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 17 July 2012

BUT WILL THERE BE JOBS?

As per an estimate prepared by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development ( OECD ) , the total pool of graduates in the world is expected to expand from 129 million in 2010 to 204 million in 2020 ( graduates between 25 and 34 years of age )

In 2020 , which countries will lead in this expanding army of graduates ?

  •   China  ………………………………..  59.2  Million  (  29  %  )

  •   India  …………………………………  24.5  Million  (  12  %  )

  •   USA   ………………………………..   22.4  Million  (  11  %  )

  •   Russia ……………………………….  14.3  Million   (  7    %  )

  •   UK ……………………………………..  8.2  Million    (   4   %  )

  •   Rest  …………………………………. 75.4  Million   (  37  %  )

Indian scenario (2011), looks as follows :

  • Gross Enrollment Ratio ( 18-23 years old )……………… 16  %

  • Graduate  % age  of population  (  “           ) ………………  8  %


  • Graduates with B.A Degree ………………………………………….33 %

  • No of Universities  ………………………………………………………  523

  • No of Colleges   ……………………………………………………………. 33,000

  • Students graduating / year  ……………………………………….  3.5 Million

  • Engineers graduating  /  year  ……………………………………   1.0  Million

  • Unemployed registered with Employment Exchanges…   41  Million

  • % age of “ Employable “ graduates ( one estimate) ……10 %

But will there be jobs  ?

Hemen  Parekh

Saturday 14 July 2012

Our very own Taliban ?



Why worry about foreign-based Taliban ?
We have our very own – in the form of Khap Panchayats ( self-declared village bodies ) to worry about

Proof :

A few days back , Khap Panchayat of Asara village ( Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh ) , issued following “ diktat “ :

Ø  Women below the age of 40 shall not use mobiles

Ø  Women will cover their heads whenever they leave home

Ø  Women shall not opt for a love marriage

But what good is a “ diktat “ without laying down punishment for “ diktat breakers “ ?

Punishment :

Ø  Ex-communication from the village

Apparently , Asara village Khap belongs to  the moderate Taliban
In similar cases of violation of their diktats , other Khaps have supervised the public killing of the lovers !
And these are the Khaps which will not hesitate to build a temple of Durga Mata to “ honor “ the Motherhood !

Ultimate Irony  :

Response of Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav ( a Master’s Degree holder in Environment Engineering from Australia ) :  “ If this is what Khap decided , then it must be in the interest of the villagers “

With regards

hemen  parekh


Jobs  for  All  =  Peace  on  Earth

Thursday 12 July 2012

Underachievers All




Don’t blame an individual

It is the entire Central Cabinet

Here is proof ( as provided by DNA / 05, July 2012 ) :

Ø   To “ manage “ overflowing wheat stocks – presumably to prevent its rotting in open under rains – Central Cabinet has decided to export 20 lakh tons of wheat , at an export price of Rs 12,400 / ton

Ø   Now , considering that it costs Central Government , Rs 16,500 / ton to buy / transport / stock that wheat, this would amount to “ subsidizing “ the foreign buyers by Rs 4,100 / ton.

Ø   USA has warned the commerce ministry that it cannot sell wheat below the MSP at which it buys from Indian farmers


I await the day when our 400 million poor people muster the courage to warn the “ Underachievers “ :

“ Forget the export

1.6 million children cannot be allowed to die of starvation every year

( 24,365 in Maharashtra alone during 2011-2012 )

Don’t wait till 2014 National Elections . If you do , you will be swept into the dustbin of history ! “

With regards

Hemen  Parekh


Jobs  for  All  =  Peace  on  Earth

    

Monday 9 July 2012

A TALE OF TWO MINISTERS

  • Sunil  Dutta

When he was the Minister for Sports and Youth Affairs in the Central Government a few years back , he allotted Rs 25 lakhs from his MPLAD fund ( Member of Parliament Local Area Development Fund ) , for development of a garden at Marol  ( Mumbai ) – his constituency.

Today , hundreds of slum-dwellers relax in this garden every evening , to get away from the unhygienic surroundings of their 100 sq. ft , tin-roofed “ homes “ ,  and get some fresh air

  • Akhilesh  Yadav

Yesterday ( 3rd July 2012 ) , he announced in UP Legislative Assembly that ,

·     MPLAD Fund amount is being increased from Rs 125 Lakhs to 150 Lakhs

·     All MPs can use the additional Rs 25 Lakhs to purchase a car for personal use

         What next ?

Unlimited amount of free petrol / diesel for all 403 MPs of UP, so that no one need to worry about petrol price raises?
  
Hemen  Parekh

HOW DO YOU EXPLAIN THIS?

From a report in Times of India [ 13, July 2012 ] :

  • During last year , British people left “ unworn “ , 1,700,000,000  items of clothing ( approx. 28 items per person )

  • Approx 1/3 rd of these “ unwanted “ clothes ( 430,000 tons ) ended up in landfills ( garbage dumps )

  • Total cost of these “ unworn “ items was British Pounds 30 billion

  • That means , during last year , on an average , every British person threw away , brand new clothes worth,

·     Pound ……… 484

·     Dollars……….757

·     Rupees…….. 41,624

(more than per capita income of 1.2 billion Indians  !)

  • And this is a country with

·     4,500,000  unemployed

·     $ 200  billion of budget deficit

I suppose these ( no doubt ) imported garments must be helping the Chinese Economy !

Hemen  Parekh

Saturday 7 July 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:

·         India  …………………… 6.0

·         China  …………………. 14.2

·         UK  ………………………. 27.4

·         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 !

Hemen  Parekh

Friday 6 July 2012

ARE YOU SAFE?


Writing in DNA [ 05 July,2012 ], Maitri Porecha provides following figures for,

“Permissible limits of EMF radiation due to Mobile towers“
[Source: IIT-B report , 2010 ]:

  • India  …………………………..      4.5  Watts / Sq m

  • USA  ……………………………..     3.0   “

  • China  …………………………..      0.4   “

  • Italy / Poland  / Russia …….  0.1   “
   
Now , it is a different matter that our Telecom Ministry has adopted an exposure limit of 9.2 Watts / Sq m as “ Safe “ !

How can you blame Telecom Ministry when Agriculture Ministry and Food Ministry, jointly decided to export 20 lakh tons of food grains (to take care of surplus stock rotting in the open under rain), even as 4,383 children (under 5), die every day due to starvation ?

Telecom Ministry is justified in asking,

“Is anyone actually dying due to overexposure to EMF radiation?“
  
Hemen  Parekh

Tuesday 3 July 2012

CONGRATULATIONS ! MAHARASHTRA STATE JUDICIARY

Here is what Times of India ( 02 July, 2012 ) reports re: disposal of Pending Cases by Maharashtra State Judiciary during 2 year period ( 30/06/2010 to 30/06/2012 ):

  • Opening Balance ………………………. 41.36 Lakh  cases

  • Added during 2 years ………………. 39.74 Lakh

     Total ……………………………………………81.09  Lakh

  • Less

     Disposed off during 2 years……….50.60  Lakh
  
     Closing Balance ……………………………. 29.49  Lakh
  
     Considering that the Courts work for,

  • 200 days / year

  • 3 hours  / day  

this works out to an unbelievable , 1.157  cases per SECOND of each working day !

It is anybody’s guess as to what will happen when millions of cases get added every year under the proposed Lokpal Act
  
Hemen  Parekh