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

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

Wednesday, 18 January 2012

A Tale of Ten Cities ?


No, Shakespeare did not write it.

Here are the people who did :


Ø   Tunisia……………………….Ben Ali

Ø   Libya………………………….Muammar  Gaddafi

Ø   Syria………………………… Bashir Assad

Ø   Egypt…………………………Hosni Mubarak

Ø   Yemen………………………Bin Saleh

Ø   Iraq………………………….Saddam Hussein

Ø   Iran………………………….Ahmedinejad

Ø   Afghanistan……………..Osama Bin Laden

Ø   Sudan……………………..Omar al-Bashir

Ø   India…………………………Many Contenders !



But since India is the only democracy in this list, let people decide by voting / electing, who  authored the “ Ravan Lila “ in Ramlila Maidan  on the mid-night of June 04, 2011 !

With regards

Hemen  Parekh

Monday, 16 January 2012

A People’s Home ?


If India’s TATA group can deliver a People’s Car for Rs 100,000 ( Euro 1700 ), then why not a People’s Home for Rs. 32,000 ( Euro 500 ) ?

That is the question that Sumitesh Das – Chief of Tata Steel’s global research program – must have asked his colleagues.

As per DNA Money ( 16 July, 2011 ), the answer was, “ Yes of course ! Why not ? “

So, they came up with following specifications for People’s Home :

Ø   Flat roof with an area of 20 square meter for Rs.32,000

Ø   Upgraded 30 Sq Meter model to cost Rs 44,000 ( Euro 700 )

Ø   Pre-fabricated kit containing all parts

Ø   Kit to have significant amount of “ non-steel “ components

Ø   Kits to be manufactured ( under license ), all over India, in order to generate local employment

Ø   People’s Home must last about 20 years

Ø   Buyer should be able to assemble himself within 7 days


For India, with a current shortfall of 25.7 million dwellings, this is nothing short of a technological breakthrough !

Deliveries are expected to start within next few months.

Congratulations, Sumitesh !

With regards

Hemen  Parekh

Friday, 13 January 2012

A drop in the Ocean ?

India’s Health Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad wants Indian medical students to sign a bond , before going to USA , that they will return to India after finishing their higher studies

Why ?

Because India is short of doctors

He is right. Here are figures for numbers of doctors per 10,000 population ( 2000 – 2010 ), published in World Health Statistics – 2011:


Ø   India  …………………… 6.0

Ø   China  …………………. 14.2

Ø   UK  ………………………. 27.4

Ø   USA  ……………………  26.7


Question :

Will forcing 1,000 medical students [ who do not return after higher studies abroad every year ], make a drop of difference to our Ocean of Ill-health ?

No doubt , Minister of Health knows best !

With regards

hemen  parekh


Jobs  for  All  =  Peace  on  Earth