Government acting as middlemen for foreign companies: TDP

New Delhi, Dec 5 (IANS) Terming the government as anti-farmer,Telugu Desam Party (TDP) Wednesday said that the government is acting as middleman for foreign companies by pushing FDI in retail in the country.

"Government is not with the farmers and is with foreign companies. It is acting as middleman for foreign companies," TDP leader Nama Nageswara Rao said while taking part in the debate on the issue in the Lok Sabha.

He asked the government to learn lessons from the US, where large retailers like Wal-Mart have caused huge unemployment.

Targeting Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal, Rao said: "Sibal being a lawyer can make right a wrong thing and vice versa and he has made himself the lawyer for Wal-Mart."

Agriculture Phase of India

India's agriculture sector, which provides livelihood to nearly 60% of the workforce, needs  

to be made central to the inclusive growth endeavour. India's current policies for the  

agriculture sector are geared towards short-term  solutions and revenue expenditure 

rather  than long-term capital investment solutions. The dependence on subsidies 

squeezes government spends on critical infrastructure, technology and credit, in the 

absence of which farmers use inefficient methods of cultivation.

The need for increasing agricultural productivity through technology infusion and 

market-led interventions is  gaining urgency. It is well-acknowledged that every rupee of  

contribution to GDP from farming is twice as effective as other interventions in alleviating 

rural poverty. Agriculture is an indirect growth driver, as a growth rate of 4% in 

agriculture translates into robust demand for other sectors.

High agriculture growth also helps mute food inflation. Yields per hectare of foodgrains, 

fruits and vegetables in  India are far below global averages. Our rice yields are one-third of 

China's, and about half of Vietnam's and Indonesia's. Even India's most productive states 

lag global averages. For example, Punjab's yield of rice in 2010  was 3.8 tonnes per hectare

against the global average of 4.3 tonnes. The average yield for apples in India (J&K ) is 

about 11 tonnes per acre compared to the US, New Zealand, Israel or China, where yields 

range 30-70 tonnes per acre.

This pattern is typical of most of our farm commodities such as pulses and edible oilseeds 

whose demand has been rising faster than supply, adding to food inflation. Substantial 

hikes in Minimum Support Price for rice and wheat  have distorted production patterns, 

resulting in loss of benefits of crop diversification and inadequate focus on cash 

crops. 



Lack of infrastructure , post-harvest linkages and technology further results in losses 

across the supply  chain. For example, gross capital formation in agriculture and allied 

sectors has been below 3% for years. The experience of other economies at similar stages 

of development is instructive.

Brazil, China, and several south-east Asian countries have leveraged technology and 

instituted trade-friendly policies to bring in greater private sector investments into 

agriculture. In India, where 80% of landholdings are of less than two acres, it is essential 

to find economically viable solutions to improve farmer incomes. Technologies 

for energy saving , environment protection, and satellite mapping need to be infused into 

the sector. 


All this would require high investments . Such investments can be attracted from the 

private sector, which has largely remained outside the effort on agricultural capital 

expenditure . Legal and policy interventions could help augment private investments. 

For example, the Agriculture Produce Market Committees Act has yet to be revisited in 

many states.Supply chain infrastructure creation such as warehousing , cold storage and 

rural roads, would also bring in private funds. 

The private sector is capable of large-scale technology infusion. Precision farming , which 

leverages IT for matching inputs and provides real-time information on soil, has been

deployed to good use by the Argentine group Los Grobos in an outsourcing structure . No-

till farming is used in place of ploughing in some countries, leaving residue of the last crop 

to enrich the soil. Such new-age farming methods , if propagated, can transform 

production and yields. So, it is essential to raise public research in agriculture. Part of 

Brazil's success in the sector owes to its  high expenditure on agricultural research at 1.7% 

of its GDP, higher than in China.

Investment in R&D and sciencebased technologies would greatly benefit India as well, 

which has 14 agri-climatic zones and potentially wide range of agri produce. Private 

investment into agriculture R&D must be encouraged through incentives such as tax 

breaks and availability of land and infrastructure. Finally , trade-led agricultural 

development must be considered . While self-sufficiency has been the primary objective 

for the agriculture policy, export of agri-produce to other markets must be explored. For 

example, countries such as Mexico and the Philippines have taken lead positions in export 

of mangoes, one of India's trademark fruits. Agricultural tariffs need rethinking in this 

context.

As the Indian economy expands , better productivity through technology infusion and 

introduction of global best  practices will ensure better quality and prices for consumers . 

Also, Indian agriculture will be able to meet to the changing needs of today's consumer 

and this will give a major fillip to farmers to diversify to high value cash crops. 



But most importantly, the true winner will be the farmer, in particular the small and 

marginal farmer, who will be able to improve his income through better productivity and

be an equal partner in India's growth.

Why Need Marketing.

Well this we all know how important is marketing an do we all do marketing some or the other ways.But why we do marketing. Marketing is a very important aspect in business since it contributes greatly to the success of the organization. Production and distribution depend largely on marketing. Many people think that sales and marketing are basically the same. These two concepts are different in many aspects. Marketing covers advertising, promotions, public relations, and sales. It is the process of introducing and promoting the product or service into the market and encourages sales from the buying public. Sales refer to the act of buying or the actual transaction of customers purchasing the product or service.

                                  

Since the goal of marketing is to make the product or service widely known and recognized to the market, marketers must be creative in their marketing activities. In this competitive nature of many businesses, getting the product noticed is not that easy.

Strategically, the business must be centered on the customers more than the products. Although good and quality products are also essential, the buying public still has their personal preferences. If you target more of their needs, they will come back again and again and even bring along recruits. If you push more on the product and disregard their wants and the benefits they can get, you will lose your customers in no time. The sad thing is that getting them back is the hardest part.

Marketing Promotes Product Awareness to the Public

It has already been mentioned in the previous paragraph that getting the product or service recognized by the market is the primary goal of marketing. No business possibly ever thought of just letting the people find out about the business themselves, unless you have already established a reputation in the industry. But if you are a start-out company, the only means to be made known is to advertise and promote. Your business may be spending on the advertising and promotional programs but the important thing is that product and company information is disseminated to the buying public.

Various types of marketing approaches can be utilized by an organization. All forms of marketing promote product awareness to the market at large. Offline and online marketing make it possible for the people to be educated with the various products and services that they can take advantage of.

A company must invest in marketing so as not to miss the opportunity of being discovered. If expense is to be considered, there are cost-effective marketing techniques a company can embark on such as pay-per-click ads and blogging.

Marketing Helps Boost Product Sales

Apart from public awareness about a company’s products and services, marketing helps boost sales and revenue growth. Whatever your business is selling, it will generate sales once the public learns about your product through TV advertisements, radio commercials, newspaper ads, online ads, and other forms of marketing. The more people hear and see more of your advertisements, the more they will be interested to buy.

If your company aims to increase the sales percentage and double the production, the marketing department must be able to come up with effective and strategic marketing plans.

Marketing Builds Company Reputation

In order to conquer the general market, marketers aim to create a brand name recognition or product recall. This is a technique for the consumers to easily associate the brand name with the images, logo, or caption that they hear and see in the advertisements.

For example, McDonalds is known for its arch design which attracts people and identifies the image as McDonalds. For some companies, building a reputation to the public may take time but there are those who easily attract the people. With an established name in the industry, a business continues to grow and expand because more and more customers will purchase the products or take advantage of the services from a reputable company.

WHEN CNN-IBN CAME TO IILM GSM....

"You cannot connect the Dots Looking forward,You can only connect them looking backwards"

 - The Late Steve Jobs

What If  I were to connect the dots looking forward? 

What If I could Make some assumptions about the future?

What If I could tell you What the CNN IBN Shoot That just concluded would do to us 5 years from now?

What could be more lively, than to see the alumni of IILM GSM walk our lawns once again,traversing down the memory lanes.

"Connecting the dots"

 To our families we are angels and devils,or rays of hope But If We would for once yield to our free thoughts,all of us for that matter would have always thought of themselves as small dots.

 Arent we the finishing touch of a beautiful story or an artist's imaginative brush,we could be dots finishing stories or beautiful lines of prose.

If We could be dots,we could connect easily,making all of us a small dot in something grand and holy like we are -One big Family  (IILM GSM family) and big in ourselves at the same time.

So, Please forgive me But I am better connecting the dots looking forward and when I see the bonds that this cnn ibn shoot made to the faculty,students,non teaching staff and the Management,I should say Lets just keep connecting the dots.

UNODC's Response to Human Trafficking

UNODC offers practical help to States, not only helping to draft laws and create comprehensive national anti-trafficking strategies but also assisting with resources to implement them. States receive specialized assistance including the development of local capacity and expertise, as well as practical tools to encourage cross-border cooperation in investigations and prosecutions.

The adoption in 2000 by the United Nations General Assembly of the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking In Persons, Especially Women and Children marked a significant milestone in international efforts to stop the trade in people. As the guardian of the Protocol, UNODC addresses human trafficking issues through its Global Programme against Trafficking in Persons. To date, more than 147 States have signed and ratified the Protocol. But translating it into reality remains problematic. Very few criminals are convicted and most victims are probably never identified or assisted.

For an overview of UNODC's work in the human trafficking field and the real-life complexities faced by people globally every day, please click on the following links:

Prevention of trafficking in persons

Protection of victims of human trafficking

Prosecution of trafficking offenders

Having worked on these issues since the late 1990s, UNODC has issued a comprehensive strategy setting out the complementary nature of UNODC's work in preventing and combating both human trafficking and migrant smuggling, and defining the immediate priorities for UNODC's future action and engagement on these crimes. The new strategy complements UNODC's Thematic Programme Against Transnational Organized Crime And Illicit Trafficking (2011-2013).

As the guardian of the Organized Crime Convention and its Protocols on Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants, UNODC plays a leading role in strengthening and coordinating the criminal justice response to both human trafficking and smuggling of migrants.

UNODC's strategic approach to combating trafficking in persons and the smuggling of migrants is founded in the full and effective implementation of the Protocols, and can be best understood as having three interdependent and complementary components:

(1) research and awareness raising;

(2) promotion of the Protocols and capacity-building; and,

(3) the strengthening of partnerships and coordination.

With regards to research and awareness-raising, UNODC will publish the next Global Report on Trafficking in Persons in December 2012, and biennially thereafter.  UNODC also produces research and issue papers on trafficking in persons and migrant smuggling and engages in both broad and targeted awareness-raising on these issues, notably through the Blue Heart Campaign against Human Trafficking. UNODC's normative work on promoting the Protocols and capacity-building engages with Member States and working-level practitioners in providing legislative assistance, strategic planning and policy development, technical assistance for strengthened criminal justice responses, and protection and support to victims of trafficking in persons and smuggled migrants.  Finally, UNODC initiatives on strengthening partnerships and coordination occur through its participation in inter-agency groups such as ICAT, UN.GIFT and GMG and its management of the UN Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons.

One of the reasons that I love living in Delhi - all right, NCR - despite all its many shortcomings and hassles is the glorious change of seasons. I am a person who likes and revels in change - if things stay the same for too long, I get restless. I'd hate to live in a place where the weather is the same, so you don't know if you're in March or May. Delhi with its four definite seasons and a different mood for every month just suits me.

In the winter, Delhi is a different city to the dun-coloured, dust-ridden one it is in the summer. You wake up to an intensely cold morning, and despite having gotten a good nine hours of sleep, it feels like you just went to bed. You burrow into your many layers of thick razais some more, wanting to snatch yet another twenty winks. It's gray outside and so foggy you can barely see the ship building which in summer is like the lighthouse marker to your home. You can see the fluffy angora fog sitting on its haunches on your terrace as you step out of your warm bedroom. You shiver, wrap the shawl around you one more fold and ask for more hot ginger chai, its steam mingling with the steam issuing from your mouth.

The bathroom feels icy-cold, despite the rod heater that has been on since morning to try and warm it up. The water is like ice, instantly freezing your hands into claws useless for so much as holding a toothbrush. As the blood thaws after a while, you rediscover the joys of opposable thumbs. Undressing to have your bath or change clothes is a form of exquisite torture, as the cold air delights in springing at your icy back. Goosebumps appear all over you, in the mere instant it takes for you to jump into the tub and hurl a mug of hot water at yourself. The dry cold of Delhi necessitates copious anointing of moisturiser but the prospect of staying bare for the time it takes you to smoothen some on is daunting.

Food cools in seconds, so in the time between your first and second bites of breakfast, you have moved from having a hot meal to a cold one. You layer on a warm vest and a thick sweater, followed by a jacket or coat. Make-up actually stays on your face in this weather, so you take a few minutes to slather it on. You discover you do have a face, after all.

The temperature slowly drops lower and lower as the year draws to a close. I remember college days when we had to take the college special bus. A whole gang of us would congregate at the bus stop, looking like mummies in our multiple layers of clothing. Gloves, wool socks and caps or scarves would be brought out. We would stamp out feet up and down and snuggle deeper into our jackets or shawls waiting for the bus. The bus never had a door which could close, and the windows never shut fully. So once the bus started, blasts of icy-cold wind would come in, making us shiver all the more.

One winter evening, we were invited to some cultural performance. My uncle and cousin, both unused to Delhi winter, were visiting and we decided to go and see the performance. We spent a sum total of about 2 minutes at the show, since it was held outdoors. It took us more time to come and go from there. Later we discovered the temperature had touched a new low of 0.25 degrees that evening!

Traffic seems thicker and more congested in winter, for some reason. The warm blast of the car heater pointed at your frozen toes is like a benison. You peer anxiously through the swirls of traffic to discern traffic signals and other vehicles. The Delhi fog has only grown worse over the years...

The fog can be so thick that you completely lose your bearings. One winter, we had gone out to a friend's home for Christmas dinner. The place was barely fifteen minutes away but by the time we emerged at 10:30 pm, the roads were blanketed with fog. Nothing was visible, not even the car which was parked right outside the front door. Those were the days when Delhi had no night life, so by this time the roads were completely deserted. Dad had to walk by the road divider, holding on to it with one hand and to the car with the other to guide us back home, while Sohan Singh, our beloved driver, drove at about 5 kmph all the way home. One morning, during my sister's pre-board exams, Dad had to drop her off to school - about 5 km away. The fog was so thick, even at 9 in the morning, that the two of them got completely lost and reached a good one hour late for her 10 am exam. Once when A and I had stepped out for a New Year's Eve party, we were driving from Vasant Vihar to Saket. Suddenly we saw that the lights of nearby houses were below us rather than on the same level - we were on a flyover. That's how we realised we had wound up near GK II, thanks to the fog.

Winter afternoons were chunks of time stolen from a magical place. Back when we lived in Pandara Road, all the neighbours would pull their charpoys into the common garden in between two rows of houses. They would busily knit - those were the days before readymade sweaters - and gossip together, exchanging sweater patterns and news while munching on puffed lotus seeds, chikki and revadi. All the kids would sprawl in the warm sunshine which was still cool because of the breeze that blew in from snow-laden Shimla, apple-cheeked and drowsy from the sun. Later, we had a house with a front verandah all glassed in, which caught a wonderful amount of sun in winters. We put a couple of comfy divans and a hammock into this porch and it became the family room through the winter, as it would stay warm till about 5 in the evening.

It gets dark early in Delhi winters, by 5 o'clock, and home seems all the more cozy. We used to light ineffective blowers or rod heaters to warm our chilly feet, and the family would huddle all the closer in the raw evenings. We would fight at the dinner table to sit closer to the blower. Now we have oil-filled radiators which keep the home nice and warm. But the first leap into bed, after drawing back the quilts, is still exquisite agony as you are greeted by the cold sheets which only gradually warm up. Mom had a good way of escaping this torture - when she came into the bedroom, usually a good half hour after everyone else had gotten into bed since she'd be busy preparing for the next morning, she'd ask dad to move to the other side of the bed!

Dad used to help us warm our beds by heating up water at night and pouring it into flat glass bottles which we used instead of the rubber hot water bottles which never made much impact. These would stay hot for ages. Even earlier, way back in the 70's, dad would get brick halves which would be heated on the gas range and wrapped up in soft cloth, and insert these into each bed a good hour before we went to bed so the bed would be all toasty. In the evenings, he would brew up a posset of hot rum, with honey, lemon, cinnamon and cloves and some hot water, to warm us from the inside. Every so often, mom would find that this made her too tipsy to get dinner ready, so dad would take over the kitchen for the evening.

Late evenings, the neighbourhood would frequently gather around a bonfire or an angeethi, particularly around New Year's Eve. We would throw in peanuts and corn kernels to roast them in the fire, and eat them, carefully raked out and blown upon, still hot from the fire. One winter, while I was still in college, dad who used to be rather strict had not let me go out to attend any parties. We had a dinner party at home with family friends etc. My friends promised to come over after the party. We had laid the makings of a bonfire near the house. The gang vroomed up on mobikes and cars around 2 am. I had been lying awake waiting for them. I ran out, armed with cake and my guitar. We struggled with the bonfire and eventually got it alight. My singer friend, after conspicuously blowing upon his chilled hands to warm them up, tuned up the guitar. We all curled up around the hot bonfire which was shooting sparks up towards the sky, the notes of the music lingering in the still, dark night...

Is Knowing Hindi no more important

My Brother Got a call from his very good friend . But the news was very bad. That made every one very upset. His friend was in his final years of engineering and placements were going on. He was a very bright student of his college and was among the toppers. But even in the last placement he was not placed. And the reason was very annoying. “Hindi” ya that was the reason. Do we know the importance of this language. Actually it is the most subdued language in the world and no one wants to know about it. Hindi is our language .Hindi is a symbol of unity in diversity. Hindi was an important weapon during the freedom struggle .Hindi is the soul of the country of India. After Chinese and English, the number of Hindi speakers is highest in the world . Hindi is spoken or understood by 383 million of the nearly one billion inhabitants of India and serves as one of the two official link languages of the Republic of India.  Hindi is the most difficult language but less than Japanese, Chinese etc. We Hindus think speaking Hindi is shame. It is symbolized as an illiterate’s and less esteemed language .  

Hindi has ten vowels: a, a:, i, i:, u, u:, e, o, , and ɔ. The length of vowels is phonemic. All vowels can be nasalized and nasalization is phonemic. Hindi has 33 consonants (including semi-vowels w and y) :  p, t, ṭ , k, ph, th, ṭh, kh, b, d, ḍ, g, bh, dh, ḍh, gh, c, ch, j, jh, m, n, ṇ, ŋ, r, ṛ, ṛh, l, s, š, h, w and y.  Its more clear and defined language than English.

There are many more languages in hindi- Maithili, Bhojpuri, tamil, telegu, gujrati, Magahi etc. Our country is unified by Hindi as one language and one country. Otherwise this country would had 28 different countries.

His friend who was one the best computer science engineer of his college was not able to clear the written which was in English. This guys with his no fault had to suffer because he knew only Hindi . His family will never be able to see their dream come true . So Hindi the damn language is not at all Important . It is the most useless language . It is used to call out to someone , used to speak slang languages , used to do fighting and bargaining. Have you ever seen any big known delegate giving speech in Hindi .  Every Big thing is done in English. So it should be “Jai Eng” and not “Jai Hind”.

Don’t you think even if each one of us will stand for the pride and reputation of Hindi we will be able to make it a most important language of our country . I know everyone has to speak English coz America is god but dear friends “Hindi bhi koi kachara nahi hai”. We should learn from countries like Japan, China , France , Italy  they have love and respect for their language . Not just their language but they also know how to respect their culture. Hindi should never be the reason for anyone’s defeat in life.  We have to stand now for our language. This whole blog is for you guys coz you and me are the futures. “Jai Hind”.

Reserve Bank of India

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is India's central banking institution, which controls the monetary policy of the Indian rupee. It was established on 1 April 1935 during the British Raj in accordance with the provisions of the Reserve Bank of India Act, 1934. The share capital was divided into shares of ₹100 each fully paid which was entirely owned by private shareholders in the beginning.Following India's independence in 1947, the RBI was nationalised in the year 1949.

The RBI plays an important part in the development strategy of the Government of India. It is a member bank of the Asian Clearing Union. The general superintendence and direction of the RBI is entrusted with the 21-member-strong Central Board of Directors—the Governor(currently Duvvuri Subbarao), four Deputy Governors, two Finance Ministry representative, ten Government-nominated Directors to represent important elements from India's economy, and four Directors to represent Local Boards headquartered at Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai and New Delhi. Each of these Local Boards consist of five members who represent regional interests, as well as the interests of co-operative and indigenous banks.

Indian Rupee to US Dollar Conversion Rate • INR - USD Exchange Rate

Indian Rupee - US Dollar (INR - USD) Currency convertor. Today's (Sunday, November 18, 2012) Indian Rupee to US Dollar exchange rate.

Get information on Indian Rupee Conversion Rates and Indian Rupee to US Dollar exchange value. Find out the value of INR in USD. You can also use this currency converter to determine the exchange rate of Indian Rupee against major currencies including US Dollar, Pound Sterling, Euro, Rupee and currencies of Gulf countries etc

Scroll down for Indian Rupee exchange rates table. Simple and user friendly Indian Rupee Exchange Rate Calculator and Forex conversions with other currencies.

Diwali Celebrations in India

Diwali - the festival of light is regarded as one of the most important and glamorous festival among all of the festivals celebrated in India. It is one such festival, which is celebrated by all throughout the country. Due to India's rich cultural heritage each region has their special way of celebrating it but the reason behind its celebration is same throughout. It is celebrated to mark the victory of good over evil and light over darkness. People of all religion and caste enjoy the festival. The festival creates a magical and radiant effect in the atmosphere. Everybody is in a joy and festive mood. The festival symbolizes victory of light over darkness. That's why it's called the festival of lights. Every state has their significance behind its celebration.

In the North, Diwali festivities start at Dussehra. It is celebrated in a big way here all the shops, buildings, houses and roads are decorated with lights that may be diyas (small clay lamps), candles and electric bulbs. Sweets and dry fruits are the most common gifts, as are silver coins. But gifts also range from silver dishes and other household gifts to suit-pieces. In places like Punjab, Haryana and Delhi, gambling with cards picks up and reaches peak on the night of Diwali. Every street of north India hosts stage shows of Ramlila - a dramatic rendition of the story of the Ramayan. Everybody bursts firecrackers the whole day. Diwali Festival in the southern region is celebrated in the Tamil month of aipasi (thula month) 'naraka chaturdasi' thithi, preceding amavasai. The preparations begin the day before, when the oven is cleaned, smeared with lime, four or five kumkum dots are applied, and then it is filled with water for the next day's oil bath. The house is cleaned and washed and decorated with kolam (rangoli) patterns with kavi. The pooja room is decorated with all the items for puja. Here the Diwali Celebrations include a visit to the temple, gifts of clothes and jewelry, gorging on sweets and receiving blessings of elders.

In the eastern part of the country in Bengal it is celebrated with Kali puja. After Durga puja, Kali puja is another important and major draw of Bengal. This puja is also held on a mass scale. The puja is held at night amidst the sound of crackers and fireworks. Devotees remain awake throughout the night to worship Goddess Kali. The customs of celebrating Diwali, the festival of light vary from region to region. Though the theme of Diwali is universal. With warmer days turning into a mild winter, the fun-filled Deepavali, is celebrated for five days from Krishna Chaturdashi to Kaartik Shukla Dwiteeya. The people of all community observe the festival of Diwali. Though the celebration process and rituals may vary but the universal theme behind its celebration remains the same across the country.

GrEEn DiWaLi

The festival of lights  Diwali  celebrates the victory of good over evil.

The lighting of diyas on a dark, moonless night signifies the end of all things negative.

This festival, if celebrated in the traditional sense, has little to do with fireworks. So instead of polluting the environment with them, go ahead and celebrate a 'Green Diwali'.

Here are 10 creative ways for you to make it an eco-friendly affair this year.

1.  Do not use electric lights to illuminate your home. Instead, opt for diyas (earthen lamps) and candles.

This will not only reduce the amount of electricity being consumed, the flickering diyas will look prettier too.

If you must use electric illumination, opt for LED lights. They use at least 80 per cent lesser energy than the regular ones and also come in various hues too.

 2.  Although there are a number of environment-friendly crackers that have begun to flood the market and are definitely less polluting than others, this Diwali give the fireworks a complete miss.

Instead...

Get all the children of the community to go for a nature walk the evening before and collect dry leaves, grass, twigs etc. Then celebrate this festival of lights by lighting a bonfire on the terrace or in an open space and serve homemade sweets and sherbet.

Fill up balloons with glitter or small pieces of coloured paper and spend the evening bursting them, either with your family at home or with a lot of friends.

You could even have the kids blowing up brown paper bags and bursting them by jumping on them. The cheerful sound will be enough to usher in Diwali.

    

  3.  In earlier times, rangolis were made to feed the birds. This Diwali, go back to doing that.

Instead of using artificial colours, make your rangoli with spices and other food items as follows:

• For white, use rice powder
• Yellow: Pulses or turmeric
• Brown: Cloves or cinnamon
• Green: Cardamom (chhoti elaichi) or fennel (saunf)
• Red: Dried chilly or even kumkum, if you wish
• You can even make a rangoli out of fresh flowers -- their fragrance is sure to create the perfect festive ambience.
• You can decorate the doorway with garlands of marigold and jasmine and set up vases of roses and lilies. They will enhance the beauty of your house way better than the paper streamers and artificial lights would have.

   4.  If you must paint your home during Diwali, then use eco-friendly paint.

Besides, here are a few ideas to decorate your home without having to paint it at all.

• Twist colourful saris and dupattas to create streamers. Or paint old newspapers and hang them up as wall decorations.
• Use brocade saris or gold embroidered dupattas as drapes and curtains instead of going on a shopping spree.
• Use your child's leftover craft materials like tissues, sandwich or rice paper to make paper lanterns (kandeel). You could use match sticks to form the spokes.
• Save on electricity and stop using the doorbell for a few days. Instead, hang a bell at the door entrance and let all visitors ring that instead. It will definitely add to the puja feeling.
• Bandanwars or traditional door hangings are the first thing that welcomes every guest. Make these with leftover papers or bright coloured cloth and then add glitter or paper flowers to them.
• Don't throw away any fused incandescent bulbs. Instead, turn them into small flower vases by placing an orchid in the centre as a decorative accessory. You can also paint them different colours and hang them from the ceiling.
• Use organic incense sticks and fresh flowers to create that heady fragrance that one associates with a puja. Do away with the synthetic room fresheners.

   5.  Although innumerable options are available commercially, many of them come with artificial colours and way too much sugar.

So this Diwali make your own sweets instead, using only natural products like milk, chickpea flour (besan), coconut, jaggery, dry fruits, sugar etc and keep them both nutritious and unadulterated.

Some of the choicest Diwali sweets you can try making at home would be:

• Laddoos made of besan and rava (semolina)
• Barfi made of coconut and milk
• Kheer made of milk, rice and jiggery
• Shakkarpare made of flour, ghee and sugar
• Gajar ka halwa made of carrots and milk