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WEEKEND LIGHTER: JYOTIRGAMAYAH! (October 1/2, 2016, No.41/2016) 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 WEEKEND LIGHTER REMEMBERS MAHATMA, also ON   OCTOBER   2, 2016 JYOTIRGAMAYAH Remembering the past, moving to the future! Jyotirgamayah* The traditional wisdom tells you that if you remove lack of awareness (agyan), knowledge (gyan) will emerge. Same thing about light. Once darkness is removed, light dawns. All good things such as wisdom, harmony, light, good food, appropriate arrangement for all creatures to live in this universe and timely changeover of one form to another are all built in in the making of the universe. It is man's greed and curiosity that has altered the balance. So it is the responsibility of man to set it right, now. To site one example, the ongoing efforts to find out the secrets of the beginning of the ...

Mundra flags possible leadershipvacuum in public sector banks : Most bank chiefs due to retire in the next couple of years, says RBI Deputy Governor... Vacuum at the top This refers to the report “Mundra flags possible leadership vacuum in public sector banks” (HBL, September 29). Theconcerns about inadequate attention from authorities about vacancies at higher levels in PSBs coming from RBI Deputy Governor, not long after the media revelation that, at the time of Urjit Patel’s elevation as Governor, the Reserve Bank of India Central Board was half empty, send out disturbing signals. GOI’s approach to filling top level vacancies gives an impression that those responsible for ‘pushing files’ to ensure timely filling up of vacancies on boards and at the top executive levels are under pressure to delay things. Political leadership seems to be uncomfortable with strong leadership in statutory bodies and PSUs (including PSBs). T...

With inflation slowing, there is space for monetary easing: Arvind Subramanian : Interview with Chief Economic Advisor... Universal basic income This refers to BS interaction with Chief Economic Advisor(CEA) Arvind Subramanian (Business Standard, September 29). Recent years have seen a healthy trend evolving in the approach of top executives to media which encourages informed debated on issues of public interest. Dr Raghuram Rajan during his tenure as RBI governor freely allowed debates on the handling of monetary policy and the role of the central bank in economic development. In a way, he enjoyed participating in such debates himself. It is comforting to see that from GOI side, CEA is taking the initiative forward. For some more time, shifting the focus from details of deliberations to sensitive excerpts may continue (like in this report which highlighted ‘monetary easing’). But, the sharing of views like this is extr...

K. V. Padmanabhan writes on How the Indus Treaty was signed : Amongst the more prominent of the problems that bedevilled relations between India and Pakistan was the Indus Waters dispute. This was a legacy of the Partition. The line dividing the two Punjabs cut...

Open Page: An unequal burden at home : Even from the distance of 550 km I could sense the sadness and a muffled sense of insecurity in the voice of my father when he called me recently, a daily ritual of ours of one call every day. After... Excerpts: " A mother will tell her son to take care of her when she is old, but she will tell her daughter not to worry about them and instead look after her husband and children. Because with her son she has a ‘Right’, and with a daughter a ‘Duty’. The day they stop feeling themselves to be a burden over daughters, the day they start imposing that Right, start telling the daughters without any guilt, start demanding them as they demand their son, that ‘Daughter, this is your duty too to look after us when we are old’…. That day, I believe that day, the practice of female foeticide will stop."

Letters: Ask the right questions : With reference to the Chinese Whispers item, 'Think before you ask' (September 27), the advisory from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Right to Information (RTI) appears justifiably rational and perhaps, is applicable to the many, who keep... Ask the right questions With reference to the Chinese Whispers item, "Think before you ask" (September 27), the advisory from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Right to information (RTI) appears justifiably rational and perhaps, is applicable to the many, who keep asking questions or seeking information without doing their "homework". According to the report, PMO   desires that (a) information already available in the public domain need not be sought under RTI, (b) information should be sought from the ministries/departments concerned and (c) PMO   should not be expected to collate information from different authorities/agencies and furnish it to the seeker. ...

Think before you ask : The over-worked Prime Minister's Office (PMO) has issued an advisory with the dos and don'ts on RTI (right to information) queries. It has said that applicants should check the information already posted on the PMO site, 'so as to obviate filing of... Asking right questions This refers to “Think before you ask” (Business Standard, Chinese whispers, September 27). The advisory from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) on Right to Information (RTI) appears justifiably rational and perhaps, is applicable to many who keep asking questions or seeking information without doing any ‘home work’.  According to the report,  PMO desires that (a) information already available in the public domain need  not be sought under RTI, (b) information should be sought from the concerned  ministries/departments and (c) PMO should not be expected to collate information  from different authorities/agencies and furnish to the seeker. ...

Of trust, love, compassion : The world can learn from small children and the young to open the mind to differences and find wholeness... Excerpts: " Butterflies and a bicycle This image, which horrified the world, led to Alex asking his president to “go get him”, promising that when the “ambulance” reaches New York, “we’ll be waiting for you guys with flags, flowers, and balloons. We will give him a family and he will be our brother. Catherine, my little sister, will be collecting butterflies and fireflies for him. In my school, I have a friend from Syria, Omar, and I will introduce him to Omar. We can all play together.” He would also teach him to ride a bike! Alex also read out this letter, which was posted on Facebook. At the recent Leaders Summit on Refugees, Obama shared Alex’s letter with the world leaders assembled to discuss possible solutions to the global refugee crisis. Obama told the gathering that the humanity “that a young child can display, who hasn’t learned to be ...

Editorial on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development: Falling behind schedule : Current educational attainments remain far from adequate for the enhancement of personal well-being and social progress, according to a report of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development... Education for economic development This brief editorial flags several significant issues which should receive attention of those formulating education policy. That education/literacy helps individuals  to aspire for a more purposeful life and lead a better life and states/nations to improve many other development indicators other than literacy level may not be a surprise revelation.  But, the neglect of even available infrastructure for education from primary to post-graduate level gives an impression that studies and research papers on improving literacy do not receive the attention they deserve. Planning is conspicuous by its absence in the area of higher education i...

Levels of mediation : In ‘The roots of the Cauvery crisis’ (September 23), Nilanjan Ghosh has said I favoured “a decentralised approach towards resolution by vesting more powers lower down”. He has described the history of the dispute and... Monetary Policy Committee This formalises and professionalises the existing Technical Advisory Committee which has been advising the governor. The present arrangement unburdens the governor from individual responsibility in decisions on monetary policy and makes the MPC more relevant. The constitution of the MPC sends out a clear signal that the Centre is serious about retaining RBI’s status as an expert professional body. MG Warrier Mumbai

O N A M OF OUR D R E A M S Dreams Malayalee Forum (A group of 144 Malayalee families at Dreams Complex, Bhandup, Mumbai- The complex accommodates over 2000 families representing almost all geographical areas and cultural and religious diversities of India) celebrated Onam, 2016 with much more enthusiasm than many residential associations in Kerala did. The flower arrangement on the eve of Thiruvonam by Malayalee families in each one of the 16 buildings in the residential complex was a visual treat. The celebrations concluded on Sunday, September 25, 2016 with a cultural event followed by a grand Ona Sadya (Onam Feast). The programmes, which were representative of religious and geographical diversities of Kerala included Kaikottikkali, Thiruvaathirakkali, Vallam Kali, Oppana and Maargam kali in addition to several dance and song sequences by talented children and youth from Dreams families. The cultural programmes concluded with the visit and blessings offered by Maveli in his...

Business Standard, September 26, 2016 Letters EPW’s influence I read TCA Srinivasa-Raghavan's article, "Politics, patronage and intellect" (September 24) with great interest. Among other things, the writer argues that the journal Economic and Political Weekly   ( EPW ) has a disproportionately Left influence on public discourse. He adds that support from public institutions benefited the publication, with adverse consequences to public interest. I agree that EPW exercised a strong influence on discussions in Indian universities and several seminars and conferences. In many ways, this is a reflection of the failure of the right ideology to assert itself, let alone build up a journal. The right-wing ideology has been almost apologetic since the virtual demise of the Swatantra Party. EPW 's influence is also an acknowledgement of the dedication and quality of the editorial team that lasted several decades. More often than not, I disagreed with its vi...

The unbearable loneliness of a privileged life : The pressure to project a perfect life is so high among the affluent urban Indian women that an admission of loneliness becomes an option fraught with the prospect of scandal... Random excerpts: " “People just aren’t communicating enough,” the marriage counsellor tells me, “despite the fact that they are talking all the time.” In flitting between WhatsApp groups, google circles and Twitter messages, we are probably more vocal than we have ever been before. Except that it is in meaningless conversations. And the pressure to project a perfect life is so high, especially if you are 40-something and otherwise successful, that even confessing to friends about the unbearable loneliness of a privileged existence is an option fraught with the prospect of scandal. There are several possible fixes for this. Maybe it is that Zumba class or a solo backpacking trip. Maybe it is in just admitting to yourself, or to the world, that you are lonely ...

The unbearable loneliness of a privileged life: Part 2 : The urban man is as lonely as the woman and they see it as an embarrassing failure... Random excerpts (not representative of content!): " As the number of conversations grew over the fortnight, I realised two aspects of male loneliness. One, it was definitely an age-related thing — 20 and 30-somethings responded only to troll me. Men are not lonely, they emphasised. Most people who confessed to it were between 40 and 50; they had incredible resumés, presumably successful careers. The second facet of loneliness in men was that they seemed to see it as a failure, as something to be ashamed about. The women who signed up for salsa classes and trekking groups said they did it in the hopes of finding friends. Men who signed up for running and cycling groups said they did that in order to have something to do, not necessarily someone to meet. “Well, if I met someone, that would be a bonus. So far I’ve been unsuccessful,” ...

WE DON’T REALLY EXIST The following quote from Speaking Tree, September 25, 2016 has not made me wiser: “WE DON’T REALLY EXIST Some years ago, I was walking downtown San Francisco with a great friend and a learned Tibetan scholar. I asked him about one of the most striking ways that the Tibetans express the uniqueness of the human condition…. I pointed to the crowds of men and women rushing by on the street…. “Tell me, Lobsang,” I said, “if it is so rare to be born a human being, how come there are so many people in the world?” My friend slowed his pace and then stopped. He replied, “How many human beings do you see?” In a flash, I understood the idea. Most of the people I was seeing, in the inner state they were in at the moment, were not really people at all. Most were what the Tibetans call ‘hungry ghosts.’ They did not really exist. They were ‘busy’, they were ‘in a hurry’. They- like all of us- were obsessed with doing things ‘right away’. But ‘right away’ is the o...

Krishna for Today: Udupi Krishna. #watercolor #papyrus #krishnafortod... : Udupi Krishna. #watercolor #papyrus #krishnafortoday... Use this link to see  Udupi Krishna By Keshav

WEEKEND LIGHTER: RBI Pension Scheme (September 24/25, 2016, No. 40/2016) Weekend Lighter is posted every Saturday @mgwarrier.blogspot.in Feel free to mail your views on this edition of WL to mgwarrier@gmail.com Under Leisure, I have included excerpts from RBI Governor Rajan’s September 3, 2016 speech in Delhi. I Special editorial RBI Pension Scheme* Copied below is my letter published in Business Standard, November 24,  2012: “Make RBI whim-free: This refers to the report “New bank licences 8-9 months after enabling legislation” (November 17). If the finance ministry is confident that an amendment in the Banking Regulation Act is not necessary to give the powers sought by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for approving new banks, why is it not trying to convince the apex bank first? The finance minister’s statement that the ministry has “written” to RBI to start receiving applications is absurd. How can any genuine promoter apply without knowing the regulatory e...