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5 Reasons Why You Should Stay In a Hostel The Next Time You Travel Solo (Rank Princess – SEO)

Bunking in a hostel is one of the most cheerful experiences you will have in your life, especially if you are travelling alone. Here’s why you should opt for that backpacker’s hostel.

Become A Social Butterfly

Hostels are the best place to find that travel buddy you have been looking for. Hippie, existentialist, eccentrically glamorous, gorgeous 20-year-old solo female traveller, the dude who has been traveling for three months, the 60-year-old who was in Woodstock, and more. Yes, you can find all types of people here.

Go Dutch

Yes, sharing is caring and also means going Dutch. Especially when you travelling on a shoestring budget, this could be it.

Get A Date

Of course, you are bound to get attracted to one of the travellers you are sharing your room with.

Jam Sessions

There is always someone who plays a chichi instrument, a didgeridoo, ukulele or the clichéd guitar. Get jamming with musicians from all around the world! Make music and spread the love!

Stay For Free

Yes, this is possible. Get an offbeat job at the hostel where you only have to work a few hours in a day, and you can have the rest of the day to yourself to explore the town or the city you are in. Wash dishes, clean the rooms or become the evening DJ, and couch at the hostel for free!

Wherever you stay, just make sure to have loads of fun… because that is what counts in the end.

Reference Links

Solo female travel: How to keep you and your finances safe

LSI Keywords: Backpacking, solo traveling, staying in hostel, couching in hostel

Hostels: Advocating Interpersonal Connections (Rank Princess – SEO)

Are you a travel enthusiast with a limited budget? Are you a lone traveller who prefers his own company? Or do you prefer the boisterous company of friends and family accompanying you?

Everyone who travels outstation is aware of how essential it is to remain in the budget during your trip outside home grounds.

Budget constraints limit your spending power and restrict you to enjoy your holiday to the fullest.

The solution is simple: stay in a hostel!

What Is A Hostel Like?

Hostels are like hotels, but less expensive. More like home, but filled with an eclectic group of strangers.

Also, they have communal living options and common facility sharing.

There are a few that have family accommodation and come equipped with a self-sustained kitchenette.

So, if you don’t mind sleeping in bunk beds with strangers in one room, and can wait in a queue to use the facilities, then you can go ahead and book yourself a hostel room for your travel ahead!

Advantages Of Living In A Hostel

The most obvious one is cost saving. Apart from that, there are a few more benefits to the hostel life.

You get to meet similar-minded travellers. They have all the inside information about the area regarding where to go, how to go there, where to eat, and what not to do. All this is something which a travel brochure or a guidebook can’t tell you!

Traveller’s Accommodation

Sharing meals, rooms, experience, and stories gives the group a chance to bond with each other.

You build connections, create networks, and find yourself friends and travel buddies.

Just because you are travelling alone does not mean you have to be lonely.

References:

http://www.nomadicmatt.com/travel-tips/finding-cheap-accommodation/

http://blog.hihostels.com/2013/05/top-10-reasons-to-stay-in-a-hostel/

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/relationships/man-woman/A-big-hi-five-to-hostel-life/articleshow/10093112.cms

http://www.hostels.com/?s_kwcid=al!591!3!108023362624!e!!g!!hostel&source=AdwordsGlobalGenericsDeskHCEN&network=g&creative=108023362624&adposition=1t2&uniqueclickID=12939963718003657561&sub_keyword=hostel&sub_ad=e&sub_publisher=ADW&gclid=CNmSt7KLis8CFdERaAodl7kJ7Q&ef_id=V5D6TgAABecz69IZ:20160912145717:s

LSI Keywords: what is a hostel like, advantages of living in a hostel, traveler’s accommodation

A Primer On Unsecured Business Loans: A Leg Up for SMEs (Rank Princess – SEO)

Unsecured business loans are loans which exist without collateral assets on the line. This is great for SMEs and start-ups because it gives them the required push. CapitalFloat, in particular, has unique benefits to offer.

Unsecured business loans are a great way to move forward in the business world. Below are a few common questions people have about these loans, and their answers.

What are unsecured business loans?

Unsecured business loans meaning is that money is lent to you without any collateral assets at stake.

Most loans work like this. Money is lent to a business, and they have to pay it back with interest within a stipulated time frame. Some asset (like a house) is kept as collateral. If the business defaults on these loans, the collateral asset is taken away by the lender.

But this is different. Unsecured business loan lenders give you money on the sole creditworthiness or reliability of the business which is asking for the money. These are also known as signature loans or personal loans.

What happens when you default an unsecured business loan?

The lender can sue the defaulter for the money owed (principal and interest) as well as additional penalties and costs as a punishment for defaulting on the loan.

What are the interest rates like on unsecured loans?

The unsecured business loan interest rates offered vary from bank to bank. However, some Non-Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs) also offer highly competitive interest rates.

An unsecured business loan interest rate comparison would show thatCapitalFloat offers attractive interest rates starting at 1.33{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} per month. Of course, this is a general figure. The amount of money lent varies depending on the type of loan.

What are the different types of unsecured business loans?

Loans, in general, are only usually distinguishable regarding purpose, interest rates, and length.

Specifically, we find that CapitalFloat offers three kinds of loans: term finance, invoice finance, and online seller finance.

How’s the Term Finance loan CapitalFloat offers?

The features are:

You don’t have to give any prepayment charges.
The tenure is flexible and ranges from 6 months to 3 years.
The amount you want to borrow ranges from 1 lac to 50 lacs INR.

All these benefits are provided in exchange for really small unsecured business loan requirements like three years’ operational history, a 650+ CIBIL score, and an annual turnover of over one crore (or) impeccably audited financials.

It is important to note that other lenders often expect much more from you, especially regarding collateral.

What about the Online Seller loan?

This is most suitable for companies who are expanding their market sales or moving to new markets. Companies in transition to becoming something bigger.

You can borrow for 90 to 180 days.
The amount can range from INR 1 lac to 1 crore, depending on your needs. Also, it can be twice as high as the borrower’s monthly sales.
The repayments have to be done fortnightly.

Aside from basic KYC expectations, all you have to show is one year of running a business, at least INR 25000 sales each quarter, and partnership vintage between 3-6 months at least.

Finally, what are invoice finance loans? Are they useful?

Invoice finance is loan that lenders like CapitalFloat give you on the basis of your invoice. That is, on the basis of how much money you expect to get from your customers.

The CapitalFloat invoice loans look as follows:

You can borrow from 30 to 180 days.
A maximum of 80{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} of the invoice value is lent, and this amount should be between 1 lac and one crore.
You have the option of one-time bullet repayment.

Expectations from the borrower’s side are minimum two years of functioning business, vintage of over three months, and an annual turnover of over one crore.

Are unsecured business loans financially safe?

In short, yes. Especially, for small to medium businesses, unsecured loans can be helpful.

You have no collateral, fast funding, the flexibility of repayment (within reasonable limits), and high approval rates. Also in the unsecured business loan, bad credit isn’t that harmful because the lenders often believe in helping the business.

All of this is great for SMEs because it’s difficult to give valuable assets as collateral, and loans are crucial in expanding and improving business.

Further reading:

LSI Keywords: unsecured business loan lenders, unsecured business loan interest rates, unsecured business loan meaning, unsecured business loan bad credit, unsecured business loan interest rate comparison, unsecured business loan requirements

Measuring the Health of your Business through Working Capital (Rank Princess – SEO)

The revenue or fund that your business has to run the daily, weekly and monthly operations is called the working capital. This includes maintenance costs, rent, office materials and utilities.

The absence of a working capital causes a business to fail; hence it has an intricate relationship with the health of business.

Working capital is also scrutinised by investors to assess your company’s financial well-being. It also identifies the liquidity of the business, i.e., the ease with which the company’s assets can be sold to convert to cash.

Calculating Working Capital

Working capital for businesses can be found through a simple formula,

Working Capital = Current Assets – Current Liabilities

The amount of working capital of your business indicates your capability to pay off short-term debts and expenses on a daily basis. The higher the working capital, the healthier your business is. If your working capital is on the lower side, then you should reassess your commercial model and business strategy.

Working capital can also be found using a ratio,

Working Capital Ratio = Current Assets / Current Liabilities

If the working capital ratio you calculated is less than 1, then your liabilities exceed your assets. This negative working capital is a sign of an unhealthy business. However, if this ratio is a very high number, then your business has too much inventory or assets on hand. Some of these assets can be invested on a long-term basis to help the company grow.

The ideal working capital ratio varies based on the industry that your business services. But, if this value is on an average between 1.2 and 2.0, then your business is running on a healthy note.

Purpose of Working Capital Management

The principal objectives of working capital management are,

Ensuring the smooth operation of the working capital operating cycle

The operating cycle here is the business lifecycle in its entirety. This includes the acquisition of raw materials, smooth production processes and delivery of products. One of the main objectives of the concept is to ensure smoothness in end-to-end processes.

Reducing cost of capital

The amount that is spent on maintaining the working capital is called cost of capital. These costs need to be carefully monitored and managed.

Maximising returns on asset investments

The ROI on assets that are currently invested should be greater than the weighted average cost of capital to ensure that wealth is maximised.

Working Capital Management – Approaches

There are three strategies that are commonly employed for the management of working capital.

The Conservative Approach

As per this approach, in addition to the everlasting working capital, the variable working capital is also funded from long-term sources. This implies an increase in cost capital, but the risk of fluctuations in interest rates are lower.

The Aggressive Approach

In this strategy, the variable working capital, the whole or parts of the permanent working capital and, at times, the fixed assets are financed from short-term sources. The cost capital is hence decreased, resulting in maximum profits, but it holds significantly higher risks.

The Hedging Approach

The fixed assets and the stable working capital are funded from long-term resources, while the variable working capital is supplied from short-term sources. This ensures moderate risks and moderate profitability.

Importance of Working Capital to a Business

Businesses with a lower working capital will enable shareholders to benefit from a higher return on every dollar invested.
Appropriate working capital management will allow businesses to pay their short-term obligations on time and improve their credit profile and solvency.
Working capital management drives the profitability of small businesses.
Good working capital management allows businesses to allocate resources efficiently and improve liquidity.
It also results in higher business valuation and favourable financing conditions.
Businesses with good working capital management can ensure uninterrupted production and will be immune to peak demands. Studies have shown that they have a distinct competitive advantage in the industry.

LSI Keywords: Working Capital, Current Assets, Current Liabilities, Working Capital Management, Importance of Working Capital, returns on asset investments, working capital operating cycle

References

https://www.efinancemanagement.com/working-capital-financing/importance-of-working-capital-management

http://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/100715/why-working-capital-management-important-company.asp

http://accountlearning.blogspot.in/2011/06/need-and-importance-of-working-capital.html

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/importance-good-working-capital-management-business-fareed

https://www.kashoo.com/blog/what-is-working-capital-and-why-is-it-important

https://www.paychex.com/articles/finance/why-is-working-capital-important-for-business-success

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/importance-working-capital-management-avoiding-bankruptcy-39031.html

https://www.cleverism.com/working-capital-management-everything-need-know/

http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/finance/importance-of-sufficient-working-capital/26225/

Engagement of Temporary Employment Agencies – The Pros and Cons (Rank Princess – SEO)

The hiring of talent for a short-term assignment is called contractual staffing or temporary staffing. Contractual Staffing, although quite prevalent in some occupations today, has been observed to hold a great potential for enormous growth in the coming years.

Outsourcing firms are the points of contact that provide temporary staff to organizations. The contractual workforce is screened, recruited and trained by the outsourcing agency, and is then assigned to client organizations while being compensated through the payroll of the temporary employment company itself.

Advantages of Outsourcing to Temporary Workforce

Temporary recruitments are ideal for reducing the liability of the organisation. This is because temporary projects or contracts do not usually include all the perks that the company provides to its permanent staff.
Since temporary employees are not part of the organisation’s permanent staff, they are quite immune from office politics or management issues.
Hiring contractual personnel is useful for companies to fill their short-term staffing requirements at lower costs.
Recruitment procedures for temporary employees are easier, and it frees up permanent resources for critical core business-related activities.
When the attrition in an organisation is high and backfilling is becoming increasingly difficult, they rely on temporary staffing for upgrading employee strength.
Employing freelancers is a great option when a company is in need of entry level staff.
Multiple organisations only look to retain trained or skilled resources on their payroll. They prefer engaging contractual workers for low-impact activities.
When a business acquires work on a seasonal basis, they would also require staff accordingly. These organizations benefit largely through employing temporary manpower.
Contractual employment increases the flexibility of the organisation. Companies can look to reduce or increase their strength according to business requirements if they have the safety net of a contractual workforce intact.
Employing contractual workers with a chance of renewal on good performance is a great motivating factor for these employees. This ensures satisfactory conduct during their tenure, which greatly benefits the organisation.

Types of Temporary Hiring

Functional Outsourcing–This includes outsourcing of activities like management of company accounts to an external agency, Tele calling to a BPO, etc.
Project Outsourcing –This type of outsourcing is more common in IT, infrastructure development projects and large real estate firms.
Need-based Outsourcing – This includes employment of personnel like security guards, housekeeping, PSOs, etc.
Offshore Outsourcing–This implies having outsourced business activities or operations done in another country. With the emergence of the internet and globalisation, this type of outsourcing is a clever business strategy to gain a foothold in new markets.

The Other Side of the Coin

Hiring contractual workers is like a double-edged sword, and needs to be handled very carefully.

While some temporary employees may give their best performance, others may put up an unsatisfactory conduct, marked by a casual attitude, because they are not permanent employees of the organisation.
Some temporary workers may lack self-motivation and need to be pushed to better their morale and performance.
Cultural adjustment, learning and growth of contractual workers in the organisation are another major hurdle that needs to be handled prudently.
In India, attainment of contractual employees may be a challenging task, considering the overall mindset that is skewed towards security in the job. Fewer skilled personnel would be willing to experiment with newer companies and explore varied options available to them in the job market.
Short-term employment opportunities are not ideal for projects of critical importance. Building a relationship with the client, imparting confidential information to employees and bonding between team members becomes increasingly difficult with a contractual workforce.

It is understood that different companies rely on outsourcing for varied reasons. Although there are certain things to be aware of when embarking on contractual employment, the concept of temporary staffing is here to stay.

LSI Keywords – Temporary employment agencies, short-term assignment, contractual staffing, temporary staffing, temporary staff, contractual workforce, outsourcing agency, temporary employment company, Outsourcing to temporary workforce, Temporary recruitments, temporary projects, temporary employees, contractual personnel, short-term staffing requirements, Employing freelancers, engaging contractual workers, employing temporary manpower, Contractual employment, Employing contractual workers, Temporary Hiring, Functional Outsourcing, Project Outsourcing, Need-based Outsourcing, Offshore Outsourcing, Hiring contractual workers, Short-term employment opportunities, temporary staffing

References

https://www.peoplematters.in/article/staffing-recruitment/why-temporary-staffing-here-stay-12891

http://www.incendia.com/big-development-job-coming-up-why-temporary-employment-agencies-may-be-the-best-solution/

http://www.newgensoft.com/company/media-coverage/contract-workers-the-pros-and-cons/

https://www.mivirtual.com.au/temporary-work/

http://www.canadianbusiness.com/blogs-and-comment/temps-are-here-to-stay/

https://www.allegisglobalsolutions.com/blog/2014/september/the-contingent-workforce-is-here-to-stay

https://www.techopedia.com/definition/14497/offshore-outsourcing

Predictive Decision Making: The Future of Recruitment (Rank Princess – SEO)

We analyze trends in the blue collar job market using sophisticated mathematical techniques. This analysis can help recruiters identify the best candidates for the job. Additionally, it helps the job seekers find more jobs to their liking.

Presently, the context of the blue collar job market is rather vague regarding hiring practices. We have been trying to change that since 2013 and have taken another significant step in that direction.

Predictive decision making is something all companies, especially blue collar ones, can use to help recruit more reliable, productive, and loyal employees.

Why should you use predictive decision making?

Well, quite simply, because of its accuracy and succinctness.

By judging the job applicants by their past records, and any developing trends, predictive modelling helps you to choose between applicants.

Moreover, this method gives you a bird’s eye view of all the applicants’ position. Until now, candidates have been assessed rather subjectively. But by using this method, candidates can be assigned ranks and selection will become a much easier process.

What is predictive decision making?

Predictive decision making is a method of evaluating job seekers by observing trends of their past behaviour. It is a more succinct and accurate way of judging a candidate’s history. Until now, this has been done by personal judgment which can be subjective.

For example, parameters can include the candidates’ performance at earlier jobs, an improvement over time, punctuality, etc. We use several parameters in the assessment to develop more accurate predictions.

It sounds a bit experimental. Who else is using it?

Although predictive decision making might’ve seen most of its development in recent years, it has been quickly adopted by a vast variety of companies.

This is the same method being used by the best of all the big industries. To give an indication of the popularity of this method, here are a few industries where predictive decision making is being actively employed:

Financial Services
Actuarial Sciences
Healthcare
Travel
Retail
Pharmaceuticals
Telecommunications

And more! To us, it only seemed natural that the blue collar job market did not miss out in extracting the many benefits of this method.

Is everyone else also using it for job recruitment?

Not really. Surprisingly, the application of this method has been limited to the work that organisations and companies do themselves. That is, they use predictive analytics to help their customers, give advice to their clients, etc.

We wish to extend the sphere of applicability of this method to job hiring methods because it is at least as important as the work that companies do.

How are these predictions made?

The predictive modelling techniques used range from the crude to the sophisticated, and are listed as follows:

Time series: This is a weighted average of the candidate’s performance, with greater importance being given to recent work as compared to older work.
Machine learning: This involves software learning of the patterns and abilities of the job applicants as they develop over time. Very sophisticated predictive analytics algorithms are used.
Predictive modelling: A mathematical model is developed to predict the job recruitment rate and so on.
Data mining: This is the simple analysis of all the data available using a brute processing force.

Thus, you can see the level of sophistication predictive analytics techniques offer, and how it can help your company in improving recruitment practices.

Why do recruitment practices matter?

We appreciate the importance of hiring the best candidates who will prove valuable to the company in the long term and contribute to a better workspace. This method of predictive modelling is in line with our abiding commitment to improving the work environment in the blue collar sector.

LSI Keywords: predictive analytics, predictive modeling, predictive modeling techniques, predictive analytics techniques, predictive analytics algorithms.

Further Reading:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decision-making

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ibm/2015/05/28/how-to-use-predictive-analytics-for-better-decision-making/#76ffc86d78af

http://thenewstack.io/predictive-analytics-can-improve-decision-making/

https://www.cgi.com/sites/default/files/white-papers/Predictive-analytics-white-paper.pdf

https://halobi.com/2016/07/descriptive-predictive-and-prescriptive-analytics-explained/

https://www.socialmediaexplorer.com/social-media-measurement/is-predictive-modeling-the-future-of-decision-making/

http://dssresources.com/faq/index.php?action=artikel&id=239

Startups: Creation of Cultural Diversity(Rank Princess – SEO)

A startup is nothing but a newly established business that has grown. With this new age of startups, a culture of diversity sometimes becomes an issue. Usually, there aren’t many women entrepreneurs spoken for or Black/Latino ones either.

These are just a few of the myths we are going to break today.

Why do we need Diversity?

Diversity in the workplace is something that gives a company an edge over its competitors. A more diverse workforce can more efficiently tackle the diversity in the product range, as well as, the marketing approach.

It also becomes easier to hire the best minds in the field, when you are not biased about one or more cultures or societal groups. That way, you get to widen your baseline for employees, even as you pick out the “crème-de-la-crème.”

Diversity among Consumers:

When the startups focus more on what the consumers want and less on what they would prefer for themselves, only then can they increase their consumer base. Sticking to societal and culture-based biases or prejudices is not healthy for any company in its initial stages. So basically,

Consumers come from a lot of cultures.
Startups cannot afford to be too choosy regarding their customers.
The risks of building a business are already high. Ruling out consumers by culture will only result in a lower bottom line.

Collaboration:

We all know that when people from different cultures come in together, there occurs some level of integration and association among them. What we overlook is how these people notice their diversities and acknowledge them. This not only helps the participants to appreciate diversity but also work with them in diverse ways.

This kind of collaboration begins to lead to a chain of ideas and different thoughts that can add up to a very interesting scenario.

Maintaining Individuality:

You can only truly understand the “culture of diversity” when the workforce, as well as, the consumer-base insists on maintaining their individuality regarding ideas, opinions, tastes and preferences. This may involve:

Specialised workforce, such as an “all women” group.
Certain specific consumer-oriented approaches that may appeal to a few cultures specifically.
A startup tries to advertise the same product to different cultural groups in different manners.
A diverse working population, brainstorming ideas and creative approaches, based on their culture or societal values.

This way, companies can maintain their originality and individuality not only regarding their products but also to the satisfaction of the different tastes and preferences of their customers.

Approach Backed by Data:

This approach is backed by data. Research and studies have shown that companies with a diverse board of public marketing and management have a 95{ed162fdde9fdc472551df9f31f04601345edf7e4eff6ea93114402690d8fa616} higher success and popularity rate.

Entrepreneurs are assured more by numbers, than by word-of-mouth. So when observations show that a diverse cultural workforce brings in a higher rate of profits, it is difficult not to opt for it.

Going Global:

An integrated and inclusive approach to the different cultures out there is a plus. When you have even a small group of people working in your company, they are bound to come up with a varied set of ideas for marketing, production, and campaigning.

This can only help you when it comes to increasing your customer base. With more and more diverse campaigns, it becomes possible to attract more people towards your product.

Keeping the company’s core values straight is profitable to diversify the workforce and the customer base. This just keeps bringing in higher profits and increases the sale of products and services.

LSI Keywords: Customer-base, campaigning, diversification, diverse cultures, culture of diversity, maintaining individuality, integration, collaboration

Reference Links:

https://quip.com/7GSaAovqAPEh

http://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/12/what-is-a-startup.asp

https://www.peoplematters.in/article/diversity/how-organizations-can-facilitate-childcare-support-13861

Why Diversity is Good for Tech Startups Aiming for Global, and How Buffer Nailed It

Explore What Lies Beneath the Ancient City of Varanasi (Rank Princess)

SandHI is the clever name IIT Kharagpur has given to its mega-project of reestablishing the heritage and antiquity of India’s heartland Varanasi through scientific research.

One of the most exciting parts of the project is the geo-exploration of Varanasi city. The present project is geared towards looking at the way geology or nature controlled the origin, evolution and survival of the city through ages.

Primarily funded by MHRD under the SandHI megaproject, funding for the Varanasi geo-quest project is by British Geological Survey (UK Aid).

Varanasi’s Facelift and What Lies Beneath

Varanasi (Banaras or Kashi), is seen as holy in many ancient religions of Southeast Asia like Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism.

Along with Alexandria, Luxor, Faiyum, Varanasi has the distinction of being one of the oldest cities of the world that has been continuously inhabited.

Varanasi today is being brought rapidly into the twenty-first century with investment in infrastructure.

Prof. Abhijit Mukherjee, Principal Investigator of the project, mentions that bringing ancient infrastructure into the structures needed for modern life is a challenge. The preservation of archaeological sites is a problem.

He also says that the city’s future will depend on the sustainable use of natural resources like groundwater, dealing with the possibility of flooding and a proper understanding of how the river works and how climate change will affect it.

We need to know the past and the present of the river and ground to predict the future.

Varanasi’s Civilisation through the Ages

The project is delineating the extent of growth phases of Varanasi civilisation through ages. It is exploring a number of routes:

Exploring the evolution of the Ganga River, as this might have influenced the development and survival of Varanasi.
A delineation on the quantity and quality of the river and groundwater and their interactions in and around the Varanasi area. This will help them understand the usable water resource and the renovation of the river Ganga.
Understanding the weathering patterns and restoration of the ancient and historical monuments and Ghats of Varanasi
Developing an urban geological framework of the future city of Varanasi.
Excavating in several key locations including close to Kashi Viswanath Temple, to understand the historical foundation of Varanasi
Urban mapping is being done to assist in the determination of archaeological sites and anthropological signatures. This may provide new insight into the North Indian civilisation evolution from Post-Harappa to modern periods.

So, What’s Been Happening?

The team has just completed drilling in about 100 locations up to a depth of 110 m below land surface, in and around the city of Varanasi.

They will then drill several deep boreholes to explore the deep earth control on the evolution of the Gangetic plain.

Detailed investigation of the river Ganga and groundwater resource and contamination studies are being carried out. Collaborating with Intel, the team is in the process of deploying several high-resolution chemical sensors to the River Ganges. This will allow for real-time water quality monitoring of the chemistry as well as the river pollution level.

New Century Tech Takes Us to the Past

Putting together all their research elements will help to build a 3D conceptual model and an underpinning database of the city and its environs. These can then be used to understand the location, evolution and future effect on the development of Varanasi and Ganga.

“Out of sight… out of mind, the role of the sub-surface in the urban footprint is often overlooked and rarely, if ever, makes an appearance in the long-term planning of the world’s cities,” says Dr. Martin Smith, Director-Global Science, British Geological Survey and collaborating scientist.

An important thing the team emphasises is that the ground beneath our cities not only holds its history; it is a potential resource with groundwater aquifers and space for storage and transport.

“However, it can also be a hazard regarding stability and dispersal of contaminants” points out Prof. Probal Sengupta of IIT Kharagpur, Joint Investigator of the project, talking about the very ground we stand on.

Social Media

IIT Kharagpur goes deep into the past exploring the foundations of holy Varanasi, in order to map our future.

Explore What Lies Beneath the Ancient City of Varanasi (Rank Princess)

SandHI is the clever name IIT Kharagpur has given to its mega-project of reestablishing the heritage and antiquity of India’s heartland Varanasi through scientific research.

Primarily funded by MHRD under the SandHI megaproject, funding for the Varanasi geo-quest project is by British Geological Survey (UK Aid).

Varanasi’s Facelift and What Lies Beneath

Varanasi (Banaras or Kashi), is seen as holy in many ancient religions of Southeast Asia like Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism.

Along with Alexandria, Luxor, Faiyum, Varanasi has the distinction of being one of the oldest cities of the world that has been continuously inhabited.

Varanasi today is being brought rapidly into the twenty-first century with investment in infrastructure.

We need to know the past and the present of the river and ground to predict the future.

Varanasi’s Civilisation through the Ages

The project is delineating the extent of growth phases of Varanasi civilisation through ages. It is exploring a number of routes:

Exploring the evolution of the Ganga River, as this might have influenced the development and survival of Varanasi.
A delineation on the quantity and quality of the river and groundwater and their interactions in and around the Varanasi area. This will help them understand the usable water resource and the renovation of the river Ganga.
Understanding the weathering patterns and restoration of the ancient and historical monuments and Ghats of Varanasi
Developing an urban geological framework of the future city of Varanasi.
Excavating in several key locations including close to Kashi Viswanath Temple, to understand the historical foundation of Varanasi
Urban mapping is being done to assist in the determination of archaeological sites and anthropological signatures. This may provide new insight into the North Indian civilisation evolution from Post-Harappa to modern periods.

So, What’s Been Happening?

The team has just completed drilling in about 100 locations up to a depth of 110 m below land surface, in and around the city of Varanasi.

They will then drill several deep boreholes to explore the deep earth control on the evolution of the Gangetic plain.

New Century Tech Takes Us to the Past

An important thing the team emphasises is that the ground beneath our cities not only holds its history; it is a potential resource with groundwater aquifers and space for storage and transport.

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Olympics-A Force That Unites Our War-Torn World! (Rank Princess – SEO)

Events abound in number that unite humanity. While some may be tragic, others may be festive. Whatever be the nature, few events linger in the collective psyche of humanity for long. Olympics is one such world sports festival. It lifts nations above hostilities and gathers them under one roof.

Forces that unite the world whatever may be the disparities are there in plenty. Tragic incidents and festivities are perhaps the most important among them. While some fade away with time, others acquire a whole new meaning. They stay in the collective human memory for generations to come. One such event that unites our present war-torn world is Olympics. Once in four years, it brings the entire world together. No war bars any nation from enjoying the world’s largest sports festival.

Here are the psychological benefits Olympics offer humanity.

It helps a nation forget a tragedy

The statement holds true specifically for Japan that survived an earthquake. The excitement that follows such an event is great. The preparation, the waiting; the process brings joy even to the downtrodden.

It declares; humanity is above war

If you are someone living in Israel; you are sure to know one thing. The unstoppable hostilities between nations thwart the dreams and aspirations of millions. Olympics are the only sporting event that gathers even warring countries together. Its history is such an inspiring tale that humanity cherishes it even today.

The event originated in Greece. Records say that rival nations signed a truce so that everyone can participate in the event. The war began only after the games were concluded. Olympians often send words of hope and inspirations to their countrymen. However, people often forget them in the midst of trivial complaints of corruption and other events.

It creates a developmental mindset

Any major event requires drastic changes in the transportation and other facilities in a country. The ensuing expectations uplift the collective psyche of the people residing there. Investors get excited because of the business opportunities the event presents. Surveys reveal that chances are the highest for an event like Olympics.

It boosts the profile of hosts

As mentioned above, Olympics gather the entire world into a single place. Quite naturally, it raises the profile of the hosting nation. The importance enjoyed in media helps a nation rise above petty differences. Clearly, the people of the nation forget hostilities and strive to maintain the dignity of their country. It is no doubt a genuine boost for the psyche of a nation suffering from long-standing war.

Olympics instils patriotism

The desire to be treated as a dignitary in one’s country boosts the morale of participants. He strives to make sure that his country is the winner. The hostilities of warring tribes or organisations appear nothing to him.

The exciting thing is that the fervour stays long after the event is over. And, the person truly considers himself as a champion. An entire nation comes together to appreciate his achievements. The boost to try for the next event like Olympics is something no one can ignore.

Truly, Olympics is a force of an event to be reckoned with. It rises above war and gathers even enemies under one roof. Even hostile nations shake hands cordially; that is sportsman spirit.

LSI Keywords: Olympics, war, nation, event, sports, participants, champion

Resources

https://recruiterpoet.com/2012/08/02/why-the-olympics-bring-the-world-together/

http://guruinabottle.brandrepublic.com/2013/09/08/iocs-decision-to-award-2020-summer-olympic-games-to-japan-has-psychological-benefits-for-the-country/

http://sportbettercities.com/top-5-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-hosting-a-global-event/

http://www.economicshelp.org/blog/29/sport/costs-and-benefits-of-the-olympics/

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2655926-winning-will-have-benefits-beyond-gold-medal-for-us-mens-olympic-hoops-team