“Marriages are decided in heaven and are only celebrated here on earth”.

This was Abhishek’s trademark answer when his friends asked him about his marriage plans.  Abhishek, an engineer, who after completing his MBA had just joined a big firm, was getting a salary that was more than what he had expected.

As was the case with most people of his generation in India, half of his life was spent in the licence raj period where a good job was rare, and a good job with a good salary was even rarer. The IIM’s were yet to make their mark, and women power was not such a celebrated word.  The latter half of his life, however, was different. India had opened its gate to liberalization, and now, there were new opportunities which did not exist before. Good jobs were abundant.  More and more women had started joining the professions of their interest. Women power and freedom had become the buzzwords. Even the world of Hindi movies had begun to change, where the hero began to resemble a normal human being.

Having settled in his new job, Abhishek decided to take the biggest decision of his life – he decided to get married. But as Abhishek loved to put it, “it was a collective decision”. As it usually is the case with most Indian middle-class households in India, Abhishek’s time to get married was decided not by him alone, but by his parents, his relatives, his colleagues, his neighbours, his servants and even his doodhwaala.

Living his life in two extremely opposite times had affected Abhishek’s thought process in a big way. Now, when his friends asked him about his ideal partner, he would say, “ Well I do respect freedom for woman, I just want to have a wife who looks lovely (even black beauty will do), cooks well, loves to have children and takes care of me and my family. She must be a career woman(as I am in sync with the present times)… I won’t stop her from going to work… I think women must work or they will be bored.”

Once Abhishek gave the go ahead for marriage, his parents put up an advertisement for him in the local news paper. As it turned out, his profile became an instant hit with all the parents of the prospective brides. Within a couple of days, his parents had received almost fifty odd interests.

“So one of these girls would have a role to play in my part of the heaven,” Abhishek thought with a smile on his face.

After a lot of debate and deliberations, Abhishek and his parents were able to cut down the list to three. All the three had the qualities of shaktimata (womanized form of shaktiman, since Indians never had a super-heroine of their own).

***

It was a big day for Abhishek as he was going to meet first of his probable dream partner. He was quite excited, and a little anxious. He was supposed to meet Sweta (best of the three as far as looks were concerned) at a cafe.

While waiting for her, he thought, “If there could have been some quantifiable, verifiable and empirical data for a long term commitment then it would have been much easier to select the right soulmate.” But again, it was just a beautiful thought.

Just then Sweta appeared. They exchanged greetings and decided on what to order. Then, the important discussions started.

Abhishek started first, “So, what would you like to do after marriage?”

“Would like to continue working,” replied Sweta matter-of-factly.

“Great!” thought Abhishek. Three of his small requirements had been met. “She is beautiful, intelligent, and independent too,” he thought.

“Can you cook?” asked our hero.

“Yeah, but I am not an expert cook, I can only make simple dishes,” was the reply.

“Oh! that can be managed, even Sachin Tendulkar had a coach, and there is no end to learning,” thought Abhishek.

“So if you work, will you be able to manage the house,” asked Abhishek.

“Sorry I did not get you. What do you mean by managing the house?” asked Sweta.

“I mean, can you take care of the three variables i.e. my parents and my house, in addition to your job,” replied Abhishek. He always believed in rapid flow of information, but this flow of words was a bit too fast for Sweta, and didn’t go down well with her.

“Can I ask you a question before answering your question?” asked Sweta.

“Sure, after all it’s your life too.” replied Abhishek.

“You are looking for someone who is beautiful and independent, can cook, look after you, your parents, and also manage your house, right?”

“Yeah! Exactly!” replied Abhishek completely satisfied, and completely unaware of what was going to come next.

“Well, I can do all that, but, tell me,  if I do all these, what are you supposed to do?”

Abhishek was certainly not prepared for this question, and though he tried his best to reply , he could not come up with a satisfactory answer.

Finally Sweta said, “I don’t think we can be a good match, and you must continue with your partner search. But I would like to give you a small piece of advice – marriage is a union between two individuals who are supposed to be with each other, through eternity even. Therefore, whatever conditions you have put up for your would-be partner, just think whether you can fulfill the same when required.”

Thus, ended the meeting and the possibility of this marriage made in heaven.

Nonetheless, it was a huge learning experience for Abhishek, and it had cost him only a few hundred Rupees at the cafe.

“Even Sachin Tendulkar got his first international one day hundred in his 80th game,” Abhishek thought as he walked out of the cafe.

He had two more girls to meet, and two more experiences to learn from.

(Image courtesy: svilen001 From sxc.hu)

Image uploaded on SXC by SilentFury

As some economist put it, “Black money is nothing but any transaction which is conducted without regard to taxation, regulation or law of trade.” Here are some breath-taking facts about the Indian black market:

1. India’s black money economy is ranked fifth highest at $22bn-$27bn a year, coming in behind Russia ($32bn- $38bn), Mexico ($41bn-$46bn), Saudi Arabia ($54bn-$55bn) and China ($233bn-$289bn).
2. The black economy is currently estimated to be 50% of India’s gross domestic produce (GDP).
3. Personal account deposits in the bank, which have been misappropriated, are to the tune of $1,500 billion in foreign reserve, an amount 13 times larger than the country’s foreign debt.
4. Black money possession and use is only concentrated in a thin slab of 3% of the Indian public.

So, how does this black money affect you and me?

This so called black money affects the inflation in the country. It defies all the theories of economics. Thus whatever action the Reserve bank of India takes to curb the inflation, it is never effective as it has no effect on the amount of black money floating in the market, and as a result the prices of the commodities keep increasing in spite of the steps taken by the central bank to curb them. And no one is  immune to price rise, regardless of the amount one may be earning.

However, despite its side effects we Indians are involved in this black money market in one way or another. Some of the ways in which we contribute to this black market are:

1) Bills: Many people don’t ask for bills whenever they buy small items like groceries, routine medicines or even relatively bigger ones like a music system or a television set. By not asking for bills we pay less by avoiding Value Added Tax (VAT). Avoiding the VAT, in turn, helps the seller to under invoice his sales and there by he succeeds in paying less income tax. The government introduced the value added tax to ensure that the businessmen pay the right amount of tax, but no bills means government cannot keep a check on the sales of the businessmen, and hence on their incomes. And these bill-less transactions lead to black money accumulation in the system.

2) Chai Paani : We are in a system where one cannot imagine of leading a life without paying bribe (or chai paani) to the government officials. This includes the bribe you paid to the policeman – a small price to pay to avoid the challan. It also includes the amount you paid in the passport office to get your passport on time. This also includes the extra amount you paid to the ticket checker in a train to get a berth for the night… and the list goes on. It is wrong to blame the government alone for all ills, as it can never stop these transactions unless we agree to stop paying these amount to make our life just a little bit easier.

3) Property for Sale: With rise in income of the Indians and opening of the Indian economy, more and more Indians can now dream of owning a house. This simple dream has resulted into a mad rush for the real estate. In general 40% of the total amount is asked in cash by the property dealer. This paperless transaction is one of the biggest culprits behind the accumulation of black money in the market.

So, the ultimate question is: can we put am end to this black money market, which is affecting us badly. The unfortunate answer seems to be “no” as it would require an Herculean effort from all of us, and we are used to getting everything the “simple” way. Corruption is so deep in our system that every Indian – from a politician to a rickshaw puller- is a part of it in some way or the other. However, it is always our choice to not be a part of it. This simple step, however, will require a lot of determination and courage on our part. The onus now solely rests on us.  Are we up to it?

You can tell the condition of a nation by looking at the status of its women. – Jawaharlal Nehru

“A curious case recently came to light in Jandli Kalan village of Haryana’s Fatehabad district. One Nathu Ram was to marry Geeta. His sister was to marry Geeta’s maternal uncle on the same day. But Geeta’s father complained to the deputy commissioner of police that his daughter was just 15 years old. He said his wife and her family had conspired to marry her off in order that his brother-in-law get a bride under the ‘barter system’. The authorities swooped down on Jandli Kalan village and stopped the wedding, but the family had a contingency plan. They produced Geeta’s cousin Savitri as a replacement bride. But she turned out to be a minor as well. Under pressure, Geeta’s relatives frantically searched for a bride within the extended family and finally found a 20-year-old.” – Times of India, 2nd Aug 2009.

Image Source : UNICEF

The sex ratio in Haryana at present is 866 females/ 1000 males as compared to the national average of 933 females/ 1000 males. Another astonishing fact is that in the 0-6 years age group the ratio is 618 females/ 1000 males (courtesy Times of India). On an humorous note just think about the 382 males of the 1000, what will they do when they reach a marriageable age?

Are these facts in sync with the Indian growth story?

Sex ratio is an important parameter that reflects the status of woman in a society. Let’s just compare the sex ratios of some developed countries with that of India to prove the point. The sex ratio of the US and UK is 952 females/ 1000 males, Japan has 952 females/ 1000 males (http://www.indexmundi.com), where as India is lagging far behind at 933 females/ 1000 males and the states like Haryana or Punjab are still farther.

Sex ratio at birth has emerged as an indicator of certain kinds of sex discrimination in some countries. For instance, low female to male ratios at birth in these states can be attributed to sex-selective abortion and infanticide due to a strong preference for sons. This will affect future marriage patterns and fertility patterns. Eventually, it could cause unrest among young adult males who are unable to find partners.

While women in the West had to fight for over a century to get some of their basic rights, like the right to vote, the Constitution of India gave women equal rights with men from the beginning. Unfortunately, women in this country are mostly unaware of their rights because of illiteracy and the oppressive tradition.

However the picture is not as gloomy as it seems for India and there are some positive indications too like:

· India has the world’s largest number of professionally qualified women.

· India has more female doctors, surgeons, scientists and professors than the United States.

· India has more working women than any other country in the world. This includes female workers at all levels of skill – from the surgeon and the airline pilot to bus conductors and menial labourers.

One thing is very clear that we simply cannot progress if we leave our women behind. If the states likes Haryana want to be a part of the Indian growth story they have no other way but to improve the status of their women by perhaps providing education to the girl child, quotas for women in both private and public sectors (this will help them to earn and thereby not be dependent on others for their well-being), taking very stringent action against those who give/take dowry etc.

Lastly, one must also spare a thought for the 382 males when they reach the marriageable age as there won’t be any women left for them to marry.

“In a letter written to the Finance Minister last month ahead of the Union Budget, L&T CMD A M Naik expressed concerns over import of Chinese power equipment to India that totaled nearly 8.3 billion dollars, while Chinese taxation model struck down any hopes of Indian exports to China.” (Times Now 27th July 2009)

So, why are we suddenly so dependent on the Chinese power equipment?

One of the reasons can be the variety of options the Chinese provide. China has got technology for every price. With the Indian power sector being opened to the private players after the Electricity Act of 2003 there is a huge need for the power equipments in India. Further most of the private players who are looking to set up a power plant in India are looking for cheaper technology and on time completion. Till now the Indian PSU, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, had the monopoly in this sector and was perhaps the only major power equipment supplier in India. But with all its back-logs and more expensive technology it is finding it hard to compete with the Chinese invasion, despite all its experience in the sector.

Further, as Mr. A M Naik pointed out, the Chinese taxation model has struck down any hopes of Indian exports to china, and the life of the Indian manufacturers has become all the more difficult.

The current state of affairs may be attributed to the fact that most of the Indian companies are having a collaboration with companies from the western world and though their technology may be more reliable, they are certainly more costlier than their Chinese counterparts.

Another major problem with the Indian power sector is the standardization of the specifications as each and every client/consultant has their own specifications. This makes it difficult for a company like BHEL to execute its order in time.

So, how did the Chinese reach where they are today?

The answer lies in the fact that in the nineties, China invited all the major companies like Babcock, Alstom, Hitachi and Foster Wheeler and established technology tie-ups for sub-critical boilers. By 2000, they had absorbed the technology and banned all foreign players from participating in domestic market. Again after 2000, when there was a need for supercritical technology, they tied up with the global players and absorbed supercritical boiler technology. The Chinese government ensured that the orders were executed only by Chinese domestic players. After 2005, the Chinese government has banned all units less than 300 MWe. Also the government is ensuring that all new units are supercrtical units.

Sadly, in India, successive governments have lacked the vision to implement such bold steps. Even though companies like BHEL and L&T-MHI have invested heavily in establishing manufacturing capabilities, a number of players continue to embrace cheap borrowed technology from China.

Thus, the Indian foreign ministry has to revise its strategy if it wants to save the Indian manufacturers from the Chinese dragons.

Image source: Wikipedia

Year after year, lakhs of students burn the midnight oil for months at a stretch to earn a place in the hallowed halls of the Indian Institutes of Technology. IIT Joint Entrance Examination is considered to be one of the toughest entrance exams in India. Hence, it is not a surprise that only the best brains get into it. But the news that as many as 500 students said no to IIT’s this year is quite interesting, as well as shocking. Further, during this year’s admission there weren’t enough qualified candidates to fill up the reserved seats on offer for the scheduled castes and scheduled tribes, or the physically challenged. This despite the fact that the IITs had made various concessions to ensure they could fill the SC/ST seats. They lowered entry levels for these categories and even went as low as 50% below the last general category student’s marks to do justice to the quota. Even this did not help them get the required number of backward category students.

So, the question arises:  Is the IIT brand vanishing?

Indian Institute of Technology’s were created as centers of excellence for higher training, research and development in science, engineering and technology. Till two years back there were seven IIT’s in India at Delhi, Kanpur, Mumbai, Chennai, Kharagpur, Guwahati and Roorkee. However, the government has added eight more to this list and it is these newly formed IIT’s that are failing to attract students. So, now these newly formed IIT’s will have to fight with the other institutes to attract good enough students into their admission list. This will certainly have an impact on the “Brand IIT” as the gap between quality of students getting into these IIT’s and those getting into the older IIT’s will certainly be huge.

However, having said all this, India strongly needs quality technical institutes which produce quality engineers, especially with the kind of development taking place and also the future requirements. Hence, it is the responsibility of the government to look into these aspects and perhaps give a greater autonomy to the IIT’s regarding the admission procedures and the expansion plans.

IIT’s on the other hand must take care that their brand does not get de-valued by ensuring best faculty and other facilities to the students of these newly formed IITs so that they are at par with the student’s of the older IIT’s in all respects.The student’s of these newly formed IIT’s must feel proud of being an IITian.

There has been growing pressure on India and China from the US-led bloc of developed countries to fix quantifiable targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Indians, presently, are among the lowest emitters of carbon dioxide per capita and as the Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said, “India is simply not in a position to take any legally binding emission reductions.”

In today’s society, every item we consume is created by an industrial process, and hence has greenhouse gas emissions associated with it. It is not just our car or electricity or gas but everything. Everything we consume has greenhouse gas emissions associated with it.

Recently I came across an article in a magazine and it read:

“Burgers are common food items for most people in the US — surprisingly common. Estimates for the average American diet range from an average of about one per week, or about 50/year (Fast Food Nation) to as many as three burgers per week, or roughly 150/year (the Economist, among other sources).”

On searching the internet I came across another interesting piece of information: “combined carbon dioxide footprint of a cheeseburger is 3000 grams of CO2 (at the high end, with coal).”  (source: www.openthefuture.com)

Thus, every American simply by consuming three burgers a week leaves a carbon footprint of around 0.5 metric tonnes per year whereas an Indian leaves a carbon footprint of 1.4 metric tonnes per year, and that includes everything he does for his living in an entire year.

From the above statistics, it very clear that the Indian government should not agree on fixing of targets for greenhouse gas emissions and instead ask our American friends to consume a burger less whenever they feel that Indians are contributing more to the greenhouse gas emissions.

Further, in India around 50 % of the population is below the poverty line and if it has to provide the basic needs like food, shelter and education to this population it has to emit more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, and if the Americans seriously care about the world they should think about foregoing a burger for the sake of their Indian friends.

(An interesting site for information on how the products we use are affecting our environment can be found at the story of stuff. As the site says, “The Story of Stuff is a 20-minute, fast-paced, fact-filled look at the underside of our production and consumption patterns. The Story of Stuff exposes the connections between a huge number of environmental and social issues, and calls us together to create a more sustainable and just world. It’ll teach you something, it’ll make you laugh, and it just may change the way you look at all the stuff in your life forever.”)