Social Integration and Communal Harmony in India

In India from time immemorial, people belonging to various religious faiths lived in harmony and peace. There are fundamental values and traditions in our culture that promote integration among different communities. This was helpful for the growth of a great civilization in the Indian sub-continent. It will be our endeavour as the citizens of this country to preserve the rich tradition of Social Harmony among diverse religious and ethnic groups and pass it over to the future generations. Religion is one of the social institutions found in all human societies. Moreover religion is one of the agents contributing to the integration of society. Religion provides ‘we feeling’ among its members. Performance of religious rites, participation in festivals, leadership provided by priests and religious functionaries, following many common beliefs and values, etc reinforces the unity among the members of a religion. Even though holy books and teachings of each religion claim that they help man reach God, none of them propagate hatred against other faiths. All religions in their essence assist people to live in harmony with members of the society.

Indian Festivals, celebrated by varied cultures and through their special rituals, add to the colours of the Indian Heritage. Some festivals welcome the seasons of the year, the harvest, the rains, or the full moon. Others celebrate religious occasions, the birthdays of divine beings, saints, and gurus (revered teachers), or the advent of the New Year. A number of these festivals are common to most parts of India. However, they may be called by different names in various parts of the country or may be celebrated in a different fashion.

Every celebration is centered around the rituals of prayer, seeking blessings, exchanging goodwill, decorating houses, wearing new clothes, music, dance and feasting.

The festivals reflect the vigour and life-style of its people. Vibrant colours, music and festivity make the country come alive throughout the year.

The emphasis laid on the different festivals differs in different parts of the country. Let look at the upcoming festivals in the next few months.

DUSSEHARA :
This Hindu festival is celebrated all over India to mark the defeat of Ravana by Lord Rama. Dussehra symbolises the triumph of good over evil. The 'Ramlila' - an enactment of the life of Lord Rama, is held during the nine days preceding Dussehra. On the tenth day, larger than life effigies of Ravana, his son and brother -Meghnath and Kumbhakarna, are set alight.
In West Bengal, puja pandals have beautifully decorated images of the goddess Durga and people gather here in large numbers to enjoy the festivities.

In Gujarat, the exuberant Navaratri celebrations include dancing the lively 'garba' and 'dandiya ras' dances.

DIWALI :
The brightest India festival when every city town and village is turned into a fairy land with millions of electric light, candles and oil lamps illuminating homes and public buildings. A special feature of the festival is the worship of Laxmi, the goddess of wealth and prosperity.

GURPURAB :
The birth anniversaries of Guru Nanak, the first Guru of the Sikhs, is celebrate in the month of Kartik.

Id-ul-Zuha (Bakrid ) :
This Muslim festival of sacrifice, Id-ul-Zuha (Arabic) or Bakrid in India is celebrated all over the country. On this day Muslims sacrifice a goat or Bakr (Urdu) to commemorate the sacrifice of Prophet Ibrahim, who willingly agreed to kill his son at the behest of God.

There are also a few regional festivals like Pongal in Tamil Nadu; Onam in Kerala and the various other temple festivals devoted to the specific patron Gods and Goddesses of the temples, which are celebrated exclusively in those areas, which may be limited to one or a few villages.

Thanksgiving Day
Almost every culture in the world has held celebrations of thanks for a plentiful harvest. The American Thanksgiving holiday began as a feast of thanksgiving in the early days of the American colonies almost four hundred years ago.

This galaxy of festivals that exist do contribute in inter-spicing Indian life with gaiety and colour as also in giving the country the distinction of having the maximum number of holidays.

If we want to preserve or keep intact the national integration of the country, we should curb the ugly head of anti integration for us. Like Mahatma Gandhi said, "Let us forget all thoughts of, I am a Hindu, you a Muslim or I am a Gujurati, you a Madrasi, let us think, I and mine in a common Indian nationality, we shall be free only when a large number of our people are determined to swim or sink together."

The 19th November is celebrated as National Integration Day where the mass take oath to maintain the integration of the Nation and to safeguard sovereignty of India. It is also known as National Solidarity Day.

Source :
http://www.ukessays.com/essays/cultural-studies/social-integration-india.php
http://www.publishyourarticles.org/knowledge-hub/essay/essay-on-national-integration-in-india.html
http://www.festivalsofindia.in/introduction.aspx
http://homeschooling.about.com/cs/unitssubjhol/a/thanksday.htm

Let’s cook up some variety of cuisines to celebrate the various Indian Festivals, celebrated by varied cultures.

People light candles and oil lamps in their homes and offices. Here we have collected few Diwali recipes to make your celebrations all the more tempting

Khaman Dhokla

Ingredients

Gram flour 1 cup Sugar 1½ tsps Citric Acid Baking Soda 1 tsp Green Chilies 2 pieces Ginger(grated) 2 tsps Food Color(Yellow) 2 drops Salt to taste Cilantro(chopped) ¼ cup Mustard seeds (black) ½ tsp Vegetable Oil(Canola) 1 tbsp

Source:
http://food.sulekha.com/dhokla-id110-18285-recipe.htm

Badam Kheer

Ingredients

Almonds(badam) 1 Cup Milk 6 Cups Sugar 1 Cup Saffron Strands 1/2 tsp Water 2 Cup

Source:
http://www.indobase.com/recipes/details/badam-kheer.php

Motichoor Ladoo

Ingredients

Milk (doodh) 1/3 cup Pistachios (pista) 1tblsp Orange (santra) colour few drops Pure ghee for frying Raisins (kishmish) 1tblsp A pinch baking powder Sugar (cheeni) 1/2 kg Bengal gram flour (besan) 1/2 kg

Source:
http://www.indianfoodforever.com/holiday-recipes/diwali/motichoor-ladoo.html

Chum Chum

Ingredients

Herb Roasted Turkey

Turkey is roasted with a mixture of herbs and olive oil under the skin and all over the bird. Use small amounts of dried herbs along with the fresh herbs for more flavor. I used fresh dill, rosemary, and chives, along with about 1/2 teaspoon each of dried leaf marjoram and thyme.

Cook Time: 4 hours
Total Time: 4 hours

Ingredients

Skoda Lauretta
Ex-showroom Price - Rs. 8,00,000*

October 10, 2011: Skoda India is going to launch its new car-Skoda Lauretta precisely in November. However, initial information captured from the undisguised images of Skoda Lauretta suggests that the upcoming car is an extended version of Skoda Fabia hatchback. Skoda India started the production of Skoda Lauretta at its Chakan facility in Pune recently only. The new sedan has been designed to cater exactly to the needs of Indian customers. Skoda Lauretta price is yet to be revealed but it will undercut the price of Volkswagen Vento which shares its platform with Lauretta. The front looks are heavily inspired from Skoda Fabia and side look from Volkswagen Vento. Only the rear end is modified by Skoda India. Skoda Rapid will be equally spacious as Volkswagen Vento and will share the engine specifications with the latter i.e 1.6 litre petrol and diesel engine churning out 105 bhp power. The engine will be mated to a 5 speed manual transmission. However, the diesel variant producing 250 Nm of torque will also feature an automatic gearbox.

Source:
http://www.skoda-fabia.com/

iPhone 4S

Size and Weight3	Height: 4.5 inches (115.2 mm) Width: 2.31 inches (58.6 mm) Depth: 0.37 inch (9.3 mm) Weight: 4.9 ounces (140 grams)
Cellular and Wireless	World phone UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) CDMA EV-DO Rev. A (800, 1900 MHz)4 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi (802.11n 2.4GHz only) Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology
Location	Assisted GPS Digital compass Wi-Fi Cellular
Display	Retina display 3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen Multi-Touch display 960-by-640-pixel resolution at 326 ppi 800:1 contrast ratio (typical) 500 cd/m2 max brightness (typical) Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on front and back Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously
Camera, Photos, and Video	8-megapixel camera Autofocus Tap to focus Face detection in still images LED flash Video recording, HD (1080p) up to 30 frames per second with audio Video stabilization Front camera with VGA-quality photos and video at up to 30 frames per second Photo and video geotagging
External Buttons and Connectors	External Buttons and Controls
Power and Battery	Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery Charging via USB to computer system or power adapter Talk time: Up to 8 hours on 3G, up to 14 hours on 2G (GSM) Standby time: Up to 200 hours Internet use: Up to 6 hours on 3G, up to 9 hours on Wi-Fi Video playback: Up to 10 hours Audio playback: Up to 40 hours
Audio Playback	Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz Audio formats supported: AAC (8 to 320 Kbps), Protected AAC (from iTunes Store), HE-AAC, MP3 (8 to 320 Kbps), MP3 VBR, Audible (formats 2, 3, 4, Audible Enhanced Audio, AAX, and AAX+), Apple Lossless, AIFF, and WAV User-configurable maximum volume limit
TV and Video	AirPlay Mirroring to Apple TV support at 720p Video mirroring and video out support: Up to 1080p with Apple Digital AV Adapter or Apple VGA Adapter (adapters sold separately) Video out support at 576p and 480p with Apple Component AV Cable; 576i and 480i with Apple Composite AV Cable (cables sold separately) Video formats supported: H.264 video up to 1080p, 30 frames per second, High Profile level 4.1 with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; MPEG-4 video up to 2.5 Mbps, 640 by 480 pixels, 30 frames per second, Simple Profile with AAC-LC audio up to 160 Kbps per channel, 48kHz, stereo audio in .m4v, .mp4, and .mov file formats; Motion JPEG (M-JPEG) up to 35 Mbps, 1280 by 720 pixels, 30 frames per second, audio in ulaw, PCM stereo audio in .avi file format
Headphones	Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic Frequency response: 20Hz to 20,000Hz Impedance: 32 ohms
Mail Attachment Support	Viewable Document Types .jpg, .tiff, .gif (images); .doc and .docx (Microsoft Word); .htm and .html (web pages); .key (Keynote); .numbers (Numbers); .pages (Pages); .pdf (Preview and Adobe Acrobat); .ppt and .pptx (Microsoft PowerPoint); .txt (text); .rtf (rich text format); .vcf (contact information); .xls and .xlsx (Microsoft Excel)
Sensors	Three-axis gyro Accelerometer Proximity sensor Ambient light sensor
System Requirements	Mac System Requirements Mac computer with USB 2.0 port OS X v10.5.8 or later iTunes 10.5 or later (free download from www.itunes.com/download) Apple ID (required for some features) Internet access PC System Requirements PC with USB 2.0 port Windows 7; Windows Vista; or Windows XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 3 or later iTunes 10.5 or later (free download from www.itunes.com/download) Apple ID (required for some features) Internet access
Environmental Requirements	Operating temperature: 32° to 95° F (0° to 35° C) Nonoperating temperature: -4° to 113° F (-20° to 45° C) Relative humidity: 5% to 95% noncondensing Maximum operating altitude: 10,000 feet (3000 m)
Languages	Language Support English (U.S.), English (UK), Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Arabic, Catalan, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Indonesian, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Portuguese (Brazil), Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese Keyboard Support English (U.S.), English (UK), Chinese - Simplified (Handwriting, Pinyin, Wubihua), Chinese - Traditional (Handwriting, Pinyin, Zhuyin, Cangjie, Wubihua), French, French (Canadian), French (Switzerland), German (Germany), German (Switzerland), Italian, Japanese (Romaji, Kana), Korean, Spanish, Arabic, Bulgarian, Catalan, Cherokee, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Emoji, Estonian, Finnish, Flemish, Greek, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Icelandic, Indonesian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Macedonian, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Portuguese (Brazil), Romanian, Russian, Serbian (Cyrillic/Latin), Slovak, Swedish, Thai, Tibetan, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese Dictionary Support (enables predictive text and autocorrect) English (U.S.), English (UK), Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), French, French (Canadian), French (Switzerland), German, Italian, Japanese (Romaji, Kana), Korean, Spanish, Arabic, Catalan, Cherokee, Croatian, Czech, Danish, Dutch, Estonian, Finnish, Flemish, Greek, Hawaiian, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Indonesian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Portuguese (Brazil), Romanian, Russian, Slovak, Swedish, Thai, Turkish, Ukrainian, Vietnamese Siri Languages English (U.S., UK, and Australian), French, German
In the Box	iPhone 4S Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic Dock Connector to USB Cable USB Power Adapter Documentation

Source:
http://www.apple.com/iphone/
http://www.apple.com/iphone/specs.html

Quick Tips to Improve Self Confidence

Here are some quick tips to improve your Self Confidence. If we are committed to have a healthy self confidence there are many things you can do every day to boost your self confidence, each small steps that will help you to reach your goal. The good news is that self-esteem is not fixed and can be improved, try some of the steps below to boost your confidence and self-esteem.

1. Identify your successes. Everyone is good at something, so discover the things at which you excel, then focus on your talents. Give yourself permission to take pride in them. Give yourself credit for your successes. Inferiority is a state of mind in which you've declared yourself a victim. Do not allow yourself to be victimized.
2. Look in the mirror and smile. Studies surrounding what's called the "facial feedback theory" suggest that the expressions on your face can actually encourage your brain to register certain emotions. So by looking in the mirror and smiling every day, you might feel happier with yourself and more confident in the long run.
3. Exercise and eat healthy. Exercise raises adrenaline and makes one feel happier and healthier. It is certainly an easy and effective way to boost your self-confidence.
4. Turn feelings of envy or jealousy into a desire to achieve. Stop wanting what others have just because they have it; seek things simply because you want them, whether anybody else has them or not.
5. When you're feeling superbly insecure, write down a list of things that are good about you. Then read the list back. You'd be surprised at what you can come up with.
6. Don't be afraid to push yourself a bit - a little bit of pressure can actually show just how good you are!
7. You can try taking a martial arts or fitness class/course (or both). This will help build confidence and strength.
8. Invest in some new clothing and donate some of your old clothing to send a message to yourself that you both look sharp and feel sharp.
9. Try to make yourself talk positively at all times. When you hear yourself saying you can't do something, stop and say you can. Unless you try, you will never know whether you are able to or not.
10. Don't get wrapped up in your mistakes and dwell on bad points; they can contrast your good points or even give you something to improve. There's no feeling like being good at something you were really bad at.
11. Don't confuse what you have with who you are. People degrade their self worth when comparing possessions.
12. Surround yourself with nurturing friends, not overly critical individuals who make you feel inadequate or insecure. This could do great harm and damage to yourself confidence.

Source:
http://www.funonthenet.in/articles/tips-improve-self-confidence.html

CAR CARE FOR WOMEN - Emergency safety tips for Girls on the road

WOMEN AND THEIR CARS
Most of the women I know are quite savvy when it comes to car repair or maintenance, they can wrench with the best guy-mechanics out there. I also know many women who have moderate skills in this field who can change the oil, fluids and a flat tire whenever necessary. Then there are those who remain as I once was, 'auto-challenged'. Car care information—other than how to put fuel in the tank or put the car in neutral while rolling through the carwash tunnel, simply does not compute. These women (or guys) have no idea how to keep themselves from being stranded on the highway and are unable to prevent a variety of troubles from popping-up from under the hood of their vehicles.

To some degree we can all manage to keep oil and fuel in the car and fill the tires with air. But on the rare occasion we find ourselves in a situation where we must be our own rescuers and even our own survival expert when it comes to automotive mishaps, a few pointers and tips on care care are in order.

LETS GET ROLLIN'
5 OF THE 10 QUICK AND EASY CAR CARE POINTERS

1. Keep a small fire extinguisher under one of your front seats for easy access. This will prove to be very helpful should a fire break out under the hood or inside a tire.
2. When checking your tire pressure be sure that the tire is cold. This simply means don't check the tire after you have been driving around. The friction of the tire rolling under the weight of the car causes the temperature of the air inside the tire to rise, thus expanding the volume of pressure. So, if you check the air after you have been driving around, the gauge will read a higher pressure than is actually inside the tire.
3. Under inflated tires increase fuel consumption in your car.
4. If you live where the weather gets really cold and snowy with a big freeze, DO NOT set your parking break after driving in these conditions. The parking/emergency break is designed to activate the rear brakes. If snow or ice has gotten inside the brake it can cause the brakes to seize in that position over night if the temperature drops to freezing. It may also freeze the brake cable causing it to break or snap. Driving a car with the emergency brake on is just not a safe idea. If you park on a hill or incline, try turning the front tires inward towards the curb. This will help prevent the car from rolling as it will 'bump' into the curb and should stop any forward motion.
5. If your car has a rough idle or stalls regularly then you want to have your mechanic look at it. You will more than likely still be able to cruise around with a rough idle and a stalling engine to some degree, but the problems you ignore become much more costly the longer you let them go unattended. Besides, she will be able to take care of the trouble more easily and in a far less costly manner the sooner you take it to her garage. Generally speaking, the earlier you bring the sickly car to her shop, the less likely your pocketbook is going to require a tune-up as well!

ND 5 MORE POINTERS MAKE 10 CAR CARE TIPS FOR WOMEN

1. When you turn on your air conditioning and a fog comes out, don't worry too much. It is cool moist vapor quickly turning into very cold fog and then pushing through the A/C vents. Think of it as the fog you notice when your breath turns to smoke while speaking when the weather is really cold. It shouldn't last long but you should lower your window a bit to clear it out more quickly just to be safe.
2. The gasoline we use in our vehicles is formulated to prevent freezing. However when temperatures become extreme, below 0ºF (-18ºC) this may not be enough prevention. You can add 'gas line anti-freeze' to the gas tank to aide in starting your vehicle in these harsh conditions. Make certain to read and follow the manufactures directions on the bottle.
3. To keep your car door and trunk lid locks from freezing this winter, spray the key with WD-40 and insert it into each of the locks turning the tumblers a couple of times. The oil will coat the tumblers inside and prevent moisture from building up in the locks and freezing you out.
4. Stuck in the mud or struggling with the icy ground? Letting some of the air out of your tires will allow a larger portion of the tire surface to make contact with the ground, potentially making it easier to get your car moving under these conditions. Be sure to re- inflate your tires at the first possible chance. Low tire pressure can reduce fuel efficiency or even cause damage to your wheel (rims).
5. Keep your fuel tank at least half-way full to prevent water vapor from building up inside the tank and along your fuel lines. This will keep your fuel flowing continually from tank to engine. A layer of minerals or sediment naturally gathers in the bottom of your tank over time. When the gas tank gets low (these days what gas tank isn't low), the materials get sent along with the gas into your engine. When moisture or sediments get into your engine they cause the car to idle rough or stall.

PRACTICE KEEPS YOU IN CONTROL

During an on the road emergency is not the time to discover that you are not in control of the situation or the car! You will have a better chance for a positive outcome if you have practiced it in your head or behind the wheel of your parked car a few times. This could make the difference between getting to go home after the incident rather than arriving at the hospital in the back of an ambulance. Try these pointers for three common road troubles; Skidding, Brake Failure and Hydroplaning.

THE THREE HORRIFIC TIMES YOUR CAR DOES THE DRIVING

• SKIDDING: When you feel your car begin to skid DO NOT SLAM ON THE BRAKES. This will probably be the first thing your mind tells you to do, it is only natural. You have to consciously fight this urge and conduct yourself in a life saving manner. DO ease up off of the accelerator. Using both hands turn the wheel in the same direction you want the nose of your car to travel in when the skid ceases. When the tires regain traction the car will travel in this direction. When the car is again going in the correct direction return the wheel back to center, being careful not to cause a second skid in another direction by over steering. Repeat the above steps if the car begins to skid again. This all happens in a very short span of time, split seconds even, so your reflexes play a huge role in the effectiveness of this maneuver. Be prepared for the car to skid more than once and in different directions. In other words plan on a couple of turns of the wheel to exit a skid when it occurs.
• BRAKE FAILURE: This may occur if your brake fluid leaks out or gets contaminated. Brakes are a sealed hydraulic system that require pressure and hydraulic fluid to properly function. Brake failure happens when this system loses pressure. You press on your brake pedal feeling no pressure while the brake pedal drops directly to the floorboard. The car does not slow or stop YIKES! Adrenaline may well be the biggest control issue for many in this situation. But you must stay calm. Remove your foot from the gas pedal keep both hands on the steering wheel. Stay alert and steer away from potential obstacles. Taking the parking brake lever with one hand (leaving the other hand on the steering wheel to guide the vehicle) begin pumping the parking brake. The car should slow gradually until you can force the transmission into park (or reverse). If this option fails, you must down-shift the car. If you're driving an automatic transmission vehicle you will need to go from 'D' to '2' and then to '1'. If you are in a standard transmission vehicle you can go into which ever gear you can to slow the car. Your parking brake and transmission may well be toast following this event, but you will be around to get them repaired!

AND 1 MORE MAKES THREE TIMES YOUR CAR DOES DRIVING!

• HYDROPLANING: When rain or standing water beads up between your tires and the road your car begins to glide uncontrollably, which is called hydroplaning. This is one of the more dangerous situations to find yourself living out. The steering wheel feels loose, unresponsive and you have lost steering control of your forward moving vehicle...this is a very bad situation. Your best chance for an effective outcome is to lift your foot from the accelerator pedal and slow down. Do not put your foot on the brake. Continue driving at a slower speed keeping the car heading in the right direction as much as is possible (you may feel the car drifting, but don't freak out). As the car slows down the weight becomes more dense and gravity will push the vehicle tighter to the road surface, allowing you to gain back some steering control. Eventually the car will return completely back to your control. If the rain or weather becomes far to heavy, you need to pull off of the road into a rest stop, gas station or any other populated location. If nothing is around pull over to the side of the road and turn on your hazard lights so other drivers can see you. When the rain subsides continue safely on your way. Something worth mentioning is that deep-tread tires sluff off the excess water while low tread or worn tires trap the water increasing the hydroplaning probability. Keeping your tires in good condition and running on the proper tire for the season can help to prevent hydroplaning from slipping into your driver seat.
  
  Take a few minutes (or more) to practice these responses to hazardous events before driving your car. The time you put into adding these safety measures to your driving repertoire may well be the thing that brings you and your loved ones home from a simple Sunday drive.

Keeping your parts, your parts while traveling
Records show that severe injuries have and do occur while a driver or passenger allow their hand to 'float in the wind' outside of a moving car. It is a really neat feeling and even relaxing on long drives to play the 'flying hand game'. However it is recommended that you keep your limbs inside the car, thus keeping your parts, your parts and attached to the rest of you. Even if the worst does not happen (sudden limb amputation) a rock or debris can potentially strike you causing pain or a real injury.

This holds true for your pets as well. A dog loves to throw his snout into the rushing wind as it streams in at sixty miles an hour while traveling down the highway. This is an accident waiting to happen. Unless you have your pet fitted for a safety helmet, just don't allow it. Ask any motorcycle rider what it feels like to get struck in the face by a itsy-bitsy gnat at sixty-plus...even this tiny insect makes for a big impact. Anything larger and the outcome can be quite bad. So, just keep all of you, your passengers and pets inside your moving vehicle at all times!

Source:
http://k9keystrokes.hubpages.com/hub/CAR-CARE-FOR-WOMEN-easy-worry-free-tips

Steve Jobs is the co-founder, chairman, and CEO of Apple Inc. (formerly Apple Computer Inc.). With his then-partner Steve Wozniak, Jobs created the first computer -- Apple 1 in 1976. He left the company in 1985 and returned in 1996 to revolutionize how we consume media -- most recently with the introduction of the iPhone. He also founded Pixar Animation Studios, which was sold to Disney in 2006. Jobs is the Walt Disney Company's largest individual shareholder and a member of the board.

Steve Jobs is part of Business Exchange, suggested by Charles Dubow. This topic contains 1,151 news and 243 blog items. Read updated news, blogs, and resources about Steve Jobs. Find user-submitted articles and reactions on Steve Jobs from like-minded professionals.

Steve Jobs was born in San Francisco, California to Joanne Simpson and a Syrian father. Paul and Clara Jobs of Mountain View, California then adopted him. In 1972, Jobs graduated from Homestead High School in Cupertino, California and enrolled in Reed College in Portland, Oregon. One semester later, he had dropped out, later taking up the study of philosophy and foreign cultures.

Steve Jobs had a deep-seated interest in technology, so he took up a job at Atari Inc, then a leading manufacturer of video games. He struck a friendship with fellow designer Steve Wozniak and attended meetings of the “Homebrew Computer Club” with him.

After saving up some money, Jobs took off for India in the search of enlightenment. Once he returned, he convinced Wozniak to quit his job at Hewlett Packard to join him in his venture that concerned personal computers. They sold items like scientific calculators to raise the seed capital.

In 1976, Jobs and Wozniak founded Apple Computer in the Jobs family garage. The first personal computer was sold for $666.66. By 1980, Apple had already released three improved versions of the personal computer. It had a wildly successful IPO, which made both founders millionaires many times over.

A tiff with the Apple’s Board of Directors and John Scully led to Jobs’ resignation. Steve Jobs decided that he wanted to change the hardware industry. The company was called NeXTStep, which produced the NeXT Computer. The machine was a commercial washout but helped with future work in object-oriented programming, PostScript, and magneto-optical devices. Jobs returned to his original company after Apple acquired NeXT in 1996.

Steve Jobs also started Pixar, which has produced multiple blockbuster films, including Toy Story (1995); A Bug’s Life (1998); Toy Story 2 (1999); Monsters, Inc. (2001); Finding Nemo (2003); and The Incredibles (2004).

In 2004, Jobs was diagnosed with a malignant tumor in his pancreas, which was successfully treated.

Jobs resigned as CEO of Apple on August 24, 2011 and subsequently assumed the role of Chairman of the Board.

On October 5, 2011, Jobs passed away.

Source:
http://www.crunchbase.com/person/steve-jobs
http://bx.businessweek.com/steve-jobs/

PFS PLATINUM

BPCL’s Pure for Sure (PFS) initiative, launched almost a decade ago, has been a landmark initiative. PFS was extremely successful because it filled a clear consumer need for quality and quantity assurance at that point in time and afforded visible differentiation in customer experience. Though PFS still has a very high brand recall, the BPC team felt it is time to take the customer experience to another level.

In 2010, BPCL Retail SBU conducted comprehensive nationwide surveys and field visits to capture consumer preferences. Detailed surveys were conducted across 20 cities (large and small) across the country to understand what influence the customers fueling decision. BPC customers as well as OMC customers were interviewed. View was also sought from Dealers and Officers. The effort was aimed at identifying what we could offer to the customer to enhance his overall fueling experience.

Simultaneously visioning workshops were conducted with some of our best Dealers. These Dealers envisioned what they would like their outlets to look like and what kind of experience they would like to offer the customers.

The inputs from the discussions with the customers and the Dealers have been incorporated for building on the PFS Platinum offering.

Objective :

PFS Platinum is an enhanced version of PFS which will create differentiation for BPC. PFS Platinum is also intended to

1. Bridge the gaps that exist in customer needs and our current offerings
2. Take advantage of BPC’s technology and automation platforms (which are superior to those of competition)
3. Create differentiation amongst dealers and reward the best dealers by branding them differently. Dealer selection, certification and performance management will be rigorous to ensure they deliver consistently superior customer experience. These Dealers will be treated differently and will form a “BPC Elite Dealers Club”
4. It was also felt that the offerings at these ROs will constantly evolve and that the beginning will be made with simple standards

Elements of PFS Platinum :

PFS Platinum platform consists of 4 distinct elements

1. Hi-tech and environment-friendly offering
2. Enhanced customer facilities
3. Consistently superior service delivery
4. High quality look and feel of the outlets

PFS Platinum intends to fully leverage on BPCs technology capabilities. Some of the features are:

• Full quality and quantity assurance thru 100% automated fuelling and bills generated from data from the fuel tank, so that the customer is sure that he is billed only for what goes into his tank.
• Round the clock operations (fuel as well as air)
• Round-the-clock CCTV viewing thru internet of activities at the outlet by RO Team, Dealers and BPC Officers (this lead will also shortly be available to the customer).
• Clean toilets
• All manpower at these ROs is certified after a detailed training capsule.
• Emergency assistance like- Break down assistance, Accident assistance, Road side repair (on chargeable basis).
• All Credit Card & Debit Card transactions happen at the fore court.
• Separate branding to differentiate from others.
• Preference in loads and maintenance will be given to these ROs
• PFS Platinum ROs will make a conscious effort to drive ‘Green’ initiative and contribute their bit towards the environment.
• Offerings at these ROs will constantly evolve to suit the requirement of the customer e.g Soon SMS alert facility for fuel transaction will be available to all registered customers.

In the first phase Pure for Sure Platinum is being launched in 48 outlets in Delhi, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Pune. We plan to cover 500 Retail Outlets shortly.

This initiative will surely be the game changer for BPC and its network.