Saturday, November 27, 2010
30,000 Indian students have left Australia: Student federation - Yahoo! India News
30,000 Indian students have left Australia: Student federation - Yahoo! India News Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 27 (IANS) A spate of attacks, tough visa norms and denial of permanent residency have caused around 30,000 Indian students, mostly based in Melbourne, to leave Australia in the past year, claims the Federation of Indian Students in Australia (FISA).
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Economic cost of corruption in India
(Straight from the hip,20th November, 2010, www.equitymaster.com)
It is a sad statement that corruption is so endemic and is so deeply ingrained that the average citizen has become blasé about it! The costs to the nation are unbearably high. A recent study by Dev Kar, an economist with US think-tank Global Financial Integrity, has estimated that $462 b of Indian money has been salted away between 1948 and 2008.The unaccounted economy is half the official GDP! Imagine what could be done if that money went into Government coffers instead of to private bank accounts of scoundrel politicians!
A few things have become eminently clear after the recent telecom scandal that resulted in the resignation of the minister, A Raja, whom the CAG indicted as having caused a potential loss of Rs 177,000 crores by selling 2G spectrum cheaply, and out of turn, to a select few.
One, that all politicians of all parties are corrupt.
Two that they all have information about other politicians' wrongdoings. This information is brought out whenever required. In other words, the information on shenanigans is a tradeable commodity and not a prosecutable one.
Three, the media gets credit for investigative journalism but is actually fed documented information whenever the need arises.
Four, the worst that can happen to a corrupt official, senior enough, is that he resigns. The stolen money is never recovered. There is, after all, a heads I win, tails you lose, situation when it comes to senior politicians. When will we ever have a Government that actually prosecutes corrupt offenders and recovers the money?
Post 1992, economic liberalisation set in. The Government, with Manmohan Singh as Finance Minister, did away with a lot of the license-permit raaj and reduced tax rates. The economy boomed. Yet in big ticket items the writ of officialdom ran large. Telecom, airlines, banks, roads, property development (including SEZs) and now natural resources were some of the areas in which big money could be made and was. The bureaucracy and political class was unwilling to let this opportunity go. The 2G spectrum allocation scandal was in telecom. Ratan Tata recently commented on how a fellow industrialist told him to pay Rs 15 crores as a bribe to get an aviation license. The potential for kickbacks on large aircraft orders is huge and is what has driven some airlines into near bankruptcy. In real estate we have had the Adarsh scam in Maharashtra and now on in Karnataka where the BJP Government of Yeddyurappa is likely to fall (not because investigating agencies discovered the scandal now but because the Congress Government was attacked in the telecom scam).
How will this ever change? It cannot be through a change in laws, or better enforcement of them, because all politicians are in this together and are unlikely to want to cleanse the system. A feeble hope is that the electorate votes, in state elections such as in Bihar, to vote on the basis of economic performance and throws out those perceived to be corrupt. Another way would be for citizens to petition the Supreme Court to be allowed to deposit the tax into the hands of the Court; the resulting pressure would compel the Government to proceed against corrupt offenders or look at empty coffers.
We are fortunate that the economy is growing strongly to be able to absorb such rampant loot. Look at the conditions of other countries which have mismanaged their economies. Ireland is broke, and is begging the EU to rescue it. Greece has been unable to meet its bailout conditions and its budget deficit is going higher. Both these countries may have sovereign default and that could then cause fears of a contagion effect, with resultant nervousness of investors.
Despite the bonanza to the Government from sale of 3G spectrum and of divestment of PSU companies, the fiscal deficit is not likely to be lower, because expenditure is rising thanks to an increase in fertiliser and food subsidies and other things, including a Rs 1200 crores payment to BSNL employees. BSNL is, in fact, bleeding money, yet the Government does not want to privatise it. The reason is the same viz. the potential of kick back from a tender to expand telephone lines. Little wonder that when other telcos are making money and expanding overseas, BSNL is needing budgetary support!
With an estimate $ 462 b of unofficial funds lying in foreign banks, our banking sector also suffers. A McKinsey study says that Indian banks will have to grow 5 times in 5 years, if they have to fund the needs of Indian industry.SBI has to increase its assets from $ 200 b to $4000 b in 5 years. ICBC, China's largest bank, by contrast, has assets of $ 1700b.(8.5 times SBIs) and would grow to $4000 b. by 2015 But this growth can never happen for two reasons. One, because the Government refuses to relinquish control on public sector banks, which have 70% of the assets. And two because of the endemic corruption where 50% of our GDP is underground, as per the Dev Kar study.
It is a sad statement that corruption is so endemic and is so deeply ingrained that the average citizen has become blasé about it! The costs to the nation are unbearably high. A recent study by Dev Kar, an economist with US think-tank Global Financial Integrity, has estimated that $462 b of Indian money has been salted away between 1948 and 2008.The unaccounted economy is half the official GDP! Imagine what could be done if that money went into Government coffers instead of to private bank accounts of scoundrel politicians!
A few things have become eminently clear after the recent telecom scandal that resulted in the resignation of the minister, A Raja, whom the CAG indicted as having caused a potential loss of Rs 177,000 crores by selling 2G spectrum cheaply, and out of turn, to a select few.
One, that all politicians of all parties are corrupt.
Two that they all have information about other politicians' wrongdoings. This information is brought out whenever required. In other words, the information on shenanigans is a tradeable commodity and not a prosecutable one.
Three, the media gets credit for investigative journalism but is actually fed documented information whenever the need arises.
Four, the worst that can happen to a corrupt official, senior enough, is that he resigns. The stolen money is never recovered. There is, after all, a heads I win, tails you lose, situation when it comes to senior politicians. When will we ever have a Government that actually prosecutes corrupt offenders and recovers the money?
Post 1992, economic liberalisation set in. The Government, with Manmohan Singh as Finance Minister, did away with a lot of the license-permit raaj and reduced tax rates. The economy boomed. Yet in big ticket items the writ of officialdom ran large. Telecom, airlines, banks, roads, property development (including SEZs) and now natural resources were some of the areas in which big money could be made and was. The bureaucracy and political class was unwilling to let this opportunity go. The 2G spectrum allocation scandal was in telecom. Ratan Tata recently commented on how a fellow industrialist told him to pay Rs 15 crores as a bribe to get an aviation license. The potential for kickbacks on large aircraft orders is huge and is what has driven some airlines into near bankruptcy. In real estate we have had the Adarsh scam in Maharashtra and now on in Karnataka where the BJP Government of Yeddyurappa is likely to fall (not because investigating agencies discovered the scandal now but because the Congress Government was attacked in the telecom scam).
How will this ever change? It cannot be through a change in laws, or better enforcement of them, because all politicians are in this together and are unlikely to want to cleanse the system. A feeble hope is that the electorate votes, in state elections such as in Bihar, to vote on the basis of economic performance and throws out those perceived to be corrupt. Another way would be for citizens to petition the Supreme Court to be allowed to deposit the tax into the hands of the Court; the resulting pressure would compel the Government to proceed against corrupt offenders or look at empty coffers.
We are fortunate that the economy is growing strongly to be able to absorb such rampant loot. Look at the conditions of other countries which have mismanaged their economies. Ireland is broke, and is begging the EU to rescue it. Greece has been unable to meet its bailout conditions and its budget deficit is going higher. Both these countries may have sovereign default and that could then cause fears of a contagion effect, with resultant nervousness of investors.
Despite the bonanza to the Government from sale of 3G spectrum and of divestment of PSU companies, the fiscal deficit is not likely to be lower, because expenditure is rising thanks to an increase in fertiliser and food subsidies and other things, including a Rs 1200 crores payment to BSNL employees. BSNL is, in fact, bleeding money, yet the Government does not want to privatise it. The reason is the same viz. the potential of kick back from a tender to expand telephone lines. Little wonder that when other telcos are making money and expanding overseas, BSNL is needing budgetary support!
With an estimate $ 462 b of unofficial funds lying in foreign banks, our banking sector also suffers. A McKinsey study says that Indian banks will have to grow 5 times in 5 years, if they have to fund the needs of Indian industry.SBI has to increase its assets from $ 200 b to $4000 b in 5 years. ICBC, China's largest bank, by contrast, has assets of $ 1700b.(8.5 times SBIs) and would grow to $4000 b. by 2015 But this growth can never happen for two reasons. One, because the Government refuses to relinquish control on public sector banks, which have 70% of the assets. And two because of the endemic corruption where 50% of our GDP is underground, as per the Dev Kar study.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
May You Be Blessed Movie
May You Be Blessed Movie: "May You Be Blessed Movie" A fantastic & beautiful inspirational video.
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Ancient bugs reveal early link from India to Asia - life - 25 October 2010 - New Scientist
Ancient bugs reveal early link from India to Asia - life - 25 October 2010 - New Scientist FIFTY-million-year-old insects preserved in amber are helping to rewrite the story of India's almighty crash into the Eurasian continent, suggesting that for as long as a few million years before the collision, India was connected to Asia by archipelagos.India spent tens of millions of years as an island before colliding with Asia. Yet the fossil record contains no evidence that unique species evolved on the subcontinent during this time, so India may not have been as isolated as it seemed to be.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Improvised India : India : Jug Suraiya : TOI Blogs
Improvised India : India : Jug Suraiya : TOI Blogs The Commonwealth Games have shown yet again that India has a knack of winning by the simple expedient of throwing away the rulebook. The harvest of medals reaped by our sportspeople was garnered strictly by the rules of the different disciplines involved.
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Who am 'I' ?
WHO AM "I" ?
When you say 'I' what does it mean. Who is this 'I' ? Is it your body? No, because it is your body, not you.Indian Spirituality
BODY, MIND, AND SOUL
According to Hindu philosophy, everyone has a body, a mind, and a soul. The body is constituted of the 5 elements, Earth, Water, Fire, Air, and Space, and upon death, goes back to them. The mind is the perceiver of the outside world through the sense organs, and controls all our activities. The soul or 'Jeevatma' is the prime force which activatesSunday, October 10, 2010
SPIRITUALITY
SPIRITUALITY
Hello Netizens,
Today we have all the material wealth we could aspire for. But are we happy? The more you have,Friday, October 1, 2010
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
How to be happy (but not too much) - life - 28 September 2010 - New Scientist
How to be happy (but not too much) - life - 28 September 2010 - New Scientist It's good for your health, it makes you smarter – and our brains are hard-wired for it. New Scientist counts our reasons to be cheerful. Once life's basics are paid for, the power of money to bring happiness is limited. In fact, it can be positively harmful to our sense of well-being.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Friday, September 3, 2010
Hawking hasn't changed his mind about God - opinion - 02 September 2010 - New Scientist
Hawking hasn't changed his mind about God - opinion - 02 September 2010 - New Scientist: "Hawking's position on religion has remained unchanged since he wrote his bestseller, A Brief History of Time. At the end of that book he famously used God as a metaphor for the laws of nature: 'If we discover a complete theory, it would be the ultimate triumph of reason – for then we should know the mind of God.'"
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
How Wikileaks became a whistleblowers' haven - tech - 27 July 2010 - New Scientist
How Wikileaks became a whistleblowers' haven - tech - 27 July 2010 - New Scientist: "The release of 90,000 leaked US intelligence documents about the war in Afghanistan has thrown Wikileaks into the spotlight as never before." In 2006 a loose association of anti-censorship activists, lawyers and internet experts realised that the combination of the internet and sophisticated new anonymity tools could create a whistleblowers' haven where sensitive documents could be posted without fear of reprisal.
Sunday, July 18, 2010
Keep your fingers crossed: How superstition improves performance
Keep your fingers crossed: How superstition improves performance: "ScienceDaily (July 14, 2010) — Don't scoff at those lucky rabbit feet. New research shows that having some kind of lucky token can actually improve your performance -- by increasing your self-confidence."
Saturday, July 10, 2010
No Country Is an Island: Scientific American
No Country Is an Island: Scientific American: "Such is the nature of our modern interconnected society, where a catastrophe in one corner of the world can nonetheless affect almost immediately the livelihood and well-being of people around the globe."
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Life jackets must for economy class flyers too: DGCA - India - The Times of India
Life jackets must for economy class flyers too: DGCA - India - The Times of India: "NEW DELHI: It's been a kind of 'apartheid' that has till now been practised by airlines in India: while economy class passengers are told to hold on to their seat cushions in case the aircraft crashes into the sea, business and first class passengers are asked to take out the life jackets placed below each premium class seat. But now, the directorate general of civil aviation has sought to end this difference by making it mandatory for Indian carriers to have life jackets for every passenger — irrespective of the class he or she flies in." How crass can we be? If the plane crashes in a sea, the economy class passenger drowns, but not the executive class fellow!
Monday, July 5, 2010
Economic loss due to bandh: Rs 13,000 crore - Business News - IBNLive
Economic loss due to bandh: Rs 13,000 crore - Business News - IBNLive: "New Delhi: Bharat Bandh on Monday partially disrupted economic activities with commodity markets and the transport sector taking a hit in many parts of the country, and the industry pegged losses at up to Rs 13,000 crore." Who benefits from such acts of politicians? Is it not high time that Indians wake up and put a stop to such foolhardy acts?
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Indutva : India : Jug Suraiya : TOI Blogs
Indutva : India : Jug Suraiya : TOI Blogs: "This ambiguity of faith, this welcoming of multiplicity, is the bedrock of Indic civilisation, of Indutva. It is not an acceptance but a celebration of the fact that, at times, we can all be a little bit of this and a little bit of that. The Indian knack of being able to absorb and internalise whatever comes our way is often compared to a sponge which soaks up any moisture that it comes into contact with."
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Breakthrough in quest to boost rice yields - environment - 24 May 2010 - New Scientist
Breakthrough in quest to boost rice yields - environment - 24 May 2010 - New Scientist: "If any crop needs an evolutionary boost, it's rice. Nearly half of humanity relies on the stuff, and yields must increase more than 50 per cent by 2050 to feed growing demand, so the discovery of a gene mutation that can bump up yields by a full 10 per cent is exciting news."
Thursday, May 20, 2010
CultureLab: A physicist finds God in cosmic harmonies
CultureLab: A physicist finds God in cosmic harmonies: "In The Purpose-Guided Universe, Haisch makes his case for a physical cosmos that is deity-driven. The principal piece of evidence he uses is the apparent fine-tuning of the laws of physics for us to be here."
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
HowStuffWorks "10 Science Experiments That Changed the World"
HowStuffWorks "10 Science Experiments That Changed the World": "In 2007, the United States spent $368 billion on research and development, according to the National Science Foundation. Nearly 18 percent of that enormous pie went to fund basic research -- the kind driven by a scientist's curiosity or interest in a scientific question."
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
Wonder lust: The Great Stalacpipe Organ - environment - 11 April 2010 - New Scientist
Wonder lust: The Great Stalacpipe Organ - environment - 11 April 2010 - New Scientist: "CAVES are disorientating at the best of times, especially ones as baroque as Luray caverns, deep beneath Virginia's Shenandoah valley. But as you descend underground, past Titania's Veil (a gleaming white calcite formation), crossing Giant's Hall and skirting the mirror surface of Dream Lake, you will hear an ethereal music start to fill the dripping hush. Soon it feels as if you are standing inside a marimba made of stone, in a setting designed by Salvador DalÃ. The songs seem to come from all around, as if the cavern itself were singing."
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Indigenous cryogenic technology to power latest ISRO satellite - Yahoo! India News
Indigenous cryogenic technology to power latest ISRO satellite - Yahoo! India News: "Nearly 18 years after Indian space scientists began working on it and over a decade after the technology was denied to India by the US, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is ready to send into space a rocket powered by indigenously developed cryogenic technology."
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Human chain protest over donations and capitation fees - Yahoo! India News
Human chain protest over donations and capitation fees - Yahoo! India News: "Chandigarh, April 6 (IANS) A human chain was organised here Tuesday to protest the huge capitation fees and donations charged by various educational institutes and to sensitise people about the issue."
Monday, April 5, 2010
Fighting corruption ingeniously – Zero Rupee Note | India, Money, corruption, rupee
Fighting corruption ingeniously – Zero Rupee Note | India, Money, corruption, rupee Corruption is a huge problem is India – Trust me, even if we are able to bring down the corruption even by 50%, it will skyrocket India’s GDP. More than 90% of all government transactions are fraught with corruption either directly or indirectly
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Vidya Balan highlights Indian cinema's global impact at Wharton, Bollywood News on Dhangout.com
Vidya Balan highlights Indian cinema's global impact at Wharton, Bollywood News on Dhangout.com: "Bollywood actress Vidya Balan, who was recently invited to the Wharton School in Pennsylvania to be part of the 14th Wharton India Economic Forum, showcased the high points of Indian cinema there."
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Geneva atom smasher sets collision record - Yahoo! India News
Geneva atom smasher sets collision record - Yahoo! India News: "Tue, Mar 30 05:46 PM
The world's largest atom smasher has set a record for high-energy collisions by crashing two proton beams at three times more force than ever before."
The world's largest atom smasher has set a record for high-energy collisions by crashing two proton beams at three times more force than ever before."
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Indian loses Rs 10 lakh crore from black economy every year- Finance-Economy-News-The Economic Times
Indian loses Rs 10 lakh crore from black economy every year- Finance-Economy-News-The Economic Times: "NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: Your rightful indulgences like shopping, eating out, going to movies, most certainly have a bolstering effect on the economy.
But, there exists a dark side which cleverly evades taxes to generate what is colloquially referred to as ‘black money’.
This ‘sin’ economy, comprising fake and counterfeit products, smuggled and pirated goods, unauthorised gambling, bribery and prostitution, among a host of other sinister activities that go unaccounted, has a draining effect on the economy. So Just how big is the black economy?"
But, there exists a dark side which cleverly evades taxes to generate what is colloquially referred to as ‘black money’.
This ‘sin’ economy, comprising fake and counterfeit products, smuggled and pirated goods, unauthorised gambling, bribery and prostitution, among a host of other sinister activities that go unaccounted, has a draining effect on the economy. So Just how big is the black economy?"
India’s GDP to touch 205 Trillion Rupees by 2020: Edelweiss Report
India’s GDP to touch 205 Trillion Rupees by 2020: Edelweiss Report: "On March 17, Edelweiss Capital has released a research report “India 2020, Seeing Beyond’ which says that India’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is likely to quadruple over a period of 10 years. It further states that India is likely to be a US $ 4.5 trillion economy over the next decade."
Foreign university campuses to help India save $7.5 billion outflow - India - The Times of India
Foreign university campuses to help India save $7.5 billion outflow - India - The Times of India: "NEW DELHI: Allowing foreign universities to set up their campuses in India will help the country save up to $7.5 billion (about Rs 34,500 crore) foreign exchange annually that students spend on studying abroad, industry body Assocham said."
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Shape-shifting polymer pulls off amazing memory tricks - tech - 13 March 2010 - New Scientist
Shape-shifting polymer pulls off amazing memory tricks - tech - 13 March 2010 - New Scientist: "CALL it the yoga polymer: Nafion, a material used in some fuel cells, has an unrivalled memory for contortions.
Tao Xie at General Motors in Warren, Michigan, has twisted and stretched a Nafion strip into three distinct shapes, and found that it will revert to each shape at the appropriate temperature."
Tao Xie at General Motors in Warren, Michigan, has twisted and stretched a Nafion strip into three distinct shapes, and found that it will revert to each shape at the appropriate temperature."
Monday, March 15, 2010
Sculpted icebergs in Antarctica - Telegraph
Sculpted icebergs in Antarctica - Telegraph: "These breathtaking photographs capture the natural majesty of enormous icebergs sculpted into architectural forms by the wind and rain of Antarctica."
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
RESERVATION-QUOTA SYSTEM IS ANTI-DEMOCRATIC
The upper house of the Indian Parliament yesterday witnessed one of the worst kinds of hooliganism in its history. The Chairman of the House, the Vice-President of India, was physically attacked and stopped from presenting the Woman’s reservation Bill in the House, by a minuscule group of members. The unwillingness of the government to initiate strong preventive action against this belligerent minority prevented the much awaited presentation of the bill which will give 33 % representation for women in Parliament. The opposition to the bill by a minority pertains to quota within quota for back ward women!
Indian democracy is vitiated by the reservation or quota syndrome. In 1950s when India had just become independent, the constitution makers provided a small quota for the socially oppressed classes for a very restricted period; say 10 years, to help bring such people to the common level. Once granted, this became a stick in the hands of the political class to beat the majority of people. The extent and period of applicability of the ‘Reservation’ got enlarged year by year, and several constitutional amendments were done to institutionalize this undemocratic quota system. Now after 60 years of independence, the quota menace has grown to 60 to 80 % reservation for scheduled casts, tribes, backward classes, and minorities and that too on a near-permanent basis! Now politicians want quota within quota.
Any reservation or quota is a discrimination and so anti-democratic. While there is some justification for a limited amount of ‘positive discrimination’ to help economically weaker persons, how could anyone justify the continuation of a huge discrimination based on social backwardness, cast or religion even after 60 years of such discrimination? The vote-bank politics played by every politician in India is now creating havoc and disharmony in the society. New casts, new religions, and new minorities come –up every day demanding reservation for them. In fact, minorities now rule over the vast majority in India. Every project, appointment to government positions, and new initiative are in difference to minorities. Every political party in India tow this line of minority-pushing to get themselves elected.
I think it is high time we change our outlook and look at this hydra-headed monster-reservation & quota- as an enemy of equity, excellence, and progress. It is imperative that we must abolish all reservation-quota systems, and institute a limited ‘affirmative action’ to help needy individuals, but not for a class or group.
T K G Namboodhiri
March 9, 2010
Indian democracy is vitiated by the reservation or quota syndrome. In 1950s when India had just become independent, the constitution makers provided a small quota for the socially oppressed classes for a very restricted period; say 10 years, to help bring such people to the common level. Once granted, this became a stick in the hands of the political class to beat the majority of people. The extent and period of applicability of the ‘Reservation’ got enlarged year by year, and several constitutional amendments were done to institutionalize this undemocratic quota system. Now after 60 years of independence, the quota menace has grown to 60 to 80 % reservation for scheduled casts, tribes, backward classes, and minorities and that too on a near-permanent basis! Now politicians want quota within quota.
Any reservation or quota is a discrimination and so anti-democratic. While there is some justification for a limited amount of ‘positive discrimination’ to help economically weaker persons, how could anyone justify the continuation of a huge discrimination based on social backwardness, cast or religion even after 60 years of such discrimination? The vote-bank politics played by every politician in India is now creating havoc and disharmony in the society. New casts, new religions, and new minorities come –up every day demanding reservation for them. In fact, minorities now rule over the vast majority in India. Every project, appointment to government positions, and new initiative are in difference to minorities. Every political party in India tow this line of minority-pushing to get themselves elected.
I think it is high time we change our outlook and look at this hydra-headed monster-reservation & quota- as an enemy of equity, excellence, and progress. It is imperative that we must abolish all reservation-quota systems, and institute a limited ‘affirmative action’ to help needy individuals, but not for a class or group.
T K G Namboodhiri
March 9, 2010
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Most Indian varsities delivering poor education: Pitroda - Yahoo! India News
Most Indian varsities delivering poor education: Pitroda - Yahoo! India News New Delhi, March 4 (IANS) At least 90 percent of Indian universities are providing below-par education and the time has come when action is required to improve it, Sam Pitroda, advisor to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, said here Thursday.
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Wednesday, March 3, 2010
The Internet Will Make You Smarter, Claims Study - NewsTrust.net
The Internet Will Make You Smarter, Claims Study - NewsTrust.net An online survey of 895 Web users and experts found more than three-quarters believe the Internet will make people smarter in the next 10 years, according to results released on Friday.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Not just water, Chandrayaan's NASA radar now finds ice deposits on moon - Yahoo! India News
Not just water, Chandrayaan's NASA radar now finds ice deposits on moon - Yahoo! India News: "New analysis of scientific data from a NASA instrument aboard the 2008 Indian moon mission Chandrayaan-1 has detected more than 40 ice-filled craters in the lunar north pole, reviving hopes for colonization of the moon by humans in future."
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Should scientists be asking these questions? - CultureLab - New Scientist
Should scientists be asking these questions? - CultureLab - New Scientist: "Michael Hanlon's 10 Questions Science Can't Answer (Yet), now available in paperback, presents serious enquiries into matters such as the nature of time, the sentience of animals, the essence of self and the composition of the universe."
Friday, February 19, 2010
Terrorism: the most meaningless and manipulated word - NewsTrust.net
Terrorism: the most meaningless and manipulated word - NewsTrust.net Terrorism is simultaneously the single most meaningless and most manipulated word in the American political lexicon. The term now has virtually nothing to do with the act itself and everything to do with the identity of the actor, especially his or her religious identity. It has really come to mean: "a Muslim who fights against or even expresses hostility towards the United States, Israel and their allies." That's why all of this confusion and doubt arose yesterday over whether a person who perpetrated a classic act of Terrorism should, in fact, be called a Terrorist: he's not a Muslim and isn't acting on behalf of standard Muslim grievances against the U.S. or Israel, and thus does not fit the "definition." One might concede that perhaps there's some technical sense in which term might apply to Stack, but as Fox News emphasized: it's not "terrorism in the larger sense that most of us are used to . . . terrorism in that capital T way." We all know who commits terrorism in "that capital T way," and it's not people named Joseph Stack.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
TED2010 #SocEnt Wrap-Up: What Does the World Need Now? | SocialEarth
TED2010 #SocEnt Wrap-Up: What Does the World Need Now? | SocialEarth: "What does the world need now?
That’s the question that TED2010 tried to answer. Below I’ve linked my posts highlighting the socially-impactful ideas from TED speakers over the last four days. Read them through and tell us what you think the world needs now by commenting below."
That’s the question that TED2010 tried to answer. Below I’ve linked my posts highlighting the socially-impactful ideas from TED speakers over the last four days. Read them through and tell us what you think the world needs now by commenting below."
Friday, February 12, 2010
TED2010 Day 3: KIPP Education, Bill Gates Energy and more #TED Ideas | SocialEarth
TED2010 Day 3: Bill Gates Energy and more #TED Ideas | SocialEarth: "strong culture of achievement. All I can say is, “Go KIPP!”
Bill Gates was next up. He discussed how we can decrease our 26 billion pounds/year CO2 emissions to zero. “We need miracles in cost, location and long-term stability,” Gates slides stated. This led him to how we can store our energy from alternative sources. All the batteries in the world can only can store 10 minutes of all the energy in the world. This is a major problem.
Gates went on to discuss his plans for an energy breakthrough in nuclear technology to use spent Uranium from other plants. He also showed support for other clean alternative energies as well (which is reflected in his investments)."
Bill Gates was next up. He discussed how we can decrease our 26 billion pounds/year CO2 emissions to zero. “We need miracles in cost, location and long-term stability,” Gates slides stated. This led him to how we can store our energy from alternative sources. All the batteries in the world can only can store 10 minutes of all the energy in the world. This is a major problem.
Gates went on to discuss his plans for an energy breakthrough in nuclear technology to use spent Uranium from other plants. He also showed support for other clean alternative energies as well (which is reflected in his investments)."
What is setiQuest? | Seti Quest
What is setiQuest? | Seti Quest: "For centuries humans have looked at the stars and wondered “are we alone?” Now, setiQuest is an opportunity for you to help answer that question. In 1960, Frank Drake conducted the first scientific search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). Since then, scientists from many countries have conducted more than 100 projects looking for communication signals from other civilizations. With the spread of the Internet in the 21st century, it is now possible for humans around the globe to participate in this new SETI program."
The Chopra Center Blog · Your Inner Wealth: 3 Steps to Transforming your Relationship with Money
The Chopra Center Blog · Your Inner Wealth: 3 Steps to Transforming your Relationship with Money: "Without fail, most of the people who come to me for financial counseling express the same frustration: They aren’t living the lives they truly want to live. Deep down, the majority believe that if they only had enough money, they would finally feel content. In reality, I’ve found the opposite to be true; the happier we are, the more likely we are to attract money and other forms of prosperity."
Rs 1 lakh crore budget funds go unspent each year- Finance-Economy-News-The Economic Times
Rs 1 lakh crore budget funds go unspent each year- Finance-Economy-News-The Economic Times: "NEW DELHI: While the government is grappling with a huge fiscal deficit and hence large borrowings to fund key social sector schemes, staggering
sums of up to Rs 1 lakh crore in a year out of the money allocated to various ministries remained unspent between 2005-06 and 2007-08."
sums of up to Rs 1 lakh crore in a year out of the money allocated to various ministries remained unspent between 2005-06 and 2007-08."
Monday, February 1, 2010
Chidambaram slams Sena, says 'Mumbai belongs to all' - India - The Times of India
Chidambaram slams Sena, says 'Mumbai belongs to all' - India - The Times of India: "Slamming the Shiv Sena for its controversial 'Mumbai for Marathis' slogan, home minister P Chidambaram on Monday said such a
'pernicious' thesis has to be rejected and the city belongs to all of India."
'pernicious' thesis has to be rejected and the city belongs to all of India."
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Obama fears rise of India
Investing in Indian Stock Markets - Obama fears India's rise. Here's why. - The 5 Minute Wrapup - Equitymaster.com: "No matter what the hype and the pedigree; most politicians know how to appease their voters when pushed to a corner. In recent times, US president Barack Obama has faced political setbacks and increasing criticism over his leadership. Hence, the content of his annual State of the Union address does not come as a surprise.
The key takeaway for us here in India is his statement, 'To encourage ... businesses to stay within our borders, it is time to finally slash the tax breaks for companies that ship our jobs overseas, and give those tax breaks to companies that create jobs right here in the United States of America.' That clearly has implications for the Indian IT industry. Little wonder then, the top losers among the index heavyweights in India today were from the software pack. So far, the mood among the Indian software giants seems optimistic. US tax breaks aside, American companies will continue to need cost effective services. The key question is whether Indian service providers can remain competitive even after taking into account the higher taxes their clients must pay. In our view, Indian IT companies will still get business. They continue to provide compelling value. They have also taken steps like increasing their presence overseas and hiring locals there."
The key takeaway for us here in India is his statement, 'To encourage ... businesses to stay within our borders, it is time to finally slash the tax breaks for companies that ship our jobs overseas, and give those tax breaks to companies that create jobs right here in the United States of America.' That clearly has implications for the Indian IT industry. Little wonder then, the top losers among the index heavyweights in India today were from the software pack. So far, the mood among the Indian software giants seems optimistic. US tax breaks aside, American companies will continue to need cost effective services. The key question is whether Indian service providers can remain competitive even after taking into account the higher taxes their clients must pay. In our view, Indian IT companies will still get business. They continue to provide compelling value. They have also taken steps like increasing their presence overseas and hiring locals there."
Monday, January 25, 2010
INDIA COMPLETES 60 YEARS AS A REPUBLIC
My greeting to all Indians.Today India completes 60 years as a Sovereign, Democratic, Secular, Socialist Republic. On January 26, 1950 India became a Republic by adopting its new constitution. January 26 was selected as the Republic Day to commemorate the ‘Purna Swaraj’ (Complete Independence) declaration on January 26, 1930 by the Indian National Congress which was then fighting the British Government for independence. May our Nation flourish as a free, wealthy, and strong country in the coming years!
Sunday, January 24, 2010
WOES OF INDIAN AGRICULTURE
Government policies have discouraged agriculture by imposing severe restrictions on sale across borders, and on price, for fear of angering the more vocal urban voter. The NREGA scheme is one attempt to redress this; the bigger achievement would be the plan of the Ministry of Roads, Transport and Highways, to spend Rs 3 lac crores on a deeper road network. Because of abysmal roads, more than a third, closer to half, of fruits and vegetables are destroyed in transit. Another cause is fragmented land holdings, due to historical reasons, which denies the use of productivity enhancing mechanized agriculture. The chief statistician of India is quite right in stating that poor growth in agriculture would prevent GDP growth from rising higher than 8%.
Government has made income from agriculture free from tax, for sure, but that is more for the concealment by politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen than by farmers, the overwhelming majority of whom are subsistence farmers.
Straight from the hips, January 23, 2010
Government has made income from agriculture free from tax, for sure, but that is more for the concealment by politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen than by farmers, the overwhelming majority of whom are subsistence farmers.
Straight from the hips, January 23, 2010
Dr. Abdul Kalam's Letter to Every Indian
A thought provoking open e-mail from Dr. A P J Abdul Kalam,Ex President of India
Why is the media here so negative?
Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements?
We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why?
We are the first in milk production.
We are number one in Remote sensing satellites.
We are the second largest producer of wheat.
We are the second largest producer of rice.
Look at Dr. Sudarshan , he has transferred the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self-driving unit. There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters.
I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid and a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news.
In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime.. Why are we so NEGATIVE? Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign T.Vs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology.
Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture, when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is. She replied: I want to live in a developed India . For her, you and I will have to build this developed India . You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation.
..
YOU say that our government is inefficient.
YOU say that our laws are too old.
YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.
YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke. The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.
YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.
YOU say, say and say. What do YOU do about it?
Take a person on his way to Singapore . Give him a name - 'YOURS'. Give him a face - 'YOURS'. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best. In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are.. You pay $5 (approx. Rs. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity… In Singapore you don't say anything, DO YOU? YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai .. YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah.
YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds (Rs.650) a month to, 'see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else.'YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop, 'Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and get lost.' YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand ..
Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo ? Why don't YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston ??? We are still talking of the same YOU. YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be the same here in India ?
In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job. Same in Japan ..
Will the Indian citizen do that here?' He's right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility.
We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick a up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.
We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity.
This applies even to the staff who is known not to pass on the service to the public.
When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child! and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse? 'It's the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my sons' rights to a dowry.' So who's going to change the system?
What does a system consist of? Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbours, other households, other cities, other communities and the government. But definitely not me and YOU. When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr.Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away.
Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run to England . When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.
Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great deal of introspection and pricks one's conscience too…. I am echoing J. F. Kennedy's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians…..
'ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY'
Lets do what India needs from us.
Forward this mail to each Indian for a change instead of sending Jokes or junk mails.
Thank you,
Dr.. Abdul Kalam
I humbly request you to forward this to every Indian……
Why is the media here so negative?
Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements?
We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why?
We are the first in milk production.
We are number one in Remote sensing satellites.
We are the second largest producer of wheat.
We are the second largest producer of rice.
Look at Dr. Sudarshan , he has transferred the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self-driving unit. There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters.
I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid and a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news.
In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime.. Why are we so NEGATIVE? Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign T.Vs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology.
Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture, when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is. She replied: I want to live in a developed India . For her, you and I will have to build this developed India . You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation.
..
YOU say that our government is inefficient.
YOU say that our laws are too old.
YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.
YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke. The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.
YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.
YOU say, say and say. What do YOU do about it?
Take a person on his way to Singapore . Give him a name - 'YOURS'. Give him a face - 'YOURS'. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best. In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are.. You pay $5 (approx. Rs. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity… In Singapore you don't say anything, DO YOU? YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai .. YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah.
YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds (Rs.650) a month to, 'see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else.'YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop, 'Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and get lost.' YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand ..
Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo ? Why don't YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston ??? We are still talking of the same YOU. YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be the same here in India ?
In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job. Same in Japan ..
Will the Indian citizen do that here?' He's right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility.
We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick a up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.
We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity.
This applies even to the staff who is known not to pass on the service to the public.
When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child! and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse? 'It's the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my sons' rights to a dowry.' So who's going to change the system?
What does a system consist of? Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbours, other households, other cities, other communities and the government. But definitely not me and YOU. When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr.Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away.
Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run to England . When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.
Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great deal of introspection and pricks one's conscience too…. I am echoing J. F. Kennedy's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians…..
'ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY'
Lets do what India needs from us.
Forward this mail to each Indian for a change instead of sending Jokes or junk mails.
Thank you,
Dr.. Abdul Kalam
I humbly request you to forward this to every Indian……
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Welcome to Project H Design: A Non-Profit Organization Supporting Life-Improving Humanitarian Product Design
Welcome to Project H Design: A Non-Profit Organization Supporting Life-Improving Humanitarian Product Design: "Project H Design connects the power of design to the people who need it most, and the places where it can make a real and lasting difference."
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Deepak Chopra: The Secret of Happiness in Gloomy Times
Deepak Chopra: The Secret of Happiness in Gloomy Times: "Happiness comes in two forms, the kind that depends on outside circumstances and the kind that is liberated from outside circumstances. The first can be snatched away from you, the second cannot. So instead of waiting for the good times to return -- as no doubt they will -- why not make a complete switch in the kind of happiness you actually want for yourself."
Friday, January 15, 2010
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Monday, January 4, 2010
Sunday, January 3, 2010
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