WEEKEND LIGHTER: BACK TO SQUARE ONE

WEEKEND LIGHTER: BACK TO SQUARE ONE!

(April 23/24, 2016, No. 17/2016)

Weekend Lighter is posted every Saturday @mgwarrier.blogspot.in

Feel free to mail your views on this edition of WL to mgwarrier@gmail.com

I

Opening remarks: Work and Reward

Today (April 23, 2016) is being observed as the 400^th Death Anniversary of William Shakespeare. On this occasion The Hindu Business Line BLink (April 23, 2016) has covered Shakespeare sparing full 10 pages out of its 24 pages ( This issue of BLink has no advertisements!). I do not propose to reduce the significance of the content by giving excerpts. WILL-I-AM Shakespeare comes alive on these 10 pages to watch how fondly people have preserved his work and memories and appreciates Team BLink!

M G Warrier

II

Recent responses

3X5 Year Plan to eliminate poverty

Apropos “Govt aims to remove poverty by 2032” (The Hindu Business Line, April 22, 2016), it is comforting to see that the Government’s intention to rebuild the Planning Commission, which was described by Prime Minister Modi as a ‘house in disrepair’ needing reconstruction in his first Independence Day address from the ramparts of Red Fort on August 15, 2014, is gradually being converted to actionable sub-projects. It would be a great idea to reinvent planning by splitting the present 2032 Vision into three 5 Year Plans, first one terminating in 2021.

NITI Aayog since its coming into being has been having serious debates and generating several work papers, involving stakeholders, economists and experts in various fields who had earlier confined their activities in teaching in reputed institutions or writing in the media or producing excellent research papers. Modi need to be credited with the effort to make planning and execution more democratic and participative.

Removal of poverty in India in a decade and a half is an achievable goal. We have the resources, we have the manpower and we have capacity to build necessary infrastructure at ‘short notice’. Resources include unmapped natural resources, untapped domestic stock of valuables including surface stock of gold, potential inflow of funds from NRIs and the unexploited human resources. To exploit these resources, planning has to be bottom-up. Ask the district level administrations to map the resources taluka-wise and come out with plans to deploy them for local economic growth and development.

Long back, some efforts were made in this direction through the banking system at the instance of the Reserve bank of India. The reference is to Lead bank Scheme and District and State Level Bankers’ Committees in which several state government and non-government agencies participated recognising bank credit as a tool for catalysing economic growth. A rebuilding of institutionalised coordination efforts for grass-root level development is overdue.

M G Warrier, Mumbai

PSB reforms

This refers to the report “Designing better compensation package for PSB execs: Vinod Rai” (The Hindu Business Line, April 21, 2016). It is comforting to see that Banks Board Bureau (BBB) has got its priorities right under the able leadership of Vinod Rai. If the BBB is able to prevail upon GOI and the political leadership to provide a level playing field for PSBs as compared to their private sector peers in managing their affairs, many of the present problems in the banking sector will vanish. As there is no likelihood of private sector banks improving their share in the banking business which is at present less than 30 per cent, there is no option but to protect and revamp PSBs to ensure their efficient functioning. I had concluded my article "Talent Deficit in Banks" published in the special issue of Business Manager with focus on banking sector (BM, December 2012) with the following remarks:

"HRD at the top across sectors should become a national priority, if professionalism is to be restored at lower layers which directly interact with the clientele. Guidance for an overhaul of HR practices in banks should come from GOI and RBI factoring in, among others, the following:

i) A long-term recruitment policy taking into account the skill and aptitude needs for rural, urban and metropolitan services

ii) Job security including social security to ensure that the employees develop a sense of belonging to the institution,

iii) An institution-specific wage structure up to junior management levels ensuring 'living wage' and incentives for performance, service in rural areas or tough terrains etc

iv) GOI and IBA should provide overall guidance in HR management, but leave details to individual banks who should be made more responsible for in-house management,

v)  Ideally, from middle management level and upwards, easier inter-organizational mobility of staff should be thought of,

vi)  An Institute for Financial Sector Management and an Indian Financial Sector Service could take care of further skill development needs at higher levels."

M G Warrier, Mumbai

 BACK TO SQUARE ONE*

This refers to the well-researched article “What next after financial inclusion” by Jayshree Venkatesan (HBL, April 20, 2016). As rightly mentioned the several initiatives by government, RBI and banks to bring more people under the banking-fold, to increase the outreach of financial institutions to make tailor-made financial services available to those new to banking and in a way per force to bring a section of population which was not trusting mainstream banking institutions during the last 18 months are praise-worthy. The fact that over 60 per cent of 14 crore accounts opened under PMJDY, though a matter of concern, should not stop further measures to bring more people into the banking net.

The initial enthusiasm of banks to show results might have resulted in opening some accounts which the clientele may not operate at any time. For example, a second account opened in the same family or some accounts opened under persuasion may become inoperative soon. Perhaps, like norms for NPA, RBI may consider transparent norms for transferring accounts to ‘inoperative’ category, if the accounts remain dormant and do not serve the purpose for which they were opened.

The ‘target’ of adding 80 crore new bank accounts in India during the 5 years ending 2020 may be ambitious, considering the fact that many who may prefer accounts with MFIs and cooperatives may still remain outside the mainstream commercial banking fold. But, the challenge for India will continue to be the number of families remaining poor and unable to save anything from their daily earnings. Plainly put, we are back to square one, where we do not have a respectable and acceptable prices, wages and income policy.

M G Warrier, Mumbai

*Submitted version. Please read published version posted earlier here.

III

LEISURE

THE ABSOLUTE POWER OF PRAYER *

Simply Beautiful....

Dr. Mark, a well-known cancer specialist, was once on his way to an important conference in another city, where he was going to be honored by an award in the field of medical research.

He was very excited to attend the conference and was desperate to reach as soon as possible.

He had worked long and hard on his research and felt his efforts deserved the award he was about to obtain.

However, two hours after the plane took off, the plane made an emergency landing at the nearest airport due to some technical snag. 

Afraid, that he wouldn't make it in time for the conference, Dr. Mark, immediately went to the reception counter and found that the next flight to the destination was after ten hours. 

The receptionist suggested him, to rent a car and drive down to the conference city which was only four hours drive.

Having no other choice, he agreed to the idea, despite his hatred for driving long distances.

Dr. Mark rented a car and started the journey. 

However,  soon after he started, the weather suddenly changed and a heavy storm began.  

The pouring rain made it very difficult to see the road and missed a turn he was supposed to take.

After two hours of driving, he was convinced, he was lost. 

Driving in the heavy rain on a deserted road, feeling hungry and tired, he frantically began to look for any sign of civilization. 

After some time, he finally came across a small tattered house. 

Desperate, he got out of the car and knocked on the door. 

A beautiful young lady opened the door. 

He explained the situation and asked her if he could use her telephone.

However, the lady told him that she doesn't have a phone or any electronic gadget but told him to come inside and wait till the weather improved.

Hungry, wet and  exhausted, the doctor accepted her kind offer and walked in. 

The lady gave him hot tea and something to eat. He was feeling relaxed.

The lady requested him to join her for prayer. 

But, Dr. Mark smiled and said that he believed in hard work only and told her to continue with her prayers.

Sitting on the chair, doctor watched the woman sitting in the dim light of candles as she prayed next to what appeared to be a small baby crib.

Every time she finished a prayer, she would start another one.

Dr. Mark felt that, the woman is in need of some help, and spoke to her as soon as she finished her prayers.

The doctor asked her, what exactly she wanted from the God, and enquired if she thought God will ever listen to her prayers.  He further asked about the small child in the crib for whom she was apparently praying. 

The lady gave a sad smile and said that the child in the crib is her son who is suffering from a rare type of cancer and there is only one doctor Mark, who can cure him but she doesn't have money to afford his fees and moreover, Dr Mark lives in another far off town. 

She said that God will certainly answer her prayer one day and will create some way out one day and added that she will not allow her fears to overcome her faith. 

Stunned and speechless Dr Mark was in tears, which were rolling down his cheeks. 

He whispered, God is great !  And recollected the sequence of events.

There was the malfunction in the plane,  a thunderstorm hit, lost his way; 

and all this happened, because, God not only just answered her prayers, but also gave him a chance to come out of materialistic world and spare some time to help the poor hapless people, who have nothing but rich prayers !!!

Always be prepared to do,  what God has prepared you for...

"There are no accidental things in life"

Everything happens for a reason...

*Received by email from Margaret Wilfred Margie(Rbichennaifriends Group)

RAGHUVAMSA…

1. From lord Brahma*- Marichi
2. Marichi's son Kashyap
3. Kashyap's son Vivswan
4. Vivswan's son Vyivaswat manu. During the period of Vyivaswat there was a pralay.
5. Among the 10 son's of Vyivaswatmanu one was Ikshwaku. Ishwaku made Ayodhya has his capital and this way Ikshuwaku generation came
into existence.
6. Ikshuwaku's son Kukshi
7. Kukshi's son Vikukshi
8. Vikukshi's son Baan
9. Baan's son Anranya
10. Anranya's son Pruthu
11. Pruthu's son Trishanku
12. Trishanku's son Dhundhumaar.
13. Dhundhumaar's son
14. Yuvanashva's son Maandhaata
15. Maandhaata's son Susandhi
16. Susandhi had two son's- Dhuvasandhi and Prasenjeet
17. Dhuvasandhi:s son Bharat
18. Bharat's son Asit
19. Asit's son Sagar
20. Sagar's son Asamanj
21. Asamanj's son Anshuman
22. Anshuman's son Dilip
23. Dilip's son Bhagirat
Bhagirath was the one who bought mother Ganges to earth. Bhagirath's son was Kakutstha.
24. Kakutstha's son Raghu. Raghu was well-known for his warrior and brilliance, hence future generation came to be known as Raghuvamsh. From then on this generation came to be known as Raghukul
25. Raghu's son Pravrudh
26. Pravrudh's son Shamkhan
27. Shamkhan's son Sudharshan
28. Sudharshan's son Agnivarna
29. Agnivarna's son Shighrag
30. Shighrag's son Meru
31. Meru's son Prashukshuk
32. Prashukshuk's son Ambarish
33. Ambarish's son Nahush
34. Nahush's son Yayati
35. Yayati's son Nabhag
36. Nabhag's son Ajj
37. Ajj's son Dasharath
38. Dasharath had four sons- Ram, Bharath, Lakshman and Shatrughna.
Like this in lord Brahma's 39th generation lord Sri ram was born..

Source: Received from Exrbite Jayadev by email.

*Brahma’s LIFE and TIME!

In Hinduism a KALPA is equal to 4.32 billion years, a "day of Brahma" or one thousand mahayugas, measuring the duration of the world. Each kalpa is divided into 14 manvantara periods, each lasting 71 yuga cycles (306,720,000 years). Preceding the first and following each manvatara period is a juncture (sandhya) the length of a Satya-yuga (1,728,000) years. Two kalpas constitute a day and night of Brahma. A "month of Brahma" is supposed to contain thirty such days (including nights), or 259.2 billion years. According to the Mahabharata, 12 months of Brahma (=360 days) constitute his year, and 100 such years the life cycle of the universe. Fifty years of Brahma are supposed to have elapsed, and we are now in the shvetavaraha kalpa of the fifty-first; at the end of a kalpa the world is annihilated.