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

Tuesday, 20 September 2011

WE LEAD IN UNEMPLOYABILITY !

20 Sep 2011

WE  LEAD  IN  UNEMPLOYABILITY  !

That is the title of an article by Vineeta Pandey [ DNA / 16 Sept, 2011 ]
Following are its highlights :

  •  40 million people are registered in Employment Exchanges but only 0.2 million get jobs annually

  • 80 % of the Indian workforce does not possess identifiable / marketable skills

  • Only 25 % of the Indian professionals are considered “ employable “ by multinationals

  • Difficulty of employers in India to fill job vacancies has increased to 67 % in 2011 compared with 16 % in 2010

  • Germany has 75 % and UK has 68 % skilled workforce compared to India which account for only 2 %

S. Ramadorai, advisor to PM , adds :

  •  60 % of India’s 1210 million people are in the working age group

  • Only 10 % of the 300 million children in India between the age of 6 and 16 will pass school and go beyond

  • Only 5 % of India’s labour force in the age group 19-24 years is estimated to have acquired formal training

Arguably, this “ Unemployability “ may pose a greater threat to India’s future than corruption !

We need another Anna Hazare to fight this scourge of unemployability !

With regards

HEMEN  PAREKH

MUMBAI MERI JAAN !


20 Sep 2011

MUMBAI  MERI  JAAN  !

DNA [31 Aug 2011] quotes Global Livability Survey of EIU to say that Mumbai is amongst the worst cities to live in.

For each city surveyed, the report considers :

·      Stability

·      Healthcare

·      Culture and Environment

·      Education

·      Infrastructure


Out of 140 cities surveyed around the world, Mumbai got placed at rank 116.

But that was before they counted the potholes !

Aye dil , hai mushkil , jeena yahan

ye hai Mumbai , ye hai Mumbai , ye hai Mumbai

meri jan !

[It is impossible to live in this city, My Heart; Still Mumbai is my love !]


with regards


HEMEN  PAREKH

Monday, 19 September 2011

India’s Population Explodes -- 3

India’s Child ( 0 – 6 years ) sex ratios were :

 In 2001 ……………….. 927 girls for 1000 boys

 In 2011 ……………….. 914 girls for 1000 boys

Registrar General of India and Census Commissioner, C. Chandramouli says :

“ The census indicated a continuing preference for male children over female children. This is a matter of grave concern.”

But India politicians do not seem to be bothered – except for Farooq Abdullah who warned,

“ The male sex is growing and women are getting eliminated. The days are not far when there will be no girls to marry and we’ll all become gays “



With regards

hemen parekh

Friday, 16 September 2011

UNEQUAL AMONGST EQUAL ?

16 Sep 2011

UNEQUAL  AMONGST  EQUAL ?

Do you want to compare official “ Poverty “ between Indians and Americans ?

Here are figures published by India’s NSSO [ National Sample Survey Organization ] and America’s Census Bureau:

  • Percentage population categorized as “ Poor “

·       India  …………………  32 %      [ 387     million people  ]

·       America  …………….  15.1 %   [  46.2  million people  ]

  • Definition of a “ Poor Family “ of four (including 2 kids)

·     India   ………………….  Earning less than $  380      per year

·       America  ………………  Earning less than $  22,113  per year

What is the %age of American family earning $ 380 / year ?

·     Ethnic distribution of poor in America

·       Blacks and Hispanics  …………  54   %

·       Asians  ………………………………..  12.1 %

·       Whites  …………………………………. 9.9  %

But whereas poverty % in USA is climbing [ highest in 52 years ], our Planning Commission would have us believe that India’s poverty % declined from 37 % in 2004 to a mere 32 % in 2009 !

Cheer up , you poor of India  ! A bright future awaits you !

With regards

HEMEN  PAREKH

Wednesday, 14 September 2011

Global Talent Index Report - 2011


As per Saumya Bhattacharya [ Economic Times / 28 May, 2011 ], a report published by EIU and Heidrick & Struggles, found India and China competing as follows [ amongst 60 countries ] :

Ø    University  Education  Rank

·         China  ………………..  45
·         India  ………………….  56

Ø    Compulsory  Education  Quality  Rank

·        China  …………………  39
·        India  ………………….  58

Ø     Talent  Environment  Rank

·         China  …………………  29
·        India  ……………………  45

Ø     Quality  of  Labour  Force  Rank

·         China  …………………   44
·        India  …………………..   22

In the meantime , our Prime Minister [ and his numerous cronies ], want to turn Mumbai into a Shanghai !

I am afraid, somebody has got his priorities all wrong !

With regards

hemen  parekh

Tuesday, 13 September 2011

LAND AND ACQUISITION BILL


13 Sep 2011

LAND AND ACQUISITION  BILL


Will this have a smooth sailing in Loksabha ?

Any doubt about that when more than 40 % of the MPs declare themselves as “ Agriculturists “ ?

Economic Times [ Sept 04,2011 ], gives the following break-up of the “ declared “ professions of our MPs :


·     Agriculturists  ……………………………  224

·     Social Workers  …………………………  154

·     Lawyers …………………………………….    75

·     Industrialists ……………………………..   27

·     Medical Practitioners ………………….  20

·     Film Stars  ……………………………………. 6


How would they have declared themselves, if agriculture income was not exempt from income-tax ?

And does agri-income include compensation for land acquired ?

If so, time to buy some agri land –which only an agriculturist can do!



With  regards

HEMEN  PAREKH





Friday, 9 September 2011

WASTED GRAINS ?

9 Sep 2011

WASTED  GRAINS  ?

A report in DNA [ 06 June,2011 ], says :

  •  Grain crops that go “ unused “ in India every year……………125 m tons

  • Can yield, if converted to Ethanol…………………………………..34 billion litres

  • Which can replace petrol usage by ……………………………………… 80 %

  • And Ethanol Industry will make revenue of ………………Rs 67,900 crores

It is a pity, no one is asking :

Can these “ Unused  Grains “ be used to save the lives of 3 million children dying of starvation in India, every year ?

What India needs is not a “ Food Security Bill “ but a “ Food Guarantee Bill “

With regards

HEMEN  PAREKH

WHERE DO INDIANS LIVE ?

9 Sep 2011

WHERE  DO  INDIANS  LIVE  ?

Quoting latest Census data, Economic Times [16 July 2011] provides following figures :

  •   In rural areas

·     833 Million  [68.9 % in 2011 as against 72.2 % in 2001]

  •  In urban areas

·     377 Million  [ 31.1 % in 2011 as against 27.8 % in 2001]

Census does not say in what kind of houses do urban people live.

Most likely in slums, considering that a 1 BHK flat in Mumbai costs upward of Rs 50 lakhs – more than 50 years of salary for most !

With regards

HEMEN  PAREKH

TOILETTE ETIQUETTE !

9 Sep 2011

TOILETTE  ETIQUETTE  !

1331 villages of Satara district [ MaharashtraIndia ],have won the award for installing maximum numbers of “ home toilets “.

This is how they did it.

  • Publicly embarassing officials easing themselves in the open, by photographing them

  • Withholding issue of birth and death certificates

  • Women Panchayats ( Village Councils ) boycotting grooms without  home-toilets

  • Having school bands play in front of homes of those that didn’t have toilets

  • Presenting bouquets to those found offloading in the open

[ Source : Times of India / 19 June, 2011]

Why did they leave out “ going on indefinite fast “ , like Anna ?

With  regards

HEMEN  PAREKH

Monday, 5 September 2011

TRUE OR FALSE ?

5 Sep 2011

TRUE  OR  FALSE  ?

An Indian Minister [ or a MP / MLA / Corporator etc. ], is less likely to be corrupt, if he / she ,

·         is already rich [ before or after becoming Minister ? ]

·         is 70+ years old [ cannot take riches to heaven ? what a pity ! ]

·         is a bachelor [ who will spend all that money ? ]

·         is paid salary of private sector MD [as it is, plenty of disposable income ? ]

·         has no relatives [ why oblige total strangers ? ]

·         is popular amongst voters, eg: yesteryear actor [ don’t need money to buy votes ? ]

·         leads a simple life [ and doesn’t care to donate ? ]

·         is son / daughter of an industrialist [ who cares for next election ? ]

·         is son / daughter of Minister / MP [ already in possession of a “ rich “ heritage ? ]

·         does not care for power [ lack of motivation ? ]

Media [ Newspapers / TV Channels ] should conduct a poll.

Then Election Commission should draw-up fresh “ Eligibility Criteria “ for 2014 elections, based on voters perception of who will make a “ Non-Corruptible “ representative

Right-to-Recall bill may prove to be a cure – but what we need is a “ Prevention “ !

With regards

HEMEN  PAREKH