Clownfish Mating Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Clownfish Mating - Essay Example In this struggle, the male clownfish is quite belligerent towards the female and shows his desire by biting, chasing and extending his fins. The female clownfish mates with the male one after some struggle. After it, she lays eggs on a flat surface cleared by the male clownfish and built into a nest. The eggs that are laid by the female clownfish are fertilized and guarded by the male clownfish. He is the one who takes care of the eggs. He becomes free when the eggs get hatched and larvae come out of the hatched eggs. Clownfish is a beautiful fish that is liked all over the world because of its elegant style and appearance. People like to keep clownfish in their aquariums in order to increase the beauty of an aquarium. Clownfish, which is also called anemone fish, belongs to the order Perciformes, its family is Pomacentridae, its genus is Amphiprion and its species is ocellaris (Boyer 2009). Its scientific name is Amphiprion ocellaris (Fishlore.com 2007a). Clownfish is called anemone fish because of its symbiotic relationship with sea anemones (Hoff 1996). Symbiosis can be defined as a process in which, both the organisms are benefited because of the relationship that is formed between them. Clownfish and sea anemone forms a symbiotic association with the anemone due to which, clownfish as well as the sea anemone, both are mutually in advantage (Fishlore.com 2007b). As far as its habitat is concerned, the clownfish is found in warm waters, which are oceanic and sultry (Boyer 2009). The clownfish is usually at most 5 inches long and at least 2 inches small. The male clownfish is smaller in size than female clownfish (Randall, et. al 1997). There is a very interesting fact about clownfish and its gender. When a clownfish gives birth, all the newly born are males (Fishlore.com 2007a). In fact, the clownfish is male at its birth and remains male until it becomes dominant than other male clownfish around it. When one clownfish grows in size and gets

By Reference to three poems in the Tracks anthology Essay Example for Free

By Reference to three poems in the Tracks anthology Essay In the poems Not My Best Side, Reports, and You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly, U.A Fanthorpe explores the theme of authority through the often satirical analysis of her observations and experiences within society. Fanthorpe uses her poetry as a way of expressing her feelings and opinions, and we can learn a great deal about her attitudes towards authority by reading and analysing the three poems chosen. Each poem shows a different aspect of the way authority affects people, and it becomes clear when reading the poems Fanthorpes belief in the ability of power and authority to corrupt people who possess it, and suppress people under it. In the first poem, Not My Best Side, Fanthorpe uses parody to look at the way people are stereotyped by authority according to their gender or status, and challenges their conventional representation within society. She succeeds in doing so by taking three separate characters (each represented by a different stanza), and giving them very different personalities and characteristics to what typical society would expect, and, indeed, what authority has forced upon them. Fanthorpe used Uccellos painting of St George and the Dragon as a source of inspiration: I thought it might be interesting to find voices for characters conventionally seen as good, bad or helpless. Fanthorpe chose this painting because it portrays mythological characterisations very clearly, and Fanthorpe wished to challenge these typical fairytale stereotypes. Fanthorpe has attempted to emphasise a point that authority does not allow enough individuality and simply expects people to conform to pre-conceived opinions of how someone should behave, based on their gender or the position society has placed them in. The poem begins with the conventionally bad character, the Dragon, speaking. In this part of the poem Fanthorpe attempts to show the dragon as an articulate and understanding character, as opposed to the fierce and evil character that he is traditionally expected to be. The dragon appears to be upset about the way he is shown in Uccellos painting, as he believes that he has been portrayed in such a way as to make him seem weak and easily conquered. Why, I said to myself, should my conqueror Be so ostentatiously beardless? The dragon feels that he has been made to look inferior to the very young-looking St George by Uccello, in order for the painting to portray the traditional idea that good (St George) always triumphs over evil (the dragon). However, in this poem, the dragon appears to be a considerate, caring character, and in no way evil. He seems to have accepted the fact that he has (unfairly) been stereotyped as bad, but is upset that in addition to being shown by Uccello as evil, he has also been shown to be defenceless. I dont mind dying Ritually, since I always rise again, But I would have liked a little more blood, To show they were taking me seriously. The dragon is of the opinion that he has been unfairly represented in this painting, as his character has been stifled in all aspects of his character. He wasnt even shown to have a dramatic death, and there was little to blood to signify the defeat of such a (supposedly) malicious character. Although upset, the dragon realises that he has no opinion in the way he is portrayed in the painting, or in fact the whole of society, and therefore concedes to the pressure that has been placed on him to be the conventionally bad character. Poor chap, he has this obsession with Triangles, so he left off two of my Feet. I didnt comment at the time, (What, after all, are two feet to a Monster?) Despite the fact that Uccello left off two of his feet was because the art at the time of the painting was experimenting with drawing in 3D, and the dragons feet were left off by accident, Fanthorpe cleverly uses the mistake to make a very valid point that however the character (the dragon in this case) is in actuality, the characterisations that are placed on them by authority are still always prioritised when people are judging the person, causing their individuality to be lost. The next character Fanthorpe chooses to explore is that of the stereotypically helpless character, the maiden. In Uccellos painting, she is depicted as a pale-faced, frail, damsel in distress. However, in Fanthorpes poem, these perceptions are totally contradicted. The maiden appears to be a very independent, pro-active, calculating individual. The maiden begins her monologue by stating that she does not actually want to be rescued, breaking the stereotype immediately. At the time that Uccello painted this image, women were highly pressured within society to marry the person they were made to marry. However, in this poem, the maiden seems to prefer the dragon to St George. Its hard for a girl to be sure if She wants to be rescued. I mean I quite Took to the dragon. The fact that the maiden would have the audacity to make a statement like this would be shocking, as women in medieval society were expected to conform to the instructions they were given. Fanthorpe also uses sexual innuendo as a way of showing that the maiden is not as innocent as she appears. He made me feel he was all ready to Eat me. And any girl enjoys that. By using this, Fanthorpe makes a statement that the apparently virgin maiden is not actually as innocent as Uccello makes her appear to be, and that women have as much right to sexual freedom and free thought as men do, and are not as naà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ve or helpless as authority would like to make them. The final part that Fanthorpe chooses to make in this stanza is that the maiden is very independent and focused on her future. Although the thought of being rescued by the young St George is not a desirable one, she still agrees to him rescuing her, as she knows that the long term prospects of going with St George outweighed the ones of staying with the dragon. The dragon got himself beaten by the boy, And a girls got to think of her future. By showing the pro-active attitude of the maiden, Fanthorpe accentuates the fact that women can be as manipulative and as independent as men, and that they are not simply trophies for men, but intelligent, business minded people. Although she prefers the dragon, she concedes to being rescued by St George, not because she want to be with him, but because she feels it would enable her to achieve this she could not with the dragon. Despite conventionally bein portrayed as a brilliant individual, and the patron saint of England, in the final stanza of this poem, St George appears far from a saintly figure. Fanthorpe has chosen to make St George arrogant and inconsiderate. In doing this, Fanthorpe reveals her own critical voice, and emerges as a highly feminist character. St George appears, from the start of his monologue, as very puerile and boastful. My horse is the latest model with Automatic transmission and built in Obsolescence. St George makes a big deal of showing off his state of the art gadgets, showing how important he is. I feel Fanthorpe has included this because she wanted to emphasise the fact that men often adopt an egotistical attitude over women, and flaunt their superiority by the amount of materialistic possessions they have. As we continue to read the stanza, St Georges attitude changes from that of exhibition to one of arrogance and selfishness. He believes that his inferiors should conform to the roles that they have been given to them in society. Dont you want to be killed and/or rescued In the most contempory way? Dont You want to carry out the roles That sociology and myth have designed for you? By including this, Fanthorpe has succeeded in proclaiming the fact that men are seen as the absolute authority when it comes to judging how a person should act or behave within society, and men have gradually inherited the attitude of superiority over women, which will take a long time to rectify. The poem ends with an emphatic statement of Fanthorpes perception of male attitudes towards women. St Georges real, self-centered personality is revealed when he ends his monologue with these words. What, in any case, does it matter what You want? Youre in my way. Fanthorpes opinion of men in societal authority is truly revealed in these final lines. St George is only interested in his image, and he gives no consideration for the other characters in the poem (the maiden and the dragon), and he simply wants to increase his reputation. This point can be related to wider society, where men will not listen to the opinions of women, and do not consider their ideas, as they are not seen as worthy of a voice. Quintessentially, Not My Best Side is a poem that has been written in order to make the point that societal authoritys expectations do not allow individuality, as people are placed under so much pressure to comply to the particular parameters forced upon them, involuntarily, by factors out of anyones control, such as gender. Similarly to Not My Best Side, the poem You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly explores the theme of authority. However, in this instance, U.A Fanthorpe chooses to ridicule the process of attending a job interview. She uses this setting to challenge the authority of the interview panel to make judgements about peoples lives based on prejudices or pre-conceived ideas. The title of the poem, You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly immediately indicates that the applicant failed to get the job because the phrase is clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½d as a polite let down at the end of an interview. In my opinion, this phrase may also have been placed as the title of the poem because Fanthorpe is attempting to show the reader that the candidate was not going to be successful in getting the job, no matter how successful the interview went. The poem is an ongoing monologue, with new stanzas beginning after the response of the applicant. From the beginning of the poem, it become clear that the interview panel possess a range of prejudices towards the candidate. These appear to have already influenced the panel enough for them to decide that the applicant is not suitable for the job, and it seems as though the interview is being carried out simply as a formality, which must be endured by the applicant. It is evident that the candidates answers are seen as insignificant by the interviewing panel from the very beginning, as their response to the panels questions are not included. I believe Fanthorpe has done this to show that the candidate is voiceless when in an interview, and to display the pointlessness of interviews, when the outcome has been decided before the interview even takes place. The only way we have of knowing the answer to the interviewers questions are by making an educated guess from the response of the panel, which, in most cases, is a single, unenthusiastic phrase such as Ah or indeed It is clear that the interviewers have no interest in the persons justifications for why they are suitable for the job; they simply make impertinent comments on the information displayed on their application form. Let us consider your application form This quote from the poem shows the disinterest in the actual person, and more interest on their class, gender, and other factors displayed on their application form. The panel spend little time discussing the candidates impressive qualifications, and almost immediately moves on to focus on the negative aspect of them, and their possible use within the job for which the applicant is applying. The candidate is asked to justify the use of their qualifications very early in the interview. Would you care to defend their [the applicants qualifications] relevance? This would succeed in belittling the applicant, particularly when the interviewers response to their well though out answer is a sceptical indeed After the polite, (if inhospitable) beginning to the job interview, the meeting soon descends into a personal battering of the applicants self esteem by the authoritative figure of the interviewer. The first matter the interviewing panel broaches is the age of the applicant. Perhaps you feel able to make a comment about that, Too? We are conscious ourselves Of the need for a candidate with precisely The right degree of immaturity These comments, although sugar-coated by the authoritative figure, succeed in alienating the candidate, and forcing them into assent. We can tell that the interviewee has been pressured into agreeing with the panel from the interviewers response after the applicants unheard comments. So glad we agree This indicates that the interviewing panel has repressed the candidate so much that they have simply begun to agree with the rhetoric statements made by the interviewer. Fanthorpe has included this to show that in wider society, authority influences people to conform to its rules and ideas, and does not allow free though or speech. Also, Fanthorpe has arisen the point that authoritative figures abuse the power they have been given, and this leads to corrupting the individual in possession of the power. In the next stanza, the interviewer reveals another prejudice; that of the looks of the applicant. The panel is very rude during this stanza: You do appreciate this work involves Contact with the actual public? Might they, Perhaps, find your appearance Disturbing? This reveals the blunt, inconsiderate nature of the interviewing panel, and, in Fanthorpes opinion, the whole of society. The interviewing panel has succeeded in making the candidate feel small, simply because of the way they are, and I believe that Fanthorpe is trying to illustrate a point that sexism, racism, ageism and other prejudices succeed constantly in repressing often valuable members of society into conforming to authoritys ideals. In the next stanza, the interview panel seem to fire a barrage of questions at he applicant about their background, particularly their accent. Fanthorpe uses the clever technique of making one of the interviewers accidentally use the wrong phrase, to deliver a highly offensive insult. Were you educated? We mean, of course, Where were you educated? This is a comical way of accentuating the prejudice the interview shows when choosing a suitable candidate to take the job. The accent an applicant has obviously influences the choice a lot, although in actuality, the accent of a person has no effect on their intelligence. The panel were evidently considering the reactions of people using their company, who may think that they employ people of a lower intellect, which would make the company look sub-standard. This shows the way that people within society automatically judge others on the way they speak, as the panel simply assumed the candidate had little education because of their accent. In the final stanza, the interview descends yet further into a sequence of offensive statements. The rhetoric questions have ceased, and the true nature of an interview, in Fanthorpes eyes, is revealed; a pointless meeting aimed purely at belittling the applicant, and enforcing authoritys stance on society. In this stanza, it becomes implicit that the candidate is female, as the interview panel focus strongly upon family background. Married, children, We see. The usual dubious Desire to perpetuate what had better Not have happened at all. The fact that the candidate was asked about her family would tend to indicate that the applicant is female, as the panel would then begin to worry about the children, and whether they would need looking after. This may be a problem for the company. The panel are also rude to the applicant in this part of the poem, as they insinuate that they cannot understand why the applicant would even consider having children, when, in fact, it would be better for the world if the candidate had never been born. The poem ends emphatically, with the satirical statement And you were born-? Yes. Pity. This is a witty use of word play by Fanthorpe. The interviewer is actually asking when the applicant was born, but in the absence of any dialogue, it seems as though the interviewer is saying that it is a pity that the candidate was born. With this final stanza, particularly the final line, I feel Fanthorpe is attempting to make a point that authoritative figures are of the opinion that anybody who does not fall within their ideals should not even exist. In conclusion, the poem You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly is a poem aimed at bringing into relief the discrimination that has been ingrained into society. Fanthorpe is attempting to make a point that certain people, particularly women, are considered as useless, and are seen as undeserving of a voice within society by authoritative figures. She successfully proves that people of authority exploit the power they have over the masses, by belittling them, and repressing them to such an extent that they are forced to conform. Authority makes judgement on people not by the way they are individually, but base their judgements on factors that are not, in actual fact, of any relevance. In the poem Reports, Fanthorpe offers yet another aspect to the role of authority and the way authoritative figures exploit people within society. In this instance, the poem is a simulated conversation between an older, more experienced teacher, and a newer teacher, focusing on the correct way to write a school report. Fanthorpe has deliberately written the report very cynically, in an attempt to portray authoritative figures as cold and impersonal. In the final stanza, the poem adopts a tone of irony, when Fanthorpe compares the reports we receive at school to the way we live our lives. Being a former teacher herself, Fanthorpe would have known the perils of report writing, and likewise would have known the attitudes that some teachers take towards who they see as their inferiors, the pupils. Fanthorpes reason for leaving the teaching profession was that I saw that the power was having a negative effect on me. This shows Fanthorpes negative opinions on the authority that teachers have, and the way some of them abuse it. The poem contains several short stanzas, using short, snappy phrases, which all make a separate point. In the first of these, there is a fundamental warning to teachers about the language they should use. The teacher writing the report is advised to use dull phrases so that the report does not generate any unwanted interest or complications from parents. Dont give them anything To take hold of. Even Pronouns are dangerous. The teacher is being warned not to use pronouns because the teacher may mistake the gender of the pupil, therefore exposing the teachers lack of knowledge of individual pupils; essentially, the report could be given to any student. The next stanza focuses on the impersonal nature of the reports once again, when Fanthorpe implies that the good pupils are not necessarily known from the bad. The good have no history Satisfactory should satisfy them. This stanza is included, I feel, to illustrate the fact that the good students are often ignored while the teacher is attempting to control the more disobedient pupils. This would mean that the teacher would have very little knowledge of the pupil, and therefore would not know, in actual fact, whether the pupil was good or not. The teacher is advised, instead of using good, to use a more universal phrase; satisfactory. By using safe phrases such as this, teachers guard themselves from provoking high expectations from parents and higher authorities. Stanza 3 makes another point about the way reports are depersonalised by the teachers. The teacher writing the report is advised to use terms that can relate to any pupil: Fair and quite good, Multi-purpose terms, By meaning nothing, Apply to all. This shows the way teachers make reports appear personal, but are actually simply using universal terms that could relate to a range of students. The reason the teacher has chosen to do this is to prevent any unwanted backlash from parents. In the first three stanzas, I feel that Fanthorpe is proclaiming that the authoritative figure does not see the people placed under their authority as individuals, but as a large group. This emphasises the fact that authority causes the identity and individuality of a person to be lost. The teachers in this poem are also aware of the need to make themselves look as though they are not to blame for the pupils problems at school. Unmanageable oaf cuts both ways. Finds the subject difficult, Acquitting you, Converts oaf into idiot, usher to master. Such phrases as Unmanageable oaf reflect badly on the teacher, and suggests that the teacher may not be able to cope. To avoid this, the teachers use clever euphemisms to make it seem as though it is the pupil failing, and not the teacher. This illustrates the exploitation of the teachers authority over their pupils. The next stanza warns that people will try to read into the reports, so they must remain as simple as possible, to avoid any complications. Set them no riddles, just Echo the common-room clichà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½: Must make more effort. The teachers are acutely aware of the need to keep the reports similar, as this will avoid confusion. Using common phrases such as Must make more effort means that the parent, head and child accept the report, and they will not feel compelled to question the report further. Although the poem is based around teachers relationships with pupils, in the final stanza, Fanthorpe uses school as a metaphor for life. Remember your high calling: School is the world. Fanthorpe uses irony to indicate that the way we live our lives is similar to our school reports. Born at Sound beginning We move from satisfactory To fair, then Find The subject difficult, Learning at last we Could have done better. In this final part of the stanza, I feel that Fanthorpe is attempting to make a statement that during life, you endeavour to be the best you can be, but ultimately realise that the decisions you have made may not have been the right ones. Moreover, she may be trying to make the point that one is pushed into inconspicuousness by authority, which causes one to feel disappointed, and insignificant. In the poem, we have no way of knowing whether Fanthorpe is referring to herself, or people in general, but the slightly bitter tone in the final three lines, and, indeed, the final stanza, is evident. Stone only, final instructor, Modulates from the indicative With rest in peace. By this, Fanthorpe means that the only time that we avoid the report system of life is when we die, and our epitaph is inscribed onto our grave. To conclude, the poem Reports is illustrating the way that teachers depersonalise pupils, in order to prevent problems for them. The pupils are seen as one whole state, and the fact that the education system does not allow individuality leads to a sense of disappointment later on in life. This shows that individuals are repressed by society, and do not feel able to follow their own paths, as they are constantly being grouped with others. Quintessentially, the poems Not My Best Side, You Will Be Hearing From Us Shortly, and Reports all emphasise that UA Fanthorpe believes that power corrupts, and that people of authority usually use it to their advantage, to belittle others or to make them feel sub-standard. It is also clear that Fanthorpe believes that authority within society leads to depersonalisation of a character, and the stifling of individuals into conformity.

Synthesis Of The Taming Of The Shrew English Literature Essay

Synthesis Of The Taming Of The Shrew English Literature Essay The Taming of the Shrew is one of the most renowned plays written by William Shakespeare. The writer raises a number of important themes in the course of the play, which he uncovers and depicts in details, in their full complexity. In such a way, the writer attempted to mirror the real life and to show the audience that human relations are extremely complex and often people cannot always decide what can happen to them in their life. In this regard, the theme of love is particularly noteworthy because The Taming of the Shrew shows the great strength, the power of love over human beings. As the matter of fact, William Shakespeare proves that people cannot resist to love and to prove this point he develops the severe struggle between the love and strength of human mind in the hidden love struggle between Kate and Petruchio in his The Taming of the Shrew. In such a way, William Shakespeare attempts to show that, even though people can resist loving, they still cannot win the struggle aga inst love because strong feelings, such as love, always win and overwhelm people. From the beginning of the play, it seems to be obvious that the main character will never give in and she is determined to avoid loving and marrying: I ll not budge an inch. Taming of the Shrew Quote (Induction, Scene I) Nevertheless, such a position of the main character is challenged by the love of other characters, including Petruchio, who cannot resist his strong feelings and he cannot help from loving Kate. His passion grows stronger in the course of the play and he is ready to do anything to reach his goal and to gain the positive response from his beloved. On the other hand, William Shakespeare shows that Petruchio has to pass a long way to reach his love and to win the heart and soul of his beloved. Nevertheless, in his love to Kate, Petruchio is ready to sacrifice his own life for the sake of his beloved: Theres small choice in rotten apples.  The Taming of the Shrew  Quote  Act i. Scene 1.   In fact, he has no choice but go until the end to win the positive response from Kate, whom he adores. At the same time, this way is the way of struggle, where: Nothing comes amiss; so money comes withal.  The Taming of the Shrew  Quote  Act i. Scene 2.   In such a way, The Taming of the Shrew is the play, where love is closely intertwined with the struggle. To put it more precisely, the love is the struggle itself. At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that William Shakespeare depicts both the internal struggle within the main characters who love and who cannot help from loving and the external struggle between the main characters, whose feelings change from indifference and even hatred to love and admiration. At the same time, while depicting this love struggle, William Shakespeare is quite ironic: Tush! tush! fear boys with bugs.  The Taming of the Shrew  Quote  Act i. Scene 2.   In such a way, the writer shows that there are trifles which may wreak havoc in the main characters and they can make them feel fear and panic. However, their love defeats any manifestation of fear, any obstacle that arises on the way of the main characters to their love and personal happiness. At the same time, William Shakespeare shows that the way to love and to win in the struggle for love is long and difficult: Who wooed in haste, and means to wed at leisure. The Taming of the Shrew  Quote  Act iii. Scene 2.   Thus, the writer shows that the main character should not be in a hurry to win their love. In stark contrast, they should have patience to wait and keep on struggling until they win their love. At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that the struggle of the main characters lasts practically till the end of the play: And thereby hangs a tale.  The Taming of the Shrew  Quote  Act iv. Scene 1. Even at the end of the story, the author attempts to hint that the main characters may have troubles in their love. Therefore, William Shakespeare apparently attempts to convey the idea that love is the permanent struggle that never ends. Even when the main characters win their love, they still have to carry on their struggle: Thus the whirligig of time brings in his revenges. (Act V, Scene I). In such a way, The Taming of the Shrew reveals the full extent to which love is closely intertwined with the struggle. On the other hand, it is quite natural that William Shakespeare depicts love as a sort of turbulent struggle between the main characters as well as the internal struggle within the main characters. William Shakespeare is, to a significant extent, admired with this struggle and makes love the main stimulus that makes people change their life and carry on their struggle in spite of all the obstacles they encounter in the course of the play. In fact, the love and struggle are inseparable and they are as natural as rain: For the rain it raineth every day. (Act V, Scene I). Hence, William Shakespeare proves that his main characters do love each other but they had to pass a long way to understand that they did love each other and nothing can stop them in their strong feeling. Thus, taking into account all above mentioned, it is important to place emphasis on the fact that The Taming of the Shrew by William Shakespeare is a remarkable play that reveals the controversy and strength of the love. What is meant here is the fact that William Shakespeare shows the great power of love over people but the main characters of the play have to struggle over and over again to win the love and to win the heart of their beloved. At the same time, their struggle makes them closer to each other and increases the value and significance of their love. Eventually, they understand what love actually is and that they cannot live without loving each other.

Formalistic Approach to Ode on the Death of a Favorite Cat (Favourite)

Formalistic Approach to Ode on the Death of a Favorite Cat (Favourite) Formal analysis of poetry helps to unfold the underlying meaning of a poem. This technique does not focus on the author of the poem, or what was happening in history during the time when the poem was written, but instead puts emphasis on the actual mean of the work. Formal analysis breaths life into the literary work and allows the poem to speak for itself. For example, in Thomas Grays' poem "Ode on the Death of a Favorite Cat, Drowned in a Tub of Gold Fishes," paying close attention to word choice, structure, and rhyme scheme illuminates the actions of the prowling cat. The most important aspect in writing poetry is word choice. Thomas Gray did an excellent job in using descriptive words, along with using assonance and alliteration, throughout this poem to enhance imagery. For example, in the first stanza Gray describes the cat as being "pensive"(5) as it watches the fish below. This is followed in the second stanza as Gray uses alliteration and assonance to describe t...

Literacy in India Essay

In today’s perspective, literacy does not mean about the writing and reading capabilities only. It has gained a broader meaning. It claims to guide people towards awareness and the change which is needed in order to achieve a better way of living. The National Literacy Mission was set up by Govt. of India on May 5th, 1988 with the aim to eradicate illiteracy from the country. The targeted group for the same was people belonging to the age group of 15 to 35 years. The literacy rate of India has been recorded 64. 84% (2001 census) against 52. 21% in 1991. It has been increased by more than 12% in a decade. Also, the literacy rate is supposed to be around 70-72% by the end of 2010 (As estimated by National Sample Survey). But the goal is yet to be achieved completely (i. e. to obtain 100% literacy). Right to education is one of the fundamental rights for the people. Education for all is the mission of UNESCO that has to be achieved by 2015. Currently, India falls below the threshold level of literacy rate i. e. 75%. The National Literacy Mission Authority has been working to achieve its goal since its establishment. NLMA (National Literacy Mission Authority) works under the ministry of Human Resource & Development. The Govt. of India has launched several schemes to achieve the goals of NLM. The initial target for NLM was to focus on the people belonging to the age group of 15 to 25 years. There were 80 million people falling under this age group. It was a big challenge to address such a huge lot of people about literacy and its benefits. In a way, it was quite different from all technology based or economic missions. It was conceived as a social mission by all and that helped NLM to achieve the success. The other significant factor was the political will of leaders at different levels at that time. The politicians and bureaucrats understood the importance of this mission and it has gained a whole hearted success in several states viz. Kerala, Tamilnadu, Rajasthan, Manipur etc. The idea was to convince people about their active participation, mobilization of social forces. Soon it became a national consensus. Thanks to the advertisements, sensitization of local leaders and people’s participation. Given below are some of the pioneers of success for National Literacy Mission: Literacy campaigns have been launched in almost 600 districts of India. The sanctioned products are supposed to cover 150 millions of neo-literates. 125 million people have already been made literate under this mission. Female participation (60%) is better than the male participation (40%). No. of volunteers have been increased significantly to promote the programme and help the community. One of the biggest characteristic of literacy mission was to stimulate the entire community for putting the faith that learning & literacy should become the integral part of their lives. The method of operation has been to build and develop on environment which is helpful to learn by the communities through their traditions & culture.

Are you ready to be your own boss

Are you ready to be your own boss Let’s be honest: if you have a job, you have boss issues. Even if you like your boss, even if you work well with your boss, even if you are pretty happy at work†¦ there will inevitably be some kind of disagreement or frustration. It happens to literally everyone. When these issues pop up, whether serious or just mildly annoying, you might fantasize about what it would be like to ditch the aforementioned boss and go your own way. But not everyone is cut out to be their own boss for real. Before you quit and commit to the ideal of the boss-free lifestyle, let’s look at some of the questions you should ask yourself first if you’re serious about making this work.Does your personality mesh with the freelance life?Remember that once you embark on your new career as a business owner or freelance professional, it’s going to be just you taking care of everything. That means your own personality is going to play a large part in whether this is truly the right c hoice for your career. If the answer to any of these questions is â€Å"yes† or â€Å"kinda,† then you might want to reconsider making the jump right now.Do I need a lot of guidance in setting my own tasks- and finishing them?Do I need a lot of input from others before I can get started on a project?Do I give up quickly if a task is difficult?Am I hesitant to ask other people for things?Do I panic when things go wrong?Do I have trouble prioritizing projects or tasks without input?If the answer is â€Å"yes† to all or most of these questions, there’s no shame in that. And it’s not a dealbreaker. It just means you’re likely not ready (yet). These are all things you can work on overcoming, if your goal is to be more independent and take-charge in your work life. But when you become your own boss, you already need to have a pretty self-directed working style.Where do you get your validation?After your personality, it’s time to consider wh at makes you feel valued, and what motivates you, professionally. Ask yourself the following questions:Am I driven by my own sense of ambition or self-satisfaction?Do I need positive reinforcement from others to feel like I’ve done a good job?Again, needing an external source for these things isn’t a personality flaw. But if you are someone who takes validation and feelings of success from how others see you, then you might not find the boss role very rewarding or fulfilling. Being honest about what drives you is the key element here.What’s your social style?If you’re going freelance, there’s a good chance that at first it’ll be just you in your home office, or whatever space you’ve set aside for your new work life. And I can assure you that while pets are great, they’re not really helpful when you need to bounce ideas or chat about last night’s awards show. Here’s what you need to ponder:Am I prepared to chug alo ng solo for long periods of time, with no coworker chat breaks or face-to-face interactions to break up the work day?Am I okay with most work communication happening via email or phone?Do I need a lot of feedback from others throughout the day?Do I feel lonely if I don’t have much interaction with others during the day?And if you’re the boss, it can also mean having to shut down distractions around you as well, if your new work environment has disruptions like family members, loud noises, etc. Being the boss means you’ll likely have to both embrace and enforce the solitude factor as necessary to get things done.Are you prepared for a boss-level workload?The main difference between being the boss and acting like a boss is the workload. You can fake-it-till-you-make-it on a lot of things, like confidence. But the work you do is going to be challenging when you’re doing it on your own.Am I ready for long hours, or potentially working on weekends or holidays? Am I prepared to be a jack-of-all-trades if necessary, or do I prefer to stay in my lane?Am I prepared for the frustrations that can come with being in charge?Do I feel comfortable managing others?Realistically, work-life balance may be one of the toughest things to manage if you’re out on your own. The 40-hour work week (or whatever you’re accustomed to now) will likely balloon, once you’re doing the work of managing your business on top of the day-to-day operations of your job. If the idea of answering emails at 10 p.m. makes you want to hide, then you might want to reconsider your readiness to take this step.And if your business expands and you end up taking on employees or other contractors, you need to be prepare to manage them as well- not just yourself. Being the boss means keeping everyone focused on getting the work done.What’s your financial personality?One of the most important factors to breaking out on your own is the financial aspect.Am I pr epared to handle the logistics of income/payments, taxes, benefits, and accounting?Am I financially literate?Am I ready to make sacrifices if things don’t go well, financially?Am I good at paying bills on time?These are basic infrastructure questions. Whether you work for a big company or a small one, there are departments and policies in place, and usually there are people whose job it is to handle different aspects of workplace necessities like paychecks and benefits. When it’s a company of one, guess who’s responsible for all of that infrastructure? It may be possible to outsource a lot of the paperwork and financial details, but it will still require a degree of organization and management on your part. Being the boss means owning every aspect of your business, because your name and reputation will be on every document, every contract, every customer or client relationship. If you’re not very solid on financial issues (or don’t yet have a plan to become so), then you might not be ready to be the boss just yet.If you’re considering busting out on your own, there are lots of things to consider: your business plan, your finances, your future career goals. But before you even get to the point of nailing those down, you need to do a brutally honest assessment of whether you’re emotionally and personally ready even to start that journey. Being your own boss can be incredibly rewarding, and just may be the jump that your career needs. However, if you’re not ready to commit to all of the challenges as well as those rewards, then it just might not be the time to do this. And if you’re just not ready yet, it doesn’t mean that you never will be the boss- it just means there’s a little work to do in the meantime.