rise of the phoenix...

It has been quite a long time since I wrote last. This does not imply that I had stopped pressing the qwerty key board but it was the other way round. I had been typing a lot for the past few weeks or say months but the publishing platform was not my personal blog but some other.
All these hectic writing work is for the major project in which I am involved. Although it is just another project, I do not want this do pass by as usual.
I along with my team-mates are having some tough times dedicated to the project but as determined as ever I am, I am dealing with the tough times in a comprehensive manner. Our project involves the building of an amphibious car, that is, a car that can run on both land and water. For details, please visit:
www.kozamphicar.blogspot.com
Another thing I would like to endorse is that twitter is now more convenient than blogger. Being tight on the fourth dimension, that is, time, I would like to go for short and sweet posts. This is where twitter comes in handy and appeals all the more.
So, I have risen like the phoenix to blog but probably the platform will be different..twitter...even though criticisms and lengthy discussions would occupy blogger...

DD!!!

Well, it is nice to be back after an array of gloomy events that have marred my life in the past couple of months. It has been a grueling experience with all those lab tests, assignment and project submissions and the final exams that that pushed my jovial outlook towards life on the brink of extinction.
But now, everything has been set in order and I am here, back home, enjoying and ‘creating’ a pleasant summer.
Hmmm…talking of the political environment, ‘janta-janardan’ has given a decisive verdict not only for the next five years but with a vision for 2020. The economy is also showing signs of recovery but only time will tell whether happy times are here again or we are heading for another major crisis.
Coming to the topic, what our perception of vision makes us perceive about DD is Doordarshan, the state owned television network. In simple literary terms, it means ‘distant vision’.
However, my reference is towards another duet of Ds which will be in prominence in the coming months in the economic scenario.
Let me uncover the mystery of the Ds by presenting before you the first D, that is, DEREGULATION.
Recently, the petroleum minister announced the government’s decision to deregulate the crude oil product’s prices. This will mean that the prices of petrol, diesel and kerosene will be determined by the ‘market forces’, to a certain level. The immediate consequence will be higher price of petrol and kerosene and almost same price of diesel.
According to the government, the positive is that the oil PSUs will minimize their dependency on government subsidies and this also opens the door for private players like Reliance who had to abandon their much hyped petrol pumps due to the skyrocketing crude oil prices in the international market.
However for customers, it is not something to cheer for. Crude oil is depleting day by day and fundamentally its prices will only increase in the long run. But it is a good move because people will now think before putting up a vanity fair accompanied by a luxurious lifestyle. The basic message that I think the government is trying to convey is that if people can opt for dinners in five stars on weekends, buy expensive dressings from boutiques then why cannot they pay prices for their travel. It is also an initiative to dump the oil factor once for all as an election issue.
But what the government has to monitor is the kerosene price levels which is still the major fuel in rural India. The drive is also a reminder to the industries to look for alternate sources of energy.
After briefing about deregulation, let us turn towards the other D, DISINVESTMENT.
Disinvestment is not a new phenomenon and was unscrupulously practiced by the NDA government. In simple terms, disinvestment is the selling of stakes in PSUs to private parties. The major advantage of the process is that PSUs become more competitive due to a tougher and strict management. People tend to perform better in a disinvested PSU as its employees are no longer wound by certain strands of complacency like their jobs are permanent immaterial of their performance, no pay cuts and what not.
Talks are on that the government may hire specialists from abroad to suggest on the possible measures that are to be undertaken for the disinvestment procedure.
This is a smart move as improper and thoughtless disinvestment may lead to situations which are neither good for the company and nor for the government. There is also talk of bringing in FDI in the public insurance sector and if this happens sooner, there is no doubt that the share market will skyrocket to new highs.
There are also indications that the aviation sector may opt for disinvestment in the distant future although such claims have been refuted by the government as of now.
So, wherever we see around us, everything seems to be coming back on track and is desperately running on the way to take off. But believe it or not, all these are based on speculations and the government is only talking at the moment. It will be worthwhile to see when the actual operations begin and when the budget is placed on the floor. Moreover, with the Dollar in shambles, international investors like Jim Rogers have predicted that the world is heading towards a currency crisis in a year or two.
So, it would be interesting to watch the impact of the Ds and how it helps to sustain the India shining story but a definite word of caution would be:
DO NOT COUNT THE CHICKENS BEFORE THEY ARE HATCHED.

HONEY! I ‘DUMPED’ THE KIDS…

Last few weeks have been grueling, both physically and mentally. From social gatherings to personal commitments, each and every experience has squeezed the best out of me. But I seldom have the right to complain.
Why not?
Why should I not complain about my daily struggle in the past few weeks? When a million Indians can complain of the poverty, unemployment, corruption, etc. then why should I be the odd one out? Or on the contrary, when the entire country is down with the election and cricket fever, whom am I supposed to complain?
But I am too busy to complain against these ‘petty’ things. What I want to complain really about is wtf (read as where the f**k) have I landed? Neither can I display my charismatic analytical skills in politics nor can I provide my million dollar tips on cricket.
The Reason(s):
What to watch?
What should I go for? Should it be the IPL or the General Elections? It is another matter that I have to go by what the hooligans in the common room of the hostel prefer.
First let me talk about the IPL (Indian Premier League) which has started with a bang. It was great to watch the old war-horses fire and lead their respective teams to the podium. ‘The Wall’ stood tall when a little known bowler (nothing needs to be reminded about his batting prowess) created an early havoc in the red camp. Together with the new skipper of the men in red, he laid a solid foundation for the team. Then when it was speculated that the Challengers might miss the services of Zak (a.k.a. Zaheer Khan), another fighter of yesteryears, Jumbo, claimed a neat fiver. Then came another showpiece from the master. It was the aamchi mumbai flavor of Sachin and the the prodigy, Abhishek Nayar. Seriously speaking, I am personally betting on the men in yellow, the Chennai Superkings, to go all the way. With Freddie being hit for 3 sixes in an over, the morale must have been down. With the batting going out of sorts, it was all but over in the first encounter for Dhoni’s men.
Just when I thought I am just about ready to release my trillion dollars worth predictions and trends, I heard that around 62% of polling was recorded in the first phase.
What went right? Is this the Youngistaan effect? Or have the people become smart enough to avoid further crisis by bringing some awkward coalition to New Delhi? So passionate was our Sanju baba (Sanjay Dutt) that he offered a ‘jaadu ki jhappi’ to our behenji! To tell something who are going out of sorts, a high polling % helps in bringing a stable government and if this trend is to continue for the coming phases then only two possible coalitions can make it and I bet the one who makes it will make it comfortably. My sixth, seventh and eight senses predict that ‘the Congress ka haath will pluck out the Lotus and dump it in the opposition’. Regional parties will come up and create some unnecessary drama and the run up to the formation of the government will be spicy hot.
But the biggest regret will be that I will be unable to cover this ‘YAATRA’ and also the other in distant South Africa. These two are my ‘kids’ and I being the ‘Guru’ (??????) has till 1:30 A.M., 21st April, 2009 no choice but to dump it.
Mr. Reagan, I am borrowing this from you:
HONEY (WHEREVER YOU ARE), I DUMPED THE KIDS!!!...

IPL ???...

The general elections are knocking hard on the doors of the Indian mindsets and the aspirants are busy doing their routine work of setting long term objectives (manifestos) which will be discarded at the shortest possible time. Gone are the days of majority government at the centre. This is the age of coalition politics where coalitions are broken and formed at the toss of a coin.
No doubt that the coalition governments were there a decade ago as well but what is of utmost significance is the intensity with which pre-poll alliances are formed. A quarter of the resources and time is spent on devising strategies which intend to find the most lucrative poll partner for a party.
This era of coalition was highlighted and publicized by the NDA government at the end of the 20th century and was made an issue against the Congress which till then was portrayed as a bad coalition player (remember I.K. Gujral and H.D. Devegowda governments?). The reply from the Congress was imposing enough as it showed that it can act in a coalition by forming the UPA government. Hence, this time, there are two prominent coalitions in the scenario, the NDA and the UPA. Hold on, there is the Third front as well. Simply stating, this front comprises of those parties which will part ways immediately after the end of the elections and align themselves with either the UPA or the NDA. If we pay a glimpse at the history of the constituent parties of this ‘front’, we can conclude easily by removing the clouds of suspicion. We have the Left parties whose only political agenda is ‘secularism’ and for which it will align even with an anti-social party (Kerala). Then we have the TDP, who was with the BJP not long ago. The major partner off course is the BSP who do not have any job other than creating quotas for every possible fragment of the society. This party aspires of continuing the dream run in UP by forming a rainbow coalition of candidates.
The present major party in the opposition, BJP, has had a history of making and breaking friends in a jiffy. It criticizes each and every move of the government in one of the most intellectual manner but when it comes to the elections, it sees itself nothing more than a temple construction company. It ruthlessly attacks the government on the economic policies but what it forgets is that the NDA was the first and probably the only regime at the centre to have a separate ministry of disinvestment and went on a selling spree of the PSU’s which were grossly undervalued. I bet had the economic crisis occurred during the NDA regime, the Sensex would have nosedived to the lowest possible value. However, not all is bad in this camp. They have an influential person in their ranks in the form of Narendra Modi, whose vision and policies not only brought about a transition in Gujarat but created a vibrant Gujarat (barring his political image!).
Talking of the ruling coalition, it is not without its woes as well. The major constituent, Congress, is more of a family corporate than a party of representatives. No doubt the respect enjoyed by the family is commendable but it also prevents the emergence of able candidates who can occupy the centre stage. The result is the periodic production of rebellious factions which broke away from the parent. The irony however is that some of the major factions like the NCP are its allies.
Then there seems to be an effort to reorganize the Janata Regime in the north where the big guns including the RJD, the SP and the LJP have reunited to avoid division of secular votes. However, in the broader picture, this coalition is the result of the popularity the NDA, Congress and the BSP have started to gain in the Hindi heartland in the past couple of years. In Assam, the local party of AGP agreed to concede a major share of the Lok Sabha seats to the BJP in return for more number of seats in the 2011 assembly elections.
So, coalitions have started to emerge from everywhere and in no time. This is the era of globalization and cooperation and politics is no exception.
This is the era of what one may say as the era of ‘INDIAN POLITICAL LEAGUE’.

YuVa Shakti…

The optimistic view that India will overtake China in a short span of time is purely based on the fact that India’s population is young whereas the population of China is ageing. It is estimated that around 70% of the country’s population is composed of the youth, that is, population under the age group of 35 but above 20. In whichever dimension one looks, the focus seems to be on the youth. There are young talent hunts, daring shows involving and targeting the youth and off course the youth icons being the heartthrobs and idols of many a young. It was good listening to Shahrukh Khan when he said that today Indian award winners, particularly awards abroad, need not be a guru in his field. It is more among the younger generation that is bringing the accolades to the country, whether it is the sportstars or for that matter the entertainers.
However, one field which always uses an innovation or a raw product in the most disgusting and selfish manner possible is the very illusionary but familiar field of politics. Every political party is trying to project a young leader of its own no matter what his or her capabilities and potentials are. It is good that when almost everyone is banking on the youth power, the youth too have an adequate representation among the decision makers. This is not a concern at all but what is really of concern is the emergence of the ‘so called’ leaders who try to gain cheap popularity by trying to incite the young minds by means of public speeches and so heavy are the hands of the ‘big guns’ behind them that they escape from all possible criminal actions, sooner or later.
I would not like to take the names because taking names in criticism can backfire many a times than in times of praise, particularly in a ‘democracy’ like India. Most of us must be aware of the remarks passed on by a lesser known sibling of probably the most influential political family of India. He has been putting up explanations that he did not direct his remarks against any particular community and his remarks were entirely his personal. But the question is why on earth you need to call a press conference or for that matter release a public video expressing your ‘personal’ feelings and perception. Why on earth you need to proclaim yourself as the last samurai of a particular community when the entire country and the world is reeling under the financial crisis. Not long ago in the commercial capital we saw the emergence of a lesser known leader who took it all alone to carry the so called legacy and pride his uncle had brought in. No wonder by invoking the young minds, he was able to create a niche in the media as well as their news. What are these leaders teaching to the youth?
Why on earth don’t they think it is their responsibility to show the path to the young because they are more privileged, thanks to the wonderful established blood networks they have. Why are they not thinking of ideas to encounter the job cut problem and consoling the young whom they proclaim to represent? Why do these people keep mum on financial decision making in a growing economy like India? Why do these people favour muscle power over will power?
The answer I believe is in their way of thinking. Physically, they might represent the young face of an Indian but surely their thinking is guided and directed by those same old mentalities and perceptions about the common Indian. So it is high time the common Indian delivers his or her verdict against these people in the coming general elections.
It is time to show these people their destinations which can be best summarized with what Sachin Tendulkar as a boy (aged 16) in Pakistan had to face from the crowd,
GO HOME AND DRINK MILK…

Indigestion !!!

Come 22nd February and the country of more than a billion will gaze at the Oscar ceremony in the Kodak theatres. This time is a special occasion as many like me are optimistic that the Oz of Indian music, A.R. Rahman will come out in flying colours. Although the movie, Slumdog Millionaire, had a cold reception in India, the work of Rahman was highly appreciated. The musical tsar received 3 nominations while the movie got nominated for seven others. Hope this time A.R. Rahman fetches an Oscar to India which will probably come after a long gap of almost 18 years.
However, the point of discussion is not whether Rahman will win the Oscar or not. What really matters is the wide response the movie got in the west. The movie depicts the black side of developing India and in a way is an eye-opener for us. However, the way the movie was received by the western media with such pleasure and words of admiration reproduces a feeling which is not new and by no means vague.
Not long ago, Arvind Adiga’s debut novel, The White Tiger received the Man Booker Prize for literature. What was the subject matter of the book? The rags to riches story of a ‘halwai’ and the outline of the book is nothing but in reality India is not booming but growing in disparity between the poor and the rich. The point to be noted is that Arvind Adiga spent a greater part of his youth and life in places outside India. This was another of the many cases when the western media and people alike gave thumbs up to the book, more precisely the subject.
But if that is the case, I want to ask these so called reformers or for that matter the self examiners, why is the population of the Indian middle class growing at an unprecedented rate and has overtaken the entire population of the US? What compelled George Bush to put a part of the blame of global food crisis to ever increasing consumption of the Indian middle class?
The answers lie in the growth and its future prospects of India and the authority it is gaining over world matters. No wonder then that the west still perceives India as a land of snake charmers and magicians. The saga of growth and achievement that our nation has unfolded in the past decade or so has gone beyond the digestive capabilities of the west. But now that the tide has gone beyond control, the west identifies these so called reformers and boosts them.
To conclude, we the youth of the country should not be influenced by works like The White Tiger or for that matter Slumdog Mllionaire but instead get inspired to work harder for the country and in turn increase the envy, even more.

ALL RiSE...

We have entered into the year 2009 about which a prediction was made in the heydays of 2007, something like this:
India will have a robust growth in the year 2009 with a GDP growth of more than 10%.
The current predictions and the prevailing trends all indicate that we are shortly to experience deflation which is by no means an encouraging sign for a developing and hugely populous country like India. The prediction for the GDP growth rate is hovering between 6.5 to 7.3%. Inflation ended at 6.38% in the current week and will experience a sharp decline in the coming weeks as a cut in the fuel prices are imminent in the near future. It will be interesting to see how far the consumers are benefitted in a deflation economy. However, one is for sure, an expectation can be made that food items will become cheaper and food prices of the dishes offered in the eateries may come down.
But the real twist in the story comes here. In spite of the dwindling prices it seems the people who run these eateries are more interested in increasing the span of their profits.
Staying in a hostel of a reputed engineering college of India has its own pros and cons with the previous dominating the later. It is also lucrative to join a mess which offers well to do food at a reasonable price. More importantly, you can eat you your heart out without having to pay additionally.
So the point of increasing the mess charge by 120 odd rupees per month is not only unscrupulous but also inexplicable. The irony is that the prices are predominantly dependent on the market in a self deemed university like ours where the government funds are in a substantial amount. It is also hilarious that the management which runs these messes is completely unaware of the laws which govern our country. These bunches of nincompoops do not even bother to update themselves about the current affairs and the prevalent of an important law called the Right to Information Act or the RTI act. Whenever a student goes for an enquiry about the mess bill, they are told to check in the main hostel office and when they run a kilometer ahead to this office after standing in a queue for half an hour or so, they are told to confirm with the mess management. In short, the students are made to run through a vicious circle manufactured entirely by the mess management and blessed by the authorities.
The most disappointing aspect is that these price rises are enforced without any consultation with the students themselves and the so called student representatives also keep mum in this respect. It is a great irony that when the price of the essentials are dwindling and there is every possibility of a deflation in the coming months, mess charges keep on increasing without any proper justification and the students who are busy playing counter strike or for that matter watching movies, let these burning matters go unobtrusive.