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May 9, 2008

Todays Weather

Weather Current Conditions New Delhi,India

80°
Haze

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San Francisco
London, UK
Montreal, Canada
Dubai, UAE

Currency exchange rates for US$ on May 9


Canada	1.0060 Dollar
India	41.5500 Rupee
Singapore	1.3680 Dollar
United Kingdom	0.5133 Pound

Click here to see Other country Rates

Market update as of May 9
Ticker	Value	Time	Change
BSE	16737.07	6:28am	-343.58
DOW	12745.88	4:03pm	-120.90
NASDAQ	2445.52	4:40pm	-5.72
INFOSYS	1750.50	6:27am	-29.30
RELIANCE	2527.6499	6:29am	-138.50

Ghareloo Nuskha for Constipation

Consume approx. 250-300 gms fresh grapes (angoor) every day. When grapes are not in season, soak 12-15 raisins (kishmish) in water and have them. Raisins should be soaked for 24-48 hours and eaten early in the morning. The water in which they are soaked should also be drunk.

Vote

Voting results :

What	Percentage	Votes
Yes	51.3 %	60
No	18.8 %	22
Sometime	14.5 %	17
Don't know	6.0 %	7

Holidays in USA
USA Time Zones
USA Time Adjustments(Day Light Saving)
USA Education System
USA Education centers
Grading System

Holidays in USA

USA observes following holidays. However, each state may include or exclude some of them.

1st January                 -   New Year's Day 
Third Monday in January     -   Martin Luther King's Birthday 
Third Monday in February    -   President's Day 
Last Monday in May          -   Memorial Day 
4th July                    -   Independence Day 
First Monday in September   -   Labor Day 
Second Monday in October    -   Columbus Day 
11th November               -   Veteran's Day 
Fourth Thursday in November -   Thanksgiving Day 
25th December               -   Christmas Day

In addition to above mentioned holidays companies generally give day before or after thanksgiving and christmas. To check US consulates holidays in India Click Here.

USA Time Zones

USA has following four time zones. These should not be confused with east,west,midwest,south or north. 1. Pacific Standard Time (PST): California, Arizona, Oregon etc. come in this time zone. 2. Mountain Standard Time (MST): MST is ahead of PST by 1 hour. States like Utah, Colorado, Wyoming etc. come in this zone. 3. Central Standard Time (CST): CST is ahead of MST by 1 hour and PST by 2 hours. States like Texas, Indiana, Iowa etc. come in this zone. 4. Eastern Standard Time (EST): EST is ahead of CST by 1 hour, MST by 2 hours and PST by 3 hours. States like New York, Massachusetts, pennsylvania, virginia etc. come in this zone.

USA Time Adjustments(Day Light Saving)

Since days are short in winter and long in winter in US time is reset two times every year to save daylight. Clock is reset back in Fall Season by one hour on the last Sunday of October at 2:00 A.M. and reset forward in Spring Season by one hour on the first Sunday of April at 2:00 A.M. In the U.S., each time zone switches at a different time. There are several other countries where they reset clocks to save daylight. Following is the list

Continent	Country	Beginning and ending days
Africa	Egypt	Start: Last Friday in April End: Last Thursday in September
	Namibia	Start: First Sunday in September End: First Sunday in April
Asia	Most states of the former USSR.	Start: Last Sunday in March End: Last Sunday in October
	Iraq	Start: April 1 End: October 1
	Israel	(Estimate, Israel decides the dates every year) Start: First Friday in April End: First Friday in September
	Lebanon, Kirgizstan	Start: Last Sunday in March End: Last Sunday in October
	Mongolia	Stopped in 2002
	Palestine	(Estimate) Start: First Friday on or after 15 April End: First Friday on or after 15 October
	Syria	Start: April 1 End: October 1
	Iran	Start: the first day of Farvardin End: the first day of Mehr
Australasia	Australia - South Australia, Victoria, Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Lord Howe Island	Start: Last Sunday in October End: Last Sunday in March
	Australia - Tasmania	Start: First Sunday in October End: Last Sunday in March
	Fiji	Stopped in 2000
	New Zealand, Chatham	Start: First Sunday in October End: Third Sunday in March
	Tonga	Start: First Sunday in November End: Last Sunday in January
Europe	European Union UK	Start: Last Sunday in March at 1 am UTC End: Last Sunday in October at 1 am UTC
	Russia	Start: Last Sunday in March at 2 am local time End: Last Sunday in October at 2 am local time
North America	United States, Canada, Mexico St. Johns, Bahamas, Turks and Caicos	Start: First Sunday in April End: Last Sunday in October
	Cuba	Start: April 1 End: Last Sunday in October
	Greenland	Same as EU
South America	Brazil (rules vary quite a bit from year to year). Also, equatorial Brazil does not observe DST.	Start: First Sunday in November End: Third Sunday in February
	Chile	Start: Second Saturday of October - at midnight End: Second Saturday of March - at midnight
	Falklands	Start: First Sunday on or after 8 September End: First Sunday on or after 6 April
	Paraguay	Start: First Sunday in September End: First Sunday in April
Antarctica	Antarctica	(varies, see below)

USA Education System

USA Education system is very different than any other country. Teaching is done through more practical examples and students generally do not have too much pressure. Class sizes are generally small and and environment is more friendly and open. kindergarten through 12 public(government) schools are free. Whole education system can be divided into following categories:

Nursery
Pre K.G.
Kindergarten (K.G.)/Pre School
Elementary School
Middle School or Junior High School
High School
Under Graduate College
Graduate College

Nursery
3 years old child can be admitted in a Nursery. Child has to be toilet/potty trained.

Pre Kindergarten(Pre K)
Child can be admitted in a pre K.G., when he/she is 4 yrs old.

Kindergarten
In order to be eligible for the admission, the child has to complete his/her 5 years, by a specific date/month, which is decided by the school. However, some private schools do take younger than five year kids in Pre K. In Pre K empasis is more on playing and motor skills rather than studies.

Elementary School
1st to 5th grade education is known as "Elementary School". Normally there is a school bus service available. However, parents residing within 2 miles zone, need to pick-up and drop their children on their own. Examination system is very relaxed. Tests and weekly quiz are conducted on regular basis, but no grades are given. Kids performance in the exam is categorized as "Excellent", "Good", "Satisfactory", and "Need Improvement". In some places alphabetic grades viz. A, B, C, D might start in 4th grade. Generally, child is never failed in elementary school. In order to analyze kid's performance, he/she will have to appear for the either SAT or CAT test, depending on the state. A 3rd grade kid can appear for such tests. Elementary school kids are normally not provided with lockers, although they get a private desk to keep their stuff. Normally, elementary students stay with one group of classmates, and one main teacher during the day. However different teachers might take classes in art, music and physical education.

Middle School
6th to 8th grade education is known as "Middle school". In few schools 5th grade or 9th grade may also be included in the Middle School. On the other hand in some places only 7th and 8th grade constitute the Middle School. These rules vary from school to school. Admission criteria is based on the prior grade records. In some places there may be some assessment test for the admissions. Normally there is a school bus service available. However, students residing within 2 miles zone, need to come to school on their own. Children do get a lot of homework in middle school. Tests are conducted in every 3 months, or 6 months basis. Final exams are conducted at the end of the year. There may be some regular quiz conducted for each subject. Grades are given according to the performance. Students are provided with private lockers in the school to keep their stuff, as they have to change classes through out the day. A middle school student, usually has to change classes in every 45 minutes. Lunch duration varies from 30 min to 1 hour.

High School
9th to 12th grade education is known as High School. These 4 years are more commonly called by names such as:
9th Grade is known as Freshman Year.
10th Grade is known as Sophomore Year.
11th Grade is known as Junior Year.
12th Grade is known as Senior Year.
Admission criteria is based on the prior grade record and performances. Generally bus will only pick up kids outside the 3 or 4 miles area zone, rest will have to come on their own. High school students get a lot of homework.Tests are conducted in every 3 months, or 6 months basis. Final exams are conducted at the end of the year. There may be some regular quiz conducted for each subject. Grades are given according to the performance. Students are provided with private lockers in the school to keep their stuff. Lunch duration varies from 30 min to 1 hour. In order to get admission in any college after high school, one has to qualify either ACT or SAT assessment test. It is advised to start studying for these tests just after the Sophomore Year. This way the student gets sufficient margin of time to improve their results.

Undergraduate(Bachelors) program
It takes four years of undergraduate study to earn a Bachelors degree.There are various subjects you can choose to study in an undergraduate college. The first two years mostly cover general subjects. A junior year student must choose a "major" field of study. They must take a certain number of courses in their field. In some schools, students also choose a "minor" field. There is usually time for students to choose several other "elective" (extra) courses in other subjects. Each student is assigned a "faculty advisor", who teaches their major subjects, and also assists them to select a particular program of study. An international student will also have an "International Student Advisor" who helps them to adjust to U.S. life, handles visa and other paperwork problems. They also organize activities for them.

Graduate (Masters) program
Mostly masters degree is a 2 year program, but some subjects like journalism, may need just one year. This degree is usually required in fields such as Engineering, Library science, Business Administration or Social work.

Doctorate degree (Ph.D.)
Usually takes five to seven years to complete. Unlike undergraduates, graduate students begin specialized study from the first day.

USA Education centers

Public Schools
There are public schools all over USA. They offer completely free education, and books. However, fee is charged for activities such as picnics etc. Lunch is also provided by the school at very low rates. Middle and high school students are allowed to take their books home. In some places elementary school kids have to leave their books in the school itself, but are given some printed material to help with the home work.
Private Schools
Private school education is comparatively expensive. They charge quite a lot on tuition and other fee.
State College or University
These schools are supported and run by the State Government. Each U.S. state operates at least one state university, and several state colleges.
Private College or Universities
These schools are privately owned/operated institutes. Tuition fee is usually higher than the state government schools. Normally these colleges and universities are smaller in size.
Community Colleges
Community colleges are local i.e. a city or county colleges. They also conduct evening classes for students who work during the day. Normally, community colleges welcome international students. But few countries do not recognize degrees from such community colleges.
Professional Schools
These are professional schools to train students in professional fields such as Art, Music, Engineering, Business, etc. They can be a part of a university or may be a separate school. Some offer graduate programs as well.
Institute of Technology
These are technical schools which conduct atleast four years of study in the science and technology fields. Some of them offer graduate programs too.
Schools run by Church
Many U.S. colleges and universities were founded by religious groups and are run by local religious organizations. Nearly all these schools welcome students of all religions and belief, but may give preference to members of their own religious group. Traditionally, many church related schools insist all the students to take Bible courses and attend chapel services.

Grading System

Students are graded as A, B, C, D, and F, for each subject. Grades can be interpreted as follows:

 
Grade A  equals   90 to 100 Percentage/Marks
Grade B  equals   80 to 90 
Grade C  equals   70 to 80 
Grade D  equals   60 to 70 
Grade F  equals   Below 60.