Copying in Examinations or Mass Copying

Mass copying in examinations is a universal phenomenon these days.  Many students even consider it their birth right. Copying has become widespread in examinations. The authorities find it difficult to control it. Be it a school, a college or a university examination centre, the examinees vie with each other in copying the answers. There are … Read more

Essay writing topics Child Labour in India

essay writing topics

Child Labour in India

Children are the wealth of a nation. They are the citizens of tomorrow. The future prosperity of a nation lies in them. It is they who are going to control and rule the nation in all spheres of its activity. So the prosperity, well-being, and social, economic and moral progress of a nation depends to a great extent on how children are brought up.

  But the case of India with regard to the well-being of her children is far from satisfactory. Child labour is a common feature in India. Even as the country is on the threshold of the 21st century, thousands of her children still spoil their career in unhygienic factories and hotels and also in smuggling and other anti-social activities. Child labour is one, of the major evils of urbanization and industrialization. It is common because of its easy availability and cheapness. In India there is a vast population, but not enough employment. Unemployment is acute among the youth. Even then child labour is practiced by exploiters.

The main reason for child labour is poverty. Poor parents often have many children in their families. They believe that the greater the number of children, the higher will be the income of the family. Instead of sending the children to school, poor parents send them out for work. The second reason for child labour is ignorance and illiteracy. Illiterate parents do not realize that they are spoiling the career of their children by sending them to work. The third reason for child labour is its easy availability and cheapness. The employers pay only very small wages to the children, and thus they become rich by clever exploitation.

Children are the future builders of the nation. They are the real asset of the nation. One can see a number of children in the age group of 5 to 10 working in hotels, factories and other places for a petty salary. Thousands of children work in match-box companies, cracker-making companies and presses in Sivakasi in Tamil Nadu. They are paid from Rs.2 to Rs.5 for a day’s work. They spoil their health and career by working under unhygienic and dangerous conditions. Gradually they become a liability to the nation.

essay writing topics

Childhood is the blooming period of man. Each child has a right to get the facilities of childhood. It is a delicate age. The experiences of childhood have a great impact on one’s future life. The future course of life will be determined to a large extent from the training got in his childhood. A child should have sources of recreation and enjoyment, opportunities for education, healthy food and good clothes to wear. Only then he will grow and develop into a useful citizen.   Child labour destroys the creativity of a child. Poverty drives many children to resort to anti-social activities also. Many of them grow as criminals. Later they may turn into smugglers and drug carriers, and thus become a menace to the nation.

Child labour is a social and economic evil. Most of the child labour is actually bounded labour. It makes the children pessimistic.  It causes adult unemployment also. The government and social reformers have raised their voice against this evil practice. There are laws to prevent child labour.  However, these laws are not implemented property.  Unless and until effective measures are taken to prevent this social evil, the country will lose her vigour and vitality.

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Essay writing Topics Books and Reading

essay writing topics

Books Are Friends or Books and Reading

Knowledge knows no bounds. Reading books contributes to the enrichment of our knowledge in-terms of human experience and information. Happy is the man who acquires the habit of reading when he is young. Books are for him a life-long source of pleasure, instruction and inspiration. He never feels lonely because he has books as his beloved friends. He always has a pleasant use of his leisure so that he never feels bored. He is in possession of a wealth more precious than gold. Books are treasuries, not filled with gold, silver and precious stones, but with knowledge, noble thoughts and high ideals.

Regular reading keeps our knowledge up-to-date about the happenings in the world. If we stop the habit of reading, then we are like fish out of water. Books are our trusted guides. They enlighten us and give us the knowledge we lack. As we should choose only good friends, so we should choose only good books. Some books are cheap and misleading. We should not read such books. Good books increase our knowledge, give us good vocabulary and we learn the language better. Who can give us so much knowledge in such a short period of time?

Books give us the highest pleasure, provided we choose the right kind of books. Some books like novels and stories are read simply for pleasure and amusement. They bring relaxation to a tired brain. There are many books on history, philosophy, religion, travel and science which we ought to read. Such serious readings will give us not only pleasure, but valuable education. Poetry transports us into a world of noble thoughts and imagination.

essay writing topics

We should make reading a regular habit. The first thing to do is to become a member of a library. Then we should make it a habit to choose good books from it. Knowledge once gained can never be lost. Opportunities may not always wait for us. So, students must make reading books a habit. Reading gives a person great pleasure, trains his mind, makes him think and teaches him much. Books are the most faithful of friends. Our friends may change or die, but books are always waiting patiently to give us company.

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Essay Writing – War and Peace on a new outlook

The world has witnessed many wars right from the days of the Ramayana and Mahabharata. The Ramayana was a story of victory over the evil elements in society. The story was on a war over the evil elements in the society. Though the story was on a war over the abduction of a pretty woman ‘sita’, who was considered divine, because of her extraordinary noble virtues like patience, love, faithfulness to her husband and loving care for her relatives, the Ramayana is full of morals that are eternally valid. Lakshmana’s devotion to her brother Rama, Bharatha’s devotion to his brother, Dasaratha’s rule over his kingdom strictly following highly sacred ethical rules, his loving care for his subjects explain how a human being should live according to the age-old norms of morality, how a kingdom should be ruled.

The story of the Mahabharatha depicts the war fought between the Pandavas and the Kauravas over a dispute arising over the possession of a kingdom. Enmity, anger, hate have been the cause of many wars. King Ashoka turned a piece-lover after seeing the large scale destruction caused by the Kalinga war. He embraced Buddhism, the religion of non-violence and began a life of service to society. Wars have also been fought between a Chola king and a Pandya king, between a Pandya king and a Chera king and the woeful, large scale destruction of properties and people cannot be adequately described in words. These wars took place years back and we know of these wars only from the pages of history and through inscriptions. There were wars fought with arrows. The soldiers were riding on elephants, camels and horses.

  The world has been the scene of devastating wars of colossal carnage resulting out of the most destructive battles between one nation and another just because a powerful nation unable to brook a small nation’s intransigence to its dictates wants to wreak vengeance on the weak, small nation. Enmity, anger and hate between two nations victimize innocent, poor, famished people who are utterly shocked suddenly by the unexpected destruction of their small property and the death of their close, beloved relatives who may be the breadwinners. Wars extending to several years have caused untold damages to life and property. In a natural calamity in the twinkle of an eye there is mass destruction. The estimates increase the death-toll and in a war the destruction of properties and human lives excel that following a natural calamity. Wars and natural calamities are the causes of destruction of vast areas and people’s life.

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Essay Writing – Vocational Education

It is viewed that education is at the cross roads now. The lack of employment opportunities for nth educated emphasizes that our education. Particularly, the arts and science degree courses are not employment-oriented. A degree holder is midway between a specialist and a student who has completed high school education. His educational base is shaky as he is not master of any subject but who has picked up the rudiments of a subject. So his educational qualification is not meritorious enough to suit the high requirements of the numerous-technology-based institutions. So in the present situation what is needed is promotion of education in a subject which is employment oriented. Even diploma courses in sciences like computer, engineering or information technology will be of help to students.

Nowadays most banks insist on first class graduates and many students who pass the degree courses have just the minimum pass marks. Candidates who sit for competitive examinations find it very difficult to fare well in the examination because the questions are tough. For recruitment in many institutions candidates who apply for jobs are expected to have scored high marks in the school or college examinations and fare well in group discussions with the top officers. Institutions have mushroomed everywhere offering degrees in engineering and medicine. For thousands of graduates rolled out every year the employment opportunities are quite few. This is the pathetic situation of today.

The educational system of today lays emphasis on technical skills. Keeping in mind the pace of growth of society we must add vocational courses in schools and colleges. A vocational course is a practical course of training in a particular profession that gives candidates skills in performing a technical or non-technical job efficiently and effectively. The goal of education is mainly to seek good employment. High school education or a degree does not help students to get jobs which fetch them good salary. Nowadays even degree holders with no specialized training in a technical or non-technical subject having tried for good jobs ultimately accept a small job in a Government or private institution.

Students should plan their educational course aiming at securing good jobs. However, financial problems of some students do not allow them to pursue higher education. Today banks offer loans to deserving students and with the assistance of banks students can study engineering courses or join of medical colleges. The academic institutions are too demanding and expect the students to study well and score very high marks. Students who get high ranks in examinations have the chance of being recruited for jobs in banks, government officers or in other private offices.

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Essay Writing – The Vagaries of Corruption

As the disease of cancer eats into the vitals of a human being, so does the cancer of corruption into the vitals of society. Corruption is thus comparable to cancer. Corruption has many denotations all of  which signify the most evil and the abhorrent. Corruption is widespread moral deterioration, corruption is use of corrupt practices, especially bribery or fraud, corruption is irregular alteration of a text, language etc., from its original state, corruption is decomposition. It is bribery that illegal gratification of a person who has shown favor by allotting something requires urgently. It is a pity that one cannot secure his rights just by guaranteed by the constitution without gratifying the avarice of some corrupt people. Corruption plays an important role in our social life and it has spread its vicious tentacles everywhere. Corruption is rampant in all walks of life.

Instances of corruption have rocked the nation now and then. The general feeling is that ministers, politicians and bureaucrats join hands in promoting corruption. Corruption has become a chain reaction and this means that the person at the lowest administrative level passes on a percentage of the bribe to persons higher up. Money given as bribe to a petty official changes hands till a certain percentage of it reaches at higher level. This is no concoction. How is it that bureaucrats with affixed income become multimillionaire? If you list the financial scandals and incidents of corruption in India in some decades they may number thousands. It is surprising that many officers and politicians who get involved in corruption go scot-free.

A world survey places India far down in the list of countries with a continuing history of corruption and yet we cannot be proud that India is not as corrupt as some other countries, especially the Scandinavian countries, where corruption is a common phenomenon. Bribing is but one aspect of the wide–tentacled Monster of Corruption. The financial Scandals in banks which are the custodians of people’s hard-earned money should be condemned outright. Such scandals make bring us to a pathetic state of affairs. If bureaucrats at the highest level are corrupt and cheat the gullible public, it should be said that the country’s position is at a low ebb.

It is shocking to realize that the Government contractors who finish some building projects, or erect some plants have to pay a certain amount to get their bills passed. A certain percentage of their profit goes to the clerk and other officers who are responsible for passing the bills. In the court premises there are many who have to be bribed if at all a legal matter is to be settled well. Nowadays admission to some schools, colleges, technical institutions and medical colleges is done by paying a heavy amount as bribe. Many politicians including ministers hold the record of being past criminals with a history of murders and corrupt practices. How can they ever be trusted?   The evil of corruption is to be wiped out from the face of the society if at all peace and righteousness to be preserved.

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Essay Writing – The Role of Newspapers

The news paper has become the common man’s window to the events happening around the world. A modern educated man cannot enjoy his morning cup of tea until he has the morning’s paper before him. It brings him news and views from all corners of the world. In modern times, news papers are considered to be the givers of information, news and views.

The primary function of newspaper is to provide information of all kinds. A successful newspaper caters to all kinds of readers-scientists, sportsmen, cinema fans, politicians, businessmen, lawyers and jobless workers anxiously looking up advertisements columns. It widens one’s knowledge and keeps one in touch with the advances made in the fields of science, education, medicine and technology. Besides their informative character, newspapers possess literary value. Articles by well-known writers, commentaries by great men, book reviews by able critics all fine their way into newspapers.

Newspapers are a very powerful means of a propaganda. The editorials and leading articles in a newspaper have great effect on its readers. Next in importance are the letters to the editor. These highlight for some problem and ask for immediate action. Most of the newspapers carry sports news every day. There are also columns on agriculture, education, industry and finance on fixed days of the week. Newspapers help in creating among the readers the spirit of goodwill and mutual understanding with other nations of the world.

Newspapers form and mould public opinion. They contain a lot of useful information regarding national and international events in political, social economic, scientific, religious and literary fields. The public remain in constant touch with the leading events in the world. Newspapers also mobilize public opinion on national issues and thus help in mass education. They make people aware of their duties and rights.

In a democracy, newspapers keep the people informed of the programs and policies of the government. Similarly, they keep the government informed of the desires, wishes, grievances, suggestions, and opinions of the people. Thus they bridge the gap between government and people. Newspapers have great educational value too. The latest reports regarding the researches made in science, discoveries made in various fields are published by them. The ideas and thoughts of famous thinkers, writers, poets, philosophers and scientists find expression in the newspapers. Newspapers find a very important role in the reconstruction and regeneration of a country by eradicating social, moral and economic evils prevailing in the society.

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Essay Writing – The Problems of Old Age

Old age is an integral part of human life. It is the evening of life. It is an unavoidable life, unwelcome and problem, ridden phase of life. Every one wish to live a long life, but not to become old it is ironical that however undesirable is the old age, it is bound to come in life. A man is compelled to go through the pain and pleasures of this age like the other phases of life before making an exit from this mortal world.

An old man is full of experiences and even the experiences and even though experiences are of immense help to the younger generation, he is upon an unwanted burden. He himself is caught in a terrible feeling of redundancy. Thinking of old age visions of loneliness and neglect emerge in the mind. The picture becomes all the more awesome with failing health and illness. A sense of despair glooms over all his pleasant feelings. Though it is true that no stage of life has its ever smooth sailing and every stage has its attendant problems, those of old age are more difficult and insurmountable because the physical strength and mental capability required to cope up with the adverse situations of life are immensely reduced. The situation becomes all the more difficult when one finds himself/ herself left alone without anyone to attend him.

Indeed loneliness and neglect associated with old age is a rather a recent phenomenon. It is the outcome of break up of the tradition of joint family system. Growing urbanization and fast moving modern life have contributed to the problem. Furthermore, the erosion of moral values has also aggravated the situation. Earlier, when life was simpler and values counted for more, those who reached a ripe old age held an enviable place in society where they could really release and enjoy the twilight years of life. They commanded great respect, regard, love and attention and were taken as source of inspiration, guidance and experience for the younger generation. These words of Elbert Hubbard are true to the situation, “where parents do too much for their children, the children will do not much for themselves.”

Every phase of life has its own problems which require which require prudence, wisdom courage and strength to attend to. In childhood and youth one has parents and other close elderly kith and kin to help, cooperate and guide. Besides, he himself has a lot of energy, strength, stamina and courage. But the situation takes a reverse turn in the old age. For his every work he needs someone to help. He becomes dependent on others largely due to his physical infirmity. He is, in fact, filled with a feeling of emotional insecurity.” He wants someone to take care of his needs helps from someone. But in this materialistic society, everybody is short of time. The problem gets accentuated especially as the world ceases to have any resemblance to what the elderly were accustomed to and changes at a bewildering pace with every passing moment.

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Speech Topics – Issues Relating to Rising Prices

At present, India is faced with a host of problems of proportions urgency, and the problem of rising prices is one of the most serious serious problems that our country is confronted with. In the last five years or so, prices have been rises at a galloping pace. It is now the major national problem and it has eclipsed all other issues before the country. The problem is two fold to check further rise and, if possible, to bring the prices down.

 There are many causes for the rising prices. Economists are of the opinion that the growing economy of the country has given rise to the rising prices. Such an economy causes inflation. During inflation, purchasing power runs ahead of purchasable goods. In other words, the supply of money increases at once, but the supply of goods takes time to increase. During inflation hoarding taking place. This further accelerates the pace of prices. The home cost of goods increases. Foreign buyers will not be attracted to buy such goods. The result is that the foreign market is lost and much foreign exchange is lost. “The  value of currency falls”.

  Another cause for the rapid price rise is increase in population. This has further increased inflation. The production of goods is increasing slowly. The current consumption of goods is increasing because of population growth, resulting in price rise is that the production of consumption goods has been very slow. Higher targets were set to be achieved in defence and development. No considerations were given to the existing state of economy. The pressure on real resources has been increasing. The long-term projects have not yet borne fruit. But there has been investment has resulted in high prices. Yet another reason for rising prices is that the system of government such as ours is liable to inflation. Restraint cannot often be imposed on spending.

  What are the effects of rising prices? During periods of rising prices, the rich get richer and the poor poorer. The rich own the means of production. They pay the labourers handsomely. But they take back with left hand what they give with the right. The cost of goods swells up and the prices rise. Rising prices encourage hoarding, profiteering, black-marketing and corruption. They discourage export. They cause devaluation of currency. They also seriously disrupt the equitable distribution of wealth.

  Both long-term and short-term measures are to be adopted to check rising prices. These measures include an appeal mixed with threat to the sellers, raids on hoards, the seizing of black money, the cut of Rs.400 crores in central expenditure, the increase in bank rates to 5%, the opening of fair-price shops, the rationing of provisions, the import of food grains.

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Speech Topics – Disaster Management

Disaster is a common phenomenon in a human society. Man has experienced it since time immemorial. Though its form may be varied, it has been a challenge to society culture across castes, creeds, communities and countries. The latest development which has been discovered in the World Disaster have increased in frequency and intensity. People are becoming more and more vulnerable to disasters of all types, including earthquake, flood, cyclones, landslides, droughts, accidents, plane crashes, forest fires etc.

With technological advancement and progress, the force of disasters is also changing. When they occur they over power all preparedness and eagerness of society and pose bigger challenges. This is quite true in case of developed and developing countries. The floods in UK, France and heat wave in Europe, particularly in France in 2003. Claimed more than 35000 lives. In the year 2006, USA had to face bigger disaster in the form of tornadoes and cyclones which caused great loss to lives and prosperity. All these prove that technological mechanisms are inadequate to combat disasters.

There is a correlation between higher human development and higher preparedness. Countries which have lower human development and higher preparedness. Countries which have lower human development are more vulnerable to risks of disasters and damage. Of all the disasters, floods are the most common followed by wind storms, droughts and earthquakes. But the drought is the deadliest disaster which accounts for 48 per cent of all deaths from natural disasters. In Asia, the highest number of people dies from disasters. India, China and Bangladesh are the worst affected countries by floods. Besides the natural disasters, transport accidents and technological mishaps are also faced by many developing countries.

India due to its geographical peculiarities, is a highly disaster prone nation. Its long coastline, snow clad high peaks, high mountain ranges, the perennial rivers in the north all combine to add to this problem. India, which has only two per cent the total geographical area, has to support 16 per cent of the total world population. Hence there is a tremendous pressure on nature which directly or indirectly leads to the occurrence of disasters including floods, droughts, landslides, earthquakes etc.

Like human population, India has to support large cattle population, which heavily   depends on biomass and graze into forest areas. The forest cover with more than 0.4 density is 13 per cent of the land area, though forest, at present is 23 per cent. Due to overgrazing the quality of soil is also degrading thus resulting in soil erosion, silting or rivers, removal or fertile soil and heavy silting of cultivable land. We see heavy rainfall during the monsoon, sometimes 100 cm rain in 36 hours or getting the whole monsoon rain two to three days like the ones in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Kolkata. Disaster management has assumed great importance in recent times. To handle the situation efficiently, we need to be well-equipped with latest technologies. It cannot avert the situation, but can very well mitrigate its sufferings.

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Essay writing on Children – Promises of the Future

The wealth of a nation is dependent not merely on its economic and natural resources but it lies more on the kind and quality of the wealth of its children and youth. They are the creators and of a nation’s tomorrow. The children of today will be adults of tomorrow. Today’s students will be tomorrow’s lawyers, doctors, engineers, teachers, leaders and activists. Their quality and personality will determine the kind of destiny that beckons the nation.

It, therefore, becomes mandatory for every nation and every society to look after the children well. It is the responsibility of the adults to direct the children in the desired direction. The youth of a nation is a power-house. They have boundless energy and enthusiasm to mould the destiny of the nation. This infinite storehouse of energy has to be properly explored and utilized. The youth has to be named to use their talents and abilities in constructive ways and render help in nation-building and strengthening of it. Without harnessing this vast store of energy, a nation and a society cannot think of developing economically, politically, socially and intellectually. The best way to engage the youth into playing such a constructive role is to educate them with proper training in the desired direction.

If a society is careless and carefree about its children and fails to educate them in a productive manner, then the society is in danger. The trees and flowers of a garden have to be trimmed in order to make it look beautiful and appealing. Otherwise the plants and bushes will go haywire and spoil the beauty of the garden failing to bring out proper blossoms. Similarly a child has to be pruned of its baser instincts and trained in a proper manner in order to prepare to be beneficial to society. If proper and timely attention in not paid to the grooming of the youth, it would become unproductive.

For this, society should provide its youth with the right kind of education. The education provided should be progressive, in keeping with the needs of the society. Proper facilities and a conductive environment should be provided for fostering sound values among children. Stress should be on all round development of personality. Academics should be taken care along with adequate emphasis on sports, technical areas and other fields as per the interests of students. The government also does a lot to help build its youth into anchors of tomorrow. It provides many facilities regarding education, health care, sport, creative areas etc.

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Essay writing Topics – Self Discipline

‘Discipline’ means systematic training, especially of the mind and character, aimed at producing self control and obedience to regulations and authorities, The word may also mean self control resulting from such training. When we are very young, discipline is imposed on us by our parents and teachers. This early training is a necessary phase in the moulding of character. Its objective is to help us to develop into good and responsible adults. This imposed discipline must gradually guide and lead us develop to self-discipline or self-control. And self-control makes difference between a barbarian and a civilized human being.

Self control is the control exercised by a person on himself in his behaviour and in his thoughts, words, and deeds, restraining these from straying from the path of moral rectitude and integrity. Thus a self-disciplined person is one who will never delibrately violate the laws of God who will never delibrately hurt the feelings or legitimate interests of his fellow men and women, who cultivates good manners in his dealings with others. In short, he is a person who controls all his inborn evil inclination, which, unfortunately, all human beings have. He is, therefore absolutely incorruptible. He never neglects his duties towards God, towards his fellow men and women, or towards himself.

Self discipline is self-conquest, which is the greatest of all conquests. This is also the most difficult of all conquest, but its fruits are exceedingly beneficial. It brings us freedom from slavery to bad habits, and bestows on us the freedom of the children of God. Discipline is absolutely necessary for an orderly society. Without it social life becomes impossible. No nation can flourish, or even survive, except on the foundation of individual and social discipline. The greatest threat to India today is the extinction of sense of discipline among the people, and especially among the politicians.

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Essay writing Topics – Science and War

The connection of science with war has grown gradually more and more intimate. It began with Archimedes, who helped his cousin, the tyrant of Syracuse, to defend that city against the Romans were in 212 B.C. Though the Romans were victorious in spite of Archimedes’s scientific technique, science continued to play a part, and usually a decisive part, in war. Greek fire kept the Byzantine Empire in existence for centuries; Artillery destroyed the feudal system, and, by making English archery obsolete, gave the victory to the French, led by Joan of Arc.

The greatest men of the Renaissance commended themselves to the powerful by their skill in scientific warfare. When Leonardo da Vinci wanted to get a job from the Duke of Milan, he wrote the Duke a long letter about his improvements in the art of fortification. In the French Revolution such man of science as were not guillotined owed their immunity to their contributions to the war effort. In modern warfare, one nuclear physicist is worth more than many divisions of infantry.

Modern warfare, so far has not been more destructive of life than the warfare of less scientific ages, for the increased deadlines of weapons has been offset by the improvement in medicine and hygiene. There are, however, other respects in which the evils of war have much increased. A modern nation at war is more organized, and more completely concentrated on the effort to secure victory; then was possible in pre-industrial times, with the result that defeat is now more serious, more disorganizing, and more demoralizing to the general population than it was ever before.

The atom bomb and still more the hydrogen bomb have caused new fears, involving new doubts as to the effects of science on human life. Eminent scientists, including Einstein have pointed out that there is a danger of the extinction of all life on this planet. So, if human race is to escape from extermination, it will have to make very drastic changes in its ways of thinking, feeling and behaving. We must make a clear choice between Reason and Death, and ‘Reason’ means a willingness to submit to law as declared by an international authority.

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Essay writing Topics – Proper utilization Of time

The concept of “time” is difficult to define, but everyone knows what it is. Life on Earth is a continuous passage from one point of time to the next, and is limited in duration. Our thoughts, words, and deeds take place in time and utilize time. Success or failure in life depends on the way we utilize our time; and so does our happiness or unhappiness. Since nobody wants failure or unhappiness, it is obvious that everybody should strive to utilize time in such a way as to achieve maximum success and happiness.

Before attaining the age of reason, children cannot use or waste time consciously, since they are not aware of the value of time. But even when they grow older, many people never think of the value of time. Even the longest life on earth is really very limited in duration. It is, therefore, extremely important that we should take care not to waste even a moment in idleness or frivolous enjoyment. The time given to us on earth is a very precious gift of God. If we lose money, we may be able to make up the loss. But time lost is lost forever; it can never be retrieved.

For all of us, the time available for study or work is limited. About one-third of our life is spent in sleep. A great deal of our time is taken up by such activities as playing, eating, bathing and so on. We should, therefore, put the remaining time to the maximum possible use. There are some people who manage to work as much twelve hours a day, or even more. But most people work much less, and waste a lot of time. The tendency to fritter away time has also been growing steadily. How many millions of people spend hour  after hour, even day after day, watching games of cricket, or silly films, on the “idiot box”. This, surely is criminal waste of time.

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Essay Writing Topics – Patriotism

Patriotism is devotion to one’s country, and readiness to serve it and to defend it against its enemies. The word ‘patriotism’ comes from the Latin word, patria, which means ‘fatherland’. In a very narrow sense, patriotism may mean one’s love for the geographical area which one regards as one’s native land. In this sense even some wild animals have a kind of patriotism, for they mark out their own “territories” into which they don’t allow other animals to trespass. Lions and tigers do this do this conspicuously. Even some domestic dogs do this.

But to human beings, patriotism is not such a narrow concept. To them, ‘patriotism’ embraces also the people of the country. This is the patriotism that has been extolled by poets from time immemorial, down through the ages to our own day. A true patriot’s ambition is to make his country great, prosperous, and powerful. He obeys the just laws of his country, and is always ready to sacrifice his own life to defend the honour and freedom of his country. He makes his own old Roman maxim, “Duleet decorum est propatria mori” (It is sweet and proper to die for one’s fatherland)

Patriotism, however, should never degenerate into ultra nationalism. The kind of patriotism is called ‘jingoism’, or ‘chunvinism’. This is an extreme and unreasonable belief that one’s own country is superior to all others, coupled with a bellicose attitude towards them. The Germans under Hilter, the Italians under Mussolini, and the Japanese under Emperor Hirohito embraced this pernicious philosophy. The inevitable consequence was defeat in war and national humiliation.

In the modern context, however, when high-speed means of transportation and communication have, in a metaphorical sense, shrunk the world into a tightly-knit neighbourhood community, the concept of patriotism or devotion to a limited geographical area, appears to be dismally narrow- minded and outdated.

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