हम रिटायर हो हीं क्यूँ जबकि Age is Just a Number

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क्या आप जानते हैं कि मानव की सबसे गुणवत्तापूर्ण परिणाम देने वाली आयु कौन सी होती है? किस आयुवर्ग में मनुष्य सर्वाधिक उपयुक्त हो सकता है?

• बीस से तीस?
• पच्चीस से पैंतीस?
• जी नहीं, साठ से सत्तर।

जी, सही पढ़ा आपने। 60 से 70 आयुवर्ग के युवा सबसे बेहतर गुणवत्तापूर्ण परिणाम दे सकते हैं। ये जानकारी कोई और नहीं, न्यू इंग्लैंड जर्नल ऑफ मेडिसिन की रिपोर्ट है जो 2018 में प्रकाशित हुई। एक और ध्यातव्य तथ्य है कि नोबल पुरस्कार पाने वालों की औसत आयु 62 वर्ष है। दुनिया की सर्वाधिक ख्यातिलब्ध फार्च्यून – 500 कंपनियों के मुख्य कार्यकारी अधिकारियों की औसत आयु भी 63 वर्ष है।

मानव को संसाधन यूँ ही नहीं कहा जाता, अंग्रेजी में कहें तो हम सब रिसोर्सेस हैं जिनकी कुछ न कुछ प्रासंगिकता अवश्य है। जिस आयुवय में मानव अपने सर्वोत्तम परिणाम देने की स्थिति में आता है, दुर्भाग्य से सेवाओं से निवृत्त कर दिया जाता है।

सोचिये, जिस व्यक्ति ने अनुभव और ज्ञान अर्जित किया हो, उसकी प्रतिभा रिटायर होकर यूँ ही व्यर्थ हो जाए तो देश और समाज का कितना नुकसान हो? ऐसे मानव संसाधनों के अनुभवी ज्ञान का उपयोग राष्ट्र निर्माण एवं समाज कल्याण में लगे तो भारत देश प्रगति के नित नव सोपान गढ़े।

ये प्रतिभा संपन्न मानवीय संसाधन यदि किसी संस्था के माध्यम से अपने अनुभव एवं ज्ञान का प्रयोग किसी विशेष परियोजना अथवा कार्य में लगाएँ तो विकास की गति को तीव्र करने में क्या ही समय लगे?

एक विश्वसनीय रिपोर्ट के अनुसार, प्रतिदिन 15000 लोग, केवल भारत में, सेवानिवृत्त होते हैं। मान लीजिये कि एक व्यक्ति औसतन 25 वर्ष की आयु में नौकरी/स्व-रोजगार पर नियुक्त होता है और 60 वर्ष तक कार्यरत रहता है तो औसतन प्रतिव्यक्ति 35 वर्षों का अनुभव, ज्ञान, स्किल हम विगत अनेकों वर्षों से खोते चले आ रहे हैं। यदि इस अनुभव का उपयोग किया जाए तो अरबों-खरबों रुपये का लाभ सरकार को हो तथा सेवानिवृत्ति पश्चात् भी लोग अपने अर्थ को सुदृढ़ करते रहें। और देश को भी पेंशनर्स की जगह सेल्फ-एम्प्लॉयड/स्किल्ड वर्कफोर्स मिले जो अर्थव्यवस्था को मजबूत करे, और पारिवारिक एवं सामाजिक रूप से भी सर्वस्वीकार्य एवं सम्मानित हों।

रिटायर होने के बाद घर बैठने वाले बुजुर्ग समाज एवं परिवार में वही सम्मान एवं स्वीकार्यता नहीं पाते जो उनके पहले सहज ही प्राप्य थी। ऐसे में मानसिक तनाव एवं उससे उपजी बीमारियों के इलाज में होने वाले खर्च का बोझ परिवार पर भी पड़ता है, समाज पर भी एवं राष्ट्र पर भी। देश जिस अनुभव से आगे बढ़ सकता है उससे भी वंचित रह जाता है।

इसीलिए, सिर्फ शरीर और मन को ही चलायमान मत रखिये, अपने कौशल एवं अनुभव का उपयोग कीजिये, खुद को किसी संस्था के साथ, सामाजिक संगठनों के साथ अथवा सरकारी/व्यक्तिगत/स्वरोजगार के कार्यों में लगा कर तनाव से भी मुक्त रहा जा सकता है, देश की जीडीपी में भी योगदान दिया जा सकता है एवं समाज में प्रतिष्ठा बनाये रखी जा सकती है।

यदि आप किसी भी प्रकार के रुग्ण(बीमारी) से पीड़ित न हों तो बहुत संभव है कि 75 वर्ष की तरुण आयुवय में भी सहज रूपेण कार्यरत रहा जा सकता है। माननीय उच्चतम न्यायालय के मुख्य न्यायाधीश, न्यायमूर्ति एन वी रमन्ना ने भी कहा कि उच्चतम न्यायालयों के न्यायाधीशों की सेवानिवृत्ति की आयु 65 वर्ष करने पर विमर्श किया जाना चाहिए, उनके पास अभी भी सामाजिक जीवन में कार्यरत रहने योग्य ऊर्जा है।

व्यक्तिगत अनुभवों से एक प्रसंग साझा करना चाहूंगा, कुछ दिन पूर्व ही मुझे एक 94 वर्षीय महानुभाव से मिलने का अनुभव मिला। उनकी ऊर्जा अचंभित कर गई। उनके जीवन दर्शन ने मुझे प्रेरित किया, युवासदृश ऊर्जा का अनुभव हुआ। उनके साथ हुए वार्तालाप के प्रमुख विषय थे – मॉडर्न टेक्नोलॉजी, एस्ट्रोनॉमी, आर्टिफिशियल इंटेलिजेंस। इस भेंटवार्ता को लेखक ने At 94, L N Jhunjhunwala confident of attaining the age of 116 शीर्षक से कलमबद्ध भी किया है।

इसी तरह एक 52 वर्षीय महिला से भेंटवार्ता हुई। आश्चर्य जनक तथ्य यह है कि उन्होंने 48 वर्ष की आयु में पर्वतारोहण के विषय में सीखना आरंभ किया और विश्व की प्रमुख ऊँची चोटियों पर अपने साहस एवं परिश्रम का ध्वज सफलतापूर्वक गाढ़ भी दिया। अभिप्राय यह है कि यदि मानव तय कर ले तो आयु एक अंक ही है, ये मानक स्थापित हो जाता है – “ऐज इज जस्ट अ नंबर।“

जब तक आप स्वस्थ हैं, कार्यरत रहिये। इस पंक्ति का एक दूसरा पहलू ये भी है कि जब तक आप कार्यरत हैं, आप स्वस्थ हैं। गीता में भगवान श्रीकृष्ण ने भी कर्म को ही प्रमुख कहा है। ये विश्व कर्मप्रधान है। हम कर्म करते रहते हैं, स्वस्थ रहते हैं किन्तु जैसे ही रिटायर होकर कर्म त्याग देते हैं, तनाव से दोस्ती हो जाती है, बीमारियाँ बेरोकटोक आती जाती हैं, इसीलिए मानव को कर्म करते रहना चाहिए, रिटायर होने का भाव त्याग कर। वैसे भी योगिराज प्रभु श्री कृष्ण ने कहा है: –

“कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन। मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा ते सङ्गोऽस्त्वकर्मणि॥”

कर्म के इसी सिद्धांत को दृष्टिगोचर करते हुए, लेखक ने एक सामाजिक प्रयास आरंभ किया है जिसे “नेवर से रिटायर्ड” (website www.neversayretired.in) कहा जाता है। आज देश के प्रबुद्ध जनों में अपने लेखों एवं अभियानों के माध्यम से अपना स्थान बना रही है ये वेबसाइट। देशहित, समाजकल्याण एवं स्वयं की उपस्थिति के लिए आज ही रजिस्टर करें और अपने एक नेरेटिव स्थापित करें कि देश की सबसे कीमती बुजुर्ग हैं। आइये देश निर्माण में एक कदम उठाएँ – संकल्पों का, परिश्रम का, अपने अनुभव और ज्ञान का।

चूँकि साठ के हैं आप इसलिए विशिष्ट हैं आप। 

Saving Environment With Quality Products

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Years back I read a book on marketing which talked of how a toothpaste manufacturing company just increased the diameter of the exit part of the toothpaste tube to increase its consumption. The thought process was very simple. With the increase in diameter of the exit nozzle the consumer will naturally use more toothpaste every time the tube is squeezed. This would increase their sales leading to a greater profit. 

Another example given was that of a gas lighter which we commonly use in our kitchens. The manufacturer purposely made substandard lighters so that the consumer will have to replace it often. This would obviously increase the sales of the lighter giving more profits to the manufacturer.

However we forget to see the damage we cause to the environment by adopting such practices, just to increase our profits. 

When a product is made we use so much of electricity, water, raw material, labour etcetera. The more we consume the product the more we will use the above mentioned raw material. Even transporting of the products have an impact on the environment. And added to this is another very major problem of disposing these used items.

To keep the environment better, to ensure that our children and their children lead a healthier life, we have to start taking some drastic steps today. There are many avenues with a number of options to tackle this issue. 

In this article the emphasis being laid is on producing quality products. This will ensure that replacements will be needed less often. Though sales will come down, but the company which will give quality products will certainly be liked by the consumer and it's brand value will increase considerably. May be, even the profitability issue can be addressed by increasing the selling price to some extent. 

Look at the positive side. 

1. Save energy.

2. Save water. 

3. Save raw materials.

4. Save labour.

5. Avoid creating dump yards for waste. 

6. Less transportation needs.

You can yourself keep on adding to this list.

The suggestion may not be liked by the manufacturers, but we must look to this from a humane angle. We should not be very selfish, but start taking care today, for a better tomorrow.

At 94, LN Jhunjhunwala confident of attaining the age of 116

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Spent a most enlightening 3 hours with respected Shri L N Jhunjhunwala ji (LNJ) on Krishna Janamastami day, 19th August 2022. Can't decide if I introduce him as an extremely successful industrialist or a visionary who dreams of seeing Bharat as the most advanced nation, or a spiritual Guru having such indepth knowledge of Vedas, Geeta and other granths.

Starting more than seven decades ago with a small textiles venture, Shri Jhunjhunwala’s legacy now stands tall as LNJ Bhilwara Group, an INR 5,600 crores plus well-diversified business conglomerate with presence in textiles, power, graphite electrodes, IT, skills and energy storage solutions. To know more about this towering personality just click https://www.lnjbhilwara.com/chairman_message.html (Photo of LNJ has been taken from the website.)

LNJ is just 94 years old and has full confidence that he will live till he is 116 years old. At present, there is a concept of living a hundred years in Bhartiya school of thought. (वर्तमान में भारतीय चिंतन में जीवेत शरद: शतम् की अवधारणा है।). However, the age of 116 years is prescribed by the Chandogyopanishad. (छान्दोग्योपनिषद् के द्वारा 116 वर्ष की आयु का विधान है।). It is this new reading of Chandoyaopanishad which assured him that a human can live 116 years and therefore this belief of his. Seeing his physical and mental health I can vouch that his wish to attain the age of 116 will be fulfilled with the grace of Almighty.

LNJ talked of Space Technolgy, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Quantum Physics, Block Chain etc with such ease. He showed books on astronomy and space which were written for US school kids, and questioned if we don't do similar interventions how we will produce scientists and engineers for tomorrow. LNJ has one dream - to see that a Bhartiya soon gets a Noble prize for mathematics.

LNJ talked a lot of Aurobindo ji and Vivekanand ji  He opined that if Gandhiji had listened to Aurobindo ji, Bharat would not have seen the partition of our motherland. Recently his article titled Sri Aurobindo could have stopped partition was published in The Pioneer in June 2022. (Link to the article: https://www.dailypioneer.com/2022/columnists/sri-aurobindo-could-have-stopped-partition.html ). LNJ is a passionate reader and a writer. He has a very rich library which includes several rare books, and believe me, he has read all of that he has.

LNJ talked very highly of one Shri Raghunandanji, who took charge of his school at Hurda. Raghunandanji took care of the school for 50 years and did not take a single paise for his services. He was surely a monk, with no personal desires. LNJ encouraged Shri Raghunandanji to write the book “Wisdom of Vashistha”, which was released by our former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam on 18th October 2004. While talking of Raghunandanji, LNJ informed that there are some 3,000 monks serving the Ramkrishna Mission, Aurobindo Ashram, Raman Maharishi, who take nothing for their services. He very strongly believes that we have several such selfless people who are available to serve the nation, not expecting anything in return. LNJ is deeply associated with such organisations, specially the Ramakrishna Mission.

During these 3 hours, he spoke of several issues. He showed books on those topics to corroborate his deliberations.

LNJ has also written a number of books and has received several awards and recognitions.

I am sure of getting his blessings soon again. In fact, when I meet him next I will take some personal information from him. And even ask him to give a message for today's youth, as to how they should lead their life.

I pray to the Almighty to shower His choicest blessings on Shri Jhunjhunwala ji.

                                                               - Vijay Maroo

Death on roads, because of roads

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Last three days the newspapers have been talking a lot on the death of a person because a pot hole on the road caused the accident of his two-wheeler.

Such news in the media is not new. The present news will soon die down. And again, when another life is lost, we will read it in the newspapers.

I suggest the newspapers, around the country, should have a fixed column, maybe once a week, where readers can write and send photos of such accident spots. Besides pot holes, other discrepancies on roads may also be a reason for accidents to happen. In this column, a pro active role of the media is needed, of keeping on hammering the point till action is taken. This will go a long way to help the society.

Many a times we don't have to wait for government action. NGOs or volunteering efforts by groups or individuals can also play a very positive role. Sometimes we do read of someone, on his own, trying his best to solve the problem. But why so few come forward to do such work. Let more among us give this a serious thought and help in our neighborhood at least.

The role of the police is also very important here. They know better as to how road accidents happen because of bad roads. If they officially write to the road department officials, the PWD or whoever is incharge, it will have more effect and hopefully action will be faster.

Whoever can help should come forward. The ultimate aim is to reduce deaths on roads caused by roads.

Mission Lakes

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With the vision that the rejuvenation of water bodies and the creation of lakes will help in the enhancement of groundwater recharge and will contribute to fighting the scarcity of water, a campaign must be started to make TEN new lakes and rejuvenate TEN existing lakes in each of the 773 districts (as of April 2022) of the country every year.

We should be able to create roughly 8000 new water bodies every year and rejuvenate an equal number of existing ones. In ten years the complete scenario will change for the better.

Additionally these water bodies can become attractive recreational destinations for the local people. Jobs will be created and add to the economic development of the area. Opportunities from earning through advertising hoardings will add to the kitty of local municipal body.

Fortunately we have had good rains for a number of years. However, much is desired to be done to conserve this water. With a little heavy rains we hear of water logging in so many cities, causing such hardships to the commoner. Though, bad drainage system and other faulty urban planning is a major cause, but still, if we have lakes in cities quite a bit of this extra water can be stored.

Visualize a situation these water bodies can create ‐ 

*storage increases to be used in summers, 

*with recharging ground water level rises,

*water logging avoided considerably,

*better life for commoners, will not face hardships with heavy rains,

*less burden on authorities during flooding,

*creation of new picnic spots,

*more jobs,

*better economy.....

Rains and Smart Cities

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Come rains and it seems all our dreams of smart cities is vanishing. In all our major cities we see that with a little heavy downpour waterlogging takes place. Water even enters the homes and people face a lot of trouble. And if the downpour is heavy, the woes multiply several times and it takes days to return back to normalcy.

On one hand we talk of making our cities smart, and on the other hand when we see all this people only pray that just give us a decent place to stay where we do not have to face such hardships. We have layers and layers of re-pavements on roads, making it to rise often; and this forces our premises to go a level down allowing the water to come in. The better way, may be costly, is to first scrap the layer and then only apply fresh material on the road, so that the final level of the road remains unchanged.

Apart from roads much has to be done in our drainage system. Here, not only the government but we are also to be blamed equally. The drains are covered, but is it full proof? One would watch spaces left in these coverings of drains and it is from these spaces that trash enters the drains. We throw our garbage, mainly plastic, in the drain itself. To a certain extent it is because of lack of proper arrangements to dump the garbage and then sheer no concern for civic sense.

To make our cities smart, we will have to first become smart. Become a little more civilized. Think of others too. 

Teachers Are Nation Builders

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On this Teachers Day I salute all our teachers who have been instrumental in making us what we are today. I firmly believe that it is the teachers who are really the makers of future Bharat and future world.

By teachers, I do not mean only the teachers at school or institutes of higher learning. The initial teachers are at home itself. In fact, according to one theory, the learning starts from the time a child is conceived and the mother is the first teacher.

According to me it is the first few years which really shape the life of an individual. We often hear that it’s the sacraments (sanskars) that has shaped a person in a particular fashion to build character of the individual. Who gives these ‘sanskars’? It’s the parents at home, it’s the environment in which the individual has grown and it’s the teachers in the initial years of schooling, in particular.

The National Education Policy 2020 (NEP) has a new pedagogical and curricular structure in which the most important, according to me, are the Foundational and Preparatory stages. The other two stages being Middle, 3 years in Class 6, 7 and 8 for children in the age group of 11 to 14; and Secondary, 4 years in Class 9 to 12 for the age group of 14 to 18. The new structure is 5+3+3+4.

In the Foundational stage NEP has sub categorized it in 3 years at Anganwadi, pre-school or Bal Vatikas for children in the 3 to 6 age group and 2 years in Class 1 & 2 for children in the age group of 6 to 8 years.

In the Preparatory stage NEP has prescribed 3 years in Class 3, 4 and 5 for children in the 8 to 11 years age group.

It is in these initial years that the ‘sanskars’ are imbibed. In the NEP also this quality of an individual is mentioned. In one of the principles among the several fundamental principles  that will guide both the education system at large, as well as the individual institutions within it includes ethics and human & Constitutional values like empathy, respect for others, cleanliness, courtesy, democratic spirit, spirit of service, respect for public property, scientific temper, liberty, responsibility, pluralism, equality, and justice as one.

In these two stages, Foundational and Preparatory, the teachers here have to be just exclusive. These teachers must be better trained in all spheres. Even the subject that they teach, have to be oriented towards making the child a better human being. Examples for the prescribed curriculum should be so chosen that it gives the right message to the child. Many educationists have done exemplary work in this direction.

Giving here a few examples of how some organizations are working to make the youngsters, the future of Bharat, a better human being. There must be many more such examples.

I know of Ekal Vidyalaya movement which has its presence in more than a lakh villages, where education is given in an informal manner to children upto the age of 14. Some 28 lakh children attend these One Teacher Schools. Their motto is to provide education through games. They call it Khel Khel Mein Siksha (खेल खेल में शिक्षा). Ekal has even gone digital in many areas. Giving ‘sanskar’ or value and ethics based education is their primary belief. For more information visit their website www.ekal.org.

Similarly in around 13,000 formal schools of Vidya Bharati ‘sanskar’ and value/ethics education starts from very initial classes and continues till Class 12. On their rolls are some 32 lakh students. Their academic achievements are also good with many rank holders in different states around the country. It is believed that value/ethics based education acts as catalysts for these good results. For more information visit their website www.vidyabharti.net.

There is a voluntary organization - HEMA Foundation. The foundation looks to enlighten children about the key roles played by parents and society in shaping them into fine individuals. It aims to cultivate better and compassionate understanding of their responsibilities towards Self, Family, Society, the Nation at large, and help them become better human beings. They have produced a number of videos on the subject. HEMA stands for Humane Endeavour For Moral Awakening. For more information visit their website www.hemafoundation.org

The government has announced the NEP. They have set the ball rolling. Now it is the responsibility of the society, each one of us, to see that we provide best of education with values to the coming generation, future of Bharat.

EDUCATION WITHOUT VALUES IS OF NO VALUE.

Indian Toys For Global Children

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In the address of Mann ki Baat on Sunday 30th August, Prime Minister Narendra Modi talked about how India could become a hub of toy production. Talking of developing new toys for the children, he said that toys not only augment activity, they also give flight to our aspirations. Toys, not only entertain, they also build the mind and foster an intent too, he said.

Prime Minister further said that in the National Education Policy, a lot of attention has been given on the impact of toys on different aspects of children's lives. He said there are several skilled artisans who possess expertise in making good toys and some parts of the country like Channapatna in Ramnagaram in Karnataka, Kondaplli in Krishna in Andhra Pradesh, Thanjavur in Tami Nadu, Dhubari in Assam, Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh are also developing as Toy clusters. 

Talking of business opportunities that the toy industry offers, he said that while Global Toy Industry is worth more than 7 lakh crore rupees, India currently has a very little share in it. He exhorted the entrepreneurs to team up for toys, saying it is the time to get vocal for local toys.

Prime Minister Modi has rightly called for making India a hub for toy manufacturing. China, at the moment, commands the global toy market. With our resolve to be 'atmanirbhar' we should ensure that we do not import toys and, instead, work for exporting toys to the global market.

 

Every village of ours has a game of their own, which are very local. Entrepreneurs can explore possibilities of developing toys based on these exclusive games played in our villages. 

While venturing in the manufacturing of toys, we must ensure good and safe quality standards, not only for global market but also for local use.

Let us work for a good share of the 7 lakh crore global market. Indian toys for global children should by our 'mantra'.

Optical Fibre Connectivity To All 6 Lakh+ Villages Will Be A Game Changer

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In the Independence Day address to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he talked of a number of welfare measures and development programs that will be undertaken. However, I feel the most important of the announcements was that of connecting all the six lakh plus villages with fibre optical cable. The opportunities this move will provide are manifold.

It will uplift the economy, specially of rural India, tremendously. The income of farmers will rise as they will be able to use the eNAM platform provided by the government in a better way and even reach the consumer directly. Imagine the vegetables that a farmer grows can reach his customer directly, fresh every morning, once internet facilities are available.

Retail shops will open in villages which would help in reaching the products that were not available till now to the villagers. Common Service Centres will open in all villages and provide the residents many facilities, for which they had to run to block or district headquarters.

 In the last six months we have seen growth of online education in the cities because of Covid_19 pandemic. Educational institutions have closed and no one knows when they will open. There are reports that the rural children are not getting the full advantage of digital education that the schools are providing. They do not have smart phones and the connectivity issues are there. Some have come out with 2G solutions, but still the connectivity is an issue. The education of rural children is suffering. It is feared that when the schools reopen, maybe we will see a good number of students dropping out. In these six months the parents have engaged the children in some work giving them a little extra income. And when the schools reopen (when?) they will be reluctant to join back. We will have to start another campaign of “Chalo School”.

 in such a scenario the broadband connectivity through optical fibre would become a game changer, even for education.

Jobs will be created in lakhs, not only in the cities but also in rural India. The best outcome will be that the local youth will not have to migrate to cities to look for jobs. This will even help in reducing the burden on urban centres manifold. The amount saved from creating infrastructure in cities can then be diverted to be invested in rural area.

 The Prime Minister has given a deadline of a thousand days for achieving this connectivity to each village. We have so many villages in remote, hilly and other difficult areas. It is a mammoth task, but with the determination and will power of all, we are on our way to create a New Bharat.

Disposal Of Used PPE Kits

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Only last month there was a news of over a crore PPE kits and two crore N95 masks being given to states by the Central Government. (Read this news : http://bharatmahan.in/positive-news/more-2-cr-n95-masks-1-cr-ppes-distributed-free-cost-central). It is also reported that we are making three lakh PPE kits and the same number of N95 masks every day. Add to this the numbers that are imported and also being made in the unorganised sector that are not accounted for.

It is good that we have become 'atmanirbhar' in these two products. We have even started exporting them.

However, it seems we have not given much attention to the disposal of this bio-medical waste which is so hazardous. 

As it is, our records in the disposal of bio-medical waste has nothing to boast about. Now, with the added burden of PPE kits and masks, amidst the COVID_19 crisis, the concerned departments have to immediately swing into super-active mode. All must appreciate the danger we are facing. Number of Covid positive cases are rising every day at great speed. We have been improving in the facilities of its treatment with hundreds of hospitals now taking care. Even testing facilities have shown a dramatic increase. All this has led to more use of PPE kits and masks.

Only two days back it was reported in a Mumbai newspaper how this waste is piling up in hospitals. According to this report, in this city alone, there is an increase of bio-medical waste to the tune of ten thousand kgs a day. Similar is the case all over the country.

Who knows, among the thousands of new positive Covid cases detected daily, some would have been affected by this waste.

The Health Ministry, Environment Ministry and the Prime MInister's Office need a lot to do and address this issue on war footing. Even Niti Aayog could step in. Our IITs, ICMR and the like are developing new techniques to treat and test but they should also look into the aspect of bio-medical waste disposal.

To make 'SwasthaBharat' a reality let us start taking action now.

Acquiring Knowledge

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This is in continuation to my post yesterday - "Knowledge With Communication Skills Is A Sure Winner".

Today I am writing only on knowledge. 

Knowledge is not only what you acquire in the school or college. It is also what you acquire at home from your parents and relatives. It is also what you acquire from friends during your interactions with them. You also acquire knowledge later from the print and electronic media, books, social media, etc. And most importantly knowledge comes from life experiences. However, to acquire all this knowledge you have to keep your antenna wide open to accept all the transmission that is taking place. And once you accept, it is up to you to select what you have to delete and what you have to save.

In school or college it is observed that one accepts only those portions that helps in scoring high in the examinations. In school high score is needed to get admission in the college and in the college high score is needed to get a good job. Must also appreciate that, not necessarily there will be a difference in the knowledge of a student scoring 95% above and one scoring 90% above. May be on the particular exam day the student, though knowing all, could not answer for one reason or the other. Once this is achieved, the admission to higher institute or securing a job, no one asks you as to how much you scored in your final examinations. It is then that overall knowledge is, what gives one a real lead over others in life. 

In this overall knowledge is included what you acquire from your parents, relatives and friends, as mentioned initially. In real life it is your attitude, your behaviour, your empathy towards someone who needs support etc. which will take you to great heights.

One must remember that acquiring knowledge is a continuous process. There is no end to learning. Who knew that an engineering graduate who topped the university twenty years back, will have to relearn the technology offered today. Or take the current example of a teacher, following the pandemic. Did any teacher foresee that instead of teaching in the class with a black board, online teaching will have to be done. Same goes in every field. If one does not update with the current trends there are much chances of such persons becoming redundant. 

Acquiring the right knowledge will be key to success.

Knowledge With Communication Skills Is A Sure Winner

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Was hearing a podcast* in which the host Kartikeyan Khator and Abhimanyu Gupta were in conversation with Kim Kaupe (co-founder of The Superfan Company, New York | Shark Tank Starrer | Forbes 30 under 30). In this Kim Kaupe, in the end, mentioned of 'Knowledge being the new currency'. I fully agree with Kim. However, would like to add that with knowledge one must have good communication skills. 

Neither just knowledge nor just communication skill is enough to take you to great heights. There would be many with so much of knowledge, but they lag behind if they do not have a good knack to take their message across. Be it our 'dharam gurus', our political leaders or management experts, one will see that those with good communication skills and grasp over their subject, are the ones to whom one listens, who become icons. 

On the other side if you see a great orator talking rubbish, talking without knowledge of the subject, you for sure will not listen to him/her again. 

If one has both these traits, there is nothing to stop the person from reaching great heights.

Time we realised the importance and start making special efforts to acquire these qualities. And make sure that the children at home, from early age, are guided through to learn these to be a winner always.

 (*To listen to the full half an hour podcast click https://bit.ly/chunderkhator_ep3 )

Creating Special Category Of 80 Plus Senior Citizens

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Prime Minister Nrendra Modi is requested to create a Special category among #SeniorCitizens who are more than 80 years old. For them :
1. No jail term for any offence. If found guilty they should be home quarantined, and local Police Station person can visit them weekly for keeping a track. This will save lot of government money also and put less burden on jail facilities.
2. Create special health insurance scheme applicable only after attaining age of 80 for free medical treatment without any hassles in any hospital. For people covered under Ayushman Bharat it is already there. This is needed for others too.
3. No Income Tax should be levied on persons in this special category of 80 plus for income up-to 10 lakh with absolutely simple form to file returns. All earlier disputes must be settled at the earliest with least hassles for them.
4. Old age homes for this special category is a must with medical and other facilities. Rich should pay, for others should be free. NGOs can be motivated to help too. Country must facilitate their respectable departure for heavenly abode.

Seeing A Dark Future For Automobile Industry

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Post Corona I see a very dark future for the automobile sector. Sales of new cars and goods transport vehicles will come to a stand still.
Primary reasons for this gloomy forecast
* Priority will be to arrange for the basic needs.
* Expansion activities of all will be the first to be hit resulting in no need of more vehicles.
* Infra projects of government will be badly hit as priorities will shift.
* Replacement market will cease for long.
* Additional vehicles in industry, business and family will not be in priority list.
* Shifting from 2 wheeler to 4 wheeler will halt, once again because of priorities changing.
* Demand for trucks will go down as there will be less transportation of goods.
With this happening we will see
* Closure of few industries.
* Cutting down production to around 10%.
* Closing down of most retail show rooms.
* Tremendous job loss.
* Salary cuts at higher level.
* Cost cutting all over.
What would improve
* Demand for public transport will increase.
* Increase in sales/purchase of used vehicles.
* Increase in vehicle repairing sector.
* Increase in demand of spare parts.

Fastags Will Check Crime Too

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December 1, 2019 is the deadline for the mandatory use of FASTag for all private and public transport vehicles, at toll plazas on all national highways (NH) across India. This will reduce the time one had to spend at the toll gates for making payment.

The FASTag, enabled with Radio-frequency Identification (RFID), has to be attached on your car's windshield. This is linked with registration details of your vehicle. As one passes through the designated toll gate the RFID code detects your vehicle and the toll fee is deducted from the prepaid balance you have. All this is smooth and fast and you don't have to waste any time on the toll gate.

Now, if the authorities want, this FASTag can help in checking crime too. We often read news of theft of cars. And most of these stolen cars are sold in another state. Only recently a gang of car thieves were caught who used to steal cars in UP and NCR and sell it in the North East. Now, all these cars, if they are driven from one state to another, will have to pass through several toll gates. The FASTag will necessarily read this car too. Same would be the case when a criminal is known to be travelling in a particular vehicle. By flashing the vehicle number the detection may be a little easier.

I may be wrong, but would request the Home Ministry and state Police to look into this.

Reducing Consumption Is The ONLY Solution

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Remember those days when we were told that using paper causes destruction of trees. Many campaigns were launched to reduce its consumption. Movements to save trees could be seen all over, even today. The paper packets started vanishing. Most must be remembering we used to get many snacks from the street seller in paper bags (called 'thongas' in some areas). Even poor people used to make these paper bags from old newspapers and earn a living.

And then came plastic. We thought that here comes the saviour of trees in real sense. It did make a difference too. One can see plastic bags, plates, spoons, glasses, bottles... everywhere.

We used it and disposed it, and where did it go? Our of our homes, yes, but ultimately where did it go? It went to the dumping sites, collected in every corner, choked drains... Today drive down any city suburb and see the amount of plastic in trash, all over. Travel by train and see outside the window how plastic waste is dumped everywhere just outside the city. And we have hundreds of thousands staying in such unhygienic conditions in these suburbs, taking a heavy toll on their health.

We have realised now, though pretty late, that this 'god sent' plastic is in fact killing us. It can not be destroyed. It is entering our body in one form or the other. One of the major causes of the ever increasing cancer patients and other sorts of illness is said to be over use of plastic. Often hear news of how these plastic bags filled with kitchen waste and thrown here and there find their way in the stomach of cows causing their death too. Recently a video went viral showing how the plastic bottles and bags thrown in the sea transforms in micro particles, by being hit repeatedly by waves, and then finds its way in the stomach of fishes causing their death.

Now, what has happened is that we once again want to switch back to paper. From throw away plastic cups, plates etc to paper ones or other alternatives, from plastic bottles to glass/metal bottles, etc. Just possible, that after a few decades we will invent something else; after a few decades realise its ill effects and then invent something else. This cycle will go on.

The ONLY lasting solution lies in reducing our consumption of everything, not only plastic. We are concerned about water shortage, or power or fuel shortage. We are extracting minerals from mother earth, which is not going to last long. Many argue that if this campaign is taken too far, it will lead to closure of business, factories, make millions jobless, the GDP will nose dive... But, then what's the better alternative?

Reducing consumption is also directly related to the steep increase in our population. The more people we have the more will be the requirement of everything. Serious thought, a change in mindset, is the immediate need.

The decision has to be ours to address this issue. All this can not be left to the rulers, the politicians or leaders. Yes, someone has to take this forward. Why not you and me. Or else our children and their children will never forgive us.

Need For 'Waste Management Council' For India

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With the ever growing population and the basic need of fulfilling the promise of ‘ease of living’ and ‘living healthy’ for all Indians, it is imperative that the waste that we create is managed properly.

India is on the path of development, the buying power of the commoner is increasing and with this the consumption of everything is bound to increase. This will also result in the increase of waste that will be generated.

The waste can be domestic, construction, medical, green(plants), industrial, e-waste or whatever.

By managing the waste, in a need based manner, the country will not only save tremendously in its natural resources, which are not going to last forever, but also create an environment friendly atmosphere for all.

Going through the information provided by PIB in 2016, the waste composition of India includes 38 million metric tonnes (MMT) of Organic waste, 22 MMT of Recyclables and 9 MMT of Hazardous. This estimated will be much more today.

According to an article in Hindu Business Line, by 2030 India will be producing 165 MMT of municipal solid waste, which is likely to increase to 450 MMT by 2045.

THE COUNTRY CANNOT AFFORD TO WASTE THIS WASTE

In the same article of Hindu Business Line, it talks of a CPCB report which said that in 2014-15 91% of the solid waste created was collected. Out of this only 27% was treated and the remaining was dumped at dump sites. A recent study indicated that India would need a landfill of 88 sq km, to dump its waste by 2030.

Then, the recycling rates in India are very low, much below the international benchmarks - for packaging paper it is 27%, for plastics 60%, for metals just 20-25%. In Scandinavian countries, the average recycling rates have reached 90%.

Innovative ideas have to come
to use the waste
to extract precious material from the waste
for its disposal in hygienic eco-friendly manner.

WHAT WILL BE THE MANDATE OF THE PROPOSED COUNCIL

The Council will pursue the 3Rs
Recycle
Reduce
Reuse

The Council will ensure that recyclable waste does not end up in a dump yard.

It will set up a R&D Centre.

It will set up sub-branches in educational institutes to throw challenges for innovation and idea generation.

It will ensure citizen participation and engagement.

It will guide the industry to ensure manufacture of quality products to last longer, resulting in its delayed disposal as waste.

SERVICES WHICH SHOULD BE PROVIDED BY THE COUNCIL

Motivate and guide innovators to develop best practices within the country.

Provide guidance to implement approved practices on ground.

Institute awards at different levels to encourage innovation and to encourage implementation.

Promote global co-operation.

Organise seminars, workshops, exhibitions and publish subject reports for information dissemination.

WHO SHOULD CONSTITUTE THE PROPOSED COUNCIL

Representatives from:
PMO
Niti Aayog
Swachhata Mission
CSIR
Industry body
NGT

and from the ministries of:
Environment
Renewable Energy
Health
Industries
MSME
Urban
HRD

Education Without Values Is Of No Value

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Reading the newspapers every morning and even watching the prime time news, one starts thinking as to what has led to the rot that we see or hear. Rapes, murders, looting and other crime news so prominently displayed from page one to pages following. How can the day be good if one starts his/her day reading such negative news?
One must ponder as to what has led to this situation. It can not be brushed away saying that the responsibility to take care of the law and order problem is that of the government.
To me, it looks like that we have failed somewhere in our education system. No doubt, our literacy rate has improved a lot; but surely there has been amiss somewhere. To give an example, witness  traffic violations being committed by literate persons so often. Don't these violators know that they are doing something that is wrong, that they are causing problems for others on the road, that they may even have fatal accidents?
In our education, be it at home or at the school/college, there has been a lack of teaching of values and ethics. Added to this unfortunate situation is what one observes in their elders, in their teachers, in their peers or in the leading personalities, who do not set a good example themselves.
It is high time that a serious look is given to the prevailing situation and measures are taken to rectify the course. The sooner it is done, the better for the society, the better for me and you. Considering our nation, the government can take any number of good measures to uplift the socio-economic conditions, still it is the individual citizen's role which is going to make all the difference.
The teaching of values has to start from home, has to start from very early childhood. The child goes to school only after a couple of years. And even after that, the child spends most of his time at home. The environment at home is the early lessons that is being received. In the school we have teachers, but at home the parents and other elders are more than teachers. And once the child starts going to school, the role of the teachers there become so important to impart values.
Would soon dwell upon both - the teacher at home and the teacher in school.

Why Some Private Schools Call Themselves Public Schools

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One comes across the names of many schools, some of them very prominent ones, which incorporate the words “Public Schools”. When we use the word ‘Public’ for organizations, it usually means they are state owned. Take for example the government banks are called Public Sector Banks or say some manufacturing units or companies which are called Public Sector Units (PSUs). Imagine if we call the ICICI Bank as ICICI Public Bank or HDFC Public Bank. This sounds so illogical. Then why XX Public School?

Logically schools that are funded by the government or by the community should only be called ‘Public Schools.’ This perception that ‘Public Schools’ only provide good education must be demolished.

Today, anyone can open a school and call itself a Public School. No doubt there are many Public Schools whose students give excellent results and score high in the board examinations and specialized entrance examinations. But, then, there are many who try to build their brand calling itself a ‘Public School’ with little infrastructure or team of good teachers.

Even in smaller towns one would not be surprised to find many schools which call themselves Public Schools.

Trying to find out what’s the practice in USA came across this in Wikipedia :

“Education in the United States is provided by public, private and home schools.” (This clearly gives the different categories and public and private are separate.)

“State governments set overall educational standards, often mandate standardized tests for K–12 public school systems and supervise, usually through a board of regents, state colleges, and universities. Funding comes from the state, local, and federal government. Private schools are generally free to determine their own curriculum and staffing policies, with voluntary accreditation available through independent regional accreditation authorities, although some state regulation can apply.”

Early in November 2017 SC asked the UGC to give direction to all Deemed Universities that they cannot use the word ‘University’. (http://www.edulaws.com/deemed-universities-cannot-use-word-university/). In a similar move the HRD Ministry should frame rules forcing the schools not to use “Public Schools” with their names unless the school is funded by the government or the community.

Are We Ready To Ban 15-year Old Vechicles

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Proposal to ban 15 year old vehicles have come a number of times. Very recently Society for Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) has asked the government to ban these old vehicles as they cause pollution. And may be that if this ban is imposed the demand for vehicles go up helping these manufacturers.
Even if a ban is put into force, are we ready for it?
Should age be the only factor to ban vehicles from the road. May be we have vehicles that are not 15 years old but their emission level is very high. Shouldn't these vehicles be banned? On the other hand there might be vehicles which are older than 15 years but still are very well maintained or may be they are not driven much, then why ban these vehicles.
Before making a law to ban old vehicles may be a look into the above mentioned issues be taken into consideration.
Another issue is that there must be proper and concrete arrangement for disposing of these junked vehicles. If this is not done we will have piles of banned vehicles lying here and there. Do we have such specialised junk yards which can tear these vehicles apart and recycle the raw material - apart from the iron, there is rubber, plastic, glass, batteries, electronic items - many very harmful to the environment if not disposed off properly.

SwachhBharat to SwasthaBharat to SamradhBharat

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In India, we regularly see photographs and news in the media of the rubbish dumps all over in major cities where millions stay. And we mostly talk of the municipal corporations not doing their job. Following these news items, sometimes action follows and the particular area is cleaned a little. But that's it. Nothing further.
The problem is big. The municipal corporations do not have funds, what ever they have is administered very badly and then there are no long term plans. With the call of PM Modi for Swachh Bharat the pace for cleanliness has picked up but not to the level the problem demands.
We hear of dumping sites - the existing ones filled up, no space for new ones and so on. But we rarely hear of recycling plants or making use of the waste for some purpose....
We also do not want to realise as to what this filth is costing on the health front. The health bill of the country can come down drastically, the life span of its citizens can improve, they can become more productive, if only the environment is kept clean.
Another big culprit on the deteriorating health of urbanites is the floating dust particles in air. Unfinished and uncovered work on road sides and construction sites being the main reasons. Here also most cities have no crushing units for construction wastes, which is primarily used for filling. This cannot go on for ever. Priority will have to be given to such crushing units in all urban areas, and it must be ensured that this recycled construction waste is made good use of.
Let us remember SwachhBharat to SwasthaBharat to SamradhBharat.
After posting the above day before, today I read a piece by Isher Judge Ahluwalia and Almitra Patel in The India Express on the subject. An excellent piece which I though of sharing here. It talks of solutions to the problem - A new rapid bioremediation process that can remove garbage hills and end their ill effects, promises a low-cost solution to waste management and disposal.
The link to this is http://indianexpress.com/article/opinion/columns/a-city-laid-waste-waste-management-environment-4725115/

Harnessing Energy Of The Seniors

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We have so many people retiring every day - some by choice, some by organisation rules where they were serving, some forced by circumstances .... And still many of them have so much of energy and intentions to work further, if given an opportunity.
With the experience that these senior citizens have one must consider ways to harness the energy of these people for the welfare of needy, for serving the nation.
In our India, we can do so much, even without any government help, to help the community in which we live in. There are n numbers of voluntary organisations (NGOs as commonly called) - and many of them are doing really good work - they are always in the look out for volunteers. One can join them, after properly assesing their work and their need. Or else one can do it indiviudally or take a lead to form a group to take this further.
The whole idea is not to stay idle, or else besides people forget you or neglect you, it would take its toll on your health and the process to end of life will be difficult.
A friend told me of a retired person who dedicates his time in helping the neighbourhool with their issues with differnet agencies without any remuneration. This person has made a schedule for himself - on Mondays he will take all issues of neighbours, of say, electricity department - their bill payment or some clarification or excess billing and so on; similarly on Tuesdays' for municipal issues and so on. Now such an effort can be done any where by any one.
Today, with the call of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for 'Swachh Bharat', so much can be done in the surrounding that one lives in. If one starts, innumerable ideas will come to take this on a logical path. And we all know that 'Swachh Bharat' will lead to 'Swastha Bharat'. This single act of keaping the surrounding clean can help in so many ways.
Yesterday I floated this idea on my FaceBook account and so much of inputs are pouring in. All have one thing in common - that the energy of seniors must be made good use of.
A friend has suggested that there are so many professionals - engineers, doctors, architects, marketing experts etc. who can offer their services to organisations or individuals, to start-ups or whoever needs it. I am sharing his inputs here : "In Netherlands they have a project called PUM. This is operated by the relevant ministry, church and industry association. They have on roll retired senior people. They are sent across the globe to assist existing industry in upgrading. A similar project can be though of in India." 
Another friend's views are being shared with you all : "I'm presently in Mumbai and go for morning walk. I find that each park has more than one group of senior citizens. But in absence of any agenda they just talk and waste their energy. I am sure every city and every park would have such groups.
My suggestion is not just a talk, there is already too much of it, but a concrete program preferably with some sort of tangible benefits would go a long way. This resource can be tapped for cleanliness, plantation, antipolution and other drives. Protection and care of senior citizens living alone itself is a big challenge. This resource can come very handy to man this."
Do send your feedback. And start doing... NEVER SAY RETIRE.

Lane For Electric Vehicles on Highways

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The extreme left lane on highways can be provided with overhead electric supply wires - like the ones we have for trains. And in this lane heavy vehicles can move reducing use of diesel and reduce carbon emission. We have had electric buses in many cities earlier too. The technology is nothing new. We just have to improvise. The buses/trucks have to be made such that they use electricity when on such highways and use diesel otherwise. The vehicles can be fitted with electric meters and charged accordingly. Further, where-ever possible, solar panels can be fitted on vacant remote land which can be add to the supply line.

My Wish List for Modi's Government

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1.                   Talking of ethics and values – I consider that all the ills prevailing in the society, be it corruption, lack of work culture, in-sensitivity to fellow citizens, etc. etc. are the result of lack of the right education with no regard to ethics and values. Only becoming a graduate or a post-graduate is not enough. The leaders should practice and preach on ethics and values in life.

2.                    Tackling price rise – everyone is hit hard and the people are looking for immediate southern dive of the prices of eatables in particular. News is that the price of petroleum products is set to immediately increase after the elections which will lead to increase in the prices of everything that we consume. While I do not say that subsidy should be provided but surely one can look at the administrative/operative expenses in the industry and go far massive cost cuts. For salaried class an increase in salary cannot be the only solution – if the living cost declines s/he will be more than happy.

3.                   Bijli, Pani, Sadak – nothing new but it is the Bijli, Pani and Sadak which, if taken care of, can immediately be viewed by all as to something which the government has done.

4.                   Becoming healthy – if India has to become healthy its citizens have to become healthy. And this can happen if they are provided with a clean environment, stress-free living, affordable good health care facilities.

a.                   Waste disposal : In urban and semi-urban area the biggest problem being faced is to dispose off the garbage being collected daily. Add to this the construction waste. We do not have enough land-fill sites where this could be collected. Each passing day the garbage collected has to be emptied a little further away from the city/town and this creates a lot of transportation problem and a lot of money has to be spent on this. Experts should be called in and find a solution to this before it gets out of control.

b.                  Stress-free living : The day to day problems being faced makes a person so stressed that it effects his health and productivity. Be it for education, transportation, living conditions etc. etc. Only better administration at all fronts can improve the situation.

c.                   Affordable health care : The metros are crowded amongst other reasons also for getting better medical facilities. If we can provide quality service in smaller places people will not crowd the metros. This will do away with many a problems including the rush in our trains. Visit the AIIMS and one can realize that many of the patients are from East, which is lacking in good medical facilities.

5.                   Police Reforms : Recently a survey was done in rural India trying to find out as to who is the most important person with whom you have to interact the most. And the choices given were, a teacher, a preacher, a postman, a politician and a policeman. And the result was in favour of our policeman. Unfortunately the police have earned such a bad reputation over time that whatever extremes one talks about them it is believed. And it is this perception that has to be changed if the society wants a safe future which will be good both for the policeman and the people at large. On the other hand have we ever gone a little inside and tried to find out as to why, if true, all this is happening. There are no duty-hours for these people, there are no good housing provisions and their family life is so disturbed because of all this. Their behavior and attitude may be because of the stressful working conditions – for which no remedial measures are taken. And political interference in the police work is order of the day.

6.                   Agriculture : We have had bumper crops but we still lag far behind in the storage facilities for our produce. And by not having these we loose tons and tons of our produce. Building of ware houses, cold storages in areas where there is need has to be done on war footing. Use of more and more organic fertilizer to ensure better health for the citizen is a must. (Growth of cancer patients in the country has been attributed to the use of insecticides, pesticides and chemical fertilizers to a great extent.) Rapid urbanization has distanced the fields – thereby increasing the cost of reaching the produce to the market and making the farmer inoperative. Use of modern technology is the need of the day.

7.                   Land Records : Today most of the frauds, violence, offences, court cases, family disputes are because of property. And the reason is not having proper records of property. Even the Government does not know, or does not want to take the trouble of knowing, if what is its own. I am informed that the data of land records of India are even worst than some of the most poor countries. There are cases of public land being encroached all over. There are cases of the same plot being sold to more than one person. There are cases of false sale of land which is not owned by the seller and so on. And in this, all, rich and poor are being affected.

8.                   Judicial Reforms : Courts are one place where everyone, poor or rich, has to go a number of times in his life time. Improving and simplifying legal framework is a must. A news says that it will take 485 years to clear up the cases in our Courts if the speed at which we are doing this is what it is today. If justice delayed is justice denied then we have to find ways to improve the present situation. We should ensure that the rule of law will be equal for all. It would be only strict implementation of laws that the country can see development and its citizens live in peace and harmony. It should not be different for the rich, politically/administratively high profile people and the common man. In fact we would need less and less of new laws if the implementation is just.

9.                   Electoral Reforms : The idea of simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly polls should be promoted more. And with this we should talk of economic savings which can be utilized for poor and needy. This would also not disturb the general business activity twice making better economic sense. Keeping out known people against whom criminal cases or corruption cases are there should be ensured.

10.               Illegal construction & National wastage : The infamous ‘Coco-cola’ housing society case of Mumbai or the recent ‘untiech multi-storey’ case of Noida has seen hundreds of investors loose crores. Every day we hear news of illegal building razed by authorities. It is time that we take strict  action against the officials too who allowed all this to happen on whatever consideration. This was not black money stashed in foreign banks or lockers. Even if the demolition has been done the nation has lost precious raw material in the form of steel, cement etc, labour and so on. Add to this the cost involved in demolition, transportation and treatment of the rubble. All this could have been better utilized in making of much needed hospitals and schools. Strict and practical rules must be framed and implemented.

11.               Railways : This is a service used by most people – poor and rich. Much has been done and still much more can be done to provide more facilities, to garner economic progress etc. Better utilization of present facilities, speeding up trains, improving the share of goods transportation, reducing pilferage, etc. should be immediately attended to. Reclaiming and better utilization of railway property can give the required funding for improvisation. Making of underpasses at all railway stations for passenger movement will go a long way in service enhancement. Safety of passengers should be a priority with more and better work force. May be making the management under a corporation directly under the Parliament would work better.

12.               Labour laws : Time has come that the labour laws have to be simplified. Not necessarily that any reform will go in favour of the employer. Still all should be made accountable. And ways have to be devised to provide help to the un-organised sector too. The cumbersome forms of ESI and PF have to be simplified. A simple methodology of giving Social Security Tax can be devised where for every rupee paid as salary a certain percentage goes for Social Security of the individual. And that’s it. No ESI, no PF, no wrong expenses being shown as labour expenses. Even if a person comes and does work for 1 day s/he gets the salary for that day and a certain percentage goes in the Social Security. This percentage can be 20 or 25%. This can be linked with ‘aadhar’ card no. Accordingly a methodology can be worked out for the benefits the person gets from this Social Security fund. The system can be studied from other countries, which may be adopting similar systems.

13.               Environment Issues : Today it is this department which is talked of as the most corrupt where gratification is a must if you want any clearances. Practical rules should be framed. If we do not have sand and bricks no construction work would happen. However, restrictions on sand lifting and not being allowed to cut in the mud to make bricks has raised the price of these two items jump as you can have it only at the premium cost. Similarly we talk of not being allowed to cut trees or burn leaves or excessive use of alternate energy – have we ever tried to find out as to how much fuel is lost because of increase in transportation costs and the bad effects of use of lead in batteries for storage of even solar power. No one talks of pollution in the air because of construction work all around – specially in urban areas. The ill-effects of this, on all of us are incalculable. WHO has even classified Delhi as the most polluted city in the world recently.

Misc. 

·                     Tourism & Education Hubs : Most of our states can be developed in great tourism and education hubs. Enormous employment opportunities are generated with these two activities and it is very environment-friendly.

·                     Innovation : Emphasis should be given for innovation. It must be realized that in this age when energy sources are drying up new inventions will have to come. And this is true in all areas.  Incentives should be given and proper remuneration to people involved in this have to be ensured. It should also be ensured that once a team approves the innovation serious efforts should be made to see that use of this starts.

·                     Transport System : Improvements of bus depots, railway stations, airports and the area around will create a good and congenial atmosphere. The approach road to the bus depot or the railway station at most places is in pathetic conditions. It is these places which are used by lacs every day in the state and it has to be improved.

·                     On Road Safety – more people die every day on roads then by terrorism. Overloading, bad conditions of the public transport system, untrained drivers, bad roads, etc have to be tackled. Provision for more buses/ easing the rules for this can be a few of the ideas. Strict following of rules has to be ensured. We should not fear the backlash of the owners (not many) but should think of the common person who uses them.

·                     Conservation and reducing consumption is the only solution to save this planet and India should show to the world that we are concerned and capable of handling the situation. Reducing consumption, reusing and recycling has to be promoted. Justifiable use of precious raw material has to be ensured.

·                     Pilgrimage Places : We must take a proactive approach in improving the religious places with good administration to keep it clean, to improve its law and order situation, to make the visit to temples easy etc. We hear of accidents so often in religious congregations. This should be avoided with good administration. These places are visited by lacs every day. It is only if we provide good clean environment that we can take the next generation to temples.

·                     Aadhar : The much-hyped ‘aadhar’ project, under the leadership of Nandan Nilenkeni has more or less been made inconsequential. Crores have been spent. And it was such an important project but not taking proper care on the security and privacy issue even Courts have expressed their strictures. However, the country needs a national data base of its citizens. This would help in implementing programmes, in planning programmes for welfare, in eliminating siphoning of funds etc. etc. Today we don’t even know if one staying here is an Indian or not for sure.

·                     Protection Money : The poor who are trying to earn their bread with small time work are the worst affected by goons collecting ‘protection money’. This can be seen a)in the slums for their dwellings; b)auto, rickshaw or other stands; c) railway stations/ bus stands; d) parking lots; e)even from beggars etc. etc. If it is illegal let us not allow this but if it is to be allowed let us ensure that the goons do not harass the poor.