What happens when a bank loses public money due to carelessness or due to malpractice? There are repercussions. Now, consider this. About 57,676 tons of foodgrain stored in Food Corporation of India (FCI) godowns between 2013-2018. What happened? Nothing. It looks like 2020 will set a whole new record due to high previous stock and new stocks being added. The value of the food lost – Rs 92,000 crore — is nearly two-thirds of what it costs the government to feed 600 million poor Indians…Continue Reading “Food waste should be a criminal offence”
Doing a weekend post after a while because this one issue has been bugging me. Both me and my wife have massive interest in rice. We write about it, we did a pop-up and an rice exhibition that showcased 32 kinds of rice and are now planning a book. The biggest issue in rice is sourcing. And, that is how we have met the most passionate and amazing people and institutions. How many of you have heard of these two: https://www.juhaal.com/https://amarkhamar.com/ Most would not have….Continue Reading “Why ignore great startups with no funding?”
No matter how badly the economy is doing, India has enough food to ensure that no one will grow hungry doing lockdown. It is not about resources, it is all about intent. Food Corporation of India (FCI) should have stock of 21 million tonnes of food grains. Currently, FCI holds 55.5 million tonnes – over two-and-half times more than mandated. As on March 1, the FCI had 30.97 mt of rice and 27.52 mt of wheat, totalling 58.49 mt. The FCI also has unmilled paddy…Continue Reading “Covid19, FCI, Hunger Deaths and Govt’s Intent”
This is a good discussion. But I have massive issues with the panel. There are no women on the panel and here is why it matters more than ever before. 1. Workspaces have changed for both men and women. Home became the new office. How did that affect men and women differently? 2. Two CMs came out openly asking men to share house work. How many of men saw this crisis as a call to step up? 3. Did you lock yourself in one of…Continue Reading “Covid19 and future of work”
Something must have been wrong in our education system that we ended up with so many misguided, well earning bigots in our midst. Part of the reason why our techies lead from the front in bigotry. But even in humanities, our education was so sanitized that all of us lost touch with reality. For all our teaching about caste system in graduation and post-grad, there was not a single line about caste violence. It did not exist. Caste was just a theory. I am watching…Continue Reading “Caste violence and education”
We have put enough hours between 9:00 a.m. and now, and I had my breakfast and caffeine fix just to make sure that I am not hyperventilating out of hunger or caffeine withdrawal, so let me put this out there – My biggest problem with these 09:00 a.m./08:00 p.m. tamashas is the audacity with which the government and the PM treats all of us citizens like a bunch of imbeciles! They don’t think we deserve transparency about data and preparedness, they don’t think we need…Continue Reading “Burn the apathy. Not candles”
What could have helped us in these times – scientific temper and empathy. The IITs and AIIMs and the moon chasing were proof of our pursuit of scientific temper. We have tried to tear that to shreds in last 6 years. Most of the people can’t differentiate between science and mythology anymore. Socialist. That word was put in the preamble as a proof of our institutionalised empathy. A duty towards the poorest. Govt has moved to remove that from the constitution. So even if the…Continue Reading “Empathy and scientific temper”
The mighty Amazon had to shut down. The neighborhood guy could still open. This is an opportunity to rethink our approach towards digital, sustainability and running headlong into any one direction thinking that is progress. Let’s try and understand structures before we dismantle and build new ones. Corona will go but we need to build a more resilient systems. Time to rethink.
It’s too early to think of ways in which corona will impact businesses and corporate culture. But it is never too early. If you are just waiting for it to pass so you can revert to old ways, you are doing it wrong. This is the time when you rethink everything. Is what you did sustainable? Are there better ways to do what you did? 1. Can you do without taking that flight? People who boast of being too busyy, taking too many flights and…Continue Reading “Corona – Lessons for corporates”
Rightism everywhere empowers men. Puts them in the front, gives them weapons and power, protects them when they rape and creates a culture where women are property without rights. Same goes for dalits, blacks, muslims, homosexuals etc etc. In India, RSS has no membership for women. They give arms. They give them a war cry – Jai Shri Ram. Now, the same men attack girls in a college and molest and masturbate while they chant a religious chant. Because, over last two months, it is…Continue Reading “Gargi college attack is a typical rightism symptom”
The Delhi elections are over. The exit polls predict that AAP is set to win. And liberals are disdainfully admitting that they voted Arvind Kejriwal’s AAP despite their disappointment in him and his party! Disappointment in what? That AAP fought the elections only on issues of development. That they did not win fighting fascism. They made statements against fascism but did not come out on the streets. They voted against CAA in the Parliament and fulfilled their parliamentary duty but did not come to Shaheen…Continue Reading “Why do liberals expect the world from AAP but will never credit them”
How do you experience the city depends on the class you belong to and how to navigate it. In India, class is defined by ownership of vehicle. So, public transport is for those who ‘have not’. Let me give you an example of Dhaula Kuan and how it has lessons for city planners who are usually biased in predictable ways. Dhaula Kuan was one of the most congested stretches of Delhi. Airport being close by meant your making to the flight depended on how you…Continue Reading “Dhaula Kuan, city planning and pedestrians”
This is a serious question and post. My sister forced me to start a SIP when I was making 8 thousand per month. I started from 5 thousand per month, my first job. In last 15 years, we don’t have much savings. I took savings and retirement plan seriously only last year. So, the 10% tax on mutual funds has hit me hard. There are not many ways in which our savings make money. Tax offset schemes (80C and all that), mutual funds etc make…Continue Reading “The mutual funds tax has me worried”
Written by Tanushree Bhowmik Dear unchaste, wanton Radha The mischievous Kanu is atop the kadam tree Dear one, do not go for a bath… The unmistakable beats of the khamak, a folk instrument that combines string and percussion, along with this song in a powerful, raspy voice led us to Sukumar Baul. He sat under a thatched roof, with his two accompanists singing this song on the banks of the Kopai river. Kopai river, that had inspired Tagore to write one of his most famous…Continue Reading “Baul on the banks of Khopai, Shanti Niketan”
Bhubaneswar did 2 protests yesterday. Some 100 people showed up. But that is not the only reason why I never disclose I am an Odia. Here are a few more reasons why I think being an odia is shameful: 1. Not a single progressive social movement after independence. Once a leader in dowry deaths, the trend slowed down only after law was implemented strictly. 2. The tribals are from another universe. Have you ever heard a single Odia raise issues of the tribals, deforestation and mining…Continue Reading “Ashamed to be an Odia”
My good and active friends, I know some of you have not taken a mental break, have not breathed easy and have not stopped feeling guilty about the protests and those who have sufffered from government led terrorism. But this is going to be a long fight and we need to change guards and stay ‘hydrated’. 1. Dont try to attend all protests. It will only tire you out. 2. Keep apolitical friends. Socialize. The fight takes a toll, make sure your schedule breathe…Continue Reading “Dear Protesters, don’t feel guilty, take care of yourselves”
The government hasn’t notified the CAA yet. That and the excess use of force shows they are on a backfoot. Even if it is marginally. It is probably a good time to amp up the pressure but only with the protests but also with a few other things – 1. File a good number of complaints against police action in Jamia and AMU with the National Human Rights Commissions. Rally with member of Parliaments and member of Legislative Assemblies who are opposed to the CAA…Continue Reading “CAA opposition strategies beyond the protests”
What a day. What a day. Young ones reading the Constitution on buses that they are detained on. Hindus and Sikhs forming a human chain while Muslims pray on the streets in Jamia. The generation, that we decided as materialistic and never seen struggle, shows us what their idea of India is. And, unknowingly, or may be he knew, Kanhaiya has given India it’s second independence war cry. The middle class lazy India. The armchair intellectual India. The selling vote for a bottle India. The…Continue Reading “The New Inquilab”
The weekend is here, so are weekend thoughts. Before you proceed, let me tell you that this post is not written to criticise anyone. It has only one goal – raise the level of discussions at events. For years, I have been on both sides of events – inviting speakers and moderating and speaking. And, there is only principle – if you are carrying presentation that is not specifically made for that sessions, if you don’t have content that is curated as per the session…Continue Reading “Every event. Same Presentation. Duh.”
Valarmathi Mess and Caterers All that you wanted to try in Coimbatore can be tried here. Biryani, Pallipalayam, Kalakki – they are all there. I loved the mutton biryani. There is a chicken and a mutton gravy on the table. They are complementary and come in big steel mugs. The raita is replenished before you can finish what’s on the plate. Like all places in Coimbatore, has an AC and a non-AC section. The Pallipalayam was nice. Though, I found the Kalakki a little…Continue Reading “Must eat places in Coimbatore”