General Viewpoints ( Anirudha Deb)

Mother Earth

2010-01-21T00:30:00.002+05:30

I found this interesting article in one of the article I was going through. It did not have a name so I could not mention his/her name.

I am your mother Earth and I have to tell you that I'm tired of you, of your bombs, of your missiles - you're to loud.
See, I give you to drink. I give you to eat. But some of you even find a way to let others suffering hunger!
Since the day you've been born I attend you during your whole life and when you die I am your bed for you can rest in peace.
I'll still keep you in my memory when nothing remind anything of your being.
I carry you, I support you, I transport you, I am always there when you need me, I heel all your wounds.
If I would take away my cereal, my trees, my fruits, my oceans, where all the birds will sit and sing? where the horses will run? where would you paint the history of your glories, your great heroes, your victories, your miseries, your love, your hate?
What are you waiting for? To see my rivers running dry? Well, I know you, I hear the ones you've buried complaining about you. Have I ever depressed you with my gardens? Did I ever stress you with my perfumes? Go and lay to rest somewhere else. Do you want the sky? go ahead! Clime in the air and re-invent another existence, but out of my life. When I'm cereal you're burning me, when I'm water your polluting me, when I'm air you're contaminating me. You became arrogant and ignorant, your own pride has spoiled you. I cannot take it any longer. Is there some other people who could inhabit me? And respect me for what I am? Some other people who has open ears to listen to my voice when I'm talking? Who has eyes to see the signs of the time and react in harmony with me? Will you oblige me to destroy you? Now listen to my last words I'll have to tell you:
I AM THE EARTH, I AM WATER, I AM THE AIR, I AM FIRE, I AM WAITING PATIENTLY, YES I'M QUIET, UNTIL ONE DAY…DON'T BELIEVE YOU COULD SILENCE ME, IF YOU WON'T CHANGE, ON THAT DAY I'LL HAVE TO SILENCE YOU!

How to make this world a better place to live in!

2010-01-15T18:04:00.003+05:30

We have the Copenhagen summit failing, kyoto protocol not being rectified and various climate talks that are going on. At the end of the day countries blame one another, no one is ready to compromise and so on. We as individuals also think that since large companies and countries which emits so much does not do anything WHAT WE CAN DO! and we end up doing debates and talks and critise.We watch 2012 movie and think what will happen. Wars, poverty, diseases, religious intolerance etc are increasing day by day.

But what we as individuals have done to make this world a better place to live in!! Once we think Mother EARTH as our home and treat it as we do to our sweet homes we will be able to contribute on a major scale.Though there are many ways I here list 10 ways according to me will help make this place a better place to live. This is not only about climate change but about everything that helps in building a better living place.

1)Use public means of transport atleast once a week.
2)Try to avoid as much as one can in using plastic, wasting oil, paper(pay bills online, ask for statements online), electricity etc.
3)Donate atleast 1% of salary to those in need per month.
4)Have strong faith in religion but avoid being a fundamentalist.
5)Try to visit places like orphans home, old age home, home for disables etc and spend time with them.
6)Plant a tree, participate in teaching(teach India campaign), in food distribution to poor( Akshya Patra) and various other socio-environmental issues.
7)Buy energy efficient products and use less of water heating and air conditioning machines.
8)Be tolerant and forgiving but speak against all evils.
9)Help one another; who knows you may also be in need and there is no one to help.
10) Propagate, help others, educate others and encourage others to also do atleast some of these things.

But the real funny thing is that we all know about this BUT WE DONT ACT UNDER THE EXCUSE OF COMMITMENTS, NO TIME ETC

ACT BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE!!!!!!!

No more short term and cheap ULIPs

2009-12-23T15:33:00.004+05:30

IRDA's decision to cap the ULIP charges to 3% from 2010 has already showing impact.SBI Life has increased the minimum policy premium from Rs 6,000 to Rs 12,000, Star Union Daiichi Life Insurance has increased it from Rs 12,000 to Rs 18,000 and also the minimum tenure has gone up to 10 years. Another company Aegon Religare has increased the minimum premium from Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000, and has increased the term to 10 years from five years.Other private companies are likely to follow.

The move to lower charges was definitely to effect the term of the policy as IRDA has regulated charges in terms of YIELD (Gross return- net return at 10% should not be more than 3% for policies less than 10 years and 2.25% for more than 10 years). So the charges will remain more or less the same as commission needs to be payed from that and instead the term will be long term and bonuses will be more at the end of the term, and it will increase proportionately with the term of the policy; so that the yield cap is maintained.

Also the fund management charge(FMC) is capped at 1.35 per cent for products below 10 years and at 1.25 per cent for more than 10 years. So longer term means more FMC in terms of money payed. So more or less there is not going to make any major difference and instead the customer ends up locking his investment, which in turn is good for the customer himself, economy and the company. Some of the losses the company will make will be recovered by lending the money of the customer to long term projects of the economy.

The overall effect- More long term policies, less commission for short term policies, less small ticket policies, more money for the economy, but the effect in new policies sold needs to be seen. It may be less as customers always prefer short term unless the agent miss-sells long term policies as short term.

2009-12-15T15:02:00.001+05:30

Shoud India be divided into smaller states?

2009-12-11T16:26:00.002+05:30

The recent Telangana issue that it should be divided from Andhra Pradesh because of backwardness is no reason. Earlier India was divided into states based on language. Now the context is development. But my question is those politician who ask for a separate state has not done anything for their respective constituencies and as such there is no development. And now they are asking for separate state on developmental issues!!

This division will only lead more such movements as in AP itself( rayalseema), UP, West Bengal(Darjeeling),Maharastra (Vidarba), Gujarat, Rajasthan, MP and so on. But does it really help the poor.Haryana and Himachal has taken nearly four decades to be successful. The rampant corruption and Maoist issues in Jarkhand and chhattisgarg tell a different story.There are smaller states in North East but where is the development?

And it is only the richer will get richer. There will be new CM, and ministers, new head of police, judicial, etc (leading to more corruption on account of newer projects)and only the higher class will be benefited. But the farmers will be farmers. The poorer will be poorer.

Instead of a separate state, they should be given autonomy. Except for legislative and military powers all other powers can be given. Let them have a new High Court, new University etc.But then the politician will not get involved as there are no New Ministerial berths created.

Why employees leave company?

2009-01-29T19:58:00.003+05:30

This idea came after a heated argument with one of my friend about why employees leave a company. This I am writing from my own experience and observation.

What I feel is that employees leave an organisation due to various reasons but can be broadly classified into these four....

1) Money: It may be salary or incentives. If an employee feels that he is not getting what he is supposed to get( comparable from market and competitors) and he feels that he is exploited. He may be paid 10k or 100k per month but he must feel that he is paid the best according to his abilities otherwise it will not work out.

2) Growth: Career growth is what all employees look. If one's career prospects is not fulfilled in a particular company then he will look out.

3) Mental balance: In this I mean to say whether he is able to handle the pressure, time spent with his near and dear ones, time to do other activities that he likes to do apart from his normal office duties. One can call it as work-family imbalance and it has huge repercussions.

4) Environment: If the above factors are not there but his working environment is good, he will surely wait for some more time before leaving. By environment I mean his immediate boss, his colleagues, and distance to and from his office. If his working environment is not good and any one of the above is also not fulfilled then he is sure to leave. I have included the distance mainly due to the shifting of companies outside the city area as well as people residing outside city limits due to costs. It consumes a lot of time and makes you tired.

Now apart from these also some will not leave, and the reason is that he does not want to take risk by moving out into another company or that he is unable to get a new job.

These factors will also make a company good or bad in terms of working conditions.

Greatest Bengalis

2008-11-22T15:12:00.002+05:30

I thought of writing about 10 greatest Bengalis of all time. But as I searched, there were hundreds and thousands that I was unable to write about all of them. I will be giving some, only a few and one word about them. Net is open and details can be found out.

Actors and actresses
1) Rahul Bose - Bengali and Bollywood actor and rugby player
2) Shefali Chowdhury - Hollywood actor, seen in Harry Potter movies as Parvati Patil
3) Ashok Kumar - Bollywood actor
4) Kishore Kumar -Bollywood singer, actor, music composer
5) Uttam Kumar - Bollywood and Bengali film actor
6) Suchitra Sen - Bollywood and Bengali film actress
7) Konkona Sen Sharma - Bollywood Actress
8) Ronit Roy-TV actor
9) Rohit Roy-TV actor

Economists
1) Amartya Sen Ômorto Kumar Shen - economist, Nobel Laureate
2) Abhijit Banerjee - Ford Foundation International Professor of Economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Entrepreneurs
1) Jawed Karim - co-founder of YouTube
2) Amar Bose Ômor Gopal Boshu - founder of Bose Corporation
3) Subrato Roy - founder of Sahara India Pariwar

Filmmakers
1) Satyajit Ray Shottojit Rae - filmmaker, won the Bharat Ratna in 1992, won the Academy Honorary Award in 1992 for lifetime achievement and received the Légion d'honneur award of France and also received an Academy Award for his film Pather Panchali.
2) Hrishikesh Mukherjee Rhishikesh Mukharji - filmmaker

Intellectuals and social reformers
1) Shri Aurobindo, Indian nationalist, freedom fighter, scholar, poet, mystic, evolutionary philosopher, yogi and guru
2) Ram Mohan Roy, - founder of the Brahmo Samaj
1) Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar - responsible for introducing major reforms in the educational system and was Women's right activist

Journalists and news reporters
1) Pritish Nandy - Pritish Nandy Communications Ltd
2) Prannoy Roy - Founder and President of NDTV - One of India's largest television and media production house

Musicians
1) Abhijeet Abhijeet Bhattacharya - Bollywood playback singer
2) R.D. Burman Rahul Dev Burman - music composer
3) S.D. Burman Sachin Dev Burman - famous music composer and singer and father of R.D. Burman
4) Manna Dey Manna De - Bollywood playback singer
5) Anjan Dutta - Singer and musician of popular Bengali music. Also a Bengali filmmaker and actor.
6) Pritam Pritam Chakraborty and rupam- Bollywood Music Composer Fossils band
7) Shaan Shantanu Mukherjee - Bollywood playback singer
8) Kumar Sanu Kumar Sanu - Bollywood playback singer
9) Ravi Shankar Robi Shôngkor - sitar maestro, Grammy Award winner, father of Norah Jones and Anoushka Shankar

Political figures
1) Subhas Chandra Bose-Former President of Indian National Congress,Freedom Fighter and Co-Founder Indian National army
2) Pranab Mukherjee- Minister for External Affairs ,Government of India, Senior leader of Indian National Congress
3) Priyaranjan Dasmunsi- Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, Senior leader of Indian National Congress and President of West Bengal Pradesh Congress Committee
4) Chittaranjan Das - Prominent person in the Indian independence movement also known as Deshabandhu.
5) Bagha Jatin Bomb expert in India's Independence struggle
6) Sarojini Naidu or Sarojini Chattopadhyaya , also known by the sobriquet Bharatiya Kokila (The Nightingale of India),

Sportsperson
1) P.K. Banerjee - Footballer: was named Indian Footballer of the 20th Century by FIFA and received the Padma Shri Award in 1990
2) Sourav Ganguly - Cricketer, former captain of Indian cricket team
3) Brojen Das Swimmer: first Asian to swim across the English Channel and the first person to cross it four times
4) Gostho Pal, Great Footballer.Member of the 1st Indian Team(MohunBagan)those who won the IFA shield against a British team in the pre independence period.Led the Mohunbagan Club successfully
5) Mihir Sen, Swimmer: First Indian to swim across the English Channel in 1958.
6) Arati Saha, Swimmer: First Asian woman to swim English Channel in 1959.
7) Jyotirmoyee Sikdar, athletics: Double gold-medallist in track at Asian games, was awarded Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna award and Padma Shri award

Religious figures
1) Chaitanya Mahaprabhu Choitonno Môhaprobhu - Syelleti Hindu monk and social reformer
2) Ramakrishna Paramahamsa Ramkrishno Pôromôhongsho - Hindu saint
3) Swami Vivekananda Shami Bibekanondo - Hindu monk and social reformer
4) A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada - founder of ISKCON
5) Paramahansa Yogananda Pôromôhongsho Joganondo - monk and exponent of Kriya Yoga
6) Sri Anandamoyi Ma, - Spiritual teacher and Guru
7) Baba Lokenath Brahmachari - Hindu saint and philosopher

Scientists & Engineers
1) Amar Bose - Inventor, founder of Bose Corporation
2) Jagdish Chandra Bose Physicist, radio and wireless transmittion pioneer, invented the radio before Marconi. Also did substantial work on botany.
3) Satyendra Nath Bose Physicist, founded Bose–Einstein statistics, which helped to produce Bose-Einstein condensate (2001 Nobel Prize in Physics was given for this discovery); Boson, a study of Elementary particle, is named to honor him
4) Subhash Mukhopadhyay - Physicist: became the first physician in India and second in the world to perform the In vitro fertilization
5) Prafulla Chandra Roy bn:প্রফুল্ল চন্দ্র রায়- Pioneer in the field of pharmaceutical and chemical works (discovered mercurous nitrite)

Writers
1) Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay (1894-1950) - novelist
2) Manik Bandopadhyay (1908-1956) - novelist, short story writer
3) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay (1838-1894) - novelist, essayist
4) Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay (1876-1938) - novelist
5) Michael Madhusudan Dutt (1824-1873) - poet, dramatist
6) Sunil Gangopadhyay (b. 1934) - poet, novelist
7) Amitav Ghosh - novelist, essayist
8) Jhumpa Lahiri - novelist, short story writer
9) Arundhati Roy - novelist, essayist
10) Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941) - poet, novelist, essayist Rabindranath Tagore is the first Asian Nobel laureate

Reservation

2008-11-21T08:30:00.000+05:30

Industry leaders said that they were ready to provide employment opportunities to people from SC. ST and OBC but were opposed to mandatory job reservation in the private sector.
Trouble is the private sector has all the ability and wisdom to improve the lot of the reserved classes. But they are not applying it and now the PMO has even given them such an opportunity to avoid legislation
They will give peon’s job …how will they evolve? Their evolution lies in literacy, quality education, but the government will skirt it, because educating these people will liberate them and take away the votes. I was hoping atleast the private sector will think differently, and instead of jobs, they will offer to invest their surpluses to create educational opportunities.
Their should be meritocracy, why should your birth status give you privileges? And despite all the benefits they demand, they don’t want a level playing field at all! I would imagine if one generation gets benefits of reservation, then their next generation should be de-reserved, yes? But no! They continue to wear caste badge and claim preferential treatment! And let’s face it, the reservation ploy is not going to create abundance or economic equality for the minorities ….it is abused by some to concentrate wealth and usurp power.

2007-10-02T22:35:00.000+05:30

Tolerance

On this day 2^nd October I would like to write on this topic-Tolerance which was supposed to be followed by every individual.

India was known in the world among other things as a land where the tolerance level was high. In our holy books it has been given a high value and forgiveness was taught in our early days in school. But are we losing it??

I am working in a bank (but I think it is the same in other banks also) and there everyday someone or the other shouts at the employees for petty reasons. One day the BSNL line was down and the systems were not working and people started using abusive languages. Token system was introduced to reduce long queues but still some people were dissatisfied with the system. Dissatisfied is a different thing and using abusive languages is altogether a different thing.

The case is not locally but far flung cases also affect us. The cartoon case regarding Prophet happened in a different continent but here in UP there was strike and around 3-4 people were killed. Iraq war affects us, cartoon cases affects us etc. Is it the gift of globalization?

But in a way is it not we are losing our tolerance. No place in this world is safe today. Africa and Middle East is full of trouble, Asian countries are also facing crises and Western countries which was relatively away from terrorism is now facing constant threats and blasts are becoming common. Not to talk about blasts and strikes in India. In Assam it is stated that in an average 3 blasts happen in a week i.e. blasts every alternate day. Nowadays every other person believes in violent solution. Rape cases and murders are now happening in every locality. Suicide cases are also rising, joint family broke into nuclear families but it is still becoming small. Father, mother and son cannot stay together. Forget about friends or enemies (though enemies should not be there) even brothers, sisters’ rivalry are also rising.

In schools where peace and tolerance should be taught is also not safe. Teachers are becoming devils. Money is playing a major part in a student’s selection, exam results and so on. If we compare western countries students are becoming killers of their fellow students.

Whatever may be the reason- job insecurity, less money, living away from family members, desire to achieve everything within our life time etc the main thing is that we are losing our tolerance level and if we go on like this we may be a developed country one day but we will not be happy. AND IF WE ARE NOT HAPPY THEN WHAT ARE W E LIVING FOR????

2007-07-13T16:51:00.000+05:30

Recruitment or just formalities…. (Comment on Narayana Murthy’s statement that 80% of students passing out are not suitable for job)

Recruitment is defined as the process of identifying the prospective employees, stimulating and encouraging them to apply for a particular job or jobs in the organization. While selection comes after that if the candidates are found suitable in the respective positions applied.

It is quite fashionable nowadays to say that there is lack of talented people. Big icons like Narayana Murthy said that 80 % of the graduates passing out are not eligible for jobs. They say that there is no updating of syllabi and all sort of things. But I believe that the problem lies in the identification of talented people. I believe that they recruit wrong people (for whatever reasons) and then they pass such comments.

I will state the following things that happened during our campus recruitment in our PGDM course.

In colleges due to huge numbers applying for a particular job, the first round to eliminate is of GD. They are supposed to find out people who are aggressive (for sales), see their communication skills and attitudes etc. But is it what happens during GD! Not once but nearly 4-5 times it happened that the person who has not opened their mouth are asked by the observer to conclude the GD and in the end they are selected in the GD. IS IT FAIR??

We are told that during GD we should not be stopping others from speaking by abruptly stopping them or not giving them chance. I attended nearly 15 GDs and still I could not make out on what basis they select. Some speak continuously disturbing others, shouting and some even don’t open their mouth or hardly speak once or twice and they are selected. Then how can you make out what to do in a GD. IS IT FAIR??

Some also conduct written test but they hardly declare the cut off and even some are selected without writing the test. Some even fail in the test but as the requirement has to be fulfilled they are also called for interview. Then what is the point in taking the test. IS IT FAIR?? ( I forgot the name of company but it was a reputed company)

Then coming to the Personal Interview, it is even more frustrating. I believe that I had seen enough nonsense. One person’s resume was not selected. He did not even attend the GD. But he asked some questions that impressed the interviewers and he was called for PI and was selected. Then what was the basis of rejecting his CV initially. What about the so called GD. IS IT FAIR??(The company was RPG Spencer)

Another company Eurotech (a furniture company) was mind blowing. There were about 30 persons for the selection round. They called five people at a time and then described about their company, told us what were the company doing, their business operation, and job profile and in the end asked if there were any questions. After all were told about the company I was shocked that some students were rejected. I could not understand that without interview only telling them about the company the decision of rejection was made. IS IT FAIR??

Then there were place preferences like knowledge of local knowledge and local area. I do understand that for sales it is necessary. But the problem lies with the recruiter. They tell that all can apply. But they reject non-local candidates. One company (Reliance communications) came for recruitment. I asked the recruiter whether knowledge of local language is necessary. They straight forward said no. After the GD when I went for the PI they said that the placement is in Kerala and the job was of recruitment, and hence knowledge of local language was necessary. Then they could have said at the beginning but they don’t. It is frustrating to go through all the process and tension and to hear that due to useless reasons one is not selected. And then there is preference for lady candidates. I hope I don’t have to elaborate on this. IS IT FAIR??

Then after selection there are many formalities that they don’t tell at the time of giving offer letter. Indiabulls recruited some students but at the point of joining they were told that they have to clear some examinations otherwise they will not be allowed to work further in the company. They could have told this so that they can have taken the necessary preparation. And also (ICICIPru) they recruited people for some profile and during joining students were given different profiles then what was promised. Naukri came for position in Mumbai but later the posting was made in Bangalore. IS IT FAIR??

It is only a part of the things that has happened. Many more such things happened. Their main job is to fill the vacancies. Then after that, passing comments that 80% of students passing out are not suitable for job is totally unjustified. N. Murthy and others have reached a position when their sayings get great publicity and are believed upon. But it is not so and if the recruitment is made in a proper way then such complaints will go and also the attrition rate will come down drastically.

So these people instead of passing comments which are morally discouraging for the students they should take care that the recruitment and selection process are to the best standards, so that the problems are resolved.

2007-04-01T21:26:00.000+05:30

Mind Vs Heart

Sometimes it happens that we are in a perplexed state as to which one to follow the heart or the brain. I am also not able to make up as which is the best option. In some cases it happens that following the call of mind is best because you tend to make logical decision and you don’t take it in your heart if there are negative results. But in some other cases you feel that you don’t think about the results; you feel like doing it and you go ahead and do it.

I feel that in cases relating to your personal life per say your inner feelings it is better if you go for the call of your heart. This you give you sometimes happiness and sometimes dejection but at least you will have no regrets. But in case of some materialistic needs it’s wise to go for what your mind says. Suppose you love somebody then just go ahead and tell. He/she may accept your proposal or reject it or sometimes will not say anything. But atleast you will be relaxed that you have said what you feel. In this case you can follow the mind also. You can make relations taking the future aspects, talk what needs to tb told etc but here you will not feel mental satisfaction as you will not be doing what you want to do.

In other case if you have Rs 100 to spend on something you may either spend it or save it. If you have a strong desire to spend it just go ahead and spend it. Don’t think what you will have in the future. Enjoy that moment. Otherwise you may think of the future and save then save until you find that the time to spend has passed away and there is no thing left to spend upon. If you spent then also you may have less money in the future, but atleast you have enjoyed that particular moment.

If God has sent you here, He has a purpose. You are playing a role here. Till you finish your role all the resources will be provided by Him. You don’t need to think about it. There is a saying in Bengali which goes like this-“Whoever has sent you on this earth will provide you with food and security”. One way or the other you will get all that you want. You need not worry on these aspects. JUST GO AND DO WHAT YOU WANT. But in all this cases do remember not to heart others feelings.

2007-03-29T00:19:00.000+05:30

SCHOOL DAYS AND LOVE

The best days of a man's life is his childhood
The best days of a man's love life is his schooldays(adolescence)

Many things bring a smile to our lips, when u think about them,
But universally the one thing that always makes u blush is ur first love,
The first love, in every one life's is something so special
when u think of school days, especially ur 11th/12th/ junior college, it reminds u of those
giggles, those blushings, those so so so special moments

oh how gr8 was it then if u could jus get a glimpse of ur crush
or u wud have been in cloud 9 if she had asked u a pen or maybe she said an excuse me

School crush is a very sweet and simple and innocent crush
So many small things like lookin at the corner of ur eyes, or even smiling seemed to make us happy
How very special was it, when he actually proposed over the phone,
or when she said yes, smiling shyly at u
wow u wud hav felt like dying right there

At an age so tender, so innocent, simple things made us so happy and so excited
But now, in our twenties and thirties we are so confused and unsatisfied with life
A few years back, such small things made us so happy, a kiss seemed like the biggest
thing that u ever wanted...and now we don’t even care about the peck on our cheek

growing up, facing the world has hit us so hard....
losing innocence,,, and workin so hard has taken the charm out of our life
but atleast sweet memories of those special days still brings us a tinge of happiness॥

SCHOOL LOVE....So Simple...So Special...........

2007-03-28T23:35:00.000+05:30

ॐ!

The Meaning of OM
Before the beginning, the Brahman (absolute reality) was one and non-dual. It thought, "I am only one -- may I become many." This caused a vibration which eventually became sound, and this sound was Om. Creation itself was set in motion by the vibration of Om. The closest approach to Brahman is that first sound, Om. Thus, this sacred symbol has become emblematic of Brahman just as images are emblematic of material objects.
The vibration produced by chanting Om in the physical universe corresponds to the original vibration that first arose at the time of creation. The sound of Om is also called Pranava, meaning that it sustains life and runs through Prana or breath. Om also represents the four states of the Supreme Being. The three sounds in Om (AUM) represent the waking, dream and deep sleep states and the silence which surrounds Om represents the "Turiya" state.
Because the first of the three states of consciousness is the waking state, it is represented by the sound "A" pronounced like "A" in accounting. Because the dream state of consciousness lies between the waking and the deep sleep states, it is represented by the letter "U" which lies between the "A" and "M". This "U" is pronounced like the "U" in would. The last state of consciousness is the deep sleep state and is represented by "M" pronounced as in "sum". This closes the pronunciation of Om just as deep sleep is the final stage of the mind at rest. Whenever Om is recited in succession there is an inevitable period of silence between two successive Oms. This silence represents the "fourth state" known as "Turiya" which is the state of perfect bliss when the individual self recognizes his identity with the supreme.

The Symbol ॐ!

Just as the sound of Om represents the four states of Brahman, the symbol Om written in Sanskrit also represents everything. The material world of the waking state is symbolized by the large lower curve. The deep sleep state is represented by the upper left curve. The dream state, lying between the waking state below and the deep sleep state above, emanates from the confluence of the two. The point and semicircle are separate from the rest and rule the whole. The point represents the turiya state of absolute consciousnessThe open semicircle is symbolic of the infinite and the fact that the meaning of the point can not be grasped if one limits oneself to finite thinking.

The Power of Chanting ॐ!

1। The chanting of Om drives away all worldly thoughts and removes distraction and infuses new vigour in the body.

2। When you feel depressed, chant Om fifty times and you will be filled with new vigour and strength. The chanting of Om is a powerful tonic. When you chant Om, you feel you are the pure, all pervading light and consciousness.

3। Those who chant Om will have a powerful, sweet voice. Whenever you take a stroll, you can chant Om. You can also sing Om in a beautiful way. The rythmic pronunciation of Om makes the mind serene and pointed, and infuses the spiritual qualifications which ensure self-realization.

4. Those who do meditation of Om daily will get tremendous power. They will have lustre in their eyes and faces.

2007-02-14T12:02:00.000+05:30

Valentine’s Day? Friendship Day, Mothers Day and what else?

Today people are celebrating Valentine’s Day, so it’s appropriate to write on this issue today.
Valentine’s Day …Why? People say to celebrate love and express love. I feel that it is absurd. No, not Valentine’s Day; I am not against it. But by the way in which everything is reduced to materialism and concentrated on a particular day. I feel it is absurd by the day MNCs are dictating our lives. Now MNCs will tell us what and when to do. To wish our fiancée we need a Valentine’s Day. To wish our father that we care for you, we need a Father’s Day; to tell our mother how much we love her, we again need Mother’s Day; for friends Friendship Day and so on. Each and every occasion is being reduced to a day. Do we need such days to express our feelings? Then we are force feed that it is better if we do it with roses, cards, gifts etc. A MARKETING GIMMICK!

Another point is that, in the end where are we heading to! Making boyfriends, girlfriends is more of a peer group pressure than a matter of heart (my experience, no research to prove). Living together and ‘enjoying’ is becoming a fashion. I have seen people committed for 5 years and still they are dating others. They say it is ‘filling the gap’. Girls are losing their virginity, they say ‘entertainment, modern, stress reducing’ and what not. Men are passing comments on every passing women, dating multiple ‘friends’ but in the end they are marrying whom their mamma selects. And he also burns her if he gets fewer dowries. Are we modern? Are we going towards materialistic society? Where are we heading to???

2007-01-10T21:30:00.000+05:30

WILL SENSEX CONTINUE ITS BULLISH RUN IN 2007?

Sensex and Nifty reported 4th day consecutive losses on Tuesday. I fear that the bullish run is going to see an end for the Sensex in 2007.

The reason why I am saying this is that the interest rates is going up. It is likely to increase a little more in the near future as the inflation is not under control. This will give investors another opportunity to invest in fixed deposits which will give them return in addition to security. Steel prices, cement prices and real estate prices are also to rise in the near future. And home loans are also increasing so as to contain the rapid growth in the real estate sector. This will again lead to decrease in the value of such related stocks.

Again the introduction of VAT will result in high prices for the cigarrate industry. Again decreasing the value of ITC and other such related stocks.

The price of fuel is also decreasing day by day and the oil companies are also not getting new discoveries and thus will affect their valuation.

Their is also a possibility of the US economy to slow down. If it happens then the services and the pharma industry which depends on the US and European markets will also face recession and thus affecting the value of their stocks.

So major industries like banking, steel, cement, IT and services, pharma and oil companies which contribute a lot to the market capitalization in the Sensex may face a slow down. And as a result the Sensex may lose its bullish trend.

Finally I want to add that it is a well known fact that the Indian market is overvalued and it will see a correction in the near future. I think the near future has come. May be in June- September the market will crash.

Another important reminder is that the earlier two market crash was in 1987 and 1997. This is 2007. Have you got any relation? Its ten year difference and the last number is 7 (of 2007). May be superstitions but market also runs on speculations.......

2007-01-04T22:34:00.001+05:30

IS MEDIA RESPONSIBLE FOR SOCIAL DISASTERS?

Jessica Lal case, Matto case, Tehelka episode are all some good (rare) things that media has contributed towards society. 1st congrats to them. But I feel that they have done more harm than good.
I will give three examples to illustrate my point-though there are plently of examples.
1) Suicide:- We all know that suicide among the youth is increasing. There are many conditions leading to this. But my point is that from where we come to know the various methods by which we can take our lives. In cinemas, in reality shows media shows us various ways in which we can kill ourselves. Hanging and burning ourselves are common but what about cutting our viens, etc. from where we got such information-from media offcourse.(recent example- movie Woh Lamhe)

2)Drinking:- This again I will contribute to media. Major parties in cinemas are shown where it is not complete without drinks. It is also shown that when you need to say some daring thing to your father or your girlfriend, you take a peg and you will be able to face it. Another is people say that they drink to drown their sorrow( but my dear friends "sorrow knows how to swim"). From where we know such things -again it is media. In some terrible tragedy or some betrayal heros go and drink leaving an impression that when you feel sad you need to drink.

3) Recent Godhra riots:- A particular man was shown with hands folded in all the major newspaper. The photo created such a huge storm. It was shown in such a way that people were going to kill him and he was pleading for mercy. But the real situation was that he pleaded with the photographers not to take photo of him. Such incidents provoke people.

Such incidents incite people into doing things that they perceive is right at that particular moment. Its high time media recognises their responsibility and act accordingly and not respond to the call of cheap publicity.

2006-10-27T19:53:00.000+05:30

IS CIRCUS RIGHT OR WRONG???
On the eve of Diwali I went to a circus show at Jamshedpur where I am staying at present for my project. In my childhood days I was more than eager to go and watch the boys, girls, the animals and off course the Joker performing in the show. As with children all over the world they were among the persons who were enjoying the most. They were laughing like anything when the joker was performing, and looking at astonishment when the boys were performing with fires and animals. The parents seeing their children in such joyous condition were much happier than the children internally.
But as I watched the show I could not enjoy as much as I would have if I were a child. As I looked at the little boys and girls, the joker (a short man), the animals performing, a strange feeling encircled me. I asked myself a question. Whether we are right in allowing the circus to continue? On one hand was their livelihood and our and the children’s right to entertainment and on the other hand was the exploitation of animals, young children and the joker who was laughed at more because of his short height. I was asking again to myself. Is it right to get entertained at the expense of others? Nobody would have come and performed like this in the stage if they got a better job, the joker was making fun of him and was making us laugh because he has to survive. Nobody would do such an act if it was not the case of ‘pappi pet’.
All through the show these questions were preventing me from enjoying the show. I am in a dilemma as to what is right or wrong, what is ethical and what is not. As the dogs, the hippopotamus, the camels, the elephants, the parrots, the monkeys, came on one by one it only showed how they were exploited. Their skins and body screamed with the torture they were facing. But at the same time if we stop going to such shows naturally these animals will be starved to death on account of low funds to feed them and if we go more, the profit will only be taken by the managers and the animals will only get less than what is necessary. If the animals are taken by the wildlife authorities and the people associated with it are rehabilitated which in case full rehabilitation is not possible because of different factors, one more question remains. Are’nt we discriminating against our child from preventing them from seeing the artists perform and all these forms of entertainment? Nowadays there is less open space for them to play, they are confined in flats with video games, TV, and the real form of entertainment that we had few years back is becoming extent. It will be sooner that these stories of us enjoying in a circus will find their way in the history books. The children are losing their touch with the nature and becoming more materialistic.
Yes, they can go to a wildlife resort and enjoy the beauty, but this is not possible for all; again due to various reasons. Even if they go it will be once in 2-3 years or even less. While circus happens every year and that too; in the same place where you are living they can atleast enjoy every year till they become grown ups.
But the million dollar question whether to allow the circus to continue still haunts me.

2006-10-09T18:20:00.000+05:30

LOVE YOUR JOB BUT NEVER FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR COMPANY

An interesting speech delivered by a CEO of a premier IT company in India during an employee session with another IT company in India. He is incidentally one of the top 50 influencial people in Asia according the latest Asiaweek publication. He is also the new IT advisor to the Thai Prime Minister.

Extract of Mr. Narayana Murthy's Speech during Mentor Session:
LOVE YOUR JOB, BUT NEVER FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR COMPANY BCOZ U NEVER KNOW WHEN COMPANY STOPS LOVING YOU - Narayana Murthy

I know people who work 12 hours a day, six days a week, or more. Some people do so because of a work emergency where the long hours are only temporary. Other people I know have put in these hours for years. I don't know if they are working all these hours, but I do know they are in the office this long.

Others put in long office hours because they are addicted to the workplace. Whatever the reason for putting in overtime, working long hours over the long term is harmful to the person and to the organization.

There are things manager can do to change this for everyone's benefit. Being in the office long hours, over long period of times, makes way for potential errors. My colleagues who are in the office long hours frequently make mistakes caused by fatigue. Correcting these mistakes requires their time as well as the time and energy of others.

I have seen people work Tuesday through Friday to correct mistakes made after 5PM on Monday. Another problem is that people who are in the office long hours are not pleasant company. They often complain about other people (who aren't working as hard); they are irritable, or cranky or even angry. Other people avoid them. Such behavior poses problems, where work goes much better when people work together instead of avoiding one another.

As Managers, there are things we can do to help people leave the office. First and foremost is to set the example and go home ourselves. I work with a manager who chides people for working long hours. His words quickly lose their meaning when he sends these chiding group emails with a time-stamp of 2am. Sunday. Second is to encourage people to put some balance in their lives.

For instance, here is a guideline I find helpful:
1) Wake up, eat a good breakfast and go to work.
2) Work hard and smart for eight or nine hours.
3) Go home.
4) Read the books/comics, watch a funny movie, dig in the dirt, play with your kids, etc.
5) Eat well and sleep well.

This called recreating. Doing Steps 1, 3, 4 and 5 enable 2. Working regular hours and recreating daily are simple concepts. They are hard for some of us because that requires 'personal change'. They are possible since we all have the power to choose to do them.

In considering the issue of overtime, I am reminded of my oldest son. When he was a toddler, if people were visiting the apartment, he would not fall asleep no matter how long the visit, and no matter what time of day it was. He would fight off sleep until the visitors left, It was as if he was afraid that he would miss something. Once our visitor's left, he would go to sleep. By this time, however, he was over tired and would scream half the night with nightmares. He, my wife and I, all paid the price for his fear of missing out.

Perhaps, some people put in such long hours because they dont want to miss anything when they leave the office. The trouble with this is that events will never stop happening. That is life. Things happen 24 hours a day. Allowing for little rest is not ultimately practical.

So, take a nap. Things will happen while you're asleep, but you will have the energy to catch up with you awake.

Hence, "LOVE YOUR JOB BUT NEVER FALL IN LOVE WITH YOUR COMPANY".

2006-10-08T19:26:00.000+05:30

India a developed country by 2020???

You often hear this. It gives a sense of pride as an Indian. It soothes our ears and inspires us to do many things. But the question is..... is this really possible? I don't think so. You may think that as an Indian I must not tell this. You may find me unpatriotic but this is what I call reality and reality bites hard. As far as my knowledge goes India cannot be a developed country by 2050 ....at this rate also.

India may be growing at the rate of 8-9% ....booming economy, increasing per capita income, recognition in the international space, etc.......But do this really count. As you know there are two sides of a coin and everybody tends to look at the better half. We go to classes in AC office, are in AC, live in good cities and parents give us all that we need but we hardly realise what it is to earn money. There are companies like Info. Wipro, ICICI, ONGC but how many companies are there......my first trip out of my home was in Kolkatta. It was a nice place ...malls, shops, multiplex etc. I lived there for 2 weeks or so. Then I went to bangalore..I don't have to explain...So many companies; all the riches are there. Then I came to Bubaneshwar, Hyderbad, and then to Cochin. All that was fine nice places to live in. At present I am in Jamshedpur. It is maintained by the Tatas it is a fantastic city...But is it the whole of India?.....no never it cannot be if you come out of your Ac cars and rooms and visit the villages..

Today I went for a ride with my friend to Purulia about 50-60 kms from Jamshedpur. What I saw there really shoked me. I have seen many places but I have not seen places like this. In India there is a reality that the languages changes in every 50 kms and there is a vast difference if you move out from your cities. The people living there are so poor. They live in mud houses, houses made of mud only...only mud and nothing else. Women cover their bodies by only a saree. Kids are lying here and there like .............I cannot describe. Even the roads and all this will take a long time to become developed. The Tatas have done a good job. But how many companies are doing this. We cannot blame the Government alone. It cannot do that much as we expect it to do. We as an individual must try every grain that we can sow. Every individual must contribute..

If you want to see the real; face of India then move out of Info. Wipro and your AC rooms.....India has a lot more to go before it can be called a developed country .......till then hope and work for the future....

2006-10-06T17:23:00.000+05:30

Dhirubhaism?? Can we follow it?????

1)Roll up your sleeves and help.
2)Be a safety net for your team.
3)The silent benefactor. ----When he helped someone, he never ever breathed a word about it to anyone else.
4)Dream big but dream with your eyes open.
5)Money is not a product by itself, it is a by-product, so don't chase it

Though he was not from IIM or SCMS till he managed to build such a vast empire due to this qualities that he had possesed. If we see our lifes we will find that hardly we can find this traits among ourselves or among our friends or those nearby us. we are the future of India....are we really??

If so then atleast we must find one of these traits. The whole future is ours. The next generation is looking at us and what we are teaching them. Corruption...(though it was there for a long time), jeleousness, hatred, selffishnes........etc name any bad thing we will find ourselves surrounded by it. Is it what the future managers of tommorow do? We must each ask this question to ourselves then only we can improve....and one more thing never blame others for whatever that has happened to your lives. If you think of the past only then you will remain in the past. Think about the future ......the good and free one and you will be there and you will find us, and the nation sorrounding you.

2006-10-06T17:12:00.000+05:30

can Ganguly come back???

Records

Test
Scored a Century on his test debut
Scored a Century in each of his first two tests
Cummulative Test batting average never dipped below 40 runs per innings
Captained India in record 49 test matches
Led India to record 21 test wins

ODIs
Holds the record, shared with Mahendra Dhoni, for the second highest score by an Indian cricketer in an ODI — 183, against Sri Lanka in 1999, although he was out while Dhoni remained not-out.
Holds the record, shared with Sachin, for the highest first wicket partnership for India in a ODI match, 258, against Kenya in 2001.
Was involved in the First 300 run ODI partnership with Rahul Dravid
6th on the all time list with 30 man of the match awards
He is also the only player to win 4 consecutive man of the match awards in ODIs

He is the third player to cross 10,000 ODI runs
Sourav can bowl medium-pacers as well, but has under-achieved in this aspect in Test matches, taking 25 wickets in 84 matches, at an average of 52.47

As of 2006, he is the only Indian captain to win a Test series in Pakistan.

Controversies
Ganguly is a temperamental player and has often attracted controversy. He has attracted the wrath of match referrees quite a few times. Ganguly's performance in the last couple of seasons has been really poor. This put his place in the Indian team under pressure. And more so abt the Greg Chappel controversy.

But the question is ...will he be able to come back? this question is the most difficult to answer in the history of Indian cricket till date ....

2006-10-06T08:20:00.000+05:30

Bajaj Allianz's big success story....can they survive in the lomg run???????

It's not the way most insurance companies in India have grown, but small towns and local recruits are the major planks of Bajaj Allianz's distribution strategy. Having discovered that even the smallest towns can prove rich catchment areas, the insurance company is spreading out rapidly into the interiors.

In just about five years, it has rolled out one of the biggest networks in the industry: at present, Bajaj Allianz has around 900 offices across the country, compared with around 330 for market leader ICICI Prudential.
Before the year is out, it will have more than 1,000 offices covering 586 districts, up from the current 450. Bajaj Allianz will be the first private sector insurance player to have a presence in towns like Akola in Chhattisgarh and Uluberia in West Bengal.

The strategy seems to be paying off. For the first time, in FY05-06, Bajaj Allianz notched up a first year premium of Rs 2,715.62 crore (Rs 27.16 billion), overtaking market leader ICICI Prudential, which earned Rs 2,637.48 crore (Rs 26.37 billion) as premium during the same period.

However, agents remain the biggest selling channel and so the company ensures that commissions are competitive - the industry average is around 25-30 per cent. Bajaj today has 125,000 agents, way behind LIC's 1 million but ahead of ICICI Prudential's 100,000.

However, in some of the towns, Bajaj has also used local financial advisors, since it believes the comfort level of the customer may be higher with them than with agents.

2006-07-31T19:53:00.000+05:30

IS INDIA READY FOR FDI IN RETAIL

Walmart is one of the biggest retail store chains in the world and they are operating in 12 countries with over 3700 outlets in US alone and $285.2 billion in sales. They are waiting to enter India and the President of Walmart John B. Menzzer has already visited India in May 2005. Walmart is supposed to bring in millions of dollars , technology, inventory management and the use of IT in catering to consumer demand. They will sell very cheap too because of their sourcing their supplies from low wage countries. They are also likely to buy from Indian suppliers and give them specifications about the quality of product to be sold in their stores that would be world class. People who support the opening up of retail trade hope that this will bring about a huge increase in Indian exports because Walmart and others would buy in India and sell in different countries. They will also impart latest quality control techniques and this will upgrade the quality of Indian exports something that is badly needed.
The flip side of allowing FDI in Retail trading should also be examined. While Walmart would boost exports and buy directly from farmers, invest in food processing and generally lead to higher standards in Indian agricultural products, it would also affect the livelihood of 15 million small retailers scattered around the country. They constitute 98 per cent of the country's retail trade business and are contributing to 10 per cent of the country's GDP. These small traders may be selling from hand pushed carts, or from baskets, or small corner shops but they do cater to the population's immediate needs quite adequately. Many of these small retailers will go out of business and though competition will strengthen a few who may be able to survive, there will be a huge rise in unemployment. In a country with more than 41 million unemployed, retail trading has offered a means of livelihood for many in recent years. These people who are eking out a small monthly income from selling from pavements and small shops could be wiped out. While it is true that big retail chains will employ many more people but they may be those who are educated and skilled and can be trained. The small retailers who are neither educated nor skilled are least likely to find employment in Walmart. These retail giants also are likely to use more machinery than people.
Secondly, what guarantee is there that Walmart will source its supplies from India alone? They could be selling goods from Thailand, Nepal, Indonesia or China, Hondurus or Bangladesh in their shops. How can we be sure that the giant retailers would invest in food processing and refrigerated trucks and help the small farmers sell their produce to the big retailers? What happens when the farmers are unable to supply according to the exact specifications and there is a problem of rejected produce? How does the farmer get rid of such produce? It would of course be most desirable if the retail giants invest in storage, and give farmers better inputs and loans. But would they do so? If they went deep into the problems of low productivity in Indian agriculture and tried to solve it by introducing new technology, better irrigation methods and better post harvest management, they should be most welcome. They would then give a boost to many other sectors in the economy linked with farming activities. Similarly if they source their garments, socks and shoes from Indian manufacturers, it would boost manufacturing activity in India. China has become the manufacturing hub of the world because of the retail giants have been sourcing all their garments, shoes, bags, belts from China. Would they do so in India? Or are they just interested in the big market India offers with its middle class of 150 million people where they can sell products from everywhere else? After all they are interested in their profits most.
This are the few factors that must be considered before opening up India's market to foreigners.