Vishwanathan Anand

Vishwanathan Anand has become the world chess champion, again. But doesnt 'Vishwanathan' in itself mean 'master of the world'? Thank you Anand, you have made India proud, yet again.

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Storage of food grains

Can one not think of a simple, low cost, low technology way of storing food grains...rotting of food grains, when not every one gets a stomach full is embarrassing, to say the least...

Morale of the civil servants

“Speaking on "Civil Service Reforms" at a lecture on Saturday,” the Cabinet Secretary said "There is need to constantly perk up morale of civil services." One would love to know what the Hon'ble Cabinet Secretary has done to handle the issue of morale after the recent attack on the lady District Magistrate of Sambalpur, Odisha (who was subsequently made to apologise/express regrets at the lawlessness against her)? I,an old retired officer, do humbly submit that setting up of yet another Institute - 'Institute of Good Governance'is not going to help except perhaps create another post of Secretary to Government! State must seriously protect its honest, hardworking civil servants if it wants their morale to remain high.

Resting shelter for elephants in Haryana...

Country's biggest resting shelter for elephants in Haryana - news (http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/environment/flora-fauna/countrys-biggest-resting-shelter-for-elephants-coming-up-in-haryana/articleshow/13180883.cms) What about shelters for poor human beings? Don't ask me!

The comforts of the rich...

"The comforts of the rich depend upon an abundance of the poor" ...Voltaire

"School cooks midday meal with loo water"- news

"School cooks midday meal with loo water-chopped off door used as firewood" by K. Ranganath: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-05-12/mysore/31679268_1_midday-meal-mid-day-meal-cooks

"Brahmin sperms in high demand"-news

"Brahmin sperms in high demand"- article by Mansi Choksi & Sharmila Ganesan-Ram: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-05-13/mumbai/31688960_1_sperm-donors-childless-couples-infertility

Orbit "another Hindu first for Britain": British PM

The ArcelorMittal Orbit, situated in the heart of the Olympic Park in Stratford, will reach 114.5 metres - 22 metres higher than the Statue of Liberty. There is already a debate raging between those who like it and those who do not. The British Prime Minister added his own bit in October last year by declaring that the Orbit was “another Hindu first for Britain”? ‘Hindu” first did he say? Sad that he said ‘Hindu” instead of saying “Indian” and that he does not know that every Indian is not a Hindu! (http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-10-30/uk/30338719_1_hindu-london-olympics-eiffel-tower)

Chandigarh's prized heritage furniture

And if you have not seen the specimen's of Jeanneret's prized heritage furniture, then do take a look at the photo that appeared in the Times of india, Chandigarh on May 9,2012.

Designs of chairs are ordinary, so very ordinary... Hasna manna hai (Please dont laugh)

Desperately looking for 'heritage' items in Chandigarh

I had the privilege of visiting the mother of civilizations-Egypt, recently. I saw absolutely stunning statues and pyramids dating to 3rd to 1st century BC....Now those were heritage items and places... USA as a country is hardly 300 years old...they do not have any monuments or articles dating back to period before that...so their idea of heritage is different from the Egyptian or Indian history of the past. Chandigarh as a town is say 60 years old, and unlike other parts of India where we have extremely impressive old heritage sites and articles, it has nothing more than 60 years old to show... So Chandigarh is desperately trying to 'discover' some 'heritage' items to show that it too has a pedigree...Le Corbusier was the welknown architect of Chandigarh. The effort is on to call what ever he, or even his nephew Jeanneret, touched or sat in as "heritage items". The chairs about which a lot of brouhaha is being made are of ordinary design - believe me very ordinary. Just take a look at the photo of those chairs and you would agree that this is the commonest design of chairs found in all government offices all over the country... So please, PLEASE grow up and stop calling everthing that is connected even remotely with Le Corbusier ot Jeaneret as 'heritage'.... Let us accept that we do not have anything older than 60 years in Chandigarh and calling 60 year old chairs as 'heritage' is really so shallow, funny and even sad! Let us, instead, take pride in the wonderful design of Chandigarh as a town,...

Chi...chi...

Sale price of auction of a pair of Queen Victoria's undergarments -GBP15,020 (News item: http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/10772915-underclothing-of-queen-victoria-auctioned-for-15000)

Lawyers go on a 12 hour shutdown of Odisha

First a lady officer is assaulted by lawyers and now they go on a 12 hour shutdown of the state of Odisha: Shame!shame! State government should not bow down to such lawlessness. Let the law take its own course. The punishment for those found guilty, following the due process of law, should be exemplary and prompt.

God? What God?

Do you have the courage to listen to the other point of view? If yes, then please read "The biggest damage religion does is brainwashing children" says Richard Dawkins (http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-01-25/edit-page/30659764_1_religion-science-faith) And if you do not know who Richard Dawkins is then do read "The Selfish Gene" and "The God Delusion".Your thinking would never be the same again.Dawkins visited India in January this year to participate in the Jaipur Literary Festival.

My new website: www.gravematters.in

My new website: www.gravematters.in: Grave matters....matters of graves...graves and cemeteries....tombs and graves...cemeteries and graveyards....photos of gravestones from all over the world...inscriptions from all over the world...sad, inspirational and even with some humour...

Outrageous acts against the Indian state

No one denies that socio-economic development needs all the attention, but outrageous acts against the Indian state need to be put down with all the force at the command of the state. How many times and in how many States would there be such kidnappings and subsequent 'negotiations'? Is the Indian state not capable of getting a hostage freed safely by use of force, as the last resort? Dont ask me!

Transparency

Here is the latest gem from Mr. Arvind Kejrival the tireless fighter for transparency in public life: "The strategies of Team Anna cannot be revealed as transparency can be suicidal" (news item). Does it mean that transparency is desirable for every one except for the so-called "Team Anna"? Dont ask me!