Jammu
Railway Station Craves for attention
O P Sharma
 Jammu Railway
Station, one of the biggest and busiest in the northern
India, craves for focused attention for further
upgradation to cope with the increasing rush of
passengers. Hustle and bustle can be witnessed at the
station for all the 24 hours and on all days of the week,
Jammu station, in fact, acts as a gateway to numerous
tourists and pilgrims visiting Jammu and Kashmir.Jammu
Railway Station has come a long way since its
inauguration in 1972. While the number of trains has gone
up, the connectivity with other cities has increased,
infrastructure too has to be upgraded to cope with the
growing rush of passengers.
This station has some distinct features like the longest
journey train originating from Jammu travels upto
Kanyakumari going all across the country. After nearly 25
Jammu Railway Station has come of age now.
In view of rising number of commuting travellers,
double-laning of rail track and its pivotal importance,
this station has to augment further development,
beautification, proper upkeep in addition to improvement
in basic amenities and services.
There is need for making sustained efforts for
cleanliness, still more security arrangements, efficient
ticketing system, more effective inquiry and information
counters for the convenience of travellers.
O P Sharma, Special Correspondent, EXCELSIOR talked to a
cross-section of Jammuites in general and passengers in
particular, who underscored need for developing it as a
model station by its all round upgradation, expansion,
beautification and to put in place better facilities and
services to bring it up to a world destination. A
perspective plan has to be drawn up and expeditiously
implemented and modern management practices . . .....more
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Identity Dress Code
Mahendra Ved
 Throughout India,
fashion changes from one village to another village, from
one city to another. Clothing in India is visible as a
separate cultural identity. India's artistic fashion
heritage is rich in tradition, alive in colours and
breathtakingly beautiful.
While this is true, it is also true that India’s
rapid urbanization is bringing in a depressing
uniformity. Trouser entered the remote village long ago.
Indian fashion evolved through necessity. Inclined to
spiritual existence, clothing evolved as a reaction to
religion and climate. Hence, Indian fashion tended to
become a cultural and tribal identity. The visible
fashion revolution in India began during the British Raj.
Men switched to suits and women, unable to sport Western
dresses, styled their cholis to match the latest fashion
line in the West . The beginning of fashion influences,
which initiated then, has never ceased to influence
Indian psychology at grass root level.
The Independence Movement of India in the late 1940s
ushered in some revolutionary changes on the fashion
scene. Japanese georgette, chiffon and imported silks
gave way to Khadi and hand-woven South Indian silks. In
the same year as India attained its independence,
Christian Dior revealed to the Western world his
“New Look” and the world of fashion was never
the same.
In the1960s, the most sensational fashion discovery of
all times hit the West- the mini. The Indian woman was
not as daring, but the kameez did sneak up quite a few
inches above the knee. This era also ushered in the age
of synthetics. Nylon, with its crease proof wash
‘n’wear qualities, captured the Indian
imagination. The heavily bordered sari gave way to
printed nylons and polyesters. The sari sported a
shortened pallu which got tossed nonchalantly over the
shoulder.
Travelling by train or road to southern India, one is
struck by the sight of school-going girls wearing
salwar-kameez, a pair of loose top and pajama with a long
scarf over the shoulders. Being school uniform, it is
plain and without frills. But on holidays, these girls
flaunt a medley of colours and designs.
This dress has overtaken much of South Asia, so much so
that the salwaar kameez is associated today with this
region rather ....more
Kabul
express
 Debutante director
Kabir Khan talks about Kabul Express, Taliban, John and
lots more to Vickey LalwaniHow did Yash Raj Films sign
you?
That's a good question. I have made documentary films
till now, so that's something what everybody wants to
know. Well, I had a ready script, which reached Aditya
Chopra through some common friends. He liked the script
and I got a call. The rest, as they say, is history.
Who did the casting?
Arshad is a close friend, and I had him in mind when I
was writing the script of 'Kabul Express'. I had met up
with John before Adi came into the picture. John had
agreed to do the film even then. Adi had no problem. He
agreed to go with my vision.What is the film about?
The film is loosely based on the experiences that I and
my friend Rajan Kapoor (who is the executive producer of
Kabul Express) had in Afghanistan during the making of a
documentary film in 2001 when Taliban was collapsing.
John panicked during his stay in Afghanistan?
Anybody in his place would have panicked. We were facing
death threats, and there were many such threats
coming-and John was the most hi-profile target.
But why would they want to target John?
Any terrorist organisation obviously looks for the most
hi-profile target. If Taliban bump me off, they wouldn't
make as big headlines as they would if they bump John
off. John's name was always being highlighted by Taliban
as the person they wanted to target. Did you take
precautions then?
We called a stop on shooting for five to six days.
Thereafter, we had adequate security- 60 armed commandos
24 X 7.
What are your expectations from the film? I'm awaiting
everyone's reactions. I am sure that many would want to
watch it because of late the Taliban has increased its
violence in Afghanistan even more.. ......more
MICROWAVE
COOKING
S.S.Verma
 Microwave cooking
has reached a new level of acceptance. Once considered a
luxury, the microwave oven had developed into a practical
necessity for a fast-paced world, becoming an
international phenomenon. An expanding market has
produced a style of microwave oven to suit every taste; a
size, shape, and color to fit any kitchen, and a price to
please almost every pocketbook. People are finding the
microwave cooking more beneficial over conventional
(stove) cooking particularly with regard to certain
points like fresh food (free from grilling and frying),
less waste, savings of money and time.
To heat food, microwave ovens operate at 2.45 GHz, which
is not a resonant frequency for the water molecule. This
frequency was chosen because it is absorbed weakly enough
in liquid water (not free water molecules) that the waves
maintain good strength even deep inside a typical piece
of food. Higher frequencies would penetrate less well and
cook less evenly. Lower frequencies would penetrate
better, but would be absorbed so weakly that they
wouldn't cook well, thus, 2.45 GHz frequency is a
reasonable compromise between the two extremes. The waves
in this frequency range have three characteristics that
allow them to be used in cooking: they are reflected by
metal; they pass through glass, paper, plastic, and
similar materials; and they are absorbed by water
contents of foods. While water molecules aren't
electrically charged overall, they do have electrically
charged ends--one end is positively charge and the other
is negatively charged. In the presence of the microwave
radiation, these water molecules find themselves twisted
back and forth very rapidly. As they twist, they rub
against one another and friction heats them up. The water
becomes hot and this hot water, in turn, cooks the food.
Food that doesn't contain water (like salt or oil) won't
get hot. Neither will food in which the water molecules
can't turn (like ice or frozen food). Microwave ovens
cook food "from the inside out." In a
conventional oven, the heat has to migrate (by
conduction) from the outside of the food toward the
middle.
The various parts of a microwave oven are:. ........more
Saving
monuments for future
R.S. Sharma
 Time destroys - man
destroys more, so goes an ancient proverb. One can see
this destruction in India, as perhaps nowhere else. From
one corner of the country to the other monuments of the
historical past seem to cry out: Enough, no more".
Legend, history, artistry, romance in stone and rocks are
crumbling, sinking, cracking and being pillaged. What is
being done to preserve them for posterity?
It has taken a long time but a clear policy is at last
emerging. The thrust for the present is on selected
monuments. In numbers alone there are over 3,000
centrally protected monuments. At the State level,
varying from State to State there are hundreds more.
Delhi alone has 250. Add to this the long list of
monuments not declared protected. (Delhi has more than
1,000 of these.) Many are worthy of protection - or at
least, retention in forms resembling the old artistic
structures.
The task is not easy. India has often been called the
cradle of civilisation leaving a great deal for the
conservationist. The current conservation drive has to
take care of delicate pre-historic remains, remains of
early historical cities the northern and southern
Buddhist monuments, rock cut monuments often found in
caves and - the northern and southern temples.
The recent law on antiques and art treasures has provided
some checks. Selected monuments, according to a decision
taken recently, would soon have security officers on the
look out for vandals. This would be in addition to the
watch and ward squads appointed in the early seventies
when antique thefts had become almost a daily affair.
Funds are also being poured into a hitherto neglected
area, the preservation of monuments. Funds came in for
the first time during the beginning of the Fifth Plan.
They were to the tune of Rs. 35 lakhs in 1972-73. It is
Rs. 4.35 crores now. The States earmark their own grants.
Most important, the scientific department in the ASI is
being expanded to include chemists and environmental
experts. New offices for chemical preservation are being
set up as in district Dhar in Madhya Pradesh, in Delhi,
and Baroda. Chennai already has one, so has Bhubaneswar.
., ......more
And now,
sugar-free desserts
Dr. Jitendra Singh
 After the
"sugar-free" Cola drinks like Diet Coke and
Pepsi Max, the party-makers and party-goers now look
forward to fashionable new recipes of
"sugar-free"
Diabetic desserts and "sugar-free" Diabetic
sweet-dishes.As the millennium advances, the researchers
all over the world are focussing their attention to make
the dietary regulations for Diabetics more liberal, more
convenient, more acceptable and less cumbersome in a
continuing bid to ensure for every Diabetic a quality of
life which is as normal, as fulfilling and also as
competitive as that of a non-diabetic. The endeavour in
this direction has inspired brilliant new innovations.
After the "sugar-free" Cola drinks like Diet
Coke and Pepsi Max, the party-makers and party-goers now
look forward to fashionable new recipes of
"sugar-free" Diabetic desserts and
"sugar-free" Diabetic sweet-dishes.
EXCLUSIVE PREPARATIONS
For years together, it had been customary to advise the
diabetics to prepare for themselves at home sweet
delicacies like Milk Custard or Milk "Kheer"
using artificial sweeteners or suger-free tablets. It is
only of late that special recipes are being tried to
offer exclusive dessert preparations for Diabetics.
One such Diabetic Dessert preparation goes by the name of
''Lemon Gelatin" and it is gradually seeking a place
in the Menu Cards of fashionable food points. It is a
sugar-free sweet-dish and one average serving of it
comprising approximately 25 calories is made up of
following ingredients (i) unflavoured gelatin 1 Teaspoon
(ii) Cold water 2 Teaspoon (iii) Lemon juice 1 Teaspoon
(iv) Water 1/2 cup and (v) Asparetame e.g. artificial
sweetener to suit the taste.
The dessert mentioned above can be conveniently prepared
and included in a diet.
Negligible calorie value
In the preparation of various desserts or sweet-dishes
for Diabetics, sugar free solution available in the
market can be used in place of sugar. It is estimated
that one -fourth teaspoon of this solution or two small
tablets .. .. ......more
Reaching
the unreached
Ram Rattan Sharma
 Distance education
in India at the University level started in 1962 in the
form of correspondence courses offered by Delhi
University. Encouraged by this success, the education
commission recommended the expansion of correspondene
courses. The University Grants Commission supported the
establishment of the correspondence course institutes by
drafting guidelines and providing financial assistance.
We now have a vast distance education infrastructure. Ten
open universities and 62 distance education
directorates/correspondence course institutes. The annual
enrolment of students in open universities has increased
more than expectation. We can take pride in these
remarkable achievements. We have great challenges ahead,
as we stand on the door step of a new millennium, we are
watching a remarkable change. The transformation from
knowledge as an element in development to knowledge as
the key to development- economic, social and political.
The appearance of knowledge based societies is essential
in the networked world of the future. The survival of
developing economics would be dependent on building the
capacities of individuals and societies to create use and
store knowledge.
The first open university was established in Andhra
Pradesh at Hyderabad in 1982. Indira Gandhi National Open
University was established in 1985 at Delhi by an Act of
Parliament which is also responsible for the promotion of
open University and distance education systems and for
the determination of standards of teaching, evaluation
and research in such systems. The second role of IGNOU
for coordination, promotion and maintenance of standards
in open and distance education is being performed through
the Distance Education Council, a statutory body
established by the University, in 1992. The concept of
Open university as a single mode University has acquired
popularity and recognition in India resulting in the
establishment of more State open universities.
Correspondence courses at secondary level were started in
1965 by the Board of Secondary Education, Madhya Pradesh
with the objective of improving standards of those who
have dropped out from the school system. This was
followed by five States (Delhi, Rajasthan, Orissa, Tamil
Nadu and Uttar Pradesh) which established institutions
offering correspondence education at secondary and higher
secondary levels. .. ........more
‘Missing’
girls
Indu Swami
 Female infanticide
is not uncommon in Indian society- where girl child was
poisoned to death soon after her birth, and is still
prevalent in certain parts of the country. With the
advancement of modern technology its practice, however,
has taken a different shape. Now it is possible to detect
the sex of the baby when it is still in the womb of the
mother. This has made it possible to abort the female
foetus, if it is unwanted. The most commonly used sex
determination test is amniocentesis. Discovered primarily
for the detection of foetal malformations, it has, over
the years, been used to determine the sex of the foetus.
In addition, there are sophisticated techniques like sex
pre-selection- using separation of X and Y chromosome by
concentrating the Y chromosome and implanting this into
the uterus. The Juvenile sex ratio has decreased from 945
in 1991 to 927 in 2001, which is the foremost proof of
rampant female foeticides and infanticides in India. As
per 2001 census, Jammu & Kashmir state also showed
alarming sex ratio i.e. 900 females per 1000 males.
India witnessed continuous decline in sex ratio since
1901 to 1971 from 972 women to 930 women per thousand men
respectively and it was short of 60 lakh girls when
entered in the new millennium. And there is another
paradox. The steepest decline in child sex ratio has not
been among the illiterate tribes lost in the far flung
areas of the country but in some of the most prosperous
corners of the country like Punjab, Haryana, Himachal
Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi
and Bombay. Some areas of our richest states now have a
child sex ratio of lower than 800. The Punjab - Haryana -
Himachal Pradesh belt in the north is called by some
'India's Bermuda Triangle' - where girls vanish without a
trace.
A pronounced skew in sex ratio has been a feature of
India. Girls and women routinely suffer from poorer
health and nutrition, infanticide and high rates of death
from pregnancy and childbirth and experts say that
ultrasound technology simply compounds an age-old
prejudice. "India is catching up with other sexist,
modern societies like South Korea and China in sex
selective abortions," Nobel laureate Amartya Sen has
said. "It is a technological revolution of a
reactionary kind."
Since their introduction in the 1980s ultrasound clinics
have mushroomed all over the country. In the far-flung
remote areas where transportation is a problem and clean
drinking water is scarce doctors with ultrasound machines
can be traced. Even anti-abortionists use this method to
get baby boys, as it does not involve
"Blood-bath". India is one of . .. . .
. ...more
Kingdom of
God
Udhay Singh Pathania
 God.... Who is He
and where does He live ? What is the nature of God ? Can
God be seen with the physical eyes ? In he the latent
power which is the foundation of all sorts of energy and
runs the entire world ? Does all the heavenly bodies and
the whole universe work under his divine powers? Does our
soul really go to heaven or hell after death and what is
moksha (salvation)? These are few of the questions that
come to the mind of every human being from the time
immemorial.
How may worlds, how many planets, stars and heavenly
bodies are there in the universe, but they never touch
each other, what a unique feature and blessing of God.
Suppose if by chance they collide with each other, what
will be the result ? The whole universe would throb with
fear. How can we save ourselves from this terrible state
of affairs ? How can we make the most of our life and
make it sublime ? Does God really live in temples,
churches, gurdwaras or mosques or is he omnipresent ? How
do we try to find God ? Do we really look for God as he
is or do we look for God as we want him to be ? Do we
look for sadhna and meditation to solve our problems or
do we look for problems in our meditation ? These are few
questions that are yet to be answered.
Once a person got very drunk and he came to home late at
night. He begins walking back and forth. His wife woke up
and shouted that, why is he wandering around outside if
he did not have a key. The person replied that he had the
key but the problem was that, the door didn’t have
any lock. Is this what we all are doing ? Are we looking
for God through the eyes of preachers, the so called
gurus who themselves don’t know anything about God ?
We are looking for what we have never lost. How can we
find him outside when we have lost him deep inside the
core of our hearts. Do we really need a third person to
find God ?
Once upon a time, a saint went to an island of Nomads. He
was stunned to find the people worshipping trees, rocks
and mountains without following proper way of
worshipping. He called all of them and told them that
they were just first wasting their precious lives. He
taught them how to worship the God properly by following
some strict rules and keeping fasts. After few days, he
left the island. While sailing in the boat, he observed
some people following him and running on the waves of
ocean. He stopped . . . . . . ...more
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