Technology changing farmers lives

Many think that technology is only for the rich or corporates or developed nation. No. Farmers are benefiting from technology, they are now selling vegetables and other agri produce on commodities sites http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/06/02/stories/2008060250861700.htm . Farmers in ooty are really getting a better price and have realised that they were being cheated by the middle men till date.

Use and Get Paid

I was reading an article last week and was impressed by the business model, its a usual practice around the world to have Pay and Use toilet but in a small town in Tamil Nadu (india), you get paid to use the toilet. The person who came up with this idea is going to make use of the urine waste to create manure. This concept has made the locals use the toilet instead of their usual practice of using the open fields.
This seems to be a great idea and should be used to bring about a change in people as it cost not more than Rs30/person/month i.e. less than a $.

IPL - what is the ROI

There was so much hype about IPL, rather the most hyped cricketing event, even more than World CUP but as we come nearer to the day it seems to be fizzling out and giving gitters to all the investment. I don't think investors will make enough or actually make losses.

Too much of any thing is bad, even cricket and even if it is India where Cricket is a religion and players GOD.

BCCI- if you are listening, too much cricket is bad for the game or may be its good as Indians will get bored and will start focusing at Hockey.

Meghalaya - Flowering Draught

Bamboo flowers every 50 years and as a result of this no. of rats increase and they destroy the crop. This is what has happened in Meghalaya and because of this 10000 people in villages are getting only 1 meal a day.

Last week I was seeing reports in news that rice is rotting in godowns, Isn't this irony?

If a few handful decide they can resolve the Meghalaya problem.

No Honking Day - 7th April

Mumbai today announced No Honking Day, did it make any difference? NO. Its a shame that we have all become insensitive and people could not restrain themselves from honking even for a Day. Over 6200 people were fined today for honking.
Honking is a big menace in India and we don't realise the damage it is doing, it makes people hyper and irritable and this leads to health issue and also effects relationships.

Request all Indians to stop honking. Police should also have a drive to educate the people and also ensure that all the vehicles with higher decibel be fined.

I think ARAI and department of transport should come up with an amendment in the rule and reduce the decibel level for manufacturers to use.

Hope India can someday become a NO HONKING COUNTRY

Chennai Colonel Shewag - Nazafgagh raja

Sehwag proved yet again that he is made of steel and when he fires nothing(no body) can stop him. He has come from down under and fired like man possessed, scoring 300 itself is a big achievement (that too second time) but its even more credibile than he scored it @ stike rate of over 100%.
He has gone into the record books by becoming only the third played who has scored 2 tripple centuries. I am eagerly waiting for the 4 days play to see if he can go on to convert this into a 400+, its not going to be easy as new ball is due and he would be tire, my mind says 50:50 but my heart says 100% - lets wait and watch.

It is remarkable that,of the 14 centuries he has converted 9 into big once. How is it that he is able to convet while others can't? I feel its because of his agressive batting style, and if you analyze Lara and Don Bradman too were agressive players - there seems to be some pattern.
Wish Shewag all the luck and hope he becomes the first Indian to score 400 in an innings.

TATA rules UK

With the acquisition of JLR, TATA has once again proved to the world that it is a group to watch out for and same time made all Indians proud. In the past 3 yrs TATA has really taken India globally and has shown the world that we cannot be ignored, and the future is east...

I found this article interesting http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Tatas_acquisition_of_JLR_A_collectors_item_or_a_business_deal/articleshow/2902703.cms
while a lot`of people are worried about the money TATA needs to borrow and that their eps will lower in the next couple of years. http://www.business-standard.com/common/news_article.php?leftnm=lmnu6&subLeft=1&autono=318153&tab=r
In my opinion its a great buy, not because its an Indian company or TATA, because i see great synergy and either side can benefit from this. TATA can get access to technology and to the dealer network and JLR can benefit from the TATA experience of sourcing from India.

IPL - Bidding of Cricketing Stars

Today is a big day for Indian cricket, no not only Indian cricket world cricket. Today was the day when bidding took place for players and there were a few surprises. Dhoni was the higher paid at 5.8cr followed by Symonds at 5.7cr. Would anyone have ever expected that Symonds would be paid so much, (one more proof that we are not a racial country and neither are we a country that discriminates.

What surprised me was that Pointing was paid low, even lower than Murli Karthik - Has he lost his charisma and fan following?

India has a proved once again that even thro it is not the no. 1 ranked team, it funds world cricket.

Amazing India - 2 Indian Railways

I was reading about Indian Railways providing travel services. Indian railways for years has been running palace on wheels targeted to foreign tourists but now has introduced more routes; the most exciting is that they have started this service for Indians and targeting middle class at reasonable rates @500 / days. Great going .. Indian railways shining under Laloo.

Amazing 1 - Indian Railways

I started this blog talking about Don't Save India but change India and was talking of things that need to be changed, but now i have decided to talk also of good things that are happening under Amazing series.
Today I was at the Bangalore railway station to receive inlaws and when I went to buy my platform ticket at the automated machine, I realised that I did not have one rupee coin as i needed in all 3 rupees. My first reaction was - why can't they have a change machine? and then i looked to the right and found another machine and when i read the instruction i was amazed to see the technology in use - one had to sms PFT to xxxxxx no. and would receive a code that you punch in the machine and you get your platform ticket. NO COINS required. Isn't it great, i remebered the Vodafone ad where Irfaan Khan says 'is ka kya kare' refering to one rupee coin.

Maharatra Crisis - Lalu comes into action

It is terrible that thousands of North indians are forced out of Maharastra. Isn't this surprising and that too to in todays world where we say there are no boundries. When lakhs and Lakhs of indians can work in ME, USA, UK then why to politicians have problem with their own citizens, can these politicians not think beyond their homes,localities and state - SHAME.
Now that there is a call for not celebrating any north indian festivals in Maharastra, LALU has got agitated and has throw a challenge and asked to stop him from celebrating CHAT PUJA in Maharastra. Good job Lalu.. continue the flight and don't let India Disintegrate...

Its time we changed, every one of us should take oath that we will celebrate 1 festival of other regions or religions and this way we will learn to respect others emotions.

Mumbai Crisis - Maharastrian or Indian

Over the last week the activities that have been happening in Mumbai and the way it is shaping is shameful, unexplainable and anti national.

No politian has the right to ask people from the same nationality to leave the city, town or state. Lets ask the basic question - why do we have taluks, districts, towns, cities and states ? Is it based on caste, language, religion ?

The answer to this is obviously a BIG NO. A country has states, towns , taluks etc for better administration for betterment of the people, you are actually delegating and empowering people so that local issues can be addressed faster and people can lead a better life. Then why is all this halla gulla about Maharastrian and North Indian.... Today, it is about people, tomorrow it can be about food, products or tax collection and there is NO END to this.

If this is not stopped immediately, then tomorrow other states will also start this and this would beging with Maharatrians in other states being treated badly.

I would expect Maharastrian with stature like Tendulakar ....to make an appeal to the public to stop behaving as if they have no brains and live peacefully.

Even though I want to talk about change india and not save india.. I am forced to say SAVE INDIA.

Improving Traffic

India is one of the few countries where the traffic management is poor and as a result of this people have never disciplined themselves and drive as they would drive in their backyard ignoring that there are others on the road. I am not trying to show India down but amjust trying to analyze as to why this is so and how can this be improved.

India till the mid 80's had very few vehicles on road, both 4 wheeler and 2 wheeler. It was only in 1985 most of the auto companies started operation and it was only in the early 90's that sales picked up as affordability increased post liberalisation in 1991. The govt was not ready with proper training schools and neither did the govt put proper checks and balances in license authority. Why blame the govt. alone even the riders/drivers adopted easy way out by bribing to get license.

Now that this is current state of Indian roads, is there hope and will ever improve. YES , it can provided we all decide to change. Some things todo -

1. Govt to make issuing of licenses based on merit,which means stop bribery. One possibleoption is to privatise this department.
2. Make it mandatory for every one to attend driving school before they apply for license
3. Seriously check for license less drivers and don't just penalise them with fine but force them to do social service.
4. Reduce the validity period of license from 20 years to 5 years
5. Every mistake should be penalised and recorded and based on no.of errors withdraw the license
6. Create infrastucture so that lane driving can be enforsed
7. NO HORN - atleast to start with near hospitals, schools and later everywhere
8. Ensure that every vehicle is maintained well and accessories are avaialble like rear view mirror
9. Drunken driving should be handled severly like 3 to 6 months in prison
10. Increase fines to unaffordable level - currently fines are too less and even a person can get away with fine of 100 -500 Rs.

I am optimistic and India some day will have the best managed traffic, but for this each one of us has to contribute.

Change vs Save

I keep hearing from my friends and media often about things that are not good or how things are going from bad to worse, the most common reaction is Save Inida or God Save this country. Have you not heard -

>> traffic is crazy-what is govt doing
>> cost of goods are increasing every day- govt does not do any thing to control inflation
>> no drinking water- govt collects so much tax but doesnotprovideclean drinking water

and many more cribs

Its very simple to complain, but, have we asked ourselves as to what is it that each one of us can do to bring about a CHANGE. No body can SAVE INDIA and why should some one else or GOD SAVE, it is people of this country who need to bring about a change and each one of us have a role to play. What say you? while i would put my thoughts, i would like to get your thoughts on what one should to do to make India a truly developed country, what i mean by developed is not only economically(read GDP) but also culturally where every citizen feels safe, loved and basic needs are met.