Page 1 of 26 Private Circulation for LIC Pensioners only

( A monthly e - Magazine of LIC Retired Class I Officers’ Association, Kolkata )

JANUARY,2018 51st Issue

Chief Editor : Sudarsan Basu

Editorial Board : Dilip Kr Ghosh Subir Kr Mazumder Amar Kr Goswami Subrata Kr Ghosh

IN THIS ISSUE:

Editorial…………………..2 Federation News..…..3 Financial News……..…8 Association News….. 9 Of Interest : …… . ……… 9

. Humour …. …...... 13 Tourism………………...14 The River…………….…18 Mediclaim Circular..20 Health Guide………...21 Pensioners’ Tour..…23 EASTERN NEWS Price index ……………24 Member’s Photo…..25 WISHES Readers”view…..…..25 ALL THE READERS About magazine…….26

A VERY HAPPY & PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR

Page 2 of 26

JANUARY,2018 51st Issue

EDITORIAL :

When we look forward we actually look backward.

We all wish that the new dawn of the new year 2018 will bring some hope of relief for the Pensioners in LIC. The DA anomaly will no longer exist in 2018. Pension up- gradation will be a reality for us. The financial miseries to which LIC pensioners, particularly very senior pensioners, are subjected to will be a matter of the past and they will regain their respect in the family as well as in the society. Their regular medical expense for self and spouse will not depend on the mercy of their relatives and friends. They will not have to hide their distress by compromising personal requirements in view of the depleting funds. And above all the mental agony these retirees face day in and day out will finally come to an end.

But then the memory of what we got in the past come to our mind. The Legal battle for getting our just demand moves from one Court to the other – once from lower court to higher court and then again from higher court to lower court. We get confused about justice. The Court was convinced and ordered interim relief without specifying the quantum of relief. Out of the two distinct prayers of the retired employees of LIC whether the court considered any one or both requiring relief was not clear and this gave rise to an actionable situation compelling retirees to run to the court for justice. As a lay man we sometimes get confused why a lower court goes beyond its terms of reference set by the apex court and argues on issues beyond the purview. Also why the same court sets norms when apex court opined that nothing can be decided unless parliament amends the laws. We are more confused to see when instead of judicial relief afforded by our constitution, we get financial relief which was not prayed for at all. God knows how long the controversy at the cost of toil, time and money will have to be tolerated by LIC pensioners some of whom are gradually are leaving this world after looking forward to the seat of justice in vain for decades?

We also cannot forget the memory of fights among pensioner leaders to grab the limelight to become the father of success in legal battles. We have seen how some of them were totally confused, just like us, in understanding the Court verdicts. It is nice that some of them have gone missing for quite some time or are involving themselves in religious activities, just like a common pensioner who pray for some good news from the courts in lieu of trying to understand what is the process of justice in our case. LIC pensioners do not have any choice since no other method give them the opportunity to at least pray for a dawn which will bring some good news for them.

So we must continue to fight the legal battle, not for the benefit of so called leaders, but for our own reason to hope for a day when the bright morning sunlight will bring some Good News for all of us- during our lifetime. Let us hope the new year 2018 has in store that day for us.

Page 3 of 26 Federation News:

NEW ALL COMMITTEE 2017-2019

PRESIDENT N.P BALI MUMBAI VICE PRESIDENT D.M. PATHAK MUMBAI P.P.DHAMIJA DELHI T.J.SIMON THRISSUR GENERAL SECRETARY D.KRISHNAN CHENNAI JT.SECRETARIES H.M.SHAH MUMBAI SUBIR KR.MAJUMDER KOLKATA R.K.KHANNA DELHI A.V.PRAVAKARAN NAIR THIRUVANTHAPURAM S.K.AWASTHI LUCHNOW TREASURER R.M.DALAL MUMBAI HON. AUDITOR R.B.L VAISH MUMBAI E.C.MEMBERS T.K.RAVINDRAN BENGALURU T.K.S NARAYANAN BENGALURU (TO BE INTIMATED) NASHIK V.R KRISHNAN CHENNAI R.N.BHARDWAJ DELHI A.V.RAMANI COIMBATORE P.BABU ERNAKULAM DILIP KR.GHOSH KOLKATA B.P.RAO DHARWAD G.P.PANDEY KANPUR A.V.SAWANT MUMBAI G.N.PANDA ODISHA PRAMOD KUMAR LUCHNOW GEORGE T PUNNOSE THIRUVANTHAPURAM T.S.SASI KUMAR ERNAKULAM

SPL. INVITEES TO EC T.CHATTOPADHYAY KOLKATA BIRENDRA KUMAR DAS GUWAHATI M.ARUNACHALAM CHENNAI K.V.JHON KOTTAYAM O.P.VASHISHTH GURUGRAM LEGAL COMMITTEE G.N SRIDHARAN CHENNAI (CHAIRMAM) V.K.JAIN DELHI M. ARUNACHALAM CHENNAI R RAJAGOPALAN BENGALURU BASUDEB DAS KOLKATA

OUR CASES ARE LISTED IN SC IN COURT NO. 4 ON 10.01.2018 AT ITEM NO. 49

Page 4 of 26

SRI DEVARANJAN KRISHNAN NEW FEDERATION GENERAL SECRETARY,

Sri Krishnan Joined LIC in 1969 as a Direct Recruit Officer of the 9th Batch, along with sri Dilip Chakraborty and 21 others. He moved up in career over the years and saw postings as Divl Mgr in places like Ernakulam, Kottayam, Lucknow etc before coming to Chennai as RM Housing Finance. He spent 8 years in LIC HFL , moving up to the level of Chief Executive (ED). Returned back to Parent Organisation LIC in 2004 where he was ED HRD, ED CC, and finally ED OD/HRD & Corporate Planning, before Retiring in Aug 2006.

While Sri Krishnan was Mgr Planning at Jamshedpur in 1986, he was in the Negotiating Committee of the Federation along with Sri O P Vasisht and Dilip Chakraborty. After Retirement he remained in Mumbai for a short period of 2 years working with Reliance Life Insce co as a Senior Consultant. He was member of the Mumbai Retd Officers' Assn. from 2006 to 2009. After settling In Chennai he was Vice President of the Chennai Retd Officers' Assn and continue to hold that position..

Eastern News wish him all success! 9TH General Council meeting of the Federation: The 9th General council meeting of Federation of Retired LIC class-I officers' Associations was held at Hotel Ram Krishna, Vile Parle (E), Mumbai on 8th Dec'17.

S/Sri Dilip Kumar Ghosh, Basudeb Das, Amar Kumar Goswami, and Subir Kumar Mazumder represented Kolkata. Sri Tapasendra Chattopadhyay could not attend because of his being away from the country.

The meeting started with Sri NP Bali, President of the Association, in the chair. He, in his address to the House, welcomed the delegates and set the tone of the business to organisational expansion, steering court cases, and financial strength of Federation. Also, he narrated the activities of the Federation during the period since 8th General Council meeting at Bangalore in December’15.

The report of the General Secretary was placed before the house by the outgoing General Secretary, Sri GN Sridharan.

Sri R Rajagopalan initiated the discussion on the report followed by seventeen others representing different affiliated units. Sri Dilip Kumar Ghosh Sri Subir Kumar Mazumder spoke on behalf of Kolkata. Clarification was, also, sought on our prayer before the SC Bench on Interim relief. It was replied by the General Secretary that neither our Counsel nor the Hon’ble Page 5 of 26 judges did specify the Interim relief. The report was passed after some modifications, suggested by the participants in the discussion.

The accounts, placed by the treasurer, was passed unanimously after some clarifications offered by the treasurer. The House, thereafter, decided to request Sri RBL Vaish to undertake the job of Auditor. Resolutions concerning the retired employees were adopted including one, sponsored by, Kolkata Association. Two resolutions from Delhi and Bangalore concerning structural changes in the bylaws of the Federation were kept suspended till subsequent meeting of the Federation.

The General Council decided that affiliated Associations may accord associate membership to spouses of the deceased members.

The executive committee of the Federation was elected unanimously with Sri NP Bali as President and Sri D Krishnan as the General Secretary.

Earlier, Sri GN Sridharan announced his decision of stepping down from the chair of the General Secretary.

Sri Subir Kumar Mazumder was elected as Joint secretary and Dilip Kumar Ghosh was elected as EC member. Sri Tapasendra Chattopadhyay, President of our Kolkata Association, was elected as a Special Invitee to the Executive committee.

The Legal Committee of the Federation was constituted with Sri Basudeb Das as a member..

Resolution, proposed by Kolkata association, adopted by the Federation of Retired LIC Class-I officers’ Associations General Council meeting held at Mumbai on 8th December’17 This House is of the opinion that during the last few years, resolutions were adopted in the meetings of General council and Executive Committee on issues directly affecting the LIC retired employees in general and retired Class-I officers in particular for actions to be undertaken for redressal. The issues were:- a) Pension re-fixation for those who retired as Class-I officer between 01/08/1992 and 31/03/1993. b) Pension re-fixation for those whose dates of births fell on the first day of a month. c) Improvement of Family pension in line with Central Government family pension. d) Option to join Group Medi-claim for those who could not join or renew Medi- claim earlier. f) Subsidy in Medi-claim premium be raised up to a reasonable level. g) Reimbursement of domiciliary medical expenses. h) Revision of Dearness relief at every quarter. It is observed that the resolutions are adopted as a matter of routine and are shelved for hibernation till the next meeting when the issues are again brought alive for adopting fresh resolutions almost at the end of the meeting. Page 6 of 26 This House, therefore, decides to urge upon the General Secretary to initiate suitable meaningful actions with relentless follow up with the appropriate authorities and to keep the affiliated units informed of the developments at regular periodical intervals. This House further decides to include two more item to the pending demands for follow up:- ** Preventive Health Check-up at some intervals like in-service employees. ** Another option for inclusion as Pensioner for both in-service and retired employees. Dated at Mumbai the 8th day of December’2017.

Proposed By: Sri Subir Kumar Mazumder. Seconded By: Sri Dilip Kumar Ghosh.

Sri GN Sridharan, the out-going General Secretary,

Sri GN Sridharan relinquished the Chair of the General Secretary of the Federation of Retired LIC Class-I Officers’ Associations on 8th of December’2017 during the 9th General Council meeting of the Federation at Mumbai. Sri Sridharan served as the leader and General secretary of the Class-I officers (in-service) for eighteen years and the retired officers thereafter for nearly a decade with glory. He has proved himself to be a leader without any parallel. He has been one of the main architects in formation of retired LIC Class-I Officers’ Associations in about nineteen centers sharing the shoulders with Sri Nerurkar and Late Arabinda Ghosh.

He utilized his vast experience and Knowledge of the problems relating to the in-service Class-I Officers and retired Class-I Officers Class in formations and steering the Associations for many achievements.

Despite his age, his spirit and enthusiasm were the driving forces in running the Federation till the last day in the Chair. But the delegates to the General Council meeting felt that every human being has its limitation and we should not be inconsiderate any more in thrusting the responsibility upon the shoulder of a person who has, already, been overburdened. It is the high time to relieve him. But Sridharanji is a leader of class and he cannot remain as a passive onlooker to the happenings around. We are confident that he will provide the new leadership with necessary guidance to move forward in the right direction.

A big salute to our beloved Sridharanji FROM Eastern News. We wish him a long active life with good health.

Our General Secretary writes to Sri D Krishnan, General Secretarym Federation of Retired LIC Class-I Officers’ Associations

Respected Krishnan Saab,

Please accept the wholehearted congratulation from all the members of the Kolkata Association for your election as General Secretary of the Federation for the period 2017-19. We offer our sincere support to you on any matter, required in the interest of the organisation, at any point of time. We are confident, under your leadership the Federation will march ahead negotiating all situations with better understanding within the organisation.

May we be permitted to place before you few suggestions. While reconstituting the Legal Sub- committee kindly keep in mind the great contribution of Shri GN Sridharan, our ex-GS in this field. We Page 7 of 26 shall be very happy if he is included in the said Sub-committee. Besides, Sri Basudeb Das, being a legal man, also contributed considerably in this field and hence merits inclusion in the Legal Sub-committee. We are not making any comment on other obvious choices.

Needless to mention at this stage that a designated member at Delhi and one at Mumbai will strengthen your hands in establishing rapport with Central Government Sr Officials and Ministers as well as with LIC Management. The expectation of the General Members of various Associations of retired employees in LIC, in general, will be too high from you and we are confident they will have no reason to be disheartened.

Best wishes to you and your family.

Regards. Dilip Kumar Ghosh General Secretary LIC RETIRED CLASS-I OFFICERS' ASSOCIATION KOLKATA,

Our Federeation General Secretary Writes to ED (P) on Medi-Claim Dear Sri Sharad Srivastav,

What a pleasure it is for me to greet you, first time, after you assumed your present position as Director Personnel! incidentally, I have also been entrusted with the position of Gen Secretary of the Retd Class I Officers' Federation, in the recently concluded Gen Council Meeting held in Mumbai on the 8th of Dec ,2017. I hesitated, because we had a veteran like Sri G N Sridharan occupying the post for 10 years now. Any way it has happened and I am fortunate to find you, my good old colleague and friend, in that critical seat. Not that I will take undue advantage of that fact, but just sharing a thought of comfort as I start out.

I must thank you for the gesture of increasing the Basic Mediclaim Insurance Cover, revising the Slabs reaching upto 10 lakhs. This really takes care of the changes that have come in the medical field of increasing rates for in-patient Treatment. Arising out of this happy change, there is likely to be an advantage to our Retired Officers in terms of a reduced Premium burden, upto the increased slabs. This then might make people think of raising their optional Family Floater cover , which was recently revised, going upto 50 lakhs. But then the last date for exercising the option on that, closed with 30th of Nov. Can this option be now re-opened , say, till end of Jan 2018 ? I would request you to seriously try for this concession , which would be in the interests of the Retired Officers primarily, and also in the interest of the Insurer as he would gather more Premium from the group.

There are yet other issues which merit consideration from your side. I shall bring them up before you in due course.

Please do feel free to talk/write to me when time permits. Wishing you and Family a very Happy New Year; Thanks and Regards

D.Krishnan. 27-12-2017

Page 8 of 26 FINANCIAL NEWS:

Effective Interest rates in Small Savings Schemes on and from 1st January’2018

Scheme Rate of interest Rate of Interest w.e.f.01.10.2017 w.e.f.01.01.2018 1 2 3 Savings Deposit 4.00 4.00 1 Year Time Deposit 6.80 6.60 2 Years Time Deposit 6.90 6.70 3 Years Time Deposit 7.10 6.90 5 Years Time Deposit 7.60 7.40 5 Years Recurring Deposit 7.10 6.90 5 Years SCSS 8.30 8.30 5 Years MIS 7.50 7.30 5 Years NSC 7.80 7.60 PPF 7.80 7.60 Kisan Vikas Patra 7.5 will mature in 7.3 will mature in 118 115 months months Sukanya Samriddhi Account 8.30 8.10 Scheme

Latest News

Federation Leadership based in Chennai together with R Rajagopalan from Bangalore met in Chennai on 23rd December’17 discussed issues relating to the strategies to be adopted for 10th Day of January when the Supreme court will hear the SLPs. During the course of discussions Sri Basudeb Das and Sri VK Jain from Kolkata and Delhi respectively were contacted over telephone and were appraised of the decisions. Sri V K Jain was entrusted on this matter to take the initiative in co-ordinating with our counsel Sri Garg to ensure that Federation is appropriately represented for the Hearing due on that day as general feeling in the 23 rd meeting was that not much was expected to happen on that day and for that reason some of the other Legal committee members and the Gen Secretary would not undertake journeys to Delhi for being present there on that day. Besides Sri Jain, S/Sri P P Dhamija, R Khanna and OP Vasisth have been requested to manage the case on that day and thereafter our case keeping in touch with Sri Garg, The other important aspect discussed related to Filing an Interlocutary Application to the SC making a specific Prayer for Interim Relief for both the Pre 97 Retirees as also post 97 Retirees based on the Revision of Pension which was one of our principal demands . Sri VK Jain informed later that he had a conversation with Sri Garg, our Adv on Record, and he felt that while we may keep our Draft of I A ready, we may wait till LIC filed its Counter Affidavit. He also made mention that Sri Garg felt that our Sr Counsel need not make an appearance this time. Page 9 of 26 The meeting, also, discussed about the initiatives in bringing back Hyderabad Association in the Federation together with Panchkula unit. Sri Krishnan had a conversation with BR Mehta in this connection.

Sad Demise

With profound grief we intimate death of our member Tapas Kumar Dutta and pay our respect to the departed soul.

ASSOCIATION NEWS:

PICNIC PICNIC PICNIC PICNIC PICNIC PICNIC ON 24-12-2017

The long wait came to an end with the sunrise of the 24th December'17. We woke up early in a haste to reach the venue of our gathering at Bidhan Sishu uddyan in time on the occasion of annual get-together of LIC Retired class-I officers' Association members and their family members/friends.

The day long programme started with hot peas Kachuri with delicious vegetable curry and famous mouthwatering Joynagarer Moa followed by hot steaming tea.

Ninety eight members and their family members/friends joined this festive get-together.

It was noticed that many familier faces were missing while many new faces joined. The changes in the composition of the gathering over the years reminds us of the inevitylity.

The programme went on with some sports items of fun, songs, recitation, dance by children till lunch break with intervening chicken and cauliflower pakoras with coffee.

The lunch was sumptuous with delicious vegetable and non-vegetarian items with Nolen gurer rosogolla.

Cultural programme continued even after lunch followed by popular passing ball game for ladies. The programme was over at about 5 pm with giving away of prizes.

It was a day of enjoyment with fun, meeting the dear colleagues of yesteryears. Every participant left for home with expectations of meeting again in 2018 get-together joyfully after favourable conclusion of litigation on our pension.

We heartily welcome Smt Minati Dewan, Sri Prakash Roy, and Sri Nemai Pyne as our members of Association . They joined our Association in the month of December, 2017.

OF INTEREST:

How to Recall WhatsApp Messages (Guide) The most widely-used messaging platform, WhatsApp has taken another step towards the improvement of your conversation experience. It has introduced a message recall feature, Page 10 of 26 called Delete for Everyone, to make it easier for you to prevent the recipient from reading your wrongly sent messages. You now have the option to delete the messages in the chat window, not only for yourself but also the recipient of these messages. So, let us see how you can save yourself and delete messages you didn’t intend to send to someone.

Use ‘Delete for Everyone’ Feature in WhatsApp Let’s assume you wrongly sent a text message to someone on WhatsApp and you’ve come to the realization that it was not meant for them. No worries. Here are the steps you need to follow to delete the message for everyone in a conversation, be it an individual or group chat: 1. Open the chat window and long-press the wrongly sent messages to select them. You will now see a familiar set of buttons at the top of the chat window. Tap the “delete” button to open its pop-up window, where you’ll select the “Delete for Everyone” option to retract your sent messages. 2. In doing so, the text within the message bubble on WhatsApp is replaced with a “This message was deleted” for the recipient. And you’ll see a “You deleted this message” tag on your screen. 3. If you want to delete messages just for yourself, you can do so by tapping the “Delete for Me” button in the same pop-up window. With the ability to delete sent messages for everyone, you can now save yourself from the embarrassment of sending messages to the person it wasn’t intended for. Things To Know About the Recall Feature in WhatApp You may have already learned about the working of the ‘Delete for Everyone’ feature but there are several other pointers you should keep in mind before trying to send and recall any message: 1. WhatsApp is not giving you complete freedom to delete messages for everyone at any time. You only have 7 minutes after sending the message to take action and choose the Delete for Everyone option. Once the said time frame is complete, you can no longer recall sent messages. 2. The most important thing being that ‘Delete for Everyone’ will only work when the recipient is using the latest version of WhatsApp, which supports the said feature. 3. The message recall feature will not only work for text messages but is also said to be compatible with images, GIFs, voice notes, contact cards, location, documents, status replies, and more. Also, the messages work in both group chats and individual chats. There is currently no support for recalling quoted messages. = 4. The Delete for Everyone action will also make message notifications disappear. You don’t have to worry about recipients reading your texts even in the notifications. They will be replaced with the same ‘This message was deleted’ tag. 5. The message recall feature is not available for messages sent in broadcast lists. 6. The message recalling feature is rolling out to iOS, Android, and Windows users. This means your recalling requests for messages sent to Symbian phones and BlackBerry phones won’t work, so you’ll need to be careful not to send them messages mistakenly. WhatsApp’s fiercest competitor Telegram has had the recalling feature for months but its implementation is a little different. When you delete sent messages to your recipient on Telegram, all the selected messages just vanish from the conversation. The same is not the case with WhatsApp, as you may have read above. Page 11 of 26 I’m personally not a huge fan of Telegram’s implementation since it leaves no trace of sent messages in the chat window, for both the sender and recipient. I believe the replacement of the sent messages with a “deleted message” tag is important as it, at least, assures the recipient that some message(s) were sent to them. This is not possible on Telegram, which could be because of its heavy focus on user privacy. Recall WhatsApp Messages With Ease We had been anticipating the release of the message recall feature for months and it seems WhatsApp has finally delivered. It will make it easy to cover up your mistake while securing the message contents from being read by the wrong person. The recall feature is rolling out quite slowly and is available to select users. You can expect the Delete for Everyone feature to make its way to every WhatsApp user within a couple days. If you’ve already received the Delete for Everyone feature, do let us know in the comments section down below. Why you should include your spouse in financial decisions (Source An article by Dwaipayan Bose in ADVISOR KHOJ Dt 29/12/2017) India is still largely a patriarchal society and financial decisions in families are almost an exclusive domain for men only. Percentage of women in the Indian workforce is only 27%; taking care of the family is seen as the main responsibility of women in our country. In households where women are involved in some kind of financial decisions, the decisions are primarily related to property purchase (where women’s choices are given importance) and in life insurance (so that the wife is aware to make a claim in the event of an unfortunate death of husband). However, as far as, investment decision making is concerned, I have seen that in almost all families, it is the men who make the decisions. Basic Mistakes and Problems Forget investment decisions, some families do not involve women even in the investment process. This is the most basic mistake which families make. For some reason, if an investor wants to redeem his singly held mutual fund investment but he is physically not present to execute the transaction, either because he is travelling or incapacitated due to illness, his family has to wait till his return before they are able to draw the money. It is always prudent to execute mutual fund investment transactions jointly with your spouse, in the “either or survivor” mode, so that, at least one member of the family can execute redemptions in the absence of the other. If wives are not involved in their husband’s investments, they may not even be aware of all the investments their husbands have made. In most cases, there is not a single report that summarizes all the investments made by a family. In the event of an untimely deathof the husband in situations like these, the investor’s family cannot claim monies and face financial difficulties. Even if your wife is aware of all the investments that you have made, but if she is not KYC compliant (e.g. no PAN card), she will first have to fulfil the KYC requirements before claiming the money. This is of course contingent on you naming your wife as your nominee or as guardian of minor children nominees. If you do not have any nominees in your mutual fund investments, then your family has to go through a slightly complex time consuming legal procedure (which may include visiting the court). We have discussed some of the most basic problems, if you do not involve your spouse in investment process. Hopefully, most of our readers have not made these mistakes and, if they have, they should rectify it at the earliest, in order to avoid hassles to their families in difficult situations. Apart from the basic problems that we have discussed so far, there are a number of benefits of including your spouse in your investment decisions. Men and women have complementary strengths with regards to investment attitudes, temperament and risk taking attributes, which can lead to superior decision making as far as investments are concerned. Attitude towards risk Page 12 of 26 Some behavioural finance studies have shown thatwomen are more risk averse than men, while there are other studies which disprove the conclusion of the studies which show women are more risk averse. Without debating whether women are more risk averse than men or not (I clearly do not have enough evidence to suggest either), what I have observed is, that risk attitudes differ between men and women. I have noticed that, women are more cautious towards risks. There are cultural and economic reasons for a cautious attitude to financial risks. Culturally women are a more vulnerable part of our society in India and it is quite natural that they will be cautious. From an economic standpoint, as well, women face more risks than men. A large percentage of women in our country are financially dependent on their husbands and fathers. Obviously the financial risks faced by these women are higher if something were to happen to the principal earning member of the family. Even working women have a more cautious approach towards risks, especially if they are single mothers, because working women on an average tend to earn less than men in similar jobs. Men on the other hand can take more risks, because even if something goes wrong with their investment, they have income from their profession or business to fall back on. While excessive risk taking is harmful towards your financial interests, excessive risk aversion is also detrimental towards long term goals. Husbands and wives should both educate themselves about investments and work together on planning their personal finances. By working together as a team they can make their differing risk taking attitudes a complementary strength and make better investment decisions for their families’ short term, medium term and long term goals. Investment temperament Studies in the United States have shown that, financially educated women have better investment temperament than men. Investment portfolios of women have given 1% higher annualized than those of men, as per one of these studies. While 1% higher returns may not seem high, over 15 – 20 year investment period it can result in significant difference in the accumulated corpus. Men tend to be more erratic than women in their investment behaviour. Men tend to churn their stocks and mutual fund portfolios more often. Women, on the other hand, are more disciplined in investing. They tend to be more patient and churn their portfolios less. Excessive portfolio churning, more often than not, leads to sub-optimal performance. I have observed that, men exhibit herd mentality more than women in cultural, political and financial opinions. Men are more likely to be influenced by friends and co-workers in investment decision making compared to women. Women are more focused on their individual and families’ interests. Investment decisions made by women are based on their individual and families’ needs rather than the “in thing” or the latest trend in the market. Investment decisions made by financially educated women are better researched compared to those made by their male counterparts. Men are more interested in financial markets and products compared to women. This may be due to lack of investment awareness in women and their exclusion from financial decision making. However, I have seen even highly educated and professionally successful women displaying lack of interest in financial markets and products compared to men in the work-place. The financial services industry is evolving on a constant basis with new and better products being offered. Lack of awareness may prevent women from making the best investment decisions. Again we would like to reiterate that, husbands and wives should work together as team. A husband’s weakness in investment temperament may be the wife’s strength and vice versa. By working together they will eliminate weaknesses and fortify their strengths. Page 13 of 26 Family is team In modern day corporate culture, lot of emphasis is given to team work and team building. However, you should realize that your family is the most important team. In a business organization, the team with very engaged members creates the highest shareholder value. Similarly, if all the members of your family are engaged in working towards financial goals, you will get the best results. Women usually manage the household expenses and are able to find savings which men cannot. Studies have shown that, a single working woman is able to save a bigger percentage of her income compared to a single working man. If you share with your wife a unified financial goal for the family and involve her in investment decisions, she may be able to squeeze out some extra savings from her monthly budget and this will go a long way towards your financial goals. She will also be able to help you make better investment decisions. Women should also take more interest in financial matters of the family and not get lulled into a sense of financial comfort by their husbands. The world we are living in today is very dynamic and situations can change dramatically in a short period of time. Role of Financial Advisors Based on my experience, financial advisors tend to work with the principal investor (usually a male) of the family. They tend to exclude their client’s spouses in investment discussion. While some financial advisors may think that this is more efficient, it is not necessarily the right thing to do. By including client’s spouses, you will be able to better understand the financial needs of the family and make your advice more effective. I have also seen that, when spouses are not included in the client / advisor relationship, trust is not built between the advisor and client’s spouse; as a result, on the death of the principal client, the spouse severs relationship with the financial advisor. If you build a good working relationship with your client’s spouse, she will not only continue the relationship even after the death of her husband, but also help you build relationships with her children who can be your prospective clients. Conclusion In this post, we have discussed why it is intelligent to include your spouse in investment decisions. Men and women have complementary investment attitudes and qualities; by working together as a team you will be able to achieve more investment success. Women should take more interest in financial matters and men should try to facilitate their spouse’s financial education. Last but not the least; women are also mothers and financially intelligent women who will be able to impart that intelligence to their children.

HUMOUR:

NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS AS USUAL EVERY NEW YEAR DAY SINCE 2009

QUIT SMOKING START EXCERSISE KEEP CLEAN AROUND HOME STOP WASTE OF FOOD KEEP ELECTRIC BILL LOW

AND NEW ADDITION OF 2018 CONTINUE TO PRACTICE THE RESOLUTIONS EVEN AFTER JANUARY,2018 Page 14 of 26

TOURISM : Puri and Other Places of Tourist Interest.

An important place of Hindu pilgrimage, Puri features a wealth of holy and historic sites that draw in believers and tourists alike. The temple in the center of town influences many aspects of daily life in Puri, with the economy largely dependent on its international appeal and its centrality to a number of religious festivals year-round. Puri’s famous Jagannath temple is a very important place for Hindu devotees. It is one of the Char Dham pilgrimages in India. It was built in the 12th century during the era of the Eastern Ganga dynasty’s King Anantavarman Chodaganga Deva. The temple is famous for the annual Ratha Yatra or Chariot festival. This is a sacred place for Hindus, especially the Vaishnava traditions. Saints Adi Shankaracharya, Ramananda and Ramanuja were associated with the temple. All across the world millions of devotees come to this temple to seek blessings of Lord Jagannath throughout the year.

The famous temple has some mysteries. The devotees believe the unexplained mysteries are blessings of Lord Jagannath. So, before you go through the facts of the temple you need to keep your scientific brain aside. The flag on top of the Sikhara of the temple always floats in opposite direction of the wind. Everyday a priest climbs the dome of the temple without any aid and changes the flag. This ritual has been continuing since 1800 years. The ritual says if it is not changed any day, the temple must be shut for the next 18 years. The Sudarshan Chakra, at the top of the temple, is 20 feet in height and weights a ton. The installation of the Chakra is also interesting. It had done in such a way that you can feel the Chakra is facing towards you irrespective of your position. The engineering technique behind the installation is still a secret, how the Chakra was brought all the way and installed on the gopuram. The engineering structure of the temple was so unique that the shadow of the main dome cannot be observed at any time. In any place on earth, the wind from sea comes to the land at the daytime and at the evening it blows from land towards the sea. But in Puri the opposite occurs. Birds or planes do not fly above the temple. 2,000 to 20,000 devotees visiting the temple depending on the day but the quantity of the Prasadam cooked in the temple remains same throughout the year. None of the day it goes insufficient or wasted. The Prasadam is cooked in earthen pots on the firewoods. Exactly 7 pots are put on top of another. The mystery is the top most pot gets cooked first followed by the bottom pot in order. Page 15 of 26

The Singhadwaram There are four doors of the Jagannath temple. Singhadwaram is the main door to enter the temple. When you enter the first step of the Singhadwaram you cannot hear the sounds of the wave from the sea but when you turn and walk back outside you can hear the wave sound. Jagannath Temple: There are a number old works in Sanskrit which sing the glories of Odisha in general and of Puri in particular. A passage is frequently quoted from the Rig Veda and explained in the light of the well-known commentary of Sayana to show that the history of Jagannatha dates back to the age of the Rig Veda itself. The Puranas (Voluminous works in Sanskrit containing accounts of ancient Indian history, culture, mythology, philosophy, religion, etc.) present elaborate accounts pertaining to the origin of Jagannatha in an atmosphere of mystery and divine inspiration. Prominent among the Puranas are the Skanda Purana, the Brahma Purana and the Narada Purana. The Pandavas of the Mahabharata are believed to have come here and offered worship to Jagannatha. Historically speaking, the antiquity of Jagannatha can be taken to the second century B.C.when Kharavela was the emperor of Kalinga (the ancient name of Odisha). There is the mention of one Jinasana in the historic Hatigumpha inscription of the emperor on the top of Udayagiri hills near Bhubaneswar and though it clearly speaks of a Jaina deity, it is often identified with Jagannatha. But reliable materials in historical form are available from the 9th century A.D. when Sankaracarya visited Puri and founded the Govardhana Matha as the eastern dhama of India. The place where each one of the four Mathas has been established by Sankara is known by the celebrated name of dhama which literally means, a sacred place. Puri is the dhama of eastern India. It is the traditional belief that a Hindu should visit these four dhamas at least once in his life and the prevailing practice is that, after visiting the other three dhamas, one must visit Puri dhama. The records maintained by the Pandas in the Puri temple contain reliable materials to show that for centuries past, people from the whole of India have been visiting Puri in course of their pilgrimage.

The main temple in Puri is surrounded by about 30 temples, small and big. Even today, the pilgrims are generally advised by the Pandas to visit and offer worship in almost all these temples before they are taken to the Jagamohana or the porch to see the presiding deities in the sanctum sanctorum.

Jagannatha is not the only deity worshipped in the temple,

though it is known as the 'Jagannatha Temple'. But along with Jagannatha, two others namely, Balabhadra, and Subhadra are also worshipped here. These three, constitute the basic and Page 16 of 26 fundamental Trinity and are considered to be the forms and manifestations of the omni-present, omni-scient and omni-potent supreme power. Sudarsan who is supposed to be the fourth important divine manifestation is also worshipped with the celebrated trio and these four are known as the Caturdha murti or the four-fold divine images. Besides, Madhava, a replica of Jagannatha, Sridevi and Bhudevi are also installed in the sanctum sanctorum and worshipped.

Other Places to Visit between Puri and Bhubaneswar:

Sea Beach Puri Beaches of Orissa are represented by a long Coastline of Bay of Bengal with golden sand, deep blue sea and pleasant climate. The state of Orissa has a coastline of 480 km, due to its location it offers one of the most dynamic coastal environments and beautiful beaches. Most exquisite beaches of Odisha are Puri and Chandipur Beach along with Konark Beaches,Talasari Beach and Chandrabhaga Beach.

Lingaraj Temple near Bhubaneswar is a champion of architectural beauty and must be visited. Caves of Khandagiri The Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves are natural and partly artificial caves, located in the city of Bhubaneswar in Odisha. Udayagiri and Khandagiri has 18 and 15 caves,Ranigumpha is the most important cave among this group of caves in Udayagiri which is a double storey monastery. Shanti Stupa at Dhauligiri Dhauli Giri is a historically and an important centre of Buddhist activities near Bhubaneswar city,on the banks of the river Daya. Shanti Stupa of Dhauligiri has major Edicts of great Ashoka, white peace pagoda, Buddha statue and an ancient Shiva temple. Nandankanan Zoological Park The zoo and botanical garden is one of the major tourists attraction of Orissa and known for its beauty of forest and wild animals such as rare Asiatic lions, three Indian crocodilians, big rock Python and the most famous White tigers. KONARK SUN TEMPLE One of the most stunning monuments of religious significance, a true masterpiece of architecture proudly stands in the form of Sun Temple at Konark. A culmination of Oriya architecture, the temple is a wonderful place as the language of stone defeats the human language here. Built in 13th century by King Narasimhadeva, the temple is designed in the shape of a colossal chariot with seven horses and twelve wheels, carrying the sun god, Surya, across heavens. Located at a manageable distance from the seat of Lord Jagannath, Puri at 35 kms; the temple is around 65 kms from the capital city of Bhubaneswar. The name of Konark temple is an amalgamation of two words--Kona meaning corner and Arka meaning the Sun. That is to say that the Sun god worshipped in Ark Kshetra is called Konark. Legend says that after killing the demon Gyasur, Lord Page 17 of 26 Vishnu placed his belongings at several places to commemorate the victory. With His conch at Puri, Disc in Bhubaneshwar and Mace in Jajapur; He placed the Lotus at Konark. The temple being an important landmark in the coastal voyage of European sailors was named 'The Black Pagoda' by them. The mythological reference states that Lord Krishna's son Samba was smitten with leprosy due to his father's curse. The former underwent severe penance for 12 years at Mitravana near the confluence of Chandrabhaga River with the sea at Konark and ultimately succeeded in pleasing the God Surya, the healer of all skin diseases, and was cured of his illness. In gratitude, he decided to erect a temple in the honor of Surya. While bathing in the river on the following day, he found an image of God, fashioned out of Surya's body by Viswakarma. Samba installed this image in a temple built by him in Mitravana, where he propitiated the God. Since then, this place has been regarded as sacred. In ancient times worship of Sun god was in vogue and the people were accustomed with the worship of two Supreme deities--one mother Earth as Dharitri Maata and the other the Sun, the Dharam devata. Sun god is regarded as the supreme lord of the universe and the prime object of life giving energy, being the healer of diseases and bestower of desires. Surya has been a popular deity in India since Vedic period. Therefore, it is described in Rig Veda regarding Prayer of Sun God as follows. It was dedicated to the Sun-God (Arka) popularly called Biranchi-Narayan, and the tract in which it is situated was known as Arka-Kshetra as well as padma- kshetra. Among the five great religious zones or Kshetra which were located in Odisha (Orissa), Konark was considered to be one, the other four being Puri, Bhubaneswar, Mahavinayak, and Jajpur. There are several smaller shrines situated in the neighborhood of the Sun Temple. In them are found Rameswar,Chitreswara,Tribeniswara, and Utpaleswar, all Siva-lingas; and Ramachandi Rudrani, Khileswari, Charchika and Chitreswari, various forms of Goddess Durga. Legends embodied in the Kapila Samhita, the Madala Panji, and the Prachi-mahatmya, take the sanctity of Konark back to mythical times. The legends of these late texts are an obvious adaptation of a much earlier tradition as recorded in the Bhavisya Purana and the Samba Purana. Chilika Lake - Asia's largest brackish water lagoon with water spread ranging from 1165 sq km m the rainy season to 906 sq km in the dry season is nestled in the heart of the coastal Odisha (Orissa). It extends from Bhusandpur in Puri district in the North to Rambha-Malud in Ganjan district in the South, separated from the Bay of Bengal by a 60 km long narrow strip of marshy islands and sand- flats. Some of the prominent islands like Nalabana, Kalijal, Somolo, Honeymoon, Break-fast, Birds and

Rajahansa inhabited by small subsistence fishermen families, are popular destinations for daily boat trips. Because of its rich bio-diversity and socio-economic importance, Chilika was designated as a Ramsar site in 1981 to afford better protection. Chilika is recognized as one of the most important wetlands in the world because it is home to a phenomenal variety of birds. Chilika Lake offers visitors a spectacular display of its colorful avian charms in a thousand different hues presented by over 160 species in the peak season between November and February. Mangalajodi Bird Sanctuary: Mangalajodi is a village located in Khordha district in the northern edge of famous Chilika Lake, It is one of the prime tourist attraction and known for its scenic beauty, vast wetland and the paradise of birds. The vast wetlands of Mangalajodi attract thousands of migratory birds and declared as an International Bird Conservation Area. A Tour Plan Page 18 of 26 Day – 1: Start of tour: From Bhubaneshwar airport drive to Puri or directly from Puri rail station / bus terminal. Offer prayers & Puja (only Hindus are allowed) at JagannathDham (Lord of the Universe).. Night stay at Puri. Day – 2: Visit Konark Sun Temple: Stay at Puri. Day – 3: Visit Chilika: Early morning after breakfast proceed towards Chilika. Excursion to Satpada on Chilika Lake to spot the Irrawady. Lunch at some Chilika local hotels for famed Odiya cuisine. Stay at Puri. Day - 4: Visit NandanKanan: After breakfast, visit the NandanKanan; the zoo and the Caves of Udaigiri & Khandagiri. On the way visit 64 Yogini Temple at Heerapur, Pipli Appliqué work village & Dhauli Peace Pagoda. Lunch en-route. Stay at Puri / Bhubaneshwar. Day – 5: After breakfast from Puri, drive to Bhubaneshwar. Visit Raghurajpur Artisan's village. Lunch at en-route. Board the flight from Bhubaneshwar airport; alternatively by rail / bus from Puri for onward journey. End of tour….. OR Day – 6: Early morning breakfast. Explore the Bhitarkanika Sanctuary by boat & spot the Giant Salt Water Crocodiles basking on the bank. Enjoy the whole Sanctuary by walk & spot the Deer, Wild Boar, Monitor Lizards, Migratory birds & Many more rare species at Bhitarkanika. Stay at Bhitarkanika. Leave on Day – 7 towards your destination for onward journey.

OUR RIVERS : THE NARMADA The Narmada, also called the Rewa, is a river in central India and the fifth longest river in the Indian subcontinent. It is the third longest river that flows entirely within India, after the Godavari, and the Krishna. It is also known as "Life Line of " for its huge contribution to the state of Madhya Pradesh in many ways. Narmada rises from Amarkantak Plateau near . It forms the traditional boundary between North India and South India and flows westwards over a length of 1,312 km before draining through the into the Arabian Sea, 30 km west of city of . It is one of only three major rivers in peninsular India that run from east to west (longest west flowing river), along with the Tapti Riverand the . The source of the Narmada is a small reservoir, known as the Narmada Kund, located at Amarkantak on the Amarkantak Plateau[9][5] in the Anuppur District, Shahdol zone of eastern Madhya Pradesh.[10] The river descends from Sonmud, then falls over a cliff as Kapildhara waterfall and meanders in the hills, flowing through a tortuous course crossing the rocks and islands up to the ruined palace of Ramnagar. Between Ramnagar and Mandla, (25 km ), further southeast, the course is comparatively straight with deep water devoid of rocky obstacles. The Banger joins from the left. The river then runs north–west in a narrow loop towards Jabalpur. Close to this city, after a fall of some 9 m , called the Dhuandhara, the fall of mist, it flows for 3 km , in a deep narrow channel through the magnesium limestone and basalt rocks called the ; from a width of about 90 m. . SIGNIFICANCE OF ON HINDU RELIGION To Hindus the Narmada is one of the seven holy rivers of India; the other six being Ganges, Yamuna, Godavari, Saraswati, Sindhu, and Kaveri. It is believed that a dip in any of these seven rivers washes one's sins away. According to a legend, the river Ganges, polluted by millions of people bathing in it, assumes the form of a black cow and comes to the Narmada to bathe and cleanse itself in its holy waters. Legends also claim that the Narmada River is older than the river Ganges. The river was mentioned by Ptolemy in the second century AD as Namade and by the author of the Periplus. The Ramayana, the Mahabharat, and the Puranas refer to it frequently. The Rewa Khand of Vayu Purana and the Rewa Khand of Skanda Purana are entirely devoted to the story of the birth and the importance of the river, and hence Narmada is also called the Rewa. Page 19 of 26 There are many fables about the origin of the Narmada. According to one of them, once Lord Shiva, the Destroyer of the Universe, meditated so hard that he started perspiring. Shiva's sweat accumulated in a tank and started flowing in the form of a river – the Narmada. Another legend has it that two teardrops that fell from the eyes of Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe, yielded two rivers – the Narmada and Important religious places and Ghats along the course of the river, starting from its origin at Narmadakhund at the Amarkantak . The importance of the Narmada River as sacred is testified by the fact that the pilgrims perform a holy pilgrimage of a parikrama or circumambulation of the river. The Narmada Parikrama, as it is called, is considered to be a meritorious act that a pilgrim can undertake. Many sadhus and pilgrims walk on foot from the Arabian Sea at Bharuch in Gujarat, along the river, to the source in Maikal Mountains (Amarkantak hills) in Madhya Pradesh and back along the opposite bank of the river. It is a 2,600-kilometre (1,600 mi) walk. . Sardar Sarovar The dam has attained a height of EL.121.92 m, the crest level of the spillway. The gates are yet to be erected to attain the FRL of EL 138.68 m for which clearance is required from the Supreme Court after the Grievance Redressal Committee submits its report on completion of R & R up to that elevation. Top level of dam to be attained is EL 146.50 m All six units of River Bed Power House (RBPH) have been commissioned successfully by June 2006 and are in operation. All five units of Canal Head Power House (CHPH) have been commissioned successfully by late December 2004 and are in operation. The main irrigation canal has been substantially constructed for a length of 357 kilometres (222 mi). Water has been let into the canal for partial irrigation and water supply needs. Further construction is in progress. Indirasagar Dam The Indira Sagar Project (ISP) at Punasa is one of the 30 major projects proposed in the Narmada basin with the largest storage capacity in the country. The project is located near Punasa village, in , Madhya Pradesh. This Multipurpose River Valley Project envisages construction of a concrete gravity dam, 653 metres (2,142 ft) long and 92 metres (302 ft) high with gross storage capacity of the reservoir of 12.22 km3 (9,910,000 acre⋅ft) and live storage of 9.75 km3 (7,900,000 acre⋅ft) to provide an annual irrigation potential of 1,690 km² and a generation of 1000 MW of hydropower. The project also ensures supply of 60,000 acre⋅ft (74,000,000 m3) of drinking water to rural areas in Khandwa district. In accordance with NWDT award, an annual regulated flow of 8,120,000 acre⋅ft (10.02 km3) shall be released to the Sardar Sarovar Project (SSP), ex- Project. The operation of Indira Sagar Project will be carried out in such a way as to facilitate the regulation of Sardar Sarovar. The dam and the powerhouse have been completed, but storage has been restricted up to EL 260 m under orders of the High Court, Jabalpur from R&R consideration. All the units of the powerhouse have been commissioned and generation of power from the eight units of 125 MW capacity, each commenced from Jan 2004.[34] The irrigation component of the project is under a fairly advance stage of implementation. Other completed and under construction projects Existing irrigation projects in the Narmada are the 1) Matiyari (1992), 2) Rani Avantibai Sagar (1988), 3) Barna (1978), 4) Tawa (1992–93), 5) Sukta (1984) all in Madhya Pradesh, and Karjan project in Gujarat. Page 20 of 26 Projects under implementation are the 1) Bargi diversion, 2) Kolar, 3) Man, 4) Omkareshwar multipurpose (520 MW, commissioned in Nov. 2007) and 5) Maheshwar (400 MW) A large number of medium and small projects have been completed, and many more are under implementation, as conceived under the overall Master Plan.

MEDICLAIM : ENHANCEMENT OF BASIC COVER:

Page 21 of 26 HEALTH GUIDE:

ALLERGY

Allergies are very common and increasing , affecting around 1 in 5 people at some time in their lives. There are many different causes of allergy and symptoms vary from mild to potentially life threatening. Allergy is also one of the major factors associated with the cause and persistence of asthma. Effective prevention and treatment options are available for most allergies. Allergy occurs when a person's immune system reacts to substances in the environment that are harmless for most people. These substances are known as allergens and are found in dust mites, pets, pollen, insects, ticks, moulds, foods and some medicines. Atopy is the genetic (inherited) tendency to develop allergic diseases. People with atopy are said to be atopic. When atopic people are exposed to allergens they can develop an immune reaction that leads to allergic inflammation (redness and swelling). This can then cause symptoms in the:

• nose and/or eyes - hay fever (allergic rhinitis/conjunctivitis) • skin - eczema, hives (urticaria) • lungs - asthma

A substance that is an allergen for one person may not be for another - everyone reacts differently. The likelihood (or risk) of developing allergies is increased if other family members suffer from allergy or asthma. What happens when one has an allergic reaction? When a person who is allergic to a particular allergen comes into contact with it, an allergic reaction occurs. This begins when the allergen (for example, pollen) enters the body, triggering an antibody response. The antibodies attach themselves to special cells, called mast cells. When the pollen comes into contact with the antibodies, the mast cells respond by releasing certain substances, one of which is called histamine. When the release of histamine is due to an allergen, the resulting swelling and inflammation is extremely irritating and uncomfortable. The most common causes of allergic reactions in Australia are:

• dust mites • pollen (grass, weed or tree) • foods such as peanuts, cow's milk, soy, seafood and eggs • cats and other furry or hairy animals such as dogs, horses, rabbits and guinea pigs • insect stings and tick bites • moulds • medicines

Similar reactions can occur to some chemicals and food additives, however if they do not involve the immune system, they are known as "adverse reactions" rather than "allergy". Which areas of the body may be affected? Depending on the allergen and where it enters your body, you may experience different symptoms. For example, pollen, when breathed in through the nose, usually causes symptoms in the nose, eyes, sinuses and throat (allergic rhinitis). Allergy to foods usually causes stomach or bowel problems, and may cause hives (urticaria). Allergic reactions can also involve several parts of the body at the same time. Page 22 of 26 The nose, eyes, sinuses and throat When allergens are breathed in, the release of histamine causes the lining of your nose to produce lots of mucus and to become swollen and inflamed. It causes your nose to run and itch and violent sneezing may occur. Your eyes may also start to water and you may get a sore throat.

The lungs and chest Asthma can sometimes be triggered during an allergic reaction. When an allergen is breathed in, the lining of the passages in the lungs swells and makes breathing difficult. Not all asthma is caused by allergy, but in many cases allergy plays a part. The stomach and bowel Most stomach upsets are caused by richness or spiciness in the food itself, rather than an actual allergy. However, foods which are most commonly associated with allergy include peanuts, seafood, dairy products and eggs. Cow's milk allergy in infants may occur and can cause eczema, asthma, colic and stomach upset. It may also lead to failure to thrive. Some people cannot digest lactose (milk sugar). This intolerance to lactose also causes stomach upsets, but must not be confused with allergy. The skin Skin problems such as eczema (dry, red, itchy skin) and urticaria (also known as hives) often occur. Hives are white itchy bumps which look and feel like insect bites. Food may be a factor in some cases of hives and eczema. For more information: www.allergy.org.au/patients/skin-allergy Life threatening allergic reactions require immediate treatment Most allergic reactions are mild to moderate, and do not cause major problems, even though for many people they may be a source of extreme irritation and discomfort. However, a small number of people may experience a severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. It is a serious condition which requires immediate life saving medication. Some of the more frequent allergens which may cause this are peanuts, shellfish, insect stings and drugs. If you know that you have a very severe allergy, you should have an Anaphylaxis Management Plan from your doctor. Effective prevention and treatment options are available Allergen avoidance or minimisation relies on identifying the cause of your allergy and then taking steps to reduce your exposure to the allergen. For instance, many people are allergic to dust mites, therefore reducing dust mite in the house is important. Further information on allergy testing and allergen minimisation: www.allergy.org.au/patients/allergy-testing www.allergy.org.au/patients/allergy-treatment

Medications used to treat allergies include:

• Antihistamines block histamine release from mast cells, reducing symptoms. Non-sedating antihistamine tablets rarely cause drowsiness and are available from pharmacies without a prescription. Antihistamine nasal and eye sprays can also be used.

• Intranasal cortiocosteroid nasal sprays (INCS) are very effective for treatment of moderate to severe allergic rhinitis (hay fever) when used appropriately and regularly. A prescription may be required for stronger dose INCS. Ask your pharmacist or doctor for advice. Page 23 of 26 • Combination therapies (INCS and antihistamine) are used for treatment of moderate to severe allergic rhinitis (hay fever) and offer the combined advantages of both medications.

• Medicated eye drops - ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice.

• Adrenaline (epinephrine) - is used for first aid emergency treatment of life threatening severe allergic reactions (anaphylaxis). Adrenaline is usually given using an adrenaline autoinjector and this can be given without any medical training.

Non-medicated treatments such as saline sprays are used for treating allergic rhinitis and sinusitis. Allergen immunotherapy (also known as desensitisation) is a long-term treatment which changes the immune system's response to allergens. It involves the administration of regular, gradually increasing amounts of allergen extracts, by injections or by sublingual tablets, sprays or drops. For more information: www.allergy.org.au/patients/allergy-treatment You do not have to put up with the symptoms of allergy. If you think you may have an allergy your local pharmacist can advise you on what to do, or you may need to consult your doctor. In some cases you will be referred to a clinical immunology/allergy specialist for further investigations and advice.

PENSIONERS’ TOUR

LIC PENSIONERS’ TOURING TEAM Visiting a historical port of Bengal which occupied the glorious chapter of Bengal’s history was sudden, when we decided to visit any place on the other side of Rupnarayan. Tamluk was the obvious choice when we took the shelter of Google’s guide, because , apart from the Bargabhima temple, there were two ‘RAJBARI’ there. ‘Rajbaris’ always attract us because, these are the places, where we can easily peep into the glorious past of Bengal.

Instead of boarding a direct train to Tamluk, we preferred to go via Mecheda, which saved our time to considerable extent. A hired vehicle from Mecheda made our journey comfortable and highly enjoyable. An old acquaintance of Sri Sadhukhan from LIC was a great help for us.

The Bargabhima temple at Tamluk gave as different feeling due to its cleanliness and

The DEITY at Bargabhima Temple Page 24 of 26 systematic arrangements. Locals said that the old port might be somewhere near the temple.

A pleasant drive to Mahishadal palace took us almost 400 years back. The old place which is now almost in a dilapidated condition was a shocking surprise. The new palace around 500 mts. away, was gigantic and magnificent. The history of the kings, which dated back to 1525 was a charming experience. While returning, we went to Nimtouri Tamluk

Unnayan The old RAJBARI of Samity. The Mahishadal activities of differently abled persons, were amazing.

The NEW Mahishadal Rajbari The return journey was hurried with a pledge to come to Tamluk once again to reach its heart more closely. However the hurry to catch the train did not mar our mission in consuming local sweet.

The ‘sweetness of the sweets’, percolated in our hearts as an unforgettable charming moments of togetherness, which was witnessed by setting Sun and pictured by our beloved colleague Sri Sujit Chowdhury from a speeding Panshkura local.

Photograph courtesy: Sri Sujit Chaudhuri

Tour Coordination: Sri Kalidas Sadhukhan

Managing Accounts: Sri P. G. Saha The SETTING SUN, as viewed from a speeding Sri Sujit

Panshkura local. Chaudhuri

Consumer Price Index for SEPT’17 declared on 31.10.2017 was 285 (6505.38)

Consumer Price Index for OCTOBER’17 declared on 30.11.2017 was 287 (6551.03)

Consumer Price Index for NOVEMBER’17 declared on 29.12.2017 was 288 (6573.86)

Page 25 of 26

MEMBER’S PHOTOGRAPH:

This beautiful Photograph of Kanchenjunga was taken by Sri Jayanta Lahiri.

READER’S FEEDBACK:

1.I acknowledge the receipt of the E publication of the Eastern news dec/17.I appreciate the editorial board for presenting this nice issue. It covers many important areas which are not in knowledge of many of our retired officers. The informations of International agreement regarding Paris agreement vis a vis the withdrawl of USA Govt. from paris agreement who are the 2nd major country for polluting the environment through emission of carbon di oxide which is actually Green house concept. The association participated in the meeting held where so many demands including the demand for improved medical sch.for the retired officers. We are eagerly wating the decision of SC in connexion with improved pension for us. The visit of Mursidabad is very attractive as is revealed from this news letter. Finally I like to receive such rich news journal in future. Thanks to the editorial board- Samir Mukherjee.

2. Dear Sir, Thank you for sending Eastern News every month promptly on 1st. All the news items and articles on health and general interests are very nice and useful. Thank you once again. Page 26 of 26 Yours sincerely, R Gowrisankaran, DM(Retd)

3. Thanks a ton Sir for your kind sending of the EN- December issue in time as usual. One more informative and interesting copy. The tips on preventing Snoring is a must for each reader- every lady in the house will demand it, being the real sufferer! Your Association is very active in both meetings & eatings. Hearty congratulations. R Venugopal Retired Executive Director LIC Bangalore.

4. Thank you for the December issue of Eastern News It is released in time and as usual contains many useful writeups on varied subjects for the benefit and information of pensioners apart from Federation news. Keep it up P A Sivakumaran

5. Great newsletter. Lot of inputs on life. My heartiest congratulations for the Editorial team. Thanks. N V Subbaraman

ANY BRILLIANT ACHIEVEMENT/SUCCESS IN ANY FRONT IN THE FAMILY OF LIC PENSIONERS AND GOOD PHOTOGRAPH MAY BE SENT TO US FOR PUBLICATION THROUGH OUR E-MAGAZINE. [ Publication of an article, news or Photograph is at the discretion of the Editorial Board]

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Monthly EASTERN NEWS can now be read directly from : PENSIONERS VOICE & SOUND TRACK, EDITOR :: RK SAHNI : http://www.rksahni.blogspot.in/ LIC PENSIONERS’ CHRONICLE, EDITOR :: PG GANGADHARAN : http://licpensionerscalicut.blogspot.in/ AIRIEF WEBSITE :: AN INITIATIVE OF RB KISHORE : https://airiefvision.wordpress.com/ CHENNAI UNIT OF FEDN : http://licofficerspensionersnews.blogspot.in/

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