Things to consider before you buy AC

Today there are variety of Air Conditioners available in the market. Choosing a correct AC is very important. Incorrect choice will simply eat away your pockets with huge electricity bills. Through this article, I want to highlight some of the basic points which each one of us should consider before buying an AC.

Air conditioners come in four main types: window AC, through the wall AC, portable AC and central AC. Window AC are best for smaller places like residential units whereas for offices and bigger complexes, one should go for large central units.

Features to Consider:

1. It should have an adjustable thermostat.
2. At least two cooling speeds and two fan speeds.
3. Should be energy efficient. The fan should stop automatically when the unit is not cooling.
4. It should have an adjustable vent, and an exhaust vent setting which allows fresh air from outside.
5. Filters should be easy to remove and clean.
6. Warranty period.
7. Star Rating. Maximum star rating ensures best performance and cooling.
8. Higher EER (Energy Efficiency Ratio).
9. Room size where AC has to be installed. Choosing a high cooling capacity AC for a small room will only result in power wastage.
10. Location within the room where AC will be installed. This is also equally important as AC will offer much better cooling if placed in shady areas.

Technical terms One should be aware of:

• BTU - Energy is measured in British Thermal Unit (BTU). In context of AC, it signifies the amount of heat an AC unit can remove from the room. Generally for room AC, it varies from 5000 to 24000 BTUs.
• EER - The Energy Efficiency Ratio (EER) is calculated by dividing the BTUs by the number of watts consumed by the unit. High value means more efficient unit.
• Thermostat - It adjusts the temperature of the air that is being dispensed from the unit.

10 Tips to write Effective Articles on Blog

Many people ask me about how to write effective articles on Blog. Based on my personal experience and extensive search on internet, here are the basic tips one should follow while writing articles:

1. Choose a suitable Title. The title should clearly highlight the content of the blog. Not many people would read your article if title is not clear.
2. Choose topics which would interest your readers and not you. Try to choose topics which are constantly searched on the net.Once your blog appears in any search engine, no one can stop your blog to be famous. Read my article "5 Simple Tips to Drive traffic to your blog".
3. Keep important points in the beginning. This keeps the readers interested and glued to your article.
4. Keep the article simple and in point wise fashion. Make sure that the language used is simple. Don't try to show your language skills here.
5. Paragraphs should be short. No one is interested in reading long paragraphs. 2-3 sentences should be enough.
6. Provide as much information as possible to the readers. Provide other site's URL where readers can find related information.
7. Give specific examples and personal experiences to backup your points.
8. Use keywords which are more searched on the net. try to use them at as many places as you can.This will help your blog to appear in search engines.
9. Get opinion on your articles from your friends and colleagues.They are your best critics.
10. Involve your readers by asking opinions and suggestions from them.

I am sure if you follow these simple steps, you will be able to produce effective content for your blog/site.

Animation In Education

Animation has got a big role to play in Education field specially for kids/students. Its a well known fact that you learn things fast if learned through practicals or animations. A kid would understand a story better through a animation movie rather than reading through a book. A student would understand science fundamentals much better if learned through some animation rather than just cramming books. Also animation generates interest in students to  learn more.

Anything learned through animation has a long lasting effect and can be remembered for a long time. I am sure most of the students would forget what they learn through books soon after thier exams are over.  I have given very simple examples here. Animation can be even used to study difficult topics like VLSI, analog electronics or any other higher study course.

Recently I came to know about the various simulation applets on the University of Buffalo's site.
http://jas.eng.buffalo.edu/. It has various simulation applets related to semiconductor domain and once can learn all about semiconductor here through these wonderful animations. Animation makes things so easy to learn and remember.

There can be numerous fields where animation is being used . Still there is a huge scope in education especially for young kids who find very difficult to understand various scientific theorems and other basic fundamentals in their schools and they end up just cramming the things. This also has other negative effects like losing interest in studies which is really harmful for the young generation.

I would request my readers to share with us the various sources/links which can really help the kids and students in learning. Learning should be fun not a burden.

5 Simple Tips to Drive traffic to your Blog

There are thousands of articles available on the internet on this topic on various sites and each of them redirects you to other links to read articles and other stuff on SEO optimization etc. Based on my personal experience here are the 5 simple ways to drive traffic to your website/blog.

• Incoming Links: Let the search engine recognize your site. The idea is to make the search engine crawler find your site in some way. Leave your links on other popular sites. Let the traffic come to your site via popular sites.If the crawler finds the URL of your site while crawling a website, it will come to your site. More popular the site is, more relevant your site/blog becomes to the crawler. More the number of sources, more popular your site will become.
• Outgoing links: Have links to external world on your site. Crawler will decrease your ranking if it finds a dead end at your site. Make the user explore other sites as well by introducing external links.
• Appropriate/Freshness of Content:

              a) URL name should be unique.
              b) Provide a lot of metadata to the blog.
              c) Provide category to the blog.
              d) Use the keyword that you expect the user to search on net, at many places in your blog like Title, body, headings, category etc.
              e) Have interesting contents on your site to generate interest in people.

             Read my article 10 Tips to Write Effective Articles on Blog.

• Images : If you intend to put images, don't forget to provide alternate text for images.
• Exchange Links: Network with other bloggers to exchange links with each other to drive traffic on your blog. Networking really helps.

Don't be disheartened if you don't find traffic to your site initially. Making a site popular is not an easy task. It requires regular involvement and takes around 6-12 months to actually get the desired traffic on your site.So, have patience.

Just follow these 5 simple tips religiously and you will see increased traffic on your site.

Jaypee Aman, Noida

This is a township developed by Jaypee Greens in sector 151, Noida. Located along the Experssway and close to Greater Noida. They are first one in NCR to come up with the concept of Affordable Housing.

Personally, i didnt like anything in this project. I can only highlight the negative points here :)

• Location wise weird. Only village can be seen behind this project. Other than that, you will not find anything near this project. Totally inhabitable.Better buy something in Greater Noida.
• Room Sizes are really very small. All 10*10 or 10 *11 sizes.
• The launch price was very competitive (Rs2100 per sq ft). But considering its location, it does not deserve a higher price tag.
• The builder claims to have sold all the flats in one single day. Highly absurd talk.You talk with any property dealer and they will provide you as many options as you want.
• All bookings are done through property dealers. Direct dealing not possible.

If anyone has something to share, kindly leave a comment so that others are also benefitted.

Divine Meadows, Noida

This project is located in sector 108, Noida along the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway and developed  by Divine Meadows. I have never heard of this company before so I am assuming its their first ever project.

They are giving various options when it comes to floorplan.(980-1655 sq ft area). Here are few points which I would like to mention about this project according to my view:

• Location wise very good. Right along the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway.
• Few schools also nearby like Mayur School etc.
• Good connectivity with Delhi but only if you have your own vehicle. Forget about public transportation here.
• The builder is providing these flats at the rate of Rs. 3300 per sq ft and he claims it to be very Affordable.
• In few layouts, kitchen is right in front of the Toilet. Not compliant with Vastu .
• All rooms look decent enough in size. But one thing which one should not ignore is that in many rooms wardrobes are also included within the size mentioned. So, actual room size after wardrobe construction will be very less.
• Specifications wise doesnt look very attractive. All rooms have vitrified tiles flooring.Marble or wooden flooring in some would have been better.
• No woodwork provided in any of the rooms and kitchen. So, add this cost in your budget as well.
• Carpet to Super Area ratio not very good.
• Miscellaneous costs are really high.

Readers are welcome to post their views/comments.

Latest Property rates In Delhi-NCR

Last one year has seen a global recession in all sectors leave alone Realty. In USA, property rates have fallen by over 50%. Even in India, effects of recession could be witnessed and a considerable decline could be clearly seen in commercial/residential properties. Rentals of Commercial shops declined sharply and many shopkeepers decided to move their shops from expensive malls to affordable areas.

Inspite of the global meltdown, one area which has been more or less immune to the changes in Delhi-NCR. Not much change has  been witnessed in the property prices here. Its true that the rates have not increased but they have not fallen either. The rates have been stable for over a year now.

I have seen news channels reporting crash in property prices and lots of stuff about Affordable Housing. When you go out in the market, you dont see any change in the prices. There is no change in the rates of ready to move in properties. The rates have dropped only for new projects and that too are located in inhabitable areas. New societies are being developed along the Noida-Gr. Noida Expressway with the tag of Affordable Housing. If you see the present situation, they are completely isolated and totally inhabited. Either there is nothing around or you will see villages around the society.

I do not see these areas being fully developed and comfortable for living even in the next five years. Let the state government change and you will see less activities in this region. There is hardly any means of transport here.There is no means to cross the killer expressway. I agree that this will be a good region to invest in long term. But how Long? Noone knows.

The current rates along the Noida-Greater Noida Expressway is 2700-3000 per sq ft. Add to this all the miscellaneous charges like car parking, EEC, etc . This will amount to around 5-6 lakhs.

In Greater Noida, few projects have been launched at reduced rates, the latest being King's park by Todays Homes. They are offering flats at 2600 per sq ft. Ready to move in flats can be purchased at around 2600-2800 per sq ft (total package). In few projects you can get even in 2100 per sq ft,e.g(Plumeria Garden developed by Uppal Chaddha).

In Indirapuram, the latest rates are also almost the same. You can get complete package between 2700-3100 per sq ft. Even new launch projects are offering the same rates. This area ia already developed and the rates are not going to fall. It has huge advantages as it is connected to whole NCR.

In Noida too, few projects have been launched in sector 61 and they too are in the same price range.

Important:

•  Check the quality of materials being used by the builders. They are making a huge profit by giving low quality fixtures, tiles etc. e.g, just using ceramic tiles in place of vitrified tiles saves them a lot of money.Builders have started using inferior materials at these reduced rates.Check everything and bargain hard.
• Check for the credibility of the builder. Many builders have run away with our hard earned money.
• People with good bargaining skills will get the benefit. I have seen builders giving the same flat in different terms and conditions to different buyers.
• Builders will always say that there are only few flats left. Infact, they save the best located flats to sell in the end at higher prices. Only if you remain firm on your choice, they will get back to you in a day or two and offer you the same flat. I myself have experienced this.

When you can bargain for each and everything in the roadside market, why can't for a property which is your life time investment.? The property rates have gone out of reach of common man. Its time that we get value for money. Eldeco Utopia residents (Sector 93-A, Noida) have decided to fight against the builder after he failed to deliver what he promised. Look out for my article on this in coming days.

One thing that we fail to realise is that the rates will fall automatically if the builders do not  get any buyers. Let us restrain ourselves for few more months and see the price fall ourselves. Many builders are under huge cash debt and they are launching new projects to gather money and complete their old projects.Only God knows the future of such projects. Its better to go for ready to move in projects. So, think before you invest.

3C Lotus Boulevard, Noida

These apartments are being built by the 3C Company known for developing WIPRO campus, Gurgaon, PATNI Campus in Noida and others. This is their first residential project. Though they have proved a point in commercial projects, a lot remains to be seen how they handle the Residential projects.
3C Lotus Boulevard is located in sector-100, Noida close to the killer Noida-Greater Noida Expressway. This is one another project which seems to cash on the ongoing hype of Affordable Housing. They are providing houses in 987 sq ft(2BHK), 1075 sq ft(2BHK +study), 1267 sq ft(3BHK+servant room), 1464 sq ft(3BHK+servant room+toilet).

I have tried to find out the advantages and disadvantages of this project. Here are my views on this project:

Advantages:

• Prime Location in Noida. This will definitely fetch good returns in time to come.
• Affordable Price Tag. But the end user needs to decide if this is comfortable as well. For investors, definitely a good bet. For end users, make sure the house meets your requirements to atleast 60-70%. Dont just see the price tag. Houses are for comfortable living. So take your decision.
• Whatever fittings provided seems to be of good quality.
• Close to sec 37, metro station.
• Managed well to give out 3 BHK in less area.

Disadvantages:

• All bed rooms have wooden flooring. I personally would like to avoid wooden flooring as much as possible. They will not last for more than few years.
• All windows are of aluminium. These only add to the looks plus these are cheap for the builders. For safety, always prefer wooden framework.
• Ceramic tiles are used in many places instead of Vitrified tiles. Huge difference in cost between vitrified and ceramic tiles.
• No woodwork whatsoever. Be ready to spend another 3-4 lakhs on woodwork and iron work.
• In few floorplans, kitchen is right next to the toilets. All Vastu lovers, consult a Vastu expert before investing.

The latest rates in Noida for new projects is between 2700-3000 per sq ft. This is only the Base Price. Other miscellaneous charges will amount to around 5-6 lakhs. Some builders reduce the base price to lure the customers and increase the miscellaneous charges which includes EEC, Car Parking etc. So while purchasing the flat, find out what are the hidden/extra costs.
For pure investors, definitely a good project.
Please share your comments/experiences so that true information can be passed on to the readers.

Rate of Interest Calculation in Home Loan

Most people complain that their home loan rate of interest is not coming down with the rate cuts announced by the banks.What they fail to understand is the mathematics behind the calculation of rate of interest. Through this article, I would like to bring out the main points which affects the home loan rate of interest.The rate of interest in linked to the BPLR or the PLR of the bank.

What is BPLR?
The benchmark prime lending rate (BPLR), or the prime lending rate (PLR), is the rate at which the bank lends to prime borrowers. All retail loans are linked to the BPLR or the PLR. So, any change in it will affect the cost at which you take a loan from a bank.All the home loans are given relative to this BPLR.Whenever there is a change in the BPLR, your floating rate of interest will change.

Then why do customers complain that their interest rates are not falling?

The answer to this question is linked to the other factor which is called Discount or Spread by tha banks.Each bank offers home loan to its new customers by giving some discount relative to the existing BPLR.So, if current BPLR is say, 16% and the customer is offered a loan at the rate of 10%, the Discount/Spread offered to a customer 6%.This discount can vary from customer to customer at any point of time. This Discount is fixed for the complete Home Loan Duration.

Your rate of interest will change only if the BPLR changes.It will not change if the banks offer more Discounts to new customers. Normally, banks increase this discount portion from time to time without decreasing the BPLR.This is why, only new customers are benefitted.

So, if you have taken a loan at a time when this Discount portion is less, you will always end up as the loser. This is what happened with people in year 2004-05. They were offered loans at 6-7%. What they didint realise was that the existing BPLR at that time was either the same or very close to this rate. So, when the BPLR reached around 15% recently, their rate of ineterest also reached around this level.

Point to Learn:
Try to get a loan when the discount offered is more.I request the readers to kindly share their experiences here and also add more information so that everyone gets the full information.

The truth behind Affordable Housing

Affordable Housing is the new buzz mantra today in the reality sector. All developers are making hay in recession with the so called affordable housing.

I have been looking for a budget house for more than a year in Delhi-NCR. And not surprisingly, I could not find anything within my budget, thanks to the over hyped prices in NCR. It was almost impossible for a common man to purchase a house till these so called affordable houses were launched.

Many projects started in Noida of reputed builders like Jaypee, Amrapali, Divine Meadows, 3Cs and many others.

(I will write a detailed review of each of these projects in detail in my upcoming blogs. Here, I will cover the general points.)

Few questions immediately crossed my mind:

• Are these really a value for money?
• Is the consumer a real winner?
• Should we really go for it?

It was difficult to believe getting a 2/3 BHk house in such an interesting price. I was sure there is something fishy. I was also excited to see a 3BHk house within 30-35 lakhs and the next day I started my research and the results are as under:

1. The basic per sq ft rate has not changed much. To reduce the house cost, either we can reduce the rate per sq ft or the house area. The developers have opted for the latter. The basic sq ft rate have fallen but not to an extent to make it affordable for the common man. Check out the latest property rates in Delhi NCR.

2.It is only the house carpet/super area that has reduced not the per sq ft rate. We used to have a decent 3BHk in 1500-1800 sq ft range and a 2BHk in 1000-1300 sq ft area. But now, the developers are giving 3 BHk in 1000-1300 sq ft Area. Effectively, you are getting the area of 2 BHK in the name of a 3 BHK flat. Similarly, a 2 BHK now comes within 500-800 sq ft area.

3. The basic amenities in the new houses will be missing. The quality of material/fixtures is degraded.

4. All rooms are around 10*10 or 10*11 in size.
5. It is true that the common man has now an option to buy a 3BHk house in his range but he has to make a decision if he is comfortable living in a 10*10 or 10*11 size rooms. Some builders have even included the wardrobe space in the room space.
I personally don’t think it would be wise to go for this option as I prefer living in a house and not in a cage. I think the govt. should have forced builders to reduce the basic prices instead of the house area. A person buys a house to live comfortably and this is the basic requirement that is missing in these affordable housing.The end consumer has to decide whether to fall in this myth of affordable housing.Affordable Housing might be affordable but definitely not COMFORTABLE.

Aditya Mega City, Indirapuram

Aditya Mega City is a Residential Project in Indirapuram built by Agarwal Associates Group.

Agarwal Associates Group has handled many Residential as well as Commerical projects.
All the details can be found out at http://www.agarwalassociatesgroup.com/residential.htmlThis project has options from 2 BHK to penthouse. I will highlight the pros and cons of this project in brief:

Advantages:

• Good location.
• Good carpet to Super area Ratio. There are very few builders who provide good carpet area to super Area ratio.All the rooms are big and airy. Most importantly all rooms have big wardrobes. I had a look at the 1610 sq ft area flat, and looking at the wardrobe size, you dont need a store room separately.
• Good construction quality
• Good quality fixtures installed in the apartments.
• Aditya Mall right adjacent to the society. No need to go anywhere else for movies, shopping, household items. Big Bazaar is right here.

Disadvantages:

• Huge delay in handing over the posession. Posession was expected in Dec 2007 but all residents are still awaiting the posession. No clear dates available even today.
• All residents are furious with the builder and the same can be seen on the Orkut group of Aditya Mega City.
• Pace of work is too slow.
• Building area looks very crowded due to so many high rise towers.Lower floors can only dream of having sunlight. Open area like park looks very small compared to the number of flats in the society.
• Builder looks very ignorant of the allotees concerns.Refer the orkut group for such issues.

Current Expected Rate:
As per my research the final rate that you can get here is around 2700-2800 per sq ft and this includes all miscellaneous charges like car parking etc.

I was very much interested in buying a flat here but because of the uncertainity of the posession, I opted for a ready to move in society.

Through this blog, I just want to highlight the true facts and would request all the readers/apartment holders to put their comments/experiences so that others who are also looking for property in this society are benefitted.

Should HR use LinkedIn to shorlist candidates instead of Recruitment Agencies

Through this post I would like to highlight the growing current trend in many companies. Till now, all the companies pay huge amounts to recruitment agencies for finding suitable candidates for their respective companies. The recruitment agencies in turn provide the comapanies with the CV's of candidates through its strong reach and charge a huge sum from the company if the candidate is selected.

Why can't the company HR use LinkedIn to find candidates?
Today almost every professional has a profile on LinkedIn. The company HR can easily find suitable candidates for the required profiles by searching on LinkedIn. Infact many companies have started using LinkedIn for shortlisting candidates. I never took LinkedIn seriously but I changed my mind when I got few interview calls through LinkedIn. This trend is not yet very popular but I am sure this is going to gain popularity in coming years.

One point that can go against my view is that not everyone has a LinkedIn profile. I agree with them but at the same time I am sure, once this trend becomes popular everyone will be forced to have a LinkedIn profile. Infact this is the whole purpose of LinkedIn, to link all professionals together. Then why do we need a Third Party to link two professionals?

Why pay a huge amount when you yourself have access to thousands of profiles?
Its not far when companies will realize this and switch to use LinkedIn for recruitment. The golden period of Recruitment agencies will soon end in coming years.This is definitely going to help the companies in cost cutting measures as well. Ofcourse, for this to happen, the HR will have to take some pains.

Reader's views are very important and I request all my readers to provide their valuable comments/suggestions.

Reasons to Hate Your Boss

The most popular reasons to hate your boss are:

1. Technically incompetent. Talks only rubbish.
2. Spend all of his time looking at the stock market ups and downs.Discusses them aloud with other colleagues.
3. Always have some reason to complain.
4. Devotes his time surfing internet.
5. Will ask for status every now and then.Always have some reason or the other to disturb you.
6. Takes credit for the work done by you.
7. Force his decision to be implemented even if he is wrong.
8. Always try to monitor your PC.
9. Gives no increment and promotion and will say its good we are not laying you off.
10. Never tries to get good work for the team. Happy with monotonus work for the team.
11. Never interested in your career growth.
12. Biased towards particular gender.
13. Not a good listener. Always try to force his opinion.
14. Believes in Favouritism.
15. Will make you work day and night by giving a false deadline.

There will be many other reasons which each one of us would like to share. If you are also a part of Hate Your Boss Community, please share your reasons/views with the world.

Importance of having alternative source of income

How Can I earn something Extra?
This is the question which comes across every person every now and then.And in times of recession this question carries even more significance.Each one of us wants to have financial freedom which means we are able to lead our normal lives even if we loose our job or suffer huge loss in business.

Having an alternative source of income helps us to cope with tough times. Imagine running huge amount of loans and one fine day you loose your job or suffer loss in business. Can i lead my normal life and support my family, my expenses? The answer is a clear "No".
Many people suffer in recession just because of this.Only then they realize the importance of having financial freedom.

Having alternative income lets you build a corpus which frees you from all financial worries in tough times.

Is there any Work from Home Option available?
You will find hundreds of sites on the net claiming work from home and earning around 1000$ per month. But almost all of them are fake and they just cheat people by taking some initial amount which they call as joining fees. The moment you join, they will all disappear. I myself tried to find some genuine site which can let you earn from home but failed to find even a single site.

Blogging is one way to earn extra from home. No investment required.But the tough thing is to maintain its popularity.Once you are able to attract traffic, you can get advertisers to post ads on your site.I know poeple who earn a handsome amount by writing just blogs.

If anyone knows other work from home options, then kindly post them on this blog through your valuable comments.This blog is only for the readers so that anyone trying to get information on any topic is able to find everything on the same page.So, I request all my readers to provide their valuable comments.

All About Swine Flu

What is SWine Flu?

•Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by Type A influenza viruses that causes regular outbreaks in pigs.
•Swine flu viruses have been reported to spread from person-to-person, but in the past, this transmission was limited and not sustained beyond three people.


Is the current swine flu virus contagious?

•Various international agencies (US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, World Health Organization) have determined that this swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is contagious and is spreading from human to human.
•WHO has escalated the world Pandemic Phase from Phase 3 to Phase 4 (in a 6-scale Phase), indicating that a worldwide pandemic due to swine flu H1N1 is possible.


What are the signs and symptoms of swine flu in people?

•The symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.
•Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. In the past, severe illness (pneumonia and respiratory failure) and deaths have been reported with swine flu infection in people.
•Like seasonal flu, swine flu may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions.


How does swine flu spread?

•Spread of this swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is thought to be happening in the same way that seasonal flu spreads.
•Flu viruses are spread mainly from person to person through coughing or sneezing of people with influenza.
•Sometimes people may become infected by touching something with live flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose.


How are human infections with swine influenza diagnosed?

•To diagnose swine influenza A infection, a respiratory specimen would generally need to be collected within the first 4 to 5 days of illness (when an infected person is most likely to be shedding virus).
•However, some persons, especially children, may shed virus for 10 days or longer.
•Identification as a swine flu influenza A virus requires sending the specimen to a hospital laboratory for testing.


How can someone with the flu infect someone else?

•Infected people may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 7 or more days after becoming sick.
•That means that you may be able to pass on the flu to someone else before you know you are sick, as well as while you are sick.


How long can an infected person spread swine flu to others?

•People with swine influenza virus infection should be considered potentially contagious as long as they are symptomatic and possible for up to 7 days following illness onset.
•Children, especially younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer periods.


Is there a vaccine for Pandemic Flu?

•Because the virus is new, there will be no vaccine ready to protect against pandemic flu.
•Vaccine against Swine Flu virus H1N1 needs at least 6-12 months to be produced.
•Seasonal flu vaccine or past flu immunization will not provide protection.


Are there medicines to treat swine flu?

•Yes. The US CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir (Tamiflu®) or zanamivir (Relenza®) for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with these swine influenza viruses. To be taken only if prescribed by Doctor.
•Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaler) that fight against the flu by keeping flu viruses from reproducing in your body.
•If you get sick, antiviral drugs can make your illness milder and make you feel better faster. They may also prevent serious flu complications.
•For treatment, antiviral drugs work best if started soon after getting sick (within 2 days of symptoms).


What surfaces are most likely to be sources of contamination?

•The virus can be spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with the virus and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.
•Droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person move through the air. The virus can then be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets from another person on a surface like a desk, doorknob, child’s toy or phone handset and then touches their own eyes, mouth or nose before washing their hands.

How long can viruses live outside the body?

•We know that some viruses and bacteria can live 2 hours or longer on surfaces like cafeteria tables, doorknobs, and desks.
•Frequent handwashing will help you reduce the chance of getting contamination from these common surfaces.

What can I do to protect myself from getting sick?

•Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
•Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
•Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. The virus can spread this way.
•Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
•If you get sick with influenza, stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.


What is the best way to keep from spreading the virus through coughing or sneezing?

•If you are sick, limit your contact with other people as much as possible. Do not go to work or school if ill.
•Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick. Put your used tissue in the waste basket.
•Cover your cough or sneeze if you do not have a tissue. Then, clean your hands, and do so every time you cough or sneeze.

What is the best technique for washing my hands to avoid getting the flu?

•Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs. Wash with soap and water or clean with alcohol-based hand cleaner.
•When you wash your hands -- with soap and warm water -- that you wash for 15 to 20 seconds. When soap and water are not available, alcohol-based disposable hand wipes or gel sanitizers may be used. You can find them in most supermarkets and drugstores.
•If using gel, rub your hands until the gel is dry. The gel doesn't need water to work; the alcohol in it kills the germs on your hands.

What should I do if I get sick?

•If you live in areas where swine influenza cases have been identified and become ill with influenza-like symptoms, including fever, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, or vomiting or diarrhea, you may want to contact their health care provider, particularly if you are worried about your symptoms. Your health care provider will determine whether influenza testing or treatment is needed.
•If you are sick, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people as much as possible to keep from spreading your illness to others.
•If you become ill and experience any of the following warning signs (next 2 slides), seek emergency medical care.


In children emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

•Fast breathing or trouble breathing
•Bluish skin color
•Not drinking enough fluids
•Not waking up or not interacting
•Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
•Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
•Fever with a rash

In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

•Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
•Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen
•Sudden dizziness
•Confusion
•Severe or persistent vomiting


Household Cleaning, Laundry, and Waste Disposal

•Throw away tissues and other disposable items used by the sick person in the trash. Wash your hands after touching used tissues and similar waste.
•Keep surfaces (esp bedside tables, surfaces in the bathroom, children’s toys, phone handles, doorknobs) clean by wiping them down with a household disinfectant according to directions on the product label.
•Linens, eating utensils, and dishes belonging to those who are sick do not need to be cleaned separately, but importantly these items should not be shared without washing thoroughly first.
•Wash linens (such as bed sheets and towels) by using household laundry soap and tumble dry on a hot setting. Avoid “hugging” laundry prior to washing it to prevent contaminating yourself. Clean your hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand rub right after handling dirty laundry.
•Eating utensils should be washed either in a dishwasher or by hand with water and soap.

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swine_influenza
http://pediatrics.about.com/od/swineflu/a/409_symptoms.htm

Can E-Learning transform the education system?

E-Learning is the new concept emerging rapidly in today's education industry. E-learning refers to web based distance learning with no face to face interaction.

E-learning is a very good concept as it allows a person to learn from anywhere in the world and it provides complete flexibility in terms of time as well. Today, abundant information is available on almost every subject and one can gain knowledge on any subject sitting comfortably at home.
One can think of having E-Schools in near future. Imagine doing a course from foreign university sitting in India.
E-schools can help to take the best of education to even the remotest part of the country. Students in villages will have access to world class study material at affordable rates and classroom sessions can be done through videoconferencing or any other suitable means.The students will save a lot on fees and simultaneously have access and interaction with quality teachers in big cities/metros.
This concept can be extended to even coaching classes and other degree courses. The institutes will also save money as they dont need to have expensive infrastructure.
Also it will be good for the environment as this eliminates the need to paper material thereby saving lots of trees.
Any enterpreneur thinking in this direction?

Creating new IITs

Is the step of converting existing engineering colleges into IITs a step in the right direction?

This question has constantly hovered over my mind. Recently, the HRD ministry took a decision to convert many REC's and other engineering colleges into IITs. But has this step excited the aspiring student community? The answer is both yes and no.

My reasons for the same:

1. Do the new colleges have the same infrastructure and quality teachers as existing IITS? The answer is that many of them dont and they just cannot be compared to the existing IITs. The correct step would have been to first upgrade the infrastructure in these colleges and when they reach a standard comparable to IITs, the conversion to IIT should have taken place.
2. Will the student be willing to join the new IITs? I recently heard that many students have refused to join new IITs and infact opted for other RECs. This clearly shows the trend. Just having the IIT tag is not enough. It is also important to have the same quality as that of existing IITs.
3. I strongly believe that the conversion to IIT for some colleges is justified like IT-BHU, Roorkee college of Engineering and others whcih have been producing world class engineers. But we should be careful in selection of colleges to be converted to IITs as too many IITs will definitely make the IIT tag dilute and the existing image will also degrade.
4. Will the foreign universities accpet students from new IITs with same respect and recognition?I dont think this will happen till the new ones reach the standard maintained by the IITs.
5. Students will benefit in the sense that they now can have an IIT tag associated with them.For good students , this will definitely help in finding good jobs. Earlier companies would prefer an IITian over other college students if both are at same level. But this will help only if these colleges consistently produce talented pool of engineers.

If we convert every REC to an IIT, the image maintained by IIT will tarnish and people will start pointing fingers towards IITs. Even students will loose interest in joining IITs.