Uday Rana's Blog

What is Life and do we really understand it?

2010-03-01T18:56:00.006+05:30

What is Life? Where am i heading next in my life? What has destiny planned for me? Will i be able fulfill my dreams? What is the purpose of each human life? What happens after death?

Well, these are a some of the few questions that have been running at the back of my mind since long. Do all of us even think or care about these questions? Should we have answers to them.

Being a nomadic mind explorer by nature i would say, YES i want to know the answers to all these questions. I've realized over the years thinking about these things that i've matured as an individual to a great extent. My respect for life and it's creations has tremendously increased.

Some of the answers i could discover are that Life is short; Nothing except change is permanent; Destiny has to offer you things which you desire badly; The purpose of each human being is to accomplish a certain dream of his without which he is as good as dead; Life is like a mirror, you see good things if you are a good person and vice-versa......

Recently some sudden tragic deaths around me has led to believe no one will survive forever and for long as he imagines. The greatest truth of all is Every inidividual comes alone and shall leave alone irrespective of the extent of his material possessions.

We are the captains of our own ship and can steer it to any direction in the wide ocean of life.
My only suggestion to all out there is to enjoy life in any manner that you may deem fit for yourself. The time is ticking away so fast that we cant predict the next moment.
And the best way to stay happy would be to do take decisions of your life on your own and not get dictated by others. Be confident, gather courage and go for it friend.

But with freedom comes responsibility. We have to create balance such that our decision do no harm to any other and rather creates much more happiness around.

We should introspect our inner self's as soon as possible, before it would be too late. It's important to find one's burning desires in life for which one is passionate and execute them soon. You cant predict whether you'll be able to reach there but what if you can, think of that day and strive harder for it. We have a limited vision, so just keep moving. And don't wait for the results but enjoy the journey/struggle to achieve your goals (coz' that's what really matters). Don't forget to keep faith in a higher force to give you the power to fight all odds.

I'll close by saying that i've practically applied all these thoughts to my life and i find that my life has a direction and meaning to it. I'm running straight (not exactly maybe Zig Zag ;-)) for my GOAL/ Desire. Will keep all of u posted the day i reach there (if u reach earlier than me to your goal, do tell me too)............Best of Luck to all !!

Does True Love really exists in this world ??

2010-02-28T19:42:00.005+05:30

Well seeing the topic of the article many readers would think, "Oh my god! One more heart broken soul.....blogging away his anger".

I won't say that's not the case. Yes, it is. But i want to explore this topic a bit more.

Let's first try n understand what is True Love actually.
The image that comes to mind when someone mentions true love is of two inspired individuals, fatefully drawn to each other and ready to risk their lives for the other person’s sake - in essence, Romeo and Juliet. Despite the prevalence of this perception, I have never actually witnessed such a perfect relationship in real life. The closest thing I can think of is something I term “pure love”: love that contains the boundless excitement that only a child can experience.

The good part is that i did experience such love this last time. and the sad part is lost it soon . But is it an experience that succumbs to the harsh realities of life (practical life)? I've seen many close friends fall in love (as they call it) and then the girl deciding to marry someone else for monetary preferences. I guess the so called, Urban Indian girls have got it straight that let's focus on Money. Love is something that they would create/buy later with those financial resources, i guess.

But there is a twist to this tale too. Most of such relationships based on money, greed and lust do not long for much time. I can understand why. Over the past 2 years i've heard a million stories in which the girl ditches the guy and then finds herself trapped in a marriage where she is not happy and regrets. Maybe that's why they say, "Life comes back to you, always".

Now when i'm 26, i see a lot of people getting married around. I wish them all the luck for their happy married life's. I pray that they re-write the Love stories in such good notes, that people start believing in the feeling of love once again.

Being an optimistic by nature, i would say to all who've fallen for girls who left them wounded and bleeding that maybe someone, somewhere out there is waiting for you and is ready to show you the doors to heaven.

At the end, i would say i'm still trying to explore whether True Love exists or not.........

Tribute to Michael Jackson from his biggest Fan !

2010-02-28T19:09:00.004+05:30

Michael Jackson is the King of Pop. This is not a title that he gave himself. It was given to him by his millions of fans around the world and by his peers, among whom he has no equal. How did he get the title, you ask? He came by it the old fashioned way. He earned it! No other performer in history has generated the massive sales that he has. No other performer in history has received as many awards and accolades as he has. No other performer in history draws the kind of excitement and mass hysteria that he does. And no other performer in history has done so much in the way of humanitarian efforts than he has. There has never been one like him before, and there will never be one like him again. He is in a class all by himself.

Michael became a superstar at an age when most other children are learning things like the alphabet and how to count to 20. Born on August 29, 1958 he was the seventh child in a family of nine. Michael and his older brothers (Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, and Marlon) were thrust into the spotlight when their father, Joseph Jackson, a steel mill worker in Gary, Indiana, formed a singing group out of his sons and called them The Jackson 5. Even though Michael was the youngest, it became immediately obvious that he had something special. Armed with a magical voice mature beyond its tender years and a crowd-charming charisma that rivaled any seasoned entertainer, little Michael lead his brothers from winning local talent contests to a recording contract with Motown Records in the late 1960's. The group quickly began turning out hit after hit for their new record label and remained a hit-making machine throughout the '70's. During their time at Motown, Michael also began a successful solo recording career that would run parallel to his work with his brothers.

In 1976, the Jacksons left Motown and signed with Epic Records where they continued to crank out one hit after another.

In 1978 Michael ventured into film when he starred opposite Diana Ross in The Wiz, an African-American remake of the Wizard of Oz. The film itself was unexceptional but it did put Michael on a collision course with destiny because it introduced him to legendary producer Quincy Jones who arranged the film's score.

Michael and Quincy collaborated on his next solo project, 'Off The Wall.' And with that album Michael was immediately transformed from a cute little kid act into an adult superstar. The album was released in 1979 to critical praise for its crossover blending of soul and rock and its non-stop boogie grove. With the help of number one hits "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough" and "Rock With You", the album sold 10 million copies and went multiplatinum. It's hard to believe that any artist could top a success like that.

But in 1982, that's just what Michael did with the release of a monster of an album called 'Thriller.' 'Thriller' broke all kinds of records. To date, it has sold more than 108 million copies worldwide (that's more than any other album before it or since). The album spawned a record six top ten singles and spent a record breaking 37 weeks at number one. It remains the best selling album of all time. That year Michael also won an unprecedented eight Grammy Awards - 7 for 'Thriller' and 1 for 'E.T.-The Storybook Album.' Much of Thriller's success was due, in part, to a new thing called music videos. Hits like "Billie Jean," "Beat It," and "Thriller" came alive before our very eyes when paired with a cool story line and Michael's amazing dancing ability. Michael's short films not only helped pioneer the video medium but also broke MTV's color barrier in the process. 'Thriller' made Michael Jackson an American pop icon.

So, what do you do after recording the number one best-selling album in history? You record the number two best-selling album in history, of course! 'Bad,' Michael's next solo project released in 1987, sold over 25 million copies worldwide and included the hit singles "I Just Can't Stop Loving You," "The Way You Make Me Feel," and "Man In The Mirror." Accompanied by his first ever solo world tour (the biggest concert tour in history), the Bad album generated 5 consecutive number one hits (a feat unequalled since).

In 1991, with his next album, 'Dangerous,' Michael continued the astronomical sales figures with 23 million copies sold worldwide. With Dangerous came more state of the art videos and another amazing concert tour in 1992.

In 1993 Michael made TV history when the notoriously private superstar sat down for a 90-minute live interview with talk show host extraordinaire, Oprah Winfrey. The interview was conducted from Michael's home, Neverland Valley Ranch in Santa Ynez, California and was the most watched program of 1993 attracting nearly 100 million viewers around the world. Also in 1993 Michael became the first major recording artist to perform the Super Bowl halftime show, giving the Super Bowl it's largest television audience to date.

In 1995, Michael released his most ambitious project yet. 'HIStory Past, Present and Future Book I' was a massive double album containing 15 of Michael's greatest hits from his previous four albums and 15 brand new songs. 'HIStory' saw Michael turning a corner creatively as the 15 new songs were some of the most personal songs he has ever recorded. By January of 1996, 'HIStory' had been certified six times platinum in the United States alone and it is still the most successful double album of all time.

In May of 1997 Michael released 'Blood On The Dance floor: HIStory In The Mix.' The album contained 5 new songs (some of the best work he's ever done, according to many critics), and 8 remixes from 'HIStory.' Some saw this remix CD as a brilliant idea because it brought a two-year-old album back to the forefront. Also in the spring of 1997, Michael and his brothers (the Jackson 5) were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Artists become eligible for induction 25 years after the release of their first record. In December of 1997 Michael's most ambitious video ever was released. The video, or short film, was 'Ghosts' and it included one song from the 'HIStory' album and two songs from the 'Blood On The Dancefloor' album. The video contained a really cool storyline in which Michael played several of the main characters himself. 1997 also saw the beginning of a whole new world for Michael on a personal level. In February of that year his wife Debbie, whom he had married in November of 1996, gave birth to their first child, a son named "Prince" Michael Joseph Jackson Jr. A daughter, Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson, followed in April of 1998. Michael has said that fatherhood is his greatest dream come true.

2001 was another big year for Michael. First, in the spring of that year, Michael was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the second time; this time as a solo artist. Then, in celebration of his 30th Anniversary as a solo artist, Michael attended two "tribute" concerts on the 7th and 10th of September. During these concerts many of Michael's famous friends, and some of the biggest names in the music industry, paid tribute to him by performing his songs. The real treat for fans however, came toward the end of the concerts when the King took to the stage himself; performing first with his brothers and then with such stars as N'Sync, Brittney Spears and Usher. In October of 2001 Michael finally released his long awaited new album, 'Invincible.' Overall, 'Invincible' had a nice, smooth R&B vibe going on; very reminiscent of his 'Off The Wall' days. Unfortunately, disputes between artist and label prevented 'Invincible' from receiving the promotion that it deserved, resulting in low record sales. (NOTE: Keep in mind that when talking about Michael, the phrase "low record sales" is relative because his sales figures are always astronomical. Therefore, "low" for him is, in fact, quite well for most other artists).

In 2002 Michael became a father again when his third child was born; a son named Prince Michael II, known affectionately as 'Blanket.'

In November of 2003, Michael released a Greatest Hits compilation called 'Number 1's.' This album included 16 previously released tracks spanning his career from 'Off The Wall' through 'Invincible;' plus the new single, "One More Chance." It also included a live version of his #1 hit "Ben" on the US pressing and "Blood On The Dance Floor" on the European pressing.

2004 was yet another busy year. March saw the release of the DVD 'Michael Jackson-The One.' The DVD featured 44 minutes taken from a CBS special, footage from the HIStory Tour and behind-the-scenes footage. In April Michael was presented with a Golden Elephant for his work fighting AIDS in Africa by the AASA (African Ambassadors' Spouses Association). In November the eagerly awaited 'Michael Jackson: The Ultimate Collection' finally arrived. This 5 disc anthology is packed with songs that span the entire extraordinary career of the King of Pop (from 1969-2004). It also includes early demos of some favorite hits plus several rare gems never released before. Also in November, Michael was inducted into the UK's first Hall Of Fame for Music.

Back in 1993, Michael had faced false accusations of child molestation. Formal charges were never brought against him and the case was settled out of court. Unfortunately, Thomas Sneddon, the District Attorney for Santa Barbara County, began a decade long vendetta. With the truth being wildly debated, the news media around the world became an unwitting accomplice in this plot to "bring down" the world's biggest superstar. The world press painted a target on Michael Jackson's back and it was only a matter of time before someone took aim. Forever trusting, and eager to lend a hand to those in need, Michael opened his heart and his home to another family who, in turn, took advantage of his kindness. At this same time, he also opened his life up to a tabloid videographer. What followed were cruel and hurtful accusations, criminal charges and a lengthy court trial that proved physically and mentally exhausting for Michael, his family, and his fans around the world. However, on June 13 2005, after ten days of deliberations, Michael was acquitted when the jury in the case against him came back with a verdict of NOT GUILTY on all counts. After five months of testimony the celebrity trial of the century had finally come to an end and Michael Jackson was a free man.

In 2006 Sony-BMG Europe released 20 of Michael's greatest hits on the new CD/DVD format. The box set was called 'Visionary: The Video Singles.' The singles were released over a five month period and the new "dual disc" format features the single on one side with the video on the other. Also, on Christmas Day in 2006 the Godfather of Soul, James Brown, passed away. James was one of the greatest influences on Michael's performance style. Speaking at the funeral Michael said, "James Brown was my greatest inspiration." He went on to recall that, as a child, his mother would call him to the TV and even wake him up if James Brown was on. "When I saw him move, I was mesmerized. I'd never seen a performer perform like James Brown, and right then and there, I knew that was exactly what I wanted to do for the rest of my life."

2007 saw much preparation for the 25th Anniversary of the biggest selling album of all time. In celebration of 'Thriller,' 25 years later, Michael appeared on the cover of several magazines around the world; among them Ebony (USA), L'Umo Vogue (Italy) and Rolling Stone (Japan).

In January of 2008, as part of the 25th Anniversary celebration, Michael allowed the song "Thriller" be used in an ad campaign for Sobe Life Water. The commercial, which featured cute little lizards (the logo for Sobe) doing the Thriller dance with supermodel Naomi Campbell, aired during the Super Bowl and was voted as one of the favorites of the evening. The album, 'Thriller 25,' was released worldwide in early February 2008. This new release featured the original album plus 7 new bonus tracks, 6 of them previously unreleased. Some of the new bonus tracks featured remixes by Akon, will.i.am, Kanye West, and Fergie. 'Thriller' has definitely stood the test of time because this 25 year old album held on to the number one or number two position on album charts around the world for the first three weeks of it's release, proving once again that Michael Jackson truly is, and will always remain, the one and only King of Pop!

2009 promised to be a special year for Michael and his millions of fans all over the world. In March of that year, Michael announced that he would be performing his last concerts in London during the summer of '09 at the O2 Arena. "This Is It," he called it! Fan response was so overwhelming that the announced number of shows quickly grew from 10 to 50 and all 50 shows sold out within a matter of a couple of hours. Fans around the world were filled with excitement and anticipation as this would be the King of Pop's first concert tour in 12 years.

Sadly, the "This Is It" tour was not meant to be. Just two weeks before opening night, on June 25, 2009 Michael Jackson was taken to the hospital with an apparent heart attack. Only moments later came the horrifying news that the King of Pop was, in fact, gone.

During the investigation that followed, it was determined that Michael died at the hands of his personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray. As the last person to see Michael alive, Murray has been the focal point of a police investigation since that tragic day in June. Murray admitted that he administered the powerful hospital anesthetic propofol and other sedatives to Michael, as he was a chronic insomniac, and struggled to sleep.

On Feb. 8, 2010, Murray pled not guilty to a charge of Involuntary Manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson. He entered his plea in Los Angeles Superior Court just hours after he was charged.

If convicted, Murray will only face four years in prison.

Our hearts are broken. We are overwhelmed with sadness. But we will ALWAYS remember the extraordinary talent of the greatest entertainer in the world and the sweet, gentle soul of the man. For there will truly never be anyone else like him.....EVER again.

" In the end, the most important thing is to be true to yourself and those you love and work hard. Work like there's no tomorrow. Train. Strive. Really train and cultivate your talent to the highest degree. Be the best at what you do. Get to know more about your field than anybody alive. Use the tools of your trade, if it's books or a floor to dance on or a body of water to swim in. Whatever it is, it's yours. That's what I've always tried to remember." (Michael Jackson)

Portions of this biography where taken from 'Michael Jackson, The Visual Documentary' by Adrian Grant, published by Omnibus Press.

This is what Uday thinks about how to live one's life.......

2010-02-28T18:33:00.003+05:30

It’s gotten to the point where it has become the norm in our society to complain about your job at the end of your day to your friends and family.

It’s normal. This is how it’s supposed to be. That’s how life is. There’s no other way around it. You can’t escape it. That’s why it’s called work they say.

Somewhere along the line it happened. It just did. You took a job and you got “stuck”, but you stayed with it even though you hated it.

You dread the thought of going to work Sunday evening. Your stomach sinks as you pull into the parking lot Monday morning. You count the seconds until the clock hits 5 in the afternoon.

How did all this happen? How did the young kid you saw in the family album, smiling ear to ear, without a care in the world, filled with hopes, desires, and dreams, how did it all go wrong? Where did it all go wrong? When did it all go wrong? Can we track our steps back to the source of the problem?

To do that, let’s paint the typical life that the majority of people go through.

You come into this world as a crying baby, you slowly learn how to walk, everyone tells you how cute you are, you go to school, you act in a school play, you play handball, you go to middle school, your body starts to change, you get curious about the opposite sex, you hang out with your friends, go to the movies, etc.

Then high school comes along and you start hearing the whispers from the adults.

“What are you going to do when you grow up?”
“What college are you going to?”
“What are you going to major in?”

The college conveyer belt begins.

“Get a degree and you’ll be set.”
“College is the answer to career success.”
“College will get you a high paying job and respect from the rest.”

With all this constantly being preached to our high school kids, and no other options being put on the table, they automatically begin to follow “the path”.

They get into college as an undeclared major or choose a “safe” major until they decide what to study.

This is where the paths of each student seemingly start to diverge, but in reality, are all part of the same path that most people go on.

Some students go to law school or med school because that’s what their parents told them to do.
Some students major in engineering for the money.
Some students major in computer science because it’s the current “hot trend”.
Some students major in liberal arts.

Case in point, all of them graduate and they begin to reap the seeds they’ve sowed.

The seeds of conformity.

And who can blame them? They don’t even realize it until its too late.

The student who became a lawyer or doctor soon despises it because it was not his choice to make, but he feels trapped due to the enormous amount of loans he has taken out to finance his education so he feels he has no choice but to press on.

The student who went for the major that proves to pay the most money, soon realizes it’s not all about the money. Money does not buy happiness. It enslaves people. It takes away time from them and their family. The MTV lifestyle he saw does not exist in reality.

The student who majored in the hot trend is a mix of the above two. He made the choice outside himself AND for the money.

Then come the students who major in liberal arts degrees, degrees that people on the outside deem as “useless” (i.e – “What are you going to do with a degree in philosophy?”) and they bitch and moan about how there are no jobs and soon realize that a college degree does not entitle you to anything. They find that work experience and marketable skills comprise of the other side of the “college coin” that nobody ever mentioned to them.

And one of the most unspoken things about the glories of college education that inevitably “shock” college graduates is the debt they incur and must pay back after they graduate. The average is roughly the same as paying off a loan used to buy a brand new entry level luxury vehicle with no money down.

Authority figures ranging from parents, to teachers, to counselors had good intentions when pushing students toward the college track because that’s what worked for them, for their generation, but not now.

Case in point, there’s a lot of post college disillusionment going on these days and rightfully so because most people felt they were “lied” to when they were young.

A couple months after they graduate from college, they sense that something was wrong with “the system”, that it did not deliver what it had promised them.

In an ideal world the educational system would be set up to “fit” each person with their ideal job/career. It might help identify potential entrepreneurs and encourage them to start their own businesses. It might help identify potential architects, designers, analysts, etc.

Using this approach, society AND the individual would benefit.

You would find the best fit for the best person while they are still young to set them on the right track and society in turn would get the best workers for the best jobs and the best entrepreneurs for the best businesses and the individual would be happy doing the work they were suited for, and doing a stand up job at it as well.

But again, that’s in an ideal society.

The educational system is outdated now. It is failing our children. It needs to be fixed. Colleges are proud of the fact that they don’t offer courses that will help in real life. And you’ll find that after talking with a lot of college graduates, that they never applied what they learned.

That’s not to say that all college is bad. College is great if you’re specializing in something – medicine, law, engineering and then there’s the intangibles of college that also help – network connections, job fairs, life-long friends, potential marriage mates, etc.

The educational system itself hasn’t failed completely; it’s just the mindset surrounding it that has failed as it has become outdated.

If the educational system has failed to keep up with current events, where can the solution be found next?

Again, in an ideal world, it would be the corporation.

The more corporations begin to realize that more than 80% of their workforce absolutely HATE their jobs, the more they realize this hatred leads to loss of time and money and productivity, the more that companies begin to realize that happy people are productive people and that happy people are those who like what they’re doing, the more they will start to invest in products and services geared toward fitting the right people in their companies with the right jobs within their companies, and the more happier both companies and workers, not to mention shareholders, will be.

Again, in an ideal society, all this would be great. But as we all know, we are not living in an ideal society. The world is changing too fast and the system can’t keep up.

Up to a certain point, you can blame the education system and all the proponents of it for putting you on the college conveyor belt.
Up to a certain point, you can blame the economy for putting you in a job you hate.
Up to a certain point, you can blame “the capitalist system” in general for your troubles.

But the hardest pill to swallow is that it’s up to YOU to find the job you love.

And that it was always up to you to do it. You were just too young to have realized it.

The trouble is nobody thinks for themselves and it’s hard to blame them because we are not taught to think for ourselves at a young age and it becomes that much harder to acquire this habit later on in life.

We are taught to conform. Individualistic thinking is discouraged. It’s dangerous to have people think for themselves in society.

And it’s not a conspiracy. It’s just the natural mechanics of any society. Look at any society and you will find this to be true.

Nobody is going to tell you the kind of job you love to do and in reality, nobody can do it for you because only you know yourself the best.

You need to take some time to do deep introspection. Look within first, then without to find something that matches. If you do it the opposite way, it’s a crapshoot. You might get lucky but chances are, you won’t find a match.

The common thread here on why so many people are in jobs they hate is because they conform in the sense they are taught the “look outside and automatically accept philosophy”, not the “look inside, then look outside to see what matches” individualistic type philosophy.

Imagine you’re in a shoe store and you buy a pair of rugged hiking boots that fit well above your ankles.

But you want to play tennis with these shoes. It’s not going to help is it? Plus the size of the shoe you bought is about 4 times too big.

Would it not make sense to decide FIRST what kind of shoe you want to buy based on the activity you plan to use it for?
To measure your size shoe to find the size that fits right?
To determine the color and style of it to match your own personality?

How ironic it is that we practice this “within, then without” philosophy when we buy our cars, our shoes, our clothes, but when it comes to something that we will be doing for half of our adult lives, we never apply the same philosophy.

Some people still don’t understand the importance of this “within, then without self introspection” philosophy and they start job hopping, wandering around, hoping it will all work out. Get some jobs as an administrative assistant, get a job in sales, marketing, customer service, hoping to find that “it” and while it may work sometimes, it takes a lot of time just because it’s like a blind man groping around every which way. True it may work and help, but it’s a long shot.

Still others cling to their jobs they hate like life jackets, afraid to take risks, to leave the safe job, and further compound their misery by piling themselves up in debt racking up purchases with their credit cards after being led to believe from advertisers that it will make them feel better about themselves. They still have the conformity mentality.

So what to do now?

Nobody is going to show you the way.
Nobody can really show you the way.
They can guide you, but it’s up to you to do it.

The system has failed. It’s up to you to create your own system.

The very first thing is to start thinking for yourself. Question things. Question the norm. Look within. Start doing things for yourself. This will be extremely hard because you’ve been conditioned your whole life to not do this. Go down paths you truly want to go despite what your friends and family will think about you.

Know that your path may look like a zig zag to yourself and to those close to you, but look at from sufficient distance and you will see it’s really a straight line leading you to where you want to be.

We have to think for ourselves. The sooner this is taught to our children, the better. Unfortunately, it’s simply not in society’s best interest to do this. Society functions well when there is conformity.

That’s not to say that the whole “go to college” mentality is bad. There is a glass ceiling for those without a college degree. Having a degree can open up a lot of doors and opportunities.

The point is to look within first, then without, in order to find a college and a major that matches accordingly.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with going college.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with not going to college.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with deciding to forge your own path after high school.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with any of the above choices provided it’s based on the inside - what you believe in, what kind of life you want, what you stand for, what you think you can do well, etc.

Some people lie down and give up, sticking to jobs they hate, and rationalize it any which way to make themselves feel better, but that proves to be futile. Who are you kidding? Your working life accounts for half your adult life and you’d be a fool to think it doesn’t impact other areas of your life. Your health, your friends, your family, relationships, finances, etc. It impacts all of it.

Would you spend half your day in an environment that is “toxic” to your mental, emotional, and even physical health and expect it not to impact your life?

I recently read on Yahoo that people spend $30,000 for a wedding. Keep in mind that a wedding lasts a single day. In fact, it lasts less then a day. They hire a caterer, wedding planner and plan for months, sometimes even years in advance and go all out.

Self introspection and the ability to truly think for yourself is probably one of the VERY best investments you can ever make in your entire life.

Don’t ever conform to other people’s wishes.

Look within and life will conform to your very own.

Hannah Montana / Miley Cyrus - The Climb Lyrics

2010-02-17T18:24:00.002+05:30

I can almost see it
That dream I'm dreaming but
There's a voice inside my head sayin,
You'll never reach it,
Every step I'm taking,
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking but I
Got to keep trying
Got to keep my head held high
There's always going to be another mountain
I'm always going to want to make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes I'm gonna to have to lose,
Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb

The struggles I'm facing,
The chances I'm taking
Sometimes might knock me down but
No I'm not breaking
I may not know it
But these are the moments that
I'm going to remember most yeah
Just got to keep going
And I, I got to be strong
Just keep pushing on, cause
There's always going to be another mountain
I'm always going to want to make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes I'm gonna to have to lose,
Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb (yeah)

There's always going to be another mountain
I'm always going to want to make it move
Always going to be an uphill battle,
Sometimes you going to have to lose,
Ain't about how fast I get there,
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb (yeah yeah ea ea)

Keep on moving
Keep climbing
Keep the faith baby
It's all about
It's all about
The climb
Keep the faith
Keep your faith

Address by the President of India, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil to Parliament

2009-06-11T15:25:00.003+05:30

Following is the text of the President of India, Smt. Pratibha Devisingh Patil’s address to the Joint Session of 15th Lok Sabha in New Delhi:
“Honourable Members,

1. I am extremely happy to address the first session of both Houses of Parliament after the elections to the 15th Lok Sabha. My greetings to all members, especially the newly elected members of the Lok Sabha. They are here having spent the last few months in the scorching heat trying to persuade their voters on how they could best represent the aspirations of their electorate. They now have the mandate and the opportunity to translate the hopes and aspirations of the people of India into change in the everyday lives of the people. It is indeed a unique privilege given to a chosen few to represent the hopes of over a billion people, a sixth of humanity.

2. I am sure that their anxieties, hopes and dreams will weigh on you as you commence your work. I urge you to use each day of the next five years in giving substance to those aspirations and in doing so, find greater meaning in your own lives. My good wishes are with you.

3. I congratulate the members of the Lok Sabha for unanimously electing the Speaker and that too a woman who is a Dalit with honourable credentials. This has enhanced the prestige of India's democratic traditions, that of the House and its members.

4. Last week the State of West Bengal was affected by a cyclone inflicting damage to lives and property. Let us convey our heartfelt sympathies to the bereaved families. My Government will extend all possible succour to the cyclone affected people of West Bengal.

5. I would like to congratulate the Election Commission and the lakhs of officials, who conducted the smooth and largely peaceful elections to the 15th Lok Sabha. Election to the Indian Parliament is truly the greatest festival of democracy in the world and this mammoth task has been executed exceedingly well. Democracy is one of the finest ideas that humankind has produced and every Indian election celebrates the freedom of choice that powers this idea. India has a unique place in the consciousness of the world as the largest functioning democracy. When an elderly woman in a remote village proudly holds up the indelible ink mark on her index finger, she is telling the world that she has the power to make change in her country.

6. In 2004 my Government had set before the country a vision of an inclusive society and an inclusive economy. It worked diligently towards translating this vision into policies and programmes. My Government sees the overwhelming mandate it has received as a vindication of the policy architecture of inclusion that it put in place. It is a mandate for inclusive growth, equitable development and a secular and plural India. My Government is determined to work harder and better to realize these goals.

7. A continuing priority of my Government would be to consolidate the ongoing flagship programmes for inclusion. This will require re-energising government and improving governance. It will require meeting the challenge of restoring economic growth, which is now hurt by the global economic slowdown, back to a higher growth path. High growth is necessary to provide the government the capacity to expand opportunities for employment. It is necessary to provide resources to increase outlays in education, health care and infrastructure to meet the needs of all regions and all people. My Government will ensure that the growth process is not only accelerated but also made socially and regionally more inclusive and equitable. The yearning of our people for inclusiveness – economic social and cultural -- and the rejection of the forces of divisiveness and intolerance that my Government spoke of in 2004 continues as both its inspiring vision and its unfinished business.

8. My Government is acutely conscious of the challenge of rising expectations. There would be ten broad areas of priority for my Government for the next five years.
• Internal security and preservation of communal harmony;
• Stepping up of economic growth in agriculture, manufacturing and services;
• Consolidation of the existing flagship programmes for employment, education, health, rural infrastructure, urban renewal and introduction of new flagship programmes for food security and skill development;
• Concerted action for the welfare of women, youth, children, other backward classes, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, minorities, the differently-abled and the elderly along with strengthened social protection;
• Governance reform;
• Creation and modernization of infrastructure and capacity addition in key sectors;
• Prudent fiscal management;
• Energy security and environment protection;
• Constructive and creative engagement with the world and
• Promotion of a culture of enterprise and innovation.

9. My Government will maintain utmost vigil in the area of internal security. A policy of zero-tolerance towards terrorism, from whatever source it originates, will be pursued. Stern measures to handle insurgency and left wing extremism will be taken. Government has already prepared a detailed plan to address internal security challenges to be implemented in a time-bound manner. The Multi-Agency Centre will be strengthened to ensure effective intelligence sharing and processing and Subsidiary Multi-Agency Centres will be activated in all States. The National Investigation Agency has become operational and will be empowered to handle terror-related offences. Central and State police forces and intelligence agencies will be expanded and fully equipped with the best technology. A national counter-terrorism centre will be established to take pro-active anti-terrorism measures. Special Forces and Quick Response Teams will be raised and deployed in vulnerable areas. Enhanced information and intelligence sharing on a real time basis, would be made possible by the creation of a net-centric information command structure.

10. My Government will actively pursue police reform and in order to ensure the active participation of the citizenry in internal security, community policing will be promoted. At the same time government will continue to constructively engage with all groups that abjure violence in the Northeast, Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country.

11. Communal harmony shall be preserved at all costs. The mandate my Government received was unmistakable in that the people wanted the country’s secular fabric to be protected. With this objective my Government will seek early approval of the Bill introduced in Parliament for the prevention of communal violence.

12. Our armed forces are the nation’s pride, a symbol of our values of sacrifice, valour and the spirit of national integration. India’s defence forces stand committed to the task of defending the territorial integrity of the country. They will be fully enabled with modern technology to repel any threat from land, sea or air. To enhance combat efficiency as also to address the requirements of modern day warfare, a number of steps are under way. The welfare of ex-servicemen will continue to be accorded high priority. The Committee headed by the Cabinet Secretary, to look into the issue of One Rank One Pension has already commenced its work and expects to complete it by the end of June 2009.

13. The Unique Identity Card scheme for each citizen will be implemented in three years overseen by an Empowered Group. This would serve the purpose of identification for development programmes and security.

14. My Government was able to accelerate growth substantially in the last five years to a record five-year average of 8.5%. This produced an impressive expansion in high quality jobs and also gave us the capacity to guarantee rural employment and expand social and economic infrastructure in an unprecedented manner. My Government gave a new deal to agriculture. Public investment in agriculture was increased, farm loans of over Rupees sixty five thousand crore waived and there were handsome increases in procurement prices. These measures contributed to a revival of agricultural growth. My Government was able to expand access to education through a large number of new schools and other educational institutions, support a mid-day meal programme covering over fifteen crore children, provide nearly a crore of deserving students with scholarships each year, loans to over 16 lakh students and create a new wave of investment in institutions of higher education. It was able to revamp rural public health infrastructure and massively expand social protection through insurance schemes and pensions. Government was also able to effect pay revision for its employees including defence personnel, public sector employees and teachers in colleges. My Government could also increase assistance to States substantially in the last five years. All these initiatives were possible because high growth generated more resources. It is therefore imperative that our growth momentum is resumed.

15. The current financial year is expected to see a slowing down of growth on account of the global recession. My Government has responded to this unforeseen situation with a range of measures, including three stimulus packages, which have begun to show results. It is a matter of satisfaction that the Indian economy has not suffered the kind of slowdown that has been witnessed in almost every other country of the world. Government has also actively engaged with the international community, especially through the forum of the G-20, in order to ensure that coordinated action is taken at the global level and the necessary reforms brought in at the earliest. Our immediate priority must be to focus on management of the economy that will counter the effect of the global slowdown by a combination of sectoral and macro-level policies. My Government will focus attention on sectors that are adversely affected, especially Small and Medium Enterprises, exports, textiles, commercial vehicles, infrastructure and housing. This must be accompanied by measures to achieve a countercyclical expansion in public investment in infrastructure sectors including public-private partnerships in these sectors. Financing the investment will be a critical constraint and my Government is determined to ensure that innovative steps are taken in this area, consistent with a medium-term strategy of prudent fiscal management.

16. Our country has benefited from large foreign investment flows in recent years. These flows, especially foreign direct investment, need to be encouraged through an appropriate policy regime. There is also a need to augment resources in the banking and insurance sectors in order to permit them to serve the needs of society better. Towards this end my Government will recapitalize the public sector banks to strengthen their financial position and also bring legislation to establish a regulator for the pension sector.

17. The momentum of public investment in agriculture and irrigation built up in the last five years will be further expanded and the three major instruments -- the Rashtriya Krishi Vikas Yojana, National Food Security Mission and the National Horticulture Mission -- introduced by my Government strengthened.

18. The flagship programmes which my Government introduced have moved the country towards inclusive development. It would be our endeavour to consolidate these programmes in the next five years. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act has proved to be what it promised—an effective social protection measure and the largest programme in the world for rural reconstruction. Its transformational potential is unfolding before our eyes. My Government would enlarge the scope of works permitted under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act presently limited to unskilled manual work. The opportunity for improving land productivity through the NREGA will be maximized through better convergence of NREGA with other programmes. To ensure transparency and public accountability, independent monitoring and grievance redressal mechanisms will be set up at the district level.

19. The National Rural Health Mission has begun to strengthen rural public health infrastructure. The Mission would be consolidated to make perceptible reduction in infant mortality and maternal mortality in the next five years. Vaccine producing institutes in the public sector will be revived to support the immunization programme. My Government will expand the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana to cover all families below the poverty line in the next five years. Malnutrition has emerged as a major health challenge needing urgent response. Hence the nutrition delivery programme will be comprehensively revamped to bring it under the watch of panchayat institutions and move to provision of hot cooked meals in anganwadis.

20. Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan has been able to provide access to children to elementary schools and retention has increased on account of the universal mid-day meal programme. The focus will be on making quality education a right through the enactment of the Right to Free and Compulsory Education Bill now under consideration of Parliament. The Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan will universalize access to secondary education. The massive expansion in higher education through new institutions under implementation in the Eleventh Plan will enable the country to meet the challenge of education in full measure. In the last five years, a wide range of scholarships and educational loans was introduced for the needy and deserving students. This effort will be reviewed and further strengthened. Government’s strategy for higher education will be formulated around a three-fold objective of expansion, inclusion and excellence. The suggestions given by the National Knowledge Commission will guide the formulation and implementation of the strategy.

21. While male literacy went up to over 75 percent in the last census and is expected to be higher now, female literacy was only 54 percent in 2001. My Government will recast the National Literacy Mission as a National Mission for Female Literacy to make every woman literate in the next five years. Increased female literacy is expected to become a force multiplier for all our social development programmes.

22. My Government launched Bharat Nirman five years ago as a time-bound business plan for rural infrastructure. It has succeeded in reaching basic infrastructure of roads, electricity and telephone to a large number of villages. It has also achieved most of the targets of rural water supply, rural housing and has increased irrigation potential. The remaining tasks will be completed in the second phase of Bharat Nirman. It is also proposed to set enhanced targets for Bharat Nirman in the second phase.
• The Indira Awas Yojana, which exceeded the original target of sixty lakh houses for the period 2004-2009, will now take up double the target of rural housing to one crore twenty lakh houses to be completed in the next five years.
• Rural Water supply programme will be completed by 2011 and handed over to be managed by panchayats in the next Plan.
• The rural telecommunication target will be set at reaching 40% rural teledensity in the next five years and expanding broadband coverage to connect every panchayat to a broadband network in three years. The scheme for Common Service Centres or e-kiosks will be suitably repositioned to be a network of panchayat-level Bharat Nirman Common Service Centres to provide government services to citizens in rural areas.
• New targets would be set for rural electrification, irrigation and road connectivity.

23. The Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) with approval of projects of nearly Rs. 50,000 crore in the last four years is reshaping our cities and has been widely welcomed. It will continue to focus on infrastructure, basic services and governance reform and increase support to cities to upgrade public transport. Over 15 lakh houses are under construction for the urban poor. There is a need to focus urban housing programmes on the poor living in slums. My Government proposes to introduce a Rajiv Awas Yojana for the slum dwellers and the urban poor on the lines of the Indira Awas Yojana for the rural poor. The schemes for affordable housing through partnership and the scheme for interest subsidy for urban housing would be dovetailed into the Rajiv Awas Yojana which would extend support under JNNURM to States that are willing to assign property rights to people living in slum areas. My Government’s effort would be to create a slum free India in five years through the Rajiv Awas Yojana.

24. My Government proposes to enact a new law -- the National Food Security Act -- that will provide a statutory basis for a framework which assures food security for all. Every family below the poverty line in rural as well as urban areas will be entitled, by law, to 25 kilograms of rice or wheat per month at Rs. 3 per kilogram. This legislation will also be used to bring about broader systemic reform in the public distribution system.

25. Government is acutely conscious of its responsibilities to provide greater opportunities for women, youth, other backward classes, scheduled castes, scheduled tribes, minorities and the elderly as well as strengthen measures for social protection for categories with special vulnerabilities. Some concrete steps that are proposed to create equal opportunities for women are reservation to elected bodies at all levels, reservation in jobs and a National Mission on Female Literacy.

26. Over 50 percent of our population is below 25 years of age and their creative energy is our greatest strategic resource. The challenge is to invest in their education, employability and employment. India has the capacity to contribute to a fourth of the global work force if it invests in skill development of its youth. Education which provides employable skills holds the key for equal opportunities for Other Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Minorities. My Government has in the last five years brought in legal changes and investment in this direction. These would be consolidated. Besides making massive investment in education, government will focus on the national skill development initiative that has commenced operation with the very ambitious goal of creation of 500 million skilled people by 2022 so that we realize the demographic dividend.

27. The implementation of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act would be monitored to ensure that all title deeds are distributed by end of 2009.

28. My Government will continue to accord the highest priority to the welfare of minorities. The Prime Minister’s New 15 Point Programme for the Welfare of Minorities and the action taken on the recommendations of the Sachar Committee have, to some extent, succeeded in ensuring an equitable share for the minorities in government resources, jobs and plans. Steps under way would be consolidated further. Government would strive to strengthen and modernize the administration of wakfs, reform the management of Haj operations and set up an Equal Opportunity Commission.

29. The Amendment Bill to the Land Acquisition Act and the Rehabilitation and Resettlement Bill prepared to protect farmers and others dependent on farming from unfair displacement and which was placed before Parliament could not be carried through. It will be our endeavour to have these bills reintroduced and enacted in the budget session of Parliament.

30. My Government considerably enhanced provisions for social security through old age pension for all people below the poverty line and above 65 years of age, all handicapped people and all widows above the age of forty. It will examine extending social protection to other persons at special risk. Social security schemes for other occupations like landless labour, weavers, fisherfolk, toddy tappers, leather workers, plantation labour, construction labour, mine workers and beedi workers will be appropriately expanded.
31. An area of major focus for my Government would be reform of governance for effective delivery of public services. Reports of the Administrative Reforms Commission would guide the effort. Reform of structures in the higher echelons of government, increased decentralization, inclusion of women and youth in governance, process reform and public accountability would be key areas for focused action. As part of process reform, all proposals to the Cabinet will have to report on how the proposal under consideration will enhance the goals of equity or inclusion, innovation and public accountability.

32. My Government will initiate steps within the next hundred days on the following measures:
• Early passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament providing for one-third reservation to women in State legislatures and in Parliament;
• Constitutional amendment to provide 50 percent reservation for women in panchayats and urban local bodies. Women suffer multiple deprivations of class, caste and gender and enhancing reservation in panchayats and urban local bodies will lead to more women entering the public sphere;
• Concerted effort to increase representation of women in central government jobs;
• A National Mission on Empowerment of Women for implementation of women-centric programmes in a mission mode to achieve better coordination;
• A voluntary national youth corps which could take up creative social action around the river cleaning and beautification programme beginning with the river Ganga;
• Restructuring the Backward Regions Grant Fund, which overlaps with other development investment, to focus on decentralized planning and capacity building of elected panchayat representatives. The next three years would be devoted to training panchayat raj functionaries in administering flagship programmes;
• A public data policy to place all information covering non-strategic areas in the public domain. It would help citizens to challenge the data and engage directly in governance reform;
• Increasing transparency and public accountability of NREGA by enforcing social audit and ensuring grievance redressal by setting up district level ombudsman;
• Strengthening Right to Information by suitably amending the law to provide for disclosure by government in all non-strategic areas;
• Strengthening public accountability of flagship programmes by the creation of an Independent Evaluation Office at an arm’s distance from the government catalysed by the Planning Commission. It would work on a network model by collaborating with leading social science research organizations and concurrently evaluate the impact of flagship programmes and place it in the public domain;
• Establishing mechanisms for performance monitoring and performance evaluation in government on a regular basis;
• Five Annual Reports to be presented by government as Reports to the People on Education, Health, Employment, Environment and Infrastructure to generate a national debate;
• Facilitating a Voluntary Technical Corps of professionals in all urban areas through JNNURM to support city development activities;
• Enabling non government organisations in the area of development action seeking government support through a web-based transaction on a government portal in which the status of the application will be transparently monitorable;
• Provision of scholarships and social security schemes through accounts in post offices and banks and phased transition to smart cards;
• Revamping of banks and post offices to become outreach units for financial inclusion complemented by business correspondents aided by technology;
• Electronic governance through Bharat Nirman common service centres in all panchayats in the next three years;
• A model Public Services Law, that covers functionaries providing important social services like education, health, rural development etc. and commits them to their duties, will be drawn up in consultation with states;
• A National Council for Human Resources in Health as an overarching regulatory body for the health sector to reform the current regulatory framework and enhance supply of skilled personnel;
• A National Council for Higher Education as recommended by the Yashpal Committee and the National Knowledge Commission to bring in reform of regulatory institutions;
• Develop a “brain gain” policy to attract talent from all over the world into the 14 universities proposed in the 11th plan to position them as “Innovation Universities”;
• A roadmap for judicial reform to be outlined in six months and implemented in a time-bound manner;
• Targeted identification cards would subsume and replace omnibus Below Poverty Line (BPL) list. NREGA has a job card and the proposed Food Security Act would also create a new card. Identification of beneficiaries for other programmes which currently use the omnibus BPL list would improve identification based on programme objectives with the common underlying principle that all identification of beneficiaries will be done through gram sabhas and urban local bodies and the list placed in the public domain to be open to challenge;
• A Delivery Monitoring Unit in the Prime Minister’s Office to monitor flagship programmes and iconic projects and report on their status publicly;
• Suitably institutionalized quarterly reporting on Flagship programmes as “Bharat Nirman Quarterly Reports” where Ministers would publicly report on progress.

33. Infrastructure is a fundamental enabler for a modern economy and infrastructure development will be a key focus area for the next five years. Public investment in infrastructure is of paramount importance. Bottlenecks and delays in implementation of infrastructure projects because of policies and procedures, especially in railways, power, highways, ports, airports and rural telecom will be systematically removed. Public-private partnership (PPP) projects are a key element of the strategy. A large number of PPP projects in different areas currently awaiting government approval would be cleared expeditiously. The regulatory and legal framework for PPPs would be made more investment friendly. My Government will continue its special emphasis on infrastructure development in the North-East and Jammu and Kashmir and enhance connectivity to these regions.

34. Our fellow citizens have every right to own part of the shares of public sector companies while the government retains majority shareholding and control. My Government will develop a roadmap for listing and people-ownership of public sector undertakings while ensuring that government equity does not fall below 51 %.

35. My Government is firmly committed to maintaining high growth with low inflation, particularly in relation to prices of essential agricultural and industrial commodities. It will steadfastly observe fiscal responsibility so that the ability of the Centre to invest in essential social and economic infrastructure is continuously enhanced. This will require that all subsidies reach only the truly needy and poor sections of our society. A national consensus will be created on this issue and necessary policy changes implemented.

36. My Government has been able to significantly increase realization of direct taxes as a result of improved and simplified tax administration and this process will continue. The roadmap for moving towards a Goods and Services Tax will be vigorously pursued. My Government is fully seized of the issue of illegal money of Indian citizens outside the country in secret bank accounts. It will vigorously pursue all necessary steps in coordination with the countries concerned.

37. Coordinated action for energy would be guided by the integrated energy policy. The effort would be to see that at least 13,000 MW of generating capacity is added each year through a mix of sources -coal, hydel, nuclear and renewables. Village and rural household electrification and reduction in aggregate technical and commercial losses will continue to be given the highest priority. Competitiveness and efficiency in the power sector will be enhanced through time-bound measures, including operationalising the provision of open access.

38. The pace of oil and gas exploration will be intensified and India’s oil diplomacy aggressively pursued. Reforms in the coal sector, for which a detailed blueprint has been prepared, will be pursued with urgency. The international civil nuclear agreements will be operationalised with various countries even as domestic sources of uranium are exploited and work continues on the indigenously designed fast breeder and thorium reactors.

39. My Government will ensure that our space programme which has achieved wide recognition continues to bring rich dividends to society in agriculture, tele-medicine, tele-education and by providing information to rural knowledge centres, besides contributing to telecommunication, television broadcasting and weather forecasting. Several innovative initiatives commenced by government in the science and technology sector in the last five years and now under implementation will be further strengthened.

40. My Government is proactively addressing issues of climate change through eight national missions. Of these the National Solar Mission, the National Water Mission, the National Mission on Energy Efficiency, the National Mission on Sustainable Agriculture and the National Mission on Sustainable Habitat will be launched by the end of this year. The National Ganga River Basin Authority, set up recently will evolve a new action plan for cleaning and beautifying the river in partnership with the basin states.

41. My Government’s foreign policy will continue to pursue India’s enlightened national interest, maintaining the strategic autonomy and independent decision-making that has been its hallmark. India has a vital interest in the stability and prosperity of our neighbours. The highest priority will be accorded to working with our friends in SAARC to promote stability, development and prosperity in the region. Government will sincerely work with our neighbours to ensure that outstanding issues are addressed and the full potential of our region is realized.

42. My Government will seek to reshape our relationship with Pakistan depending on the sincerity of Pakistan’s actions to confront groups who launch terrorist attacks against India from its territory. We will support initiatives in Sri Lanka, which can lead to a permanent political solution of the conflict there and ensure that all Sri Lankan communities, especially the Tamils, feel secure and enjoy equal rights so that they can lead a life of dignity and self-respect. India will make appropriate contribution to rehabilitate those affected by the conflict. In Nepal and Bangladesh, where multi-party democracy has returned, India will work closely with both countries to continue expanding bilateral ties for mutual benefit. Government will strengthen our close and vibrant partnerships with Bhutan and Maldives and continue to assist in the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

43. The momentum of improvement of our relations with the major powers will be maintained. The transformation of our partnership with the United States of America will be taken forward. Our strategic partnership with Russia has grown over the years, and we will seek to further consolidate it. With countries of Europe and Japan my Government will continue the sustained diplomatic efforts, which have produced qualitative changes in our relations since 2004. The multi-faceted partnership with China will be expanded.

44. My Government will continue to work with other developing nations. It will contribute to all efforts at peace in West Asia through the establishment of a viable Palestinian State at the earliest. The traditionally close ties with countries in the Gulf will be strengthened. The process of engagement with Africa reenergized with the first Indo-Africa Summit organized by my Government will be further expanded. The multi-dimensional partnerships with countries in South-East Asia and the Pacific as well as Central Asia and the Latin American region will be consolidated.

45. The Indian diaspora estimated at over twenty-five million across the world is an important economic, social and cultural force and my Government will deepen its engagement with it. Our ties and kinship with the diaspora make us acutely conscious of their well-being and to be sensitive to their concerns. As a responsible member of the international community, India will work with other countries in tackling issues of common concern such as international terrorism, the global economic crisis, climate change, energy security and reform of multilateral institutions to reflect contemporary realities.

46. Honourable Members, my Government believes that in the knowledge society in which we live today, creativity, innovation and enterprise hold the key to people and nations realizing their potential. The “dreary desert sand of dead habit” must be left behind. Our young people are tearing down the narrow domestic walls of religion, region, language, caste, and gender that confine them. The nation must invest in their hope. My Government will ensure that its policies for education and science and technology are imbued with a spirit of innovation so that the creativity of a billion people is unleashed. The next ten years would be dedicated as a Decade of Innovation. It may be a symbolic gesture but an important gesture to drive home the need to be innovative in finding solutions to our many challenges. India’s young population is naturally restless and wants to see change quickly. My Government carries the weight of their dreams. Together let us dedicate ourselves to making each day of the next five years, a day closer to the realization of their dreams.

Jai Hind.”

Motivational Quotes

2009-06-09T22:16:00.001+05:30

* If you want to get somewhere you have to know where you want to go and how to get there. Then never, never, never give up.
-Norman Vincent Peale
* Crystallize your goals. Make a plan for achieving them and set yourself a deadline. Then, with supreme confidence, determination and disregard for obstacles and other people's criticisms, carry out your plan. -Paul Meyer

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution FQ-400 - the fastest EVO ever

2009-06-03T16:07:00.005+05:30

For the last couple of generations of the Lancer Evolution, Mitsubishi Motors UK has been churning out even faster versions of this road going rally car in the form of the FQ models. Their latest launch, the FQ-400, based on the new Evolution X, takes the crown of the fastest Evo ever produced.

The real world isn't really a race track. It's a place where the roads are no wider than a single truck, where the turns are tighter than a gymnast's leotards and where surfaces can include bumps, broken tarmac, bits of gravel and wet patches. Low slung Ferraris and Lamborghinis, fast as they may be, will generally struggle to not ground their noses on such typical B-roads.

For over one and a half decades, one car has been the true champion of country roads, faster than any other when the driving leaves the confines of the race track. The car in question is none other than the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution - a car born from the rough and tumble world of the World Rally Championship, and specifically designed for near-supercar performance in the real world.

After ten evolutions of the Evolution over the last 17 years, Mitsubishi Motors UK has launched the fastest and most extreme version of this road going rally car ever produced - the FQ-400. The FQ-400's over-the-top performance, and even its name, comes from the tweaked up version of the lightweight aluminium 2.0-litre turbocharged MIVEC (Mitsubishi Innovative Valve timing Electronic Control) engine under the hood, which now produces over 408 PS of power and an insane 525 Nm of torque.

And this means performance that can accelerate the car from 0 to 100km/h in a mere 3.8 seconds and rearrange all your internal organs while doing so. And the FQ-400 also becomes one of the rare inline-4 engined road-cars that actually have to be electronically limited to 250km/h. All this extra muscle is possible primarily because of race-spec high-flow fuel injectors and a higher spec hybrid turbocharger features low-friction bearings, a high temperature turbine and strengthened thrust bearing to increase response and reduce turbo lag. Of course, the gigantic turbo is backed up by an enhanced intercooler and a high-flow stainless steel exhaust system that does the job of feeding the turbo and purging hot waste gases respectively.

Of course, just going fast in a straight line isn't the Evo's philosophy and relies on the mantra of ripping your face off using high lateral Gs by going really, really fast around corners. The S-AWC (Super All Wheel Control) permanent four-wheel drive system in conjunction with the Active Stability Control, Active Centre Differential, Active Yaw Control and Sport ABS that give the Evo superb cornering performance stay pretty much the same on the FQ-400 model, but are more than up to the job of handling all the extra horsepower and speed.

Reading a list of tweaks and mods on the bone-stock FQ-400 is akin to reading a pro-tuner's Christmas wish list. And the goodies that Santa Clause has delivered on this car straight out of the factory include wider track and lowered suspension made possible using Bilstein shock absorbers with Eibach springs, lightweight 18-inch nine spoke alloy wheels shod with Toyo Proxes R1R tyres and an Alcon braking system which uses aerospace grade aluminium alloys and a floating sealed disc grabbed by high performance pads.

As if the current shark-nose Evo design wasn't aggressive enough, the FQ-400 wears a few more rally-car clothes and bears striking resemblances to the styling cues of the legendary Evolution VI. But the 'go-faster' bits aren’t all show and no go. The light weight composite front bumper incorporating Mitsubishi's trademark 'Jet Fighter' grille features carbon-fibre elements on its leading edges to regulate airflow over the front of the car, while a heavily vented hood helps to keep the high-performance engine cool under the extreme stresses. Composite side skirts, a carbon-fibre rear diffuser, a large rear wing with a gurney strip and roof mounted 'shark-fin' vortex generators all do the job of channeling air over the rear of the car to keep it on the straight and narrow.

The FQ-400 doesn't compromise on safety either, as the car has received the highest possible five-star Euro NCAP safety rating. The no-compromise theme follows on the insides with Recaro bucket sports seats, an FQ-400 liveried handbrake, a carbon-fibre gear knob, Bluetooth hands-free telephone connection, a CD-tuner with a 30 GB hard drive, DVD satellite navigation and privacy glass.

Performance like a supercar, all the practicality of a high-end four door saloon combined with the ability to handle nearly everything that real-world roads can throw at it - this is the philosophy of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution FQ-400. Truly an all-round performer!

BRABUS Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe (Stunning Beauty)

2009-05-26T14:15:00.012+05:30

With the recent launch of the new Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe, it was only a matter of time before the tuners at the famed German car modification firm, BRABUS, got their hands on it and released a host of cuztomization options for it.

Apart from the standard fare of visual mods that include a redesigned front bumper with aerodynamic aids, side skirts and rear bumper, BRABUS also offers performance upgrades on nearly all the engines available on the car ? right from the 5.5-litre V8 on the E500 (which is increased to 6.1-litres) to the inline-4 and V6 diesel mills. BRABUS also specializes in modifying suspension setups that offer the best of great handling characteristics combined with a comfortable ride-quality that is necessary in real world, non race track conditions, and as such, offer the same on this new E-Class Coupe as well.

World's Top Employer's for MBA graduates

2009-05-25T16:32:00.022+05:30

Internet search giant Google has emerged as the world's top employer for MBA graduates for the third year in row, according to the Fortune magazine.

The Top 100 MBA employers' list, comprising of firms where B-school students most want to work, was compiled by Fortune based on an exclusive survey by research firm Universum.

Here is the list of the world's top employer for MBA graduates....

Google
Rank: 1

Google has been ranked at the first place in the list of top 100 employers for B-school graduates, with over 20 per cent MBA graduates wishing to work at the firm for its stellar reputation and innovative work environment.

McKinsey & Company
Rank: 2nd

McKinsey & Company is a global management consulting firm.

Bain & Co
Rank: 3rd

Bain & Company is one of the world's leading global business consulting firms, serving clients across six continents.

Financial services major Goldman Sachs Group
Rank: 4th

Despite the financial crisis fallout, Goldman Sachs has kept a golden reputation and continues to rank very high among MBA graduates ready to launch a career in banking.

Tech giant Apple
Rank: 5th

Apple Inc, formerly Apple Computer Inc, is US based multinational corporation that designs and manufactures consumer electronics and software products

The Boston Consulting Group
Rank: 6th

The Boston Consulting Group (BCG) is a global management consulting firm.

Walt Disney
Rank: 7th

The Walt Disney Company is one of the the largest media and entertainment firms in the world.

Nike
Rank: 8th

Nike Inc is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States.

JP Morgan
Rank: 9th

JPMorgan is one of the oldest financial services firms in the world.

Johnson & Johnson
Rank: 10th

Johnson & Johnson is a global American pharmaceutical, medical devices and consumer packaged goods manufacturer founded in 1886.

PTI

Genpact clocked $1.04 bn In 2008 revenues

2009-05-21T09:09:00.001+05:30

Genpact, the only $1-billion plus India-based business process outsourcing (BPO) company is confident of achieving 10-15% growth in revenue for the 2009 calendar as provided in its guidance going by the traction it has been witnessing at the marketplace.

Genpact registered a revenue of $1.04 billion for the calendar year ending 2008 recording a year-onyear (YoY) growth of 26% and had provided a topline guidance of 10-15 % for 2009. “Around 80% of our revenue comes non-discretionary spend of our customers,” said VN Tyagarajan , COO, Genpact.

Non-discretionary spend in technology refers to must do investments in IT. The company which accounts for GE, Nissan, GlaxoSmithKline among its clients is also seeing around 80% of business coming from existing customers. Mr Tyagarajan said that annuity business of Genpact remains stable and claimed that it has been able to deliver value to the customers.

Tyagarajan said it has been able to mine its existing customers much better to get higher revenue and in the process moving up the value chain. Genpact also believes that its customers are keen on giving out more outsourcing contracts.

Without quantifying the exact amount of contracts in the pipeline, Mr Tyagarajan said it remains still strong, though the actual time of conversion would be taking a longer extending sometimes upto 12 months.

Currently, Genpact has around 36,500 people with delivery centres spread across 12 countries. Besides, Genpact has also been making a strong foray into the domestic markets of India & China and has been seeing certain strong traction.

Genpact, which was earlier a captive of General Electric still has the latter as one of its largest customer, accounting for 47% of its revenue in 2008. The BPO does not expect this to change any time soon as it is still getting more contracts from GE.

Worst cars in the world for gas mileage (Fuel economy)

2009-05-20T10:37:00.010+05:30

Lamboghini Murcielago

Least Efficient Two Seater: Lamboghini Murcielago. City 8 mpg, Highway 13 mpg. As Obama looks to boost fuel economy standards, a look at cars on the road with the worst gas mileages, according to the Department of Energy's FuelEconomy.gov web site.

Aston Martin DB9

Least Efficient Minicompact Car: Aston Martin DB9. City 11 mpg, Highway 17 mpg.

Bentley Continental GTC

Least Efficient Subcompact Car: Bentley Continental GTC. City 10 mpg, Highway 17 mpg.

Bentley Azure

Least Efficient Compact Car: Bentley Azure. City 9 mpg, Highway 15 mpg.

Ferrari 612 Scaglietti

Least Efficient Midsize Car: Ferrari 612 Scaglietti. City 9 mpg, Highway 16 mpg.

Ford Ranger Pickup

Least Efficient Small Pickup Truck: Ford Ranger Pickup 4WD. City 14 mpg, Highway 18 mpg.

Jeep Grand Cherokee

Least Efficient Sport Utility Vehicle: Jeep Grand Cherokee 4WD. City 11 mpg, Highway 14 mpg.

Toyota Sienna

Least Efficient Minivan: Toyota Sienna 4WD. City 16 mpg, Highway 21 mpg.

Nissan Titan

Least Efficient Standard Pickup Truck: Nissan Titan 4WD. City 12 mpg, Highway 17 mpg.

(Disclaimer : The above given article is courtesy of Reuter News and its copyrights shall remain with its respective original owners)

SUPERSONIC SENSEX (INDIA STOCK MARKET) CREATES HISTORY WITH LARGEST INTRADAY JUMP !

2009-05-19T08:41:00.005+05:30

Monday was an action packed day for the Indian stock market. All the investors were exepecting a big rally due to the victory of the congress led UPA in the recent elections. I was guessing a run of around 1,000 points on the sensex a day earlier on sunday.

In the morning as i left for office at 11:30 AM, i switched on my radio in the car and was shocked to hear the news of circuit being applied in the stock market due to sudden upsurge.

Nearly all market participants had expected the key indices to rise 8-10% in early trade following the UPA’s convincing win in the recent elections. But only few had expected the gains to sustain till the end of the day.

IT WAS a frenzy unprecedented in the history of the Indian stock market. Investors scrambled to buy stocks as if there was no tomorrow, almost certain that the emergence of a stable government at the Centre would solve all the ills dogging the economy. In the mad rush, circuit breakers on the upside were triggered, and trading had to be halted from 12 noon onwards. This is the first time that trading has been suspended after the upper circuit breakers were breached.

The 30-share Sensex ended the truncated session at 14,284.21, up 2,110.79 points, or 17.3%, over the previous close. The 50-share Nifty ended the session at 4,323.15, up 651.50 points, or 17.74%, over the previous close.

Monday’s spectacular rally has benefited only those who are already invested. Traded turnover on both exchanges combined was barely Rs 3,000 crore, indicating that few traders or investors got a chance to participate in the upswing. Foreign institutional investors managed to make net investment of just Rs 45 crore.

Indications are that the market could rise further on Tuesday, but there will be profit-booking at higher levels, as brokers are advising their clients to take profits while they can.

The rupee moved in sync with stocks, and posted its biggest single-day gain against the dollar in more than 11 years when it closed 3% higher at 47.88 on Monday. Gold, however, lost its sheen by Rs 385 and closed at Rs 14,440 per 10 gram in Mumbai.

There was some confusion early on, as the indices breached the first 10% circuit breaker without trading being halted. The Nifty had risen more than 14% and the Sensex close to 12% when trading was stopped a few minutes after 10. When trading resumed at 11:55 am, indices quickly shot past the next trigger levels (in terms of points) prompting exchanges to halt trading for the rest of the session.

DECODING CIRCUIT BREAKER

> What is a circuit breaker?

A circuit breaker helps check abnormal movement in indices, and also stock manipulation. The breaker is applied in three stages of movement — 10%, 15% and 20% — either up or down.
How’s the circuit limit fixed?
A circuit limit is fixed on the basis of the indices’ closing values at the end of the previous quarter. Monday’s limits were based on the closing values of the Sensex and the Nifty on March 31, 2009.
> A MINUTE IN HISTORY

• For the first time in Indian stock market history, trading suspended for hitting the UPPER CIRCUIT
• Only 845 companies were able to trade on BSE while the number on NSE was just 587

Review of "Lux Dance India Dance" show on Zee-TV

2009-05-16T23:39:00.014+05:30

Lux Dance India Dance is India’s biggest dance talent show and is a stage fashioned to search for the Sabse Bade Dancing Star.

I have been watching this show for sometime now and i must admit guyz that the level of Dance in this show is unparallel to any other dance show. You have to see it to believe it and all the credit goes to the Dance Mentors in the show.

It is a unique platform for talented and aspiring dancers to become the dancing sensations of tomorrow. Lux Dance India Dance will set the highest level of competition for promising trained and professional dancers, who will compete with one another under the patronage of three well-known Bollywood choreographers – Remo D’ Souza, Geeta Kapur & Terence Lewis.

Bollywood veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty popularly known as Mithun Da is the Mahaguru who will decide the fate of the participating dancers shaping their destinies and fulfilling their dreams of becoming India’s next Dancing Star.

While the 3 Masters are projected as experts in a particular genre of dancing (Remo – Master of Hip Hop, Geeta – Master of Indian Classical and Terrence – Master of Contemporary), Mithun plays the role of the ‘GrandMaster’ on the show. His character is very Godfather-like!

Below given are the 5 contestants who have survived till the end. The names of the contestants are Alisha, Jai, Prince, Salman & Siddhesh. Well, my personal favourite is prince.

I highly recommend this show. Its a must watch. Only two weeks are left for the finals. The timings for the show are Friday-Saturday at 9:30 PM.

BioData Of Dr Manmohan Singh (PM) Must Read

2009-05-16T20:55:00.001+05:30

EDUCATION /Qualification :

1950: Stood first in BA (Hons), Economics, Punjab University , Chandigarh ,
1952; Stood first in MA (Economics), Punjab University , Chandigarh ,
1954; Wright's Prize for distinguished performance at St John's College, Cambridge,
1955 and 1957; Wrenbury scholar, University of Cambridge,
1957; DPhil ( Oxford), DLitt (Honoris Causa); PhD thesis on India's export competitiveness

OCCUPATION /Teaching Experience:

Professor (Senior lecturer, Economics, 57-59;
Reader, Economics, 1959-63;
Professor, Economics, Punjab University , Chandigarh , 1963-65; Professor, International Trade, Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi,
1969-71; Honorary professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University ,New Delhi,
1976 and Delhi School of Economics, University of Delhi ,1996 and Civil Servant

Working Experience/ POSITIONS:

1971-72: Economic advisor, ministry of foreign trade
1972-76: Chief economic advisor, ministry of finance
1976-80: Director, Reserve Bank of India ; Director, Industrial Development Bank of India ; Alternate governor for India , Board of governors, Asian Development Bank;
Alternate governor for India , Board of governors, IBRD
November 1976 - April 1980: Secretary, ministry of finance (Department of economic affairs); ! Member, finance, Atomic Energy Commission; Member, finance, Space Commission
April 1980 - September 15, 1982 : Member-secretary, Planning Commission
1980-83: Chairman , India Committee of the Indo-Japan joint study committee
September 16, 1982 - January 14, 1985: Governor, Reserve Bank of India ...
1982-85: Alternate Governor for India, Board of governors, International Monetary Fund
1983-84: Member, economic advisory council to the Prime Minister
1985: President, Indian Economic Association
January 15, 1985 - July 31, 1987 : Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission
August 1, 1987 - November 10, 19! : Secretary-general and commissioner, south commission, Geneva
December 10, 1990 - March 14, 1991 : Advisor to the Prime Minister on economic affairs
March 15, 1991 - June 20, 1991 : Chairman, UGC
June 21, 1991 - May 15, 1996 : Union finance minister
October 1991: Elected to Rajya Sabha from Assam on Congress ticket
June 1995: Re-elected to Rajya Sabha
1996 onwards: Member, Consultative Committee for the ministry of finance
August 1, 1996 - December 4, 1997: Chairman, Parliamentary standing
committee on commerce
March 21, 1998 onwards: Leader of the Opposition, Rajya Sabha
June 5, 98 onwards: Member, committee on finance
August 13, 1998 onwards: Member, committee on rules
Aug 1998-2001: Member, committee of privileges 2000 onwards: Member, executive committee, Indian parliamentary group
June 2001: Re-elected to Rajya Sabha
Aug 2001 onwards: Member, general purposes committee

BOOKS:

India 's Export Trends and Prospects for Self-Sustained Growth -Clarendon Press, Oxford University, 64; also published a large number of articles in various economic journals.

OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS:

Adam Smith Prize, University of Cambridge , 1956
Padma Vibhushan, 1987
Euro money Award, Finance Minister of the Year, 1993;
Asia money Award, Finance Minister of the Year for Asia, 1993 and 1994

INTERNATIONAL ASSIGNMENTS:

1966: Economic Affairs Officer
1966-69: Chief, financing for trade section, UNCTAD
1972-74: Deputy for India in IMF Committee of Twenty on International Monetary Reform
1977-79: Indian delegation to Aid-India Consortium Meetings
1980-82: Indo-Soviet joint planning group meeting
1982: Indo-Soviet monitoring group meeting
1993: Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting Cyprus 1993: Human Rights World Conference, Vienna

RECREATION :

Gymkhana Club, New Delhi; Life Member, India International Centre, New Delhi

Name: Dr Manmohan Singh
DOB: September 26, 1932
Place of Birth: Gah ( West Punjab)
Father: S. Gurmukh Singh
Mother: Mrs. Amrit Kaur
Married on: September 14, 1958
Wife: Mrs. Gursharan Kaur
Children: Three daughters

Our Prime Minister seems to be the most qualified PM all over the world.

Rahul Gandhi - Star of India Election 2009

2009-05-16T17:29:00.010+05:30

Today was the final day when the world's largest democracy would see the results to its future. And almost all the media covered the event enthusiastically. I watched almost all the channels surfing through every piece of news coming from across all parts of india. It was not a surprise for me to see Congress leading from the front in the election results. This is what i had expected and also voted for. Congress is winning big. This result is the better than 1989 results.

In my constituency alone, the congress candidate - Ramesh Kumar for whom i had voted for won and Congress also won all the 7 seats from delhi.

But the only disappointing news was that Congress lost 4 seats to BJP in Himachal Pradesh. Since i originally hail from Pragpur in Kangra, Himachal Pradesh wasn't a good news. Even after congress working so hard for people out there, voters went for BJP. Schemes like National Rural Employment Gaurantee Scheme were supposed to be a great hit amogst residents.

Just one day earlier to the counting day, one exit poll after another showed the UPA edging ahead of the NDA. The BJP was quick to rubbish the findings, saying that exit polls were notoriously unreliable and would be proved wrong on May 16. The exit polls were indeed proved incorrect. But unfortunately for the BJP, they had in fact severely underestimated the strength of the UPA. BJP's agenda of "Mazboot Neta, Mazboot Sarkaar" in this election campaign went bust. The main problem i believe BJP's campaign faced was instead of focussing on the welfare issues and the work that they intend to do if they won the election, they focussed more on making Advani the PM (remember : PM in waiting). This made the voter wary, that maybe BJP is more interested in making a PM rather than working for them.

At the time of writing, we still have mostly leads and indicators, and few final results. But it seems fairly clear that the UPA is coming back for another term. The good news for Congress is that the Left has no significance now. After being decimated in Kerala, and suffering a severe setback in its bastion, West Bengal, the Left - purveyor of an obsolete ideology - now has little leverage left at the Centre. There were incoming comments from leading industrial houses that this was a great news for the economy that Left would have no interference in the government making this time around. Comments from Rahul Bajaj, Bharti Airtel , L&T, etc. were positive related to this news.

The biggest loser, though, is possibly L K Advani, who now appears doomed. It's hard to see him leading the BJP in another Lok Sabha election. His moment has passed. Now, expect BJP's Gen Next to start asserting itself. There were mutterings even during this election about anointing Narendra Modi as the BJP leader. Some news are clearly indicating that this election might be a loss for BJP but this has helped Narendra Modi establish himself as the next big thing.

The BJP can derive some relief from the fact that it performed reasonably well in the states where it claims of providing good governance: Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. But there are still large parts of the country where it is completely unacceptable to the voter. It can only achieve its ambition of once again holding sway in Delhi if it manages to stage a dramatic revival in Uttar Pradesh. But that seems an increasingly difficult prospect, especially now that the Congress has put up a stunning show in that crucial state. The secular "hindutva" agenda of BJP is now not acceptable to the public.

The BSP has fared much worse than it expected to in UP, which effectively checks Mayawati's prime ministerial aspirations for now (even as sighs of relief resound in millions of middle-class drawing rooms). In the neighbouring state of Bihar, Nitish Kumar has been richly rewarded for energising the hitherto dysfunctional state machinery. It seems that the Hindi heartland is finally looking beyond identity politics and casteist rhetoric, and yearning for the benefits of good governance. If that's true, then it's undoubtedly good news for India as a whole.

Congress has benefited from the efforts of several other leaders and chief ministers. Andhra Pradesh was crucial for the Congress, and YSR has held his own. In Delhi, Sheila Dikshit is going from strength to strength.

Incidentally, Rahul Gandhi had a big role to play in the Congress's gamble of going it alone in UP (remember, his own constituency is in that state). Now that it has paid off, his political stature will rise by leaps and bounds. Also, he was without doubt the star campaigner for the Congress, clocking the most miles and addressing most rallies. Rahul Travelled 87,000 kms. all over india in approx. 120 constituencies. Thats far more than any other Neta. And out of 120 constituencies he visited, congress won in 70 of them. Great Work.

People might debate about the dynasty politics that congress plays, but it is a fact that the Nehru-Gandhi family have played a crucial role in laying the foundations of India. India's public shall remain indebted to these families forever. This time round, Rahul has certainly kept his side of the bargain. And the person who worked the hardest for the Congress in UP was probably Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, which is only going to further strengthen the family's grip on India's Grand Old Party. Priyanka's new style of dressing up like her grandmother, Indira Gandhi has been a hit all around. People have been found talking that she resemble sMs. Indira to a great extent.

In retrospect, the Congress took two huge gambles - breaking with the Left, and going it alone in UP. If either, or both, had failed, it could have cost the Congress the government. Instead, they succeeded spectacularly, perhaps beyond even the most optimistic expectations of the Congress itself. It is coming back even stronger then before, minus the baggage of the Left, with potentially troublesome allies like Lalu Prasad and Ram Vilas Paswan now humbled and in no position to throw their weight around.

The UPA has a shot at another five-year term, and Manmohan Singh is not getting any younger. Sooner or later, expect a passing of the torch to Rahul and his trusted team. I would predict that one day, a Rahul-led Congress would battle a Modi-led BJP for the heart, mind and soul of India. Today, I believe that prediction is more likely to come true than ever before. But for now, the star that's shining brightest on the Indian political firmament is undoubtedly Rahul Gandhi. Jai Ho Congress ! Jai Ho India !

Review of the Schweppes AD with Arjun Rampal and Nicole Kidman

2009-05-16T09:15:00.006+05:30

Friends i would like to start off by saying that both Nicole and Arjun are undoubtedly one of the best looking people on this planet. I adore both of them.

Now recently Schweppes, the beverage maker decided to do a commercial ad with both of them and Rubina Ali of slumdog millionaire fame. The commercial has been shot wonderfully in the beautiful locales of Udaipur, Rajasthan (Hotel Lake Palace).

Everything looks perfect in the commercial but the only thing missing in the commercial was "creativity". Nicole comes close to Arjun and then runs away to have a schweppes beverage, seems a bit odd. Just a show of glamour. Nothing great about the concept. It could have been made much more exciting. Talent wasted, i must say.

In the last frame of the commercial, after running away from arjun, nicole comes in a room undressing her clothes and then picks up schweppes drink and says to rubina "what were you expecting?". Well first of all the schweppes drink looks odd at this point and rather she should have opened a champagne bottle. Maybe that would have looked classier and sold more bottles than a schweppes. Coz myself being a marketing person, after watching the commercial i don't feel an urge to go and buy a schweppes drink. Cant say about the rest of the people but Not convincing enough !

But never mind, enjoy watching the two stunners, Arjun & Nicole !

Review of Vodafone Zoo Zoo Commercial

2009-05-15T17:12:00.015+05:30

Being a Vodafone corporate mobile phone no. holder i thought it was necessary to review the new Vodafone commercial "ZOO ZOO".

You must have noticed those cute and funny and seemingly animated characters which many mistake for alien like creatures in the advertisements of Vodafone on tv during IPL 2 Season.

One distinct feature of these characters is the white overall’s , fat bellies, disproportional heads and limbs, and dots for eyes n mouths.

But as a matter of fact, these Zoozoo characters which are used for ads of various value added services of Vodafone are infact Real people dressed up in costumes. The whole ad is not an animation and has been shot such that it gives an impression of being an animation film.

In a first in the indian advertising industry, Ad film maker Prakash Varma [ Nirvana Films] chose a unique and innovative concept straight out of the book i.e. focusing on the product and the services being offerred rather than getting lots of glam and glitz who actually take away the ad’s focus towards themselves. Varma who has directed these commercials and reveals that the Zoozoos were a big challenge to create, and mostly women stage actors and occasionally children were used .

The important aspect is that since Zoozoos speak gibberish and walk in a particularly funny way which mimics humans in a variety of ways often exaggerating what real people do. The practical aspects of how they will move, talk, gesticulate and emote were very important. Hence, costume design and artwork were crucial elements.

The backdrop of these ads is fairly simple to avoid attention being diverted to other subjects.
Such is the craze with Zoozoo that Vodafone ads are among the most watched videos on YouTube and there are over 50,000 Zoozoo fans on Facebook.

Vodafone has been innovative in its ad campaigns , every1 still remembers the cute lil pug in the Hutch ads which “ goes wherever you go “. I would confess that i always wanted to buy a pug, after seeing this ad. I had a german shephard dog earlier to this.

In contrast to Airtel which offers better services and is a much larger market share holder and bigger player, Vodafone inspite of being a new entrant has done something which people are actually taking notice of.

We do remember the Airtel jingle which A.R. Rahman composed which was very very hummable , but apart from that getting stars / celebs to do ads doesnt work wonders for products at the end of the day.

Great going VodaFone........All the best!!!

Berkshire Hathaway (WARREN BUFFETT) at a glance

2009-05-15T12:33:00.004+05:30

Reuters

Berkshire Hathaway is a conglomerate holding company headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, US, that oversees and manages a number of subsidiary companies. Berkshire Hathaway's core business is insurance, including property and casualty insurance, reinsurance and specialty nonstandard insurance.The Company averaged an annual growth in book value of 20.3% to its shareholders for the last 44 years, while employing large amounts of capital, and minimal debt.Buffett, 78, took over Berkshire in 1965 when it was a struggling textile mill. Berkshire now owns close to 80 companies and has a market value of roughly $145 billion.The following information about Berkshire and its investments is drawn from the company's 2008 annual report and its website:

Financial information :

2008 net income: $4.99 billion
Change from prior year: down 62 per cent
2008 net income per share: $3,224
2008 revenue: $107.786 billion
Cash and equivalents at year-end: $25.54 billion
Common stock investments at year-end: $49.07 billion

Selected companies owned :

Benjamin Moore Iscar Metalworking
Borsheim's Fine Jewelry Marmon Holdings
Clayton Homes MidAmerican Energy Fruit of the Loom National Indemnity
Geico Nebraska Furniture Mart
General Re NetJets
International Dairy Queen See's Candies

Major stock investments as of December 31, 2008 :
American Express - 151,610,700
Coca-Cola Co - 200,000,000
ConocoPhillips - 84,896,273
Johnson & Johnson - 30,009,591
Kraft Foods Inc - 130,272,500
POSCO - 3,947,554
Procter & Gamble - 91,941,010
Sanofi-Aventis - 22,111,966
Tesco PLC - 227,307,000
US Bancorp - 75,145,426
Wal-Mart Stores Inc - 19,944,300
Washington Post - 1,727,765
Wells Fargo & Co - 304,392,068

Also has holdings in Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp and Moody's Corp carried at "equity value," equal to cost plus retained earnings since purchase, minus taxes that would be paid if the earnings were paid as dividends. Accounting treatment usually required when ownership tops 20 per cent.

(Note : The above information/data have been gathered from secondary sources such as official websites, etc. and the copyrights of the logo/data is held by their respective owners.)

Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG (The Family Car - Review)

2009-05-12T13:16:00.008+05:30

There are fast cars and then there are some really fast cars. AMG has always been associated with making the three pointed star into blazing comets and the latest to come out of the AMG factory is the all new E 63 AMG. Just shortly after the launch of the new E-Class, the high-performance brand within Mercedes-Benz Cars is presenting the new E 63 AMG.

One look at the new car and you know it means business. The front aspect is characterised by 17 mm wider wings bearing 6.3 AMG lettering, the new AMG front apron with large air intake apertures and the AMG-specific daytime driving lights using LED technology. In conjunction with the standard Intelligent Light System, the E 63 AMG is equipped with tinted main headlamps. The striking visual presence is further enhanced by the AMG side skirts and AMG rear apron with a black diffuser insert. As a hallmark of the brand, the AMG sports exhaust system has two newly designed, chrome-plated twin tailpipes which speaks of the cars devilish intent.

Step inside the car and you're welcomed by a blend of high-grade materials and functional sportiness. As a completely new feature exclusive to the E 63 AMG, the AMG selector lever has one-touch logic. Directly adjacent to it in the centre console is the AMG DRIVE UNIT, which provides adjustments for the MCT sports transmission, the ESP functions, the suspension set-up and the AMG driving modes. Standard equipment also includes high-grade nappa leather upholstery in three different colours, the AMG instrument cluster with an AMG main menu, door entry sills with AMG lettering and a sports pedal cluster, both in brushed stainless steel.
The real deal however lies under the hood. Equipped with a 6.3-litre V8 engine in the new E 63 AMG develops a power output of 525 hp and a torque figure of 630 Nm, matching the outstanding figures of it bigger sibling, the SL 63 AMG. It also borrows the SL's AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sports transmission. In conjunction with the four individual driving modes, the throttle-blipping and RACE START functions, the resulting, direct connection to the powertrain bestows the car with performance that is unheard of. Slam the throttle and the quick revving, naturally aspirated engine with a displacement of 6208 cc hits the ton in just 4.5 seconds going on to hit an electronically limited top speed of 248 km/h.

To handle the twisties with the straights the AMG RIDE CONTROL sports suspension copes equally well with the agile manoeuvres of the racetrack and more comfortable, sedate driving. While new steel spring struts are used on the front axle, the rear suspension features AMG-specific air springs. The front spring struts ensure more sensitive responses while the rear air struts with their automatic level control system keep the vehicle at a constant height irrespective of the load. So what you have is a track oriented family sedan.
For more direct responsiveness, the speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion steering is also a new development. The steering ratio of 14 : 1 is 22 percent more direct than in the standard production models, while a more rigid steering column plus the reconfigured characteristic mapping of the speed-sensitive servo assistance ensure better steering precision and improved road contact. Sportscar for the family then? You bet!

3G: The future is here

2009-05-12T09:24:00.002+05:30

3G is known as an ITU (International Telecommunications Union) plan for third generation mobile communication technologies. Generally, UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) is referred to as 3G, which is broadband, packet-based transmission of text, digitised voice, video and multimedia at data rates up to or higher than 2 Mbps. Mobile phone users can enjoy a consistent range of services irrespective of their location in the world through 3G.

MTS, based on the GSM communication standard and endorsed by major standard bodies and manufacturers, is accepted as the planned standard for mobile users around the world. When implemented fully, it facilitates uninterrupted internet connectivity for PDA and mobile phone users on the move. Access to the Internet while roaming, is made available through a combination of terrestrial wireless and satellite transmissions.

Besides, 3G services also allow high-speed data connectivity on mobile phones, which makes various activities such as watching a movie, playing interactive games, and downloading data from the World Wide Web possible on roaming. A host of value-added services and applications such as video-on-demand, unified messaging, mobile commerce, etc. are also provided through 3G networks.

3G is perceived as the natural extension of the evolution of mobile services. The world's first launch of 3G was in Japan, by NTT DoCoMo, in October 2001. Currently, the largest 3G subscriber base is in Japan, served by two 3G operators. Commercially, the 3G-technology choice, Wide Band Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) is available on number of networks worldwide. The widest WCDMA 3G deployment has taken place in Europe so far, and networks in Asia Pacific region have already started implementing 3G.

In India, cellular operators still use 2.75 G or 2.5 G with technologies such as GPRS (General Packet Radio Services) or EDGE (Enhanced Data rate for GSM Evolution), but most of them are gradually shifting to the third generation mobile communication technology to be able to provide 3G services. The commercial launches are likely to happen in 2009. The service promised by third generation networks requires considerable infrastructure investment. Cell density is one of the areas that need to be increased to provide additional bandwidth. New transaction-based billing methods will have to replace the current time-based billing system. However, the operator can benefit from the savings generated from a packet-network, which will more than negate the cost of the laying of the network.

The state-owned MTNL floated a Rs 1000 crore-draft tender to extend four million mobile lines on 3G technologies. GSM operators like Airtel, Hutch and IDEA, besides others, have already applied for the radio frequency required to launch 3G services.

If Ericsson, the Swedish telecom equipment maker is to be believed, then the rollout of 3G telecom networks in India will help operators reduce costs, offer an array of services to users, and connect millions in rural areas who have never used a phone. 3G technology is said to be more advanced and efficient as well. Other equipment vendors such as Nokia and Motorola are also gearing up to meet the demands of the Indian market. For instance, Nokia is developing a High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA), a natural evolution to 3G that will bring even higher data speeds with a simple software upgrade.

A study conducted by Ericsson has found that almost 50 per cent of users in metro cities are expecting services beyond voice and SMS. According to the study, India will have 200 million mobile phone users by 2009, and at least 10 per cent will subscribe to 3G services. Besides generating revenues, 3G will also introduce efficiency in spectrum usage.

CDMA operators enjoy an edge over their GSM counterparts when it comes to 3G deployment because most CDMA networks in India are already 3G-enabled. For instance, Reliance Infocomm is in a position to start offering 3G services with immediate effect as soon as the spectrum is allocated, whereas GSM operators need to set up a parallel network with their existing 2G networks to offer 3G services.

3G presents video on demand, high-speed multimedia and mobile Internet access as just a few of the possibilities for users. With 3G services, the possibilities of content rich information and communication become possible. However, the main benefit of 3G systems one can expect to enjoy over 2G is substantially enhanced capacity, quality and data rates.

Social networking site Facebook welcomes its 200-millionth user

2009-05-12T09:12:00.003+05:30

Just a few months after its fifth anniversary, Facebook Inc. on 08 april 2009 reportedly welcomed its 200 millionth user.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a blog post yesterday morning that the social networking site was on track to welcome its 200-millionth user before the day is out. To celebrate, the company has hooked up with 16 charities and advocacy groups that have created virtual gifts that users can buy for one another. Zuckerberg noted that 90 to 95 per cent of the proceeds go to the charities, with the rest going toward administrative costs. None of it, he added, goes to Facebook.

"More broadly, technology has made it easier and faster for people across the world to share more and more - from the daily activities of their lives to events that impact their communities," wrote Zuckerberg. "At Facebook, we want to build the best service in the world for people to connect with and share everything that is important to them, whether day-to-day or world-changing."

Facebook, which celebrated its fifth anniversary on 4 February, has stormed past rival MySpace.com, the pioneer of the social networking phenomenon, in monthly page-view counts. Facebook, once thought of as the up-and-coming social network, had almost 222 million unique visitors in December, while MySpace had 125 million.

"Growing rapidly to 200 million users is a really good start, but we've always known that in order for Facebook to help people represent everything that is happening in their world, everyone needs to have a voice," wrote Zuckerberg. "Creating channels between people who want to work together towards change has always been one of the ways that social movements push the world forward and make it better."

Zuckerberg pointed out that it took 20,000 years for the world population to get to 200 million people. For Facebook, it was just under 5 years. In January, Facebook's community was at 150 million, and grew to 175 million in February. To put things in perspective, 200 million is more than the combined populations of Russia, Brazil and Japan.

This proves the exploding popularity of the Internet in general and social networking sites in particular. Only last month, video-sharing site YouTube had notched up the 100 million user mark.

As part of the celebration, Zuckerberg also announced the creation of the Facebook for Good space on the site. The page, which already has more than 600 fans, was designed as a place where people can share stories of how the social networking site has helped them reconnect with people, give back to their community or make a contribution.

My review of "Nainital" as a tourist destination

2009-05-11T16:00:00.013+05:30

This weekend on 09 and 10 may 2009, i made a visit to the hill destination "Nainital". I recollect this trip sitting in my office in gurgaon as a pleasant one. Had fun along with my best friend at Nainital's Mall Road. So i thought why not introduce this place to other people who have not been to this tourist destination and would want to go sometime.

Car Journey from Delhi -to- Nainital (Total Distance close to 310 kms)

Visual description of the road journey :

The things just got better for the Nainital seeker with the opening of Moradabad and Hapur bypass.
> Take the Ghaziabad bypass to leave Delhi and cross the river Hindon before taking the Hapur bypass (unless you want to buy the 'hapur ke papad' or the fancy towels in the town).

> One can stop at Gajraula for some sumptuous paranthas at this industrial town.

> Next when you see a lot of mooddah stalls on the highway you have reached Garh Mukteshwar. You can visit the Ganga ghat here for a dip or a boat ride.

> You have to no longer tread through crowded and narrow lanes of Moradadbad as you can pay just Rs.15 as toll to glide over the excellent dual carriageway of Moradabad bypass.

> After that reach Haldwani via Rampur and Rudarpur.

> The hilly road starts after Haldwani and then all the way to Nainital's Mall passing Kathgodam on the way.

Let me first give you some background info on the hill destination "Nainital" :

The hill state of Uttaranchal was carved out of Uttar Pradesh recently. It comprises of two two regions of Kumaon and Garhwal with Dehradun as the state capital. The state is blessed with lots of natural resources and splendour of scenic beauty. The new government is doing a lot to promote tourism and lots of tourist friendly measures are being taken to attract people from outside the state and foreigners too.
Nainital, one time contender for being the state capital the city has probably benefited by losing out , seeing the state of Dehradun after getting this status. Nainital is named after the Naini lake which means an eye, as folklore has it that the eye of sati Parvati fell here. The lake is also called lake of three sages after saints who meditated here to form it. The whole area was once called 'chakta', land of 60 lakes, though most of them have dried up now.

General Info :-

Altitude : 1900m

Weather : Summer temperatures range between 10 & 25 degree C, while in winter they are 2-15 degrees. Rainy season- July, August.

Rainfall : All the year round, maximum in monsoons, July-August

What to see :

Naini lake : The lake is the heart and soul of the city with everything centring around it or in reference to it. The green colored water body has an ambience that strikes you as soon as you enter the city. You can enjoy the lake by having a boat ride either in self driven paddle boat or the one driven by the boat man. If you go with a boat man do enjoy his fables about the lake and the city itself. There is also a yachting club attached to the lake and a yachting festival is held every year in October which is a treat to watch with burning torches on the lake. Walking along the lake in itself is a great experiences the flora and fauna of the lake, and if you get tired you can rest on the benches provided all along the way. At one end of the lake is the Naina Devi temple, dedicated to goddess Naina. The devotees ask for grant of their wishes by tying a bell at the temple, so the place is studded with bells of all colors and sizes.

The Mall : The Mall runs adjacent to the lake for most part starting from Tallital,the lower end to Mallital, the higher one. One can buy all sort of things on the mall including woolens, handicrafts, variety of eatables including fresh fruits and vegetables at Mallital. The speciality of the place are decorative wax candles which come in all shapes, sizes and colors. In peak season the mall is closed to vehicular traffic making it convenient for the tourists to stroll around and enjoy the surroundings. One can also take a horse ride on the mall and for exploring the adjoining areas.

The Ropeway : Another attraction of the station is the ropeway that takes you to the Snow View point at the height of 2270m and affords views of snow capped mountains around Nainital including the Naina Devi peak. Other vantage points for snow views are Laria Kanta, China peak, Alma peak Camel's peak etc. Most can be reached on foot or horseback. The last motorable point is Land's End with Tiffin Top nearby, a beautiful picnic spot to spend a day.

Hanumangarh temple ,St. John's Church, the State Observatory, Sanjay Park, a botanical garden and Gufa Mhadev close to Sepoydhara are another places one can have a look at. Try the buransh sherbat made from a local red rhododendron flower, available at many place in and around Nainital. The one available at govt. outlets are hygienically prepared and last much longer. The drink is said to be good for heat stroke, asthma, hypertension etc.

What to buy :

Wollens, which are reasonably priced. Local handicraft made of wood. The best thing of course are the decorative candles. Fresh strawberies and mulbery in season. Try the buransh sherbat made from a local red rhododendron flower, available at many places in and around Nainital. The one available at govt. outlets is hygienically prepared and lasts much longer. The drink is said to be good for heat stroke, asthma, hypertension etc.

My Trip Diary :

Me and my friend left from Delhi on Saturday , 4:00 am for Nainital from Dwarka, New Delhi. My friend had got his Ford Ikon Car (Black) for the trip. By the way this guy is a Speed Freak. I also consider him a "Human GPS" coz he has good knowledge of Indian roads.

By 6:30 am we had reached near Garh Mukteshwara but we got stuck in a major traffic jam which went for about 30 kms and 3 hrs. This was one of the worst traffic jams i ever saw on a national highway. Actually the jam was due to a "Ganga Snan Mela" ahead at Garh Mukteshwara. We came out of the jam only after crossing Gajraula.

After crossing the newly constructed Moradabad Bypass flyover after paying the toll of Rs. 15/- the drive went smooth and we accelerated to cover up the lost time. We were also lloking out for some good place to have lunch, but we discovered that this whole highway has no great restaurants to have food. Thats really strange. Finally we found a restaurant on the highway near to a closed reliance petrol pump. The name of the restaurant was "A1 Food Plaza". This was owned by akash group. The restaurant is quite big in size. The ambience was clean and OK. The food was of good quality and the service was also OK. Nothing great about the whole restaurant but it was clean.
Well, we couldn't spot any other good restaurant either ahead or back of this restaurant, on the whole trip.

The drive ahead is smooth to some extent and gets much better as you start moving further ahead towards Nainital.

We reached Nainital by 4:00 pm. The place looks good in the very first view and is able to maintain that image throughout the trip.

The whole place is full of touts/agents of Hotels, cars, trip advisors, tour operators, restaurants, etc. Jut look around and you can find any service suiting your budget. Kindly bargain to get a good deal.

We finally found a hotel to stay on the mall road itself at a reasonable price.

By 6:00 pm we freshened up in our hotel room and went for a boat ride in the Naini lake. That was fun and the cold wind was flowing all over which was a great relief from Delhi's polluted environs.

After 7:30 pm we headed to have a walk at the Mall Road to discover what it was all about. Nothing great about the shops out there but yeah you might consider purchasing some local articles, etc. Well i headed to a Video Game shop to play some games and have a good time.

We had our dinner at a restaurant called "Mezbaan" which had the menu for chinese and indian food. There was a waiting for the table out here at around 10:00 pm. We had chinese here, which didnt enjoy much. But maybe the indian food would have been better, cant say.

The next day was Sunday and we checked out of our hotel room by 9:00 am. In nainital most of the hotels have a check in and check out time of 10:00 am.

We had parked our car in the municipal parking near the mosque and the cricket ground after the naini lake. The parking charges are Rs. 50/- for a day's parking but you have to move out your car from here after 9:00 am in the morning if parked a day earlier. Or you need to pay Rs. 50/- more.

We took the ropeway cable car to the Snow View Top and park. The view while traveeling in the cable car is just thrilling. Good view.

On the top there are some food stalls and game activities such as Go-karting, Free Fall Ride, snow-ride, Binocular viewing of mountains, Car driving, rappling, mountain climbing, etc.

We finished the activities on the top and headed back to the Mall road through the cable car.
Once i reached back to the mall road i saw some vendors selling fresh strawberries. I purchsed some and found them to be sweet and worth it.

Finally we took off from nainital and started our drive back to Delhi, which was much smoother this time.

I would like to sum up by saying that a Nainital Trip is a recommended one. Have a great trip.

New Pension Scheme (India 2009)– Small Step, Giant Leap

2009-05-08T12:55:00.004+05:30

The Pension Fund Regulatory Development Authority of India (PFRDA) is the regulator for one of India's most important financial products - the Pension Fund, through the New Pension Scheme (NPS). With no safety net for the unorganized, and the terrible service standards that those investing through EPFO endure, this is indeed a breath of fresh air.

By announcing that April 1, 2009 would be Day 1 of business for NPS in its expanded form, the regulator has finally opened long term financial planning for the Aam Aadmi.

What makes Pension Funds worth rooting for :
1. It is truly long term : Investors can plan their retirement with investments in the new Pension Fund. That's a clear 30-40 year time horizon for new entrants.
2. It is well structured : PFRDA has appointed 6 Pension Fund Managers (PFM), a Central Recordkeeping Agency (CRA) and Points of Presence (PoP - basically distributors). The CRA acts as the interface between PoPs, PFMs, Banks etc.
3. It is extremely low cost : Pension Fund Managers have been appointed at the lowest cost (less than 0.010% per annum as management fee). This is MUCH LESS than what Mutual Funds charge for managing even liquid funds and a small fraction of what insurance companies charge. NSDL, the CRA for the NPS, would charge Rs. 280 as annual maintenance fee per subscriber and Rs. 6 for every transaction. This is amazing cost-efficiency.
4. It offers choice : Investors can choose from Equity Biased (E), G-Sec Biased (G) and Corporate Debt/Fixed Income biased (C) models. Investors can also indicate a mix amongst all three. Equity Investments are restricted only to the NIFTY 50 index. This Passive Investment diktat makes sense, as this represents an adequately diversified portfolio and also keeps cost of fund management low.
5. It offers mobility : Investors can change their PFM of choice, by indicating the same to the CRA. With the CRA issuing all subscribers a unique PRAN (Permanent Retirement Account Number), hopefully this number would make all record-keeping easy. Issue of PRAN will ensure portability across geographies as well as jobs.
6. It offers convenience : With several PoP (basically PSU Banks), reach is not a problem. And with NSDL taking care of the back-end, there would be no opaqueness that the present EPFO is notorious for.
7. It offers transparency (hopefully) : While there is not much information about disclosures and reports, there is hope that there will be portfolio disclosures, toll-free numbers (for customer service) and updated account statements after every transaction, or atleast a consolidated one every year.

With a new Defined Contribution model (unlike the present Provident Funds, which are Defined Benefit), NPS is all set to revolutionise the Pension planning scenario. If successful, then this would be as pioneering as the introduction of mutual funds or the entry of the private sector into insurance.

THE SCHEME
It is a centrally operated portable pension scheme. Initially there are 23 Points of Presence (POP) consisting of banks and other financial institutions, who act as the front end interface with the public. These POP facilitate account opening and other transactions. NSDL (National Securities Depository Limited) is the Central Record keeping Agency (CRA) and there are 6 fund managers, who will manage the funds. You may open an Individual Retirement Account (IRA) with any of the POP and you will be allotted a unique account number valid for life. So even if you change employer or place of residence, you may continue to operate the same account.

You have the option of contributing monthly or quarterly, but a minimum of 4 contributions in a year is mandatory to inculcate the regular saving habit. There are 3 fund options namely E (Equity), C (Corporate bonds) and G (Government bonds) and you may choose any or a combination of these options to deploy your funds. There is also a default “auto choice” fund which would be a lifecycle fund and the asset allocation would be adjusted according to your age. The equity exposure will be 60% till age 35 after which it will reduce by 3% every year till it reaches zero by age 55. You have the choice of selecting your fund manager and the CRA would transfer your funds to the desired manager.

Initially the NAV (Net Asset Value) will be declared once in a year and you would have the option of changing your fund manager only once a year. The performance of the fund managers will be reviewed every 3 years and replaced if necessary.

The tier 1 account is purely a retirement fund with no withdrawals permitted till age 60. But in case of a critical illness or for the purpose of buying a house, withdrawal is permitted. At the age of 60, you may opt to withdraw up to 60% of the fund as a lump sum and buy an annuity with the rest. There is also a proposed tier 2 account likely to be launched at a later date which would act as a normal investment account, permitting investments and withdrawals at will. But you need to have a tier 1 account if you desire to open a tier 2 account.

Fees and Charges
Account opening charge: Rs.50 per account

Annual maintenance charge: Rs.350 per annum which will gradually reduce to Rs.250 as the number of accounts increases to 30 lakhs.

Transaction charge: Rs.10 per transaction which will gradually reduce to Rs.6 as the number of accounts increases to 30 lakhs.

Fund management charge: 0.0009% per annum on the fund value.

Open to NRI
NPS is open to NRI who continue to hold Indian passport. The contribution should be in Indian rupee and the scheme is non-repatriable.

The positives of the scheme
Simple: Once an account is opened, you may continue to contribute till you reach retirement.

Portable: You need not open a fresh account every time you switch employment or residence unlike the present EPF (Employee Provident Fund)

Low cost: NPS offers an extremely low cost retirement plan when compared to the other alternatives. The significance of lower cost will be felt when compounded over a long period of say 15 or 20 years. The following illustration will drive home the benefit of low cost.

Negatives of the scheme
Tax treatment: The returns are fully taxable unlike EPF and PPF (Public Provident Fund) where the returns are tax free. This obviously looks to be an error and does not sound logical because all similar investment vehicles have to be given the same tax treatment and let’s hope that this would be set right in due course.Disclosure: Initially the NAV would be declared annually so as to minimize churn between fund managers. Hopefully the disclosure is made more frequently over time enabling better fund manager assessment.

What should you do?
Certainly NPS is a good alternative to the investment schemes available right now in India and merits consideration. But stick to your present investment plans for now till there is more clarity on the scheme and the initial hiccups are overcome. I shall update the details once the scheme is up and running.

India Election 2009 - My Life's First Voting Experience in Delhi

2009-05-07T18:44:00.013+05:30

So finally the D'Day has arrived for Election ' 2009. All that we could see for so many days in the media was election debates and election campaigns running advertisements on news channels. The indian media covered the whole election campaigning in a detailed fashion. Every neta's daily routine was shown to the audience by our Super Active Media Channels. From the time the Neta gets up in the morning, brushes his teeth, wears his designer khadi kurta with rayban aviator sun glasses and rolex gold watch, has breakfast, does his pooja for good luck, rides a chopper/ SUV, greets old/young admirers, has energy drinks on the way, talks about changing the life's of poor people, waves hand to his supporters who are seeing him for the first time around in so many years (5 years) after the last election, gives speech at rallies claiming himself to be the "Farishtaa" either for Muslim/Hindu voters (depending on the constituency), riding back on his chopper/SUV and heading back to home. Nothing was left to the imagination by the media channels.

So i watched many such media coverages by various news channels and tried to understand the political clout in India. Well i would like to confess all this didnt help much but only gave me an idea that " How rich (crorepatis) all these netas were? and How poor i was? and How education was not the only means to gain super success in life? ". Also got to know that most of them were not educated enough to even understand anything (example, Mrs. Rabri Devi, Pappu Yadav, etc.) persay, but were ready to change the present and future of their constituencies OR maybe their own lives, i should say. Well whatever maybe the case, the only thing that was certain was "CHANGE", isnt that what they promised.

Recently BJP ran an SMS campaign saying that "25 lakh crore rupees are parked illegally in the tax haven swiss banks outside India. They resolved that if BJP came into power they would bring back the money."

Well i was thinking that isnt a large part of this money of our own beloved NETA's too. Are they implying they want to get their funds investigated? So actually this issue is good to raise but would never reach its final destiny of justice as ex-CBI director of india in one of his interviews said that even CBI (India's most prestigious crime investigation agency) does not have the status to deal with this issue. Maybe a new organisation will have to be formed with autonomous rights and freedom to work without political interventions. Its a sweet dream, i must say ! Keep dreaming...........It's India........Kyun Netaji !

The politicians talk about money........well if you would just check out my blog last week i had posted an article qouting a national newspaper headlines saying that 68 % of the Neta's who declared their asets running in multi-crores did not even hold PAN cards and that the income tac deptt. was trying to establish their source of income and tax liabilities with fine. Now forget Swiss Banks, our Neta's are so fearless that just to show their might in their constituencies (MONEY POWER) to attract voters, they were ready to declare some part of their black money too without paying taxes. Height of CONFIDENCE, i must say. But lets see how many of those 68% Neta's not having PAN cards go behind bars. NOT EVEN A SINGLE, i believe !

In the MNC company i work for, there was a campaign being run along with the "JAAGO RE" activists to enroll more and more voters and to ensure their participation in the voting process in Election '2009. I would say that this was a great effort being carried out by all such activists. I joined the "Jaago Re" campaign too and got myself registered online.

But i already had my voter ID card before joining the group. This group somehow motivated me to vote through their active publicity campaigns. I got the felling to vote this time. Would like to confess it that this VOTING was going to be my first ever. But better late than never. I didnt want to be Pappu this time.

The day arrived (07 May 2009) when voting for election '2009 was to happen in Delhi. My constituency was (37-PALAM). I took out my voter ID card and kept it on top of my reading table. Suddenly, i got a letter mail delivered to my mailing address by the Congress Camp. Along with the pamphlet stating the name of the local candidate, there were voting details of my family in a chit format providing details of election timings, polling booth address, voting ID details, etc. My family has been a congress supporter since long.

I saw this pamphlet and analysed that none of the Campaigning candidates had sent any details regarding their profile to any voter, except for this pamphlet by the congress party candidate. This took effort on his part and i decided that i wanted the leadership of educated people/leaders like Sonia Gandhi, Manmohan Singh, Chidambram, Sheila Dikshit, etc. So, i got ready and head straight to the polling booth. Remember it was my first voting instance. The polling booth looked quite peaceful i must say when i went there, opposite of my expectations of being crowded. There was almost no waiting for my series of voter id card. So i went straight inside , showed my Voter ID and pressed the button on Mr. Ramesh Kumar (Congress South Delhi Candidate).

Finally, when i came out of the polling booth and saw the permanent blue ink mark on my finger, i felt proud of making a decision and participating in the largest democratic event of the Indian Democracy.

Would like to close this article by saying the final lines : "Jai Ho India !!"