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 14 March 2006

STATE OF EDUCATION

Times of India (  07,Mar,2012  ) reports :

  • Central Teachers Eligibility Test ( CTET ) was held on Jan 29, 2012

  • 10,58,000  teachers registered to take the exam

  • 900,000  teachers appeared for the exam

  • Only 55,422 teachers managed to score the minimum 60 % required to pass the exam  (approx 6 %  passed)

  • In last year’s exam , 14 % had passed

  • CTET was started by the Government last year to to ensure that the quality of teachers across the country is standardized

Consequence ?

15 year old students from 73 countries took part in PISA [ Programme for International Student Assessment ], conducted by OECD

When tested on their reading , math and science abilities , Indian students stood “ second – to – last “ . So what ? Indian students were ahead of the students from Kyrgyzstan, who stood last !
Students from China’s Shanghai province , which participated in PISA for the first time , scored highest in reading . It also topped the charts in math and science

You are welcome to draw your own conclusion !

With regards

HEMEN  PAREKH

Thursday 23 February 2006

LIVING ON BORROWED TIME ?

130 billion euro bailout for Greece could well be termed,

“ Give money , will splurge “

But lenders are not amused. They want the Greeks to tighten their belts. And here is how :


·     Current monthly minimum wage of 750 euros to be reduced by 22 %

·     Younger employees ( below 25 ), must suffer a cut of 32 % . Half of them are in any case unemployed !

·     Social security contributions to be cut by 5 %

·     15,000 workers to be paid 60 % of basic wages and be dismissed after 1 year

·     State work-force to be cut by 150,000 by 2015

·     Retirement age to be increased

Even as Greeks are rioting in the streets , no one is asking :

“ How long can any individual or a nation continue to live beyond its means ? How long can you live on borrowed time ? “

The writing is on the wall

Germans and French are unwilling to play , “ my brother’s keeper “  , for Greece , Portugal , Italy , Spain , UK etc

Forget global warming. Global cooling is around the corner !


With regards


HEMEN  PAREKH

Sunday 27 February 2005

WANT A PATENT ? BE PATIENT !

Newspaper Pravasi ( 26 Feb 2012 ) gives following interesting – but far more distressing – info about working of India’s Patent Office in Mumbai :

  • No of patent applications pending  ………………………………… 100,000

  • Which will take to clear  …………………………………………………..  3  years

  • No of requests being examined / year  ………………………….. 12,000

  • Additional Patent Examiners being trained  ……………………..  250

  • Which will help clear no of applications / year ………………… 40,000

  • New requests being received / year  ………………………………… 25,000 +

  • Annual growth-rate of requests  ……………………………………… ..   20 %

I would not be surprised if Indian scientists working in foreign labs are filing more patent applications abroad than the Indian scientists working in Indian labs !
Innovation will get a huge boost if Patents can be granted – or even rejected – in 6 months !

With regards

HEMEN  PAREKH

Friday 16 January 2004

WHAT MAKES AAKASH DIFFERENT ?

There can be many opinions about Aakash tablet , but it is worth remembering that ,

  • At its price-point , Aakash is the only tablet capable of bridging the digital divide between the urban and the rural India

  • It will be used by persons who have not even seen a smart phone or a computer – much less used these

  • Aakash is its own benchmark. Much like Walkman and iPod , it has created a new category - hence there can be no comparisons

  • More than 2 million orders are a proof that , it is a product which millions have been waiting for

     No doubt there will be hiccups – as with any innovation

    With regards

    HEMEN  PAREKH