Superbugs ..

Antibiotics are used for treating bacterial infections. Viral infections are not treatable and will take its full time to get cured of the ill-effects.

700,000 world over die every year due to drug-resistant infections. If the doctors across the world resort to indiscriminate use of antibiotics for all types of diseases, bacterial and viral, this can be very life threatening with predictions of almost 10 million people succumbing to drug resistant infections across the world by 2050.

The number Antibiotics resistant infections are increasing due to low awareness among the people and doctors. 

Educating patients not to stop an antibiotics course midway, even though pain and infection is gone is very important. Easy diagnostic kits to identify bacterial and viral infections and what basic types of antibiotics can be prescribed for bacterial infections without misusing vital ones can help in containing this threat in a big way.

Let us work for a superbug-free world !

ge..

Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) - ppt and practice problems..

Data Envelopment Analysis is an Operations Research Tool that uses Linear Programming formulation to find the relative efficiency between different Decision Making Units (DMU) in a service or manufacturing setup. (though it is very popular in the service world)

Even though it is used as an effective setup to find the relative efficiency of various decision making units in the service sector with multiple inputs and multiple output, it can be equally applied in a manufacturing setup, trying to compare the efficiencies of different manufacturing departments or plants of a manufacturing company. 

Good explanation of cells in the spreadsheet to be embedded with formula

Originally it is the idea from Charnes, Cooper and Rhodes in their paper in EJOR, '78), who together did a brilliant job using Linear Programming Problem formulation for a non-linear efficiency problem.

You will find some of the links here of some interest. Depending on the number of DMUs, you have to formulate as much LPPs. Hence manual solution may be difficult considering that one has multiple inputs and multiple outputs,

A spreadsheet solver (LP solver in Excel) or the solver in Google spreadsheet can be used.

Entering cell details in LP solver as parameters

The basic principle on which DEA formulation works is to model the efficiency expression of the different decision making units (DMUs). A non-linear efficiency expression, the objective function, is reduced to a linear expression by equating the input expression for that DMU to unity and including it as a constraint in the constraint set.

I make it a point to see that students desiring to understand DEA should know previously how to solve an Linear programming problem using any spreadsheet, Excel or Google sheet, helpful links are given below ...

Some links are given here .

Excellent self explaining ppt oreoared by me : 

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1TxyTRF7Z-ZexHGRZ4x5xyxSTYhExuqeipq2px6PiA44/edit#slide=id.g142e1f2927_1_6

another LP solver tutorial youtube video (how to formulate)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RicajFzoenk

Explains the computer solution of LPP by using LP solver , youtube video ..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4QkLA3sT1o

problem : https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1y7RAmQdgpS_k7k4jOHoLtzBGV8Znskb3fMooblK9mzw/edit#gid=0

points to ponder :

1. why is the initial efficiency obj function considered non-linear ?

2. How is the non-linear function converted to a linear function ?

george..

The hapless thousands !!

Reuters pic of a tragedy unfolding on April 12, 2015 in  the Mediterranean ..

Quite tragic drama in the high seas in Mediterranean ..

Watch the news and video from Washinton Post here ..

How has this instability spread across African and Arab countries and who is responsible for the Iraq, Syria, Libya crisis ? Does anyone have the courage to own up to the tragedy unfolding in the Mediterranean over the past couple of years??

Shocking !!  Shocking !!
The latest, 24 hours back in the Mediterranean, helpless .. ABC news

Just over 700 migrants were drowned in the Mediterranean Sea in just one week.

What a great tragedy !

The Hindu news ..

Approx 460 adults like any of us and 40 children staring at death eye-to-eye in a cruel and tragic turn of events were drowned in the past 24 hours ..

Who all are responsible for precipitating this crisis in the first place and who all are exploiting it now ? How many generations of the perpetrators and exploiters will be needed to wash off the blood of these hapless and helpless thousands ??

ISRO - the pride story ..

It all started here in St. Mary Magdalene church in
Thumba, Trivandrum, Kerala, now a space museum ..

There are some missions and organisations in Indian history which have brought respect to the country and have helped in ameliorating the sufferings of the people.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is one such organisation that has been earning respect around the world for all its great actions and achievements and at the same time ably enabling efficient and cheap two-way communications, broadcasts, weather forecasting to help farmers, predicting natural calamities helping reduce damage and loss of lives and so on, not only for the country but for the neighbours around it.

How did ISRO pull off the unbelievable in Indian history? There us no one organisation in India that has brought so much respect and adoration across the world than ISRO. It started from humble beginnings initially launching weather balloons, weather rockets etc from Thumba near Trivandrum in 1960.

Pl click on this link for the timeline of growth of ISRO ..

A big pranaam .. Let us never forget this great soul !

The scientists who have led ISRO have been great leaders. Leadership made all the difference. Though personally I would not comment on each great leader in ISRO, it all started when Nehru asked Vikram Sarabhai to setup the first weather sounding rocket station at Thumba near Trivandrum in Kerala, India. The Indian National Committee for Space Research (INCOSPAR) formed in 1962 which later transformed into Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) in 1969, has brought laurel after laurel to Indian science and technology. Dr Satish Dhawan, Dr. UR Rao are names that cannot be missed.

We are continuing our winning ways and in June '16, we are going to launch 22 satellites of which three are Indian and the rest foreign, including US, UK and so on. (the second biggest contingent in history of global space science and technology)

Effective cost management, committed, motivated, qualified and well trained technical manpower, great preparation, high reliability of missions and great leadership have been the strong points of Indian space technological advancements and specifically that of ISRO and various organisations under it.

Even though China, our neighbour, breathing down the necks of US and India. has made great strides in the economic, political (under a one-party rule government) and infrastructure front, it is found to be lacking in terms of space technology. The coming decades is for India and ISRO. By offering leadership to the world, I am sure India will be able to handhold other countries and come up with great  ideas, offer leadership and help remove the great scourges of poverty, diseases, environmental degradation, climate change and poor infrastructure and development using technology and specifically the fallouts of space technology, across the different parts of the world.

And when I know that my friends are at pivotal positions in ISRO in its leap into space, it is a matter of great pride and contentment. The world can rest assured, India will not fail to live up to the global expectations !

ISRO in continuing its high performance streak, is carrying 13 US satellites weighing 195 kgs among a total of 22 satellites in June '16 aboard the PSLV. This will find no mention in US media as possibly  US' pride is affected.  Even China or European Space Agency does not have a reliable and low-cost launch program to help US. It is not that US (NASA) lacks the technical competence to reliably launch small satellites, they really lack cost competitiveness to match up to Indian prowess in this area. In all my follow up of global space ventures and expeditions, US is yet to address the "high launching cost" issue ! And as long as they can afford, they never would care to address it too.. 

The global tech trend is towards sending lighter hi-tech satellites as communication and more processes and phenomena are getting digitised and turning to IoT for control ..

It's not far when US space program will become too costly and redundant, if not irrelevant !! 

george..

Who can craft the new Indian growth story ?

India's best bet duo to retain economic and political leadership of the world ..  

China has displaced US to retain #1 spot, India at #3, now has to displace both China and US to retain the position it held globally as the top global peaceful power till the beginning of the 18 th century .. (refer graph)

If China which became a Communist nation only 2 years after Indian independence from the British could grow to being the world's largest and most fearful (in the right sense ?) nation, it will not be long when India will rightfully be able to retain its top spot in peaceful means, the land of Budha and Ashoka..

My '11 blog on Dr Raghuram Rajan.

Cultural Revolution. China, '66-'76, 10 dark years .

Xi Jinping, following the founding policies of Mao ?

In 1966, China's Communist leader Mao Zedong launched what became known as the Cultural Revolution in order to reassert his authority over the Chinese government. 

From Oct 1, 1949 since the founding of the people's Republic of China, Mao held a strong hand in the one party rule in China led by the communist Party. 

Almost a million Chinese perished in this cultural surge of 10 years from '66 - '76.. 

Is the present incumbent Xi Jinping doing the same thing ?

Good for the rest of the world !

george..

Why Indian research in Space tech is world class

No Indian University finds mention in the top 200 Universities of the world. No scientific Institute from India finds mention in the top 50 Institutes in India. Yet we do cutting edge research in space technology, material science, agriculture, energy and get laurels from around the world.

Some questions come to my mind every now and then. We are not a spent force, we can do things. But where is the missing link, why are we a failure when it comes to publicising our knowledge ?

I have been thinking loud and have some points listed here. Would love to get feedback to add more.

1. Why is it that Indian research does not find its way to global journals or recognition. ?

2. Is the greatness of a Uty or an institute to be judged slely on the research output from its faculty ? Or does the research output of its students also need to be taken into consideration ?

Low number of researchers  ??

3. Do our Universities and academic institutions have the right ambience to promote knowledge generation, spreading and its storage and retrieval ?

4. Is generating knowledge solely a personal matter or do societies need to be acknowledged for that ?

5. From an individualised world and thinking, do we need to go to a societal thinking and promote knowedge for the sake of the common good and not personal benefit and wealth ?

6. As a society are we too much obsessed about personal freedom and liberty than personal contribution in return to society, especially knowledge ?

7. Do we need to move away from the text book, classroom, professor, exam system of teaching to one of experimentation and free learning environments ?

8. Is our society giving enough preference to knowledge and research as much as in other countries ?

I welcome suggestions and thoughts from anybody in this area. How can we promote a culture of inquisitiveness and learning where all can contribute and help in the development of society and humanity as a whole instead of individual nations and individual citizens ?

George.

An attempt to contain China ..

India exhibiting technological prowess

Notorious China which has the ignominous history of attacking a 'peaceful' India in 1962 and providing clandestine technological support to the failed states of Pakistan and North Korea throughout the past five six decades, is at a great loss presently, unable to react to the news of the success of India's mini space shuttle, the scaled down experimental version, the RLV-TD HEX-1, as it neither has the technology, expertise, competence, proficiency, skill, know-how, capability or wherewithal to check or compete with its Southern neighbour. But it is too early to decide whether China has lost the space race. 

Is it necessary for China to boss around the world ?

Developing superior and advanced technology inaccessible to China (intellectually or clandestinely) is the only way China can be contained especially when it tries to flex it's muscles continuously in the South China Sea and against its South Asia neighbours ..

China's political failure, overshadowing it's economic success and the continuous pressure on it to provide for its large population can be understood by the world, but not it's  undisciplined, unruly, disruptive, boisterous, thuggish, ruffian and high-handed nature of trying to intimidate it's neighbours.

The shift in balance of power southward, should not be a matter of concern, neither to China or the world at large, as India inheriting a great and peaceful civilization, culture, enlightenment and displaying great erudition and understanding, has over the past ten millennia been propagating peace and prosperity throughout the world. It has never invaded or attacked a foreign country.

An intelligent Chinese leadership should be able to immediately learn a lesson or two quickly to save it's face and avoid tensions across the civilized world. 🙏🏻🙏🏻

George..

IIT Bombay visit .. may '16.

The well done corridors , IDC side

It was pleasant visiting IIT Bombay, my alma mater after four long years in May '16.

Neat logo at Victor Menezes
Hall entrance.

The Institute now has a new building Victor Menezes hall where lot of programmes are conducted. The day I visited Monday, May 23, 16, classes were in full swing and the auditorium was locked. I am hopeful that one day a building in my name also will come up at IITB !! :)

Many new constructions are coming up. Great to also learn that IIT Bombay is still among the most sought after IIT in the country. I did not have the good fortune to do my graduation there, but carried out the finishing stages of my Uty education with a PhD at ITB during 1998-2003.

Fmr Citibank CEO and IITB
alumnus, doing his 
bit for IITB ..

Mech Engg. Dept buildings,
where I sat for 5 years, 
getting dilapidated ..
Urgent action needed ...

The canteen is the same, the quality of food has not changed a bit. I remembered the stale taste of canteen food and its superb tea. Could not visit the Nescafe stall which I used to frequent with Prof NRR, Prof. Gaitonde, Prof NH and friends. I do not remember how many Research Scholars Forum (RSF) high level meetings were held in the lawns facing the Lecture theatre behind the main buildings in the evenings. This was the place where I brought my son Easaw George and used to play Frisbee with him.

The lawns need more maintenance maybe, because of the extreme heat in Bombay.

The greenery is getting threatened with concrete buildings coming up (as there is pressure for more classrooms and halls and new constructions are making their appearance everywhere.)

Lawns are not being cared for.. Please ..

I could not visit Hostel 1 where I spent a lot of my single life !.

I do not know whether leopards still keep visiting the hostels and the campus.

From Dean Acad office. view of LT lawns

My main supervisor, Prof Rangaraj (Dean, Academic Prog) was in Hyderabad and my co-supervisor Prof Hemachandra. Prof Awate also was not available. Met Prof Subash Babu and took his blessings. Prof Gaitonde was in US.

Went around the campus, which brought strong old memories of being Coordinator for the Research Scholars Forum (RSF) in IIT Bombay, the second person to hold that post (1989) since starting RSF in 1998.

Glad that the Institute is growing in reputation and the quality of output with each passing year.

george.

Corridor, Library side..

 

What differentiates Indian Science and Technology!!

How India carried out the RLV launch neat and cool ?

During the nineties and the first decade of the new millennium, US govt spent on an average $1300 million for each Space Shuttle launch. This was a big drain on US govt. during the past two decades. They spent likewise for all 135 launches incurring huge bills, $195 billion, to be precise. Not were all of these launches perfect, many were failures, due to imperfect technology. 

This pic sums up ISRO's noble intention - provide low cost
access to space.

It is indeed sad, US had to retire this brilliant innovative programme too, like the Apollo mission, due to poor track performance and exorbitant costs. This is the biggest lesson India will need to learn. The test flight this time for India cost just 1% of US costs !! The other scientifically advanced nations from Europe, Japan, China etc are yet to explore this realm of space and will look upto India to give them a helping hand in low cost exploration of space. 

launch moment ..

Even SpaceX's endeavour of a reusable vehicle has not been of the winged type and it's experiments were 4.5 times costlier than Indian RLV-TD at 45 million GB Pounds (though its reliability is very low with the second launch being a massive failure, bursting at launch).

We have successfully indigenously developed working technologies to help perfect hypersonic (from > Mach 5 speed) landings for the scaled down version.

The greatest advantage for Indian space research has been, besides best technology and smart and excellent brains, our capability to keep costs low. Indians are aeons ahead of the rest of the world in cost management. The performance-to-cost ratio of Indian brains is incomparable to the rest of the world, being much higher than other countries.

The Indian mini-space-shuttle being towed
for integrating with the launch vehicle ....

Another objection to Indian achievement is that they are not innovative. Their designs may not be innovative, but their technologies are, which they are yet to disclose (like the Thorium route to atomic energy). Failures lead to great learning but they have had less failures in space. That is a minor drawback. Maybe for tough future endeavours they may face failures and learn from it.

Kudos to the Kerala team of 600 engineers who made this dream possible ! The world can expect great leadership and great innovation benefiting mankind to come out of ISRO in the future.

Does being street-smart sum up the superlative performance of the Indian scientific community ? (the comments I got from the student community when we discussed this development in the Service operations class)

Even though statements have come on the Internet belittling this indigenous effort of ISRO, what India can now say is , we have come and we will stay here ..  Moreover India has come to provide leadership and not run away and retire programmes due to exorbitant costs ! Cost Management will remain India's top priority ..

Read the BBC report calling this launch as that of a mini space shuttle ! In a way it is true, but not thoroughly ..

In the meantime, Western nations need to look at how they can improve the performance-cost-ratio of their human resources, if they ever think of competing with India  !

george..

Tim Cook, good motives ?

Why is Tim Cook in India now ?

Apple's sales have slowed and gone down for the first time in about 35 years. There is no future for Apple in the western world. Tim Cook wants to take the people of China and India for a ride to boost his company's fortunes.

Some of the unintelligent among us, especially the politicians, may fall for his game plan, but not the saner ones !

Tim Cook, we would have been open to you, had you come here during better times. Now we know your ulterior motives and can see through your game plan.

Please, you are unwelcome to India .. 😟😟

Ge

Image of how the Bangalore metro will develop ..

Great message for all 50+ ers

*LIFE AFTER 50*
An interesting article.

Life can begin at 55,
it is all in your hands! Many people feel unhappy, health-wise and security-wise, after 60 years of age, owing to the diminishing importance given to them and their opinions.
But, it need not be so, if only we understand the basic principles of life and follow them scrupulously.

Here are ten *mantras* to age gracefully and make life after retirement pleasant.

*1. Never say I am aged':*
There are three ages, chronological, biological, and psychological. The first is calculated based on our date of birth; the second is determined by the health conditions; the third is how old we feel we are. While we don't have control over the first, we can take care of our health with good diet, exercise and a cheerful attitude. A positive attitude and optimistic thinking can reverse the third age.

*2. Health is wealth:*
If you really love your kith and kin, taking care of your health should be your priority. Thus, you will not be a burden to them. Have an annual health check-up and take the prescribed medicines regularly. Do take health insurance coverage.

*3. Money is important:*
Money is essential for meeting the basic necessities of life, keeping good health and earning family respect and security. Don't spend beyond your means even for your children. You have lived for them all through and it is time you enjoyed a harmonious life with your spouse. If your children are grateful and they take care of you, you are blessed. But, never take it for granted.

*4. Relaxation and recreation:*
The most relaxing and recreating forces are a healthy religious attitude, good sleep, music and laughter. Have faith in God, learn to sleep well, love good music and see the funny side of life.

*5. Time is precious:*
It is almost like holding a horses' reins. When they are in your hands, you can control them. Imagine that everyday you are born again. Yesterday is a cancelled cheque. Tomorrow is a promissory note. Today is ready cash - use it profitably. Live this moment; live it fully, now, in the present time.

*6. Change is the only permanent thing:*
We should accept change - it is inevitable. The only way to make sense out of change is to join in the dance. Change has brought about many pleasant things. We should be happy that our children are blessed.

*7. Enlightened selfishness:*
All of us are basically selfish. Whatever we do, we expect something in return. We should definitely be grateful to those who stood by us. But, our focus should be on the internal satisfaction and the happiness we derive by doing good for others, without expecting anything in return. Perform a random act of kindness daily.

*8. Forget and forgive:*
Don't be bothered too much about others' mistakes. We are not spiritual enough to show our other cheek when we are slapped in one. But for the sake of our own health and happiness, let us forgive and forget them. Otherwise, we will be only increasing our blood pressure.

*9. Everything has a purpose:*
Take life as it comes. Accept yourself as you are and also accept others for what they are. Everybody is unique and is right in his own way.

*10. Overcome the fear of death:*
We all know that one day we have to leave this world. Still we are afraid of death. We think that our spouse and children will be unable to withstand our loss. But the truth is no one is going to die for you; they may be depressed for some time. Time heals everything and they will go on.

Pass to all 50+ you  know 🙏😊

RLV - TD - Go India Go !!

This Monday 23 May, 2016 at 9.30 am, the scaled down version (technology demonstrator) of India's mini space shuttle (Reusable Launch Vehicle) will make its first experimental flight from Sriharikotta. Keeping fingers crossed !

After the failed and retired  US' Space Shuttle Mission (after 135 flights) and the failed Elon Musk's Space X' Falcon rocket, will India have to offer technological cost based leadership to handhold and guide global space research yet again ? 🙏🏻

While a grim-eyed US watches with bated breath at India's attempt to offer technological leadership, the global economic super power China is dumbfounded, lost yet again ! (that partly explains it's military buildup near Indian borders in a show-off to flex muscles)

A big thumbs-up and good wishes to all my ISRO friends !! You can !!

george ..

Pavagada solar energy farm in Karnataka - world's largest !!

It was interesting to learn of India's and world's largest solar farm spread over 12000 acres in Pavagada near Tumkur, Karnataka with capacity to generate 2000 MW by 2020 at a cost of 13,000 crores INR ($2 billion). The project is being implemented for 1500 MW by National Thermal Power Corp of India, NTPC.

China is developing it's largest 200 MW solar plant in Gobi desert N China. Even the Kochi airport is just 12 MW in comparison..

The first 500 MW will be released to Karnataka grid by September '17.

Click for the map here ..

India's great strides to solve it's energy needs through green, safe, solar energy means is definitely what the world also needs !

Click for Deccan Chronicle article 

Instead of procuring the land from the farmers, in a really novel method, land has been taken on lease from the farmers at an annual rate of Rs 21,000 per acre. This will ensure that the farmers will also be willing to spare their land, which they are sure will get appreciated over time as energy brings prosperity not only to their state but the entire state.

Click for the Hindu link here ..

Go India Go !!

US Space Shuttle and India's RLV ..

Over 135 missions, US proved and confirmed
that it's Space Shuttle reusable vehicle
programme is a total disaster and unreliable..

Criticising the Space Shuttle is punching America in the face - Forbes mag.. 

NASA spent $196 billion on their failed, unreliable and overspent Space Shuttle mission (flew a total of 135 missions through 5 shuttles), at a claimed cost of $450 million for each mission on an average (the actual cost was $1.3 billion per flight).

At the launch pad

And who paid for all these, the Saudis and OPEC countries ..

India's preliminary Reusable Launch Vehicle (unmanned and one fifth the original size) due for launch on 23 may, 9.30 am IST,  has so far incurred a cost of INR 95 crores, which is app $15 million. (just 1.1% of US' app $1300 million per flight of the failed mission).

True, the failed space shuttle, deserves it's final resting place in the Smithsonian National air and Space muse um in Wash. DC.

ge..

E Sridharanji ..

THE METRO MAN - E SREEDHARAN- FINALLY HANGS HIS BOOTS (and the world accepts him with open hands as Advisor to the United Nations at age 82)

A legend hangs up his boots On the last day of this month (in 2012/13) Finally, Elattuvalapil Sreedharan has been allowed to retire, at the age of 79. A man who built the Calcutta Metro, Konkan Railway and the Delhi Metro. But he is best remembered for re-building in just 46 days the Pamban bridge which in 1963 was blown away by a cyclone into the sea.

Here is a man who is honest to the core, brooked no nonsense and set an example for others. A true leader who walked his talk. He truly deserves the Bharat Ratna. Now he is going to Kerala to fulfill the dreams of Mallus "The Kochin Metro "

The Metro man - E Sridharan ...

India has much gratitude for this great engineer. He is known as the The "metro man of India". He is quite a sensational project manager, who almost always gets the project completed on time or before schedule. He fought all the delays caused by bureaucratic red tape, corruption and lack of funds.
 

Sreedharan's willpower has moved mountains. He is not just a dreamer but also a builder, but most of all, one who has dedicated his achievements to every Indian. He stands out as a legend in Indian Engineering history. His major projects being the Delhi Metro and the Konkan Railways.

This 75+ year-old Managing Director of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation only desires the progress of his country. He wanted Delhi to have a world-class metro rail project to change the meaning of urban transport in India. And he did it.

With his wife ..

The Konkan Railway project came to him in his retirement. It was a challenging task----760 km of rail tracks from Mumbai to Kochi through the rugged hills of the Western Ghats. This project was found as not feasible, by the British engineers in pre-independence era. But for Sreedharan nothing was impossible.

Environmentalists protested, politicians said it cannot be done and the project ran short of money. Sreedharan raised public bonds to finance it, taking everyone ahead. Kiran Bedi explains why Sreedharan is worthy of the title: "He is not in his 40s or 50s, but he is in his 70s, a time when we normally retire. Sreedharan has given the best metro concept for the railway of the country with integrity, vision, with commitment and with remarkable professional skills. There is no other person better than him in this category."

Sreedharan insists he does not have any special skills to get the best out of people. "I always found that people cooperate if you work for a good cause," he says. Sreedharan studied in an ordinary school & college and later on took his civil engineering degree from a govt engineering college. But he went on to become the boss for hundreds of IIM, IIT graduates!

So dedicated and disciplined ..

People still wonder what really makes him tick at 80 while a young man in his 20's struggles to begin his day at 6 or 7 in the morning. Sreedharan's day starts at 4 am, meditation and Bhagwad Gita.

He reaches office at 9:30 am and gets straight to work. In the evening, he usually takes a long walk with his wife Radha and allots time to his family of four children. He used to set up reverse clocks to show impending deadlines to his project members during Delhi Metro construction phase.
 

The message of the Gita: To act, without desire for the fruits of the action gave him the courage to act.

A plate placed in his Kerala office read as: 'Whatever to be done, I do. But in reality I do not do anything'.

India says thank you sir.

In native attire in his h0me town Pattambi..

Government of India may or may not award him the Bharat Ratna. But for the countless millions that have travelled on the Pamban bridge, Kolkata Metro, Konkan Railways and Delhi Metro and for the knowledgeable public he is already a Bharat Ratna - a real gem of the rarest variety.

==================== (adapted from the Internet)

The GoI confers Bharat Ratna on worthless people. He is much above Bharat Ratna (along with Dr. Varghese Amul Kurien, Vikram Sarabhai and Homi J Bhabha).

Not over !! After getting retired from GoI at age 79, he was not spared by other metros where he continues to be Advisor particularly in Southern States.

Now at age 82, he has been invited by Ban ki Moon, UN Secretary General to be the Advisor for Sustainable Transport to the UN for 3 years which Sridharanji has accepted. Busy till age 85 !!

All the best Sir !!

Can China block India's NSG membership ?

Why is it that China still believes it can boss around with India on nuclear issue when China's nuclear proliferation issue is under cloud ? 

Dictatorial tendencies .. ??

Through all of history, China has never overtaken India except during the last two centuries and it makes better economic and political  sense for China to hold hands with India, the world's largest, vibrant  and most dynamic democracy and the fastest growing economy, than counter it ..

Hope Xin Jinping sees sense and works for a safe, secure and prosperous China, trailing behind India if it works with India !

The Business Standard article

Click here for the Economist article on the dictatorial tendencies being exhibited by Xi Jinping..

It will do good for the world if China controls itself and does not embark on a misadventure..

ge..

When not sure, keep quiet..

Facts about Somalia and Kerala. Criminal ignorance, that is why Modi is being kicked on social media ! I wonder whether he is the PM of the country or the PM of a political party only ? 

In fact the infant mortality rate of tribals in Kerala is better off than Modi's state Gujarat, which he ruled and destroyed in 10 years.

Click on this article for more updates ..

Kerala social indicators have been compared  with that of state of New York in US and here comes a PM who is more than happy to downplay such achievements, all to grab power ..

Should the PM be talking of his country like this ? When to keep the mouth shut is also an art of governing .. The people of Kerala are agitated by this wrong reference to the state by the PM of the country, who does not know much of developmental economics, only on monetary economics.

From wikipedia : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerala_model

The Kerala model of development, is the style of development that has been practised in the southern Indian state of Kerala.
This state has achieved improvements in material conditions of living, reflected in indicators of social development, comparable to those of many developed countries, even though the state's per capita income is low in comparison to them.^[1] Achievements such as low levels of infant mortality and population growth, and high levels of literacy and life expectancy, along with the factors responsible for such achievements have been considered characteristic results of the Kerala model.^[1][2]
More precisely, the Kerala model has been defined as:

• A set of high material quality-of-life indicators coinciding with low per-capita incomes, both distributed across nearly the entire population of Kerala.
• A set of wealth and resource redistribution programmes that have largely brought about the high material quality-of-life indicators.
• High levels of political participation and activism among ordinary people along with substantial numbers of dedicated leaders at all levels. Kerala's mass activism and committed cadre were able to function within a largely democratic structure, which their activism has served to reinforce.^[2]

ge..

Will TESLA totally disrupt the automobile and manufacturing industry ?

TESLA is doing things in scale and size. It is mind boggling how they are giving the giants Toyota, GM, VW, Ford and others a run for their money.

Economies of scale will push costs down, making it more affordable for the common man. Model 3 now retails for about $ 35,000 in US. With some more research into manufacturing and battery integration, the costs can be brought down to even $10,000, making it a hit in India and China.

Click here for the NG Megafactories of the future video .. a 5.8 million sq ft factory, the biggest in the world under one roof.

It is shocking and at the same time exhilarating.. Will TESLA take over autombile production in the world with cheap electric cars that has almost zero running costs. With production to touch 200,000 cars (to be scaled up greatly  later) by 2017 from under a single roof and economies of scale making TESLA Model 3 affordable for the population in China and India, what will be the future of automobile industry and manufacturing ?

Click on the latest on the Tesla giga factory ..

Where is TESLA taking us with his good intentions to care for the environment. ?

george..

British excuse on their incompetence - Kochi Int'l airport case .

I happened recently to watch this documentary from BBC on the insolation of the Kochi International Airport in Kochi, Kerala, india. Click here for the BBC video ..

What a shame BBC on you ? Instead of accepting that before any other airport in the world has ever attempted the insolation of their international airports, Kochi has done it successfully, BBC finds a silly excuse in the video and says it is because energy is costly that India has gone for the solar route. Elsewhere energy is cheap and so they do not feel the pressure to innovate ! Instead of accepting Indian novelty and innovation in a super critical application area, it is very disheartening to find BBC playing the achievement down. 

Come on, you still have your historical mindsets from the old times !

46,000 solar panels powering Kochi Int'l airport ..

Instead of accepting that India had the wherewithal, brains, innovation, mindset, determination, discipline and technology to implement the world's first and ONLY solar powered  international airport, you are  belittling Indian efforts by claiming the excuse of low energy costs in your country as a demotivator for innovation in the energy area.

If you can understand, try to catch this quote on incompetence. By belittling Indian efforts, let me tell you, Britain, you are going back and killing your own competence and efforts. 

Already on GDP, India is at #3 position in the world after China and US in that order, while Britain is at a dismal #10. Yes Britain is still in its earlier imperialistic mindset, building towers of nothing..

george

Pretension ..

Pretension is a survival strategy for the weak-minded and over-ambitious - George Easaw

Most of the people resort to pretension as a strategy in their lives. Why ? Basically we pretend lot of things when we have to achieve much but do not have the wherewithal or resources to achieve them. 

Here are some quotes from great thinkers in history who have enlightened us as to how dangerous pretension could be. It can kill a person by spreading incorrect facts of his abilities and strengths.