Ashok Mehta Committee

Ashok Mehta Committee The Committee commands that community development would solely be deep and enduring once the community was concerned within the coming up with, decision-making and implementation method (GOI Report, 1957) .The suggestions were for as follows: AN early institution of elective native bodies and devolution to them of necessary resources, power and authority, The essential unit of democratic decentralization was at the block / samiti level since the realm of jurisdiction of the native body ought to neither be overlarge nor too tiny. Such body should not be strained by an excessive amount of management by the govt or government agencies, The body should be planted for 5 years term by indirect elections from the village panchayats, Its functions ought to cowl the event of agriculture altogether its aspects, the promotion of native industries et al. Services like beverage, road building, etc., ought to be provided by Dr. and The upper level body, Zilla Parishad, would play AN consultatory role. The committee counseled the institution of three-tier panchayet bodies The structure envisaged enclosed directly elective panchayet for a village or a gaggle of villages, AN government body referred to as panchayet Samiti for a block with directly elective ANd co-opted members and an consultatory body, Zilla Parishad, with AN ex-officio member from the lower tier and therefore the District Collector because the chairman. it had been left to the states to just accept and affect the recommendations of the committee as per the stress of the case. Consequently, solely a couple of states established PRIs. Ashok Mehta Committee In Dec 1977, with the modification of presidency at the central level, the Janata party Government appointed a committee on Panchayati rule establishments below the post of Ashok Mehta. the intense review was taken of the weaknesses within the functioning of Panchayati rule. the main target was on the removal of rural economic condition and state. The government resolution during this respect reads ‘the government accords the very best priority to rural development therefore on increase agriculture production, produce employment , eradicate economic condition and produce regarding all spherical improvement within the rural economy. The Committee, when having a close study of the succeeding phases of panchayati rule, finished that the grass root establishments area unit grasses while not roots and a caricature of government and created the subsequent recommendations: The district could be a viable social unit that coming up with, co-ordination and resource allocations area unit possible and technical experience offered, PRIs as a two-tier system, with Mandal panchayet at the bottom and Zilla Parishad at the highest, The PRIs area unit capable of designing for themselves with the resources offered to them, District coming up with ought to pay attention of the urban-rural time, Representation of SCs and STs within the election to PRIs on the premise of their population, Four-year term of PRIs, Participation of political parties in elections, Any monetary devolution ought to be committed to acceptive that abundant of the biological process functions at the district level would be contend by the panchayats. The states of province, Andhra Pradesh and province passed new legislation supported this report. However, the flux in politics at the state level failed to enable these establishments to develop their own political dynamics. G.V.K. Rao (1985): In 1985, the G.V.K. Rao Committee was appointed to all over again consider varied aspects of PRIs. The Committee was of the opinion that a complete read of rural development should be taken during which PRIs should play a central role in handling peoples issues. It created the subsequent recommendations (World Bank, 2000): PRIs ought to be activated and given all the specified support to become effective organizations, PRIs at district level and below ought to be allotted the work of designing, implementation and observation of rural development programmes, and The block development workplace ought to be the neural structure of the agricultural development method. L. M. Singhvi Committee (1986): L. M. Singhvi Committee was shaped in 1987 for reviewing the functioning of Panchayati rule establishments. It counseled the reorganization of villages for making viable Gram Panchayats. The committee powerfully counseled that bigger monetary resources be created offered to those establishments. It opined that the Gram Sabha ought to be thought of because the base of a suburbanised democracy. most significantly, it counseled that native autonomy ought to be constitutionally recognized, protected and preserved by the inclusion of a replacement chapter within the Constitution. After the Balwantray Mehta study team reported , legislation was enacted in many nations except among the state of Meghalaya and Nagaland and UTs of Lakshadweep and Mizoram. Keep with the committee originated by the planning Commission that reported in 1985, a three-tier system exists in four states and a couple of of union territories. system along differs from state to state. In terms of structures, electoral procedures, powers and functions, theres a considerable selection among the council establishments adopted by the states. There are, today, quite 217300 village panchayati among the country covering over ninety six of concerning five.79 lakhs thickly settled villages and ninety two exploit the agricultural population of our country. theres a unit a concerning 4526 panchayet samithis of various terminologies at the block, Taluka or Tehsil level. There area unit a unit a concerning 330 ZilaParishads covering concerning seventy six of the district among the country; every ZilaPar ishad has on a mean thirteen to fourteen panchayati aim this and concerning 660 Gram Panchayati. Though there area unit unit aviations from state to state, it need to be generally declared that the functions entrusted to panchayati embody village roads, community wells, and maintenance of public parks, tanks, irrigation works, public hygiene, drainage, and varied civil services. In some states, area along answerable for primary education and square measure entrusted with functions regarding rural industries, primary health care, medical relief, women and kid welfare, maintenance of common grazing grounds and varied community funds and properties and provision of inputs of agricultural production. The extent and tempo of the involvement of panchayati establishments in basis developing with and implementation of development comes is besides subject to wide variations from state to state and even inside the states. Most panchayati establishments seem to suffer from grave insufficiency of resources that sometimes devolve upon them from assignments among the land revenue and water ra te and varied grants by the state governments; in some cases revenue comes from duty and assignment of forest revenue. style of the panchayati establishments along derives gain from taxes on building and non-agricultural lands or from surcharge on tax on transfer of stabile property. Variable in terms of yield, however not unimportant among the lives of Indians in rural areas, there area unit a unit a native taxes, fees, cases, tolls, license fees and varied similar levies, on trades, industries, facility, sanitation, lighting, markets, bazars, and hats, rest homes, bus stands, cart stands, vehicle parking animals, bovine ponds, fish ponds, slaughter homes, ferries, bridges, bovine grazing lands and business crops. The list of subjects on that levies would possibly even be created might not seem to suffer from brevity however the aggregation of yields and collections do suffer from chronic insufficiency notably among the context of the responsibilities that unit of activity or ought to be entrusted to Panchayati dominion establishments and their very important relating the standard of life in our rural areas.29 1.1.7. A Minisrty for panchayet Raj: The union ministry of panchayet rule (MoPR) was established on twenty seven might 2004 to specially take care of the implementation of the availability of 73rd Constitutional change Act 1992 and speed up the method of devolution to PRIs. The ministry has disbursed varied capability building programs, conducted analysis and evaluations and instituted rewards schemes to market devlotuion. The MoRP conducts 2 annual freelance assessment of the progress of regime on this roadmap – the state of the panchayet reports and therefore the calculation of devolution index for the panchayet direction and responsibleness strategy. This theme has been introduced in 2005-06 to encourage state governments to induce bigger devolution of powers to panchayats. 1.1.8. Functions of Grampanchayat: below the article 243-G of the Constitution of Republic of India, the powers, authority and responsibilities of Panchayats area unit explained. Subject to the provisions of the Constitution, the assembly of a State might, by law, endow the Panchayats with such powers and authority as could also be necessary to modify them to operate as establishments of autonomy and such law might contain provisions for the devolution of powers and responsibilities upon Panchayats at the suitable level, subject to such conditions as could also be such in that, with respect to: a) The preparation of plans for economic development and social justice; b) The implementation of schemes for economic development and social justice as could also be entrusted to them together with those in relevancy the matters listed within the Eleventh Schedule. Sections seventy five to eighty three area unit regarding the panchayet rule establishments, during which section seventy five, 79, 80, 81, eighty two and eighty three area unit coping with the Gram panchayet. wherever as section seventy six deals with the functions of panchayet Samiti, section seventy seven deals with the functions of Zila Parishad and section seventy eight deals with the powers of the regime on the functions of Panchayats. (A) Main Functions of Gram panchayet (Section 75) – Subject to such conditions as could also be such by the govt from time to time, the Gram panchayet shall perform the functions such below: (1) General functions (i) Preparation of annual plans for development of the panchayet area; (ii) Preparation of annual budget; (iii) Organizing voluntary labour and voluntary contribution for community works; (iv) Removal of encroachments on public properties; (v) endeavor relief work throughout natural calamities; (vi) Maintenance of essential statistics of villages. (2) Agriculture, together with Agriculture Extension (i) Execution of plans for development of agriculture and horticulture; (ii) Execution of plans for reclamation of wasteland; (iii) Development and maintenance of grazing lands and preventing their unauthorized alienation and use. (3) Cooperation with Government and therefore the panchayet Samiti in exploitation, land reclamation and land conservation works. (4) Implementation of minor irrigation, water management and water coverage development plans. (5) husbandry, dairying and poultry (i) Implementation of schemes for improvement of breed of Bos taurus, poultry and alternative livestock; (ii) Implementation of the theme for promotion of farm forming, poultry and farm. (6) Fisheries Implementation of theme for development of fisheries in villages, (7) Social and farm biological science (i) Plantation and preservation of trees on the edges of roads and alternative public lands below its control; (ii) Implementation of social and farm biological science schemes; (iii) Plantation for fuel and implementation of schemes for fodder development. (iv) Polishing off of programme for development and promotion of sericulture. (8) Minor forest manufacture (i) Providing for assortment, processing, storage and promoting of minor forest manufacture. (9) Khadi, Village and bungalow industries (i) Implementation of schemes for development of village and bungalow industries; (ii)Making schemes for development of agricultural and industrial industries and implementing them; (iii) Organising awareness camps, seminars and coaching programmes, agricultural and industrial exhibitions for good thing about rural areas. (10) Rural Housing (i) Implementation of rural housing schemes; (ii) Distribution of house sites inside its jurisdiction; (iii) Maintenance of records concerning building sites and alternative personal and public properties. (11) Beverage facilities (i) Construction, repair and maintenance of public wells, ponds and hand pumps for beverage, laundry garments and bathing; (ii) Taking measures for hindrance and management of water pollution; (iii) Conducting and maintaining rural facility scheme; (iv) Management of water sources. (12) Roads, buildings, bridges, culverts, water ways that and alternative means that of communication (i) Construction and maintenance of rural roads, drains and bridges culverts. (ii) Maintenance of the building below its management or transferred by the govt or any public authority. (iii) Maintenance of boats, ferries and water ways that. (13) Rural Electrification (i) Provision for and maintenance of lighting public streets and alternative places; (ii) serving to rural electrification. (14) Non standard energy supply (i) Promotion and development of non- standard energy sources; (ii) Maintenance of community non standard energy sources together with bio gas plants; (iii) Propagation and content of improved ovens and alternative energy means that. (15) Economic condition alleviation programme (i) Promotion of public awareness and participation in economic condition alleviation programmes for economic condition and creation of productive assets; (ii) Choice of beneficiaries below varied programmes through Gramsabhas; (iii) Guaranteeing effective implementation and observation of schemes.

Bloodlines Chapter Three

THE DRIVE TO PALM SPRINGS WAS AGONY. I was exhausted from being dragged out of bed, and even when Keith took over the wheel, I couldn't fall asleep. I had too much on my mind: Zoe, my reputation, the mission at hand†¦. My thoughts spun in circles. I just wanted to fix all the problems in my life. Keith's driving did nothing to make me less anxious. I was also upset because my father hadn't let me say goodbye to my mom. He'd gone on and on about how we should just let her sleep, but I knew the truth. He was afraid that if she knew I was leaving, she'd try to stop us. She'd been furious after my last mission: I'd gone halfway around the world alone, only to be returned with no clue as to what my future held. My mom had thought the Alchemists had used me badly and had told my dad it was just as well they seemed to be done with me. I don't know if she really could've stood in the way of tonight's plans, but I didn't want to take my chances in case Zoe got sent instead of me. I certainly hadn't expected a warm and fuzzy farewell from him, but it felt strange leaving on such unsettled terms with my sister and mother. When dawn came, briefly turning the desert landscape of Nevada into a blazing sea of red and copper, I gave up on sleep altogether and decided to just power through. I bought a twenty-four-ounce cup of coffee from a gas station and assured Keith I could drive us the rest of the way. He gladly gave up the wheel, but rather than sleep, he bought coffee as well and chatted me up for the remaining hours. He was still going strong with his new we're-friends attitude, almost making me wish for his earlier animosity. I was determined not to give him any cause to doubt me, so I worked hard to smile and nod appropriately. It was kind of hard to do while constantly gritting my teeth. Some of the conversation wasn't so bad. I could handle business talk, and we had plenty of details to still work out. He told me all he knew about the school, and I ate up his description of my future home. Amberwood Preparatory School was apparently a prestigious place, and I idly wondered if maybe I could treat it as pretend college. By Alchemist standards, I knew all I needed for my job, but something in me always burned for more and more knowledge. I'd had to learn to content myself with my own reading and research, but still, college – or even just being around those who knew more and had something to teach me – had long been a fantasy of mine. As a â€Å"senior,† I would have off-campus privileges, and one of our first orders of business – after securing fake IDs – was to get me a car. Knowing I wouldn't be trapped at a boarding school made things a bit more bearable, even though it was obvious that half of Keith's enthusiasm for getting me my own transportation was to make sure I could shoulder any work that came along with the job. Keith also enlightened me about something I hadn't realized – but probably should have. â€Å"You and that Jill girl are being enrolled as sisters,† he said. â€Å"What?† It was a measure of my self-control that my hold on the car never wavered. Living with a vampire was one thing – but being related to one? â€Å"Why?† I demanded. I saw him shrug in my periphery. â€Å"Why not? It explains why you'll be around her so much – and is a good excuse for you to be roommates. Normally, the school doesn't pair students who are different ages, but†¦ well†¦ your ‘parents' promised a hefty donation that made them change their normal policy.† I was so stunned that I didn't even have my normal gut reaction to slap him when he concluded with his self-satisfied chuckle. I'd known we'd be living together†¦ but sisters? It was†¦ weird. No, not just that. Outlandish. â€Å"That's crazy,† I said at last, still too shocked to come up with a more eloquent response. â€Å"It's just on paper,† he said. True. But something about being cast as a vampire relative threw my whole order off. I prided myself on the way I'd learned to behave around vampires, but part of that came from the strict belief that I was an outsider, a business associate distinct and removed. Playacting as Jill's sister destroyed those lines. It brought about a familiarity that I wasn't sure I was ready for. â€Å"Living with one of them shouldn't be so bad for you,† Keith commented, drumming his fingers against the window in a way that put my nerves on edge. Something about the too-casual way he spoke made me think he was leading me into a trap. â€Å"You're used to it.† â€Å"Hardly,† I said, choosing my words carefully. â€Å"I was with them for a week at most. And actually, most of my time was spent with dhampirs.† â€Å"Same difference,† he replied dismissively. â€Å"If anything, the dhampirs are worse. They're abominations. Not human, but not full vampires. Products of unnatural unions.† I didn't respond right away and instead pretended to be deeply interested in the road ahead. What he said was true, by Alchemist teaching. I'd been raised believing that both races of vampires, Moroi and Strigoi, were dark and wrong. They needed blood to survive. What kind of person drank from another? It was disgusting, and just thinking about how I'd soon be ferrying Moroi to their feedings made me ill. But the dhampirs†¦ that was a trickier matter. Or at least, it was for me now. The dhampirs were half human and half vampire, created at a time when the two races had mingled freely. Over the centuries, vampires had pulled away from humans, and both of our races now agreed that those kinds of unions were taboo. The dhampir race had persisted against all odds, however, in spite of the fact that dhampirs couldn't reproduce with each other. They could with Moroi or humans, and plenty of Moroi were up to the task. â€Å"Right?† asked Keith. I realized he was staring at me, waiting for me to agree with him about dhampirs being abominations – or maybe he was hoping I would disagree. Regardless, I'd been quiet for too long. â€Å"Right,† I said. I mustered the standard Alchemist rhetoric. â€Å"In some ways, they're worse than the Moroi. Their race was never meant to exist.† â€Å"You scared me there for a second,† Keith said. I was watching the road but had a sneaking suspicion he'd just winked at me. â€Å"I thought you were going to defend them. I should've known better than to believe the stories about you. I can totally get why you'd want to gamble at the glory – but man, that had to have been harsh, trying to work with one of them.† I couldn't explain how once you'd spent a little time with Rose Hathaway, it was easy to forget she was a dhampir. Even physically, dhampirs and humans were virtually indistinguishable. Rose was so full of life and passion that sometimes she seemed more human than I was. Rose certainly wouldn't have meekly accepted this job with a simpering, â€Å"Yes, sir.† Not like me. Rose hadn't even accepted being locked in jail, with the weight of the Moroi government against her. Abe Mazur's blackmail had been a catalyst that spurred me to help her, but I'd also never believed that Rose had committed the murder they'd accused her of. That certainty, along with our fragile friendship, had driven me to break Alchemist rules to help Rose and her dhampir boyfriend, the formidable Dimitri Belikov, elude the authorities. Throughout it all, I'd watched Rose with a kind of wonder as she battled the world. I couldn't envy someone who wasn't human, but I could certainly envy her strength – and refusal to back down, no matter what. But again, I could hardly tell Keith any of that. And I still didn't believe for an instant, despite his sunny act, that he was suddenly okay with me coming along. I gave a small shrug. â€Å"I thought it was worth the risk.† â€Å"Well,† he said, seeing I wasn't going to offer anything more. â€Å"The next time you decide to go rogue with vampires and dhampirs, get a little backup so you don't get in as much trouble.† I scoffed. â€Å"I have no intention of going rogue again.† That, at least, was the truth. We reached Palm Springs late in the afternoon and got to work immediately with our tasks. I was dying for sleep by that point, and even Keith – despite his talkativeness – looked a little worn around the edges. But we'd gotten the word that Jill and her entourage were arriving tomorrow, leaving very little time to put the remaining details in place. A visit to Amberwood Prep revealed that my â€Å"family† was expanding. Apparently, the dhampir coming with Jill was enrolling as well and would be playing our brother. Keith was also going to be our brother. When I questioned that, he explained that we needed someone local to act as our legal guardian should Jill or any of us need to be pulled from school or granted some privilege. Since our fictitious parents lived out of state, getting results from him would be faster. I couldn't fault the logic, even though I found being related to him more repulsive than having dhampirs or vampires in the family. And that was saying a lot. Later on, a driver's license from a reputable fake ID maker declared that I was now Sydney Katherine Melrose, from South Dakota. We chose South Dakota because we figured the locals didn't see too many licenses from that state and wouldn't be able to spot any flaws in it. Not that I expected there to be. The Alchemists didn't associate with people who did second-rate work. I also liked the picture of Mount Rushmore on the license. It was one of the few places in the United States that I'd never been. The day wrapped up with what I had most been looking forward to: a trip to a car dealer. Keith and I did almost as much haggling with each other as we did with the salesman. I'd been raised to be practical and keep my emotions in check, but I loved cars. That was one of the few legacies I'd picked up from my mom. She was a mechanic, and some of my best childhood memories were of working in the garage with her. I especially had a weakness for sports cars and vintage cars, the kinds with big engines that I knew were bad for the environment – but that I guiltily loved anyway. Those were out of the question for this job, though. Keith argued that I needed something that could hold everyone, as well as any cargo – and that wouldn't attract a lot of attention. Once more, I conceded to his reasoning like a good little Alchemist. â€Å"But I don't see why it has to be a station wagon,† I told him. Our shopping had led us down to a new Subaru Outback that met most of his requirements. My car instincts told me the Subaru would do what I needed. It would handle well and had a decent engine, for what it was. And yet†¦ â€Å"I feel like a soccer mom,† I said. â€Å"I'm too young for that.† â€Å"Soccer moms drive vans,† Keith told me. â€Å"And there's nothing wrong with soccer.† I scowled. â€Å"Does it have to be brown, though?† It did, unless we wanted a used one. As much as I would've liked something in blue or red, the newness took precedence. My fastidious nature didn't like the idea of driving â€Å"someone else's† car. I wanted it to be mine – shiny, new, and clean. So, we made the deal, and I, Sydney Melrose, became the proud owner of a brown station wagon. I named it Latte, hoping my love of coffee would soon transfer to the car. Once our errands were done, Keith left me for his apartment in downtown Palm Springs. He offered to let me stay there as well, but I'd politely refused and gotten a hotel room, grateful for the Alchemists' deep pockets. Honestly, I would've paid with my own money to save me from sleeping under the same roof as Keith Darnell. I ordered a light dinner up to my room, relishing the alone time after all those hours in the car with Keith. Then I changed into pajamas and decided to call my mom. Even though I was glad to be free of my dad's disapproval for a while, I would miss having her around. â€Å"Those are good cars,† she told me after I began the call by explaining my trip to the dealership. My mother had always been a free spirit, which was an unlikely match for someone like my dad. While he'd been teaching me chemical equations, she'd showed me how to change my own oil. Alchemists didn't have to marry other Alchemists, but I was baffled by whatever forces had drawn my parents together. Maybe my father had been less uptight when he was younger. â€Å"I guess,† I said, knowing I sounded sullen. My mother was one of the few people I could be anything less than perfect or content around. She was a big advocate of letting your feelings out. â€Å"I think I'm just annoyed that I didn't have much say in it.† â€Å"Annoyed? I'm furious that he didn't even talk to me about it,† she huffed. â€Å"I can't believe he just smuggled you out like that! You're my daughter, not some commodity that he can just move around.† For a moment, my mother reminded me weirdly of Rose – both possessed that unflinching tendency to say what was on their minds. That ability seemed strange and exotic to me, but sometimes – when I thought about my own carefully controlled and reserved nature – I wondered if maybe I was the weird one. â€Å"He didn't know all the details,† I said, automatically defending him. With my father's temper, if my parents were mad at each other, then life at home would be unpleasant for Zoe – not to mention my mom. Better to ensure peace. â€Å"They hadn't told him everything.† â€Å"I hate them sometimes.† There was a growl in my mom's voice. â€Å"Sometimes I hate him too.† I wasn't sure what to say to that. I resented my father, sure, but he was still my father. A lot of the hard choices he made were because of the Alchemists, and I knew that no matter how stifled I felt sometimes, the Alchemists' job was important. Humans had to be protected from the existence of vampires. Knowing vampires existed would create a panic. Worse, it could drive some weak-willed humans into becoming slaves to the Strigoi in exchange for immortality and the eventual corruption of their souls. It happened more often than we liked to admit. â€Å"It's fine, Mom,† I said soothingly. â€Å"I'm fine. I'm not in trouble anymore, and I'm in the U.S. even.† Actually, I wasn't sure if the â€Å"trouble† part was really true, but I thought the latter would soothe her. Stanton had told me to keep our location in Palm Springs secret, but giving up that we were domestic wouldn't hurt too much and might make my mom think I had an easier job ahead of me than I likely did. She and I talked a little bit more before hanging up, and she told me she'd heard from my sister Carly. All was well with her at college, which I was relieved to hear. I wanted desperately to find out about Zoe as well but resisted asking to talk to her. I was afraid that if she got on the phone, I'd find out she was still mad at me. Or, worse, that she wouldn't speak to me at all. I went to bed feeling melancholy, wishing I could have poured out all my fears and insecurities to my mom. Wasn't that what normal mothers and daughters did? I knew she would've welcomed it. I was the one who had trouble letting myself go, too wrapped up in Alchemist secrets to be a normal teenager. After a long sleep, and with the morning sunlight streaming through my window, I felt a little better. I had a job to do, and having purpose shifted me out of feeling sorry for myself. I remembered that I was doing this for Zoe, for Moroi and humans alike. It allowed me to center myself and push my insecurities aside – at least, for now. I picked up Keith around noon and drove us outside of the city to meet Jill and the recluse Moroi who'd be helping us. Keith had a lot to say about the guy, whose name was Clarence Donahue. Clarence had lived in Palm Springs for three years, ever since the death of his niece in Los Angeles, which had apparently had quite a traumatic effect on the man. Keith had met him a couple of times on past jobs and kept making jokes about Clarence's tenuous grip on sanity. â€Å"He's a few pints short of a blood bank, you know?† Keith said, chuckling to himself. I bet he'd been waiting days to use that line. The jokes were in poor taste – and stupid to boot – but as we got closer and closer to Clarence's home, Keith eventually became very quiet and nervous. Something occurred to me. â€Å"How many Moroi have you met?† I asked as we pulled off the main road and turned into a long and winding driveway. The house was straight out of a Gothic movie, boxy and made of gray bricks that were completely at odds with most of the Palm Springs architecture we'd scene. The only reminder that we were in southern California was the ubiquitous palm trees surrounding the house. It was a weird juxtaposition. â€Å"Enough,† said Keith evasively. â€Å"I can handle being around them.† The confidence in his tone sounded forced. I realized that despite his brashness about this job, his comments on the Moroi and dhampir races, and his judgment of my actions, Keith was actually very, very uncomfortable with the idea of being around non-humans. It was understandable. Most Alchemists were. A large part of our job didn't even involve interacting with the vampiric world – it was the human world that needed tending. Records had to be covered up, witnesses bribed. The majority of Alchemists had very little contact with our subjects, meaning most Alchemists' knowledge came from the stories and teachings passed down through the families. Keith had said he'd met Clarence but made no mention of spending time with other Moroi or dhampirs – certainly not a group, like we were about to face. I was no more excited to hang around vampires than he was, but I realized it didn't scare me nearly as much as it once would have. Rose and her companions had given me a tough skin. I'd even been to the Moroi Royal Court, a place few Alchemists had ever visited. If I'd walked away from the heart of their civilization intact, I was certain I could handle whatever was inside this house. Admittedly, it would've been a little easier if Clarence's house didn't look so much like a creepy haunted manor from a horror movie. We walked up to the door, presenting a united front in our stylish, formal Alchemist attire. Whatever his faults, Keith cleaned up well. He wore khaki pants with a white button-up shirt and navy silk tie. The shirt had short sleeves, though I doubted that was helping much in the heat. It was early September, and the temperature had been pushing ninety when I left my hotel. I was equally hot in a brown skirt, tights, and a cap-sleeved blouse scattered with tan flowers. Belatedly, I realized we kind of matched. Keith lifted his hand to knock at the door, but it opened before he could do anything. I flinched, a bit unnerved despite the assurances I'd just given myself. The guy who opened the door looked just as surprised to see us. He held a cigarette pack in one hand and appeared as though he'd been heading outside to smoke. He paused and gave us a once-over. â€Å"So. Are you guys here to convert me or sell me siding?† The disarming comment was enough to help me shake off my anxiety. The speaker was a Moroi guy, a little older than me, with dark brown hair that had undoubtedly been painstakingly styled to look messy. Unlike Keith's ridiculously over-gelled attempts, this guy had actually done it in a way that looked good. Like all Moroi, he was pale and had a tall, lean build. Emerald green eyes studied us from a face that could have been sculpted by one of the classical artists I so admired. Shocked, I dismissed the comparison as soon as it popped into my head. This was a vampire, after all. It was ridiculous to admire him the way I would some hot human guy. â€Å"Mr. Ivashkov,† I said politely. â€Å"It's nice to see you again.† He frowned and studied me from his greater height. â€Å"I know you. How do I know you?† â€Å"We – † I started to say â€Å"met† but realized that wasn't quite right since we hadn't been formally introduced the last time I had seen him. He'd simply been present when Stanton and I had been hauled to the Moroi Court for questioning. â€Å"We ran into each other last month. At your Court.† Recognition lit his eyes. â€Å"Right. The Alchemist.† He thought for a moment and then surprised me when he pulled up my name. With everything else that had been going on when I was at the Moroi Court, I hadn't expected to make an impression. â€Å"Sydney Sage.† I nodded, trying not to look flustered at the recognition. Then I realized Keith had frozen up beside me. He'd claimed he could â€Å"handle† being around Moroi, but apparently, that meant staring gape-mouthed and not saying a word. Keeping a pleasant smile on, I said, â€Å"Keith, this is Adrian Ivashkov. Adrian, this is my colleague, Keith Darnell.† Adrian held out his hand, but Keith didn't shake it. Whether that was because Keith was still shell-shocked or because he simply didn't want to touch a vampire, I couldn't say. Adrian didn't seem to mind. He dropped his hand and took out a lighter, stepping past us as he did. He nodded toward the doorway. â€Å"They're waiting for you. Go on in.† Adrian leaned close to Keith's ear and spoke in an ominous voice. â€Å"If. You. Dare.† He poked Keith's shoulder and gave a â€Å"Muhahaha† kind of monster laugh. Keith nearly leapt ten feet in the air. Adrian chuckled and strolled off down a garden path, lighting his cigarette as he walked. I glared after him – though it had been kind of funny – and nudged Keith toward the door. â€Å"Come on,† I said. The coolness of air conditioning brushed against me. If nothing else, Keith seemed to have come alive. â€Å"What was that about?† he demanded as we stepped into the house. â€Å"He nearly attacked me!† I shut the door. â€Å"It was about you looking like an idiot. And he didn't do a thing to you. Could you have acted any more terrified? They know we don't like them, and you looked like you were ready to bolt.† Admittedly, I kind of liked seeing Keith caught off guard, but human solidarity left no question about which side I was on. â€Å"I did not,† argued Keith, though he was obviously embarrassed. We walked down a long hallway with dark wood floors and trim that seemed to absorb all light. â€Å"God, what is wrong with these people? Oh, I know. They aren't people.† â€Å"Hush,† I said, a bit shocked at the vehemence in his voice. â€Å"They're right in there. Can't you hear them?† Heavy French doors met us at the end of the hall. The glass was frosted and stained, obscuring what was inside, but a low murmur of voices could still be heard. I knocked on the door and waited until a voice called an entry. The anger on Keith's face vanished as the two of us exchanged brief, commiserating looks. This was it. The beginning. We stepped through. When I saw who was inside, I had to stop my jaw from dropping like Keith's had earlier. For a moment, I couldn't breathe. I'd mocked Keith for being afraid around vampires and dhampirs, but now, face-to-face with a group of them, I suddenly felt trapped. The walls threatened to close in on me, and all I could think about were fangs and blood. My world reeled – and not just because of the group's size. Abe Mazur was here. Breathe, Sydney. Breathe, I told myself. It wasn't easy, though. Abe represented a thousand fears for me, a thousand entanglements I'd gotten myself into. Slowly, my surroundings crystallized, and I regained control. Abe wasn't the only one here, after all, and I made myself focus on the others and ignore him. Three other people sat in the room with him, two of whom I recognized. The unknown, an elderly Moroi with thinning hair and a big white mustache, had to be our host, Clarence. â€Å"Sydney!† That was Jill Mastrano, her eyes lighting up with delight. I liked Jill, but I hadn't thought I'd made enough of an impression on the girl to warrant such a welcome. Jill almost looked like she would run up and hug me, and I prayed that she wouldn't. I didn't need Keith to see that. More importantly, I didn't need Keith reporting about that. Beside Jill was a dhampir, one I knew in the same way I knew Adrian – that is, I'd seen him but had never been introduced. Eddie Castile had also been present when I was questioned at the Royal Court and, if memory served, had been in some trouble of his own. For all intents and purposes, he looked human, with an athletic body and face that had spent a lot of time in the sun. His hair was a sandy brown, and his hazel eyes regarded me and Keith in a friendly – but wary – way. That's how it was with guardians. They were always on alert, always watching for the next threat. In some ways, I found it reassuring. My survey of the room soon returned me to Abe, who had been watching and seemed amused by my obvious avoidance of him. A sly smile spread over his features. â€Å"Why, Miss Sage,† he said slowly. â€Å"Aren't you going to say hello to me?†

An Interactive Food Web Game for the Classroom

AÂ  food web diagram illustrates links among species in an ecosystem according to who eats what and shows how species depend on one another for survival. When studying an endangered species, scientists must learn about more than just one rare animal. They have to consider the animals entire food web in order to help protect it from the threat of extinction. In this classroom challenge, student scientists work together to simulate an endangered food web. By assuming the roles of linked organisms in an ecosystem, kids will actively observe interdependence and explore the repercussions of breaking vital links. Difficulty: Average Time Required: 45 minutes (one class period) Here's How Write the names of organisms from a food web diagram on note cards. If there are more students in the class than species, duplicate lower level species (there are generally more plants, insects, fungi, bacteria, and small animals in an ecosystem than large animals). Endangered species are assigned only one card each.Each student draws one organism card. Students announce their organisms to the class and discuss the roles they play within the ecosystem.One student with an endangered species card holds a ball of yarn. Using the food web diagram as a guide, this student will hold the end of the yarn and toss the ball to a classmate, explaining how the two organisms interact.The recipient of the ball will keep hold of the yarn strand and toss the ball to another student, explaining their connection. The yarn toss will continue until every student in the circle is holding at least one strand of yarn.When all organisms are connected, observe the complex web that has been formed by the yarn . Are there even more connections than students expected?Single out the endangered species (or the most critically endangered if there are more than one), and cut the yarn strand(s) that are being held by that student. This represents extinction. The species has been removed from the ecosystem forever.Discuss how the web collapses when the yarn is cut, and identify which species appear to be most affected. Speculate about what might happen to other species in the web when one organism goes extinct. For example, if the extinct animal was a predator, its prey may become overpopulated and deplete other organisms in the web. If the extinct animal was a prey species, then predators that relied on it for food may also go extinct. Tips Grade Level: 4 to 6 (ages 9 to 12)Examples of endangered species food webs: Sea Otter, Polar Bear, Pacific Salmon, Hawaiian Birds, and Atlantic Spotted DolphinBe ready to look up different species on the internet or in textbooks to answer questions about an organisms role in the ecosystem.Offer a large-sized food web diagram that all students can see (such as an overhead projector image), or pass out one food web diagram to each student for reference during the challenge. What You Need Food web diagram for an endangered species (See examples in Tips section.)Index cardsMarker or penBall of yarnScissors

History of South Africa - 629 Words

South Africans had been living under the system of apartheid since 1948 where citizens were divided by race and kept separate through certain system of laws which governed all aspects of daily life. Even though black people were in majority they were denied the right to vote in National elections. The educational system was designed not to educate young blacks into professionals but to prepare them to serve white upper class. Apartheid went further to divide the schools into racial groups therefore the white schools were so advantaged within resources compared to the black schools within the town of Soweto. Government also insisted that the Afrikaans language be used as the medium in all local schools which created enormous distress amongst black students. Many divisions between black and white took place in society. The black people found themselves infuriated by the fact that they were slaves in their own country of birth. It was back in 1962 that Nelson Mandela that the leader of the anti-apartheid movement was arrested and his political party the African National Congress were banned by Government. The African National Congress then chose to ignore Government and continued with their movements over the next two years. Finally government had to use brutal action against the anti-apartheid command which brought the entire movement to a complete standstill. Shortly after this standstill the young students in the township of Soweto Johannesburg managed to steadily reuniteShow MoreRelatedHistory Of South Africa s History1686 Words   |  7 PagesSouth Africa s history is a story of conflict from its very start, spurred by European settlement territorial conquest, frontier expansion, and nineteenth-century global imperialism that generated internal competition between white settlers and the black African population over land and resources such as water. Formal South African history is dated to the arrival of the Dutch East India Company in 1652 (although there were indigenous groups living there prior to the arrival of the Dutch); externalRead MoreHistory of Apartheid in South Africa730 Words   |  3 PagesTiffany Ellis AC1110567 GE350 - World Geography Assignment 6_06 1/7/11 South Africa has had a history of treating people of African descent as inferior despite them being the majority. During the 19th century, British settlers tried to restrict the movement of black people in and around areas occupied by whites and controlled by the British. The South Africa Act of 1910 gave whites complete political control over all races. During World War II, Jan Smut led the United Party and began toRead MoreHistory of Apartheid in South Africa1679 Words   |  7 PagesHistory of Apartheid in South Africa Apartheid; the word alone sends a shiver down the spines of the repressed African community. Apartheid represents a mordant period in the history of South Africa, when the policy of segregation and political and economic discriminating against non-European groups in the Republic of South Africa. The purpose is to educate the entire community not only to act against apartheid now, but to learn from the struggle against apartheid in order to help build a worldRead More Twentieth Century History of South Africa1999 Words   |  8 PagesThe twentieth century history of South Africa contains many struggles and obstacles as its people worked towards creating a more unified country. Modern human beings have inhabited South Africa for more than 100,000 years and a great deal of colonization has occurred within the last 300 years. During the late 18th century, 90 Dutchmen landed on the Cape of Good Hope as part of the Dutch East India Company, representing the first permanent settlers of South Africa. In 1652, they were instructedRead MoreHistory Of Musical History, And Music Theory Of South Africa997 Words   |  4 PagesSara Dietrich Mr. Moore AMU3M January 6, 2015 South Africa This paper is going to talk about the history, musical history, and music theory of South Africa. The country is populated with 52.98 million people and the main religion is Christian. The country of South Africa is located on the southern most tip of the continent of Africa and covers 4% of the total landmass. It is bordered by Mozambique, Namibia, and Botswana. It is a very biodiverse country because of the Atlantic ocean flankingRead MoreA Vey Brief History fo South Africa803 Words   |  3 Pages People have inhabited South Africa for thousands of years and were members of the oldest surviving people of the land, the Khoisan language groups. With just a few left in South Africa mostly located in the sections of the western region. But mostly today black, South Africans belonged to the Bantu language group, which migrated from central Africa, settling in the Transvaal region around 100 A.D. (South Africa: History, 2012). Also the Nguni people who were ancestors of the Zulu and XhosaRead MoreA Brief History of Apartheid in South Africa Essay examples676 Words   |  3 PagesA Brief History of Apartheid in South Africa Apartheid is not a new thing. Ever since Dutch colonists landed in 1652, Blacks and Whites have lived apart in South Africa. Officially started in 1948 when the Afrikaner Nationalist party came to power, apartheid is a system of racial laws devised to Preserve and promote a white majority over a black majority. It has a lot of opposition and it led to an international boycott of South Africa because of it. Read More1. The History Of The Black People Of South Africa Is Currently1712 Words   |  7 Pages1. The history of the Black people of South Africa is currently and scientifically reported to extent back to some of the oldest human species on Earth. For example, 2.5 million years of human evolution occurred on the territory of South Africa. Approximately, 125,000 years ago the modern human era developed around the Klasies River Caves, a region in the Eastern Cape of South Africa in the Middle Stone Age. The hunter-gathers San and pastoral herders Khoikhoi people developed in the Middle PaleolithicRead MoreBritish Imperialist History: The Anglo-Zulu War1377 Words   |  5 PagesRobert B. Edgerton is an author, professor of anthropology and psychiatry, and researcher of African society and history (and their correlations). Knowing this, the great amount of humanity and realism that he manages to exhibit in his distinctive writing style should come as no surprise. Edgerton†™s background in various studies allows him to unravel the mystery shrouding the culture and psychology of both sides of the war. At the time of this novel’s creation, no novels had adequately told theRead More South African Apartheid Essay1499 Words   |  6 Pagesof South Africa had to endure racial inferiority during the era of apartheid. The apartheid laws the government of South Africa made led to an unequal lifestyle for the blacks and produced opposition. South Africa really began to suffer when apartheid was written into the law. Apartheid was first introduced in the 1948 election that the Afrikaner National Party won. The plan was to take the already existing segregation and expand it (Wright, 60). Apartheid was a system that segregated South Africa’s