Happiness comes not from being loved, but from loving

Someone told me once, bring a gift for everyone, every time you see them. I think this is a great piece of advice.

If you are thinking that this is impossible, realise that giving doesn’t have to involve physical objects. In fact, in my experience, it is better for it not to be. Give a smile or a kind thought, hug a crying friend, open a door for a stranger, work to forgive those who hurt you, say a silent prayer when you drive past an accident. That way, we never run out, and we never get tired.

Why? This is a step towards one of the most transformative spiritual practices of all – the simple decision to be kind, easy-going, and forgiving to everyone, including oneself.

If you believe in the idea that we are all one consciousness, that the idea of “me” is just an illusion of separation, then this is a practice that dissolves that boundary between self and not-self. When we give, no longer are we thinking of ourselves. No longer are we the tiny ego, the small self, the selfish person. If we are genuinely kind, we become – for that brief moment – connected to something far bigger, far more majestic.

Other teachings say that whatever you give comes back to you, since we are all interconnected. If we all swim in the same ocean, then whatever we spread outwards also affects us. Would you put kindness or hatred into the ocean that you yourself swim in?

This can have psychological benefits too – caring for a beloved pet is a proven effective way to reduce depression. Giving kindness, whoever the recipient is, makes you feel better.

If you don’t believe in any of this, then you will have lived a kind and generous life for its own sake.

We cannot give with expectation of a reward. Not even a “thank you”. It is very easy to fall into the trap of giving for the sake of receiving. And this “temptation” returns again and again. When I first made the decision to be kind to everyone, I did it without any expectations of return, which is how it should be. But over the months that followed, I noticed how everyone reacted to me – people treated me kindly, went out of their way for me, gave me lots of approval. This was something I craved, so this temptation had come back in – I wanted their affection and approval, and that had contaminated my kindness. It was kindness at first, but became corrupted further down the road.

In fact, there were deeper levels to this false giving. This kindness came from a secret feeling of worthlessness. That I will not be liked for who I am, so at least I will be liked for my giving. This was unknown and hidden from me at first, and can be quite hard to see, so look especially hard for similar motivations in yourself.

Even worse, false giving won’t heal any deeper insecurities you might have. In my case, it didn’t heal my hidden sense of worthlessness at all – because the appreciation and kindness I got back never reached it. If YOU give from a mask, then the appreciation YOU get only reaches that mask, and not my heart.

This just leads to more frustration, and a deepening insecurity. Sometimes we even hate ourselves for our false giving, because on some level, we know it isn’t genuine.

This simple decision can be hard at times; it is something that I am still practicing. But the more I practice, the more I see the truth in the old saying – happiness comes not from being loved, but from loving. Loving is its own reward.

 

UrbanMonk.Net

Brief on the outcome of the meeting held today between Hon’ble Minister for Railways and the Federation

Brief on the outcome of the meeting held today between Hon’ble Minister for Railways and the Federation All India Railwaymen Federation 4, State Entry road, New Delhi 110055 No.AIRF/525 Dated: December 18, 2014 The General Secretaries, All Affiliated Unions, Dear Comrades, Sub: Brief on the outcome of the meeting held today between Hon’ble Minister for Railways and the Federations Today a meeting was held between Hon’ble Minister for Railways and the Federations on the issue of Foreign Direct Investment(FDI) in Indian Railways, wherein MoSR, CRB, MS and ED(IR) were also present. AIRF was represented by its President and General Secretary, Com. Rakhal Das Gupta and Shiva Gopal Mishra. At the outset, Hon’ble MR, while welcoming the federations, assured that there would be no privatization of any activity in the Railways. He also mentioned that, his system of working had been very transparent, and he would try that each and every issue must be discussed with the federations with full transparency. He said that the Indian Railways are passing through economic crisis, and under these circumstances we have to invite private capital. He further said that he want to assure that private capital would be used for expansion of railway infrastructure, but all the activities, right from production, maintenance and operation, will be dealt by the Railwaymen only. I as well as President/AIRF fully opposed FDI in the Railways, and said that, because of the propaganda, Railwaymen have been demoralized, and being safety categories, such propaganda of privatization of the Railways or Restructuring of the Railway Board and Ministry of Railways, bringing IASs in the Railway Management, will be proved counter-productive for the Railway System. I also reminded the Hon’ble MR about his statement in the Parliament as well as today morning while inaugurating Bhatinda Shatabdi Express that he would create SPVs with the state governments and asked him to clarify, what is the purpose of such SPVs. He again made it clear that the state governments should be asked to reimburse the cost of such projects, but only money will be taken from them, and all the works, right from production, maintenance and operation, will be done by the Railwaymen only. I also reminded the Hon’ble MR about the circular issued by the Ministry of Commerce & Heavy Industry, stating, in all the three sectors – production, maintenance and operation, 100% FDI will be allowed. He said that, he would have another round of meeting with the federations, after going through all the aspects, but assured that there would not be any harm to the existing Railway System. Hon’ble MR directed the CRB to explain them and give copies of the MoUs undertaken with 7-8 countries on various activities, right from high speed rail to establishing railway institutes. He also directed the Member Staff to constitute a committee, headed by the Member Staff, wherein Presidents and General Secretaries of both the federations will be a part, and directed him to have regular meetings and clarify them on all the relevant issues. On this occasion I also raised the issue of abolition of NPS while bringing Old Pension Scheme, and explained him that the earlier Hon’ble MR had written a letter to the then Finance Minister. The MS clarified him the issue. The MR assured that he would go through the subject matter and will also have discussion with the Finance Minister. The issue of depleted condition of Railway quarters and poor medical facilities was also raised by us. Hon’ble MR further directed the CRB to give a note to the Financial Commissioner(Railways) to allocate sufficient funds to meet the requirements of maintenance of Railway colonies and medical facilities. The CRB also raised the issue of PLB to Railwaymen, wherein he explained that, every year since last 3-4 years there used to be lots of troubles, and many times threat of stoppage of trains used to come from the federations. Now, the PM and FM have finally said, if there will not be any formula, then they will not allow PLB from the next year. The CRB requested through the MR that the federations should co-operate them. I, on behalf of AIRF, told him pointblank that the bilateral agreement, arrived at between the federations and Railway Ministry on 22.11.1979, is sacrosanct, therefore, there is no necessity to make any change in it. Even then, the CRB asked that, there have been lots of changes in the working pattern as well as weightage in the capital, which was opposed by both the federations. Finally, Hon’ble MR said that, he do not want any discontentment among the Railwaymen, therefore, the MS should deal this issue separately within the committee, and in case there is any problem, he is ready to discuss the matter with him. Hon’ble MR further said, it is just beginning, we want frequent dialogues with the federations, and in case if needed, he may visit federation offices and can discuss the issue there too. The meeting was concluded in a very cordial manner with the hope that transparency, about whom the MR has talked, will be maintained, and anything will not be done which will jeopardize the Railway System by bringing FDI or Restructuring of the Railway Board and Ministry of Railways etc. With fraternal greetings! sd/- (Shiv Gopal Mishra) General Secretary) Source : AIRF

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CBS Go-Live - Athani Head Post Office on 22.12.2014

CBS Go-Live - Athani Head Post Office on 22.12.2014 via: http://ipathani.blogspot.in/ https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.822823014426108.1073741839.100000952500591&type=1&l=d3c8fbdeb8

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How to be Happy and Buoyant...

A buoyant heart is a happy heart.

A buoyant spirit and attitude to life and the circumstances life brings to us is one of the most beautiful and essential characteristics of our own true nature — a quality that as we reclaim it and reveal it more fully in our living will transform our lives.

The Collins English Dictionary defines buoyancy in four ways:

1. The ability to float in a liquid or to rise in a fluid.

2. (Physics) the property of a fluid to exert an upward force on a body that is wholly or partly submerged in it.

3. The ability to recover quickly after setback; resilience.

4. Cheerfulness.

How I see buoyancy

For myself, I think of buoyancy as simply the ever present, unconquerable power of Eternal Love that as we are open to it and true to it, does all it can and then some to bring healing and happiness into our lives.

Mind you, probably what I’m talking about here can’t ultimately be defined. But I do know that it is absolutely stable and dependable. And I know that we don’t have to try to find it, or create it, or “add it” to ourselves in some way.

It already exists. It is a core ingredient of being. All we have to do is reclaim it and give it increased expression in our living.

5 ways to be buoyant

Here are 5 ways to reclaim the natural buoyancy of life the universe has already given us, so that it infuses itself more fully into our lives and our expression:

1. Keep your trust in life.

Never doubt the essential goodness and love that is at the core of your existence and all existence anywhere. Some beautiful words of the Spanish nun and mystic, St. Teresa of Avila, may be helpful at times: “Let nothing disturb thee; Let nothing dismay thee; All things pass; God changeth never.”

(A personal note here. The word “God” has been sadly misused in my opinion. In some ways I prefer the word Being, which for me still points to the larger, overarching source of life and existence but in a more accessible way.)

2. Stay true to the true nature of love.

This is the very source of “buoyancy.” Don’t let outer changes or disappointments corrupt that core expression of love and change it into something that is unworthy of you. Shakespeare expressed this so well: “Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds.”

3. Be flexible.

True love is not arbitrary. It’s nimble and flexible. Because Eternal Love is the very source of strength, it doesn’t confuse strength with being rigid and inflexible.

As the Bible beautifully states (James 3:17): “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.”

4. Keep on keeping on.

There is no substitute for persistence if you want to find true happiness in this world. As President Calvin Coolidge said, “Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb….”

Incidentally I came across a cute Japanese proverb the other day: “Money grows on the tree of persistence.” (I rather liked like this one.)

5. Don’t be too impressed by external forms.

This includes thoughts, of course, our own or other people’s thoughts. If we are too impressed by outer forms and the pronouncements of others our buoyancy level will probably drop in a hurry, because the world is not a particularly buoyant place on the whole at the moment.

Trust Being. Honor Being. Be impressed by Being. Open your heart to the stillness and wisdom of your own being and let that be your guide and support.

I’m sure there are lots of other ways in which we can reclaim the true buoyancy of life. Please drop me a line if you would like to share any of your own thoughts or experiences in this regard.

by: The Happyseeker

Definition of God - An Analysis

All the Messengers of God took great care to see that the definition of God gets a proper place in the scriptures. Let us see how beautifully the Formless God has been defined in Balkand of Ramcharita Manas:

‘God is one; desire less; colorless; nameless; deathless; He is the Truth, consciousness and bliss; the ultimate destination; all pervasive and cosmic’

(ek aneeh aroop anama ……)

Ramcharita Manas, Balkand

•So the so called God

•has to be colourless,

•name less,

•beyond birth and beyond death,

•the absolute truth,

•super consciousness,

•ultimate bliss,

•origin and the ultimate destination of the existence,

•all pervading and a lot more, never ending list of His attributes.

Holy Quran talks about 99 attributes of Allah. Let us have a look at the compiled definition of God taken from various scriptures.

(1) DEFINITION OF GOD

1.He is the Creator, Operator & Destroyer

2.God is ONE.

3.He has no beginning, no end.

4.He was never born, and will never die.

5.Fire cannot burn it

6.Water cannot wet it

7.Air cannot dry it up

8.No weapon can cut it

9.Beyond Change

10.Formless and Colorless

11.God is omnipresent

12.God is omnipotent

13.God is Omniscient

14.There was no such time when He was not there, and there will be no such time when He will not be there.

Just look at the definition given above. It is a part of definition that the God is ONE. It can not be ‘TWO’. So how can then, my God be different from your God or from anybody else’s God, for that matter.

Look at the 4th point, that says that God (Nirankar) was never born and will never cease to exist. Of course, the True Masters or the avatars, being in physical body, keep coming and going. Like Lord Ram, Lord Krishna, Hazrat Mohamad, Lord Jesus, they came, did their job of revealing the secret of God to their devotees, and went away. But God (which is formless Nirankar) has always remained, and will always remain.

Look at the characteristic of being present everywhere, and Always. This gives us some food for thought. When we say that ‘there was no such time when God was not there’, what it means is, that God was there even before Lord Ram, even before Sun took birth, or even before our own Earth came to existence.

Srimad Bhagwat Geeta so clearly defines the indestructible character of God. Now we have to apply this definition to the various things that we worship as God. In fact, this definition gives us a rejection mechanism.

If we see anything that does not meet these characteristics, we can simply say that ‘this can not be God’. This had been one of the oldest methods of revealing the secret of God knowledge, by saying ‘Neti- neti’, means, ‘no, not this one; not this one also’.

(2) Let us apply this definition to:

•Sun, Earth

•Paper, - calendars

•Gold, Silver, stones or metals

•Water

•Air, etc..

For better understanding of this definition, let us apply this definition to certain items that we commonly see. Look at Sun first; is the sun creator of the universe or a mere creation?; is the sun only one in the whole universe? Is the sun omnipresent? Has this sun no beginning and no end? Will this remain for ever? So, the Sun does not qualify to be God. Similarly all other items will not meet the specifications.

(3) Popular Myths..

•God is only inside the human body.

•He is only in the sky,

•He is only in the mountains, in holy waters.

•He is only in a particular direction,

•He is only in a particular place,

If we carefully apply the definition of God discussed earlier, we can easily make out that these statements are only myths. For instance, how can the God be only inside the human body when the definition says that He is omnipresent, He is everywhere. In fact, these types of myths emerge out of ignorance about the ‘substance or tatva of god’.

Author: Sanjiwan Kumar Ji

The idea that is India

“Only those species survived which collaborated and improvised.”

- Charles Darwin

     The Ayodhya Verdict came as a birthday gift to Gandhi. For a man who witnessed the partition on the soil of India and souls of Indians, a tri-partite dissection of a piece of land in the name of religion must have been an unsavoury gift. Gandhi used to say that Muslims and Hindus were blood-brothers as they were born of the same mother. He asked the Hindus to cultivate eternal bonds of friendship with Muslims and perish with them in order to vindicate the honour of Islam. Ironically, in the 63 years of Independence, we have spent 61 years trying to determine ownership of a piece of land on communal lines. The Pyrrhic victory of the statesmanship like verdict may have acted as a balustrade preventing emotions from running high, but the cinder of chauvinism that communal elements thrive on is still alive. That a brazen defilement and razing of a Holy shrine took place in a democratic and secular India would always remain the blackest memory in our past. But we cannot alter the past to justify politics of the present. Now is the time to re-visit the platitudes and truisms about us and find a better dream for a brighter future.

The Idea of India

     Nations have been founded on varying impulses and assumptions. What united one group of people invariably made them distinct from others. But as Ernest Renan remarked ‘historical amnesia is an essential part of Nation building’. But Indians lack a well developed sense of historicism as their past often lives in their present. We find solace in the vast catacombs of our history. But to move forward, we need to forgive and forget; we have to make new footprints in the sands of time. We are a nation of mind-boggling diversity. We are the homeland of 4 major religions of the world, 35 languages and 22000 dialects. In India, language changes every 400 miles and with them the customs and culture too. We are an incredible fantasy and a colourful pageant to the rest of the world. We are one Nation that has defied the norms of nationhood. As Shashi Tharoor rightly remarked the idea of India was created by shared history and sustained by a pluralist democracy. We are a land of belonging rather than blood. Sanatana Dharma was a value that was intrinsic to us. Ours was a shore that welcomed all races and cultures; for the Indian soul the whole world was one family. It was a poor epilogue to our great history that our independence was won by dividing the land.

     We are now a secular democratic republic. Our Flag binds both saffron and green together with the white of peaceful co-existence. The faintest manifestation of the raucous self-glorification on communal identities and division is not acceptable in our country. Mosques have been demolished but not faith; temples have been raided but not trust. The Ram in our hearts and the Rahim in our souls reveal the same truths. We are not a country of incompatible Gods and impossible dreams. Indians make India. To modify Eugene Debs, while there is a lower class we are in it, while there is a criminal element we are of it. We are part of the meanest and the greatest. It is by accepting and sometimes forgiving history that we move forward. To create a better India for a better world is our tryst with destiny.

Posted by Francis Kuriakose

Story Of Appreciation

     One young academically excellent person went to apply for a managerial position in a big company.

     He passed the first interview; the director did the last interview, made the last decision.

     The director discovered from the CV, that the youth's academic result is excellent all the way, from the secondary school until the postgraduate research, never was a year he did not score.

     The director asked, "Did you obtain any scholarship in school?" and the youth answered "none".

     The director asked, " Is it your father who paid for your school fees?" the youth answered, my father passed away when I was one year old, it is my mother who paid for my school fees.

     The director asked, " Where did your mother work?" the youth answered, my mother worked as a cloth cleaner. The director requested the youth to show his hand, the youth showed a pair of hand that were smooth and perfect to the director.

     The director asked, " Did you ever help your mother wash the clothes before?" The youth answered, never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more books, furthermore, my mother can wash clothes faster than me.The director said, I have a request, when you go back today, go and help to clean your mother's hand, and then see me tomorrow morning.

     The youth felt that as the chance of landing the job is high, when he went back, he happily wanted to clean his mother's hand, his mother felt strange, happy but mixed with fear, she showed her hands to the kid.

     The youth cleaned his mother's hand slowly, his tears dropped down as he did that. It is the first time he found his mother's hands so wrinkled, and there are so many bruises in her hand. Some bruises incite pains so strong that shiver his mother's body when cleaned with water.

     This is the first time the youth realized and experienced that it is this pair of hand that washed the cloth everyday to earn him the school fees, the bruises in the mother's hand is the price that the mother paid for his graduation and academic excellence and probably his future.

     After finishing the cleaning of his mother hand, the youth quietly cleaned all remaining clothes for his mother. That night, mother and son talked for a very long time.

     Next morning, the youth went to the director's office.

     The director noticed the tear in the youth's eye, asked: “Can you tell what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?"

     The youth answered, " I cleaned my mother's hand, and also finished cleaning all the remaining clothes'
     The director asked, “please tell me your feeling."
     The youth said :

     Number 1, I knew what is appreciation, without my mother, there would not the successful me today.

     Number 2, I knew how to work together with my mother, then only I can realize how difficult and tough to get something done.

     Number 3, I knew the importance and value of family relationship.
     The director said, " This is what I am asking, I want to recruit a person that can appreciate the help of other, a person that knew the suffering of others to get thing done, and a person that would not put money as his only goal in life to be my manager. You are hired.

     Later on, this young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his subordinates, every employees worked diligently and in a team, the company's result improved tremendously.

     A child who had been protected and habitually given whatever he did, he developed "entitlement mentality" and always put himself first. He is ignorant of his parent's effort. When he started work, he assumed every people must listen to him, and when he became a manager, he would never know how suffering his employee and always blame others. For this kind of people, he can have good result, may be successful for a while, but eventually would not feel sense of achievement, he will grumble and full of hatred and fight for more. If we are this kind of protective parent, did we love the kid or destroy the kid?

     You can let your kid live in a big house, eat a good meal, learn piano, watch a big screen TV. But when you are cutting grass, please let them experience it. After a meal, let them wash their plate and bowl together with their brothers and sisters. It is not because you do not have money to hire a maid, but it is because you want to love them in a right way. You want them to understand, no matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will grow grey, same as the mother of that young person.

     The most important thing is your kid learn how to appreciate the effort and experience the difficulty and learn the ability to work with others to get things done.

Hemant Kumar Pati , SA Jamshedpur HPO

Easy-Difficult-Comparison

Why Becoming An Early Riser Will Change Your Life

Why? Let me give you some of the benefits of this.

1. Social Advantage

     We’re social animals and a lot of our life is unfolding in groups. These groups have routines and rules. For instance, work starts at 9 AM, this is a widely accepted social routine (I know some work doesn’t start at 9 AM but for the vast majority of the population, this is the case). So, waking up early will give you an enormous advantage in front of your colleagues. You will have a few hours for yourself just before the whole group will start to move.

2. Diurnal / Nocturnal Pattern

     If you’re waking up early, when there’s still dark outside, something subtle will happen. You will always witness the nocturnal / diurnal melting. I’m not talking only about witnessing the sunrise, which is in itself a very powerful experience, but about witnessing this transformation of darkness into light. Even if you don’t realize it consciously, being a constant witness of this transformation will give you much more confidence.

3. Broaden Day Vision

     Every time you wake up early, you put some distance between your “normal” day and yourself. It’s like taking two steps back and observing what’s to unfold before you before the actual unfolding process starts. This gives what I call a broaden day vision. Which in time will become just a broaden vision of stuff, period. If you wake up just before your day starts, you’ll feel a little bit trapped, if not more. It’s like you don’t “have” time.

4. Implementing New Habits

     The first part of the day is the most suitable for implementing new habits. During that part of the day you’re much more aware and available, because your normal routine didn’t kick in. Yet. So, if you can “enlarge” this period, by waking up earlier than what what’s usually the norm, you will give yourself more time for new stuff. The effect will be, in time, overwhelming. Those tiny habits implemented during those solitary mornings will pay off big time.

5. More Choices

     I don’t know about you, but I really like to have more choices in life. Doesn’t matter the exact situation, I just don’t like to be put in front of a situation with only one answer. I want to have many choices. Waking up just before your work day will start will drastically limit your choices. The only reasonable choice would be to shower, eat and go to work. Well, waking up early will give you so many new possibilities to start your day.

***

     Now, these are only the visible part of the iceberg, things that you can see and experience in the moment. But the most important, long lasting and powerful effect of waking up early is that you will grow an eye for the opportunities. You will learn how to wake up on something just before anybody else does. Being it a career opportunity, a new relationship opportunity or just something that nobody sees yet. You will be trained to spot that subtle movement which will lead to something extraordinary. Yes, you will.

Source:Dragos

Retirement Age Latest News - Increase in retirement age from 60 to 62

Increase in retirement age from 60 to 62 GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF PERSONNEL,PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS RAJYA SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-2121 ANSWERED ON-11.12.2014 Increase in retirement age 2121 . Shri Mahendra Singh Mahra (a) whether Government has decided to increase the retirement age of Central Government employees from 60 years to 62 years, if not, by when such a decision is expected to be taken; (b) whether such a decision would not result in reduction of employment opportunities to the educated youth of the country; and (c) if so, the details of rationale for increasing the retirement age? ANSWER Minister of State in the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office. (DR. JITENDRA SINGH) (a): No, Sir. (b) & (c): Do not arise. Source: http://164.100.47.4/newrsquestion/ShowQn.aspx

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Pension promise in peril?OROP ARTICLE IN TOI

Pension promise in peril?OROP ARTICLE IN TOI Military veterans claim babus are thwarting PM Modi's poll pledge of one-rank-one-pension by inflating its cost estimates Roman emperor Augustus started the tradition of military pensions in 13 BC, when every legionary who had fought 20 years for Rome was guaranteed a pension for-life. It set the bar for modern armies, and independent India continued the British tradition of financially privileging military service until the mid-1970s, when soldiers were paid more than civilian bureaucrats, in service and after retirement. All that changed with the Third Pay Commission, which brought military salaries in line with civil services, and while soldiers have long complained about political control over the military in independent India mutating into bureaucratic control, a row over the NDA's promise for one-rank-one-pension (OROP) for military veterans is raising questions about the government's ability to translate its intent into action. Fifteen months after Narendra Modi first demanded it immediately after being anointed the BJP's PM candidate, 10 months after the UPA government granted it, five months after NDA's finance minister Arun Jaitley confirmed it and almost two months after the PM told soldiers in Siachen that it was his "destiny that onerank-one pension has been fulfilled", military veterans are questioning why the promise has still not been implemented. Number games Put simply, OROP means that every pension-eligible soldier who retires in a particular rank deserves the same pension, irrespective of date of retirement. Currently, soldiers who left the armed forces more recently receive more than those who did earlier, because successive pay commissions hiked salaries. Two days after he was anointed BJP's PM-candidate in September 2013, Modi vehemently supported the OROP demand at a veterans' rally in Rewari. With roughly 12 lakh veterans also constituting a huge vote-bank, UPA government approved the demand in February 2014, and it was reaffirmed by NDA in July, when finance minister Arun Jaitley specifically provisioned Rs 1,000 crore in his 2014-15 budget (within an overall defence pensions budget of Rs 51,000 crore). Yet, it remains stuck in bureaucratic wrangling. At the heart of the problem are bureaucratic disagreements over costs. The finance ministry told a parliamentary committee in 2011 that it would cost Rs 1,300 crore a year while defence ministry pegged annual cost estimates at Rs 3,000 crore. Yet, now that OROP has been approved, the Comptroller of Defence Accounts has reportedly put the bill as high as Rs 9,300 crore per annum (see charts). Defence minister Manohar Parikkar has held stakeholder meetings to resolve the crisis, most recently on December 10, with no clear solution yet. Veterans' groups are perplexed at the changing goalposts, blaming the bureaucracy for being obscurantist. Says Lt Gen SK Bahri (retd), chairman, Alliance of Ex-Service men Organisations: "The bureaucracy is fighting a rear-guard action. It is not difficult to find funds but our problem is the lower bureaucracy which can stop anything in the ministry . We are fighting an internal enemy ." Veteran groups, fighting the OROP battle for at least two decades, claim they don't have the ears of the leadership."Whatever the bureaucracy tells them, they believe," says Lt Col Inderjit Singh, chairman, All-India Ex-Services Welfare Organisation. Reassuring doubters, Parrikar was recently quoted as saying that "the government is seriously considering implementing the one-rank-one-pension policy" and the "announcement will be made in four to eight weeks". His words may reassure veteran groups who have been organizing protest rallies. Their social media networks are full of invective and a growing sense of "betrayal" and "disillusionment", which is fast gaining a political edge. The fight for OROP, in this narrative, is turning into a new cipher for the ever-present military trope of overbearing bureaucrats being allowed to ride rough-shod over them in a defence ministry that is still not integrated with service headquarters, as in other liberal democracies. The problem is that different departments used different formulas to calculate costs but as Major Navdeep Singh, advocate in Punjab and Haryana High Court points out, "the directive to break this logjam has to come from the top". "There seems to be an anti-services sentiment in the lower bureaucracy ," he adds, "but higher echelons must overrule such disputes." Soldiers vs civilians The case for OROP is predicated on military terms of service being much harsher than those for civil services. Most soldiers retire between 35-37 years of age, while officers below brigadier-or-equivalent do so at 54, with limited re-employment options. Civil servants, in contrast, retire at 60. Moreover, the Sixth Pay Commission granted the facility of what bureaucrats call "non-functional upgrade" (NFU) to officers in all-India Group A services.This is a sort of `pay-promotion', allowing them, under certain conditions, to draw higher pay than their rank, without actually being promoted. Almost all civil servants benefit from this while defence services officers do not, even as their career pyramid is much steeper.Only 0.8% of defence officers make it to the rank of major general after 28 years of service, compared with a much higher rate of civil servants who are eligible to become joint secretaries at 19 years of service. As Major Navdeep Singh says, veterans see NFU as a sort of "OROP by backdoor for civil servants". Many distinguished veterans argue that they are only asking for what was promised to them, pointing to the aphorism of Chankaya, the architect of the Mauryan empire, who is said to have advised his prodigy Chandragupta Maurya thus: "The day a soldier has to demand his dues will be a sad day for Magadha. From then on you have lost all moral sanctions to be King." Source:http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/stoi/deep-focus/Pension-promise-in-peril/articleshow/45509353.cms

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Indian Railways Identifies Eight Stations for Provison of ‘RO’ Drinking Water Units on Experimental Basis

Indian Railways Identifies Eight Stations for Provison of ‘RO’ Drinking Water Units on Experimental Basis It is Railways’ endeavour to provide drinking water at all stations on Indian Railways. Instructions exist for periodical check on quality of water and corrective action to be taken, if any deficiency is found. As Reverse Osmosis (RO) process involves substantial wastage of water depending upon its quality and will require uninterrupted power supply, eight stations viz. Bhopal, Dwarka, Gadag, Guwahati, Hazrat Nizamuddin, Madurai, Patna and Tirupati stations have been identified for provision of RO drinking water units on experimental basis. As per guidelines, Maximum Retail Price per bottle of Packages Drinking water (BIS) other than Rail Neer of 1000ml is Rs. 15 only. This information was given by the Minister of State for Railways Shri Manoj Sinha in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today. Source:http://www.pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=0

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The 7 gifts of a loving universe

1. The gift of patience.

Patience not only makes it possible for us to bear the anguish and trauma of life. Patience also gives us the opportunity, if we will, to persevere — to follow our dream and discover who we truly are.

2. The gift of humility.

Where would we be without humility? Humility opens the door to wisdom and intuition. It makes it possible for us to change, and to grow. If we realize we have believed a lie, for example, or our attitude to someone was wrong — we can change. Humility makes it possible to find meaning and wholeness.

3. The gift of courage.

Courage is the vital creative power that makes it possible for us not only to meet the challenges of our lives but to follow our dream and embrace the unique gift we came into the world to give.

4. The gift of compassion.

Compassion is one of the most precious gifts this universe has to give. Compassion not only sees the pain of the world, but paradoxically sees the incredible beauty and oneness back of creation.

5. The gift of happiness.

The world has done a good job of convincing us that happiness is outside us and requires struggle and searching to be known.

But happiness was given us at birth. All we have to do is be still and remember our true inheritance – the authentic happiness that already exists at the core of our being.

6. The gift of freedom.

Nothing needs to change in your life or mine for us to be free. You can be free right now regardless of your circumstances and the truth is you are free right now as you surrender to the timeless presence of your own eternal Self.

7. The gift of love.

You are loved. The universe sees you, and admires you, and loves you, because you are part of Itself.

The universe would not exist if you did not exist. Again, there has been a lot of brainwashing done over the centuries to convince us we are miserable sinners, alone and rejected in a barren, hostile world. But don’t you believe it.

The universe is kinder, wiser, and infinitely more loving than our mind could possibly begin to imagine.

The trouble is what our mind doesn’t understand it tends to see as alien and separate from itself.

We will never understand the universe, of course. But we can love it and respect it and be thankful for it. And in some moment when we are still — when our heart is open — we can feel its deep, unshakable love for us.

 

Source: The Happy Seeker