My thoughts...

Buying advice for desktop computer

2011-12-25T22:21:00.000-08:00

I bought my first computer in1998 and first laptop in 2005. After few upgrades, the desktop was replaced in2006 and upgraded again in 2011. The laptop received memory upgrade and batteryreplacement and is still going strong.

I will help you decide on buyinga computer. Before buying, you must address some questions.

1. Who is going to use the computer?(Adults or kids)

2. What is the level ofexperience in computer usage? (newbie or experienced)

3. What is the type of workperformed on computer? (basic DTP applications/ gaming)

4. Will you need to carry yourcomputer? (desktop/laptop)

5. What is your budget?

6. Which are the peripherals thatyou need additionally?

Desktop vs Laptop

Laptops are generally moreexpensive than desktop but have become affordable these days. Desktops need aseparate place and is fixed in a position but laptop can be carried everywhere.Desktops can be configured according to your needs but laptops come with presetconfigurations. Some companies (e.g., Dell) allow you to configure the laptopas well. Present day laptops possess enough computing power to match thedesktop. Some laptops are configured for avid gamers as well. If your need touse your files without shuffling between computers, then laptop is for you.

Choosing a laptop:

Companies manufacturing laptopsinclude Dell, HP,Sony, Acer,Toshiba, Lenovo,Samsung,MSI , Wipro,HCLetc. Take note of the following configurations

Screen size: 14”, 15”, 17”

Processor: Intel or AMD,single or dual core, cache memory

Hard disk: 500 GB, 1TB
Optical media (DVD/blueray writer)

Memory: 1GB, 2GB

Most laptops come withpre-installed licensed operating systems (windows 7)

Here are two sites (http://compareindia.in.com/products/laptops/)(http://www.consumermate.com/laptops/survey.php?mode=survey) that will help youcompare different laptops. You can configure Dell laptops here (http://www.dell.com/in/p/laptops).

Choosing a desktop:

You have to decide if you wouldlike to buy a branded computer or would like to get an assembled one. The cost of abranded one is always higher than that of an assembled one but the companyprovides warranty on several parts. Computers offered by manufacturers comewith preset configurations. A reputed assembler not only provides you acomputer of your configuration but also provides warranty on certain parts.While the manufacturer provides you service for a limited period (6months-1year), the assembler may provide service for several years.

Branded computers:

These days the desktop computershave shrunk in size. Many of them do not have cluttering cables all around. Thecabinet sizes have also come down. In some models, the cabinet is just a tinybox lying on the table or is a flat box (like the PC of bygone era) on whichthe monitor is placed. Some desktop computers such as ‘Dell inspiron one’ haveonly three visible parts- monitor, keyboard and mouse; with the CPU and otherhardware integrated with the monitor. Such form factors are space saving andlook better. Like laptops, some companies allow you to select the type ofdesktop form factors and configuration. The desktops are classified as homedesktops, business, office, workstation or as thin clients. Majorcompanies dealing in desktop space include Dell,HP, Lenovo,Acer, HCL,Zenith.

Assembled computers:

This is the part that I want toelaborate upon. If you are looking for an assembled computer, read on. You mustdo a lot of research on the components and brands. The prices of thesecomponents fluctuate periodically and vary among different vendors. Somevendors may even push a spurious product. Enquire about individual warranty andtheir terms of conditions. You may have to visit different assemblers and gettheir quotation for comparison. I will split each of thecomponents for desktop assembly.

Processor:

There are two contenders here:Intel and AMD. Although Intel has thelargest market share, both of these are equally good. You must first decide onthe processor, since the choice of motherboard also gets affected. For most,choice of processor depends on its computing speed, which in measured ingigahertz. Some of these processors can be as fast as 3.5GHz. Higher the speedthe better, but not everyone requires a high computing processor. Recent processors have more than one corebuilt on the die; there may be 2-, 3- or 4-cores. Some AMDprocessors have up to 8 cores built into them. Multiples cores are useful ifyou are running several processor intensive applications at the same time.Buying a quad-core processor for simple home usage may not be worthwhile. Inaddition to the number of cores, Intel processors also feature hyperthreadingand turbo boost technology in their processors. Processors are available in 32-bit and 64-bit forms. While 32-bit processors are common, 64-bit ones are fast catching up. Even operating systems and many software are available that make use of 64-bit architecture. Another important feature tolook for is the L2 cache memory, which can vary from 512 KB to 1024 KB percore. The total cache memory (L1+L2) can be as high as 15MB. Higher memoryleads to better performance but this difference is not perceived in regularhome applications. Finally pay attention to the socket type. This is importantbecause the choice of motherboard also depends on the socket type of theprocessor. Intel has a wide range of processors (i3, i5, i7) and you cancompare them at their website.Similarly, you can compare the various processors AMDhas to offer at their website.If you are not sure which processor is right for you, Intel has a pagefor just that.

Motherboard:

Motherboard manages andintegrates all the components and their activities on a computer. Once the choice of processor ismade, head on to the select a motherboard. Both Intel and AMDmanufacture motherboard chipsets. According to the choice of processor, you mayselect the appropriate motherboard from their websites (Intel,AMD).Chipsets from either of these two companies are used by several companies tomanufacture motherboards. These include MSI, Gigabyte,Asus, Biostaretc. Selection of motherboard also depends on the cabinet form factor (ATX,micro-ATX), processor socket, and chipsetfamily & model. Intel also sells its own boxed motherboards.Many motherboards these days come with in-built audio and video processors sothat you don’t have buy sound card and graphic card separately. AMDhas gone a step further by putting both CPU (central processing unit) and GPU(graphical processing unit) in one die, which they call it as APU(accelerated processing unit). While selecting motherboard also look out fornumber of USB ports (USB3.0 is latest), SATA connectors, IDE connectors, FSB speed, HDMI connectivityetc. If you are a heavy user, then you must pay extra attention to the cooling (such as heat sink, extra fan).

Hard disk:

Storage of all you digital datais made on hard disks. Presently, most of the hard disks (drives) are made ofspinning disks. Solid state drives (SSD),which are flash based memory are now slowly gaining acceptance but are stillexpensive. Hard drives are often gauged on their memory size (250 GB - 3TB),disk spin speed (5400RPM- 7200RPM),cache memory (8MB-64MB), transfer speeds (3-6 GB/s) on SATA interface. Bigplayers in this field are Seagate,Western Digitaland Hitachi.

RAM

The startup of computer, loadingof a program and fast execution of a program depends on RAM(Random Access Memory). Higher the RAM, thebetter! They come in a range of 1GB to 12 GB. These days 2GB isconsidered bare minimum and 4GB optimal. In case you want to use memory 4GB ormore, you must be using a 64-bit processor to make full use of the memory. DDR2memory is the norm but faster DDR3 RAMis catching up. DDR2 frequencies range from400 to 800 MHz whereas DDR3 frequenciesrange from 1066 to 1600 MHz. The selection of RAMalso depends on the motherboard. Motherboards may have two to six slots for memorymodules. Ensure that your motherboard supports the type of RAMyou want. You have the option of buying RAMas a single 4GB stick or a kit of two 2GB sticks. If you want to use two sticksor more ensure that memory modules are of same speed, latency, timings andbatch. It is better to leave some slots vacant for future additions (upgrade).Leading manufacturers of RAM include Kingston, Transcend,Corsair, Hynix,Zion.

Monitor:

Gone are the days of big, bulkyand boxy CRT monitors. It is the thin andlighter LCD monitors that people prefer. CRTmonitors occupy more space, consume more electricity and emit more radiations.LCD monitors occupy little space, consume less electricity and emit no harmfulradiations. LCD monitors come in various sizes (measured diagonally) that rangefrom 14” to 23”. While some offer 4:3 display, others provide 16:9 (widescreen)display. LCD monitors with LED backlighting technology offers better contrastand blackness. Many models offer HD (high density) viewing. Some monitors canbe as big as 27" and provide resolutions up to 2560 x 1440. While buyingmonitors, you must pay attention to the screen size, screen resolution (inpixels), contrast ratio (not dynamic), viewing angle, full HD, USBsupport, built-in speakers, build quality, tilt feature, S-Video ports, memorycard slots, HDMI port etc. Here is a guideon selecting the right monitor. Major sellers of LCD monitor include Dell,Samsung,LG, Viewsonic,Benq.

Keyboard and Mouse:

Both keyboard and mouse areindispensable input devices. Both of these are available in wireless form, so theyoffer freedom from messy cables. Most (QWERTY) keyboards are similar but theymay differ in build quality, ergonomics and special (function) keys. Presently,most wired keyboard and mouse connect via USBports. Top manufacturers of keyboards include Logitech and Microsoft and top manufacturesof mice include Logitech andMicrosoft.Other manufacturers include iBall, Intex, Samsung Pleomax.

Optical devices:

With more and more usage of USBpen (flash) drives, use of optical media (CD/DVD)has fallen. Its usage will continue for few more years. It is wise to purchasesa combo player that can read and write both CDs and DVDs. Some drives can writeon both sides of DVDs but such DVDs are expensive. More recently, blue raydrives have hit the market but they are still expensive. Most companies bundlemedia burning (writing) software along with the hardware. You must be awarethat the life span of these devices are limited and can fail to read/writeafter a few years. Top producers of these hardware include Samsung,Sony, LG,Liteon etc.

Cabinet:

The choice of cabinet is must bemade on the type of motherboard and ergonomics. Various form factors include ATX,micro ATX and mini ITX. The older boxy cabinetsare not preferred anymore. Besides, the monitor and input devices, it is thecabinet that is visible on the computer table, hence people pay attention tothe looks. Select a cabinet that suits the motherboard of your choice and thepower (SMPS) unit that is often bundled withit. It is better if there are ports at the front so that you can avoid reachingout to the back of the cabinet. The cabinet must be well ventilated and musthave ease of opening to clean periodically. Choice of SMPSmust be based on the total wattage of individual components. An underpowered SMPScan lead to overheating and sudden shutdowns. Major players of cabinets includeiBall, Zebronics,Mercury, Coolermaster,Antec etc.

Other computer peripherals:

While buying a desktop computer,you may or may not require following peripherals depending on your need:

Speakers
Webcam
Printers
Wired/wireless modem/router
Card readers
Graphics card
TV tuner card
Headphone with/without microphone

Petrol cars: Swift vs Punto vs Polo vs i20

2011-12-09T08:21:00.001-08:00

Suzuki Swift (Vxi) vs Fiat Punto(Emotion) vs VW Polo (Comfortline) vs Hyundai i20 (Magna)

First, things common to all of thesepetrol models:

Power steering, AC, 1.2 litre engine, 5 gears manualtransmission, 14” tires

Now the differences:

Punto & i20 have music system, other twodon't.

Punto is the heaviest (1140 Kg) andSwift the lightest (970 Kg)

Punto is the longest (3.98m) and Swiftthe shortest (3.85)

i20 is the widest, Punto and Polo have similar width, butSwift wider marginally

Fuel economy maximum with Swift, butless in the other three; i20 betters the other two

Swift has the most powerful engine(87ps) and Punto the least (68ps)

Swift costs the least and Polo themost.

Punto (173mm) has the maximum ground clearance the i20 (165mm) the least.

Being the longest, Punto has the highest turning radius (5.4m)
Impressive AC in Swift and Polo and otherwise in i20 and Punto.

All vehicles were personally observedin the month of December 2011. Image and data source: www.carwale.com

Suzuki Swift:

Visited the Maruti Suzuki showroom totest drive the new Swift. This is one of the best selling vehicles,be it petrol or diesel. Even in troubled times, Suzuki does not offerany discounts on Swift models. The new Swift does not looksignificantly different from the old one, the difference is morenoticeable in the headlight and the hatch door. I drove the Zxiversion. It had music system, ABS, dual airbags, steering mountedauto controls etc. The differences between the variants are in thefeatures only. This vehicle has an amazing and a very responsiveengine (87ps@6000rpm) and a fun to drive. Even with AC turned on, ithad great pickup. Steering control was smooth and was at par withPunto or Polo. The rear seat leg room and the boot space is a big letdown. Even though the car is slightly longer than before, the bootspace and leg room is still not good enough. If you are travellinglong distence with some luggage, you will find boot space worrysome.Swift has the best and quicker cooling AC than Polo or Punto.Overall, a great car but I am tired of seeing this model on roads allthese years. With widest dealer and service station, you can never bereally far away in case of vehicle troubles. Besides, Maruti Suzukihas topped the customer satisfaction index.

Fiat Grande Punto

I finally got an opportunity to testdrive Fiat Punto 1.2 petrol. It all began with a call to toll freecustomer care. They ensured that I got a test drive at thedealership. The response of the Tata dealership was very good.Although they accepted that hardly anyone bought a 1.2 petrol, theywere happy to provide me a test drive vehicle. First, I was briefedon the current discounts. Discounts rose with the variants andEmotion had the most. Feature wise, I though Emotion would do for me.Emotion pack was the priciest (even after discounts), but had 1.4litre engine, alloy wheels, ABS etc. It was beyond my budget, soskipped it. Coming back to the car...as many have confessed before,is a sheer beauty. It's solid built, adequate boot space, 3-step doorclosure , steering wheel and ground clearance (173mm) appealed me. Itest drove an active variant. I had heard a lot about theinadequately powered engine (68ps@6000rpm), so I had not expected apunch. The start in the first gear was good enough but the enginerefused to pull the heavy vehicle (1140Kg) in the second gear. It waslike flogging a tired horse, but the drive improved in third andfourth gear. The drive was with AC turned on. The sales guy pointedthat I had to keep the rpm over 2500 to get the best out of secondgear. He demonstrated it and I repeated it. Agreed, but that is nothow it works in congested traffic. When I am stalled at trafficsignal and positioned forefront, I need a solid start/pickup or elsepeople behind me would create ruckus. It would be difficult to get azippy start with this car. I had read that even though the enginepower is low, the torque is great. I shifted to third gear and tookmy foot off the accelerator until the vehicle crawled at 5kmph. But,surprisingly the engine did not stall and instead climbed an uphillroad without any acceleration at all. Impressed!! But, I am mostconcerned about one thing now. I don't know if I be able to driveeffortlessly through the winding, steep ghats. Coming back to thecar, the interior space was good enough for me and interior built wasnot all that bad. The cooling effect of AC was nothing great to talkabout. Now that a new facelift (2012) is around, this is still a goodbuy for the discounts being offered. I know that the mileage ismeagre but I am not a big traveller. My present Alto (BS3), stillpacks a punch when it comes to acceleration. I have done a few daringovertakes in that car, which I believe will be thing of past if Iwere to go for Punto. Reports of defective parts, unavailability ofspares, expensive spares, lacklustre service at Tata worries me.

Volkswagen Polo

Got an invitation from VW sales guy tosee and test drive Polo. Why invitation? Because I had asked to benotified. Not to miss such an opportunity, I rushed to it. The carlooks commanding and is built strong, like a tank, if you might like.I was shown the highline version, it had ABS, dual air bags, heightadjustable seats, tiltable steering column, 15'' alloy wheels, musicsystem etc. The boot space was surplus and the leg room at rear wasmoderate. Seats were good but had little thigh support at rear. Theinterior plastics were good but still did not give a premium look.The dash looks very elementary. I was offered a diesel vehicle fortest drive when I was expecting a petrol. Nonetheless, couldn't makeout much in the heavy traffic as I couldn't get beyond third gear.Turbo lag was noticeable and one has to get used to it. Braking isspot on, something I'd never seen on any other car. Since my interestwas only in petrol, I'll skip further description of the testvehicle. The 1.2 litre petrol engine has sufficient power (75 ps@5400rpm), much better than that of Punto. Although Polo is a premiumvehicle, VW doesn't find it necessary to include a music system intrendline or comfortline version...strange & weird. Things likemudflaps and floor mats are sold separately as Essential kits forRs.3740. Now, with the competition so hot and sales all time low, andwhen others are offering huge discounts VW gives features worth 40kas breeze edition. Has VW taken Indian buyers for granted? Do theythink Indians have no value for their hard earned money? Apart fromthe GPS navigation system, a perhaps a parking sensor, there isnothing useful in the breeze features. The car is good, but I feelthey could've marketed it better.

Hyundai i20

Having seen and test driven three of the 1.2 litre petrol cars, I knew Hyundai i20 had to be the next. Fortunately, I could take some time to check it out at the only dealership in my area. The first thing the sales guy mentioned was the offers available on petrol variants. The offer included free first year insurance, 10k cash discount and an exchange offer of 20k. The base magna variant (not Era) would now cost 5.59 lacs. The vehicle on display was Sportz variant but my interest was in Magna variant. i20 runs on kappa engine with displacement of 1197cc and max power of 80ps@5200rpm. Start the engine, shift to first gear and let go the clutch and the vehicle takes off even without touching the accelerator pedal. The engine is smooth and has decent pickup with AC turned on. The pickup was mediocre in the second gear but was fully responsive in third and fourth. The braking was good but not as good as that of VW polo. The AC was silent but not as effective as those in Swift or Polo. The cabin was well insulated by the outside noise. I had heard that its suspension was ideal for smooth roads but not for rough roads. I couldn't get to test it as sales guy wouldn't let me go to bad roads. The interior was pleasant, the dual tone dash looked good. The seats were beige and the lighter interior panels can always attract scratch marks. There is ample leg room at rear and boot has good 280 liters space. The steering wheel was unacceptably stiff and the worst of the four cars compared here. The tires are 14” steel radial tubeless. The car matches in many of Punto's specifications but the only noticeable difference I found was in the engine. The interior plastics may be better in i20 but I didn't notice much. With discounts from both Fiat and Hyundai, the latter is slightly expensive but has better engine/fuel economy, interiors and resale value.
If you want complete comparison between these four cars, click here

Finally: Looks are subjective. Buyers must look into purchase as well as maintenance costs, customer service, availability of spares, reach of service centres, fuel economy and other features. It is always better to take opinion from actual users than from auto journalists or test-drive reports.

Two-wheeler riding instructions for ladies

2011-10-08T07:45:00.000-07:00

This article is intended for those women who are learning to ride non-geared scooter (scooterette/moped) in India. It is assumed that the reader is a total novice to two-wheelers and riding. Although this article references Mahindra Kine, most of the points can be applied to other vehicles too.

Know your vehicle

Yours is Mahindra Kine, with a 72 cc, two-stroke engine.

Read the owner’s manual before using the vehicle and familiarize yourself with parts of the vehicle.
It can be started by pressing button or by kick-starting.
It’s maximum speed is 50 km/hr
For every litre of petrol, add 20 ml of 2T oil without fail.
There is no gauge to know petrol level; you have to check the petrol level in the tank visually.
If the petrol runs out while driving, turn the knob to reserve and go to nearest petrol station.
Left brake is for rear wheel and right brake is for front wheel.

Handling the vehicle

Always park the vehicle on firm and even surface or else the vehicle may fall down.
While pushing the vehicle forward, don’t let the vehicle’s weight be on opposite side or else both you and the vehicle will fall.
It is always safer the park the vehicle with center stand.
Park the vehicle only where it is allowed to. Look for No Parking sign. Park vehicle only where two-wheelers are allowed. On some roads, parking is on alternate sides.
Do not park the vehicle such a way that it obstructs other vehicles.
If improperly parked, traffic police may take away the vehicle.
If the vehicle is parked, it is always better to get into the vehicle from your left. Since the side stand is on the vehicle’s left, it will give some support.
Always lock the vehicle and take the key before leaving the vehicle.

General instructions

If you are having only learner’s license, vehicle should display a big ‘L’ sign and a licensed rider must accompany you.
Know the basic traffic rules/regulations/signboards and hand signals.
You must always carry driving license, vehicle’s registration and insurance document with the vehicle. If caught, there will be heavy penalty.
The compartment under the seat can be used to hold 2T oil, wiping cloth, handbag and documents.
To open the seat, unlock with the same key and lift it. To close it, simply press it down and remove the key.

Starting the vehicle

Sit on the vehicle comfortably with both feet touching the ground and remove the stand.
Turn the key on, ensure that the engine is set to ON.
Hold the left (rear) break firmly and press the start button with right thumb.
If the vehicle does not start, you may have to use choke. Keeping the brake on, pull choke with left index finger and press start button and slightly raise accelerator. Leave the start button and choke immediately after the engine starts.
Leave the brake and gently raise the accelerator. Once the vehicle is in control, keep legs on the vehicle.

Riding the vehicle

Always ride slowly (at 20-30 Km/hr). It is not allowed to ride in city limits faster than that.
Always be at the left side of the road.
Release the accelerator before applying the brakes.
When applying brakes, apply both front and rear brakes simultaneously. If only the front brake is applied, the vehicle may topple over.
Keep any eye on all vehicles in front of you. Occasionally look for vehicles behind you from the right rear-view mirror.
Children, auto-rickshaw and teenage drivers/riders drive recklessly, be careful as they may suddenly change directions or turn.
Always horn if people are on the way to warn them.
Always overtake from the right, only when the road ahead is clear. Before overtaking, look behind you, besides you, then horn and then overtake quickly.
Display signal before turning; turn the knob to right or left as required. Press the knob to stop after you have taken the turn.
Never stop or brake suddenly unless it is an emergency. Otherwise vehicles behind you will hit you.
Never stop in the middle of the road. Always go to the left and then stop the vehicle.
Never change directions suddenly, give indication to others in advance.
Before taking a U-turn, watch both sides, front as well as behind you. If all is clear, only then take the turn.
Vehicles’ speed decreases with more weight on it, keep this in mind while overtaking or climbing uphill roads.
Turn off the engine at traffic signals if you have to wait for more than a minute. It saves fuel.
Always honk at intersections, especially when the view is blocked by compound wall or bushes. It is safe to expect an oncoming vehicle at intersections.

Riding at night

Riding at night is difficult as visibility is low.
In city limits always use low beam.
Hand signals may not be visible at night, always use vehicle’s indicators.
Turn off the headlight after the engine is turned off.

Precautions

Be careful on roads with loose sand. Turning on such roads can be slippery. Applying sudden brakes on road with sand can be slippery.
There should be a distance of at least 3 feet between you and the vehicle in front. Never follow a vehicle very closely.
Vehicle will skid on smooth surfaces (cement) and wet surfaces; be very careful.
Always give way for faster and bigger vehicles. Adopt “first you” attitude at unregulated crosses and let the other vehicle pass first.
Keep looking for potholes and speed-breakers and slow down in advance.
If there is an obstacle on road, look to your right and behind and then turn right. If you turn abruptly, someone from behind might hit you. If you can’t turn, it is better to stop until the road is clear.
Since sudden turning or braking to avoid a pothole/obstacle can lead to skidding or accident, it is better to go over it, if situation requires.
Do not use horn near schools, hospitals, court or police station. Excessive honking can be fined.
Always keep your eyes on the road, even minor distractions can cause accidents. Don’t look into rear-view mirror for more than two seconds while riding.
Wear helmet wherever required by law.
Even on “one-way” roads, look out for vehicles from opposing direction. There could be some idiot violating the rule.

Caution: This only a general instruction and is not intended to be an exhaustive tutorial. If any misconception or error is noticed, please bring it to my notice.

Digital security

2010-09-21T22:44:00.000-07:00

As more and more people are using computer, it is likely that their computer contains a lot of information (personal and financial). There are several crooks on the Internet who would like to grab the information stored in unsuspecting computer users. Security, is strangely often ignored by many home users. When a computer is setup, often for their children, parents also provide internet connection. Internet can be a dangerous place for the untrained user. Parents using the same computer for financial transactions (banking or online shopping) are vulnerable to internet fraud.

Most people who buy computer have heard or viruses or are partly aware of the consequences of viral attack. But, things have gone beyond viruses, something that most non-tech home users are unaware of. There are several types of threats- Trojans, worms, spywares, rootkits, keyloggers etc. Every computer user must be aware of their presence and ways to protect their computer.

How can a computer get infected?
There are many ways by which a computer can get infected. Internet is the commonest source of most infections. A computer that is not connected to internet can still be infected. I shall cite some examples here. Many people would care less to purchase a licensed software and instead install cracked software. Such software may be laced with malicious codes, which may do dirty things the programmer wanted it to do. Prevention: use only genuine licensed software.

Sharing files (document or executable) between computers can also spread infection. If the user opens an infected file, the infection could strike the computer without the users’ knowledge. Once infected, this computer can be a source of infection to other computers.
Prevention: open files received from whom you trust, but that too after scanning with an updated antivirus program.

Once upon a time floppy disc drives were a good source of viral infections but now pen drives (USB drives) have taken their place. If a computer is infected, mere plugging in of the USB device can infect it and plugging this device to another computer can spread infection. Boot sector viruses are particularly notorious in the spread of infection. Prevention: avoid using pen drives, disable autorun feature on pen drives and keep your antivirus program updated.

Computers connected to internet are more vulnerable to various types of infections and extra attention must be paid for protection. Once again there are several ways, a computer can get infected online, I shall mention some of them.

Some websites are laced with malicious codes; mere visiting that website can initiate infection. Online gambling and pornographic websites are notorious for this approach. Solution: avoid visiting suspicious websites, install programs that monitor websites or determine a website’s credentials before visiting them. Firefox browser has a very useful addon that blocks running of scripts; enabling this can offer some protection.
Peer-to-peer file sharing networks are a rage among young users because they can easily share files (music, video or pirated softwares/games). This route has been used by people with ill intent to spread infected files. Solution: avoid using these programs or use security software that can monitor these networks.

Sometimes, people receive emails from unknown people that entice them to download a software/screensaver/presentation or to click on a link. Downloading the files may infect users’ computer or clicking on the link may take to a website that is laced with malicious codes. Strangely, many people fall victim to these traps. Prevention: don’t open emails received from unknown people or when you are not expecting them. Don’t download the attachments from suspicious emails. Some email providers provide online scanning of attached files, use them before downloading and then after downloading scan with your own antivirus program.

Recently many people have been conned by emails offering them rewards/prizes/lotteries or sharing of wealth left behind in a will. Many of them will require the victim to deposit an initial amount to claim the booty and victims end up losing their money. Being greedy is being bad. Sometimes people receive emails (from people they know) asking for a certain amount of money to be wired to them since they are in trouble. This can happen if their friend’s email account is hacked by a fraudster. There is another type of online fraud targeting people using online banking. People often receive emails from the bank stating that their account has been suspended and they need to reactivate it by logging in. These emails are fake and the clicking on the links in the email will lead the victim to a website that is identical to the bank’s website. Once the victim enters the username and password, the fraudsters gets control over users’ original bank account. This method is called phishing. Prevention: None of the bank will ever send emails asking user to reset their accounts, such mails must be ignored or reported as spam. Most banking sites conduct transaction over secured networks; look for https in the URL and its green colour and look for the image of a lock. Only if the user is satisfied about the security, the user should proceed with the online transaction. Some banks use additional device that generates random numbers or send them security codes by SMS on their mobile phones for making transactions. Such facility should be made use of. When making online purchases, user must be very careful. Purchases must be made through trusted vendors only. Some shady websites collect the user’s credit card number and use it to generate a duplicate card for themselves.

There are people on the internet who constantly scan for vulnerable computers by a method called port scan. They can sniff unsecured computers and infect the computer with virus. Most often this is possible because of some coding deficiencies in the software used by the user. Prevention: a good firewall program must be active all the time and the software (operating system or browser) must be periodically updated or patched.

Many people use email programs installed on their computers instead of using free online email providers (such as yahoo, rediff, gmail etc). If such computers are infected, the computer sends out emails (often with viruses) to everyone in the address book. The recipients of such email often fall victims because the emails were sent from someone whom they knew. Prevention: update your antivirus/antispyware program and scan the computer periodically. Scheduling boot time scan can catch some mailicious programs, which are otherwise hidden.

Any information sent on internet can be intercepted, read or even re-routed. This becomes dangerous if personal information or financial details are captured by online crooks. Prevention: users must send confidential information over secured/encrypted connections only.

Sometimes, one has to perform an urgent financial transaction over net and one resorts to use of a public computer (cyber café/kiosks). If the computer is infected and may have a keylogger secretly installed, the fraudsters at some part of the world can gain access to whatever the user has typed (username and password). Prevention: never use a pubic computer for making such transactions. Some believe that carrying a linux distro in a pen drive may be helpful for making secure transaction on a public computer. This is because linux operating system is more secure than windows operating system.

There are lots of ways gullible people can be duped, more and more innovative ways keep propping up. Each day new and variants of existing viruses are released on the internet. There is no single antivirus that can detect all the viruses. There are many ways to protect one’s computer but nothing beats common sense and diligence.

I follow these recommendations, why don’t you?
 Use genuine licensed software, don’t share/download cracked software
 Update critical software regularly as they are released
 Update antivirus definitions periodically
 Install firewall
 Secure your wireless network with an encryption
 Avoid using pen drives to share files
 Switching to linux operating system is more secure
 Never click on suspicious links or download attachments from spam emails
 Don’t give out your email id at every other website asking for it or you will end up getting lots of spam mails
 Perform online transaction on a secure computer online
 Look for encryption or security certificate of the website before making a transaction
 Install anti-spyware software in addition to antivirus programs
 Download addon only from trustworthy sources, read user reviews before installing
 Download software from trusted/reputed websites only
 Read EULA of any software application while installing, some of them install additional software or toolbars that may collect your information
 Use discretion while visiting website or giving out personal information
 Avoid posting personal information (including photo) on that sites that can be accessed by anyone
 Keep changing passwords periodically and don’t have same username and passwords for various services used
 Use common sense or seek help in case of doubt

This is how we are killing our planet and ourselves

2010-06-24T01:14:00.000-07:00

As I write this article, I am scared…..very scared about the things that are going to unfold in my own lifetime…and it is not a pleasant one.

We, the humans have evolved around 10,000 years ago as a part of evolutionary process that life has created. From single-celled microorganisms, life has come a full circle in the form of highly evolved intelligent creatures. How can a species that is destroying its own habitat and those of every other species be intelligent? Life, as we know now will never be the same.

Humans were nomadic and like all animals were concerned about food and reproduction. As human brain evolved and intelligence gained, human began settling down and raised crops and maintained livestock. Slowly, societies formed, and people got into different occupations. Trade developed, roads and industries grew. Man discovered that he could do whatever he wanted to….and his “want” had no limits. From mere “requirement of sustenance” man has now added pleasure, entertainment and luxury in his list of “wants”. This list is a never ending one. We want more and we want it now. When there is demand….there will be production.

One of the key factors that revolutionized industrialization is the discovery of fossil fuel; initially coal and later petroleum. This drove the rate of industrialization at dizzy speeds. Most of the industrialization that we see around has occurred in the last 40 years. In the process, we have lost a lot more than what we have gained. In the quest for our today, we have unknowingly destroyed our future.

Life, which has evolved for billions of years, is interlinked with every species contributing and benefiting from it. Those that did not fit into this scheme of things went extinct. Nature balanced everything. Now, its finest species threatens to disrupt this fine and delicate balance to the point of no return. Nature is fighting back for survival but it simply can’t match the rate of its destruction at man’s hands. It is giving up…slowly. We and losing this battle….rapidly.

In the last century, we have been directly responsible for the extinction of several of earth’s species. We will never see these flora and fauna again. They were once a part of a balanced ecosystem. With their departure, the balance will tilt. Nature has everything what we need to survive. But, we want more. These resources can sustain human life but can’t fulfill all our wants. These are non-replenishable resources, they will not last forever. We have mined our soils for minerals, oils and diamond. In the process, we have destroyed the ecosystem. Did we ever care to restore the destruction we have caused? No, we cared only for the profits we make and ignored the long term losses that we are making.

Most of earth’s content is water. There is no life without water. Ocean water can’t sustain human life forever, we need fresh water. Most of that water is trapped in the form of snow or ice in the poles and as glaciers on the mountains. They had accumulated for millions of years. With rising global temperatures due to our industrialization, these are beginning to melt, at an alarming rate. Large parts of the poles already have melted. When glaciers are gone, there will be no rivers. Most of the human settlement is along the river banks. Human life and agriculture will suffer when these rivers dry up. As these resources get scarce, people and nations will start fighting over it…war may ensue.

Water has collected beneath the soil by millions of years of rain. We tap them for our needs, for agriculture. Ground water is not replenishable, it will deplete. The rate at which water is drawn out can’t be compensated by rains. Life depends on agriculture. Agriculture will become more difficult without water. By using pesticides, weedicides and fertilizer, we have polluted the ground water. Municipal and industrial sewage too has percolated through the soil and polluted the ground water making it unsuitable in many places for human consumption.

The quantity of water in this planet has always been the same. No new molecule of water has entered or left earth. It is the same water that is recycled in one form or the other. Water rises from oceans and condenses on earth in the form or rain or snow. With increased temperature on air and oceans, the climatic patterns are changing. Rains may never be the same. The perfect rhythm of climate may be altered. It may not rain at places which always received rain. Rains may occur on wasteland, deserts or cities. Agriculture in our country is largely dependent on rains. How can the ever-rising population deal with decreasing food supply? There will be struggle for survival…and a violent one.

Today, our life depends on food, air, water and electricity. We can’t think of life without electricity. Are we aware of the cost of producing electricity? The need for electricity is ever-increasing. Villages are becoming towns, towns are becoming cities, and cities are becoming metropolitans. Everything is expanding. Newer buildings are coming up, skyscrapers are coming up. We are inventing newer technologies to entertain ourselves. We have more electrical and electronic equipments than we ever had. All these need electricity. With erratic rain patterns and declining glaciers, hydel power can’t be counted forever. We are burning coal to meet the demand. A new thermal power plant comes up each year in one country or the other. Coal supply will not last forever. Burning coal only adds up to the toxic carbon di oxide levels in the air. We don’t have technology or the resources for nuclear power for the large scale power generation. Future is bleak.

Most of our trade depends on transportation, and entire transportation system depends on oil. Oil, which has formed over billions of years is not replenishable. It will exhaust very soon. Will our lives come to a standstill? We continue to explore for oil, continue to manufacture newer vehicles, continue to burn oil as if it will always be around. No, we may not have any oil left in coming 2-3 decades. Some oil producing nations have built empires on the oil-money. What will they do when the oil is gone? What will we do when the oil is gone? Burning oil releases toxic CO2 in the air and by the time oil is gone, we would have pumped alarming amounts of this greenhouse gas already into the atmosphere.

Carbon di oxide was present on earth long before humans evolved. They were consumed by microorganisms for billions of years. Oxygen was pumped into the atmosphere. This made life possible. Now, we are reversing this process. We are recreating that inhospitable environment. We are pumping CO2 into the atmosphere at toxic levels. The only natural CO2 detoxifiers are the plants. With global deforestation, we are preventing CO2 levels from depleting. Approximately 10% of forest is destroyed globally each year. Wild life surviving in these forests will go extinct.

It is not just the life on ground that is getting destroyed by our activities, the life on oceans are also being affected. Rising ocean temperature threatens to eliminate several life forms, corals being in the top of the list. Mechanized and systematic fishing has ensured that 70% of fishes in oceans are gone. The rate at which fishes multiply can’t match the rate at which they are caught. No life form in oceans is being spared….not even dolphins or whales.

Some countries have large scale industrialized farming but countries such as ours which is still unorganized will face problems. Unprecedented drought or storms are taking toll of our agriculture produce. More and more people from the farming communities in the villages are abandoning agriculture and moving to cities in search of better life. We are losing important cultivable land. The reasons are many; rising costs, low yield, unpredictable weather, land encroachment by government and industrialists. Whatever the reasons may be, the overall agricultural production comes down but the population rate keeps up. How are we going to feed all of them? What will humans eat when there is no more seafood or agricultural produce? In some countries, large part of the agriculture produce goes to cattle feed and making bio fuels.

Humanity is the finest creation of nature that has horribly gone wrong. Evolution of human brain is perhaps the nature’s worst mistake. No other species on earth is known to destroy its own habitat and that of others too. We have, in our insatiable greed, doomed our destiny. The walk to our self-destruction has already begun. In fact, this walk is turning out be a race. We are accelerating our own destruction. This is reality and we don’t want to believe it. We are pretending as if all is well, whereas in reality things are really bad.

We, in India are always known for incompetence in planning. We are bunch of knee-jerk responders. Our government and administration is never proactive, we are always reactive. We never anticipate anything or plan for future; we are only concerned about the present. Even though the crisis is at our doorsteps and staring at our face, we refuse to acknowledge its presence. We continue to mine, deforest, pollute and do everything else that we should not. Governments attend meets, seminars and scientific sessions but what actually gets done? Government’s symbolic gestures or token acts are neither useful nor sufficient to tackle this global emergency.

So, the issue is….what can be done now. Can we, as individuals do anything about it? Can we abandon the industrialization and go back to nomadic lifestyle? Can we stop mining? Can we shut down industries? So many questions can be asked. Unfortunately, the answer is NO. We can’t do anything that drastic. We are so used to this lifestyle that we simply can’t abandon it. Our destruction is assured, it is a one-way process; it can’t be reversed. We can look for alternative sources of energy; wind, solar, geothermal, tidal etc but they can never meet our ever increasing demands. By the time they become mainstay of energy production, the irreversible damage would have already occurred. We may, by adopting some drastic measures slow this rate….but our extinction is certain.

I believe that for life to continue on earth human species must go extinct. I hope that next dominant species on earth will be a less intelligent one.

I found an excellent video made by Europa Corp titled “HOME”, which is hosted at youtube.com. The video is 1.33 hrs long .The HD format is approximately 1.4GB to download. I strongly urge you to view the film completely and I hope it will affect your life in a way nothing else ever had.

Please post your comments. Please come up with solutions and suggestions that you think can save this planet and what YOU can do about it and what YOU plan to do about it. Remember, individuals can do a lot when they do it together.

APJ Abdul Kalam's letter to Indians

2010-03-24T06:18:00.000-07:00

The following text was received by email purportedly written by our former president Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. I am not sure about its authenticity; I am not sure if it has indeed been penned by him. All I can declare is that the following article is NOT mine. I found it worthwhile to share it with the world. Here it goes....

Why is the media here so negative?
Why are we in India so embarrassed to recognize our own strengths, our achievements?
We are such a great nation. We have so many amazing success stories but we refuse to acknowledge them. Why?
We are the first in milk production.
We are number one in Remote sensing satellites.
We are the second largest producer of wheat.
We are the second largest producer of rice.
Look at Dr. Sudarshan , he has transferred the tribal village into a self-sustaining, self-driving unit. There are millions of such achievements but our media is only obsessed in the bad news and failures and disasters.
I was in Tel Aviv once and I was reading the Israeli newspaper. It was the day after a lot of attacks and bombardments and deaths had taken place. The Hamas had struck. But the front page of the newspaper had the picture of a Jewish gentleman who in five years had transformed his desert into an orchid and a granary. It was this inspiring picture that everyone woke up to. The gory details of killings, bombardments, deaths, were inside in the newspaper, buried among other news.

In India we only read about death, sickness, terrorism, crime.. Why are we so NEGATIVE? Another question: Why are we, as a nation so obsessed with foreign things? We want foreign T.Vs, we want foreign shirts. We want foreign technology.

Why this obsession with everything imported. Do we not realize that self-respect comes with self-reliance? I was in Hyderabad giving this lecture, when a 14 year old girl asked me for my autograph. I asked her what her goal in life is. She replied: I want to live in a developed India . For her, you and I will have to build this developed India . You must proclaim. India is not an under-developed nation; it is a highly developed nation.

Do you have 10 minutes? Allow me to come back with a vengeance.

Got 10 minutes for your country? If yes, then read; otherwise, choice is yours..

YOU say that our government is inefficient.
YOU say that our laws are too old.
YOU say that the municipality does not pick up the garbage.
YOU say that the phones don't work, the railways are a joke. The airline is the worst in the world, mails never reach their destination.
YOU say that our country has been fed to the dogs and is the absolute pits.

YOU say, say and say. What do YOU do about it?

Take a person on his way to Singapore . Give him a name - 'YOURS'. Give him a face - 'YOURS'. YOU walk out of the airport and you are at your International best. In Singapore you don't throw cigarette butts on the roads or eat in the stores. YOU are as proud of their Underground links as they are.. You pay $5 (approx. Rs. 60) to drive through Orchard Road (equivalent of Mahim Causeway or Pedder Road) between 5 PM and 8 PM. YOU come back to the parking lot to punch your parking ticket if you have over stayed in a restaurant or a shopping mall irrespective of your status identity… In Singapore you don't say anything, DO YOU? YOU wouldn't dare to eat in public during Ramadan, in Dubai .. YOU would not dare to go out without your head covered in Jeddah.

YOU would not dare to buy an employee of the telephone exchange in London at 10 pounds (Rs.650) a month to, 'see to it that my STD and ISD calls are billed to someone else.'YOU would not dare to speed beyond 55 mph (88 km/h) in Washington and then tell the traffic cop, 'Jaanta hai main kaun hoon (Do you know who I am?). I am so and so's son. Take your two bucks and get lost.' YOU wouldn't chuck an empty coconut shell anywhere other than the garbage pail on the beaches in Australia and New Zealand ..
Why don't YOU spit Paan on the streets of Tokyo ? Why don't YOU use examination jockeys or buy fake certificates in Boston ??? We are still talking of the same YOU. YOU who can respect and conform to a foreign system in other countries but cannot in your own. You who will throw papers and cigarettes on the road the moment you touch Indian ground. If you can be an involved and appreciative citizen in an alien country, why cannot you be the same here in India ?

In America every dog owner has to clean up after his pet has done the job. Same in Japan ..
Will the Indian citizen do that here?' He's right. We go to the polls to choose a government and after that forfeit all responsibility.
We sit back wanting to be pampered and expect the government to do everything for us whilst our contribution is totally negative. We expect the government to clean up but we are not going to stop chucking garbage all over the place nor are we going to stop to pick a up a stray piece of paper and throw it in the bin. We expect the railways to provide clean bathrooms but we are not going to learn the proper use of bathrooms.
We want Indian Airlines and Air India to provide the best of food and toiletries but we are not going to stop pilfering at the least opportunity.
This applies even to the staff who is known not to pass on the service to the public.

When it comes to burning social issues like those related to women, dowry, girl child! and others, we make loud drawing room protestations and continue to do the reverse at home. Our excuse? 'It's the whole system which has to change, how will it matter if I alone forego my sons' rights to a dowry.' So who's going to change the system? What does a system consist of? Very conveniently for us it consists of our neighbours, other households, other cities, other communities and the government. But definitely not me and YOU. When it comes to us actually making a positive contribution to the system we lock ourselves along with our families into a safe cocoon and look into the distance at countries far away and wait for a Mr.Clean to come along & work miracles for us with a majestic sweep of his hand or we leave the country and run away.

Like lazy cowards hounded by our fears we run to America to bask in their glory and praise their system. When New York becomes insecure we run to England . When England experiences unemployment, we take the next flight out to the Gulf. When the Gulf is war struck, we demand to be rescued and brought home by the Indian government. Everybody is out to abuse and rape the country. Nobody thinks of feeding the system. Our conscience is mortgaged to money.

Dear Indians, The article is highly thought inductive, calls for a great deal of introspection and pricks one's conscience too…. I am echoing J. F. Kennedy's words to his fellow Americans to relate to Indians…..

'ASK WHAT WE CAN DO FOR INDIA AND DO WHAT HAS TO BE DONE TO MAKE INDIA WHAT AMERICA AND OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES ARE TODAY'

pollution

2009-12-28T13:55:00.000-08:00

The rise of global industrialization over the last 150 years has put enormous amounts of pressure on the environment, so much so that we are at the brink of a major environmental catastrophe. The massive scale of industrialization, coupled with man’s insatiable need for more has taken a huge toll of the environment. Somebody once famously said that man is only species on earth known to destroy its own habitat. The destruction of our own habitat is unfortunately a one-way process. I don’t think we can reverse the damage that we have caused to our environment. We have made a “fatal error” and it is time we pay for the mistakes.

We have polluted everything around us, the land, the water and the air. We have not spared the “space” either, which has already been littered with space debris. As if the failed, abandoned spacecrafts were not sufficient, Chinese went a step ahead and blew up a satellite in space to test their missile system.

Land pollution
People living in poor rural areas have always managed to live comfortably within their limitations but people in urban areas always seem to need to more than what they actually require. All this generates large amounts of wastes, mainly solid. Each year every city in the world generates enormous amounts of solid wastes, which are disposed in landfills. In industrialized countries where there are efficient mechanisms for waste management, this is not a serious concern. In countries such as ours, where solid waste management is poor, the wastes end up in the streets. The people of civilized nations contribute to some extent by properly disposing their wastes and the industries too have system of recycling. In our country, wastes are disposed off wherever one chooses to. Most often garbage is dumped in the neighborhood, and sometimes in the open drainage.

Even in those places where the city municipal system has introduced door-to-door garbage collection, many households continue to dump garbage in the neighborhood just because they don’t want to pay a paltry amount of say Rs.20 per month. Our people are not civilized, they dispose off wastes even if a trash can is around.

At the same time, these people criticize the municipal inefficiency. It is true that our municipal system is inefficient, unscientific and is riddled with corruption, but the role of society as a whole and that of individuals is largely ignored.

We have several types of solid wastes that pollute our lands. The organic wastes are thankfully done away by microorganisms in the soil. A major pollutant of our lands is the synthetic non-biodegradable “plastic”. While plastic is man’s most significant invention because of its application in all walks of life, it has been the single largest polluting substance on earth. The use of plastics continues to rise and threatens to take over the role of metals wherever permissible. In several countries there are laws on use and reuse of plastics, there are none in many undeveloped and developing countries. Plastics must be judiciously used and must be avoided if alternatives are available, but unfortunately the alternatives don’t provide economic efficiency. We tend to sell and buy plastic items because it makes more economic sense than buying or selling alternatives that don’t make economic sense. Economics are given more value than preservation of environment.
This brings me to the ubiquitous “plastic bags”, which are basically polythene. Their production is easy and cost very little, so they are used everywhere. One can hardly find a consumer outlet which does not package the sold goods in these bags.

Customers ask for it and the outlets are happy to provide it. But, what becomes of these bags? They end up on the streets or find their way to landfills. Use of polythene bags thinner than 50-70 microns are banned; but this ban is largely not enforced and these bags are continued to be used. There is always resistance from the traders community against this kind of ban. When recklessly disposed, they even clog drainage system. The administration has no moral or ethical responsibility either. Why can’t people use cloth bags instead? As long as there is demand for these bags, supply will always be there. It is the user… the public that has to change.

Another important pollutant is the medical waste. Although there are rules in place regarding the same, they are commonly flouted. Infectious wastes often find their way into municipal garbage collection system, which pose a significant threat to the garbage handlers as well as to the community at large. Many of these contaminated articles get “recycled” in the black market.
The market is flooded with plenty of "junk food", all of which are packaged in polythene air sealed cartons; which are contributing to land pollution.

With advances in technology, electronic devices are now cheaper and have mass usage. The amount of e-wastes that is generated is mind-boggling and there is still no system in place to tackle this in many countries. See this article.

Air pollution:
The release of huge amounts of CO2 into the air has lead to the so called “greenhouse effect” that has contributed to the rise in global temperatures. Burning the fossil fuel is a major source of this gas.

Every nation emits CO2, but the leading countries are China and USA.
Fossil fuels are used in power generation, metallurgical industries and in automobiles. In our country, thermal energy still contributes to the most of our energy needs. At a time when many countries are dismantling thermal power plants, our country is coming up with new thermal plants. We neither have resources nor the technology to reduce the emissions or even to look for the alternatives. There is nothing much that society can do about this. Our need for energy is ever increasing and energy from any source is always welcomed. But, there is one area where people can contribute in reducing the emissions, the vehicle exhausts.
With millions of vehicles on road, the amount of CO2 being released into the air is ever increasing. The number of vehicles on roads is also increasing. The government brings about norms for vehicle’s emission exhausts, but these norms are often implemented only in the manufacturer’s factories. Once the vehicle is sold, its exhaust must be monitored, something which seldom happens. Neither the vehicle’s owner nor the administration is interested in checking the exhaust. This leads to unabated air pollution. Government functioning in our country is pathetic, but what about individual’s conscience? It is once again the economic aspect that play spoilsport here. Nobody is willing to spend a little extra to see that their vehicles exhaust levels are within norms. It is often the public transport systems that contribute a lot to air pollution. The ageing fleet of buses and autorickshaws are the main culprits. Either there are no funds for their maintenance or these bodies refuse to spend any sum on their maintenance. Only in some cities, CNG has replaced the more polluting diesel/petrol. The two-stroke two-wheelers (whose production has decreased), emit a lot of smoke, and must be banned.
Autorickshaws pose a different problem; many of the drivers deliberately mix (subsidized) kerosene with petrol to reduce cost and make more money. Since many of these auto’s are rented by the drivers, no attention is paid on their maintenance. Even if the administration swoop upon the polluting vehicles, the auto drivers’ union would enter a strike citing “harassment” or pressurize local political leaders to ask the administration to “go easy” on them.
While there are rules governing disposal of solid wastes, municipal workers often dispose them off by burning them, sometimes within municipality limits.

The “greenhouse effect” will ultimately lead to melting of polar ice caps, which will cause many of the coastal areas to be inundated by sea water. The rising temperature will melt the glaciers that feed our rivers and very soon, these rivers may totally disappear. But then, there will always a debate on these issues. Unless there is collective will to realize and correct ourselves, there is nothing much that can be done about it.

Water pollution:
“Water is the elixir or life” and very soon water may poison our lives. We have polluted almost all sources of water around us.

Industrial effluents and municipal sewage are released “untreated” into our lakes and rivers. Ganga, the holy river is turning unholy. Yamuna is one of the most polluted rivers in the world. Fortunately Saraswati River doesn’t exist; otherwise it too would have been destroyed. I am saddened to witness the death of the river Coovam in Chennai, which has become nothing more than a sewage line.

As if domestic and industrial effluents are not sufficient, we now to have bear with another pollutant; pesticide and weedicide. These pollute the ground water to a great extent. Industries should spend amount of revenue to “treat” their effluents before releasing them to rivers or lakes. There is pollution control board, which either does not function efficiently or is not allowed to function. Corruption is rampant and pollution is unchecked. The government bodies are unwilling to invest in treating the effluents before releasing them citing lack of funds. The polluted water gets into the ground and pollutes the table water.
Ultimately, all the polluted water is released into the ocean. These pollutants are killing several aquatic flora and flora and many species are on the brink of extinction. Here is the statistics of water pollution in India.

Conclusion:
Still, we seem to care less, as if it is not our problem at all. We will not do anything about it because we don’t have sufficient funds for it. We will not do anything because there is nobody monitoring us. We will not do anything about it because we are not given a free hand, there could be many such reasons. There are laws, there will be newer laws but until both the public and the administration realize and work together, there will no solution to this problem. We will not do anything about it until we are directly affected by it. By the time, we decide something must be done about it, it would be too late. There has to be public education/awareness, government agencies must actively participate and offenders must be punished with minimum delay.

Here is the slideshow of all the above pictures

End of the world

2009-01-23T10:16:00.000-08:00

Dinosaurs ruled this planet but they are no more. These dominant creatures of have gone extinct. Humans are the dominant species of the present age, can they go extinct?

Of all the creatures, humans perhaps are among the most fragile and are highly susceptible to destruction. It is quite likely that humans may go extinct.

Here are some of the possibilities:

1) If a series of huge volcanic eruptions occur continuously, thick clouds of ashes can rise into air and remain suspended for long periods. This can block sunlight from reaching the earth killing all plants. Falling ashes can render the earth useless. Toxic ashes can poison our drinking water. If this occurs on a global scale, humans can’t survive beyond few months.

2) A similar situation can be caused by the impact of a crashing meteorite or asteroid. If a series of such crashing occur, the enormous dust cloud can obliterate sun rays for long periods. Life without solar energy would come to a grinding halt.

3) A new deadly disease may strike humans and wipe out the entire race.

4) Our plant may be sucked up a black hole.

5) Sun may fizzle out after exhausting all its hydrogen.

6) A massive nuclear war and its fallout may wipe out humanity.

7) Earth’s temperature may raise due to novel reasons killing all living forms.

Philosophy of life

2009-01-23T10:13:00.000-08:00

I am not a religious person, I hardly go to temples or attend religious functions but I am not atheist either. I believe in God but not in rituals. I have not studied the Veda or the Gita, but I have my own independent opinion on the philosophies of life.

I can’t prove the existence of God or his form but I believe God exists. I also believe in vidhi (fate) and karma (actions). I also believe in afterlife. Different religions advocate different ways to be one with the God. I have a different practical approach to this. I don’t believing in pleasing Gods by singing hymns or making offerings or prayers. I believe in living a simple life, which involves three main principles; a) never hurt others b) don’t be greedy and c) don’t take what is rightfully not yours. I feel God keeps an account of all our actions. I may not be able to score more positive points, but I strictly want to avoid scoring negative points. With these principles, I may not be socially or financially successful but I at least have my peace of mind, which is very important to me.

One of the lessons I happened to learn recently was how not to become a judge. We tend to judge everything and everyone we see or meet. Most of the time, our judgments are not only uncalled for but also are incorrect or biased. Why do we have to judge people? Why can’t we simply observe people and describe them without judging them? Why do we expect people to think and behave the way we want them to be? People are made different and they are bound to be different from us, that is the beauty of nature. We should accept people the way they are without having any expectations from them. This is in fact very difficult to achieve. I find it extremely difficult to adopt this principle. If I dislike a person, I can’t accept that person and can’t pretend to be good with that person.

People in this world are good, bad or neutral. Good people are not greedy, help those in need, serve humanity and do all good deeds. Bad people are selfish and hurt others to achieve their interests. Neutral people neither help nor trouble others; they are indifferent to others and go about their lives. God considers all this and rewards or punishes them accordingly. God’s response to human karma can be instant, can be felt in the next life or be felt by their children.

Why are some people born in rich families? How come some people have few worries in life? How come some people lead miserable pathetic lives? I believe it God’s way of rewarding or punishing a soul for the deeds committed in the previous life. God tests us all the time and observes all our actions. It is in our hands to make the right decision. We don’t commit ill deeds subconsciously, we choose to do it. By choosing our actions, we are partly responsible for our afterlives.

I have seen people who are cunning, scheming and selfish. I have seen them running after their greedy goals, trampling others on their away. I have seen people scuttling others in their monetary pursuit. I have seen all sorts of people. Humans are destined to be this way in kalyug. These people do not realize the mistakes they are committing and in this blissful ignorance they keep on committing more mistakes. Greed and lust for money and power are two most sinful desires of humankind. It is in its pursuit that people make several mistakes. In order to secure a good afterlife, I want to keep my present life good and clean. This is my dharma and karma!

Pollution and environmental degradation

2009-01-23T10:11:00.000-08:00

Ever since life formed on this plant, evolution is constantly at play. Evolution has been responsible for the millions of species that exist in this planet. Of all the species, mankind is considered to be the finest product of evolution. Nature has indeed created a masterpiece in humans, but this creation has resulted in its own destruction. How does the humanity thank the nature for creating it? By destroying the Mother Nature! Therefore, the evolution of humans, in my opinion is not the best thing to have happened to this world. It now turns out to be a blunder! Humans are the only known species that is known to destroy its own habitat. Nature is a great stabilizer, but there has to be some limits. Humans are degrading the environment at an alarming rate which might lead to irreversible damage. The great Amazon jungles in south America are receding at an accelerated rate to wood logging and illegal encroachments.

The land, air and water- the three main components of life on earth have all been contaminated by pollutants created by humans. Whether it is the depth of ocean or the heights of mountain peaks, nothing has been spared. As if the earth was not enough, even the space is littered with space junks. Industries spew out tones of toxic chemical into the air that affects all living forms in this planet. Pollutants in air may join the land and water by rainfall and contaminate them too. Thanks to human civilization several plant and animal species have been driven to extinction. Many more are in the endangered list, only waiting to get extinct forever.

Forests are being wiped out at an accelerating rate all over the world. Forests are the lifeline of an ecosystem; with depleting forests entire ecosystem is getting affected. Many animals are hunted down for commercial products and their numbers are fast dwindling. Humans can’t live alone in this planet; our ecosystem is incomplete without the plants and the animals. If they are destroyed, we get destroyed too. In the name of development humans are destroying the nature and destroying themselves. It is strange that a highly evolved and intelligent species is missing this point. Or is it that the human is simply ignoring it? We is concerned about our well being in our lifetime and are not bothered about the nature after our life. What are we leaving for our children, or grandchildren? A toxic, inhospitable land mass.

Industries pollute a lot, but there is a system in place to check it. The government has a pollution control board that is supposed to monitor and prevent pollution. Like most government departments, this one too gets played into the hands or rich and powerful. As per norms a clearance certificate must be obtained from the board before setting up an industry. After that a periodic inspection must be made and license renewed only after a certificate to this effect is issued by the PCB. Most polluting industries get away with this by greasing the palms of the PCB. Neither the government officials nor the industrialists have any concern for the Mother Nature.

There is a prescribed limit for vehicle exhaust, which gets checked only at the time of vehicle’s registration or on the world environment day. Neither the government nor the vehicle’s owner cares for the nature. Adulterated fuel, wrong mixture of fuel and lubricants and poor vehicle maintenance result in exhausts beyond permissible levels. One of the biggest pollutants of the modern world is the plastics; these non-degradable substances reside on earth’s crust forever. The carry bag that we use in our daily lives are the biggest land polluters, yet nobody seems to realize this. We use it innocuously, without being aware of the great danger it is causing to our environment.

Industrial effluents and municipal sewage are let untreated into river water. The same river water is used downstream for irrigation and drinking. No wonder why Yamuna is the most polluted river in the world. Why on earth do human destroy the very resource that lives depend on? The rise in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere is causing the greenhouse effect. The temperature of the atmosphere rises and the snow on the poles and on mountains melts. When the polar ice melts, it can raise seawater levels. It is estimated that in next 50 years, the sea level may rise by couple of inches. If the glaciers in the Himalayas melt at the present rate, both Ganga and Yamuna may go dry in next 25 years. Sufficient damage to the protective ozone layer has already been done and several holes have been detected in them.

Governments of every nation must consider protecting environment as a top priority and ensure that measures are strictly implemented. Investments must be made to develop technology that can filter out pollutants before they are let out into the environment. All sewage and effluents must be thoroughly treated before being discharged into the river.

Mercy killing

2009-01-23T10:10:00.000-08:00

Indian constitution declares that an individual has the right to live but not to die. So, committing suicide is a crime and if one survives an attempt, the individual can be punished.

But, what about those people who are extremely sick and want to die? There are many people who are either comatose for long, completely paralyzed or suffering great pains due to incurable diseases. Such people are burden to those are attending to them. They also result in huge financial setbacks to families with low incomes. If the patient is seriously ill, is in great pains and does not wish to any longer; should the patient be allowed to die?

Should “mercy killing”/euthanasia be made legal? There could be situations where the patient is comatose or completely paralyzed and is unable to communicate. Even if euthanasia is made legal, how could a decision be taken? There are chances that euthanasia can be misused to eliminate a person in connivance with the health care system.

Prostitution in India

2009-01-23T10:08:00.000-08:00

Prostitution is said to be the oldest profession. Ironically, even though it is called a “profession”, it has no legal state or a professional tag associated with it. This so-called profession thrives in every community in every country. It is legal in some countries and illegal in certain other countries.

Unlike in animals, sex is used by humans to procreate and not a means of reproduction alone. Prostitutions exist in various forms; some are organized and some are not. Some operate in certain area of city, typically called “red-light” area where some offers on-call service. The genders of people actively participating in this business are females, males and eunuchs. Unfortunately, most of the prostitutes (correctly called commercial sex workers) are forced into this trade due to various difficult circumstances. Once they are into it, there is no escape and the stigma associated with it does not let them live a dignified life thereafter.

“Sex industry” is tightly controlled by the mafia with support from law enforcement and politicians. Human trafficking occurring all over India often leads to red-light areas of big metros. Like a swamp, once trapped or lured into this, a victim has no chance of coming out of it. People operating in the red-light areas have no civil or human rights, because to many they don’t even exist. Their lives are pathetic, they get underpaid and often suffer from various illness. Due to unwanted pregnancies they have to raise children too. Having a child gives them additional burden and forces them to continue to the profession to raise their children. Besides the onslaught of diseases, they even have to put up with sadistic clients who often inflict injuries upon them.

Girls, who are either aspiring models or actresses operating in the posh circles, are better off than their counterparts in the red-light area. These girls sometimes have the right to decline a potential client. Since their income is also high they can look after health. Since most of these girls operate covertly, they don’t have any social stigma and can join mainstream life whenever they choose. The lure of big money and grand lifestyles have led many girls from the middle class families of the school-college going ages to enter this profession. Police raids on flesh trade results in many girls getting caught. It often turns out that they were from well to do middle class families.

Prostitution is not legal in India but continues to thrive. The government must take a stand on this issue; legalize it or ban it. If it intends to ban it then it should be enforced as well. There are so many things in India that are banned but continue to thrive. As long as the politicians and the powerful mafia is involved in the flesh trade, law enforcing agencies can not do much. The NGO are playing their part, but is not sufficient. The other option is to legalize prostitution, give the sex workers an identity card and provide them with the benefits that an employee gets. The government should verify the genuineness of the sex workers’ identity and provide them regular health inspection and treatment facility. If required, even a rehab facility must be provided and proper education should be imparted to their children.

Sports in India

2009-01-23T10:05:00.000-08:00

India, the world’s second largest populated country manages only one gold medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It only reflects the pathetic state of our affairs in the sports arena. Baring few flashes of talent in few sports, India has no champions. Since there is a perennial drought of sport stars, few star performers are treated like oasis. There was a time when India reigned supreme in hockey and won several Olympic golds. Those were the magical days of Dhyanchand; ever since India’s national game has been on decline. Pity, it could not qualify for the 2008 Olympic. Does Hockey indeed represent India’s sporting spirits? It was declared a national sport when India reigned supreme in hockey. It is actually cricket that India actually represents. No other sport in India has so much following as cricket does. This craze for cricket has unfortunately been the undoing of other sports. Has cricket killed other sports in India? Perhaps yes!

It is not that there is dearth of talent in India; there are talented people living in the remote villages who have no access to training kits or techniques. If such talents are well recognized and nurtured, India too could produce several gold medalists. The problem lies entirely with the government. The sports department is rife with corruption and regional bias. There is no foresight and no action plan to develop sports. The government allocates a certain amount of fund to the ministry and majority of it gets gobbled up. Lack of proper trainer and training facility are making things difficult for sports development.

Sports are indeed encouraged in schools but this interest fades away and becomes only a formality in most colleges. Talented children who have excelled at sports in school don’t go any further. Either the lack of facility to pursue sports or discouragement by parents or both is responsible for shortage of talented sportspersons in India. Besides cricket, no other sports event receives sponsorship from the corporate world. With an indifferent government and apathetic public, sports (besides cricket) do not appear to be promising enough for any youth to take it up as career option.

The choice of players to represent India at national or international events too is mired in controversy. Regional bias is often alleged in the selection process. When selection of players to represent a country is on grounds other than talent, one really can’t expect good showing in the sports. Yes, there are problems; but what are the solutions? It is apparent from these years that government alone can’t handle sports. China and Russian (then USSR) governments had invested heavily on sports to make a political statement; but India does not have such compulsions. If India seriously has to come up in sports, private players have to come in. There must be private companies in every state with their own staff and infrastructure who would coach the players. Best players from each state (whether sponsored by government or private sector) must participate in national events. Winners and runners up of national events must be selected to represent India in international events.

These sports events should be made attractive by offering huge sums as prize money. Both the government and the corporate world should join hands to support sports in country. A big business house can even “adopt” a particular sport and sponsor all the events held in the country. In order to sustain the costs, a part of the prize money should be given to the private sporting body which coached the player. When big money is involved in sports, more players will join it and public interest also grows.

Pakistan, Kashmir and terrorism

2009-01-23T10:01:00.000-08:00

There is no doubt Pakistan was MK Gandhi’s gift to Jinnah. If religion divided the nation, then there is nothing that can unify it. The divide between Hinduism and Islam is so historical and deep-seated that the mistrust and enmity can never be wiped away. Thus, in principle India and Pakistan can never be friends. The dispute between India and Pakistan is more than the religious divide; it is geopolitical. When the British gave up India, many states were still ruled in Kings and Nawabs. It was left to them to accede to India or the newly formed state of Pakistan.

Kashmir was ruled by a Hindu king and he signed the instrument of accession to India, which is contested by Pakistan. Pakistan always had an eye for this “heaven on earth” and wanted to accede it at all costs. It still continues this aspiration. Pakistan waged direct wars with India but “failed” in its goal. Late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto had dreamt of “a thousand years war” with India to gain Kashmir and his daughter late Benazir Bhutto had inherited his aspirations. India’s role in separating East Pakistan and creating Bangladesh too has not gone down well with Pakistan. Unlike India, Pakistan officially holds hostile intentions on its neighbour. India claimed victory in the two battles it had with Pakistan. The first war ended with Pakistan’s surrender and the second war ended with a ceasefire. With Pakistan and India, both claiming victories, the fact remains that Pakistan gained more grounds than it had before the war. India lost large portion of land to Pakistan in the Kashmir state, which is known today as POK. Not only did Pakistan gain control over Indian land, it ceded some of it to China (Aksai chin). With military options to gain Kashmir completely ruled out, Pakistan resorted to a covert but successful strategy of using Islamic fundamentalists to organize terrorist attacks against India in Kashmir. Pakistan utilized Islam to motivate Kashmiri Muslims to revolt against India and thus mujahiddin jihadi movement was initiated. It is unfortunate that anti-Hindu and anti-India sentiments are a part of school curriculum in Pakistan.

Democracy could never survive in Pakistan; time and again it was overthrown and ruled by the military. Does it mean that civilians in Pakistan are incompetent to rule or is it that military feels that its anti-India objectives can’t be met by a civilian government; we will never know. India had been a traditional rival for Pakistan and its weak democratic system relied on anti-India sentiments to win elections. Any signs of peace towards India are considered as a weakness in Pakistan. Irrespective of the nature of government in Pakistan, India will continue to suffer at the hands of Pakistan. Notwithstanding Nawaz Shariff warming up to India, Gen. Parvez Musharaff decided to act on his own and launched an incursion into Kargil. Regular Pakistani soldiers dressed up as mujahiddin joined the mercenary mujahiddin in this ill-fated incursion. Thankfully, India acted swiftly and strongly much to the embarrassment of both Nawaz sheriff and Musharaff. Series of events lead to ouster of Nawaz Shariff and Musharaff became the president. With military back in power, their anti-India objectives were renewed with full vigor.

The initial terrorist attacks were planned in POK by the ISI and executed in Kashmir against Indian police and military. With renewed counterattacks by the Indian armed forces, terrorist attacks in Kashmir were losing sheen. While Pakistan has been somewhat successful in motivating Kashmiri muslims against India, its objectives of gaining Kashmir was going nowhere. Pakistan had tried to raise the dispute in UN on several occasions, but India has been firmly against internationalizing the issue. Rising status of India as well as its financial situation has not been taken kindly by the Pakistan and it began implementing the policy to destabilize India’s economy. In order to do that it initiated several tactics such as infusion of crores of fake currency and conducting terrorist attacks in major cities to thwart foreign investment and tourism. Criminals like Dawood Ibrahim are sheltered by Pakistan so that they can carry out financial destabilization through him. Indian jobless muslim youths are brainwashed in the name of religion, imparted tactical training in arms and warfare in Pakistan by ISI and terrorist outfits (LeT) and sent to India on Jihadi missions. Difficult terrain of Kashmir, porous borders of Nepal and Bangladesh are making matters worse for India, as these militants sneak in through these routes.

As expected of Pakistan, it continues to deny any role in terrorist attacks in India. Since Pakistan is thickly involved in most of the terrorist attacks in India, they can’t cooperate with any investigation or hand over any suspects to India. It is believed that some of the terrorist organizations were raised and funded by the American CIA to fight the Soviet military in Afganistan. Since religion has no affiliation to any country, these militants have turned against Americans themselves. It is perhaps not in their best interests to let such people be sent to India for interrogation.

Pakistan will continue to support terrorist attacks in India and continue to deny it. These attacks will happen on a regular basis and perhaps become even more deadly. War with Pakistan is not an option at all. With both countries possessing nuclear arms, the outcome of nuclear war is far greater than the original objectives of war. Surgical strikes on militant training camp are also not a feasible option. These militants don’t have a major permanent infrastructure; instead they work in jungles and valleys. They can easily regroup and reorganize themselves in no time. If India must go to war with Pakistan, it must clarify its objectives first. A armed aggression against Pakistan that lasts for couple of weeks and ends due to international intervention would not serve any purpose or meet any objective. A war with Pakistan would unite all Islamic militants including Taliban and al-Qaeda against India.

Pakistan always insisted that Kashmir dispute is the reason for terrorist attacks in India, which has been officially denied by the Indian government. Will a solution to Kashmir dispute really stop the terrorist attacks? Pakistan has been using the militants for its objectives, but these militants are fighting for Islam, besides Pakistani government. Even if the Kashmir issue is settled, the militants will find new excuse to bomb India. Any hindu-muslim riot in India will trigger jihadi attacks. Kashmir issue or not; jihadi attacks will continue.

How can a solution to Kashmir issue be found? There are couple of options;
1) LOC could be considered international border and Pakistan allowed to keep POK as integral part of Pakistan
2) Win a decisive war with Pakistan and win back the entire POK.
3) Hold a referendum and let the people of Kashmir if they want to be with Pakistan instead.

Unfortunately, all the three appears unlikely to happen. No political party in India can survive if its gives away its claim on POK. Holding a referendum could set a precedent for other states to break away in future. Winning a war with Pakistan looks extremely remote in the present scenario. We can’t prevent another terrorist attack being conceived in Pakistan but we can prevent its execution in India by strengthening our intelligence and counter-insurgency measures.
We will perhaps have to live with this stalemate.

Corruption in India

2009-01-23T10:00:00.000-08:00

Under the present circumstances, India is in the grip of this incurable disease much like the AIDS. Worse, there is no will in the government to tackle it. Corruption has become a way of life; it has amalgamated itself into everyone’s life. It is hard-rooted into our society. There is hardly any section of life or governance where corruption has not sneaked in. Starting with a municipal sewage cleaner to the prime minister’s office, corruption has occupied every niche available. Corruption is associated with birth, life and death of an individual in India.

With the level of corruption present here, I wonder how come India is in fourth place in the list of corrupt nations. Corruption is so rampant that the corrupt are hardly ever prosecuted in our country. Lok ayukta can only expose corruption but can’t do anything beyond it. Unless the government comes clean and acts tough, the menace of corruption will only grow stronger.

The extent and ways of corruption can be debated forever. What solutions do we have to tackle it? In my opinion the reason for flourishing corruption is the availability of money in cash. As long as the money exists in cash, there will be corruption.

I propose few steps to rein in corruption; arrange massive raids on all politicians, government officials and big businessmen and recover the money. Setup special courts and dispose off the cases as soon as possible. Utilize the money recovered in building infrastructures and spend them as soon as possible. To get rid of hidden cash as well as fake currency, ban the existing currency notes and reprint new ones of small denominations only.

Introduce virtual money, let there be no cash of denomination more than 50. All subsequent exchanges must be made electronically. Every individual must have a electronic swipe cards issued by national banks. These cards must be issued after thoroughly certifying an individual’s identity and made secure using biometrics and strong encryption. All the nodes and banks must be interlinked and each of the cards should be associated with income tax PAN. Every transaction a person makes will be recorded and thus (in theory) corruption can be effectively tackled. Of course, it is easier said than done. This system requires lot of investment and education. There are possibilities of failure in system due to hacking or connectivity problems. Most importantly, the main opposition would come from the politicians, who themselves are the main perpetrates of the corruption. When all the transactions are made in white and are accounted for; the government can get more money as tax from all. When everybody pays tax, the taxable amount can be reduced too.

Political and administrative situation in India

2009-01-23T09:27:00.000-08:00

India did not exist before the British ruled us. Even though most princely states were ruled by kings & emperors and despite the fact that majority of them were Hindus, there was no such unity. These kings (and nawabs) frequently fought with each other and desired of expanding their kingdom. Emperor Ashoka probably was the first to expand his kingdom to the south. Mughals had their share too. Entry of British through the East India Company changed the scenario. With the participation of several mass leaders and the Indian National Congress, a need to unify all the states was felt, however Jinnah felt otherwise and the rest is history.

More than 50 years past independence, the largest democracy of the world is in a bad shape, thanks to series of selfish and myopic political leaders. Democracy has been the biggest curse on this nation. Political leaders have abused, raped and even slaughtered democracy, thanks to citizen’s indifference. Well all talk (includes me too), but all these talks don’t metamorphose into anything substantial. It simply becomes a “timepass” talk. Debates are held on TV studio, student’s union protest and that is it, we come back and watch TV. Most of us who talk ill of politicians don’t contribute to any change; we don’t use the ballot box.

We all are aware how politicians are, here are some points. They are selfish, all that matters to them is how much money they make while their membership/ministry lasts. National interests and long term effects of their decisions are never a consideration. Whenever projects are sanctioned, their concern is the kickback/commission. Never trust a politician to do you a favour unless you are capable of doing him a reciprocate favour. These people know how to handle law enforcing agents, using money and muscle power they can twist and turn the law to their favour. Almost all of the politicians are involved in illegal activities such as kidnapping, extortion, prostitution, illicit liquor trade, smuggling, links with underworld, hawala, real estate etc. The list is very long, you name the trade and they are already doing it. These are the people who promise people and the nation of social service and take an oath too. Politicians are the biggest tax evaders in the country. Do we need such people? While they are supposed to serve us, we end up serving them.

A military or communist rule looks promising but they are too dangerous. No matter how bad these politicians, they constantly keep an eye on the opposition and media (who might expose them). Many people who are fed up the democratic system in India feel that a military government in India would be helpful. In a military or communist government, absolute power (without any opposition) will lead to dictatorship. With no challenge to the government, people would become even more helpless.

Democracy in its principle is the most viable form of government in any country. But the democracy in its current form is not good enough in India. It has to undergo drastic changes/overhaul. I feel that the constitution must be re-drafted every 50 years keeping in mind the social and economic changes that a nation undergoes in these years.

What can be done about these politicians? Most argue that the people who get elected are usually from the low educational background with mafia or “goonda” background. Should PUC or degree be made a minimum qualification to contest an election? Should the bureaucrats with IAS (or its equivalent) qualification dance to the minister’s tunes? What if the IAS cadres be made ministers and allowed to run the country while elected members act as opposition? Why do we need so many political parties? Why can’t there be two-party system? Those unhappy with either may still function as independednts! How often have us seen a politician quitting a party and forming a new one or joining another party on grounds that really matter to the country? Most of the time, they change parties for personal gains. Politics has become personal!

But then, do we have a choice? Even if all the educated and rational thinkers do cast their votes, do we get any differences? They (read politicians) are all the same, they only come in different sizes and packages (read parties). A honest politician can’t survive either, he has to “be a Roman in Rome”. The system is so corrupt that a politician has to metamorphose into a devil in order to survive. Is there really a point blaming the politicians? The politicians can do anything to achieve their nefarious goals. There was time when politicians were shown in bad taste in the movies and I thought they were fictitious. Now it is evident that the truth is stranger than fiction.

One of my worst fears is regarding the integrity of the nation. Will the country stand united as a single nation in the coming 50 years? Can we hold on or disintegrate into smaller nations? It is a natural tendency for people to discriminate themselves from the others and when this tendency gets into the hands of mass leaders, things can go horribly wrong. A marathi leader chases away all “north Indians”, biharis are chased away from Assam, Hindus are chased away from Kashmir; where is the unity? How do the most of us treat people from the north east? We call them “Chinese” or “chinky” and what not. How can we stay united if we can’t respect each other? How come there are so many jokes published on a Punjabi community? When communities get discriminated there is always a rage brewing deep inside only burst out some day. Do we want that to happen? There was a movement for Gorkhaland sometime back, there could be more soon. The ULFA is a big menace. Kashmiri’s want to go with Pakistan. Sikhs wanted Khalistan. Tamilians wanted a separate Dravid nation. Now, we have a telangana movement in AP. If people can’t respect each other and the government can provide optimal growth for all of them, such movements are bound to occur.

The present system of administration, the foundation of which was laid down during the first constitution is fair enough. Since the last 50 years there has been lot of changes in the society and the old system is no longer in sync with the present times. People have changed, their values too have changed. Give an opportunity for a person to become corrupt and he will grab it; there are very few who can resist it. The present system of administration has plenty of loopholes and gives the administrators plenty of opportunity to be corrupt. The system of tenders was to ensure the quality work is undertaken at minimum cost, but this system has failed miserably. Sometimes tenders are never called or unilaterally assigned to a favouring party, or undertaken by official themselves. Tenders are sometimes published in less circulated dailies or printed in handful of issues only. The party has to offer bribe to the officials to select their tenders and disqualify their competitors on flimsy grounds. Having shelled out considerable money as bribe, little is left for investment in the project and own profit. Hence only a fragment of the sum actually gets invested in the project, resulting in substandard work.

Whenever government sanctions funds for any project benefiting the public, the amount of fund that finally reaches for the project is sometimes too little even to initiate it. Amount of money that percolates through the hierarchy of officials sometimes result in cancellation of project itself. Have we not seen many projects launched with fanfare, laying of foundation stone and the projects ending up at that stage itself? These occur because there is no fool-proof way of monitoring them. There is no accountability and auditing. When the auditors are hand in glove with those who indulge in financial misappropriation, how can the misdeed ever come to light? Whenever a shoddy work is undertaken by the government, who gives them a completion certificate? Who complains anyway? Yes, there is right to information act. Do we ever use them? Do we even know how to use them? Can we use this to ask the authorities on the details of the projects undertaken? Yes, we can but we usually don’t.