P.P.F and Pension Schemes are considered by the taxpayers as old age security provisions. Not all the people are lucky enough to get handsome pension after retirement. For most of these people they are viewed as investments which will help them live their post retirement life with some dignity. The old age brings with it various types of ailments. These ailments at times require hospitalization or extensive medical treatments which are getting costlier by the day. In such circumstances only such investments come handy in the dire need.

As per the high level committee appointed by the government there is a proposal to hike the Road cess on Petrol and Diesel for road safety. out of which 1% is to be earmarked for developing a Road safety fund for the National highway Authority for monitoring and taking necessary steps to curb the increasing rate of highway accidents which were 90,000 lives per year . India is Second highest in the road accidents in the world.

The proposal appears to be quite in order. However there should be an accountability for the cess collected ( which will be nearly to the tune of Rs.12,000 crores) and the percentage of it that is utilised for this purpose.

However, this does not appear to be the only solution to check the road accidents. The recent accidents at Walkeshwar,Mumbai, Alibaug, on Mumbai - Goa Highway and spat of other such accidents clearly point out that majority of these accidents are due to rash and drunken driving mostly involving teenagers. The Indian laws are very much laxed as compared to those in western countries towards such driving. In India the maximum punishment is imprisonments for few months or the fine of few thousand of rupees. Unless some stringent measures like on the spot cancellation of Driving licenses of the persons, found driving rash or after drinks, are taken there will never be a serious impact on these offenders.

In some of the western countries the punishment for such offences is on the spot cancellation or the suspension of driving licences for the long specified period.

The government should also think in these directions because the life lost is a loss forever.

Recently I had been to Hyderabad and had the pleasure of visiting one of the beautiful architectural designing - A Ramoji Film City - built on 1800 acres of a barren land in the outskirts of Hyderabad .It has the distinction of being a unique THEME PARK and has not only carved a name on the Indian map but also a niche in the World map too.
Ramoji City is a brain child of a Telgu Industrialist -Shri . Ramoji Rao - and his dreams had been brought in reality by many brains and the designers. One of the main person amongst them is Shri.Rajiv Jalanapurkar who is also a Vice President of Ramoji Film City.
In a recent interview Shri.Rajiv Jaslanapurkar expressed his uneasiness as to why such Themes are still not being thought of by the Maharashtra government. TheThe Maharashtra Government has all the infrastructure to develop such Theme Parks around the outskirts of Mumbai or along the coastal lines which will not only add to the beauty of the place but will also be a good Tourist attraction yielding handsome revenue.

If the Maharashtra Government is serious enough to boost the tourism in the state then it is high time they think about such ideas in a positive way.

The Indian Soft Drinks industry is a booming industry with market turnover of about 8500 million bottles a year with the two giants Pepsi and Coca-Cola having a major share However, following the controversy over finding the presence of pesticides in the carbonated drinks, which includes - DDT and other such chemicals which are responsible for adverse effect on health,the sale of Coca-Cola and Pepsi drinks suffered a heavy setback.T

The Indian government had ordered in investigation into why an analysis of 12 brands of cold drinks owned and marketed by Coca-Cola and Pepsi allegedly found that they contained on average more than 30 times the EU legal limit for pesticides.Apart from this controversy over the pesticides or no pesticides, the carbonated drinks harbour many other objectionable ingredients.

It is a known fact that the Soda pop is not good for health but perhaps one may not be aware of the extent to which drinking carbonated, caffeinated, sugared, or artificially sweetened beverages destroys our body.

1.Caffeine : It is a stimulant and does improve mental alertness when taken in small quantity ,however Caffeine overdose can cause anxiety and decreased sleep .

2.Phosphoric Acid : It is used as a flavoring agent.It is widely used in carbonated drinks, such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi. The phosphoric acid content of Coca-Cola has been determined to be about 106.0 mg/L and in Pepsi about 106.9 mg/L. The addition of phosphoric acid lowers the pH of carbonated drinks making them more acidic. This is a potential problem in dental care, since it has been shown that acidic solutions weaken the enamel and mineral structure of teeth. Phosphoric acid also leaches calcium from bones and is a major contributor to the rising increase in osteoporosis Phosphoric acid is deliberately added to soft drinks to give them a sharper flavor. It also slows the growth of molds and bacteria, which would otherwise multiply rapidly in the sugary solution. It has been said that the fastest growing group of people with osteoporosis is teenagers....because of the huge number of sodas/Carbonated drinks they consume. Here are some observations

3.Sugar: A 12 oz..can of Coca-Cola or Pepsi has over 10 teaspoons(30 gms.) of sugar. The ingestion of sugar (or a high simple carbohydrate diet) actually increases urinary excretion of calcium, magnesium, chromium, copper, zinc, and sodium by impairing re absorption in the kidneys. The loss of calcium in the blood activates the release of calcium from the bones.Sugar impairs immune function by competing with Vitamin C for transport into white blood cells.The body will convert excess sugar to fat which will lead to obesity

4.Aspartame:Aspartame is a non-caloric artificial sweetener used in many diet drinks and foods. Although this artificial sweetener has been widely used for many years, some allegations still fuel a debate on possible side effects Apart from these, the soft drinks like Pepsi and Cola have no nutritional value but gives 150 Cals.

Considering the adverse effects of these soft drinks on the teenagers the Union Health Minister of India has now decided to take a strong step. A proposal is being put forward to ban the sale and consumption of these soft drinks in Schools,Colleges and University campus.This is indeed a welcome step needed to check the obese and unhealthy generation

Valentine Day
14 Feb 2007
Valentines Day is a perfect occasion to express deepest feelings & love. On Valentine's Day, lovers, friends and family members exchange Valentine Gifts as tokens of love. Couples also plan out romantic getaway or Valentine parties to celebrate 14th Feb romantically.