Unwanted truth

Unwanted financial load on Bank staff by IBA & UFBU combine

2010-04-30T12:00:00.013+05:30

9th Bipartite Settlement along with one more option for extending pension to those CPF optees who did not opt for pension has been signed in the banking Industry. The load has been determined on the basis of valuation of liability by 2 actuaries appointed by mutual consent. The funding gap was estimated as Rs.6000/- crores, the employees share being Rs.1800/- crores-30% of the gap. On the individual basis those who received the CPF on retirement have to refund the entire amount so received plus 56% of the said amount. All serving employees who desire to opt for pension have to bear the load from arrears @2.8 times of the revised pay for the month of November 2007. <<<---Detailed Pension Settlement--->>

Although this settlement is considered historic by Unions for achieving the “one more option” to PF optees who did not earlier opt for pension when offered, it is being considered as a betrayal by a section of earlier PF optees- mostly those who retired during the last 1-3 years as this section has been imposed a huge penalty of 56% when the CPF amount was at their disposal for a period of just 10-24 months ,whereas others who used the amount for say 6-8 years and more have also been subjected to the same penalty of 56%.

Let us say the figure of 56% is the sum total of interest for keeping the CPF at the employees disposal. When the interest rate for PF has never exceeded @8%/annum during the period, 56% totals to interest for 7 years (7x8%).In the circumstances, it is highly unjustified that a person who retired 1-2 years back has to repay a staggering sum of Rs 4-5 lakhs whereas an employee who retired 8 years back repays just 50-100 thousand rupees.In fact, this agreement is a boon for those who sought VRS in 2001, and a curse for those who have retired during the period wage negotiations were on after serving for 30 years and more.This means whether you keep the money for 1 year or 7 years, you have to shell out interest for 7 years.

Please wait for the actual worksheets of the gainers and losers in the next post

Uneven Heads that Crown the Indian TV Channels!

2008-12-04T18:58:00.013+05:30

The recent attack of terror on the city of Mumbai has raised some issues about the coverage of events by India's TV Channels. Although, all the TV channels were reporting the events live almost from the same spot, each one was claiming it was exclusive offering from their channel.

After every half an hour or so it was claimed: “the reporter concerned has been covering these events by risking his/her life.” Perhaps the channels consider the lives of their reporters at a more risk than the lives of the security persons, the hostages, the public trapped inside the hotels and buildings and stations under attack.

Though it may be admitted that reporters were at some risk doing the job, but to make it part of the news and announce it as if only he is the one at risk, is never permissible in ethics of journalism. The history of Journalism is replete with instances where journalists have covered all the wars that the earth has witnessed, with dignity and a sense of duty and repose, not only by risking their lives but also by laying down their lives. Even the Discovery channels cameramen and crew are always at a risk while covering the nature, but they never make news out of it for gaining the TRPs. Strangely enough even the Times Now was a part of the same commercial boasting.

The mushroom growth of the Channels and their constantly increasing greed for finances, has led to a mad race amongst them so much so that even in peaceful times they claim at top of their voice that their channel is the first one to break the news. It is almost deafening and only the TV remote helps you to switch over to some saner foreign channel. The fact, however, is that every channel is associated or subscribed to the News Agencies from where the news flows.

Boasting and Speculations are an inseparable part of reporting by Indian TV channels.Every channel has a spot for breaking news on the screen. The viewer some times feels that breaking news is part of some advertisement. And why is this boasting be an important part of the News?

The breaking news on the left photograph is :" Amitabh Bachan-an Indian Actor - catches cold."

The Indian TV channels are a recent phenomenon.
Mostly, the TV reporters covering the events are untrained and unprofessional in approach. They have just passed some crash course of one or two weeks from fly by night institutes and joined the Channel by proximity to the owners, rather than on merit. They have, however, acquired the skill of shouting at the top of the voice with hysterical frenzy while covering an event. It may be a condolence meeting or a page3 party, their voice is always at the same pitch-like that of theatrical Ravana in a Ram Lila. And in the heat of moment or lack of it, even when they have nothing to say or they know nothing to add, and since the presenter has asked them, they prefer to stretch their vocal chords to the extreme with utter disregard to the situation around them.

As regards the recent covering of events, the less is said the better it is. They were reporting events emotionally and hysterically. Journalists always have control over their emotions, and they are required to report the news “as it is” without involving any personal bias.

Zee News knew the exact number of bullets and grenades the terrorist carried.

Star News claimed one Rahman Chacha was the mastermind.

CNN-IBN7 aired a rumour that terrorists were firing from an ambassador car.

India TV proudly claimed –– Terrorists Are Watching India TV.

And, India TV in response to the notice issued by M/o I&B later defended this by saying that they were helping security agencies.

The security agencies can be helped even without shouting ‘Terrorists Are Watching India TV.’

In fact, they were reporting events and breaking news on unconfirmed reports in a very irresponsible manner. Such other reports have led the Naval Chief Suresh Mehta to state:” All over the world, media is an enabling instrument. In India, it is a disabling instrument.” Reporters have been taught to say many things to gain competitive edge.

A stock question these reporters often ask the interviewee is: “how are you feeling?” And this question is always asked by each and every channel's reporters whether one has scored a century in a cricket match or one is drowning in a flood or facing bullets. And before the drowning man catches the mike, the reporter starts giving his or her verdict.

Can’t they improve their claimed service to the nation?

charisma of India's Godmen-convert Black money to White!

2007-05-29T18:03:00.001+05:30

How three of India's god men convert crores of rupees
of Black money to white without ever using their
supernatural powers?

A sting operation conducted jointly by CNN-IBN TV and

Cobrapost exposes their modus operandi in a widely publicized TV program.

God man #1.

Pilot Baba- a pilot converted a guru, fought in the 1965 Indo-Pak war. He is famous for performing samadhi under water and underground,claims to have buried himself in samadhi over 100 times. Devotees believe and come to him for his as special healing powers.The baba is just a con man whose real powers emerge when it comes to converting black money into white,as per the TV channel.

God man # 2

Vedanti Maharaj:
A former BJP MP, the Chairman of the Ram Janmabhoomi
Trust. A Great quoter of religious scriptures with no worldly pursuits. Thousands of Ram temple believers have thier full trust in him.But he is a common criminal running a very clever money laundering racket as per the TV channel..

God man #3:
Guruvayur Surya Nambudiri:
He has thousands of followers in south India.Famous for making prophecies,he claims to have predicted Shankaracharya's arrest.
" he can predict what tomorrow holds, couldnot get over his love for money. He willingly converts black money into white for a commission."

The recorded transcript as released is :

Vedanti Maharaj: What percentage will I get?

CNN-IBN: Whatever you want.

Vedanti Maharaj: No, you need to tell me what I will get. Suppose you convert Rs 5 crore how much would I get?

CNN-IBN: Rs 1.5 crore.

Vedanti Maharaj: Ask for Rs 3 crore instead, and give me Rs 2 crore.

CNN-IBN: No, we need to keep a margin.

Vedanti Maharaj: Alright, you will need to give a discount..I do not need permission to use my Trust's funds. Let me consult my CA. Come to Ayodhya and I will get everything done there.

CNN-IBN: Do you head the Ramjanmabhoomi Trust?

Vedanti Maharaj: Yes but if we put your money in the Ramjanambhoomi Trust it can't be recovered.

Vedanti Maharaj's aide: Not a single penny. You will need detailed accounts for that.

Vedanti Maharaj: Because it's an international Trust.

CNN-IBN: Ramjanmabhoomi Trust?

Vedanti Maharaj: No the IB and CBI keep a watch on this Trust.

CNN-IBN: But your Trust is free of problems?

Vedanti Maharaj: No I made the Matri Sewa Trust for this purpose.

The CNN-IBN investigation team posed as corporate agents and approached Pilot Baba's henchman Jyoti in Delhi. The investigation team told him that it could convert Rs 10 crore of black money to white. Jyoti demanded Rs 30 lakh commission to fix a deal with the baba and a meeting with Pilot Baba was fixed.

Pilot Baba: "I will give you a cheque of whatever amount you need as long as you can convert it to white money."

CNN-IBN: Tell us what is the kind of deal that you would like?

Pilot Baba: It depends on the percentage of returns. I have been offered 20, 30 and 50 per cent in the past.

CNN-IBN: There is hardly any margin in 20 per cent.

Pilot Baba: That's for you to decide.

CNN-IBN: Will 10 per cent do?

Pilot Baba: No.

CNN-IBN: Not on ten?

Pilot Baba: Why take so much risk just for 10 per cent.. Companies from Japan and America want us to convert hundreds of crore into white money..We have access to politicians who give Rs 500 crore bring down governments and buy off MPs.

CNN-IBN: Tell us who all are special?

Pilot Baba: All of them.

CNN-IBN: As you told us ND Tiwari also puts money.

Pilot Baba: All of them whether it is Mulayam or Mayawati, everybody needs us.

Pilot Baba: I know Narayna Dutt Tiwari since long for the last forty years. Since Tiwari was on the streets. ND Tiwari, Murli Manohar joshi, Atal Bihari Vajpayee - I know them all since long.

The third Godman exposed in the Cobrapost and CNN-IBN investigation was Guruvayur Surya Nambudiri, who is famous for making prophecies.

But as it happened the man who claims that he can predict what the tomorrow holds, could not get over his love for money. And to make more money, he is even willing to convert black money into white.

When he said the Shankracharya would go to jail, he did. Guruvayur Surya Nambudiri Swami is known for his prophecies, and for his huge following in South India.

Swami's aide: Guruji wants to know what his share is. For instance, if you give Rs 1 lakh in black to the Trust, how much would be returned, and what percentage do you expect?

CNN-IBN: Swamiji may decide according to prevalent rates.

The Swami was told Rs 10 crore of black money had to be converted into white money. Tough negotiations followed.

Swami's aide: Guruji says that his ashram has a clean reputation for the last 25 years. If someone were to find out about our work, we would have to pay tax.

CNN-IBN: What do you want?

Swamiji: 25 per cent.

Swami's aide: At least 25 per cent.

CNN-IBN: Let us also make some profit out of this.

Swami's aide: You asked for 10 per cent, Swamiji put it at 25.

CNN-IBN: Let's close the deal at 15 per cent.

Swami's aide: 20 is final.

CNN-IBN: We are also agreed at 20 per cent.

Swami's aide: Is 20 fine?

Swami: Done.

CNN-IBN: We are supposed to pay the amount in black on behalf of the company.

Swami's aide: But you'll have to make the payment in Chennai. Payments in Chennai and in hard cash so that the Swami can stash away his own black income and evade taxes.

Swami's aide: Ensure payment in Rs 1000 rupee notes.

CNN-IBN: That won't be a problem.

Swami's aide: When do you want to convert the money?

CNN-IBN: Within 15 days.

Swami's aide: If you want a cheque, then you will have to wait for at least a month. The transaction would take a month, we were told. As the Swami-and his aide duo would need time to arrange fake bills and receipts.

Swami's aide: Swamiji says that if you give Rs 10 crore then after a month.

CNN-IBN: You will return Rs 8 crore by cheque.

Swami's aide: We will return it by cheque so that we may get time to circulate the funds to avoid taxes. We will return Rs 8 crore to you. Inform us of the next deal.

Tags: Godmen, Blackmoney, charisma, super natural, sting operation

Pakistan's Unwanted earthquake-victims deprived of relief by the corrupt authorities

2007-05-24T20:15:00.000+05:30

Some days back Pakistani officials raided a factory in Peshawar and confiscated 48 containers with relief material meant for the victims of Earth quake that rocked the nation in 2005 , and shook the world's consciousness for urgent relief to those affected by untold misery.

But strange are the ways of the Society and its custodians!

The relief material sent by foreigners', institutions, missionaries, and workers ultimately found its way to the factory in Peshawar. Such relief scams are order of the day, whenever a natural calamity, such as earthquakes, floods, draughts occurs in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Perhaps, some human species on earth, more so in above mentioned nations , welcome the natural calamities as opportunities to encash the misery , distress and helplessness of those rendered homeless, orphaned and sick. God helps those who help themselves and the natural calamities are of course god sent. So, the Strong and Mighty at the helm of administration, in league with unscrupulous citizens, celebrate such occasions as the victory of greed over benevolence, avarice over generosity, and extreme deviltry over temperance. Monsters of corruption and efficiency dumb preys of poverty and disasters.

It is a sad reflection on how the systems in these countries work or put to abuse. Is the diversion possible without the connivance of those administering the supply and disposal of relief measures? The diverted goods include 12 jeeps, hundreds of tents, 50 portable toilets, heaters/ACs , generators, cooking ranges, and other innumerable items for consumption which were meant for the protection of the hundreds of families victimised by nature. Will this not shatter the simple hearts of those workers who travelled miles and miles and came to Mujaffarabad and other affected places, and worked in pitched tents for months to help and protect the suffering population . How the goods they left while leaving Pakistan could be secretly diverted without involvement of higher-ups ?

The unwanted truth is that Governments despite their pro reformist proclamations , and demagoguery, never want that such elements be brought to book and given exemplary punishments .

We can flog women for adultery, make female ministers resign for hugging, imprison lesbians for marriage and expel the victims of rape from the country to protect national honour and law,with uncanny speed, but will hesitantly take steps to plug the loop holes in the systems that are beautifully breached and exploited by its serious and studious students and followers -the nexus of administrators, politicians, criminals, and the police.

Some wise administrators will term it as system failure, some politicians will say it is serious and necessary steps have been taken to book the culprits, the police officers will present a sullen look and say the law will take its own course, and criminals will laugh and await for another god-sent such opportunity.

Thank god!

Hundreds Fill Shelters After Kansas Tornado

2007-05-09T14:51:00.001+05:30

Watch the devastation and destruction brought about by the Tornado in Greensburg,Kansas turning the Town in debris and rendering hundreds homeless.
Breath taking video
Also a slide show of 29 Photographs that depict the Unwanted misery borne by the citizens on return.

Sent by http://streetkidscricket.blogspot.com:

Hundreds Fill Shelters After Kansas Tornado

via AP Video on May 06, 2007

Rescue crews continued to sift through the debris of Greensburg, Kansas Saturday night, after a tornado leveled much of the town, leaving hundreds homeless and in emergency shelters. (May 6)

School violence -Prevent your child from being bullied

2007-05-02T21:13:00.000+05:30

School bullying is a form of violence to which your child may be subjected to without your knowledge. Don't let it happen to him and don't assume it's harmless teasing that the kids will work out themselves.

Understand your child as wells as the process of bullying. Know from school about the policy they follow to keep students away from bullying. And, if necessary, discuss with your child and teach him to tackle the menace.

A helpful guide for parents in the matter

Indian Cricket -Ad sponsors influencing team selection

2007-04-28T20:49:00.000+05:30

There exists a player-advertiser nexus in Indian cricket. BCCI (Board of control for Cricket in India) President, Sharad Pawar, conceded indirectly in a TV interview on 27th April. He said:"Young players have submitted this to him for his information and an unofficial complaint has also been lodged with the board stating that terms of contract of a certain player/s was linked to the actual time he spent on the crease.Not only this, many advertisers are giving such contracts to a group of players i.e. if they spent more time on the crease the more money they will get.

It may be a news to the Mr. Pawar,who is a politician par excellence, but Indian Public and some well wishers of cricket have been echoing this since long. The Board's members may feign ignorance of such things but people know that they are not only in knowledge of such things but also a willing or unwilling partners in the money game that has jeopardized the careers of many budding cricketers.

The board has asked all the players to submit copies of the contract for perusal.If you go through the contents of my earlier posts on the subject and ex-skipper Patudi's reaction in an interview with CNN-IBN , you will find a clear evidence in support of the nexus.

And the support being given to this nexus by the country's so called top news barons such as Times of India is shocking. They are bound to defend money rather than cricket. Even good things initiated in the matter are ridiculed in the name of moral policing. It seems that the sole custodians of democracy and morals are the advertisers and their agents and not the public who pays dearly in terms of money and time for seeing the players perform at least like a player and not a model. In fact, anything incomprehensible may be defending by moneyed acquiring the saintly posture of deregulation in the name indiscipline.

Many young players careers have been nipped in the bud by the sports agents and contributors duly financed by the vested interests .

The real truth-Indians display awesome humanity in Australia

2007-04-17T15:13:00.000+05:30

An Indian, Sivaprakasam Paneerselvam, 24, died in New South Wales (NSW) last month when the waves sucked him on a sightseeing trip to Bondi beach.Although rescued and treated, he died of multiple organ failure.He had come to Australia just 2 weeks before the tragedy struck.

Community groups came together and raised $30000/- under Sydney Tamil Manram (STM), for the surviving family of the deceased,wholly dependent on him.STM has opened a bank account where the funds raised will get deposited and transferred to Panneerselvam's family in India.

'Such a massive display of great helping sprit, of humanity, sensitivity and courtesy is absolutely awesome,' said STM secretary Baalu Vijay.

'Panneerselvam came alone to this great country but when he left this earthly abode he carried along the entire humanity of Aussies like us,' said Baalu.

Long live helping spirit of humanity!

No one dares sack sachin, says former Indian cricket captain Patudi

2007-04-14T16:14:00.000+05:30

The former Indian captain, Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi has said :no one dares sack sachin
in a CNN-IBN interview.

Truth about Indian Cricket

2007-04-14T15:47:00.000+05:30

Speaking in an interview to the CNN-IBN programme, the former Indian captain, Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi has said :

What Greg Chappell had in mind for Indian cricket was very good and important and that it was “a shame that he had to leave in 22 months."
Chappell tried to do what he was called here for – to help build a team, rather than focus on individual brilliance. He failed in this attempt because of the methods he adopted!
it doesn't matter whether you are Sachin Tendulkar, or you want to open or you want to bat at number 4। You go where the team, or the coach thinks, or the captain thinks that you should go।
we make the better players into icons, into demi-Gods, and then we find it very difficult to give them the sack।Who is going to sack Sachin Tendulkar ...
You have to be strong enough and not care so much about what the public thinks, or the public feels, if you want to get rid of some of the senior players।
I object to any contract is where the sponsor says that the longer you stay at the crease, the more we will pay you।
If such a contract does exist, I think it's disturbing and I am very surprised that any player has signed it... I think I would take some serious action against the player.
I think you have to grow up। I think if you are playing a grown up game you should be grown-up enough to accept the kind of adulation that you will get in this country, and the way they pull you down also.It is not a children's game, it's a Man's Game. It is sad that some people can't cope with it. One way of success in cricket in this country is to be able to cope with the pressure.
I think in a Test series the best team should go। But the best team for India is not necessarily some of the senior players.
Finally, speaking about the team that is going to be sent to Bangladesh, Pataudi said that it might be a good chance to “blood (young) people” and that “some of the seniors” might not be the best bet to be picked up for a Test Series. He also said that he will be a “little surprised” if India lost to Bangladesh again
.Most of us will be a little surprised if it beat India again - consistently, should I say. I think it's a good time to blood people also, but the people who are being blooded, have to have some talent also.

complete Interview

15 days of shooting ad films and the Indian Cricketers

2007-04-13T00:08:00.000+05:30

The front page article in the Times of India dated April 11, 2007 is a classic example of “Money Defending Money”. ‘Shooting ad films by the The Indian Cricket players"-the highest paid in terms of sponsorship in world- "doesn't hurt performance". It says moral police is at work against The Indian Cricketers. The Article further cites examples of "moral policing" such as, swooping on discotheques by the police, rounding of young couples, shutting down of dance bars etc.These instances stem from socio-political order and negative cultural values engulfing all developing and developed nations in the world and in no way relevant to the utterly dismal performance of the media sponsored Indian team in the field.Rather the references are not only are far fetched.What all this has to do with the Cricket?

I think, the writer is thoroughly ignorant of the system and conditions prevailing at discotheques or the venues served by the bar girls. How many Advertising companies have sponsored the bar girls in their ads,even for fun sake! And what steps have been taken by the sponsors involved in improving the plight of bar girls?

No doubt, the people must have fun in all fields including Cricket. But, whatever may be the ways for providing or deriving fun in the field of cricket or any other sport, the recent strip tease performed twice by the Indian team in Caribbean , even shamed the bar girls . Did it provide any fun to the thousands of spectators and supporters or even the moneyed advertisers?

To advocate the cause of the moneyed players, Advertisers and their agents, the writer considers the proposals regarding the reasonable restrictions on shooting of advertisements as lynch-mob morality against the cricketers .To define the likely or(most) unlikely restrictions on shooting of ads on the players in such strong terms as lynching, keeping in view the timidity shown by the BCCI , is a concrete evidence of the money game being played in the BCCI by the Advertisers and their Agents , in league with electronic and other media.

In fact, these very advocates led to the lynching of the younger players when they were on tour to South Africa recently. Pathetically, the Indian Parliament and a state legislature-West Bengal, were also involved in lynching of the upcoming but under performing young players who needed more exposure in foreign countries. Given the time, the younger players would definitely have performed better than the players who play as per the contracted time slot with their sponsors, and get payment from the Advertisers accordingly.

Bangladesh’s young ones have shown that they are better in the field since they do not believe in ad shooting off the field. Moreover, the interference of the Politicians backed by the big money has started recoiling in the form of further addition of Politicians like Raj Thakre. Who knows tomorrow it will be Yuvraj Singh being supported by politicians from North of India.

After the defeat of Indian team by the popular minnows, Bangladesh, and ouster of the Indian Cricket team from World cup, the big companies have lost so much that they need to encash the forthcoming Indian visit to Bangladesh through the contracted players whose Television Rating Points (TRPs) are higher to cover the losses. (India's exit caused a loss of about Rs.1.53 billion in terms of viewership)

It is further claimed in the article that that world over, money has created talent. The hard fact is that talent is never creatable. It just happens. Money provides infrastructure and helps groom talent to some extent. It is commitment, training and discipline without the accompanying adverse influences of money that matters. Money generates the necessary means for furthering sport to some extent and is not the prime cause for the creation of talent. All the erstwhile communist and closed societies, such as Russia, East Germany, Romania, Czechoslovakia, and China, devoid of market logic till recently, have ruled the world scene in sport for decades in the Olympics and the Asian and other world games.

Money does not fuel ticket sales .It is the performance of the players and the competition among the best that fuels ticket sales. Had it been not so, the contingent of people interested to see the world cup would have not cancelled their tours to West Indies and those who happen to reach there would not have asked for ‘refund of their hard earned money’ through the placards visible on TV during the matches, from the ad prone cricketers . Why the advertising companies withdrew their ads showing the so talented for ignominious defeat? And why these companies are not interested in further creating talent through the money! Why they are still defending the Seniors?

If the cricketers are allowed to 15 days of ad shooting there is no harm, the writer says. From where the arbitrary figure of 15 days has cropped in? He fails to explain.The people who support this view are confident that given a beginning 15 days in India can be easily extended to any number of days without affecting the performance!

The fact is that the excess of money power has rendered the players powerless in the field.
Every worst performance is echoed as one bad day. The good days are no longer available in the calendar of Indian Cricket. A bad day may occur due to circumstances beyond the human control such as D/L system ,if rains or other natural factors step in. When a player is not doing which one is supposed to do, blaming a bad day is escapism.

The vicious cycle of money has encircled and damaged the commitment of the players to an irrevocable extent. Seniors want to shoot ads despite non-performance and resulting defeats. So far as the sport is concerned in this country , the stories of Indian street kids are always awe- inspiring and never inspiring. The street kids would prefer burning the effigies of Indian players. They just need minimum wages. Has the writer ever visited Indian streets at Srinagar, Gauwhati, Kanpur, or other non-metros? If so just tell the kids that the senior cricketers are being denied ads to shoot because they want to create talent amongst you, and watch their reaction and then one will not be able to write sponsored articles.

Unwanted truth-महात्मा गाँधी -Mahatma Gandhi and the best ad...

2007-04-11T14:37:00.000+05:30

Italians made this one!
Superb Advertisement- shows popularity and respect to Gandhiji.
A great ad.... Ironically from a non- Indian company!!
And none the less This ad won the EPICA awards for best ad.
watch and comment

unwanted Piracy

2007-03-30T16:58:00.000+05:30

Unless we condemn the piracy -whether in book publishing, in software development, in films, in music-we loose the mask of respectability of which we are so fond of as humans.During a recent visit to anti-piracy stall at an International book-exhibition in India,I was asked to write my comments about the steps required to curb on growing sale of pirated books. I pondered for a while and then wrote "the piracy in books can not be curbed unless the so called original books are sold at a price about equal to the price of a pirated book." The man at the counter gave me a stern look.I wrote so, because having visited all the stalls of my choice I could not dare to purchase a single book even at the discounted price. In fact CDs of some of the books were available much cheaper.

to be continued