The Indian Railways turnaround is a remarkable story both for the sleeping giant and its keeper railway minister Lalu Prasad. The
story of the makeover has been often documented. But now, officer on special duty, Haryana-born Sudhir Kumar, the backroom architect of that stunning turnaround, tells the story in his book, Bankruptcy to Billions, released on Saturday at Rashtrapati Bhavan.
The 50-year-old IAS officer says he has no tricks up his sleeve that helped the railways leap into the company of Fortune 500s. ‘‘But as a baniya with a family in business for generations, I know how to make money. Tons of it,’’ says Kumar. Unfazed by the railways’ unenviable legacy, the first thing Kumar did in 2004 was throw convention out of the window. The many ‘expert’ solutions of corporatization, tariff regulation and privatization — he calls it the as World Bank approach — had one fundamental flaw. It rejected political mandate. ‘‘But that is an integral part. Don’t confuse it with political interference. You have to respect the political mandate, the social calling card. No textbook recipes would work.’’
On his part, Lalu gave him a free hand, says Kumar. His intention to make a difference was clear. From day one, Lalu invested in Kumar’s integrity, having seen him in action after the creation of Jharkhand from Bihar. At the time, Kumar was brought in as sales tax commissioner as Bihar was set to lose more than half its sales tax revenue to the new state. Kumar’s job was to ensure Bihar’s sufficient tax base was restored. The job was done in 30 months.
When Lalu became rail minister he wasted no time in bringing Kumar to his side. ‘‘When a person trusts you to this extent, it can drive you crazy. That kind of trust can push you to self-actualization,’’ says the 50-year-old in all humility, allowing himself a hint of a smile.
Slumdog Millionaire: I am happy for winners but is it realy an India win ?
I knew things had turned a corner when garden-variety Anglo-suburban Americans started correcting my Marathi, which is to say when they started regarding my use of "Bombay" rather than "Mumbai" as denoting an embarrassing lack of sophistication on par with using a fork and spoon, instead of chopsticks, at a Chinese restaurant. Not that I speak a word of Marathi, at least not a word one would use in polite company. And not that these would-be sophisticates do, either, but I'll bet dollars to dosas that it's only a matter of time before American hipsters start eating khichdi with their fingers in trendy Indo-fusion bistros.
Slumdog Millionaire? In the US, it's Slumdog Everywhere.
There were cheers in the South Bronx, where there is hardly an Indian-American to be seen, when Slumdog Millionaire won the best-picture Oscar. In midtown Manhattan's Murray Hill, aka "Curry Hill", the beatific visage of Freida Pinto smiles from shop windows, and India could do much worse than to have her as its current public face, even if many Americans believe her to be of Latin American rather than Indian origin because her name is "Pinto" and not "Muthukumarasamy."
Bollywood, along with its more urbane cousins in Indian art cinema, has long had a cult following here. Arthouse cinemas have Hindi film nights, though it must be noted that Americans take Bollywood much more seriously than Indians do - none of the furtive smoking and less-than-furtive cellular banter that characterise the authentic experience in Delhi or Bom- - excuse me, Mumbai. (Seriously, at the rate it's going, sensitive American tourists soon will be informing Mumbaikar taxi drivers that they really oughtn't to call CST "Victoria Terminus.")
It's not just Slumdog Millionaire, either. Chandni Chowk to China managed to break out of the foreign-film ghetto in its own small way, playing in suburban theatres, benefiting from Slumdog's buzz. Who knows, maybe even Salman Rushdie will start selling again.
My colleague Jay Nordlinger reports a recent brush with the biggest Indian star of them all, and it is illuminating: "On my way from Zurich to London, I see [Amitabh Bachchan] in the airport. In fact, he is on my flight. I approach him and say, 'Sorry to bother you, but I wonder if I could trouble you for a photo.' He says, 'How do you know me?' I say, 'Who doesn't?' Amitabh grins. But what he has asked me is very, very telling. He must not be used to being recognised by non-Indians. He has a strange existence of 100 per cent name and face recognition in India - a nation of more than a billion - and virtual anonymity everywhere else." He further reports that the Big B was flying coach. In truth, Bachchan isn't entirely anonymous in the US - within the past year, I've heard "Eer Bir Phatte" played at an American nightclub. (Yes, "Jai Ho" was the next song.) Never mind that the tune is a decade out of date, some things never go out of style. Yeh hai America, meri jaan.
Nordlinger, who has spent time in India, also makes a more serious observation: It's important for Americans not to romanticise India. (More important, of course, for Indians not to romanticise India, but that's another discussion.) But as India asserts itself in the American consciousness, this is worth keeping in mind: There are only two countries in Asia that matter to Americans right now - India and China. The future used to speak Japanese, but now the future gives you grief about saying "Bombay" instead of "Mumbai." Bombay has all but displaced Tokyo in the American imagination, and Kim Jong Il's North Korea is as much a punchline as a menace. But India and China are no joke. There's a Good Asia and a Bad Asia in American thought. Perhaps there should be room for more Asia than that, but Beijing remains uncontested as the capital of Bad Asia, a 21st-century expression of the "Oriental despotism" of popular lore and anxiety. The capital of Good Asia is not Delhi but somewhere between Bombay and Bangalore; Manmohan Singh may be the most highly regarded Asian statesman in the US, but India's clout remains primarily cultural and commercial rather than political.
Unhappily for India, the US has just elected what may be the most anti-trade administration and Congress since the Depression. A free-trade pact between the US and India would enrich both, but it is unlikely that Obama will pursue any such thing - and New Delhi's irresolute handling of the ASEAN free-trade agreement suggests that there are limitations on their end, too. India will naturally resist being reduced to a mere counterweight - to China, to Pakistan - and, after decades of lectures about its "potential", it finally has the strength to legitimately set its own course.
Strange, then, that India still seeks vindication in the West. An Indian who makes it big in America makes it Very Big Indeed, but saying that an American rock band is "big in Japan" is a joke at their expense. And though Republicans loved the idea of bestowing the Bharat Ratna on George W. Bush, American filmmakers still go to Asian markets seeking profits, not love. Even so, there is something to be made of this moment. Cultural currency is capital - limited, to be sure, but capital nonetheless - and America's intensifying interest in India is an asset waiting to be used.
Our nations have shared interests when it comes to such familiar issues as trade and terrorism, but there is more to international relations than interests, defined narrowly and politically. Americans watching Slumdog Millionaire may marvel at the sensory assault that is Bombay street life and recoil from the squalor of the Juhu slums, but they must also experience a sense, perhaps uncomfortable, of recognition. Multiethnic, multilingual, marked both by fierce entrepreneurial energy and economic anxiety, with both gods and gangs competing for turf, India is a foreign nation that's not so foreign. For reasons of ethnicity and history, and above all language, Americans tend to identify with declining, sparsely populated countries such as the UK and Canada. But the facts on the ground are different: India is the second most populous nation on the Earth, and the US is the third. We both have ruling classes that speak English and underclasses that don't. It is not in the future but in the present that our challenges should be recognised as more alike than different. Yes, India is still poor - for how much longer? Yes, America is surpassingly rich - for how much longer? It's not only young Indian chaiwallahs mooning away in dead-end jobs, dreaming of winning a million on a game show. Americans may not know the word crorepati, but they will. The word is in our hearts, if not on our tongues.
Slumdog Millionaire? In the US, it's Slumdog Everywhere.
There were cheers in the South Bronx, where there is hardly an Indian-American to be seen, when Slumdog Millionaire won the best-picture Oscar. In midtown Manhattan's Murray Hill, aka "Curry Hill", the beatific visage of Freida Pinto smiles from shop windows, and India could do much worse than to have her as its current public face, even if many Americans believe her to be of Latin American rather than Indian origin because her name is "Pinto" and not "Muthukumarasamy."
Bollywood, along with its more urbane cousins in Indian art cinema, has long had a cult following here. Arthouse cinemas have Hindi film nights, though it must be noted that Americans take Bollywood much more seriously than Indians do - none of the furtive smoking and less-than-furtive cellular banter that characterise the authentic experience in Delhi or Bom- - excuse me, Mumbai. (Seriously, at the rate it's going, sensitive American tourists soon will be informing Mumbaikar taxi drivers that they really oughtn't to call CST "Victoria Terminus.")
It's not just Slumdog Millionaire, either. Chandni Chowk to China managed to break out of the foreign-film ghetto in its own small way, playing in suburban theatres, benefiting from Slumdog's buzz. Who knows, maybe even Salman Rushdie will start selling again.
My colleague Jay Nordlinger reports a recent brush with the biggest Indian star of them all, and it is illuminating: "On my way from Zurich to London, I see [Amitabh Bachchan] in the airport. In fact, he is on my flight. I approach him and say, 'Sorry to bother you, but I wonder if I could trouble you for a photo.' He says, 'How do you know me?' I say, 'Who doesn't?' Amitabh grins. But what he has asked me is very, very telling. He must not be used to being recognised by non-Indians. He has a strange existence of 100 per cent name and face recognition in India - a nation of more than a billion - and virtual anonymity everywhere else." He further reports that the Big B was flying coach. In truth, Bachchan isn't entirely anonymous in the US - within the past year, I've heard "Eer Bir Phatte" played at an American nightclub. (Yes, "Jai Ho" was the next song.) Never mind that the tune is a decade out of date, some things never go out of style. Yeh hai America, meri jaan.
Nordlinger, who has spent time in India, also makes a more serious observation: It's important for Americans not to romanticise India. (More important, of course, for Indians not to romanticise India, but that's another discussion.) But as India asserts itself in the American consciousness, this is worth keeping in mind: There are only two countries in Asia that matter to Americans right now - India and China. The future used to speak Japanese, but now the future gives you grief about saying "Bombay" instead of "Mumbai." Bombay has all but displaced Tokyo in the American imagination, and Kim Jong Il's North Korea is as much a punchline as a menace. But India and China are no joke. There's a Good Asia and a Bad Asia in American thought. Perhaps there should be room for more Asia than that, but Beijing remains uncontested as the capital of Bad Asia, a 21st-century expression of the "Oriental despotism" of popular lore and anxiety. The capital of Good Asia is not Delhi but somewhere between Bombay and Bangalore; Manmohan Singh may be the most highly regarded Asian statesman in the US, but India's clout remains primarily cultural and commercial rather than political.
Unhappily for India, the US has just elected what may be the most anti-trade administration and Congress since the Depression. A free-trade pact between the US and India would enrich both, but it is unlikely that Obama will pursue any such thing - and New Delhi's irresolute handling of the ASEAN free-trade agreement suggests that there are limitations on their end, too. India will naturally resist being reduced to a mere counterweight - to China, to Pakistan - and, after decades of lectures about its "potential", it finally has the strength to legitimately set its own course.
Strange, then, that India still seeks vindication in the West. An Indian who makes it big in America makes it Very Big Indeed, but saying that an American rock band is "big in Japan" is a joke at their expense. And though Republicans loved the idea of bestowing the Bharat Ratna on George W. Bush, American filmmakers still go to Asian markets seeking profits, not love. Even so, there is something to be made of this moment. Cultural currency is capital - limited, to be sure, but capital nonetheless - and America's intensifying interest in India is an asset waiting to be used.
Our nations have shared interests when it comes to such familiar issues as trade and terrorism, but there is more to international relations than interests, defined narrowly and politically. Americans watching Slumdog Millionaire may marvel at the sensory assault that is Bombay street life and recoil from the squalor of the Juhu slums, but they must also experience a sense, perhaps uncomfortable, of recognition. Multiethnic, multilingual, marked both by fierce entrepreneurial energy and economic anxiety, with both gods and gangs competing for turf, India is a foreign nation that's not so foreign. For reasons of ethnicity and history, and above all language, Americans tend to identify with declining, sparsely populated countries such as the UK and Canada. But the facts on the ground are different: India is the second most populous nation on the Earth, and the US is the third. We both have ruling classes that speak English and underclasses that don't. It is not in the future but in the present that our challenges should be recognised as more alike than different. Yes, India is still poor - for how much longer? Yes, America is surpassingly rich - for how much longer? It's not only young Indian chaiwallahs mooning away in dead-end jobs, dreaming of winning a million on a game show. Americans may not know the word crorepati, but they will. The word is in our hearts, if not on our tongues.
rags-to-riches-to-brothel : It happens only in India.
When A R Rahman walked up to receive the golden Oscar statuette, her eyes misted over. Preeti Mukherjee knows exactly how it feels. Four
years ago, she was on the same stage at Los Angeles’ Kodak Theatre, where she, too, had hugged the statuette and cried tears of joy. She hasn’t missed a single awards ceremony since. On Monday, she woke up in the wee hours to catch the live telecast — before starting the day’s grind at Sonagachhi.
Preeti, who goes by the name Puja in Asia’s largest red light district, had got sucked into the sex trade just a year after her brush with the Oscars.
In 2005, Preeti was part of the Oscar-winning documentary Born Into Brothels, directed by Zana Briski. The child cast of nine had cheered so loud that it still rings in her ears. And she still remembers the warmth of the hug Zana gave her as the award was announced.
“It seems like a fairy tale now. I still see it in my dreams. I get goosebumps when I remember the heart-stopping moment when the award was announced. All of us kept screaming with joy. Zana aunty made sure we, too, went along to collect the statuette. My head was swimming, there were so many eyes on us, the deafening applause, so many cameras flashing...” Preeti recalls.
In 2002, when not yet into her teens, Briski and Ross Kauffman chose her in the cast of nine to teach them photography and get a close-up view of their world and that of their mothers. The film was completed in 2004 and went on to win about 20 international awards, capped by the Oscar.
When the film was nominated, the directors flew the kids to Los Angeles. Life was happy for some time and the directors tried their best to rehabilitate the kids. Preeti, who was in high school, and the rest got an offer to stay back in the US and study. Some did. She backed out.
“Aunty (Zana) gave a lot of money by cheque to my mother and asked her to release me, but she was unwilling. I am a girl and an only child and my mother wouldn’t let go. Call it family pressure if you will. It’s quite simple, really,” Preeti said, with a dismissive shrug and a short laugh. “So, you see me here.”
Abhijit, one of the kids in the film, now studies in New York University. Another girl goes to school there. Preeti is in touch with both of them. Two others are studying at Future Hope, run by a charitable trust. One has got married while another girl, who was with an internationally funded NGO, has disappeared.
Dressed in jeans and a trendy shirt, Preeti could pass for any other collegegoer, until the whiff of smoke and alcohol in her breath hits you. And you look at her eyes — beautiful, aggressive and defiant.
“At this age, I have a flat in Salt Lake, a laptop, costly phones and plenty of money. What do I lack?” she looks you square in the eye. “Zana aunty and I are in touch by email. She was upset that I, too, had joined the trade like my mother, something she wanted to save me from. But this trade has really paid off for me.” A sign of her ‘prosperity’ — she has hired rooms in Prem Kamal, one of the most expensive Sonagachhi buildings.
Mother Rakhi lives in the opposite building. Preeti pays for her living expenses. Rakhi says she wanted a “normal” life for Preeti. She still has a fading photo of Preeti with the Oscar statuette stuck on a wall. “That is all I have left of her..,” she says, tears in her eyes.
There is no clear answer as to how and why Preeti became a sex worker. Police records say she was rescued from a racket while a minor, sent to a juvenile home from where she was handed to her mother by the state child welfare committee.
Police say she’s now part of a major sex racket that involves extremely powerful people, who will never let her escape into a sunnier world. Behind the I-care-a-damn stare, you can see a fleeting longing in her eyes — a longing for freedom.
years ago, she was on the same stage at Los Angeles’ Kodak Theatre, where she, too, had hugged the statuette and cried tears of joy. She hasn’t missed a single awards ceremony since. On Monday, she woke up in the wee hours to catch the live telecast — before starting the day’s grind at Sonagachhi.
Preeti, who goes by the name Puja in Asia’s largest red light district, had got sucked into the sex trade just a year after her brush with the Oscars.
In 2005, Preeti was part of the Oscar-winning documentary Born Into Brothels, directed by Zana Briski. The child cast of nine had cheered so loud that it still rings in her ears. And she still remembers the warmth of the hug Zana gave her as the award was announced.
“It seems like a fairy tale now. I still see it in my dreams. I get goosebumps when I remember the heart-stopping moment when the award was announced. All of us kept screaming with joy. Zana aunty made sure we, too, went along to collect the statuette. My head was swimming, there were so many eyes on us, the deafening applause, so many cameras flashing...” Preeti recalls.
In 2002, when not yet into her teens, Briski and Ross Kauffman chose her in the cast of nine to teach them photography and get a close-up view of their world and that of their mothers. The film was completed in 2004 and went on to win about 20 international awards, capped by the Oscar.
When the film was nominated, the directors flew the kids to Los Angeles. Life was happy for some time and the directors tried their best to rehabilitate the kids. Preeti, who was in high school, and the rest got an offer to stay back in the US and study. Some did. She backed out.
“Aunty (Zana) gave a lot of money by cheque to my mother and asked her to release me, but she was unwilling. I am a girl and an only child and my mother wouldn’t let go. Call it family pressure if you will. It’s quite simple, really,” Preeti said, with a dismissive shrug and a short laugh. “So, you see me here.”
Abhijit, one of the kids in the film, now studies in New York University. Another girl goes to school there. Preeti is in touch with both of them. Two others are studying at Future Hope, run by a charitable trust. One has got married while another girl, who was with an internationally funded NGO, has disappeared.
Dressed in jeans and a trendy shirt, Preeti could pass for any other collegegoer, until the whiff of smoke and alcohol in her breath hits you. And you look at her eyes — beautiful, aggressive and defiant.
“At this age, I have a flat in Salt Lake, a laptop, costly phones and plenty of money. What do I lack?” she looks you square in the eye. “Zana aunty and I are in touch by email. She was upset that I, too, had joined the trade like my mother, something she wanted to save me from. But this trade has really paid off for me.” A sign of her ‘prosperity’ — she has hired rooms in Prem Kamal, one of the most expensive Sonagachhi buildings.
Mother Rakhi lives in the opposite building. Preeti pays for her living expenses. Rakhi says she wanted a “normal” life for Preeti. She still has a fading photo of Preeti with the Oscar statuette stuck on a wall. “That is all I have left of her..,” she says, tears in her eyes.
There is no clear answer as to how and why Preeti became a sex worker. Police records say she was rescued from a racket while a minor, sent to a juvenile home from where she was handed to her mother by the state child welfare committee.
Police say she’s now part of a major sex racket that involves extremely powerful people, who will never let her escape into a sunnier world. Behind the I-care-a-damn stare, you can see a fleeting longing in her eyes — a longing for freedom.
Why IIM lads only find easy solution to social issues...
Example-1 :
He is perhaps the smartest vegetable seller around with his IIM degree.
Kaushilendra, the 2007 batch topper of the IIM, Ahmedabad, became a vegetable vendor “to earn money and ensure quality prices to farmers and quality product to citizens”.
His light pushcart is made of fibre, can carry 200kg and keeps vegetables fresh for six days, for it is ice cool.
It has computerised weighing machine that “guarantees a proper calculation.” Even the customers are impressed. “Computerwaala taraaju dandi nahin mar sakta (A computerised machine is not exposed to manipulation),” a woman told this reporter.
Encouraged by the initial response, Kaushilendra is now the owner of 50 such carts that are selling vegetables in “right measurement and right rate”.
“I plan to buy more (carts) to spread the business. This is just the beginning. My venture will spread in the entire country in the years to follow,” Kaushilendra said with enthusiasm so infectious that one would want to believe him.
His fascination with the vegetable trade is understandable. Born to modest vegetable farmers’ family in central Bihar’s Ahmad Nagar village (Nalanda), Kaushilendra received his education in a rural government school while assisting his family in farming. Nalanda, incidentally, is known as the “vegetable bowl” of Bihar. “Though a bright student, Kaushilendra loves working in the field,” says father Narendra Prasad. He moved to Navodaya Vidyalaya in Nawada to complete his high school.
Then, he cleared CAT to enter IIM, Ahmedabad, after passing intermediate from Patna Science College.
“I am and have been fascinated with farming since my childhood,” the IIM topper said, adding: “I have planned to develop a Bihar brand of vegetable and popularise it in the country. Bihar has a potential to feed the nation,” he said
“The B-school product has challenged billionaire Reliance Fresh venture though small means and innovative mind. He can emerge as a vegetable tycoon in future,” remarked Ajay Kumar, an economist and CEO of a private portal, bihartimes.com.
Kaushilendra’s effort is similar to the one of the fibre rickshaw that was developed by another B-school graduate, Irfan, from Begusarai of Bihar. Like Irfan’s Samman Foundation, he, too, has floated Kaushalaya Foundation.
“A number of farmers from Nalanda have approached me to buy their products as they found our foundation’s rates reasonable. I am getting more than enough supply. But we will be in a position to buy in bulk only after our business grows.”
Initially, the family was perplexed by their boy’s decision. “Now I am receiving all the support from them, my customers and the state.”
Example-2 :
An auto ride to remember :
--------------------------
AHMEDABAD: This is some auto. An English-speaking driver, range of newspapers and magazines to browse through and a phone at your disposal!
G-Autos are going to hit the city streets on Thursday. The service will be launched by Chief Minister Narendra Modi at Khokhra.
They're an initiative of an alumnus of Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A), Nirmal Kumar from the batch of 2007. Kumar's company, Nirmal Foundation, works towards social and economic upliftment of autorickshaw drivers.
"Sitting in a G-Auto is going to be a pleasantly different experience. These autos have been made more passenger friendly with minor design changes. For first-time visitors, the autos will have a map of the city and list of must-see places. Also, they will be equipped with dustbins.
Moreover, if the driver tries to act smart with you, there is a helpline number which you can call and lodge a complaint. These autos are all about safe and transparent travel. There are over 1,000 G-Autos registered with us, says Kumar.
But, G-Autos are not meant just for passenger comfort. "We have initiated hospitality training for drivers. We plan to teach them spoken English - 50 basic sentences. We'll prepare a customised dictionary for them with Gujarati words and their English equivalents. After all, many times autorickshaw drivers are the first people outsiders meet when they visit the city," he elaborates.
All drivers are given insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh, medical cover of Rs 50,000 and a monthly sum for school fees for their children. Each G-Auto driver will become a bank account holder with debit cards at his disposal.
"We want them to start saving and are introducing pension plans for them, where they have to save Rs 15 every day and invest it on a monthly basis," adds Kumar.
He is perhaps the smartest vegetable seller around with his IIM degree.
Kaushilendra, the 2007 batch topper of the IIM, Ahmedabad, became a vegetable vendor “to earn money and ensure quality prices to farmers and quality product to citizens”.
His light pushcart is made of fibre, can carry 200kg and keeps vegetables fresh for six days, for it is ice cool.
It has computerised weighing machine that “guarantees a proper calculation.” Even the customers are impressed. “Computerwaala taraaju dandi nahin mar sakta (A computerised machine is not exposed to manipulation),” a woman told this reporter.
Encouraged by the initial response, Kaushilendra is now the owner of 50 such carts that are selling vegetables in “right measurement and right rate”.
“I plan to buy more (carts) to spread the business. This is just the beginning. My venture will spread in the entire country in the years to follow,” Kaushilendra said with enthusiasm so infectious that one would want to believe him.
His fascination with the vegetable trade is understandable. Born to modest vegetable farmers’ family in central Bihar’s Ahmad Nagar village (Nalanda), Kaushilendra received his education in a rural government school while assisting his family in farming. Nalanda, incidentally, is known as the “vegetable bowl” of Bihar. “Though a bright student, Kaushilendra loves working in the field,” says father Narendra Prasad. He moved to Navodaya Vidyalaya in Nawada to complete his high school.
Then, he cleared CAT to enter IIM, Ahmedabad, after passing intermediate from Patna Science College.
“I am and have been fascinated with farming since my childhood,” the IIM topper said, adding: “I have planned to develop a Bihar brand of vegetable and popularise it in the country. Bihar has a potential to feed the nation,” he said
“The B-school product has challenged billionaire Reliance Fresh venture though small means and innovative mind. He can emerge as a vegetable tycoon in future,” remarked Ajay Kumar, an economist and CEO of a private portal, bihartimes.com.
Kaushilendra’s effort is similar to the one of the fibre rickshaw that was developed by another B-school graduate, Irfan, from Begusarai of Bihar. Like Irfan’s Samman Foundation, he, too, has floated Kaushalaya Foundation.
“A number of farmers from Nalanda have approached me to buy their products as they found our foundation’s rates reasonable. I am getting more than enough supply. But we will be in a position to buy in bulk only after our business grows.”
Initially, the family was perplexed by their boy’s decision. “Now I am receiving all the support from them, my customers and the state.”
Example-2 :
An auto ride to remember :
--------------------------
AHMEDABAD: This is some auto. An English-speaking driver, range of newspapers and magazines to browse through and a phone at your disposal!
G-Autos are going to hit the city streets on Thursday. The service will be launched by Chief Minister Narendra Modi at Khokhra.
They're an initiative of an alumnus of Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad (IIM-A), Nirmal Kumar from the batch of 2007. Kumar's company, Nirmal Foundation, works towards social and economic upliftment of autorickshaw drivers.
"Sitting in a G-Auto is going to be a pleasantly different experience. These autos have been made more passenger friendly with minor design changes. For first-time visitors, the autos will have a map of the city and list of must-see places. Also, they will be equipped with dustbins.
Moreover, if the driver tries to act smart with you, there is a helpline number which you can call and lodge a complaint. These autos are all about safe and transparent travel. There are over 1,000 G-Autos registered with us, says Kumar.
But, G-Autos are not meant just for passenger comfort. "We have initiated hospitality training for drivers. We plan to teach them spoken English - 50 basic sentences. We'll prepare a customised dictionary for them with Gujarati words and their English equivalents. After all, many times autorickshaw drivers are the first people outsiders meet when they visit the city," he elaborates.
All drivers are given insurance cover of Rs 2 lakh, medical cover of Rs 50,000 and a monthly sum for school fees for their children. Each G-Auto driver will become a bank account holder with debit cards at his disposal.
"We want them to start saving and are introducing pension plans for them, where they have to save Rs 15 every day and invest it on a monthly basis," adds Kumar.
Don't make IIT just an undergraduate degree-awarding factory
Considering the fact that first four IITs were established in just 9 years (1950) when the Indian population was less than 439 Million(1961 stats) as compared to 1.15 Billion in mid july-2008, the HRD ministry’s decision of opening 8 more IITs is appreciating but India will fall behind in the race for technology leadership in world if we don’t see the things in world perspective, In my opinion we must consider the following points as well :
- Are IITs top Top technology Post-Graduate institutes ?
- Hasty Implementation in not Good :
- Faculty :
- In some IITs sometimes emphasis on qualifications rather than on experience resulted in a young PhD-dominated faculty but experienced should be given consideration as well. This is experience vs qualification paradox so faculty recruitment should be done vary carefully.
- Salary package should be reviewed but not only this some non-monitory factures like sense of contribution, achievement, respect and greater job-satisfaction must be properly monitored so that IIT can compete with multinationals who are attracting the best faculties.
- Long-term quality depends on traditions created by in-house research contributions.
- World-class academic institutions like MIT,
- Director : Faculty are more inspired when they have a better leader to take care of them and lead them and institute. This requires visionary and motivated director who can create egalitarian atmosphere and creates a sense of ownership in all aspects of the institute. Government should create an external committees of highly accomplished and esteemed professionals who does this job for IITs( and politicians should NOT be ).
- In some IITs sometimes emphasis on qualifications rather than on experience resulted in a young PhD-dominated faculty but experienced should be given consideration as well. This is experience vs qualification paradox so faculty recruitment should be done vary carefully.
- Curriculum :
- Academic inbreeding and lack of faculty mobility converts such institutions into degree-awarding factories. In todays global , multipolar world technology evolving at ever increasing rates requires frequent curricular changes, but Indian academia( or political stalwarts ) is notorious for resisting change.This should be avoided. Prime ingredients for continuing reforms are faculty qualifications and quality and an environment that encourages ownership of the academic process. Once this ownership is maintained and instituted in faculty, human power will come into perspective and will change the world around.
- In the short term, the current policy will produce more graduates, but of decreasing quality. In the long term,
- IIT curriculum,academic and administrative cultures should not be compromised.
- Politician/influential people should not treat this an opportunity to make profit or brand-association.
Why Mr. Raju you did it ?
Today is my birthday but the day did not start as expected resignation of Mr. Raju,Satyam chief gave me enough shock to deepen the spirit of my Birthday.
This day is marked as black spot on all ever glowing flame of india inc.The name Satyam was very much synonemous to the indian IT success in last 10 years and He did a lot of work to make this happen but somewhere he missed the ethic and later could not recovered from his mistake and Indians have seen a day like this.
I am too sad for him....
This day is marked as black spot on all ever glowing flame of india inc.The name Satyam was very much synonemous to the indian IT success in last 10 years and He did a lot of work to make this happen but somewhere he missed the ethic and later could not recovered from his mistake and Indians have seen a day like this.
I am too sad for him....
How to make sure kids take enough Magnesium
Green Leaves are good source of Magnesium but only if Kids eat it. But there are other things that we can provide kids to :
Why is it important ? : It is required for the integrity of bones and teeth, regulates the absorption of calcium, regulates the contraction of all muscles (including the heart), is used in the stomach to produce the acid required to digest protein and absorb minerals, and is involved in at least 300 different enzyme reactions.
- Almonds, dry roasted ---contains 80 mg of Magnesium
- Cashews, dry roasted, 1 ounce --- contains 75 mg of Magnesium
Why is it important ? : It is required for the integrity of bones and teeth, regulates the absorption of calcium, regulates the contraction of all muscles (including the heart), is used in the stomach to produce the acid required to digest protein and absorb minerals, and is involved in at least 300 different enzyme reactions.
Is EFA must for kids ? Yes it is ...
Essential fatty acids (EFAs) : They are called essential fatty acids because they cannot be made in the body from other substrates and must be supplied in food. These are :
• Linoleic Acid (Omega -6) and
• Alpha-Linolenic Acid (Omega - 3).
Most people get enough Omega- 6 without even trying. Examples are- Safflower oil,walnut oil, grass fed cow milk, olive oil, palm oil, sunflower oil, soybean, peanut oil and sesame oil to name a few.
Examples of food that have a good amount of Omega- 3 are oily fish, walnuts, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, canola oil and soy oil.
EFAs in fish oil are particularly good for a child’s developing brain.
Please Read following to understand it's important :
EFAs are primarily used to produce hormone-like substances that regulate a wide range of functions, including blood pressure, blood clotting, blood lipid levels, the immune response, and the inflammation response to injury infection. It reduces the incidence of allergies, help keep the immune system functioning in a non-allergic/non-inflammatory mode, reduces development of auto-immune diseases, reduces colic, improves learning, supports healthy nerve and brain development, and reduces anxiety and depression.
• Linoleic Acid (Omega -6) and
• Alpha-Linolenic Acid (Omega - 3).
Most people get enough Omega- 6 without even trying. Examples are- Safflower oil,walnut oil, grass fed cow milk, olive oil, palm oil, sunflower oil, soybean, peanut oil and sesame oil to name a few.
Examples of food that have a good amount of Omega- 3 are oily fish, walnuts, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, canola oil and soy oil.
EFAs in fish oil are particularly good for a child’s developing brain.
Please Read following to understand it's important :
EFAs are primarily used to produce hormone-like substances that regulate a wide range of functions, including blood pressure, blood clotting, blood lipid levels, the immune response, and the inflammation response to injury infection. It reduces the incidence of allergies, help keep the immune system functioning in a non-allergic/non-inflammatory mode, reduces development of auto-immune diseases, reduces colic, improves learning, supports healthy nerve and brain development, and reduces anxiety and depression.
Kids and Sleep...
Children need different amounts of sleep at different ages.
• Infants : a minimum of 14 hours per night, and
• children 12 to 36 months : 12 to 14 hours per night.
• Preschoolers : 11 to13 hours per night and
• children up to 11 years : at least 9 hours per night.
Sleep-deprivation can also set children up for respiratory disorders, cardiac disorders, and obesity in adulthood due to the behaviors learned. Sleep-deprived children will have greater difficulty with focus, controlling emotions, and irritability, will have a lower threshold for frustration, and be more prone to injuries.
• Infants : a minimum of 14 hours per night, and
• children 12 to 36 months : 12 to 14 hours per night.
• Preschoolers : 11 to13 hours per night and
• children up to 11 years : at least 9 hours per night.
Sleep-deprivation can also set children up for respiratory disorders, cardiac disorders, and obesity in adulthood due to the behaviors learned. Sleep-deprived children will have greater difficulty with focus, controlling emotions, and irritability, will have a lower threshold for frustration, and be more prone to injuries.
Kids and Food .....Indirect Guidance
Using the Following Tips/policy we can inspire kids to eat Healty Food. But it is very very important to make sure that kids take the charge of these rather than we impose it on them
Get the children involved in the weekly menu:
1. Have a weekly meeting with your children about what they’d like to eat that week
2. Give them a few choices to choose from so that they don’t get overwhelmed.
3. Have them choose which protein, veggie, fruit, carb, and desert or snack they’ll have in their bag each day of the week.
4. Post up their choices on a sheet with their name on it so that everyone can see it.
5. Get them excited about the good choices they’ve made and praise them for taking care of their body.
This will certainly help them to feel powerful!
Keep it interesting for them not for Us :
1. You can expand on your children’s choices and introduce them to things they may not have tried before.
2. If they like sandwiches, offer bagels, crackers, wraps, or special breads
3. Cut sandwiches into fun shapes and sections.
4. Put in a bunch of sharable baby carrots, raisins, or animal crackers.
5. Provide finger foods like cut up fruit, “baby sandwiches” and wheel-shaped pasta salads.
Get the children involved in the weekly menu:
1. Have a weekly meeting with your children about what they’d like to eat that week
2. Give them a few choices to choose from so that they don’t get overwhelmed.
3. Have them choose which protein, veggie, fruit, carb, and desert or snack they’ll have in their bag each day of the week.
4. Post up their choices on a sheet with their name on it so that everyone can see it.
5. Get them excited about the good choices they’ve made and praise them for taking care of their body.
This will certainly help them to feel powerful!
Keep it interesting for them not for Us :
1. You can expand on your children’s choices and introduce them to things they may not have tried before.
2. If they like sandwiches, offer bagels, crackers, wraps, or special breads
3. Cut sandwiches into fun shapes and sections.
4. Put in a bunch of sharable baby carrots, raisins, or animal crackers.
5. Provide finger foods like cut up fruit, “baby sandwiches” and wheel-shaped pasta salads.
The terrible thing about terrorism is that ultimately it destroys those who practice it. Slowly but surely, as they try to extinguish life in others
After reading the news of death of my beloved teacher Mr. Randhawa (Hindustan Times, Dec 2, 2008 (Page 4) ) in the Mumbai terrorist attack , I could not slept the 3 nights and just wondering what he did wrong to get this unfortunate end. And that provoked me to dig out something more to understand the reasons behind this audacious attack on the innocent people not only Indians but other foreigners as well. Following is my personal understanding about the ‘ Why India was attacked …..’ I may not be 100% correct but even if I am 50% .....
Economy :
One month ago Pakistan was declared on the verge of bankruptcy while India was being treated as the leading economy in south-east Asia who was kind of unaffected by the global recession. While world renowned Finance expert was doing his best to make India a model economy, on the other hand Pakistan ( where mismanagement and corruption was as peak) was begging the International Monitory fund(IMF) and ADB for financial $ 100 Billion bailout package. India was attracting the more and more FDI while Pakistan was loosing International investments. This compelled the Pakistan to somehow make sure that India looses its financial/economical credibility and ‘Blast in Mumbai-Financial capital of India’ was the best example to show the world that ‘India is no better safe than Pakistan’.
For more details to support above thoughts please look the following news :
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/financialcrisis/3147266/Pakistan-facing-bankruptcy.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_crisis_of_2008#Pakistan
Sports :
Pakistan was declared as unsafe place for hosting almost all the sports events primarily Hockey and Cricket ,which are the main sports in India and Pakistan. On the other side of the border in India, Board of cricket control (BCCI) was getting cash rich with every events like Indian Premier Leage (IPL). More and more hockey and cricket countries are denying to participate in Pakistan hosted sports events(eg. Champians tropy).
This causes the Pakistan to meticulously plan and somehow demonstrate that India is equally unsafe place for hosting such sporting events.
Al-Qaeda link :
After Obama’s win in US , Pakistan was very much sure that if it does anything just on the basis of Kashmir then ,it would be facing a lot of criticism from western world countries. So it used it’s destructive mind and linked the terror-attack to Al-Qaeda. Pakistan was knowing that Al-Qaeda connection will be sufficient enough to show the world that this is the Mumbai events is not bilateral but International and not only this it asked its terror-men to kill the US,British and Israili citizens as well.
Not only this Pakistan tried to prove that India is becoming an ally to Israel and becoming the threat to Muslim countries so this attack should be seen as price for India-Israel friendship.
What is Pakistan’s current reality ?
* A very important point here I want to mention that the common and literate civilians in Pakistan understand the it more important for political leaders to concentrate on major severe issues like education,health-care and social benefits but those people have not much role/importance in political process. They really did not like the current corrupt President but who cares for them……
* Pakistan is the central headquarters of all terrorist activities under the authoritative command of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) an organ of Pakistan Army who have been sheltering Islamic terrorist organizations in the country through military as well as financial support. ISI is the real government in Pakistan. Although Pakistani religious groups have different mental equation when it is about the religion but there is no conflict among them if it is about Islam. Although they advocate a different Islam which was never the one introduced by Muhammad Bin Abdullah in Mecca some 1500 years ago, yet they are together under the supervision of ISI. ISI has sponsored this new brand of Islam with ulterior motives and to implement its hidden agenda. This new brand of Islam does not enjoy any recognition from the Muslims who really believe in Muhammad. It is indeed unfortunate that Islam has always been victimized throughout by the people who terms themselves as Muslims.
*North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) : what is this ?...This is smallest province of Pakistan(aligned to Afganistan) which in reality is not governed by Pakistani government but ….
In 1979 when Soviet Invaded Afghanistan,over five million Afghan refugees sheltered into NWFP (as of 2007 nearly 3 million remain). During the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, the NWFP served as a major base for supplying the Mujahideen who fought the Soviets during the 1980s(Not to mention that US supported these Mujahideen at that time ).Since then NWFP remained heavily influenced by events in Afghanistan and the civil war led to the rise of the Taliban, which had emerged in the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan as a formidable political force that nearly took-over all of Afghanistan. Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the NWFP became a frontline region again as part of the global War on Terror. This area is main problem area.
Is Pakistan knowingly/unknowingly accepting its role ?.........YES
Indian government knows the attack originated from Pakistan and proved to US,UK and Israel with the initial invetigations. In fact, the Pakistan government doesn't deny this bluntly . Following are the proofs :
* Now Asif Ali Zardari is telling Larry King that the attackers are "stateless people", he isn't saying they are not Pakistanis( and Pakistani media is saying that alive militant is sikh/hindu).
* Earlier in India, foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, told the media he was willing to send the ISI chief for a joint probe, signaling that he believed the attackers were Pakistanis.
Should anyone believe the words of Zardari(Mr. Ten-percent) ? No,No,No………………Never
Please read the following to understand why :
1. He assassinated Murtaza Bhutto( brother of Benezir) in 1996 because he confronted Zardari over bringing the Pakistan People's Party into disrepute over corrupt activities.
2. In 1998 , Swiss Government gave Pakistan government documents relating to corruption allegations against Zardari and wife, Benazir involving USD 13.7m in laundered money. In the same year French authorities revealed that Zardari proposed to give Dassault Aviation exclusive rights to replace Pakistani airforce fighter jets in return for a 5% commission.
3. In 2003 ,Swiss magistrates found Zardari and Bhutto guilty of money laundering, sentencing them to six-month suspended jail terms….
4. Before becoming president he had many criminal and corruption charges which have linked him with fraud, money-laundering, receiving bribes, and even murder but all were dropped to make sure that he become president.
5. His in-camera comments as president against the vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin showed his state of mind and political seriousness.
6. When Manmohan Singh called up Zardari ( and Pakistan PM Gilani called Indian PM) , he said the ISI director general Shuja Pasha would be sent to India to help out with the investigations. But by evening, the picture had changed. An ISI spokesman sounded very iffy about Pasha's visit. "Let the government tell us and we'll see," he said…..It shows that President and PM has very little role when it comes to a matter linked with ISI and army in Pakistan.
What India should do now ?
India has to believe in the fact that India do not depend on Pakistan for ANYTHING . We are much stronger democratically ,economically and socially and we have the power and willingness to secure our citizens ,territory and interests. But sometime it looks apparently that Pakistan is also like India but Pakistani history has proved that there is a clear disconnect between the Pakistani civilian government and the all-powerful military agencies like ARMY and ISI, which is causing difficulties for India in dealing with the situation. Every time after the undeclared war from Pakistani agencies/Army,India forgets all with time ( many Indians treat this as Indian political weakness)and starts meaningful dialogue to show the world that we are inherently peaceful and co-operating country(and WE ARE ..NO DOUBT) but in return we get Kargil,Kashmir attacks,Train-attack and Hotel-attacks…… and in reality Indian citizens pay the real price of such benevolent diplomacy. India as a nation has to do something drastic so that we can secure the future of our people………
1. Make a law which bars the political parties from stating the statements like ‘our part handles the terrorism better than X party’
2. Setup Central Federal Agency to combat the terror inside the country.
3. Setup special and separate NSG units in all the metro cities.
Modernize the Local state police departments and install the hidden CCTV cameras in all the important places of the main cities.
4. Break all the political and social links with Pakistan and declared that NO VISA will be issued to Indian who wants to visit Pakistan .India must Shuts its Embassy in Pakistan and stop all the political processes with Pakistan.
5. Make sure that Kashmir comes into main political stream and all the issuesds related to Kasmir are solved on high-priority. This will improve Indian image in International politics and also bar the Pakistan to raise its concerned about Kashmir.
6. Make sure that all the people linked to D-company and LeT are fully checked and monitored.
7. Setup special intelligence and monitoring body which focuses on the threats posed by Pakistan only and also supervise concerned department/organization handles such issues with proper priority. This body must have some special Research and Analysis wing which
a. Give special anti-terror technical know-how to the concerned commandos/police so that they can handle understand the latest gadgets/tools used by terrorists like GPS phone, internet and fake identity cards…
b. Co-ordinate with other special departments in other countries like MOSAD in Israel and FBI in US.
What US/world can do now to avoid more 9/11 or 26/11 ….?
POLITICAL MEASURES : US should take lead with support from UN and other top world countries and try to create a strong political movement against Pakistan , so that Pakistan bends towards the pressure of attack the people and stop practicing the terror politics.
MILITARY MEASURES : There must be some military pressure on the Pakistan so that government gets real democratic control over Federal Autonomous Tribal Area, or FATA. US must not give any millinery technology and equipments to Pakistan and check the other countries( like China,Iran) from doing so.
ULTIMATE STEP : And even if the above practice does not help in curbing the Pakistani role in international terror then it would be imperative to disintegrate Pakistan if we want to collapse the terrorists' network altogether. Unless we destroy the root cause of the whole terrorism tree, we will not be able to eliminate terrorism from the region. But considering the people of Pakistan this should be done under the UN supervision. Pakistan is comprised of five main sub nations and there should be no problem in giving these nations their new countries to enable them to have a more realistic identity of their own. This geo-political surgery has become inevitable to save the humanity from the cruel hands of terrorists who will come again to strike and they have no other place to hide and conspire but Pakistan.
Economy :
One month ago Pakistan was declared on the verge of bankruptcy while India was being treated as the leading economy in south-east Asia who was kind of unaffected by the global recession. While world renowned Finance expert was doing his best to make India a model economy, on the other hand Pakistan ( where mismanagement and corruption was as peak) was begging the International Monitory fund(IMF) and ADB for financial $ 100 Billion bailout package. India was attracting the more and more FDI while Pakistan was loosing International investments. This compelled the Pakistan to somehow make sure that India looses its financial/economical credibility and ‘Blast in Mumbai-Financial capital of India’ was the best example to show the world that ‘India is no better safe than Pakistan’.
For more details to support above thoughts please look the following news :
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/financialcrisis/3147266/Pakistan-facing-bankruptcy.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_crisis_of_2008#Pakistan
Sports :
Pakistan was declared as unsafe place for hosting almost all the sports events primarily Hockey and Cricket ,which are the main sports in India and Pakistan. On the other side of the border in India, Board of cricket control (BCCI) was getting cash rich with every events like Indian Premier Leage (IPL). More and more hockey and cricket countries are denying to participate in Pakistan hosted sports events(eg. Champians tropy).
This causes the Pakistan to meticulously plan and somehow demonstrate that India is equally unsafe place for hosting such sporting events.
Al-Qaeda link :
After Obama’s win in US , Pakistan was very much sure that if it does anything just on the basis of Kashmir then ,it would be facing a lot of criticism from western world countries. So it used it’s destructive mind and linked the terror-attack to Al-Qaeda. Pakistan was knowing that Al-Qaeda connection will be sufficient enough to show the world that this is the Mumbai events is not bilateral but International and not only this it asked its terror-men to kill the US,British and Israili citizens as well.
Not only this Pakistan tried to prove that India is becoming an ally to Israel and becoming the threat to Muslim countries so this attack should be seen as price for India-Israel friendship.
What is Pakistan’s current reality ?
* A very important point here I want to mention that the common and literate civilians in Pakistan understand the it more important for political leaders to concentrate on major severe issues like education,health-care and social benefits but those people have not much role/importance in political process. They really did not like the current corrupt President but who cares for them……
* Pakistan is the central headquarters of all terrorist activities under the authoritative command of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) an organ of Pakistan Army who have been sheltering Islamic terrorist organizations in the country through military as well as financial support. ISI is the real government in Pakistan. Although Pakistani religious groups have different mental equation when it is about the religion but there is no conflict among them if it is about Islam. Although they advocate a different Islam which was never the one introduced by Muhammad Bin Abdullah in Mecca some 1500 years ago, yet they are together under the supervision of ISI. ISI has sponsored this new brand of Islam with ulterior motives and to implement its hidden agenda. This new brand of Islam does not enjoy any recognition from the Muslims who really believe in Muhammad. It is indeed unfortunate that Islam has always been victimized throughout by the people who terms themselves as Muslims.
*North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) : what is this ?...This is smallest province of Pakistan(aligned to Afganistan) which in reality is not governed by Pakistani government but ….
In 1979 when Soviet Invaded Afghanistan,over five million Afghan refugees sheltered into NWFP (as of 2007 nearly 3 million remain). During the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, the NWFP served as a major base for supplying the Mujahideen who fought the Soviets during the 1980s(Not to mention that US supported these Mujahideen at that time ).Since then NWFP remained heavily influenced by events in Afghanistan and the civil war led to the rise of the Taliban, which had emerged in the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan as a formidable political force that nearly took-over all of Afghanistan. Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the NWFP became a frontline region again as part of the global War on Terror. This area is main problem area.
Is Pakistan knowingly/unknowingly accepting its role ?.........YES
Indian government knows the attack originated from Pakistan and proved to US,UK and Israel with the initial invetigations. In fact, the Pakistan government doesn't deny this bluntly . Following are the proofs :
* Now Asif Ali Zardari is telling Larry King that the attackers are "stateless people", he isn't saying they are not Pakistanis( and Pakistani media is saying that alive militant is sikh/hindu).
* Earlier in India, foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, told the media he was willing to send the ISI chief for a joint probe, signaling that he believed the attackers were Pakistanis.
Should anyone believe the words of Zardari(Mr. Ten-percent) ? No,No,No………………Never
Please read the following to understand why :
1. He assassinated Murtaza Bhutto( brother of Benezir) in 1996 because he confronted Zardari over bringing the Pakistan People's Party into disrepute over corrupt activities.
2. In 1998 , Swiss Government gave Pakistan government documents relating to corruption allegations against Zardari and wife, Benazir involving USD 13.7m in laundered money. In the same year French authorities revealed that Zardari proposed to give Dassault Aviation exclusive rights to replace Pakistani airforce fighter jets in return for a 5% commission.
3. In 2003 ,Swiss magistrates found Zardari and Bhutto guilty of money laundering, sentencing them to six-month suspended jail terms….
4. Before becoming president he had many criminal and corruption charges which have linked him with fraud, money-laundering, receiving bribes, and even murder but all were dropped to make sure that he become president.
5. His in-camera comments as president against the vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin showed his state of mind and political seriousness.
6. When Manmohan Singh called up Zardari ( and Pakistan PM Gilani called Indian PM) , he said the ISI director general Shuja Pasha would be sent to India to help out with the investigations. But by evening, the picture had changed. An ISI spokesman sounded very iffy about Pasha's visit. "Let the government tell us and we'll see," he said…..It shows that President and PM has very little role when it comes to a matter linked with ISI and army in Pakistan.
What India should do now ?
India has to believe in the fact that India do not depend on Pakistan for ANYTHING . We are much stronger democratically ,economically and socially and we have the power and willingness to secure our citizens ,territory and interests. But sometime it looks apparently that Pakistan is also like India but Pakistani history has proved that there is a clear disconnect between the Pakistani civilian government and the all-powerful military agencies like ARMY and ISI, which is causing difficulties for India in dealing with the situation. Every time after the undeclared war from Pakistani agencies/Army,India forgets all with time ( many Indians treat this as Indian political weakness)and starts meaningful dialogue to show the world that we are inherently peaceful and co-operating country(and WE ARE ..NO DOUBT) but in return we get Kargil,Kashmir attacks,Train-attack and Hotel-attacks…… and in reality Indian citizens pay the real price of such benevolent diplomacy. India as a nation has to do something drastic so that we can secure the future of our people………
1. Make a law which bars the political parties from stating the statements like ‘our part handles the terrorism better than X party’
2. Setup Central Federal Agency to combat the terror inside the country.
3. Setup special and separate NSG units in all the metro cities.
Modernize the Local state police departments and install the hidden CCTV cameras in all the important places of the main cities.
4. Break all the political and social links with Pakistan and declared that NO VISA will be issued to Indian who wants to visit Pakistan .India must Shuts its Embassy in Pakistan and stop all the political processes with Pakistan.
5. Make sure that Kashmir comes into main political stream and all the issuesds related to Kasmir are solved on high-priority. This will improve Indian image in International politics and also bar the Pakistan to raise its concerned about Kashmir.
6. Make sure that all the people linked to D-company and LeT are fully checked and monitored.
7. Setup special intelligence and monitoring body which focuses on the threats posed by Pakistan only and also supervise concerned department/organization handles such issues with proper priority. This body must have some special Research and Analysis wing which
a. Give special anti-terror technical know-how to the concerned commandos/police so that they can handle understand the latest gadgets/tools used by terrorists like GPS phone, internet and fake identity cards…
b. Co-ordinate with other special departments in other countries like MOSAD in Israel and FBI in US.
What US/world can do now to avoid more 9/11 or 26/11 ….?
POLITICAL MEASURES : US should take lead with support from UN and other top world countries and try to create a strong political movement against Pakistan , so that Pakistan bends towards the pressure of attack the people and stop practicing the terror politics.
MILITARY MEASURES : There must be some military pressure on the Pakistan so that government gets real democratic control over Federal Autonomous Tribal Area, or FATA. US must not give any millinery technology and equipments to Pakistan and check the other countries( like China,Iran) from doing so.
ULTIMATE STEP : And even if the above practice does not help in curbing the Pakistani role in international terror then it would be imperative to disintegrate Pakistan if we want to collapse the terrorists' network altogether. Unless we destroy the root cause of the whole terrorism tree, we will not be able to eliminate terrorism from the region. But considering the people of Pakistan this should be done under the UN supervision. Pakistan is comprised of five main sub nations and there should be no problem in giving these nations their new countries to enable them to have a more realistic identity of their own. This geo-political surgery has become inevitable to save the humanity from the cruel hands of terrorists who will come again to strike and they have no other place to hide and conspire but Pakistan.
Want to change....Be the change
Historical Win of Barack Hussein Obama has rendered Martin Luther’s dream prophetic which later gave at Lincoln Memorial in 1963.In his famous powerful speech "I-have-a-dream" Dr Martin had said “…little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character!"
Obama realised that dream through hard work and perseverance. His journey from a small-time community worker to the most powerful man in the world signifies that minority should not just demand the 'Change' but be part of the Change for Change.Obama's win is a landmark not only in US history but also in the world.It will inspire all the minority people of the world to come forward and lead the change rather than wait for change to come to them.
Obama lead the election by example:-
1.Obama declined federal funding while Mccain accepted.
2.Obama choose serious Joe Biden considering the nature of job but Mccain choose palin,just to fight with Obama only.
3.Obama believed in Policy while Mccain involved in personal attacks - accusing Obama of having a close relationship with a 'domestic terrorist', for example.
4.Obama said I am 'future-perfect' while he always rode on 'past-perfect'.
5.Obama never supported Bush-Economic-Policy while Mccain never rejected it 100%.
But there are few more reasons which caused the Obama to win and Mccain to lost.
1. Youth Power : Obama projected himself as 'Young' candidate and created powerful youth movement that pollsters and pundits often overlook.This caused a stunning 54% of young white
voters(18% of total) supported Obama, compared with 44% who went for Mccain.
Obama promised an era where young people will have a say in the political process,
that makes sense that he’s receiving that kind of support. Somewhere and somehow age factor played an important role in fight or 2.
2. Campaign Policy : Obama surpassed all other past and present presidential candidates in the way he and his campaign team did campaign.This resulted in not only the popularity but also helped him in collecting record $650 million fund as well.When Obama addressed gatherings, his internet site,Blogs ( Thanks to IT) were used by volunteers to sells T-shirts,Caps and help with the cleanup.
Obama realised that dream through hard work and perseverance. His journey from a small-time community worker to the most powerful man in the world signifies that minority should not just demand the 'Change' but be part of the Change for Change.Obama's win is a landmark not only in US history but also in the world.It will inspire all the minority people of the world to come forward and lead the change rather than wait for change to come to them.
Obama lead the election by example:-
1.Obama declined federal funding while Mccain accepted.
2.Obama choose serious Joe Biden considering the nature of job but Mccain choose palin,just to fight with Obama only.
3.Obama believed in Policy while Mccain involved in personal attacks - accusing Obama of having a close relationship with a 'domestic terrorist', for example.
4.Obama said I am 'future-perfect' while he always rode on 'past-perfect'.
5.Obama never supported Bush-Economic-Policy while Mccain never rejected it 100%.
But there are few more reasons which caused the Obama to win and Mccain to lost.
1. Youth Power : Obama projected himself as 'Young' candidate and created powerful youth movement that pollsters and pundits often overlook.This caused a stunning 54% of young white
voters(18% of total) supported Obama, compared with 44% who went for Mccain.
Obama promised an era where young people will have a say in the political process,
that makes sense that he’s receiving that kind of support. Somewhere and somehow age factor played an important role in fight or 2.
2. Campaign Policy : Obama surpassed all other past and present presidential candidates in the way he and his campaign team did campaign.This resulted in not only the popularity but also helped him in collecting record $650 million fund as well.When Obama addressed gatherings, his internet site,Blogs ( Thanks to IT) were used by volunteers to sells T-shirts,Caps and help with the cleanup.
India's answer to Arnold Schwarzenegger
India has answer to each and everything in this world. Samir Ghosh of Kolkata, The 28-year-old won the Mr. Universe 2008 title in the 66kg bantamweight category in Miami, Florida. He builds his body with the passion of Arnold Schwarzenegger.He lives in a small 10x8 feet ramshackle room that can barely hold the huge cache of trophies he has earned over the last 12 years.
He did the best a young men with passion for body-building can do at max.....
But.....................................................................
Poverty has distressed this young sportsman so much that he is about to give up the sport that he excelled in.He is struggling to keep his head above the water but upto when....
With a father who is fighting lung cancer, Samir is eager to take up any job. He has been trying for a government job over the last 10 years, ever since he turned 18.The latest disappointment was when the Income Tax department too rejected his application for the post of a watchman.
What he waits for is a system that aids people who struggle and achieve instead of putting on them, the additional onus of scrambling to earn the right to work.
I as Indian salutes this MAN and wish that he gets what he deserved most.......
He did the best a young men with passion for body-building can do at max.....
But.....................................................................
Poverty has distressed this young sportsman so much that he is about to give up the sport that he excelled in.He is struggling to keep his head above the water but upto when....
With a father who is fighting lung cancer, Samir is eager to take up any job. He has been trying for a government job over the last 10 years, ever since he turned 18.The latest disappointment was when the Income Tax department too rejected his application for the post of a watchman.
What he waits for is a system that aids people who struggle and achieve instead of putting on them, the additional onus of scrambling to earn the right to work.
I as Indian salutes this MAN and wish that he gets what he deserved most.......
Shakti Bhog Success Story
He might not have gone to a management school, but his techniques sure speak volumes about his business acumen. How else do you explain the success of Kewal Krishan Kumar, chairman and managing director of Shakti Bhog Foods Ltd, which has a turnover of over Rs 1,400 crore.
The company has around 70% of market share in the branded wheat flour segment in North India and plans to make it big in South India now. In fact it launched in Bangalore and some neighbouring areas in June this year. And Kumar is only eyeing more customers. He plans to acquire two-three food product companies in India in this fiscal year and get into joint ventures in Australia and Dubai.
What is interesting is that Kumar didn't inherit it all. He has humble beginning. Before Partition, his grandfather had a little grinding unit in Anarkali Bazaar of Lahore and after Partition, his father started a grinding unit to produce besan (chick pea flour) in India.
Kumar is a boisterous man who might want things fast, yet doesn't believe in letting the quality suffer. It's little surprise then that Shakti Bhog Atta is today a household name in wheat consuming homes. It's the mass market that Kumar targets. He doesn't mince his words when he says, "The richer you are, the lesser you tend to eat. The Kellogg's eating variety will probably have one chapatti, but for chapatti eating population, it's our atta that forms the staple food."
What is interesting to note is that MNCs have come and gone, but Shakti Bhog has stood its ground with its people's power. "This is not exactly a great profit making business. A lot of people have come and gone. We bought over Nature Fresh two years back. Today even biggies are having problems in flour business. I created a name for my atta long before these people even dreamt of flour business."
And when the government banned export of wheat products last year, Kumar diversified into ready to eat products and now supplies to 47 countries.
Kumar's entry into flour business was almost accidental. As a student of Sri Ram College of Commerce, Kumar took interest in his father's business but probably just as a young boy curious about his family business. It was one incident, however, that changed his life. His mother had sent him to grind some flour. Those were the good old days when people took their own wheat to little grinding units.
Kumar, however, had a movie to catch with friends and couldn't afford to stand in the long queue. And that's when he thought of buying a packet of atta. He wasn't sure how his mother would react, but he quietly bought it and kept it at home. Later he asked his mother about the quality of the flour and she said it was nice. "That is when I thought of starting a business of packaged atta." The year was 1980. The family didn't think there was a market in packaged flour, but Kumar was determined to make it. So, while he did take care of his father's business, he also started working on his idea.
A believer in Goddess Durga, Kumar decided to call it Shakti Bhog. Also, since wheat is the staple diet of a large Indian population, Kumar thought the name was just appropriate. Kumar did his own research from individually taking packets of his factory ground flour in autos to understanding what people wanted. The first year saw him suffer a loss of about a lakh , but it wasn't enough to deter him. "Something told me that I'd make it. I didn't even tell my family about the loss."
In a year, Kumar's determination bore fruit when Agmark approached him to certify his flour for quality. "It was a great feeling," confesses he. Slowly the business started picking up. And if something that has kept his products going, Kumar says, it's their quality. "I don't believe in compromising on quality. You expect the best only when you give it your best. I give my products the best I can and I have been getting returns in the form of growing consumers."
Today, Kumar has 16 factories that run 24/7. It's little surprise that from 50 quintals a day, his factories now produce 50 lakh quintals of flour every month. What has also kept Kumar growing is the fact that he has constantly evolved with time. When MNCs entered, for example, he did a little repackaging.
Last year when the government banned exports of wheat, Kumar didn't fret about the fact that he would lose business in 47 countries. Instead, he started thinking of alternative business plans.
He says, "When you are determined, you will surely find a way." Soon his research team came up with the idea of exporting rice, multi-grain porridge and ready to eat food.
Given the present rage for health foods and Indian foods internationally, Kumar had hit the bull's eye. By September this year, he plans to launch these products in India as well. The other plan is to focus on health foods. Right from diabetic atta to porridge with vegetables and obesity atta, there is a whole lot of products that Kumar is focusing on. It's another thing, that he likes to keep his cards close to his chest. "There are many plans on the anvil in the health field, but I prefer to let my products talk. So, once they enter the market, consumers can decide for themselves. I don't believe in publicity."
Health, says Kumar, is a subject close to his heart. That's why he forayed into television and started a health channel by the name of Shakti channel three years back. The initial idea was to launch a kidney hospital in his father's name after he died of a kidney ailment. But his friends and family discouraged him against setting up a hospital. So, he decided to start a health channel. "The underlying idea is the same. I want people to lead healthier lives. So, I'm not looking at the channel as a profit-making venture. Instead, I want it to contribute to healthier lifestyles. So, even if one person benefits from it, I'm satisfied."
Since health is high on Kumar's agenda, he is sporty enough to acknowledge that he also needs to shed some weight. "I have set up a gym at home and try to work-out. Sweets are my weakness and I'm trying hard to curb the urge to dig into sweets," he smiles.
A normal day for Kumar begins at around 6 am. He practises yoga for about an hour from 7 am and begins his day by 9 am after he's had breakfast with his family. "Meals are times when we try and catch up. It's the time when my wife, two sons , daughter and I get time to talk about all kinds of issues. Our is a close knit family."
If there is anything that makes him as happy as the company of his family, it's his work. " I feel incomplete if I don't go to the factory, inspect the products , attend meetings, and speak to my distributors."
Efield and Subsea
We learn everyday about something because of different reasons and context. This is true in social and work life both. While I was applying for a job in Oil and Gas field I come across the terms 'efield' and 'subsea' in the context of software and technology..
efield :
The oil industry is increasingly relying on digital technology and Internet or web-based concepts in every aspect, from back-office accounting and e-procurement to making decisions based on modeling software, to actually drilling, completing and monitoring wells.It’s called the e-field, the i-field, the smart field, and the digital oil field. And it is a very good thing.
The eField is an advanced ICT framework supporting all work processes and operation requirements an O&G organization have. Primary activities when developing an eField framework will be identifying the work processes and requirements both horizontally and vertically in the O&G field organization that are critical for the business strategy, economy and safety for humans and the environment.
The eField facilitate the O&G production organizations needs. Remote operation is anticipated to have a central role in future O&G production. CORD [2] is an initiative addressing the need for development of methods and evaluation of different concepts. The CORD program is currently working on identifying the work processes and requirements in an offshore platform control room. This is as a part of a larger program on how to safely move control functions, which today are controlled by the offshore control room, to a remote location. Important project participants are Statoil, BP, Shell, SINTEF and IFE.
Subsea :
Subsea is a general term frequently used to refer to equipment, technology, and methods employed in marine biology, undersea geology, offshore oil and gas developments, underwater mining, and offshore wind power industries.Oil and gas fields reside beneath many inland waters and offshore areas around the world, and in the oil and gas industry the term subsea relates to the exploration, drilling and development of oil and gas fields in underwater locations.Under water oil field facilities are generically referred to using a subsea prefix, such as subsea well, subsea field, subsea project, and subsea development.
Subsea engineering or seabed-to-surface engineering, is a specialty job that deals with underwater projects. A subsea engineer generally designs and installs underwater structures, including oil well rigging, wellheads, and pipelines. Typically, subsea engineers have working knowledge of underwater procedures, vehicles, and equipment.
Some terms :
- Subsea Control Systems
- Subsea Typical Equipment
-- Hydraulic Power Unit,
-- Electrical Power Unit,
-- Master Control Station,
-- Subsea Control Modules
efield :
The oil industry is increasingly relying on digital technology and Internet or web-based concepts in every aspect, from back-office accounting and e-procurement to making decisions based on modeling software, to actually drilling, completing and monitoring wells.It’s called the e-field, the i-field, the smart field, and the digital oil field. And it is a very good thing.
The eField is an advanced ICT framework supporting all work processes and operation requirements an O&G organization have. Primary activities when developing an eField framework will be identifying the work processes and requirements both horizontally and vertically in the O&G field organization that are critical for the business strategy, economy and safety for humans and the environment.
The eField facilitate the O&G production organizations needs. Remote operation is anticipated to have a central role in future O&G production. CORD [2] is an initiative addressing the need for development of methods and evaluation of different concepts. The CORD program is currently working on identifying the work processes and requirements in an offshore platform control room. This is as a part of a larger program on how to safely move control functions, which today are controlled by the offshore control room, to a remote location. Important project participants are Statoil, BP, Shell, SINTEF and IFE.
Subsea :
Subsea is a general term frequently used to refer to equipment, technology, and methods employed in marine biology, undersea geology, offshore oil and gas developments, underwater mining, and offshore wind power industries.Oil and gas fields reside beneath many inland waters and offshore areas around the world, and in the oil and gas industry the term subsea relates to the exploration, drilling and development of oil and gas fields in underwater locations.Under water oil field facilities are generically referred to using a subsea prefix, such as subsea well, subsea field, subsea project, and subsea development.
Subsea engineering or seabed-to-surface engineering, is a specialty job that deals with underwater projects. A subsea engineer generally designs and installs underwater structures, including oil well rigging, wellheads, and pipelines. Typically, subsea engineers have working knowledge of underwater procedures, vehicles, and equipment.
Some terms :
- Subsea Control Systems
- Subsea Typical Equipment
-- Hydraulic Power Unit,
-- Electrical Power Unit,
-- Master Control Station,
-- Subsea Control Modules
Why Not Sixth time..it is NOT TOO LATE
When somebody in
Every citizen the world’s biggest democracy(along with other people of the world) believes and support that this great prize is not meaningful if it is not awarded to Mr. Mohandas karamchand Gandhi ( Mahatma Gandhi) – who not only practiced peace doctrine throughout his life to demonstrate its effectiveness at its best but also promote the different ways( like Satyagraha and Ahimsa) of achieving it and also established a foundation for others(like Martin Luther king jr. and Nelson Mandela) to follow it .
Being an Indian living is Oslo I am always fascinated by the ‘Noble peace prize’ and always have desire to see Gandhi getting this coveted prize(even posthumously) . Recently I heard Norwegian Nobel Committee chief Ole Danbolt Mjos stated "(Mahatma) Gandhi was short-listed for the Nobel Prize five times,". In 1948 Gandhi was nominated 5th time by Nobel Prize Committee but it’s “unanimous” decision was abandoned(at the last moment) by the Gandhi's assassination in the same year.
He accepted "For the first four, majority opinion made sure he did not come by the prize. But then, at the end of 1947, the Committee finally reached a unanimous decision that, come 1948, the Indian nationalist leader would be the recipient of the prize,". But, Mjos said, as events were to turn out Gandhi was assassinated in January 1948 upsetting the Nobel Committee plan at the last moment.Nobody was conferred with the Nobel Peace Prize in 1948, the website of the Committee shows.
My question( and many other Indians as well) here is :
“Why Can’t Gandhi be deemed as qualified to be a Nobel laureate in the present world context”
His theories are omnipresent and effective in every world peace movement and actually more suitable in today’s world. The point here is that if noble committee can take a controversial decision of giving prize to former UN secretary general Dag Hammarskjoeld in 1961 then WHY CAN’T THEY TAKE SUCH DESCISION AGAIN for the person who is the biggest pioneer of word ‘PEACE’ in the 20th centaury.
Why not ecological Milk ?
In my younger days I saw a movie where Keshto Mukherjee was comparing ‘drinking alcohol’ with ‘drinking milk’ (and he was really good as usual). Considering the importance of milk in our daily life I searched the net and found that there exists a(although there are many but I am considering Indian environment and cost factor) viable ‘ecological milk’ which can be used at par with cow’s milk.
Any Guess !!!!
Yes you got it ….It is ‘Soya milk’
What is Soya Milk ?
It is produced by soaking dry soybeans, and grinding them with water.
Comparison with Cows Milk !!!
- Buffalo milk and cow milk has different proportions
- Many websites differ on the % and actual numbers
see the image attached
Why do we use it !!!
- Milk for Poor : Soy milk is nutritionally close to cow's milk BUT IT IS 3 TO 6 TIMES CHEAPER THAN COWS MILK. Most of poor people in
- Lectogen senstive population can use it as it does not have lectogen in it. People who are doing some dieting course are also using it for health purposes.
- Using soybeans to make milk instead of raising cows is said to have ecological advantages, as the amount of soy that could be grown using the same amount of land would feed more people than if used to raise cows. This is debated as grazing land for animals is very different from land used to farm, and requires fewer pesticides. However, cows require much more energy in order to produce milk, since the farmer must feed the animal, which consumes 40 kilos (90 pounds) of food and 90 to 180 liters (25 to 50 gallons) of water a day, while a soy bean needs merely water and land. Because the soybean plant is a legume, it also replenishes the nitrogen content of the soil in which it is grown.Soybeans can produce at least twice as much protein per acre than any other major vegetable or grain crop, 5 to 10 times more protein per acre than land set aside for grazing animals to make milk, and up to 15 times more protein per acre than land set aside for meat production.
- in general soy milk is not suitable for babies or infants
- Some commercial companies used their own formula to create new type of soyamilk which may create some health issues
Nuclear Deal : Deal or No deal
Today I used some of my time to understand the uncontroversial Indian Nuclear deal which may topple down the well stable UPA government to.The determination of Manmohan Singh Government is very good and it should go ahead.This may result in left withdrawing the support and fall of UPA government. I am sure PM won’t budge this time and will go ahead with what is more important to nation (Growth) rather than what is more important to congress( Political Power).
To come to above conclusion I tried to weigh of pros and cons of this deal and India's stand to gain a lot from this nuclear deal and still maintain sovereignty.
National Issues to solve :
Growth constraint-1 : The power shortage and future demand for power is growing exponentially. Fuel prices are breaking the life of ordinary citizen. According to the latest Ministry of Commerce statistics,
Growth constraint-2 : The India does not have enough natural resources and imports most of its oil from other countries.
Growth constraint-3 : Not enough Nuclear resources : One study says the
Political constraint-3 : Politically we need to strengthen ties with US to improve the diplomatic relationship with US. US wants to strengthen its base in South Asia by having strong relationship with
If the deal is through then :
- India can build many nuclear reactors for power generation but it has to Spend a huge amount to import nuclear fuel rods the cost of which is twice that of coal driven power, will eat a good portion of india's exchequer, besides another substantial portion will have to be kept aside for waste disposal which will tear the pockets while other developments like road building and eradication of diseases among the poor will standstill.and considering the nature of deal India will be buying the uranium from the US (which helps the US economy as well).
- Deal will place 14 of
- The deal will allow
- After the deal overall nuclear energy production is expected to reach 9% by 2016.(which is not much as compare to 3% now).
- Treaty has provision for one-year notice period before termination of the agreement.So we can say ‘NO’ later if harms our national interest. Agreement provides for consultations on the circumstances, including changed security environment, before termination of the nuclear cooperation. (Left-leaning parties say the wide-ranging termination clause in the act could be used to end the nuclear deal not only if
Manmohan singh's stand shows that after a life spent in pleasing political masters, first as a bureaucrat, then as a minister, he has finally come into his own. At least as of now he is the recognized head of government and that is an opportunity he knows he will not get again. He wants to go down in history as the man who did something big: converted
BENCH MARK - FROM ‘PEON’ TO V-C
Growing up in the heart of a Wadala slum, eight-yearold Narendra Jadhav knew what he wanted to be when he grew up: a gangster.
Somewhere along the way he changed course and ended up as chief economist of the Reserve Bank of India and then vice-chancellor of Pune University, a chair he currently holds. This prestigious post has a special sweetness to it, for a hundred years ago, Jadhav’s Dalit ancestors were made to leave Pune city before dark and carry brooms to sweep away their own polluting shadow.
Jadhav’s unique success story has often been cited as a sterling example of how education can unchain and transform when seemingly nothing else can. The street and the slum taught the young boy to be resilient but it was the all-consuming emphasis placed on education by his semi-literate father, a Dalit worker with the Bombay Port Trust, that set him on the road to success. His brother excelled too, got into the IAS, and went on to become municipal commissioner in Mumbai.
Jadhav’s schooling was split between a municipal primary school and a private secondary school, both united in the poverty of the children who sat in the classrooms. His ambitions changed all the time. First he wanted to be a gangster, and then something far less glamorous, a peon. “I grew up at a time when life was uncertain. I wanted a steady job that nobody could take away from me. A peon’s job sounded ideal.’’ Later, he decided he wanted to be a teacher, but by 13, he told his horrified brother that he hoped to be a writer. “My brother threw a fit. He told me I’d starve.’’ But Jadhav’s father, who went on to painstakingly pen his own memoirs, overheard the conversation and jumped to his defence. “Don’t listen to what others tell you to become. They may tell you to become a doctor, barrister or engineer. But follow your inner voice and do what you want. I really don’t care what you choose for yourself, as long as you’re at the top, wherever you are. Don’t ever be mediocre. Even if you’re a thief, make sure you’re an internationally acclaimed one.’’
The boy took his father’s words very seriously. At the SSC exam, he topped in Sanskrit, a language he had defiantly chosen because generations of Dalits had been denied access to a tongue considered the preserve of the Brahmins. At Ruia College, Mumbai, he passed his BSc in Statistics and Economics with distinction. After completing the first year of his MA in Economics from Mumbai University, Jadhav got a job as a probationary officer with the State Bank of India. So, during his second year, he juggled his studies with a full-time job. “My brother thought this was a bad idea. He was convinced that my scores would dip and that I could not have my cake and eat it too,’’ said Jadhav. But he proved his brother wrong. He succeeded at his job and set a record by getting a first in Economics, something that no Dalit had done before.
After a three-year stint with the bank, during which he travelled extensively in Maharashtra, he joined the Reserve Bank of India. At 24, he was their youngest researcher. A few years into the job, he felt the need to study further. So, on a government of India scholarship, he headed for the University of Indiana, where he received a Ph.D in Public Finance. He was awarded the Best International Student and won the Award for Outstanding Contribution to Economic Theory.
His classmates at Indiana, where he headed the Indian Students Association, were shocked when he told them he wanted to return to India after his Ph.D. “At that time, no Indian who went abroad to study returned home. Most of them were from rich families who would settle abroad and then complain of how they were subjected to racism. And here was I, from a down-trodden family in India, turning my back on over a dozen job offers to return home instead.’’ Seven days after his got his PhD, Jadhav was back “because I believe there can be no substitute for your motherland. My commitment to my own people was so strong that I would not been happy anywhere else’’.
When Jadhav passed his SSC, he could barely speak in English, a language he has now consummately mastered. “Of course it was hard for me to switch from Marathi to English. But then, life is hard. You can’t use your background as an excuse for incompetence. And there’s no substitute for hard work. The fact that I lived in a slum and studied at a Marathi-medium school did not come in the way of my higher education abroad,’’ he says.
When Jadhav returned home, his mother found it hard to understand why her son was still working so hard after all these years of study. Surely a PhD meant he could now take it easy? That’s when Jadhav’s father stepped in once again with his earthy wisdom. He said a PhD was like a driving licence. You don’t stop driving once you get a licence. You start driving. “Here was one illiterate person explaining the value of PhD to another illiterate person. And he couldn’t have put it better,’’ says his son.
As a tribute to the man who, although himself uneducated, lived fearlessly and overcame caste and class barriers, Jadhav wrote ‘Amcha Baap ani Amhi,’ a book on his father’s life that has been translated into many languages. Once, while Jadhav was at Indiana, his father fell critically ill. He rushed back to see him, only to be reprimanded. “Don’t waste your time in the middle of your studies. Come back when you’ve finished your degree. I won’t die until then.’’
He kept his word. He died three years after his son returned to India as Dr Narendra Jadhav.
Somewhere along the way he changed course and ended up as chief economist of the Reserve Bank of India and then vice-chancellor of Pune University, a chair he currently holds. This prestigious post has a special sweetness to it, for a hundred years ago, Jadhav’s Dalit ancestors were made to leave Pune city before dark and carry brooms to sweep away their own polluting shadow.
Jadhav’s unique success story has often been cited as a sterling example of how education can unchain and transform when seemingly nothing else can. The street and the slum taught the young boy to be resilient but it was the all-consuming emphasis placed on education by his semi-literate father, a Dalit worker with the Bombay Port Trust, that set him on the road to success. His brother excelled too, got into the IAS, and went on to become municipal commissioner in Mumbai.
Jadhav’s schooling was split between a municipal primary school and a private secondary school, both united in the poverty of the children who sat in the classrooms. His ambitions changed all the time. First he wanted to be a gangster, and then something far less glamorous, a peon. “I grew up at a time when life was uncertain. I wanted a steady job that nobody could take away from me. A peon’s job sounded ideal.’’ Later, he decided he wanted to be a teacher, but by 13, he told his horrified brother that he hoped to be a writer. “My brother threw a fit. He told me I’d starve.’’ But Jadhav’s father, who went on to painstakingly pen his own memoirs, overheard the conversation and jumped to his defence. “Don’t listen to what others tell you to become. They may tell you to become a doctor, barrister or engineer. But follow your inner voice and do what you want. I really don’t care what you choose for yourself, as long as you’re at the top, wherever you are. Don’t ever be mediocre. Even if you’re a thief, make sure you’re an internationally acclaimed one.’’
The boy took his father’s words very seriously. At the SSC exam, he topped in Sanskrit, a language he had defiantly chosen because generations of Dalits had been denied access to a tongue considered the preserve of the Brahmins. At Ruia College, Mumbai, he passed his BSc in Statistics and Economics with distinction. After completing the first year of his MA in Economics from Mumbai University, Jadhav got a job as a probationary officer with the State Bank of India. So, during his second year, he juggled his studies with a full-time job. “My brother thought this was a bad idea. He was convinced that my scores would dip and that I could not have my cake and eat it too,’’ said Jadhav. But he proved his brother wrong. He succeeded at his job and set a record by getting a first in Economics, something that no Dalit had done before.
After a three-year stint with the bank, during which he travelled extensively in Maharashtra, he joined the Reserve Bank of India. At 24, he was their youngest researcher. A few years into the job, he felt the need to study further. So, on a government of India scholarship, he headed for the University of Indiana, where he received a Ph.D in Public Finance. He was awarded the Best International Student and won the Award for Outstanding Contribution to Economic Theory.
His classmates at Indiana, where he headed the Indian Students Association, were shocked when he told them he wanted to return to India after his Ph.D. “At that time, no Indian who went abroad to study returned home. Most of them were from rich families who would settle abroad and then complain of how they were subjected to racism. And here was I, from a down-trodden family in India, turning my back on over a dozen job offers to return home instead.’’ Seven days after his got his PhD, Jadhav was back “because I believe there can be no substitute for your motherland. My commitment to my own people was so strong that I would not been happy anywhere else’’.
When Jadhav passed his SSC, he could barely speak in English, a language he has now consummately mastered. “Of course it was hard for me to switch from Marathi to English. But then, life is hard. You can’t use your background as an excuse for incompetence. And there’s no substitute for hard work. The fact that I lived in a slum and studied at a Marathi-medium school did not come in the way of my higher education abroad,’’ he says.
When Jadhav returned home, his mother found it hard to understand why her son was still working so hard after all these years of study. Surely a PhD meant he could now take it easy? That’s when Jadhav’s father stepped in once again with his earthy wisdom. He said a PhD was like a driving licence. You don’t stop driving once you get a licence. You start driving. “Here was one illiterate person explaining the value of PhD to another illiterate person. And he couldn’t have put it better,’’ says his son.
As a tribute to the man who, although himself uneducated, lived fearlessly and overcame caste and class barriers, Jadhav wrote ‘Amcha Baap ani Amhi,’ a book on his father’s life that has been translated into many languages. Once, while Jadhav was at Indiana, his father fell critically ill. He rushed back to see him, only to be reprimanded. “Don’t waste your time in the middle of your studies. Come back when you’ve finished your degree. I won’t die until then.’’
He kept his word. He died three years after his son returned to India as Dr Narendra Jadhav.
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