Warrier's blog

Thrissur Pooram 2018 For those who missed Pooram 2023 : https://youtu.be/hvts3A3DtWs Nice Day M G Warrier

FALSE ALLIES : India's Maharajahs in the Age of Ravi Varma Check this out! https://amzn.eu/d/0UFPMwe Book description @ Amazon "India’s maharajahs have traditionally been cast as petty despots, consumed by lust and luxury. Bejewelled parasites, they cared more, we are told, for elephants and palaces than for schools and public works. The British cheerfully circulated the idea that brown royalty needed ‘enlightened’ white hands to guide it, and by the twentieth century many Indians too bought into the stereotype, viewing princely India as packed with imperial stooges. Indeed, even today the princes are either remembered with frothy nostalgia or dismissed as greedy fools, with no role in the making of contemporary India. In this brilliantly researched book, Manu S. Pillai disputes this view. Tracking the travels of the iconic painter Ravi Varma through five princely states – from the 1860s to the early 1900s – he uncovers a picture far removed from the clichés in which the pr

Book Release Reflections By Narayanan Vaghul https://www.thehindu.com/business/fm-releases-veteran-former-banker-vaghuls-book-reflections/article66789958.ece/amp/ "Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday released ‘Reflections’, a book authored by eminent banker Narayanan Vaghul, in Mumbai. The book carries a vivid account of Mr. Vaghul’s experiences spanning several decades in India’s financial sector. The FM commended Mr. Vaghul for his extensive experience in banking, his leadership qualities, integrity and fearlessness." Know more : w.businesstoday.in/industry/banks/story/narayanan-vaghul-the-man-who-turned-author-at-87-laid-foundation-of-icici-group-and-former-boss-of-k-v-kamath-379349-2023-04-28 M G Warrier

Enjoy the frustration…Mine, not yours! M G Warrier Early morning (5 a m) I get up. Because I had a cold, I had kept a towel under the pillow, it’s missing. Search…search…search. No trace of the towel! When something like this happens, I knew the day is going to be one of those days I'm going to enjoy frustration every hour. After a migraine headache, which used to visit me quite often, left me in my late forties, this is a regular affair. Almost one day in a fortnight, I have to keep myself ready to get frustrated throughout the day. Now I am used to it and once I get a signal, like the missing towel, I keep myself ready for any eventuality during the course of the day. Let us watch, how the day progresses. My towel had just slipped down through the gap between the edge of the cot and the wall. I recover it, but not before enjoying a muscle pull in my left-hand upper arm (I am a left-hander). I'm not able to squeeze out anything from the empty pain balm tube I searched o

April 25, 2023 Case for higher differential rates for elders' savings The periodic revision in the interest rates for Small Savings Schemes including PPF keep in view the changes in the global interest rates. One aspect that goes unnoticed is that the bulk of the investments in these schemes are from the retirement savings of senior citizens who are dependent on the interest income for their survival. Post-deregulation of interest rates, this unorganised neglected category of savers in India whose voice is feeble are silently suffering. Pre-deregulation, investment in Small Savings instruments earned double digit annual returns. Many invested their retirement benefits in long-term deposits with banks and post offices without any suspicion about the subsequent developments. Now the survivors are getting half the return on their investments which have been further reduced in value thanks to unbridled inflation. Perhaps, GOI need to think in terms of partly insulating such saving

On March 17, 2023 I boarded an IndiGo flight from Mumbai Airport. Entering the aircraft, I saw RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das occupying the first seat busy working. There were some more RBites traveling to Kochi by the same flight. Reading this now I know why they were traveling to Kochi on a Friday. M G Warrier https://m.rbi.org.in/Scripts/BS_SpeechesView.aspx?Id=1357 Date : Mar 18, 2023 Inaugural Address by Shri Shaktikanta Das, Governor, Reserve Bank of India at the Payment System Operators (PSO) Conference, Kochi, March 18, 2023 Excerpts : Indian economy getting increasingly integrated with the global system, cross-border payments have assumed greater significance. Our home-grown payment products, UPI and RuPay network, are enhancing their global footprint. Launch of UPI linkage with Singapore’s PayNow is a major step forward. In future, such linkages with other countries will make cross-border payments simple, affordable and real-time. QR code-based merchant payments through UP

Good Morning April 23 is observed as World Book Day : https://www.news18.com/lifestyle/world-book-and-copyright-day-2023-quotes-history-and-interesting-facts-7588813.html WORLD BOOK AND COPYRIGHT DAY 2023: Books are reservoirs of knowledge. They expose us to worlds, both imaginary and real, that we are unable to traverse in our lifetimes. Books inform, entertain, thrill and captivate readers. The protection of authors’ rights is vital. World Book and Copyright Day, also known as World Book Day and International Day of the Book, is celebrated on April 23, annually. Bonus : William Shakespeare https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Shakespeare William Shakespeare, Shakespeare also spelled Shakspere, byname Bard of Avon or Swan of Avon, (baptized April 26, 1564, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England—died April 23, 1616, Stratford-upon-Avon), English poet, dramatist, and actor often called the English national poet and considered by many to be the greatest dramatist of a

Good Morning Today, April 22, is Earth Day. Know more : https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/celebrations/article/earth-day Excerpts : "BECOME A WASTE WARRIOR a family recycling plastic bottles A plastic bottle can take over 450 years to break down in a landfill...Read More PHOTOGRAPH BY SIMON JARRATT, CORBIS, VCG, GETTY IMAGES The number of garbage trucks Americans fill each year would stretch halfway to the moon. Toilet paper tubes, made from cardboard, take two months to decompose in a landfill. A plastic bottle sticks around for way longer—it can take over 450 years to break down! But instead of turning to the trash bin, you could turn these items into an awesome telescope or a flower planter. Before you throw something away, think about whether it can be recycled or repurposed. You can also limit waste by reducing the amount of things you buy. For example, check the library for that book you have to read before visiting the store." Yes. I too read it first as "B

WIMWIAN-Alumni Magazine of IIM Ahmedabad Friends The book on my table is the February 2023 issue of WIMWIAN, February 2023 focusing on "Reunions - 11 batches on Campus!" I had attended a short program at IIM Ahmedabad during early 1990's. During my stay in the Vastrapur campus where the buildings have the signature designs and planning of Lawry Baker, impressed by the academic environment and the dedication of the faculty and students there I had written a letter to my children that they should try to get admission there when their time comes. Both kept this in mind and made an attempt but as they didn't opt to wait, respecting our financial constraints, landed in other management institutes of repute and are doing well. Long before the social media activism rekindled the memories of campuses and youth and elders became nostalgic about their academic days, IIM Ahmedabad had the vision to keep the institution's Alumni bonded together. The Rs6000 fee paid by my or

Letters to the editor April 19, 2023 Apex Court and Constitution This refers to the article "A judgment that upholds the Constitution" (The Hindu, April 19). The author has covered several aspects which make the responsibility of the Apex Court controversial in public eye off and on. At the moment, the background and a relatively long tenure the incumbent Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud has, is a once in a Century opportunity to review and set right the anomalous situations that have arisen owing to the insurmountable backlog in judicial decisions across the courts. While on the subject, one is also tempted to think of the levels of jurisdiction conceived by the authors of Indian Constitution. Subjects covered by the Constitution were classified into three groups namely 'Central', 'State' and 'Concurrent' for the purposes of jurisdiction. Perhaps time is opportune to review the levels of jurisdiction of judiciary also. Burdening the Apex Cour

Back in Amchi Mumbai after a short visit to God's Own Country Good Morning and Nice Day We are back home @Dreams, Bhandup after a month long Kerala trip. Despite several constraints and changes in travel plans, we could remain travel-fit and return home. A celebrity wedding in Angamali (April 18), RBI Retirees Family Get-together in Thiruvananthapuram (March 29) and our (Sudha and I) 50th Wedding Anniversary on April 8 were the major events we covered. But for me, vacating our Sastamangalam house for letting out, meeting senior relatives and friends and spending time with them were the priorities. Missing to meet some of the ailing relatives and inability to include some of the relatives and friends in the itinerary, as inevitabiities of time management will remain permanent regrets. Will try to explain later. A big thank you to all who shared their time and resources to be with us during our Kerala visit, 2023. Regards 🙏 M G Warrier

Good Morning Happy Vishu We had planned to return from Kerala after Vishu (April 15). That was after several changes in the travel plan after we reached Kerala on March 17. But we arrived back in Mumbai on April 12, 2023. We attended some functions during our stay in Kerala. We have temporarily vacated our Sastamangalam house with the intention of letting out. During our stay in Kerala, we could go and meet some senior relatives and many friends. The RBI Retirees Family Get-together on March 29 (Thiruvananthapuram) and the celebration of our 50th Wedding Anniversary* (Kozhikode) brought many together. Reshmy Warrier has uploaded some photos and videos @Youtube : https://youtu.be/rFJlAWWle60 Happy Vishu and Ayurarogyasaukhyam 🙏 to all of you. Regards 🙏 M G Warrier

Opinions and Perceptions https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/readersblog/warriersviews/opinions-and-perceptions-43036/ Excerpts : "Some thirty years ago, I was working with a reputed national level organization. Use of technology in clinical diagnosis was not as popular as it is now. For Annual Medical Check-up, I was sent to a clinic where maximum facilities were available. After a couple of visits, separate reports for individual tests and a computer-generated graphic design giving an overall health assessment were handed over to me for delivery to the employer’s Medical Officer. It was mandatory to submit the medical reports to the Medical Officer (MO) which requirement I complied with the very next working day. MO rushed through all the reports casually and got stuck when he reached the colourful graphic presentation. Mine was the first such report reaching him. Looking up and down, he drew my pointed attention to the centre of the multi-colour square. There was a tiny d

Welcome To Warrier's COLLAGE On Sunday April 9, 2023 Good Morning. Happy Birthday to all readers having Birthday during the week ending Saturday April 15, 2023. Ayurarogyasaukhyam 🙏 and Best Wishes to all readers. Nice Day M G Warrier Celebrations The link copied below is an old one. But relevant today, because I referred to the content yesterday : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/readersblog/warriersviews/significance-of-celebrations-38034/ Surendrans' son Brijesh and daughter Vandana and our son Kiran and daughter Reshmy arranged a Get-together of close family members in a hotel in Calicut to celebrate the 50th Wedding Anniversary of Dr Surendran (Mananthavady) and Thankamani Surendran & Sudha and M G Warrier. These two lucky couples got married on May 27, 1973 and therefore the 50th Wedding Anniversary is on May 27, 2023. As Drs Vandana and Ajay working in UK had to plan their visit to India during the school vacation they preponed the celebration by few

The link copied below is a repeat. But relevant today : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/readersblog/warriersviews/significance-of-celebrations-38034/

A belated "timely" move! https://www.moneylife.in/article/rbi-to-develop-a-centralised-portal-to-search-unclaimed-deposits/70365.html Just think about it. Thousands of crores of the small household savings remaining unclaimed and getting appropriated by government and institutions after some time. These include Bank deposits, money with LIC and PFs and deposits with several organisations in public and private sectors. Yes, this includes the balance in my mother's (She passed away during the last Century) SB Account also. When I approached the bank as nominee they told me I should produce a heirship certificate. I allowed the system to appropriate the balance for customer education! M G Warrier

History of Indian Coffee House https://www.indiancoffeehousejabalpur.com/history.php Excerpts : In response to the interference to the All India Coffee Board Labour Union, then Prime Minister Pt. Nehru, advised these retrenched workers to form Co-operative Societies and run Coffee Houses at the units closed areas. Shri. A.K. Gopalan, then Union leader as well as first opposition leader of India, was extended all supports to them. In this connection, 13 separate Co-operative Societies were formed in different cities of India Jabalpur Society. In this wave of formation of co-operative Societies countrywide, then Coffee Board Labour Union at Jabalpur, had given strong support to form co-operative Society in Jabalpur. The President and Vice President of the said Union was Shri. L.N. Mehrotra and Shri. P. Sadasivan Nair and they were also respectively the founder President & Vice President of the Jabalpur Society. This Society was named as " Indian Coffee Workers' C

Happy Birthday to all friends having Birthday during the week ending Saturday April 8, 2023. Ayurarogyasaukhyam 🙏 and Best Wishes to all M G Warrier