Amul Case Study

| Amul-GCMMF | â€Å"The Taste of India† to â€Å"Taste of World† | | Project Case International Business SECTION D – GROUP Ashutosh Singh Khushwaha (GL) | 269 Sachin Maan | 175 Frana James | 219 Paran Gupta| 240 Parth Shah | 249 Pratik Upadhyay| Amul: â€Å"The Taste of India† to â€Å"The Taste of World† With a presence in over 40 countries in 2012, Amul has done more than testing its products in the overseas markets. Since its venture into the International markets in late 80s, it has steadily grown in sales and today it has more than Rs. 00 crores revenues from exports. Though the world dairy product prices are increasing constantly and the Government of India has banned the export of Milk Powder since February 2011, Mr. R. S. Sodhi, the Managing Director of GCMMF expects exports to increase by 20% on the back of surging demand. Mr. Sodhi, along with the top management of the cooperative now faces several questions which will define Amul’ s International strategy for the coming years.With the increasing demand and successful venture in overseas markets, should Amul restrict to export and distribution or partner with/acquire other firms in these countries or should it go further towards becoming a global brand by setting up manufacturing and processing plants across the globe? If so, what products should it manufacture and what should be the degree of localization in order to succeed? Should it stick to dairy products or should it look towards the non-dairy food products as well? How will it source milk and other raw materials in these countries with diverse forms of established dairy networks?These are important decisions that need to be made because they will help Amul realize the goal of becoming world’s leading food brand. Major food brands such as Britannia and Nestle are already eating into Amul’s domestic share. The top management has to decide a strategy that will help Amul compete against world class dairy and food brands in Indian market and in the overseas markets. Profile Amul is the world's 18th largest dairy firm with a 0. 5% share in global milk production, according to the International Farm Comparison Network 2011 list.The brand Amul is managed by Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation, GCMMF which has several cooperative dairies operating across the country. During the financial year 2010-11, GCMMF registered a top line growth of 22. 1%, achieving turnover of Rs 9774 crore. Amul is the largest food brand in India and world's largest pouched milk brand with an annual turnover of  US$2. 2  billion  (2010-11). Currently Unions making up GCMMF have 3. 1 million producer members with milk collection average of 9. 10 million liters per day.AMUL is also the largest exporter of dairy products in the country. AMUL is available today in over 40 countries of the world. AMUL is exporting a wide variety of products which include Whole and Skimmed Milk Powder, Cott age Cheese (Paneer), UHT Milk, Clarified Butter (Ghee), Indigenous Sweets, Amul butter, Amul butter milk, Amul pizza cheese, Amul shrikhand, Amulya dairy whitener, Amul fresh cream, Amul fat milk, Amul cheese spread, Sagar Tea and Coffee whitener, Amul ice creams like cassata , cool candy and frostik, Amul milk chocolate and Amul Eclairs.It has also started preparing and selling pizza slices which feature generous portions of Amul cheese. These pizza slices reach the customers through super markets and large departmental stores that have snack counters. It has tied up with Walmart to sell its dairy products, in its shelves, under the brand name of Amul itself. It also has tie-ups with Glaxo, for the production of baby foods. The major overseas markets for Amul are USA, West Indies, and countries in Africa, the Gulf Region, and  SAARC  neighbors, Singapore, Hong Kong, The Philippines, Thailand, Japan and China.Its growth is more than 20% in these markets. Market presence has also gone up by 25 to 30 per cent in some markets such as Singapore, Hong Kong, UAE, the US and Bangladesh. Global Dairy Industry at a Glance: The growth story of the dairy industry in India is centered on the inception of Operation Flood of the 1970s, recognizing the power of cooperative farming giving rise to the GCMMF and the engine behind the whole revolution was the brand Amul (Anand Milk Union Limited). This model helped the dairy farmers to direct their own development by placing control of their resources in their own hands.This cooperative model resulted in making India one of the largest producers of milk and milk products. In terms of the growth of the dairy market projected over the years 2011-2016, India ranks fourth, behind the other BRIC nations, i. e. Brazil, China and Russia. [Exhibit 1] The scenario of the important dairy industries in other countries was not on the similar lines. To think of the expansion plan in terms of geographic location as well as the strategy th at Amul would employ would be dependent on the past and the current nature of the industry in those countries.Dairy Industry in European Union: The European Union, inclusive of 27 countries, is the largest milk producer in the world with Germany and France being the largest within the EU. However, within the EU, dairy production is not uniform due to various government regulations and production quotas in some countries. In Germany, the drinking milk product category is still driven by health and wellness. The drinking milk product category which saw a decline in 2010 by 1% observed a growth in the value sales by the same amount in 2011.In the Eastern European dairy market, Lactalis, becoming the fourth largest player in the region in 2008 with a 3. 3 % value share targeting countries like Croatia, Ukaraine and Czech Republic. Lactalis followed the expansion through acquisition strategy and it is through these intense acquisition activities that Lactalis planned its move into the We stern European countries where it had to make much heavier investments. The Western European dairy market is quite mature as the expected CAGR for these countries is only about 0. % over the span of five years from 2011-16. This market is different from the other markets since they are not driven by milk consumption but the key driving opportunities lie in milk products like cheese, yoghurt and sour milk drinks and thus making these markets more value growth rather than volume growth. Muller Dairy, already competing in the yoghurt and chilled/shelf-stable desserts market in UK is seeking to expand into other fast-growing dairy categories using its existing distribution network and leveraging on the brand amongst the British consumers. Exhibit 2] To gain market share in this mature market, some companies like Kraft Foods used unique marketing strategy of positioning its Philadelphia Cream Cheese both as a spreadable cheese and as a cooking ingredient. This move reignited the growth i n the otherwise mature spreadable processed cheese category. Dairy Industry in Japan: In the year 2004, with 28800 domestic dairy farms, 8. 3 million tons of cow’s milk used to be produced. 60% of this was processed into milk for drinking purposes and the rest was used for consumption as dairy products.The Japanese believed that processing plants must be located close to the source of production since milk, being a perishable good, must be processed and sold when fresh. In 2004, there were 692 processing facilities throughout Japan. Expecting a growth in the consumption of milk products, maintaining a stable supply of safe, fresh milk was viewed as a challenge since it was important to Japanese consumers. To answer this demand for fresher products, a solution was to develop stronger cooperation between dairy producers and processors.However, by 2005, Japan’s aging population had essentially stabilized and the nation was being termed as a â€Å"mature economy†. A s a result of this, the total milk production remained unchanged approximately at 8. 4 million tons. Amul failed to enter the market once in 1994 but succeeded in 2005 when it grabbed a major exports order. GCMMF managing director B M Vyas then said , â€Å"We have had a distributor in Japan since 1994 but no major presence in that country.But a few days ago a delegation from Japan, under the aegis of Agriculture and Livestock Industry Corp (ALIC), visited our facilities at Anand (Gujarat) and were pleasantly surprised with the sheer scale of our dairy operations†. It exports Ghee and Paneer to the country currently with a single major importer. Dairy Industry in Australia: Australia's third largest rural industry is the dairy industry which is also a major regional employer, not only on-farm but also through processing, manufacturing and distribution of a range of high quality products.With about 7950 dairy farms located across Australia, the industry produced 9. 2 billion l iters of milk during 2007-08. The Australian dairy manufacturing sector is  diverse and includes farmer-owned co-operatives, public, private and multinational companies. The Farmer owned co-operatives is no longer the dominant players in the industry as they now account for less than 35% of the entire market share. In 2011, the Australian Dairy market faced another challenge of being considered to be one of the most competitive in terms of retailing the milk products in supermarkets.In January 2011, Coles and Woolworths, two supermarket companies, entered into a price war during which the prices of house brand staples like milk, bread and meat were pushed down. This trend continued for the entire year and as a result the Dairy lobby groups demanded for a mandatory Australian Drinking Milk Code of Conduct to look into such matters. Despite the aggressive marketing efforts, fresh/pasteurized milk registered a growth of only 3%.However, niche products in fresh milk category have eith er retained or have shown significant growth. Around 60% of manufactured milk-products are exported and the remaining 40% is sold on the Australian market. In drinking milk, some 97% is consumed in the domestic market. Cheese products, utilizing around one third of Australia’s milk production in 2010-11, have retained that spot for a few years now. Dairy Industry in Sri Lanka: As a country, Sri Lanka is self-sufficient in terms of all types of animal products except milk products.Their self-sufficiency in dairy products is about 15–20% though that level has been achieved mostly with imported milk powder. Sri Lankan government adopted the open economic policies in the 1970s and since then the consumption of the daily products has increased. Apart from the Northern conflict regions of the country, milk is produced in all the districts. The marketing of milk in Sri Lanka is done through various channels and so becomes very complex. There are individual farmers who sell di rectly to processors, consumers, hotels, cafeterias and canteens * Cooperatives are organized primarily for the purpose of collecting and selling milk to either hotels or processors * The formal, or processed dairy, market consists of small dairy cooperatives, larger local cooperatives, district dairy cooperatives, dairy cooperative unions and networks of collection points and milk chilling centers operated by cooperatives or the main dairy processors Apart from the above mentioned ways, some farmers do not see the need to become members of the farmer societies or cooperatives.There are a few large-scale processors who have organized such farmers to sell their milk directly to them. Amul set up a milk processing plant in Sri Lanka in 2005 producing several products such as sterilized milk, milk powder, yoghurt,etc. It was a 51-49 Joint venture between the GCMMF and the Sri-Lankan government. It handed over the operations completely to the Sri-Lankan government after an year of succe ssful running. Before planning the project, Mr. Verghese Kurien, often called â€Å"the Milkman of India† said, †We are located right in the middle of this milk-deficient region.So, we are planning to take advantage of this. Even China is a potential market in the future†. International Ventures: GCMMF is India's largest exporter of Dairy Products. It has been accorded a â€Å"Trading House† status. GCMMF has received the APEDA Award from Government of India for Excellence in Dairy Product Exports for the last 13 years. The decision of going International: Reasons that lead to the foray of Amul into International Markets * Reduced subsidies on milk products as per WTO guidelines made Indian milk products competitive in international markets.   Significant demand for its products amongst Indian families in foreign markets * Local facility would enable better control over logistics   and cut 45 days of shipping time * Tie up with retail chains like Wal-Ma rt, use established distribution channel * Non-availability of single products like ghee in other markets presented a good opportunity * Long term vision to become a global food brand The problems and issues faced are: * Non-tariff barriers in European countries * Competition with global players Absence of proper distribution channel Export: Main exports products are Amul UHT Milk (Long Life) ,Amul Gold Extra Cream Milk,Amul Taaza Full Cream Milk,Amul Slim and Trim Milk,Amul Pure Ghee,Amul Mithaee Gulabjamun,Nutramul Brown Beverage,Amul Fresh Cream,Amul Kool Beverages,Flavoured Milk,Butter Milk,Lassee,Amulspray,Amul Butter,Amul Shrikhand,Amul Cheese,Amul Malai Paneer,Amul Ice Cream,etc. Despite unfavorable conditions in international dairy market, their export business reached Rs. 133 crores against Rs. 125 crore in 2011.They have further consolidated their growth in consumer products including Paneer, Butter, Cheese, UHT Milk etc. This is extremely encouraging and indicates the hig h trust that the customers place in Amul Brand. They have not been able to export Milk Powder in bulk packing in larger quantity due to fall of world market prices by nearly 50% as compared to previous year. Distribution: Amul’s strategy when it first entered international markets was to use the existing distributors and partner with local companies to market its products.Amul has been in the US since 1998 through Kanan Dairy, which markets Amul processed cheese, pure  ghee, Shrikhand, Nutramul, Amul's  Mithaee Gulab Jamuns  to more than 1,000 ethnic Indian grocery stores in the US through a network of seven distributors. Then Amul identified major supermarket and chain stores as the vehicles overseas to promote Amul dairy products ranging from milk powder, butter, ghee, cheese, butter, ice creams and tinned Indian sweets. As growth through bulk exports was variable, GCMMF opted for sustained growth through retail sales that ensure brand recall and customer loyalty.It s till did not decide on setting up manufacturing and processing plants as it was quiet successful with its marketing and distribution plan for overseas markets. Then Amul identified major supermarket and chain stores as the vehicles overseas to promote Amul Amul sells products through Wal-Mart’s extensive distribution system, having a separate counter for stocking and selling their products. It also has an arrangement with Mustafa supermarket chain in Singapore, Lanka Milk Foods (CWE) Ltd and John Keels chain in Sri Lanka, as also Choithram, Carrefour and Lulu chains in the UAE. Marketing:In India Amul caters to Intelligent marketing. It spends only 1% of Sales turnover on advertising and it is famous to come up with innovative adds. Will it be able to sustain the same strategy in international markets is a very important decision from the marketing point of view for GCMMF. Amul will have to customize its products and look outside the ethnic box to suit the American and other ethnic palates. It simply cannot use its home-ground strategies in the US and expect to make a mark, even if Wal-Mart plans to push the brand only in stores and only in states like New York and New Jersey, where the Indian community is very strong.Competition: While Amul has substantial grip over the Indian market due to its robust supply chain and cooperative business model; the international arena challenges it like never before. In the overseas markets it faces stiffer competition in matching the stringent quality standards of several local and international brands that have well established markets in different countries; in addition to fundamentally understanding these new markets, cultures and their needs. As a brand, Amul faces stiff competition from two major players: Britannia and Nestle.Both these brands have international presence and each seeks to expand its business horizons. Apart from these international brands, it also has to compete with local dairies in different c ountries that sell products at very competitive prices. Nestle: Nestle is  one of the world's leading nutrition, health and wellness company. The  company  was founded in  1866 by Henri Nestle in Vevey, Switzerland, where the headquarters are still located today. It employs around 2,80,000 people and have factories or operations in almost every country in the world. Nestle sales for 2009 were CHF 108 bn.Nestle's relationship with India dates back to 1912, when it began trading as The Nestle Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company (Export) Limited, importing and selling finished products in the Indian market. The Company continuously focuses its efforts to better understand the changing lifestyles of various countries and anticipate consumer needs. The culture of innovation and renovation within the Company and access to the Nestle Group's proprietary technology gives it a distinct advantage in these efforts. It helps the Company to create value that can be sustained over long ter m by offering consumers a wide variety of high quality products.A description of the competitive advantages growth drivers and operational pillars is given in Exhibit 1. Nestle is in a strategic international position because of its presence in many countries and long tradition of innovation. An analysis of sales trading and operating profit by both geography and product line is given in Exhibit 4 and Exhibit 5. Britannia: It is not globally as big as Nestle but it is expanding at a threatening pace and this can be a major concern for Amul. This fact is validated by the following statistics. The company is growing at a steady rate.The company's sales grew at a compound annual rate of 16% against the market, and operating profits reached 18%, between 1998 and 2001. More recently, the company has been growing at 27% a year, compared to the industry's growth rate of 20%. Dairy products contribute close to 10 per cent of Britannia's revenue. Britannia trades and markets dairy products, and its dairy portfolio grew to 47% in 2000-01 and by 30% in 2001-02. Britannia holds an equity stake in  Dynamix Dairy  and outsources the bulk of its dairy products from its associate.On 27 October 2001, Britannia announced a joint venture with  Fonterra Co-operative Group  of New Zealand. It is an integrated dairy company involved in many activities from procurement of milk to making value-added products such as cheese and buttermilk. Britannia planned to source most of the products from New Zealand, which they would market in India. The joint venture also allowed technology transfer to Britannia. In March 2007, Britannia Industries Limited formed a Joint Venture with the Khimji Ramdas Group, one of the largest and the most respected business conglomerates in the Middle East.Britannia and its Associates have acquired a significant stake in Dubai based Strategic Food International Co. LLC and Oman based Al Sallan Food Industries Co SAOG. The two companies are key regional players in the biscuits, wafers and cookies segment in the GCC markets and export their products across the world. Strategic Food International Co. LLC (SFIC) is one of the largest biscuit and wafer manufacturing companies in the Middle East. An ISO and HACCP certified company, SFIC is also a proud winner of the Dubai Quality Appreciation Certificate.It offers a wide spectrum of products under the brand  Nutro, which is a leading biscuit brand in the Middle East. Al Sallan Food Industries Co is one of the foremost companies for the production of cookies, rolls and chocolates. The products are well known under the brand name of  Baker's Pride. Though not directly in the dairy market, Britannia is constantly increasing its presence worldwide. Key statistics about the company performance are given in Exhibit 6. Future Plans: Amul is now all set to consider the decision to setup a manufacturing plant in the United States to specifically cater to the demand for its products in the US and Europe.And then expand to other countries with similar plants so as to decrease its costs. The company intends to start with manufacturing of ghee and paneer and then gradually start manufacturing other products. Amul will have to customize its products and look outside the ethnic box to suit the American and other ethnic palates. It simply cannot use its home-ground strategies in the US and expect to make a mark, even if Wal-Mart plans to push the brand only in stores and only in states like New York and New Jersey, where the Indian community is very strong.Amul has come a long way from 1946 – when it collected only 247 litres of milk a day – to the six million liters of milk per day it now collects from about 10,675 separate village co-operative societies throughout Gujarat. With access to low cost milk, an innovative and  almost ‘just-in-time' supply chain, a ready market among the Indian community and 50 years of understanding milk, Amul can definitely build the ‘taste of India' in the US and other countries. Chairman Mr. PG Bhatol says, â€Å"When we plan to improve productivity as well as production, we also need to keep in mind the markets where such huge quantity of milk will be consumed.We need to explore new opportunities and markets. India has graduated from milk deficit country to largest milk producer in world. However, our exports of milk and milk products still remain insignificant in comparison to the existing players. We have been following the policy of not exporting milk powders to foreign countries so that availability in our country does not get hampered. Opening of export markets would not only serve as outlet for excess of milk produced over the domestic requirements but also will keep the domestic prices stable. We strongly feel that branded milk powders in consumer packs should never be banned.Thus, now when we plan to produce such large quantity of milk, it is imperative to relook at our export polici es. † Amul has come a long way from 1946 – when it collected only 247 litres of milk a day – to the six million liters of milk per day it now collects from about 10,675 separate village co-operative societies throughout Gujarat. With access to low cost milk, an innovative and  almost ‘just-in-time' supply chain, a ready market among the Indian community and 50 years of understanding milk, Amul can definitely build the ‘taste of India' in the US and other countries and then the Taste of the World.Exhibit 1: Top 10 Fastest Growing Dairy Markets 2011-2016 *Passport – Tracking Growth Opportunities In The Global Dairy Market Exhibit 2: Top Five Western European Dairy Market By Absolute Market Value Growth 2011-2016 *Passport – Tracking Growth Opportunities In The Global Dairy Market Table 2: Milk production zones in Sri Lanka Zone features| Dry zone| Coconut triangle| Mid-country| Upcountry & estate| Wet zone & urban|Location  | Dry zone districts in the NC, Northern and Eastern Provinces and parts of Central, Southern and NW Provinces| Intermediate and wet   zone areas of the NW Province, and Gampaha district of the Western Province| Wet   zone areas in the Central Province –Kandy and Matale districts| Nuwaraeliya district in the Central Province and Badulla district in the Uva Province| Districts in the Western,  Ã‚   Southern and Sabaragamuwa Provinces and cities| Animal types| Indigenous cattle, Zebu cattle and crosses, buffalo| Crosses of exotic breeds, Zebu types, crosses of indigenous animals and buffalo| Pure exotic animals and crosses, and Zebu crosses| Pure exotic animals and crosses| Crosses of exotic breeds and Zebu type and indigenous animals and buffalo| Husbandry| Free gazing, or nomadic-type Large herds or sedentary small/medium-sized herds | Medium-sized herds, limited grazing tethered under coconut palms| Small herds, some tethering, stall feeding| Small herds, zero grazing| Limited gr azing, medium-sized herds or small herds, zero grazing| Herd size  | Few: 25 | 5 cows | 2–3 cows| 1–2 cows| 2–3 cows| Average yield| 2. 1 litres/cow/dayTotal 300–400 litres/cow over 180–200-day lactation| 3–4 litres/cow/dayTotal 500–800 litres/cow over 200-day lactation| 2–4 litres/cow/dayTotal 1 300 litre/cow| 6 or more litres/cow/dayTotal 1 700 litres/cow| 3 litres/cow/dayTotal 1 500–1 600 litres/cow| Source: Ranaweera and Attapattu 2006| Exhibit 3 Exhibit 4 Exhibit 5Exhibit 6 Performance of Britannia Exhibit 7 Amul overseas presence References: I. Primary data in the form of Interviews of employees involved with International projects II. Dairy Food Industry Overview in India to 2014-market research report,www. reportlinker. com III. GCMMF Annual Report, Financial Years 2007-2011 IV. Nestle Annual Report,2011 V. http://www. amul. com/m/organisation, 24-Feb-2012 VI. http://articles. timesofindia. indiatimes. com/2011 -03-30/india-business/29361638_1_cheese-amul-britannia-industries VII. Utterly-Butterly amul’s new raod map-CNBC-TV18. html, 26-Feb-2012 VIII. http://www. dairy. co. jp/eng/eng12. html

Brindis Speech

The speech was Rizal’s toast to the triumph of Juan Luna’s Spolarium and Felix Hidalgo’s Las Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al populacho in their work of arts whose works illuminates two ends of the globe: East and West (Spain and the Philippines). It’s about the acknowledgement and thanking them for the pride and glory they gave to the Filipinos. But most of all, he gives praise to those youth’s actions that can make a difference and contribute to the glory of the Philippines.He wanted to make the people realize that glory doesn’t based to a country alone. What he wanted to prove is that geniuses bloom and sprout all over the world with its own uniqueness, talents, and intelligence. No one needs to have same culture and the greatness of a country, but the real talent comes to their works. What he takes jab are elites who does everything just to stop the education system among filipinos because they are afraid that they might learn to defend.I n the speech he made, there are values and lessons he teach us that can be applied in a real world up until now such as mentioning geniuses can be born and made anytime and anywhere. No one has the right to judge or put down a person because anyone can be great. He also said that Spain and Philippines are equal, no greater nor slaves. Dr. Jose Rizal is great because he discussed bravely what the Spaniards are afraid of: EDUCATION of the filipinos but what he focused more is to inspire filipinos and prove how worthy a nation can be.

What Does It Really Take to Get Into Dartmouth?

Each year, thousands and thousands of hopeful college applicants wait with bated breath to hear back from Dartmouth College, the smallest of the Ivy Leagues. With the number of college applicants on the rise, college admissions have never been so competitive, but the good news is that there are some things that savvy applicants can do to stand out. In this post, we’ll share our top tips for scoring that increasingly rare acceptance to Dartmouth College. Keep reading to unlock our unique insights, gained through our experience with thousands of Ivy League applicants. It should come as no surprise that we’ve written about getting into Dartmouth before. In fact, for a comprehensive overview of all the nitty gritty, including school statistics, requirements, and deadlines, don’t miss our post The Ultimate Guide to Applying to Dartmouth College . In this post, we’ll focus specifically on your application and how you can ensure you’re optimized your chances of getting in. Of course, the first thing you need to do is make sure you meet the basic requirements. This includes getting your application in before the deadline and ensuring that it includes all the required elements. Dartmouth College accepts both early decision (ED) and regular decision (RD) applications. The deadline for ED applications is November 1st. Remember that if you apply early decision, you may only apply to one school and are committed to attending should you be accepted. For more information, don’t miss our post Early Decision versus Early Action versus Restrictive Early Action . The regular decision deadline is January 1st. Dartmouth College accepts the Common Application and the Coalition Application (CAAS). They do not accept the Universal Application. To learn more about the Common Application, don’t miss our post A User’s Guide to the Common App . To complete your application to Dartmouth College, you’ll need to be sure you include: In addition, it is recommended (though not required) that you submit scores from at least two SAT Subject Tests and a recommendation written by a peer. Again, these elements are not required, but they are recommended and you should submit them wherever possible. Dartmouth College is among the most selective colleges in the country. It accepted just 8.7% of its 22,033 applicants to the class of 2022. Applications to Dartmouth have risen 10% over the last year and its most recent admissions cycle was its largest applicant pool in five years. Dartmouth has also increased its yield recently, meaning that it has recently begun to garner a higher percentage of accepted students than in prior years. For this reason, the admissions committee is handing out fewer acceptances than in years past. The yield for the class of 2022 was 61%, the highest in 25 years. Estimating your chance of getting into a college is not easy in today’s competitive environment. Thankfully, with our state-of-the-art software and data, we can analyze your academic and extracurricular profile and estimate your chances. Our profile analysis tool can also help you identify the improvement you need to make to enter your dream school. With such a competitive selection process, Dartmouth College has the ability to be very picky about who it accepts. Ultimately, admissions are offered to students who meet its standards both in terms of academics and achievements outside of the classroom. Dartmouth is of course very selective academically. Students admitted to the class of 2022 achieved a mean SAT score of 1497 or a mean ACT score of 33. 97% of students whose high schools rank students were ranked in the top 10% of their graduating class. Doing well academically is definitely a top priority for students who want to attend Dartmouth, but it is not the only factor considered. Dartmouth values diversity of all kinds. 15% of its admitted students were first-generation college students this year, and 50% are students of color. 11% of the admitted class are foreign citizens and 60% applied for financial aid. Dartmouth also places high value on community, a stance that was reinforced by President Philip J. Hanlon when he welcomed the class of 2022 to campus. â€Å"The search for truth is a team sport, most effectively done when ideas and opinions are exchanged in an open and respectful manner,† he reminded students. To get into Dartmouth, you’ll need to prove that you’re not only a strong student academically, but also that you’re a positive contributor to your community. This is hard for the admissions committee to glean from an application, so you should strive to highlight it through your essays, extracurriculars, and recommendations. Start Early . Don’t rush your college application. You’ll need plenty of time to mull over your essays and short answer questions, and even more time to edit and proofread. If you’ve left your college applications to the last minute, you’ll be at a disadvantage at selective schools like Dartmouth. Highlight Your Value to Your Community. Dartmouth values respectful discourse, cooperative work, and students who work to change the world. You can most easily highlight these skills through your extracurriculars. Try to engage in activities that give back to your community in some way and that show a commitment to civic duty and teamwork.   Ã‚   Consider Early Decision. Of the 1,925, students offered admissions to the class of 2022, 525 were accepted through the Early Decision program. This means that your odds of getting in are significantly increased by applying early. Be Yourself. Admissions committees see a lot of applications over admissions season and they are well trained at recognizing when a student is being true to him or herself. Be authentic and genuine and unapologetically you. If you don’t get in, at least you’ll know if was the real you who didn’t fit, and you can take comfort in knowing the real you will do better elsewhere. Dartmouth is extremely selective and many top students ultimately are rejected. In fact, far more academically qualified students apply to Dartmouth than it is able to accept each year. This means that it routinely turns away students who present top SAT scores and high GPAs. While it can be hard to move past a rejection, try not to dwell on it. Dartmouth does not accept admissions appeals, so don’t waste your time formulating any compelling arguments to change their mind. Dartmouth does accept transfer students, though, and you are allowed to reapply as a freshman another year if you choose to take a gap year. While neither of these should be your knee-jerk reaction after a rejection, they are opportunities to consider if you are well suited to them in other ways too. To learn more about gap years, check out our post What Are the Pros of Taking a Gap Year? and What You Need To Know When Applying to Colleges After a Gap Year . For more about transferring, see our post Transferring Colleges: Opportunity Costs to Consider . Sometimes, the easiest choice after rejection is simply to set your sights elsewhere. While this can initially be a bitter pill to swallow, it’s important to remember that ultimately it’s not where you go to college that matters, but what you do with your time there. For our advice on adjusting to life at a college that wasn’t your first choice, read our post Envisioning a New Future: Preparing for Life at Your Second-Choice (or Third, or Fourth) School .

Analysis essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Analysis - Essay Example It is not until the ad shows the picture of Schaeffers New Zealand Style Deck Sealant that the audience happens to understand what the ad is all about. The ad promotes Schaeffers New Zealand Style Deck Sealant drawing upon its capability to protect a deck from the effects of weather and other environmental factors like rain, moisture, and humidity. The sealant prolongs the life of the deck and protects its color, texture, and strength. Sexuality and eroticism is the underlying theme of the ad. The actor says that he wouldn’t let children get on his d*ck because it was unsafe for them until he applied the sealant on it. He says that even his neighbor knows about his d*ck’s strength after it has been protected with sealant and the neighbor gardening down reaffirms his claim. This ad draws upon men’s obsession with their sexual power that is manifested in the health of their private part. The actor says all about his d*ck that any man would want about his private part in terms of color, quality, and strength regardless of age. With a devilish smile on his face, the actor says, â€Å"After all, summer time’s all about spending time on your d*ck†; it couldn’t be funnier! The reason why makers of the ad put sexuality and eroticism as the underlying theme of the ad is to make the ad memorable for the target audience i.e. men. They know that men are their prime target consumers because construction works are generally executed by men. So they wanted to make an ad that would capture the attention of men and not just that, possibly be the ad that men like to discuss in their gossip in each other’s company. The fact that the actor asks his male neighbor to reaffirm the quality of his d*ck suggests that the ad appeals to men regardless of their sexual orientation. This homosexual element of the ad adds cherry atop the cake. To conclude, the subtle message promoted by the ad of Schaeffers New Zealand Style Deck Sealant is that men

Brand Evolution Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Brand Evolution - Assignment Example The celebrity brand of Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears represents their individual lifestyles, values, personality, emotion and the desires that two celebrities are identified directly with. It is notable that the concept of the two brands has gone a step further to be associated with a sub-culture in the society mainly through their fans. Most of the consumers who are the fans are characterized with high-involvement where they have emotionally invested in the brand. The two brands in the 21st century have had subculture notably the young people in the society notably ladies identifying themselves. Both Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears brands have highly emotionally invested in the lifestyle the brand represents.Comparing the two career paths that both Aguilera and spears have taken illuminates how their brands are influential in the contemporary societies all over the world. Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears became famous and rose to superstardom almost at the same ti me. This childhood competition in various events contributed greatly to the development of the two identity brands of the two singers. Their differences are as compelling as their similarities in the various aspects of performance and entertainment dimensions. Aguilera and Spears were born in 1980 and 1981 respectively and they both competed as young girls in most of the local competitions during their childhood.  Their brand development began as they acted in various precocious talents by auditioning for "The Mickey Mouse Club,†.... Both Christina Augilera and Britney Spears brands have highly emotionally invested in the lifestyle the brand represents. BRAND DEVELOPMENT Comparing the two career paths that both Aguilera and spears have taken illuminates how their brands are influential in the contemporary societies all over the world. Christina Augilera and Britney Spears became famous and rose to superstardom almost at the same time. During their time it was regarded as the battle of the blondes, they competed since childhood and there is no clear winner between the two. This childhood competition in various events contributed greatly to the development of the two identity brands of the two singers. They were both talented artists, and their differences are as compelling as their similarities in the various aspects of performance and entertainment dimensions (Beverly 2005). Aguilera and Spears were born in 1980 and 1981 respectively and they both competed as young girls in most of local competitions during their childhood. Their brand development began as they acted in various precocious talents by auditioning for "The Mickey Mouse Club,†. This was a popular TV show in USA where Aguilera auditioned in 1991 and waited two years until she was older. Aguilera boosted her career in performance and singing marking quickly her place as a diva with a powerful voice suitable for singing. Britney Spears on the other hand began her brand creation in 1992 joining "The Mickey Mouse Club† where Aguilera had signed a year ago. This marked the beginning of their brand establishment being part of one team. Until the cancellation in 1994 Spears and Aguilera stayed on the show and they did a number of numerous performances together on the show. Attributed to this fact is that the two

My Leadership Development Plan Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

My Leadership Development Plan - Term Paper Example Professionally, I own a private trucking company with a staff of four drivers. Because I aspire to be better in my leadership roles, I am currently pursuing my MBA program at the North Park University in Chicago, Illinois. This will be my key in achieving my goal to be a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) someday. In ten years, I see myself running my own Accountancy firm. Right now, my most prominent leadership role is in my trucking company. Having four trucks, my workers and I search for clients in need of hauling their loads to various places. This entails much responsibility both to my clients and to my workers. I need to ensure that my drivers are efficient and honest in doing their jobs. That means they are physically, mentally and emotionally fit to work especially if they drive the trucks for long hauls. They should also be trustworthy because the clients entrust to our business their precious belongings. My role as a leader is to motivate my workers to deliver high quality p erformance in their work and to ensure customer satisfaction with our services. I would like to believe that I adhere to the Transformational leadership style. Bass (1990)1 explains that transformational leadership style is based on building engagement and participation, leading the team to perform at a better standard than before. In addition, the leader inspires a heightening of awareness about issues of consequence. This awareness keeps the team vigilant to do everything right in order to achieve positive consequences instead of negative ones. Bass (1985) describes the transformational leader as having a vision for the team, self-confidence as well as inner strength to fight for what is â€Å"right or good, not for what is popular or is acceptable according to the established wisdom of time†2. I strive to conform to the four dimensions of transformational leadership that Den Hartog et al. (1997) comprises3. Charisma is the first one, with the leader providing vision and mi ssion while instilling pride in his followers thereby gaining respect and trust for himself. He has the ability to increase their optimism. Second come inspiration, which defines if the leader acts as a model, communicates a vision, sets high standards and uses symbols to focus efforts. Next is individual attention to each member. The leader coaches, mentors and provides feedback to each of his followers making sure they are led to the right path. Lastly, dimension of intellectual challenge gives a leader’s followers a flow of challenging new ideas aimed at rethinking old ways of doing things, challenge flawed systems and promotion of careful problem-solving behaviors. Regarding to the ethical types that influence my ethical decision-making, I learned that primarily, it is deontology and secondarily, it is conformism. This means that my tendency when making ethical decisions is to follow prescribed duties that have been imposed by virtue on a person.4 These are duties to fide lity, or keeping promises made; duties of reparation or compensating for wrong actions done to others; duties of gratitude or repaying others for past favors done; duties of justice or the distribution of goods according to one’s merits; duties of beneficence or improving the conditions of others; duties of self-improvement or making oneself better; and duties of nonmaleficence or the avoidance and prevention of injury to others. My conformism ethical type refers to my consultation with my family, friends and colleagues before I make an ethical decision. I find their opinions valuable. Considering my strengths and weaknesses is one thing I keep reflecting on in my journey as a leader. As I move forward, I am confident that I am in control of my family and am doing a

Comparison between two Pieces of a Music Class that Occurred on Friday Essay - 1

Comparison between two Pieces of a Music Class that Occurred on Friday 11th April, 2014 - Essay Example The notes in both pieces are long, loud and they descend extremely fast. However, Moment Musical No.4 is particularly similar to Chopin’s Prelude in G major Op. 28, No. 4 because of the fast tempo, thick texture in the left hand and a melodic intensity. It sounds and feels like an improvement of Chopin’s Prelude in G Major Op. 28, No.4 The attendance was poor, and those who attended sat at the back and not the front. On the positive side, the program was well organized with little interruption. The music was also good, nice accompaniment in the first three pieces, and the tenor played his part very well. His rounded voice was well timed and his expressions, especially in the third piece (If you’ve only got a mustache), were comical which is what the piece demands. The first chorus a Capella had a slow rhythm and soothing melody that was relaxing. It began softly, the tempo did not change expect in the piano and it ended in the same rhythmic manner that it started. The second choral song was one that began with the same fashion as the first, soothing and reassuring. A slow tempo, with variations in high and low notes to keep the rhythm going. The third piece was a comical piece, with a dramatic melody that was repetitive in every verse of the song. Yuan Lu’s performance of the Moment Musical No. 4 was remarkable. It is a piece that is very difficult to master especially due to the taxing emphasis on the left-hand movements. Listening to his Moment Musical No.4, one relates to the fast tempo which can be compared to the fast challenges and changes in life that happen impromptu. The music gives one an adrenaline rush that encourages one to tackle the obstacles in life. In the end, the music becomes softer with more emphasis on the right hand, this gives one a sense of hope and release. Sergei Rachmaninoff composed the six Moment Musicals at a time when he was in financial ruin.  He composed the moments within three months to get money. At the same time, he expressed his emotions through the music. One can feel that through the fast-paced tempo, and through loud and long notes.

Smoking English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Smoking Is a Dangerous Precedent - Essay Example This paper tells that harshness aside, smoking brings to an end the basis of life and what more sinful can an aspect of life be if it kills people? If people understand that they are falling into a hole and they keep on saying all sorts of things about it, it would seem imaginable (Hove, 2011). But when they know less about it and do absolutely nothing, one can expect naivety on their part. The peer pressure is just too much for a person to take. It brings people to a single platform from where they can go all wrong. Someone must stop them to bring sanity within their domains. The young ones are therefore straying for a multitude of reasons. Smoking is playing havoc with their lives and they are just not pushed. This is because they do not care much about what is taking place within their fore. The safe alternatives that the young ones can perhaps adopt comprise of the substitutes that they shall find to keep them busy at all times. The urge basically makes their life difficult and i t would be safe to state that this urge has to be controlled and kept at a safe distance. It will solve half the problems that smokers have within their folds. The smokers need to be sure that they are following the right path when they are controlling their urge and this can only come about when they know what they are doing. Indulgence in smoking has meant that their parents have been concerned for a number of reasons. They want to know why their children are adopting this habit where even most of the parents themselves are addicted to smoking in the first place (Stein, 2011). It has been seen that parents discourage their wards no matter they smoke or not. This is a positive development that has come to the fore with the changing times and there has been reason enough to believe such a premise since parents do not want to put their children’s lives at risk. Within the understanding that smoking can bring about for the general masses, what is most significant is how well sm oking has been able to manifest its negativities amongst the target audience that it is spoken about. This has been understood in the wake of the different ailments and diseases which have been highlighted time and again. Teenagers and young adults perhaps forget the fact that their comprehension levels are limited and they are unable to decipher the true meaning and representation of smoking in the clearest sense possible. They are less educated and have little know-how of what is deemed as right and what is seen as wrong within the correct frame of things (Guha, 2011). The role of the parents is an important one because they must keep a check as to where their young ones are going and what kind of friends they are hanging out with. Their stern check over their children is quintessential because this would ensure that they stay on the right track no matter how bad their respective companies are. In the end, it would be safe to state that smoking is a dangerous precedent that has be en set within the present day generation. This is so sad because smoking was a problem, remains an issue and will be a serious concern in the days to come. For starters, peer pressure is something that should be paid attention towards.  

Automation Tools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Automation Tools - Essay Example However your data might change making your recorded macro unusable. Using a Do - Loop Until function will solve your problem as you are now able to instruct the macro how many times a particular set of instructions need to be completed. Using Variables - You are not able to use a variable to store data using the record macro function. You will have to resort to use the VB editor once again. Apart from the fact that you are able to store information in these variables, a fuction called Evaluate in VBA will let you use MS Excel commands like concatenate etc within VBA. You need not use Excel to do calculations. Even referencing conplicated fuctions such as DSUM varies according to your data. Using properties of a Cell selection - Lets say you need the cell address of every cell containing the word "Penguin" and have that on a separate sheet. Record Macro will not be able to give you the solution whatsoever. Using VB Editor, you can use the Cell.Find function to search for the word "Penguin" along with the selection.address function and enter the cell address into a variable. A message box can then be called using the Msgbox fuction to display the value stored in the variable. This example contains three different offings (variable, Selection.Address and Msgbox) which the record macro function is unable to offer. 1.(b) The are many ways of accessing the library. ... Others are by clicking the object library button on the toolbar or by clicking the Object Browser button in the view menu. The information provided by the library is quite large and in depth. It will provide the below information: Various Classes available Objects member available in a particular class The type of the object (Function, Property etc) The argument a function accepts along with the type of arguments Also the value type returned (Range, Long etc) As an example, if you search for "Offset" in the search box, you will find the following information in the display area: Property Offset([RowOffset], [ColumnOffset]) As Range read-only Member of Excel.Range This means that the function "Offset" is member of Class Range and Library Excel. The function accepts arguments in the form of the row number followed by column number and will treat it as a range. It is read only which means it can be used only to retrieve information but to enter any into the cell. 1.(c) VBA offers a number of debugging facilities. These are: Jump over: VBA will overlook a piece of code which has a single quotation mark in front of it. This way you can skip a particular line of code that you find to be causing an error. Run and Wait: VBA will allow you to select a line of coding by clicking the margin in front of it and highlighting it in red. It will run all the commands before the highlighted one and wait for you to check the highlighted one. You can then hover your mouse pointer over the highlighted code and the value of the result will be displayed. This is very useful while using variable. This method can be used for an entire selection of codes. 1.(d) Function mean(rng As Range) As Double Dim freq, total As Integer Dim r As

What are the relative health impacts of using (i) Arsenic- Essay

What are the relative health impacts of using (i) Arsenic- contaminated groundwater and (ii) surface waters as drinking waters in Bangladesh. Should Bangladesh - Essay Example Delete the irrelevant things and add on more useful words.I really appreciated that you did not plagiarised,and make sure you do this again in your new work.And pls make the dissertation more academic.Im looking forward to receiving your new work.Do not let me down please.Thank you! Â   My research proposal is based on the relative health impacts of using Arsenic contaminated groundwater and surface waters as drinking waters in Bangladesh and to know if Bangladesh can use treated water as drinking water. Ground water is one of the chief drinking water foundation in Bangladesh. Ground water pollution by arsenic has previously taken grave turn in Bangladesh. According to accessible information, millions of human beings are "at danger" dying out by arsenic in Bangladesh. In vision of this truth we feel that a widespread research work on arsenic pollution of ground water in Bangladesh is of immense significance and actions will be taken in addition to recommendation for giving arsenic free drinking water contribution in justifying the arsenic lesions. Nine regions in West Bengal, India, and 44 regions in Bangladesh have arsenic stages in groundwater over the World Health Organization (WHO) maximum allowable boundary of 50 [micro grams/Liter). The divisions and population of the 42 regions in Bangladesh and the 9 regions in West Bengal are 92,108 [km.sup.2] and 80.1 million and 38,932 [km.sup.2] and 44.5 million, correspondingly. In Bangladesh, it is recognized 496 pretentious villages affected. 11,103 Water samples were collected from 44 arsenic-affected regions in Bangladesh for examination. Of the water samples that were examined, 61 % contained arsenic levels above 50 [microg/L]. Thousands of hair, nail, and urine test samples from people living in arsenic-affected villages have been examined to date; Bangladesh, 92% samples, on an average, enclosed arsenic above the standard/toxic level. My research wills

Tay-Sach’s Disease Essay Example for Free

Tay-Sach’s Disease Essay The purpose of this paper is to discuss the hereditary genetic disease Tay-Sach’s, discovered during a pregnancy. The discussion will focus on developing an interdisciplinary team and care plan for the expectant parents based on their wishes. This paper will also cover any ethical and/or legal dilemmas that may arise as well as identify counseling needs of those involved. In addition, there will be a personal reflection about high risk pregnancy, abortion, and the decision made by the expectant parents. This study involves a married couple who after two years of trying to conceive a child became pregnant. The expectant Mother Rita Trosack is 43 years old and her husband Peter is 46. They are both Caucasian and have mediocre knowledge of their family history. Due to advanced maternal age, chorionic villus sampling was performed and it was determined that the baby is affected with Tay-Sach’s disease. Criteria Interdisciplinary Team, Rationales and Expectations Due to positive finding of the fetus being afflicted with Tay-Sach’s disease, this pregnancy is now considered to be high risk. This will require a more specialized interdisciplinary team to follow her intensely throughout her pregnancy as well as the baby after he/she is born. First and foremost the patient(s) are always going to be a part of the interdisciplinary team. Making them a part of the team helps them to be more comfortable with the situation as a whole. It also makes them feel as though they have some sort of control throughout this ordeal. It will be the patient(s) responsibility to voice their concerns and wishes. The first healthcare member of the team is the RN. The RN will be the advocate for the family. It will be his/her responsibility to build a trusting relationship and rapport with the family in order to build their confidence and make sure that their wishes are being adhered to. In this particular case the RN will need to be able to recognize her own feelings in regards to the issues that surround Tay-Sach’s disease and know how to set them aside so that he/she can properly advocate. The RN will need to assess the situation, background, culture, and beliefs to get a good sense of who the family is. It will be the RNs duty to try and answer any questions the family may have and direct the family to the necessary resources that they may require. Another member of the team will be the perinatologist. This is a physician who specializes in high risk pregnancy and births. There will also be a neonatologist, this is the physician who specializes in newborns that are premature and/or have birth defects. This member of the team will be involved in the care of the fetus throughout the pregnancy as well as at the birth and will follow the baby until care is transferred over to a pediatrician. The pediatrician will provide the necessary care and treatment for the infant and into his/her childhood, basically throughout life. A genetics counselor will be brought in to speak with the family about Tay-Sach’s disease. The counselor will be able to assess the parent’s knowledge base of genetics, explain the disease and how it is caused, discuss any concerns they have, and explain the possible outcomes of future pregnancies. A social worker will also be involved to provide the family with any other resources they may need such as support groups, counseling and/or legal help (Ainsworth, 2011). Teaching Plan The RN would need to initially call the patient and set up an appointment for them to come in and speak with the physician. The physician would be the one that would explain to the family exactly what Tay-Sach’s is. The physician would explain to the expectant parents that Tay-Sach’s is an inherited disorder that is caused by a genetic mutation that both parents carry. What happens is the body is missing an important enzyme and without it, there is a buildup of a fatty substance within the cells of the nervous system, mainly the brain, ultimately resulting in permanent malfunction. Signs and symptoms of the disease do not begin to surface until the child is around six months of age and it begins with gradual dysfunction of the motor skills. As the nervous system further degrades the symptoms become worse and the child loses sight, hearing, and mental functionality. Unfortunately there is no treatment for Tay-Sach’s except comfort measures and the life expectancy for a child with infantile Tay-Sach’s disease is typically four to five years (Ainsworth, 2011). The physician would need to emphasize that maternal age or lifestyle does not have any part in the cause of this diagnosis. The physician would then need to explain the options available at this time which are carrying the child to term or terminating the pregnancy via therapeutic abortion (Tay-sachs. org). Depending on the parent’s decision, should they choose to carry the child, they can also choose to care for the infant or place it for adoption. After the physician has spoken with the family, the RN would need to be there for the family, not only to listen, but again to answer any questions they may have. Mr. and Mrs. Trosack have decided to carry their infant to full term and care for their child due to their religious beliefs. At this time the RN would be responsible to clarify and document the parents’ wishes. The RN would be responsible for coordinating appointments with the specialists that will be involved in the care and communicating this with the family. The RN will then give the family the educational information to the parents to take home with them and the web address to the online support group for Tay-Sach’s. While finding this type of information out is unsettling, it will be the RNs job to make sure and give the parents ways to cope. The RN can teach them about relaxation techniques such as guided imagery, music therapy, or breathing patterns that can be done in situations when they are feeling anxious about the impending birth. The RN will educate the parents on maintaining a healthy diet and continuing regular activity and exercise as the physician recommends. The RN will explain to the expectant parents that since the pregnancy is considered high risk based on maternal age and the diagnosis of Tay-Sach’s there will be more frequent visits to the perinatologist than one would typically expect and there may be more ultrasounds performed to assess the baby. With any pregnancy the RN would want to educate the parents about signs of labor and when to seek medical attention in case of an emergency. The parents would need to know things that are not normal during pregnancy such as burning upon urination, vaginal bleeding, fluid gushing from the vagina, severe swelling, vision changes, loss of consciousness, or a severe headache. Education about abstinence from smoking and consumption of alcohol is also a necessity, regardless. Another oint of discussion eventually will be the birth, the RN would need to let the parents know that with a high risk pregnancy, home births are not recommended (mayoclinic. com). Ethical Implications of Genetic Testing Some would argue the genetic testing, especially during pregnancy gives someone the right to play â€Å"God†. In an article written by Dr. Rob DeSalle he discusses how we are now able to detect certain genetic disorders that parents can pass to their children such as Tay-Sach’s or Phenylketonuria. According to his article he wonders if this will give people a free pass to design their babies. Dr. DeSalle also speaks about â€Å"superhumans† in his article and the fact that with advancing technology we could create a race without defects (amnh. ecolleg. com). Chorionic villus sampling is typically done at 10-12 weeks gestation. An ethical concern surrounding the timeframe of this testing is that it often causes the parents to make the decision of a therapeutic abortion in a pregnancy that may have spontaneously aborted on its own. Although this theory is not 100 percent, it still could prevent the family from going through such a disheartening experience (Himes, 1999). Another dilemma families are faced with is the risk versus benefit. Chorionic villus sampling does not come with our risks. This type of test involved inserting a catheter either through the abdomen or transvaginally into the placenta and collecting a sample. Doing so has been known to cause a spontaneous abortion or even cause reduced limbs. The test, while important, could potentially do more harm than good. Ethical and Legal Dilemmas Whose right is it to bring a dying child into the world? Some believe that everything happens for a reason and others believe doing so is a form of inhumanity. This could surely affect the parents decision, especially if they felt that carrying the child to term and bringing it into the world would cause it suffering. What if the test is wrong? It is known that chorionic villus sampling is not as effective of a test as an amniocentesis, therefore with this knowledge the parents may wish to wait until further testing can be done, however by that time, the choice of therapeutic abortion is no longer an option (Himes, 1999). As far as legalities are concerned, discrimination would possibly be an issue. The parents insurance may not want to provide the necessary coverage for their child because the diagnosis was made in utero and they could have â€Å"prevented† it. The child is also going to require around the clock care, will either of the parents be let go from their positions for needing to take so much time off of work? These are two issues that also may affect the parent’s decision. It was determined that they both work very extended hours and this child will definitely have an effect on that. Patient Advocacy Advocating for the Trosack’s means standing up for them so that their decision and wishes are adhered to and making sure they are heard by the interdisciplinary team. The RN would also be their voice of reason when trying to explain their decision to other family members that they may bring in to learn more about the situation. Regardless of the RNs personal feelings it is his/her duty to make the parents feel confident in their decision and know that they are making the right decision for themselves. Personal Reflection As far as my own personal opinion, I am completely against abortion unless it is medically necessary or a woman has been raped or molested and does not want the baby that was conceived as a result. I do believe that the parents have the right to do whatever they feel is best for their family. In the case of the Trosack’s, I fully support their decision to carry their child.

Pre-match competitive anxiety

Pre-match competitive anxiety Pattern of Pre-Match Competitive Anxiety in Elite Male Rugby Union Players. 1. Introduction Significant progress into the understanding of anxiety in sport has been made in recent years with the aid of research by such researchers at Burton (1988), Gould et al. (1987) and Martens and Gill (1976). In turn this has enabled sport psychologists to gain a deeper understanding into what causes competitive anxiety and the way in which athletes cope with it (Jarvis, 2006). The ability to cope with anxiety in all sports is essential as it could make the difference between winning and losing a competition. 1.1 Identifying the Problem There is a lack of research into the effects of anxiety on sporting performance, especially in male rugby. In team sports it is particularly important to breakdown all aspects of the performance. The key issues researched in this paper are somatic and cognitive anxiety. From research it is clear that the failure to control these areas leads to unsuccessful teams (Yerkes Dodson, 1968; Feltz, 1988; Martens et al., 1990; Cox, 1998; Weinberg Gould, 2007). 1.2 Research Aims and Questions The main aim of the research is to examine the pattern of pre-match competitive anxiety in elite male rugby union players. With the use of the CSAI-2 and interviews, the effects that anxiety has on sporting performance will be investigated. There are three questions to be answered in this research piece: How does cognitive state-anxiety affect sporting performance? What affects does somatic state-anxiety has on sporting performance? How can self-confidence affect the level of sporting performance? According to LeUnes (1996), developments in the literature written around anxiety have focused on the multidimensional nature of the phenomenon. Therefore, all results will be analysed and compare with the predictions proposed by the Multidimensional Anxiety Theory by Martens et al. (1990) which is explained in the Methodology section. 1.2 Importance of Research The findings from this research will be beneficial to coaches as they will provide a better understanding of how anxiety levels affect performance. The research will also be important to athletes, in this case rugby union players, as they will gain a deeper understanding into the reasons behind their feelings of anxiety and self-confidence. By gaining a further understanding in this area, performance levels can be increased with the aid of appropriate preparation during training and before matches. Coping strategies could also be introduced to the players to enable them to control their levels of anxiety prior to matches. 1.3 Context The research for this research project will take place at a local amateur rugby club. The club was set up in July 1898 and just before the Second World War the land was purchased and the pitches were laid. By 1975 the club had a fully erected club house with squash courts. The club consists of 6 senior teams; Colts, Ladies, Vikings, Rhinos (Veterans), Wanderers and 1st XV. There are also teams for youth boys from U7 through to U17, and U15 and U18 teams for girls. The selected team for research is the 1st XV mens team. Although the research is being carried out in this local rugby club, the results and findings can be applied to any other sports club across the country. The level and gender of the club or team will however make a difference to how the players react to certain situations. 1.4 Outline of the Study This research will be split further into five further chapters: Chapter Two: Literature review in which I will be developing an overview of the field. Chapter Three: Methodology will explain how I set out to investigate my research and why I chose the methods used. Chapter Four: Results will present the findings of the research piece in chart form. Chapter Five: Discussion Analysis explains what I found out during the research project. It will relate them back to my literature review and compare them to the Multidimensional Anxiety Theory. Chapter Six: Conclusion will explain my findings and close up the research project. 2. Literature Review This literature review will be written in four sections. Each one will be looking into the effects of anxiety on performance in sport. Section one will look at the definitions of trait and state anxiety and self confidence. Section two will be looking into the research around anxiety and its effects on performance, both positive and negative. The third section will be investigating the causes of anxiety; fear of failure, parental, peers and coaches influences, social physique anxiety, and location. The final section will be exploring the characteristics of anxiety during performance in sport. Objective and Data Sources This research project provides an insight into the affects of anxiety on the performance of a selected rugby team. Database searches were done using SPORTDiscus, PsycINFO and EBSCOhost in order to find significant literature. The key words rugby, anxiety, performance, coaches, location, parents, and team were entered into the databases to bring up relevant articles. Only appropriate, peer reviewed data was extracted for this review. 2.1 Trait and State Anxiety, and Self-Confidence. Anxiety can be defined as, A state in which the individual experiences feelings of uneasiness (apprehension) and activation of the autonomic nervous system in response to a vague nonspecific threat. (Barry, 2002:p230; Carpenito-Moyet, 2006:p11). Anxiety is viewed as an enduring personality factor or trait referred to as A-trait (Davies, 1989:p70). 2.1.1 Trait Anxiety Trait anxiety is part of the personality, an acquired behavioural tendency or disposition that influences behaviour (Weinberg Gould, 2007:p79). Individuals with a high level of trait anxiety have a tendency to regard certain situations as threatening, and respond to these with an increased level of state anxiety (Spielberger, 1971). For example, two hockey goal keepers are of the same standard yet one has a higher level of trait anxiety and finds pressure of saving the goals too much. This leads to him displaying higher levels of state anxiety. Anxiety is also viewed as a temporary state, A-state which is evoked by particular situations (Davies, 1989:p70). 2.1.2 State Anxiety State anxiety can be defined as an emotional state characterized by subjective, consciously perceived feelings of apprehension and tension, accompanied by or associated with activation or arousal of the autonomic nervous system (Spielberger, 1966:p17). For example, the level of an athletes state anxiety will change during a rugby match. Before the game the player may have a high level of state anxiety, during the game it may lower as they settle into the game, and finally during the last few minutes of a tight game it may rise again. State anxiety can be split further into cognitive state anxiety, and somatic state anxiety (LeUnes Nation, 1996). In support of this proposal that the two aspects of state anxiety can be dealt with as independent constructs, both Burton (1988) and Gould et al. (1987) have proven through research that sporting performance is affected by the type of anxiety being measured. Cognitive anxiety can be defined as the mental component of state anxiety caused by such things as fear of negative social evaluation, fear of failure, and loss of self-esteem (Cox, 1998:p98). Somatic anxiety refers to the physiological and affective elements of the anxiety experience that develop directly from autonomic arousal (Martens et al., 1990:p6). Somatic anxiety is shown in responses such as increase in heart rate, breathlessness, sweaty palms, and muscular tension (Martens et al., 1990; Morris et al, 1981; Cox, 1998). Research by Hanton et al., (2000) examined the cognitive and somatic anxiety levels in 50 rugby players and 50 target rifle shooters. Hanton et al. (2000) concluded that rugby players were more likely to report that somatic anxiety had a positive impact on their sporting performance. However, the target rifle shooters reported that it had a negative impact on their performance. Somatic and cognitive anxiety can be tested using the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 (CSAI-2) developed by Martens et al. and first presented in 1982. 2.1.3 Self-Confidence Vealey (1986) defined sports confidence as the amount of confidence athletes possess about their ability to be successful in sport. Vealey (2001) suggested that self-confidence can be more traitlike or statelike depending on the time that it is measured. In essence, confidence might be something that an individual feels on a particular day (state self-confidence), or it might be part of their personality (trait self-confidence). Research carried out by Hall et al. (1998), suggests that self-confidence is closely related to perceived ability and is depressed with the onset of competition due to the increase in anxiety. As explained in literature by Horn (2008:p66), self-confidence is rooted in beliefs and expectations. If overall self-confidence is low and the player(s) expect something to go wrong, they are creating a self-fulfilling prophecy (Weinberg Gould, 2007). This means that expecting something to happen actually helps it to happen. For example, if a team thinks that they will lose the upcoming match because they lost last time they stand a greater chance of losing than winning. The expectation of failure leads to actual failure, which lowers self-image and increases expectations for future failure (Weinberg Gould, 2007:p323). 2.2 Anxiety and Performance. As a result of the development of the CSAI-2, the Multidimensional Theory of Anxiety has been recognised in the field of sport psychology (McNally, 2002). The Multidimensional Theory of Anxiety is based on the idea that anxiety is comprised of two distinct parts; cognitive and somatic (as defined in section 2.1). Both of these components have different effects on performance and can be manipulated separately in any occasion (Burton, 1998; Cox, 1998; McNally, 2002). The Multidimensional Anxiety Theory predicts that cognitive state anxiety is negatively related to performance. However, the theory predicts that the somatic state anxiety is related to performance in an inverted U shape which can be seen in Appendix 1 . Certain levels of anxiety can be advantageous for the performers, but only but to a certain level. Beyond this level the anxiety causes performance to decline (Martens et al., 1990; Hanin, 2000; Weinberg Gould, 2007). According to Endler (1978), there are five factors that can be responsible for an increase in state anxiety in an athlete; threat to an individuals ego, threat of personal harm, ambiguity, disruption of routine, and threat of a negative social evaluation. A high level of anxiety is disadvantageous for optimum performance in competitive sport (Davies, 1989:p71). This is demonstrated by the fact that more anxious individuals generally do worse in important events compared to less important events and practise sessions. This is supported by research carried out by Martens et al. (1990), Martin Gill (1991), and Eys et al. (2003). Martens et al. (1990) suggests that somatic anxiety has an Inverted-U shaped relationship with performance, whereas cognitive anxiety has a negative linear relationship with performance as shown in Appendix 2 . Similar results had been found by Parfitt and Hardy (1991). They found that there were both positive and negative effects for somatic anxiety during performance related activities just before an important event or match during the time that cognitive anxiety was at a high level (McNally, 2002). Anxiety can be a huge setback for many athletes, especially those who take part in individual sports, such as tennis singles, and for those who play in exposed positions, such as goalkeepers in hockey (Davies, 1989). Research has proven that there is an optimum level of anxiety for maximum performance. It was also proven that both high and low levels of anxiety are related to poor levels of performance (Yerkes Dodson, 1968; Feltz, 1988; Martens et al., 1990; Cox, 1998). According to research carried out by Martin and Gill (1991), a players level of anxiety varies depending on how important or challenging the match or competition is. More able players will therefore not be so adversely affected by high levels of anxiety, where as less able players will be as they see the match as challenging and good results will seem unrealistic. Sigmund Freud (1962) did a lot of research into anxiety. In 1962 he focused on the anticipatory nature of anxiety. From this research he concluded that some individuals expect to win or fail, and therefore become more or less anxious according to their expectations. An important piece of research into state anxiety among successful and unsuccessful competitors who differ in competitive trait anxiety was carried out by Martens and Gill (1976). From the research they concluded that the individuals who maintained low levels of A-state throughout the competition were highly successful. This supports the research carried out by Martens (1990) and Parfitt and Hardy (1991) with the Inverted-U shaped relationship between anxiety and performance. Anxiety, therefore is a central factor in performance in competitive sport (Davies, 1989:p72). It is exasperating and disheartening for a talented and committed sportsman when their performance crumbles during competition due to over-anxiety. This is avoidable if the individual is suitably prepared emotionally and emphasis is on the learning and enjoyment of the game. However, this could be difficult to enforce with a professional sportsman who may potentially have external rewards undermining intrinsic motivation (Weinburg and Gould, 2007). 2.3 Causes of Anxiety. This section will be looking into the issues surrounding the causes of anxiety in sports performers. These will include fear of failure, parental, peers and coaches influences, and event importance. Relevant literature has been reviewed and presented in the section below. 2.4.1 Fear of Failure For many people, sport is an important arena in which ones ability, motivation, and personality are scrutinized and evaluated by other people (Leary Kowalski, 1995:p122). Whenever individuals step onto the sports field they are at risk of showing themselves in an unflattering perspective. They may worry about displaying signs of being out of shape, unskilled, incompetent and unable to handle pressure to their fans, teammates, coaches and family (Passer, 1983; Davies, 1989; Leary Kowalski, 1995; Jarvis, 2006). Research by Pierce (1980) concluded that youth sport participants worried more about making mistakes and underperforming than getting hurt and what others thought of them. One of the most potent causes of anxiety is the fear of failure (Davies, 1989:p73). This fear of failure would also be connected with the loss of prestige and humiliation. Research by Passer (1983) supports this theory as he found that fear of failure is a major cause of threat in competitive-trait-anxious children. This fear of failure can be evident in superior performers as there is an increased pressure to perform well when playing a less able opponent. Losing to a lower ranked team or player could be humiliating and result in a loss of prestige and reputation (Davies, 1989; Leary Kowalski, 1995). The player may have the ability and skills to win the match, but due to their constant worry of how they are going to perform they end up underperforming (Passer, 1983). However, for professional athletes this adverse affect of anxiety on performance will be less as they have learnt to cope with such situations and are able to deal with them accordingly. An example of a highly skilled player is Roger Federer (aged 27). Federer met the young Spaniard, Rafael Nadal (aged 22) in the Wimbledon finals in 2008. Federer was the current Wimbledon champion and had held the title for 5 consecutive years; this would have been his 6th World Championship title. Federers defeat could have been due to the excessive amount of media coverage before the match adding to the pressure of him winning yet another title against a younger competitor. At the same time, the pressure would have equally been placed on Nadal to knock Federer off the top spot. Federer commented after the game Its not a whole lot of fun, but thats the way it is. I can only congratulate Rafa for a great effort (BBC Sport, 2008).The game was incredibly close; 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5), 6-7(8), 9-7 (BBC Sport, 2008), and has gone down in history as the longest ever Wimbledon final. 2.3.2 Parental, Peers and Coaches Influences Parents and coaches can sometimes be far too pushy and ambitious and in turn increase the stress and anxiety levels within the athlete. According to Jarvis (1990), it is apparent that both high and low expectations of performance can be linked to levels of anxiety. The over-concern and high levels of anxiety shown by anyone close to the athlete is likely to heighten their anxiety also, and in turn could damage the chances of success. Too much pressure from teachers, coaches and family can add tremendously to competitive anxiety (Jarvis, 1990: p118). Passer (1983) concluded from his research that highly anxious individuals are very worried about performing badly as this will bring about criticism and disapproval from their peers, parents and coaches. However, Smith et al. (1979) developed a coach-training program designed to help coaches create an environment for the athletes to feel comfortable and less anxious in. The Coach Effectiveness Training gives the coaches the skills and ability to create a socially supportive environment through frequent use of positive reinforcement, encouragement, and technical instruction, while discouraging the use of punitive behaviours (Smith et al., 2006:p492). Smith et al. (1995) discovered through research that there were significant reductions in performance-anxiety among children who played for a coach that had experienced the Coach Effectiveness Training. The children who were exposed to trained coaches showed a decrease in levels of anxiety over the season, whereas the other group who were exposed to untrained coaches showed an increase on the Sports Anxiety Scale-2 (SAS) (Smith et al., 2006). A frequent source of anxiety is the presence of spectators; these can be friends, family, coaches or even complete strangers. Sometimes performance is enhanced, sometimes it deteriorates and sometimes there is little discernible difference (Davies, 1989:p83). According to literature the performance of stable and confident players usually improves when an audience is present, whereas that of anxious players tends to decrease (Weinberg Gould, 2007; Jarvis, 2006; Martens et al., 1990). Research also shows that the effect of an audience on superior players is positive, and for the less able player the audience presents them with an increase in anxiety and stress which in turn causes them to underperform. According to work carried out by Haas and Roberts (1975), Martens and Landers (1972) and Green (1983) the perceived role of the observer is an important factor for the athlete or performer. It has been suggested that if the observer occupies an important, judgmental role then this gener ates feelings of anxiety. The researchers found that on the other hand, if the spectators are seen as being positive and supportive, for example a coach, they will be generally welcomed by the performer. 2.3.3 Event Importance. The more important a sporting event is, the more stressful we are likely to find it (Jarvis, 1990: p118). However, it is important to remember that it is the importance of the event to the individual that is counts, not the status of the competition. An event may seem insignificant to most people but may be important to an individual (Weinberg Gould, 2007). An example of this could be that an individual is competing against their old club team; there would be an increased desire to perform well and potentially beat them. Research carried out by Sanderson in 1977 on 64 of the best badminton players in England aged between 18 and 21; found that the perceived importance of the competition was a significant factor leading to A-State reactions (Sanderson, 1981). Marchant et al. (1998) conducted an experiment with pairs of golfers. The golfers were either competing for three new golf balls, or a pair of new golfing shoes. Obviously, the golf shoes made the competition into a high importance one, and therefore the players experienced more anxiety than those competing for the golf balls. An example of a player who was able to cope with the increase in anxiety is Jonny Wilkinson who took a drop goal to win England the 2003 Rugby World Cup in the final play of the game. If Wilkinson had been affected by the anxiety and pressure of the level of competition, he may have missed the goal. 2.4 Anxiety: Performance Characteristics. In sporting competitive situations, the anxious performer tends to become over-aroused, tense, and far too worried to perform to the best of their ability. The increase in muscle tension can interfere with coordination causing the performance levels to decrease (Burton, 1988; Smith et al., 2006; Weinberg Gould, 2007). The feeling on inadequacy and lack of self-confidence hinders the sporting performance (Davies, 1989). For example in a competitive rugby match a player who suffers a high level of anxiety may lack confidence when going in for a tackle. This could result in the player passing him and scoring a try, but most probably resulting in injury as they are not fully committed to the tackle. The highly anxious person is slower to react in the stressful competitive situation than he is in the relatively relaxed conditions of practice (Davies, 1989:p75). During tense, crucial parts of the match the over-anxious player may show unforced errors; for example in rugby they may miss a penalty kick and in tennis a double-fault may be played. Unforced errors may occur during the match; this can include forward passes, a knock-on, or a late tackle. 3. Methodology In order to achieve the objectives of this research project, a variety of appropriate research methods have been chosen, using both primary and secondary data. Before research was collected it was important to establish a research process which acted as a framework throughout the research project. During this chapter the strengths and weaknesses of the potential research method is discussed and only the suitable and most relevant have been selected for this study. 3.1 Paradigm Rationale There are two broad research traditions; qualitative which answers questions such as why and how, and quantitative which answers questions such as what and when ( See appendix page 27 table) (Gratton Jones, 2004). As I am interested in researching a particular phenomenon I mainly carried out quantitative data collection. I measured how anxiety affects performance, both positively and negatively within the mens 1st XV at Reading Rugby Football Club. It was decided to mix quantitative data with qualitative data to make the research more credible and valid. Many researchers such as Nau (1995) and Jayaratne (1993) have suggested that blending qualitative and quantitative methods of research can produce a result highlighting significant findings from each. Henderson et al. (1999) suggests that using anecdotes and narratives to support quantitative data can provide clarity to the findings. Linking the two types of data can give a bigger picture of the issues around the subject. During this research project, quantitative data was collected to provide numerical data from a large sample, whereas the qualitative data collected provides rich data from a smaller sample (Gratton Jones, 2004). 3.2 Research Approach The research question Pattern of pre-match competitive anxiety in elite mate rugby union players includes elements taken from both an inductive and deductive approach to research. When researching around the subject of how anxiety affects performance, a deductive approach appears to be more appropriate to the research project as it was unnecessary for the researcher to come up with a new theory. A large amount of research has already been carried out into the affects of anxiety on sporting performance, evident in the literature review. For this piece of research the Multidimensional Anxiety Theory proposed by Martens et al.,(1990) was used. The theory is based on the idea that anxiety is comprised of two distinct parts; cognitive and somatic. The Multidimensional Anxiety Theory predicts that cognitive state anxiety is negatively related to performance, and that the somatic state anxiety is related to performance in an inverted U suggesting that there is an optimum level of anxiety (Weinberg Gould, 2007; Burton, 1998; Cox, 1998; McNally, 2002). 3.3 Participants For this research into the effects of anxiety on performance, the mens 1st team of the amateur Reading Rugby Football Club was chosen. They were chosen as there is the opportunity to meet with the meet every week. From talking to the players it is apparent that the club has a mixture of professions; students, army personnel, mechanics, and business men. However, they all have one passion, and that is rugby. The ages of the players range from 18 to 38 years. There is a variety of experiences within the team; some players are in their first season of National 3 level rugby, whereas a number are in their fourth of fifth season at this level. Training takes place on a Tuesday and Thursday from 7:30pm until 9:30pm. During this time the players train, have physiotherapy (if it is needed), and they also have a meal together before going home. The amount of time that the team spends together off the pitch is vital for the development of team cohesion. 3.4 Data Collection During this research project, data was collected using both questionnaires and interviews. This section will look at questionnaires and interviews separately explaining the different types of question, and the advantages and disadvantages of both. 3.4.1 The Questionnaire Survey Following the research in Chapter 2, the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2 has been chosen for this research. The inventory is a sport-specific, self-report that has been proven to be a reliable and valid measure in competitive situations of cognitive and somatic state anxiety and self-confidence. The CSAI-2 consists of a three 9-item subscales that measure cognitive anxiety, somatic anxiety, and self-confidence (Burton, 1988). Each of the 27 questions are rated on a 4-point Likert scale from not at all to very much so. The questionnaire was administered during the final hour before competition over a period of 14 weeks. The scores collected on each of the three scales provided a reference point from which to examine the rugby players patterns of multidimensional anxiety. 3.4.1.1 Types of Questionnaires According to Gratton and Jones (2004) questionnaires are possibly the most common method for collecting data in sports-related research. A questionnaire is simply a standardised set of questions to gain information from a subject (Gratton Jones 2004: 115). Questionnaires are associated with quantitative research where data is required from a large sample group. In this case the questionnaires measure the anxiety levels of the 1st XV team before matches. There are three types of questionnaire; postal, telephone and face to face questionnaires. Postal questionnaires are given or posted to the participants who then complete them in their own time; they are then posted back to the researcher. Telephone questionnaires are completed by the researcher while talking to the participant over the telephone. Face to face questionnaires are completed with both the participant and researcher in the same location. For this research the most appropriate way to collect data was to hand out self-completion questionnaires that were carried out face to face. Handing out the questionnaires saves postal and telephone costs, and also time. This was the best way for the researcher to collect the data that was needed before summarising it using tables and graphs (Gratton Jones, 2004). 3.4.1.2 Advantages and Disadvantages of Questionnaires Advantages A well designed questionnaire provides little opportunity for the introduction of bias into the results. However, a badly designed questionnaire can sometimes lead to bias data, and therefore using questionnaires does not automatically mean that there is a reduction in bias (Thomas et al, 2005; Gratton Jones, 2010). The use of a questionnaire enables the participant to remain anonymous. This is advantageous when researching sensitive issues such as violence, drugs and, in this case the personal issue of anxiety. Enabling the participants to remain anonymous may increase the validity of the researchers results. As the CSAI-2 is being used the research has been provided with a well-structured means of collecting quantitative data.

Sustainable Urban Development In India Environmental Sciences Essay

Sustainable Urban Development In India Environmental Sciences Essay India is the worlds largest democracy and second most populous country and is emerging as a major power. Since 1991, India has seen a far-reaching, rapid and successful transformation of its economic order, making the country one of the most dynamic in the world. This process was driven by high levels of productivity in services and manufacturing. According to the commonly used development indicators, India is progressing at a rapid pace, second only to China. The incidence rate of poverty has declined. However, India is still tackling huge social, economic and environmental problems. With rapid expansion of urban population around the world there is an increasing awareness about minimizing the environmental costs of urbanization. Concerns are raised at environmental damages and depletion of nonrenewable resources and rising levels of pollution in urban areas. In recent times urban centres have become places of urban environmental degradation and wasteful use of resources, which is proving to be costly to generations present and future. Sustainable urban development is achieving a fine balance between growth, development of the urban areas and protection of the environment with an eye to equity in employment, shelter, basic services, social infrastructure and transportation in the urban areas. Brundtland Commission (1983) describes sustainable development as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. The UN Conference on Environment and Development (also known as Earth Summit) held at Rio-de Janeiro in 1992 adopted an action plan, popularly known as Agenda 21. The agenda 21 promised to reduce poverty, provide clean water and health care, and protect the natural resources for sustainable development. The Millennium Declaration by the General Assembly of the United Nations in September 2000 reaffirmed its commitment to the right to development, peace, security and gender equality, for overall sustainable development. Countries were expected to take efforts in the fight against poverty, illiteracy, hunger, lack of education, gender inequality, infant and maternal mortality, disease and environmental degradation. Millennium Development Goals have urged for ensuring environmental sustainability and reduction of the percentage of the population under extreme poverty. Thus all the initiatives taken so far on environment and development have stressed on economically viable development, socially equitable development and protection of the environment .Attaining sustainable development requires addressing social and environmental equity in development in ways that are socially, economically and politically acceptable. STATUS OF URBANISATION IN INDIA India is one of the fastest growing economies in the world today. Economic growth rate of 5.5 per cent per annum during 1981-2001, accelerated to 7.7 per cent per annum during 2001-02 and further to 8-9 per cent per annum GDP growth in 2010-11Economic development also leads to rapid urbanization .As an economy grows, its towns and urban centres expand in size and volume and the contribution of the urban sector to the national economy increases. The contribution of urban sector to Indias GDP has increased from 29% in 1950-51 to 47% in 1980-81. The urban sector presently contributes about 62%-63% of the GDP and this is expected to increase to 75% by 2021 . According to census of India, the urban population in the country as on 1st March 2001, was 286 million. This constituted 27.8% of the total population of 1028 millions. The rapid pace of urbanization has resulted in explosive growth of urban centres, This phenomenon has led to tremendous pressure on civic infrastructure systems, water supply, sewerage and drainage, uncollected solid waste, parks and open spaces, transport, etc. It has also led to deterioration in the quality of city environments. In several urban centres, the problems of traffic congestion, pollution, poverty, inadequate housing, crime, and social unrest are assuming alarming proportions. As per Census of India 2001 has grown upto 23.5 per cent of the total urban population and projections for 2011 indicate that this percentage is likely to go up to 30 per cent .In some urban centres, the proportion is 40-50 per cent. The proliferation of slums in metropolitan urban centres has become so extensive that as of 2001, 54 per cent of the total population of Mumbai lives in slums. Slums generally lack basic infrastructure, housing, social amenities and this has implications on health and productivity of the people living in such areas. This also has serious implications for future generation of people residing in such areas.In some urban centres, the proportion is 40-50 per cent. The proliferation of slums in metropolitan urban centres has become so extensive that as of 2001, 54 per cent of the total population of Mumbai lives in slums. Slums generally lack basic infrastructure, housing, social amenities and this has implications on health and productivity of the people liv ing in such areas. This also has serious implications for future generation of people residing in such areas. The trends of urbanization in India in the recent decades indicate the following key features: The degree of urbanization in India is one of the lowest in the world. With about 27.8% of the total population living in the urban areas, India is less urbanized compared to many countries of Asia, viz., China (32%), Indonesia (37%), Japan (78%), South Korea (83%), and Pakistan (35%). There is a continued concentration of the urban population in large urban centres and existing city agglomerations (Class I urban centres with population over one lakh) account for 68.9% of the urban population and this proportion has been growing. The growth of rural settlements which are acquiring urban characteristic is very slow and there is reluctance on the part of the States to notify the rural settlements as a town. There are large variations in the spatial patterns of urbanization across the States and urban centres. The pattern of population concentration in large urban centres reflects spatial polarization of the employment opportunities. Urban India is thus undergoing a transition in terms of physical form, demographic profile and socio-economic diversity. The important role of urban centres in national economic process and their global linkages demand more attention for their development, Urban centres are expected to perform efficiently in keeping with emerging demands for employment, commerce, trade, industry and other services. Urban centres have to attract investments for improving their efficiencies by way of upto date infrastructure, improved governance and affordable housing/ living with modern amenities. The urban centres of India need to be prepared for playing their new role of hosting rapid growth and providing services for an inclusive society. Not only do urban centres need much more by way of basic infrastructure but systems have to be put in place so that A socio-economic environment can be created, Affordable and Effective delivery of public services for all Affordable housing for the poor. This would require more public financial resources and more public goods, bringing the delivery of services to standard norms for all, greater willingness on the part of citizens and businesses to pay taxes and user charges for services, and a process of complementary urban-rural development. It is a challenge for policymakers, planners, intellectuals, officials, administrators and city manager and leaders to re-engineer urban planning especially settlements for better living conditions and better quality of life of all the citizens, especially the urban poor INSTITUTIONAL SET UP India is a federal polity with division of powers between centre and states. In the Federal structure of the Indian polity, the matters pertaining to the housing and urban development have been assigned by the Constitution of India to the State Governments. The Constitutions (74th Amendment) Act have further delegated many of these functions to the urban local bodies. State Legislatures also authorize the Union Parliament to legislate. Government of India plays a pivotal role and exercises influence to shape the policies and programmes of the country as a whole. The National Policy issues are decided by the Government of India which also allocates resources to the State Governments through various Centrally Sponsored schemes, provides finances through national financial institutions and supports various external assistance programmes for housing and urban development in the country as a whole. Policies and programme contents are decided at the time of formulation of Five Year Plans. The indirect effect of the fiscal, economic and industrial location decisions of the Government of India exercise a dominant influence on the pattern of urbanisation and real estate investment in the country. The Ministry of Urban Employment Poverty Alleviation is the apex authority of Government of India at the national level to formulate policies, sponsor and support programme, coordinate the activities of various Central Ministries, State Governments and other nodal authorities and monitor the The Ministry was constituted on 13th May, 1952 when it was known as the Ministry of Works, Housing Supply. Subsequently it was renamed as Ministry of Works Housing when a separate Ministry of Supplies came up. The name of the Ministry was changed to Ministry of Urban Development in September, 1985 in recognition of the importance of urban issues. With the creation of a separate Department of Urban Employment Poverty Alleviation on 8th March, 1995, the Ministry came to be known as the Ministry of Urban Affairs Employment. The Ministry had two Departments: Department of Urban Development Department of Urban Employment Poverty Alleviation. The two Departments were again merged on 9th April, 1 999 and in consequence thereto, the name has also been restored to The Ministry of Urban Development. The Ministry has again been bifurcated into two ministries viz : (i) Ministry of Urban Development; and (ii) Ministry of Urban Employment and Poverty Alleviation. The Ministry of Urban Development is responsible for formulating policies, supporting programs, monitoring programs and coordinate the activities of various Central Ministries, State Governments and other nodal authorities in so far as the relate to urban development concerning all the issues in the country. programmes concerning all the issues of urban employment, poverty  and housing in the country. HOUSING Housing, besides being a very basic requirement, holds the key to accelerate the pace of development. Investments in housing like any other industry have a multiplier effect on income and employment. It is estimated that overall employment generation in the economy due to additional investment in the housing/construction is eight times the direct employment1. The construction sector provides employment to 16% of the work force .Housing also has a direct impact on steel and cement industry, which accounts for considerable contributions to the national economy. Housing also contributes substantially to the services sector of the economy, which leads to generation of employment. Other significant aspect of housing development is its potential to generate employment for a wide section of population with varying degrees of skills and education. Housing Shortage and fund Requirement Urbanisation factors are coupled with housing shortage and insecure housing conditions, inadequate infrastructure transportation leading to a diminished quality of urban life in urban centers in majority of developing countries. In India ,according to the report of the Technical Group on estimation of housing shortage constituted in the context of formulation of the Eleventh Five-Year Plan, housing shortage is estimated to be around 24.71 million. As per Planning Commission earlier estimates for the 10th Plan beginning in 2002, the urban housing backlog was 8.8 million dwelling units and the total requirement was 22.44 million dwelling units. The overall housing shortage thus during the plan period (2007-2012) including the backlog was estimated as 26.53 million. About 99% of such households are from EWS and low income groups (LIG). For estimating the investment requirements for the Eleventh Plan, the Working Group on Urban Housing made different assumptions on unit cost of construc tion of houses in million plus urban centres and other urban areas. The total investment requirement for meeting the housing requirement would be of the order of Rs 361318.10 crore consisting of Rs 147195 crore required for mitigating housing shortage at the beginning of the Eleventh Plan and Rs 214123.10 crore for new additions to be made during the Eleventh Plan period This includes pucca ,upgradation of semi-pucca, and kutcha housing units and investments in housing by individuals and corporates. POLICY INITIATIVES The National Urban Housing and Habitat Policy provide the basic framework for achieving the objective of shelter for all. The policy was evolved in 1998 with the long-term goal of eradicating houselessness, improving the housing conditions of the inadequately housed, and providing a minimum level of basic services and amenities to all. It was formulated to address the issues of sustainable development, infrastructure development, and for strong PPPs for shelter delivery with the objective of creating surpluses in housing stock and facilitating construction of two million dwelling units each year in pursuance of the National Agenda for Governance. However, the housing sector has witnessed several changes since then. The 1998 National Housing Policy has been replaced by a National Habitat and Housing Policy, 2007 with land and the development of civic amenities to make land habitable as its two critical elements. In order to improve the quality of life in urban areas, it is of critical significance that the housing stock is improved through urban renewal, in situ slum improvement, and development of new housing stock in existing urban centres as well as new townships. However, despite many policy measures and initiatives, the coverage of urban poor with these intended benefits has not been achieved to the desired extent. Expanding equitable access The 11th Five Year Plan adopts inclusive growth as the theme for planning. An inclusive city requires all marginalized sections of urban society to function affectively in their social, economic, political and cultural domains and also needs to preserve its cultural identity absorbing dynamic population growth. It is important to integrate urban poor, women, destitutes, widows and children and old-age people in the city life and fabric. Developing inclusive urban centres of Slum-free Urban India is the challenge. In order to improve upon the living conditions in slums, the Government of India had launched The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).JNNURM is the largest initiative ever launched by the Government of India to address the problems of infrastructure and basic services to the poor in urban centres and towns in a holistic manner. The Mission is being implemented over a period of 7 years (2005-2012) with Central Assistance to States to the tune of Rs.50,000 crores. The objective of the Mission was to give focused attention to integrate development of infrastructure services, establishment of linkages between asset-creation and asset-management through reforms, ensuring adequate funds to meet the deficiencies in urban infrastructural services, planned development of identified urban centres including peri-urban areas, outgrowths and urban corridors leading to dispersed urbanization, provision of basic services to the urban poor including security of tenure at afforda ble prices, improved housing, water supply and sanitation, and ensuring delivery of other existing universal services of the Govt. for education, health and social security. Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) provides a new paradigm for inclusive city building inclusive urban communities based on holistic approach. It envisages reform-driven, fast-track and planned development of urban centres, with focus on efficiency in urban infrastructure/ service delivery mechanism, community participation and accountability of Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) towards citizens.The Mission covered both components from core infrastructure as well as last mile services to the urban poor, ensuring convergence with the sectors of human development as well. The two sub-missions for 63 identified urban centres are: Urban Infrastructure and Governance (UIG) Basic Services to the Urban Poor (BSUP) The Ministry of Urban Development is dealing urban Infrastructure and Governance (UIG) and Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme in Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT). The Ministry of Housing Urban Poverty Alleviation is dealing with BSUP IHSDP especially the slum dwellers. JNNURM contemplates that urban centres develop planned urban perspective frameworks for a period of 20-25 years (with 5-yearly updates) indicating policies, programmes and strategies of meeting fund requirements. This perspective plan is to be followed by preparation of Development Plans integrating land use with services, urban transport and environment management for every five-year plan period. Access to land and legal security of tenure are strategic prerequisites for the provision of adequate shelter for all and for the development of sustainable human settlements affecting both urban and rural areas. The major challenges facing is the scarcity of land for planning of housing for slum redevelopment projects for urban poor. This has been accentuated due to high cost of prime land where the slum dwellers reside. The present policy of the Central Government lays stress on an enabling approach. While recognizing the existence of different national laws and/or systems of land tenure, governments at the appropriate levels, including local authorities, are striving to remove obstacles that may hamper equitable access to land and ensure that equal rights of women and men related to land and property are protected under the law. The Jawahar Lal Nehru Mission and Rajiv Awas Yojana gives an institutional framework by focusing on 7 point charter and creating tenurial rights for slum household especially women as joint ownership. This has been further strengthened in the Rajiv Awas Yojana wherein each state has been requested to create legislative and enabling environment for slum free India. JNNURM with its focus on important aspects like urban reforms, pro-poor infrastructure investments, inclusive urban planning, integrated management of urban infrastructure, slum rehabilitation including affordable housing and tenure security is a very positive step towards achieving the goal of inclusive and sustainable urban centers. However, challenges facing urban local bodies needs to be seen in the emerging scenarios of urbanization, inclusion and financial challenges. Sustainable urban development in INDIA therefore requires holistic and integrated planning with optimum use of resources within a good governance FRAMEWORK for creating sustainable human environment. This requires paradigm shift in the existing institutions and the institutional framework for implementation. The decision making needs to be decentralized and resources financial and manpower needs to be devolved to the urban local bodies i.e. urban centres (urban local bodies) with replicable, scalable, flexible institutional format.