If you want new ideas, you have to push yourself into the periphery

Title of this post is the line which inspired Mr. Coimbatore Krishnarao Prahalad(CKP),A University Professor and top management consultant to transform himself and lead by example.
He died yesterday but his teachings and knowledge will remain with us forever.
May God bless Him....



He was teaching at IIM in 1970 when he noticed that fervently nationalistic India had little use for a globally oriented thinker. With his ideas under constant political attack, Prahalad decided he had no choice but to go US. The Prahalads arrived in Ann Arbor with $18.His was exceptionally skilled guy..read following...

Prahalad, a mustachioed, bespectacled, slightly round man, filled the room when he speak. He was a contagiously high-energy guy. His language, while complex and academic, was sprinkled with expressions meant to draw in the listener. "Is it not?" he asked often. "Okay?"
Later in life ....
His story is the story of an REAL Indian who not only wants to strive success for himself but also wants to try and get benefitted by his experience and that is why at one point of his life he decided that it wasn't enough.
In his own words - "I was in a very good zone of comfort and I felt that this opportunity was so large that I needed to experiment with it myself. What we're selling is a new way to run a business. Our ultimate motivation is to make a difference."
He wanted to create a laboratory for the application of the ideas that he had been preaching to others.Instead of slowly lowering the flame on a white-hot career, In 2000, He lit an entirely new flame. He has taken a leave from US Universiry job, dramatically scaled back his consulting work, put up several million dollars to get Praja(his own company) going.He took financial risk, professional risk, reputational risk, and personal risk for the
This was his 'personal test'- a search for self-knowledge that has defined Prahalad's life.

In 2000, the collapsing economy has made that job tougher than Prahalad had ever imagined when he abandoned his life. But he appeared to be more committed than ever.
"You have to have faith,You cannot lead if you don't believe."- he said.

He was so impressive and reliable that Larry Page, co-founder of Google, made a quiet visit to the Madurai(temple town) from US just to see an eye care institution(Aravind Eye Hospital), which Prahalad described as "gem at the bottom of the pyramid" in his book.

Don't be Evil - We can make money without doing evil

This post has source in Inam's recommendation. I read this interesting and inspiring book 'The google story' by David A. Vise and Mark Malseed and just finished it yesterday. I must say that I was forced to finish this by myself ASAP.
I like this book because of following reasons:
1. I am using 'Google' search engine for around 8 years but never seriously thought how Google earn money...This book gave me that detailed insight in the simplest possible manner.
2. I got to know more about the way google give us the search result. Now I know that it uses 'page rank' (PR).One can use the following to find out the Page rank of any page on internet:

Check Page Rank of any web site pages instantly:

This free page rank checking tool is powered by Page Rank Checker service

3. Following lines of sergey's father touches my heart too as it describe me somehow as well :
You are growing stronger
In Body, spirit and mind
I am getting older
Leaving decades behind

You are tough , you mine data
you surf first and think later
And your fast as light
Wanders dmadly in the night
You lived abroad on the sunny coast....

these lines describe not only his son but all the people of todays world who solely depend on google before they start anything whatever it may be....



4. The google guys made their fundas clear and straight right from the start as they knew that if their product is good(cheap+innovative+fast+reliable) then only they can sustain in the market and convince the people most and so instead of wasting money on advertising or high-end computing they bought the motherboards and other componenets to inexpensively build computers themselves.
For them advertisement was - "word of mouth" and for this they took the approach:
"Build something of value and deliver a service compelling enough that people would just use it."
5. In my opinion one reason of their success is that they did not start with the objective of 'Earning Money' and just wanted people to use 'the Best'.
6. Convincing people is not easy task but their approach was more human. For Example:
He explained his product to non-technical people but for those with the inclination and time to get more technical explainations,Brin invited them to sign up for a course that he and Page were teaching that semester , on search engines, and promised them access to "resources which they an not find anywhere else in the world"
7. They are honest and ethical in everything ( at least this is what I can visualize with this book ) :
- They have rented the space for $1500/month but they choose instead $1700/month so that all fees and taxes would be paid and everything is done properly from the start.
8. They offered the people 10 reasons to work for google including cool technology, stock options, free snacks and drinks and the proposition that -million of people will use and appreciate your software.
9. Some times it helps to take vacation not just from regular life but from the way the world works- concept Burning man.There was nothing a billion dollars can buy them at burning man except a cup of coffee.
10. What people do not understand that google was a potent googleware blend of software+hardware gave company more computing power than anyone else in world.They are like 'Dell'-customize everything.
10. They don't want to do the old fashioned things :
- They make their words fit all the time - 'Google is not conventional company and we do not intent to become one'( stated in Founder's letter - part of IPO filing documents).

Doing well by doing good is simply good business

Thanks to Mr. Francis for referring this article about an Indian enterprise which is becoming more and more global every year. This enterprise is nothing but the 70.8 billion dollar flagship indian group called TATA(established in 1868 by Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata) which is conglomerate of around 90 companies.Tata group employed around 350,000 people in 80 countries and have presence in industries like hotels, consumer goods, mining, steel manufacturing, telecommunications, trucks and cars , electric power, credit cards, chemicals, engineering, and IT services and business process outsourcing..
..
Money :
Year Revenue Profit
1992 : $5.8 Billion $320 Million,
2008 : $62.5 billion $5.4 billion

* CSR related social expenditures in 2009 - $159 million

International Acquitions :

2000 : Tetley Tea Company, Britain for US$450 million
2007 : Anglo-Dutch steel giant Corus Ltd. for $12.1 billion;
2008 : Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) for $2.3 billion

Key people :

• Alan Rosling , executive director of Tata Sons
  
• Ratan Tata , Group chairman

Examples of corporate social responsibilities(CSR) :

• One of few those company who believes in relationship and moral values and thus TATA became live example by selling Tea plantations business to its own former employees.
  
• In 1892, he created one of the world’s first charitable trusts, the J.N. Tata Endowment for Higher Education. This scholarship program sent bright young Indians of limited means overseas for training in science, engineering, law, government administration, and medicine. One early grant recipient, a woman named Freny K.R. Cama, would go on to become India’s first gynecologist. It was especially important to Tata that Indians be admitted to the civil service, which was closed to them under the British Empire; this would show that they were capable of governing themselves. By 1924, with some restrictions lifted by the British, one out of every five Indians in the civil service would be a J.N. Tata Scholar. (Today, the same scholarship is one of the most prestigious education awards in the country.)
  
• After the November 26, 2008, terrorist attack on Tata’s flagship Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai Tata responded back and the hotel was repaired and reopened less than a month after the attack. Tata provided best of the world medical treatment to injured staff members and paid generous health and school tuition benefits (including the assignment of a “counselor for life”) to the families of all slain individuals, including railway employees, police officers, and passersby who had had no direct connection with the hotel before the attack. “The organization would spend several tens of millions of dollars in rebuilding the property,” noted Dileep Ranjekar, a management speaker who met with Tata Hotels senior executive vice president H.N. Srinivas after the attack. “Why not spend equally on the [people] who gave their lives?”
  
• All Tata businesses annually earmark part of their operating expenditures for social, environmental, and education programs. For example, Tata Steel sets its budget for social services in the community as a % of pretax operating income. In good years, it might be 4%, and in lean years, 18%, but the absolute amount does not change. At Tata Steel, money goes to employ doctors, teachers, rural development experts, athletic coaches, geologists, social workers, and others - often known internally as members of corporate sustainability teams - in ongoing community service activities in Jamshedpur and the surrounding rural villages.

Who control TATAs - A chiritable trust :

Tata has 11 charitable trusts that together own 66 percent of Tata Sons and that are intimately involved in its governance. (Family members own only 3 percent.) . The trusts fund a variety of social projects ; they founded and still support such cherished institutions as the IIS, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, the National Centre for the Performing Arts, and the Tata Memorial Hospital, an innovative cancer treatment center in Mumbai. Each Tata company, in turn, channels more than 4 percent of its operating income to the trusts, and every generation of Tata family members has left the bulk of its wealth to them. This makes the Tatas noticeably less wealthy as individuals than their counterparts at other Indian family-owned megacompanies.

Values :

• Tata’s leaders believe the group can survive on the world stage only by being both too big to beat and too good to fail.
  
• “We had set ourselves certain goals, chief among which was to go global - not just to increase our turnover but also to go to places where we could create a meaningful presence and participate in the development of the country.” - Ratan Tata
  
• It operates on the premise that a company thrives on :
  
• 
  
  
  
  • social capital (the value created from investing in good community and human relationships).
    
  • Hard assets for sustainable growth.

With every generation, Tatas has nurtured and improved their capability for “stakeholder management”: basing investments and operating decisions on the needs and interests of all who will be affected. For Tata, this means shareholders, employees, customers, and the people of the countries where Tata operates - historically India, but potentially anywhere.

• Tatas have always carefully avoided any activities with even a tangential link to “sin” industries - a term that for the Tatas encompasses not only tobacco, liquor, and gambling but also motion pictures, given the association in India between Bollywood and organized crime.
  
• “We may be among the few companies around the world who think and act first as a citizen,” says R. Gopalakrishnan, an executive director of Tata Sons Ltd., the privately held holding company of Tata, and a director of several Tata companies. Indeed, the primacy of citizenship - a philosophy associated historically with J.N. Tata - continues to be used as a corporate credo: “In a free enterprise, the community is not just another stakeholder in business, but is in fact, the very purpose of its existence.”
  
• If social benefits are one major goal of Tata’s strategies, another is rapid and continuing growth, in as many industries and venues as possible, on behalf of both philanthropic and fiduciary commitments. “We are hard-nosed business guys,” says Gopalakrishnan, “who like to earn an extra buck as much as the next guy, because we know that extra buck will go back to wipe away a tear somewhere.”
  
• Tata’s leaders argue that their emphasis on “family values” represents a critical aspect of their corporate culture. It is strong enough, they say, to hold Tata’s family of companies together as it diversifies and expands outside India. It is also essential to the group’s sustained financial success. Moreover, Tata’s corporate image, as measured by independent groups such as the New York-based Reputation Institute, is viewed more favorably than that of Google, Microsoft, GE, Toyota, Coca-Cola, Intel, and Unilever. And, as billions of people move up from the bottom of the pyramid (as writer C.K. Prahalad calls the economic milieu of the poorest third of the world’s population), the group’s combination of developing-country experience and socially progressive business values may give it a distinctive edge.

Shashi Tharoor : Why great scholar like him involve himself in Controversy

I do not understand why such an educated and intelligent and hard working guy like Shashi Tharoor can not stay away from controversies. In my opinion he one of few high profile indians, who have proved himself in all corners of life whatever it may be - hard working scholar,actor,substantitive writer,novelist( I like some excerpt of book 'The Elephant, the Tiger and the Cellphone' ),UN Under-Secretary General ,good speaker,articulate columnist and good human being( I will add clever politician if he gets over with controversies as well).

Example of what I said :
When he was contesting Lok Sabha seat from Thirvuvananthapuram in 2009, He came out to the streets of TVM yesterday to remove his posters from the street walls. He said
“This is a beautiful town, and I don’t want politics to disfigure it.”



I understand that he may also be regretting some of his latest controversies ...or may be thinking them as ...slip of tongue. His being more frank/generous may cause him the seat of Minister of State.I guess he is thinking as if :
- He is minister in US and thus can be more open-minded.
- CEO of MNC , who can whatever he likes.

BUT BUT BUT...

This is Indian politices where Mayawati,Lalu yadav and Jayalalita kind of politicin survives ...may not be Him.

Anyways Best of Luck Mr. Tharoor.

Heat Effect :Should be give subsidy on AC or Plant more Trees ?

This weekend , ultimately I got the opportunity to see the 'An Inconvenient Truth' and appreciated the Al Gore's campaign to educate citizens about global warming via a comprehensive slide show that.I was talking to my father in India and he said "Is saal garmi bahut par rahi hai, jaldi hi temperature 42 degree ho gaya(In Lucknow)" - shows that we have to do much more in this direction as people of developing nation do not look this issue as long term issue and keep forgetting the past years as matter of past.I agree that their priorities are different but ....

So what is Global warming ?
In the simplest possible manner 'Global warming' says that we are emitting too much CO2.

This is mid of April and temperature in Main North Indian states(Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh) are soaring as high as 41-42 degree Centigrade.
Read Following scary news:
1.Temperature was above average by four to 12 degrees Celsius in Himachal as compare to 2009.
2. After 1970 Not only days are getting more warmer day by day across regions and seasons but night temperatures is also rising 0.2 degrees Celsius per decade significantly in almost all parts of the country.
3. Length of time changes in the earth's surface temperature, rainfall, and sea level will remain even after CO2 emissions are completely stopped TODAY.Geologists tell us that the residence time of CO2 in the atmosphere is on the order of 5 to 10 years. In contrast, the IPCC says it is 50-200 years. Does this means that we are missing the train...
4. 70% increase in the rate of Greenland's ice melt over the last 5 years.

This has resulted many socio-economic issues :
1. The rise in night temperatures — could have potentially adverse impact on yields of cereal crops like rice. Minimum temperatures have a link with rice fertility. At higher than normal night temperatures, rice grains aren’t properly filled up, leading to a drop in yield.
2. No 'poorwai' anymore : cooling trend in much of north India seen in the 1950s and 60s has been reversed, possibly because the effect of aerosols in the air can no longer compensate for greenhouse gas warming.
3. Hill-station : I remember in north India people always talk about going to himachal,Uttarakhand and Jammu and kashmir to get rid of Summers but these 3 states are also hit hardest( as they are part of western Himalayas).Here the mean temperature rise in the last century was 0.86 degrees while, more recently, temperatures have been going up by as much as 0.46 degrees per decade. The rapid warming of the region would have obvious fallouts on glacier melts.Pachouri ji ki report factual galat thee....lakin wo din door nahi jab wo sahi ho jae...
3. Deforestation and poor plantation: Although we do not plant many trees and whatever we plant get dried out in heat wave without proper irrigation( as water level is going down every year - another prominent issue to talk about). Trees are not just a thing but provide many benefits to all of us, every day. They provide cooling shade, block cold winter winds, attract birds and wildlife, purify our air, prevent soil erosion, clean our water, and add grace and beauty to our homes and communities. Hey why I MISS THE FACT THAT as trees grow, they help stop global warming by removing CO2 from air, storing carbon in the trees and soil, and releasing oxygen into the atmosphere.
4. To avoid heat people use air-conditioned vehicles and these vehicles again emmit the CO2...so one more side effect of Heat wave.
5. The Indian middle class(most popular segment of society-growing super fast ) cares for itself, its status and image(many Cars,ACs...). The hot air it emits leaves its holiest rivers like Ganga flowing with raw sewerage, its indifference watches on as millions steal scarce electricity, and its corruption looks the other way as bent industrialists pollute the air.But this segment is the most adorable , as it gives real money to private companies.

Solution :
Carbon tax : It works like a sales tax, individuals and businesses would pay a tax based on the amount of carbon emissions they produce. The plan is that the extra tax would be an incentive to pollute less and to seek out clean energy alternatives.
Pros : Putting a cost on the harmful greenhouse gas is the only way to send the appropriate message to people about the state of the climate crisis. By hitting businesses and consumers in their pocketbooks, especially the affluent who contribute the most, tax proponents hope to encourage energy conservation.
Cons : A tax on energy use would hurt the poor and middle class the most. Since introducing a new tax always draws opposition, backers of the carbon tax suggest tax shifting, a concept that would lesson the burden of other taxes and offer rebates to those with financial hardship. The idea is to target the wealthy who consume up to four times as much fuel and energy as the poor.
Another criticism of the carbon tax is that raising prices will destroy the economy. By making it more expensive to travel, heat and cool homes and commute to work, people will have less money to spend on other consumer goods. Plus, if companies are forced to pay more towards production, they may cut wages or other benefits to compensate. Also, if the price of native goods goes up, people will look overseas market like china for more affordable products, driving Indians out of the marketplace.

Being more structured so that kids understand 'Money matters!!'

After few days of analysis of my son's behaviour , I decided that I need to be more structured in dealing with 'Money' issues with him. I came up with following :

1.As soon as kids learn counting, start giving them pocket money and ask them to decide what they want to do with it.


2.Take kids for outing then tell them they have a choice between the 2 like it can be..


a. Eating out.


b. Buying toys


so they can choose between the two and not create hassle while you are there.


3. Discuss their demand with 3 words Want,Wish and Need and discuss the meaning of these with them regularly.

Lets see how it goes .......

It requires substantial understanding of Indian culture...to understand Gandhi

I just read the interview of British historian Mr. Jad Adams about his new book - Naked Ambition. As per his interview this book gives explicit details of Gandhi's sexual experiments with his followers' wives and his teenaged grand-nieces.
I do not know how much he got extra from the others(including Sushila Nayar, Pyarelal's sister) then what Gandhi himself has mentioned in his autobiography.In his own words 'I have worked with countless records both written by him and about him(Gandhi)' but infortunately he just worked not understand the real meaning of Gandhi's work. I am quite sure No british or foreigner for that matter can ever understand it better than Indians.It requires cultural understanding not the literal/historical understanding alone.

Yes , I agree that uptil certain certain age he was more inclined towards sex but he said(in 'My experiments with truth') this much more CLEARLY then anybody do ever.
But he sacrificed his life for the people.I am giving more relevant examples about his personality , which are more important then SEX:
1. He did study abroad but came back to India?
2. He went to S. Africa for job but did more for the Indian (or BLACK) people ?
3. After establishing himself well in S.Africa , he left that country for India.
4. He came back to India for Indian people and then he travelled whole India(mostly in 3rd class ) before starting the public life.
5. He practiced satyagraha in India and did not goto the world to teach Satyagraha(like Baba Ramdev and other moden sants are doing).
6. He did not take any official important post in INC.
7. He sacrificed his own son's welfare because he never want to be biased ?
8. He asked his wife to return all the gifts and presents that he(and his family) got, for his service in S.Africa.
9. He did not accept big donation from the big business houses for people's welfare projects.
10.He tested himself whole life and improve upon all the time without being worried about the failures.

Above are just few examples that I can think now about the great soul.....Being Indian of liberated India , I understand that most of us indians including me can NEVER do all the above 10 things (and many more not mentiuoned here)...we try and fail and try and fail .........
Most of the India young people want to :
a. Get job in foreign multinational firms.
b. Go to foreign country and feels proud in being called 'NRI'
c. Talk about the Indian issues from outside but do not want to go and live and improve the things in India itself.
d. preach the world about the greatness of India ( like Baba Ramdev and ...)
e. do all the things for their own kids. for them their life is limited to their kids only.
f. Have have a 'POST' of one or the other organization to show others that they are different.

BUT HE WAS NOT LIKE MAY OF US...HE DID(WHAT WE LIKE TO DO ALL THE TIME) ....and THAT IS WHY HE IS FATHER OF NATION.

I would be happy if his book gets backlash from Indians across the globe.

10 most common mistakes while planning a business

Planning Errors:
1. No Sound Business Idea: Without a sound idea, how will you develop your business plan? Without a plan, how will you develop a successful business idea?
2. No Business Plan: Your business plan is the core of your business. Without a solid business plan, there is no way that you will ever be able to turn your business into a successful operation.
3. No Market Research: Market research will determine the viability for your product or brand. If you don’t know your market, do you really know your business?
4. Poor Timing: There is a right time to start a new business, and a wrong time. If you roll out your business when the market is not ready for it, you may fail before you ever even get off the ground.
5. Poor Location: Location is everything for many businesses. Choosing your location is one of the most important decisions that you make when planning a business.
6. Poor Choice of Suppliers: The quality of the products and supplies that you offer is vital to the success of your business.
7. Underestimating the Competition: Every business and every concept has competition. If you do not recognise it, you are missing something important. Identify your competition before you launch your business.
8. Choosing the Wrong Type of Business: Sole proprietorship, partnership, LLC? Choosing the right business form is vital.
9. Failing to Seek Advice: It is important that you turn to successful people for advice in the planning process of your business; otherwise you will not be successful.
10. No Financial Preparedness: Simply put: If you’re not financially ready to launch your business, prepare to crash and burn.

ORAC - antioxidant scores

For over 20 years scientists have demonstrated a probable link between various chronic diseases, such as cancer, Alzheimer's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, cataracts, age-related macular degeneration and the actual aging process itself - to free radical damage. Antioxidants, on the other hand, are chemical compounds that have been shown to prevent, stop, or reduce oxidative damage.

What is an antioxidant? - An antioxidant is any substance that reduces oxidative damage (damage due to oxygen) such as that caused by free radicals. There are hundreds of different antioxidant compounds that include various vitamins, minerals, amino acids, enzymes and phytochemical antioxidants. Since scientists don't know every antioxidant in a plant, a test-ORAC was developed that indicates the total antioxidant potential.

eg 1: To get daily ORAC dose from apples, you would need to eat 2,294 grams of apple (or about 22 apples).

eg 2: Although ORAC(strawberries)> ORAC(Spinach) but spinach has been shown to be more effective than strawberries in boosting blood antioxidant scores. So, although eating a large amount of antioxidants is always a plus, it is important to eat a variety of healthy foods, not only for their antioxidant levels, but for their other nutritional properties as well.

eg 3: 1/2 cup of Red kidney bean(Rajma) contains ORAC=13259

What is Goji berry(wolfberrie)-Super duper ORAC score ?
( http://www.gojijuices.net/gojiandorac.html )
1. Eating just 20 grams/day of goji berries will give 5000 ORAC units which is the standard and best antioxidant requirement for adult.
2. High in minerals, vitamins and antioxidants, it also has polysaccharides, one of a kind phytochemicals and compounds.
3. Goji berry has :
..1. 18 amino acids ( i.e 6 times higher than is in bee pollen)
..2. More Beta Carotene than is in carrots
..3. More iron than is found in spinach.
..4. 21 trace minerals
..5. vitamins B1, B6, B2 as well as Vitamin E.
..6. 13% of protein.

ORAC score of some easy veg/fruit:
----------------------------------
2400 Orange
2100 Raisin
1900 Garlic
1400 Apple
1100 Red garpe
200 Carrot

What are your intentions if you do phone marriage ?

As the date of one of the celebrity marriage is coming closer , controversy related to first marriage of Shoaib and Ayesha is taking first-page of media coverage.Even the family of Shoaib is not denying Shoaib's involvement with Ayesha. They are just denying the level of involvement(fake pictures/names(Maha Siddiqui/Ayesha) are same girl) or Nikahnama or Nikah ).

The question here is ?
1. What was Shoaib's intention when he involved himself in Phone-marriage(at least his family members are NOT denying this )?
2. What prompted him to say 'This is my wife's home town' and what forced him to accept in-camera 'congratulations' in front of thousands of people?
(
a. He did not say his fiance/to-be-iwife or friend he used the word 'wife' , which has same meaning in all religion.
b. He was not any pressure to say this in front of media and thousands of people.
c. He was not drunk.
)
video link

3. Who forced him to say the folloeing lines in GEO TV interiew "You will get me in trouble," he saw in a very light-hearted manner. "I am married to a Hyderabad based girl." ..."Her name is Ayesha."
4. Mr. Imran(Shoaib's brother-in-law) says the videos that Siddiquis have is also fake as in it they made him say 'yes'.( He was member of International team them...was he small boy ?). Why they did not finished this whole issue then and there?
5. Why the Ayesha Siddiqui's family is doing all this now? I don't think any common Indian Girl just come out and say I am married to Shoiab( A Pakistani ) just for publicity and attention. At least a common INDIAN girl would never be interested so much becoming the wife of him ?.
6. Is it important to know 'nikah' over the phone was not valid or not
( Islamic law )
OR
to know that they did this at that time or not.
( Human Law )

Sania says she and her family know all the truth ? Then She/her family should defend the Shoaib.But they are not defeending him but just staying away from the controversy.

This shows that there was something wrong with Shoaib's relationship with Ayesha.

Shoaib's Character :
1. We heard Ayesha's involvement with another girl Sayali Bhagat-who as well said that 'She would not have been marrying Shoaib). Which is another indicator that Pakistan’s former cricket captain does not hold reputation with other girls involved with him in past.
2. I spoke to another pakistani friend of mine - who said that 'Shoaib is not good Guy' and I take his word as another testomoney to Shoaib's character.
3. While reading about the past of Shoaib I found the following news (http://www.shoaibmalik.co.cc/2008/02/marriage-plan-abandoned-says-shoaib.html), where he said he was not in a position to annoy his parents who has some serious reservations over marrying an Indian girl.This statement shows what ???
4. Former Andhra Pradesh minister Basheeruddin Babukhan says he was invited for an engagement ceremony at the Siddiqui household and witnessed the ceremony.

I have some questions fo Sania-who I am very much sure knows that Shoiab was married to Ayesha ( and I am sure as well that she will never read my blog but ..)?
1. Is it good to marry a person who has controversial past ?
2. Is it good to marry a person who looks for wife through photo and internet?
3. Is it good to marry a person who accepts 'congratulations' in front of world and who himself had acknowleged his marriage in an interview to GEO TV in 2004?
4. Why can't Sania's family and Shoiab's family just solve this all for all and find out who cheated whom?

Proof Controversy :
This issue is becoming another Pakistan-India controversy( like 26/11), where India is saying that it has proof but pakistan is saying 'Your proofs are not sufficient enough?'. In this case proof-Nikahnama says that Nikah was performed on June 3, 2002. It was signed by Nasir Hussain, the Registrar. Hafiz Mohammad Khaled performed the Nikah. It also shows 500 rupees was paid as meher. But crucially, the Nikah registration number is missing and there are no dates for the witness signatures.

I know people can say that it should not concern anyone with whom Sania is in love and whom she wants to marry, but still we know that she is just 23 and does not know the tricks people do(when she is madly in love with somebody ) .......
I hope Sania would not get the fate actress Reena Roy who had a bitter experience after marrying Pakistanis and had to return to India highly disappointed.

Why Juice is important ?

1. One reason may be the understanding that the closer food is to its original, raw form the better it is. As food undergoes extensive processing the levels of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes decreases.
2. Soil depletion is another problem we face, created by time, over-farming, and other issues, that contributes to our need to consume more produce.
3. A juicer in a way is “pre-digesting” the food. Our bodies do need fiber for healthy digestion but it gets eliminated as waste. The process of juicing gets rid of most of the fiber leaving a nutrient dense drink that is easily assimilated by our system as the digestive process is minimized. As a result our body gets a quick natural energy boost. Why use artificial stimulants like energy drinks, caffeine, sugar or coffee when juice can provide the desired energy increase naturally.

You name it and we Indians make sure that you found us there

Not in any order ....

Sun Microsystems
Vinod Khosla, He was one of the co-founders of Sun Microsystems and became first CEO & Chairman of Sun Microsystems ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinod_Khosla )
Google
Rajeev Motwani , advisor and supporter of companies including Google and PayPal. He is the one who was mentor of Sergey Brin( founder of Google)
( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajeev_Motwani )
Microsoft Senior Leaders ...No Indian there ...BUT WE WILL BE THERE TOO..I WISH
Microsoft Executives...
1. S. Somasegar , Senior Vice President, Developer Division ( http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/somasegar/ )
2. Amitabh Srivastava , Senior Vice President, Server and Cloud Division ( http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/srivastava/default.aspx )
3. Rajesh Jha , Corporate Vice President, Microsoft Exchange ( http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/jha/ )
4. Amit Mital ,Corporate Vice President, Unlimited Potential Group, Startup Business Accelerator ( http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/mital/ )
5. Sanjay Parthasarathy, Corporate Vice President, Startup Business Accelerator ( http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/sanjay/ )
6. Rajat Taneja, Corporate Vice President, Advertising and Commerce Platform (
http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/exec/Taneja/ )

List is long.............

Joke or what ?

We live in a funny nation, where Pizza reaches home faster than the ambulance or police!!
A lighter joke, but the bitter truth.........

It does not matter how much you earn...what matters that you don't loose what yow had.

When He came to Mumbai he had just 15000 Rupee and He was very clear that whatever he will do...he will never loose those 15000 rupee.....and He never did ...

He does not love success ...he hates failure.

Guess who is that Man......TKK(SRK).

Facts about the fruits eating

I got a presentation in email from one of my friend ...it talked about benefits of eating fruits empty stomach...I did some research and shocked when I found following......

1. Fruit can be eaten at any time. All the time are best tim...not only in Morning.Food takes 6 to 10 hours to reach the colon, which explains why it does not really matter when fruit is eaten.
2. Fruit never rotten(means bacterial action on food resulting in decomposition). because of the presence of hydrochloric acid, the stomach has very few bacteria.
3. stomach does not make gas. The place where fruit produces gas is in the colon, not the stomach," Dr. Pochapin said. The colon is loaded with bacteria and acts as the body's sewage system.
4. Fruit contains sugar and vitamins, which are absorbed in the small intestine
, and complex fibers, which pass through the gastrointestinal tract without much digestion. When the fiber reaches the colon, the colonic bacteria feed on the fiber and produce gas as a byproduct, regardless of when and with what the fiber was ingested.

She loves Strawberries so much

Now the spring is coming and in Norway, typically late spring and summer Strawberries are the fruit of the season-cheap and fresh. My daughter loves strawberries so much and so I would die to buy it for her in this season. Strawberries are a great option as they are rich in vitamins and minerals, low in calories, and widely available during this season.

- They are full of antioxidants. Strawberries are perfect for curbing cardiovascular disease, cancer, and delaying aging. In fact, studies suggest that the high antioxidant levels in strawberries can help neutralise the negative effects of free radicals in your system. Antioxidants are also known to boost the immune system and help keep off diseases like the cold and flu.

- Strawberries are rich in potassium, a mineral that helps regulate the electrolytes in your body, lowering your risk of heart attack and stroke. They also contain folate, a key ingredient in the manufacture of red blood cells.

- They are a rich source of vitamin C and contain more of this vitamin than citrus fruits. This is helpful in fighting off some forms of cancer and also helps with bad cholesterol. Strawberries are packed with B2, B5, B6, vitamin K, copper, and magnesium. They also contain omega fatty acids and essential fibre.

- Strawberries can also be used to whiten your teeth. The acids in the fruit is said to help remove stains from teeth. Cut one in half and rub on your teeth and gums. This removes tartar and strengthens and heals the gums. Let the juice remain on the teeth for a while and then gargle with warm water.

- While you can eat strawberries by adding them in a number of foods, to get the most benefits they should be eaten raw. When added with your morning cereal it will give you an energy boost for the day.

- Strawberries are the perfect food to add to your diet as they are virtually fat-free. Studies show that one cup of strawberries contains only 0.6 grams of fat. Further, they can stimulate your metabolism and suppress your appetite. They can also help keep your weight-reducing hormones functioning properly.

We need more such MBAs to work for rural India...

The Women's Reservation Bill will come up in Parliament again on Tuesday. The idea is to try and empower women. One inspiring example, a management graduate now acting as a Sarpanch in Rajasthan.

She left her cushy life, to break stereotypes and scripted a new change in a village in Tonk district.

Stepping into the shoes of Sarpanch for this thirty-year-old management graduate and hotelier doesn't mean horsing around. On the road less taken Chhavi Rajawat has returned to her small village in Rajasthan as Sarpanch, perhaps the first woman MBA graduate to hold that post.

"This is definitely far more challenging. It's a larger avenue, there's a lot more to do here and the fact that once we're educated and used to the city life we get so caught up in it all that we forget our roots," says Chhavi Rajawat, Sarpanch, Soda village in Tonk.

With her boarding school education, management degrees and work experience, Chhavi is no puppet Sarpanch. Whether it's in organizing NREGA works or maintaining transparency.

"I'm very particular and very organised. So that also helps to an extent. It can be unnerving too, since the village is not used to it. So when I tell my secretary and panchayat secretary to document something in a certain way, there's a resistance. But when I tell them why they understand," she added.

While she works on her plans to get clean drinking water for her village and sees that girls of Soda have the options to study what they like, here's why the people are rallying behind her.

Asharam Gujjar, a resident of Soda village in Tonk says: "Now the women can go and get their work directly. Their problems get sorted out. She's educated so she takes the right decisions. And, we hope she would get us the full payment for our work in NREGA unlike earlier when we got only partial payment."

"How would I go and speak freely to the men. But with her I can go and talk anytime," says another resident Santosh.

Faraway from the corridors of power where the women's reservation Bill has hung in balance for fourteen years, by electing a management graduate woman as its Sarpanch the villagers of Soda have already passed their verdict in favour of a new tomorrow with equal opportunities for its little girls.

What the head ?

Kids of these days are the big 'copy cats' or kind of fastest learners...
Yesterday my 6 years old son surprised me when we miss the metro and he said in his cute style 'What the head'......I asked what did you said and he replied 'Thomas'(close friend of him) says it many time ONLY WHEN he misses something.
Today he told me when :
1.somebody talks really fast and
2.we do not understand what he is saying then
we should say 'what the hech is you talking about?'

So now he is actually starting to use the words of The WORLD.

What is so much fuss about 33%

So the seats in Indian parliament are .....
..Total seat(543)=SC/ST(122)+women(181)+Men(282)
and not only this out of 282 seats in the open category,women too can contest if they want.Within the reserved block for SC/ST, men will be left with 82 seats.This decimation of male power is a nightmare come true for most conservative men running a lucrative career in electoral politics; hence, the desperate opposition to the bill.

WAHT ABOUT THE STATES : The 108th Constitution amendment bill seeks quota for women not just in the Lok Sabha but also in all state assemblies. There are 4,109 seats in all Assemblies put together, of which 1167 are reserved for SC/ST.The women's reservation bill will snatch away another 1,370 seats in all — 981 in the open category and 389 in the reserved for SC/ST category. The number of seats left for men will be just 2,942. So, the fear is spreading outwards from Delhi, rippling across state capitals and through the assembly constituencies in the hinterland.

What is BIG Issue here :
181 is big number to sacrifice but the clause of ‘rotation of seats’ is seen by the opponents of Bill to ‘strike at the very heart of democracy and democratic values’ as, according to their logic, the MP will not get a chance to nurture his constituency nor the electorate will get a chance to reward or punish their MP, as a corollary to it hardly any ties would be established between the two.In case of rotation they would not be able to treat their constituencies as their private properties. Time tested formula. In our school history books it was mentioned that rulers like Sher Shahsuri and Akbar kept rotating their officials to curtail corruption.

But I think, that Now women will get their due...and This Bill pass ultimately...
Happy women days..

what is VSK Vikings ?

If you don't know what is VSK-Vikings then no issue as this may not be very special for you as it is for me !!!
This is the website of my son's football club..If you have time please check it out ...
http://vsk-vikings.co.nr/

My nomination for the first Lufthansa A380

My nomination for the first Lufthansa A380: "The A380 the new Lufthansa flagship, a special experience, the Lufthansa A380. Find out more about the fascination of a new era in air travel. Take part, Raffles, Downloads, Photos, Video, Gallery, First Flight in 2010."

My Father is 'Nick Junior' or Enginor.

My Father is 'Nick Junior' or Engineer.

'Venus' or 'Penus'

Yesterday I was teaching my son and sudenly , he shocked me with his rhyming knowledge and simplicity. I was teaching him about the planet and told him that a planet is 'Venus' . I was not finished when he shouted 'what Penus ?' . I said no it is Venus and then he said but it rhymes with 'Penus' ...I simplye could not do anything but smile...

Hvordan være mer sunt enn meg ?

Eat your last meal by 7:30 pm : Our body's metabolism slows down after 8 pm. Hence, digesting food after this time becomes difficult. Also, we should wait for at least two hours after you eat before you go to sleep. Ideally, go for a late evening stroll after your meal.

Drink plenty of water : It is advisable to drink at least 8 to 10 glasses of water when we wake up in the morning. But if that's not possible, simply drink guzzle down water at intervals throughout the day.Water helps to flush out toxins from the body and purify the system. Every morning, drink water, about 1/3 of a one-litre bottle, before you even brush your teeth.

But don't force yourself to drink all the water. Drink as much as you can. After about 40 minutes, you can go about doing your daily chores.

Don't skip breakfast : Indulge in a power breakfast every morning. The best part is that a power breakfast requires no preparation. Rejuvenate our body and increase its vitality with plenty of fruits, vegetables and juices. It is a great power breakfast. We might want to stay away from very oily foods like parathas, medu wadas etc. They tend to make your system sluggish.

Problem with improper breakfast :

• Stomach feel heavy throughout the day?


• Burp constantly?


• Suffer from indigestion, constipation and feel a burning sensation in your food pipe?


• Regular gas formation


• A sour taste whenever we burp

Wake up early : You will be surprised at how much a couple of extra hours can do to turn your day around. Your day will be longer and you will find it possible to do more fruitful activities besides sitting in the office. Try just a single extra hour for starters and gradually increase it. Remember, eight hours of sleep (ideally 10 pm to 6 am) is all you need. So the extra time you sleep is not doing you much good anyway.

Go with the flow : Give your stomach some rest by adopting a liquid diet once a week. This way you will also be lubricating your entire system, and giving it essential liquid nutrients.Throughout the day you can have your choice of juices, milkshakes, tea, coffee and soup. Make sure that you don't indulge in soft drinks and alcohol.Papaya juice is a healthy way to clear out your stomach. It also offers relief for constipation and other stomach problems.If you feel hungry by the end of the day, have dinner. But eat half of your usual quantity.

When thirsty eat liquid, when hungry drink food : This simply means, when you are thirsty or otherwise, never drink water or any other liquids at a stretch. Drink your water slowly, as if you were eating it, sip by sip! This will help flush down the toxins in your body.For eating, "drink food" simply means chew the food up as much you can before you swallow. This helps digestion.

Buttermilk rocks! : Make a glass a buttermilk part of your daily diet . Try it without salt or sugar… it is fat-free and nutritious.

Life, minus salt and sugar… : Try to reduce your intake of salt and sugar but don't stop it all at once. While drinking tea or fruit juices, use the minimum amount of sugar that you can.

Potatoes! : yes , strange as it may sound, potatoes are good for your health. But this only applies to steamed or baked potatoes with the skin. Also, avoid seasoning like salt and butter.

Detox your body :

Detox juice : Detox juice fasting are believed by many to jumpstart and rejuvenate the body's natural detoxification process. It is suggested the detox juice fasting begin during spring and the warmer months of the year. It is recommended that the individual refrain from or limit their dietary intake of animal meat, fish, eggs, sugar, dairy, wheat, caffeine, nicotine or alcohol for at least one week prior to beginning detox juice fasting. The diet should consist of mostly organic fruits, vegetables and beans.

Between 32 to 64 ounces of juice should be consumed daily. Organic fruits and vegetables are highly recommended. If organic options aren't available it is suggested that the skin be peeled from fruits and vegetables or the items should be washed with a non-toxic produce cleaner, usually available at health food stores. Typical fruits and vegetables used in detox juice fasting include carrot, celery, kale, cabbage, apple, pineapple, cranberry, spinach, beets and greens. It is recommended that citrus fruits be avoided. Particularly grapefruits or grapefruit juice, especially if someone is on prescription drugs. A compound in grapefruits has been known to interact with some prescription medication resulting in an increase in blood levels of the drug.

Detox juice fasting is not recommended for durations longer than one to three days. Longer durations must require medical supervision as fasting can lead to nutrient deficiencies, particularly protein and calcium deficiency.

Power-plant-in-a-box....We are proud of Dr. K.R.Sridhar..Indians are THE BEST

please visit this website...www.bloomenergy.com/..it does not say anything about
the company but ...I love this ....I would love to see this company become THE BEST ENERGY COMPANY lead by an INDIAN.


Above little box called BLOOM BOX , feeds oxygen into one side of a cell while fuel (solar, natural gas, bio gas, etc.) is entered through the other side. This combination provides a chemical reaction that is needed to produce power. The cells are composed of fairly inexpensive ceramic disks that are painted with a proprietary green “ink” on one side and a black “ink” on the flip side. This takes a drastic turn from conventional energy-producing equipment that requires precious/expensive materials.

The best part of Bloom Box is that it is wireless and it emits ZERO emissions. One box can power a standard European home or a low-emission American home, and 2 Bloom Boxes can power a high-consumption American home.

According to Bloom Energy, large cells geared towards corporations and big businesses cost from $700,000 to $800,000 and are the size of a refrigerator. In comparison to other energy-related technology, the Bloom Box is miniscule.

Google, the creator of all things cool, was first to use Bloom Energy’s Bloom Box to power one of its data centers and has been using the device for the past 18 months. Aside from Google, FedEx, Wal-mart and Ebay are taking the green plunge and investing in Bloom Boxes. Ebay installed the boxes on the front lawn of its San Jose location and is expecting to acquire nearly 15% of its energy needs from Bloom devices. California subsidizes 20% of the cost, so it’s a good investment for local corporations.

On Wednesday, 24th February 2010, Bloom Energy will go public and release details about their much-anticipated energy box is available on Bloom Box Website - www.bloomenergy.com

The man at the center of all the excitement is Dr K.R. Sridhar, 49, who, prior to founding Bloom Energy, was a professor of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering as well as Director of the Space Technologies Laboratory (STL) at the University of Arizona. He is also, literally, a rocket scientist, having served as an advisor to NASA in the areas of nanotechnology and planetary missions. Sridhar initially developed the idea behind the Bloom Box while working with NASA, as a means of producing oxygen for astronauts landing on Mars.

Dr. Sridhar received his Bachelors Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Madras, India, and moved to in the 1980s to the U.S, where he earned an M.S. in Nuclear Engineering and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, home to such start ups as Netscape. On Sunday, CBS’ 60 Minutes homed in on Sridhar’s breakthrough technology, bringing huge attention to Bloom Energy’s bare-bones website that ran a cryptic visual saying ''Be the Solution''

Shopping for Indian groceries in Grønland market

Many of my colleagues come from India on long/short term assignments in Oslo. As eating out is expensive and eating out everyday is not practically possible so first thing that an Indian looks for is grocery shop in Oslo. All Asian shop are in Groanland  area and to be more specific there is a shop named 'Siddiqi shop'( green dot at the right border ) at Norbygate road( see the short green line on right border ) . These guys sell most of Indian/Pakistani cooking material. Red dark line is the karl johans road.The nearest metro station(Groanland  )in greenland is also marked with red circle.

Dark pink line, is the road taking to your living place. Red square at the end of red line is the BUS stop from where you can take the BUS to groanland. 

Now How to start from National Theater : 

Take Bus number 31/30 to reach the bus stop called Jernbanetorget (foran Oslo S) and take BUS 60 from there - follow from point 3 below. - 5 minutes journey time.

                                            OR 

1. Start walking in the direction of red arrow on karl johan. Don't stop until you see the statue of tiger( see the small red circle).This statue is quite prominent in Oslo central.

2. Look around you will find the BUS stop( called the Jernbanetorget (foran Oslo S)  little bit away from tiger statue( in the same side as tiger statue).

3. Goto the BUS stop and see the display and time table to confirm the time of BUS number 60( Bus 60 towards Tonsenhagen o/ Hasle ).

4. Take BUS 60 and get off at the stop called Norbygate (second stop after Jernbanetorget) - 3 minutes journey time.

5. Walk 50 steps in the same side of the where you get off and the shop is on your side.

How to return :

1. Take the same BUS 60 from the opposite side of the same BUS stop.

2. Get off at the Jernbanetorget (foran Oslo S) .

3. Wait for BUS 30 or 31 to come at the same side of stop.

4. Take BUS 30 or 31 and get off at National Theater. 

Hope this helps.....

Another NRI(Dr. Prajapati Trivedi ) working for great cause....

The Mission: Secretary, performance management. To set up a transparent and objective performance appraisal system for the various ministries.

The Difference He Makes: He comes with rich experience. His World Bank stint took him to places as diverse as Kenya, Riyadh and Gaza--he has worked with 26 governments across the world. That gives him the ability to tap into some of the best practices in different parts of the world.

Key Insight: “At the end of the entire exercise, we can name and shame, say the top 10 ministries and bottom 10 ministries, unleashing a competitive zeal inside the government. ”

After doing everything else, this was the ideal job. The job was so compelling. I got this opportunity to close the implementation gap in the government. With my World Bank experience and my global networks, I also had this ability to tap into some of the best practices in different parts of the world. It’s well established that the big difference between the developed country and developing ones is not so much about strategising and planning but implementation. I had been writing a lot to the Indian government, made proposals wanting to work here. I was helping other governments and I wanted to do it for India.

On January 2, 2009, I got a call from the cabinet secretary if I would like to join. A reluctant World Bank was advising me to wait for the elections to get over before taking the plunge. I told them I shouldn’t be thinking about election results if I was serious about what I wanted to do. I was coming here for the country, not for the government and that’s the reason why my post was made a bureaucratic assignment.

So who vets the performance against targets at the end of the year? Instead of government doing it, we have formed an independent, non-government task force of 15-20 people as knowledge partners. They are a set of IIM professors, ex-secretaries. The key to success was having a large competent and independent group of experts. They went through training.

What am I doing?

For the first time, the government department will have an elaborate procedure for setting priorities, defining performance and deliverables and then each of them will be judged according to how they perform by an independent committee comprising IIM professors and ex-bureaucrats. It has begun with the ministries but soon it will trickle down to cover bureaucrats as well.

The first stage of this system is to prepare a Results Framework document (RFD). The 12-page document provides a summary of the most important results that a department/ministry is expected to achieve during the financial year. This document has two main purposes: Move the focus of the department from process orientation to results orientation and provide an objective and fair basis to evaluate the department’s overall performance.

The document is prepared with internal consultations within specific ministries, aligned with government’s annual and five-yearly plans and is vetted and approved by a high power committee on government performance led by the cabinet secretary. Once it gets finalised [it] becomes a contract document against which each ministry and department’s performance will be judged at the end of the year.

The performance results [will be] put on the ministry Web site.

What’s the big deal? This is the first time priorities will be made clear with corresponding weightages. Everything has a timeline with rewards for timely submissions built into the system.

All of it will be done electronically so that the government has access to the progress report virtually on a daily basis. If it is not uploaded, we presume it’s not done. And at the end of the entire exercise, we can name and shame, say the top 10 ministries and bottom 10 ministries, unleashing a competitive zeal inside the government. Appraisal is a new system and will take a couple of years to stabilise. The biggest motivation will come from naming and shaming.

The Progress so far

The RFD for the three months, January-March 2010, has just been released. There will be new documents for the next financial year in April. We are doing all we can to help. We have already done 13 workshops for up to 500 bureaucrats to help them prepare RFD documents. Arun Maira will conduct a one-day work shop in early February to help senior bureaucrats learn how to set strategy. To let all of them know that the PM was dead serious about all this, the cabinet secretary had earlier called a meeting of all secretaries on the results framework documents and interacted with them in batches of 15.

Working here has been very exciting. I infused a bit of competitive zeal by ranking various ministries on the points they got in RFD submission and circulating it. Such was the competitive zeal that all 59 documents were submitted more or less on time. To my mind the debate between private and public efficiency is not so much about the ownership as much as about competition. You unleash the power of competition and see how it works.

I tried something similar with our software needs. We needed an e-office software that will allow government to keep all papers in electronic format. I reached out to TCS. But realising that it might create problems within, we went to NIC [National Information Centre] and told them “My heart is with you but we need this quickly. Will you be able to deliver on time else we will be forced to go to TCS.” They took on the competitive spirit and delivered within the deadline. Government has plenty of resources. Just that one should know how to tap it.

What Next?

In the past, the 4th, 5th, 6th Pay Commissions recommended adjusting salaries to market realities, but [they] also recommended performance-related incentives. But government was not able to implement.

Now on February 5, a committee of secretaries is meeting to discuss how to link up performance with pay. It is just a matter of working out the details. When done, up to 40 percent of the basic salary could be linked to performance. Then appraisal will not only have reputational implications but also financial.

Promotions, especially from joint secretary to the additional secretary level, will become more rigorous. We have been meeting some of the best companies and trying to understand how the private sector does it.

You will soon find a citizen’s charter for each government ministry. Basically it will outline what is it that a citizen walking into the department can expect. Clear targets and timelines will be spelt out so that the expectations are set. Each department will also have a world class complaint redressal system. They all should get ISO 15700, which is a certification for the government department. We are calling it Sarvottam.

How do I manage? You have to keep your ego aside. I literally went to all secretaries, met them, enquired what they did. It helped. People are waiting for someone to break the ice. They are willing to help, give me tips on what to do and how to do. My networks help a lot. At least four secretaries are my class fellows from St. Stephens days. Six were with me at the Boston University. Then some were my students.

I am excited........

Now History :


The depth of his C.V inspires awe and admiration. Since completing his B.A (Honors) in Economics from the respected St. Stephen's College in Delhi, Dr. Prajapati Trivedi, Senior Economist at the World Bank and Economic Advisor to the Ministry of Economy and Planning, Saudi Arabia, has gone from strength to strength and is today one of the most qualified and high-ranking Indian origin expat in the Kingdom.

After completing his B.A (Honors), Dr. Trivedi went on to the London School of Economics, where he completed his M.Sc. (Economics), specializing in the Theory of Investment and Planning, in 1974. He was soon back in Delhi, where in 1977 he got a PG Diploma in the Law of International Institutions, Indian Academy for International Law and Diplomacy, Delhi University. He later got another M.A, this time in Development Economics, from Boston University in 1983 and went on to do his PhD from the same institution in 1985, specializing in : Economics and Management of Public Enterprises, Public Finance, Economic Development. Dissertation Topic: Comparative Performance Evaluation and Explanation of Public and Private Enterprise Behavior (Issues, Methodology and the Case of the Indian Cement Industry).

Born on Aug. 9th, 1953, Dr. Trivedi is married, with two children.

Dr. Trivedi, a senior economist at the World Bank, is on secondment as an Economic Advisor to the Ministry of Economy and Planning in the Kingdom. He is responsible for public policy advice on a wide range of development issues and also for the development of the national long-term strategy of the Kingdom. He was the author of the key paper on public sector efficiency in the Vision Symposium organized jointly by the World Bank and the Ministry of Economy and Planning. He has led the work on public sector reform issues within the Ministry, too.

Asked about India's privatization program, Dr. Trivedi told yahind.com, "If one looks at it objectively, one has to admit that it is moving at a disappointing rate. We have to simply look at the promises made during each budget exercise and the results obtained. Since the Department of Disinvestment was set up in 1999, promises to privatize Rs. 57200 crores have been made by the Government of India. Unfortunately, against this target, the total sale thus far has been only Rs. 13643 crores. This is a mere 24 percent of the target. In the private sector managers would be fired for such poor performance."

He further noted, "It is ironic that the government's performance on this front was in fact better before the Department of Disinvestment was created in 1999. Since the new economic policy was announced by Dr. Manmohan Singh in 1991 (and went on till 1999), promises worth Rs. 34300 crores were made by the government. It sold stakes worth Rs. 11858 crores over the same time period. This makes an achievement level of 35 percent of the target. Not a record to be proud of, but a great deal better than that of the current officials."

Asked about the biggest concerns for our nation in the 21st century, Dr. Trivedi (like most Indians) reserved his ire for the politicians: "I am worried that ordinary citizens are fed up with politicians. They have tried all political parties and found them wanting. Unless things shape up, I foresee a movement for the change of our system. We will always be a democracy but the form will probably change. A poor country like India can not afford the luxury of frequent changes in government. The only goal of these governments is to stay in power by hook or by crook. Can you imagine a jumbo cabinet of 98 extremely unqualified ministers hoisted on the people of UP so that an unstable political coalition can stay in power? How long can people tolerate this?" he wondered.

He added that to him, the political instability appeared to be at the root of all evils in India. "One can find this is linked to corruption, mismanagement of the economy, and divisive politics by extremist elements in our society," he said.

When Yahind asked him about his view on the President's call for India to become a developed nation by 2020, Dr. Tridedi noted, "Before I answer this question, let me say that I wish he was an executive president and not a ceremonial president. I have extremely high regards for him. I have read his book called Vision 2020 and I am also familiar with his ideas. I salute him for inspiring the nation to meet this challenge. But, unfortunately, our politicians have made a mockery of this by jumping on the bandwagon and repeating it frequently as a slogan. I am afraid they are making it fall to the same category as the Garibi Hatao slogan by Mrs. Gandhi. In spite of the slogan, the poverty in India has increased since Mrs. Gandhi's time."

He added, "My constructive suggestion would be to take the key policy makers on a study tour of Malaysia. Because Malaysia is the only developing country that I know that declared that it wants to be a developed country by 2020 and is on track to becoming one. Dr. Mahathir can teach our politicians a lesson or two. Fortunately, I have studied the case of Malaysia very closely and thus I can speak with some degree of confidence. The ability to implement policies successfully was the key to Malaysia's success. The Malaysian premier realized that good ideas do not implement themselves. They need an efficient administrative machinery to do so. He created a results-oriented civil service through bold civil service reforms. Then he promoted public-partnership in an unprecedented manner. Malaysia realized that for an effective public-private partnership, it is important for the two partners to be equally strong. A strong private sector and a weak public sector can only have an unstable partnership at best. It is like having a chair with one leg larger than the other." Any politician or bureaucrat listening?

We had little then, but we felt large. Today we feel large, but we get little...

I found a nice and nostalgic interview of Mr. Amitab Bachchan, which reminded me also some of my older days and so I copy paste it so that I can read it later as well ....so here you go..

Amitabh Bachchan is taking down memory lane, to the simplicity of his childhood spent in Allahabad. The family didn’t have much money, but the memories from the time are still rich in his mind. There was no money for vacation, unlike kids from better-off families, he recalls, “The excessive summer months of Allahabad and the manner in which we spent them tending to so many things. Unlike most children of today’s world we never had opportunity to be taken for vacations. Some others did. Those who came from affluent family could afford it. Our home and our disposition was never ever in a state where we could indulge in such luxury.”

A slab of ice also kept them cool in summer. The superstar blogs, “Our luxury was the efforts made in keeping our homes cool. The continuous sprinkling of water on the floor of the house and a slab of ice floated over it... Other than the ordinary ceiling fan there was nothing else. How that slab of ice would keep all of us happy and content with the temperatures was a miracle, I think. We never questioned or demanded any better. This was it. As the day would warm up the pardas over our verandah would come down and if there was the luxury of the khus on some occasions it was most welcome; its smell bringing in the feel for summer.”

The Bachchans owned no car either. Amitabh writes, “We had no car, so the bicycle was our biggest luxury and our greatest joy. The hours and hours spent in cleaning up the bike and making sure nothing was amiss, was a major exercise.”

He asks nostalgically, “When would it be that a bunch of us kids would sneak in to the neighbors house and swipe all his mango and guava and other delicious fruits from his private garden. When would it be to feel the rush and joy of your parents having acquired a car. Not a new car, a car! The very first in the house, a small Ford Prefect, navy blue in color, and the rides with friends and family with Mother driving us all over the city in great pride.”

Mangoes were a summer favourite. “When the rains broke, all that came on as festive eating would be brought out. The special mango called chusni would be bought by the buckets and a lot of us sitting in the front of the stairway and legs crossed, would challenge each other on how much we ate. When the seed of the mango or the guthli would pile up to our chin, then was it believed that we have eaten enough! Ah!! .... Those days ...”

Holi meant gujias and pichkaris for the Bachchan kids! The actor writes, “As the festival of Holi approaches all the thoughts go back to the days in Allahabad and how preparations would start a month in advance. Getting the pichkari cleaned and pumped up for instant operation. The collecting of the taysu phool and pulling out huge cylinders to fill with water and then to push the flowers into it to ferment over night for the color to form. The basanti orange color, thus obtained, would be the first colors that would be used the following morning when guests and family set out to enjoy the festival of color. The kitchen filled with delicious special treats for the festive air. Gujjias filled with great delicacies, mango shaped and with corrugated edges, would be circulated among the children and elders busy and involved with the splashing of color all over would stop by to grab a few of them and then continue with the revelry.”

The evenings were calmer. “After the scrubbing and cleaning to remove all the different hues all over our bodies, fresh traditional clothes, the smell of summer in them, would be worn and we would sit and wait for the visitors to drop by, put the gentle tika on the forehead, wish each other a prosperous year ahead and move on to the next.

Amitabh relives all the good old times, sitting around informally without the TV and listening “to an elder share poetry, literature, life with us”, riding to the nearest grocery store on a bike with a basket attached to the handle bars, dressing up to take a rickshaw to a friend’s birthday party, play physical games and be back home before the street lamps came on.

“When would it be that we picked up our beds and rolled them out in the open air on the lawn outside or spread it out on the roof top to get the fresh and cool air of a summer evening and night. And when would it be that when the first drizzle would sprinkle our face, we would instead of running in, remain outside and hope that one day there will be an opportunity to build that automatic machine which would at a press of a button, either cover us from the rain or through some mechanical genius, transport us inside safe from the rain - not wanting under any circumstance to be disturbed in our sleep!”

He confesses, ”We had little then, but we felt large. Today we feel large,but we get little. Little in quality, little in response, little in the way we conduct ourselves, little in thought and word ... just little .. in everything we do and believe in. The large heart, the large feel and the largeness of being small has all disappeared. Today our perspectives have changed. Time and tide have brought in the changes we so fiercely protected when younger.”

Yes, those were the good old days! Thanks for sharing them with us, Mr Bachchan!

Grow your own food revolution plans to seed unused land

The government plans to launch a "grow your own" revolution by encouraging people to set up temporary allotments or community gardens on land awaiting development or other permanent use.

It aims to develop a "meanwhile" lease to formalise such arrangements between landowners and voluntary groups and is considering establishing a "land bank" to broker better links and ensure plots are not left idle.

Ministers believe the move could foster community spirit and skills as well as improve physical and mental health.

Hilary Benn, the environment and food secretary, will announce the plans tomorrow as a part of a long-awaited and much-trailed package to ensure Britain grows more food, wastes less, reduces its dependence on imports, and leads the way in reforming the EU's common agricultural and fishing policies.

About one in three people in the UK grows fruit and vegetables, according to a survey commissioned by Benn's department. Ministers hope the voluntary sector can help build on examples such as that set by the National Trust, which hopes to have established 1,000 allotment plots on restored kitchen gardens, agricultural land and vacant spaces, in its varied property portfolio by 2012.

The cross-departmental policy report, Food 2030, will also support further farmers' and community markets to boost consumption of local produce.

But, compared with the government's own sustainable development commission, the report appears more cautious about changing agriculture, by, for instance, encouraging less reliance on intensive meat and dairy production.

The Food 2030 report will acknowledge that livestock production is a big contributor to greenhouse gas emissions but say that the evidence that would allow consumers to decide whether or not to cut the environmental footprint of their diet, is still unclear. "Not all types of meat have the same impacts, neither do all systems of production," it will state, while adding that livestock farming could be the only economically productive activity possible in some hilly areas.

In a forward to the report Gordon Brown speaks of the need to ensure the £80bn-a-year food industry thrives, but adds: "We can't carry on just as we are. We need to produce more food without damaging the natural resources – air, soil, water and marine resources, biodiversity and climate – that we all depend on. We need to feed more people globally, many of whom want, or need to eat, a better diet."

Emma Hockridge, policy manager of the Soil Association, said: " Consumers are feeling increasingly confused by the proliferation of diet-related advice doled out by government departments. The debate about meat encapsulates this. Whilst it is right that we need to eat less meat overall to achieve sustainable food production, red meat, as long as it is from grass-fed livestock, has a critical role to play in minimising carbon emissions from farming. This is because grasslands for grazing represent vitally important carbon stores.

"The government makes an excellent suggestion that publicly owned land should be converted to growing spaces. The Soil Association-led Food for Life Partnership (FFLP) is already leading the way by encouraging schools to grow their own food. FFLP gives communities access to seasonal, local and organic food, and to the skills they need to cook and grow fresh food for themselves. This also encourages people to make the link between their food choices and the impact on their health and that of the planet."

The campaign group Sustain said the report recommended only "soft" measures, such as wasting less food, and avoided tough issues, such as reducing children's consumption of junk food by, for example, properly protecting youngsters from marketing.

Jeanette Longfield, co-ordinator of Sustain, said: "The government's food vision is hardly worthy of the name. The document proposes a series of minor tweaks to our fundamentally unsustainable food system and ignores obvious ideas to help British farmers, like improving the food that government itself buys.

"What we need is an ambitious programme of investment in British farming so that it can produce healthy and sustainable food. If the government is serious about making our food system sustainable, it must put its money where its mouth is and only spend taxpayers' money on good-quality and sustainable food. What we have got is more of the same policies that have caused the food system's current problems."

So the main points :
• Local Government consider temporary allotments scheme
• Fruit and veg plots part of strategy to cut reliance on imports
• Food security is as important to country's future wellbeing.
• People power can help bring about a revolution in the way food is produced and sold.
• Reducing the reliance on intensive meat and dairy production.
• Find ways to reduce carbon emissions from soils and rotting waste food, as well as finding ways to grow food with less fertiliser, pesticides and fuel.
• Reducing children's consumption of junk food.

That is what we need in India...

A village on the western fringes of Hampshire is well on the way to becoming the first in England to defy the power of the supermarkets by achieving communal self-sufficiency in food.

The parish of Martin lies on good agricultural land beneath the chalk downs of Cranborne Chase. In past centuries, its 164 households would have been sustained by the output of local farms and dairies. But, over the last 60 years, the dairies closed and the farmers directed their harvests towards the vast hoppers of agro-industry. The people of Martin continued to be surrounded by fields growing food, but none of it reached their plates. And after the village shop closed in 1982, they had to travel to buy provisions.

Nick Snelgar, who earns a living from growing herbs and shrubs near his home in Martin, thought it was crazy that he could not eat local produce. "It would be fresher, tastier and more nutritious than anything from the supermarket and I thought it could be cheaper too if we organised to cut out the middlemen," he says. "Farmers' markets tend to be expensive niche providers for the few. I wanted a system to provide local food for the many."

He organised a meeting in the village social club in 2003, and from it came the nucleus of enthusiasts who have organised the producer co-operative that is now feeding most of Martin's residents.

Futurefarms grows 45 types of vegetables in two fields in the village. Within the fields, two acres are set aside for rearing free-range pigs. Chicken runs are moved regularly across the bigger field and the rest of the land is grazed by sheep. Chickens, lamb and pork are sold alongside vegetables at a Saturday morning market in the village hall throughout the year.

In the early years, the food was produced entirely by voluntary labour, and Martin remains a village full of people on rotas for various horticultural and stock-rearing tasks. But Futurefarms, which is a not-for-profit growers' co-operative, now has an annual turnover of £36,000 and can afford to employ four part-time staff.

Snelgar says 60% of the households in Martin use the co-op to supply at least some of their food. It is not trying to expand production to sell elsewhere because that would miss the point. "We are not interested in the wholesale market. We are only interested in the Martin market," he says.

So far the co-op has signed up 126 of the village's families as members. They pay £5 a year, but can escape the charge by volunteering for seven hours' work. They make no commitment to buy the produce, so the co-op has to remain competitive on quality and price.

Snelgar's dream is for each village to combine co-operatively to employ a food grower with as much status as the local teacher or doctor. He says: "I don't want to kill off supermarkets. They should continue to do what they do best: provide toilet rolls and manufactured products that do not deteriorate when transported."

The Futurefarms operation avoids the use of chemical sprays and artificial fertilisers, but it cannot claim to be organic. Its main 15-acre field is on former set-aside land that was regularly doused in weedkiller by a previous owner. Yet the Soil Association, which polices organic values, regards the co-op as an inspiring example of how a small community can combine to produce food locally.

The association's annual conference, opening in Birmingham today, will seek to challenge the hi-tech vision of British farming espoused by John Beddington, the government's chief scientist. Beddington has called for increased production to counter a "perfect storm" of food shortages that could become a global threat by 2030.

Bonnie Hewson, the Soil Association's projects director, says the global scale of the problem should not deter people from making a valuable local contribution. "The Futurefarms experiment is an inspiring example of how a small group without much funding can do its own thing in a small corner of England, and do it well.

"People are sick of being told to worry about food. They need to feel empowered. We know of lots of alternative local food systems that are sustainable, resilient, viable and principled. They may not be able to solve the global problem, but they can say: 'Nothing we are doing will stand people in worse stead.'"


Gold award

Across Britain, scores of local food projects are supported by the Soil Association, often in coalition with other groups. In Dorset, the Local Food Links scheme is providing hot lunches to 23 primary schools in Bridport and Blandford. It was the first catering company to win the association's gold award for sourcing at least 50% of the ingredients locally and using at least 30% organic produce.

The school meals venture was triggered by the Jamie Oliver television series that led the government to order all schools to serve hot meals by September 2008. This posed a problem for Dorset county council, which had decommissioned all its primary school kitchens in the 1980s. It contracted a factory in Nottingham to supply cheap frozen readymeals that were trucked to Dorset and reheated. Tim Crabtree set up the Local Food Links scheme in Bridport to provide a healthier, local alternative. It is now supplying similar meals to four care homes for older people and a day centre.

Crabtree admits he relies on charitable grants to break even on school meals at £2 a head. The care homes will pay £4 and that should be enough to make the operation sustainable, financially and ecologically.

Crabtree started one of Britain's first farmers' markets. He expected producers and consumers to share the benefits of shortening the supply chain. "But most of the gains were captured by the producers," he says. "We have seen a polarisation in food. There are niche organic outlets for those who can afford it, but most people end up with food at low cost and low nutritional value. We think we can do something about that in institutions serving people who need high-quality food."