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The Hindu : A new PART – IV-A was added to the Constitution of India under “The Constitution (Forty Second Amendment) Act, 1976”. It dealt exclusively with the Fundamental duties of a citizen of India and it came into force with effect from 03/01/1977.This part together with Part – III dealing with fundamental rights constitutes a comprehensive package of fundamental rights and fundamental duties for an Indian Citizen.ARTICLE 51- A lists out of the fundamental duties as follows:It shall be the duty of every citizen of India:* to abide by the Constitution and respect its ideas and institutions, the National Flag and the National Anthem.* to follow the noble ideas which inspired our national struggle for freedom.* to uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India.* to defend the country and render national service when called upon to do so.* to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic or sectional diversities,* to renounce practices derogatory to the dignity of women.* to value and preserve the rich heritage of our composite culture.* To protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife, and to have compassion for living creatures.* to develop the scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform.* to safeguard public property and to abjure violence.* to strive towards excellence in all spheres of individual and collective activity so that the nation constantly rises to higher levels of achievement.* who is a parent or guardian to provide opportunities for education to his child or, as the case may be, ward between the age of six and fourteen years.Legal validityThe basic question that arose for consideration was, as to the powers of the Parliament to amend the Constitution under Article 368 take away or abridge the fundamental rights of a citizen.In the well known Golaknath’s Case (AIR 1967 SC 1643), the…More

The Hindu : Time for fresh guardAfter four years of boom time, the property market is showing signs of stagnation. Time for investors to review their real estate investment strategy, says SRIKALA BHASHYAMIn the last few quarters, there has been increasing dilemma among property investors as to whether they should go in for fresh investments or wait for the property prices to come down further. The desire to make fresh investments is generally driven by the moderate fall in certain segments of property prices coupled with the stability in interest rates. Though there has been extensive debate on the future course of interest rate movement, one thing is certain – interest rates are unlikely to move up further . In this background, the decision to invest in a property largely depends on the needs of the investors. For instance, if an individual is looking at investing in a property for investment purposes, this may not be the right season due to the following factors:Low rental yieldThe yield from rentals are always low in the short term and with prices having galloped in the last four years, the yield has come down drastically in the last few quarters. If you are looking at investing in a property with an eye on rental income, this may not be the right time as there has been a feeling of excess on the supply side and hence rental yield is unlikely to move up sharply in the short term. On the other hand, those who have the liquidity to invest in commercial property may still go ahead and do some shopping as there are no clear signs of pressure on the commercial property side. However, the same can’t be said on avenues of property income such as service apartments which could face more heat in the coming days. There is an element of excess supply even in this segment and more importantly,…More

The Hindu : Most historic pieces of art couldn’t have made a mark if they were not chiselled, sculpted or built in marble. Architects, sculptors and artists of yore swore by the stone that is now an integral part of contemporary construction.The stone has definitely made its presence felt in our daily lives. Be it flooring, counters, elevation or even fountains, most of the present day structures house the metamorphic rock in some way or the other.For the Indian type, white defines the colour of marble. Most varieties are found in parts of Rajasthan and are named according to their provenance. The stone in sold as slabs and tiles. For slabs, the size ranges from 3ft by 2ft to 10ft by 6ft and tiles range from 1×1ft to two-and-a-half x 2 ft.Most preferredFor starters, Makrana is the ‘in thing’ and is the first choice when it comes to marble flooring. The stone’s demand comes from its flawless whiteness and its glossy look after it is polished. Depending on the quality of Makrana, its price ranges from Rs.80 to Rs.200 per sft. “Makrana is preferred because of its unblemished white colour. Also, it adds character and style to the structure”, says Manish Mor, a dealer in marble.Next in line is ‘Morward’, originating from parts of Rajasthan, the stone stands out because it comes in different varieties. Another variety of this is ‘Morward White’ and Rare ‘Morward Plain White’. Unlike Makrana, the Morward comes with a few shades of green. The stone is preferred for elevation works, in pooja rooms, making marble temples and cladding. The stone costs Rs.35 to Rs.45 depending on class of the stone. Another variety available in the market is ‘Nizzarna’, also known as China Pink and China Brown.For those in love with darker colours, Classic Emerald a.k.a Haveli Black would be the appropriate choice. The stone is available at Rs. 70 and goes up to…More

The Hindu : They wash white and they wash whitest. Two spoons will do for some and just one for others. They come as powder and they come as bars. Some are meant for hand wash and some for washing machines. They are now nuanced enough to address top loading washing machines and frontloading ones separately. Welcome to the world of detergents and clean clothes India.The ubiquitous soap is now quickly being replaced by detergents for washing clothes as well as for washing dishes. In India the consumption is at 2.7 kg per person per annum according to one source and therefore over 2.70 million tones of detergents are sold. This market is growing at nearly 9 per cent annually. Comparisons are made with the U.S. with 10 kg per person per annum.As they clean clothes quicker and whiter, detergents have to perform certain functions. Firstly they have to soften water. In India much of the water used from the ground can be hard. The removal of calcium and magnesium salts, which is generally, because, the hardness by precipitating them is part of the detergent action. The second is to remove dirt. This is done by increasing the alkalinity of water to dislodge acidic soil. Then the dirt is removed and not allowed to lodge back again by keeping it suspended in the water till the water itself is removed.In the case of detergents used for utensils, the grease cutting and removal is a key action. This needs phosphorous in the detergent to do the job.Problem is with waterThis is all good for the clothes to look clean or the utensils to gleam but the problem is with the water that comes after the wash. Whether it is from a washing machine or from a normal hand wash, this wash water has a relatively high level of phosphates. When these phosphates end up in surface water bodies they…More

The Hindu : The next time we do shopping and carry home our purchase in a cute, comfy plastic carry-bag, think: we are contributing to a deadly pollution wherein the ill-effects are irreversible and capable of reaching out to our future generations!Statistics reveal that daily use plastics like PET bottles, polythene carry bags and HDPE grain sacks account for nearly 20 per cent of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) in our country!“In the past decade India’s consumption of plastics has grown by 12 per cent a year. Based on various parameters like resin, bondability and heat resilience plastics are categorised in the grade 1 to 7. India’s producing a lot of plastic and majority of them produced is of low quality…that it is not even worth recycling!,” laments Ramakumar Purushotham, Associate Vice President – Energy Upstream, Enzen Global Solutions, an energy and environment consulting firm.How harmful is plasticPlastic is one of the major toxic pollutants of our time. Being a non-biodegradable substance, composed of toxic chemicals, plastic pollutes earth, air and water. Plastic wastes clog the drains and thus hit especially urban sewage systems. Choked drains provide excellent breeding grounds for disease-causing mosquitoes besides causing flooding during the monsoons.Plastic wastes being dumped into rivers, streams and seas contaminate the water, soil, marine life and also burning of plastic waste contributes to air pollution.“The toxic chemicals that go into making of plastic and pose serious threat to living beings of all species on earth are Benzene (which can cause cancer), Styrene (extremely toxic), Sulphur Oxides (which harm the respiratory system), Nitrous Oxides (which adversely effect the nervous system and child behavioural development) and Ethylene Oxides (harms male and female reproductive capacity),” explains Ramakumar.Can we recycle plastic?Plastic causes serious damage to environment both during its production and its disposal. “‘Disposal’ of plastic is actually a myth,” says Ramakumar. Once plastic is produced, the damage is done once and for all. Plastic…More

The Hindu : You can walk heavily on this. It can take the human traffic with ease, says Vijay Aggarwal, MD, H. & R. Johnson (India) Ltd, referring to the new brand of ‘Lumber wood tiles’, the recent range of wooden flooring, imported from Germany, and brought over by Johnson (under its Endura brand) the tile and solutions company in baths, sanitaryware and accessories.“What makes it unique is its ‘Silenzio’ sound proofing technology to reduce the audible sound of echoes by almost half and guarantees the warmth of wood,” explains Vijay. “In addition, its ‘JustClic’ technology (available in 8 and 9 mm thickness) ensures faster installation and it is non-abrasive, environmental friendly, colourfast and resistant to stain, impact and house-hold chemicals.”Wooden flooring isn’t a novelty anymore…they have captured a sizeable market with all its features that floor the new and impressive salaries. When the numbers are there to buy and experiment, the supply too has been exponential, what with dizzying varieties that speak of features, and more features!Further more, one basic aspect that forms the foundation for building up a feel to a room is the character one gives to the floor.Every other decoration is dependant on this distinctive surface make-up. Flooring is treated as a building concept these days. Earthy red oxides gave way to mosaics. Ceramic tiles, marble and granite soon followed, only to be overtaken by vitrified flooring with improved edgings.It’s earthy and it’s woodyAnd now, laminated wooden flooring from umpteen companies is seen in several hospitality and home sectors, thanks to the European lifestyle invasion! It’s not just there, but they are available in a mind-boggling range and hue to satisfy the colour freaks too.Johnson’s Lumber floors are available in a variety of colours and designs such as Jakarta teak, Oxford oak, Wenge, Maple parquet, Light Parquet, Light Beige, Merbau Parquet, Saddle, Corona Beech, Merbau Manila, Windsor oak, Grey planked and Farmhouse Beech.Says Vijay,…More

The Hindu : Rs. 2,400-cr. plan to set up mallsReal estate developer Suncity Projects has said that it would pump in over Rs.2,400 crore to enhance its retail presence by setting up new malls across India and a leisure destination by 2010-2011. “By 2011, we are looking at increasing our retail space under malls from 1.4 million square feet to 5 million square feet currently to cater to end-consumers by providing them ideal shopping destination with entertainment,” Suncity Projects Director Ankit Goel told PTI. The company is also developing a 250-acre Leisure City at Greater Noida over the next three years. – PTI…More