International Trade Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

International Trade Law - Essay Example The researcher of this essay describes the development of the customs unions and free trade areas that adheres to Article XXIV of GATT that also generates a production effect that results in amore efficient use of world resources. Eliminating the tariff barriers means being able to compete against lower-cost and more efficient producers. Inefficient domestic producers drop out of the market resulting in a decline in home output. Although a customs union may add to world welfare by way of trade creation, its trade diversification effect generally implies a welfare loss. The formation of a customs union will increase the welfare of its members as well as the rest of the world, if the positive trade creation more that offsets the negative trade diversion effect. In extreme cases where the union is made up of the entire world, there can only exist trade creation and not trade diversion. The scope of trade diversion is smaller when the customs union’s common external tariff is lowe r. The transition for a Market-Oriented Economy, that was describes in the essay requires giving up ownership of privately owned properties and removing central planning systems for decent living standards. Therefore, to maintain healthy market economies would require: establishment of sound fiscal and monetary policies; removing price controls; opening economies to competitive market forces; establishing private property rights and a legal system to protect those rights; and reducing government involvement in the economy for an open trade.

Power Reforms Essay Example for Free

Power Reforms Essay Electricity is central to achieving economic, social and environmental objectives of sustainable human development. In fact it has become essential ingredient for improving the quality of life and its absence is usually associated with poverty and poor quality of life. India has the fifth largest generation capacity in the world with an installed capacity of 173,626 MW as in March 2011. The power sector added record conventional capacities of 12,160 MW during 2010-11. However, despite the Indian power sector having shown substantial growth during the post-independence era, the sector has been ailing from serious functional problems during the past few decades. In 2010-11, India faced power deficit of 10 per cent and peak demand shortage of 13.3 per cent. In this backdrop, Power sector reforms were first initiated in India in 1992 by the Ministry of Power (MoP) to invite private investments in power generation to bridge the demand-supply gap. However, private investments failed to yield much benefit due to serious deficiencies and losses in electricity distribution in most of the State Electricity Boards (SEBs). Post 2001, Reforms were oriented around: 1. Unbundling of the state electricity boards.  2. Corporatization of generation, transmission and distribution sector 3. Setting up of independent central and state electricity regulatory commissions. 4. Passing of the Electricity Act, 2003 which mandates licensee-free thermal generation, non-discriminatory open access of the transmission system and gradual implementation of open access in the distribution system which will pave way for creation of power market in India. In the power sector reform process, Distribution segment was identified as the key area for reform for putting the sector on the right track. Distribution Reforms involve System up-gradation, Loss reduction, Theft control, Consumer orientation, Commercialization and adoption of IT. In this direction, the Government launched the Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (APDRP) during the 10th Five Year Plan (2002-07) for the strengthening of Sub – Transmission and Distribution network and reduction in ATC losses. Continuing its support for power distribution reforms, the Government launched the Restructured APDRP (R-APDRP) in the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-12) with revised terms and conditions. Thus, Two key issues emerge as far as performance and reforms of any distribution company are concerned:- 1. Revenue realization which means reduction of ATC Losses 2. Consumer satisfaction The above factors are mutually reinforcing whereby improvement in one leads to the same for other as well. Technology has emerged as a major enabler of any reform process and this holds true for power sector reforms as well. New technological initiatives have been taken by many states especially in the distribution sector which have aided performance of the distribution companies therein. This paper seeks to throw light on how the above two key issues are being addressed through the use of e-governance mechanisms in KESCO i.e. Kanpur Electricity Supply Company Ltd. Kanpur Electricity Supply Company Ltd., formerly KESA, was restructured as a company on 14 January 2000 under U.P. Electricity reform act 1999. This company is registered for distribution of electricity in the area under Kanpur City (Urban). KESCo is serving around 700 bulk consumers and 4,35,000 other consumers of domestic, commercial and power categories connected to grid through 66 no. 33 KV substations and 340 no. 11 KV feeders after receiving electricity from 7 transmission substation of 220 KV and 132 KV of U.P. Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. It has a peak demand of around 500 MW and annual turnover of around 1000 crores. Coming back to the above two objectives, the situation before the initiatives were launched in KESCO and measures taken therein are as follows: 1. Revenue Realization The biggest challenge of the power sector as far as revenue realization is concerned is the high Aggregate Technical Commercial (ATC) losses. The ATC losses are presently in the range of 18% to 62% in various states in India. The major portion of losses are due to theft and pilferage, which is estimated at about Rs.20,000 crore annually. Apart from rampant theft, the distribution sector is beset with poor billing (only 55%) and collection (only 41%) efficiency in almost in all States. It is estimated that 1% reduction in TD losses would generate savings of over Rs.700 to Rs.800 crores. The line diagram demonstrated below is well explanatory of facts mentioned above:- For KESCO, As far as indicators of Revenue realization are concerned it has high ATC losses to the tune of 29%(March 2011) .Apart from this, other statistics are also not very encouraging with an average turnout of 65% . There was no end to end tracking of theft checking and raids, revenue assessment and realization therein. Not only that, even for billed but non-paying consumers, there was no accurate record of disconnections done and subsequent action thereon for such consumers. Apart from that many consumers were still having defective /mechanical meters installed at their premises, and thus being billed on average basis. There was no mechanism to have a daily tracking of meter replacement work and advices of meters were taking upto3-4 months. Three key fields of revenue realization in above flowchart i.e. Theft and improper metering, collection deficiency, increasing customer base have been targeted through unique initiatives in KESCO. First In this backdrop is a unique , only of its kind in the country, mobile phone based tracking system by the name of M-Drishti introduced in KESCO to ensure end to end tracking of in- field revenue oriented activities: 1. Raids 2. Meter Replacement 3. Disconnections 4. Section 138 Under M-Drishti, 2G internet services have been activated on the official mobile numbers of all distribution officials right from JEs and Assistant Engineers to Chief Engineer. Separate User Id and Passwords have been created for them and they will log in the Mobile M-Drishti interface and fill in details of whatever activities they undertake in field. Screenshot of the mobile phones for activity options is as shown:- So whenever there is a meter checking or katiya raid, a brief report is filled on the spot and sent via phone to the central server. Similarly for any disconnection done against electricity dues or FIR lodged under section 138 of Electricity Supply Act, the information of action taken on spot has to be submitted then and there for addition in the central database. On the server end once the information is collected, the updation is done by the concerned division. So for raid tracking, once revenue assessment and compounding amount at the field level has been entered, it can be edited and information of final assessment done at division, realization therein, Action taken in terms of issuance of notices under section3 and 5, final amount realized etc, can be done by the concerned division. Similar holds true for disconnections done, amount realized therein, action taken in case of non realization etc. For meter replacement a daily report of meters replaced whether defective/mechanical/otherwise is available and is available for linking with online advice. The software generates various MIS reports whereby day/month /JE/Division wise performance with respect to above four activities can be monitored.

Comparing Poems Salome, Hitcher, On My First Sonne and The Man He Kille

Comparing Poems Salome, Hitcher, On My First Sonne and The Man He Killed The poems, Salome, Hitcher, On My First Sonne and The Man He Killed all have similar themes. The menacing and threatening ideas that the poets used are all based around death. However, each poem has a different perspective on the word with different motives and emotions. The Man He Killed is about a man who talks of the experience he had of shooting someone and the regrets he has for it. He feels guilty, as he has no conceivable explanation for shooting the man. He talks of the similarities he and his foe had such as 'He thought he'd 'list, perhaps, Off hand like - just as I.' The use of hesitation and repetition show the threatening side of the story. It is almost as if he himself is trying to construct an image in his mind as not to make himself look or feel guilty or censurable. The use of colloquialism makes the image even more menacing as we do not understand greatly of this man. Originally, it could be perceived as an old man who regrets his actions in the past. It however, could also be seen as a man who enjoyed killing but must come up with an excuse to the reasons for killing him. 'My foe of course he was, that's clear enough, although.' The poem "Hitcher" has a character that expresses violence in a completely different manner. The poem is a monologue where the speaker casually admits to possibly murdering an innocent hitchhiker. The speaker tells us that he has been taking time off work - faking illness and not answering his phone. Being threatened with the sack, he goes in to work again and gets a lift to his hired car. As he drives out of L... ...he spot. Both of the poems are confusing and surreal as Hitcher is about the idea of jealousness compared to Salome, which is about the idea of hatred. Both The Man He Killed and On My First Sonne are menacing in a different way. They both are about guilt and empathy. The Man he Killed is a dramatic monologue of a man confessing to murder whereas On My First Sonne is an elegy to his Son. In On My First Sonne the man is desperate for the reason why his son was taken and feels pain and rage. When compared to The Man He Killed, he is looking for the reason for why he shot him but feels neither pain nor anger. All the poems show menacing and threatening ideas but are not all based around violence. The poets use technical methods to hide a story. They do this by using repetition of words, hesitations and enjambment.

Apathy and Addiction in William Gibsons Neuromancer Essay -- Neuroman

Apathy and Addiction in Neuromancer       In the postmodern world of William Gibson's Neuromancer, nature is dead, and the world is run by the logic of the corporate machine. Confronted by a reality that is stark, barren, and metallic, and the hopelessness that this reality engenders, the postmodern protagonist, like Case, often immerses himself or herself in an alternate form of reality that is offered in the form of addiction (to virtual reality or drugs, for example), addictions that are made possible by the same society that makes an escape desirable. Such addictions are logical products of the post-modern capitalist society because they perpetuate the steadfast power of the corporation by allowing would-be dissidents an escape from reality, thereby preventing successful rebellion and maintaining the pervasive societal apathy necessary to allow the corporation to dominate undeterred. Case, as the addictive anti-hero, is a product of this stifling cycle of apathy. Lacking the motivation or drive to insti gate any true change in his reality, he avoids the unpleasant realities of his world by entering into the altered reality of addiction.    In the reality of the postmodern world, where nature is gone and has been replaced by technology, where the world and humankind have become fused with the machine, and the existence of morality and reality are uncertain, it is difficult to find hope for a better existence or motivation to attempt to change one's existence. Addiction then becomes a logical avenue of escape from these bleak circumstances--not affecting reality, but transforming it into something bearable. The addictions that Case turns to allow him to escape from the hard reality of his life th... ...e Fiction, and Some Comics. Hanover, NH: Wesleyan UP, 1994.    Gibson, William. Neuromancer. New York: Ace-Berkeley, 1984. ---. Interview with Larry McCaffrey. Storming the Reality Studio. Larry McCaffrey, ed. Durham, NC: Duke UP, 1992. 263-285.    Grant, Glenn. "Transcendence Through Detournement in William Gibson's Neuromancer." Science Fiction Studies. 17 (1990). 41-49.    Hollinger, Veronica. "Cybernetic Deconstruction." Storming the Reality Studio. Larry McCaffrey, ed. Durham, NC: Duke UP, 1992.    Jameson, Frederick. "Postmodernism, or The Cultural Logic of Late Capitalism" New Left Review. 146 (July-August 1984) Rpt in Storming the Reality Studio. Larry McCaffrey, ed. Durham, NC: Duke UP, 1992.    Slusser, George. "Literary MTV." Storming the Reality Studio. Larry McCaffrey, ed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Durham, NC: Duke UP, 1992.   

Blood Diamond Essay

In history, it was on 1866 that the first diamond was officially discovered and in the South Africa. Hope Town, South Africa claimed that the first dazzling gems were found in their place. At the early times, South African people’s way of existence was through agriculture. The whole evolution and the development of the contemporary Industrial South Africa have begun with the discovery of this diamonds in the Kimberley area. The discovery of the diamonds was said to be the most intense, vivid and the brightest spot in the South Africa’s economic history in the mid-to-late 1800s. The actual stones are millions of years old and were brought to the earth’s surface through volcanic eruptions of molten rock. The diamond makes up kimberlite or the primary deposit along with alluvial deposits, also known as secondary deposits. The results of erosion from the primary deposit are those that are commonly found in rivers or any watercourse that are along the shoreline. Diamond mining has become an advantage to South Africa and elsewhere in the African continent. On the other hand, this valuable gem had become a source of horror and becomes a dreadful alarm, terrorizing the nations such as Sierra Leone, Angola, as well in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Blood diamond also known as the conflict diamond, the dirty diamond and the war diamond is the diamond which can be mined and excavated in a war zone and be sold. The control over the diamond mines has become linked to the bloody civil wars filled with abuses, hostility, resentment and violence. Blood diamond also known as the conflict diamonds are from areas wherein the recognized government is being opposed. This diamonds are all used to support and finance all kinds of the military actions in opposition to those governments. In a universal point of view, diamonds are valued and are symbols of love as well as elegance and wealth of the beholder. But blood diamonds are actually be implicated with hate, violence and destructions. In several African nations diamond has become the means to power. Because diamonds are transferable, undetectable, easily obscured it lends themselves to smuggling, corruption, a reason to terrorized millions of innocent civilians and financing some of the world’s brutal terrorist. It is said that most of the African warlords uses blood diamonds in order to finance wars. It had been recorded that thousands of people had been forced by the armies to search or mine diamonds. Another sad fact is that the reward of theses people of the hard work of mining diamonds was more or less a mere cup of rice per day. During the civil war, part of the trade of the blood diamonds, people of Sierra Leone were maltreated by rebels, some had also lost there hands, arms and other body parts in the hands of the rebels. In 1998, the United Nations forbid countries to diamonds from Angola. It can be said that it was the first resolution made by the United Nations regarding the support received by rebels through the blood diamonds. In 1990, it was reported that the percentage of the illicit diamond trade had fallen to around 1%. The very first blood diamond that had been found can be tracked down to the year 1866 near Kimberley in Africa. Today, millions of people are employed in mining diamonds across the Sub Saharan Africa because of the gems value and quality. Diamonds travels pick up today-from the mine up to the market place and finally to the hand of the people and nation who are enthusiast and extreme to pay big amount of money and riches just to have such gem. Diamonds are representation of different kinds of images from love and passion to disaster, catastrophe, rivalry, battle and war. The most interesting about diamonds that is also common to all is that all diamonds had travelled a course that is rough-shorn and also, every piece has its own fascinating and interesting story. References Bakhtiar, R. (2001). Diamonds lure wealth, conflict to african nations. Retrieved January 19, 2008 from http://cnnstudentnews. cnn. com/2001/fyi/news/11/22/diamond. history/index. htm Cahill, P. (no date). A diamond’s journey begins. Retrieved January 19, 2008 from http://www. msnbc. msn. com/id/15842523/

The Flaw of the Brady Bill essays

The Flaw of the Brady Bill essays The federal Brady Law created an instant background check system meant to track the records of everyone prohibited from possessing firearms: convicted felons, people under a domestic violence restraining order, illegal aliens, drug addicts, dishonorably discharged military personnel, fugitives from justice and certain mentally ill people. The Brady Bill, imposed in February 1994, has been successful of what it was supposed to do. The Bill restricts mentally ill people from getting handguns, but medical records are kept secret, and there is no way of telling who is getting the guns. Is the Brady Bill working like it was planned? A priest and a parishioner were shot dead during church service in New York. Fr Lawrence Penzes, 50, had just finished his homily at Our Lady of Peace Church at Lynbrook on Long Island, when a gunman burst in and opened fire. Doctors say Fr Lawrence probably died at the altar. The other victim was Eileen Tosner, 73, a Lynbrook resident who attended Mass every morning. The suspect was Peter J Troy, 34. He was charged with two counts of second-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. The police said he has a record of psychiatric illness. (Independent Catholic Bergin, March 2002) Scott Harlan Thorpe, 40, of Smartville was a client of the outpatient mental health clinic where he started shooting just before noon Wednesday, killing two people and wounding a third, said Nevada County Sheriff Keith Royal. Thorpe then drove to a restaurant in near Grass Valley, 50 miles northeast of Sacramento, and shot and killed the manager and wounded a cook because he thought the restaurant was poisoning him, Royal said. The accused killer was undergoing monthly mental health counseling for his agoraphobia, his fear of being in public places, said Gary Dalbey, a neighbor who lived across the road from Thorpe in rural Smartville. (The Californian NC times Associated Press 1/12/01) ...

Electromagnetics essays

Electromagnetics essays Electromagnetism defined as magnetism produced by an electric current. In other words it is the electricity part of what holds ourselves and every bit of matter in the universe together. This source of universal glue is found within atoms themselves. As the name sounds, there are two different forces within electromagnetism - the electric force and the magnetic force. Before the early part of the last century, scientist studied electricity and magnetism as different sciences. No one knew the connection between them. Electromagnetism was found almost by accident, that a flow of electric current (a movement of electrical charge) creates a magnetic force to use the words of Jack R. White, author of The hidden World of Forces. I will first explain the magnetic force in electromagnetism. Nearly 900 years ago, the Chinese discovered the natural permanent magnet - lodestone or magnetite. After playing around with this rock they discovered that when floating on a piece of wood it would always point itself north. From this they then created a magnetic compass. To the Chinese in that time, magnetic force seemed to be magic, but in the twentieth century we use magnetic fields everyday. In such things as the refrigerator, the washing machine, the dryer, and the vacuum cleaner all have electric motors. The magnetic force can be created many different ways but the two main ones are: Ferromagnetism - caused by the orientation direction of certain kinds of atoms. Electromagnetism - caused by passing an electric current through a conductor such as metal wire Both of these magnetic fields, once created, is exactly the same. Electromagnetic Radiation by definition is the transmission of energy in the form of waves having both an electric and a magnetic component. It is impossible for a wave with just one or the other to exist. The most common forms o ...