an unexpected mishap or an unforeseen disability or attack, where the potential medical bills could shoot up to a sky? Where would you get so much money from? These are exactly the situations where you feel you had a security, something which could come to your rescue and save you from such financial crisis. While some companies do provide its employees with health insurance, for others, this is a must. Especially for the aging couples, who have a comparatively more chances of needing emergency bill money. The health insurance does it all, so that they do not have to worry for the huge payments at the last minute. A health insurance can cover all from a routine immunization to a major illness.

Life Insurance

Loss of a family member is a catastrophe which glooms a family’s life. But even more tragic is the death of a sole bread earner for the family, who then has to go through the pain of losing their loved one, as well as the financial loss putting their survival in jeopardy. This financial hardship due to a sudden death of a family member or a disability resulting to a loss of job or inability to work can be avoided to a great extent by taking up a life insurance policy. A Life insurance or disability insurance covers such losses and pays a family, compensation to restore the earnings lost by them due to a sudden death or disability. The monthly premiums for a life insurance are generally based upon the age, health, and occupation information of the applicant, in addition to the total benefits to be paid to him for his policy.

Home Insurance

Real estate property and hard assets are subject to accidental risks like theft, destruction due to natural disasters or fire accidents etc. with such huge investments gone into buying a real estate property like your home or office, the risk involved is a loss of large amount of money. Home and property insurance helps you in managing and protecting against these risks. The cost of a real estate property and its insurance is mostly based upon the worth of the already insured hard assets and also the location in which the assets are situated.

Travel Insurance

This is intended to cover any of the financial or any other losses which were incurred by the insured while traveling, be it nationally or internationally, such as mountain trekkers, cruise travelers etc.

Auto Insurance

Any vehicle on road, no matter how safe its driver is, is bound to meet with an accident or two, which may leave it with just a few scratches, or crash it up totally. Most countries today require you to have an auto insurance while on road in your vehicles.

If you have an accidental car crash, a total repair could cost you a fortune. On the other hand, a little scratch on your Land Cruiser might also soar up your bills to a high. Whether or not you need an auto insurance mostly depends on the type of car you own. If you have an expensive car and a little repair could wipe you out financially, you should very well go in for a buying an all-inclusive and crash insurance which could protect you against any and every harm done to your vehicle.

International Scholarships

Now a days more students have to apply for scholarships to strengthen their financial support in order to complete their studies successfully, because of rising costs of college and university tuition. There is a multitude of scholarship and fellowship sources available from governments,  private companies and non-profit organizations. Scholarships are not just awards or financial aids offered by prominent institutions, they are grand prospects that can help you fulfill all your dreams and ambitions regardless of your monetary status or your physical conditions. Thus, today quite a good number of scholarships are available in almost all developed nations like USA, Canada, Great Britain, Australia etc.

The Canadian Commonwealth Scholarship Program:

The Commonwealth Scholarship was initiated in 1959 and is celebrating 50 years now. Since the plan’s inception, the Government of Canada has provided scholarships of excellence to all member countries of the Commonwealth. The CCSP goal is to promote Canadian values and identity around the world and help to meet the human capital needs of developing countries. Students interested in this scholarship program should contact their home institution to make their interest known, and to find out if there is an institutional collaboration or exchange agreement with a Canadian institution. An institutional exchange agreement is desirable, however, where no agreement yet exists, research applications by students which may result in a new collaboration between professors from a Canadian and foreign university will be considered.

The New Zealand Development Scholarships (NZDS)

This scheme offers the opportunity to people from selected developing countries to undertake development-related studies in New Zealand. This may include study related to education, health, rural livelihoods, governance, human rights, or economic development, depending on the human resource development training needs of the home government. New Zealand Development Scholarships are offered for full-time, tertiary level study at participating New Zealand education institutions.

The NZDS scheme has two categories:

New Zealand Development Scholarships – Public category (NZDS-Public): The NZDS-Public scholarships scheme is a bilateral scheme available to individuals from selected partner countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. The selection criteria is determined by the partner government and NZAID.

New Zealand Development Scholarships – Open category (NZDS-Open): The NZDS-Open scholarships scheme is a non-bilateral scheme available to candidates of some developing countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Pacific. Under the NZDS-Open scheme, candidates independently apply for a scholarship.

Australian International Scholarships

Australian Government scholarships are not available for international students undertaking English language training specifically in Australia. However, there are several English language training scholarships offered by Australian institutions. Some examples:

AB-CRC Honours Scholarships: AB-CRC Honours Scholarships provide financial support to students undertaking an honours year of study. Scholarships are tenable at universities which are core or supporting participants in the AB-CRC including Curtin University of Technology, James Cook University, Murdoch University, The University of Queensland and The University of Sydney. Duration of this course is one year . Annual value of this scholarship is $A 5,000.00 . This scholarship is available at any Australian institution located at Western Australia, Western Australia, Western Australia ,Queensland and New South Wales Queensland. This scholarship is only available for the Bachelor Degree and  is available for courses on the following fields of study: Engineering, Surveying, Medical Science, Medicine, Science, Computer Science, Information Systems, Life Sciences, Mathematics, Physical Sciences . It is offered by Australian Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre – Emerging Infectious Disease.

ACTEW Honours Scholarship : The ACTEW Corporation is committed to the sustainable use and management of freshwater ecosystems in the Australian Capital Territory. As part of this commitment, the ACTEW Corporation has partnered with the School of Botany and Zoology at the Australian National University to promote the study of aquatic flora and fauna in the Canberra region. Duration of this course is one year and its total value is $A 7,500.00. This scholarship is only available at Australian National University (ANU) and at the Australian institutions located at Australian Capital Territory. This scholarship is only available for Bachelor Degree.

Aloysius Morgan Scholarship:   The scholarship was established in 2008 by the Canberra Southern Cross Club in memory of Bishop Aloysius Morgan who had been Chaplain in the Australian Army from 1941, serving in Papua and New Guinea and in the Vietnam War and who was instrumental in establishing a special network of military vicars around Australia and worldwide. He was the founding and long-serving Patron of the Canberra Southern Cross Club. Duration of this scheme is one year and its total value is $A 2,500.00 . This scholarship is only available at Australian Catholic University Limited and is available at any Australian institution located at Australian Capital Territory . This scholarship is only available for the Bachelor Degree.

How to Apply for a Scholarship?

There’s a lot of advice out there on How to Apply for a Scholarship – how you should write your CV/Resume, Cover Letter and Essay. But same application tips does not work for all international students. You might have to face country specific challenges when applying for a scholarship abroad.

IQ or EQ

Hi friends,

Normally we speak only about mental Intelligence, but I think rather there are some, like physical Intelligence performed by athletes, musical intelligence performed by musicians and artistic intelligence performed by artists in various fields are also relevant. IQ Test helps us to find those who are average from those who are advanced in intelligence and also find those who need special care. Because intelligence potential of each one is unique.

IQ stands for ‘Intelligence Quotient‘, meaning how smart you are. It’s supposed to give you an idea of how well you’ll do at a certain profession or how well you’ll perform academically. The whole idea of the IQ test is to measure the potential of your brains using problems posed to you on paper.

Try an IQ test @ Binbrain Exam. We have decent collection of questions in IQ Test category. You can also try Aptitude and Personality Tests there. The average IQ score there is 5. If you’ve taken an IQ test and scored 7, this means you’re a lot more intelligent than an average person. Any score less than 5 indicates your intelligence level doesn’t match up to the average.

As an employer, I prefer to conduct an IQ test always to have a better understanding of the applicant’s intelligence. A high score would indicate the candidate is well suited for the position. But some problems do there for this IQ test , It doesn’t measure your ‘Emotional Quotient‘ or EQ ? I think an intelligent employer need to sort out this problem. Means , an employer too need some kind of EQ test to measure their such capacity, ha ha ha !!!!!!!!!

Water found on Moon’s surface !!!

Whh!! India’s prestigious moon mission CHANDRAYAN -1 has found water on the moon surface !!! The Rs 386-core craft was launched on October 22 last year and terminated on August 30 following a communication failure. One of the important aims of the mission was to find the possibilities of water in moon.

Fortunately we are about to hear that glad news. This important discovery was made by NASA’s Moon Mineralogy Mapper(M3), one of the payloads on board Chandrayan. It was supplemented by hyper-spectral imager and moon impact probe of Indian Space Research Organisation.  According to the scientists from ISRO, The Moon mapper also made the unexpected discovery that water may still be forming on the surface of the Moon. The finding could now trigger another round of Moon missions, and start serious hunt for life in outer space.

Describing as “path-breaking” the evidence of water on Moon by India’s Chandrayaan-1 mission, ISRO chairman G Madhavan Nair on Thursday said no lunar odyssey so far had given a “positive” conclusion. ”There is confirmation of traces of water. It is a path-breaking event as far as Chandrayaan-1 mission is concerned. It is very very significant. So far, no mission has confirmed the presence of water positively,” he said.

Indian scientists are elated at the discovery of traces of water on the moon but at the same time warn of the need to quantify the resources and also ascertain whether it is fit for human consumption.  As news spread out about Indian maiden lunar mission tracing water molecules on the moon’s surface, scientists rejoiced at the discovery and hope that it will pave the way for growing vegetation in the earth’s natural satellite in future.

“I am really very happy to know that the NASA payload on Chandrayaan-1 has traced water. If it is true then it will pave the way for growing vegetation in moon surface in five or 10 years from now,” renowned scientist Y S Rajan said.  ”Even if there is no water in its complete H20 format, still it’s a great feat. It will help make human venturing to moon a more enriching experience. Those going to moon can combine the molecule and get water. They can also break it and get oxygen which is a major problem for scientists in space,” said Rajan.

He said India’s moon mission was a “great success” that proved ISRO’s capability and efficiency in managing key space projects. “We have received loads of data from moon via our mission. It has certainly enriched the global scientific community.”  Amitabha Ghosh, space scientist at NASA, said: “This is a very, very important finding… If somehow water was found on the moon, you could use that water right out there. You could extract it.”

S Chandrasekaran, another leading scientist, said: “Yes, we are very happy. I was not part of the mission so cannot give technical details but yes, the discovery is very significant. It is great and very important.”  Last year, former ISRO chief K Kasturirangan had told the news agency: “For me personally, if Chandrayaan-1 manages to find evidence of water on the moon, then that would be the biggest achievement.”

Chandrayaan-1 was India’s first unmanned lunar probe. It was launched by the Indian Space Research Organization in October 2008, and operated until August 2009. The spacecraft carried five Indian instruments and six from abroad, including M3 and another from NASA, three from the European Space Agency (ESA), and one from Bulgaria.

It is expected that NASA will hold a press conference to brief about the new scientific findings later in the day. Images from the payload are currently being analysed by NASA.

Jim Green, director, Planetary Science Division, Science Mission Directorate at NASA Headquarters holds a spoon to illustrate the amount of water discovered on the surface of the moon at a briefing to discuss new science data from the moon collected during national and international space missions September 24, 2009 at NASA Headquarters in Washington, DC. NASA scientists have discovered water molecules in the polar regions of the moon. Instruments aboard three separate spacecraft revealed water molecules in amounts that are greater than predicted, but still relatively small. Hydroxyl, a molecule consisting of one oxygen atom and one hydrogen atom, also was found in the lunar soil. The findings were published in Thursday’s edition of the journal Science.

NASA’s Moon Mineralogy Mapper, or M3, instrument reported the observations. M3 was carried into space on Oct. 22, 2008, aboard the Indian Space Research Organization’s Chandrayaan-1 spacecraft. Data from the Visual and Infrared Mapping Spectrometer, or VIMS, on NASA’s Cassini spacecraft and the High-Resolution Infrared Imaging Spectrometer on NASA’s EPOXI spacecraft contributed to confirmation of the finding. The spacecraft imaging spectrometers made it possible to map lunar water more effectively than ever before.

Big Blue!!!

The largest living animal? The biggest creature that has ever lived? It is far bigger than the biggest dinosaurs huge that it would take about 30 African elephants to counterbalance a single adult-Even its tongue weight four tones and its cavernous throat can hold the equivalent of eight small cars. Guess what is it? Ha-ha no doubt it is BLUE WHALE.

Blue whales are the largest animal known either living or extinct. The blue whale is found mostly in cold and temperate waters. It prefers deeper ocean waters to coastal waters. About six meters long at birth, they grow rapidly-at peak rates they can gain up to three kilos in an hour and consume up to 90 kilos a day of fat rich breast milk to reach up to 30 meters on maturity. Their social groupings are usually small, involving only pairs or a few individuals. They have no vocal cords, so their repetitive moaning, rumbling calls are made by vibrating nasal air sacs- a bit like the sound made when humans snore or blow their noses. Their calls are of such low frequency that they’re mostly inaudible to human ears, but they can reach 188 decibels and can be detected up to 400 kilometers away. So the blue whale is the loudest animal on earth!! Blue whales can live up to 70 years.

Blue whales are only eating very tiny things, no bigger than your pinky finger. Their favorite food is krill, (a type of shrimp-like marine invertebrate animal). An adult Blue Whale can eat up to 40 million krill in a day. The whales always feed in the areas with the highest concentration of krill, sometimes eating up to 3,600 kg (8,000 lb) of krill in a single day. Large scale commercial krill harvesting would deplete their sole food supply. Most krill is processed to produce fish food for use in aquariums; other uses include livestock or pet foods.
The Blue Whales is the largest animal ever to have existed. Blue Whales are difficult to weigh because of their size. Most Blue Whales killed by whalers were not weighed whole, but cut up into manageable pieces first. This caused an underestimate of the total weight of the whale, due to the loss of blood and other fluids.

Blue whales are still highly vulnerable. For centuries whales have been hunted for meat and as a source of valuable raw materials. A single blue whale could yield up to 120 barrels of whale oil, which was used in lamps and for making candles, among other uses. Blue whales are also threatened by pollution and global warming, the degradation of their habitat. They are exposed to contaminants, such as pesticides and industrial chemicals that end up in the ocean. Scientists are trying to find out how climate change might affect blue whales.

Pre-whaling, it’s estimated that there were more than 250,000 blue whales around the world. But between the 1860s and the 1960s, 90 percent were killed. The slaughter peaked in the 1930-31 season, when nearly 30,000 whales were killed. In the 1960s, the International Whaling Commission banned all hunting of blue whales. But blue whale meat still occasionally appears in some fish markets internationally. Today, it’s believed that there are around 10,000 to 25,000 blue whales on the planet.

ORCHIDS -King of Flowers

Orchid – a plant with unusually shaped and beautifully colored flowers. Orchid is well known for the many structural variations in their flowers. An orchid can grow in almost any climate except deserts, but most of them are native to tropical and subtropical climates. Orchid flowers have been cultivated for their commercial value and have been successfully hybridized and variegated. Many orchids are now propagated by tissue culture methods.

Orchids are among the most highly prized of ornamental plants. In Mexico the flowers are used symbolically by the natives; each one conveys a sentiment associated with different ceremonies or religious figures. Hawaii has become a major center for commercial orchid culture. There are literally thousands of different types of Orchids in existence. Different colors, species and hybrids, miniature and standard-sized. Here I describe some of the most common orchids.

Phalaenopsis lindeni

Phalaenopsis lindenii is a species of plant in the Orchidaceae family. Its natural habitat is subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests. This orchid is a super popular indoor orchid because of its big, colorful and long-lasting flowers. Some of them are fragrant and some of them are miniature or compact.

Anguloa

Anguloa, commonly known as tulip orchids, is a small orchid genus. This genus is found on the forest floor at high elevations.

Cymbidium

Cymbidium, or boat orchids, is a genus of 52 evergreen species in the orchid family Orchidaceae. Cymbidium plants are sympodial and grow to a height of 60 cm and the racemes as high as 90 cm.

Endrobium

Endrobium is a huge genus of tropical orchids. They are quite varied in flower size and appearance.

Vanda

Vanda is a genus in the orchid family which, although not large is one of the most important florally. The export of wild-collected specimens of the Blue Orchid and other wild Vanda is prohibited worldwide.

Dendrobium

Dendrobium is a huge genus of orchids. The genus occurs in diverse habitats throughout much of south, east and Southeast Asia. These indoor orchids grow quickly throughout summer, but take a rest during winter.

Vanilla

Vanilla is a flavoring derived from orchids. Vanilla grows as a vine, climbing up an existing tree or other support. The fruit (a seed capsule), if left on the plant. The fruit contains tiny, flavorless seeds. The seed dries; it will then release the distinctive vanilla smell. Vanilla is the second most expensive spice after saffron. Regardless of its high cost, vanilla is widely used in both commercial and domestic baking, perfume manufacture and aroma therapy.

The Singapore Botanical Garden

In my opinion without specifying about Singapore Botanical Garden, this portion of Orchid history is incomplete because the Singapore Botanical Gardens contains the world’s largest collection of orchids

TIPS on studying

I have a whole bunch of tips for ya! Take good notes in class…Try not to miss class….Find a study buddy in each of your classes , so just in case you miss class you can call them to find out what you missed or notes.

Some TIPS please…

Study Early- Start studying early, AT LEAST a week in advance for each test.It takes a lot of unnecessary stress off of you; a professor of mine said there’s no such thing as studying too much, and i believe him.

Have a break- Study in blocks of an hour or so with 5 or 10 minute breaks in between; i find this useful because i can look forward to breaks and it gives your brain time to rest; i set my alarm on my cell phone to go off to remind me

Plan your study- Make a plan of what you want to study; write note of it in your planner; example: Math–> study one hour, English–> study 2 hours etc. etc.; I have this giant calendar spread across my desk and mark down on it what tests are coming up so i know which ones i need to study more for.

Love your teacher- Don’t be afraid to ask the teacher or a tutor for help; your teacher especially should be more than happy to help you in your studies if you are having trouble in understanding a concept.

Try some self tips- Make stuff like note cards, outlines, Cornell notes, study guides. You don’t have to make all of them for one test of course; whatever works best for you really.. everyone has different studying methods that work best for them.

Highlite the text- when your reading a book or text book.. keep a highlighter or pen in your hand. Make notes in the sides of the pages or high light important information. So as far as important tips for studying.. these are the biggest ones i can think of.

Study hard! but don’t forget to have fun too. have a good time!

Nanotechnology

What is Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is the engineering of functional systems at the molecular scale. This covers both current work and concepts that are more advanced.

In its original sense, ‘nanotechnology’ refers to the projected ability to construct items from the bottom up, using techniques and tools being developed today to make complete, high performance products.

Applications of Nanotechnology

The biological and medical research communities have exploited the unique properties of nanomaterials for various applications. For example contrast agents for cell imaging and therapeutics for treating cancer.

The most advanced nanotechnology projects related to energy are: storage, conversion, manufacturing improvements by reducing materials and process rates, energy saving and enhanced renewable energy sources.

Nanotechnology is having an impact on several aspects of food science, from how food is grown to how it is packaged. Companies are developing nanomaterials that will make a difference not only in the taste of food, but also in food safety, and the health benefits that food delivers.

Benifits of Nanotechnology

Benefits of nanotechnology include improved manufacturing methods, water purification systems, energy systems, physical enhancement, nanomedicine, better food production methods and nutrition. Products made with nanotechnology may require little labor, land, or maintenance, and would be highly productive, low in cost, and have modest requirements for materials and energy.

Risks include environmental, health, and safety issues if negative effects of nanoparticles are overlooked before they are released; transitional effects such as displacement of traditional industries as the products of nanotechnology become dominant; military applications such as biological warfare and implants for soldiers; and surveillance through nano-sensors, which are of concern to privacy rights advocates.

UGC

UNIVERSITY GRANTS COMMISSION

The Inter-University Board (later known as the Association of Indian Universities) was established in 1925 to promote university activities, by sharing information and cooperation in the field of education, culture, sports and allied areas.The first attempt to formulate a national system of education in India came In 1944, with the Report of the Central Advisory Board of Education on Post War Educational Development in India, also known as the Sargeant Report. It recommended the formation of a University Grants Committee, which was formed in 1945 to oversee the work of the three Central Universities of Aligarh, Banarasand Delhi.

In 1947, the Committee was entrusted with the responsibility of dealing with all the then existing Universities.Soon after Independence, the University Education Commission was set up in 1948 under the Chairmanship of Dr. S Radhakrishnan “to report on Indian university education and suggest improvements and extensions that might be desirable to suit the present and future needs and aspirations of the country”. It recommended that the University Grants Committee be reconstituted on the general model of the University Grants Commission of the United Kingdom with a full-time Chairman and other members to be appointed from amongst educationists of repute.

In 1952, the Union Government decided that all cases pertaining to the allocation of grants-in-aid from public funds to the Central Universities and other Universities and Institutions of higher learning might be referred to the University Grants Commission. Consequently, the University Grants Commission (UGC) was formally inaugurated by late Shri Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, the then Minister of Education, Natural Resources and Scientific Research on 28 December 1953.

The UGC, however, was formally established only in November 1956 as a statutory body of the Government of India through an Act of Parliament for the coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of university education in India. In order to ensure effective region-wise coverage throughout the country, the UGC has decentralised its operations by setting up six regional centres at Pune, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Bhopal, Guwahati and Bangalore. The head office of the UGC is located at Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg in New Delhi, with two additional bureaus operating from 35, Feroze Shah Road and the South Campus of University of Delhi as well.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF UGC

The UGC has the unique distinction of being the only grant-giving agency in the country which has been vested with two responsibilities: that of providing funds and that of coordination, determination and maintenance of standards in institutions of higher education.

It also includes:

• Promoting and coordinating university education.
• Determining and maintaining standards of teaching, examination and research in universities.
• Framing regulations on minimum standards of education.
• Monitoring developments in the field of collegiate and university education; disbursing grants to the universities and colleges.
• Serving as a vital link between the Union and state governments and institutions of higher learning.

• Advising the Central and State governments on the measures necessary for improvement of university education.

intelligence quotient

An intelligence quotient or IQ is a score derived from one of several different standardized tests attempting to measure intelligence. The term “IQ,” a translation of the German Intelligenz-Quotient, was coined by the German psychologist William Stern in 1912 as a proposed method of scoring early modern children’s intelligence tests such as those developed by Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon in the early 20th Century. Although the term “IQ” is still in common use, the scoring of modern IQ tests such as the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale is now based on a projection of the subject’s measured rank on the Gaussian bell curve with a center value (average IQ) of 100, and a standard deviation of 15 (different tests have various standard deviations, the Stanford-Binet IQ test has a standard deviation of 16).

IQ scores have been shown to correlate with such factors as morbidity and mortality,parental social status, and to a substantial degree, parental IQ: while IQ heritability has been investigated for nearly a century, controversy remains as to how much is heritable, and the mechanisms for heritability are still a matter of some debate.

IQ scores are used in many contexts: as predictors of educational achievement or special needs, by social scientists who study the distribution of IQ scores in populations and the relationships between IQ score and other variables, and as predictors of job performance and income.

The average IQ scores for many populations were rising at an average rate of three points per decade during the 20th century with most of the increase in the lower half of the IQ range: a phenomenon called the Flynn effect. It is disputed whether these changes in scores reflect real changes in intellectual abilities, or merely methodological problems with past testing.

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