Leaving Home....

As the little bird leave home and steps out to fly far, very far..
there can be sensed little nervousness and excitement all at par!

Pampered, comforted, loved and taken care of by family &friends..
the birdy bravely leaves it all to set up her own trend &not just follow trends!

The family being braver lets her fly alone with a big smile and a heavy heart..
they know she might be far away but shall always be near to them as their part!

And as the journey all alone begins and the world is opened to the bird..
she carefully plans each step and refuses to let herself be just a part of the herd!

The bird is left in the open sky to find its own path..
to where she has to find her own way yet keep her feet not in sky but footpath!

While no road to success is easy and simple..
she wanders on her path with many sleepless nights with a dimple!

Life is not always as easy as her parents had kept her in..
Gods been so kind to give her the people with whom she has been!

With hope in her eyes and blessings on her side..
She's sure to find her niche & till then the journey will be a happy ride!

As the little bird leave home and steps out to fly far, very far..
there can be sensed little nervousness and excitement all at par!

love nikita

Give it up?

Have you ever thought of giving something up?
And then the dreams vanished in seconds with a slurp!

Was it you, someone else or just too much pressure..
That went on to make u leave ur dreams in search of life's treasure!

Was it on funny grounds or just some miscommunication..
Or some kinda unconvincing stuff or lack of translation?

Giving up a thing or the thought is never easy..
But remember to listen to ur heart n that i just dont think is cheesy!

Have you ever been asked to give something up?
Whether a yes or no, choose the right path n for it stand up!

Life puts accross this question many times..it is for you to do what is right! :)
Love
Nikita

Birthdays oh birthdays!!

Birthdays are very special...for us and for the closed ones around us...the sense of happiness, positivity and celebration followed by gifts, etc. depict an example of how important and precious our birth is , especially for our family and friends.

Our birth, which is symbolic of our existence on this earth...is made for this purpose...the family in which we are born in, the friends and loved ones we are surrounded with...are all paths in order to take us forward toward achieving this purpose of existence...we must make use of opportunities and make wise decisions while still remaining positive and happy with all that life brings about each front of us...

I believe, each event/ circumstance in life is a path...which takes us only and only forward towards achieving our ultimate goal of existence....
Where, some know from birth, what there purpose of existence is, some are helped towards achieving the goal by the roles played by their loved ones around them...

We are all puppets in the hands of god and destiny...our birth itself is destiny...however, it is only our karma then which decides how destiny shall play its role further in our live...we must therefore, surrender ourselves to the will of god...and always pray to him to do his will, which shall always be best for us...rather than asking him to do our will...

Our goals in life is to understand the meaning of our existence and the role that we are supposed to be playing in the universe...for this we must take each day as it comes and in good strides...its not enough we are born...its as important to do our karma well do ensure our fulfillment of existence and to make the best out of the life given to us and not simply let it go waste in the hands of failures and negativity...

So, my friend...birthdays are v imp...and each bday must remind you of your existence as an individual identity on this earth and take you forward in achieving your goals...

Life is too short my friend...don't waste in on petty issues...anger...hatred...etc..use it to the fullest for what you are supposed to do...ill be a hypocrite if i say i believe there should be only goodness around...no, i feel...sometimes god sends some bad things around us to teach us what not to become...

Every lesson right from our birth to death...is meant to be learnt...so go ahead, be fearless..learn it..and explore the different beauties of life...big deal you would make mistakes...we are born as humans and surely reserve a right to make some...

Make use of being born...and not simply waste it..and everyday shall be as good as a birthday!!

Happy birthday!!!
A small poem:
Birthday come not a no. of times but one..
and that day we should party hard and ve fun!

Candles, cakes, flowers and gifts, i wonder...
how they bring an instant smile on r faces like a thunder!

Mostly with no work, bdays are certainly the busiest..
with all the calls, smses and wishes, where is the time to rest!

The day passes on so quickly, as i cannot stop smiling..
the best way to celebrate the evening would be a quiet lil dining!

Being blessed to be born in the world is due to you mom..
mostly we get so engrossed within ourselves, we forget where we came from!

Birthday come not a no. of times but one..
and that day we usually party hard and ve fun!!

Thank you mom for going through the trouble to make me exist! love u!

lotsa love
Nikita

Anna, I support you!! (Another poem by me!)

One truly can be very powerful irrespective of standing alone or in a crowd..As India
never fails to display strength's of such men, it makes me so proud!

These men who stand up against everyone are the brave & fearless..With nothing to
loose, they draw crowds instead and no less!

I believe when the heart is clean and the mind is clear..Then standing up for what is right
brings absolutely no fear!

Such men who stand up for justice are the real leaders and that's true..What gives them
such strength and power, i really got no clue!

Arguments about their personal interests being involved are baseless..Its almost like
without tasting, determining the food as tasteless!

Only the scared and insecure one's stop someone from doing good..At this time the
powerful will give fire to speculation,oh, they obviously would!

India is the birthland of Bapu, Bhagat Singh, Anna and many more..The list of such One
man Army's so long I could add names until u got bore!

The power and voice of a common man is often underestimated..As those up there
misued our vote and in return left us in a state of being devastated!

As the nation goes in grave, such mass movements are the need of the hour..As its the
only way to curb them from using our money to take their shower!

Where I totally detest the ideas of such frequent dharnas and protest..Since it hampers the
economy & its resources, but sometimes one just can't resist!

Its only when we learn to stand up against the wrong for the right...That the future of this
country will become positive and bright!

As I give my support for this and other such positive national cause.. Since, its time we
mustnot bear and put the wrong doings at a pause!

A word of caution though, as a thought comes into my mind..The age is such & the greed
around so much that one can't trust them blind!

The common man must be aware and not just blindly trust..As preventing urself from
becoming a fool in the petty politics is also a must!!!

Love.
Nikita

Highlights of Civil Services Examinations!!!

While going through some websites, I found some very interesting material of the pattern and course structure of UPSC exams. For all those who wish to serve the country in some way, UPSC is a brilliant platform. Although an extremely hard nut to crack, with proper dedication, focus and continuous hard work for a span of one year...it can reap very sweet benefits and prove fruitful results.
UPSC is an exam which provides a platform for people to have the power and respect in the society along with an opportunity to serve the country. However, I would suggest people with an ambition to only fulfill personal needs to not indulge in this course as we have enough people up there trying to do that. India now needs people with the right attitude for its well being.

1) The List of services one can provide through UPSC is IAS, IPS, IRS and many others.

2) With a simple to fill application form, the candidate is eligible to appear for the exams. The exams are conducted in three stages:
a) Preliminary Exams
b) Mains Exams ( only those who clear prelims are eligible to appear for the Mains exams)
c) Interview (it is basically a test of attitude and personality)

3) Any Indian national is eligible for IAS/IPS and for other services, the eligibilty is open to subjects from Nepal, Bhutan also. The person must be between the age group of 21-30 years

4) Every candidate is given a maximum of 4 attempts to clear the exams.

5) The preliminary exams consist of two papers each of 200 marks; the I paper being for General Knowledge/ History/Civics, etc. and the II paper being for English, Mathematics and Logical reasoning.
More details for the above can be found on http://www.upsc.gov.in .

6) The purpose of the Mains Exams is to assess the individual traits and overall understanding of a candidate. It consists of IX papers on optional subjects chosen out of various options available on the basis of interests of a student, English, General Studies, Constitution, etc. each for 300 marks.

7) Even though the interview carries 300 marks, it is the deciding factor at many times of your being within the services or out of it and in the least matters in which service you get.However since the interview is so personal and variable it is most desirable to do very well in the written mains.

8) The pay packages of officers who clear the exams may not be very high and are peanuts in comparison to those offered by Corporates, but the respect and perks in kind are many!

So if u have an IAS dream...do give it a chance...!! Google has a no. of websites that can guide you completely on the do's and dont's of these exams!!

Like here's a website that gives a list of Q/A that toppers in IAS have given...very interesting: http://ckforums.zapak.com/Interesting-Facts/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=14991


Nikita

Wait before forming an Opinion!

A short story that I read and found very inspirational.
' Once an Old man was travelling in the train with his 25year old son.
As the train was passing through natural scenic beauties, the son would get excited and show his dad...
'Dad look, clouds...dad look such farms and pastures of green land!'

Like a child he would show his father the landscapes with a twinkle in his eye and his father would smile in return and be happy.

The other people travelling in the compartment, found his behaviour very childlike. Seeing a 25year old getting excited on seeing landscapes like this was very unnatural for them. One of them could not control himself and told the Old man, 'Sir, your son's behaviour is unnatural , maybe you should visit a hospital.'

To this, the old man replied ' thank you for your concern, but me and my son are just coming back from the hospital. My son just got his eye vision back and is able to see for the first time in his life'.

Moral of the story:
Put yourself in the other person's shoes and think of his circumstances before forming your judgement or opinion.
Most people have a habit of forming an opinion of others without knowing all the facts!

Nikita

Art of Paper Quilling!!

Until I saw the 5-6 year old kids at Hobby Ideas, Mumbai making the most beautiful designs and cards with Paper, the art of Paper Quilling was new to me.

Having been extremely fascinated with the outputs that the kids could derive so easily from shredded paper, the kid in me decided to wake my sleeping artistic habits and learn the easiest, yet useful and fascinating technique.

Paper quilling is an old art..and shows the various forms and shapes of multi utlity shredded paper can be made.

Done with different colours and width of shredded paper along with needle, its one of the easist to learn techniques and its basic level can be learnt in as less time as half an hour.

Having learnt it, one is left with a whole plethora of imaginations and experimentation which can be used to make absolutely anything.

After giving an introduction to this art, i am posting pictures of my creations for you to see and get motivated to learn this bful art!

Don't miss the chance! :)

Luv Nikita

Keep it Simple Silly!!

My recent visit to Jaipur was a growing experience. Like seen in many north indian states, there is a rising increase in the need to match up to the societal levels and having an extravagant life, where the basic qualities of a person gets hidden and it deteriorates his/her inner beauty.

No wonder how, despite the societal advancements, the lives of our generation is much more difficult than that of our parents or grandparents. Its surprising how our older generations, lived a comparably more easy life despite having much more members of family and dependants.

Where, some blame the rising prices with Inflation, while a few blame competition and a thrive to succeed within everyone. Some think of corruption being the biggest cause, while the others think of the growing luxuries and needs as the reason for these difficulties. The reasons by different people could be many.

I personally think we ourselves are to be blamed for making our lives as difficult as they have become. The more we strive to make it easy, ironically the mind plays such a game with us that the more difficult it becomes.

In my opinion, the biggest reason for this condition is Lack of Simplicity. As we are moving ahead and progressing along with changing times, the simplicity in our lives is fading away. A simple example of mine could explain my opinion better. In our days hard work, we work tirelessly to be capable enough to meet our needs, mostly which are materialistic, we often forget or miss to spending quality times with our near and dear ones.

Our endless desires of wanting to wear the most expensive clothes, have the most high income job, own the best of cars, et all, make our lives difficult as we get stuck in our limitations, and mostly tend to forget to ensure the happiness or even get a smile on the faces of our family, especially parents.

In order to run ahead of time and at par with the rest of the world, the crux of our inherent personality often goes missing as we become part of the crowd, instead of standing apart.
I believe, leading a simple life is the cheapest and best way to live a happy life, however in the current scenario of the society, its definitely not the easiest.

By this I by no means mean that we should not enjoy the benefits of faciltites available to us or be non- ambitious in life. Being an extremely ambitious girl myself, such an idea would never strike to my mind also.

Being simple, to me would mean minimizing one's own needs and in noway would mean restricting yourself from growing. The difference between keeping spiritual growth above materialistic growth must be clearly understood. A spiritual growth is the growth of a person in the real sense and helps in moving ahead clearly in the long run. Simplicity calls for a simple thinking which asks for working towards living a balanced and comfortable life and not running unnecessary towards infinite power, fame or luxuries.

What one must understand is that there is no dearth to the needs of a human being. The resources to meet these needs are available in plenty today. The mind can be programmed in both ways, to be simple or not.

Only a simple and satisfied mind remains focussed and positive and survives successfully in the long run. The best of politicians and leaders of our country like Gandhiji, Nehru ji, APJ Abdul Kalam, Manmohan Singh and many others have carved a niche for themselves but their charisma is inspiring mostly because of their simplicity which also helps them stand apart.
Its an age old way of ideal living, of 'Simple living, High thinking'! Therefore, we must try and keep our thoughts high, different and broad but our lives as simple as we can. A simple life makes life so much more easier and happier.

So, Keep it Simple silly! :)

Love
Nikita

To Mumbai, With love!!

Mumbai is a Constant Change! Only the people change, the city remains intact always! Earlier it was my dad who must have thought smiliarly and today as i lived there, I am doing the talking!

Mumbai has something special about it...and it surely leaves a special impact on every person who has lived there with its charm and aura...Mumbai has a special place in my heart too...A city of dreams, it never spares anyone and takes as much from u as it gives back!!

Having lived in the city for four years, I have a feeling of being a Mumbaikar yself with a strong attachment and a sense of belonging towards the city, a feeling that almost every person would have after having stayed there...

As I go down the memory lane...i wish to share the thoughts that fills within me and makes me feel nostalgic!

The uniqueness of the city is defined by the small-small things that makes Mumbai what it is...To start with, here's a list of some things that only mumbai can give...
1) A 25p/50p coins would work only in Mumbai...in this city "chutthas(change) is considered as important as say a 1000Rs. note...
2) The walks at Marine Drive is always so refreshing and peaceful even with groups of friends shouting aloud..the Singh dane/Chips guy coming and pestering to buy..the couples romancing by the sea
3) The drives on Bandra-Worli sea link and portraying it as a jewel in the crown with it being on top of the must show list to relatives and friends coming from outside mumbai with pride!!
4) The ferry ride at Gateway of India with the hair flowing with the breeze..and not to forget the n number of photographers roaming about there with albums of previously clicked pictures.
5) The early morning and late evening walks at Amarsons Park!!
6) The street shopping and hangouts at Colaba causeway and Linking road
7) The road side pirated book stolls at Fort, Churchgate and even traffic signals!!
8) Vaada pav, Sev puri, Sandwiches and Nariyal pani vendors at every nook and corner of the city with a mob of people surounding every vendor. In the absence of these, Im so sure I would stay hungry most of the time!!
9) The cutting chai and thick shakes!!
10) The kanda poha and batata wada sold by many ladies..
11) The punctuality of the dubbawalas
12) The peace even while walking amidst a crowd of 100's of people.
13) The storms of people walking to and fro a place making it easy for anyone to easily point out a station being nearby!!
14) The attitudes of Cab drivers and noise of Autos
15) The independance and non-bothered attitude of all mumbaikars which is rarely to be seen in north india.
16) The sincerity of cab drivers to charge by the meter. The slow moving traffic and jams in mumbai can be easily ignored with the continuous chats with the cab walas
17) The distances with scenic beuty to make up for the travel.
18) The rains, some office holidays incase of train track jams..the smell of rains...the sea by the rains..
19) The reaching office drenched even with a raincoat and umbrella in hand...the rains are the sweetest as they make up for reachign late at work also...
20) The friends at Mumbai and the times we spend with each other exploring new eating outlets and experimenting different cuisines.
21) The serious-talking sessions with friends with stories about life and philosphy being discussed
22) The hours at amarsons park rocks with conversion of Hindi songs in English and vice versa followed by the loud and hearty laughs.
23) The work at office...the working culture like the one found in mumbai is not witnessed in any other city in India...
24) The pro maharastrian pangas by the Shiv sainiks and MNS workers.
25) The words like Aiwein, Thamba, Watt lag gayi and many more being a part of normal vocabulary.
26) The vibrancy, environment and fun on Ganesh chaturthi, Janmasthmi, etc... which brings all religions together...I have never seen a similar kind of emotions flowing for any other puja with the stringent pujas followed by their happy and joyful goodbye accompanied with all the music, dances and totally in style.
27) The non-visibility of any actor in all the years while people back at home never forget to ask if i got a chance to see anyone!!
28) The walks and walks and walks in Mumbai keeping everyone fit!
29) The long working hours during weekdays followed by the long sleeping hours on weekends!
30) The excitement on a long weekend and the emptiness on the roads...
31) The buzz at Churchgate and VT stations...
32) The shopping at the crowded and narrow Kalbadevi and Mohammad ali roads which sell the best of the lot!!
33) The mangoes and strawberries from ratnagiri and mahabaleshwar...
34) The crowd at the local trains making u feel proud to have got in and got out and the train shopping which fulfills ur needs for many accessories!!
35) The slums at dharavi with a Tata sky dish displaying from each one of them!!
36) The enthusiasm, strength and unity of mumbaikars
37) The miles of clothes being dried at mahalakshmi with tourists clicking pictures of the same.
38) The tallll and sky reaching buildings...
39) The SENSEX and discussions on the same at work!!!
40) The Train clubs/friends and frequent parties!
41) The timings of the trains like 9:57/10:02 clearly showing the sec by sec working of the city!!
42) The pizza and pasta at Pizzeria and Jazz by the bay!!
43) The music at Hard Rock Cafe!
44) The ambience at Phoeix Mall!!
45) The pride in being a South Mumbai guy which gives an edge in a lot of ways!!
46) The fantastic European heritage architecture and names of areas!!
47) The madness at Nariman Point from 01:00 to 02:00 PM on weekdays where mployees from all offices step out and collect for lunch!!
48) The family at Villa Theresa with the meetings, masti, late nights and fun!
49) The 10:00 AM shows at INOX and Metro with plays around the city, craft at hobby ideas, etc.
50) Me and Mumbai!!

The list can go on and on....
Mumbai will only be mumbai...it 'll always have a special place in my heart because of all the fond memories it has given me and i will always thank mumbai for giving me some of my closest friends for life...and making a better person in every way!!!

No matter which part of the world i go in..it will always be Mumbai meri Jaan!! :)

Nikita

It TAKES a lot to make MISTAKES!! Im Happy I Did!! :)

The unintended mistakes of my life...as i introspect on them it cuts like a knife!

From the classroom chit-chats..to the behind the back brick-bats,
Found the orator in me..and then the people's person i had to be!!

From the carefree attitude towards studies..to the continous phone calls with the buddies,
Taught the lessons of sincerity..and then expanded my life's vision at liberty!!

From the naughtiness and classroom mischief..to the punishments and misuse of facilities in brief!
Taught me the meaning of discipline..to the lifelong memories n a person who's fine!!

From the ignorance towards friends..to the ignorance towards the latest trends,
That taught me the meaning of friendship..n gave me lifelong friends who love me inspite of all the hardship!!

From taking up CA n the long studying hours..to hibernating n locking myself up like behind the bars!!
Made me value freedom n independence..to learning the importance of family n using their support with prudence!!

From various avenues of failures in life..to breaking ties n loosing aspects for which we thrive!!
Made me the strong person that i am..to valuing success n people who held my palm!!

The mistakes were made by me..to more mistakes made by me,
They only made me more experienced..and enriched my life n make me more balanced!!

The unintended mistakes of my life..oh now i realize they only made me better as there's more in life!!

I read it somewhere...only two people don't make mistakes...God and Fools!!! Im happy im none!!

Love,
Nikita

Keep Living!!!

Life's about living each day as if its your last..n looking towards the future which shall be brighter than your past!

As we grow, our family tries its best to teach us the meaning of life..n i feel its more about giving and for that u got to strive!

Life's real meaning is also taught by foes and friend..against the good times, its the bad ones that teach u more and thats the trend!

There's so much to do with life and so less time..life's about pampering ur spirits n not just running uselessly behind that dime!

Name, fame, success and money may seem to be the things that gives u life's pleasure..but the truth's that its only love that makes u happy and is life's real treasure!

Being satisfied and content doesn't mean u forget ur goals and loose the focus..Ull have to work hard to fulfill ur dreams n for that there will be no hocus-pocus!

Success is not for everyone and comes to only the well deserved..at that stage the seats are few and already reserved!

So dont wait for an enlightenment and put in your best to grab your seat..the world's now so competitive that ull have to run faster in order to beat!

Just remember that in the maddening rush u don't forget to put on that smile..after all it only makes u look more beautiful while ure running that mile!

Life's about living each day as if its your last..one day ull live ur dreams and leave everyone around aghast!!
Keep living! :D

Love
Nikita

The new Code of Conduct!! :)

The Indian Tax Structure- The New-Age Phoenix, as it rises from its own ashes!

On the 30th August, 2010, as the Government of India places the Direct Taxes Code Bill, 2010,(DTC) before the Indian Parliament, the age old tradition of the older generation making way for the newer one is seen. With the recent changes in the Indian economy and its fast pace of growth, an internationally compatible Tax structure to match up, was the need of the hour. With the introduction of the DTC, 2010, replacing the Income Tax Law (ITL), such needs seem to be well met.

With a primary aim to simplify the lengthy tax procedures and an easy payment of taxes in order to reduce litigation, the DTC, 2009 was initially welcomed with open arms, both by the Parliament as well the Tax Payers from the Corporate and Non-corporate sectors. However, with the release of the Revised Discussion Paper as issued in June-2010, the content of the Code and its final implication has been a debatable issue and its impact on various proposals in relation to current structures remains to be widely assessed.

A wide amount of ambiguity is noticed in the deductions category under the DTC which used to be the most favourite part under ITL amongst the individual tax payers and has now been the worst hit. Say, where under section 80C of the ITL, an individual would be allowed a deduction of Rs. 1.00 Lakh annually, on specified investments, the limit inspite of being raised to Rs. 1.5 Lakh, has been a disappointment due to unavailability of clear details of deduction. Further, the tax holiday regime prevailing under the present ITL, providing Profit-linked incentives have been proposed to be withdrawn and substituted to Investment-linked incentives. In the opinion of the Experts, it is witnessed as a good measure since it would provide encouragement for more investments amongst the tax payers.

Another major transformation in the tax structure would be seen with the changes in the Tax slabs and rates for all assessees. With the concepts of ‘Previous year’ and ‘Assessment year’ as proposed to be done away with and he removal of Surcharge and Education Cess, a major simplification reform has been complied with. Further, the Maximum tax rates applicable to the ‘Persons’ is proposed at 30% with an additional Dividend Distribution Tax @ 15% to be paid by Domestic companies on the dividends declared. The MAT applicable to the corporate and chargeable currently @ 15% under section 115 JB of the ITL has been proposed to be increased to 20%. The proposed changes in the Income Tax slabs have been made to result in the incremental savings of tax.

Few major changes have also been proposed under the Capital Gains head, the implementation of which shall eliminate the distinction between short-term investment asset and long-term investment asset. A change in the calculation of base date for cost of acquisition is to be shifted from 1st April 1981 to 1st April 2000 as a consequence of which, all unrealized capital assets between April ’81 to March 2000 shall not be liable to tax which leads to marking a major transformation at the times of the current market scenario.

The Direct Tax Code has been the need of the hour for quite sometime now and its implementation in April-2012 shall provide with a sense of freshness in the Indian Tax Laws which was slowly crumbling. However, much reform in the other relevant Tax Laws in relation to Sales Tax, Excise, Customs and other Indirect Taxes are yet to be carried upon to keep up with the changes as proposed by the DTC. The final implication and the pros and cons in relation to the DTC is yet to be seen and its impact would be possible for ascertainment only with its implication. The Indian Economy is slowly but steadily moving towards matching up with its International counterparts. Let’s be hopeful and keep our fingers crossed till then!

-Compiled by: Nikita Jain