Monday, May 4, 2015

'Breakthrough in storage and portability of solar power' by K.J.S.Chatrath

Storage and portability have been the two major problems in harnessing the abundant solar energy.

I am absolutely thrilled at the prospect of these having been sorted out, as claimed by 'Tesla'.

Just imagine the implications for a country like India with clear sunshine days almost throughout the year.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/science/Tesla-unveils-battery-to-store-solar-energy/articleshow/47127917.cms

'The ideas of Mr. Kailash Satyarthi on child labour' by K.J.S.Chatrath

I had never heard of Mr. Kailash Satyarthi till the news of him having been awarded the Nobel Prize came. Then I tried to find out what wonderful work this extraordinary man had done to deserve this honour. I am still trying....

The editorial page of today’s Times of India, now grandly renamed as ‘The Times of Ideas’, carries an article ‘No Half Measures Please’ by Mr. Satyarthi on child labour. For those who have not read this article, I reproduce below some of the ideas of Mr. Satyarthi in this aricle:

“There exists a vicious circle between poverty, illiteracy and child labour. Child labour and poverty have a chicken-and-egg relationship….
This slippery slope continues unabated till one such child is imparted education. It is a well-researched, but often ignored fact that child labour perpetuates poverty…

The government must take effective measures to give all children an education that enhances their employability, entrepreneurship and ethics….

We as a country must invest in imparting skill-based education to our youth. This will go a long way in ensuring that the vision…to harness the demographic dividend of India is fully realised.”


On first reading these appeared to me to be just hackneyed, worn out clichés. But may be these carry some strong serious meaning which I am unable to decipher.