A self-appointed front runner for UNSC seat ..

The wikileaks is clear demonstration of how in this information age, information of all hues and colours is finding its way to public domain. http://cablegate.wikileaks.org/ quarter of a million classified docs of the US govt are in public domain ..

US Secretary of State's comments on India being a self-appointed front runner for the UNSC permanent seat, along with Germany and Japan, in one of her cables to the State Dept made interesting reading.

Perhaps she forgets that US was one of the first self-appointed "permanent member" of the UNSC .. It is true that memory can indeed be short ..

The claims from the State Dept that these leaks are a threat to individual security and American interests the world over is indeed true !! Its double game is getting exposed and that is a major embarrassment for it.

The threat to Julian Assange from the State Dept is grave and in the coming days we shall see how it unfolds. The disclosures made by Assange from different parts of the world is a strategy to see that the docs are well read and received the world over.

The US govt needs to find out how such top secret docs got out of their hands in the first place !!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/11/29/AR2010112905973.html

ge..

Tensions mount in Korean peninsula ..

While there is no business for US to engage in military exercises with South Korea in the seas near to Korea, North Korea, should not overtly get charged with fears of insecurity.

While the world is fully aware how the rogue state of North Korea got nuclear capability and has been using this in frequent standoffs with US and the Western world, especially South Korea and Japan, the firing of two missiles at South Korean islands is totally uncalled for. It was just an effort to rekindle tensions and to improve its negotiating position in respect to clandestine nuclear projects..

A war can be extremely damaging for South Kora and US at this point of time, even those countries are fully aware of this. But the tough stance is just posturing to show that they are prepared if Noth Korea is up for some misadventure..

When the South Korean auto major, Ssanyong motors was acquired by Mahindra from India, it caused many a head to turn and take notice of this small Indian company which is getting global. The war can unsettle many a reputed Korean companies and make them extremely susceptible for likely takeovers by India and Chinese companies. It will be better for Samsung, LG and Hyundai if US and South Korea does some plain thinking and withdraw from their joint naval exercises in the Yellow Sea, on the west coast of Korean peninsula, by not precipitating tensions.

See the map, China, Russia and Japan are avid onlookers at this crucial crisis ..

ge..

The Obamas and Gandhi ..

Straight from the heart, the emotions ...

What a camraderie between two great statesmen of the world ..!! true and sincere ..

My admiration of this duo, two of the greatest statesmen the world has ever had, never gets exhausted ..

Gandhi's workplace at Sabarmati ..

Gandhi's memorial at Rajghat ..

Gandhi's statue at Sabarmati ..

The half naked fakir in his days at sabarmati ..

ge..

Essentials of Entrepreneurship ..

Recently at an award ceremony in Chennai, N Shankar, the energetic Chairman of the Sanmar group from Chennai spoke on Entrepreneurship. E'ship cannot be learnt or inherited, it has to be learnt the hard way by getting the knocks from real world. E'ship is the ability to see beyond and willing to tread where on one else has so far and the outcome is uncertain.

E'ship is of two types: one is radical in nature where a radical idea no one has thought of earlier is implemented, eg. Steve Jobs Apple, Bill Gates from Microsoft etc. The second E'ship is around the idea of managing an existing opportunity with special brand of drive, management and organisational ability., for eg. the likes of Narayana Murthy of Infosys, Premji from Wipro etc..

According to him there are four essentials of Entrepreneurship. They are identification, organisation, management and sustenance.

Identification relates to the identification of the opportunity and the activities that need to be carried out in the business with the expectation of profit.

Organisation relates to the setting up of the resources - men, money and machinery.

Management relates to managing these resources. Managing human resources can be real challenging as it is the differentiating factor between a successful and not so successful industry. Attracting and retaining the right talent and giving them the right environment to work are the key elements. Appropriate compensation, job satisfaction and career progression is vital to retain the right talent.

Sustenance is that which keeps the business going despite challenges and hurdles from time to time. In Sanmar it has been the environment given to employees to take decisions independently, not penalising them for any mistakes, but encouraging them to be responsible for their decisions in the long run.

India is a paradise for entrepreneurs as there are lot of untapped opportunities for them to tap and emerge successful in the end. Success depends on the entrepreneurship capabilities like vision, management, staying power and that undefinable quantity, be it perseverence or not giving up quality or fighting spirit, without which it is not possible to succeed.

ge..( basic content from The Hindu, 29 November 2010, suitably modified by the author)

Economics of sustainability ..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMu0ZLLHvHI&NR=1
--
Sincere regards,

George Easaw

What happens when religion and politics gets mixed ?

In the name of religion and with the support of religion the fraudsters from BJP got to power.

Now with the huge expose of BSY, now just worth Rs 400 crores, but at least ten times that, the pious and religious are truly hurt, He has misused their sentiments for his personal benefit !!

This is what the people of the country have been shouting, politics and religion should not be mixed, at least the educated and sensible people should understand this and keep off such people who are trying to capitalise on our weakness.

Let us not allow anyone to mix politics and religion .. !! For the sake of the nation !! Let us understand these anti-national and anti-social elements and kick them out ..

ge..

Rules of Gandhian Innovation ...

Gandhian values look at affordability ( for the masses and middle class) and sustainability ( for the earth, for all people) of products for the people.

Some of the rules associated with it are

1. Inclusive growth - try to serve the unserved customer too. This challenge pushes executives to relook at the price performance envelope to improve affordablity and to think of increasing scales to reduce costs. There should be a desire to serve more people. Rather than asking the question, "given our costs, which customers should I serve?", it should be, "given that I need to serve more customers, what should be my costs ?"

2. Unambiguous vision - Leadership is an essential quality in building good organisations. A clear vision with a human dimension is the corner stone of Gandhian innovation. Ratan tata, Sunil Bharti Mittal and Gupta of Lupin have all demonstrated this in great measure.

3. Set ambitious goals - By setting ambitious goals (strategic intent) that are beyond the company's existing resources to attain, the CEO will compel employees to be innovative and entrepreneurial. The mismatch between aspirations and resources is the essence of entrepreneurship. Faced with this mismatch, companies have the choice of either finding innovative uses of existing resources or changing the rules of the game.

4. Learning to innovate even when faced with constraints : Only when we are pushed to a corner will we feel the need to innovate. Constraints are there all the time, and innovating within these constraints is the sure shot path to success.Tata Nano's "Innovation sandbox", the constraints about price, safety, environmental standrads, space and design with fuel efficiency forced the company to come up with a cheap, safe , fuel efficient car for the unserved middle class of the country. Working within self imposed boundaries will help the innovators come with radical designs that can change the whole industry.

5. Focus on customers : Making products affordable to the masses will ensure the scale and critical mass to make products at lowest costs with myriad applications that can arise from these millions of users.

6. Influence of Metrics : concentrating on different set of metrics which look at tracking profit and loss, return on capital employed, cash flow, capital intensity, access and influence, innovation efficicncy, volume and costs and at the same time concentrating on new markets makes all the difference between companies that succeed and not in the new age of global innovation.

Ref : Innovation's Holy Grail - C K Prahlad and R A Mashelkar, Harvard Business Review, July August 2010.

ge..

Mahindra acquires SSanyong, S Korea,

Close on the heels of Tata Motors acquiring Jaguar and Land Rover, and setting its eyes further, Mahindra drops a bombshell. It was in race with French Renault to acquire Ssangyong Motors of S Korea. Now a deal is signed where in they will get 70% stake in Ssangyong at about $450m.

Do not know when Indian companies will buy into Hyundai, Samsung and LG .. Will it be far behind..?

ge,,

Aurangabad, not behind at all.. another 150 BMWs too ..

Close on the heels of booking and taking delivery of 100 Mercs, the city of Aurangabad in Maharashtra has placed bookings for 150 BMWs too.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/After-101-Mercedes-Aurangabad-citizens-chase-101-BMWs/articleshow/6975009.cms

ge..

Gandhian Innovation - the three kinds ..HBR paper ..

Gandhian Innovation , a new term coined by Prof Prahlad and R A Mashelkar, meaning serving more people with less resources and at a lower cost ..

Existing Innovation models look at improving the product, process, packaging and pricing. New trends in Innovation emerging from India are turning the tables upside down.

Let us analyse two of the quotations from Gandhiji which has influenced this new wave of innovations.

"I would prize every invention of Science made for the benefit of all. !"

"Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, not every man's greed !!"

The above two quotes are the basis for the terms Gandhian Innovation which has come up in modern day Innovation Literature. This was proposed by top Management gurus Prof C K Prahlad and Prof R A Mashelkar in their article on Innovation's Holy Grail in Harvard Business Review, July-August 2010.

           Gandhian Innovation works on the principles of

                      a. Affordability (for the masses, especially the burgeoning middle class) and 
             
                      b. Sustainability (for earth and whole of humanity).

The three kinds of Gandhian Innovation emerging from India, categorised by the authors and which has rocked the world have been the following :

1. Disrupting business models
While the existing model of software development was on-site, Indian software companies redefined the landscape by shifting software development off-site, reducing costs. Outsourcing , though accounting for only 6% of the s/w business, by creating better quality processes Indian cos. have redefined the space and created a niche for themselves in the world. 

2. Modifying organisational capabilities
By deploying high quality design skills and speedy deployment of resources on a large scale, Indian companies have developed products and processes of world class, for eg . the development of the Super Computer Eka from the Computational Research Labs of Tata Group or ISRO ..

3. Creating or Sourcing new capabilities
Besides building disruptive Business models and honing up existing organisational capabilities, Indian innovators have created new technologies by collaborating with other companies.Tata Nano is such an example where the company has collaborated with companies across the world

Innovation which has defied existing Industry metrics has helped change business dynamics. it helped Airtel emerge as one of the world's largest mobile telephone operators. Instead of looking at "Average Revenue per User" metric, Airtel looked at "Return on Capital" metric and became a successful and profitable Telecom player with 100 million customers presently and hopeful of doubling by 2012..

Emergency Management and Research Institute (EMRI) which uses the latest communication, computing, medical and transportation technologies to provide affordable emergency services in tribal, rural and urban areas has been another impact of low cost innovation in India. By using the principle of Public-private partnership (PPP) and tying with Govt hospitals as most of the hospitals are run by govt. so are the fire and police dept. This has helped to keep govt interference and bureaucracy to the minimum as EMRI runs as a private foundation.

EMRI serves 366 million people in the states of Karnataka, Gujarat, Goa, TN, Rajasthan, Assam and Uttarakhand, attends to 60-80,000 calls a day, has a fleet of 2600 ambulances, attends to 7000 emergencies a day, saves 100 lives a day and employs almost 11000 people. While EMRI has spent only 50 cents per person treated to build up the infrastructure here, in US the expenditure has been $ 100 per patient treated. The expense per ambulance visit in India is less than $ 15 while in US it is about $b 600-$800.

The other case in Innovation has been that of Lupin Pharma which is in a very advanced stage in the development of a drug for Psoriasis. By challenging existing theories and working on shoestring budgets, Indian companies have been able to innovate faster and effectively. Instead of following the practice of developing drugs from Labs to clinics which could take 10-12 years and almost a billion dollars to develop, why not go from clinic to lab and back to clinic. Use clinical and qualitative data to develop target formulations that undergo preclinical and clinical research trials.

Lupin has developed the drug which will be released in India this year end by only spending $10 m and 8 years. Treating the disease with Lupin's drug will cost $ 100 per patient while with another company in US it would cost $ 15,000. Lupin developed a medicine for Psoriasis collaborating with a Sidha practitioner who told that the Mexican herb Argemone Mexicana can cure the disease completely. After developing the formulation they started the trails in early 2000 on patients and found it was successful. The drug will be released by the end of the year.

ge..

No Indian academic Institution in World top 200

Can we redeem our lost Glory !


The recent poor showing and declining standards of our academic Institutions at the Global Uty top 200 rankings is a cause of national shame, worry and concern ..


It was pathetic and very depressing not to find any Indian academic institution in the World top 200 Uty list for year 2010 released by Times Group from London .. ( India does not find place in any of the other less popular Uty rankings too..)

http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2010-2011/top-200.html

While US tops the list with 72 Institutions and UK with 28, Germany comes third with 16, Netherlands 13, the countries of Canada 9, China, Japan, Switzerland and Sweden with 6 each, Australia 5, France and Taiwan with 4 each, Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong and Denmark 3 each, Austria, Ireland, Spain, Turkey and Belgium with 2 each, Finland, South Africa, Egypt and Norway with 1 each are the other countries topping the list of top 200.

Even though we claim to have the toughest entrance exam in the world, the JEE, and the brightest people around, claim to inherit a noble and much acclaimed ancestry, we are nowhere in the global rankings.. The fear that naturally comes to anyone's mind is whether this is just the beginning of the decline ??

Our top Institutions of National Importance (INI) like the Indian Institutes of Technology with its many campuses and the Indian Institutes of Management again with many campuses, the Indian Institute of Science and others like IIITs are nowhere in these global rankings. We need to seriously ponder whether the greatness of these Institutions is only due to the high quality of the incoming talent and not the capability of the mediocre "talent processing team", ie. the faculty working there..

In spite of Central Government pouring in large amount of funds to these most favoured Institutions, neglecting other government second rung Institutions and trashing privately managed Institutions, the results are not showing up. Our society which is very reluctant to fix accountability on individuals, it is just another instance of neglect and a carefree attitude of the concerned intelligensia. We have not come across any writing or newspaper report criticising the academic administration of these Institutions for their abysmally poor showing. The media needs to highlight this criminal waste of funds which otherwise could have been used for sprucing elementary education in the country. A self-practiced elitism among the faculty and the student community is the nemesis for these Institutions.

If the quality of these INIs is such abysmally low, the quality of the accreditation standards insisted by them for the second rung and privately held institutions can be anybody's guess. Are these INIs taking the lead in the downward slide of academic standards in our country ?

The Government of India and these INIs is in for a rude shock once privately managed Institutions of the country enter the top 200 list and maintain their world class standards. In spite of the poor showing in these rankings, the sad fact is that only one or two INIs have shown interest in going for International Accreditation or have acquired them, except for some private Institutions who are very advanced in this process.

There is a popular saying, in a land of no-nosed people, the half-nosed is the King !! A serious point worth pondering for our academicians and their administrators !!

Where are we headed to in this race to institutionalise mediocrity and escape accountability ?? Let the Government of India change the Directors of these Institutions and see the difference it can make.

Again this proves the point that it is not funds that can prop up an Institution, but the leadership. Else how can a country like Egypt or South Africa get ahead of India.

Can only private initiatives again save the country in the academic field too, as is happening in other parts of the world and in other sectors of our economy ?? The top 200 University list is no doubt populated with private universities with Harvard topping it for many years !

When India and China are leading the charge in revitalising the global economy, post recession, should our academic institutions, the temples of learning providing for innovation, leadership and managing change, be left far behind ?

George Easaw ( a very concerned alumnus of these institutions..)

Micro finance or blade companies ..

The recent revelations on the micro finance sector, especially in Andhra Pradesh, has been very discouraging.. It has brought so much of disrepute to Grameen Bank, Mohammed Yunus and even the Nobel Foundation who have pioneered the cause of microcredit/microfinance and even brought respectability to it.

http://www.grameen-info.org/

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/article861645.ece

Hope the GOI is able to rein in the unscrupulous blade runners in this sector and eliminate the undesirable names in it. The greedy do not allow the poor and downtrodden in society to come up..The other pattern coming out of this is the cropping up of these scams in Andhra Pradesh. Does it send some signals to the government to look out for..

ge..

Tata's new electric concept car at the Paris Motor Show.. Jaguar CX75 ..

ge..

Remember this family ??

Remember this Indian family .. and their elder son's house in mumbai, the world's most expensive one (not for sale, though..) ??

ge..

Paraprosdokian

A paraprosdokian (from  Greek  meaning "beyond expectation") is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader  or listener to reframe or reinterpret the first part. It  is frequently used for humorous or dramatic effect,  sometimes producing an anticlimax. For this reason, it is  extremely popular among comedians and satirists. Some paraprosdokians not only change the meaning of an early  phrase, but also play on the double meaning of a  particular word, creating asyllepsis. Ã?Ë?  I asked God for a bike, but I know God doesn't work  that way. So I stole a bike and asked for  forgiveness. Ã?Ë?   Do not  argue with an idiot. He will drag you down to his level  and beat you with  experience. Ã?Ë?   I want to  die peacefully in my sleep, like my grandfather. Not  screaming and yelling like the passengers in his  car. Ã?Ë?   Going to church  doesn't make you a Christian any more than standing in a  garage makes you a car. Ã?Ë?  The last thing I want to do is hurt you. But it's  still on the list. Ã?Ë?    Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people  appear bright until you hear them  speak. Ã?Ë?   If I agreed  with you we'd both be wrong. Ã?Ë?  We never really grow up, we only learn how to act  in public. Ã?Ë?   War does  not determine who is right - only who is  left. Ã?Ë?   Knowledge is  knowing a tomato is a fruit; Wisdom is not putting it in a  fruit salad. Ã?Ë?   The early bird might get  the worm, but the second mouse gets the  cheese. Ã?Ë?   Evening news  is where they begin with 'Good evening', and then proceed  to tell you why it isn't. Ã?Ë?  To steal ideas from one person is plagiarism. To  steal from many is research. Ã?Ë?  A bus station is where a bus stops. A train station  is where a train stops. On my desk, I have a work  station. Ã?Ë?   How is it one  careless match can start a forest fire, but it takes a  whole box to start a  campfire? Ã?Ë?   Some people  are like Slinkies ... not really good for anything, but  you can't help smiling when you see one tumble down the  stairs. Ã?Ë?   Dolphins are  so smart that within a few weeks of captivity, they can  train people to stand on the very edge of the pool and  throw them fish. Ã?Ë?   I  thought I wanted a career, turns out I just wanted pay  checks. Ã?Ë?   A bank is a  place that will lend you money, if you can prove that you  don't need it. Ã?Ë?    Whenever I fill out an application, in the part that says  "If an emergency, notify:" I put  "DOCTOR". Ã?Ë?   I didn't  say it was your fault, I said I was blaming  you. Ã?Ë?   I saw a woman  wearing a sweat shirt with "Guess" on it...so I said "Implants?" Ã?Ë?   Why does  someone believe you when you say there are four billion  stars, but check when you say the paint is  wet? Ã?Ë?   Women will never  be equal to men until they can walk down the street with a  bald head and a beer gut, and still think they are  sexy.(and shirtless) Ã?Ë?   Why do  Americans choose from just two people to run for president  and 50 for Miss America ? Ã?Ë?  Behind every successful man is his woman. Behind  the fall of a successful man is usually another  woman. Ã?Ë?   A clear  conscience is usually the sign of a bad  memory. Ã?Ë?   You do not  need a parachute to skydive. You only need a parachute to  skydive twice. Ã?Ë?   The  voices in my head may not be real, but they have some good  ideas! Ã?Ë?   Always borrow  money from a pessimist. He won't expect it  back. Ã?Ë?   A diplomat is  someone who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that  you will look forward to the  trip. Ã?Ë?    Hospitality:  making your guests feel like they're at  home, even if you wish they were. Ã?Ë?   Money can't buy  happiness, but it sure makes misery easier to live with. Ã?Ë?   I discovered I  scream the same way whether I'm about to be devoured by a  great white shark or if a piece of seaweed touches my  foot. Ã?Ë?   Some cause  happiness wherever they go. Others whenever they  go. Ã?Ë?   There's a fine line  between cuddling and holding someone down so they can't  get away. Ã?Ë?   I used to  be indecisive. Now I'm not  sure. Ã?Ë?   I always take  life with a grain of salt, plus a slice of lemon, and a  shot of tequila. Ã?Ë?   When  tempted to fight fire with fire, remember that the Fire  Department usually uses  water. Ã?Ë?   You're never  too old to learn something stupid. Ã?Ë?  To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and  call whatever you hit the target. Ã?Ë?    Nostalgia isn't what it used to  be. Ã?Ë?   Some people hear  voices. Some see invisible people. Others have no imagination whatsoever. Ã?Ë?  A bus is a vehicle that runs twice as fast when you  are after it as when you are in  it. Ã?Ë?   If you are  supposed to learn from your mistakes, why do some people  have more than one child? Ã?Ë?  Change is inevitable, except from a vending  machine.

visited E&Y Bangalore office this morning..

ge

2G scam and the role of Ministers .. (900 th post.. on blog)

The CAG report on the 2G scam is the biggest the country has seen in post independence history. Read on ..

http://www.hindu.com/2010/11/17/stories/2010111762000100.htm

Is it an error due to technical ignorance of the details by the Minister or his over eagerness to improve the teledensity in the country that led to this state of affairs, is yet to be proved. Would we have been able to get almost three times the no of telephone connections, landline and wireless, as in US or almost ten times as of UK or France or three times as much as Europe if we were very cautious in our moves ?

The PM has able hands at his disposal, Kapil Sibal is not a wrong choice. He is a legal expert, but could be failing in technical issues. The synchronised frequencies of the Maharashtra CM Prithviraj Chawan, BITS Pilani, Stanford aeronautical engineer and Jairam Ramesh, Union Environment Minister. IITB, CMU, MIT graduate has alredy seen the new airport for Mumbai getting the needed sanctions.

It is now clear that if there was some arrangement between the telecom operators and DOT, it must not have happened without collusion of the officials and minister who have arbitrarily advanced the cut-off dates for applications and gave licenses to ineligible applicants, almost 70%. These fly by night operators have sold off their stake to others or dumped these at high margins to other players.

The govt should now besides, criminally proceeding against the responsible minister and officials, look at measures to minimise the losses to the exchequer. Given that almost Rs 38,000 crores of spectrum is yet to be utilised, the govt should immediately withhold all the spectrum allocation and do a re-auction of the same.

The PM should look beyond the Coalition Dharma (unlike former PMs during the disinvestment and telecom scams earlier) and come clear with a white paper on the issue . His silence in this issue is getting deafening day by day and he needs to get the issue clear for the benefit of the people of the country. Give that more and more value added services are being planned linking the mobile phone and credit cards for financial payment, the revenue from 2G spectrum is only going to increase in the coming years.

The PM and ministers should not forget the fact that they are only the caretakers of the resources of the country and its people for the duration which they are elected to do so. They should not under any circumstance even remotely think they can take the people and media of the country for a ride.

Can the political class be given unfettered access to manage the resources of our country and its citizens ? When it comes to squandering the resourcesof the country by its leaders and bureaucrats, this is a clear warning from the people of the country that they can be unforgiving and uncompromising

ge.. ( This is the 900 th post on my blog..)

Asia-Pacific now the world's largest aviation market ..

In a clear signal of Asian domination, figures released by IATA show that the air passengers in Asia-Pacific region at 647 million surpassed North American passengers at 638 million. By the end of next year it will increase upto 1 billion while North American figures will shrink .. Indeed depressing news for Americans and their politicians but very much encouraging news for Asians. The interesting fact to note is that about 25% of the world air passengers, ie. about 650 million passengers flew within Asia Pacific markets . That definitely is something to be taken note of, of the growing business opportunities in Asia pacific as compared to the other business and tourist destinations of the world.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/international-business/Asia-now-worlds-biggest-air-travel-market-IATA/articleshow/5522824.cms

With the development of the first commercial prototype of a passenger plane by China last year and renewed efforts by HAL and NAL to develop indigenous technology, our over dependence on US and European aircraft manufacturers will decrease.

ge..

Increased awareness and less tolerance to corruption ..

People in India along with the media armed with the most advanced legislation, Right To Information, enacted by the same lawmakers who are seen law breakers most of the time, are spelling the doom for corruption in the country. The media is seen playing a supportive and investigative part, competing with each other to expose these selfish netas and babus. Indeed a very comforting act indeed !!

During the present government led by Congress, we have seen many scams come to light, even earlier we used to have them, but sadly they never found the light of the day. The biggest of it being the 2G spectrum case where Union Telecom Minister finds himself in a fix. The next has been the Common Wealth Games and its conduct. The Adarsh Housing Society scam which has tarnished the image of the armed forces runs into hundreds of crores in prime Mumbai residential area.

A leader who himself is intolerant to corruption is leading this charge against corruption in the country. Is it indication that tolerance levels for corruption has been declining over the years ? If it is true, it is indeed a very welcome sign as the country needs it badly. The common man is fed up with the netas and babus milking the country dry with their highhandedness and a luxurious life style. Recently the drama by Karnataka MLAs drained the exchequer, yours and mine tax money, by as much as Rs. 32 crores. Whether it was to retain corrupt ministers or to oust them, the common man paid the price !!

Recently in a survey conducted among audience by CNN-IBN it was shown that 52 % concurred with the fact that politicians were the most corrupt in society, followed by bureaucrats 25 %, businessmen 10% followed by NGOs and the common man who wants things the easy way and bribes his way through.

It is indeed a heartwarming sight to find that corrupt politicians, those deadly parasites, are being exposed, be it spectrum raja, real estate Chavan, denotification Yeddi, airline ibrahim, common wealth kalmadi, real estate kapoor whoever, the media, print and TV armed with RTI and Lokayuktha are exposing corruption in all spheres of life. We have to bow our heads in shame as we are one of the most corrupt societies in the world. The increased awareness to reduce corruption is indeed a welcome breath of fresh air which is blowing across the society.

It is said corruption is responsible for pulling back our GDP growth by as much as 2 %. If it were not for corruption we would have overtaken China five years back in growth and would have been able to provide basic elementary education to the less privileged in society, eradicate poverty and raise millions more above the poverty line from the present 300 million, provide better healthcare for the poor and diseased, care for the aged in society, better social welfare for the citizens and what not, we would have been the model society everyone would look forward to.

With billions of dolars of FDI pouring into the country and more liquid money available for acquiring real estate, customers and so on, it is natural that corruption also will increase. It has been there in society since humans started living together.

Being able to reduce it and helping equal and just spread of wealth in society, not through force or coercion, but with a willing mind from the people, we can hope to get our country scale heights.

Is it an utopia or can we really achieve it ?
ge..

Strategies to motivate teachers ..

Most of the time, it's the teachers who motivate students to do their best in the classroom, but there are times when teachers also need to be motivate in order to provide the best instruction. Teachers are like any other employee--they need to be inspired and keep their morale high in order to be able to do their job well.

Instructions

1. Hold regular motivational meetings. Invite the principal to speak or other guest speakers who can relate to the teachers and give them inspiration. Sometimes teachers need to be reminded of the difference they make in the children's lives.

2. Identify problems in the classroom by holding an assembly after school. Maintain collaboration by opening up the forum where teachers can provide honest feedback and voice their opinions. This method will also provide collaboration and clearer communication between teachers and staff.

3. Provide incentives. Increased pay is definitely an incentive for teachers because many of them feel overworked. Teachers can receive bonuses based on the performance of the students to reward teachers who work hard. They can also receive recognition such as teacher-of-the-month awards.

4. Increase awareness of the career ladders and other positions that are available for teachers. Teachers want to go up the career ladder and that by telling them about opportunities for advancement, they become more motivated to do their job well to show that they can handle more responsibilities.

5. Plan events for the teachers. While events such as potluck or luncheons may not increase performance in the classroom, they are essential in boosting employee morale. When teachers enjoy their job and the school they work for, students see the difference. A more engaging and motivated teacher will channel the same energy to students, making them more interested in the classroom.

Read more: Strategies for Motivating Teachers | eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/how_4741017_strategies-motivating-teachers.html#ixzz15P4KlQyC

ge..

snaps of visit of Biju, salitha and family from mumbai ..

A group snap with Salitha's kids ..

With Salitha's kids ..

This is our Silky ..

That is all of us ..

--

Saina, India's pride and best hope at the Asian Games ..

Though Gagan Narang carried the flag at the grand opening ceremony, India's pride at the Asian Games in Guangzhou is no doubt the Badminton world no. 2 Saina Nehwal

ge..

K Jairaj, IAS visits campus..

I had the good opportunity to interact with a senior bureaucrat of Karnataka govt this morning.

K. Jairaj, Additional Chief Secretary, Govt of Karnataka visited the campus of T John College this morning and delivered a talk on "Industry Institute Interaction and Challenges to Managers". The visit was organised by Dr Sreedharan, Principal, TIMS and was attended by the Chairman Dr Thomas John and Campus Director Wing Commander (Retd.) P. Sambasivan.

The talk was very enlightening and motivational. In his vast experience in many departments within Karnataka and finally as the additional Chief Secretary, Jairaj with his open global outlook, was a treat for the students to listen to. With his studies at Delhi School of Economics, Princeton Uty and Harvard Business School, there could not have been a better administrator cum academic to listen to for the students and faculty alike.

He spoke of his meeting with Jack Welch, the legendary CEO of General Electric who took GE to great heights, in Bangalore ten years back. At that time he asked Jack, what were the qualities he would look for in a person for recruitment. Mr Jairaj spoke of the five Es which Jack mentioned and added the fifth E which were compulsory traits to be inculcated among all potential managers if they wish to come up and excel in life.

The first E was relating to Energy which is a function of the mind and body. A sound and healthy mind in a sound body is a prerequisite to be able to excel in all our endeavours.

The second factor is being able to enthuse or energise one's colleagues and subordinates to work as a team.

The third factor of empowering aims to share power and responsibilities with colleagues and subordinates.

The fourth factor was the execution capabilities within the time, money, human and material constraints we usually face.

Jairaj added the fifth E, Ethics at the workplace, the model compass which guides us in our daily activities. Ends do not justify means, rather means are as important as the ends in any of our endeavours.

Lack of the fifth E was pointed out by Jairaj to be responsible for the large scale deficiency we note in most of the public works. In US too it was the lack of ethics which resulted in the present sub-prime crisis, Enron collapse and the expose of the greatest con of the century, Bernie Madoff whose Ponzi schemes duped investors to the tune of $50 billion.

Comparing India and China he made it a point to mention of the demographic dividend of India in comparison with China. Our median age is just 26 years while that of China is around 37 years and still more for Europe, Japan and US. One point which he made caught my attention was that the only thing we can be assured at this particular point of time is of GROWTH. Presently at 8.5 to 9 % GDP growth we can aim for 10% growth in the near future.

He also made an interesting comparison of FDI inflows last year of $ 16 billion into India and $ 90 billion into China. If we are able to increase FDI inflows into our country from $16 billion to $ 55 billion in the next five years we can be assured of GDP growth at about 15 %, surpassing even China. It is said that every $6-7 billion pouring as FDI into the country increases our GDP by 1%. Refer to this article from The Economist quoted in Economic Times ..

He concluded the talk by highlighting three takeaways from the talk, Students need to understand Management as a profession, where empowerment of subordinates, enthusiasm, execution of activities, all can result in a good job. They need to ponder over whether they have the required knowledge of the different areas to be a good manager and try to acquire the missing skills. Also they need to reorient their ethics compass to make sure their actions are ethically correct and does not harm any group or community of society.

(It is to sensitise the responsibilities of the students to the society that from this year we are starting what is called Socially Useful Productive Activities (SUPA) in TJC ( from my earlier XIME experience..). More explanation can be had at this link. )

Mr Jairaj has promised another talk on Ethics to a larger student audience in the coming days, we are all eagerly looking forward to that. His humility and child-like innocence were the two points that got me endeared to him. He made it a point to enquire where all the senior people from TJC were from, their place of stay, it gave us an idea of his concern for others, an essential trait for any successful person, being interested in others' welfare and good.

Being able to interact with a senior bureaucrat and the future Chief Secretary of the state of Karnataka and learn from his wisdom, vast experience and humility is indeed something which I will remember for a long time to come.

george..

The road to Guangzhou, Asian Games, Nov 12 - 27.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXX6Eommlik&feature=player_embedded#!

Tata surprises everyone with 3G calling rates ..

As usual this time too, Tata has been innovative in their pricing of 3G voice services. When Tata brought down the rates for 2G to 1 p / sec, the whole Industry followed suit. In fact,Tata set the trend by innovating with lower costs, benefiting the customer.

This time too they have repeated the same exercise with 3G pricing at 0.66p/sec, even beating the pricing for 2G and paving the way for other players to follow suit. 

They have also debunked A Raja's theory that 2G players were able to offer world's cheapest call rates because they were given the spectrum at throwaway prices by govt at Rs 12 crores/Mhz, incurring a loss of nearly 1.7 lakh crores for the exchequer ( common man !!)..

Does he have any excuses to offer at this Tata initiative where spectrum was sold at a whopping Rs 152 crores/Mhz ? The industry is virtually shocked with this smart move from Tata .. Industry leader and trend setter !! We may find lot of players calling it quits soon ..

ge..

Elephant with artificial limb ..

Motola is a 48-year-old female elephant who lost part of her left leg after stepping on a land mine 10 years ago.
Now she has an artificial leg made specially for her at the Elephant Hospital inThailand.

Sriperumbudur industries ..

Hyundai was one of the initial investors when they established their Indian car operations in 1999 in Sriperumbudur. Later, Saint-Gobain and Nokia, Ford, Hindustan Motors,Mitsubishi, BMW and lately Nissan set up operations turning this Chennai suburban town into a large scale industrial hub. As of 2008, Sriperumbudur is a special economic zone with more than $2 billion invested by companies like Flextronics, Foxconn, Jabil, Dell and Samsung. The town is also regarded as India's answer to Shenzhen, China, a

2G scam, worth 1.7 L crores ..

The allotment of licenses for the 2 G spectrum to telecom players in India has cost the country 1.7 L crores.. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Raja-cost-nation-Rs-17L-cr-CAG/articleshow/6898236.cms

Should the people suffer all these abuses by our politicians ? Could have done at least 2 olympics with that money and could have seen that all our people are raised from poverty ..

ge..

Waning US global influence ..

Waning US global influence due to the botched attempts in Iraq and Afghanistan puts Obama in a piquant situation trying to elevate US interests and influence across the world.. Obama is in Indonesia from India followed by S Korea and Japan ..

Quote : 

All this sounds a planet away from those Tea-Partying Americans who think that the U.S. can bomb its way out of any political and economic difficulties abroad. It now falls to Mr. Obama to advance their education; and he will most likely fail in this thankless task. But it cannot be said that this President, once a street kid in Jakarta, did not try, or that he ever imagined he could hustle into form the new and intractable Asia.
: Unquote 

Good article 

http://www.hindu.com/2010/11/10/stories/2010111052471300.htm

ge..

India heaves a sigh of relief ..

Cutting across party affiliations, the representatives of the 1 billion plus people of India, felt relieved after listening to the stunning and brilliant Obama speaking extempore for about 40 minutes in the Central Hall of Indian Parliament to a joint session of Parliament this evening.

Touching upon issues as diverse as the contributions of Aryabhatta in the field of science and technology, Gandhiji, Swami Vivekananada and Rabindranath Tagore in crafting the future of India, to the modern craftsmen, the literate and hardworking people of India and a booming middle class, Obama was all praise for the Indian culture and civilization as old as humanity itself.

Topping of the cake was the declaration that if India agrees to be a responsible power adhering to the upkeep of personal liberty and freedom across the nations of the world, US was ready to support India as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council. He did not mince words this time in condemning terrorist camps in our neighbouring country, naming it in simple words, and wanted the "perpetrators of 26/11" to be brought to justice soon.. This definitely brought roars of approval from the lawmakers of the country seated crowded listening attentively to each word coming from this brilliant orator..

Obama did prove to the people of India this time, that additional to the brilliance behind the microphone, he is also a straightforward person willing to think and act in unison.

He was humble enough to accept midway through his speech that were it not for the valuable lessons of non-violent resistance learned by a US preacher Dr Martin Luther King from the hands of Mahatma Gandhiji and put to practice almost fifty years back, he would not have been speaking to the Indian Parliament as the President of the United States of America. He also recollected his visit to Mani Bhavan which was both visited by Gandhi and King.

Obama was all praise for democracy which helped India to rise to be one of the leading nations of the world and a growing power in Asia, to whom US looked up to provide the necessary global leadership with US in G20 and other international fora.

Obama did not fail to mention that a stable Pakistan was good for India and this part of the world and assured India of continued US presence in Afghanistan till peace returns to this once peaceful land after eliminating the scourge of the Taliban and Al Qaeda, naming them in particular.

In short the speech did raise hopes of a billion plus people across the Indian sub continent, definitely of their representatives. The Indian judiciary and rule of law, the vibrant Indian media which enabled the voice of every Indian to be heard, combined with some path breaking legislation like the Right To Information, all covered up in the enigma called the Indian Democracy, the largest in the world, found special mention in Obama's speech.

The oratorical skills of Obama to hold about 800 odd representatives of the billion plus people of India spell bound for 40 minutes, punctuated by occasional thumpings on the desks and handclaps of appreciation, will be specially remembered by the people of India and Parliamentarians for a long time to come.

Pl read the full text of speech here . http://ibnlive.in.com/news/full-text-of-obamas-parliament-address/134649-3.html

ge..

Ordination of new Catholica Bawa at Parumala .. 1 Nov 2010..

Moran Mar Baselios Marthoma Paulose II, ordination at Parumala church.

ge..

Pakistan terror groups face action ..

Sanctions have been initiated against the Pak terror outfits LET and JeM prior to US prez visit to India.

It is strange that almost $ 200m is being spent per day on Obama's visit to India for precautions against any terrorist attack which may arise during his visit. 34 warships have moved to the Indian Ocean area to guard the seas to prevent any sort of a mumbai style terrorist attacks. 2 jumbos and about 16 helicopters have landed in Mumbai two days earlier itself.

What hypocrisy is this Obama ??

You did never think of proceeding against these groups when India kept crying to the world to ban them, lest you antagonise your permanent and "natural ally", Pakistan in your joint fight against global terrorism (!!!). But when you are coming to the neighbourhood of this ally, your partner in the fight against terrorism and the epicentre of global terrorism, Pakistan, you are worried for your personal safety.

Why are you demonstrating your double standards at this juncture ? Or is it part of your strategy of pitting countries against each other and fishing in troubled waters ?

ge..

Kuttanaadan Punchayile, percussion -remix, fusion ..

It was really heartening to see my old classmates Narendran and Manoj with Manoj's son sharat give a public performance of the fusion remix of Kuttanaadan punchayile at Calgary, Canada !!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S0cPmtSHb4

Very entertaining and enjoyable to the core !!

ge..

HBS runs Exe education courses in India..

After receiving a whopping $50 million contribution from Ratan tata ( the highest ever at HBS) and another $10 million from Mahindra, HBS knows the global signals and where the money is in the new century .. 

It is setting HBS executive education programmes in India.. 

http://www.exed.hbs.edu/landing/Pages/india.aspx?mp=12000766_LH:_IndiaPrograms_(IND)_FY11_Q2|TI_IND_11.1_12.1_ROS_300x250

Anyone can become an HBS alumnus if one can shell out anything like Rs 200,000/- in mumbai for a 3 day programme and listen to top quality management profs....

ge..

Buffalo soldier and friends coming to India..

The next two months is going to be very special in India. Buffalo soldier ( for his comments against companies outsourcing to India and playing to the galleries especially during the mid term elections coming up), Sarkozy from France, Wen Jiabao from China and Medvedev from Russia are all coming calling on Dr Manmohan Singh.

Obama is coming with the biggest trade and government team in US history to visit any country, about 150 CEOs, to finalise a $ 15 billion deal. Sarkozy will finalise one billion dollar deal with India.

India seems to have forgotten the fact just last week one small company in India belonging to Anil Ambani finalised a $ 10 billion deal with Shanghai Electric for supply of turbines to the power generation plant ADAG is planning in UP. Anil does it without any pomp  .. 

Obama is planning to take from India and give to Pakistan, a rogue state which survives only on playing double games..

Every country worth its name wants to be where the action is for the next couple of centuries and that is India .. Being the largest working democracy, political stability which we can assure potential investors, no other country in the world can assure ..

With Obama's fortunes oscillating widely, last day's elections have been a beating to Democrats and to Obama in particular, his visit to India will be a low key affair ..

ge.

Damage done by Adarsh Housing Society scam ..

Adarsh Housing Society in Colaba , Mumbai never got environmental clearances from the Ministry and hence stands a high chance of being demolished if proper clearances are not obtained.

Former armed forces bigwigs and politicians are there among the people who have received undue favours through the building meant to house Kargil war widows and families.

Getting rich is no issue, but doing so trampling on someone else's rights and inheritance is pure greed.

The Mah CM getting ready to be kicked out as is the news that court of enquiry will be held by the army to find all people who are unlawfully  squatting on somebody else' land.

The scam has dented the army's image, politicians image and the image of the diff departments who have unlawfully given clearances to the building construction flouting all rules and regulations.

There will be lot of people who are waiting to see the building being demolished, i am one of them !!

ge..