How to identify notes issued prior to 2005

In an effort to completely wipe out black money from the country, the Reserve Bank of India has taken a stern measure. It has decided to withdraw all currency notes issued before 2005 from the economy. All notes with denomination Rs. 5, Rs. 10, Rs. 20, Rs. 50, Rs. 100, Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,000 comes under the ambit of this announcement.

But, with the declaration of this news, common public has gone into a haywire and is a bit confused about the use of such notes. Different questions are arising in the mind like how to identify the notes issued prior to 2005? Or How to exchange the existing currency notes that are already lying?

Reading this piece, you will be able to solve all your queries related to the currency notes issued prior to 2005

All the notes that are issued before 2005 do not have the year of issue printed on it. Take a note, turn it’s back and look at the bottom of the note. You will see the year printed on it. To make things easier for you, I have given the pic below(see the circled area) which which shows the year 2011 printed at the bottom of it. 

If you find that there is no year printed ,or the year is prior to 2005, then you need to exchange your note as soon as possible.

The next obvious question that will arise in your mind is “Where will I exchange my old currency notes?”

Do not panic, if you have a note prior to 2005. As per a press release by Reserve Bank of India – You can exchange your notes at any of the banks after 1^st April, 2014. Both the private as well as public sector banks will have a dedicated exchange where you can exchange your old currencies with the new ones. Remember, if you have a stock of old notes lying with you, make sure that you exchange them within 30^th June,2014.

What the hell !!! it happened again

So what was the result of the so called Nirbhaya Law passed by the Government of India? Did the sexual desire of the youths go down? What was the outcome of the candle light protest in India Gate? Did the Government take any stern measures? As it is, the answers to all questions is NO. It now seems like we live in a country whose other name should be the land of rapes. Sometimes, it is very disturbing to hear this kind of news. The brutal gang rape of the young journalist at Mumbai has left everyone shaken as nobody expected this type of incident in a city like Mumbai which till date was known as the safest place for girls.

Like every time the same drama followed in the aftermath of this incident. Candle light protests, ministers blaming each other and might be in the future come out with a blah blah act. Rape, nowadays has become almost like a daily routine. It was only due to the fact that this young journalist was from Mumbai and she has glared all the media attention. Who the hell cares about what is going on in other states or interior villages? It is one and the same; nothing has changed since January after the unfortunate death of the young girl Nirbhaya.

Girls are not secure in big cities and infact it is not about metro cities like Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai. It is about the paralyzed government in our country that knows only how to pass a bill or law. Who gives a damn care about what happened to the miscreant who is involved in a heinous act such as rape. These people are caught and at the end are set free. Another peculiar characteristic of our law is a minor cannot be prosecuted. It is such a disgusting thing. A crime is a crime and no one should be spared.

Imagine the kind of trauma and pain the parents of the girl would be undergoing. We are helpless. We have sisters who study at colleges and wives who work outside. What about their safety? Should women stop from steeping outside the house only with the fear for being raped? No, if such things happen then the Government has no right to survive because a government, no matter what party it is which cannot afford to offer protection to women has no right to govern.

I just want to end it by saying that incidents like this are very disturbing. We call our country Mother India. We refer her as a female. But incidents like this show how much disrespect we are showing to her.

Chennai Express Movie Review

Director: Rohit Shetty

Cast: Shahrukh Khan, Deepika Padukone

And it is the same bollywood ishtyle romantic movies where happy endings are not a new thing. Rohit Shetty starrer Chennai Express is a rom com with a tinge of South Indian tadka in it. The director has for the first time paired up with the king of romance Shah Rukh khan and Deepika Padukone after delivering an array of comedy films and one action film.

The story of the film revolves around the life of Rahul and Mennamma who meet with each other in Chennai Express and ultimately fall in love. Rahul, a 40 year old guy is bored with life and want to start a new phase of life after the death of his grandfather who unfortunately died at the age of 99. So, he is all ready to go to Rameshwaram to throw away the ashes of his grand father and after that start his business in Goa. Well, in the process of doing so he boards a train and ultimately ends up meeting a south Indian girl Meenamma who is chased by her four cousins to prevent her from eloping away in Pune so that she could avoid the marriage that her Periathali(meaning DON in tamil) father has fixed up with another Don of Khumban village.

 Shahrukh khan in his typical romantic hero style try to woo Deepika but ultimately realizes the fact that he rather needs to be really cautious as her big and huge brothers are always by her side. Trouble erupts at that time when Mennamma tells her father that she is already engaged to Rahul and they are about to get married. Niktin Dheer plays the baddie in the film who is the chosen groom by her father. And as it is in most of the Bollywood movies there is a fight in the end between the hero and villain where however tall and strong the villain is but the hero ultimately wins.

Rohit shetty has very beautifully captured the exotic beauty of the south Indian village Khumban at Tamil and has portrayed on screen beautifully. You will be mesmerized by the wonderful beauty of the place in the movie. Shahrukh khan and Deepika Padukone both do justice to their respective roles, no doubt in that. Hats off to Deepika for mastering  the Tamil accent as she proves that she is really not a Bokwas when it comes to playing roles of a different genre.

You will laugh your heart out in the first half of the film due to the funny rendition of Shahrukh’s Tamil accent but the second half of the film is equally emotional and romantic.

As far as music is concerned, Vishal-Shekhar combo has always been a hit. The foot tapping item song 1234 is wonderfully choreographed. You will feel the romance in the air with Titli and don’t leave your seat with the film is complete coz there is more to watch of the lungi dance. Through out the film, they have humorously used songs of various Bollywood films coz it is the only way through which Rahul and Mennama can communicate.

Well, if you are getting bored on a Sunday, then Chennai Express is a film you can watch with your family. If you are a film buff, then sorry it has nothing special to offer.

Vicky Donor Movie Review

Director: Shoojit Sircar

Cast: Ayushmann Khurana, Yaami Gautam, Annu Kapoor

For the very first time John Abraham goes behind the camera, does a role change and steps in to the shoes of producer with this baby (as he calls it).  The story of the film deals with sperm donation. The issue has been portrayed on screen by film maker Shoojit Sorcar in a wonderful way.  The film marks the debut of two young faces of Bollywood; Ayshman Khuaranna, who plays the role of Vicky, the protagonist of the film and south Indian film actress Yami Gautam. Yami plays the role of a bong girl Ashima Roy in the film. Kudos to Annu kapoor, who plays the role of Dr Buldev Chaddha, the infertility specialist. His natural acting makes everyone believe once again that he is just the master of his trade.

As far as the script of the film is concerned Director Shoojit Sorcar has successfully been able to showcase both Punjabi and Bengali culture in such a way that it gives the audience a knowledge of both the cultures. Dialogues of the film are intelligently written with proper usage of Bengali and Punjabi dialect. The Music of the film is done Abhishek –Akshay duo and they have done a good job making the title track of the fim peppy. Songs like Marjiyaan are a treat to the ears and brings romance in the airs. So, if you are planning for a family weekend don’t give a miss to this wonderful flick.

How Mobile Phones changed our lives

Mobile phones have become an integral part of our life today. Just as the three basic necessities of life Mobile is soon going to be counted as the fourth basic necessity. Imagine you are out one day without your mobile phone and you will very soon find yourself in no man’s land. We can say “Mobile phones have made communications more mobile”.

Ten years ago, in India one had to depend on the landlines or the local STD, ISD booths to make a call, visit the cybercafés to get access to internet. But today, you get all these features in a mobile phone. Booking movie tickets, checking emails, performing banking transactions, tracking the location of a particular place, listening to music, clicking pictures, shooting videos, chatting with friends all these are available in this small gadget. So, in a way mobile phones have proved to be a blessing in the life of human beings.

But inspite of the plethora of benefits, mobile phones have got its demerits. Speaking in mobile phones for more than 18 hours a day effects the brain cells which could lead to life threatening diseases like brain cancer. It can also lead to temporary hearing loss. Prolonged exposure to mobile phones during pregnancy may cause behavioural problems in the child. Another stunning fact about mobile phones is that the electronic magnetic radiation released from the mobile phone damages the eggs and embryos of the bird.

We cannot deny the fact that mobile phones have brought positive changes in one’s life thereby making communication easier but we must be aware and always remember that excessive usage of mobile phones can take a toll on our health.