GDP grows 4.7% in the Financial Year 2014

Growth Sub-5% For Second Fiscal In A Row

India’s economy expanded 4.7% in 2013-14, the second successive year of Sub-5% growth hurt by policy delays, high inflation and global slowdown but the election of a new government has triggered hopes of revival in growth and sentiment in coming months.

Data released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) showed the economy grew 4.7% in 2013-14, a shade below the original estimate of 4.9% but slightly above the 4.5% growth in 2012-13.

Much against the hopes and promises of economists under Manmohan Singh's regime, the economy behaved in a different way. Let us see what Modi's regime has in store for us.

Chhattisgarh news

The daily "Chhattisgarh" from Raipur on June 26, 2014 contained two painful news and one good news which are as follows:

Even 13 days after a young couple with a child who left in a four-wheeler from their village Bainsmudi to Korba, haven't reached the destination till date. They are missing.

Even a tribal region like Bastar isn't different from other areas in the country as far as the dowry-deaths are concerned. In the last one and a half years as many as 28 cases of dowry-related cases have been reported from different police stations in Bastar district. A change for the worse!

District Koriya, Development Block Khadgawa, Panchat Inderpur, Village Khandaura a community called Binjhia (40-45 families) deserves to be congratulated for the unique identity of being totally vegetarian and non-drinkers in the midst of a dense forest and other tribals. Hats off to this community with such a golden vow not to touch liquor and non-vegetarian food.

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India can export 10 million tonnes of wheat every year

India can export 10 million tonnes of wheat every year by cutting down on wastage and managing its annual output better, an Assocham study said the other day.

According to the study, a staggering 40 percent of India’s annual wheat output worth Rs 50,000 crore is lost due to spoilage, because of the death of adequate scientific storage and slow pace of creating fresh warehousing capacity. (Times of India May 15, 2014).

Total production of wheat, which accounts for about 35 per cent of India’s foodgrains’ basket, may reach 100 million tonnes by 2016 -17 from the level of about 93.5 million tonnes as of 2012-13.

Assocham Secretary General D S Rawat   said, “India should formulate a strategy to corner about 10 per cent share in the 100 tonnes global wheat market and take steps to tap this potential in the long run,” he added.

One should agree with Rawat's statement in public interest.

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Judiciary crying out for reforms: Will Modi Government deliver?

The problems are enormous: a backlog of more than 33 million cases; 4,296 of the 19,238 sanctioned subordinate courts lying vacant and 266 positions of high courts judges of the 906 sanctioned vacant.

Law commission member Mool Chand Sharma had remarked on the issue of pending cases thus: “The government being one of the largest litigants before the courts, it needs to reflect more closely, seriously and sensitively on how and when to pursue litigation and, importantly, also reflect on when not to pursue litigation"

Apex Court lawyer and writer Sanjay Hegde's view is that the new government should take good decisions and not duck them for the judiciary to step in. has been endorsed by new Attorney General Mukul Rohatgi that the government should avoid frivolous litigation. Rohatgi, upon his appointment, had said that he would try to reduce the filing of frivolous appeals or appeals involving recovery of pretty amounts by the government.

Dirty India!

Govind Nagar and Ravi Nagar, two colonies near Pandri, the central part of Raipur city in Chhattisgarh State of Indian Union - visited by me in early hours of Sunday, June 22, 2014

Hey Ram! Last night feast in the gurdwara of Govind Nagar has left the space near the front gate filled with garbage comprising left-overs, plastic cups, glasses etc strewn all around making the area dirty and filthy to walk through the street. A few yards away in Ravi Nagar the narrow streets have pucca ( permanent ) drains with no proper cleaning but with sewage and garbage not lifted probably for days and months - stinking and spoiling the atmosphere beyond one's imagination! I could pass through the area only with a hand towel covering my nose. God knows how the people in the colonies sleep in the night and do their work in day time.

When do we learn and how do we propose to live like humans and not like animals?

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Himalayan targets

Modi has promised, on the floor of the Lok Sabha while replying to the discussion on the address of the President of India on Thursday, June 11, 2014, to provide houses to the poor with water, power and toilet by 2022. He was serious on his statement. Let us hope his dream comes true in time.

Dr Manmohan Singh.

A  loyal political regent (of Nehru Dynasty) has peacefully retired. His omissions and commissions will be judged by historians in future,  favourably as he claims. All the best.

Attraction to IAS etc

It appears IAS still attracts the talented youth in this country - esp from professional background like engineers and doctors. It is a good development no doubt but the commitment to serve the common people should be there. Normally professionals are money-minded. 
I am also glad women are equally competing and entering services year after year. I also wish the political class of this country understand this phenomenon and engage these younsters in a more fruitful and non-discriminatory manner which is badly needed for this country. With Modi on the saddle things should improve for the better, I suppose.

Atlantic City Facts

The year-round population of the city numbers fewer than 38000,but more than 30 million people visit each year.

When the first casino opened in 1978, the line of people waiting to get in wrapped all the way around the building.

The first boardwalk was built in 1870 to keep sand out of ladies' shoes.

I wish we too have such boardwalks erected in many of the beaches in India.

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I saved a child

The child is none other than a new-born baby mouse inside my bath-tub. Probably this baby slipped into the tub from exhaust fan positioned 6 ft. above the tub during last night. The poor baby was struggling to get out but in vain. I saw it around 5.00 AM. I didn't know what to do. Should I wait for the waiter to come, kill it and take it out? Or allow it to escape if possible? When I entered the bath room again around 7.00 AM, the sweet little baby was found still struggling. I felt pity for it. I normally don't touch the new-born - whether human child or otherwise. 

I came out from my deep thoughts and decided to find a solution myself - how to save this life and keep my tub clean for my bath without waiting for any assistance. I took the old newspaper, made it a small tunnel and kept near it. It finally found en escape route and made two three unsuccessful attempts. But I made it possible for the little mouse to enter the tunnel. I safely brought it to the first floor balcony and drooped the baby and watched for a while. My little creature managed to get out of the shock from a fall and started moving. My soul and body became very happy that I could save a life without any harm.

To my surprise the mother rat seemed to have arrived little late and searched for her baby. Alas hid I known its search plan I would have not disturbed her child for an hour more.

God save this little mouse and its mother!

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Tamil Nadu State faces 11% water deficit, stares at acute crisis: study

 Tamil Nadu is facing a deficit of 11%, says a report. While the current total water demand in the state, for domestic, irrigation, livestock and industrial needs, is 1,867.85 TMCFT(thousand million cubic feet) year, the total availability,  from all resources, is only 1,681.78 TMCFT.    

This deficit will rise to 17% by 2045, said the report, jointly prepared by several central and state governmental agencies, including Tamil Nadu public works department and central water commission.  

Water experts say a 11% deficit at present means that the state is set for an acute water crisis in the coming years, and blame the situation on the lack of serious conservation efforts. 

Tamil Nadu, which had three reservoirs, in the pre independent era, has added 82 reservoirs in the last six decades and boasts of 39,200 tanks now. At least 17, 879 of them, big and small, are on the coastal belt, and their status is either ‘good’ or ‘normal’. But an alarming 80% overflows from river is wasted, said the report based on the study on ‘Effective utilization of northeast monsoon’.   

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Man-made Disasters

“More people die from road accidents in India than any where else in the world.” 

It is indeed a damning and disheartening report.

“The World Health Organisation (WHO) says death rate per 100,000 population rose in India from 16.8 to 18.9 between 2009 and 2013.  If you look at numbers in 2011, we had 440,123 road accidents and 136,834 people were killed in them. Between 2001 and 2011, death rates from accidents on Indian roads rose by 44.2 per cent.

At the moment, one person dies in a road accident every five minutes in India. By 2020, the number is expected to be one every three minutes.

Any solution to this problem?

Yes there is a solution provided the law makers make the following rules and the officials/ authorities concerned implement them sincerely and fearlessly.

1. Restrict the number of owned vehicles per family / institution/ organisation by raising the vehicle tax for the additional numbers acquired by them.
2. Rationing of fuels as per the actual need of the owners and charging more on the excess quantity utilised by them.
3. Quotas to be fixed for the manufacture of vehicles by different companies on the basis of certain parameters determined by the committee of experts.
4. Widening of the roads whenever needed and wherever feasible.
5. Encouraging the usage of public transport among the office-goers and discouraging the usage of cars / four wheelers by / for single persons on city roads.
6. Shifting of bigger establishments with a large number of workers in crowded localities of towns/ cities/ metros to the suburbs with a provision for accommodation and other public utilities like schools , shops etc.