Govt to train nodal officers on do's and don'ts of RTI Act

In a move aimed at strengthening the Right to Information Act, the central government has decided to train nodal officers dealing with RTI applications both at the Centre and in states on various do's and don'ts of the transparency law.

Officials said the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) has planned a detailed training programme for Central Public Information Officers (CPIOs) and State Public Information Officers (SPIOs), who act as nodal officers to deal with RTI applications.

The officials will be made aware of periodic changes made in the RTI Act and e-handling of applications.

"There have been many queries from CPIOs and SPIOs while resolving RTI applications. The department has taken an initiative to train the officials dealing with RTI applications at the Centre and in states through a centrally sponsored scheme," a DoPT officer said.

He said the officers will also be trained on ways to provide the information sought in an RTI query.

"There have been instances where information seekers ask for opinion rather than information. The CPIOs and SPIOs face lot of problems in responding to such applications as the fear of facing penalty or admonishment from the Central Information Commission or State Information Commission is always on their minds. All such issues are also taken up during training programmes," the official said. 

Source:-The Economic Times

How to Take Good Care of Your Laptop Computer

It is important to take care of your laptop to keep it in good shape; prevention is always better than cure. There are a number of easy things that you can do to keep your laptop in great shape; following these easy steps will help to ensure that it lasts longer and will need less maintenance. As an added bonus, many of the steps will also maintain your laptop’s speed.

Source : http://sapost.blogspot.in/

Keep liquids away from your laptop. As tempting as it might be to drink coffee, soda, water or any other liquid near your laptop, accidents can happen all too easily. Spilled liquids may damage the internal components or cause electrical injury to the laptop. Short circuits can corrupt data or even permanently destroy parts. The solution is very simple: Keep your drinks away from your computer. Even if you’re careful, someone else might bump into your desk or you. Or you can use a cup with a cover on it, so even if it does spill, the liquid doesn’t go any where!

Having an available antivirus software would help. Even if you know what you download, it may contain a virus that can lead to a circuit error in your system hardware or slowness in the software.

Keep food away from your laptop. Don’t eat over your laptop. The crumbs can go down between the keys in the keyboard and provide an invitation to small bugs. The crumbs can also irritate the circuitry. Worse, it makes the laptop look dirty if there are crumbs and food stains on it.

Always have clean hands when using your laptop. Clean hands make it easier to use your laptop touchpad and there will be less risk of leaving dirt and other stains on the computer. In addition, if you clean your hands before use, you will help reduce wear and tear on the coating of the laptop caused by contact with sweat and small particles that can act upon the laptop’s exterior underneath your wrists and fingers.

Protect the LCD display monitor. When you shut your laptop, make sure there are no small items, such as a pencil or small ear-phones, on the keyboard. These can damage the display screen when shut; the screen will scratch if the item is rough. Close the lid gently and holding from the middle. Closing the lid using only one side causes pressure on that hinge, and over time can cause it to bend and snap.

Hold and lift the computer by its base, not by its LCD display (the screen). If you lift it by the screen part alone, you could damage the display or the hinges attaching it to the base. The display is also easily scratched or damaged by direct pressure – avoid placing pressure on it.

Don’t pull on the power cord. Tugging your power cord out from the power socket rather than putting your hand directly on the plug in the socket and pulling can break off the plug or damage the power socket. Also, if you have the power point near your feet, avoid constantly bumping into the plug or you could loosen it and eventually break it.

Don’t roll your chair over the computer cord. Stick the cord onto your desk with tape or a special computer cord tie which can be easily undone when you’ve finished using the laptop. Always try to keep most of the cord away from the floor or your legs; sometimes you can be so engrossed in what you’re doing that you move your legs and forget the cord is there.

Plug in accessory devices into their proper slots. Always look at the symbols on the laptop carefully before inserting devices. Jamming a phone line into an Ethernet port or vice versa could damage the sockets, making it impossible to use them again. It is very important to observe this step.

Handle any removable drives with care. Floppy drives or CD drives that have been removed from your laptop can easily get crushed, dropped or pressed if you are careless. Put them straight into a bag or a storage box/case for safe keeping if you are not putting them back into the laptop.

Insert drives into their slots carefully and at the correct angle. Pushing the wrong drive into a socket, or at an angle, or even upside down can jam it.

Check to see if labels are affixed securely before inserting media into your laptop computer. Media such as CDs, DVDs or floppy disks should not have any loose label parts that might jam inside the laptop drive. Never insert undersized CDs, as these can damage the disk player permanently.

Don’t expose your laptop to rapid temperature fluctuations. When bringing your laptop indoors during winter, don’t turn it on immediately. Instead, let it warm to room temperature first. This will avoid any potential for damage to the disk drive from condensation forming inside the machine. Avoid heat from sunlight as well.

Don’t leave your laptop in a car. Not only do the insides of cars experience large temperature swings that could damage a laptop, but a laptop (or laptop bag) is an inviting target for a smash and grab thief.

Have the unit cleaned once a year to remove internal dust. Get this done by a computer professional. If dust accumulates, the system cannot cool itself correctly. Heat can destroy the motherboard.

Avoid placing heavy materials, such as books, on top of your laptop and keyboard. This can push the LCD screen into the keyboard, and will eventually damage it. Also, the CD-ROM insert will also be squished and, eventually, will break.

Use a properly-sized laptop case. Whatever you use to carry your laptop around in, be it a case, a bag or something you have made yourself, make sure that it it large enough to contain the laptop. This will avoid scratching, squeezing or even potentially dropping it.

Look into getting a laptop bag. Many breaks happen because of laptops being dropped or bumped. A bag greatly reduces the risk of damage.

Use and store in a well-circulated area. When you are using your laptop, do so in a place that has a constant air-circulation. Lots of people ruin their laptop by using it in an enclosed area and thus making the laptop overheat. It also helps if you store it in a well circulated area.

Use an old tooth brush to clean the area around the exhaust fan screen. If that gets plugged up, air flow is diminished and overheating can most certainly occur.

Try and keep the laptop on a flat surface. This prevents damage to the laptop. This step can be hard, particularly if you are going out with your laptop, but if there is a flat surface available to put your laptop on then do so.

Don’t use your laptop on the bed. Repeated use of the laptop on the bed will cause the fans to suck up the dust and further debris which lies in the bed, ultimately blocking the fan. Refrain from this by using the laptop somewhere else than the bed.


Warning

• Avoid putting your laptop on a carpet. The air vents on the back of the laptop help air to travel in and out. Anything which blocks the air vents is preventing hot air from escaping and only invites it back in again, which can result in overheating; leading to excessive lag and potential damage. 

• Be aware of the “no excess” or “zero excess” of some laptop insurance companies; while it appears to be free of excess, you may have to pay again for the year in full to restart your insurance after a claim. 

•  Pets (like parrots that fixate on clicking, shiny objects) and children should be supervised when within a close proximity of your laptop. 

• If you are not going to use the laptop or the computer for the next two hours, better shut it down. The energy it takes to start it up is far lesser than the energy it will take if the laptop is running continuously. 

Source : itshariesite.wordpress.com &  http://sapost.blogspot.in/

Microsoft Announces Surface Tablets

Microsoft today unveiled Tablet PCs – Surface for Windows RT and Surface for Windows 8 Pro built to be the ultimate stage for Windows OS.

Surface tablet for Windows 8 RT running on NVidia’s ARM processor, and surface for Windows 8 Pro, running on Intel’s Ivy Bridge (using the i5 core) weighs 676 grams and is 9.3 mm thick..

Using a 10.6-inch ClearType HD display, Microsoft tablets includes USB 2.0, Micro HD, and microSD options for connectivity. It comes with 2×2 MIMO antennas which gives the strongest WiFi capability.Both Tablets has a multitouch keyboard and a trackpad and will come with either 64 gigabytes or 128 GB of storage.

Microsoft Surface is designed to seamlessly transition between consumption and creation, without compromise. It delivers the power of amazing software with Windows and the feel of premium hardware in one exciting experience. Surface Tablet has edges angled at 22 degrees, a natural position for the PC at rest or in active use, letting the hardware fade into the background and the software stand out.

The 3 mm Touch Cover of Surface Tablets represents a step forward in human-computer interface. Using a unique pressure-sensitive technology, Touch Cover senses keystrokes as gestures, enabling you to touch type significantly faster than with an on-screen keyboard. It will be available in a selection of vibrant colors.

Surface for Windows RT :

•OS: Windows RT

•Light(1): 676 g

•Thin(2): 9.3 mm

•Clear: 10.6” ClearType HD Display

•Energized: 31.5 W-h

•Connected: microSD, USB 2.0, Micro HD Video, 2×2 MIMO antennae

•Productive: Office ‘15’ Apps, Touch Cover, Type Cover

•Practical: VaporMg Case & Stand

•Configurable: 32 GB, 64 GB

Surface for Windows 8 Pro :

•OS: Windows 8 Pro

•Light(1): 903 g

•Thin(2): 13.5 mm

•Clear: 10.6” ClearType Full HD Display

•Energized: 42 W-h

•Connected: microSDXC, USB 3.0, Mini DisplayPort Video, 2×2 MIMO antennae

•Productive: Touch Cover, Type Cover, Pen with Palm Block

•Practical: VaporMg Case & Stand

•Configurable: 64 GB, 128 GB

The retail pricing of bothe Tablets will be announced closer to availability and is expected to be competitive with a comparable ARM tablet or Intel Ultrabook-class PC. OEMs will have cost and feature parity on Windows 8 and Windows RT.

Courtesy : http://telecomtalk.info & http://rmssa.blogspot.in/

One Tool to find Internet Speed and Data Usage

Real Network Monitor is straight forward utility that helps you monitor network bandwidth on your PC.

It also provides information such as upload speeds, download speeds, maximum speeds and average speeds.

It also calculates the amount of data uploaded and downloaded from the time the tool is launched.

So you can keep track of internet usage in terms of data.  The utility also has features such as desktop monitoring or task bar monitoring, which creates a small window on the desktop or task bar highlighting network speeds.

We can also use this tool to block or unblock a website.

Download Real Network Monitor

Via : gconnect.in

SQL SERVER INTERVIEW QUESTIONS - PART 1

SQL SERVER INTERVIEW QUESTIONS - PART 1

What is the significance of NULL value and why should we avoid permitting null values?

Null means no entry has been made. It implies that the value is either unknown or undefined.We should avoid permitting null values because Column with NULL values can't have PRIMARY KEY constraints. Certain calculations can be inaccurate if NULL columns are involved.

What is SQL whats its uses and its component ?

The Structured Query Language (SQL) is foundation for all relational database systems. Most of the large-scale databases use the SQL to define all user and administrator interactions. It enable us to retrieve the data from based on our exact requirement. We will be given a flexibility to store the data in our own format.

The DML component of SQL comprises four basic statements:
* SELECT to get rows from tables
* UPDATE to update the rows of tables
* DELETE to remove rows from tables
* INSERT to add new rows to tables

What is DTS in SQL Server ?

Data Transformation Services is used to transfer the data from one source to our required destination. Considering am having some data in sql server and I need to transfer the data to Excel destination. Its highly possible with dialogue based tool called Data Transformation services. More customization can be achieved using SSIS. A specialized tool used to do such migration works.

What is the difference between SQL and Pl/Sql ?

Straight forward. SQL is a single statement to finish up our work.Considering, I need some data from a particular table. “Select * from table” will fetch the necessary information. Where as I need to do some row by row processing. In that case, we need to go for Procedural Logic / SQL. 

What is the significance of NULL value and why should we avoid permitting null values?

Null means no entry has been made. It implies that the value is either unknown or undefined.We should avoid permitting null values because Column with NULL values can't have PRIMARY KEY constraints. Certain calculations can be inaccurate if NULL columns are involved.

Difference between primary key and Unique key?
Both constraints will share a common property called uniqueness. The data in the column should be unique. The basic difference is,
· Primary key won’t allow null value. Whereas, unique key will accept null value but only one null value.
· On creating primary key, it will automatically format the data inturn creates clustered index on the table. Whereas, this characteristics is not associated with unique key.
· Only one primary key can be created for the table. Any number of Unique key can be created for the table.

SELECT STATEMENT IN SQL SERVER

 

STRING FUNCTIONS IN SQL SERVER

Substring/Len/replace/Ltrim/Rtrim

Courtesy : http://mrsupport.blogspot.com/

SQL SERVER INTERVIEW QUESTION - PART 2

SQL SERVER INTERVIEW QUESTION - PART 2

What is normalization?

Normalization is the basic concept used in designing a database. Its nothing but, an advise given to the database to have minimal repetition of data, highly structured, highly secured, easy to retrieve. In high level definition, the Process of organizing data into tables is referred to as normalization.

What is a stored procedure:

Stored procedures are precompiled T-SQL statements combined to perform a single task of several tasks. Its basically like a Macro so when you invoke the Stored procedure, you actually run a set of statements. As, its precompiled statement, execution of Stored procedure is compatatively high when compared to an ordinary T-SQL statement.

What is the difference between UNION ALL Statement and UNION ?
The main difference between UNION ALL statement and UNION is UNION All statement is much faster than UNION,the reason behind this is that because UNION ALL statement does not look for duplicate rows, but on the other hand UNION statement does look for duplicate rows, whether or not they exist.
Example for Stored Procedure?
They are three kinds of stored procedures,1.System stored procedure – Start with sp_2. User defined stored procedure – SP created by the user.3. Extended stored procedure – SP used to invoke a process in the external systems.Example for system stored proceduresp_helpdb - Database and its propertiessp_who2 – Gives details about the current user connected to your system. sp_renamedb – Enable you to rename your database

What is a trigger?
Triggers are precompiled statements similar to Stored Procedure. It will automatically invoke for a particular operation. Triggers are basically used to implement business rules.

What is a view?
If we have several tables in a db and we want to view only specific columns from specific tables we can go for views. It would also suffice the needs of security some times allowing specfic users to see only specific columns based on the permission that we can configure on the view. Views also reduce the effort that is required for writing queries to access specific columns every time.

What is an Index?
When queries are run against a db, an index on that db basically helps in the way the data is sorted to process the query for faster and data retrievals are much faster when we have an index.

What are the types of indexes available with SQL Server?
There are basically two types of indexes that we use with the SQL ServerClustered -
1. It will format the entire table, inturn physically sort the table.
2. Only one clustered index can be created for a table.
3. Data will be located in the leaf level.
4. By default, primary key will create clustered index on the table.
Non-Clustered Index
1. It wont touch the structure of the table.
2. It forms an index table as reference to the exact data.
3. A reference to the data will be located in the leaf level.
4. For a table, we can create 249 non clustered index.


Courtesy : http://mrsupport.blogspot.com/

MODEL QUESTIONS FOR IPO EXAM (Q No 26-50 of PO ACT, SB Act, Certificate Act.)

(QNo 26-50 of PO ACT, SB Act, Certificate Act.)

26.       Penalty for detention of letters on board vessel arriving in port

a)         Shall be punishable with fine which may extend to fifty rupees.

b)         Punishable with fine which may extend to fifty rupees for every such postal article as aforesaid

c)         Punishable with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees

d)         None of these                                                                                               Ans: b(66)

27.       Penalty for detaining mails or opening mail bag

a)         Shall be punishable with fine which may extend to fifty rupees.

b)         Shall be punishable with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees :

c)         Punishable with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees

d)         None of these                                                                                               Ans: b(67)

28.       Whoever fraudulently retains or willfully secretes or makes away with, or keeps or detains, or when required by an officer of the post office, neglects or refuses to deliver up

a)         Punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years, and shall also be punishable with fine

b)         Shall be punishable with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees :

c)         Punishable with fine which may extend to two hundred rupees

d)         None of these                                                                                               Ans: a(68)

29.       The Saving bank act 1873 does not apply to

            a)         5 Year RD accounts                                    b)         TD accounts

            c)         Account opened through agents  d)         Sanchaya ka accounts       Ans: d(2)

30.       Payment on death of depositor

a)                 The deposit shall be paid to nominee

b)                 In case nominee is the minor the deposit shall paid to person appointed to receive

c)                  Where no such person is authorized, to the guardian of the minor for the use of minor.

d)                 Where the deposit is payable to two or more nominees and either or any of them is dead, the deposit shall be paid to the surviving nominees or nominees.

e)                 All the above                                                                                                 Ans:e(4a)

31.       Where the amount of the deposit belonging to the estate of a deceased depositor does not exceed_________ such amount shall be excluded in computing the fee chargeable,

            a)         Twenty five thousand                                 b)         Fifty thousand

            c)         Three thousand                                           d)         Five thousand          Ans: c(8)

32.       Payment of deposits to minor or guarding explained in section

            a)         10                                                                    b)         12

            c)         11                                                                    d)         9                                  Ans: a

33.       Government saving certificates act enacted in

            a)         18^th Sep 1959                                               b)         27^th Sep 1959

            c)         12 Jun 1959                                                  d)         15 Jun 1959              Ans:a

34.       Mark correct option relating to payment of certificate is held by or behalf of minor

a)                 To him personally, if he himself applied for the savings certificate,

b)                 For the use of the minor to any person, being a parent of minor or guardian of his property, as may be specified in that behalf in the form of application

c)                  If no such person has been specified, to any guardian of the property of the minor appointed by a competent court, or where no such guardian has been so appointed to either parent of the minor, or where neither parent is alive, to any other guardian of  the minor

d)                 All the above                                                                                                 Ans: d(5)

35.       If a person dies and is at time of death the holder of a saving certificate and there is no nomination in force _____should be produced within 3 month for payment

            a)         Death and probate of his will                    

b)         Letter of administration of his estate

c)         A succession certificate granted under the Indian succession act 1925,

d)         Any one of the above

e)         None of these                                                                                               Ans: d

36.       The central government may published the rule  by

            a)         Internet                                              b)         DG Orders

            c)         Notification in the official gazette d)         Circular                                  Ans:c

37.       Whoever, being required by IPO Act 1898 to make a declaration in respect of any postal article to be sent by post or the content or value thereof, make in his declaration any statement which he knows, or has reason to believe, to be false, or does not believe to be true, shall be punishable under Section 64 of the said act:

(A)       With fine which may extend to two hundred rupees

(B)       With imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months

(C)       With imprisonment for a term which may extend to six months, or with fine which may extend to one hundred rupees

(D)       None of the above option is correct                                                                 Ans:A

38.       In proceedings under IPO Act 1898 for recovery of any postage or other sum alleged to be due in respect of a postal article:

(A)       The presence of an officer of the Post office concerned shall be prima facie evidence under the said Act

(B)       The presence of an official of the Post Office concerned shall be prima facie evidence under the said Act

(C)       The production of the postal article, having thereon the official mark of the post office denoting that the article has been refused or that the addressee is dead or cannot be found, shall be prima facie evidence under the said Act

(D)       The statement under (A) & (B) above is correct                                  Ans:c

39. Any postal article sent by post in contravention of the provision of Section 19 or 19-A of Indian Post Office Act 1898 may be opened and destroyed if necessary under the authority of –

(A)       The officer incharge of the Post office

(B)       The Divisional Superintendent

(C)       The Postmaster General

(D)       None of the authorities mentioned in (A) (B) or (C) above                           Ans:C

40. Any postal article suspected to contain any goods of which the transmission by post is prohibited by or under any enactment for the time being in force is received for delivery at a post office:

(A)       That post office will deliver the article to the addressee without any interference

(B)       The officer incharge of the post office will issue notice to the addressee inviting him to attend post office and shall in his presence open and examine the postal articles

(C)       The officer incharge of the post office will open and examine the postal article in presence of the postal staff

(D)       The officer incharge shall send the postal article to RLO for disposal         Ans:B

(Prepared & published by AB Kantharaja, Mobile 08969822340, http://abkantharaja.blogspot.in)

5 Tips To Purchase A Pre-Owned Car 19 June 2012

1. Determine your requirements

To start with, you need to decide the type of car you want to buy. Do you want a hatchback or a sedan? The mileage of the former is better than that of the latter. Would you prefer a petrol car or a diesel one? A diesel car will be more costly upfront, but you will recoup the extra money if you plan to drive often and for longer distances, or on the highways. However, the maintenance cost will be more for a diesel vehicle. A petrol car will be better for city usage and its maintenance cost will be relatively less too.

Next, get a fix on your budget. Factor in the fact that you may need to upgrade the car, such as installing new seat covers or replacing old tyres. So split your money into two parts: price of the car and renovation fund. Don't forget to include registration and insurance cost.

2. Canvass the market

Visit various car dealerships, such as Mahindra's First Choice Wheels and Maruti's True Value, as well as portals like zigwheels.com, to see whether they have the type of car you want. Make a list of various variants, their years of original sale and the condition they are in. Find out the current market value of these second-hand vehicles as it will give you a good idea of the kind of car you can get within your budget. Once you have filtered your list, go through online reviews about these cars. It's preferable to choose a car that is not more than five years old as the maintenance cost for older cars is usually higher. Also, check the distance for which the vehicle has been driven. If a petrol car has been driven for more than 10,000-13,000 km a year, and a diesel vehicle for more than 15,000-18,000 km a year, or it has changed hands more than once, bargain hard to lower the price.

 3. Settle on the car you want

Focus on 2-3 cars that you like most and dig up their history. Ask the owner all the details about the car, no matter how insignificant they sound. Has it ever been in an accident? How many people have driven the car—just the owner or other members of the family and a driver? Inspect the car thoroughly. If you are not confident, hire a qualified mechanic for a couple of hours to go through it. Always check the car in daylight as dents and rust will be clearly visible. Any sign of welding indicates that the car was involved in a mishap. Take the car for a test drive for about 5 km, preferably on a bumpy road, as it will help you to know the car better. Is it easy to change the gears? Do you need to push hard on the brakes to stop? Are there any rattling sounds? Make sure you don't come across these problems before picking one up.

4. Check the paperwork

The paperwork should be original. Don't settle for any photocopied documents because you can't be too sure that the car isn't stolen. Go through the service book of the car to ensure that the vehicle has been serviced regularly. The important documents that you should obtain from the owner are the RTO tax receipt, registration certificate (RC), insurance papers and the original invoice. The car's chassis number in the RC and invoice should be the same as on the engine. If it's not, the implication is that the engine has been changed. Check the state in which the vehicle has been registered. If you plan to use it in a different state, you will have to get the registration transferred. In case of insurance, make sure that the premium has been paid regularly and the date on which the next one is due. Ask the owner if there is an outstanding loan on the car. If there is, you should ask him to repay the entire loan and obtain a no-objection certificate from the finance company before you buy the vehicle.

 5. Close the deal

As you already have a price range in mind for the car, start with the lowest figure. Since there are a lot of used cars in the market, sellers are willing to negotiate and lower their asking price by a small margin. However, you should have a valid argument about why you want the price lowered. If the seller isn't satisfied with your reasoning, increase the price a bit. This will depend on the condition of the car and the accessories used. However, don't be taken in by unimportant ones, such as mudflaps and decals.

Once you've finalised the deal, discuss the mode of payment. It is advisable to pay through a demand draft, not cash. Ensure that you get a receipt with the seller's full details, including address.

After you buy the car, the previous owner should inform the RTO with which the car was registered about the sale through a letter within 14 days. If you fall in the jurisdiction of another RTO, you will have to inform your RTO by sending a similar letter in the given period.

Source : Economic Times ,  Via :  investmentkit.com & http://rmssa.blogspot.in/