Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Monday 30 January 2012

IT PAYS TO BE AN ENTREPRENEUR


Especially if you don’t have a college degree

If you have any doubt , just look at the following “Resume / Bio data“:


>  Name   :       Mrs. Ramilaben Patel

>  Age      :       43

>  Edu      :       Schooling

>  City      :       Pentarpura / Sabarkantha / Gujarat

>  Business  :    Jai Ranchhod Dudh Utpadan Kendra ( Dairy  Farm )

>  Launched :    2000 ( 12 years ago )

>  Capital     :    Bank loan for buying 5 cows

>  Current  Status


  • No of Cattle………………….    280 ( in 5 acre farm )

  • No of Workers……………      40

  • Production………………..       5.55 lakh litres of milk / year

  • Net Profit ( 2011-2012 )    Rs. 1,10,17,675

  • Machinery………………………   4 automatic milking machines

                                          Fodder Chaffing Machines

                                          Cooling System

  • Future plans
                                     #   Rotary Milking Machines

                                     #   Fat content indicator

                                     #   Calf rearing Farm


  • Future Investment……….   Rs 1,00,00,000

Ramilaben seems to be telling 40 Million unemployed Indian Youth :

“ When you become self-employed , you can never lose your job “

[ Source : Times of India / 07, July 2012 ]


Hemen  Parekh

Friday 27 January 2012

Consumption Power


As per 66th round of survey of National Sample Survey Office of India ( NSSO ), consumption power of Indians is growing.

The survey found that the per capita consumption grew as follows :


Ø  In rural India


·        From 1.2 % in 2004/05 to 6 % in 2009/10

·        Still, half the rural households can afford to spend, no more than Rs. 30 / day ( approx.$ 0.66 / day )


Ø  In urban India


·        From 2.9 % in 2004/05 to 6.8 % in 2009/10

·        Still, half the urban  households can afford to spend, no more than Rs. 50 / day ( approx. $ 1.1 / day )


But still that is progress.

So what, if it is only at snail’s pace !



With regards

Hemen  Parekh

Friday 20 January 2012

Born to be Dead


This is the title of an article by Pooja Kashyap ( Times of India / 17 July, 2011 ).

Here are some highlights of this article :


Ø   Every year, nearly 1.2 million newborns die in India, most of them within the first few days after birth

Ø   India accounts for 30 % of neo-natal deaths worldwide ( out of 3.9 million )

Ø   Infants dieing during neo-natal period :

·        within first 7 days  ………….  45 %

·        within 7 – 28 days  …………   20 %


Ø   In the state of Uttar Pradesh, as many as 71 % neo-natal deaths occur during the first week itself

Ø   According to NGO – Save the Children -, over 400,000 newborns die annually in India, within the first 24 hours of birth – the highest in the world !

Ø   The single largest contributor to neo-natal deaths is the highest numbers of births in home settings, under the supervision of untrained attendants


My observation :


           If India could bring down its birth-rate from 2.1 % to 1.7 % during last decade, why can it not bring down its infant mortality rate from 5 % to 1 % ?

With regards

Hemen  Parekh

Thursday 19 January 2012

Better to be urban [ To beat Rural Poverty ? ]


Of course, there was never any doubt, but here are figures to prove.

As per 66th round of survey carried out by National Sample Survey Office ( NSSO ) of India, average  URBAN monthly per capita consumption expenditure ( MPCE ) were higher than RURAL MPCE as follows :


Ø  In Punjab  ……………………  28 %  higher

Ø  In Kerala  …………………….  31 %  higher

Ø  In Rajasthan  ………………   41 %  higher




And just as expected, the expenditure on “ food “ is :


Ø  In urban India  …………….  44.4 % of  MPCE

Ø  In rural India  ……………..   57 %    of  MPCE



No wonder there is a huge migration of rural folks to cities.



With regards

Hemen  Parekh

Starving / Dying can be saved


If only the world learns not to waste food

Here are statistics provided by United Nations :

Ø  935  million people currently don’t have enough food to eat

Ø  Each year, some 6 million children die , all over the world , due to malnutrition ( of which 1.6 million die in India alone )

Ø  One – third of the food produced globally every year , does not reach human mouths – a staggering 1.3 Billion tones / year !

Ø  Per Capita per year, food wasted :


·        By USA and Europe ………………….. 95 – 115  Kg

·        By Africa and Asia ……………………    6 -    11  Kg


Ø  Percentage of purchased food thrown away by consumers :


·        In  USA…………………………………………. 25  %

·        In  UK  …………………………………………. 33  %



Monks belonging to Jain religion in India must ( apart from remaining strict vegetarian ),

·        Go around homes of parishioners, collecting food in wooden bowls ( but only once a day )

·        Eat everything served. Even water used for cleaning bowls must be consumed by drinking !

·        Never store food




We don’t have to become Jains in order to save the starving millions.

Just don’t waste food


With  regards

hemen  parekh