Martin Luther Essay

Martin Luther was born in 1483 in Germany. Although he was brought up in a catholic faith, he changed his faith by starting a new Christian movement that was against the teachings of Catholicism, which was consequently named as Lutheran. He taught as a theology lecturer, hence a professional in theology and he was a preacher as well. His parents Hans Luder mother Margarethe were catholic believers, therefore as soon as he was born; he got baptism on the following day which was St. Martin of Tours day of feast. He had brothers and sisters; however, two of his brothers passed way as a result of a plague. Jacob who had tight bonds with Martin lived on to old age. Martin’s father rented copper mines and smelters and he also worked as a spokesperson in the local council. Besides he wanted the best for his son; he aspired that Martin would be a lawyer . Martin began his early school life in 1497 at Mansfield, Magdeburg and Eisenach in that order; where he learnt Latin. When he was seventeen years of age he was a student at the University of Erfurt and by the year 1505, he had completed his postgraduate studies and was awarded a masters degree. Since his father wanted him to be a lawyer, he went ahead and registered for the law school however, he never pursued the course to completion since according to him law was ambiguous. Instead he preferred to study more on theology and philosophy and was fascinated by former philosophers like William of Ockham, Aristotle and Gabriel Biel. Nonetheless, he was more drawn to lecturers who taught on not laying trust on anyone including the philosophers unless the claims they state could be approved through familiarity. Because of this reason, Martin concluded that knowledge in philosophy could not help people get close to God because it merely emphasized on reasoning; which is valid when applied to people and organizations but not God. According to Luther, people could only acknowledge who God is by understanding the scriptures. From here, his quest for scripture understanding began. Later in 1505, Martin Luther abandoned his studies and joined the catholic monastery. Luther’s life as a monk was constituted by refraining from food, pilgrimage, declaration of his sins before a priest for forgiveness and praying for lengthy periods. The life at the monastery wasn’t easy at all; the monks spent less time in bed and they had to work hard in order to sustain community members. He confesses that his commitment to the church as a monk was not delighting to God; rather it made him aware of how sinful he was. Furthermore, the period within which he served as a monk gave a different perception of Jesus Christ in his life; the Christian life at the monastery was like a detention center that harassed innocent people, yet Jesus is â€Å"a Savior and a comforter†. Nevertheless, the monastery hardship transformed Luther as he found more time to know the Bible. Afterward, it was contemplated by Johann von Staupitz that Luther required to do something else so that his quest for the scripture could be disrupted. Accordingly, after his priestly ordination, he proceeded as a theology lecturer of Wittenberg University. By 1509, Luther had received two degrees; one in Biblical studies and the other in sentences. After three years, he graduated as a doctor in theology thereby becoming a member of the senate in the faculty of theology in the University of Wittenberg . The controversial issues regarding Catholicism began in 1517 when Martin Luther wrote the 95 theses. The theses focused on the indulgences that were sold in the church. Since the pope wanted funds to put up the St. Peter’s church in Rome, pardoning of sins was granted on condition that the sinner paid money. In other instances, one could purchase pardon for sins that he or she expects to commit. This spurred concern in Martin Luther because as he had read in the scripture, deliverance is freely given; whereas in Rome, salvation was an article of trade that could be traded between two partners- a sinner and the priest. Besides, more indulgences were sold so that those souls that were in purgatory could be released. Moreover, according to the Roman Catholic Theology it was believed that faith is not enough to justify a human being unless it is accompanied by deeds, for instance participating in works of charity and giving the church financial contributions . Luther objected the issue of indulgences that were being sold; consequently, he drafted a note to the archbishops of Magdeburg and Mainz; this note is what was later referred to as the 95 theses. A copy of the note he wrote to the archbishop was put on the door of Castle Church. According to Luther, the absolution and forgiveness of sins based on indulgences was wrong and deceptive. Within a short time the theses were converted to German, because they were written in Latin; after which they were printed and reproduced to make many copies. Accordingly, the reprinted theses were extensively distributed to various parts within Germany. Between 1510 and 1520, he spent his time in teaching the New Testament books including the Psalms. Even as he studied the Holy Scriptures, he came to realize that justification was a very significant aspect in salvation. That God acknowledges a sinner and makes him righteous when he believes the scripture; also God saves sinners because of grace. Luther proceeded to preach about justification, how it came from God’s only and faith as a present for humanity from God. The Roman papal authority took a period of three years to act in response to Luther’s writings despite the fact that the theses had been distributed at a faster rate. The Archbishop of Mainz and Magdeburg whom the letter was addressed to preferred not to answer Luther, but rather identified heretical phrases then sent the letter to Rome. Pope Leo X overlooked the letter believing that it was not a grievous issue; to him Luther was only drunk and after sometime he would get back to his senses. However, the perception was wrong: Country’s such as England, Italy and France were reading the theses by 1519. Furthermore, he wrote and published commentaries Psalms and Galatians, even though he had to work under protection. By 1520, he had published three books that are considered to be the most excellent among his works- â€Å"On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church, On the Freedom of A Christian and To the Nobility of the German Nation. The Pope came to rethink of Luther’s thesis in 1519 and ordered him to give details of his theses which he did in a synopsis. As a result, Luther was called to meet the Pope in Rome so that he could give a detailed justification to his writings. Nonetheless, Luther went to Rome but as it was arranged by Frederick the Wise, he met Cardinal Thomas Cajetan who was a legate to the pope Nevertheless, the pope went ahead and wrote to Luther in a writing termed as â€Å"papal bull Exsurge Domine† cautioning him to denounce the theses he had written as well as subsections within the books that he had written, in a period of sixty days; failure of which would result in him getting suspended from the catholic community. Conversely, Luther burnt the papal bull and the other manuscripts, an action he later justified in his writings- Assertions Concerning All Articles as well as Why the Pope and His Recent Book Are Burned. Following this, Luther was suspended out of the Roman Catholic community in 1521 by the Pope. Later in April, 1521, Luther was presented before the Diet of Worms, a gathering of the Roman Empire authorities in Worms, Rhine. It was required of him to confirm if he was the author of the theses and the other books he had written, an issue he readily confirmed. However, in answering whether he supported the writings, he agreed after one day having discussed with friends and prayed. Accordingly, in May 1521, Luther was declared a heretic and his writings were banned. In addition, no one was permitted to provide neither shelter nor food as this would amount to punishment. Luther by the help of the Elector of Saxony, Fredrick III, stayed separate away from people in the Castle of Wartburg for about eleven months under the name Junker Jorg. It is during this period that he interpreted the New Testament, initially in Greek to German . When he went back to Wittenberg in March 1522, Luther continued to preach and many people were drawn to his sermons. He revised the church doctrines and assisted in reinstating peace and unity within the nation. The new church doctrines were based on faith, grace and scripture alone. Instead of the seven sacraments that exist in the Roman Catholic, only two sacraments were recognized- baptism and the Holy Communion. Lutheranism did not advocate for celibacy, however, no one was forced to marry. The first Lutheran declaration of faith, otherwise referred to as the Augsburg Confession, was read before the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V in 1530. The reformed church decided to name the new church as Lutheran in honor of Luther. Luther married Katharina who was initially a nun but defected. He passed away in 1546, in Eisleben after having been ill . Bibliography Collinson, P. (2004): The Reformation: a history, ISBN 0679643230, 9780679643234, Modern Library. Doak, R. S. (2006): Pope Leo X: Opponent of the Reformation, ISBN 0756515947, 9780756515942, Compass Point Books. Edwards, M. U. (March, 2000): Martin Luther: Exploring His Life and Times, 1483-1546. The Christian Century, Vol. 117. Fairchild, M. (2009): Martin Luther Bibliography. Retrieved on 13th April, 2009, from: http://christianity. about. com/od/lutherandenomination/a/martinlutherbio_2. htm Marius, R. (1999): Martin Luther: the Christian between God and death, 3rd Edition, ISBN 0674550900, 9780674550902, Harvard University Press. The Columbia Encyclopedia (2007): Luther, Martin, Sixth Edition, 2007.

Analysis of the French Ambassadors

Holbein’s piece of the French Ambassadors (23-11) depicts two people standing in what seems to be an office or study. One man, the one on the left seems to be a patron or some sort of a wealthy man. You can tell by the clothes he is wearing and how much more dignified he looks than from the man on his right. The landowner has a fancy coat lined with some sort of fur. He has on some jewelry, a necklace, hanging from his neck. In his right hand he seems to be holding some kind of instrument showing he is an educated man. His face is rendered with more realism than his peer on the right. He also seems to be bit more lively in spirit. The landowner is leaning upon a table that is loaded with many other instruments for collecting data. These tools are symbols that these two men aren’t your ordinary common folk, they are more like scholars and have curiosities about many different things in life as what was a main theme of the Renaissance. The globes on the tables indicate an interest in astronomy and geology. It could also be a reference to Nicholas Copernicus a Renaissance astronomer who was the first to theorize that the earth wasn’t the center of the universe. Other instruments on the table indicate interests in mathematics, as there seems to be some cube object with numbers and angles maybe referring to geometry. Also on the table there is a mandolin signifying that not only are these two just purely scholars, but lively entertaining people or culturally diverse people. Another object on the table has to be the open books, which seem to be journals or diaries of some sort because of how there is a feather pen marking a spot in one. On the table there is a mantle but to me it looks more than just a decorative pattern for protection of a table but a tapestry of some sort. Above and behind the men and the table is a green patterned curtain. The drapery on the curtain causes your eyes to flow downward upon to the men and the table. The man on the right is dressed in black robes, clothing of a clergyman with a pair of gloves in his hand. If the clothes aren’t enough, he also has the white collar that all Catholic members of the church wear. The lighting in this painting is coming from the left as you can tell from how the landowner’s face seems to be more brightly lit than the clergyman’s. also you can tell by how on the clergyman’s side the painting gets gradually darker. One important thing about this painting is also the face of the gentlemen. In a way it seems as if two different artists of different caliber painted the faces. The landowners face looks loquent and beautiful, while the clergyman’s face looks simple and without much enthusiasm. The biggest concept of this image has to be the grayish line of some sort running through the ground. This object is an anamorphic image and the most interesting part of this painting. An anamorphic image is a distorted image that is only viewable from a certain angle or through a mirror. When looking at the painting from a lower angle and tilting your head towards the left you see an image of a skull. This skull is a symbol that can mean two different things. One is the study of sciences of the human body as there is no evidence of studying the human body is shown on the table that is supposed to represent education. The skull shows that the ponderings of the science of the human body bring these two men together. Another explanation for the symbol of the skull is to remind the viewer that even with all these great advancements and breakthroughs that man is still mortal and eventually one will die. The theme at first that I got was that men of the renaissance were greatly interested in the fine arts and education. Once looking at the painting more in depth and various times I see that that is just scratching the surface. The theme for this painting is how even though the Church and Landowners/nobility and wealthy were of such different social classes and distinctions, and even though they had many differences, they were brought together by their thirst for knowledge about everything they could imagine of. This theme comes through how the two men are leaning on the table full of symbols of education and higher learning showing their interests in it.

Legal and Regulatory Framework Essay

There are many acts that exist to prevent discrimination, laws that protect age, sex, race, and religion. These acts are there to stop direct discrimination; when someone is treated less favourably than another. The company John Lewis is mostly affected by the Sex Discrimination Act 1975/97; to help stop judgement because of sex. They are affected by this act because of stereotypes; such as technological jobs that are expected to be done by a male, so when the company searches for an applicant they would mainly focus on males, making females have a lower chance of getting the job. This can also be related to an ethical issue, which is to never put the same gender in an interview panel, which is never done so that a person cannot be picked because of their sex. The company deals with this by looking carefully at each candidate, and may also consider leaving out the gender section, to not be stereotypical when choosing the right candidate. The Equal Pay Act 1970 would also affect this company just as it affects any other companies; it would force the company to pay its employees equally, ignoring gender. The company handles this by properly giving each employee their pay without considering gender to be an issue. The National Minimum Wage makes the company pay the minimum amount set by the government to their employees, this act would make the company suffer when it is in a difficult situation and they need money by decreasing the amount needed to pay to employees who are needed in the business. The company would deal to this law by making sure that the budget is enough and to see if they can get rid of an employee if the potential candidate seems better. The Race Relations Act 1992 stops discrimination on race, nationality, ethnic origin or national origin. One example that could happen is not involving a race when advertising the position, which would harm the candidates, and which will lead to harm to the business. The company would deal with this by making sure that no one is missed, and that not a particular race is picked for a job and given more of an advantage than another. The Disability Discrimination Act 1995 & 2005 helps make a disable person get treated fairly when being interviewed; this act would affect the business because it they would have to pay equipment for the disabled, such as a wheelchair to help make the employee feel comfortable and not judged. Employment Acts 2002 and 2008, and the Work and Families Act 2006, covers maternity and paternity leave and pay, flexible working hours for carers of adults, as well as improved communication between employers and employees during maternity and paternity leave. This would affect the business because they would need new employees to cover the leave, as well as an extra pay for the new employee and the one leaving. The European Working Time Directive introduces the maximum working week of 48 hours over a certain number of weeks, as well as restriction on the length of nightshifts, rest periods and annual leave. This would affect the business because they won’t be able to employ someone longer to complete the job, which would lead to time loss. The company would deal with this by spreading the time between different employees equally. Ethics is what is expected to be done, and there are many ethics that are expected to be followed by a business when recruiting, one of them is to always ask the same questions in an interview, one simple reason to do this is to be fair to all of the candidates, but the main reason is compare them equally, as well as knowing what is needed to be known from all of them, which would help the business know the right candidate that would help the business. Another thing that a business is expected to do is to not make the interviewees related to the candidates, and the main reason to do that is to never make the results bias, an example of that is a candidate being chosen because he/she is related to the owner of the business. This would increase the chance of other candidates to be chosen who might have potential in the business. One other thing that the business is expected to do is to always make a promotion available, to help increase the motivation of the employees so that the job can be done, and to also helps make all the employees have the same opportunities, which would in return make the number of candidates  increase, making the chance of them having the right employee higher. Firing someone when it needs to be done is also something that the business is expected to do, as it will make the candidates aware that the business deals with a problem when they report them, and it would also be beneficial to the business at it would stop people from causing trouble or stealing form the business.

Arbitration Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Arbitration - Assignment Example thers are not bound by the arbitration agreement because they did not directly agree to it, as well as the fact that they were never specifically informed of it by HBW. Even though in NCR Corporation vs. Korala Associates Ltd. the court affirmed that arbitration is a legally binding method to solving disputes, Baker did not agree to the clause. Osborne Corp did, but only after the original contract had been signed, causing HBW to re-issue booklets to the homeowners that informed them of the agreement. Yet, in doing so, HBW did not call attention to the agreement, which means that the homeowners would have had no notice of it. The ethics of this practice can be called into question because while HBW issued booklets to Baker et al with the clause of arbitration included, it did not call any attention to such a agreement nor inform any of the homeowners outright that they would be bound to the agreement. It is not the fault of the homeowners that Osborne entered into the agreement, and therefore they do not have to abide by it. The homeowners did not sign the forms with HBW, Osborne did, and without informing the homeowners directly that they had done so, the homeowners cannot be held accountable. It can be inferred that the provision of arbitration was ‘hidden in the fine print’, and therefore it would be unethical to subject the homeowners to arbitration when they clearly had no way of knowing that they would have to abide by this. It can also be said that both HBW and Osborne failed in their ethical duty to the homeowners, Osborne because they did not inform the homeowners that they (Osborne Corp.) had entered into the arbitration agreement with HBW, and HBW because it did not clearly inform the homeowners that they were required to solve disputes by arbitration rather than by filing suit. Baker and the other homeowners, even though there is an agreement for arbitration under the warranty, are not bound by it because they did not sign the agreement directly

Health Care Reform Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Health Care Reform - Essay Example This type awareness is must for people in the society. Irrespective of their race, religion & class women were not seen as women in the society in the beginning of this century. The woman, often conceived and the childbirth have become dangerous. There was no birth control system in yester-years. The abortion was treated as an unlawful thing. They did not follow any contraceptive methods, as the same were not available or discovered. The system of divorce was so complexes and was not within the reach of the poor in yesteryears. The women were not encouraged to learn education. In the society, no compromise is possible in the case of abortion and further action should be taken only after reviewing legal and ethical issues. People who respect moral values more than anything consider legalization of abortions, as an equivalent to murder should not be tolerated, as they would become a disease to the society. Supporters of abortion argue that a world should respect the right to women’s privacy to take decision about her body. And they also argue that any government interference or public violence or any violation of a womans right to privacy and autonomy should be strictly condemned. The history of the women is the product of time of century old women. It is the growth of the women for the last 25 years, which focused on their memories, testimonies and pointing out women’s experience. Abortion is an issue to reasonable people who disagree vehemently the legalization process, which they consider to be a hindrance to the moral norms of the society. Most dramatically, a few pro-life supporters or rather extremists took the extreme step of killing the doctors who make abortions. Thus an argument goes to save one life can another life be taken, is this step supports the society’s moral values? Supporters of abortion look this situation a perfect launch pad to show the society that women too

Speaking Tests Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Speaking Tests - Assignment Example The OPI is a face-to-face or telephonic interview that consists of three phases: a warm-up phase, a series of level checks and probes, and a wind-down phase. This is one of the most widely accepted tests for speaking ability and is used by government agencies (The Defense Language Institute, The Peace Corps), testing institutions (Educational Testing Service) and the Federal Interagency Language Roundtable. There are many advantages to the OPI system of testing. It is easy, quick and apparently accurately forecasts the degree to which a foreign-speaker will be able to communicate in English. Unlike written tests, it actually tests English speaking ability which, as with all languages, is completely separate from the ability to read and write. The test can be performed quickly and the tester can interview multiple people in a single session. This is particularly importance within the context in which this test is often given. Thus graduate students from foreign countries are often given the test before they can perform grading and/or teaching duties in American universities. Resources for such testing are limited, and so the ability for one tester to perform multiple tests in one day is vital. There are, however, detractors who ... Basically, Messick suggests that the OPI tests do not actually represent real-life conversations. Part of the problem with OPI tests are that they do not really reflect the sheer range of speaking that occurs in actual life. Thus there is monologic speaking (one person), dialogue speaking (two people) or multiple speakers, such as in a meeting with several colleagues. The OPI tests tend to test only one of these: the dialogue. As Brown (2003) and Bonk (2003) have suggested, some speakers do better with dialogue and some with discussion activities. A test that tests one over the other is bound to be somewhat limited in its scope. Another basic problem with this type of test (although it may in fact be shared with all speaking tests) is the variability of the interviewer and his/her affect upon the test results. Each interviewer will have a unique speech style, pattern and intonation that may help (or hinder) the interviewee (Brown, 2003). Thus the test result may be seen as a co-score reached by both the tester and the subject, rather than an accurate measure of the non-native sp eaker's communication prowess. This tendency may be countered by careful training of the tester and the equally careful process of self-evaluation and objective supervision which must occur. Within one center periodic test interviews can be undertaken in which the same candidate is tested by all the testers (with suitable renumeration of course) and the tests and then compared. If test results vary too much from the mean then some additional training etc, is perhaps needed. As McNamara (1997, 2002) suggests, the more educated, skillful and eloquent the

Microeconomices Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Microeconomices - Essay Example 1. For consideration of staying at school rather than dropping out and following the great legends who followed that very path, there can be several reasons that any individual might give based on their respective mindsets and frameworks. My personal reason for staying back and not dropping out is the fact that I believe this is what should be done, as it secures my future. There might have been billions and millions of drop outs from universities world wide on a regular basis. However, the success stories of just a few are known and the failures of the rest remain an unreported story. The world today is of education and the cost beard today would definitely yield a better and higher return and reward in the future. Thus, I belief that I have applied the right concepts of economic rationality and opportunity costing, i.e. by foregoing the current opportunity to seek a better one in the future. 2. There have been success stories of individuals globally, very few though, dropping out from high school or universities and then moving on to do something big, each having a different feeling in their hearts and minds regarding their then taken step. But the common thing in each was their self-belief and self-confidence in terms of the fact that by withdrawing themselves from the educational arena, they believed that they could achieve something that they won’t have been able to otherwise. In case of Bill Gates, he probably quit schooling because he felt that his expertise lay in something which would not be taught by school and the cost that he is bearing today will not result in a higher yield for the coming years and hence he decided to save time by dropping out. Thus, his belief was different than mine. He felt his opportunity cost was higher than mine is; different people, different mindsets, different nature, thus, different thoughts. 3. People quit school after the 12th grade because they feel that the costs

Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Politics - Essay Example Whatever the flaws, the precepts of divine law theory are basically hinged on what is right and what is wrong. Under that concept, any chaos or disorder in a community is resolved by determining what is good or bad in the conduct of the members. Hence, when all went loose and everyone was in pandemonium and craving for his or her own individual human desires, the biblical Moses saw that a law or set of laws be put in place in order to bring back orderliness and desirable behavior among the throng. Seeking heavenly intervention, he took rage against the people and dictated upon them absolute obedience to the Ten Commandments which he claimed came from above. Whether the directives were really from supernatural forces or not did not make a difference. What was then more essential and urgently necessary was that sanity and normalcy returned to the ancient land within the ambit of law and justice. As population multiplied and as men adopted different beliefs, perceptions and concepts, bowing to one symbol of adoration and worship over and above the power of humans became impossible. Those who were of superior intelligence developed their own independent thinking, perceptions and understanding of things and events and discussed and debated on their ideas in the public forums. The expressions influenced even those who did not care about changes and dynamics taking place in society. As it became imperative, practical laws which did not bear to any divine connection slowly gained acceptance. It had to be accepted that there were scores of people who did not believe in a god or in gods primarily because they did not see those to be worshipped. They did not entertain the idea of leaving to faith whatever they wanted to believe in. Interspersed between the differing factions, the concept of natural law became a neutral ground as an alternative that could be accepted by all to a cert ain extent. Hence, one who sowed and planted would harvest the

Research Project Handout Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Research Project Handout - Essay Example Others will state it as an innate right, but the thought behind freedom should be to respect and be constructive to society. The aim of this essay is to address the notion of freedom and how this idea has morphed over the years. Discussion The foundations of the door of freedom in America, includes an autonomous Congress, Supreme Court, and executive. Thus, America was conceived due to the need to have freedom in practicable government and the wider society. Therefore, this facilitation of liberty, along with inventiveness of individuals, enabled American founding fathers to enable people to possess the right to know and the clout to act (Herbert Hoover on the New Deal and Liberty 170). The founding fathers initiative of freedom was built on the belief that men are gifted by their maker with definite unalienable rights, such as right to life and quest of happiness. Thus, the structures and aims of any government should be to safeguard these rights (Congressional Debate on Immigration Restriction 150). Even though America was formed from a revolution and a rebellion, opposing a structure of government entrenched in customs plus traditions, the idea of freedom for all had been impregnable. ... d for benevolent safeguard of every person, both male and female, in trying to make them self reliant by guaranteeing their civil plus political liberties (128). However, it is intricate to reconcile the boast of freedom, with the nature of the law that practically, places the kind of servitude with degradation on a large grouping of citizens prior to the law (Plessy v. Ferguson 163 U.S. 537). In that case, the dissenting judge, John Marshall Harlan, argued that freedom is the ability not to impose any structure of government on anyone else, but rather every person everywhere must possess the right to decide the system of government they wish for. According to Truman Doctrine deliberated in 1947, nearly every person must decide between alternative lifestyles since humankind is not fixed and the status quo not sacrosanct (223) Thus, the choice is not often a liberated one. Accordingly, a way of life is pedestal on the will of the mainstream, and is tell apart by gratis institutions, r epresentative regimes, free elections and assurances of individual liberty. Moreover, free people way of life is based on freedom of speech and religious conviction, as well as freedom from political oppression. It is about resisting subjugation coming from armed minorities or any other outside pressures (The Truman Doctrine 223). Even though those pushing for absolute power may seek to attain their own account of ecstasy on earth or equality, equality should result in liberty together with the spread of creative dissimilarities. Therefore, as Walter Lippmann stated in his Critique of Containment article, when freedom is substituted with absolute plus concentrated power, it will ultimately enforce conformity followed by despotism (183). Being free implies not being willing to permit

The Construction of News Essay Example for Free

The Construction of News Essay What makes the use of visual and verbal strategies in news construction so important? The answer has to do with the fact that what makes any good news item attractive is its ability to capture and retain the attention of the audience. There are many ways you can use to get your audiences attention, but visual and verbal strategies have been tested and proven to be the most effective. Any news item in the print media, radio or television, however news worthy it might be, will not be taken with the seriousness it deserves if visual and verbal cues are not used. The human mind reacts to more readily to statements which are accompanied by powerful verbal and visual connotations than it does blank, or what Simmons calls ‘imageless’ statements. News papers utilise pictures as a means of capturing attention. Televisions on the other hand make use of moving images, or what is commonly known as video. Pictures speak a thousand words, moving images speak millions. Images, whether still or moving, are indispensable in the media industry. These are not only appealing to the eye and/or ears, but they also help the reader, viewer and listener to grasp the message better. Television journalists usually use videos taken from the source area of the news material. It would be very monotonous and even tiring if TV news lacked live shots of their news. These videos serve the same purpose as picture serve in newspapers. They are a powerful means of capturing and retaining the audience’s attention. War scenes have always had more impact on the viewer because of the images used. The coverage of the war in Iraq managed to elicit a lot of strong, albeit differing views and emotions. This can be attributed to the effectiveness of the kind of images that were used by news channels in broadcasting this news. According to Pfau and Haigh, the use of images in television war stories is very influential. They say that television news provides viewers with a â€Å"front row seat to view combat†. In other words, it gives the audience a feeling of presence, like they are a part of the combat out there in the battle field. Abrahams argues that television news communicates more emotion than other news venues. This tendency is even more pronounced with graphic images of war which he says are â€Å"among the most powerful visuals known to humankind Not all images taken from a scene are used in the final news item. The images are usually edited to suit the needs of the audience. Dramatic images often make interesting news material and video journalists will always strive to the best part of a video clip to show to the audience. This kind of news presentation has been criticised in the past for being partial. Brown, in his Video Aid techniques book, says that news makers usually look out for the most bizarre, which also happens to be the most negative part of a video shootage to use in their news. This has a way of making people misunderstand a situation. For example, many news channels, while covering the Iraq war, usually depicted the brutality of the terrorist insurgents over civilians, yet they failed to report the brutality of some of the American soldiers to the same civilians. Many people thought that the Iraqis actually liked all the American soldiers and yet the situation on the ground was far much different. Film and television have also had a big role to play in how images are used in the other news media. The pictures used in newspapers and magazines reflect what the reader had already watched in a film or on television news. The pictures that journalists use are put in such a way that the message they contain will be reinforced in the readers’ mind. News broadcasters also use creative language to hold their audience’s interest in a particular news story. They do not use the normal street language, nor do they confine themselves to the formal language. Rather, they construct their news in such a way that the words they use are appealing to the listener. The verbal strategies have to be used hand in hand with appropriate non-verbal cues in order to achieve to the maximum, the desired effect. Radio journalists only have their voices to rely on when presenting news to their audience. They usually use sophisticated, yet understandable languages. They have to use high levels of creativity since their presentation is only verbal. In most cases, journalists are able to present a news item to the listener in such a way that the listener feels like he/she is part of the events happening in the news. Images in the news media are also important in the presentation of societal norms and expectations. The media, most often than not, depicts what is happening in the society. Therefore, many news editors prefer to use images that people can relate to or are used to. Conclusion Journalists have had a major role to play in writing and reproducing major occurrences in the history of human kind. Today, it is possible to get a video clip from the Second World War due to a journalist’s efforts. It is also possible to access newspaper articles from long as the 1800s. There are many images depicting past events that should never be forgotten. These are preserved in various museums and media houses for posterity. Therefore, it can be said that journalist have over the years utilised the development of images to preserve the history of humankind. Journalists have also used visual and verbal strategies to showcase the social injustices that are plaguing much of the world today. It is through the images presented in our media that we are able to appreciate and grasp what is happening around us. The media showed the world what was happening in Darfur, and the world was able to act fast to avoid another Rwanda episode. The famous photographer, Mohammed Ali, received worldwide acclaim for highlighting the Ethiopian famine which was killing hundreds of people in Ethiopia. Though journalists have used images for the good of people who are viewing them, there needs to be some regulation on how they present these images. For instance, they should use images that show both sides of the story in order to avoid misplaced understanding among the audience.

Cooperative Movement in India | Development

Cooperative Movement in India | Development Introduction In the todays growing world Co-operatives do activities for the development of agriculture, small industry marketingandprocessing, distribution and supplies. The progress report of co-operatives in the State is very good and contribution to agricultural progress has particularly been significant. For the purpose of Green Revolution, these Co-operatives introduced various schemes for the conversion of villages into towns and also the construction of go downs. The Co-operative Movement was introduced into India by the Government to overcome the burden of debt of farmers and they can sell their products easily and can get the maximum profit. The Co-operative Credit Societies Act, 1904 was passed by the Governmentof India and rural credit societies were formed. Through the appointment of registrars and through vigorous propaganda, the Government attempted to popularize the Movement in the rural areas. Within a short period, the Government realized some of the shortcomings of the 1904 Act and, therefore, passed a more comprehensive Act, known as theCo-operative Societies Act of 1912. This Act recognized non-credit societies also. But the rural credit societies have continued to be predominant till now. Agricultural Credit/Service Societies The structure of Agricultural Co-operative credit in the Punjab State is divided into two sectors i.e. Dealing with the short-terms and medium-terms finance and the other with the long-term credit. The short-term and medium-term credit structure is based on a three-tier system i.e. the Apex Co-operative Bank at the State level, the Central Co-operative Bank at the district level and the Primary Agricultural Credit Societies at the village level. The major role of these services which is provided to the farmers is to make the funds available to the farmers for their agriculture production, for the purchase of machinery, fertilizers etc. Type of societies Co-operative Weavers society Co-operative Consumers Societies Co-operative Housing Societies Co-operative Womens Societies Co-operative Milk-Societies Problems for Co-operatives Lack of supervision leads to the misuse of the financial resources. Lack of inspection by Registrar Government is hesitating to entrust any important government work since it does not have any participation. The Co-operative Banks and other important institutions are located far away from the reach of the farmers. NABARD and RBI are not agreeing for conversion of Central and Urban Co-operative Banks. R.B.I. has also objection about the use of word Co-operative since Banking Regulation Act uses the word Co-operative Society. Wrong persons may take advantage of the situation to cheat the general public. When the Government are exploring the possibility of regulating the Non-governmental organizations having vast experience, it is doubtful as to whether the mutually aided Co-operatives in various field can give desired result. Introduction to NABARD NABARD is set up by the Government of India as a development bank for facilitating credit flow for promotion and development of agriculture and integrated rural development. It also helps in all other economic activities in rural areas, promoting sustainable rural development and for the prosperity of the rural areas. With a capital base of Rs 2,000 crore provided by the Government of India and Reserve Bank of India, it operates through its head office at Mumbai, 28 regional offices situated in state capitals and 391 district offices at districts. Present Scenario Initiates measures toward institution-building for improving absorptive capacity of the credit delivery system, including monitoring, formulation of rehabilitation schemes, restructuring of credit institutions, training of personnel, etc. Coordinates the rural financing activities of all the institutions engaged in developmental work at the field level and maintains liaison with the government of India , State governments, the Reserve Bank of India and other national level institutions concerned with policy formulation Prepares, on annual basis, rural credit plans for all the districts in the country. These plans form the base for annual credit plans of all rural financial institutions Undertakes monitoring and evaluation of projects refinanced by it Promotes research in the fields of rural banking, agriculture and rural development Functions as a regulatory authority, supervising, monitoring and guiding cooperative banks and regional rural banks Role and Functions COOPERATIVE DEVELOPMENT FUND (CDF) In pursuance with the recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture, Cooperative Development Fund was constituted by NABARD in the year 1992-93 under the provisions of Section 45 of NABARD Act, 1981 with a view to strengthening and providing assistance to Co-operative Credit Institutions for improving their infrastructural facilities. The initial Corpus of the Fund was Rs.10 crore which was subsequently raised to Rs.75 crore. The cumulative assistance sanctioned to cooperative institutions from the Fund for various purposes unto 31 March 2007 amounted to Rs.76.35 crore against which Rs.67.66 crore has been disbursed. National Conference of Urban Credit Cooperative Societies Saturday, 22 April, 2006, Pune (Talking Points) Dignitaries on the dais, Ladies and Gentlemen, The Cooperative Movement in India has contributed to the rural development of the country. Though the movement has developed in different States of the country not in the uniform manner, some of the States like Maharashtra, Gujrath, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh have shown tremendous growth of the Cooperative Movement in these States. The cooperatives were considered as the balancing force between the private sector and the public sector. The advantages of the private sector and the public sector could be very well achieved through the cooperative sector and the disadvantages associated with the private sector and the public sector could be eliminated in the cooperative sector. The societies, which were promoted by the leadership having vision and who managed these cooperatives well, have become successful; whereas the cooperative societies, which suffered from the lack of dynamic leadership were mismanaged and these cooperative societies became failure. Maharashtra State is one of those States in our country, which can boast of claiming that the cooperatives in the State are managed by the elected representatives by the members and the elections do take place regularly except in few cases where there are problems of mismanagement. Out of the total number of 1.75 lakhs cooperative societies in Maharashtra there are hardly few hundred cooperative societies, where the administrators are functioning. This shows the Cooperative Movement in Maharashtra is functioning purely on democratic principles. The Cooperative Movement in Maharashtra has made tremendous progress during the last 45 years. The number of societies in 1960 was hardly 30,000 in 1960, which has gone upto 1.75 lakhs in 2005. The number of membership of all these societies increased from 42 lakhs in 1960 to almost nearing 5 crores in 2005, whereas the members capital was only 53 crores in 1960, which has increased to around 13,000 crores in 2005. Though the figures indicate that the cooperatives have made tremendous progress in Maharashtra some of the sectors in cooperatives have been highly successful, whereas some of the sectors could not make any success. The examples of successful societies are found in large number in the areas of Cooperative Sugar Factories, Dairy Cooperatives, Urban Banking, whereas almost 50% of the Primary Agricultural Credit Coop. Societies and 50% of the District Central Cooperative Banks are in a very bad financial position. The Agro Processing Cooperatives also could not make any progress, though there is a tremendous potential for these cooperatives, considering the huge production of the fruits and vegetables (production of fruits is about 100 lakh tonnes and that of vegetables is around 50 lakhs tonnes, which is likely to be doubled in the next 5 years) as well as other agricultural produce in Maharashtra. The Government of Maharashtra has recently passed various amendments in the Maharashtra Agricultural Produce Marketing (Regulation) Act, 1963, on the lines of Model Act prepared by the Govt. of India and has introduced the provisions for establishment of Private Markets, Farmer Consumers Markets, Direct Marketing, Single Licence for the Traders and the Contract Farming. These amendments will have very good effect on the growth of agro-processing sector, exports of fruits and vegetables and value added produce from agriculture and the development of retail chain management, as these sectors will be able to source the requirement of their produce directly from the farmers. This will also have good impact on large private investment coming in to agricultural sector, development of infrastructure like pre-cooling units, cold storages, cold chain for transportation of perishable produce, putting up of the processing industries etc. The employment generation in agriculture and allied sectors will also be improved. It is envisaged that because of these changes the overall economy will grow and the farmers will get better returns for their produce. This will also have the positive effect on quality and productivity improvement in agriculture. Besides 20,000 Primary Agricultural Credit Coop. Societies, 34 District Central Cooperative Banks and the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank, there are about 25,000 Urban Cooperative Credit Societies in Maharashtra. While the Primary Agricultural Credit Cooperative Societies give loans to the farmers for agriculture and for crop production, the urban credit societies cater to the needs of the urban population, particularly to meet their requirements of credit for consumer articles. The total membership of these societies is around 1.10 crores. The share capital of these societies is around Rs.3,500 crore and their own funds amounting to Rs.5700 crore. The deposits of these societies are around Rs.10,000 crore and they have given loans of about Rs.15,000 crore. The working capital of these societies is around Rs.25,000 crore. The cooperative credit sector is operating in both Urban and Rural areas. The Urban credit societies cater to the needs, primarily, of the urban population. It also caters to the household needs of the rural population. Recently the urban cooperative credit societies in rural areas have started financing the agricultural needs of farmers. This effort was initiated and promoted by the Government by issuing the Govt. Resolution on 22.12.2005. The loans to the tune of about Rs.15,000 crore to 1.12 crore member itself speaks of volume of work of these cooperative credit societies, who necessarily reach the urban and rural masses. The presence of credit societies in the vicinity provides confidence of easy availability of funds, to both urban and rural masses. The credit societies are now intending to diversify by extending their  services such as cash transfers and other permitted banking operations. The credit societies Federation is trying to play a prominent role to have joint venture operations along with the similar international organisations. The State Federation of Urban Credit Societies in Maharashtra has decided to extend the insurance to the Depositors of Urban Credit Societies, by forming their own Deposit Insurance Scheme. This is a unique revolutionary decision and it will go a long way in building confidence of the depositors in these societies. There are 2,106 Urban cooperative Banks in the country having deposits of Rs.1.10 lakh crore. Out of these, there are nearly 650 Urban Cooperative Banks in Maharashtra, having the total deposits of Rs. 65,000 crore. The Urban cooperative Banks are also catering to both the rural and urban population. The huge membership base available for both the urban cooperative banks and cooperative credit societies must be utilized for the ultimate upliftment of both the members and the organizations. This base can be utilized as channels both forward and backward in respect of different managerial aspects such as marketing, distribution, services etc. For achieving this, both these organizations should have integrated approach in functioning and their policy framing like Rates of Interest on deposits, Rates of Interest on loans etc. It is necessary that borrowers get loans at reasonable rate of interest so that any business becomes viable and borrower is able to repay loans. The financial involvement of both the urban and rural masses in the  cooperative credit societies by way of deposits always demanded its safety. The involvement of Insurance Agencies was well solicited. However, the effort in this direction was uniquely made by the Maharashtra State Cooperative Deposit Guarantee Corporation which happens to be a cooperative society. It has to go a long way but a good start has been made to cover up 70 credit societies guarantying their deposits up to the limit of Rs.50,000/-. The consolidated effort to qualitatively strengthen the organisation and increase its scope is the need of this hour. The cooperative credit societies are facing innumerable problems some of them can be listed as follows. Accepting deposits at higher rate from depositors Huge expenses on administration. Lack of management skill Lack of training and education to the employees and Board of Directors Poor performance in recovery Loans are sanctioned without proper scrutiny These problems needs to be addressed by all the concerned with the focus on the overall quality to be maintained by these cooperative organizations. The cooperatives including the urban credit cooperative societies should function in such a manner that they have the highest operational efficiency and professional management so that they can deliver the desired results to the members and the common man. Unfortunately the professional management and operational efficiency is lacking in many societies. As I have already mentioned earlier the societies, which have been managed efficiently and have been able to serve their members and public in a most desirable manner the example of the cooperative sugar factories in Maharashtra is an eye opener to a person who looks at these societies very closely. Out of 200 cooperative sugar factories in Maharashtra almost 50% have excellent results whereas 50% of these factories are in problems. Some of the cooperative sugar factories, which are excellently managed could pay almost Rs. 1100 to 1200 per tonne as a sugarcane price, whereas many of the badly managed Cooperative Sugar Factories could not pay even statutory minimum price. For paying the statutory minimum price, these factories are required to borrow from banks by creating short margin and with the Govt. guarantee. The Govt. of India is helping these factories with the package for rehabilitation. Though this is required in the larger interest of the farmers, the sugar factories, which are performing well should also be given incentives by the Govt. of India. Same policy should be applied to the other successful cooperative societies also. The urban cooperative credit societies in the State and in the country must remember that they have to face competition with big Multi-National Banks and the Commercial Banks. These societies should therefore, be vigilant in advancing loans and in no case loans, which cannot be recovered should ever be sanctioned. These societies must adopt the modern management practices including computerization in their working, professional training to their employees and to their members of the Board and should keep their level of functioning very competitive. This only can bring success to these societies. Thank you. Jai Hind .!!! Jai Maharashtra ..!!!! Interpretation: In the above article, the man stress is on using the modern techniques of working, professional training should be given so that they can handle each and every single problem and most important all work should be done thorough computers so that the commitment of errors should be minimum. Whatever the loans provided to the farmers, the record of that and the documents should be maintained properly so that it will be easy for the working of the employees as well as for the farmers to know every single point. With this proper documentation recovery department can easily comes to know about the person from they have to collect the particular amount. Proper education training should be given so that the employees can give their 100% to the work and they should no charge higher rate for accepting the deposits. The loans which will be given to the farmers should be given after the enquiry of that particular person that whether the person really need the loan and the information he is provid ing is true or not. AGRO-INPUTS DISTRIBUTION IN AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES R.C.Gupta Agricultural Cooperatives in India are very actively and intimately involved in several agriculture related activities. The most important activities are the disbursement of production credit and distribution of fertilisers and other inputs viz seeds, pesticides and agricultural implements. Agricultural Cooperatives are also involved in procurement of farm produce, processing and marketing of oilseeds, Cotton, sugar, milk and milk products, distribution of essential commodities, clothes, kerosene oil and merchandise etc. Coop. movement in India started way back in 1905. Till 1939, Agricultural Cooperatives in India were distributing only the credit to the farmers. Its activities got diversified to consumer articles and also some agricultural inputs in the rural areas over a period of time. Subsequently, based on the suggestions made by different committees and commissions, the cooperatives were given a significant role in distribution of fertilisers. Currently, cooperatives are playi ng a significant role both in production and marketing of fertilisers. Cooperatives Role in Agricultural Credit Disbursement Cooperatives play a very important role in disbursement of agricultural credit. Credit is needed both by the distribution channel as well as by the farmers. The distribution channel needs it to finance the fertiliser business and farmers need it for meeting various needs for agricultural production including purchasing fertilisers. The credit needed by the farmers for purchase of fertilisers and other inputs is called ‘short term credit or ‘production credit whereas credit needed by the distribution channel is called ‘Distribution Credit. Cooperatives also play a very important role in disbursement of ‘Medium Term and ‘Long Term credit needed by the farmers for purchasing agricultural equipments viz tractors, installation of tubewells and land development  works etc. ‘ Joint General Manager(Marketing), IFFCO, 53-54, Nehru Place, New Delhi -110019 Paper presented at 13th ICA-Japan Training Course on â€Å"Strengthening Management of Agricultural Cooperatives in Asia† 1988-99 at FMDI, Gurgaon, Haryana, India, on Jan 21, 1999 In India, 78 per cent of the farmers belong to the category of small and marginal farmers. They depend heavily on credit for their agricultural operations. These farmers will not be able to adopt the modern agricultural practices unless they are supported by a system which ensures adequate and timely availability of credit on reasonable terms and conditions. Credit in India is made available to the farmers through a multi-agency network consisting of cooperatives, commercial banks and Regional Rural Banks (RRBs). However, cooperatives accounts for a large proportion of the agricultural credit made available to the farmers. National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) was established in the year 1982 by an Act of Parliament and was entrusted will all matters concerning policy, planning and operation in the field of credit for agriculture and other economic activities in the rural areas. Before that, this job was being done by Reserve Bank of India itself. NABARD works for progressive institutionalization of the rural credit and ensures that the demands for credit from agriculture including the new and upcoming areas like floriculture, tissue culture, bio-fertilisers, sprinkler irrigation, drip irrigation etc. are met. The medium and long term of loans are disbursed to the farmers through Primary Land Develo pment Banks (757) who draw their finances from Central Land Development Banks (20) who in turn draw their finances from NABARD. As for the short term credit, this is disbursed to the farmers through Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS-66,200) who draw their finances from Central Cooperative Banks (363) who in turn draw their finances from the State Cooperative Banks (29). The State Cooperative Banks draw their finances from NABARD. Cooperatives Role in Fertiliser Distribution: Introduction Agriculture continues to be the mainstay of Indias national economy. Its contribution to Indias Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is about 30 per cent. Nearly two thirds of the population still depends on this sector directly or indirectly. Self-sufficiency in foodgrains has been the basic objective of Indias policy on agriculture. Foodgrain production has increased from the level of 52 thousand tonnes in 1951-52 to 199 million tonnes in 1996-97. However, the foodgrain production declined to 193 million tonnes in 1997-98. The present population of the country is about 960 million and is likely to touch 1000 million by the turn of this century. To feed this level of population, India has to produce 208 million tonnes of foodgrains from the present level of 193 million tonnes which is, no doubt, a gigantic task The vital role of fertilisers in increasing agricultural production is well recognised. Since, the land man ratio is declining due to increasing population, the additional foodgrain production has to come by increasing the productivity of land under cultivation. Adoption of modern agricultural practices is the only way for increasing agricultural productivity. This calls for application of inputs like chemical fertilisers, high yielding seeds and pesticides besides use of mechanical equipments like seed-cum-fertilizer drills, sprayers, pump sets etc. Chemical fertilisers are very costly, particularly the phosphatic and potassic ones which have been decontrolled w.e.f 25th August, 1992. Urea, of course, is relatively low priced due to grant of subsidy by GOI. However, unless balanced nutrients are applied, the productivity cannot be sustained. Fertilizer Distribution Channels Fertilizers are produced/ imported at about 200 locations in the country and distributed to the farmers scattered through the length and breadth of the country in about 600,000 villages through a network comprising of private and institutional channels. Some quantities are also made available through manufacturers own outlets. Private trade accounts for about 60 per cent of the total fertilisers distributed in the country followed by institutional agencies at 35 per cent and remaining 5 percent through the manufacturers own outlets. Among the institutional agencies, cooperatives are the main agency which alone account for nearly 30% of the total fertiliser business. The total number of fertiliser salepoints in the country is 262,000; out of which about 71,000 (27%) are institutional agencies salepoints (mainly cooperatives) and the remaining 1,91,000 (73 %) are controlled by the private trade. Cooperative Channels Cooperatives are the main institutional agency in the country handling fertilizers. Cooperative network, at present, comprises of 29 state level marketing federations, 171 district level marketing societies and about 66,200 village level cooperative societies. These village level cooperative societies are generally called Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS). These societies are the backbone of the cooperative marketing system. These societies are well spread in the entire country covering 97 % of the 0.6 million villages and 95 % of the farming families. The other main institutional agencies engaged in the distribution of fertilizers are State Agro-Industries Development Corporations, Commodity Federations and State Departments of Agriculture etc. They operate both through their own sale depots as well as through the private dealers network. However, their share is only marginal. The cooperative structure differs from state to state and societies at different levels (distric t/taluka/village) perform different functions in different states. Generally, the cooperative network operates through a 3 tier system. However, in some states such as Haryana, the cooperative marketing system operates on 2 tier basis, while in some others like Gujarat a 4 tier system exists. At the state level, Apex Cooperative Marketing Federations act as wholesalers; marketing societies at district/taluka level as sub-wholesalers while PACS, PAMS (Primary Agricultural Marketing Societies) at grass root level act as retailers. The function of State level Apex Cooperative Marketing Federations differ from state to state. In some states, the Federations are actively involved in fertiliser business like Gujarat, Haryana, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh etc. and they act as the wholesalers for the entire State. In some States like Uttar Pradesh (U.P.), they are not directly involved in the fertiliser business and do the job of liaison and coordination only for which they are getting servi ce charges from the fertiliser suppliers. In U.P. , the State Federation is also doing warehousing as well as transportation job both for IFFCO and KRIBHCO (The only manufacturers in the cooperative sector). In the States where Federation is not involved in fertiliser business, the manufacturers are supplying fertilizers directly to the lower societies at the district/village level and the societies are getting full or near full distribution margin which has improved the financial health of these societies. Current Cooperative Fertilizer Distribution Status Presently, in Gujarat, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, J K, H.P. and Assam, in the cooperative sector, fertiliser supplies are made to the Apex Coop. Marketing Federations only and they act as wholesalers. Direct supplies are not there at all. Only small quantities under the special scheme like IFFCO-NCDC scheme in Haryana and IFFCO societies adoption programme in M.P. are supplied directly to the societies. In these states district level societies operate as sub-wholesalers. In the states like Punjab, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Orissa A.P. and Kerala, both the systems i.e. supply through federation as well as direct supply to the societies are prevalent. As a result, some of the societies at the lower levels are getting supplies directly from the manufacturers while others are getting from the Federations. However, in the states of U.P. and Bihar, supplies of fertilisers are made to the village level societies directly by the manufacturers. In states where state level federations act as wholesalers, the manufacturer has to deal with only one agency. Consequently, the job of sales planning, movement and stocks planning, realisation of sales proceeds etc. becomes very easy. In states where manufacturer deals with the lower tier cooperatives directly, the volume of work increases many fold and it becomes much more complex. The material has to be released to individual societies and the sales proceeds realisation has also to be done at that level only. This requires deployment of larger field force. Decentralised release system leads to establishing larger number of warehouses and correspondingly larger inventory. This all increases the operating cost. Manufacturers Own Outlets Some manufacturers viz. IFFCO, KRIBHCO, GSFC, GNFC and NFL have their own retail outlets called Farmers Service Centres or Service Centres or Farm Information Centres etc. In these outlets, agricultural inputs like fertilisers, seeds, agro-chemicals and agricultural implements etc. are made available to the farmers under one roof along with agricultural production technology literature. The main motto of these service centres is not only to provide all quality agro-inputs to the farmers but also educating them on scientific agricultural by providing technical know how in the field of agriculture. This help the farmers in increasing their agricultural p roductivity and profitability. Promotion activities are also carried out in the villages located around these centres ( within radius of 8-10 kms) which includes demonstrations, farmers meetings, soil test campaigns, crop seminars etc. In addition, social campaigns like tree plantations, medical check-up, veterinary check up etc. are also organized. They also serve the purpose additional/alternative distribution channel for the organization. A graphical presentation of fertilizer distribution channels in India the cooperatives and the private trade is given at Annexure- I. Linkage in disbursement of Production Credit and Agro-Input Distribution As already mentioned elsewhere in this paper a large number of farmers in India particularly the small and marginal farmers depend upon credit for purchase of fertilizers and other inputs. A very strong point with the cooperative is that the Primary Agricultural Credit Societies (PACS) which are involved in disbursement of agro-inputs Interpretation: Agricultural Cooperatives in India are the backbone of the cooperative system and involved in variety of function and serving the rural masses by providing credit, fertilizers, seeds, Agro-Chemicals, Agriculture Implements etc. Their role has been commendable and helped in making essential inputs availability to the rural masses. These need to be further strengthened. Conclusion: In the end we can say that these Co-operative societies plays a vital role in the growth of the rural areas as well as the growth of the Economy of the Country. These societies helps in the development of the farmers by providing funds to them for the irrigation purpose and also provide new machines for the farming so that they can produce maximum in the minimum time period and of the best quality and also they helps them in earning the good value of their produced products. Bibliography Websites: http://agriculture.indiabizclub.com/info/agriculture_cooperatives http://www.nabard.org/nabardrolefunct/nabardrolefunctions.asp http://www.nabard.org/nabardrolefunct/cooperativedevelopmentfund.asp http://www.nabard.org/developmentpromotional/developmentalinitiatives.asp http://www.maharashtra.gov.in/english/chiefminister/ccs.pdf http://www.iffco.nic.in/applications/Brihaspat.nsf/d111b7bb8d3d76bbe525656f00324885/ca039309da93bec0e5256778003cf811/$FILE/rcgica.pdf