UPA Government's Report to the People

I am sure you would have come across people who associate themselves with Political Parties and vote loyally for the same party over the years.
Out of my curiosity, I happened to visit some of these Party sites to find out if there are any Principles set and followed by all the parties in India and how far do these parties stick to them.
And it wasn't surprising to note that, not all parties have a true philosophy and those who do, it is only on paper.

During this search mission, I came across something interesting. As as MBA student, we did check and analyze various companies just on the basis of their annual reports but here is the Report of UPA government to its people.

Even I felt the file to be bulky, but mind it guys its a must read..

e-mail Aaya Paisa Laaya

I am sure each of us would have earned millions of dollars and pounds online, be it Yahoo or Google, lottery prizes keep pouring in our inbox. Sometime back I even won was a lottery by FIFA World Cup 2010, South Africa.
But today I was surprised to receive an interesting mail -

"Dearest

I believe you are a highly respected personality, I am writing this mail with tears, sadness and pains. I know it will come to you as a surprise since we haven't known or come across each other before considering the fact that I sourced your email contact through the Internet in search of trusted person who can assist me.

I am Cecilia Garang 24 years old female from the Republic of Sudan, the Daughter of Late Dr. John Garang. Before my late father’s death in Uganda on 31st of July 2005, was vice president and former rebel leader of Sudan and was kill by Sudan President Omar al Bashir in helicopter crash. You can read more about my father in the link below. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2134220.stm.

I am constrained to contact you because of the maltreatment which I am receiving from my step mother. She planned to take away all my late father's treasury and properties from me since the unexpected death of my beloved Father. Meanwhile I wanted to travel to Europe, but she hide away my international passport and other valuable documents. Luckily she did not discover where I kept my father's File which contained important documents. Now I am presently staying in the Mission in Burkina Faso. I am seeking for long term relationship and investment assistance. My father of blessed memory deposited the sum of US$12.7 Million in one bank in Burkina Faso with my name as the next of kin. I had contacted the Bank to clear the deposit but the Branch Manager told me that being a refugee, my status according to the local law does not authorize me to carry out the operation. However, he advised me to provide a trustee who will stand on my behalf. I had wanted to inform my stepmother about this deposit but I am afraid that she will not offer me anything after the release of the money.

Therefore, I decide to seek for your help in transferring the money into your bank account while I will relocate to your country and settle down with you. As you indicated your interest to help me I will give you the account number and the contact of the bank where my late beloved father deposited the money with my name as the next of kin. It is my intention to compensate you with 20% of the total money for your assistance and the balance shall be my investment in any profitable venture which you will recommend to me as have no any idea about foreign investment. Please all communications should be through this email address only for confidential purposes.

Thanking you a lot in anticipation of your quick response. I will send you details in my next email for you to know me well.

Yours Cecilia"

Is every moment a moment of pride for us ?

A day's diary in Bangalore (but it could be just another city in India for just another person like me (or you)!)

Morning 10:00 AM :
I get on an auto, minutes later I realize that the metre is faulty. He charges Rs. 90 for a distance which is usually some Rs. 60. I argue and close the deal at some 70 bucks. He is happy, I'm relatively happy.
Afternoon 2:00 PM :
I need to get a couple of certificates attested. I go to a local hospital. There is a board which says, "No attestations would be entertained." Just below that sign board sits a man on a desk. His desk is full of many certificates that have come for attestations. His rate to get it done by the hospital authorities is just Rs.500 to Rs. 1000 depending on the number of certificates and your urgency.
Afternoon 3:00 PM :
I board a government bus. The bus conductor asks me Rs. 10 for a distance which costs Rs. 15. I am surprised. He takes the money but refuses to give me a ticket and with a sly smile says that he gave me a discount.
Evening 5:00 PM :
An office colleague is getting posted to another city. He cheats his landlord with Rs.4,000 and sneaks his way out of his apartment to the airport.
Evening 7:00 PM :
Another auto driver gets into a trouble with me. This time I make sure he gets to a traffic police guy. I'm off after paying the usual, legitimate amount. Out comes a Rs.100 bill, goes into the traffic policeman's pocket and everything else starts to run normal.
Night 9:00 PM :
I want to cool the day off with a can of beer. The shopkeeper refuses to sell the beer at MRP (maximum retail price). I go to another shop, here the rate is a little less but exceeds the MRP again. Another shop, same result. I refuse to buy. I am pissed (its not always about Rs.5 extra for the beer can right?).

I'm so proud of everything around me. I'm proud of slumdog's success. I'm proud of Sachin Tendulkar. I'm proud of myself, my family and my friends!

Earth Hour 2009

There are lots of things I can think of doing in dark for an hour. You?
This year India will join rest of the world by observing 'Earth Hour' to save energy as well as environment on March 28. Let's make passionate love to our planet and turn off the lights for an hour.

931 cities and towns in 80 countries have already committed to VOTE EARTH for Earth Hour 2009, as part of the worlds first global election between Earth and global warming.
WWF are urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009. This meeting will determine official government policies to take action against global warming, which will replace the Kyoto Protocol. It is the chance for the people of the world to make their voice heard.
Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour.
Here is a glimpse of Earth Hour 2008 :



This year India, especially Delhi and Mumbai will participate, he said adding that WWF was getting support from the government as well as the corporate houses. Lights would be switched off or dimmed at 11 PVR cinemas in Delhi and Mumbai and corporate offices.
Its a call to stand up and take control over the future of our planet.
Let us also VOTE EARTH by simply switching off lights for one hour, and join the world for Earth Hour - Saturday, March 28, 8:30-9:30pm.

Diary of a Pakistani Schoolgirl 3.0

The seventh grade schoolgirl from Swat, Pakistan writes again -

SATURDAY 21 FEBRUARY
The situation in Swat is calming down gradually. Firing and artillery fire has also reduced. But people are still scared and they are afraid that the peace deal might be broken.
There are rumours that some Taleban commanders don't agree with this deal and say that they will keep fighting till their last breath. My heart beat rises when I hear such rumours. Why are they doing this? They say that they want to take revenge for Jamia Hafsa and the Red Mosque, but we are not the ones responsible for what happened there so why don't they take revenge on people who are responsible?
Moments ago Maulana Fazlullah (a pro-Taleban cleric) announced on his FM radio that he is lifting the ban from female education. He announced that girls can go to school till exams which are to be held on 17 March but they have to cover themselves.
I am very happy to hear this as I never thought this would ever happen.

SUNDAY 22 FEBRUARY
Today we went to Mingora's "cheena" market where one can only find things for women. We were very scared on our way to the market as the Taleban have imposed a ban on women going out for shopping.
On entering the market we were shocked to see that there were only a few women there, where as earlier it used to be a very crowded place and women used to push each other

MONDAY 23 FEBRUARY
When I got up I was very happy knowing that I will go to school today. At school some girls were wearing uniform whereas others were in casual clothes. During assembly girls looked extremely happy and were hugging each other.
After assembly the headmistress advised us to cover ourselves properly and wear the burqa because it is a condition put by the Taleban.
There were only 12 girls present in my class because some have migrated from Swat and some were not sent to school by their parents because of fear.
Four of my friends have already left Swat and another told me today that they are also moving to Rawalpindi. I was upset with her and asked her not to go as there is a peace accord and that situation is getting better gradually. But she said that conditions were very uncertain.
I am very sad. Four of my friends have already left and the last one is also leaving.

WEDNESDAY 25 FEBRUARY
My mother is not feeling well and father is out of town for a meeting so I prepared the breakfast and then went to school.
Today we played a lot in class and enjoyed ourselves like we used to before.
Nowadays helicopters don't appear frequently nor do we discuss much about the army and Taleban. In the afternoon my mother, cousin and I and went to the market. There was a time when I used to like wearing the burqa but not any more. I am fed up with this because it is a hindrance in walking.
There is gossip in Swat that one day a woman was wearing a traditional burqa. She fell and when a man tried to help her she refused and said "Don't help me brother, as this will bring immense pleasure to [Taleban leader] Maulana Fazlullah".
When we entered the shop in the market where we used to shop the shopkeeper laughed and told us he got scared thinking that we might be suicide bombers.

FRIDAY 27 FEBRUARY
I was so glad to see my two friends in school today. During the operation they had gone to Rawalpindi. They said that there was peace in Rawalpindi and the standard of life was also good but they both were anxiously waiting for peace to return in Swat so that they could come back.

MONDAY 1 MARCH
Attendance is getting better day by day and today 19 students were present out of 27. Exams are scheduled for 9 March and we try to spend more time studying.
Today I went to Cheena Market with others and shopped a lot because one of the shopkeepers was shutting down and had a clearance sale. Most of the shops in Cheena Market have been closed down.

Teachers greet each other in Mingora as a school reopens

We sleep well because there is no shelling these days. It is said that the Taleban are still carrying out their activities in their areas. They also loot the relief goods meant for the displaced persons.
My friend told me that her brother was quite amazed to see his acquaintance searching vehicles at night along with the Taleban. Her brother said that his acquaintance works as a labourer in the morning and along with the Taleban at night. Her brother asked him why he was with them if he was not a Talib. He replied that he earns in the morning and then at night while working with the Taleban.

TUESDAY 3 MARCH
My younger brother does not like going to school. He cries while going to school and is jubilant coming back home. But today he came back home crying and he said that he was scared. He said that whenever he saw someone he got scared that he might be kidnapped.
My brother often prays "O God bring peace to Swat and if not then bring either the US or China here".
There was another skirmish between the army and the Taleban and such incidents have taken place in the past few days. Today I heard the sound of mortar shells. People are again scared that the peace may not last for long. Some people are saying that the peace agreement is not permanent it is just a break in fighting.

WEDNESDAY 4 MARCH
Today our teacher asked us how many girls listen to FM radio and most of the girls said that they used to but not anymore. But few girls said that they still listen to it. Girls were of the view that once FM radio transmission is stopped only then peace can return to Swat.
The Taleban say that they use FM radio to propagate teachings of the Koran but commander Khalil after a brief teaching of the Koran subtly switches over to threaten opponents. Announcements regarding fighting, activities and murders are made on FM radio.
During our recess today we saw helicopters flying. The helicopters fly very low over our school. Girls called out to the soldiers and they waved back. Soldiers seem to be tired of waving now.

International Women's Day

8 th of March, celebrated as International Working Woman's Day (IWD), is a major day of global celebration for the economic, political and social achievements of women.
The day is an official holiday in Albania, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, China, Cuba, Georgia, Italy, Israel, Laos, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, FYROM, Moldova, Mongolia, Montenegro, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Vietnam, and Zambia, and is observed by men giving the women in their lives - mothers, wives, girlfriends, daughters, colleagues, etc., flowers and small gifts.
In some countries (such as Romania) it is also observed as an equivalent of Mother's Day, where children also give small presents to their mothers and grandmothers.

In Italy, to celebrate the day, men give yellow mimosas to women. Yellow mimosas and chocolate are also one of the most common March 8 presents in Russia.
In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Croatia, Hungary, Romania, Moldova, Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Bulgaria, Slovenia and Serbia the custom of giving women flowers still prevails.
In countries like Portugal and Romania, it is usual, at the night of 8 March, groups of women celebrate in "women-only" dinners and parties.
The United Nations supports this day and coins new themes for each year. Some of the global United Nation themes used for International Women's Day to date:
- 2009: Women and men united to end violence against women and girls
- 2008: Investing in Women and Girls
- 2007: Ending Impunity for Violence against Women and Girls
- 2006: Women in decision-making
- 2005: Gender Equality Beyond 2005: Building a More Secure Future
- 2004: Women and HIV/AIDS
- 2003: Gender Equality and the Millennium Development Goals
- 2002: Afghan Women Today: Realities and Opportunities
- 2001: Women and Peace: Women Managing Conflicts
- 2000: Women Uniting for Peace
- 1999: World Free of Violence against Women
- 1998: Women and Human Rights
- 1997: Women at the Peace Table
- 1996: Celebrating the Past, Planning for the Future

I am sure in India as well; we will get to see many functions, rallies and other awareness drives. We Indians treat our country as a woman and call her Bharat Maata. Over the past few years, women in our country are really bringing great laurels in all fields.

While I was going though the website: http://www.internationalwomensday.com/
I happened to note the following Gender Facts:

Global Issues
• Females in developing countries on average carry 20 litres of water per day over 6 km
• Globally women account for the majority of people aged over 60 and over 80
• Pregnant women in Africa are 180 times more likely to die than in Western Europe
• 530,000 women die in pregnancy or childbirth each year
• Of 1.2 billion people living in poverty worldwide, 70% are women
• 80% of the world's 27 million refugees are women
• Women own around only 1% of the world's land
• AIDS sees women's life expectancy of 43 in Uganda and Zambia
• 5 people are added to the world's population every 2 seconds
• Women are 2/3 of the 1 billion+ illiterate adults who have no access to basic education
• Suicide is a leading cause of death for Chinese women, and China is the only country in which the suicide rate for females is higher than for males.


Innovation
• Globally women comprise 42% internet users (Italy 37% ... US & Canada 51%)
• In OECD countries women comrpise only 30 per cent of degrees in science and technology
• Women's representation in computer and information sciences workforce is around 30% globally
• Female inventors still only account for around 10% of the US inventor population

Business / Finance
• Women control $14 trillion in assets and this should grow to $22 trillion over next 10 years
• Women comprise 21 of the 37 million people living below the poverty line in the US
• Only in Japan and Peru are women more active in starting a business than men
• Women spend more time researching before they invest than men do

Media / Arts
• Only 21% of all news subjects (people interviewed or whom the news is about) are female
• Women less than 1% department heads, editors, media owners but third of working journalists
• 80% of UK purchasing decisions are made by women but 83% of 'creatives' are men

Work
• Women do two-thirds of the world's work but receive only 10% of the world's income
• Women's education is the most powerful predictor of lower fertility rates
• One year out of college women earn 20% less than men and 10 years later 31% less
• Women on average are away from workforce for 14.7 years compared to 1.6 years for men
• The biggest EU gender pay gap is in Cyprus and Estonia at 25% then Slovakia at 24%

Government
• 56% of women who voted supported Obama compared to only 49% of men voted for Obama
• Until 20 years ago there had never been more than 5% women MPs globally
• Benazir Bhutto was the first woman prime minister of a muslim country (assassinated 27/12/07)
• From the 27 EU member states, UK ranks 15 for women's representation in national Parliaments
• From 1945 to 1995 the percentage of women MPs worldwide increased four-fold
• Although women make up 51 percent of the world’s population, they hold only 16 percent of parliamentary and congressional seats worldwide.

Before, I end, I would like to clarify that I am not trying to support or criticize the fact that we have “Women’s Day”. It’s not been a month that my post on Valentine’s Day brought questions like – “Do need to celebrate such days? Well I don’t know how far its right or wrong. It’s just another celebration. So as long as it’s not harming any one and bringing cheers to people, I don’t mind it.

Goli soda is dying :(

Pepsi, Coke and others have intruded India to such an extent that they seem almost our own now! I'm not against any MNC, in fact I get my salary from one such MNC in India, but I do tend to get a little nostalgic at times when I find all the smart marketing wiping away our 'old' products. Today was one such moment when I saw 'goli soda' in front of my company's futuristic campus.

For those of you who are unaware of what 'goli soda' is, it is carbonated water sold in glass bottles. The USP of 'goli soda' is its unique way of packaging, with a marble acting as a 'cap' to keep all the fizz inside. To 'open' the bottle one has to push the marble aside in a special way to free the water inside. The bottle has a unique design and it is an art to open the bottle without breaking your finger. For Rs. 5 it is one of the best refreshing drink you can have on a sunny day.
The sad thing is that these goli soda vendors and producers are fast disappearing. In urban India it is almost an impossibility to find one. The coming generation may alienate itself from the special flavour of goli soda and lime with masala, unlocked by the famished fingers of the lungi clad vendor if we continue to dance only on 'phoren' songs until another Slumdog Millionaire is made by some 'firangi'!

Political parties trying to ride the youth wave

Within hours of taking the oath, the President of United States of America, Barack Obama, launched a new version of www.whitehouse.gov . The message was clear, the new president is tech-savvy and knows that so is the electoral college which voted for him. The new website has features like announcement about his government's policies, his government's opinion on important issues, the agenda, a peek into the administration side of things, etc. Besides these there is the presidential blog. One of the most amazing features of the site is that the users are allowed to vote and comment on important issues and their votes and opinions are taken into consideration while formulating any law for the land. The people of US also get to subscribe to their President's youtube channel, RSS feeds from his blog, streaming video of his speeches and a lot more.
This is an expected move from a young President from a country where the depth of Internet connectivity is such that almost all its citizens are touched by the Web 2.0 phenomenon and are using Internet not just for sending emails but in all areas of their lives.

Things are quite similar in India even when Internet penetration is nothing compared to the First world countries (we are the first democracy to have electronic voting machines remember?). The 'great India election' dates were announced just a couple of days back but the ads campaigns have started long back for most political parties. BJP has again emerged as one of the pioneers when it comes to leveraging the power of Internet to stir up the tech-savvy voters of India. Almost everywhere you point your mouse these days, Mr. Advani's face is just a click away! (He's been able to make a lot of visits to CnC as well). With Arun Jaitely again in command for the election campaign (or at least the tech side of things for now) we can only see more and more of 'Vote for Advani' ads floating in the cyberspace. With most political parties realizing that election this year would be won based on which way the youth on India swings, everyone is trying to give a 'fresh appeal' to his/her party. Congress has been projecting Rahul Gandhi (the cute dimpled, stylish and supposedly dynamic 'Rajkumar' of the congress) as the hope for the youth of India, though staying clear of any internal complexities and commotion of showing any inclination to project him as a Prime Ministerial candidate for the future. BJP, on the other hand, void of any major 'young' names as of now, is making the old (and may I add, just about one more general election left types) Advani run up to gyms and spas all over the country to pick up dumbbells. He has also been visiting colleges in BJP-friendly states like Karnataka to 'advice' them on how they can play a role in bringing about a change (by making sure that India does not 'change' its old customs, traditions and pre-conceived notions about women-in-the-pubs). In one such address here in Bangalore last week the college students were made to sit for the function who later decided to boo the 'national leaders' when they started giving out 'gyan' to the young minds; most of them opted out of the meeting to catch up with some shopping in the commercial street or a sip at the nearest CCDs.
The message is clear, all political parties are trying their level best to capture the attention of the youth of India. Many young leaders are being considered for tickets, entertainment taxes are being cut in Karnataka, in states like Uttar Pradesh and Delhi congress is conducting special recruitment drives to catch young talented political minds, BJP is flooding the cyberspace with flash ad blocks.
With campaigns like Lead India and JagoRe.com things do look better this time. If the elected Indian political scene again shows the weakness that it has long been associated with, it would be for lack of options and not a dearth of young voters. With 'Jai ho' fast replacing 'Jai Hind' in the young circles of the country, it may perhaps be time for a government that promises to do something at the grass-root level to improve the situation of the nation that is going to be and not just speak about the legacy of Indian culture and the power it used to be in the times when the world was not connected enough to know about it!

Let's make this vote count

The Times of India is set to launch Lead India ’09, a country-wide campaign across all our newspapers, with the aim of ensuring that better candidates are put up and elected in the coming elections. The campaign will first try to put pressure on political parties to feature better candidates, by mobilizing the opinions of lakhs of thinking individuals around the country; and then act as a Voters’ Guide to help voters make a more informed choice, through detailed investigation of all key candidates in 40 urban constituencies.

Join me in this campaign and take an oath -

I swear that this time I will stand up.
Not for what I believe in, but for what I don't.
This time I will vote. Not for, but against.
Against my own Helplessness.
Against my own lazinessness.
Against two words called "Chalta Hain".
Against short cuts in queues.
Against cheating in exams.
Against Kharcha Paani in offices.
Against powerless inquiry commissions.
And powerful vote banks.
Against religion in politics.
Against illegal constructions
and legal loopholes.
Against every cynic. Every non-believer.
Against the belief that nothing will change.
Against the feeling that my vote cannot make a difference.
Against every excuse for not voting.
I will do this without fear or shame.
Because only by voting against all that is destroying our todays, will give my children something to vote for tomorrow.

For further details click here

Let's become the change agents in this historic election.
Let's think loud for the next two months !!

Intel: Recession may hit technological advancements!

It may seem ridiculous to think that the economic slowdown may be powerful enough to hold back technological evolution and advancements but, sadly, the current recession has done exactly that.
Intel which sells its products through vendors of various electronic products may not be under a direct influence of recession but the piling inventory at its clients factories may soon start showing up as delay in the coming hardware releases by Intel. It is believed that the popular vendors of computer goods have been pressing Intel to delay the release of its newer technologies as they have not been able to clear the huge inventory which has the older Intel chips inside them. With the new technology entering the market the vendors would be forced to compete with the standards of the changing market and this may put a greater pressure on the already crumbling electronics goods industry.
For Intel to survive the economic crunch, it may be necessary that they don't delay the next release too much as competitors may snatch the near-monopoly that Intel enjoys right now. On the other hand rolling out a new product would create a further slowdown for the electronic goods majors and smaller players (with reasonably smaller inventory issues) would be the biggest gainers.
Thanks to the model on which Michel Dell built his company, Dell should survive without much problems with its unique inventory control mechanism and a customer demand centric approach for placing orders with its vendors. Smaller players in the electronic chip making industry may be seeing this as a chance to challenge the Intel authority.
The biggest gainers would be the customers with bigger discounts and 'nicer' offers expected in the consumer electronic market.

Doctors' Do Little

Todays' newspaper read: "49 companies visited IIM-C in the four days of Phase 1 and three students accepted pre-placement offers (PPO) of over Rs 1 crore each from investment banks."
If you remember, last week The Indian Institute of Management - Calcutta, has raised fees for new students from Rs 4 lakh to Rs 9 lakh. The fee for the class of 2008-10 has been formally fixed at Rs 7 lakh, which means existing first-year students have to add another Rs 4 lakh each to the Rs 3 lakh they had paid at the time of admission. The 2007-09 batch was the last to be charged Rs 4 lakh for the two-year course. Batches from the 2009-11 course onwards will be charged the Rs 9-lakh fee.

After a huge failure in implementing the new reservation structure and even filling all the seats at the new IITs, the interim budget last week said - "In addition to 6 new Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) in Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Orissa, Punjab and Gujarat which started functioning in 2008-09, two more IITs in Madhya Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh are expected to commence their academic session in 2009-10.
Teaching is expected to commence from academic year 2009-10 in four out of six new Indian Institute of Management proposed for the Eleventh Plan in Haryana, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Tamil Nadu."
Now even after loud protests over the availability and salary structure of faculty at these places, lets see how things shape up. Hope the quality standards don't drop much.

But interesting to note that there is no mention of Medical colleges. I was wondering what could be the reason behind this, especially looking at the sorry state of hospitals and the tough competition in all medical entrance exams.

Our country provides one of the most affordable courses in the world and our doctors then fly abroad to get greater returns.
No wonder why there were had such strong criticism during the introduction of compulsory government service for medical students in the government medical colleges.
In all government colleges, the students need to sign a bond with the respective college to offer compulsory service at least for two years in rural areas of the state. The system was enforced to ensure that rural areas got sufficient medical services because most of the doctors refused to work in the backward and interior rural pockets. But, reports say that majority of the students decide to pay the fine and break the bond. And that too a large chunk of this fine is not properly recovered by the institutes.
Earlier this year, we had our Health Minister Mr. Ramadoss addressing at the annual AIIMS convocation "Please stay put in India. This country needs you very badly at this hour than ever and all of you who have graduated today are valuable commodity because you are the best in the world. We want you here in India because there is an acute shortfall of health resources in the country,"

All the State Governments complain that they are spending an estimated Rs.1 million for each student, and they end up working in private hospitals in India or abroad. The ratio of number of doctors to the population is one of the lowest in our country and we are never concerned about it. The cost of treatment in increasing every year, but the only the only solution being promoted is health insurance. The government is rolling out various low cost insurance schemes. No focus is being done on standardization of treatment and improving the quality standards.
From a commercial point of view, the investments in engineering colleges and B-schools is certain to give good returns while the same in medical college is certain to report losses year on year.

Frankly, the options in front of the government are few, either the it should tighten the norms for students to obey the bond or it should focus on other alternatives, for instance investing heavily in improving sanitation and quality of water. Basic facilities like public toilets, maintained from time to time, safe and pure drinking water, awareness campaigns for healthcare and medication should be promoted in all parts of the country. Remember most diseases in India are water borne. Thus, such investments would ensure long term benefits in the aspect of health and sanitation to the society.

The Oscar goes to Slumdog Millionare: The Credit goes to ??

The incredible performance of Slumdog Millionaire at the Oscars brought in mixed reactions from world over. Some felt that the movie deserved it all, rest fought that it didn't..
But interested to note is the way the Indian politicians and British media are fighting to take credit of the success of movie. Here are some of the reactions:

Mr. Manmohan Singh:
"Congratulations, The winners have done India proud."

Mrs. Sonia Gandhi:
"They represent the finest traditions of our film industry and are an inspiration to all of us,"

Congress Spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi:
"a film of India, for India, by India" and also added that the "conducive atmosphere with emphasis on good governance contributing to an achieving India".
"We are celebrating it, not taking credit for the film". He referred to the first individual gold medal in Olympics by Abhinav Bindra, the Indian mission to moon, special status to India in the 123 agreement without signing the NPT, nine per cent growth rate and the country being the second fastest economy in the world, and of course the 8 Oscars for India-focused film as part of "Achieving India".

This seems to be a ploy similar to the one used by the NDA government before the previous general elections, just that the "Indian Shining" has now become "Achieving India".

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown:
“I am incredibly proud of the Oscar success of ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ and Kate Winslet, and I congratulate everybody who has contributed to the success. Britain is showing it has the talent to lead the world. I think we should be very proud of what are great British successes.
“It shows that Britain is leading the world not just in film but fashion, music and design - and long may that be the case - as a result of the great talent that we have,”
His reactions came in very quick, even before the Indians could snatch all the attention.

Here are different reactions from people more closely associated with the movie -

Danny Boyle

"There's one guy I should mention, we've mentioned a lot of people. I forgot a guy. The guy who choreographed the dance at the end of the film. He's called Longiness. And I forgot him off the credits. And I only found out about it two weeks ago. I'm an idiot and I apologize from the bottom of my heart, Longiness. Thank you so much. Finally, just to say to Mumbai, 'Unending, inseparable, unborn.' All of you who've helped us make the film and all of you of those of you who didn't thank you so much. You dwarf even this guy (gesturing to the statuette). Thank you very much indeed."


Frank Boyle (father of Danny Boyle)
"I think it's reasonable,He is not making films for me. He is making them for younger filmgoers so I won't say anything more about it. I really liked the music I thought it was wonderful."

Tanay Hemant Chheda
"It's unbelievable, it's still not sunk in. We are on the red carpet. Wow!"

Any guesses for what did my favorite performer in the movie had to say ??



Anyways, I think we all Indians should realise the fact that Slumdog Millionaire is essentially an English production, made in India. Let's not go overboard and call it an achievement or recognition of "Bollywood" in the West. So, the credit goes to all the people associated with the movie the Director, Producer, All the actors, the technicians, and support staff. And not to forget here, Vikas Swarup and his book "Q&A" (chosen as "The Most Influential Book of the Year 2008" by Kingstone Bookstore in Taiwan, the biggest chain store throughout Taiwan)which made all this possible..

Hyundai Assurance - A Certainty in Uncertain Times

You must be aware that two of biggest auto makers in US were brought to the brink of bankruptcy last year, as auto sales collapsed amid a credit crunch and widening recession.
A recent forecast says that total auto sales will be between 10 million and 11 million units this year, which would be the industry's worst performance since World War II after adjusting for population growth.
GM was offered a loan package worth 13.4 billion dollars in December, but is expected to ask for billions more in aid in order to stave off bankruptcy.
Last week GM said it would cut 10,000 white-collar jobs worldwide this year, reducing its headcount to about 63,000. There were even reports that it would lay off 47,000 workers all over the world (excludes India thou' )and even shut down a number of factories at various places.
Chrysler was presented a loan package of four billion dollars, but it has said it hopes to secure an additional three billion in loans.
Now while everyone is looking upto President Barack Obama and his task force to steer restructuring of the economic condition and bailout the auto industry, here is an interesting commercial from Hyundai Motors.

"In times like these, buying a new car is a big commitment for most people..
So what about the company selling it to you? How committed are they?

Introducing the Hyundai Assurance.
Now finance or lease a new Hyundai; if you lose you income next year, return it to us with no impact on your credit..

A car company that stands behinds its customers
May be commitment is not so scary after all."

Overview:
Hyundai is the first automaker in the US to offer a vehicle return program that allows you to walk away from your loan or lease without having to worry about the negative equity. It lets you return your vehicle in case of certain live-altering circumstances. That's the Hyundai Assurance.

Program details:
Availability on all new Hyundai vehicles.
Availability to everyone regardless of age, health, or employment history
12 months complimentary on every new Hyundai vehicle financed or leased.
Covers up to $7,500 in negative equity

Coverage in case of:
Involuntary unemployment
Physical disability
Loss of drivers' license due to medical impairment
International employment transfer
Self-employed personal bankruptcy
Accidental death

We've got your back - isn't that a nice change?

Diary of a Pakistani Schoolgirl 2.0

Finally reading this article I am relieved.
I don't know what sort of bonding is this; but since the time I read her previous articles on BBC, I have been checking the site everyday to know about her and her safety. Swat has been in news everyday; first because of the continuous violence between the religious hardliners and people being killed, and now about the peace agreement, ceasefire and Sharia law, that was imposed in the region.
I really don't know how good will this be for the common people in Swat, for the people of Pakistan, for India or for the world community, but after reading this article I am atleast happy to know that the schools have reopen and peace has been restored in Swat.

Here is what she noted in her diary in the last 20 days.

SATURDAY 24 JANUARY: 'MAKING A GRAVE'
The only good thing that has come out of the war in Swat is that our father has taken us away from Mingora (the largest city in the Swat valley) to many other cities. We arrived in Peshawar from Islamabad yesterday. In Peshawar we had tea at one of our relative's houses before travelling to Bannu.

My five-year-old brother was playing on the lawn. When my father asked him what he was playing, he replied 'I am making a grave'.
Later we went to a bus stand to travel to Bannu. The wagon was old and the driver was using his horn excessively. On our way the vehicle hit a pot-hole - and at the same time the horn started blowing - waking up my 10-year-old brother.
He was very scared and asked our mother: 'Was it a bomb blast?'
On arrival in Bannu, we found my father's friend waiting for us. He is also a Pashtun but his family spoke a Bannu dialect so we could not understand him clearly.
We went to the bazaar and then to the park. Here women have to wear a veil - called a shuttle veil - whenever they leave their homes. My mother also wore one but I refused to wear one on the grounds that I found it difficult to walk with it on.
Compared with Swat, there is relative peace in Bannu. Our hosts told us that there was a Taleban presence was in the area but there was not as much unrest as in Swat. They said that the Taleban had threatened to close down the schools, but they were still open.

SATURDAY 31 JANUARY: WHO WILL AVENGE THOSE KILLED?
On our way back to Peshawar from Bannu I received a call from my friend. She was very scared and told me that the situation in Swat was getting worse and I should not come back. She told me that the military operation has intensified and 37 people have been killed only today in the shelling.

We arrived in Peshawar in the evening and were very tired. I switched on the TV and there was a report on Swat. The channel was showing empty-handed people migrating on foot from Swat.
I switched the channel and a woman was saying "we will avenge the murder of Benazir Bhutto". I asked my father who would avenge the deaths of hundreds of people of Swat.

SUNDAY 8 FEBRUARY: SCHOOL MEMORIES
I am sad watching my uniform, school bag and geometry box.
I felt hurt on opening my wardrobe and seeing my uniform, school bag and geometry box. Boys' schools are opening tomorrow. But the Taleban have banned girls' education.

The memories of my school flashed before me, especially the arguments among the girls.
My brother's school is also reopening and he has not done his homework. He is worried and does not want to go to school. My mother mentioned a curfew tomorrow and my brother asked her if it was really going to be imposed. When my mother replied in the affirmative he started dancing with joy.

MONDAY 9 FEBRUARY: PRECARIOUS
Boys' schools in Swat have reopened and the Taleban have lifted restrictions on girls' primary education - therefore they are also attending schools. In our school there is co-education until primary level.
My younger brother told us that out of 49 students only six attended his school including a girl. In my school, only a total of 70 pupils attended out of 700 students who are enrolled.
Today the maid came. She normally comes once a week to wash our clothes.
She comes from Attock district but she has been living in this area for years now. She told us that the situation in Swat has become "very precarious" and that her husband has told her to go back to Attock.
People do not leave their homeland on their own free will - only poverty or a lover usually makes you leave so rapidly.

WEDNESDAY 11 FEBRUARY: EXPLOSION WARNINGS
I was scared the whole day and also bored. We do not have a TV set now. There was a burglary in our house while we were away in Mingora for 20 days.
Earlier such incidents did not happen, but they have become rampant since the security situation in Mingora deteriorated so rapidly. Thank God there was no cash or gold in the house. My bracelet and anklet were also missing but I later found them. Maybe the burglar thought of them as gold ornaments but later found out they were artificial.
Maulana Fazlullah in a speech last night on his FM channel said that a recent attack on a police station in Mingora (the largest town in the Swat valley) was akin to a pressure cooker blast. He said that the next attack would resemble a cauldron exploding and after that a blast the size of a tanker exploding would take place.
At night my father updated us on the situation of Swat. These days we frequently use words like 'army', 'Taleban', 'rocket', 'artillery shelling', 'Maulana Fazlullah', 'Muslim Khan' (a militant leader), 'police', 'helicopter', 'dead' and 'injured'.

THURSDAY 12 FEBRUARY: HEAVY SHELLING
There was heavy shelling last night. Both my brothers were sleeping but I could not. I went to lie down with my father but then went to my mother, but could not sleep.
That was why I also woke up late in the morning. In the afternoon I had tuition, then my teacher for religious education came. In the evening I continued playing with my brothers amid fighting and arguments. Also played games on computer for a while.
Before the Taleban imposed restrictions on the cable network, I used to watch the Star Plus TV channel and my favourite drama was 'Raja Kee Aye Gee Barat' (My dream boy will come to marry me).
Today is Thursday and I am scared because people say that most suicide attacks take place either on Friday mornings or on Friday evenings. They also say that the reason behind this is is because the suicide attacker thinks that Friday has a special importance in Islam and carrying out such attacks on this day will please God more.

SUNDAY 15 FEBRUARY: DON'T BE SCARED
Some guests from our village and Peshawar came today. When we were having lunch, firing started outside. I had never heard such firing. We got scared, thought that the Taleban had arrived. I ran towards my father who consoled me by telling me 'Don't be scared - this is firing for peace'.
He told me that he read in the newspaper that the government and the militants are to sign a peace deal tomorrow and he firing is in jubilation. Later, during the night when the Taleban announced the peace deal on their FM station, another spell of more stronger firing started. People believe more in what the militants say rather then the government.

When we heard the announcement, first my mother and then father started crying. My two younger brothers had tears in their eyes too.

MONDAY 16 FEBRUARY: REOPENING?
Today I was very happy because the government and the militants were to sign a peace deal. Today the helicopters were flying very low too. One of my cousins remarked that with the gradual return of peace the choppers were coming down too.
In the afternoon people started distributing sweets. One of my friends called me to greet me. She said she hopes she could go out of her home now because she was imprisoned in her room for the last several months. We were also happy hoping the girls' schools might open now.

TUESDAY 17 FEBRUARY: HUSTLE AND BUSTLE
Today I started preparing for the examinations because after the peace deal there is a hope that girls' schools could reopen. My teacher did not turn up today because she went to attend an engagement.

When I entered my room I saw my two brothers playing. One had a toy helicopter while the other had a pistol made of paper. One would yell "fire" and the other would say "take position". One of my brothers told my father he wanted to make an atomic bomb.
Maulana Sufi Mohammad is in Swat today. The media are here too. The city is witnessing a lot of rush. The city's hustle and bustle has returned. May God help make this agreement successful. I am optimistic.

WEDNESDAY 18 FEBRUARY: HOPE SMASHED
I went to the market today. It was crowded. People are happy about the deal. I saw a traffic jam after a long time. In the evening my father broke the news of the death of a Swat journalist (Musa Khankhel). Mom's is not feeling well. Our hopes of peace have been smashed.

THURSDAY 19 FEBRUARY: PEACE NOT WAR
My father prepared breakfast today because my mum is not feeling well. She complained to my father, asking why did he tell her about the journalist's death? I told my brothers that we will not talk of war but peace from now on. We received the information from our school headmistress that examinations will be held in the first week of March. I have stepped up my studies.



Well I hope, the peace lasts forever, and every boy and girls lives a happy and fearless life.

DUBAI - Tourist Guide

After fighting recession in the placement season, its time for the much awaited study tour at National Insurance Academy School of Management. As a part of their curriculum, the students visit an Asian country and try to understand the insurance practices in those markets. Last year, my batch visited Bangkok to know more about the Thai insurance market, and this year my junior batch is going to Dubai to learn about Middle-East markets.


Out of my curiosity, I happened to check various Dubai tourism sites and here are some of the tourist suggestions had I came across :

* Respect local cultures and traditions of UAE and never try to make a mockery of local traditions. Avoid commenting on dress of the local people.

* UAE is an Islamic country and so avoid tight and exposing clothing. Women should particularly wear modest clothes. It is not appropriate for men to walk along the street bare-chested. It is very advisable that females avoid wearing very short skirts or revealing top. It is advisable not to wear thongs as it may cause distress to the locals.

* Don’t eat in public places during Ramadan. During Ramadan all Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, and eating, drinking and smoking in public areas during daylight hours should be avoided.

* Don’t carry any drugs in the UAE; with the slightest amount of any substance you could face the death penalty.

* Always drink bottled water that is easily available everywhere in UAE. Tap water is desalined and safe for drinking, but drinking bottled mineral water is advisable.

* When taking a photograph in Dubai, please bear in mind local people wearing national dress may take exception if photographed without their permission. Please avoid taking pictures of women.

* Don’t swear- as you can get fined and sent to jail !

* Homosexual practices are prohibited.

* Don’t touch anyone’s head as it is considered offensive in UAE

* It is against the law to walk in the street drinking alcohol or to be drunk in a public place.

* Indulge in some haggling while buying goods without price tags whenever you go shopping in UAE.

* Don’t be too passionate in public with your partner. Kissing and other public displays of affection – may get you in trouble with the police.

* Don’t make rude hand gestures if you're driving. Venting your frustrations either physically or verbally can result in your arrest.

* Don’t use your left hand while greeting or handing over things to people.

* Use sunglasses and sun cream, as sunburn is common in UAE and the heat sometimes can be unbearable.

* Don’t expect taxi drivers to carry change. Many struggle to provide change for any note greater than AED 50.

* Don't overstay your visa period, as you will be charged per day.

There are some of the Do's and Dont's specific to UAE, apart from the usual tourist guidelines with respect to their passports, visas, medical insurance, safety etc.

Bangalore - Bitter, sweet symphony

Mr. Manjunath (name changed) and his wife had decided long ago (back in 1970s) to settle in a peaceful city after his retirement from the government job that he was into. They had chosen Bangalore over the other choices as it had a good weather and all facilities that people in their older days may want. Close to 40 years later they regret their decision even as they continue to live in Bangalore and have come to terms with the life in this IT capital of India.
The tale of Mr. Manjunath is not unique. Like many others his age he had saved (the concept of saving for the future is something unique to India, recession may teach the west some Indian values) a little money for his post retirement life, taken a small 'home' in Bangalore and had thought of living out the rest of his days in the garden city.
The IT and silicon took over Bangalore and the little savings evaporated in no time. Mr. Manjunath was forced to find other ways to keep the income flowing into his household and he now owns a small shop selling groceries and condiments which is taken care of by his wife, himself and their domestic help (a small kid, some 11 years old).
Mr. Manjunath is still a happy man as he is proud that he's still independent and doesn't have to ask for monetary support from his relatives. However, the change in his facial expressions is evident when one talks to him about his past plans and how the city's development has robbed his post retirement peace plans.
Bangalore has also created new avenues for a number of people (not everyone is complaining). Mrs. Neelam is an independent woman who carries 3 cellphones with her (and they keep ringing all the time). Married into a marwari family at an early age, she was not able to graduate from a secondary school. Her husband, a government employee working in Bangalore, is today proud of his wife who earns much more than him. She started giving PG (paying guest) accommodations to young girls and boys who were flooding the Bangalore's already crowded streets a few years ago and the rest is history. At present she owns 3 buildings and has taken 6 more on lease where she runs her hostels and PG accommodations. She still finds it difficult to speak fluently in English but manages well in the five stars hotels and resorts of Goa where she goes every year to celebrate the new year's eve with her 'kitty' friends!

You could save a life!

I got this as a forward in my inbox. The request was to forward it to all in my list I think CnC can help to make it to a larger audience.

Dear Friends,

The below 4yrs baby name POOJA was kidnapped by a person at some place and now she is under Kerala Police custody . Since the baby could not communicate her identification clearly, Police is struggling to find her parents. The flg information was given by the baby which may or may not be correct also. Requesting all to forward her photograph to the maximum people in India to identify her parents / relatives.

Hope this will cost only your time and will help one life.

Information given by the baby:

POOJA


Father's Name : Mr. Rajkiran
Mother's Name : Mrs. Munny Devi
Language : HINDI
Place : Nagaluppi (this was pronounced by the baby which Police could not find such a place. The place must be related to the mentioned name). She is having one younger Brother & Elder Sister.

VOTE FOR ??

We will soon be hitting the Indian summers, the teams are getting finalized, the players are being auctioned, bought and exchanged, sponsorship deals are being signed, more investors are putting in their money, the venues are being decided, the dates are getting finalized and in no time we will get to see all action.
Well its not all sports here.. We all are getting so many updates about the IPL 2 scheduled somewhere in the month of April and getting ourselves ready for greater excitement than what it was last year.
But this time let us learn from our mistakes and not repeat them again.
Our next General elections are scheduled in May, 2009. The parties are nominating their candidates, the tickets are being allocated to various party men, people are switching parties, the alliances are being decided, the budget allocation has been done (a whooping 1,120 crores), the election manifestos are coming out, the advertisements and publicity are on, and campaigns are being held across the country.


Let’s be a little more responsible in deciding our priorities. Rather than analyzing on the IPL Teams and their strengths and weaknesses, let’s understand the leaders and their parties well. Let’s understand their principles and the election manifestos. Let’s be 100 % sure about the person before we allow him/her to make polices and take decisions for us. Let’s be clear in our minds about the person we are voting for, know his/her background, understand what he/she wishes to do, and how they plan to achieve the same, and then decide if they are capable of fulfilling all the promises or not.

Don’t be careless now and repent late. Let us all take an informed decision.