After dogs, we all call books our best friend. And why shouldn’t we? We all form a unique bond with books and their characters where as some lines leave us spellbound for our whole life.

So we, at Buddymantra decided to come up with 10 books we think everyone should read at least once in their life span. However, filtering 10 books from the vast world of Literature was no less than a herculean task.

So take a look at our picks and see if any of these grab your fancy.

1. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Told through the eyes of 6 year-old Scout Finch, this novel is one of the most famous books of all time. The story narrates the crisis when an Afro-American is accussed of raping a white woman. At times, Scout’s action will make you go all aww  and at other times her bravery will empower you. Perfect blend of humour and reality is bound to leave you in a state of amazement.

2. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

This is certainly the most heart-wrenching contemporary novel that you’ll ever read. Although a contemporary, this book is fast becoming a classic. Betrayal, guilt and redemption stands as the main theme of this fable. It is the story of two Afghani boys and their bond. Khaled’s plot, narration and strong characters will leave you all teary eyed. To let the tears keep falling, you can also watch the excellent film adaptation of the novel by same name.

3. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Paulo Coelho is consisdered as one of the greatest novelist of contemporary world and after reading The Alchemist you’ll know why. The Alchemist is the story of Santiago, a young shepherd who listens to his heart and follows his dreams to find treasure beyond his wildest dreams. But this story is more about realizatons, faith and wisdom. This materpiece by Coelho will downright transform your life but only if you let it.

4. The Old Man And The Sea by Earnest Hemingway

When you will read this for the first time you are bound to think “what is so special in this?”  but as the days will go by, you’ll be able to understand why this novella helped Hemingway win the Nobel Prize for Literature. Beautifully and simply written, this fable revolves around an old fisherman and a creature and how their bond unfolds. Hemingway takes the timeless theme of courage and respect to transform this books into a magnificent 20th century classic.

5. The Fishermen by Chicozie Obioma

You think a great book can only come after years of writing and practice? Well think again. Obioma’s debut novel The Fishermen was shortlisted for Man Booker Prize Winner and has amazed almost each one of its reader. The spellbinding tale of four brothers who aim to be fishermen one day, until they encounter a madman who prophesies that the brothers will kill each other. Powerful metaphors combined with unexpected turns makes it a must read. After reading this, you’ll only have one sorrow: no other book by Obioma to devour.

6. A House For Mr. Biswas by V.S. Naipaul

The book was written by Naipaul in the memory of her beloved wife who died in the same year. The book won him Nobel Prize in Literature. The book’s protagonist, Mohan Biswas, is a classic anti-hero, simultaneously despicable and compelling. But by the end of the novel you’ll fall in love with him. This novel with autobiographical touch will give you chills and make you realise how everything is transient.

7. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

Lifted from Plath’s own struggle with depression, the Bell Jar is an authentic look into the human psyche and sheds light on the realities of our modern day world. It is a hauntingly realistic novel tells the story of Esther Greenwood, a talented young woman who gains a summer internship at a large New York magazine and discovers that instead of enjoying the glamorous New York lifestyle, she finds it frightening and disorienting.

8. 1984 by George Orwell

Written in 1948, 1984 was George Orwell’s chilling prophecy about the future. And while 1984 has come and gone, Orwell’s narrative is timelier than ever. Thriller is seperated by other novels of that time by absorbing and deeply affecting thriller of Winston Smith, his lover Julia, and their doomed attempt to taste freedom. The book is higly acclaimed political read and one of the perfect phrophecy book of all the times.

9. Train To Pakistan by Khushwant Singh

Train to Pakistan is one of the most painfully sad and disturbing yet informative and eye-opening narratives one can read about the divide between India and Pakistan. A local moneylender is murdered and suspicion falls upon protagonist Juggut Singh, a gangster who’s in love with a Muslim girl. Written from his own experience of the great divide, this book shows you the dark side of partition like never before.

10. Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom

Not many have read this book, however this stands as a must read for those who are in the search of meaning of life. The book is a true story about an old man’s reflections on life. Author’s mentor is on his deathbed and the mentor starts meeting him on every tuesday. Simple and yet powerful, this book is bound to make you introspect and give you everything that no TedX session could.

                                    Union Budget – 2017-2018

This year’s budget is watched keenly because of the recent  demonetisation move, processed by the government. The primary aim of the demonetisation exercise was to tap the black money. For the first time, since independence there was no separate budget for the railways. With the finance minister presenting the first combined budget of independent India, the main focus was on synergizing the investments in the railways, waterways, civil, roads and aviation. The Union budget 2017-2018 in being presented in the Lok Sabha. The agenda of the budget is: “Transform,

Energize and Clean India”, that is, TEC India seeks to

• Transform the quality of governance and quality of life of our people;
• Energize various sections of society, especially the youth and the vulnerable, and enable them to unleash their true potential; and 
• Clean the country from the evils of corruption, black money and non-transparent political funding.

1. Passenger safety
2. Capital and development works
3. Cleanliness
4. Finance and accounting reforms

1.Passenger safety:

• A railway safety fund named “rashtriya rail sanraksha kosh” (a non lapsable fund that will be utilised for safety measures)will be created with a corpus of 1 lakh crores over a period of 5 years.
• By the year 2020, unmanned level crossings on broad gauge lines will be eliminated.

2.Capital and Development works:

• A new Metro Rail Act will be enacted by rationalizing the existing laws. This will facilitate greater private participation and investment in construction and operation purposes.
• Under the BharatNet Project, by the end of 2017-2018, high speed broadband connectivity on optical fiber will be available in more than 150,000 gram panchayats, with Wi-Fi hot spots and access to digital services at low tariffs.
• A DigiGaon initiative will be launched to provide tele-medicine,education and skills through digital technology.

3.Cleanliness:

• SMS based “Clean My Coach Service”has been started. It is now proposed to introduce ‘Coach Mitra’ facility, a single window interface, to register all coach related complaints and requirements.
• By 2019, all coaches of Indian Railways will be fitted with bio toilets.

4.Finance and Accounting reforms:

• The finance minister also increased the funds allocated for the scheduled castes by a twenty-three thousand to fifty-three thousand rupees. He also mentioned that new enterprises were setup under the stand-up India program aimed at helping the women’s, Dalits and travel entrepreneurs.

The finance minister also announced the creation of new employment opportunities in the railways with the announcement of new Metro rail policy.

While constructing one crore houses for the homeless by 2019 to announcing the completion of the homeless by 2019 to announcing the completion of 100% electrification of villages by May 2018, the finance minister unveiled many measures for the rural and infrastructure sectors. Among these announcements new metro rail policies, selected airports in tier-2 cities has to be taken up for operation on ppp (Public-private partnership) mode, new railway lines and differently-abled sectors.

The output of the Indian railways have been proposed to be enhanced by 10% in the next three years. This will be done through modernization and up-gradation of identified corridors. For passengers, service charges on rail ticket booked through IRCTC will be withdrawn.

Focussing on urban rural and housing sectors the finance minister said that the government has proposed to construct one crore houses for the homeless by 2019.In this context he said that the pradanmanthri awas yojana allocation has been raised to 23,000 crore rupees from 15,000 crore rupees.

Most of the budget measures were also been seen in line with the prime minister Narendra Modi plan to provide 20 million houses across India by 2020.Experts say difficulties in claiming in centre for a formal housing have been removed by the various measures.

Funding of the political parties:

India is one of the world’s largest democratic country with one of the most elaborate electoral system but it has still not able to evolve a transparent method of funding to the political parties. In his budget speech, the finance minister said “Transparency was vital for the conduct of free and fair elections and that the government was committed to achieving this target”.

Political parties continue to receive most of their funds through the unanimous judiciary which have been reflected in the cash economy.

Among the many measures announced, the finance minister put a cap on a maximum amount of cash donation that a political party can receive will be Rs.2000 from any one of the sources.

Every political party have to file its return within the time prescribed in accordance with the probation of the Income tax act. Any existing exemptions to political parties from the payment of Income tax act will be available subject to the fulfillment of these following conditions

1. The political parties will be entitled to receive donations only by cheque or in the digital mode from their donors.
2. An amendment is been proposed to the reserve bank of India act to enable the issuance of electoral bonds .The  bonds can be purchased  from banks by the donors either through cheque or digital transactions. They can be redeemed only by registered political parties.

Conclusion: Henceforth the main purpose of this budget is to benefit the farmers, the poor and the underprivileged sections of our society. The budget was devoted to the well-being of the villages, farmers and the poor. The budget reflected commitment to eliminate black money. From the current budget the housing and the small business sectors would gain an immense growth drastically.

The history of condoms goes back at least several centuries back and perhaps beyond that. Condoms have been used both as a method of birth control, and as a protective measure against sexually transmitted diseases. Condoms have been made from a variety of materials; prior to the 19th century, chemically treated linen and animal tissue (intestine or bladder) are the best documented varieties. Rubber condoms gained popularity in the mid-19th century, and in the early 20th century major advances were made in manufacturing techniques.

1. 15000 B.C

The history of condom dates back to 15000 B.C. This might be a fact for many but the oldest known image of a sheathed penis is evident from the cave paintings which date back to 15000 B.C.

2. LATE B.C. / EARLY A.D.

During the Roman Empire, the first documented condoms were hand-sewn pieces of linen that fit over either the entire penis, just the tip or into the urethra. The loincloths worn by Egyptian and Greek labourers were very spare, sometimes consisting of little more than a covering for the glans of the penis. Records of these types of loincloths being worn by men in higher classes have made some historians speculate they were worn during intercourse.

3. 1400-1700

In the Asia the people of higher class or basically the aristocrat people were using glans condoms, which covered only the head of the penis. They were made of oiled paper, intestine, animal horn or from the shell of tortoise. During the Renaissance, condoms were primarily made out of linen, goat intestines and gall bladder of goat.

This condom is made from the intestine of pig which dates back to the 14^th century.  These are basically the glans-only condoms made of oiled silk paper, lamb intestines, tortoiseshell or animal horn in China and Japan in the 14th Century.

4. 1855

The first rubber condom was produced in the year 1855. This new material was a major shift towards a more reliable method of contraceptives. The major demerit of these condoms was that they were as thick as bicycle inner tubes. Some condoms were also produced in late 19^th century around 1897 which had Queen Victoria’s face printed on them as her children had sexually transmitted diseases.

5. 1918

Condoms began to be publicly, legally sold to Americans for the first time since Comstock Act of 1873.

The snap depicts the first ever condom advertisement in the year 1918.

6. 1920

The Young’s Rubber Company manufactured the first latex condom with the hopes of providing people a more natural feeling option.

7. 1957

The first lubricated condom was manufactured in the year 1957 in UK.

8. 1990s

As condoms continued to be adopted as a necessity, the condom manufacturers began producing flavoured, coloured and textured styles of condoms.

9. 2000s to till date

In the first major advancement for condoms since the invention of latex, the makers of LifeStyles introduced their SKYN brand the first clinically-approved polyisoprene condom. It’s the closest thing to wear nothing.