Dangerous Places to live in

Institute for Economics and Peace, jointly with Economic Intelligence Unit ( Research wing of The Economist magazine ),have computed Global Peace Index-2011 ( GPI ) for countries.

Here is how some of the countries ranked :

Ø  Iceland  ………………  #   1     ( the best place to live )

Ø  China    ……………..   #   80

Ø  India     ……………….  #  135

Ø  Pakistan  ……………….#  146

Ø  Somalia   ………………#   153  ( the worst place to live )

Reason ?

Not wars between countries but by conflict between citizens and their governments.

Result  ?

Violence cost the global economy over $ 8 trillion in 2010.

In 2011 ranking, India’s rank fell by 7 places.

We still have 18 more places to fall, to take away the crown from Somalia ! Well within reach !

With regards

Hemen  Parekh

ON 7TH DAY OF FAST

Since time is running out on 7th day of Anna's fast, I suggest following :

·        We must bring UPA Govt into minority

·        To stage dharna outside the homes of  UPA MPs is not enough

·        People must stage indefinite fasting in front of the homes of these MPs ( of course, peacefully ) till they resigns their parliamentary seats

·        Collect all these resignations and handover to Annaji on 30th Aug in a million strong procession ( absolutely peaceful ). For all that he has done for us – and continues to do – this is the least we can do

·        At the moment, this is your only " Right to Recall " your MPs. Exercise it.

·        To find your MP, click

 http://india.gov.in/howdo/otherservice_details.php?service=23

with regards

HEMEN  PAREKH

Irrational Expectations ?

In early 50s, Shri ShriPrakash was the governor of Maharashtra.

At a short notice, he had to leave for his hometown. Being a true Gandhian, he did not want to use the government machinery for a private visit. So he sent a friend to Bombay Central Railway station to buy the train tickets.

Friend returned with the tickets but only after bribing the railway clerk.

Narrating this incidence to Pundit Nehru, ShriPrakash said,

“ As a Gandhian, I promise I will not take a bribe. But don’t ask me not to give a bribe ! “

When a service that is legally / justifiably due but gets denied, what

can ordinary / non-Gandhian people do ?

This is why millions are irrationally looking up to Lokpal Bill as some kind of panacea !

Drafting Committee has an unenviable task before it.

With regards

hemen  parekh

Cut-off Percentage ?

On June 15, 2011, Shri Ram College of Commerce ( New Delhi ), published its “ Admission List “ of students selected for admission.

Only problem : the “ Cut Off “ percentage of marks was 100 % !

Now, the Junior Colleges in Maharashtra are not in such a great demand amongst the students.

But still, the number of student-applicants far exceed the number of available seats.

So, the “ Higher Technical Education Department “ ( Govt of Maharashtra ), came up with an innovative criteria for admission.

The department issued a circular stating that a toilet block at home was a must for admission to Junior Colleges !

Worried that the students will cry-out, “ Unfair, Unreasonable, Undemocratic etc “, the department has agreed to grant “ Provisional Admissions “ to students who don’t have a toilet, on condition that they build one within 3 months of admission.

Now, Kapil Sibal cannot say that this is “ irrational “ !

With regards

Hemen  Parekh

WHAT ABOUT THE REST ?

Thanks to RTI activist SC Agrawal’s application, now we know the attendance at Cabinet Meetings for 2010 / 11 , as follows :

Ø      Pranab  Mukherjee  ……………………….                    95 %

Ø      Ambika Soni / AK Antony / Veerappa Moily  ………  85 %

Ø      Kapil Sibal  ……………………………………………………………… 83 %

Ø      Murli Deora ………………………………………………………………80 %

Ø      P Chidambaram  ………………………………………………………75 %

Ø      Dayanidhi Maran  …………………………………………………….50 %

Ø      S M Krishna ………………………………………………………………45 %

Ø      Farooq Abdullah  ………………………………………………………35 %

Ø      Mamta Banerjee  /  M K Alagiri  ……………………………17 %

Obviously, DNA [ June 25, 2011 ] did not consider it worth wasting ink on reporting the attendance of the rest !

In most schools in India, children with less than 80 % class attendance are not allowed to appear in the final exam.

We should seriously consider a People’s Representation Bill, which would disqualify ministers having less than 80 % attendance from contesting next election !

With regards

HEMEN  PAREKH

A Black Swan ?

Author Nassim Taleb, in his book, “ Black Swan “, describes a black swan as an extremely rare event but still possible.

Search engines

Ø  giving the same rank ( position in search results )

Ø  to the same website

Ø  for the same search-term ( and a long / generic too )

is an example of such a rare event.

But it did happen this afternoon ( Jan 13, 2011 ) when Google and Yahoo and Bing, all placed

                              IndiaRecruiter.net

at position  # 3, upon entering search-term

                       Recruitment Process Flow Chart

Can someone calculate the probability and record feedback at

                                 Celebrity Opinions

With regards

hemen  parekh

Jobs  for  All  =  Peace  on  Earth

Innocent / Crying / Dieing Faces

To :  Members of Lokpal Bill Drafting  Committee

Once again you will meet this morning ( June 15 ), to debate where to place the commas and the full stops in your draft.

You will meet in an air-conditioned office, sit on a plush chair and, may even partake of tea / biscuits.

Even as you do, let this knowledge humble you :

During those 3 hours of your meeting, in our country, 1000 tons of food grains will rot in the open under the sun and the rain.

During these very same 3 hours, 1000 children will die of mal-nutrition ( - a political euphemism for “ starving “ ! ).

That is 3 million per year !

If you have the moral courage, a deep sense of responsibility and dignity befitting leaders of 121 crore countrymen, then please,

>   Stop mud-slinging, name-calling, insulting

>   Lock yourself in that room

>   Don’t come out till you have signed an agreed upon draft

>   Don’t show your face ( or whatever is left of it ) to the public

>   Compromise , move forward

>   Use the “ Art of Possible “ to resolve differences

And all the while be reminded of those innocent / crying / dieing faces.

With regards

Hemen  Parekh

WOMEN’S RESERVATION BILL - INDIA

Here is a synopsis :

Ø         First introduced in Lok Sabha ( Lower House ) by United Front Government in 1996

Ø         Calls for 33 % reservation of seats for women from Lok Sabha to local legislatures. Panchayats ( village councils ) already have 33.3 % reservation for women

Ø         Who is supporting whole-heartedly ?

Congress  /  BJP  /  AIDMK  / other parties

Ø         Who supports conditionally ?

Samajwadi Party / Bahujan Samaj Party / Rashtriya Janata Dal etc.

Ø         What is their condition ?

Within the 33 % quota, there must be a sub-quota for women from backward classes

Ø         Why this condition ?

They are afraid that in absence of a sub-quota, the bill will only help women from the elitist groups

Ø         Who can bring about a compromise ?

Lok Sabha Speaker ( Ms )  Meira Kumar – herself a woman from a backward class

Ø         What has been the progress so far ?

Bill has already been passed in Rajya Sabha ( Upper House ) in 2010

Ø         What can we do ?

Pray that it does not meet the fate of the Lokpal Bill !

With  regards

HEMEN  PAREKH

Sign your own death warrant ?

I don’t understand why the Ministers rejected the Lokpal Draft Bill submitted by Anna Hazare team.
If I were Kapil Sibal, I would have introduced that draft in the parliament, without changing a full stop or a comma.
Then let members of parliament decide – knowing fully well in advance what they would decide, viz :
Reject it. Or water it down till no one can have any objection.
And they will introduce a hundred amendments till no MP can be prosecuted for murder !
Would any MP want to sign his / her own death warrant by passing Anna’s draft ?
It is about time, Civil Society members accept that after 42 years of waiting, a watered down Lokpal Act is better than no act at all !
After all, Government would fulfill its obligation of “ introducing “ the bill in the monsoon session.
And the political parties would claim helplessness over how its MPs would vote !
With regards
Hemen Parekh