The System Halted

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There are 351 published articles.

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2021 (11)
  • “Lazy programmers are the best programmers!” You will often here this when someone automates a task that takes x time units spending y time units and obviously here x < y.

  • If we are all souls impersonating as man or woman, we have no sex. We are just a pure soul, an image of God. Leave people and their sex lives alone. Voyeurism is bad!

  • Year 2020 and 2021 have been mixed; but have they really been bad? They have propelled me toward spirituality, which I think is a good thing.

  • Working Copy is the missing Git Client and Editor for iPad.

  • First and foremost thing to remember about Agile is that it fosters democratic mindset - of the developers, by the developers, for the developers. The teams that do not understand this have unsatisfied developers.

  • Rinayra got hurt. But she was so brave!

  • There is light everywhere, and you want it to go off. Need dark skies more than ever. There is nothing that tell and forces and pleads to the people to dare to dream than the beauty of a night sky...

  • Hinduism is one of the most flexible religions of the world. Recently I saw someone calling themselves “Kattar Hindu” (Hindu Fundamentalist). I was wondering what it would mean to be a “Kattar Hindu”.

  • “Rahul Gandhi Hatao, Desh Bachao"

  • “Silence in the face of evil is itself evil!”

  • First look at the skies through the binoculars and I must say I am hooked for life

2020 (17)
2019 (3)
2018 (2)
2017 (3)
2016 (6)
2015 (1)
2014 (2)
2013 (4)
2012 (37)
  • I am an Electronics Engineer by education and a Software Engineer (???) by profession. There is always a feeling that I lack the knowledge to be a suitable person for my profession as I do not have the skills that...

  • Dear All,Thank you for showing support for so long. I have decided to move ahead and am up with my very own site. You may click here  to visit it or copy and paste the following url to a browser...

  • Domain registration became a weeklong headache for me. What happened? How I overcame it. This post is on a personal experience.

  • As Touch is to UNIX, New-Item is to Windows PowerShell

  • DO you want to experience the Unix like Command Line in Windows? If yes, then Powershell is the way to go.

  • Checking out Github pages

  • Banquet on the Dead is fantastically thought and written thriller which will keep you engrossed in the story all the time. It was certainly a joy to read the book. Hamid Pasha, the lead detective, in the novel will give...

  • Epistle is a light-weight Notes taking app for android. This is my review of the application.

  • I was eager to learn what static blog really means. I came across few open source softwares like Pelican, Jekyll, etc. and thought I will give a try to hosted Pelican in the form of Calepin. Will update this post...

  • With love to Srishti

  • Part III of The Constitution of India guarantees Fundamental Rights to citizens of India which includes right to freedom of speech and expression. However, with series of recent incidents that have taken place, it seems that it is available only...

  • Oracle has now introduced a new certification named Oracle Certified Associate, Java SE7 Programmer, which is mandatory if you want to become Oracle Certified Professional, Java SE7 Programmer (given to understand that you already are not OCP in some other...

  • Part III of The Constitution of India guarantees Fundamental Rights to citizens of India which includes right to freedom of speech and expression. However, with series of recent incidents that have taken place, it seems that it is available only...

  • [caption id="" align="alignright" width="240"] politics - Clint's Nolan Chart - 20020718 - slightly inaccurate but good (Photo credit: Rev. Xanatos Satanicos Bombasticos (ClintJCL))[/caption]#I wrote this on PG on 13th Oct 2010. And posted on FB Notes on 30th Jan 2011. We...

  • This was one review that has long remained pending.This is a fantastic book. The portable form of Yes Minister sitcom that rocked BBC in 1980s. In India, we have  had a hindi TV-series by the name of "JI Mantriji" and...

  • Book Review of Hindi book IshqFareb by Chandan Pandey

  • Banquet on the Dead is fantastically thought and written thriller which will keep you engrossed in the story all the time. It was certainly a joy to read the book. Hamid Pasha, the lead detective, in the novel will give...

  • Finally, I had the opportunity to read this novel, which has been long pending, due to one reason or the other and more of my laziness. Since it was an e-book and I do not have any e-book reader that...

  • If I have to give a single phrase verdict for the book then it would be Well-researched. Ashwin Sanghi has written a well-researched book, engraved deep into the History of the Indian Sub-continent and linked it well with the history...

  • I have moved technical content to my new blog Tech Jaunt - http://techjaunt.wordpress.com

  • Here I am listing few of the resources that I think will be good for someone to refer if (s)he wants to learn Python.

  • Over the years, [JVM](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_Virtual_Machine "Java Virtual Machine") has become not only the host of Java but also of several other languages. Categorized together as [JVM-based languages](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_JVM_languages), these languages claim to better what and how Java does performs specific functions. Some...

  • Dear All,It has been a quite a good time that I have been writing on social issues. Now, I am changing my focus to technical stuff - Programming Languages, etc. There will be posts on social issues and other regular...

  • Ramayana has been the epic the story of which has been told and retold and is still being told. There is an enchanting literary colour that has been liked by many and is still being liked and loved.[caption id="attachment_1697" align="alignright"...

  • Some ideas have the rude honesty of a mirror. You glance, you laugh, and then you realize you’ve been doing that exact thing all week.

  • Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas has launched the LPG Transparency Portal under Government to Citizen (G2C) service category.Click on the above link or paste the following url in your browser:-http://www.bharatpetroleum.com/Transparency_portal/LPG_portal.htmlAs per National Portal of India,LPG consumers can know their...

  • After trying for more than two hours, I have lost the patience and I feel exhausted. Somehow I have gathered energy to write this post.Before we begin, ere are two screenshots of the Lodge a Grievance Page.I tried to lodge...

  • [caption id="" align="alignright" width="131"] [/caption]Man is a social animal. This has been taught to us since we were a child and we firmly believe in it not only because it was taught but also because we appreciate the phrase from...

  • [caption id="attachment_1657" align="alignright" width="300"] [/caption]I got interested in The Devotion of Suspect X when I came to know that it is a bestseller in Japan and has rave reviews elsewhere. Last year I happened to read three thrillers and this...

  • You may know that Facebook founder Mark Zukerburg has stolen the idea from two twin brother in harvard university in 2001. Later on they complained and got 65 million dollar in 2007. In 2009 they started a new project(ZURKER). You can...

  • Walking through history in bylanes of Agra by Brij Khandelwal via Overseas Indian: Connecting India with its Diaspora.

  • Panoramic View from the top of the Paunch Mahal looking North-Eastvia Old Indian Photos.

  • [caption id="" align="alignright" width="130"] [/caption]I have always been a non-fiction reader and as far as fiction is concerned, I am a pucca Wodehousean. I also love to read short stories and have a good collection of classics of the likes of...

  • Book review -- Who Says Elephants Can't Dance?.

  • For a long time I wanted to read a travelogue – beautiful images and memories captured in one book. Therefore, when BlogAdda gave me an opportunity to review one, I grabbed it. It is another story that how I received...

  • The Judicial Standards and Accountability Bill tries to lay down enforceable standards of conduct for judges.The Bill seeks to:-Lay down judicial standards,Provide for the accountability of judges, andEstablish mechanisms for investigating individual complaints for misbehavior or incapacity of a judge...

  • The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.Here's an excerpt:The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 32,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at...

2011 (84)
  • [caption id="" align="alignright" width="234"] [/caption]I recently got an opportunity to read and review this book under BlogAdda’s Book Review program. I have been a huge fan of Arun Maira’s articles and being able to review his book was like a dream...

  • The question of abolition of capital punishment has been the most debatable question and brings lots of emotion and sentiments. There are people who are in favour of abolition and there are others who try to defend capital punishment or...

  • East Into Upper East is a collection of short stories by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. Jhabvala is a Polish born in Germany and married to an Indian architect C S H Jhabvala.[caption id="" align="alignright" width="146"] [/caption]I have read only few stories...

  • Mumbai, the city I once thought was appalling, changed my attitude toward itself. Somewhere between arriving and leaving, my apprehensions turned into appreciation, and there are many of them.

  • I was going through a post of my friend Shailendra. And I tried to put few suggestions. While commenting there, I realized that I wrote enough that it can be transformed into a post. So here are my suggestions:-1. Judiciary...

  • Image via WikipediaIn June this year (2011), 7th Regional Consultation on Electoral Reforms  was held in Guwahati. A number of measures have been proposed by various committees on different issues.  I am just copying them from its press release for ready reference. These measures, including the ones...

  • The Anti-Defection Law was passed in 1985 through the 52nd Amendment to the Constitution, which added the Tenth Schedule to the Indian Constitution. The main intent of the law was to combat “the evil of political defections”. There are several...

  • Mr Kejriwal says, “Anna Hazare is above Parliament and that he has the right to do so as a citizen … Every citizen is above Parliament.” If this is the understanding of a person who was once part of Indian...

  • I am obsessed with India!!Courtesy: Wordle - Gallery: PalakMathur Related articlesWordle for writing assessment (bengrundy.wordpress.com)

  • [caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Image by BriYYZ via Flickr"][/caption]Air India is India's national flag carrier. Over the years it has lost its fervour and there has been plenty of reforms to make it work and bring it out of the...

  • Video and Content Courtesy:  RainmakerIndia[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdq_c6qr17M&feature=player_embedded]"The instances of the Apex court's judgment violating the human rights of the citizens may be extremely rare, but it cannot be said that such a situation can never happen." A Supreme Court bench comprising...

  • Trying to understand Terrorism, Padmaja tries to explore whether one can really go so far for the sake of just a belief and raises few questions on the world leadership. Read it.One more terrorist attack & we are all forced...

  • Many of my friends might not know about the case of H G Mudgal. So, let us first focus on it. This case exemplifies the serious concern shown by the Parliament of India in the year 1951 about the misconduct...

  • [caption id="" align="alignright" width="105" caption="Image via Wikipedia"][/caption]In recent times, there have been multiple incidents where farmers were protesting against the Government as it took away the land from them without paying the adequate compensation and against the wishes of many...

  • [caption id="" align="alignright" width="187"] [/caption]Few years back I was searching for information on Naxal Movement in India, when I encountered website of Hilary Pais. I found good amount of knowledge about Naxals or Maoists. It is one of the best-written...

  • CPI is a statistical time-series measure of a weighted average of prices of a specified set of goods and services purchased by consumers. It is a price index that tracks the prices of a specified basket of consumer goods and...

  • लोग आये जंतर मंतर पेतालियाँ पीटी,चीखे-चिल्लाएकैमरे के सामने उछले-कूदे,माइक पे गीत गायेजोर-जोर से लगाए नारेअमर रहे अन्ना हजारेसरकार को गालियाँ दे रहे थे जब सारेमुझे याद आ रहा था वो गानाजिसने पाप न किया हो,वो पहला पत्थर मारे.I just read...

  • 'Aarakshan' banned in UP; stay order on film's release in PunjabThe tolerance in India is negligible!! We can't listen anything about a cause, we can't read anything about the cause but we can implement it. "Aarakshan" is a just a...

  • I was not shying away from this topic. Yes, it is late, but better late then never. I was going through my notes on the subject when I realized that I have not posted anything on this topic. I talked...

  • [caption id="" align="alignright" width="180" caption="Image via Wikipedia"][/caption]The other day while reading “India after Independence” by Bipan Chandra, I was overwhelmed by thoughts about India and its politics. Soon I was thinking about my political ideology and myself. I have always...

  • [caption id="" align="alignright" width="160" caption="Image via Wikipedia"][/caption]It is not long ago that we were discussing how journalists in India and Japan differ when it come to journalistic ethics. We praised Japanese for not showing any scenes of the horror, the...

  • [caption id="" align="alignright" width="95"] [/caption]Web of Deceit was the third thriller that I read this week. Again, the sequence of events makes you think forever that what exactly is going to happen next. Glenn Meade mesmerised me with his powerful...

  • Author: Joseph Finder[caption id="" align="alignright" width="140"] [/caption]Genres: Thriller, Suspense, Espionage, FictionAfter Whiteout, I had my hands on Paranoia by Joseph Finder. It is a new degree of novel, which has touched the subject of espionage in the corporate world. Joseph has given...

  • [caption id="" align="alignright" width="138"] [/caption]Author: Ken FollettFirst Published: 2004Genres: Thriller, FictionAfter a long time I read a fiction and it happened to be my first Ken Follet. It was thriller and what a thriller it was – fantastic, gripping, page turning and un-put-down-able....

  • # Cross-posted from my blog on blogspot as part of clean-upBaba Ramdev's deluxe ward at Dehradun's Himalayan Hospital was not far from that of his 'fellow faster' Swami Nigamanand. Yet, while the camera bulbs wouldn't stop flashing as Ramdev broke...

  •  GURT, also called terminator technology, is a biotech-based strategy that prevents seeds from germinating in the next growing season unless treated chemically by the seed company prior to planting. When seeds of crop varieties (containing this kind of genetic manipulation)...

  • India has announced a National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) in June, 2008 which incorporates its vision of sustainable development and the steps it must take to realize it. The NAPCC is coordinated by the Ministry of Environment and...

  • I am copying this from Annual Report to People on Employment (2010) published by Ministry of  Labour and Employment, Government of India. This was the first comprehensive report on the subject. However, it would have been read by intellectuals of...

  • Image via WikipediaYesterday, I read a news with the same headline. Mamata Banerjee was on its way to Writers' Buildings from her Kalighat house in her black Santro car when traffic police stopped other vehicles. The CM asked her security and...

  • Wholesale Price IndexWPI is the index that is used to measure the change in the average price level of goods traded in wholesale market.   The  characteristics of Wholesale Price Index are as follows:-1. A new WPI series with 2004-05 base...

  • Hammered Coins (Image by Wikipedia) # Taken from RBI website and WikipediaThe responsibility for coinage vests with the Government of India in terms of the Coinage Act, 1906. The government has the sole right to mint coins.  Government of India is...

  • Recently there was news that a high-level meeting convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh decided to set up an autonomous Nuclear Authority of India to address people’s safety concerns.  The proposed Nuclear Regulatory Authority will be an autonomous body answerable...

  • I am just fed-up with how government functions. All the Pub Ad stuff is weird specially when it comes to implementation in India and by the Government. The efficiency of Government organisations are always questioned and the quality of the...

  • IT has revolutionised the entire world. Banking sector has also been revolutionised by this IT revolution. Gone are the days when you had to stand in the queue in a bank to get your cheques cleared, or stand in a...

  • [caption id="attachment_1006" align="alignright" width="147"] [/caption]Read the book named Wonder That Was India Vol 2 by SAA Rizvi second time since 2008. It is the second volume of the series of which the first volume is famously known by the name...

  • [caption id="attachment_998" align="alignleft" width="217"] [/caption]This is an important book on Modern Indian History especially for the events before the Revolt of 1857 and after Government of India Act of 1935. The book is a fantastically arranged and divided into 50...

  • [caption id="" align="alignleft" width="97"] [/caption]Introduction to the Constitution of India is a fantastic book on the subject of Indian Constitution and presents a wonderful commentary on the same. It deals with everything and nothing substantial is left out. The language...

  • Was reading an article by Neeraj Kaushal, Associate Professor of Social Work, Columbia University by the same title in ET. Was shocked to note the details. Here are excerpts:-[caption id="" align="alignright" width="350" caption="Image via Unicef"][/caption]India is home to about a third...

  • Image via WikipediaDon't panic. It is temporary cash crunch that the government of India is facing on account of tax refunds of nearly Rs 45,000 crore during April and May. But this cash crunch is prompting it to resort to short-term borrowing.People might be...

  • "Banking the unbanked" is the topic that I first heard during Davos 2007 media reports. There are hundreds of reasons for large part of population in many countries - developed, developing and underdeveloped - to stay outside the realms of...

  • Kadambini is one of the famous Hindi monthlies that is published by Hindustan Media Ventures Limited. I remember that my father used to buy this magazine every month from  A H Wheeler stall at Mathura Junction when he was posted...

  • # Copied from somewhere on Internet to Facebook Notes and now as a part of cleanup of FB copying here as ready reference.What is Bank rate?   Bank Rate is the rate at which central bank of the country  (in India...

  • Richard Feynman's views on doubt, uncertainty and religion. Have a look.[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeCHiUe1et0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3]Related ArticlesHow Richard Feynman Thought (freakonomics.com)Lawrence Krauss's Feynman Biography Now Available | The Intersection (blogs.discovermagazine.com)Danny Hillis remembers Richard Feynman at TEDxCaltech (longnow.org)Richard Feynman Wants His Orange Juice | The...

  • # Ref: Free online dictionary definitions for learners of English | Oxford Advanced Learner's DictionaryI was going through OAULD and found this which comes very handy so keeping it here for ready reference. I had copied it on FB but...

  • MeaningYield spread is a way of comparing any two financial products.Yield spread is the difference between profit you can make in two different types of investment.Why do we need to calculate Yield spread?Before coming to the purpose of calculating yield...

  • First lets see what exactly is CRR and SLR:-CRR - Cash Reserve Ratio:- You're a banker, you've to keep deposit that much ca$h in RBI.SLR - Statutory Liquidity Ratio:- You've to keep that much gold/ca$h/bonds in your bank.Lets assume you're a banker, have...

  • American Depositary Receipt (ADR)ADR is method of trading non-U.S. stocks on U.S. exchangesSuppose, Indian Co. wants to raise money from America, by issuing shares in American stock exchange.But then Indian co. will have to maintain accounts according to American standards.To...

  • In simplest form Its buying insurance against a default.ExampleI'm a banker, gave car-loans to dude, but I'm afraid he might not pay back the full money. So I'll goto some other Bank X who sells Credit default Swaps (CDS).I've to...

  • More often than not I used to compile a fantastic mail to send to my colleagues (even managers) in office and just after clicking Send, it used to strike me that I had missed mentioning the subject. So, I requested...

  • A colleague asked me what is the average ping response time for internet browsing. I surprisingly asked why did he ask me to which he replied that he saw my profile and found that I have worked as Technical Support...

  • What is Credit Crunch?In simple words, when you can't get loans easily, its credit crunch.Definition: Reduction in the general availability of loans (or credit) or a sudden tightening of the conditions required to obtain a loan from the banks. Examples of...

  • Location: NEW DELHI,Date: December 6, 1947Brothers and Sisters,You heard the bhajan and the Ramdhun sung by Subbulakshmi. She is new to Delhi. Usually she gives music recitals. One ought to lose oneself while singing bhajans and Ramdhun. Today you must have realized why...

  • You gave me 100 Rs and I gave you a paper writing" I'll pay back 120 Rs. after 1 year"This paper is bond.You give me 100 Rs. and I gave you a paper "this gives you a partnership of 100 Rs....

  • [caption id="" align="alignright" width="119" caption="Image via Wikipedia"][/caption]Take a basket of commodities (like 1 kg sugar,wheat,veggies and cloths etc).Now find out how much money do you need to buy everything from that basket?For India suppose the bill is 1700 Rs.Go to...

  • For example:In India majority of people are poor, and receive subsidized grains (like 1 kilo rice for 3 Rs, kerosene etc. from PDS shops.In America poor people are supported by Government by food stamps and social security cheques.Now comparing two...

  • Banking in India started with setting up of two banks in the last decades of the 18th century. The banks were:-        1.  The General Bank of India  (1786)    2.  Bank of Hindustan (1790)    Both of them...

  • Note: I am starting with a series on Banking in India. Will try to include everything regarding Indian Banking System that is necessary from examinations point of view. To start with here is the Story of State Bank of India. I...

  • The following is an actual question given on a University of Washington chemistry mid-term exam. The answer by one student was so "profound" that the professor shared it with colleagues, via the Internet, which is, of course, why we now...

  • # Copied from my notes on Facebook, few things might have changed in between. Verify them!!Official definition of CSRThe World Business Council defines CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) as “the continuing commitment by business to behave ethically and contribute to economic...

  • The Global Hunger Index released by International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) places India 67th in rankings with a score of 24.1, far below China and below Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Nepal.The Global Hunger Index is calculated as an average of (1) proportion of the population that...

  • Read this story:- http://goo.gl/xZMgKExcerpts:-The linkage between the farmer and the consumer that exists now is not only inefficient and wasteful and subject to abuse and manipulation but also inimical to boosting production. Any hint of a shortage in relation to demand...

  • [caption id="" align="alignright" width="140"] [/caption][caption][/captionIt is a wonderful book for those who want to read and understand Ancient India. A nice book for starters as it gives you a feel of Ancient Indian History. Ancient History being weird in the...

  • [caption id="" align="alignright" width="129"] [/caption]If you have missed Karan Thapar's articles in HT either because of you were not born or were too young to understand or read or your interest developed late or for any other reason, then please...

  • #Read in Jan 2009Indian Memsahib: The untold story of a bureaucrat's wife is an unconventional look into the world of Indian bureaucracy and its fascinating order. The book is a subtle attempt at showing how bureaucracy works in certain ways...

  • [caption id="" align="alignright" width="140"] [/caption]I don't like self-help books. But on strong recommendation from my wife and others, I gave a chance to myself and read the book. I liked the story and kept reading until I finished it. Few of...

  • [caption id="attachment_795" align="alignright" width="150"] [/caption]The book name is Early records of British India: a history of the English settlements in India, as told in the Government Records, the works of old travellers and other contemporary documents, from the earliest period down...

  • Today in Pune Mirror there was a  news that The Bishop’s School has detained a boy who has passed IX finals and has also advised him to seek a new school. I was shocked at the irresponsible behaviour of the school...

  • # Ref: Taken from Priti Mathur's blogMathur Association, Pune organized grand Summer Dhamaka for all the Mathurs residing in Pune on April 16th at Ivy Studio, Viman Nagar. All the members with their families were invited to attend the function and...

  • This was my first book which I won for review from LibraryThing. It was an e-book so it was difficult for me to read it in a stretch but somehow I managed and completed reading the book. Now it is...

  • On a Saturday, we were celebrating a victory after 28 years, a much needed win to bring the world cup back. Next Saturday, we witnessed another win for the people of SOVEREIGN SOCIALIST SECULAR DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC of India when they...

  • There are two reasons for this high risk peception. One is that while the probability of a catastrophic nuclear plant accident is very small, the damage due to a meltdown could be very high. The general fear is that it...

  • I was going through this news sometime back  so thought it is worth sharing. Here are the excerpts:The Environment Ministry is considering the idea of developing bioshields comprising mangrove and non-mangrove species in coastal areas adjoining critical infrastructure projects such...

  • With the price of crude oil rising high and putting pressure on economy is it right to use diesel when it is subsidized to reduce the cost of transportation to maintain the supply of essential commodities to the comfortable levels?...

  • कुछ पोखरण यहाँ भी, कुछ विस्फ़ोट वहां भी,एटम बम बनाके है खुश यह जहान भी,जब फटेगा यह बम हमारे आशियाने या तुम्हारे आशियाने में,चीथड़े उड़ेंगे कुछ यहाँ भी कुछ वहां भी|

  • From all the government literature that I have read in last few years, I have found that usage of phrases and terms like Integrated Action Plan, Sustainability with Inclusive growth and whatsoever are the right ingredients for policy formulation. Without...

  • #Copied from Facebook NotesTrying to analyze the verdict given by Hon Supreme Court on Euthanasia. In my humble opinion, the court has done the right thing mainly because:-1. Art 21 of Fundamental Rights of Indian Constitution that grants Right to Life does...

  • #I found this as a private post. So, thought to share it with world. Anyways time of this post and time mentioned  at the start of the post may not be in sync.7 hrs. 53 mins. 40 secs left when...

  • It has been a constant refrain among economists that the country's budgets have lacked big-ticket reforms. This is an op-ed by TT Ram Mohan, Professor at IIMA:- http://goo.gl/p0T7L. Read it and if you lack time read the excerpts here.Excerpts:-One area in which...

  • Prof. Nouriel Roubini, the famed economist who is credited with predicting the global financial crisis comments on the utter failure of the G-20 in giving global leadership.  Recently he cited reasons for this failure. I am just putting them down...

  • In view of its continuing robust growth, India is expected to be the world's largest economy by 2050, surpassing China and the US, a Citi report said.  The estimates are based on purchasing power parity (PPP), an economic growth indicator...

  • For example:In India majority of people are poor, and receive subsidized grains (like 1 kilo rice for 3 Rs, kerosene etc. from PDS shops.In America poor people are supported by Government by food stamps and social security cheques.Now comparing two...

  • I was going through Bruno's One Minute Email that I subscribed while I was working for VCustomer. It was after a long time that I checked my email account on india.com, where we all registered as it was the only...

  • Much has been made of the decision to put the Prime Minister under the purview of the proposed corruption watchdog, the Lokpal, but the official draft of the Lokpal Bill is full of escape clauses for politicians. All critical decisions...

  • Happy Republic Day to you all.  May this year the republic of India is not cheated by its sons and daughters.Wish that all the scams and scamsters will retreat with the Beating Retreat. And as the pious lights will glow...

2010 (21)
  • Image via WikipediaUNESCO announced this month that three Indian elements were among the 46 inscribed on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. But why didn't it make any noise? Why did no one notice it?Anyway,  three...

  • I was asked sometime back whether I am a feminist or not. I was thinking about that question and could not come up with any answer. Here I am trying to analyze myself. Let us see what happens. What exactly...

  • प्रीति के लियें - एक साल साथ निभाने और मुझे झेलने के लिएँ

  • This is my story of sufferings that I faced with MTS MBlaze. It was a red-letter day when thought of buying MTS MBlaze entered my mind and that was the day when I had given open invitation to trouble, frustration,...

  • Oct 24th was marked as UN Day. US President paid a State visit to India and gave us a hope of permanent membership in UNSC and now US has cautioned against expecting any breakthrough "anytime soon" on the UN Security...

  • I wish to go home now. Near my dear ones. It has been more than four years now that I have been staying away from my home. Wish to go back there or at least near it. I work in...

  • There are many options available for MBA currently. They are:-1. Full-time MBA of 2 years (Conventional MBA)2. Part-time MBA of 3 years3. Executive MBA (Full time) for 1 year or 1.5 years4. MBA through Distance Learning.For the people with experience...

  • I am in search of a ray of light to come and ignite the darkness in which I currently am.

  • Image via CrunchBaseI was long awaiting such kind of act by Oracle and it happened. Oracle sued Google over Java in Android platform ( News and actual complaint).                        ...

  • I would like to wish all of my fellow citizens Happy Independence Day.We are celebrating our 64th Independence Day. Pakistan celebrated its 64th Independence Day yesterday. Hope that the coming years will deplete the bitterness from both sides and we...

  • We are going to have a largest Youth population in 2012-2015. Major hindrance to our path of growth is unskilled labour which is also uneducated too. The National Literacy Mission (NLM) was set up in May 1987 that aimed to...

  • Few days back I wanted to drink Coke. Here outside my office, there are many "tapris" (a roadside shop) on the footpath. In the absence of a good alternative like a cafeteria, etc people from nearby companies rely on these...

  • I don't remember when I first read the editorial of any newspaper. But it has been a long time now. I have been watching newspapers because of my interest in the news and reading newspapers. What is interesting to note is...

  • My personal reflections on Nathuram Godse’s courtroom speech, and the precise point where any agreement with him must end

  • This is the speech given by Nathuram Godse in the court when he was tried for the murder of Mahatma Gandhi.Born in a devotional Brahmin family, I instinctively came to revere Hindu religion, Hindu history and Hindu culture. I had,...

  • Today is 23rd March 2010. 69 years ago, on 23rd March 1931 - Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru became martyrs for this land of ours. Wish we have more people like them who devote their lives for the country. My...

  • Since long I have been thinking to write something on this issue but was not able to collect my random thoughts properly. Today I thought it is better to say it in whatever manner – proper or improper. At-least the...

  • One fine afternoon, at around 3PM I returned home from college. Everyone was sitting on the double-bed. There was excitement in the eyes of all the three persons sitting on the bed – my father, mother and younger brother. I...

  • Finally today I changed the template for three of  my blogs on blogger, viz. Renaissance, Aatmiyata and Tech Foci . Was getting bore while doing deployment. Actually, I have been deployments for past few weeks and now I am not...

  • India's Income Distribution - International Business. Was going through this link. I was not surprised to know that in India, 35 % of the country's population survives on less than $1 a day. This is the state of development in...

  • We are few days into the new year and have high hopes that this year will be great for all of us. Looking back past few years, I realize that I have learnt a lot but the thing that matters...

2009 (33)
  • "The East bow'd low before the blastIn patient deep disdain;She let the legions thunder past,And plunged in thought again."This is a part of a poem written by Matthew Arnold(24 December 1822 – 15 April 1888), viz. Obermann Once More.This poem is...

  • दर्द कितना है दिल में न जान पाओगे, हम रोज़ अपने ग़म का इश्तेहार नहीं करते, जो आँख से टपकें लहू तो बतायेंगे, पानी के बेहने को अश्क़ नहीं कहते ॥

  • आज फिर वोह याद आये हैं, आँखों में मेरे आँसू लाये हैं, काश ऐसा हो कर दें वोह मुझको माफ़, आ जायें मेरी बाहों में ऐसा हो इन्साफ़!!

  • In the simplest words, empowering the women means creating such an environment in which they can take independent decisions for their personal development and the development of society in general. Empowerment is the process by which the women achieve increased...

  • Mid the revels of his court, In the zenith of his sport, When the palms of all his guests, Burned with clapping at his jests, He, amid his figs and wine, Cried: "Oh, precious friends of mine, Pleasure comes, but...

  • कब से अरमान ज़िन्दगी के जगा रहा हूँ,कब से उसे मैं बिन रुके बुला रहा हूँ,कब से इंतज़ार है उसके आने का,कब से विचार है उसमें डूब जाने का,कब से आरज़ू है उसकी आवाज़ में खो जाने की,कब से चाहत...

  • When I joined IBM on 3rd July 2009, the first thing I noticed was the poster of Smarter Planet at the gallery leading to my induction room. Later during induction, we were shown the video advertising Smarter Planet concept and...

  • Following is the mail that I sent to my friends at Infosys after joining IBM. It was critical of the applications that both the companies have on their intranets - Sparsh and w3 respectively.Dear All,It has been two weeks now...

  • 3rd July 2009. A guy walked into Hinjewadi Phase 2, Pune campus with a smile on face and heart filled with excitement and anxiousness. He reached the reception and he saw that he was not the only one. There were...

  • # This is the last mail that I sent in Infosys. Whenever I read it, I become nostalgic.26th March 2006 A guy with a friend (Puneet) stepped out of Karnataka Express at Bangalore City station and headed straight to the...

  • I was having a discussion with few of my friends and as the discussion progress my frustration grew so stronger that I had to stand up and say SHUT UP!! I don't know what we were discussing when suddenly the...

  • दर्द कितना है दिल में न जान पाओगे,हम रोज़ अपने ग़म का इश्तेहार नहीं करते,जो आँख से टपकें लहू तो बतायेंगे,पानी के बेहने को अश्क़ नहीं कहते॥

  • I feel exhausted after studying, understanding and writing about The Preamble to the Indian Constitution. Can't stop thinking about the effort it took and the thought it must have taken towards realizing the dreams into reality or atleast on paper....

  • Saturday!! What a saturday it was! Everything was happening and happening too very fast!! On Saturday, I was carelessly sitting on my bed, laptop was on and was chatting with my cousins and few friends at Vichar Vahak. Everything was lazy as...

  • There are several books and journals that are published byPublication Division, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, GOI. One of the journal is Yojana. Yojana is a monthly devoted to socio-economic issues and started its publication in 1957 with Mr. Khuswant Singh as its Chief Editor....

  • For the success of any country it is necessary that its people are educated and literate. India has been a feudal for centuries. The concept of nationhood is still new and people find it hard to understand this and therefore we see...

  • (H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar offers a counterpoint to Javed Akhtar 's finite views on Spirituality)It is funny that in a country like India spirituality is talked about as a hoax. How can something which is so obvious, which is...

  • I read this quote by Dr. Daisaku Ikeda and liked it. I do not claim that I follow this but would love to do it.The human spirit is the strongest force there is. As long as our spirit remains unbroken, there...

  • # This is the speech given by Mr. Javed Akhtar. For a reply by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, please click here. INDIA TODAY CONCLAVEDAY 2, Saturday, February 26, 2005Session: Spirituality - Halo or Hoax.SPEECH: JAVED AKHTAR I am quite sure ladies...

  • समय की धरा पर हूँ मैं यूं चल रहा,जिस तरह पंछी उड़ रहे गगन में, विचारों का समूह है यूं उमड़ रहा, जिस तरह बादल गरज रहे आसमान मे |

  • मजबूरी और बेबसी का जो है आलम, निजात उससे पाने की चाहत है, इंसानों को अब इंसानियत की है ज़रुरत, बस उनको यह समझाने की चाहत है |

  • हुकुम ख़ुदा का माने, या सियासी मेहरबानों का, गर्दिश में तारे हिन्दोस्तान के नज़र आते हैं, या माने उनकी जो खुद फ़नाह हुए, जो आजकल ख्वाबों में नज़र आते हैं|

  • For years Indian Communism has been strongly influenced by the two influential Communist powers of the World, viz., Russia and China. Indian Communist for long have looked for these countries for advice, thoughts, policies, reactions and everything related to these...

  • Over the time I have seen many girls and ladies (I will not disclose the names) who have become pregnant before marriage and few of them had teenage pregnancy. I will not discuss how they became pregnant as we all...

  • Image via Wikipedia#Cross-posted from Tech-FociSocial media has come a long way. Some people have just used it and some have misused it. And few have gained too. Social Media can be a powerful tool if used effectively. Many Social media...

  • Global Warming is a 'global' issue. We all know about it and its consequences. We all want to do something about the issue but don't know where to start. So, here is an opportunity for all of us to be...

  • [caption id="attachment_235" align="alignright" width="600" caption="Freedom at Midnight"][/caption]Sixty-two years have passed since independence. Was thinking about the morning of August 15, 1947, when the national flag was raised over the Council Hall. I am trying to visualize the moment. How thrilling...

  • Who is going to define morality? What is right and what is wrong? These are very subjective and open questions and depend upon the perception of a person. Why should I hear someone else opinion and his lessons on morality?...

  • I don't want to use the divisive terms - North Indian and South Indian, but want to say something that will involve these, so please don't mind. I actually hate these terms, but they are the fact they exist.North Indians...

  • It is true that sense of belongingness lacks in India. We take freedom and democracy for granted and live like feuds. We, in India, are culturally distinct people, with differences in languages, customs, rites and rituals. We came together (not...

  • As per Gandhiji, Religion is a moral order and different Religions are sets of belief systems and rituals. This is the reason he advocated entry of Religion into politics but not Religions into politics.  Gandhi wanted India to be secular,...

  • [caption id="attachment_99" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Mahatma Gandhi"][/caption]Condemning Gandhi has become a fashion these days. People don't understand and can't appreciate what he has done. They must realize that the real force behind uniting the nation was Gandhi. For years we have...

  • In India, we are growing, despite all odds against us. We have a society which is so varied in culture and is linguistically diverse, besides we don't have a Flat World either, with a great part of our population which...

2008 (20)
  • At present UN Security Council comprises of 5 permanent members and 10 elected members. Of these former 5 have power to 'Veto' while latter don't enjoy such power. The latter states are mere dumb spectators and decisioning power remains with...

  • The song that is coming in my mind is from film Rock On, "Pichhle Saat Dino Mein Maine Khoya." Yes it is true for me, but not in seven days but last three months. Recent addition is my Nokia 1110i...

  • धोका खाकर दिल बेसहारा हो गया है, दुश्मन ना था कोई पर हर कोई अब रंजिश में हो गया है; सोचता हूँ के क्या बुरा किया था मैंने, की अपनों में ही सब कुछ बेगाना हो गया है!!

  • ज़िंदगी से रंजिश है मेरी, क्यों है न जानता हूँ मैं, खुशी आती है पल भर के लिए, बैठती ही नहीं है साथ मेरे, न जाने किस बात की नाराज़गी है, न समझ पाता हूँ मैं!

  • A poem written at Pune

  • I am skeptical about what OSHO said. Sometimes I think that what he preached was near to life. We think that a Mahatma is a person who leaves all the materialistic luxuries of life and do dhyaan. But to me...

  • We need leaders. Not exactly leaders but mass leaders who can help masses find a direction, who can help them to "act" instead of just giving verbal expression. A leader like Mahatma Gandhi. I have an untramelled desire to be...

  • Reservation is for the upliftment of the depressed and continuing it for the lifetime of the nation is not good. People for whom this is meant should recognise the efforts the government is putting in for their upliftment and use...

  • Renaissanceenlightenment-reawakening-reformation Enlightenment leads to reawakening and reawakening leads to reformation!This will lead to the formation of globally democratic society. The society that will have the ability to participate in the progress of the entire society - our home - The...

  • Read an article with the same title on Hindu by Harish Khare. Here is my opinion on the issue.

  • Lately we have seen this coming up as a major issue and finding a great TRP for news channel. The hue and cry about the issue and the implication of speeches of leaders fighting against migration and those favouring it...

  • Read an article on Shailendra's blog. I agree with whatever he has said. The issue is widespread and is deep rooted in the way Indian Politics works. The lack of visibility, innovation and above all the determination needed to address...

  • Happy Birthday Mummy!!Today is my mom's birthday. Today is Mahashivratri too. And also a coincidence!! Today after many years 6th March and Mahashivratri have fallen on the same day. And same was the scenario when my mom took birth in...

  • The news has lost its worth in the smog of Cricket wins over the last week. Can you guess what I am talking about. One more team is working hard and winning matches. But no one is bothered. If you...

  • नाम बताने से वोह रुस्वाह हो जाएंगे,ना वोह जी पाएंगे ना हम मर पाएंगे,रहने दो उन्हें गुमनाम इन्ही दीवारों में,जाएंगे तो वापिस शायद नहीं वोह आएंगे!!

  • धोका खाकर दिल बेसहारा हो गया है,दुश्मन ना था कोई पर हर कोई अब रंजिश में हो गया है;सोचता हूँ के क्या बुरा किया था मैंने,की अपनों में ही सब कुछ बेगाना हो गया है!!

  • ज़िंदगी से रंजिश है मेरी,क्यों है न जानता हूँ मैं,खुशी आती है पल भर के लिए,बैठती ही नहीं है साथ मेरे,न जाने किस बात की नाराज़गी है,न समझ पाता हूँ मैं !!!

  • हर राह पर तकाज़ा करेंगे आपका, शायद कभी तो मिल ही जायेंगे,आज जा रहें हैं रोते हुए, कल मुसकरा कर फिर मिल जाएंगे !!

  • Just read an article with the same title. The people of Kenya are losing faith in their leaders and government. They don't have faith in their president, Mwai Kibaki.One of the Kenyan blogger writes:-• The Election Commission of Kenya bans...

  • CRPF camp attack. What the hell????

2007 (23)
  • रोज़ अपनी ही तैलाश में निकलता हूँ सवेरे,पर अपने आप को न पा पता हूँ,जिंदगी भी अब परेशान है मुझसे,शिकवा नहीं है अब उससे।

  • अपनी ही तैलाश में हूँ, गैरों कि तरह,ज़माने के साथ हूँ, बेसहारों कि तरह!न जाने कब यह ज़िंदगी सुधर जायेगी,खो गया हूँ यहाँ ख्यालों कि तरह!!

  • आज सुबह से ही मन उदास है। पता नहीं क्यों लेकिन है . कभी - कभी सोचता हूँ कि आदमी कितना विचित्र होता है, बिना किसी कारण ही परेशान और उदास हो जाता है। समझने कि कोशिश कर रहा हूँ...

  • आज ज़माने से हार चूका हूँ मैं, जिससे करता हूँ प्यार ना पा सका हूँ मैं, वोह संगदिल हसीना पास ही थी मेरे,   पर उससे बहुत दूर जा चूका हूँ मैं!!

  • I am optimistically pessimist!!

  • So Agra was in news and that too because of our college... Anand Engineering College. And there is nothing to cheer about. It was all for bad reasons.The act that I am talking about is unacceptable under any circumstances. And...

  • Read this article on Wordpress. Agree with most of the things said. It is true that all engineers out of college look forward to get a Software job in companies like Infosys, TCS, Wipro, Cognizant and all not because they...

  • रात थी , बारह बज रहे थे , सिर्फ अँधियारा था चारों ओर,मैं सोच रह था कि ज़िंदगी क्या चीज़ होती है?इंसान होती है या भगवान् होती है??कि तभी दरवाज़े पर हुई एक हलकी सी खटक,जिसे सुन मेरी साँसे गयीं...

  • He is just an I*I*T. I don't know who selected him. It is ok to be agressive but at the same time baby PERFORM - Key Mantra!!!But no, who cares. Will do a film, advertisments, Music album. NO CRICKET. Then...

  • Sometimes I think that it is better to be in deadlock. Because when the transaction progresses, many old things are lost. I am talking about life. You leave many things, many moments and memories and can't get them back.

  • I don't know why I started writing this. However, I know that it was somewhere in my mind to write something on it. I had lost hope to get a call from Infosys. So, I was trying to run for...

  • There are times when you loose enthusiasm to be with your near and dear ones, your close friends and want to live in solitude for some time. It is what is happening with me right now. I feel a loss...

  • Whenever I think a goal is accomplished, another goals starts blinking and I head towards it. On the way there comes hurdles and I think that I should leave and return back. But with GOD grace, I reach the goal...

  • Sometimes I think, what to blog and at others why to blog? I want to write everything but when I sit in front of this machine I feel like "Leave it" or "Anyways, who cares?". I have evfen not updated...

  • The East low before the blast In patient deep disdain;She let the legions thunder past,And plunged in thought again.This is a part of a poem written by Matthew Arnold(24 December 1822 – 15 April 1888), viz. Obermann Once More.This poem...

  • तन्हाईचारों और के अंधियारे मेंजब मैं छत पर बैठा था अकेला,दूर तक निहारने कि कोशिश कर रहा था ,तभी मुझे लगा मेरी आत्मा मुझसे अलग होमेरे पास आ बैठी है ,मेरी तन्हाई में अपने को शामिल करने ,और शायद कुछ...

  • Since I was in school, I have been asked several times to improve and hone my communication skills. Later in college, professors asked me and often scold me when judging on same parameters and now in office Performagic is killing...

  • Dear COAFians,The day has come and I have to bid farewell to CLO. I never wanted to do this. It has never been easy to bid farewell to anyone anywhere, so I am not going to bid farewell as we...

  • Finally I am going for a holiday to stay With my parents. After a year of effort, I will rest at my home town, city of Love, Agra. This time I am going for a two week break.A year has...

  • It has been long since I wrote anything on my blog. And whatever I wrote was just nothing that interested me. I was so much absorbed in work that I don't got time to leven Sign In to blogger. For...

  • It is 4 in the morning and night is having its toll on us. We are sleepy, tired and frustrated.... Frustrated????? Are we?? Really?? No, we are enjoying this frustration and tiredness and sleep is adding to it this fun...

  • // Disclaimer:: Fog Index is not developed by me. I am just presenting it in my words. :)Fog Index measures the complexity of writing samples. It provides a means of calculating the educational level (in years) required to understand a...

  • # Last edited on 29th May 2011 at 12:52 AM. I had lot of traffic to this post after IIT-JEE 2011 results when those who could not make it to IIT were trying to search for some solace. I added this italicized...

2006 (10)
  • Hi friends,

  • Can a donkey kick an elephant and that too hard enough for elephant to counter? If I say yes, then you will say I have gone mad. But wait, a donkey certainly can!! So you ask how? Read today's TOI....

  • Last week I read two surveys - First was The Best Company to Work for in India by BT and the other The Indian Youth by BW.Yes, Infy is once again rated to be the best employer in India. But...

  • It has been a little over a month since Nanaji left us.

  • The Pope's recent speech in which he condemns Islam has caused a furore all over the world. This act of his has not only caused anger and rage amongst Muslims but have also led the world to the verge of...

  • A poem written at Infosys, Pune at request of my friends

  • Nothing is going well. Nanaji is not doing well and is in ICU at Fortis Hospital Noida. We are just keeping ourfingers crossed and hope for a positive outcome.

  • Yesterday I read 'one night @ call center' by Chetan Bhagat. Thanks to Vishik for lending me his book. Let me tell you that I read it because of my anger for the recent Cost Cutting carried out at one...

  • A letter to Sunanda Mainji (May 1, 2006)

  • A poem written at Infosys, Mysore

2005 (1)
  • From the beginning of recorded history, human beings have fought each other for supremacy and for power: the power to rule, to control, to bend other lives to our will. We call ourselves Homo sapiens, the thinking species, and we...

2002 (3)
  • एक कविता होली के अव्सर पर! लिखे हुए तो काफ़ी समय हो गया, कई साल बीत गए हैं पर दिल में हर साल यही कामना रहती है।

  • यह कविता मैने १७ मार्च २००२ को आगरा में खतैना रोड वाले घर में लिखी थी तकरीबन रात को १:२५ बजे।

  • A poem written while in College.

2001 (1)