What Constitutes True Friendship Philosophy Essay

What Constitutes True Friendship Philosophy Essay Why, according to Aristotle, is the true friend such a rare area and abiding benefit. What constitutes true friendship and how is it distinguished from other forms. Why is the true friend necessary for the good life? Why is true happiness impossible without the true friend? Evaluate Aristotles argument: does his ideal of friendship continue a measure, or, if it is an impossible standard, should we toss it out as unrealistic? What then, in your view, constitutes a true friend? How does Aristotelian phillia differ from (and is similar to) Platonic eros? In his book, Aristotle has conceived an ethical theory which aims towards providing a better and more improved way of life. Like Socrates and Plato, Aristotle too believes that virtues play an essential role in order to achieve the goal of a well-lived life. However, while acknowledging this claim, Aristotle differs from the pre-requisite that of training in the sciences and meta-physics as suggested by both Socrates and Plato. Aristotle instead believes that the virtues are a product of rational, social and emotional skills. He further states that aspects such as friendship, virtue, honour, wealth and pleasure are essential for this purpose. Thus comes into play the factor of a virtuous character, who according to him aims and seeks for the good by which he refers to the highest good of happiness. Thus we desire for the best in order to live well. Living well and happiness are synonymous concepts for him. For Aristotle, human being is different from all other creatures present on this planet, and is the smartest among them all since he is the only creature that possesses the ability to reason his thoughts and hence is rational in nature. Thus he is compelled to exercise his reason with virtue so as to achieve the state of happiness. For him to be able to exercise this reason with virtue, Aristotle points out the necessity to discipline eros present within man. This disciplining begins at a young age with the acquisition of good habits. Yet the exercise of virtue in the right amount that is by means of securing the golden mean can only be achieved with the help of a true friend. Aristotle then undertakes the job of describing and defining the types of friendships that exist. He thus classified them into three categories: (1) friendship of utility: under this form of friendship, the basis is laid down on account of the utility to be derived by each individual. Thus here, the whole relation is based on sort of a precondition where a person is to be used only for the benefit of oneself. Thus one remains friends for just as long as they continue to derive their benefits from engaging in this kind of a relationship. Any individual at any point of time is not capable of managing everything on his own throughout his life. At this point he does feel the need for someone that could help him out in situations which if were to be handled alone, would turn out to be complete dead-ends. If we go to see, most of the relationships in todays world have such kind definitely present at any given point in time. Well in defence of such relationships, I would like to say that no t every individual is capable of handling everything by himself. He most certainly is not a perfect individual. He will need the help of some other individual, a person who makes up for the qualities that he lacks and thus is able to fulfil his needs. So obviously at such times, he cannot go up to a stranger to ask him for help. At such points it is absolutely necessary to have some contacts, these contacts usually are more similar to acquaintances, yet they do stand up for you. And as Aristotle has defined, the longevity of this kind of a friendship is very short as when we finish seeking utility, we no longer have any interest or rather any incentive left that provokes us to continue with this relationship. This to some extent is true because a certain individual is capable of providing only so much utility that after a point he can do nothing more. Also, it is very easy to be replaced by someone else for the same purposes, for the seeker has no real personal attachment to the per son who fulfils his utility. Hence the duration of this kind of a friendship is not long since it exists on nothing more than a give and take relationship. (2) Friendship of pleasure: this kind of friendship as well is not really different from the one that we have discussed above. The differences lie in the factors such as it (friendship) is seen to develop during the young days of any individuals life span since as we can observe, with the process of aging, one cannot derive the same pleasure that was attained at an earlier date. When we observe old people, their friendships usually have the possibility of changing their nature from that of a friendship of pleasure to friendship of utility as they have nothing to gain at their age. They are concerned about the company and help required with carrying out day to day activities as they cannot perform them the same way as before. When concerned with lovers, their pleasure is usually constrained to the youth of the body, once that has been taken away, there is nothing more that remains. Unless the people involved have grown fond of each others company, otherwise, even this kind of friendsh ip does not have a great longevity. (3) Friendship of character: This is the type of friendship that Aristotle is interested in. While talking about the friends that will help any man achieve his golden mean that would in turn lead him towards the acquisition of happiness by means of living well, he refers to the true friends who will help him in this process. He describes them as nothing like what has been described in the above two categories. In fact, the true friends maintain this relationship with each other because they enjoy each others company in the truest sense. They aim for the well-being of each other. For whatever they intend to do, their actions always aim for the best interests of their friend. He thus describes such a friendship as rare as it is permanent in nature, they are always in close proximity, and there are no selfish purposes included on part of any friend in such a friendship. He also states that there exists this very important feature of reciprocal good will that is very distinct and is spec ific only to the third category of friendship. In discussing the characteristics that help define this type of friendship, Aristotle does not deny the fact that among the other things that are fulfilled by such friends, it is very much possible that they can derive some utility in such a relationship and that the occurrence of such an event is foreseeable but he further goes on to specify that this event is justifiable only as long as while seeking utility, the friends continue to enjoy each others company. Thus according to Aristotle, all these aspects of such a friend distinguish them from the other categories. According to Aristotle, it is this friend that helps you to make the distinction between a lot of things and helps you to reason with virtue and act in accordance with it. It is this friend that helps you to obtain the clarity of thought that is required while making any decisions. Thus as Aristotle has mentioned earlier that in order to lead a well-lived life which leads us towards happiness, mans eros needs to be disciplined. This friend helps in the disciplining after the first task of acquisition of good habits has been achieved. We often find our elders mentioning quotes like one rotten apple spoils the whole barrel and advising us on the importance of keeping good friends by our side always. I think that this has a great deal of significance because once we step out of the protected boundaries of our homes, leave the ever caring and nurturing warmth of our loved ones to face the real world, our primary socializing group does not hold the same effect on the way we go on to shape our selves after this point. There is no denying that they do continue to influence us in the way we think but the level of influence begins to diminish with the growth in the amount of exposure that we continually gain with time. As human beings, we can never really run away from the influence of the people around us and hence at such a point, it becomes very crucial to stay in good company. Hence I feel Aristotle emphasises so much on the need to have a true friend in ones life. Because after all, we are constantly being groomed and guided by the people in our company and in a way we allow them to shape us and guide us in our future endeavours. I believe that every person must have noticed the change in himself over a period of time. As with time, a lot of things change around us, the most important factor among which is the situation that we are in. In this process, we do gain and lose the company of the friends that we have around us resulting from which we realise, in the abse nce of the certain people in our life, we end up reacting differently each time. Thus with this change in the people around us, we constantly allow ourselves to be motivated or affected by somebodys presence and their influence on us. I assume that as a result of this facet of life, which is a common factor for every human being despite the differences that they are born with, that Aristotle stresses on the need for this one true friend. The true friend in ones life will continue to be the one steady factor that will continue to stay constant despite all the changes and this is something that is essential. The one true friend who loves our company and believes in doing what is best for you. Part of being a part of a friendship that is true is that the two friends involved, are both good people. Thus all that they do together is virtuous in nature this why their friendship is pleasant and beneficial. And since virtue is something that is stable, this friendship can stand strong against the tides of time. For bad company has often lead people down the wrong path and looking at the fact that how easy it is to find friends that belong in the first two categories, the true friend is very much rare and an abiding benefi t. Also to add to the reasons why true friendship is rare, it takes time and effort to build a relationship and maintain it at the same time. This is not something which is possible to do with a lot of people. It is only with the selected few that such a bond can be established. Apart from the characteristics of the types of friendships that have been discussed before, there are a few more things that help distinguish true friendship from that of the other two types. One of the most obvious reasons is that the bad or the evil people cannot participate in a friendship that is long lasting owning to their nature. As according to Aristotle, the necessary component of a true friendship is that it requires the two people involved to be virtuous in nature. These bad individuals are then found to be indulging in a friendship that is based on the utility or pleasure aspect. Whereas true friends continue to maintain their bond because they are a part of it for the sake of each other and that their friendship is not obligated to any sort of qualifications or pre requisites. True friendship does not subject itself to the inequality among the two friends for it mainly rests on liking the other and not on being liked. Being liked is a pre requisite that is in place for t he other types of friendships described by Aristotle as these friendships cannot possibly tolerate any form of inequality between the friends (inequality with regards to wealth, status, virtues, etc.) as such friendships basically concentrate on being liked than liking the other. Hence friendship between such individuals is unlikely to develop or last for that matter. They mainly thrive on being liked by the one who is in the inferior position, as most individuals prefer being flattered by someone and they often regard this flattery as the confirmation of their own opinion about themselves. Thus they enjoy being liked for the sake of themselves and not for that of someone else. True friends, according to Aristotle can never engage in erroneous activities as they have each other. Whereas the bad friends only enjoy each others company as long as they can benefit from the evil habits of their friends. The friendship between such people is based on the utility of their contrary interest s and these are some more aspects that distinguish the true friends from the other types. The true friends believe in loving unconditionally rather than being loved since it is the virtue that characterizes them and as a result of this very reason that the friendship between two unequal individuals can be successful. The whole aspect of loving unconditionally added with reciprocal desire is what helps eliminate the inequality between them and helps them to become equal. They indulge in sort of a competition which is healthy in nature. Since true friends always indulge in doing things that result in acts of good will, this competition is certainly healthy in nature also for other reasons such as when friends indulge in such competitions, they do not do so for the sake of winning rather they indulge in it so as to compel their friend to succeed and excel beyond their capacities with a view to perfect themselves. They engage themselves in an act of pushing each other to their respective limits, which is reciprocal in nature, as they desire for the well-being of one another. Thus this resultant perfection gets them closer towards the ultimate goal of happiness and it is only a true friend who helps one proceed towards it. Hence the need for the true friend is advocated by Aristotle in leading a good life. To conclude, I would like to say that though Aristotle conceptions may be too idealistic in certain aspects, yet they are not completely inapplicable. Even today, in a world that is drastically different from what existed back then, the rules, characteristics and the basic mechanism put forth by him still is righteously applicable to all in some form of the other. Putting in my personal opinion, I think this text has helped me gain certain insights regarding situations in my life and I must admit that I have found answers and peace of mind that none of the other people who tried to counsel me, could provide me with.

Treating Eczema Essay -- Diseases, Disorders

Have you ever had or witnessed someone with Eczema? Well it is not fun having or experiencing this skin disease. Eczema is a chronic skin disorder that cannot be cured and causes the skin to become itchy, red, and dry, but it can be treated by dieting, home remedies, medications, and therapies. People coping with this disease try many forms of these treatments and even try to come up with some of their own treatments. Dealing with eczema can be a lifelong process for people who have it. Having Eczema, many things can cause flare ups including foods. Foods such as eggs can cause flares in younger children. â€Å"Avoiding eggs, fish, peanuts, and soy may help some people reduce flares†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Ehrlich 1). Dairy products, wheat, corn tomatoes, and citrus such as lemons and oranges can cause allergic reactions in the skin. â€Å"Eat less saturated fats (meats, especially poultry, and dairy, refined foods, and sugar. These foods contributed to inflammation in the body.† (Ehrlich 2). Beneficial foods to help with Eczema would be your fatty acids that can be essential. â€Å"In one study, people taking fish oil equal to 1.8 g of EPA (one of the omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil) had significant reduction in symptoms of eczema after 12 weeks.’ (Ehrlich 2). Other fatty acids containing oils that can help are evening primrose oil, which helps in reducing the itch of eczema, and borage oil, which helps as an anti-inflammatory; both have gamma linoleic acid containing omega-6 fatty acid. Eating salubrious can help reduce the effects of eczema on the body.†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ so eating a healthy diet may help reduce inflammation and allergic reaction.† (Ehrlich 2). Having more fresh vegetables and whole grains are better for you than preserved foods. Adding he... ...f home remedies and some people even come up with their own. Medications and therapies are available for people with eczema just asked a doctor about them or to provide information about them. Eczema is a chronic skin and causes the skin to become itchy, red, and dry, but it can be treated by dieting, home remedies, medications, and therapies. Works Cited â€Å"Eczema: What You Should Know." 01 05 2007 . Ehrlich, Steven D." Eczema." 20 09 2009 . Health, National Institutes of. "Eczema and Atopic Dermatitis". 01 02 2011 . M., B. "Eczema" Brooke Brockman. 01 2012. Vorvick, Linda J. "Atopic Eczema." 10 10 2010 .

Petrol Price Hike Effect on Business

http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=AEjXDCNww9c&feature=related Operating margins:  Ramping up diesel capacity will also require large capital expenditure. This will mean a large capital expenditure outlay, putting pressure on operating margins in the short-term. Given the tight liquidity and high interest rates in the domestic market, and a falling rupee, borrowing costs will also likely be higher whether it is in domestic or foreign currency. Unit sales:  Most Indian automakers rely heavily on petrol driven vehicles. This is particularly true of two-wheeler makers, whose entire portfolio is based on petrol engines.The new price hike could deter buyers from opting for petrol cars and two-wheelers. This will directly impact revenues and profits for automakers that have a petrol-heavy portfolio. Segment growth:  The petrol segment has already retreated by 14 per cent in fiscal 2012, while diesel car sales have grown 37 per cent. With the petrol price hike, the growth in the diesel segment is only expected to grow. Even a hike in diesel prices, which some experts are saying is likely as early as Friday, will still keep diesel cheaper than petrol.Too steep a hike in diesel will push up inflation, which the government is keen to avoid. Small car demand:  This is the only bright spot for automakers. In a situation where petrol prices are in the vicinity of Rs 80, demand for small cars will likely increase, since fuel typically accounts for about 50 per cent of running costs. Apart from space and environmental concerns, especially in urban centres, small cars are highly fuel efficient, which appeals to the highly value-   and budge-conscious Indian buyer.Small cars with diesel engines will be in even higher demand. They continue to be a worried bunch and their fears are not unfounded, for petrol getting out of reach for many people means there will be more diesel vehicles on the road in the years to come. This will have an adverse impact on the environment as diesel engine emissions are over three times more toxic than petrol. This has been collated by Centre for Science and Environment's analysis of the 2010-11 car sales data, which revealed that the demand for diesel-run SUVs has gone up.Also, 85% of petrol cars sold during the period had engine sizes smaller than 1200 cc. â€Å"We are extremely concerned about the huge petrol price hike. While fuel price reforms can help, in this case there is partial reform which is dangerous. There is already a dieselization of the car segment. â€Å"WHO and many other public health organizations have already that diesel emissions are carcinogenic. There is a really high public health risk,† said executive director, research and policy, CSE, Anumita Roychowdhury. People are buying big diesel cars, of engine size above 1500cc. They are not feeling the pinch because diesel is cheap. The subsidy on diesel is absolutely unacceptable,† she added. As of now 13 cities in the country comply w ith Bharat stage IV norms and  the rest  follow Bharat stage III norms. â€Å"The pollutants that are of major concern are particulate matter and nitrous oxide (NO2). Diesel cars are legally allowed to emit these pollutants more than petrol. In fact the legal limit NO2 for diesel cars is three times higher than for petrol cars,† explained Anumita.But the fact that diesel is more fuel efficient and gives better mileage masks the down side of increase in diesel cars. Professor L M Das of the Centre for Energy Studies, IIT Delhi says â€Å"Diesel contains more energy than petrol and the vehicle's engine combustion process is more efficient, adding up to higher fuel efficiency and lower  CO2 emissions  when using diesel. But the pollutants emitted from diesel and petrol are characteristically different. While petrol emits more carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons, diesel emits more smoke and particulate matter that have worse health impacts. Diesel is also more fuel eff icient giving out a mileage that is nearly 50% more than petrol. Dealers also agree that the demand for diesel cars has soared. â€Å"The demand for diesel cars in every segment has gone up. While demand for diesel cars has gone up by 15%, petrol car demand has dropped by 20%. Even people who are buying cars worth Rs 50 to Rs 60 lakh are opting for diesel cars. â€Å"Todsay we got many calls enquiring about diesel cars. Only people who want to buy small cars are opting for petrol cars,† said Ravinder, owner of Motosyics in Karol Bagh.Another car dealer, Sanjeev Nath Bhel owner of Rajnath automobiles in Vasant Kunj said that he has started getting calls almost every second enquiring about models of diesel cars. â€Å"There is a huge surge in the demand for diesel cars. It's also because diesel gives better mileage. People are mostly opting for middle segment diesel cars ,† he said. The negative sentiment is echoed by auto industry officials who feel the rollback notwit hstanding the current high petrol prices will have a serious impact on the auto industry and petrol car sales. Around 75 per cent of  Maruti Suzuki  sales come from petrol cars,† said Mayank Pareek, Head-Marketing, Maruti Suzuki. â€Å"Last year, due to petrol price increase, there was a drop of 15 per cent in the sale of our petrol cars. At the same time, diesel sales for the industry are growing. While diesel capacity is being over utilised, petrol car capacity remains under utilised,† he added. While companies like  Hyundai and Tata are offering discounts and special schemes  on its petrol models to stimulate demand, Maruti plans to make up for the decline in petrol car sales by increasing its diesel volumes. Last year, we sold around 2. 43 lakh units of diesel cars. This year will sell 4 lakh diesel cars, said Pareek. However, even that plan stands in jeopardy with the Finance ministry mulling an increase in the excise duty on diesel vehicles. According to f igures compiled by the government, passenger cars and SUVs account for 15 per cent of diesel consumption – a claim that has been rejected by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). The industry body says that personal cars make up for only 1 per cent of the total diesel consumption in the country while SUVs and taxis account for 5 per cent.Currently, diesel cars attract excise duty ranging from 12 per cent to 27 per cent based on their size and engine capacity. With diesel cars already commanding a higher price than petrol models (which in turn amounts to higher revenues for the state), a hike in duty will only end up reducing demand for passengers cars overall. Read more:  Duty on diesel cars may go up The negative sentiment is echoed by auto industry officials who feel the rollback notwithstanding the current high petrol prices will have a serious impact on the auto industry and petrol car sales. Around 75 per cent of  Maruti Suzuki  sales come from petrol cars,† said Mayank Pareek, Head-Marketing, Maruti Suzuki. â€Å"Last year, due to petrol price increase, there was a drop of 15 per cent in the sale of our petrol cars. At the same time, diesel sales for the industry are growing. While diesel capacity is being over utilised, petrol car capacity remains under utilised,† he added. While companies like  Hyundai and Tata are offering discounts and special schemes  on its petrol models to stimulate demand, Maruti plans to make up for the decline in petrol car sales by increasing its diesel volumes. Last year, we sold around 2. 43 lakh units of diesel cars. This year will sell 4 lakh diesel cars, said Pareek. However, even that plan stands in jeopardy with the Finance ministry mulling an increase in the excise duty on diesel vehicles. According to figures compiled by the government, passenger cars and SUVs account for 15 per cent of diesel consumption – a claim that has been rejected by Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). The industry body says that personal cars make up for only 1 per cent of the total diesel consumption in the country hile SUVs and taxis account for 5 per cent. Currently, diesel cars attract excise duty ranging from 12 per cent to 27 per cent based on their size and engine capacity. With diesel cars already commanding a higher price than petrol models (which in turn amounts to higher revenues for the state), a hike in duty will only end up reducing demand for passengers cars overall. Read more:  Duty on diesel cars may go up In the short-term, sales will be further impacted while in the long term a negative consumer sentiment will be created which can hurt the growth of the industry, he added.Expressing similar sentiments, General Motors India Vice President P Balendran said: â€Å"Earlier, the industry was expecting a growth of 8-10 per cent this fiscal but I will not be surprised if we are in the negative territory due to fuel price hike and high interes t rates as the market continues to be sluggish. † This will result in inventory pile up of  petrol  vehicles as more and more consumers will opt for diesel vehicles, he added.Describing the latest price hike as a â€Å"disaster†,  Maruti Suzuki  India Managing Executive Officer, Marketing and Sales Mayank Pareek said: â€Å"This will further increase the skew between petrol and diesel vehicle demand, which is already very wide. This will severely affect the sales of entry level cars, which are mainly petrol driven. † Last year, the petrol segment declined by 16. 2 per cent as the demand shifted to diesel vehicles. Now there will be more demand for diesel cars after the price hike but most of the manufacturers are running on full capacity for diesel vehicles, he added.Pareek said the overall impact of the price hike would further dent growth of the automobile industry. Hyundai Motor  India Ltd Director Marketing and Sales Arvind Saxena said: â€Å"Deman d is already under pressure on account of inflation and high interest rates. A hike of such magnitude is neither good for the customer nor for industry. † Passenger car sales in India witnessed the slowest growth during April in 10 years at 3. 4 per cent as customer sentiment remained low due to post-Budget price hikes and high interest rates, affecting the entry-level segment most.As per  SIAM  figures, domestic passenger car sales stood at 1, 68,351 units in April 2012 compared to 1,62,813 units in the same month last year. In the fiscal 2011-12, car sales in India grew by just 2. 19 per cent which was the slowest since 2008-09. â€Å"The company has already asked the R& D department to speed up the work, and if required, it may also go for a third party arrangement,† the source said. In the last one year, the price of petrol has gone up considerably fuelling the demand for diesel cars, which account for more than 60 per cent sales at present.Honda has no diesel v ariant in its stable, which is becoming a big disadvantage for the company. Honda Brio will become the first car to have the diesel engine followed by City and Jazz. â€Å"With the  huge surge in the price of petrol, there is a massive demand for the diesel model. We are already giving discount on our cars but it is not possible beyond a point,† a marketing official from Honda said. Honda is not the only company to advance launch of diesel cars . Renault has also advanced the unveiling of its diesel model. Even Volkswagen is looking for models that run on other fuels like CNG.Others are trying to sweeten the deal with various discounts and offers. Sale of diesel vehicles in the country jumped by 35 per cent last fiscal while that of petrol variants dropped by 15 per cent. The sale of petrol cars will see further decline with the latest hike of ` 7. 50 per litre. A day after the increase, Hyundai announced a â€Å"petrol price lock assurance programme† that will insul ate its customers from the new fuel price rise for the next seven months. The programme covers people who will buy petrol models of Eon, Santro, i10, i20, Accent and Verna till May 31. The hike of this magnitude is neither good for the industry nor customers,† Arvind Saxena, director, marketing and sales, Hyundai Motor India, said. Other automobile manufacturers have already started giving discounts and freebies on petrol models and could introduce more such offers following the hike of petrol . According to automobile body Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), there is a need for the government to reconsider its proposal for such a steep increase in the price of petrol. There is a need to seriously consider the option of a moderate increase in the price of diesel before it impacts the growth of the industry,† SIAM said. In a statement, Siam said that there is a requirement to look at the petroleum product pricing policy in a comprehensive manner and remove distortions so that downstream products market do not get disturbed. â€Å"The need of the hour is to bite the bullet by reducing the price hike on petrol and revising the price of diesel, which will bring in more revenue for the government as well as some level of parity between the two competing fuels for the industry,† SIAM said.However, manufacturers lament that they are not in a position to absorb the currency changes and mounting import bill, and have no other option but to pass on the impact to the customers. While  Toyota Kirloskar Motors  and  General Motors India  are expected to announce price hikes soon, others such as Maruti  SuzukiIndia and  Hyundai Motor  are likely to follow suit. â€Å"We have been facing cost pressures over the last few months and have decided to hike the prices. The quantum is yet to be finalised, but the hike should come into effect from June,† said Toyota Kirloskar Motors deputy MD (marketing) Sandeep Singh.General Mo tors has decided to increase prices from June 1, but is temporarily revisiting decision in the light of massive increase in petrol prices. â€Å"We are re-considering plans to increase prices from June as customers are hit by the massive increase in the prices of petrol. We do not want to create a double whammy for customers and are planning to postpone the hike till the conditions improve in the domestic market,† says General Motors vice-president (corporate affairs) P Balendran. Car companies had increased prices by up to 1. 5% to 3 in January this year, but the real impact came after 2%-5% increase in excise in the Union Budget. While most cars, including small hatchbacks, became expensive by Rs 6,000, the hike was up to Rs 5 lakh for top-end luxury segment. This resulted in overall sales falling to 168,351 units in April. Carmakers remain skeptical on market prospects with customers postponing new purchases. Country's largest carmaker, Maruti Suzuki, is too weighing its o ptions. â€Å"There are intense cost pressures with regard to import of important commodities like steel due to currency and other reasons,† said a senior Maruti executive.An analyst tracking the sector says another hike will badly hit the auto market, which is already crawling. â€Å"The market is already reeling under the price of petrol price hike, which has further dampened the sentiment after the Budget hike. Now another hike will hit the industry hard,† said a Mumbai-based analyst with a Brokerage firm. High petrol prices and weak consumer sentiment in the face of slowing economic growth dragged auto sales down in May. Car market leader Maruti Suzuki India Ltd led the decline with a 4. 3% drop in domestic sales to 89,478 units from a year earlier.Sales of Maruti’s petrol models such as WagonR, Alto and the 800, which make up a third of overall sales at the Indian subsidiary of Suzuki Motor Corp. , shrank by 29%. India’s economy grew 5. 3% in January -March, the slowest pace in nine years, data released on Thursday showed. Slowing growth has dampened consumer sentiment; high petrol prices and interest rates have deterred car buyers, who are increasingly preferring diesel models. Analysts say car sales will take a further hit in the months ahead after oil marketing companies increased the price of petrol by as much as  Rs. 7. 50 per litre on 23 May.The steep increase in fuel cost, combined with a recent increase in vehicle prices (due to rising input costs and an excise duty increase), has resulted in a 6% increase in the total cost of ownership of petrol cars over the past four-to-five months, wrote Joseph George, an analyst at IIFL Institutional Equities. â€Å"We cut our volume growth estimate for the car industry (excluding utility vehicles) from 16% to 12%. We also expect demand to further shift from petrol to diesel vehicles. † Sales at Hyundai Motor India Ltd, the second largest car maker by unit sales, rose 3% to 32,010 units in May compared with a year ago.Arvind Saxena, director of marketing and sales at Hyundai Motor India, said: â€Å"The recent hike in petrol prices has depressed market sentiment, with the macroeconomic indicators providing no cause for cheer. The demand outlook doesn’t look very bright. † Meanwhile, driven by sales of the Nano small car, passenger vehicle sales at Tata Motors Ltd rose 6% to 20,503 units compared to May 2011. The fuel efficient car billed as the world’s cheapest, contributed 41% of Tata Motors’ total sales in May. Nano sales rose 31% to 8,507 units.Utility vehicle market leader Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd kept up its strong sales momentum, posting an increase of 27% to 21,154 units in the month from a year ago. The company’s portfolio of models is predominantly diesel-fuelled, shielding it from the effect of the hike in petrol prices. Sales at General Motors India Pvt. Ltd and Ford India Pvt. Ltd dropped 27% and 14%, re spectively, to 6,079 and 6,036 units. At Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt. Ltd, sales doubled to 15,051 units, buoyed by the company’s Innova and Fortuner models and partly because of a relatively low base last year. To stave off the impact of the weakening rupee, Toyota has undertaken a 1% increase in the prices of Etios diesel and Innova and a 0. 5% increase in Fortuner and Etios Liva, diesel, with effect from 1 June. † said Sandeep Singh, deputy managing director-marketing. Albeit on a low base, sales at Nissan Motor India Pvt. Ltd, too, increased 98% to 3,138 units in May. Meanwhile, notwithstanding the sluggish sales in the overall two-wheeler market, Hero MotoCorp Ltd continued its strong sales trajectory, despatching 556,644 motorcycles and scooters—an expansion of 11. 3% over the corresponding month last year. TVS Motor Co. eported a decline of 4. 3% to 176,012 units while Suzuki Motorcycle India Pvt. Ltd, on a small base of 36,746 units, saw an increase of 21% compared to a year ago. Bajaj Auto Ltd will report its sales figures next week. The 10-company auto index on  BSE Ltd  has dropped 18. 46% in the last one month, compared to a 7. 82% drop in the benchmark Sensex. Car firms are looking at raising the  prices of their diesel variantsas rupee depreciation has led to a hike in imported input costs and they have to make up for the discounts being offered on their petrol variants, which are not selling due to high fuels costs.While Toyota has announced that it will  hike the prices of its diesel models  from one to two per cent from June 1, other companies are expected to follow suit. This will be the third price hike since January this year. Diesel cars to drive industry growth: Ford â€Å"There is tremendous pressure on auto companies and a price hike is certain. The one-two per cent hike will be effective from June. However, we have not decided the exact amount by which prices will be raised across models,† Sandeep Si ngh, deputy managing director (marketing), Toyota Kirloskar Motors, said. There are rising input costs and then the depreciating rupee also adds to import bills for parts being sourced from abroad. Auto firms can't absorb cost beyond a point,† Singh explained. However, Singh has hinted that the hike will be more on the diesel variants than the petrol models. Prices of petrol models which are still selling well may also be increased. Others such as General Motors, Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai Motors had also hinted at hike in car prices from June onwards.Most car companies are loading their petrol variants with freebies and offering discounts ranging from Rs 3,000-Rs 50,000 depending on the demand for the model. Earlier in January, car manufacturers increased prices to the tune of 1. 5 to three per cent. It was followed by a second hike of two to five per cent to compensate for the excise duty hike proposed in the Budget. However car dealers are worried. â€Å"Another round of price hike is not going to help the sector in any way. Petrol car sales are at an all-time low and only diesel models are bringing in revenue.Any further price hike will dent the prospect of sale of diesel vehicles as well,† a General Motors showroom owner in south Delhi said. Even experts say that a price hike will further dampen the sentiment and sales prospects of the auto companies. â€Å"The significant hike in petrol price has already dampened the sentiment and increasing prices of vehicles will hit demand,† said Yaresh Kothari, auto analyst, Angel Broking. The hike in petrol rate and the proposed increase in diesel vehicles will make it difficult for the industry to achieve their sales growth target of 10-12

Beowulf Is The Oldest Recorded English Poem - 898 Words

Although â€Å"Beowulf† is the oldest recorded English poem, it is amazing how it can still relate to life today. â€Å"Beowulf† is an Old English epic poem created by an unknown Anglo-Saxon author whose intention for this poem was that it be read aloud and passed down orally. In the epic â€Å"Beowulf,† it is easy to see how different the values of the Anglo-Saxons are compared to the values of our modern society when it comes to honor and value. In the epic poem, â€Å"Beowulf,† a major theme is the differences and similarities of a warrior and noble kings character, as well as how the author utilizes the qualities of the character Beowulf to embody both groups. Besides the fact that one wears a gold crown, a king and a warrior are very different when it comes to responsibility, and personal motives. In â€Å"Beowulf† a noble king is to be generous and is expected to protect their kingdom, on the other hand a warrior doesn’t protect others out of necessity but they protect others to gain fame and adoration. King Hrothgar is a marvelous example of a generous king since he provides an extravagant mead-hall for the Danes to gather and enjoy the company of one another. King Hrothgar’s decision to build the mead-hall is solely based on the goodness of his heart not the intention to get praise and adulation. Unlike a good king, a typical good warrior’s actions are based off of greed and popularity, according to author the typical mindset of an Anglo-Saxon warrior is that good deeds should be done forShow MoreRelatedEssay On Translation Of The Movie Beowulf953 Words   |  4 PagesBeowulf is the oldest surviving epic p oem in Old English literature. It is a tale as old as time, passed down through stories around the campfire, told through the ancient lips of our ancestors. There were many translations recorded as soon as writing was developed, but one was more accurate and popular than the rest. In the year 2007, the movie Beowulf was produced, and it combined many translations of the poem. There were major similarities and differences between the most accurate translationRead MoreBeowulf Is The Oldest Recorded Poem1328 Words   |  6 PagesThe epic poem, Beowulf, is the oldest recorded poem in English and at 3200 lines long, comprises roughly ten percent of the surviving poetry in Old English. Although written in this language, Beowulf focuses on the feats of the poem’s namesake Beowulf, a Geatish prince, and the invading Germanic tribes in Denmark. Understood early on in the poem, these tribes have a lengthy and powerful warrior culture; a culture heavily influenced by heroic virtues, bl ood vengeance, and paganism. Along with theseRead MoreTrace the Development of English Lit During Any One Period...as Part of Your Discussion Highlight How Significant Events in the Influence the Writing...Additionally Show How Characteristics of the Genre the Writer Uses3085 Words   |  13 PagesTrace the development of English lit during any one period...As part of your discussion highlight how significant events in the influence the writing...Additionally show how characteristics of the genre the writer uses reflects the period in which it was written. James Arthur Baldwin once stated that: know from whence you came. If you know whence you came, there are absolutely no limitations to where you can go. This quotation may apply to the span of the Anglo-Saxon period because of the coherent