ISSUES AND CONCERNS

Friends 69th Independence Day has come and gone as usual into the national amnesia. The Prime Minister of the country Narendra Modi in his second appearance, at the Red Fort, addressed the gathering in his usual inimitable style. But it clearly lacked the intensity of the maiden speech. That uniqueness of the fire from the depth of his heart was deeply missing. If the 2014 rhetoric raised the national optimism to an unprecedented level, this time round, it was more stock taking of the 15 months’ performance of his NDA regime. No doubt he has led the nation from front. A very decisive prime minister we ever had. Rattling of statistics of the progress of the schemes like Jan Dhan yojana, then pension yojana, life insurance cover for poor, model village initiatives by MPs, toilets in schools and villages, etc., he claimed performance on his promise of 2014 speech. While it is true that there have been some progress in many fronts, the progress certainly could have been better, if onl...

NEW DELHI: Some 24x7 high strung T.V channels went ballistic and some English dailies went hyper with front page top billed news item ‘Personal Liberty of individual under attack’. It was, as if, emergency was re-declared. All that had happened was an anxious government reeling under parliament logjam had issued direction to telecom operators and internet service providers to block pornographic websites. Reportedly, there was widespread outrage on social media and other media platforms, and central government as a ‘guardian angel’ of personal liberty responded with alacrity to restrict the directions to only those websites hosting child pornography. Equally as guardians of liberty newspapers too had published elaborate editorial on the issue, wasting its precious newsprint on issues as pedestrian as a pornographic views portal. Other day, Home Minister of Madhya Pradesh Babulal Gaur had remarked “drinking as a fundamental right’, and why not! If decadent pornography could be elevated...

APJ ABDUL KALAM: A human being par excellence As you read this, over a month would have passed since the passing away of Bharat Ratna Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, the former president of India. As usual for all the month of August APJ appeared in print in one paper or the other. It was as if it was never enough, and there is still more to say. The avalanche of goodwill that this diminutive man commands, is mind boggling. It was as if he was another Mahatma after Mahatma Gandhi. Abdul Kalam was born to a little educated boatman Jainulabdeen in Rameshwaram. Family of Jainulabdeen was of ordinary means. However they were determined to give young Kalam, best of proper education. As the life unfolded itself, Abdul Kalam not only grew in years but also grew in stature to become one of the best scientific brains of not just India but of international repute. Penguin Books writes on him. He ‘is one of India’s most distinguished scientists. He was responsible for the development of India’s first sat...

Don’t tinker with RBI – Moody’s New Delhi : American research firm Moody’s Analytics, in a report, warned against the NDA government’s moves to tamper with the autonomy of the Reserve Bank of India in deciding on interest rates, as being potentially damaging for the economy. “Moving to the new model would severely dent the RBI’s competency: Credibility would be  lower, politics would drive decisions, and transparency would be reduced,” the economic research conmpany said. The government last week released the draft Indian Financial Code, which proposes to remove the RBI governor’s veto right in the monetary policy committee.Besides taking away the RBI governor’s authority to veto interest rate decisions, the draft  also proposed that the monetary policy committee would have four representatives of the government and only three from the central bank, including the RBI “chairperson”. “Overall, we believe that tampering with the central bank’s independence would make it diff...

Social justice: Will it ever come! First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out – Because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out - Because I was not a Trade Unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out – Because I was not a Jew. Then they came for Me – and there was no one left to speak for Me. (Martin Niemöller, a German anti-Nazi theologian and Lutheran pastor) The state inaction in response to the brutal murders of SatishShetyy (five years ago), Dr Narendra Dabholkar (nearly two years ago) and Govind Pansare (over three months ago) has generated a lot of discontent among democratic-minded citizens of Maharashtra. Hum Azaadiyon Ke Haq Mein, a collective of NGOs and individuals in Mumbai, has started a campaign titled ‘Who is shielding the Guilty?’ in response to the antipathy shown by the criminal justice system. The NGO amplifies the voices of resistance and supports the legal battle and prot...

Dr K Shankar Shetty, born in 1941, after having lived an eventful life of 74 years, is no more. On 25th Aug, as he was getting ready to visit a doctor, he collapsed and didn’t recover. He passed away on 1st Aug. While he was alive, he lived a remarkable life as a banker, economist and a man of letters. Dr Shetty was known for his integrity as a banker. He has some 40 years of active banking exposure both in Reserve Bank of India and Vijaya Bank. He retired as General Manager of Vijaya Bank attached to the office of CMD. He had a brilliant academic career, having bagged many awards and first ranks. Being 1st rank in MA (Political Science) of Bombay University, one of them. Was an active member of bankers organisations like IBA, Banker’s Club etc., and held senior positions. He was a prolific writer with some 15 books to his credit on diverse subjects, involving banking politics and sociology. As a member of the editorial board of I & C he was participative and contributed to its ...

How sweet drink kills !  In the first detailed global report on the impact of sugar-sweetened beverages, researchers estimated deaths and disabilities caused by diabetes, heart disease, and cancers in 2010.  "Among the 20 countries with the highest estimated sugar-sweetened beverage-related deaths, at least eight were in Latin America and the Caribbean, reflecting the high intakes in that region of the world," said lead author Gitanjali Singh, an Indian-American assistant professor at Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy in Tufts University. Of the 20 most populous countries, Mexico had the highest death rate attributable to sugar-sweetened beverages with an estimated 405 deaths per million adults (24,000 total deaths) and the US ranked second with an estimated 125 deaths per million adults (25,000 total deaths). In the study, sugar sweetened beverages were defined as any sugar-sweetened sodas, fruit drinks, sports/energy drinks, sweetened iced teas, or homema...

I.V. fluid meant for animals administered to human Patna : There were angry scenes in a district hospital in Raisen district when it was found that a patient was being given medicine meant for animals. The attendant of a patient created ruckus in Civil Hospital, Raisen on Friday after an intravenous fluid (dextrose) with a label reading ‘only for animals’ was administered to him. The district administration has suspended a paramedical staffer sister Durga. Further probe is being carried out. Three packets of dextrose out of 10 cartons supplied to Civil Hospital are of ‘animal use’. The ruckus sparked when an attendant of Munne Bhai Painterwaley, admitted in the Civil Hospital’s men’s ward, suddenly noticed that the glucose being infused to him through a drip carried a label reading ‘only for animals’. Raisen collector J K Jain, talking to press, said, “A paramedical staffer, sister Durga has been suspended with immediate effect. The matter is being further investigated. This is...

Photo of shooting! London : Zimbabwe has sought from the US extradition of the dentist who killed Cecil the lion, the most famous creature in the country’s national park. Zimbabwe’s Environment Minister Oppah Muchinguri said at a press conference that Walter Palmer, 55, was a “foreign poacher” and that Zimbabwe’s prosecutor general had already started the process to have him extradited, BBC reported.    A bilateral extradition treaty between the US and Zimbabwe has been in effect since April 2000 in cases where an individual is charged with what would be a criminal offence in both countries. Palmer, a keen big game hunter who is said to have paid around $50,000 for a chance to kill Cecil, will be facing trial for financing the illegal hunt if he is extradited to Zimbabwe. Cecil was a male African lion who lived in the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe. The animal was shot on July 1 in the park. Smart dog London : A two-year-old brainy dog in the UK can solve maths p...

TWO LINES: Friday was a mixed day at work. As soon as Satish arrived in the morning, he received a call from Clark’s vice president of operations, Steve Longorio. Their company’s equipment had passed a crucial field test at a customer test well. He congratulated Satish and said that the hard work of the previous five years was beginning to show some payoff. The customer had committed to using their equipment on the next five development wells on offshore rig in the Gulf of Mexico, but he still had to get past their drilling superintendent, who abhorred unproven equipment in his bottom – hole assembly. Steve asked him to accompany him to Lafayette, Louisiana, to meet this resister and turn him around. Satish was unaware that over his nine years at Clark, he had built a good reputation in the company and the drilling industry for being not only a good engineer but also a pragmatic one, who understood the motivations, risks and concerns that dictated each action on  a drilling ri...

First Gurudwara in U.S. in a disused church Chicago :  The Sikh community, in a major city in the US state of Illinois, will have their first Gurudwara soon by converting a 30,000 square feet foreclosed building that earlier served as a Baptist church.  “The old building, which is spread in 30,000 square-foot, is being renovated as Nanaksar Sikh Temple and would serve as a single temple in Rockford, Illinois where over scores of Sikh families live,” Nanaksar Sikh Temple supervisor Baba Daljit Singh Ji from Chicago told PTI over phone. The proposed Temple, situated at the Kishwaukee Street third Avenue in the Forest City, will have a grand opening in September middle, he said. Any symbols of the Christian faith in the former church like crosses or stained glass will be preserved during the renovation work and will be donated to local churches or to the Salvation Army, Baba Ji said. “People now have to drive a long way to visit the nearest temple in Chicago Milwaukee or M...

Muslims in Nepal want a Hindu state Kathmandu: In an unusual move, Muslims in Nepalhave backed the ongoing campaign for reinstating the country's erstwhile Hindu identity, saying they are more "secure" under a Hindu state than under a secular Constitution. "It is to protect Islam," said Amjad Ali, chairman of the Rapti Muslim Society. CPN-UML CA member Anarkali Miya said she has personally experienced missionaries trying to influence people from other faiths to follow Christianity. "Nepal should not adopt secularism. It will only create more problems in future," Miya said. "Turning the country secular is nothing but a design to break the longstanding unity among Muslims and Hindus. So there is no alternative to reinstating the country's old Hindu State identity in order to allow fellow citizens to live with religious tolerance," said Babu Khan Pathan, chairperson of the Rastrabadi Muslim Manch Nepalgunj said. "We don't need...

“If you are happy in a pile  of shit, keep your mouth shut” said, the wise man Washington : A fugitive bank robber has been arrested by US police after they recognised his pictures in a newspaper as an actor in a low-budget horror film. Jason Stange, 44, had taken a role as a doctor who commits a 'deranged act' in a film called 'Marla Mae'. Images of him appeared in a piece publicising the shooting of the film in a newspaper in Washington state.    Police agents recognised him and arrested him at a restaurant close to the film set. Stange had pleaded guilty to an armed bank robbery in 2006 and was given a prison sentence of almost ten years. Last year he absconded from a “halfway house” facility and a warrant was issued. Brandon Roberts, the film’s producer, told the local News Tribune that Stange was a talented actor who was well-liked by the cast and crew.

Failed in board ‘XAM but boy clears AIIMS entrance – board not showing him his papers The AIIMS result, which was published on June 25, showed that Ravi got the 18th rank in the OBC (other backward class) category. Prior to this, Ravi’s intermediate result came out on June 17 in which he got 60 in Physics, 60 in English, but only 10 in Chemistry.The BSEB chairman LP Singh was also taken aback when he came to know about it. “How can a boy, who secured good rank in AIIMS entrance examination, get merely 10 marks in Chemistry,” he asked the joint secretary of the BSEB Harihar Nath Jha and instructed him to rectify the mistake in the marksheet, if any, within a day. The answer copy was sent for scrutiny. However, the marks remained unchanged. Meanwhile, Ravi, who studied in MS College at Alauli in Khagaria (ancestral place of Ram Vilas Paswan), was asked to attend the counselling session at AIIMS on July 8. Ravi went to New Delhi but without the marksheet (as it was still under scrutin...