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 [ Maharashtra, India ],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

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

RIGHT TO RECALL ?

5 Sep 2011

RIGHT  TO  RECALL  ?

Sure , voters must have right to recall their representative [ MP / MLA / Corporator etc ], if that representative ,

• has utterly failed in performing his duties

• has absented in most of the sessions without valid reason

• is suffering from a debilitating illness

• has engaged in corrupt practices

• has a police case [ of serious charges ] filed against him

• has amassed wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income

• is found to practice nepotism / favoritism

• fails to give a written reply to any complaint or refuses to meet a voter from his constituency

• has engaged in malpractices in order to get elected

• has violated electoral “ Code of Conduct “

I am sure, readers would like to expand this list.

Irrespective of one or more of these wrong-doings, how can we let people suffer in silence for 5 years ?

With regards

HEMEN  PAREKH

From Childhood to Adulthood ?

It seems, for Indian girl child, there is no such phase of life called “ adolescent “.

For them, it is straight from childhood to adulthood.

That seems to be the logical conclusion of “ The World’s Women and Girls “ – a report released by Washington-based Population Reference Bureau.

According to this report, the %age of women aged 20-24, which got married by age 18, are as follows :

Ø  Sri Lanka  ……………………    12 %

Ø  Pakistan  ……………………..   24 %

>  India  ……………………………   47 %

Ø  Burkina Faso  ……………..    48 %

Ø  Nepal  …………………………..   51 %

( Source : Times of India / 10, May 2011 )

With this background, it is no wonder that nearly 1000 women are dying everyday in India due to maternity related complications.

With regards

Hemen  Parekh

Eastward ho !

Times of India ( 12 May 2011 ), reports that Singapore expects to hire over 300,000 professionals in 2011.

Of these, some 60,000 will be from India.

Jayanthi Y, Chairman of hiring firm AdAstra Consultants says,

“ Singapore today offers a never-before opportunity for Indian talent. Its proximity is an attractive element, while salary is the biggest attraction. Professionals receive 4 to 5 times what they are paid in India.”

With maximum personal income tax at 15 % in Singapore and a mere 3 hour flight, Indian recruiters seem to be saying,

“ Go East, Young Man ! “

With regards

Hemen Parekh