ABSTRACT TOPICS:

1.The Pen is mightier than sword:

 Many reformists throughout the world have taken the path of writing to
eradicate social evils and thereby tried to steer the world into the right path. Written
word lasts for centuries and influences many generations. Violence and war, on the
other hand, causes loss of lives and hence may not gain supporters. Many people
prefer to stay on the side of those who resolve issues through writing and verbal
communication rather than those who always choose violence.
 Print media and now electronic media is the most effective tool to influence
public opinion on people and issues. The pen can also overthrow governments by
letting the public know the truth, which cannot be done using violence.
 Nowadays, paid posts and comment trolls have become common things to
influence minds and to instil fear in people that question government.
 Actions speak louder than words. Violence can scare people more than the
word does because it contains immediate threat than written threats.
 Many countries in the world have their own army because nothing but
weapons can protect them in case of invasion attempts.
 The pen doesn’t always work because of the restrictions and threats to
journalists in some parts of the world. In those cases, the sword may be needed to
fight against oppression.

Conclusion:

Sometimes the pen is mightier than the sword, and sometimes the sword is
needed to solve the problem, So, it completely depends on the situation. However, in
modern times, where many countries are under democracy, many times pen is an
effective tool than the sword.

2.Do deadlines destroy creativity?

Yes – Deadlines destroy creativity:

 Deadlines will force us to focus on finishing the task at hand rather than

coming up with creative ideas.
 Continuously chasing deadlines can make us emotionally exhausted. Hence
there will be no motivation to be creative.
 Even if we get creative ideas, implementing them requires more time and
analysis. With a short deadline, that will be difficult and hence people will go for
routine and already worked out ideas.
 Everyone is different. Some people can be creative under pressure, and some
people will bring innovative ideas, only if they are not under pressure. So, giving tight
deadlines to those, who cannot cope up with pressure can destroy creativity.

No – Deadlines motivate us to be creative:

 If there are no deadlines, people may keep postponing the task in search of a

better creative idea.
 If we get used to being creative, we will be creative even if we have deadlines.
Thinking and implementing creative ideas can become a habit.
 With no deadline, we’ll have plenty of time, so we may also think about why
the idea won’t work, the possibility of failure. This can indeed kill creativity.

How to be creative under pressure:

 Dividing the task into sub-tasks and keeping small deadlines will reduce the

pressure and can give us peace to think about innovative ideas. If we delay the work
until the last minute, we cannot think about new ideas.
 Setting some time aside to think about creative ideas also helps.
 Eliminating distractions will give us more time to finish the task, and thereby
we can use that time to try and implement new ideas.
 Mistakes do happen if we try something new. So, not being scared of failing
and making mistakes can help us in being creative.
 Taking tiny breaks can reboot our brain and can help us in thinking clearly.

Conclusion:

Not everyone can manage to be creative under pressure. Tough deadlines can
kill creativity. But reasonable deadlines can spur creative ideas.

3.Controversy as a marketing strategy:

Context:

 In order to grab attention, some companies create controversy through

announcements, advertisements etc. Using controversy as a marketing strategy is
not new, but now with social media controversial content goes viral and hence
generating more attention. But this strategy is quite risky too. So, marketing
professionals should be careful when they decide to use controversy as a marketing
strategy.

Does controversy as a marketing strategy work?

 In present times, it is very difficult to attract the attention of people considering

the number of companies and advertisements competing for the same. So,
the content which stands out can reach more potential customers. And controversy
helps to be noticeable at least for a while because out of curiosity people try to know
about the controversy and will eventually wait to see the consequences.
 For example, Several moviemakers are now creating some sort of
controversies to reach more audience. And some other movies unwillingly end up in
controversies. In general, movies on social issues that try to challenge the orthodox
views fall in this category. And the controversy generates more publicity, which is
super helpful for any movie and especially for small budget movies. Even some
actors are making controversial statements just to market themselves. Because
moviemakers hire actors that have talent as well as fame.
 But this marketing strategy helps in only getting attention, and if the content or
the product is not worth the money, the attention will disappear as fast as it came .
 For example, if a movie gets attention through controversy, it can get the audience
for the first show of the first day. But the success of the movie depends on its content
and mostly on mouth publicity.
 Using controversy as a marketing strategy is quite risky too because if it uses
any sensitive topic in a way that hurts the sentiments of people, it may generate
negative publicity and can affect the reputation of the company.
 And this method cannot work as a long term strategy. For example, if we
observe youtube channels that keep click baits as titles. They may get attention, but
in the long run, people will lose trust in their content and eventually it fails.

Conclusion:

To sum up, we can say that controversy will work to market products, but it
should be used cautiously to avoid bad reputation to the company. Before trying
controversy as a marketing strategy, marketing professionals should follow ethics
and need to thoroughly assess the probable consequences. And to secure long-term
customer loyalty, the product or the content should be worth the price.

4.Blood is thicker than water

This is an old proverb which has deviated from its original meaning and now
implicates that blood relations (family) are powerful than friendships or love relations.
Now, this might be true for a certain number of people, but it is not true always.
Naturally, our parents and siblings want to see us happy in our lives and they always
try to think the best for ourselves. But from here only some of the problems start.
Every person is different, they have their own likes and dislikes, own interests and
they may be completely independent of that of their parents’. Let us discuss some of
the scenarios here and then at the end we will discuss the original meaning of this
proverb.

 Different career choices: This is a very common happening in our society.

Parents think of jobs that will pay well so that their child can lead a very happy and
successful life. They think that it is in the best interest of their child and he/she will
realize this later when they get settled. In some cases, they fail to understand the
interests, aspirations of their child. The child may be more concerned about the
journey than the destination. Boys are forced to follow a certain stream for their
future, girls are at times not even allowed to go to high schools and colleges even
when they are good at studies and want to study more. In some families, girls are
forced in a marriage at a young age. Though the parents in both these cases will be
very happy that their child is making a fortune or their daughter is happy with her
own family. But the reality is that their souls are grieving. They are like a bird in a
golden cage.
 Different Sexual orientation: Parents usually think (and obviously want) that
their child is attracted to the opposite sex (in orthodox families this attraction should
take place only after the arranged marriage). But when they learn that their child has
different sexual orientation, it hits them hard. They will be unable to accept it and
start believing that the child is suffering from mental illness and in order to control
their child’s so-called mental illness, they resort to some very unethical tortures too.
 The original saying was first used in the Bible as “Blood of the covenant is thicker than
the water of the womb.” Without going into intricacies, it simply means that bloodshed on
the battlefield creates stronger ties than the water of the womb does, or family ties. And this
proverb is 100% true. When one fights alongside someone, he/she trust him/her with their
life. These are the kinds of bonds developed on the battlefield. One has seen some of the
worst phases of life and shared them with another person. This develops a very high level of
brotherhood and comradery. The bonds are so strong that they unhesitatingly sacrifice their
lives for saving the lives of his brothers.

Conclusion :-

In all the 3 (2+1) cases people other from the family are the ones who understand the
situations, are the least judgemental and are ready to help. Sadly. sometimes family
members are the reason for suffering and one might be better off without them. And if
anyone is the reason for any kind of toxicity in life or is detrimental to mental well being the
person need to be removed from life even if they are family.

5.The world doesn’t need religion:

 Religions are a set of rules that guide the individuals throughout their lives. And I
strongly believe that they have served their purpose and we do not need them
anymore.

 As Yuval Noah Harari says “What we need now are morality and spirituality.
Morality is about reducing suffering in the world. And spirituality is about questioning
and looking for answers. Religions provide us just with answers and no scope of
questions.”
 According to the book Sapiens, “Humans do better than animals despite being
physically less powerful than most of them is because of our ability to create and
believe in myths. And those common myths develop trust and wider cooperation
amongst us.” For example, human rights are not natural laws, they are not physical,
they have been formed by humans (myths) to have a more organized world.
 Religions started in the same manner and had a greater impact as they were
not preached as laws made by humans but the laws given by a higher entity, which
is the most powerful of all. These laws led to an organised kingdom, society, country
following a hierarchy and a set of rules. Religions developed a common belief
system which led to trust and cooperation.
 In the past, every problem was dealt with a religious solution. But now
Science & Technology has taken over everything. We know the reasons for drought,
earthquakes, windstorms etc. they are a scientific phenomenon and not the wrath of
gods anymore.
 Religion has served its purpose of uniting people, setting up structures in
society, developing trust and cooperation. But in the 21 st century we are thriving
towards objective realities (Realities which exist no matter if people believe in them
or not. Example: Gravitational Force, Evaporation etc.) and religion is an inter-
subjective reality (Realities which will cease to exist if its believers change their
beliefs or are dead). And now the only thing which it does is creates differences in
the world, brainwashes people, develops animosity for other beliefs and provides
rituals which are just shortcuts to become a good person. (A Muslim may pray for 5
times a day; a Hindu may pray daily for hours in temples; a Christian may go to
 church every day, but still, be involved in immoral activities leading to the suffering of
other humans).
 At present and in future we need greater cooperation on an international level,
to make this world a better place to live in. We need to encourage spirituality as now
the spiritual questions are not just of philosophical importance but of practical and
scientific importance.

6.Money is Honey:

Money is sweeter than honey“, a famous and self-explanatory quote. But is it

really true?

Money is often seen by everyone as a panacea. Being rich is often assumed to

be equal to being happy and content. But had that been the case, there wouldn’t
have been so many celebrities(rich people) openly admitting about their struggle with
depression.

“I think everybody should get rich and famous and do everything they ever
dreamed of so they can see that it’s not the answer”. These are some of the most
famous lines of Jim Carrey, a comedian, who had to struggle with depression. A lot
of us believe that had we been richer half our problems would disappear but, that’s
not true. If our contentment and happiness are dependent on material things that we
can buy, we’ll never be satisfied. There will always be something more to buy. 

What we, as humans, really crave are Love, health, honor, loyalty and a sense
of purpose. No amount of money can buy all the above-mentioned. Sure, money
may buy some of it, but there’s no surety that it will last. It is very much possible that
you may find an Indian army jawan more content with his work than a wall-street
banker who earns in lakhs every day.

That being said, money does come with a lot of perks. Crying in a Ferrari is
much better than crying on a cycle (though you’re still crying in both cases). Money
can definitely buy you hundreds of luxuries. Money’s positive role in our lives cannot
be neglected or denied. Without money, it is impossible to survive.

Conclusion :-

In conclusion, money should be treated as an important part of life. But, it should

not be treated as the goal of life itself. The greed for money can never be satisfied
and any efforts made to satisfy it are futile. Money is honey but too much honey
gives you diabetes.

7.Black or Grey:

 Many people dye their grey hair with black color because of the perspective
of society on ageing. When we see so many advertisements everyday that promote
products to look much younger than our real age, it’s much difficult to choose natural
grey hair over black hair, which represents youth. But the happy thing is that
nowadays, more and more people are embracing their natural look with grey hair. 
 Black color represents strength, seriousness and strong emotions, whereas
grey color represents neutrality & balance. In the modern world, people who have
 strong emotions are easily offended for almost everything. But some people choose
to be balanced and peaceful. 
 Grey color represents conformity, whereas black represents independence &
authoritative. In society, many times we have to choose between these two paths.
Depending on the situation we tend to select the path. In some situations, we try to
blend in with the group by exhibiting the characteristics of grey & in some other
situations, we choose to not blend in & feel the need to be rigid. And these both
qualities are very important to sustain and as well as to bring change in society.
 Nowadays, it is difficult to find good people who are as pure as white.
Many times we are left with the choice of choosing between black & grey, which
means evil persons & normal people who are a mix of good & bad.
 These days, grey color is being increasingly used in fashion industry. As black
is considered as inauspicious by many, grey color is the new choice in ethnic wear
too. Use of grey color is increased so much that it is competing with black color,
which is a famous color in fashion. This makes us realize that change is the only
constant thing in this world. 

8.Roots and wings:

We can discuss about how parents should raise their children.

 Parents should explain boundaries, but should allow children to be

independent and to explore the world in their own way. You can add this quotation –
“There are only two lasting things we can hope to give our children : one is roots &
the other is wings“. Roots to keep them grounded and wings to set them free.
 Roots are as important as wings. Balance is needed. Without wings,
children will not explore the world and without roots they will miss having a guiding
force.

We can also discuss about culture & traditions.

 Each society establishes a certain set of rules on what is good and

what is bad. Often culture involves the knowledge that is gained from many
years. Culture helps in avoiding the mistakes that are already committed and proven
wrong by our ancestors. It helps in saving time and stays with us like roots.
 But as nothing is perfect, all cultures have some wrong notions imbibed
in them. What is considered as wrong by a particular culture may not be actually
wrong. Self-introspection happens when people explores other cultures and
understand the different perspectives. To achieve this, one should have the liberty to
interact with other cultures and to go beyond their limits.
 In the era of globalisation, people of different cultures are living in the
same city. Developed countries are turning into melting pots. And we can observe
that many people who migrated to other countries keep their culture intact and will
imbibe the culture of their host country to mingle with the people there.

Roots & wings can also be related to trees & birds and thereby to ecosystem.

 Deforestation is causing loss of birds. And our cities are not friendly to
bird species. Loss of habitat is causing extinction of many species.
 We can also discuss about the  homeland and hostland (the country to which
we migrated).

 When people migrate to other country, sometimes they feel alienated.

While utilising the opportunities worldwide, connection to homeland helps them
psychologically and thereby to stay at peace.

9.Walls are dead:

 A few decades before, there existed segregation walls to separate whites

from blacks in some countries such as South Africa and also to separate some
communities from other communities in India. Now, this kind of segregation walls are
almost dead.
 On 9th November 1989, East Germans and West Germans together started
demolishing the Berlin wall which divided them. The fall of Berlin wall led to German
reunification. Now, these kinds of walls that restricted people from moving to other
countries are almost dead. Now anyone can migrate and live with dignity in other
countries.
 Humans constructed walls to keep others out even in the ancient times. But
with time, people started to imagine the border-less world. However walls are not
dead. Several countries have walls at borders. At present, US president Donald
Trump is trying hard to build a wall in between US & Mexico to restrict immigrants
from Mexico.
 Though walls exist at borders, many of them are of no use considering the
issue of illegal immigrants in many countries despite having border walls.
 The concept of border walls may die soon because with the technology
proliferation, there will be no need of physical walls. For example, now Lidar sensor
technology is being tested to spot intruders as an alternative to border wall. This kind
of system will be much cheaper and effective.

10.Famous or Important?

The following are the words of Arlo Davis Guthrie, who is an American folk
singer, known for singing songs of protest against social injustice and storytelling
while performing songs. “Being famous is not the same as being important. A
lot of important people aren’t famous , and a lot of famous people aren’t
important.”

Being famous or important are two ideas with a blurry line of difference. They
are indispensable from each other and are a part of a successful personality. A
successful person can be both famous and important simultaneously. While
importance follows the idea of doing great things which have the potential to be
beneficial, fame can be negative or positive.

It is generally understood that fame follows importance. But there is another way
in which fame is perceived, which actually means just seeking public acceptance
without considering if it is criticism or appreciation. On the other hand an important
person looks forward to being efficient, hardworking and committed towards his/ her
goal. All of these factors eventually result in recognition and ultimately an
appreciative fame. History provides us ample with instances for this, like Narayan
 Murthy, Warren Buffet, Mark Zuckerberg and many more. These people are widely
recognized for their immense contribution in their respective fields, but what is more
fascinating is the values of simplicity that they have followed and preached despite
being extremely famous.

Yet, to decide which one holds more significance is purely based on personality
traits like genetics, self-esteem, life experience and most importantly personal
perceptions about good and bad.

Being Famous:

A famous personality is one who has a considerable prominence or a person

who receives much acclaim and attention. But as discussed above it has two sides.
“Fame doesn’t fulfil you. It warms you a bit, but that is temporary”- Marliyn Monroe

 Fame is confused with success. For instance Madonna is famous while Helen Keller
is successful.
 Sometimes fame doesn’t bring respect and power.
 While a famous person has the ability to reach the masses, he/she is always in the
public eye.
 Famous people get criticism by the virtue of rumors even if they have done good for
the society.
 Famous people hide their miseries and tend to keep up a cheerful smile always.
 To be famous puts a person in a position of accountability.

Being Important:

As per Vocabulary.com, an important person is one whose actions and opinions

strongly influence the course of events.“I want to be important by being different. And
all these girls are the same” – Sylvia Plath

 An important person has an ability to add value, by providing useful insights and
suggestions.
 An important person realizes the significance of goods deeds and aims to preach and
follow the same.
 Importance gives a boost to a person’s confidence and hence enables him/her to aim
for better things in life.
 Important people are optimistic and hardworking despite all odds they have faced.
Oprah Winfrey’s determination to keep working hard despite the atrocities she faced is a
brilliant example of the same.
 An importance person attains fame due to his/her continued will to be excellent and
yet grounded.
 Important people have an ability to form opinions and present them without hurting
anyone.

Conclusion:

It can be concluded to be important or famous is based on personal opinion. While

being important generally guarantees fame but sometimes famous people tend to
get important by the virtue of good work that they do. Thus this topic is subject to
varied opinions and interests

11.Might is always right

 This phrase describes that the people in power determine what is right or wrong, even if
the outcomes aren’t favourable for everyone. It is generally used in a negative sense to mean
that powerful people can convert their wrongs into rights. It threatens freedom of speech as it
discourages counter arguments and alternatives that have the potential to favour all.

Although this is perceived as the general meaning, the viability of the concept varies
from person to person. The supporters consider it essential in the political scenario while the
opponents consider it morally unjustified.

In the above case it is imperative to understand if the concept is totally unfair or has
some positive outlooks too.

No: Might is not always right:

The following points provide some ideas to which the above concept can be related:

 When this concept is related with leadership, it is evident that a leader gets powerful
not by the virtue of the position but by other qualities like persuasion skills or ability to create
a comfortable environment where his followers can grow with him. Once the leader is able to
relate with his followers his decisions and actions tend to get the required respect. The best
examples would be of Warren Buffett, Aung San Suu Kyi, Dalai Lama and many more.
 It can be related with the concept of privilege. For years a racial privilege was given
in United States to the white people on the basis of their colour. They were considered as
important and powerful thus got the right to make laws and regulations which was absolutely
unfair.
 It can be related with the dictatorship style of rule. The biggest example would be
criticism of Adolf Hitler for being a ruthless dictator. He was a believer of the notion of
survival of the fittest and his style of justice is widely unappreciated.
 The rule by local powerful groups renders the punishment system in a democracy to
be futile. For instance the beating up of Kanhaiya Kumar, the JNU student union chief by a
group of powerful lawyers is unjust. This incident happened after he and his friends were
already arrested, for shouting pro Pakistan slogans and the court proceedings were in
shape.
 This phrase is understood to be misquoted. The reverse of the proverb ‘Right is
might’ makes better sense and promotes ethical behaviour.

Yes: Might is always right:

The following points provide some ideas to which the above concept can be related:

 This phrase can be related with countries and companies taking the first move to
adapt to the environment to be successful and superior to others. These countries and
companies can be considered mighty and their doings can be considered right.
 If might is used for a good purpose it is not wrong . For e.g. in India the judiciary is
supreme and makes decisions in the benefit of everyone.
 In a business scenario the customer is considered to the most important for the
smooth functioning of a business. The requirements and needs of the customers are the
reason for the existence of a business. Or in other words the consumer is said to be mighty.
 It can be related with the battles and wars fought by kings and emperors, which are
the best examples of the victory of the powerful in the battle field. Also the history provides
ample evidence where the ruler had to surrender due to lesser territory and power.
 Conclusion:

It can be concluded that no clear argument can be provided either in support or

against the topic. The comprehension of this topic is subject to relativity. While
majority doesn’t go with the proverb, some people still believe it to be the harsh truth
of life.

12. Markets are found not created

In favor of the argument (Markets are found not created) :-

 Many times, markets are discovered. It is like filling the gaps – services will be
created for the demand that exists already. For example, cab aggregator services (uber, ola
etc.), food delivery services (swiggy & foodpanda) were established as there was a need.
Markets are found in these cases.
 Sometimes, markets are created based on the underlying need. For example, if we
observe the luxury watches and other luxury items, there will be no much added value. But
the markets for them are created by utilising the underlying need of them to be different and
to show off their status. This seems as these markets are created. But they are found.
 Markets that are found are more likely to succeed than markets that are created.
Because it is much easier to sell something to those in need of it rather than convincing
someone to buy it. This is the reason, many times entrepreneurs project their business
opportunities as found even if they were created.

Against to the argument (Markets are created) :-

 In this 21st century, a lot of business opportunities were created. For

example, markets for smartphones are created at first. Smartphone included basic phone
services, and it was projected as upgrading their mobiles. Entrepreneurs were successful in
convincing people to buy smartphones. If that device was sold separately rather than
manufacturing it as an extension of basic phone services, it would have taken more time to
succeed. So, it is all about how they project the product and how they convince potential
customers.
 Some businesses creates more opportunities for the next businesses . For example,
when a cab aggregation service was launched in a country and if it wasn’t worked, another
company may come with a better service analysing the factors why it wasn’t worked, and
may succeed in it. As a consequence, related businesses will also come to leverage the
opportunities that are created. In this case, markets are created at first.
 Sometimes, markets can be created by  changing the society’s perception of the
product. For example, an abandoned historical site can be turned into a tourist spot.

Conclusion :-

Some business opportunities are found and some are created. Markets that are
created are also done by analysing several factors perceived market needs, industry
bottlenecks etc. In the present world of fast changing needs and trends, markets that
are found may become redundant after a few years, and opportunites that are
created can become necessity products after a while.

13.Pink:

Here are some ideas to speak on ‘Pink’ GD Topic.

 When we think of Pink, the first thing that comes to our mind is that this color
is associated with girls. Pink is associated with femininity and beauty from 1950s
approximately. Before 1950s, Pink was associated with boys as it is a stronger color,
and blue is associated with girls as it is a delicate color. But later the switch took
place.
 There is a lot of criticism on associating the color pink with women. It is
like gender stereotyping as pink is associated with calmness and giving care.
 It is believed that the switch happened when Nazis forced gay men to wear
pink badges. Form that time, pink color is perceived as non-masculine color. Now,
LGBT+ community associate themselves with pink color with pride.
 And the consequence of all these things is that Pink is used as a symbolic
color for women and LGBT+ community.
 Brands that target women consumers use pink color to attract women. Many
fashion brands do that. And some even made their logos in pink color.
 Pink ribbon is used to symbolise breast cancer awareness. This color is
chosen to convey the empowerment of women.
 Pink derived its name from the flower ‘Pinks’. It is also called as rose in some
places, because of rose flower.
 Pink is seen as a childish color . For example, in office meetings pink color is
avoided to create a seriousness in the area.
 In one experiment, prison cells are painted with pink color to calm down
violent prisoners. It worked and this experiment is done in different prisons with
different shades of pink. One shade of Pink – ‘Baker-Miller Pink’ had calming effect
on prisoners.
 There are some idioms with the word pink. For example, Pink slip means
firing someone from job. In the pink means having good health.
 According to one research, almost 80% of the older people both men and
women told that their favorite color is Pink. However for most of them the favorite
color was different when they were younger.
 According to color psychology, pink is a sign of hope.

14. Success

 There is no unique definition for success. It varies from person to person. Our

own definition of success depends on what our values, priorities and goals are.
 For some people, becoming a singer is a success. For some others, starting
and maintaining a business is a success. Some people define success as helping
and uplifting others.
 The definition of success varies in different areas of life too. For example,
climbing up the corporate ladder may be your definition of success in career.
Achieving ideal weight may be your idea of success in health. Maintaining healthy
relationship with your parents may be your success in family life.
 Asking yourself what success meant to you is very important  because, when
we realise what we want we will go in that direction in life. Our choices in life will be
in that path. Otherwise our decisions will be directionless.
 If we do not ask this question to ourselves, we may end up going with the
society’s idea of success. Some people achieve something in their life and then
realise that this is not what they want. For example, a person may feel like IT
industry is not their thing after climbing up the corporate ladder for 7 straight years.
 When we strive for success, we should enjoy the journey too. The process
should make you happy. Sometimes, the journey is a success itself. For example, if
you are preparing for Civil services exam, you have to study for atleast 2 years. If
you think only getting a rank as a success and if you feel like studying for it is a
struggle, you will look back to those two years of your life as a waste of time.
 Do not copy or duplicate other people’s success.
 If you compare your success with others, you may end up as a failure even
though if you have everything in your life. For example, you want to live a more
luxurious life than your enemy. And then you buy Mercedes-Benz with all your
savings. But on the next day, your enemy uploads the picture of his new
Bugatti Veyron on social media. Will you be happy then? That is the reason your
idea of success should be based on what makes you happy and not on someone
else’s success.

15.Freedom is a myth

Here are some ideas to speak on abstract GD topic – “Freedom is a myth”.

 Everyone living in the democratic countries have political rights such as

freedom of speech, freedom to choose their leaders and freedom in many other
aspects of life. But still this freedom has limitations. Freedom of speech and
expression is always at threat. People who have power decides whether the
particular speech is ethical or not. If they think it is anti-government, they may term it
as a cause of violence. We often see that many journalists are silenced and some of
them even killed. The fact that those who raise voice against government or rulers
are vulnerable make us doubt the freedom we have in expressing our thoughts.
Hence freedom seems to be a myth.
 Even in this 21st century in many societies, minorities and socially
disadvantaged groups are vulnerable and are not in a situation to use their freedom
in many aspects though legally they have the political rights.
 We think that we have freedom to travel to any place and to live in the place
of our choice. But in reality, there are boundaries among countries and several
restrictions to settle in other place.
 Though practically we have freedom to roam at any time, there are criminals
in every society curtailing our freedom.
 Even if you became an entrepreneur believing that it will give you more
freedom and you will have no boss, you will be disappointed because you will have
more bosses such as customers, investors etc.
 Though we have a right to vote and thereby freedom to choose our leaders, in
reality it is majoritarian decisions that prevail.
 Most of the times, the freedom we have depends on the place where we
born and brought up. And of course we do not have the freedom to choose where we
born.
 Artistic freedom is also have limitations even in this modern era. We
have censorship on movies, books and on many other arts making us think that
freedom is a myth.
 Media and press do not have full freedom in general. Very often, their
articles get influenced by their investors or the government or both.
 We do not have freedom to end our own life. Though there is an option of
euthanasia for those who are either terminally ill or in a vegetative state, people who
have intense emotional pain and suffering and are unable to cope up with life are not
allowed to die and are forced to live.
 We have more freedom now than our ancestors . Recognizing freedom as a
fundamental right was the first and most important step in any society. We do have
freedom to choose our lifestyle, to follow a religion of our choice, to improve our
social status, to choose our leaders and to become a leader etc. With time, we are
exploring the idea of freedom. Hence freedom is not a myth. It is a reality. Freedom
in any aspect should have limitations to prevent causing inconvenience to others.

16.Door:

A ‘Door’ has a literal meaning of a moving mechanism used to block off, and
allow an entrance to an enclosed space such as a building, room or vehicle. A door,
as simple it sounds, can have different meanings and interpretations. Some people
may think of new opportunities while some might think of dead ends. For a group
discussion, some aspects of the term ‘Door’ are listed below.

Door types :-

 Dutch Door / half Door : Also known as a stable door, it is divided half
horizontally.  Traditionally the top half can be opened to feed a horse or other
animals. The bottom half remains closed to keep the animal inside.
 Saloon Door / café Door : This kind of doors are a pair of lightweight swing
doors often found in public bars in the American west. These doors use bidirectional
hinges with springs set in them. Saloon doors from the knee level to the chest level
are called batwing doors.
 Gibb Door / Blind door : This type of door has no visible trim or operable
components. They are visually a part of the wall. This door is mainly used as a
disguise.
 Flush Door : This is a completely smooth door of plywood or MDF. A light
timber frame is fixed below it and the hollow parts are often filled with a cardboard
core material.
 Wicket Door :  It is a small pedestrian door which is built in a larger door. It
allows access to people without opening the larger door. Such doors are found on
the ceremonial door of a cathedral, in large vehicle doors of a garage etc.
 Bifold door : It is a door with  several sections folding in pairs. Wood, metal or
glass are its common materials. Bifolds are most commonly made for closets, but
may also be used as units between rooms.
 Trapdoor : This is a horizontal door oriented  in a ceiling or a floor. The door is
often accessed via a ladder.

Doors in computing :-
 Sun Microsystems developed Doors as a core part of the Spring operating
system. Then Solaris version 2.5 added it as an undocumented internal
interface. They became a documented feature in Solaris 2.6. Recent versions of
Solaris use doors in many places, including nscd (the name service cache daemon)
and syslog.
 Rational Dynamic Object Oriented Requirements System (DOORS)  (formerly
Telelogic DOORS) is a requirement management tool. It is a client–server
application, with a Windows-only client and servers for Linux, Windows, and Solaris.
There is also a web client, DOORS Web Access.
 A BBS door is a mechanism to execute and communicate  with an external
program on a bulletin board system. Doors are the most common way to add games,
utilities, and other extensions to BBS software.
 A major use of door is for door games. These are computer games played on
BSS. Strategic games like TradeWars 2002, Space Dynasty, Solar Realms Elite,
Food Fight etc., fall under door games.
 Also, non entertainment applications of door  are permitting users to time-shift
their rationed BBS use, time bank, acting as a front-end to themed databases on
astrology, numerology, recipes, weather predictions etc.
 DOOR (Database of Origin and Registration), is also the European database
that includes product names for foodstuffs registered as PDO, PGI or TSG.

Doors in places :-

 Door County is a county in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. This is also a popular

vacation and tourist destination for the people of Illinois and Wisconsin.
 The Door Peninsula is a peninsula also in eastern Wisconsin. It separates the
southern part of the Green Bay from Lake Michigan.

Other uses of Door :-

 A door can be symbolic of a new beginning, or a way to some desired destination

etc.
 Many music records have the term ‘Door’ in them. Some such albums are ‘Doors’ by
saxophonist Eric Kloss in 1972, ‘Door’ by Every Little Thing in 2008 and a single  ‘A Door’
from Aaron Tippin’s album ‘Greatest Hits… and Then Some’ in 1997.

 Just like music, some films and books also have the term of door included in the
titles. The film ‘The Door’ is about a rock band, Door is also a character in the Neil Gaiman
novel and television series Neverwhere and The Wittenburg Door is a humor and satire
magazine.

  Furthermore in literature, ‘The Door’ is a 1987 novel by Magda Szabó. ‘The Door’ is
also a poetry collection of Margaret Atwood in 2007. Miroslav Holub in his poem, E. B. White
in his short story and Mary Roberts Rinehart in her 1930 novel used similar titles.

17. Zero

Zero as a concept has been around since ancient times, popping up in

Babylonian and Mayan inscriptions, when it was used it to calculate the passage of
 the seasons. In today’s world, zero plays a big role unknowingly. Some of the uses
are listed below.

Zero in Math :-

 The number 0 fulfills a central role in mathematics as the additive identity of the

integers, real numbers, and many other algebraic structures.
 As a digit, 0 is used as a placeholder in place value systems.
 Names for the number 0 in English include ‘zero’, ‘nought’  in UK, ‘naught’ in US, ‘nil’,
or—in contexts where at least one adjacent digit distinguishes it from the letter “O”—oh or o.
 With zero, the entire number system came into play. From there, we get the origin of
the entire branch called ‘mathematics’.

Hence, without the number 0, mathematics would never stand as strong as it is

today. And as we all know, math includes the invention of all the engineered tools
and modern devices till date.

Zero in computers :-

 A computer are made to understand two digits- 1 and 0. For computers, 1 represents
‘True’ and 0 represents ‘False’. Using the combinations of multiple 1s and 0s, the empire of
computers is established.
 Computer programming allows us to work on computers  and carry out our day-to-day
jobs efficiently. This programming uses a ‘Zero-based numbering’ system.
 Zero-based numbering or index origin = 0 is a way of numbering in which the initial
element of a sequence is assigned the index 0, rather than the index 1 as is typical in
everyday non-mathematical or non-programming circumstances.
 Martin Richards, creator of the BCPL language (a precursor of C), designed arrays
initiating at 0 as the natural position to start accessing the array contents in the language.
 ‘Zero client’, also known as ultrathin client, is a server-based computing model in
which the end user’s computing device has no local storage. A zero client can be contrasted
with a thin client, which retains the operating system and each device’s specific configuration
settings in flash memory.
 With the use of zero in such minimal places, development and advancement has
taken a huge step. From simple program codes to artificial intelligence, zero has constantly
played a major role.

Zero in computers thus serves as one of the major base for the devices, automation and
advancement that we cherish now.

Zero in science :-

 The zeroth law of thermodynamics was formulated after the first, second, and third

laws, but considered more fundamental, thus its name.
 In biology, an organism is said to have zero order intentionality if it shows “no
intention of anything at all”. This would include a situation where the organism’s genetically
predetermined phenotype results in a fitness benefit to itself, because it did not “intend” to
express its genes.
 In genomics, both 0-based and 1-based systems are used for genome coordinates.

It is evident that zero is equally important in the field of science as it is in other fields.
Science is the key towards advancement and zero plays a major part in that.
 Zero in ancient times :-

 A black dot on a third-century Indian manuscript has been identified by Oxford

University as the first recorded use of the mathematical symbol for zero, 500 years earlier
than previously thought, according to a Agence France-Presse article.
 The origin of the modern decimal-based place value notation can be traced to the
Aryabhatiya. The concept of zero as a digit in the decimal place value notation was
developed in India, presumably as early as during the Gupta period (c. 5th century), with the
oldest evidence dating to the 7th century.
 The rules governing the use of zero appeared for the first time in Brahmagupta’s
Brahmasputha Siddhanta (7th century).

Hence, the invention of zero has its roots back in the ancient times. People have
kept developing since then and thus zero has a strong place in the civilization
process.

Zero in other aspects :-

 Year zero is a year used in some calendar systems like astronomical year
numbering where it coincides with the Georgian year 1 BC. Buddhist and Hindu
calendars also have the year zero concepts.
 Some universities, including Oxford and Cambridge have “week 0” or
“noughth week”. This refers to the week before the first week of lectures in a term.
 The United States Air Force starts basic training each Wednesday. The first
week is considered to begin with the following Sunday. The four days before that
Sunday are often referred to as “Zero Week”.
 0 is also used in 24 hour clocks and the international standards ISO 8601.
This denotes the beginning of the day.
 Zero is sometimes used in street addresses, especially in schemes where
even numbers are one side of the street and odd numbers on the other. For
example, Massachusetts’s Harvard Square has the address of 0 Garden Street.
 Zero is also interpreted as void or negligible, point of origin on a scale and
zero point.

Conclusion :-

Zero lies at the heart of science, engineering and mathematics. Life without zero
thus seems to be incomplete.

18.Dot

A dot, as simple as it sounds, can be interpreted in many different ways. Hence,

it maybe used as an abstract topic in group discussions. Here are some of the
interpretations of a dot listed below.

Dot as a punctuation mark :-

 A Dot has a huge role to play in English sentences. It marks the end of a
sentence and is coined the term ‘full stop’ or ‘period’.
 It also functions as a separator between two lines  and hence, portrays the
meaning of the written content distinctly.
 A dot is also used as a diacritic mark in some Latin alphabets and Central
European languages. When used as a diacritic mark, the term dot is usually
reserved for the ( · ), or to the glyphs  combining dot above’ and ‘combining dot
below’ which may be combined with some letters.

Dot in fashion :-

 Talking about fashion with dots, polka dots are the first ones to catch the
limelight. Polka dot is a pattern consisting of an array of large filled circles of different
sizes. This has been in the fashion statement of olden ages and is still going strong
till date. Traditionally flamenco dancers and performers used these polka dots in
their fabrics. Later on, Frederic Bazille, DC comics, Bob Dylan, the musician Randy
Roahds and many more had been using polka dots in their outfits.
 A typical Indian fashion statement using a dot is the forehead colored
mark called ‘Bindi’. This is derived from a Sanskrit word ‘bindu’ and has a shape of a
dot. A bindi symbolizes feminity in the Indian tradition at its best. It also reflects an
aura of divinity when seen on Indian goddesses.

Dot’s role in arithmetic :-

 Dot or ‘.’ is used as an operator which stands for the ‘AND’ operation in
Boolean algebra. AND is the truth-functional operator of logical conjunction. It is also
represented by ‘^’ in logic, mathematics and linguistics.
 Dot as a decimal point is used to separate the integer part from the fractional
part of a number written in decimal. It is also usually denoted by ‘.’. Although
Different countries officially designate different symbols for the decimal mark.
 Another use of the dot in mathematics is the dot product. The dot
product or scalar product is an algebraic operation that takes two equal-length
sequences of numbers and returns a single number. In Euclidean geometry, the dot
product of the Cartesian coordinates of two vectors is widely used and often
called inner product.

Dots in computers & software :-

 Coding is the backbone for a software to develop and function  And coding
involves the use of dot in abundance.
 Dot codes are also used in building of softwares. A Dot Code is a property
that can be assigned to text in a prompt, dialog element, resource, or computation
script. It can either format the text or insert characters which are not commonly
supported in plain text.
 A dot can also be categorized as a graph description language. DOT is a plain
text graph description language wheras DOT graphs are typically files with the file
extension gv or dot.
 Another perspective of a dot can be of a pixel in a visual display screen . ‘Dot
pitch’is the specification for a computer display, computer printer, image scanner, or
other pixel-based devices. This describes the distance, for example, between dots
(sub-pixels) on a display screen.
  ‘Dot’ system in medicine :-

 Scientists have developed a new method to track tumours using quantum

dots. Quantum dots are tiny particles that emit intense fluorescent signals when
exposed to light.
 This is a new and advanced invention that can also treat cancer. This
approach generates bright tumour signals by delivering “quantum dots to cancer
cells without any toxic effects.

Other uses of Dot :-

 A dot can be an abbreviation of some company or agency or a society. For

example, DoT stands for Department of Telecommunications in India.
 The term ‘dot’ is also used in some phrases like ‘A square with a dot’. This
phrase maybe interpreted to different meanings by different people.
 ‘Dot’ is also a feminine name used by many famous personalities. For
example, Dot Allison, Dot Bailey, Dot Farley, Dot Moore, Dot Milkinson and many
more celebrities have such first names.
 Some fictional characters are also coined the name of ‘Dot’. The 1899
children’s book ‘Dot and the Kangaroo’, the comic book character ‘little Dot’, the
animated TV show ‘Dot Warner’, the TV series Reboot with ‘Dot Matrix’ etc. has the
term in their names too.
 A few places are also identified by the ‘Dot’ term. Places like Dot,Kentucky in
US, Lake Dot in Florida, Dot Cliff and Dot Peak in Antarctica and Dot Island in South
Georgia also have dots in them.
 A dot can be useful in the rhythm of some music as a dotted note. In Western
musical notation, a dotted note is a note with a small dot written after it.

19.Red:

Red is a very vibrant colour that signifies passion, love, courage, happiness on
one end; danger, blood & violence on the other side, both strongly. So, it is a coin
with two sides, broadly love and war.

 Red as a political colour :-

 strongly associates with the idea of revolution. Communists considers
themselves as revolutionaries & the communist parties across the world use red to
strongly represent their shared agenda & their historic association with revolution. In
fact, they use red so extensively than other ideologists use of their respective
colours.
 It is also used to represent socialism. The oldest symbol of socialism,
the Red flag dates back to 18th century & the French revolution- 1848.
 The red flag symbolizes for the blood of their people who lost lives in
the revolution – (French revolution origins. other prominent revolutions across the
world, losses, gains- reasons for their birth, how to prevent, international efforts..etc
it can be picked up as a GD.)
 Red letter day :-
 A day that is pleasantly noteworthy or memorable. The word originated
from the practice of marking the dates of church festivals on calendars in red – (This
 can turn out to be a fantastic GD if every participant speaks about what is the Red
Letter day according to him/her & state why?)
 Ex: I would like to state the red letter day in the history of India, i.e. is
th
15  Aug 1947 – the moment when the world’s biggest democracy has breathed the
airs of independence after 2 centuries of slavery. It is the remark of selfless efforts,
dedication & perseverance of an entire nation. We can observe some of the best
leadership styles in this independence movement, all different but directed towards
the achievement of a common objective.
 The red letter day in the history of human kind/ in science/ medicine
..etc.
 Red planet :-
 It’s another name for the planet Mercury, in Greek, Mars is the God of
War, i.e blood & red. The planet looks red because of the reddish iron oxide
prevalent on its surface.
 It is one of the prominent planets that captured human fascination for
research of life on it & conditions suitable for human settlements.
 India has achieved a great milestone in its space research through the
launching of Mangalyan/ Mars Orbiter Mission (MoM). India achieved this feat in its
first attempt & is the first country to do so. It reflects the technological strength of
India.
  Red for branding :-
 Red is used by some corporate companies, for example Coca-Cola:
Coke used red to represent happiness, power, freedom & liveliness.
 Red can stimulate appetite, which makes it an excellent choice for
branding a food or drink This shows that colours are not meant for just visuals but
they will impact subconsciously the psychology of a person & play an integral part in
the success of the brand/ product.

A few other thoughts that can also be used are:

 Red Character – Morgan Freeman – Why it’s called so – the Irish origins. why
Irish associated with red?
 October red revolution – Revolution origins & the significance
 Red flowers & vegetables- Strawberries, tomatoes – health benefits
 Red Sea – the economic & political importance of red colour & sea trade