IIT JEE 2012 Results Announced on 18 May 2011

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National Defence Academy, India:

National Defence Academy, India: 


Introduction as described in their official website: 


During the 60 years since its inception, NDA has steadily grown both in stature and élan. The alumni of this institution constitute the core Leadership of the Indian Armed Forces. Commencing 1991 when all three Service Chiefs were First Course NDA, it has over the last eighteen years maintained an impeccable track record. Indeed as we stand today the three Service Chiefs, three Vice Chiefs and majority of Commander-in-Chief’s besides many others senior officers in the three services are Alumni of NDA. 


The intrepid cadets of yesteryears have not only proved their mettle as military leaders in combat, but also blazed a trail of glory in several other fields across the national firmament. NDA today symbolizes excellence in every pursuit. The tidy 8022 acres of its vast estate reflects the highest standards that the institution has embraced as the foundation and core of its beliefs. Of what it is, and what it aspires to be, all of us, you, I and indeed all our countrymen can be proud of. As Commandant of this great institution, I am delighted to welcome you to the NDA’s website


We in the NDA provide the highest standards of focused training in the professional intellectual, physical, and leadership spheres as also moral and ethical grooming to cadets, using innovative concepts, technologies, corporate and modern practices with a view to providing the Armed Forces, competent potential junior leaders with a high standards of integrity, equipped to function in the battle field of the future and capable of leading troops to victory.


During your visit, you will journey through some eloquent periods of the Academy’s history. This is to give you a sense of the past which has moulded what we see of the NDA today. You will catch glimpses of the multifarious training activities which convert young boys, some still wet behind the ears at the time of joining, into professional Military Leaders of Character and Integrity. You will see our young Cadets vigorously pursuing their dreams with great motivation and apt guidance. The Academy bubbles with their enthusiasm. In documenting these activities, the purpose is not to focus merely on the processes but also the ideas which anchor them.


One of the thoughts behind creation of this web-site is to help keep the bond of kinship amongst all ex-NDAs alive and strong. Many of us have not been able to keep track of our mates with whom we broke bread for three wonderful years of our young lives. This site provides an ideal platform to re-establish connection and exchange notes and experiences. It is also an ideal meeting place to discuss ideas on how to propel this great institution to ever higher trajectories.


NDA is not just about men who have achieved greatness in peace or war. It is also about the indomitable spirit of all those who have been enriched by its ethos and who in turn have left behind a part of their souls to make it the wonderful, vibrant and a much admired entity that it is today. Pages of this website would hopefully reflect all that and more.


Visit their official website: http://nda.nic.in/ 

Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore:

Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore: 


Introduction Of IIS as described on their official website:  


The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) was conceived as a 'Research Institute' or 'University of Research' by Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, in the twilight years of the 19th century. A long period of almost thirteen years was to elapse from the initial conception in 1896 to the birth of the Institute on May 27, 1909. The early history of the Institute is a fascinating chapter in the story of higher education and scientific research in India. The cast of characters in the drama that led to the establishment of the Institute includes, in addition to its charismatic and generous founder J.N. Tata, figures from the pages of Indian history. There is Swami Vivekananda, whom J.N. Tata befriended on his famous voyage to the United States, the Maharaja of Mysore, Shri Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV and his mother then acting on his behalf, and Lord Curzon the Viceroy of India, whose first task on arrival on December 31, 1898 was to receive a draft proposal prepared by the Provisional Committee set up to plan the establishment of the Institute.


The plan was shepherded through many difficult years by Burjorji Padshah, a close associate of J.N. Tata. Unfortunately, J.N. Tata died in 1904 unaware that his vision would indeed be realized a few years later. When the British Government finally issued the Vesting Order in 1909, an unmatched experiment in higher education and research was launched in India. IISc is truly the first example of a public-private partnership in this country; an institution, whose evolution over a century is testimony to the robustness of its foundations. The Institute occupies nearly 400 acres of prime land in Bangalore, generously donated bythe Maharaja of Mysore in March 1907. Indeed, the contribution from the princely state of Mysore was the decisive element in determining the location of J.N. Tata's proposed institution. Remarkably, in a gesture unmatched in the annals of private philanthropy in India, Tata did not wish his name to be associated with the Institute. His dream was to create an institution that would contribute to the development of India. The name, Indian Institute of Science, which was finally chosen, reflects in every way the wishes of J.N. Tata. Visitors to Bangalore who seek out IISc still have to ask local residents for directions to the 'Tata Institute', a clear recognition that Jamsetji Tata's act of generosity has remained undimmed in public memory, despite the passage of a century.


The Institute began with only two departments: General and Applied Chemistry and Electro-Technology. The first Director, Morris W Travers began the task of organizing the Institute shortly after his arrival in India at the end of 1906. Travers began the construction of the main building, which is one of Bangalore's landmarks today. The Departments of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry together with the Library were among the earliest to be established. The Physics department came into being in 1933, when C.V. Raman became the first Indian Director of the Institute. In the century that has passed since its inception, IISc has grown to become India's premier centre for research and postgraduate education in science and engineering. The evolution of the Institute over the past one hundred years has mirrored the development of science and technology in India. A long history, a strong tradition of academic research and an ambience that favours scholarly activity have been important elements in making the Institute a most attractive place for students and faculty.
As the Institute has grown, several new areas of research have been established, many of them for the first time in India. 


The Institute's departments in fields ranging from Biochemistry to Aerospace Engineering have served to nucleate research and development in both the public and private sectors. The faculty and alumni of the Institute have been responsible for establishing and spearheading many new institutions and programs across the country, reflecting in a real sense, a major contribution of this centre of learning to national growth and development. 


Homi Bhabha conceived the idea of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) and an Atomic Energy Program while working in the Department of Physics. Vikram Sarabhai, the founder of India's space program was an alumnus. Following his premature death, the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) was built by the farsighted leadership of Satish Dhawan, who simultaneously held the position of the Director of the Institute with the greatest distinction. The first Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) at Kharagpur was established by J.C.Ghosh, who was the Director of IISc in the critical period 1939-48, during which much of the activity in engineering was initiated at the Institute.


Many of India's most distinguished scientists have been associated with the Institute as students or faculty. Notable among them are G.N. Ramachandran, Harish Chandra, S. Ramaseshan, Brahm Prakash, A. Ramachandran, C.N.R. Rao and R. Narasimha. Alumni of the Institute head many major organizations in India and abroad. The Institute offers a variety of Master's degree programs in Engineering, an integrated (post-B.Sc.) program in sciences and Ph.D. programs in a wide spectrum of disciplines in science and engineering. The research laboratories at the Institute are well equipped. Many national facilities are housed at the Institute. The library and computational facilities at the Institute are amongst the best in India. A major program for modernizing laboratories is underway, catalyzed by a special grant provided by the Government of India in 2006. The Institute hosts hundreds of visitors from India and abroad every year and is the venue for many major national and international academic events.


The face of science and engineering research has been changing very rapidly over the past few years. In approaching the second century of the Institute many new activities have been initiated. Notable among them are the interdisciplinary Ph.D. programs in Mathematical Sciences, Chemical Biology, Earth System Science, Nanoscience and Nanotechnology and Nanoengineering for Integrated Systems. These programs are intended to blur the traditional boundaries between disciplines, thereby promoting cross-disciplinary research. An M.Tech. program in Climate Science has also been introduced. A new Centre for Earth Sciences has been established and two new centres in the areas of Neuroscience and Climate Change are expected to begin activities in the near future. The Institute hopes to foster collaborative and interdisciplinary research in a vigorous fashion in the years to come. 


The Institute is also committed to promoting post-doctoral research in the areas of science and engineering. The Institute engages in interactions with society and industry through a variety of outreach programs. The Centre for Scientific and Industrial Consultancy (CSIC) and the Society for Innovation and Development (SID) promote collaborative interactions with industry, while the Centre for Continuing Education (CCE) provides an opportunity for working scientists and engineers to enrich themselves academically. 


The Institute actively promotes programs that encourage bright young school and undergraduate students to undertake research careers. The Institute's Young Fellowships Program in Science and Engineering seeks to bring young students to the campus in summer. The Institute also administers the Kishore Vaigyanik ProtsahanYojana (KVPY) program of the Department of Science and Technology (DST). The Institute's commitment to socially relevant research is specifically emphasized by the activities undertaken at the Centre for Sustainable Technologies (CST), together with the Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology (KSCST), which is housed on the campus.


To live and work at the Institute is a special privilege. Anniversaries are an occasion for both celebration and introspection. In reflecting on the past, present and future of the Institute, in this Centenary Year, an exchange between Morris Travers, the first Director, and Lord Willingdon, the then Viceroy, is worth recounting. Willingdon went around the Institute in June 1914 and said: "I had no idea that there was anything like this in India". Travers responded: "There is nothing like it in India; and nothing better in Great Britain". In ensuring that this sentiment is true, a great deal of work remains to be done.


Visit their official website: http://www.iisc.ernet.in/

All India Institute Of Medical Sciences, New Delhi

All India Institute Of Medical Sciences, New Delhi


Introduction as described on AIIMS’s official website:


Creating a country imbued with a scientific culture was Jawaharlal Nehru's dream, and immediately after independence he prepared a grand design to achieve it. Among the temples of modern India which he designed, was a centre of excellence in the medical sciences. Nehru's dream was that such a centre would set the pace for medical education and research in Southeast Asia , and in this he had the wholehearted support of his Health Minister, Rajkumari Amrit  Kaur.


The health survey and development committee, chaired by Sir Joseph Bhore, an   Indian Civil Servant, had in 1946 already recommended the establishment of a national medical centre which would concentrate on meeting the need for highly qualified manpower to look after the nation's expanding health care activities. The dreams of Nehru and Amrit Kaur and the recommendations of the Bhore Committee converged to create a proposal, which found favor with the government of New Zealand. A generous grant from New Zealand under the Colombo Plan made it possible to lay the foundation stone of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in 1952.The AIIMS was finally created in 1956,as an autonomous institution through an Act of Parliament ,to serve as a nucleus for nurturing excellence in all aspect of health care.


All-India Institute of Medical Sciences was established as an institution of national importance by an Act of Parliament with the objects to develop patterns of teaching in Undergraduate and Post-graduate Medical Education in all its branches so as to demonstrate a high standard of Medical Education in India; to bring together in one place educational facilities of the highest order for the training of personnel in all important branches of health activity; and to attain self-sufficiency in Post-graduate Medical Education. 


The Institute has comprehensive facilities for teaching, research and patient-care. As provided in the Act, AIIMS conducts teaching programs in medical and para-medical courses both at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and awards its own degrees. Teaching and research are conducted in 42 disciplines. In the field of medical research AIIMS is the lead, having more than 600 research publications by its faculty and researchers in a year. AIIMS also runs a College of Nursing and trains students for B.Sc.(Hons.) Nursing post-certificate) degrees.
Twenty-five clinical departments including four super specialty centers manage practically all types of disease conditions with support from pre- and Para-clinical departments. However, burn cases, dog-bite cases and patients suffering from infectious diseases are not entertained in the AIIMS Hospital. AIIMS also manages a 60-beded hospital in the Comprehensive Rural Health Centre at Ballabgarh in Haryana and provides health cover to about 2.5 lakh population through the Centre for Community Medicine.


Visit their official website: http://www.aiims.edu/

Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi

Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi:

Introduction as described in IIT’s official website:

I.I.T. Delhi is an autonomous statutory organisation functioning within the "Institutes of Technology Act" as amended by "The Institutes of Technology (Amendment) Act, 1963". The seven Indian Institutes of Technology (others being at Bombay, Kanpur, Kharagpur, Madras and Guwahati Roorkee) are administered centrally by the IIT Council, an apex body established by the Government of India to co-ordinate activities of these Institutes. The Minister for Human Resource Development of the Government of India is the Chairman of the Council. Each Institute of Technology has a Board of Governors responsible for its overall administration and control. Mr. Rameshwar Pal Agrawal is the Chairman of the Board of Governors of this Institute.

Visit their official website: http://www.iitd.ac.in/

Indian Institute if Management, Ahmadabad:

Indian Institute of Management, Ahmadabad:


Introduction reproduced from their official website:


IMA has evolved from being India's premier management institute to a notable international school of management in just four decades.
It all started with Dr. Vikram Sarabhai and a few spirited industrialists realizing that agriculture, education, health, transportation, population control, energy and public administration were vital elements in a growing society, and that it was necessary to efficiently manage these industries.

The result was the creation of the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmadabad in 1961 as an autonomous body with the active collaboration of the Government of India, Government of Gujarat and the industrial sectors.

It was evident that to have a vision was not enough. Effective governance and quality education were seen as critical aspects.

From the very start the founders introduced the concept of faculty governance: all members of the faculty play an important role in administering the diverse academic and non-academic activities of the Institute. The empowerment of the faculty has been the propelling force behind the high quality of learning experience at IIMA.

The Institute had initial collaboration with Harvard Business School. This collaboration greatly influenced the Institute's approach to education. Gradually, it emerged as a confluence of the best of Eastern and Western values.


Visit IIM, Ahmadabad's official website: http://www.iimahd.ernet.in/

Learn English: How To Speak Better English (Part- 2)

 © Harish Jharia

Whenever we prepare ourselves for speaking English, we usually form that dialogue in our mother tongue and subsequently translate it to English within our mind, and eventually speak out in English. While going through this three-tier process, we commit many mistakes that result into imperfect speech:

1. Confusing in selecting right words from vocabulary
2. Missing out the sequence of words
3. Fear of forgetting the sentence
4. Delay in speech
5. Mincing words

Sometimes speaking a dialogue the meaning of which might be other than that we wanted to convey; therefore, for speaking flawless sentences fluently and effectively we should think and speak in English only. We need to practice a lot for that until our mind develops a natural instinct.

English speaking is not that difficult as compared to speaking other languages including Indian languages. We need to develop expertise in providing proper sequence of words, suitably breaking the sentences in 2-3 parts and giving prominence / stress / higher pitch to a word or two; and eventually making the sentence easier to speak and adequate for understanding by the person we address. Always remember that you should not attempt to speak any sentence in a single breath. because it is neither right nor possible. 

Written language and the language we speak have basic differences about which many of us are not aware. We should not try to speak the bookish language that we read in books, newspapers, magazines and novels. The speaking English has to be quite different from written English. We need to follow the following The various requirements for ideal speech are as follows:

1. Your speech should be distinct for attracting attention of listener
2. Your speech should be clear and easy for the listener to understand
3. Your speech should convey the real message that you want to speak
4. Your speech should be should carry your feelings and emotions that you want to convey
5. Your speech should have simple and common words
6. Sentences in your speech should be short for you to speak easily
7. Your speech should be short for the listener to understand easily
8. Your speech should have no ambiguity
9. You should have correct pronunciation and accent
10. You should break sentence in 2 – 3 pieces and stress / emphasize the vital words and create right expression
11. You should use facial gestures and express with nodding your head wherever required
12. Do not be loud in gesturing
13. Keep the tone and volume of your voice controlled

Here are examples of sentences:

*Your speech:
(-) stands for breaks and
(bold) stands for emphasis / stress / higher pitch.

1. Usual sentence: He is dutiful and does not evade hard work.*Your speech: He is dutiful - and does not evade - hard work.
2. Usual sentence: A typical Indian woman is emotional by nature.
   *Your speech: A typical Indian woman - is emotional by nature
3. Usual sentence: A sensible person should not be blind to his shortcomings.
   *Your speech: A sensible person - should ‘not’ be blind - to his ‘shortcomings’.
4. Usual sentence: You should not depend on an unfaithful friend.
   *Your speech: You should not depend - on an unfaithful friend.
5. Usual sentence: These are imaginary fears that do not exist in reality.
   *Your speech: These are imaginary fears - that do not exist - in reality.

Look at the sentences under subheads ‘Usual sentence’ and ‘*your speech’. Under ‘Usual sentence’, a sentence is written in a normal format. Whereas under ‘*your speech’ the sentences has been broken in pieces and marked for emphasis / stress / higher pitch that guides the speaker about the style of speech.

These styles of speech may differ from place to place and from person to person, depending on the local dialect spoken in that area and the persona and nature of the speaker. Styles may also differ with the occasion and environment, depending on when and where the conversation takes place.

Changing words and sentences suitable for speech:

For better spoken-English, we should use appropriate words and construct proper sentences, a bit different from the written English, for effective expression of the messages that we need to convey.

We should always remember that there is a slight difference in written and spoken English. In written English, we speak full words and sentences whereas for speaking English we speak short forms of some words and make sentences a bit more expressive as compared to that we write.

Here are some examples of written and spoken English sentences:

1. Written: What is your name?
   Spoken: What’s your – ‘name’?
2. Written: My name is Harish.
   Spoken: I am – ‘Harish’.
3. Written: Yes!
   Spoken: That’s ‘right’!

Whenever someone asks us, a question and we need to reply in affirmative then we say, “That’s right!” Rather than saying “Yes.”

We should better say, “What’s” in place of “What is”.

I had an Anglo-Indian friend Joe. One day I asked his son-
“What is your name?”

The child did not understand my question. Joe asked him the same question in a different way
“What’s your name, dear?” and the child looked quite comfortable with his question.

This practice of abbreviating words and reconstructing the sentences in a different way from the written language is followed in other languages also.

Expressions and body language:

Gestures and actions are inseparable part of effective oratory and it is equally followed in English speaking also. Our speech world sound dull, ineffective and would not convey the real meaning of our message if we do not use gestures. Nevertheless, we should be careful for not being loud in our gestures and body language lest we might look funny.

Our speech would sound inert if we do not synchronies our dialogues with proper expressions on our face and body gestures. We should remember that there is a big difference between interacting with somebody and reading a news bulletin on TV.

In a civilized society, we need to express our sympathy facially and verbally while conveying a sad message or offering condolences. We will have to follow this protocol in a proper way, while answering or conveying a message carrying a particular feeling or emotion like exclamation, pleasure, distress, excitement etc.

Tone and volume of speech:

You might have observed that there are different tone and loudness of speech at different places and this style differ from place to place, depending on the dialects spoken in that area, the temperament and social / cultural environment in that area. It even differs between urban and rural parts of the same area.

So is the case in English also, these styles of speaking differ in all the languages in the world. The speech of sophisticated gentry is soft and civilized where as the rural world speak loud and raw language without following protocols. Following the same principles our tone has to be soft, mild moderated while speaking face to face with someone. Nevertheless, the volume may vary with the environment, emotional situation and distance from the listener. Yet, the tone should continue to be soft, at all the time and in all the conditions.

Non-English-speaking people usually try to imitate the dialogues and vocabulary from English films produced in Hollywood and Hong Kong. By following this learning process, we usually pickup styles adapting the vocabulary and learn to speak shrieks, shouts, slang and abuses from the interactions portrayed between bad characters in the films.

We should remember that English is spoken among educated masses in non-English-speaking world. Therefore, our English speech has to be decent and civilized. If we want to learn English from films, then we should pickup dialogue delivery from the decent and intellectual characters in the English films for emulating their style of English speaking.

How To Practice Speaking English:

The more we speak using our tongue throat the better would be our English speaking expertise. English is one of the most tongue twisting languages. Many words in English are not that easy to pronounce for the first time, because it needs a proper twist of our tongue to speak them in an appropriate way.

The best ways for practicing English speaking are listed as follows and discussed subsequently:

1. Interact with your siblings or friends
2. Read newspapers or books aloud
3. Listen to English news on TV
4. Do not hesitate to clear doubts with anyone

Interact with your siblings or friends:

More and more speaking is the only way to be fluent in the language that you want to learn. We will have to speak as much as possible; it does not matter whether we speak right or wrong. Our aim has to be just keeping speaking as much as possible and there is no other way-out.

You should pickup someone who continues to be with you most of the time and have a pact with him / her to speak only in English between you people. Brothers, sisters, cousins, roommates and classmates are usually the right people with whom you can go for this understanding.

Your practice partner for practicing English need not be an expert in English. Anyone, having working knowledge of Basic English speech would be fine for you to take off on this adventure.

Read newspapers or books aloud:

All the languages carry certain tongue-twisting words or combination of words that create big obstacles in the pursuit of speaking chaste English with perfect pronunciation, accent and fluency. We usually fumble and sometimes even stammer, as our tongue does not synchronize with our mind for perfect phonetic reproduction. The tongue does not just twist to speak such words.

Therefore, we will have to get our tongue used to such typical words, by pronouncing them repeatedly, so much so that, we develop a natural instinct for speaking English as very effortlessly as we speak our mother tongue.

‘Vulnerable’ was one such word that gave me a real hard time, whenever I tried to speak as a single word or tried to use it in a sentence. I of course sometimes could speak it as a single word; yet, I fumbled while speaking it in a sentence. Then, I kept speaking this word repeatedly and tried to used it deliberately by finding opportunities to speak ‘vulnerable’ as many times as possible.

That is the best way to practice for overcoming difficulties like fumbling with these tongue-twisting words or the combinations of such words by ‘reading them loudly’. In our day-to-day academic preparations, we need to read books and we read newspapers and magazines. We need to bring a little change in reading and that is by reading that loudly and use our tongue and throat many times.

This rigorous practice will put your tongue and throat on an exercise, eventually synchronizing it with the commands released from your brain in the process of speaking English. by doing it repeatedly, our tongue develops a natural instinct to produce a desired sound and eventually pronounce it without any fumble or stammer.

Listen to English news on TV:

Even small children as young as eight months learn speaking by hearing our speech and imitate our sounds that they hear when we speak. Hence, we need to hear someone speaking perfect English if we want to learn speaking this language. When we hear them then we can try to copy them...

Speaking any language, other than our mother tongue, is not as simple as physical exercise. That cannot be performed by solitary practice, because speaking includes specific phonetic reproduction and certain specific style, grammar and accent. There is no other option for us, except listening to that sound carefully and emulating the same by synchronizing, twisting the tongue with orientation of our throats while blowing air with controlled throttle.

The easy and freely available resource of perfect English speech lessons is the news bulletins read on radios and TVs. make it a regular practice of listening these news bulletins carefully. Better, listen to Indian English news, rather than opting for CNN or BBC or any other foreign media. I think that Indian English as the best for English for Indians to learn because, people in other countries speak English with different pronunciations and accents. If we try to learn from English spoken by British, American, Australian or Canadian people than we would be rendered confused due to ambiguity and might not even learn the English spoken in India.

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Read more articles on similar subject: Click on the following links
Discover Life: Speaking English- 1  
Discover Life: Speaking English- 2  
Discover Life: First Step to Speaking English (Words)  
Discover Life: Second Step to Speaking English (Sentences)  
Discover Life: Speaking English (Speech)  
Discover Life: Speaking English (Practice)
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Learn English: How To Speak Better English (Part- 1)

© Harish Jharia

In the modern corporate world, English speaking is considered a must. You would attract attention of the listeners far more than others would, if you are able to speak English in an effective way. Just speaking English would not be enough; your speech should rather emerge like a natural instinct. You should not appear to be trying to speak out by making extra efforts and mincing words and often repeating sentences for an effective communication. You are expected to speak with the same ease and comfort as you speak your mother tongue or the local dialect. 

Let us discuss the basic requirements for effective English speaking.  Most of us do not adequate vocabulary and we do not know the difference between pronunciation & accent. Let us have clear concept of these basic requirements for English speaking. They are enlisted as follows:

1. Grammar
2. Vocabulary
3. Pronunciation
4. Accent

Grammar:

Grammar is the basic requirement for speaking any language including English. Without having knowledge of grammar, you would not be able to read, write or speak any language. We will proceed with this article, with the presumption that we are well aware of grammar and discussing on a dedicated project - “Let Us Learn Speaking English”, without discussing about grammar.

Vocabulary:

Vocabulary means your stock of words. One day my father asked me to write as many English words as I could. Those days I was doing my graduation in engineering. I studied all through my academics in English medium and knew quite good English. In spite of that, I could not write more than 50 words.

Then my father helped me out by asking synonyms of the words that I wrote on the paper and to my astonishment by trying out for meanings of those words, I could write another 25 words. I tried my best; yet, I could not cross the magic limit of 100.

Based on the above exercise my father told me that I was having vocabulary far less than 100. He asked me to read more, strive hard to learn and understand more and more words, and make it sure to cross the magic figure of 100.

The bigger the stock of words we have, the easier would be for us to speak better English in a better way.  That means that we should know and understand the use of as many words as possible.

Here are some examples of synonyms of words:

security = safety, refuge, sanctuary, safekeeping, safety measures, defense, protection, precautions
 belief = faith, conviction, principle, idea, confidence, trust, certainty, credence
betray =  be disloyal to, give up, hand over, let down, deceive
trouble =  problem, difficulty, dilemma, mess, nuisance, snag, danger 
Pronunciation:

Speaking words with specific sounds may be called ‘Pronunciation’. Utterance is also a synonym for pronunciation. Your pronunciation should be right for a right speech.

Examples:

Look how pronunciation changes-  ‘hop’ & ‘hope’; ‘save’ & ‘shave’; ‘dose’ & ‘does’; ‘advice’ & ‘advise’.
There are many among us who cannot pronounce ‘sh’.  We speak ‘sssss’ in place of ‘sh’
Similarly, most of us do not pronounce the word ‘pleasure’ in the right way. We pronounce it as ‘pleazere’
We pronounce ‘window’ as ‘bindow’ or even ‘bhindow’
We pronounce ‘four’ as ‘phore’ and ‘foreign’ as ‘phoreign’
We pronounce ‘film’ as ‘philm’
We pronounce the letter ‘L’ as ‘yel’ and ‘H’ as ‘hech’
In addition to the inherent phonetic reproduction for a particular pronunciation depending on the local dialect or mother tongue that influence and affect our pronunciations while speaking English. There are the different styles of speaking English in the different parts of the world.

Slightly different pronunciations are used in different English speaking countries for the same words because; the phonetic reproduction depends on the dialects spoken in those particular parts of the world.

The number ‘8’ is pronounced differently in different countries like in Australia they pronounce it as ’aight’ and not as ‘eight’ as pronounced in other countries.

We must remember that we In India have adapted ‘UK English’ for studying in our academics and working in offices. Nevertheless, we come across ‘US English’ while watching Hollywood films and working on computers and internet. In spite of all this fuss, we should not try copying the English speaking styles from different parts of the world all at a time.

We should follow the pronunciations and accents of English that we have learnt from our primary schools and kept improving as we promote ourselves all through up to our university levels and venture into our professions or jobs.  It is always better to speak a fluent Indian English rather than stammering while copying Australian or American styles.

Accent:

Speaking any word by breaking it in two or more pieces and stressing at any latter is called accent. Pronouncing with an accent is in fact speaking by highlighting, stressing or giving a higher pitch to a part of word while pronouncing it.  We may compare accent with the notes and percussion beats or rhythms giving to a line of a lyric for making a musical piece.  Accent gives speech a musical twist and makes it distinct for an effective phonetic reproduction.

Examples:

If we consider ‘examination’ for example; while giving accent to ‘examination’ we should break it into 2 pieces and stress on particular letters for making it easier to speak and for sounding better and specific. Just do it as follows and see how ‘examination’ and a few other words sound and make easier for you to speak:

1. Examination = exa-mi-nation*
2. Visualization = visuali-zation*
3. Vandalism = vandal-lism *
4. Thermodynamics =  thermo-dyna-mics *
5. Entertainment =  enter-tain-ment*
6. Rise = rise ***
7. Rustic = rus-tic*
8. Rigorous = rigo-rous
9. Decoration = deco-ration
10. Extravaganza =  extra-vagan-za

* (‘Dash’ shows break; ‘underline’ shows stressing)
*** (Need not break being small word)

If you carefully study dictionaries, you will find that there are specific punctuation as guidelines also provided for accent of words in addition to pronunciation. 

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Read more articles on similar subject: Click on the following links
Discover Life: Speaking English- 1  
Discover Life: Speaking English- 2  
Discover Life: First Step to Speaking English (Words)  
Discover Life: Second Step to Speaking English (Sentences)  
Discover Life: Speaking English (Speech)  
Discover Life: Speaking English (Practice)
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How to Overcome Sleep While Studying:

Go to “Yahoo Answers” for reading detailed discussion...

Unedited Question:


How to overcome sleep while reading I am 12th std?
I am studying 12th std, I start school at 8.30 and it will get over by 5 and ill reach home and have evening meal. then ill start studying @ 6.30,after 10 or 20 mins i feel so tired and feel sleepy, please find me some remedy for this

Answer by: Harish Jharia
You feel drowsy because you start studying after taking your meals... Taking evening meals at 6:30pm is too early... You will have to change this timing...


After returning from your school you should freshen up, take some light snacks and any beverages like tea, coffee, or neemboo-paani etc... Have chats with your family members for half an hour and then go for studying...


You shift your evening meals timing to 9pm... and go to bed at 10pm... In between you may revise your studies or do writing work...

How to work comfortably on Computer with Glasses

© Harish Jharia 

For the people with normal eyesight it is always so very easy to go wherever you want or do whatever you want. Nevertheless, if you have power in your eyes then you have to make adjustments with the different situations or else you will have to be well prepared for feeling free and comfortable in different adverse situations.

In this article, we will discuss the preparations that can be made for people using looking glasses to work on computers comfortably and with ease. Before we go into the details of preparations let us know the basics of aided eyes that can work properly only with the help of pairs of optical lenses, commonly known as spectacles, looking glasses, or eyeglasses.

Eye Problems by Aging:

Human beings feel prominent changes in the proper functioning of their eyes with time and because of their aging process. Our eyes develop difficulties in seeing/resolving the objects as we grow older. The common eye problems are commonly called ‘shortsightedness’, longsightedness’ and ‘axis’. A brief detail of the same is described as follows:

Shortsightedness :

In the case of Nearsightedness (Myopia), we feel problems in seeing objects at a short distance. That means we find problems in reading books, seeing photographs, working on computers while looking at the keyboard and reading the characters on the monitor. For correcting this problem, cylindrical lenses are prescribed and with the help of that, we can see/resolve the objects close to our eyes.

Longsightedness:

In the case of Farsightedness (Hyperopia), we are not able to see/resolve objects/characters at a long distance. That means we find difficulties in watching TV or a movie in a cinema hall or even in looking around while moving outdoors. For correcting this problem, cylindrical lenses are prescribed and with the help of that, we can see/resolve the objects situated at a farther distance from our eyes, say at 100 feet or more.

Astigmatism:

The third common problem with eyes is ‘axis’ (astigmatism). In this case, we see a deformed image of the object. For example, a circle might not look like a true circle. It may also appear as if an image of a deformed circle is appearing on another image of the same circle. For correcting this problem, cylindrical lenses are prescribed for adjusting the axis and with the help of that, we can see/resolve the objects in their true shape and sharpness.

Usually, after crossing the age of 35 or 40 people use to say that their eyes have become weak. The eyes develop certain changes in their anatomy that eventually result in developing ‘axis’, ‘shortsightedness’, or long-sightedness rather than losing their strength or becoming weak. The eyes continue to be strong and healthy with aging, nevertheless, they developed different powers that result in difficulty in seeing/resolving objects. The remedies have already been discussed along with the problems in the preceding paragraphs. 

Presently the following visual aids are widely used for correcting eye problems and the resultant visual discomfort:

Bi-focal spectacles:

On developing these eye problems, we usually go for eye tests, get a pair of glasses for, and use them as and when required. Most of us are prescribed with bi-focal spectacles that have upper portions of the lenses for farsightedness and a small portion of lenses for reading purpose. The opticians also provide axis correcting cylindrical characteristics in such glasses if required. This combination of glasses in the form of bi-focal variety is the most popular visual accessory in the modern times.

Progressive Lenses:
In the case of bi-focal lenses, the ocular glasses are divided into two portions. The upper portion for long-sightedness and the lower portion is dedicated to reading purposes of for resolving closer objects as in case of inserting thread in the eye of a needle or doing other similar jobs. On the other hand, the lenses in case of progressive focusing the lenses are provided desired curvatures and optical surfaces in a gradual and smooth succession. This hi-tech optical process eventually produce an end-product that will suit for resolving / seeing everything, of any size and at any distance. That means that by putting on a pair of glasses with progressive lenses we would be able to have sharp and defined vision without changing, lifting or tilting our glasses. With these glasses on we would look around like any other person with normal vision.

How to Work On Computer with Glasses On:

We have discussed on various eye problems we face due to aging and the accessories we use for their correction. Now let us come back to our main discussion about the best ways that could be followed for working comfortably on computers with our eyeglasses on. There are two ways to work comfortably on computers with aided eyes.

The first way is to go for getting a dedicated pair of glasses made by any optician in your neighborhood. Carry a printout of texts of ‘Arial’ fonts of different sizes viz 10, 12, 14 and 16 to the optician. Ask him to make a dedicated / customized pair of glasses for clearly seeing / resolving all the fonts on you printout from a distance of 20” to 26”.

The optician will keep your printout at the desired distance and will follow the exercise of permutation and combination of different glasses for finding out the right powers for each of your eyes and finally make a pair of customized glasses for your use on computers.

This pair of glasses will also be useful while shaving or doing makeup.
The second alternative is to go for a pair of progressive glasses for which you need not go for any customization or a spare pair of glasses exclusively for use on computers. A pair of progressive lenses will serve all purposes you come across in your day-to-day life.

The only reservation with progressive glasses is that they are too costly. I think the cheapest spectacles with progressive lenses might cost 2000 rupees and whereas the simple / common / normal customized spectacle for computer will cost as less as below 200 rupees. Now it depends on our resources and our way of thinking for selecting any one option out of the two described above.

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Disclaimer: 
This article is written based on my personal observations. My intention for publishing the same is to provide healthy reading and intellectual entertainment and not for educating the visitors. No literature or authentic books have been referred for writing the contents of this article. The visitors are advised not to refer the contents of this article for any research or testimony on scientific, geographical, political, civic or legal purposes. The visitors are further advised to consult relevant experts before adapting any information from this article. The author or the website are not responsible for any errors, mistakes, or omissions there in.
- Harish Jharia 
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Recall our childhood days and Hindi nursery rhymes...

Compiled and interpreted by - Harish Jharia

एक बीज के भीतर गुपचुप
मिट्टी की तह में कुछ नीचे
नन्हा- नन्हा प्यारा पौधा
पड़ा हुआ था आंखें मींचे

बूंदें बोलीं उठो- उठो जी
बोलीं उठो किरन की परियाँ
उठा देखने तब झटपट वह
कैसी है बाहर की दुनियाँ

तितली आई चिड़िया आई
ज्यों ही उसने आंखें खोलीं
लगी हवा में उसे झुलाने
और प्यार की बातें बोलीं

Here is the English interpretation of the Hindi nursery rhyme...

Right within a piece of seed
Just below the crust of earth
There lied a baby plant
With his eyelids closed tight

Pouring drops called him wake
Sang the fairies of sunbeams
He woke up with his flickering eyes
And watched the world with popping eyes

Butterfly came and sparrow flied
The moment he opened his eyes
And swung him in a fresh cool breeze
Singing songs of love and rejoice

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Learn English: How To Speak Better English (Practice)

© Harish Jharia

In the “Fourth Step to Speaking English (Practice)”, we will discuss the right ways to practice English speaking. If we repeatedly, keep speaking all types of words and sentences including those needs ‘tongue twisting’… during real English conversation, then only we would become perfect in English speaking.

Fourth Step to Speaking English (Practice)

In the “first, second and third steps to speaking English”, we discussed the importance of thinking and speaking both in English, simultaneously, while speaking this language.

We also discussed the intricacies and technical tricks for gaining perfection in English speech. Nevertheless, the real hard work is yet to be discussed. Once we have located the steep uphill way for our goal, then we are left with the most laborious job to scale the heights all by ourselves.

The more we speak and use our tongue and voice the better would be the results. English is a tongue twisting language when it comes to speak it fluently. There are many words that are not that easy to pronounce for the first time, because it needs a proper twist of our tongue to speak them in an appropriate way.

Some tongue twisting words are as follows:

1. Vulnerable
2. Pleasure
3. Environment
4. Repercussion
5. Extraterrestrial

The main time-tested ways to practice English speaking are as follows:

1. Interact with your siblings or friends
2. Read newspapers or books aloud
3. Listen to English news on TV
4. Do not hesitate to clear doubts with anyone

Interact with your siblings or friends:

Speaking any language is the only way to be fluent in it. We need to speak as much as possible. Either right or wrong just keep speaking; there is no other way.

Now, the question is as to with whom should we speak? The answer is our nearest ones. Select someone who continues to be with us most of the time and decide to speak between ourselves, only in English. He / she might be our siblings or friends with whom we spend most of the time in our day-to-day life.

It is not essential that our partner for practicing English is expert in this language. Anyone who has a working knowledge of basic speaking in English would be quite helpful.

Read newspapers or books aloud:

Any language other than our mother tongue carries certain tongue-twisting words or combination of words with those we feel uncomfortable while pronouncing them with fluency. We usually fumble while speaking or sometimes stammer, as our tongue does not synchronize with our mind in producing the end-results.

Hence, we will have to get our tongue used to such typical pronunciations by speaking those words and combination of words repeatedly all by ourselves.

‘Vulnerable’ is one such word that gave me a real hard time, while I tried to speak it in a sentence. I could some how speak it as an individual word; nevertheless, I just fumbled while pronouncing it with a smooth flow in a sentence.

The best way to practice to overcome fumbling with tongue-twisting words or combination of words is ‘reading aloud’. In our day-to-day academic preparations, we need to read books and we read newspapers and magazines.

Just read it loudly by using your tongue and throat. By doing so, we put your tongue and throat on a job synchronizing with the commands issued by our mind. When we do it repeatedly, our tongue develops a natural instinct to produce a desired sound and eventually pronounce it without any hesitation.

Once natural instinct is developed, we achieve expertise in speaking even tongue-twisting speeches smoothly.

Listen to English news on TV :

An eight-month child learns speaking by hearing our speech and copying the same from us. Hearing impaired people cannot speak. Hence, for learning perfect English we need to hear someone speaking English.

Speaking a language other than our mother tongue is not a physical exercise and cannot be done by solitary practice. Speaking includes specific phonetic reproduction and for achieving perfection in it, we need to hear that sound so that we could learn to emulate the same sound with synchronized twist of tongue and orientation of throat vis-à-vis blowing air at a controlled throttle.

The easy and abundantly available source of perfect English speech is the news bulletins read on radio and TV. We should make it a regular habit of listening at these bulletins carefully.

It is better to listen to Indian English news rather than going for CNN or BBC or any other foreign media. I personally consider Indian English as the best for Indians to speak because, people in different countries speak English with different pronunciations and accents. If we try to learn from English spoken by British, American, Australian or Canadian people than we would end up in confusion and ambiguity and would not be able to pickup any style.

We have discussed this point in the previous resources; links to those are given at the end of this article. Please visit those resources for more information on this.

Do not hesitate to clear doubts with anyone:

We should remember that we are learners and are at the receiving end. Hence, we should not permit our ego to intercept our pursuit. We should tell our friends to feel free and point-out our mistakes. Subsequently we can find out the ways to rectify our mistakes.

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Read more articles on similar subject: Click on the following links
Discover Life: Speaking English- 1  
Discover Life: Speaking English- 2  
Discover Life: First Step to Speaking English (Words)  
Discover Life: Second Step to Speaking English (Sentences)  
Discover Life: Speaking English (Speech)  
Discover Life: Speaking English (Practice)
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