It has often been observed, the greatest achievements of creative minds are not most widely known. So is the case of Prasanta Chandra Mahanlanobis. He was the man who is remembered for his outlining of Second Five Year Plan which he submitted to the National Development Council in 1955. He was conferred with the responsibility of Statistical advisor the cabinet. He formulated a plan the meet the nation’s primary objective of providing employment through increased industrial production. He observed that production of steel determined the differences in the incomes across countries. He recommended huge investment in heavy industry which created steel cities of central and eastern India. Though not being a trained economist, he approached to planning largely based on the prevailing views of the era. His remarkable contribution was setting up of large scale survey, application of statistical theory to the existing Indian problems and created institutions which could carry on the work he began after his lifetime as well. He studied mathematics and physics at Cambridge and returned to India and began teaching at Presidency College, Calcutta. He employed statistical methods by starting a small statistical laboratory in the college. This laboratory evolved into Indian Statistical Institute (ISI). National Sample Survey (NSS), Central statistical Organisation were also founded by him. In the country where less than 1/3rd part is connected by paved roads, the unemployment, shortage of food supplies a complete study was required to find out the gravity of the problem. It was recognized that the investments undertaken by the country had not effectively eliminated poverty and political agendas as well as economic policies began to directly address rural backwardness. The operational research approach to planning in India was the famous paper on which Mahanlanobis model was based. He was closely associated with Rabindranath Tagore as he was the earliest bibliographer of Tagore’s literary output.
Archive for May, 2008
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TECHNOLOGICAL TROUBLE
May 25th, 2008 
krishna Is there someone between you and your loved one? Hey, now, don’t get wrong ideas, as this is not a daily soap. That is why there is no revengeful woman or disloyal man. So what is that is forcing the couple apart? Well, if there is a beep on the mobile, or a ping on the messenger, a beat on the IPod, a scrap on the SNS, an email on the Blackberry, a high score on Need for Speed and much more. You know it is true, knowingly or unknowingly, technology has swept into our lives and is playing a major role in drifting the couples apart. So how does it feel living a Gizmo- invaded life? Let’s find the roles of all the gizmos playing in our lives and how these favourite gadgets are throwing us away from each other. Mobile phone first of all. A wife is busy in deleting the messages and irrelevant delivery reports while her husband was narrating her his day at work. No wonders she missed half of what he said which has become her habit now. There is another employee who is always busy calling while on the dining table. So there is no interaction between the couple in total and what is boosting is bad eating habits. The next culprit creating mayhem is in the relations is the gaming console. For many a day stands incomplete without the relaxing game. So by the time they are finished with the game, needless to say that after winning, wife is already fast asleep. The excuse……… it’s my own way to de-stress myself and she knows about this. There is also another obsession for a gadget that leads to a better understanding between the couples, wonder? The couple has its own way for bed schedule. The wife would like to visit her social networking profile over the internet on ORKUT and FACEBOOK. The husband loves to listen to the music on his iPod. This is their regular schedule before going to bed. Don’t you wonder when do they interact with each other? Well it takes place between those techno sessions. Also they do stay in touch through the Gtalk and SMS. Receiving a lovely message when the work stress is getting on surely peps up. Do you as well wonder how this can be done by an electronic message? Also it invite a distraction from [...]
Indira Gandhi
May 25th, 2008 krishna Life of Indira Gandhi was span which witnessed the transition between socialist India of Nehru and Liberal India of today. She ruled through a mixture of populist antipoverty thought which was in fact the major force who brought her to power and her strategic alliances internally, with the left parties and externally with other likeminded nations like former USSR. She in fact used the factor in her favors which bothered her father- the anti- imperialist tenets. She actually was not a corridor between the past and present India after independence. She witnessed the last phase of cold war as both the axis powers withdrew sharply. Back at home, explosion of corruption because of babudom expanding into the economy of the nation, banks were nationalized. There were schemes like small savings and tax avoidance were introduced to stabilize the economy and the middle class lives were subsidized. At the party level she impacted the congress to the extent that it has never recovered. Her wish to keep the power in her hands and to make the regional bosses puppets in her hands. The result was the bifurcation of the party. Talking positively about this habit we got something which changed the shape of the world map- the creation of Bangladesh, is a testimony to the leadership she provided at the time of serious political crisis. She backed Green Revolution; to meet the scarcity of food supply in the country, stood up to the Americans; by openly accepting strategic alliance with the former USSR, authority in space; made Sq. Leader Rakesh Sharma the first Indian to visit space outside earth, scientific research; in making country nuclear power capable and made “Buddha Smiling”, political supremacy; by imposing emergency and faced defeat in 1977 elections when she ended emergency voluntarily. She has deep sense of patriotism as she refused to bar the community from employing in her personal security staff unless there was concrete evidence as she had an excuse that she was the Prime Minister of India and everyone in the country. This also speaks the courage and commitment she had.
Inflation And Roi
May 24th, 2008 krishna We no longer see a 50 or a 25 paisa coins. It is still minted by the Reserve Bank of India. Inflation has rendered these two denominations barring of any buying power. In cities, no one accepts them. Expenditure on households in the budget across the country has been increased due to the inflation based on the Wholesale Price Index as it has touched a 59 week high. Food items have become expensive. Primary food articles, like pulses, fruits, vegetables and spices have increased the burden on the pocket of a common man. Increase in the prices of oil and manufactured goods also fueled inflation. Being pinched on a daily basis, common man has become more conscious about the food prices across the nation. What doesn’t come the mind of a common man immediately is the fact that the value of savings and investments is also getting eaten by the inflation. To elaborate here; if one invests Rs. 100 for a year at a fixed rate of interest per annum. After a year if he gets Rs 110, out of which Rs 10 is the income from investment or interest. It should not be viewed as true ROI (return on investment) as it is to be calculated after deducting the inflation rate from the income. Assuming that the rate of Inflation is Rs.7 currently, the real return on income is Rs 3 only. So inflation rise should also bother you as an investor. We cannot take banks deposits as an ideal long term investment if you are planning for your child’s education or marriage or your own retirement. As the inflation rate is at par with the rate of return on your bank savings, it becomes vital to explore the options to beat inflation and help your money grow, that too in a fashion that it should meet you future requirements. Investment in stocks is the best possible option according to majority of financial planners. Investment should be in blue chip companies. Looking back at the results of past 3 years, these stocks have returned over 25% beating inflation, which stayed on an average of 5-6%. For those who want minimum risks, equity based mutual funds are best options. Investing in gold would be another better option.
Dhyan Chand
May 24th, 2008 krishna Olympics 2008 would be remembered for many reasons. In the history of the game of hockey, this was for the first time that India failed to qualify for the Olympics. It is peak time to remember the golden era of the Indian Hockey when India got a medal in the Olympics from 1928-1980 except once in 1976 which includes 8 golds. It all started for a friendship between two British colonels who were part of Gallipoli Tragedy during the First World War. As a friendship gesture, an Indian Army hockey team toured for the first time to New Zealand in 1926. The hosts were shocked by the classic game showcased by the visitors and thereby established that Indians are indeed a world apart. It was Dhyan Chand who mesmerized the world with his extraordinary skills. He led the Indians thought of taking part in the Olympics. In that era, a mixed team of 16 players, this 18 year old, legend of hockey, the “other rank” soldier from the Brahmin regiment stood out not because of the goals he has scored. It was the elegance and grace which he showed while scoring the maximum goals. Every goal scored was a lesson in the game of hockey from an institution, Dhyan Chand. In the next three Olympics between 1928 and 1936, India stood like a behemoth, Dhyan Chand lived up to the expectation and the faith rested by the IHF. He was never called for selections trials. England, the defending champion in 1928 Olympics, backed out when they saw Dhyan Chand at the Folkstone Festival Hockey enroute Amsterdam. It was the rarest occurrence in the history that a colonial country as mighty as the British Empire kept out from a particular sport for three Olympics. It is same British, 80 years later ironically, defeated India in a qualifier thus ensured India’s first exit from Olympic Hockey in 80 years. In his autobiography, “GOAL” Dhyan Chand has mentioned that he only scored 3 goals in the finals though he was credited with 6 out 8 goals scored in the finals of 1936 Berlin Olympics in the Olympics records. Dhyan Chand’s legacy is not just confined to the pre- independence era. After partition, during 1947 a strong claim was made to declare India’s three Olympic golds neutral like British India or undivided India. The 1936 game team had 18 members, which had 8 Anglo [...]
Parmod Pandit
May 23rd, 2008 krishna Gems and precious stones are worn not in India but in the world from ancient time by the Kings and nobles. It is a common belief that the gems and stones can change the destiny and bring prosperity and happiness to the man. They are permanent source of energy. They have the capabilities to increase the power of specific planet. So Gems & stones are advised to be worn for health, wealth, power and fame. The people are worn stones and gems not only to gain wealth but also to protect themselves from ill health. They have firm faith that these gems and stones not only protect them from bad evils but also increasing their longevity. The Kings and rich used to collect precious stones in their treasure. These stones and gems have different in colour, characteristics and vibrations. The different stones represent the different planets/Nakshatra and to be worn accordingly. The colour and the luster play an important role and influence the native. The planets/Nakshtras release the rays (positive and negative energy) which affect the native. It has been observed, people wearing gems without any knowledge of the astrology. Hence, it is important to learn which stone/gem should be worn and turned down the bad effect of the particular planet/Nakshatra. It is a misconception among the people that gems/stones always releases positive energy. The Gems and Stones are suggested after the analysis of the Horoscope/Birth-Chart of the native. One should be alert while wearing the Gems/Rattans. The Gems or Rattans need to be worshipped before wearing. They should be worn in the particular time (Shubh Mhurat).Defective Gems should never be worn because they bring trouble instead of happiness. Having black spot on the surface brings havoc sometimes in life. It is necessary to consult the Astrologer before wearing the Gem/ stones.
THE GREAT POLITICAL DIFFUSION
May 22nd, 2008 krishna The parliament of India, a building in light Redstone is spread in the diameter of 2 kms. In the decades of 70’s and 80’s, in the outer circle of the Parliament, all those big rooms held the name plates of Congress ministers. If you go there now, you will find that there are names like Lalu Prasad Yadav, Ram Vilas Paswan, Sharad Pawar, A. Raja, Anbumani Ramadoss and Raguvansh Prasad Singh etc- people who have nothing to do with Congress. This would describe you the deep impact occurred due to the shifting of tectonic plates in politics of India. India is no longer wearing the congress variety of tricolor. Today there are more than 20 shades which includes blue, red, saffron, green and yellow. There are 37 parties which we together know as government of India. Of course majority of them are the regional parties who have presence are not more than 2 states at the maximum. This change in the political arena has also gripped the states. There are smaller parties who are there because of their roots in caste or religion, are in power in most of the states. In 1952 elections, 27 regional political parties got just 16 seats against the congress’s 339 in the House of 466. In 2004 elections, congress managed to get 151 seats and 26 regional parties won 126 seats. The party which once ruled in 20 of the 24 states in 1982 has its presence in 2007, in just 12 out of 29 states. This tells another story of political mutation. Why can’t we get a single political party to rule? This would also ensure political stability. Well, on one hand we have Congress party which failed to retain its regional big daddies, on the other hand is the Janta Party which managed to disintegrate into more than half a dozen small parties. We now have local but powerful caste leaders like Ajit Singh, Lalu, Paswan, Mayawati, Mulayam and Gawda to name a few. Even BJP, which one gave some hope by ruling the nation for six years, could not manage to stop regional resurgence. The leadership famine being faced by both the Congress and BJP, the nation is unlikely to get a single party government in the near future. We may say it is only after 60 years of Indian Independence that India has become a true federation of states [...]
WAITING IN THE WINGS
May 21st, 2008 krishna NRIs are the major drivers of the real estate market especially in the northern India, in particular in Punjab. As of now the real estate market in the state was going through the regular highs and lows. When the local buyers and sellers are waiting in the annexes of the market to make attractive gains, so are the NRIs. According to the experts the transactions in buying and selling in real estate which involves the NRI community have increased in the past two years. This rich community has helped scale up the market prices by investing heavily in the real estate sector. The NRI community and IT professionals were on the top of the list when the local and national players were busy launching their residential projects. With a positive response from the NRI clientele, most builders focused on the luxury apartments and put the comparatively cheaper segment on the backburner. The turndown in the market disappointed the NRI investors also. In the boom years, during the festival season, NRIs invested heavily especially Diwali. The national real estate developers, a company that had reserved a huge portion of its new luxury project for the NRI population. It had also focused heavily on marketing in foreign countries for attracting the NRI community. However the company failed to get the expected response. The strategy of the builders and developers has changed due to the withdrawal of NRI money from the market. There has been a gradual movement to budget housing from the luxury apartments. The expected growth in the IT industry in the region did not materialize beyond the initial euphoria, and the investment push expected from the NRI investors also did not come about in the last two years. So the prices of the residential projects, where were kept high keeping this clientele in mind, have become untenable with the ground reality. The result is that builders are stuck with their projects as the NRI investors have withdrawn and the prices are too high for the locals to afford. The uncertainty of the government policy regarding real estate licensing, especially the environment policy regarding the real estate projects has also scared away the NRI investors.
THAT CUP OF TEA FOR YOU
May 21st, 2008 krishna It is learnt that when Amrita Pritam and Imroz moved to their Delhi residence they also agreed to the pact that the lady would cook the meals while the groom would make the tea for both. Well the pact was fine till Imroz found himself most of the time during the day in the kitchen with the tea pot on the gas stove making tea for the visitors, that too who had come to see Amrita. People now have to do with Green Label and Tata Gold for daily cups and Duncan’s Runglee Rungliot, named after the priced tea garden in Darjeeling for formal occasions. And heres how they like to put their cup of tea. Tea leaves put in the pot and pouring hot water over it. Adding milk latter to retain the original aroma of the leaves. Another tip, use fresh water and not the filtered one. For me tea with nostalgia was way back and now I am used to having the cup of tea that comes prepared from the kitchen. However we do organize high tea when we use all that fine chine, teacosy and tea caps. A few die- hard tea fans are trying their best to keep the trading alive. The young businessmen spend half an hour every morning indulging in an elaborate tea affair. His collection includes Lapsang Souchong, Oolong Tea, Hojicha Matcha in Japanese variety, Tra Sen and Rose Hip from Vietnam, Rooibos a South African Red Bush tea, chamomlia from Germany and Hydrangea tea from Korea. He has an elaborate tea paraphernalia to enjoy each variety, the cups for his Korean tea comes with an inbuilt sieve, besides banboo whisks to make a frothy drink from the Japanese fine powdered tea. One of his Japanese tea varieties comes with puffed brown rice, a source of oxygen and energy.
THE GREAT INDIAN REALITY TELEVISION
May 20th, 2008 krishna When Gajendra Singh created Antakshri, a reality show, out of India’ home- grown favorite picnic and parlor game, in the year 1993, no one ever thought that one day such reality shows would be the life line of dipping TRPs of the TV channels which grew like anything in the past decade, more than 60 of them are just for news only. Surprisingly all are indigenous. Singer from B- towns tried their luck in the yet another reality show Sa Re Ga Ma Pa in 1995. Then came the giant reality show- KAUN BANEGA CROREPATI (KBC). With Amitabh Bachchan as host, who was then a fading star, gambled through this show to re-establish himself in which he got a bumper success. It was this show which not only changed the host’s life but transformed Indian television, promising fame and fortune to the couch potatoes. The channel STAR PLUS, which aired KBC, was the channel # 1 with an audience of 22 million in 2001 which soared to 61 millions in the year 2005. The telecom servers were streamlined to confront a peak load of 4,000 SMSes per second traffic. Making heroes out of nobodies, it was reality television boom which put mass into mass media. From 5 crore votes of first INDIAN IDOL finale, the response heaped to 7 crore in the third edition. With a reality show in almost every genre like singing (SAREGAMAPA), dance (JHALAK DIKHLA JA), comedy (GREAT INDIAN LAUGHTER CHALLENGE) and even for weight loss (BIGGEST LOSER JEETEGA). It is reality shows countering the SAAS BAHU drama of the Indian television which has the maximum viewership. More and more format are being discovered and invented for reality shows. Some a made- in – India formats and many being licensed from abroad. Now that India is waiting for a yet another generation of reality shows, broadcasters have scrubbed trade shows for the next big thing over the television. Even in the western countries, there is a critical situation in drama in the soap and successful shows have picked up reality television traits like THE OFFICE and LOST.
