The race is on, can India sustain????????

Vroom......vroom!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Buddh International Circuit (BIC) at the Gautam Buddh Nagar in Greater Noida is going to be abuzz with activity this weekend. The 5.14 km long race track which has 16 turns and is spread over a sprawling 875 acres land has a seating capacity of nearly 100,000. Yes, the Formula 1 race is back in Indian sub-continent on 25-27 October 2013, and perhaps for the last time. Two years back the track was first inaugurated amid fanfare by the Indian Formula 1 champion Narayan Kartikeyan when he warmed up the track with great enthusiasm igniting the aspirations of lakhs of F1 fans in India to watch a race live on the track. The track had also received accolades for its international standards and engineering marvels, and elevated India to a high profile status in the motor sport world. But now the glory seems to be short lived as rumours are high and dry this weekend may witness the last race.

Formula 1 boss Bernie Ecclestone confirmed that F1 had a five year deal with the Jaypee Group and wanted the race to be held in the first half of the year, whereas Jaypee insisted the race to be conducted in the month of October. Although the Group had its way in the first two years, with newer circuits appearing in the calendar and F1 teams reluctant for more races, the Jaypee Group is expected to conduct the race in March 2014. This obviously is difficult for the Jaypee Group to conduct a race in October 2013 and March 2014 again, with the race not in 2014 calendar now. Further the Jaypee group has to shell out $40 million (237.7 crores) for every race towards Buddh International Circuit as licensing fee to the International Automobile Federation (FIA).

 

If the gossip in F1 circles is to be believed, Bernie Ecclestone, who has been controlling the F1 for 40 years, is not happy with taxation policy and the red tape in India as hard lobbying is needed to reinstate the track for the sporting event in the year 2015 calendar. But owing to the economic slump the chances for further persuasions by the F1 lobbies appears to be bleak. Moreover, with two more tracks going to add up to the existing races in the forth coming calendar year- the Black Sea resort of Sochi in Russia and a Grand Prix in New Jersey, US. Austria is too pitching to make a comeback after 11 year break. Since the sport if expanding it base and gaining popularity from new corners, India has to be alert to stay put in the highly competitive event card. On the other hand, owing to the enormous potential of Indian fan base, F1 organisers can also not afford to discontinue the races in India An understanding the sport and the engineering involved indicate why the sport is so exciting.

Formula 1 is the highest class of single seated auto racing sanctioned by the FIA. A typical F1 season includes different races in a calendar year, called Grands Prix meaning great prizes in French and is conducted on specially engineered circuits and public roads across different countries. The race drivers, constructor’s team, track officials, organisers and circuit should be holders of valid Super licences issued by the FIA. No doubt it is one of the most glamorous sports.

Success in Formula 1 unlike other sports is not absolutely dependent on the tenacity and the sportsmanship of the driver. It is a marquee sport and the long term standing depends on tactfully designing the car based on latest technological advances by the team, adhering to FIA regulations and the adroitness of the driver. Hence both of them are felicitated for every victory. The world championship every year is awarded based on the points procured in each of the races conducted in the year. Points are awarded at the end of the race as per the order of finishing the race with the winner receiving 25 points and the Constructor team receiving a sum of points scored by the team drivers. These points then get cumulatively added after every race both for the drivers and constructors.

F1 cars are the fastest multi-turn circuit-racing cars in the world capable of reaching speeds of 350 kmph and capable of lateral acceleration of 5g.  The front wings of F1 cars are uniquely designed to generate large amounts of downforce which allows the car to travel faster through a corner. The overall performance of the car is dependent on the aerodynamics, suspension and tyres, all of which have undergone a radical change through the course of the history of the sport.  All teams in F1 pump in several millions of dollars into the research and development in improving the aerodynamics of car. Recent innovations like KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) and DRS (Drag Reduction System) are incorporated to enhance driver’s skills especially while overtaking. The angle of rear wing flap of car is altered, reducing the drag and increasing the speed in the designated DRS activation zone/s.

Formula 1 is a classical example of precise man-machine teamwork. It is coordinated magic between science and the human power. Introduction of pit stops during race in 1994 has changed the tactical strategies of the game. The strategies are worked out to exploit the variations of different circuits to maximum advantage. In addition to the use of different tyres, variable pit stops other variables like the weather forecast, length and number of pit stops, likelihood of overtaking on certain circuits and possibility of accidents all these determine the final outcome of the race. To top it all the incredible skill of the driver in overtaking sometimes changes the final result.

Logistics

Apart from the racing aspect of it, there are enormous set of logistics to be worked out. For races within Europe, the cars along with their telemetry devices are transported in large carriers by road. This becomes complicated as the race tracks are expanding to different continents. The task of transporting all the cars, equipment and other components is gigantic and is done through specially designed cargo crates to facilitate the transport on cargo planes chartered by the Formula One Management (FOM). These planes fly from London or Munich. Most people jokingly describe the whole process as similar to medium sized military campaign.

 

Pitstops

An important strategy of the race which makes all the difference is the pit stops. Pit stops are guided by ‘lollipop’ man; named after its resemblance to the shape. Though the Formula 1 driver receives great attention, coordinated efforts of a team of mechanics working with millimetre- precision and alacrity play a significant role in the exemplary race finish. Often the acts of changing the tyres, damaged parts and adjusting the wings, nose of the cars are so intricately choreographed to march towards the podium finish. Usually these pit stops are completed in less than three seconds which speaks of skills of the mechanics.

Tyres

Yet another indispensible interacting variable between the car and track are the tyres. It is believed that performance of the tyres improves with higher temperatures, as high temperatures can make them stickier. The quality of the rubber used in tyres is decided by the characteristics of race track. Because of the higher speeds clocked by the F1 cars, durability is much less. They last for only 120km against the regular road tyres which can last for 16000km. The composition of sulphur, oil and carbon are varied in the tyres to have six different varieties. Like the super soft, soft, medium, hard and two types of wet tyres. Formula one race faces an important challenge when it comes to racing during wet conditions. The wet tyres are designed to dispel 60 litres of water per second referred to as aqua planning. The tread patterns are mathematically designed to scrub off maximum water between the tyre track interfaces. Tyres are filled with special nitrogen-rich air mixture to withstand the extreme variations in pressures. Fuel used is the ordinary gasoline but tightly controlled mixture, consumption is 75 litres for 100 kilometres travelled.  The game seems to constantly evolving as new rules are in place every year to ensure maximum safety to the driver. The heart of the racing is race controls which is responsible for monitoring and supervising all the stages of practice, qualifying and final race events.

 

 

Teams

Currently there are eleven racing teams with each team sporting two drivers. So, a total of 22 professional drivers compete when the five red lights illuminate on the gantry marking the start of the race session. Championship entry fee is USD 500,000 plus USD 5000 per each point scored. Engines are supplied by suppliers such as Cosworth, Ferrari, Mercedes and Renault. Formula one has tremendous potential of job creation and has a gross economic effect as billions of dollars are spent every year in research and development, up gradation of the engines and in several allied activities. Its burgeoning popularity worldwide has created wider scope for merchandising its products. Further the growing craze about this sport has spurred sponsor investments. It has turned into a lucrative business due to the increased viewership and the television networks are making swift business. The exhilarating and hair-raising experience when the fastest cars are skilfully clinching the narrow serpentine spaces driving diligently to avoid crashes to catch the corner spots marks the beginning of the exciting Formula 1 race.

Indian Grand Prix has the potential of generating $170 million and can employ 10,000 people. The first edition of the race witnessed was attended by 90,000 sports enthusiasts but the second edition has registered mere 75,000. So far the third edition could garner mere 20,000 F1 fans but will improve as the race day nears; economic slump might be attributed for the poor opening. The enthusiasm generated by the advent of Formula 1 in India from the first race appears to have fizzled out very fast. May be alternative promotion plans must be seriously envisaged for popularising the game among Indian public for who cricket is still affordable.

 

 

 

 

 

@ Copyrights reserved.

 

Nobel Prizes 2013

 

Nobel prizes are awarded to persons of highest achievement in particular field. Alfred Nobel, a Swedish scientist, engineer, inventor, business man, poet, dramatist and weapons manufacturer. He developed dynamite and invented a detonator which drastically reduced the cost of mining, blasting rocks, building tunnels and building canals. By the time of his death in 1896 he had 355 patents. Due to his entrepreneurial acumen, he founded 90 industries spread in over 20 counties and accumulated lot of wealth. As per will of Alfred Nobel, the interest on the huge capital invested in safe securities was to be distributed into five equal halves and shall be used to award prizes annually. The prizes are awarded to a discovery or an invention in the field of physics, chemical sciences, physiology or medicine; to a work in the field of literature working towards an ideal; to a person who has made outstanding contributions in promoting the fraternity between nations, reducing the standing armies and contributing to the peace and progress of nations. Following these directions, annually five prizes are awarded. The prizes for Physics and Chemistry are awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, for physiology or medicine by the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and Norwegian Storting nominates the award for peace prize.

Though Nobel Prize for economics has not been instituted under Alfred Nobel’s will, The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in the memory of Alfred Nobel is awarded every year for outstanding contributions in economics. It is more often referred to as “Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics”. The nomination, selection, awarding and announcement of prizes are similar to the Nobel Prize.  Awardees are selected by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. It is a non-Nobel Prize associated officially with the Nobel Foundation. It was first awarded in the year 1969. Following the eruption of controversies after the release of book “A beautiful Mind” written by Slyvia Nasar pertaining to awarding of Nobel Prize in Economics to John Forbes Nash in 1994, prize was redefined as prize in social sciences. Hence there is an ample opportunity for people working tin fields of psychology, political science and sociology to vie for the prize with their land mark contribution in those fields. Meanwhile the composition of the Economics Prize Committee has thus been changed to accommodate two non-economists. There are instances where non-economists like Herbert A Simson, a PhD in political Science won Nobel Prize in economics. The nominations for the prizes are strictly by invitations. The information about nomination process is not disclosed till 50 years later as per the statutes of the Nobel Foundation.

India has distinction of being the birth place for 11 Nobel Laureates. All the Nobel Prizes have been announced. The Nobel Prize for Physics could be easily guessed as the landmark discovery of the God particle or the Higgs-Boson particle has made headlines in the preceding year. There has been a great excitement regarding the peace prize as for the first time a 16 year old girl has been nominated for the prize and conferring her with the prize would have been a history. Since the average age of the Nobel Prize winners is 59 and the youngest Lawrence Bragg, aged 25 bagged the prize. While 90 is the age of oldest winner Leonid Hurwicz, received Nobel Memorial prize for economics and 49 laureates were younger than 40. Le Duc Tho a Vietnam politician awarded a Nobel Peace Prize along Henry Kissinger for their role in negotiating Vietnam peace accord declined the prize. Prize amount is 8 million Swedish Kroner (SEK) or 1.2 million USD. Till 2012 Nobel Prize was awarded to 835 individuals and 21 organisations.

The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institute has awarded Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine jointly to James E Rothman Yale University, Randy W. Schekman, University of California Berkeley and Thomas C Sudof Stanford University for solving the mystery of how cell organises its transport system. They have discovered the principles that govern the transport of cargo to the right place at the right time in the cell. The molecules or cargo is transported around the cell in small packaged called vesicles. Randy Schekman discovered the set of genes responsible for vesicular traffic. James Rothman unravelled the protein machinery that allows vesicular fusion and subsequent release of cargo at the right target. Thomas Sudof revealed the processes involved in vesicular signalling that guides the vesicles to release their cargo accurately. Any minor aberration or discrepancy in any of these mechanisms would have deleterious effects resulting in neurological disorders, diabetes and immunological disorders.

Nobel Prize in Physics was jointly was to Francois Englert , Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels and Peter W Higgs, University of Edinburg. In 1964 each of them along with Englert’s colleague Robert Brout, now deceased have independently postulated a theory of how particles acquire mass. These ideas were confirmed by the illustrious experiment carried on Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN laboratory outside Geneva, with the discovery of the Higgs particle. LHC is perhaps the largest and the most complex instrument built by humans so far. Two research groups comprising 3000 scientists managed to extract Higgs particle from billions of collisions within the LHC.

The Royal Swedish Academy has conferred the Nobel Prize in Chemical Sciences 2013 jointly to Martin Karplus, University of Strasbourg, France and Harvard University Cambridge, MA; Michael Levitt, Stanford University, Arieh Warshel, University of Southern California. These have spearheaded computer modelling to understand and predict complex chemical processes. Earlier chemists used to create models of molecules using ball and stick. The trio have managed to make Newton’s Classical physics work to work side by side with fundamentally different quantum physics. The combination of classical and quantum physics is used to make simulations which are realistic and are capable to predicting the outcome of traditional chemical experiments.

Canadian author 82 year old Alice Munro was awarded Nobel Prize for literature for her mastery in contemporary short story writing. She has published several short stories over the years. She is widely acclaimed for her fine tuned style of story- telling characterised by psychological realism and clarity. She is considered as Canadian Chekov. Her stories are set in small town back ground and basically revolve struggle, social acceptance often resulting strained relationships and moral conflicts. They also deal about the generation gap and colliding life ambitions. She is the 13^th woman and 17^th Canadian to receive the award. She was also winner of Man Booker International Prize in 2009.

Organization for the prohibition of Chemical weapons (OPCW) was awarded Nobel Peace prize 2013.It was founded in 1997.Tha Hague based autonomous body works within the frame work of UN. It is awarded the prize for its extensive efforts to eliminate of chemical weapons. It promotes and verifies the adherence to the Chemical Weapons Convention. It has played a crucial role in the recent Syrian war and has been deftly handling the destruction of stock piles of chemical weapons in Syria. It has received massive acclaim for its technical expertise and the unstinted courage displayed by its team for working in the most dangerous war incriminating zones. Disarmament figured prominently in Alfred Nobel’s will, Norwegian Nobel Committee is seeking to contribute to elimination of chemical weapons by awarding the organization.

The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded 25 times to organisation between 1901 and 2013. 22 individual organisations have been awarded, UNHCR and the office of United Nations High Commissioner for refugees received the award twice and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) was honoured thrice.

The Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences for the year 2013 in memory of Alfred Nobel is shared jointly by Eugene F Fama, University of Chicago; Lars Peter Hansen, University of Chicago and Robert Shiller, Yale University for their empirical analysis of assets prices. . In general there is no way to predict the prices of stocks and bonds over few days or weeks. But it is possible to forecast the prices of the stocks over a broad period. These two statements are quite startling and contradictory. The Nobel laureates have laid foundation for understanding asset prices which are subject to rapid fluctuations. Their analyses rely on the fluctuations, risk and risk attitudes, and partly on behavioural biases and market frictions. The behaviour of the asset prices is the key to the savings, buying of assets and finally plays a pivotal role in the national economic policy. Long term assessment of prices has attained utmost prominence following the collapse of US housing market bubble which led the financial meltdown. So far Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics has been awarded 45 times to 74 laureates.

 

 

@ Copyrights reserved.

 

 

 

 

Recent Spate of Infiltrations In Kashmir

There has been a flurry of activity across the LoC due to the recent infiltration bids by the Pakistanis and subsequent flushing attempts by Indian army for last two weeks.  The massive incursion bids have an imbued message which needs to be urgently addressed by India. These fresh infiltrations coincide with the political skirmishes within our country. The country has witnessed an open political rivalry between a bungling government and its former Army General Vijay Kumar Singh. An enquiry was initiated to investigate the activities of the secret Technical Support Division (TSD) under his tenure. Government has been sitting on the report for more than past six months have resorted to calculated politically motivated leaking. The report was immediately leaked in a newspaper following the public appearance of the general on same platform along with Narendra Modi at a meeting in Rewari, Haryana addressing ex-servicemen.

The revelations of the enquiry which contained various details about army activities have been published by a newspaper. The entire episode took an ugly turn following the innocuous interpretations of the media houses about the working of armed forces. Further, an unabashed votary of Singh in television channels has added more fuel to fire. All the excruciating efforts made by the Indian military as a part of counter-insurgency operations in the Kashmir Valley to restore stability have come under severe scrutiny. It has attempted to even question the patriotism and the commitment of Army, its non partisan style of working in a democratic country. Nation was tormented by the frivolous doubts about the apolitical nature of the military. The ugly war between the government and the retired general caused a grave damage to national security.  Though the political ambitions of the general V.K. Singh have been attributed to be the reason for the dastardly exposure of the highly confidential reports, is it really a substantial reason enough?

Even the internal bickering among the ruling party had also vitiated the existing fragile state of affairs. The public outcry of the Vice President of the Congress Party when the Prime Minister was on US tour on the Ordinance and its subsequent withdrawal publicly exposed the vulnerability of the prime minister’s role in crucial decision making. The meek submission of prime minister reinforced the dubious stature of prime minister. The subdued style of functioning, lack of tough stance on the border issues and foreign policy strategies has provided impetus to the belligerent Pakistan. Prime minister wanted to create a positive legacy in the last year of his tenure by resuming talks with Pakistan. Hence he defied stiff opposition in the wake of infiltration bids just days before the scheduled talks. But a moderate and non-hawkish approach towards Pakistan by our prime minister can never entail any progress in mutual bilateral relations.

Four massive infiltration attempts have been made by the Pakistani army since September 23^rd. In spite of incursion just ahead of the diplomatic talks between India and Pakistan at New York, Prime minister participated. In fact nothing concrete has been agreed upon in the much hyped up talks except for assigning the task of cease fire operations to be directed by their Directors General of Military Operations (DGMO’s). DGMO’s are expected to meet on a regular basis and exchange information for restoration of ceasefire.

A deep soul searching indicates that Pakistan’s moves have been emboldened by the current abrasion of speculative political role of the military and a weak government which is reduced to a non-entity. The petty politics played by the government has taken a severe toll not only on the morale of forces but also provided our wary neighbour enough cue to ride on our backs. There is no denying of the fact that exposing the crucial details of the ongoing enquiry came from the highest levels of the government to derail the political ambitions of General VK Singh. The consequences loomed in the form of recent spate of aggressions in the Keran sector of the Kashmir Valley. The armed forces have intensified their flushing operations in the dense forests of the Keran sector to nab the most trained terrorists and sophisticated arms operators. Army Chief, General Bikram Singh has allayed fears of seemingly Kargil like situation. The intense battle has been continuing across the LoC for the past 15 days. Can India afford such kind of alarming tension at LoC borders more often? Is there something amiss in our diplomatic strategy which is giving way for these aggressive infiltrations?  It is high time India sets right its foreign policy in order to avoid unwarranted morale setback for the forces who are securing our borders.

Pakistan hasn’t ever refrained from its ulterior motives of wrestling its influence on the Kashmir Valley. The blatant denial of the Pakistani authorities in the face of the undisputed evidence provided by the Indian Army further validates Indian anger. Is the prolific infiltration bid another desperate attempt of the reviled Pakistan’s Army Chief Ashraq Parvez Kayani due to retire? The Army chief is known for his dalliance to the trained militants who are inimical to India.

India has to change its current strategy to fight back the incursions. Sadly, the prevailing system of governance offers a bleak possibility for any diplomatic breakthrough. Until country is headed by a strong leader who is capable of taking the bull by its horns no progress can be anticipated. Indian army is making rapid strides in containing the infiltration bids across the LoC. Huge cache of arms and ammunition have been recovered from the combing operations. At this juncture it is important to recall that Kargil war started days after signing the Lahore Agreement in 1999 by Atal Behari Vajpayee and Nawaz Sharif. Now the infiltrations have started 5 days before the diplomatic talks between Manmohan Singh and Nawaz Sharif. "Operation Vijay" of Kargil War has successfully checkmated the scrupulous plans of Pakistan and regained two posts along LoC. But now, with US deciding to pull back its forces from Afghanistan in 2014, India's western borders are set to be more volatile. Can India under the leadership of Prime minister who succeeded in arousing the Indian masses through his ineptitude be a match to the treacherous advances made by Pakistan across the border?

 

 

@ Copyrights  reserved.

Is Indian Parliament Centre Stage for Tragedy Of Errors?

Sudden turn of events, quick dramatic enactments are becoming a simile of a stage where prominent actors unfold a pre-emptive and well-scripted drama. Are the Indian public still playing the role of obedient and passionate audience waiting for the suspense to unfurl completely? Or have they become more vigilant fizzling out the suspense of the drama leaving the protagonists little bewildered? The audience here are now slowly losing interest in the stellar performance and the superficial emotional overtures of the protagonists. In fact this is not a frivolous comparison as Indian public who currently experiencing the myth of the comprehensive political drama enacted by the elected representatives in light of the Ordinance for protecting convicted law makers.

Indian government has become pliable after UPA has assumed the office, at least as it appears now. Under its regime our government its policies, decisions are virtually controlled by the so called high command, reminding us of the quasi-dictatorial system. But when indifferences prop up and fissures are wide open in public the party in power simply dismiss it as symptomatic of democratic governance or hail it as democracy within. Sadly, due to its ambiguous stance, the country has lost its true credence and various policy issues have taken a back footing. The on going episode of the ordinance to protect convicted law makers is one classic example. The Vice President of Congress party, Rahul Gandhi termed it as “nonsense” in public domain. This public denunciation of the ordinance is perhaps the strongest display of emotions by him. The statement assumes greater significance as the PM is on a state visit to US and on the other hand parliamentary board is labouring extra hours to hurl open the back doors for quick passage of bill by taking ordinance route. Though the necessity of ordinance has been questioned by several legal excerpts, their sharp criticisms have been kept at abeyance.  The underlying political scheme is to wrest support of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav for the ensuing elections. All the hopes have been watered down the drain by the scion of the Gandhi family.

The public disapproval in the Press Council meeting has brought the wide fissures in the Congress to the fore. The widely commended comradeship of Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh stood exposed. The last minute realisation and confession by Rahul Gandhi has further raised several doubts about the functioning of the government and the role of the Prime Minister himself Two important conclusions can be drawn from the whole episode. Firstly- are the references to the Standing Committee on Law and meeting with the coalition partners’ a mere formality and hence the Cabinet’s decision can be publicly ridiculed by the Vice President of the Congress party?  Secondly is this a political strategy hitched by the Congress party as a desperate attempt to win back the credibility of people and project Rahul Gandhi as a capable leader? In the past decade, UPA has become synonymous to corruption with its achievements outnumbered by scams and money floundering activities. Hence the last minute tough stand is indication of the putative UPA’s prime ministerial candidate’s intention to win the credibility of people. The entire drama seems to be a trailer of last minute public rehearsal of Congress’s face saving attempt.

 The much anticipated judgement in the fodder scam case now pronounced Lalu Prasad Yadav, and the JD(U) leader Jagdish Sharma and 44 others guilty of corruption. Although the quantum of sentence is yet to be announced, the timely intervention of Rahul Gandhi has saved Congress from making a self-goal as they were hugely banking on Yadav to garner votes in Bihar. The minimum sentence punishment is expected to be for 4 years following which both the MPs would face disqualification as per the Supreme Court’s ruling of July 10^th on the Representation of Peoples Act.

With the Prime Minister having returned from the US and met the party’s leaders to seek explanation for the manner in which Rahul Gandhi dealt the issue, the media will closely follow all the moves of the trio (both Gandhi’s and PM) for next couple of weeks and the servility of PM would be under scanner. The high command had already begun the campaign of placating the PM. Sonia Gandhi showered encomiums on the performance of PM in a public meeting in Karnataka. But in spite of the extraneous noise in air, the PM habituated to indignation over the past 9 years is going to remain a mute spectator after all. It is going to be business as usual for the PM who is ready for the next set of instructions from the Race Course Road after a brief laissez faire at US. The coalition partners of UPA - NCP and SP raised tirade against withdrawing of the Ordinance and demanded for a Parliamentary Board Meeting. But what was pitched as a battle between the Prime Minister and the party’s Vice President has now subsumed into a drama with Congress withdrawing the ordinance itself.

The Representation of the People (Amendment and Validation) Bill 2013 was initially passed in the Parliament with the support of BJP and other political parties. BJP was quick to realise its folly and made a quick U-turn. Sushma Swaraj wrote to the President urging him not to sign the Bill when the UPA took the ordinance route. Hence forth it started mounting pressure on the UPA to withdraw the ordinance. The menace of the criminalisation can be stemmed only if Bill is completely renounced else our dubious politicians can get the ordinance promulgated through back doors.

Meanwhile another Rajya Sabha MP Rasheed Masood who rose to instant fame for his Rs 5 meal comment is now convicted for irregularities in medical seat allotment. He is awarded a four year sentence under the Prevention of Corruption Act. He will have the rarest honour of being the first MP to face disqualification following the landmark judgement of the Supreme Court. This seems to be just a beginning. Finally justice has prevailed since the deliverance of justice has sparked a ray of hope among millions of Indians who have become despondent over years.

The battle pitched between Rahul Gandhi and Manmohan Singh has now subdued as the Prime minister conceded in favour of withdrawing the ordinance. Through this turn of events, the Congress party has scored both the goals in a game that has been fixed even before the PM left to the US. Firstly, it succeeded in its attempts to project Rahul Gandhi as a serious contender for the post of Prime Minister in what is proposed to be a pitch battle come 2014. Secondly it had redeemed itself as a party amenable to public opinion thus garnering the public support and acceptance of its leader Rahul Gandhi. Public verdict in the general elections can alone determine the impeccability of the drama they staged. Hail Democracy. In the meantime, the Indian public who are tired of the political cronyism, criminalisation of politics and lack of public order are made to watch the crazy moves of the political buffoonery. Their deep resentment is evident from outright condemnation of the need for such an ordinance questioning the veracity of Supreme Court’s judgement.

 

@ Copyrights reserved.

Book Review My Journey: Transforming Dreams Into Actions

Life appears pleasant and desirable if there is a breeze of positivity whistling past our brain. This positive force allows us to look at the new dimensions of life with air of optimism. After reading the book “My Journey: Transforming Dreams into Actions” by Bharat Ratna Dr. A.P.J Abdul Kalam, I too was swayed by his profound philosophy towards life. He continues to inspire millions of Indians with his honest and deep revelations. The vignettes of his life continue to ignite our spirits, add wings to our aspiration and fire our imaginations.

The book is basically a memoir where Dr. Kalam fondly ruminates on all the incidents and people who made a great impact on his life. It is indeed very rare to find a true genius to be highly unassuming. It is a humbling experience to understand the personality of ‘People’s President’ who formulated India Vision Strategies for 2020. All his virtues and traits are truly infectious. His contemplations, opinions and veracity about life are awe-inspiring.

A man with a humble beginning from Rameshwaram in Tamil Nadu, making it to the highest acclaims of the country in itself is a phenomenal achievement.  His reminiscences about failing to achieve his dream of becoming a pilot, his astounding success in launching different missiles and satellites and death of loved ones- his parents & brother-in-law. All these incidents have helped him to explore philosophical dimensions of life.  Science is exploratory and the validity of truth is often ascertained by facts. Hence Scientists in general are very practical and so averse to spiritual way of thought. But here we find a genius in Kalam, fondly called as India’s ‘Missile Man’ to be an epitome of spirituality. Whenever he tumbled in life with a failure or a loss of dear ones, he would find solace in the sacred books like Bhagavad Gita, Quran and Bible. His spiritual musings can be traced to his firm faith in God inculcated by his parents at a young age.

In reference to his life in Madras Institute of Technology (MIT) under tutelage of Prof. Srinivasan, he emphasises the importance of devoted teachers in chiselling the intellectual attributes of students. He prods on his initial days at ADE, while designing prototype hovercraft, Nandi. The early inhibitions of a small-town guy with middle class roots stayed with him for a long time, but he always pushed himself hard, worked incessantly for three years and the result was an astounding success. The life of rocket scientist, he says is full of ups and downs. He recounts the days of failure of SLV-3 first launch that changed his ways of thinking and brought him close to existential issues. Often failures of great magnitude bring a fundamental change in our self and our ego witness great change. People discover the reserves of courage and resilience only during obstacles. He particularly rewinds two incidents where he experienced a gamut of emotions ranging from relief, guilt, humiliation and gratitude. Once he along with his colleague had a close encounter with an explosion in lab. But for swift action of his colleague & friend, Sudhakar, both of them could have succumbed to fire. This incident had left with an incredible humbling experience. Another was fateful death of eight officers who died during the testing of Avro ASP aircraft which crashed mid air. This was a heart-wrenching experience that left Kalam in profound sadness. He reiterates political rhetoric alone doesn’t build nation unless backed by sacrifice, toil and valour. These are the virtues that go in true-nation building. The book takes the reader through his eventful eight decades of journey and makes us truly appreciate that this journey og his has been lived not just for him but for countless others too.

In the book he expresses his gratitude and reverence to Pakshi Lakshmana Sastrygal, Reverend Iyadurai Solomon, Ahmed Jalalludin, Dr. Vikram Sarabai, Professor Satish Dhawan and Dr. Brahm Prakash and many others like them who have shaped and moulded his character, thoughts and intellect. The deep desire to share his encounters of life in this book is to help others in the same situation to understand vagaries of life.

While as a scientist of exceptional ingenuity and knowledge he is the Pioneer of rocket science in India. On the other hand, his profound understanding about life is highly motivating. He is perhaps the most humble human being for he believes that values of humanity can alone offer true succour. Here is an excerpt of a deep and insightful saying that speaks volumes about his profound understanding about essence of life. “Joy is fleeting, whereas true happiness and calm can come to us only after intense pain, when we have confronted ourselves in the mirror of our souls and understood the self.”  The book is full of snippets that can captivate any enthusiastic mind.

 

 

@ Copy rights reserved.

 

“Chaso Dolls’ Wedding and other stories” : Book Review

The author Chaganti Somayajulu (CHASO) is a venerable writer who strongly believes in marxist principles. Chaso and Gurajada Appa Rao are the precious jewels in the crown of the most literally vibrant town of Vizianagaram. Though the revolutionary hues are completely absent in his writings, his progressive attitude and sense of belongingness towards the society is clearly mirrored in all his stories. Unlike some of the writers of his era, woman is not portrayed as a special person. Chaso doesn’t harbour any biased judgements and are gender neutral. Both women and men are depicted in a natural way. Ordinary people with no special prowess are the protagonists of his stories and hence they are realistic, narrative expeditions. The book “Chaso Dolls’ Wedding and other stories” translated by Velcheru Narayana Rao and David Shulman, generates a peculiar interest in readers since none of the characters or the circumstances appear to be fictitious. They seem to be extracts of real life, natural and original. None of stories are preachy. They are very lucid; hence it would be pleasure-reading for people. Surprisingly none of the stories have a conclusive climax and so the reader has the privilege, liberty and to perceive the end according to their own discretion, choice and attitude. Hence it gives lot of freedom and leaves scope for a wider and better imagination. The heroes and heroines of Chaso are often the striking examples of the various cross-section of the society. They are pragmatic and revel as examples of how they attack the travails of the society like the abject poverty, deception, adultery and unscientific customs of the society.

Simply put each story deals with different emotions, frustrations, displacements and compromises by common man. There are no picturesque descriptions. Almost all the  twenty stories are based on the lives of the lower-middle class or the working class who has hand to mouth existence. The situations in the stories are down to earth and relevant. Since the stories are precise, lucid they are easy to understand and reader can quickly assimilate the corpus of the story. The most interesting aspect is none of the characters have the tendency to given up. They are not withdrawn by the self-pity and deprivation. In fact the heroines of his stories try to rebuild their lives by re-inventing themselves rather becoming the victims of situations. They are more assertive and fight for themselves and resist the evil temptations and pathetic cultural restraints with tact.

This book would be particularly handy for the newly emerging tribe of Telugu illiterates who are deprived of the pleasure of understanding the colloquial idioms in native language. Though they may not savour the flavour the beauty of the native dialect, this translation can compensate it. Author introduces the readers to the cultural practices and the customs of the north coastal region of Andhra of the late 1950’s. This book would be a literary feast to young readers of the present generation who are completely oblivious to cultural and societal settings of the early independence era. It provides an opportunity to investigate and understand the mind-set of people of that particular period. The translators did their best to recreate the magical effect of the original idioms and phrases used in the natural conversation. The scintillating effect, blithe of literary nuances and laconic dialogues can be well assimilated in the original tongue.

 

 

 

 @ Copyrights reserved.

A Crucial Win for Germany and India !!!!

Germany went to polls on Sep 22^nd to elect 630 members for the 18^th Bundestag. Election results have pronounced a clear victory for the Chancellor Angela Merkel of Christian Democratic Union (CDU) for the third time in a row. But the results are uncertain as she falls short of full majority by just 5 seats and hence she has to forge an alliance to form a coalition government. Its previous coalition partner, the pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP) had a disastrous performance as it could garner mere 4.8% of votes. For the first time in FDP party history, it is rooted out of the Parliament.

CDU has been gifted with a stupendous majority of 42%, up by 7% from the last elections in 2009 along with its sister party Christian Social Union (CSU).  This is the highest majority attained by any party in the past five decades. The Germans have passed a verdict crediting her for deft handling of the economy in the face of brewing economic crisis in the Mediterranean and South European Countries. It now seems that she has to form a coalition with its opposition, the Centre –left, Social Democratic Party (SDP) as she narrowly missed the absolute majority. Negotiations might continue for months as she will be compelled to accept some of the leftist propositions like minimum wages and higher tax cuts for the super-rich. She might even be forced to change her stance with regard to the bailing out Greece, award stimulus packages to Portugal, Spain and Greece and might go slow on austerity drive.

Angela Merkel is perhaps the most influential person in Germany post world war-II. She has successfully brought down the unemployment rates from 12.1% 2005 when she was first elected to 5.3% now. Moreover, she is also going to create a history by overtaking Margret Thatcher’s record of the longest serving women. The polls are an indication of the conservative nature of Germans who revel in the status of a powerful economy and their eagerness to share the responsibilities.

Germany earlier adopted an approach wherein China was the main focal point of interest and had a long standing bilateral and trade relations with China. But owing to strained relations with China following the Chancellor’s meeting with Tibetan leader Dalai Lama, Germany started realising a greater need to foster ties with other developing countries in Asia.

Economic and Cultural relations between India and Germany are dated back to 16^th century. India was the first nation to end Second World War with Germany. India has recognised the Federal Republic of Germany as a sovereign country way back in 1951 and both nations had strong commercial, cultural and strategic cooperation. India is the fifth largest business partner of Germany after China, Japan and South Korea, Singapore in Asia. India is ranked 28^th among the trade partners of Germany accounting for 0.7% of total trade.  Germany renewed its trade agreements with India, after India’s consistent growth record during the past decade. It has ventured into Indian markets to tap the unexplored avenues and has become the eighth largest investor in India with inflows of USD 5.05 billion. Germany is also India’s second largest technology partner.  The largest co-operation is in the field of machinery, heavy vehicles, chemicals, technical consultancy services, computers and electronic appliances. Large automobile giants (BMW, Daimler, AG, Audi, Volkswagen and Porsche) have established their assembly units/ manufacturing units in India. Indian investments in Information Technology, Energy and Pharmaceuticals amount to USD 4 billion in Germany. Bilateral trade has improved consistently from USD 15 billion in 2007 to USD 24.2 billion in 2011.

Germany is one of the most highly developed nations. Together with China, it is the third largest economy in the World after US and Japan. It exports account to more than a trillion euro which is three times its national income. India and Germany have reached agreements on issues like environment protection and conservation of natural resources, energy and sustainable economic development. Both of   them are now desperately attempting to obtain a permanent seat in the Security Council.  Following the signing of defence agreements Indian Navy and German Navy has conducted exercises together. Further Germany helped India to obtain a waiver from Nuclear Supplier’s Group (NSG) to procure radioactive material for non nuclear purposes. Germany has extended its cooperation to combat terrorism. India has launched seven satellites into polar orbits for Germany. There are certain issues of disagreement as well which include India’s stand on carbon emissions, UN reforms and civil nuclear cooperation.

Several MoU’s have been signed between India and Germany in the fields of Science &Technology, bilateral research cooperation in biotechnology, environment, material sciences and vocational training. Germany is India’s most important research partner after US with more than 1000 post graduate community constitute the largest student group in Germany after Chinese. There are significant numbers of collaborations between the elite Indian and German institutes. Several exchange programs for students and young scientists have been vogue and new programs are initiated to foster greater cooperation in science and technology.

Unlike India, Germany has significant challenges to long–term sustained growth. Further its aging population and declining net immigration is increasing pressure on the social welfare system. It spends roughly 2.5% of GDP on Research and Development (R&D) and plans to increase it to 3%. Thus there is lot of scope for highly qualified technical and scientific personnel from developing countries like India, China and Brazil to work in coordinate with the research institutes in Germany. Germany has started the ambitious scientific policy with international appeal to connect with centres of excellence thus building networks and strategic partnerships with foreign institutions. Its existing 41million work force is estimated to decline owing to the demographic changes. There will shortage of 6 million skilled workers. Realising the implications of shortage of skilled work force, Qualified Professionals Initiative project was initiated. The program encourages the professionals from abroad to come to Germany and work. They have eased immigration rules and providing valuable advice for successful integration. Indian workers especially qualified professionals can have safe havens and reap the benefit of getting assimilated into the work stream highly developed country. Remittances can thus flow back to the country. Above all, currently India along with Germany constitutes the G4 nations that include Brazil and Japan, mutually promoting each other’s bid for a permanent seat in the UN Security Council.

Other than Israel, India is the only non-European country with which Germany has closer strategic and business relationship. The year 2011 was called year of Germany in India titled “Germany and India: Infinite opportunities” marking the completion of 60 years of relationship with Federal Republic of Germany (1951). Parallel programme was conducted in Germany with the motto of “Days of India in Germany: Connecting Cultures” in 2012-13 featuring events on Indian culture in various cities of Germany. The cultural sojourn of Germany in India is effectively synchronized by the six Max-Mueller Institutes which conduct German classes for students. Similarly Tagore Bhavan acts as Indian Culture Centre in Germany.

Germany is the main pillar of the European Union and the decisions made by the Chancellor would be of utmost importance not only to Europe but to the vast majority of countries whose economies are dependent on the EU member countries. Tactical decisions on Energy Policy, environment policy, financial policies of the block are influenced by the commitment of the Chancellor’s decision. Hence these elections are closely watched by the World. Particularly some of her commitments to end the use of nuclear power have a wider implication on the oil and gas imports and exports.

Following election results, German Envoy Michael Steiner reiterated that German government is going to be “pro-Europe, non-nationalistic and pro-Indian” and hinted about possible increase in trade volume. Germany is the economic powerhouse and anchor of Europe. Undoubtedly, nothing significant can ever happen without the agreement of Angela Merkel. She is the towering politician in Europe with strong commitment to a single currency and  sustainable European Union. The grand vision she has for the Europe will translate in the form of  strategic partnerships Germany will promote with major partners like India in near future.

 

@ Copyrights reserved.