Jewellery Hallmark

Jewellery Hallmark

               What Sign One Should Check Before Purchasing Gold Jewellery?

               One must check hallmark before purchasing gold jewellery.                                          Hallmark consists of  five components, they are:

1.     BIS Standard Mark

2.     Purity Grade:

Gold Purity grade shows how pure the gold is:

Pure gold has 999 – 24 carat purity grade.

3.  Mark of Hallmarking Centre:

One must check for logo of hallmarking centre where the jewellery has been hallmarked.

4.     Year of Marking:

Alphabets represent the year of hallmarking of jewellery and are decided by BIS, for e.g. letter A denotes year 2000, similarly J for 2008, N for 2010, M for 2011, and N for 2012 etc.

5.     Jewelers Identification Mark:

Many jewelers keep their own identification mark as BIS certified jeweler.

Please ensure you look for jewellery showrooms selling BIS Hallmark jewelery.

Buy Hallmark Jewellery only. It assures the mark of purity.

Ask for cash memo or invoice which will help BIS to resolve complaints if any.

What is AGMARK?

What is AGMARK?

AGMARK means Agriculture Mark is a certification mark employed on agricultural products in India. Products bearing AGMARK assure that they conform to a set of standards approved by the Directorate of Marketing and Inspection, an agency of the Government of India.

• AGMARK is quality Certification Mark of the Government of India.

• Products certified under AGMARK confirm to the scientifically laid down quality standards.

• AGMARK certified products are processed packed in hygienic conditions.

When you buy any of the following agricultural products like

• Vegetable Oils • Blended Edible Vegetable Oils

• Spice (whole and powdered) • Powdered Mixed Spices

• Compounded Asafoetida (Hing) • Cereals and Pulses

• Ghee, Butter, Fat Spread • Honey and many more items of daily use.

Please check if these products bear a certified AGMARK on them. And buy only AGMARK certified products. 

How well do you know a genuine ISI Mark?

How well do you know a genuine ISI Mark?

How well do you know a genuine ISI Mark:

The BIS Standard Mark (ISI Mark) is a quality mark.

This is a certification mark of the bureau of Indian standards (BIS), which was earlier called the Indian standards institution (ISI).

Most consumers prefer ISI Marked products. With the growing demand of ISI marked products, the instance of misuse of ISI Mark is also on the rise.

Unscrupulous manufacturers are trying to cheat the consumers by marking products with ISI Mark without obtaining the valid licence from BIS.

Every ISI symbol has a 7-digit number below it.

Now the 7-digit number is tricky. You pay attention to the first five digits only. And work backwards.

You start with the 5th digit. Multiply that by 1 Then go to the 4th, multiply that by 2. Next comes, yes, the 3rd digit - multiply that by 3. Mulitply the 2nd  digit by 4 and the  1st digit by 5.

Then you add all the numbers you get. The total will be the exact same number as the last two digits.

Take this number as an example: ISI 7 9 0 9 3 9 2

3 x 1 = 3; 9 x 2 = 18; 0 x 3 = 0; 9 x 4 = 36; 7 x 5 = 35;

Add 3+18+0+36+35 = 92

And there you have it, unless the fake ISI symbol makers can do basic math themselves and create a plausible number.

One important fact to remember is that if a product is popular, you can be sure there will be a lot of fakes made.

The smart thing to do, is to always buy your products from a credible and reliable outlets. Get a receipt and keep it. If you find that the product bears a fake ISI mark and then send your complaints by logging on to www.bis.org.in or report it to ddgenf@bis.org.in.

Your medical records

Patients can demand their medical records up to three years from their doctors or hospitals

Do you know that your physician is bound to maintain your medical records for three years? And you can request your medical records from your physician any time when you need them.

The Indian Medical Association (IMA) has emphasised that it is obligatory on doctors and hospitals to provide a copy of the medical record to a patient or his legal representative within 72 hours of the request being made. Hospitals must provide medical record to patients.

As per law, medical records belong to the medical professionals/entities but patients have a right to review them, demand copies of them, and demand their confidentiality as per the Medical Council of India (MCI) regulations.  

Every physician has to maintain medical records pertaining to his/her indoor patients for three years from the date of commencement of treatment as per the regulations.

Health benefits of sugarcane juice

Health benefits of sugarcane juice

          Indulge in a glass of sugarcane juice. Apart from cooling your body, it is loaded with           several other health benefits.

• Energy booster: Sugarcane juice is rich in the good kind of carbohydrates, protein, iron and potassium that make it the ideal energy drink.

• Not bad for diabetics in moderation: If you are a diabetic and crave something sweet, sip on a glass of sugarcane juice for instant fix, though moderately. It has sucrose which has a low glycemic index.

• Prevents cancer: Sugarcane is packed with antioxidants. Thus it helps prevent diseases like cancer, especially prostate and breast, which cannot survive in an alkaline environment.

• Beats dehydration: It replenishes lost electrolytes and water during summer as it has a high concentration of essential nutrients.

• Good for kidneys: Sugarcane juice is a diuretic so it helps improve the functioning of kidneys. It also aids in treatment of urinary tract infections.

• Keeps liver healthy: Sugarcane juice is regarded as one of the best treatments for liver-related sicknesses like jaundice and some other diseases which cause high fever. It replenishes your body with lost proteins and nutrients that are needed to recover quickly.

• Aids in digestion: The potassium present in sugarcane juice helps balance the pH levels of your stomach and facilitates the secretion of digestive juices.

• Prevents heart diseases: It helps decrease the levels of unhealthy cholesterol and triglycerides, thus preventing heart diseases and stroke.

• Gives a healthy skin: It is a good source of alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) like glycolic acid, which helps to increase cell turnover. It also unclogs the skin pores and reduces occurrence of acne. 

Natural antibiotics

Natural antibiotics

Natural antibiotics:

Long before there were pharmaceutical antibiotics, food and herbs that guard against infections and diseases were used. Superbugs have still not developed resistance to these natural antibiotics. Overuse of antibiotic pills leads to antibiotic resistance.

Some antibiotics pills are believed to have some side effects on their intake by patients, to avoid this, use these home remedies found in your kitchen: 

Turmeric: The wonder spice acts as an antibacterial agent and fights against infection in wounds or boils. It can be taken internally or applied directly to the skin.

Eucalyptus: Aromatic leaves of eucalyptus are rich in powerful antibacterials and used in inhalation to treat respiratory infections or applied externally to prevent infection in wounds.

Pomegranate: Pomegranate juice has strong anti-bacterial and anti-microbial properties. It reduces microbes that are found in the mouth responsible for cavities and staph infections.

Herbs and spices: Basil and oregano have antibacterial properties. Cumin, mustard and bay leaf contain a powerful antibiotic compound that weakens bacterial resistance. Pepper is effective to fight off intestinal bacteria. Thus, include all of these in your cooking.

Coconut oil: It has naturally occurring anti-fungal and anti-microbial properties and is packed with antioxidants not found anywhere else in nature. It is good for both topical application as well as internal consumption.

Garlic and ginger: Eat raw garlic cloves or use it in cooking as it is not only an antibiotic but also anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, anti-parasitic, anti-fungal and an antioxidant. Ginger is more effective against bacterial infections than antibiotics.

Berries: Cranberry, raspberry and blueberry have been shown to provide antibiotic benefits. They have been used to cure urinary tract infections and reduce the growth of salmonella, shigella and E. coli.

Honey: It is one of the best natural antibiotics, antimicrobials and antiseptics known to man. An enzyme found in honey releases hydrogen peroxide which fights against infection and prevents the growth of bacteria. So, consume raw and organic honey.

Lemon: Fresh lemon juice boosts your immune system as it is full of vitamin C with antibiotic effects. Lime juice is found to be protective against cholera.

Yogurt: The “good” bacteria in yogurt stimulate the production of white blood cells, which then attack invading microorganisms. 

Be cautioned before you pay your restaurant bill

Be cautioned before you pay your restaurant bill

Pay service tax of only 14.5 per cent on 40 percent of your total hotel bill.

Service tax is the tax levied by the government on services rendered by restaurants. Service tax is the same in all states. The service tax rate at present is 14.5 per cent (inclusive of Swachh Bharat cess). The restaurant must be air-conditioned for the service tax. Also, customers must know that they cannot be taxed on the full bill, but only on 40 per cent of the bill as directed. Whenever you see service tax on the

total bill exceeding about five per cent, you can question it. Service tax actually works out to only 5.6 per cent of the total bill, that is, 14 per cent of the 40 per cent. If the restaurant is indeed charging service tax at 14 per cent on the entire amount, rather than 5.6 per cent, the amount collected from customers should be paid to the government.

And restaurants are not supposed to charge VAT on packaged food or drinks, like bottled water. VAT should be charged only on food prepared by the restaurant. Products like bottled water are sold at the MRP. There is no additional VAT, since it is included in the MRP.

What you can do?

If you find a restaurant is overcharging, that is, charging 14 per cent service tax on the entire amount, you can bring it to the notice of authorities in the tax department.

If a restaurant is charging service tax on the full 100 per cent of the bill but paying tax only on 40 per cent, it can be prosecuted.

Affordable voice box for cancer patients

Affordable voice box for cancer patients

Until now, throat cancer patients who lost their voice boxes had to spend thousands of rupees to implant imported voice boxes. These imported voice boxes cost them anywhere between Rs.20,000 and Rs.40,000 and which had to be changed every six months.

But henceforth this would not be the case, because now Throat cancer patients who lost their voice boxes can regain their voice with Aum voice prosthesis that costs just around Rs.50.

Aum voice prosthesis is developed by a Bangalore- based oncologist Dr. Vishal Rao. This artificial voice device that weighs 25gms enables throat cancer patients, who had their larynx removed, to speak.

It pretty much works on the principle of the natural voice box. When air passes through the food pipe, it vibrates and creates a sound that can be converted into intelligent speech in coordination with the brain.

Every year, more than 25,000 people in the country are diagnosed with throat cancer cases and one-third of them face the risk of voice box removal.

Get passports in a week

Get passports in a week

If you still think that it requires at least a month to get your fresh passport, then you are wrong?

Until now, the process would take a month, with the police verification eating up a lot of time.

But citizens can now get a fresh passport under the normal category in a week if you provide your passport applications with these three documents such as - copies of Aadhaar card, electoral photo identity card (EPIC) and PAN card. And also provide an affidavit in the format of Annexure-I (declaration of citizenship, family details and no criminal record).

Police verification of such applications will be conducted after the passport is issued. There will be no extra charge for the service. The process is subject to online validation of the Aadhaar number while processing and an approval from the granting officer.

For more details visit your nearest Passport Seva Kendra or log on to www.passportindia.gov.in.

NCPCR Guidelines for conducting reality shows

NCPCR Guidelines for conducting reality shows

Although the Child Labour Amendment Bill allows participation of children in television shows, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) lays down guidelines to regulate child participation in this adult-oriented industry.

If you find any reality show violating any of the following guidelines please bring it to the notice of NCPCR.

1. Reality shows should not be competition-based.
2. Presence of parent/guardian during shoot should be ensured to provide emotional and psychological support to the child.
3. No child should be exposed to ridicule, insult or discouragement, harsh comments or any behavior that could affect his/her emotional health.
4. Parents should be counseled against showing disappointment if the child loses or performs poorly.
5. All reality shows involving children should employ a child psychologist/ counsellor who should be available on the sets.

Let us not see any child being demotivated or downgraded in any of the reality shows.

Complaints against Press

Complaints against Press

Who do you think you can complain for the misdeeds of any journalist or newspaper?

You can lodge a complaint against the press with the Press Council of India.

It is open to any person to lodge a complaint with the Press Council against a newspaper for a breach of the recognized ethical canons of journalistic propriety.

The complainant need not necessarily be the person aggrieved or directly involved.

Cases can also be initiated by any member of the public against any professional misconduct by an editor, working journalist, staff of a newspaper or engaged in freelance work. 

Here is the procedure for filing the complaint with Press Council of India.

It is a requirement of the Inquiry Regulations that the complainant should initially write to the editor of the newspaper drawing his attention to what the complainant considers to be a breach of journalistic ethics or an offence against public taste. 

The complainant has, in his complaint, to give the name and address of the newspaper, editor or journalist against whom the complaint is directed. 

A clipping of the matter or news-items complained of, in original or self attested copy (English translation, if the news item(s) is in vernacular) should accompany the complaint.

The complainant has to state in what manner the passage or news-items or the material complained of is objectionable.  He should also supply other relevant particulars, if any.

Similarly a newspaper, a journalist or any institution or individual can complain against Central or State Government or any organization or person for interference with free functioning of the press or encroachment on the freedom of the press.

For more details log on to www.presscouncil.nic.in 

Free legal aid services:

Free legal aid services: 

The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) has been constituted under the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987.

In every District, District Legal Services Authority has been constituted to implement Legal Services Programmes in the District and provide free Legal Services to the weaker sections of the society.

The District Legal Services Authority is situated in the District Courts Complex in every District and chaired by the District Judge of the respective district.

Individuals who fall under the criteria prescribed by Section 12 of the Legal Services Authorities Act, 1987 can avail free legal services.

Legal Services Authorities after examining the eligibility criteria of an applicant and the existence of a prima facie case in his favour provide him counsel at State expense, pay the required Court Fee in the matter and bear all incidental expenses in connection with the case.

The person who avails legal aid from legal services authorities is not called upon to spend anything on the litigation once it is supported by a Legal Services Authority.

To seek the support of legal services authorities to fight and get justice to your case

Contact Karnataka State Legal Services Authority,

Nyaya Degula Building, 1st Floor, H.Siddaiah Road,
Bangalore-560027
Email : karslsa@gmail.com
Website : www.kslsa.kar.nic.in

Toll Free No.: 1800-425-90900.

Ph. No. 080-22111714, 22111729, 22111875

Goods once sold can be exchanged

Goods once sold can be exchanged

Goods once sold can be exchanged

Do you know that "Goods once sold will not be taken back" foot note on cash bills and a cash memo is against the law?

The footnote is in contravention of Section 14 of the Consumer Protection Act. In 2001, the then Union minister for consumer affairs, Shanta Kumar, had issued a letter to all state governments to take appropriate measures to curb such unethical trade practices. Fifteen years on, the practice is widely prevalent in the state.

This footnote deters dissatisfied consumers from going back to the shop even if they have purchased a defective product from a shop. It was inappropriate and an unfair trade practice on part of the traders to mention this foot note on their cash bills.

You as consumers have the provision to exchange or replace goods if you are not satisfied with it and it is not right to carry this footnote on cash bills or cash memos. 

Packaged fruit juices

Packaged fruit juices

Packaged fruit juices are divided into three sub-categories like fruit drinks, fruit

juices, and nectar drinks.

An existing rule of the Food Standards & Safety Authority of India (FSSAI) has stipulated a minimum of 10% fruit juice or pulp content for a drink to be qualified as a juice drink, except in lime, for which it is 5%.

How to choose a healthy fruit juice over an unhealthy fruit juice.

The best way is to check the nutrition label and opt for a fruit juice that has no added sugar, preservative, colour and flavour. Opt fruit juices that have least number of calories and a high amount of carbohydrates and other vital nutrients!. While the FDA has allowed for a maximum range of 40 gms of sugar intake per day, most

fruit juices usually go over this limit! So be cautioned when consuming such packaged fruit juices that contain sugar beyond healthy limits.

Some packaged fruit juices claim to contain ‘Pulp’. Check the label of pulp based juices for their ‘Fibre’ content that indicates the amount of pulp. Most often it will be negligible!

Waste fly ash makes cement concrete stronger

Waste fly ash makes cement concrete stronger

The use of cement might add strength to a concrete mix and eventually to the structure.

But recent studies by an Indian Institute of Technology have found that adding a small quantity of wastes disposed in thermal power plants or a steel factory to the concrete mixture can help the structure last a lifetime.

The study says that use of mineral admixtures like fly ash generated as waste from thermal power plants and ground granulated blast furnace slag from the steel industry can increase the durability and useful life of reinforced concrete structures tremendously.

Thermal power plants in the country generate nearly 200 million tonnes of fly ash a year, but less than 30 million tonnes are utilized.

The study recommends that cement used for construction be partially replaced with at least 15%fly ash or 30% slag along with the use of low water content.

The lower water content can increase resistance against carbonation, which occurs due to vehicle and industrial emissions, and enhances the strength and stiffness of the structure.

So if you wish to construct your building much stronger then try to find fly ash and mix it in the concrete mixture used to construct your building. 

Offered unhygienic food - Complain on FSSAI app

Offered unhygienic food - Complain on FSSAI app 

Discovered some “strange” and “unexpected” object in your packaged food and you do not know whom to approach?

Are you unhappy with the quality of packaged food you’ve just bought, or the food you’ve been served at a restaurant?

Have you been helpless when you found packaged food or food served at a restaurant sub standard? But now you don’t have to. You can easily complain about it just through a free mobile app.

Raise your concerns about substandard and poor quality food through a new mobile app launched by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI).

The FSSAI App will allow consumers to raise food-safety related concerns about packaged food or items served at a restaurant.

For served food, the app provides an option to rate the overall hygiene of the food service establishment.

The app also empowers consumers to check many parameters on which the food safety is compromised for both packaged foods and food served in ready-to-eat establishments.

The food concerns raised by a consumer will be routed to the food safety officer (FSO), a designated officer or the state food commissioner for necessary action.

BPA and Plastic codes

BPA and Plastic codes

BPA and Plastic codes:

Usage of plastic containers to carry food and water, or consuming tea or coffee in plastic cups is hazardous for health. Medical studies have found that those persons who regularly used plastics containers or bottles were found to contain Bisphenol A (BPA) in their blood.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an industrial chemical that is used to make certain plastics and resin since the 1960s. BPA causes health problems like hair fall, high cholesterol, variations in HDL levels, high fasting blood sugar, poly-cystic ovarian disease (PCOD), hypothyroidism and high blood pressure.

Avoid using plastics in any form; instead use steel, glass, porcelain or earthen wares.

If you still want to use plastics then always look for plastic recycling codes to be on the safer side of using plastics.

Plastic codes are indicated with a number between 1 and 7 enclosed in a triangle of arrows at the bottom of the plastic containers or on it. The code indicates the type of plastic you are using and gives you important clues about safety. Plastics with codes 1, 2, 4 and 5 are considered to be the safest.

Try to avoid using plastics with codes 3 or 6, as these plastics contain chemicals that may be harmful. Plastics with code 7 are very hazardous as these plastics are BPA-containing plastics called polycarbonates. These plastics have the letters PC printed underneath 7 and these are the plastics which you should completely avoid using them.

Junk food that are good

Junk food that are good

Those Junk food that are good:

Most of us know that junk foods like Burgers, Kachori, Samosa, Pakoda, Potato Chips, Bhel puri, Pani Puri, etc. are unhealthy. But certain junk foods that contain good amounts of anti-oxidants are in fact good for the heart, here is a list of junk foods that are good

Popcorn: Popcorn is the best evening snack to have particularly while watching movies at cinema theaters. Homemade popcorn is low on calories and high on anti-oxidants and such homemade popcorn is good for health. But the popcorn sold at eateries and theatres is not as healthy as the popcorn made at home. Ensure that you have popcorn that is low on calories and high on anti-oxidants.

Dark chocolates: Dark chocolates are rich in anti-oxidants that help in lowering blood pressure and help in decreasing the risk of any heart disease. And those dark chocolates that are laced with whole wheat brownie and some nuts are rich in fibre and such dark chocolates are very good for health. So eating 50 to 100 grams of dark chocolates a day is good for heart and health as well.

Baked snacks: Baked snacks made of whole wheat with no oil are healthy for body.

Processed cheese: Processed cheese is better than natural cheese. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) found in processed cheese contain anti-carcinogenic properties and is also a possible effective anti-oxidant.

Popcorn, dark chocolates, processed cheese and baked snacks although are junk foods but are good for health according to recent studies.

Safe drinking water

Safe drinking water 

How do you ensure how safe is the drinking water that you buy?

According to the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), the highest regulatory body in the country, no person should manufacture or sell ‘packaged drinking water’ without the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification mark.

The Bureau of Indian Standards has laid down specific guidelines for the production and sale of packaged drinking water.

Units manufacturing packaged drinking water do not maintain the required standards to purify water. And the water is simply packaged and sold, without any processing.

In many cases, equipment such as reverse osmosis plants and ultraviolet filtration units were found in a state of disrepair.

So be cautioned about packaged drinking water. Always check for the BIS certification mark on the packaged drinking water before you buy and drink it.

Useful tips for credit or debit card users

Useful tips for credit or debit card users

Here are some of the useful tips for credit or debit card users:

 1. Verify credit card statements. regularly. Retain all the transactional slips till the statement is received and verified.

2. Sign on the back side of your credit / debit card.

3. Memorize 3 digit CVV Number written on the back side of the credit card. It is a confidential number that is required to be entered into for online transaction. Erase/ hide it after you remember CVV Number.

4. Activate mobile alert service on your credit / debit card.

5. Update card issuers with all your latest mobile / telephone number, email ids, residential address.

6. Never provide photo copy of both side of card to anyone including bank staff.

7. When withdrawing from ATM, ensure that no other person is nearby even if he is a security guard or a bank employee

8. In case the card is lost/misplaced, immediately intimate the same to card issuers for deactivating and take reference number of your request.

9. Do not take help from anyone during cash withdrawal from ATM.

10. Never share the details of credit card on phone, email.

11. Register and use security features such as one time password, mobile alerts etc. for any online transactions as provided by Banks.

12. Change your password/PIN at regular intervals.

Security Implications of using Debit/Credit Cards

Security Implications of using Debit/Credit Cards

           The credit card is one of the most commonly used financial products of the 21st                        century. But not many of the users are aware of the security implications of using                      them?

·     You think no one knows your CVV number and therefore your card is safe. But are you aware of the fact that many online transactions do not ask for your CVV number, but can access your funds just by entering the card number, the expiry date and the name of the card holder.

Your card would be much safer if you remove the CVV number from the back of your               card. And ensure that you are present when it is being swiped by a third party,                           particularly at department stores and petrol bunks.

·     You think your credit card cannot be duplicated hence it is safe. But it is not true. The magnetic strip on your card holds a lot of data that can be copied and your card cloned.

It’s harder to clone EMV (Europay, Mastercard and Visa) cards, so request your bank for these cards.

·     You think no one knows your PIN number and password.  
      Indian websites have recently made it mandatory to put in a secure PIN as a final stage in the authentication process, but international websites do not have this security feature.

·     Never let anyone know any details of your card. And keep your card secure and safe like you secure your PIN number and password. Never give your card to anyone.

·     The issuer of the card and companies accepting the card have entered into
      an agreement that the signature on the back of the card will be compared with that on the receipt and only then will the transaction be considered valid. Since most establishments do not check the signature, card holders assume that the signature is not of importance. But if a card is stolen and swiped somewhere. The owner can demand compensation from the merchant by proving that the signature on the back does not tally with the signature on the receipt. So make time to sign on the card.