Living Conditions- Germany

General Information on Germany

The Federal Republic of Germany shares frontiers with Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Luxembourg, The Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland. Population: 83,251,851 (official estimate 2002). Language: German. English is widely spoken and French is also spoken, particularly in the Saarland. In the north of Schleswig-Holstein, Danish is spoken by the Danish minority and taught in schools.      International transport Internal services are operated by Lufthansa and several regional airlines. Frankfurt on Main is the focal point of internal air services and all airports in the Federal Republic of Germany can be reached in an average of 50 minutes flying time. There are several airports in the country apart from those listed above which offer internal air services. Helgoland, Sylt and some other Friesian Islands are served by seasonal services operated by regional airlines or air taxi services. Connections by air are run daily from Berlin, Bremen, Cologne/Bonn, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt/M, Hamburg, Hannover, Munich, Nuremberg, Stuttgart and Westerland/Sylt (summer only). The majority of western airports offer daily flights to Leipzig and several flights a week to Dresden.      Climate The climate in Germany is moderately humid. This means that it rains all year round. The weather is hottest in July with many sunny days. Warm clothing is needed in January, when the weather is coldest and temperatures sometimes fall to well below zero degrees.      Living in Germany Germany is not cheap. Since standards of living are high, the living costs are correspondingly on the steep side too. But for a student life isn't too bad - there are usually some kind of discounts in almost every aspect of student life. YOUTH HOSTELS: There are 640 youth hostels throughout both eastern and western Germany. They are open to members of any Youth Hostel Association affiliated to the International Youth Hostel Association. Membership can be obtained from the YHA or Deutsches Jugendherbergswerk (German Youth Hostel Organisation), Bismarckstrasse 8, 32756 Detmold (tel: (5231) 74010; fax: (5231) 740 149; e-mail: service@djh.de; website: www.djh.de). Reservation is advised during the high season (and throughout the year in major cities). More information about accommodation for students can be found on www.student-affairs.de      Security There are areas in every city that women or men should avoid--in Germany as well. Caution is well advised, but fear isn’t called for. Germany is a relatively safe country, even though a country without crime has yet to be discovered. But if you follow a few rules, it’s relatively safe—for a woman or a man—to go about daily life in Germany. Depending on the neighbourhood, it can be wise to avoid dark and deserted areas. Parking garages often have parking spaces near the entrance designated for women. A woman should only meet a man she doesn’t know well in a place where other people are present. When looking at a new apartment, always be sure a companion is there with you.                In an emergency you can call the Police from any telephone booth free of charge by dialling 110.      Banks Since January 1, 2002, the Euro is the official currency in Germany. To open bank account you’ll need your passport. The opening hours of banks and savings associations vary. Generally they’re open on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., on Thursday until 6:30 p.m. Some banks are closed from 1 to 2:30 p.m.      Public Holidays     Jan 1 2004 – New Year’s Day     Jan 6 – Epiphany     Apr 9-12 – Easter     May 1 – Labour Day     May 20 – Ascension     May 31 – Whit Monday     Oct 3 – Day of Unity     Dec 25-26 – Christmas More information on Germany can be found on http://www.columbusguides.com/data/deu/deu070.asp and www.campus-germany.de/english

Space sugar may shed light on how life evolved on Earth

Using the latest-generation Atacama Large Millimeter Array (ALMA), which is an advanced system of 64 radio-telescope antennas in northern Chile, scientists at the European Southern Observatory have discovered a simple form of sugar orbiting a small binary star. Known as 16293-2422, that star is only 400 light-years away, and has about the same mass as the Sun. The finding could shed light on how the building blocks of life can originate spontaneously in deep space, even without a planet to support them.

The molecule found was glycolaldehyde (C₂H₄O₂), not dissimilar to the table sugar (C₁₂H₂₂O₁₁) we're familiar with, and one of the building blocks of DNA and RNA. Glycolaldehyde has been found inside distant cloud dust as early as in 2000 but, crucially, this marks the first time that scientists have detected it in the right place and at the right time for life to blossom in its vicinity.

Molecules in deep space rotate end-for-end. When they absorb nearby radiation, they switch to a higher-energy rotational state and, conversely, they can emit radiation themselves as their energy state lowers. The radio frequencies emitted by a particular molecule forms a unique "fingerprint" that allows scientists to identify a tiny eight-atom molecule from quadrillions of miles away.

Most chemical reactions on Earth occur in liquid water, but in interstellar space the complex molecules appear to form on the surface of tiny dust particles. Smaller molecules such as water, formaldehyde, methane, ammonia, carbon dioxide or methanol coat the surfaces and interiors of the grains in the dust clouds. Then, when a shock wave hits the dust, it provides the energy to assemble more complex molecules (such as sugars) from the simpler ones and then free them from the dust grains.

"A big question is: how complex can these molecules become before they are incorporated into new planets?" says Jes Jørgensen of the Niels Bohr Institute in Denmark, the lead author of the study. "This could tell us something about how life might arise elsewhere, and ALMA observations are going to be vital to unravel this mystery.”

One of the open questions on the origins of life on Earth is the mystery of how, based on our ample fossil record, life seems to have originated very shortly after the right conditions arose on our planet. This finding might help explain why, as there is mounting evidence now that prebiotic chemistry – the formation of the molecular building blocks necessary for the creation of life – occurs in interstellar clouds long before those clouds collapse to form a new planetary system.

"Many of the interstellar molecules discovered to date are the same kinds detected in laboratory experiments specifically designed to synthesize prebiotic molecules. This fact suggests a universal prebiotic chemistry," says Jan M. Hollis of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

After they are formed, these molecules created in deep space may be initially seeded to planets by comets crashing on their surface, acting as an extraordinarily effective catalyst for the evolution of life. If this is indeed how life originated on Earth, then our quest to find signs of life on nearby Mars might have a better chance of succeeding than previously thought.

ALMA found glycolaldehyde in the gas surrounding the binary star system 16293-2422, three billion kilometers (1.85 billion miles) away from the star and slowly moving closer, toward what astronomers call the "habitable zone" – the region around a star within which a planet with sufficient atmospheric pressure can maintain liquid water on its surface.

Crucially, the star is very close-by in astronomical terms – a mere 400 light-years away, compared to the 26,000 light-years distance of the dust clouds where glycolaldehyde was first detected back in the year 2000. Going forward, this presents the perfect opportunity for astronomers to study the phenomenon in greater detail and understand more on how molecules created in outer space may have jump started life as we know it.

Slowdown? IT companies may hire more from IITs

A muted economy notwithstanding, the first flush of pre-placement offers (PPOs) at six oldest IITssuggests that companies might be hiring more this year. Marquee employers such as Microsoft,Hindustan Unilever, Reliance Industries, Goldman Sachs, Adobe and Schlumberger have rolled out over 170 PPOs to the class of 2013, with strong indications that the final tally at these six IITs may beat last year's records. Officials from the six IITs ET spoke to said about 260 students from their institutes received PPOs last year. 

Pre-placement offers usually start trickling in from July-August and can go on till October-November for top engineering colleges. The final placement starts after that, from December, and may go on till June the following year. 

IIT-Kharagpur, the oldest among the IITs, has around 50 offers in hand compared to the 60 last year. Companies such as Schlumberger Asia, Microsoft, Transocean, Tata Steel, Qualcomm, Ittiam Systems, HUL, Goldman Sachs, Cisco, Texas Instruments and RIL have made their pick from 800 students of IIT-Kharagpur, said SK Barai, professor-in-charge (training & placements) at the institute. It expects a 10% increase in PPOs this year. 

"Firms are pre-empting an improvement in the markets, and for that, they need to have resources ready," said an IIT placement professor, who did not wish to be identified. "They are hiring from IITs so they do not miss out on the talent pool." 

Officials in IIT-Roorkee's placement cell say the slump is not apparent, having crossed last year's tally of 33 PPOs. 

Increase in salaries on offer
IIT-Roorkee has received 34 PPOs till now and more will come in till November. There has been some increase in the salaries being offered by companies as opposed to last year, officials from the placement department said. Shell, Texas Instruments, Deloitte, Schlumberger and Goldman Sachs have made offers at this IIT. 

IIT-Bombay has received 25 PPOs and more are expected over the next 2-3 months. The institute bagged 50-plus offers last year. 

"We are receiving a good response from potential recruiters, but it's too early to say the situation is better than last year," said a cautious Avijit Chatterjee, professor-in-charge of placements for IIT-Bombay. PPOs are made to final-year students from undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at the IITs from streams such as mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science and applied materials. 

Companies such as Shell, Reliance Industries and Microsoft have made multiple offers to students of IIT-Madras. The institute's 525 students have received 18 PPOs, which include offers from Credit Suisse, Mahindra &Mahindra and Adobe. "We expect the numbers to be the same as last year," said an official from the placement department of IIT-Madras. 

Salary levels have not been muted and anywhere between Rs 8-18 lakh is being offered to those who made a mark during their internships. PPOs are given to students based on their performance during internships and once accepted, a student is generally out of the placement procedure. There may be some exceptions though. 

While the PPO phenomenon is far more common at the IIMs, it's now making its presence at the IITs. 

IIT-Guwahati's placement-in-charge Natesan Srinivasan says companies have become more aggressive in recruiting top talent from colleges they visit. From July onwards, the institute has received 20 PPOs and last year's record of 30 such offers is within touching distance. Companies that have offered jobs are S&P Capital IQ, Tata Steel, Schlumberger, Microsoft, Goldman Sachs and M&M.

TCS among 50 Most Engaged Workplaces in US

India's no. 1 IT companyTata Consultancy Services has been recognized as one of the Achievers 50 Most Engaged Workplaces in the United States. The annual award recognizes top employers that display leadership and innovation towards engaging their employees. 

The Achievers 50 Most Engaged Workplaces award is judged by a panel of judges that evaluate each applicant based on the eight elements of employee engagement: communication, leadership, culture, rewards & recognition, professional & personal growth, accountability & performance, vision & values and corporate social responsibility. 

"The Achievers 50 Most Engaged Workplaces understand these practices are not only good for employees but also the bottom line. Companies that focus on employee engagement tend to perform better financially, attract and retain the best talent and enjoy improved customer service and client retention," said Razor Suleman, founder and chairman of Achievers. "These companies serve as role models for other businesses to engage their own employees and build success." 

This year, the panel of judges included Bruce Bolger, managing director of enterprise engagement alliance; Stacia Garr, principal analyst of Bersin & Associates; Debbie McGrath, founder and chief instigator of HR.com and Razor Suleman, founder and chairman of Achievers. 

"We are truly honored to receive the prestigious distinction as one of the Achievers 50 Most Engaged Workplaces in the United States," said Surya Kant, president, TCS North America, UK and Europe. "At TCS, our people are indeed our most valuable asset and the driving force behind the innovative products and solutions that we deliver to our customers, both in the US and around the world. We will continue our dedication to recruiting, retaining and inspiring the very best talent in the industry to ensure TCS' success in the future." 

Career CV

Your CV is your "advert" to sell yourself to an employer.

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What is a CV?

• CV stands for "Curriculum Vitae"
• Curriculum vitae is Latin for "Life Story"
• A CV is also often called a "Resume"

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What to Include in a CV

A CV should at least include the following:

• Your personal information
• Your work experience
• Your skills
• Your education
• Your personal profile and interests
• Your references

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Your Personal Information

Personal information should include name, address, telephone, and email. I will suggest you put this information at the top of your CV and make it look like a letterhead:

John Webber 123 Internet Lane, 4311 North cap, Norway Tel: 020 7650 555,  Mobile: 055 778 8 991,  email: jwebb@mywebcomp.no

Save other personal details for a later paragraph.

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Your Work Experience

List what you have done - most recent work experience first.

Include a short job description and your responsibilities:

Work Experience 2001- Programmer. Northcap IT. Description 1998-2001 Accountant. Northcap Auto. Description

Make sure your work experience is on the first page of your CV. This outlines your skills and selling points. Additional information should be added later.

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Your Skills

Skills are best described with a list.

List your skills - most important and relevant first.

Skills Responsibilities PC Skills

Don't forget to include responsibilities. Responsibility is a very important skill.

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Your Education

Education is best described with a list.

List what you have studied - most recent education first.

Education 1995-1998 Bachelor degree. Accounting. University of Northcap. 1992-1995 High school degree. Computing. College of Northcap. Courses & Diplomas 2003 XML Diploma. W3Schools. 2001 Internet Programming Course.

Don't forget subject options, special project, courses, or diplomas.

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Your References

List only a few names - like a teacher from your place of study, and a superior from a work situation - and make sure they can easily be reached and are willing to give you a good reference.

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Your Personal Profile

Your personal profile should include additional information about your age, status, interests and other relevant information that can produce a positive picture of your character. I will suggest you put this in the last paragraph of your CV.

Personal Profile My personal interests include fishing, sailing, and cycling. I am currently the secretary of the Northcap cycling club. age 32 married, 2 children good health clean driver license for car and lorry

Employers will be interested in this paragraph because it reveals your character, but be careful. Don't overdo the description of your interest and don't describe interests that might distract your job. If you are coaching a football team, don't count the number of wins. Let them ask you about details in a later interview if they are interested.

Career Planning Tips

Building a Career

Today, and more than ever, most people are responsible for building their own careers.

Whether you are just starting, or you have several years of experience, these paragraphs might help you advance your career.

The 9 most important career planning tips is listed below:

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1. Never Stop Learning

Life-long learning is your keyword.

The world is constantly changing, and everybody is looking for new ways of doing business.

If you have decided that your current skills are good enough, you have also decided that your current job is good enough.

But if you want a career in the future, you should add regular updates to your skills and knowledge.

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2. Ask, Listen And Learn

A good listener can learn a lot.

Listen to your co-workers, your boss, and your superiors. You can learn a lot from their experience.

Ask about issues that interest you, and listen to what they say. Let them tell you about how things work, and what you could have done better.

Most people will love to be your free tutor.

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3. Fulfill Your Current Job

Your current job might be best place to start your career.

It is often very little that separates successful people from the average. But nothing comes free.

If you do your job well and fulfill your responsibilities, this is often the best way to start a new career.

Talk to your supervisor about things you can do. Suggest improvements. Offer your help when help is needed. In return ask for help to build a better career. It is often possible - right inside your own organization - especially if you have proved to be a valued employee.

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4. Build Your Network

Your next career step might arise from your contact network.

Did you know that more than 50% of all jobs are obtained from contact networks?

If you have a good contact network, it  is also a good place to discover future careers, to explore new trends, and to learn about new  opportunities.

Spend some time building new contacts, and don't forget to maintain the ones you already have.

One of the best ways to get serious information from your network is to regularly ask your contacts how they are, what they do, and what is new about their careers.

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5. Identify Your Current Job

Your current job should be identified, not assumed.

Make sure you don't work with tasks you assume are important. This is waste of time and talent.

When you start in a new job, talk to your superior about your priorities. If you're not sure about what is most important, then ask him. And ask him again. Often you will be surprised about the differences between what you assume, and what is really important.

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6. Identify Your Next Job

Your dream job must be identified.

Before you start planning your future career, be sure you have identified your dream job.

In your dream job, you will be doing all the things you enjoy, and none of the things you don't enjoy. What kind of job would that be?

Do you like or dislike having responsibility for other employees. Do you like to work with technology or with people? Do you want to run your own business? Do you want to be an artist, a designer or a skilled engineer? A manager?

Before building your future career your goal must be identified.

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7. Prepare Yourself

Your dream might show up tomorrow. Be prepared.

Don't wait a second. Update your CV now, and continue to update it regularly.

Tomorrow your dream job may show up right before your nose. Prepare for it with a professional CV and be ready to describe yourself as a valuable object to anyone that will try to recruit you.

If you don't know how to write a CV, or how to describe yourself, start learning it now.

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8. Pick The Right Tools

Pick the tools you can handle.

You can build your future career using a lot of different tools. Studying at W3Schools is easy. Taking a full master degree is more complicated.

Doing short time courses with certification tests might add valuable weight to your CV. And don't forget: Your current job is often the most valuable source of building new skills.

Don't pick a tool that is too heavy for you to handle!  

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9. Realize Your Dreams

Put your dreams into action.

Don't let a busy job kill your dreams. If you have higher goals, put them into action now.

If you have plans about taking more education, getting a better job, starting your own company or something else, you should not use your daily job as a "waiting station". Your daily job will get more and more busy, you will be caught up in the rat race, and you will burn up your energy.

If you have this energy, you should use it now, to realize your dreams.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Guidelines in Answering Interview Questions

Everyone is nervous on interviews.

In general, be upbeat and positive. Never be negative.

Rehearse your answers and time them. Never talk for more than 2 minutes straight.

Don't try to memorize answers word for word. Use the answers shown here as a guide only, and don't be afraid to include your own thoughts and words. To help you remember key concepts, jot down and review a few key words for each answer. Rehearse your answers frequently, and they will come to you naturally in interviews.

"The Greatest Executive Job Finding Secret” is...

Find out what people want, than show them how you can help them get it.

Find out what an employer wants most in his or her ideal candidate, and then show how you meet those qualifications.

You must sell what the buyer is buying.

You will see how to bring this off skillfully as you read the first two questions of this report.

• Other important interview strategies:

• Turn weaknesses into strengths

• Think before you answer. A pause to collect your thoughts is a hallmark of a thoughtful person.

As a daily exercise, practice being more optimistic. The best salespeople, as well as the best liked interview candidates, come off as being naturally optimistic, "can do" people.

Be honest...never lie.

Keep an interview diary. Right after each interview note what you did right, what could have gone a little better, and what steps you should take next with this contact. Then take those steps. Don't be like the 95% of humanity who say they will follow up on something, but never do.

Good luck...and good job-hunting!

Question 1 Tell me about yourself.

TRAPS: Beware; about 80% of all interviews begin with this “innocent” question. Many candidates, unprepared for the question, speak about their life history and personal details.

BEST ANSWER: Start with the present and tell why you are well qualified for the position. Remember that the key to all successful interviewing is to match your qualifications to what the interviewer is looking for. In other words you must sell what the buyer is buying. This is the single most important strategy in job hunting.

Question 2 What are your greatest strengths?

TRAPS: This question seems like a simple one, but be prepared. You don't want to come across as egotistical or arrogant. Neither is this a time to be humble.

BEST ANSWER: You know that your key strategy is to first uncover your interviewer's greatest wants and needs before you answer questions. And from Question 1, you know how to do this.

As a general guideline, the 10 most desirable traits that all employers love to see in their employees are:

1. A proven track record as an achiever...especially if your achievements match up with the employer's greatest wants and needs.

2. Intelligence...management "savvy".

3. Honesty...integrity...a decent human being.

4. Good fit with corporate culture...someone to feel comfortable with...a team player who meshes well with interviewer's team.

5. Likeability...positive attitude...sense of humor.

6. Good communication skills.

7. Dedication...willingness to walk the extra mile to achieve excellence.

8. Definiteness of purpose...clear goals.

9. Enthusiasm...high level of motivation.

10. Confident...healthy...a leader.

Question 3 What are your greatest weaknesses?

TRAPS: Beware - this is an eliminator question, designed to shorten the candidate list.

Any admission of a weakness or fault will earn you an “A” for honesty, but an “F” for the interview.

PASSABLE ANSWER: Disguise a point of strength as a weakness.

Example: “I sometimes push my people too hard. I like to work with a sense of urgency and everyone is not always on the same wavelength.”

Drawback: This strategy is better than admitting a flaw, but it's so widely used; it is transparent to any experienced interviewer.

BEST ANSWER: (and another reason it's so important to get a thorough description of your interviewer's needs before you answer questions): Assure the interviewer that you can think of nothing that would stand in the way of your performing in this position with excellence. Then, quickly review you strongest qualifications.

Example: “Nobody's perfect, but based on what you've told me about this position; I believe I’d make an outstanding match. I know that when I hire people, I look for two things most of all. Do they have the qualifications to do the job well, and the motivation to do it well? Everything in my background shows I have both the qualifications and a strong desire to achieve excellence in whatever I take on. So I can say in all honesty that

I see nothing that would cause you even a small concern about my ability or my strong desire to perform this job with excellence.”

Alternate strategy (if you don't yet know enough about the position to talk about such a perfect fit):

Instead of confessing a weakness, describe what you like most and like least, making sure that what you like most matches up with the most important qualification for success in the position, and what you like least is not essential.

CAREER

USEFUL GROUP DISCUSSION TOPICS

1. Is coalition politics here to stay?

The following points could be discussed under this topic:

Nature of coalition politics. Indecisiveness of elections. No particular party is getting the peoples mandate. Advantage of coalition politics in enabling formation of government. Flipside of coalition politics- a party with a handful of seats become powerful. Government falls before tenure. Fresh elections each time. Suggest a way out of this problem, for e.g.: once a party pledges support to a coalition, it will not withdraw its support until it has watched a governments performance for at least three years...etc The future -will it only have coalitions ,emerging political trends...etc...

2. Does India need a dictator?

The following points could be discussed under this topic:

The current political structure. Drawbacks of it. Bureaucracy, layers in decision making, anarchy. Dictatorship would mean centralized power and faster decision making. But, country run on whims and fancies of an individual. Freedom on individuals could be clamped..etc....Present a balanced argument for and against and take up your position on the issue.

3. Is India moving away from a secularist state?

The following points could be discussed under this topic:

Define secularism.Constitution calls our country such a state, but how things have changed over the last 50 years.Spread of nationalism. Division into majority and minority groups-e.g. benefits given to minority groups perceived as a threat by others. Role of non-tolerant neighbors in fuelling fundamentalism. It is a passing phenomenon. We have the national character to overcome this....Points along these lines can be discussed.

4. Education in India-or the lack of it.

The following points could be discussed under this topic:

Discuss current education system. Discuss our sociological structure.Poverty which forces kids to drop out to supplement family income.Vicious circle-poverty due to lack of education and vice versa.Suggest solutions to get out of this-for e.g., governments are doing a commendable job with the midday meal schemes but we need more of such efforts. Going down further , why restrict it to government alone? why cant private people, NGOs and other voluntary bodies come forward to do the same? How about tapping corporate funds for such causes .....etc.....

5. What ails Indian sports?

The following points could be discussed under this topic:

A nation of 950 million, we fail to produce great champions barring the occasional Vishwanathan Anand or Geet Sethi. Sports system steeped in bureaucracy. Overriding popularity of cricket leading to neglect in other sports.Traditionally , sports not accorded much importance by us as a career. Need to develop sports from the primary school level-"catch em young". Various incentives to be given to budding sportsmen like academic credits, sports in lieu of a few other subjects etc. Development of sports infrastructure, making it amenable and affordable...etc.....

6. The Age of Information.

The following points could be discussed under this topic:

Today a plethora of sources to provide information-Newspapers, radio, Television, Internet etc. Information available at the touch of a button. Greater decision making power to the individual. Also easier decision making for the individual.Information is the key to ones success today. One who is more informed forges ahead. The flipside-information overkill. At times deciding is tough due to too much information ...etc.....

7. Is Philosophy just arm chair theory?

(This is an example of an abstract topic which is thrown up to students once in a while by the examiners)

The following points could be discussed under this topic:
Talk what you know about this topic . Talk of its relevance in day to day life( or irrelevance if you feel so..). Talk of its influence in literature e.g. Influence of Kant on the romantic poets especially Wordsworth or of Bacon , Voltaire et al on the "Enlightenment"period etc. Talk of its influence in politics e.g. Influence of Nietszche on Hitler and subsequent genocide during Nazi regime etc. Talk of ethics and morals and their importance in life. talk of Indian philosophy. the Gita . Discuss whether we use any of these in our lives and their importance in moulding our values...etc...


8. Success is all about human relations

The following points could be discussed under this topic:

The most important skill for success in to have people on your side. One can get a lot of work done by superiority and hierarchy but one cannot be a leader of men unless one maintains excellent human relations.Its importance not only in professional life but personal life too.Knowledge and expertise does one no good if one cannot maintain proper human relations...etc.....

9. Borderless worlds-Dream or reality?

The following points could be discussed under this topic:

Globalization of business. Opening up of the various economies. Cross cultural exchanges. More and more people getting an opportunity to work in different lands among different peoples and absorbing a bit of their values and culture. This leads to greater tolerance and understanding of others' problems. The other side-people despite all this have nationalistic and regionalist chauvinism . A world divided into first, second and third worlds. People still talk of "their" economy and not world economy. Europe has shown a step in this direction with EU but its feasibility remains to be seen. So while people clamor for globalization, they still think only in terms of their national interests...etc...

10. Quality is a myth in India.

The following points could be discussed under this topic:

The Indian products and manufacturing techniques. Why are we unable to sustain against global competition. Our mindset towards quality. Indian attitude of "chalta hai" which leads to an undemanding customer which in turn lets people get away with substandard products and services. Today competition is forcing our industry to adhere to global standards so we are getting there in terms of quality. Examples of our software industry which is recognized for its ability to meet global standards etc. Since the topic is general, we can extrapolate it to our quality of life-the air , the water , the facilities we have, the infrastructure we have, the services we get and put up with ....etc......