The first batch of rice donated by Pakistan to flood-stricken areas in central China's Hubei province arrived at Wuhan Tianhe Airport on August 22. Hubei provincial government held a handover ceremony at the airport for the first 22 tons of rice. According to the donation plan, Pakistan will donate atotal of 10,000 tons for disaster relief.At the handover ceremony, Yang Xiaodong, deputy director ofthe disaster relief division of China's Ministry of Civil Affairs, thanked the Pakistani government for its generous donation, which Yang said fully reflected the deep friendship between Pakistan and China.Ali Ahmed Arain, Consul General of the Pakistani consulate in Guangzhou, said at the ceremony that Pakistan has always paid close attention to events happening in China. Since the Chinese people are working hard to reconstruct their homes after the disaster, the Pakistani government decided to offer a helping hand. The Pakistani government will soon ship the rest of the donation to Wuhan.A total of 98 counties and cities in Hubei province are affected by flooding in this summer. Since the start of the rainy season in June, Hubei has experienced six rounds of heavy rainfall. The flooding has caused great damage across the region. From June 18 to July 31, a total of 98 counties and cities were affected by flooding, with affected persons reaching 17.85 million. A total of 2.18 million hectares of farmland were flooded, 57,300 houses collapsed and 1.55 million people were forced to temporarily relocate.News SourceNews Collated byPAKISSAN.comCourtesy www.brecorder.com
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Sends 15,000 tons of rice to Cuba as gift
The Trading Corporation of Pakistan (TCP), on behalf of the government of Pakistan, dispatched some 15,000 tons of rice to Cuba as gift. Sources told on Monday that the state-run grain trader has successfully completed another export shipment of rice, procured from domestic exporters/traders. This is the second rice export consignment by the TCP duringthis year as earlier in January this year, the state-run grain trader exported some 15,000 tons of rice including Long Grain White Rice (IRRI-6) and Super Basmati rice for Niger.A ship namely Mv CMB Adrien carrying 15,000 tons of rice including 10,000 tons of IRRI-6 and 5,000 tons of Super Basmati has sailed from Port Qasim for Cuba on Sunday. The commodity was procured from two domestic exporters/traders worth Rs 800 million (approximately) for the gift purposes.The rice consignment has been sailed after meeting all the terms and conditions of the Cuban Quarantine Department aspreviously some issues had cropped up, which forced the TCP to divert a rice shipment from Cuba to Niger. On behalf of the Cuban government, three quarantine officers were in Pakistan for the last one month to monitor the entire process of the rice procurement to maintain the quarantine protocols of Cuba.The TCP initiated the procurement of some 15,000 tons of rice for Cuba in May and invited separate bids for procurement of 10,000 tons of IRRI-6 and 5,000 tons of SuperBasmati on Free on Board (FoB).Some three bidders submitted their bids for the supply of IRRI-6. The tender award committee observed that lowest bid price of Rs 43,260 per metric ton (excl of taxes) on FoB for a quantity of 10,000 tons of IRRI-6 was quoted by M/s GaribSons Pvt Ltd. As the bid was responsive and competitive, the committee awarded the tender to M/s GaribSons Pvt Ltd.In addition, for procurement of 5,000 tons of Super Basmati Rice, some four bidders submitted their bids. The tender award committee observed that bid price of Rs 74,000 per ton (excl taxes) on FoB for quantity of 5,000 tons was quoted by M/s Matco Foods. As lowest bid was responsive and competitive, the TCP awarded the tender to M/s Matco Foods for supply of 5,000 tons of Super Basmati Rice.Both parties successfully completed the supply of rice including 10,000 tons of Long Grain White Rice (IRRI-6) and 5,000 tons of Super Basmati Rice on Sunday and accordingly the consignment has been dispatched to Cuba. Sources said Cuban inspectors also carried out inspection of the successful bidders'' rice processing and warehousing facilities and accordingly issued certificates of inspection confirming the fitness of the rice processing and warehousing facilities of both bidders, ie, M/s GaribSons Pvt Ltd (Irri-6) and M/s Matco Foods (Basmati) for export of Cuba.News SourceNews Collated byPAKISSAN.comCourtesy www.brecorder.com
What Is Cognitive Bias And How Does It Affect Decision-Making?
Are you a successfuldecision-maker? Do you, more often than not, choose the right decision?Ask most people these questions and they would probably think they do okay, without being perfect. Lack of perfection would be no surprise to any neuroscientist, because the decision-making process is known to face many challenges.Emotion is likely to 'hijack' decision-making at anymoment; and then there is cognitive bias, which can cause us to make decisions based on predetermined perceptions rather than the facts at hand.It may be surprising to readers that, in business, where it is tempting to assume that decisions arealways made rationally and logically, these biasesapply just as much as they do to other decisions we make.What is cognitive bias?Consider the many recent cases of the unjustifiedkillings of black people by police in the USA; this may provide a clearer idea of how cognitive bias play outs in the most serious cases.Cognitive bias is defined as a systematic pattern of deviation from norm or rationality in judgment, whereby inferences about other people and situations may be drawn in an illogical fashion.While we must be careful of making generalisations with the aforementioned shootings, there may be no outwardly racist motive involved in them; but it is highly possible that cognitive bias was a key reason for the police offers acting the way they did.Our own perception of reality is based upon our cognitive biases, which sometimes fly in the face of the objective input i.e. what's really happening, the facts etc. By definition, our own version of reality issubjective, and our behaviour is based upon that.How does it affect our decision-making?In the example given, a black policeman may not perceive the same sense of threat as a white policeman in the same situation. A less intense cognitive bias in this particular situation might lead to different decisions and different behaviour.This also helps to explain why you may not make the best decisions in the workplace or at home; your cognitive bias may distort the facts and lead to inaccurate judgment, illogical interpretation, or"irrationality".Just to be clear - we are all victims, to an extent, of cognitive bias. It is normal. Indeed, in the case of many everyday situations we face, cognitive biases can help us make the fast decisions necessary to go about our daily business effectively.However, being aware of cognitive bias, especially when making more challenging decisions, can help prevent the mistakes and errors of judgment that may have serious consequences.Most readers here will not face life and death situations like policemen do; but we all have to make decisions constantly every day. So, by increasing our awareness of how we arrive at these decisions, and how to combat some of the most serious challenges to good decision-making, we clearly benefit.Since the 1980s, the field of neuroscience has been shedding more light on the workings of the brain and our understanding of the decision-making process is growing. Lists of typical cognitive biases have even been compiled, whichshould be of great interest to almost anyone in a professional field.The NeuroPower Group is at the forefront of introducing new approaches to organisational development through the findings of neuroscience. We apply them to all types of businesses, developing high performing teams and enhancing leadership. Find out more at our website:http://www.neuropowergroup.com.Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Mark_R_Stephens/1327188
Tips for Caring for Someone With Alzheimer's Disease
Most caregivers have little time to deal with a long list of caregiving tips for someone with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Instead of a long list, thinking of them as grouped into six categories making up the acronym SHAPES can make remembering them easier, and also make adding your own easier.SHAPESstands for...*.Safety*.Honoring*.Adapting*.Patience*.Encouraging*.SchedulingSafetyis the first category for someone with AD. Did you know that falls could be an early sign of AD? Installing safety equipment like handrails in the bathroom and stairways can avert falls. Prevention can also include removing hazards, like throw rugs. Many folks with AD have a shuffling gait, so throw rugs may increase the risk for tripping and falling. Transitions between flooring can also be a risk for falling; such as going from high uneven pile carpet to vinyl flooring can likewise be a problem. Low pile even carpeting like a Berber carpet is less likely than a long shag carpet to be an issue, and can be easier to use with a walker or wheelchair. Lighting on stairs and dark hallways should also be evaluated to be sure it's safe.Other considerations include appliances. While a microwave is a fixture in many kitchens, it can be dangerous when used incorrectly. And someone with dementia may lose the ability to use it safely.Some ovens can be locked so they can't be turned on easily. You may also consider turning off the circuit breakers to the oven, stove and other appliances if there's a danger the person with AD cannot safely use them alone and may try to use them unsupervised.Fire hazards should also be removed, and fire extinguishers handy. Install locks on cabinets containing potentially dangerous items like toxic cleaning chemicals, guns, alcohol, medicines, etc.Routinely check smoke alarms and replace their batteries regularly.Hot water can cause burns. Checking the temperature of the water from your water heater and lowering it to a safe level can reduce its risk. An elder's skin is more fragile than that of someone younger adding to the risk of injury. Sharp counter corners should be evaluated. Installing table edge guards or counters with rounded or bull nose edges can reduce the risk ofbruising or tearing fragile skin.Honoringand respecting your care receiver can be reflected in what you do and say. Your attitude can make a difference. For example, giving her simple choices like two different choices instead of only one or too many can make a task easier while allowing her to maintain some independence. One choice can emphasize dependency, while too many choices can be confusing leading to frustration, which can in turnincrease agitation. Giving a choice that cannot fail-like choosing between two equally suitable options-also helps to avoid feelings of failure andembarrassment. Another tip is to allow her to do as much as she can without help, which encourages her independence and sense of accomplishment.A third tip category is toadaptto the current situation. You may need to change the way you do things. When showering becomes a problem, you may need to have her shower less often, helpher shower or even switch to sponge baths at least part of the time. While distractions like a television or radio in the background may not have been a problem in the past, they can be confusing and interfere with concentration for someone with AD. Instructions should be clear, and one step at a time. Complex instructions can be confusing, increasing frustration and agitation.Patienceis a necessity in caring for someone with AD. As AD progresses persons with it become more dependent. What they can do and how they react to situations can change. What works today may not work as well tomorrow. The underlying problem in AD is a disease of the brain, leading to inability to process information. Remaining patient and calm helps everyone adjust to the new situation. It's normal for caregivers to be tired, exhausted and overwhelmed sometimes. They need to take regular breaks to recharge and relax, and to have patience. When worried that you could have handled something better, learn from the experience and use it to respond differently in thefuture. It may take more than one attempt to solve a challenge and feel successful.Encouragingthe person with helps them to avoid feeling frustrated or that they've failed. Everyone wants to feel like a success. One of the hardest things can be for people who become more dependent with time to become frustrated with what they can't do. Even if it seems like the person with AD is not consciously aware of the situation, she can still become disappointed and frustrated from it. She may not be able to explain or understand why, which can add to the annoyance.Schedulingis also important in caring for someone with AD. Establishing and keeping to routines reduces confusion, and there is comfort in the familiar. A regular routine can also decrease agitation. When scheduling, take into account the best time of day for your care receiver. Mornings may be best for her to have appointments when she's more alert and not tired. Adding extra time to do something is also important. It is likely things will take longer than previously, and scheduling time for unexpected delays can reduce tension and prevent frustrationand additional distress.One of the most important tips for caring for someone with Alzheimer's disease is that each person with the disease has a different experience with it. Not all these tips will work in all situations, and that's normal. The caregiving tips groups in SHAPES and in this article are also meant to stimulate ideas for tips that will work in your unique situation. Tweak these tips and suggestions to meet your care receiver's needs, which may change with time.Dr. Ina combines her passions for caregivers and writing in her award-winning blog, Caregiving With Purpose. She educates, empowers and supports care partners in their journey and beyond. Additionally she is a Purple Angel Ambassador for Dementia, speaker, and has created and co-hosted the first two global Alzheimer's Telesummit Webinars. Find her atCaregiving With Purpose.Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Ina_Gilmore_M.D/2317913
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Fitness Excuses Kill Your Results
How many times have you made an excuse to not to go the gym? Or to have just a tiny bit of ice cream after dinner? Or start your diet the next day? Fitness Excuses are one of the largest and most annoying reasons people can't lose weight. Excuses hold you back. We hate hearing excuses from our friends. We teach our children not to make excuses. And yet somehow we allow ourselves to make them over and over. Stop creating excuses and commit to losing the weight and become the person you want to be.People come up with many different fitness excuses to avoid a healthy lifestyle, the list goes on and on. These excuses just bring us down anddiminish our potential. Creating excuses just teaches your brain that it is okay to not push for something you want. Now, this is the exact opposite advice we would give to a friend or family member. Losing weight is hard and it is a commitment no doubt, but that doesn't mean you cannot do it. You make plenty of other commitments in life. You commit to and go to work everyday. You commit to and in tend on going to parties after you R.S.V.P. You commit to and make sure you wake your children up for school each day. We don't make excuses for these commitments, so why should bettering ourselves be any different?You must convince yourself that you want to better yourself and lose weight. Make your mind strong first and your body will follow. Don't allow yourself to make those phony excuses. Pursue what you want! Think for your weight loss journeyas a responsibility, just as import as any other responsibilities in your life. Raise the bar for yourself and then strive to reach it.In order to keep those pesky excuses away continuously remind yourself why you are losing weight. Write down your goals and read them each day or write down how you progressed eachnight before bed. Listen to song that gets you pumped up to push hard and hit the gym. Also, make sure you have a great support system. Have someone to ask you, "How's the gym and diet going?" once a week or find a person who willtake on this responsibility with you. If you have a partner you can support one another on the days when one of you is having a hard time. Don't ever forget the reason why you are doing all of this. Imagine yourself when you have reached your goals to remind yourself that it is most definitely worth all the hard work you are putting in now.Fitness Excuses hurt you, not help you. You are incontrol of them and do not need them. You want to lose weight and become healthy to better yourself and you have the power to do that. In the end, if you make excuses you will not get results and if you get results you will not make excuses. Your choice.Fitness excuses kill your results and now its time to drop those excuses. The best way to do that is get into a group setting or peer group. Want more tips and to be held accountable? Head on over tohttp://www.cowboysgym.comto get more tips, secrets and education.Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Ryan_Ehmann/2308358
Monday, August 22, 2016
فاتح بیت المقدس سلطان صلاح الدین ایوبی رحمہ اللہ کی زندگی کے چند حیرت انگیز پہلو.
فاتح بیت المقدس سلطان صلاح الدین ایوبی رحمہ اللہ کی زندگی کے چند حیرت انگیز پہلو.
سلطان صلاح الدین ایوبی کا نام کسی تعارف کا محتاج نہیں- مغربی دنیا میں صلاح الدین ایوبی کے نام سے پہچانا جانے والا یہ سپاہ سالار مصر اور شام کا پہلا کرد حکمران تھا- صلیبی جنگ لڑنے والوں کو شکستِ دینے والا اور یروشلم کو فتح کرنے والا ایک عظیم جنگجو تھا-
صلیبیوں کے خلاف جنگ اور یروشلم کی فتح:
سلطان صلاح الدین ایوبی نے اپنی زندگی میں تقریباً 100 سے زائد جنگیں لڑی ہیں اور لگ بھگ 20 سال تک کے لیے صلیبیوں اور یورپ کی مشترکہ افواج کو بالآخر اس مقدس سرزمین سے پیچھے دھکیل دیا تھا- دنیا نے ایسا جری٬ قابل اور رحم دل فاتح شاید ہی دیکھا ہو- صلیبی جنگیں انسانی تاریخ میں سب سے طویل اور وحشی جنونیت کی حیثیت رکھتی ہیں٬ جن کا خوف مغربی عیسائی دنیا سے لے مغربی ایشیا تک پھیل چکا تھا-
تقریباً تین سو سال تک صلیبیوں نے مسلمانوں پر پے در پے حملے کیے مگر ہر بار شکست کا سامنا کرنا پڑا- اس وجہ سے ان کی اپنی افواج تھکن اور وسوسوں کا شکار ہوگئی- سارا یورپ مال اور قابلِ بھروسہ فوج سے خالی ہوتا جارہا تھا اور مکمل تباہی نہ صحیح مگر سماجی دیوالیہ پن کا شکار ضرور ہوگیا تھا- سینکڑوں فوجی جنگوں میں ختم ہوگئے٬ کئی دوسرے بھوک اور افلاس کا شکار ہوگئے- غرض یہ کہ ہر قسم کی آفات صلیبیوں کی تذلیل کا باعث بنتی گئیں- پیٹر نامی عیسائی مذہبی رہبر اور اس کے پیروکاروں نے اس بات کا عزم کر لیا کہ مسلمانوں کے ہاتھ سے یہ مقدس علاقے واپس لینے کے لیے ہر قسم کا حربہ استعمال کیا جائے گا- اس دور میں عیسائی فوجی صلیب کا نشان رکھتے تھے جو کہ گرجا گھر کی پناہ میں ہوتا تھا اور ہر قسم کے ٹیکس سے استثنیٰ حاصل تھا اور ساتھ ہی ہر قسم کے کام کرنے کے لیے آزاد بھی تھے-
یہاں عظیم صلاح الدین کا ایک مشہور واقعہ بیان کرتے چلیں- صلاح الدین ایوبی نے 29 ستمبر 1182 کو دریائے اردن عبور کیا اور کرک اور شوباک پر موجود فوجوں کو آڑے ہاتھوں لیا اور کافی فوجیوں کو قیدی بنا لیا- اس وقت وہ افواج جو Guy of Lusignan کے ماتحت تھیں انہیں sepphoris کے علاقے سے ہٹا کر الفولا بھیج دیا گیا- دوسری جانب صلاح الدین ایوبی نے 500 فوجیوں پر مشتمل ایک چھوٹا سا گروپ بھیجا جو ان فوجیوں کو ڈرا دھمکا سکیں اور خود عین جالوت کی جانب پیش قدمی شروع کردی- صلیبی افواج اس وقت کی سب سے زیادہ بڑی اور طاقتور افواج میں شمار ہوتی تھی٬ مگر اس کے باوجود صلاح الدین کے لشکر نے ان کو شکست دی اور عین جالوت کی جانب بڑھنے لگے- ایوبی فوج نے زرین٬ فوربلیٹ اور تبور کی پہاڑی پر کئی حملے کیے-
Chatillon کے بادشاہ رینالڈ نے مسلمان تاجروں اور حاجیوں کو دریائے احمر کے راستے پریشان کیا کرتا تھا- رینالڈ نے شہرِ مکہ اور مدینہ پر حملہ کرنے کی دھمکی بھی دی تھی اور جواب میں حاجیوں کے قافلوں کو لوٹا کرتا تھا- یہ وہ راستہ تھا جو صلاح الدین ایوبی آمد و رفت کے لیے کھلا رکھنا چاہتا تھا- اس کے جواب میں صلاح الدین نے 30 چھوٹی کشتیوں پر مشتمل ایک بیڑا تیار کروایا اور سنہ 1182 میں بیروت پر حملہ کر دیا-
یروشلم کی فتح:
سنہ 1187 میں صلاح الدین ایوبی نے یروشلم کا ایک بہت بڑا حصہ فتح کر لیا- 4 جولائی 1187 کو Hattin کی جنگ میں اس کو Lusignan کے علاوہ یروشلم کے بادشاہ اور تری پولی کے ریمنڈ سوئم کی مشترکہ افواج کا سامنا کرنا پڑا- صرف اس جنگ کی بات کریں تو صلیبیوں کی فوج کو صلاح الدین کی فوج کی بہادری سے زبردست نقصان پہنچا- یہ وقت تاریخ میں صلیبیوں کے لیے انتہائی مشکل ثابت ہوا- رینالڈ نے حاجیوں کے قافلے پر نہ صرف حملہ کیا تھا بلکہ ان کی رحم کی اپیل کو بھی مسترد کردیا تھا اور بہت سے حاجیوں کو موت کے گھاٹ بھی اتار چکا تھا- اس کے علاوہ رینالڈ نبی اکرم صلی اﷲ علیہ وآلہ وسلم کی شان میں گستاخی کا بھی مرتکب ہوا تھا- اس وقت صلاح الدین ایوبی نے قسم کھائی کہ وہ خود رینالڈ کو اپنے ہاتھوں سے موت کے گھاٹ اتارے گا- صلاح الدین ایوبی نے رینالڈ کو گرفتار کر کے قیدی بنایا اور حاجیوں کے قافلے پر حملہ کرنے کے جرم میں خود اس کا سر قلم کیا اور تاریخ میں سچے عاشقِ رسول صلی اللہ علیہ وسلم ہونے کا ثبوت دیا-
صلاح الدین ایوبی کے طور طریقے اور ادب و آداب:
صلاح الدین ایک ایسا عظیم حکمران تھا جو میدانِ جنگ میں قہر برپا کرنے والا ایک بہادر جنگجو تو تھا لیکن وہ ایک رحم دل انسان بھی تھا- صلاح الدین نمازِ پنجگانہ کا پابند اور نفلی عبادت گزار تھا- اس نے کبھی کوئی نماز نہ چھوڑی اور نہ قضا کی- اس کے ساتھ ہمیشہ ایک امام موجود ہوتے تھے اور اگر کوئی امام نہ ہوں تو کسی عالمِ دین کے پیچھے نماز ادا کرلیتا تھا جو وہاں موجود ہوتے تھے-
صلاح الدین نے ساری زندگی جو کچھ کمایا اس کا بیشتر حصہ صدقے و خیرات میں خرچ کردیا اور کبھی وہ اتنی دولت جمع ہی نہ کر پایا کہ وہ زکوٰۃ ادا کرتا- صلاح الدین کی ایک بڑی خواہش تھی کہ وہ حج ادا کرے لیکن وہ جہاد میں اس حد تک مصروف رہا کہ اس کے پاس اتنی رقم ہی جمع نہ ہوسکی کہ وہ حج کرسکے اور اس کے بغیر ہی انتقال کرگیا-
ایک عظیم حکمران بننے کے لیے ایک انسان کو ہمت والا٬ اصولوں کا پابند٬ مضبوط ارادوں والا مگر انصاف اور رحم کرنے والا ہونا چاہیے- صلاح الدین ہر پیر اور جمعرات کو ایک اجلاس منعقد کرتا جس میں بیٹھ کر عوام کی فریاد اور تکالیف سنی جاتیں-اس محفل میں قانون دان٬ قاضی صاحبان اور عالمِ دین بھی شرکت کرتے تھے- صلاح الدین نے اپنی زندگی میں کبھی کسی کی مدد کرنے میں کوتاہی نہیں برتی-
سلطان صلاح الدین نے کبھی بھی کسی سے بدکلامی نہیں کی اور نہ ہی اپنی موجودگی میں کسی اور کو کرنے دی- اپنی پوری زندگی میں ان نے کبھی کوئی تلخ بات نہیں کی اور نہ ہی کبھی کسی مسلمان کے خلاف اپنے قلم کو استعمال کیا- وہ ایک وفادار اور رحم دل انسان تھا٬ جب بھی کوئی یتیم اس کے دروازے پر آیا اس نے بہت شفقت سے اس کے سر پر ہاتھ رکھا اور ان کو ان کے والد کے مال سے حصہ بھی دیا-
ابن شداد لکھتے ہیں:
جب انگریزوں کا بادشاہ شیر دل رچرڈ جو صلاح الدین کا ازلی دشمن تھا٬ بیمار پڑا تو صلاح الدین نے اس کی طبعیت معلوم کی اور ساتھ ہی پھلوں کا تحفہ بھی بھیجا- وہ صلیبی جو بھوک اور غربت کے ستائے ہوئے تھے ایک دشمن کی یہ اعلیٰ ظرفی دیکھ کر دنگ رہ گئے-
سلطان صلاح الدین نے 57 سال کی عمر میں وفات پائی اور انتقال کے وقت ان کی جائیداد کی کل قیمت صرف 47 درہم اور ایک دینار تھی اور اس نے اپنے وارثوں کے لیے کوئی دولت کا انبار نہ چھوڑا تھا۔
USAID helping mango farmers
US Consul General Brian Heath visited a mango farm in Tando Hafiz Shah to inspect automated mango graders and processors provided by the US Agency for International Development (USAID). USAID Deputy Mission Director DeniseHerbol and Deputy Provincial Director Patrick Brady were also present."The United States is helping Pakistan boost domestic and international sales of Pakistani agricultural products, including mangoes," said Consul General Heath. "We want to make Pakistani mangoes as competitive as they can be in international markets," he said. Pakistan is the fifth largest mango-producing country in the world, but exports less than 8 percent of its production. "Pakistani mango exports to the U.S. doubled last year, setting a record at 184 metric tons, and there is even more potential in this area," said Brian Heath.USAID, through its Agricultural Market Development (AMD) project, is increasing access to new markets for Pakistani mango farmers, while ensuring better prices through improving compliance with international grading standards and export protocols. USAID supplied top-of-the-line automated mango graders imported from one of the world's leading manufacturers as well as training farmers how to use them to the best advantage.USAID launched the U.S.-Pakistan Partnership for AgriculturalMarket Development in February 2015 to increase productionand sales of products, including meat, vegetables, mangoes and citrus. This partnership promotes cooperation among farmers, processors, exporters and buyers of agricultural products from Pakistan.News SourceNews Collated byPAKISSAN.comCourtesy www.brecorder.com
All about agriculture
Undeniably, Pakistan is an agricultural economy. The argument that agriculture is less than 20 percent of GDP, andhence takes a backstage to the services sector actually does not gel for two reasons..Firstly, according to the Economic Survey of Pakistan 2015-16, agriculture remains by far the largest employer absorbing 42.3 percent of the country’s total labour force.And secondly, GDP is not the right parameter for any such conclusion.Service sector growth is driven by retail, finance, telecommunication and government services that are entirely domestic in nature, and hence in my view, at least largely irrelevant, while agriculture remains the biggest export-earner for Pakistan even today.According to the State Bank of Pakistan data, for the period July 2015 to May 2016, textile and food group exports — both of which are directly dependent on agriculture — were approximately $15 billion, which is approximately 75 percent of total exports during the same period. If we were to add other indirectly related manufactures, such as leather, footwear and sports goods, we are perhaps looking at almost 80-85 percent. So if that does not make us an agriculture economy, I have no idea what does. The sad part is most of us are not even aware of who the man at the helm of agriculture in the government is, if there is one at all. The worse news is that agricultural GDP growth declined by 0.19 percent during this year, and exports fell by 20 percent.Shockingly, except for sugar all major crops registered a decline, and while blaming climate may in theory shift responsibility it will not redress the challenges. By and large, the area under cultivation in respect of the five important crops — cotton, sugar cane, rice, maize and wheat — has remained stagnant for at least the last three years, and production declined for all these crops except sugar. While an expert might be in a better position to comment, from a layman’s perspective, sugar production consumes the highest amount of water, which in itself should be worrying ina country that is ranked as extremely high in terms of water stress by the World Resources Institute. If you go back to the table on Actual Surface Water Availability included in the Economic Survey of Pakistan 2015-16, you will note that the average availability has consistently decreased since 2007-2008. Again not an expert, and the decrease might be because of more land brought under cultivation, but that still does not sound right.Join us on FacebookIn a nutshell, a sector that is the backbone for employment, the biggest bread earner for the country and critical for self-sustainability should be the top priority for any government. This is not to say that government has been completely ignorant of the sector, as it has been maintaining perhaps one of the largest irrigation systems, providing subsidies on fertilizer, fixing support prices, subsidising electricity for tube wells and granting soft loans for farming, but all in all, nothing seems to be actually working. Even this budget contained a lot of incentives for the agriculture sector, and one can only hope that they work, because if the sector does not get cracking soon, the economy will face challenges that perhaps even China-Pakistan Economic Corridor may not be in a position to address.Those of us unrelated to agriculture, by and large, still view rural agriculture in Pakistan rather dreamily with visions of farmers ploughing small pieces of owned or vassal land with the help of livestock, with a few tractors here and there, borrowing money from the informal economy to buy the inputs for his crop, throwing seeds for sowing, using fertilizer if his budget allows, praying for rain at the right time and praying harder for no rains at the wrong time, getting friends and family together at the time of reaping and storing his crop in open-air arrangements until someone can pay him just enough to terminate his loans and sustain him till the next crop. And if that does not happen he is history. Seriously,the direction in which things are moving today, if Pakistan were to be considered in isolation, with the population rising and agriculture production declining, we might just be the first country to prove Malthus’s theory of population.Join us on TwitterCompare this with certain extracts, some rephrased, from the last Technology Quarterly report of The Economist on thefuture of agriculture:Every half-hour, a carefully calibrated pulse of water based onthe cloud’s calculations, and mixed with an appropriate dose of fertiliser if scheduled, is pushed through the tapes, delivering a precise sprinkling to each tree. With the new little-but-often technique, he uses 20 percent less water than he used to.Sowing, watering, fertilising and harvesting are all computer-controlled. Even the soil they grow in is monitored to within an inch of its life. Farms, then, are becoming more like factories: tightly controlled operations for turning out reliable products, immune as far as possible from the vagaries of nature.Fit its tractors and other mobile machines with global-positioning-system (GPS) sensors, so that they could be located to within a few centimetres anywhere on Earth. This made it possible to stop them either covering the same ground twice or missing out patches.Equipment can plant individual seeds to within an accuracy of three centimetres.Using a technique called multispectral analysis, which looks at how strongly plants absorb or reflect different wavelengths of sunlight, they can discover which crops are flourishing and which are not. Multispectral sensors mountedon a tractor’s spraying booms can estimate the nitrogen needs of crops about to be sprayed, and adjust the dose accordingly.The above is not an exhaustive list, but was included to demonstrate how far technology has progressed as far as agriculture is concerned. Again for a layman, this is a Star Trek moment, and as Pakistanis we can only worryingly wonder where we are in terms of mechanised, rather computerised, farming, if at all anywhere. Are we even in the business of agriculture?Financial and technology constraints are, however, not the only problems that the sector faces. A depilated and almost obsolete farm-to-market supply chain, poor storage facilities and middleman preying on the farmers are other tales of horror. The data on amount of wastage in case of crops, especially fruits, pulses and vegetables, shows absolutely horrendous percentages. Frankly, no amount of subsidies to farmers will address these issues, and the private sector is not expected to take the risk of developing what is considered to be largely public sector facilities.Looking at agriculture as the backbone of Pakistan’s economy, the dilemma is to conclude whether education still takes priority over agriculture as the prime directive of any government. For my money, and experts may disagree with this, education requires resources, and therefore, agriculture supersedes it. To conclude, for Pakistan, it’s all about agriculture.August, 2016Source:Daily times
Understanding Precision Bearings
Precision bearings are generic bearings that are used in a variety of applications, appliances and industries around the world. These bearings give you a host of benefits and as long as you choose a goodquality product, they will give you years of use moving forward.The precision bearings comply with ABEC-1 and ABEC-3 tolerances. These particular bearings are designed to handle a heavy load and can withstand exceptional weights to give you a product that works on a daily basis.The precision bearing is responsible for rotational accuracy and control it can handle very high speeds while carrying a high load. Anyone looking to buy this particular type of bearing knows what they need it for. These bearings can be used in machines, printing equipment, optical grinders, film processing equipment and so much more.It is very important when buying precision bearings that you pay attention to your supplier and the quality of bearing that youbuy. Bear in mind that these particular bearings are designed to withstand a load, which means that you need to buy the bestpossible quality product that can withstand the strain placed upon it on a daily basis.There are hundreds, if not thousands of precision bearing suppliers that will deliverto your door. Many bearing companies these days can give a global service with effective delivery to your door, which opens up your opportunity when it comes to finding that one supplier you feel you can rely on and trust.Start by choosing a few companies online that offer the precision bearing you are looking for. It is important to remember before you start your search, that there are a high number of quality manufacturers who will supply a precision bearing that matches your unique specifications. This is why you need to go through these few steps to make sure you buy a product you can rely on now and in the future.Go through each company in detail and learn as much as you can about them. While choosing a manufacturer of precision bearings is an easy step, choosing the supplier who will back the product, give you the best quality products and outstanding service is the bigger decision you will need to make to ensure you have the best quality service to go withyour high quality precision bearing.Once you have reviewed the company website in detail, it is always worthwhile to conduct some research of your own away from the site. You cannot rely on what the website tells you alone, you still want honest customer reviews that you can use to help you find which of the suppliers is the one you feel you can work with now and moving forward.With all the information at your fingertips on each of the suppliers you have chosen to ship you precision bearings, you are now going to want to compare them against each other. Some of the factors to take into consideration at this stage is the company's reputation, their delivery schedules and time frames, their delivery prices, what warranty they offer and of course, the final decision, the price of their bearings.Reviewing the companies and then comparing them gives you the information you need to make the best decision, place your order with confidence and get your machinery back up and running without delay.Always take those few minutes to find the company's return policy so you know the steps to take in the event the item arrives damaged or does not meet your high quality control expectations.Carter Bearings is a leading manufacturingfacility and European distribution centre offering clients from around the world withyears of experience and knowledge. The company opened in 1999 in Oxford where they provide a global service to clients in a host of industries. The company provides an extensive range of high quality bearings, each one carefully checked to ensure it meets the company's high qualitycontrol standards. Carter Bearings is ISO 9001/2008 quality management approved to provide clients with complete peace of mind. To find out more, visithttp://www.carterbearings.co.uk/silverthin/thinsection-bearings/Article Source:http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Ben_Roberts/2322070
Sunday, August 21, 2016
Kashmir not India’s internal matter: OIC
ISLAMABAD: In a hard hitting statement, the strongest in support of the Kashmiris in Indian-held Kashmir (IHK), the Secretary General of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC), the world’s largest bloc of Muslims countries, Iyad bin AminMadani, clearly told New Delhi that Kashmir was not India’s internal problem but an international issue, which is besieged with momentous human rights violations.“The international community should raiseits voice against the atrocities in Indian-held Kashmir. Unfortunately, very few voices have come out against the Indian tyranny. Just statements alone are not enough when it comes to occupied Kashmir but the issue cannot be raised at the political level with silence,” Madani told the media at a joint press conference with Adviser on Foreign Policy Sartaj Aziz at the Foreign Office.Spokesman at the Foreign Office tweeted that delegation talks lasted one hour and 20 minutes where the grave human rights situation in the IHK was discussed extensively.“The secretary general reaffirmed strong support to the Kashmiris in securing their right to self determination and called for a referendum as per the UNSC resolutions to enable Kashmiris’ right to self determination”, added the spokesman.Lately questions have been asked as to why the European Union, which is a large trading partner with India, has chosen to remain silent on some of the world’s worst human right atrocities. The EU masquerades as the champion of world’s human rights but is blind to the situation in the Valley.“The situation in Kashmir is heading towards referendum. No one should be afraidof referendum and the solution should be through the United Nations resolutions in accordance with the aspirations of the Kashmiri people. The human rights violations in the Indian-held Kashmir are not an internal matter of the Indian state,” Madani told the media.He pointed out that September will see the OIC contact group meeting in New York.“The OIC has a dedicated special adviser on Kashmir and a liaison group that will meet at the UN General Assembly session in the United States,” he said.Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is also expected to present a passionate speech about the never-ending nightmare in the IHK, and several groupswill be demonstrating against Prime Minister Modi if he chooses to also be present at the annual UNGA meeting.Sartaj Aziz, meanwhile, commented that in Saturday’s meeting, views were exchanged on further enhancing cooperation between Pakistan and the OIC onmatters of interest to the Muslim Ummah.He said that Pakistan and India should resolve the Kashmir issue through dialogue. “We want dialogue with India, but we are waiting on India’s response, after which the situation will become clearer,” he said, sending a gentle reminder to New Delhi.Meanwhile, in Kashmir itself, driven by the worst chapter in the history of IHK, former chief minister Omar Abdullah traveled to New Delhi and met with President Pranab Mukerjee and pleaded with him that the Modi government should stop the use of lethal force against civilians inthe Valley.“The failure of the central government to acknowledge that the issue in Kashmir is largely of a political nature has worsened the already volatile situation. We requestedthe president to impress upon the central government to initiate a credible and meaningful process of political dialogue without any further delay involving all stakeholders to address the political issue in the State,” the National Conference leader said.If any further proof of the hatred that Kashmirs have for those visiting from Delhi was evident when Congress leader and former union minister Mani Shankar Aiyar andjournalist Prem ShankarJha faced a hostile crowd at Srinagar’s ShriMaharaja Hari Singh Hospital.The purpose of the delegation along with Aiyar was to assess thedamage caused by pellet guns.Amidst anti-India sloganeering inside the wards, attendants told Aiyar, “We don’t shake hands with murderers.”
Saturday, August 20, 2016
Secrets of Successful People!
Every once in a whilea person may find himself procrastinating for one reason or another. He can be playing video games,rearranging furniture in the living room and doing other mundane things to pass time. All the while he is putting off doing what he needs to do. At one point he realizes that he has put in so much time and effort into procrastinating that he ends up with bigger problems and lesser time to fix them.Procrastinating, based on the above, is the act of putting off doing something that needs to be done. It could be something as big as a life-altering decision that you don't know the answer to or a simple task that is so boring that you don't feel like doing it. When something needs to be done that has a big impact in your life, i.e. the life-altering decision, it can have immediate and devastating consequences. Whenit is just you putting off a thing that you feel too lazy to do the effects might not be as immediate or as obvious. But over time it can become a bad habit that can greatly affect your future in a negative way.A person procrastinates two ways. The first one is when a person does things that are not at all productive. This could be something like binge watching your favorite TV show when you should be studying for a test or going to a party instead of working on your project. These actions can take up time that you should have spent doing what needs to be done. This type of procrastination make you feel content for a moment. Afterward, you feel panicked when you find out you don't have enough time to complete your task.The other way that people procrastinate is by doing something productive but not related to thething that they need to do. This could mean something like cleaning the room instead of working on your take home task from work or organizing your closet instead of doing your thesis. Both actions are productive in a way, but itdoesn't actually contribute to the task that you need to complete.Reason Why People Procrastinate:The reason why people procrastinate varies from one person to another. One of the most common reason and probably the most detrimental amongthem is fear. A person sometimes procrastinates because he is driven by fear; fear of losing, fear of failing, fear of the unknown and fear of uncertainty. His fear is making him not want to tryto do something about the things that he needs to do today and put off doing it for tomorrow. He becomes afraid of the outcome of his actions so he prefers to delay acting on it. His fear is also driving him away from doing something productive and something that can potentially be successful so he does other things that have lesser impact on his life.Another reason why people procrastinate is because they think that the thing that they need to do is not important therefore does not require immediate action. It could be something that you feel doesn't have enough impact on your life so you put off doing it and thinking that won't affect you as much. Here's an example:Imagine you are at work and your boss gives you a task that is due next month. You read through the task and find that it doesn't contribute much to completing your current task. You also conclude that it is a task that is boring and that it is something that you can do fairly easily. Because of this, you think that you have plenty of time to do it so you put it off for the next day. Your next day turns into next week and before you know it, the deadline is 1 day away. You realize that the reason your boss gave it one month in advance is because it requires that much time to do it properly. You find yourself cramming, putting in overtime and submitting something that is not equal to your usual quality of work. Your boss is disappointed and is now more hesitant to give you special tasks like this. Little did you know, this was your boss' way of testing you if you can handle other responsibilities outside of your current work.The example above shows how even something that you feel has little consequence can actually be a big deal. Little things that you don't do well can result to bigger things like loss of opportunities and the like. People also procrastinate because they flat out just don't want to do the task. They could see the task as something that is unnecessary, inconvenient or something that is out of their work description. This usually happens when the person feels that there is nothing he can gain by doing this task. The task could also be a chore or an activity that the person doesn't want to participate in. So instead of doing that task, the person would do other things just to get out of doing what is required of him.A person will find any good reason to procrastinate just to get out of doing something that he wants to put off doing. He will find ways to occupy himself and waste precious time that could be used instead to focus on doing the task that needs to be completed. A person who intentionally wants to procrastinate will find things around him that needs to be fixed, tinkered, handled and done because these are deemed more important than the task at hand. When this happens there can be unknown consequences that could affect the future.http://www.thomashowlandinfocoach.com/MembershipIncomeArticle Source:http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Thomas_Howland/2319329