Top Colleges in India in diff. Branch

Top 10 Science Colleges in India

1.Loyola College , Chennai
2.St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata
3.St. Xavier’s College, Ahmedabad
4.St. Stephen’s College, Delhi
5.St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai
6.Madras Christian College , Chennai
7.Presidency College , Chennai
8.Presidency College , Kolkata
9.Fergusson College , Pune
10.Christ College . Bangalore

Top 10 Commerce Colleges in India

1.SRCC, Delhi
2.LSR, Delhi
3.Loyola College, Chennai
4.St. Xavier’s College, Kolkata
5.Christ College , Bangalore
6.Madras Christian College , Chennai
7.Symbiosis Society’s College of Arts & Commerce, Pune
8.Presidency College , Chennai
9.St. Joseph ’s College, Bangalore
10.Hansraj College, Delhi

Abraham Lincoln

Abraham Lincoln

Born: 2/12/1809


Birthplace: Larue County, Ky.



Abraham Lincoln was born in Hardin (now Larue) County, Ky., on Feb. 12, 1809. His family moved to Indiana and then to Illinois, and Lincoln gained what education he could along the way. While reading law, he worked in a store, managed a mill, surveyed, and split rails. In 1834, he went to the Illinois legislature as a Whig and became the party's floor leader. For the next 20 years he practiced law in Springfield, except for a single term (1847–49) in Congress, where he denounced the Mexican War. In 1855, he was a candidate for senator and the next year he joined the new Republican Party.



A leading but unsuccessful candidate for the vice-presidential nomination with Frémont, Lincoln gained national attention in 1858 when, as Republican candidate for senator from Illinois, he engaged in a series of debates with Stephen A. Douglas, the Democratic candidate. He lost the election, but continued to prepare the way for the 1860 Republican convention and was rewarded with the presidential nomination on the third ballot. He won the election over three opponents.



From the start, Lincoln made clear that, unlike Buchanan, he believed the national government had the power to crush the rebellion. Not an abolitionist, he held the slavery issue subordinate to that of preserving the Union, but soon perceived that the war could not be brought to a successful conclusion without freeing the slaves. His administration was hampered by the incompetence of many Union generals, the inexperience of the troops, and the harassing political tactics both of the Republican Radicals, who favored a hard policy toward the South, and the Democratic Copperheads, who desired a negotiated peace. The Gettysburg Address of Nov. 19, 1863, marks the high point in the record of American eloquence. Lincoln's long search for a winning combination finally brought generals Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman to the top; and their series of victories in 1864 dispelled the mutterings from both Radicals and Peace Democrats that at one time seemed to threaten Lincoln's reelection. He was reelected in 1864, defeating Gen. George B. McClellan, the Democratic candidate. His inaugural address urged leniency toward the South: “With malice toward none, with charity for all . . . let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds . . .” This policy aroused growing opposition on the part of the Republican Radicals, but before the matter could be put to the test, Lincoln was shot by the actor John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater, Washington, on April 14, 1865. He died the next morning.



Lincoln's marriage to Mary Todd in 1842 was often unhappy and turbulent, in part because of his wife's pronounced instability.



Died: 4/15/1865

Khudiram Bose

Khudiram Bose

Khudiram Bose was born on December 3, 1889 in the village Medinipur of Bengal. He was the son of Trailokyanath Basu and Lakshmipriya Devi. He was one among the youngest revolutionaries of India’s freedom struggle. Khudiram had always lived a virtuous and generous life. Since childhood he was fond of the sacred words of Vande Matram and in later years got inspired by the notions of karma and norms of Bhagvad Gita. During the partition of Bengal, discontent and anger against the Britishers compelled him to get involved in revolutionary activities. He was resolved to free India from the rule of British Empire. To learn more about the revolutionaries and their activities he joined Jugantar – the party of revolutionaries. Bose, at the age of 16, threw the first bomb over the British who were crushing India. He had planted these bombs near the police station where many officials were killed. Further, he was arrested for placing a series of bomb but that was not the end. He along with his friend again planned to throw a bomb to assassinate the Chief Presidency Magistrate Kingsford who was known to make brutal and blatant judgments against freedom fighters. Khudiram was arrested on the charges of bomb attack and was sentenced to death on August 11, 1908. He died with the holy book Bhagwad Gita in his hands and amiling with the slogan Vande Matram on his lips

How can HIV transmission be prevented?

Hiv can be transmitted in three main ways:

 

 

• Sexual transmission
• Transmission through blood  
• Mother-to-child transmission

 

For each route of transmission there are things that an individual can do to reduce or eliminate risk. There are also interventions that have been proven to work at the community, local and national level.1

 

 

 

Wherever there is HIV, all three routes of transmission will take place. However the number of infections resulting from each route will vary greatly between countries and population groups. The share of resources allocated to each area should reflect the nature of the local epidemic - for example, if most infections occur among men who have sex with men then this group should be a primary target for prevention efforts.

 

 "Knowing your epidemic in a particular region or country is the first, essential step in identifying, selecting and funding the most appropriate and effective HIV prevention measures for that country or region." - UNAIDS guidelines for HIV prevention 2

 

HIV prevention should be comprehensive, making use of all approaches known to be effective rather than just implementing one or a few select actions in isolation. Successful HIV prevention programmes not only give information, but also build skills and provide access to essential commodities such as condoms or sterile injecting equipment. It should be remembered that many people don’t fit into only one “risk category”. For example, injecting drug users need access to condoms and safer sex counselling as well as support to reduce the risk of transmission through blood.

 

What are the obstacles?

 

Despite the evidence that they do not encourage drug use, some authorities still refuse to support needle exchanges and other programmes to help injecting drug users. Restrictions on pharmacies selling syringes without prescriptions, and on possession of drug paraphernalia, can also hamper HIV prevention programmes by making it harder for drug users to avoid sharing equipment.Many resource-poor countries lack facilities for rigorously screening blood supplies.31 In addition a lot of countries have difficulty recruiting enough donors, and so have to resort to importing blood or paying their citizens to donate, which is not the best way to ensure safety. In much of the world the safety of medical procedures in general is compromised by lack of resources, and this may put both patients and staff at greater risk of HIV infection. Find out more about preventing HIV transmission through blood.

Mother-to-child transmission

What works?


HIV can be transmitted from a mother to her baby during pregnancy, labour and delivery, and later through breastfeeding. The first step towards reducing the number of babies infected in this way is to prevent HIV infection in women, and to prevent unwanted pregnancies.



There are a number of things that can be done to help a pregnant woman with HIV to avoid passing her infection to her child. A course of antiretroviral drugs given to her during pregnancy and labour as well as to her newborn baby can greatly reduce the chances of the child becoming infected. Although the most effective treatment involves a combination of drugs taken over a long period, even a single dose of treatment can cut the transmission rate by half.32



A caesarean section is an operation to deliver a baby through its mother’s abdominal wall, which reduces the baby’s exposure to its mother’s body fluids. This procedure lowers the risk of HIV transmission, but is likely to be recommended only if the mother has a high level of HIV in her blood, and if the benefit to her baby outweighs the risk of the intervention.33 34



Weighing risks against benefits is also critical when selecting the best feeding option. The World Health Organisation advises mothers with HIV not to breastfeed whenever the use of replacements is acceptable, feasible, affordable, sustainable and safe. However, if safe water is not available then the risk of life-threatening conditions from replacement feeding may be greater than the risk from breastfeeding. An HIV positive mother should be counselled on the risks and benefits of different infant feeding options and should be helped to select the most suitable option for her situation.35

What are the obstacles?

In much of the world a lack of drugs and medical facilities limits what can be done to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV. Antiretroviral drugs are not widely available in many resource-poor countries, caesarean section is often impractical, and many women lack the resources needed to avoid breastfeeding their babies.
HIV-related stigma is another obstacle to preventing mother-to-child transmission. Some women are afraid to attend clinics that distribute antiretroviral drugs, or to feed their babies formula, in case by doing so they reveal their HIV status.
Find out more about preventing mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) and why PMTCT programmes are failing to reach most women in need.

World's Tallest Buildings

Rank m ft


1. Burj Khalifa (formerly Burj Dubai), Dubai, The United Arab Emirates 2010 160 828 2,716

2. Taipei 101, Taipei, Taiwan 2004 101 508 1,667

3. World Financial Center, Shanghai, China 2008 101 492 1,614

4. Petronas Tower 1, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1998 88 452 1,483

5. Petronas Tower 2, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1998 88 452 1,483

6. Greenland Financial Center, Nanjing, China 2009 66 450 1,476

7. Sears Tower, Chicago 1974 110 442 1,451

8. Guangzhou West Tower, Guangzhou, China 2009 103 438 1,435

9. Jin Mao Building, Shanghai, China 1999 88 421 1,381

10. Two International Finance Centre, Hong Kong 2003 88 415 1,362

11. Trump International Hotel, Chicago, U.S. 2009 96 415 1,362

12. CITIC Plaza, Guangzhou, China 1996 80 391 1,283

13. Shun Hing Square, Shenzhen, China 1996 69 384 1,260

14. Empire State Building, New York 1931 102 381 1,250

15. Central Plaza, Hong Kong 1992 78 374 1,227

16. Bank of China Tower, Hong Kong 1989 70 367 1,205

17. Bank of America Tower, New York City, U.S. 2009 54 366 1,200

18. Almas Tower, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 2009 68 363 1,191

19. Emirates Tower One, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 1999 54 355 1,165

20. Tuntex Sky Tower, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 1997 85 348 1,140

21. Aon Centre, Chicago 1973 80 346 1,136

22. The Center, Hong Kong 1998 73 346 1,135

23. John Hancock Center, Chicago 1969 100 344 1,127

24. Rose Tower, Dubai 2007 72 333 1,093

25. Shimao International Plaza, Shanghai 2006 60 333 1,093

26. Minsheng Bank Building, Wuhan, China 2007 68 331 1,087

27. Ryugyong Hotel, Pyongyang, N. Korea 1995 105 330 1,083

28. China World Trade Center, Beijing, China 2009 74 330 1,083

29. The Index, Dubai, United Arab Emirates 2009 80 328 1,076

30. Q1, Gold Coast, Australia 2005 78 323 1,058

31. Burj al Arab Hotel, Dubai 1999 60 321 1,053

32. Chrysler Building, New York 1930 77 319 1,046

33. Nina Tower I, Hong Kong 2006 80 319 1,046

34. New York Times Building, New York 2007 52 319 1,046

35. Bank of America Plaza, Atlanta 1993 55 317 1,039

36. U.S. Bank Tower, Los Angeles 1990 73 310 1,018

37. Menara Telekom Headquarters, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1999 55 310 1,017

38. Emirates Tower Two, Dubai 2000 56 309 1,014

39. AT&T Corporate Center, Chicago 1989 60 307 1,007

40. The Address Downtown Burj Dubai, Dubai, U.A.E. 2008 63 306 1,004

41. JP Morgan Chase Tower, Houston 1982 75 305 1,002

42. Baiyoke Tower II, Bangkok 1997 85 304 997

43. Two Prudential Plaza, Chicago 1990 64 303 995

44. Wells Fargo Plaza, Houston 1983 71 302 992

45. Kingdom Centre, Riyadh 2002 41 302 992

46. Aspire Tower, Doha 2006 36 300 984

47. Arraya 2, Kuwait City, Kuwait 2009 56 300 984

48. One Island East Centre, Hong Kong, China 2008 69 298 979

49. First Bank Tower, Toronto 1975 72 298 978

50. Shanghai Wheelock Square, Shanghai, China 2009 58 298 978

51. Eureka Tower, Melbourne 2006 91 297 975

52. Comcast Center, Philadelphia, U.S. 2008 57 297 975

53. Landmark Tower, Yokohama, Japan 1993 73 296 971

54. Emirates Crown, Dubai, U.A.E 2008 63 296 971

55. 311 South Wacker Drive, Chicago 1990 65 293 961

56. SEG Plaza, Shenzhen, China 2000 71 292 957

57. American International Building, New York 1932 67 290 952

58. Key Tower, Cleveland 1991 57 289 947

59. Plaza 66, Shanghai 2001 66 288 945

60. One Liberty Place, Philadelphia 1987 61 288 945

61. Columbia Center, Seattle, U.S. 1985 76 285 937

62. Millennium Tower, Dubai 2006 59 285 935

63. Sunjoy Tomorrow Square, Shanghai 2003 55 285 934

64. Chongqing World Trade Center, Chongqing, China 2005 60 283 929

65. Cheung Kong Center, Hong Kong 1999 63 283 929

66. The Trump Building, New York 1930 71 283 927

67. Bank of America Plaza, Dallas 1985 72 281 921

68. United Overseas Bank Plaza, Singapore 1992 66 280 919

69. Republic Plaza, Singapore 1995 66 280 919

70. Overseas Union Bank Centre, Singapore 1986 63 280 919

71. Citigroup Center, New York 1977 59 279 915

72. Hong Kong New World Tower, Shanghai 2002 61 278 913

73. Diwang International Commerce Center, Nanning, China 2006 54 276 906

74. Scotia Plaza, Toronto 1989 68 275 902

75. Williams Tower, Houston 1983 64 275 901

76. Moscow, Moscow 2009 73 274 900

77. Wuhan World Trade Tower, Wuhan, China 1998 60 273 896

78. Cullinan North Tower, Hong Kong 2007 68 270 886

79. Cullinan South Tower, Hong Kong 2007 68 270 886

80. Renaissance Tower, Dallas 1975 56 270 886

81. China International Center Tower B, Guangzhou, China 2007 62 270 884

82. Dapeng International Plaza, Guangzhou, China 2006 56 269 883

83. One Luijiazui, Shanghai, China 2008 47 269 883

84. 21st Century Tower, Dubai 2003 55 269 883

85. Naberezhnaya Tower C, Moscow 2007 61 268 881

86. Al Faisaliah Center, Riyadh 2000 30 267 876

87. 900 North Michigan Ave., Chicago 1989 66 265 871

88. Bank of America Corporate Center, Charlotte 1992 60 265 871

89. SunTrust Plaza, Atlanta 1992 60 265 871

90. Al Kazim Tower 1, Dubai, U.A.E 2008 53 265 871

91. Al Kazim Tower 2, Dubai, U.A.E 2008 53 265 871

92. BOCOM Financial Towers, Shanghai 1999 52 265 869

93. 120 Collins Street, Melbourne 1991 52 265 869

94. Triumph Palace, Moscow 2005 57 264 866

95. Tower Palace Three, Tower G, Seoul 2004 73 264 865

96. Trump World Tower, New York 2001 72 262 861

97. Shenzhen Special Zone Daily Tower, Shenzhen, China 1998 48 262 860

98. Water Tower Place, Chicago 1976 74 262 859

99. Grand Gateway Plaza I, Shanghai 2005 52 262 859

100. Grand Gateway Plaza II, Shanghai 2005 52 262 859


NOTES:




Criteria for Inclusion on the List of 100 Tallest Buildings by the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat



This data was gathered and/or supplied by members and representatives of the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat who represent world leaders in the field of the built environment, including research, industry, and education.



What defines a building (as opposed to a tower)? A "building" is considered to be a structure that is designed for residential, business, or manufacturing purposes. An essential characteristic of a building is that it has floors. Note that towers are NOT included in the list. Although a number of tall buildings on this list have "Tower" in their name—the famous Petronas Towers, for example—none are technically towers.



When does a building appear on the list? When a building is "topped out"—the point of construction when the structure has met its proposed structural top (see height definition below)—the building is officially ranked and is placed on the list.



Height The height of a building is measured from the sidewalk level of the main entrance to the structural top of the building. This includes spires, but does not include television antennas, radio antennas, or flag poles. Height is listed in both meters and feet and is rounded to the nearest integer. This is the official criterion used by the Council in determining ranking.



In many cases, the height of a building is supplied to the Council using only one unit of measure (either feet or meters). Based on the exact value of the unit supplied, the other unit’s value is mathematically calculated, then rounded to the nearest integer. The final determinant in ranking a building’s height is the footage—not meters—because of footage’s smaller (and therefore more precise) incremental value.



Rank Ranking is determined by height to the structural top of the building (see above). If there is a tie, the building with the larger number of stories is ranked higher. If a tie still remains, the building which was completed first is ranked higher. If a tie would still remain, the buildings would be ranked alphabetically.



Year The year in which construction of the building was officially completed. “UC” stands for Under Construction. For a building that is currently under construction to appear on the list it must be “topped out.”





NOTE: When a building is “topped out” (the point of construction when the structure has met its proposed structural top), the building is officially ranked and is placed on the list. UC indicates under construction: although the building has been “topped out,” construction has not been completed. Height is measured from sidewalk level of main entrance to structural top of building. This includes spires, but does not include antennas or flagpoles.

1. The World Trade Center twin towers of New York City ranked fifth and sixth (at 1,368 ft and 1,362 ft) on this list until their destruction on Sept. 11, 2001.

2. A building differs from a tower in that the former is considered to be a structure that is designed for residential, business, or manufacturing purposes. Also, an essential characteristic of a building is that it has floors.

George Walker Bush

George Walker Bush

Born: 7/6/1946


Birthplace: New Haven, Conn.



George Walker Bush was born on July 6, 1946, in New Haven, Conn., the first child of future president George H. W. Bush. In 1948, the family moved to Odessa, Tex., where the senior Bush went to work in the oil business. George W. grew up mainly in Midland, Tex., and Houston, and later attended two of his father's alma maters, Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass., and Yale.



After graduating from Yale with a history degree in 1968, Bush joined the Texas Air National Guard, where he served as a part-time fighter pilot until 1973. After receiving an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1975, he returned to Texas, where he established his own oil and gas business. In 1977 he met and married his wife, Laura Welch, a librarian. The couple has twin daughters, Jenna and Barbara, born in 1981.



Coming from a prominent political family—his grandfather Prescott Bush had been a senator from Connecticut and his father a U.S. congressman and political appointee—George W. had been immersed in politics since childhood. In 1977 he entered the fray himself, unsuccessfully running for U.S. Congress from the West Texas district that included his hometown of Midland.



Following his defeat, Bush returned to the oil business. In 1985, however, oil prices fell sharply, and Bush's company verged on collapse until it was acquired by a Dallas firm. Bush then headed to Washington to become a paid adviser to his father's successful 1988 presidential campaign. After the election, Bush returned to Texas and assembled a group of investors to buy the Texas Rangers.



Bush again entered politics in 1993, running for the Texas governorship. Although he had a tough opponent in the immensely popular incumbent Ann Richards, he created a clear agenda focused on issues such as education and juvenile justice and won with 53% of the vote. He was reelected in 1998, not long before he announced plans to run for president.



During the 2000 campaign, Bush adhered closely to the traditional conservative line, favoring small government, tax cuts, a strong military, and opposing gun control and abortion. His choice of running mate, Dick Cheney, secretary of defense during his father's administration, provided his campaign with seasoned Washington political experience.



With the country in a state of general prosperity, the 2000 election between George W. Bush and Vice President Al Gore was perceived to be one of the least dynamic on issues. As it turned out, the race was one of the closest in the country's history. By early evening on election night, it was apparent that whoever won Florida would win the election. Bush's razor-thin margin of about 1,200 votes prompted an automatic recount. The case ultimately ended up in the U.S. Supreme Court. Bush officially became the president-elect on Dec. 13, after the Supreme Court reversed a decision by the Florida Supreme Court to allow manual recounts of ballots in some Florida counties, contending that such a partial recount violated the Constitution's equal protection and due process guarantees. With Florida in his column, Bush won the presidency with 271 electoral votes, just one more than he needed, although he lost the popular vote by half a million. The divided 5–4 Supreme Court decision generated enormous controversy, with critics asserting that the Supreme Court, and not the electorate, had effectively determined the outcome of the presidential election.



The top item on Bush's domestic agenda—a $1.35 trillion tax cut over 11 years—was swiftly enacted in June 2001. In his first year in office, President Bush also championed an antimissile defense system, meant to intercept long-range missiles lobbed at U.S. shores. Opponents of the plan argued that it was technologically unfeasible and astronomically expensive. Bush's early foreign policy was defined by the rejection of a number of international treaties that the White House felt were detrimental to American interests, including the Kyoto treaty on global warming, the biological weapons convention banning germ warfare, and a treaty to establish an international war-crimes court. Bush also withdrew from the 1972 Antiballistic Missile Treaty, the basis for three decades of nuclear stability with the Soviet Union, but at the same time succeeded in persuading Russia to agree to a landmark treaty that would cut U.S. and Russian nuclear weapons stockpiles by two-thirds over the next decade.



The terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, irrevocably altered the direction of the Bush presidency; his primary focus became the war on international terrorism. Bush shored up enormous support from the international community to fight terrorism worldwide. On Oct. 7, the U.S. and Britain began air strikes against Afghanistan, after the Taliban government repeatedly refused to surrender Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks. The Taliban collapsed on Dec. 9, but despite this outstanding military success, bin Laden remained at large.



National security efforts included creating the Department of Homeland Security, a domestic security cabinet agency that consolidated 20 federal agencies in a massive government reorganization. More controversial was the passage of the USA PATRIOT Act, antiterrorism legislation that presented law enforcement officials with sweeping new powers to conduct searches without warrants, and to detain and deport individuals in secret.



President Bush's broad characterizations of the terrorist threat led him to expand the focus of his foreign policy from al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations to other regimes hostile to the United States, regardless of their connection to the Sept. 11 attacks. Following the war in Afghanistan, Bush designated Iraq as the primary new threat to American security. He famously labeled Iraq, along with North Korea and Iran, as part of an “axis of evil.” Over the course of 2002, President Bush announced that the U.S. foreign strategy of containment and deterrence was an outdated cold war policy, and introduced the Bush doctrine, which asserted that in an age of terrorism, the U.S. could no longer wait by defensively until a potential threat to its security grew into an actual one—a preemptive strike was called for. In Sept. 2002, Bush addressed the UN, challenging the organization to swiftly enforce its own resolutions against Iraq, or else the U.S. would have no choice but to act on its own. Many world leaders expressed alarm at this shift in U.S. policy, which stressed unilateralism rather than international consensus. The alleged existence of weapons of mass destruction, Iraq's links to terrorism, and Saddam Hussein's despotism and human rights abuses were cited as the casus belli for “regime change.” The UN Security Council unanimously approved a resolution imposing tough new arms inspections on Iraq, but after three months of inspections that resulted in only modest Iraqi cooperation, U.S. patience ran out: on March 19, President Bush declared war on Iraq and U.S. troops, along with their British allies, began bombing Baghdad. By April 9, Baghdad had fallen, and by May 1, combat was officially declared over.



The official phase of the war was swift, but the post-war reconstruction period proved far more difficult. The country was enveloped in violence and chaos and its infrastructure was in ruins. While the Bush administration successfully turned over sovereignty to an interim Iraqi government in June 2004, within months pockets of Iraq were essentially under the control of insurgents. President Bush assured the country that despite these difficulties, the United States would stay the course until Iraq emerged as a free and democratic country. More than a year-and-a-half of searching for Iraq's weapons of mass destruction—one of the prime reasons Bush cited for launching the war—yielded no hard evidence, and the administration and its intelligence agencies came under fire. There were also mounting allegations that the existence of these weapons and their imminent threat to American security was exaggerated or distorted as a pretext to justify the war. The Senate Intelligence Committee's unanimous, bipartisan “Report on Pre-War Intelligence on Iraq,” harshly criticized the CIA: “most of the major key judgments” on Iraq's weapons of mass destruction were “either overstated, or were not supported by, the underlying intelligence report.” The report disputed the CIA's assertions that Iraq was reconstituting its nuclear program and that it had chemical and biological weapons, and also concluded that there was no relationship between al-Qaeda and Saddam Hussein. With the justifications for the war evaporating, the Bush administration began emphasizing that the removal of dictator Saddam Hussein had been grounds enough for waging war, and that the United States was more secure as a result of it.



Critics of the administration's policy in Iraq described it as a distraction from the war on terror, preventing the United States from effectively battling the war on its genuine fronts. Since the start of the U.S. war in Iraq, the two remaining countries in the “axis of evil,” North Korea and Iran, had grown into alarming nuclear threats. The Bush administration's diplomatic efforts made little headway against Iran and North Korea's defiance and evasion.



On the domestic front, President Bush promoted an “ownership society” that would give Americans more control over health care, education, and retirement. In Jan. 2002, he passed the No Child Left Behind Act, a federal program dedicated to improving schools across the country. In June 2003 he signed into law the largest expansion of Medicare since its creation. The law provided prescription drug coverage under Medicare for the first time.



In early 2003, President Bush unveiled a sweeping economic stimulus plan that characteristically centered around tax cuts. The plan, in its original form, would have cut taxes by $670 billion over ten years; Congress approved a $350 billion version. Although all workers were to benefit from the tax plan, it strongly favored two groups: two-parent households with several children and the wealthy—nearly half the proposed tax benefits were reserved for the richest 10% of American taxpayers. Critics of the plan, including fiscally conservative Republicans, argued that it was unsound to offer tax cuts while the country was involved in an expensive war and in the midst of a jobless recovery. The federal budget deficit, according to the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, reached a record $412 billion in 2004. The White House countered that the Bush tax cuts had in fact kept the recession remarkably shallow and brief.



The 2004 presidential campaign between the president and Democratic senator John Kerry was one of the most closely followed and heated races in recent history. Terrorism, the war in Iraq, tax cuts, health care, the economy, and the deficit were the major issues. Kerry accused the president of mismanaging the war on Iraq and the fight against terrorism and promised to roll back the Bush tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. The president accused his opponent of being a “flip-flopper” on issues and of not having the leadership to fight the war on terror. On Nov. 3, President Bush won reelection with 286 electoral votes and 51% of the popular vote. Moral values and fighting terrorism were cited as the two main issues that won the president his second term.



In the first year of his second term, Bush's priority was the restructuring of Social Security, but despite months of campaigning, the president failed to convince the electorate that the program was in need of a major overhaul. Legislative accomplishments included the passage of the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA), an energy bill, which did not, however, address Americans' growing concern over high fuel prices.



Iraq's continued insurgency, lack of political stability, and the acknowledgment that only a small number of Iraqi forces were capable of replacing American troops stationed in the country led to increased domestic discontent. In the face of growing American casualties and the absence of a clear strategy for winning the protracted war beyond “staying the course,” the president's approval ratings plummeted in 2005. In early September, the delayed and inept handling of Hurricane Katrina's emergency relief efforts led to widespread criticism of the Bush administration, even among its Republican base. Trust in the president's ability to lead the country during a crisis had been a central factor in his reelection, but two-thirds of Americans considered his response to Katrina inadequate. In 2005 and 2006, Bush appointed two solid conservatives to the Supreme Court: Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito.



In 2005 it was disclosed that President Bush had secretly authorized the National Security Agency to wiretap domestic calls without obtaining legally required warrants. Controversy concerning the expansion of presidential powers also arose when it was revealed that Bush has used “signing statements” to indicate that he would not comply with more than 800 provisions of 100-plus signed laws. The most publicized of these signing statements was Bush's exception to a provision banning “cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment” of prisoners in American custody. In June 2006, the Supreme Court issued the most significant ruling on the limitations of presidential powers in decades, stating in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, that the Bush administration's failure to obtain Congressional approval for special military tribunals to try terrorist detainees rendered the tribunals unconstitutional, and that they also violated both the Uniform Code of Military Justice and the Geneva Conventions.



As security in Iraq deteriorated in 2006 and reconstruction efforts foundered, the increasingly unpopular war became the president's greatest liability. November 2006 mid-term elections led to a seismic shift in the political landscape, with Democrats gaining control over the House of Representatives and the Senate for the first time in twelve years. A day after the election, President Bush, acknowledging that his party had taken a “thumping,” announced the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, whose intransigent Iraq policies had made him the bete noir of Democrats and many Republicans. In December, the bipartisan report by the Iraq Study Group, led by former secretary of state James Baker and former Democratic congressman Lee Hamilton, concluded that “the situation in Iraq is grave and deteriorating” and “U.S. forces seem to be caught in a mission that has no foreseeable end.” The report's 79 recommendations included reaching out diplomatically to Iran and Syria and having the U.S. military intensify its efforts to train Iraqi troops. The report heightened the debate over the U.S. role in Iraq, but President Bush kept his distance from it, indicating that he would wait until Jan. 2007 before announcing a new Iraq strategy.

Shabana Azmi

Shabana Azmi

Born on the 18th of September in the year 1950 in New Delhi, Shabana Azmi is one of the most leading actresses to have graced the screens of Bollywood. She has worked in a number of films, which has brought her lot of praise and appreciation. She has played roles of different genre and been able to adapt very nicely according to the need of the role. Well, in this article, we will present you with the biography of Indian actress Shabana Azmi.

Early life :

She is a fabulous Muslim actress, who was born to the Azmi family. Her father Kaifi Azmi was a famous Indian Urdu poet as well as writer and her mother Shaukat was a renowned stage actress. Her brother Baba Azmi is a cinematographer. Thus, the entire family has been actively involved in the field of fine arts. They have always had vast social circles and thus, Shabana has always seen lot of people congregating in their house. She did her graduation in Psychology from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai. Thereafter, she took up a course in Acting at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII), Pune. Read on to know the complete life history of Shabana Azmi.



Career :

The maiden movie of Shabana was an art movie 'Faalsa'. Though, it was her first movie but got released after Shyam Benegal's movie Ankur. She was given a very different kind of role to play in this film and she did it a fabulous job. The film turned out to be a superhit and even won the National award. Her performance in both the films was widely appreciated.



She won the national awards for three consecutive years from 1983 to 1985 for her notable work in the films Arth, Khandhar and Paar. She has always given an outstanding performance, because she has the caliber to very well get into the character, thus making it appear like a real life portrayal. She has worked in more than hundred films demanding different kind of attitude and skills. Shabana is an amazing actress who has truly proved her talent and versatility.



Notable Works of Shabana Azmi :

Godmother

Earth

Khandhar

Paar

Masoom

Arth

Sparsh

Ankur

Mandi

15 Park Avenue

Madame Sousatzka

The Bengali Night



Social Activist :

Well, Shabana Azmi is not just a wonderful actress, but a great social activist. She has made an incredible contribution in raising voice against unjust and inequality. She has also been actively involved in fighting AIDS. She has brought in notice a number of social issues. Initially, her efforts for the social welfare were considered to be a publicity gimmick. But, her strong determination and hard work proved people that she is genuinely concerned and not trying to draw people's attention to come into limelight. She has taken a keen interest in fighting for issues like communalism. She even participated in the demonstrations and marches for advocating communal harmony.



Awards Won :

National Film Awards (6 times)

Filmfare Awards (4 times)

Padma Shri

Gandhi Foundation International Peace Award for her commendable work for the slum dwellers living in Mumbai.