ranjan

During the pre -British period, the problem of stagnation, poverty and backwardness of Indian economy was not so acute. With the advent of British in India, the economic structure in India had to face a lot of change. During the first period of 100 years i.e. from 1757 to 1857, British looted huge amounts of resources from India. Cottage industries were totally destroyed due to the colonial strategy followed by the British rulers. The gradual disappearance of Indian rulers and their courts who were the main customers of Handicrafts produced also gave a big jolt to these industries.       British did not permit to modernize the industrial sector during 18th and 19th century. Indian economy was turned into importer of British manufactured goods and exporter of tea, coffee, oil seeds, foodstuffs and other industrial raw materials which were considered essential for running British industries in England.    The huge amount of drain of capital assets started aft...

Gold is among the three primary imports in India which are Crude oil, cooking oil and Gold of which the first two are vital necessities. There are small things the Government can do to decrease the damage dealt by the massive amounts of gold being imported. As a commodity, gold does not add any real value to the productive capacity of the economy. The fluctuations in the economy affects the gold prices in India. The price of gold was seen to reflect the monetary inflation. Rising inflation often coincides with a booming economy. Rise in gold prices can be attributed to the booming economy.   India's gold market is driven primarily by consumption and fabrication of the yellow metal.  Both have a significant effect in terms of economic value employment, contribution of foreign exchange earnings, and the trade balance.    Most of the gold purchased in India is stashed away in lockers, safe boxes or gets converted into jewellery. Those who hold gold are just waiting...

The great contraction of Indian economy would effect all products and services which are not essential for a living. Government revenues would decline because of lower consumption and resultant lower profits. It would set the economy back by 28 months - country has never seen such unprecedented happening in its recent history. There are two fears which caused the fall in demand - fear of coronavirus infection and the fear of future financial security. With no surety for their job or salary, people have stopped spending on non-essential products, affecting the country's industrial activity. This is where the Govt. should step in, not merely by giving sermons but by releasing its dues to the private sector and by increasing spending on big infrastructure projects.  While the Govt. has been hesitant about deficit financing option, there appears to be no option other than this. The dipping into cash reserves of PSUs by the State Governments to bail them out, may not be available this y...

It has been a routine to read almost daily in newspaper about some war or disturbance which is happening in different parts of the world. Previously, all the wars/ any disturbance that were created/fought in the history of mankind  taught a horrible lessons of its futility. War is the march of hell on the surface of earth which leaves in its wake ruins, corpses, rubble, families destroyed, and regret for having invited this monster from hell. Wars can never end conflicts, they complicate it further.     A review of history of causes of war/ disturbances, which took place in  last century, their results as well as expected of (seems to be) in the current one must be looked into:    WORLD WAR I -  On 28th June, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the throne of Austria - Hungary was shot and killed by a Serbian man who thought Serbia should control Bosnia instead of Austria. Due to their leader had been shot, Austria - Hungary declared war on Ser...

The preparation of Budget for 2021-22 in a crisis of Covid -19 will be a challenging one. This pandemic has erupted when most countries had just begun to implement their 2020 budget. The short term priority, since then, has been designing and implementing immediate responses to the crisis through supplementary budgets, contingency reserve funds and emergency decrees.  The preparation of Budget for 2021-22 will be a challenging task given the unprecedented uncertainty about the post lock-down economic outlook and the massive fiscal shock from the pandemic, compounded in resource - risk countries with decline in commodity prices. Therefore, preparation of Budget for 2020-21 will need to :  1) Evaluate the fiscal space for continued priority crisis spending and recovery             measures. 2) Take stock of the impact of the COVID crisis on the economy and the Govt.'s          fiscal position. 3)  Assess the Govt.'...

Democracy is very important for freedom of life and the collective growth of a nation. Claims promoting the positive benefits of democracy on voter turnout and engagement have appeared periodically since the wave of progressive era reforms during the early 20th century leading to establishment of state ballot initiative process.      A reason why Politicians get away with unfulfilled promises is that there are no checks and balances made before or during their tenure in office. This raises further questions - Who is a politician accountable to when making promises? What happens when other institutions do not align with the political promise? The answers are multifaceted, but with sensitive topics like quotas, which carry the potential to cause riots, destruction of property and loss of lives, a politician's actions could have consequences that outlive their incumbency.          At the pre-election stage, Political parties are using a variety of de...

Respect is such a simple thing in concept. In practice, since other people are involved, respect gets more complicated. Self interests are mixed in, so emotions and actions impact us in adverse or unexpected ways. We cannot get distracted from who we really are and we really want to be. After all, respect begins with self respect, and this is the starting point in how to get and keep respect.     To have self respect is to take yourself for who you are to wake up and forget yourself for the mistakes you have made. If you focus on the bad actions that you have done, you cave yourself into darkness and can't see the good in life, which is what lot of teenagers do. When you are down, try to remember the good that you have done and not the bad, because focusing on negative thoughts leads you to nothingness at the end. It is hard to overcome some self respect issues, but when you're able to look in the mirror and smile and tell yourself you are a beautiful person, it is an ama...

Migraine is a neurological condition that can cause multiple symptoms. It is frequently characterized by intense, debilitating headaches. Symptoms may include vomiting, nausea, difficulty in speaking, numbness or tingling and sensitivity to light and sound. It often run in families and and affect all ages. Most common categories of migraine are those without aura (previously known as common migraines) and those with aura (previously known as classic migraines). Symptoms during this stage can include:- Depression, Food cravings, Frequent yawning, Fatigue or low energy, Neck stiffness, Hyperactivity, Irritability. Other factors that may trigger a migraine are - Severe heat, or other extremes in weather, bright lights, Dehydration, Hormonal changes, excess stress, loud sounds, skipping meals, intense physical activity, changes in sleep patterns, changes in barometric pressure, use of certain medicines, smoking, alcohol, travelling.  Migraine without aura is called common migraine. Suc...

Honest mistake is a mistake done innocently, or without malice intended. There was no thought of harming someone else or taking advantage of a situation caused by the mistake. Mistakes are part of being human. If you want to let go of your past, change your mindset.   I wish I had a better answer, but that would make life too easy and end all the great accomplishments achieved through adversity. Never forget mistakes do not define you. How you respond and react to them does. When others make mistakes, we easily share the truth that it is okay to make mistakes. We usually accept their apologies easily (if they seem honest at least) and forgive them. After all, to err is human.  But when we are confronted with our own mistakes, it suddenly becomes a lot harder to accept ours. We once again show the length to which we will go to try and cover up the mistakes. Shame about what is done, anger at yourself for being so stupid, fear of the consequences, they can all contribute to...

Criticism is a useful tool in any relationship - no matter whether it is business-related or otherwise which if not done correctly, can lead to confrontation.  Though many frown upon criticism and the critics who deliver it, criticism is necessary for building a successful relationship. Many of us automatically judge anything coming from a critic is of the wrong sort. It is much more valuable to look for the strength in others. One can gain nothing by criticizing their imperfections.   The world is not kind of self esteem. It takes only one ill-received piece of feedback or a bold comment to completely derail anybody's day. Being alive in 2020 means getting hit by wave after wave of criticism, both online and offline -as anyone who has ever left themselves of a You tube comments section or a Twitter pile on - will be able to testify.       Dealing with criticism positively is an important life skill. You can either use criticism in a positive way to im...

Living in the past is a sort of escapism. It relieves you of the stress of solving the present or achieving in the future. We look at the past through the lens of present which is nothing more than the present looked at through the wrong end of binoculars. We value the things in our past that we fear we lack today.  We must understand that we are -what we are- not what we were, nor what we will become. The story of time can change anytime- for better or for worse. Most often we have no control over the twists and turns. History can help us understand the context for decision making, and develop effective, even if imperfect intuition, through a study of instances, decisions and outcomes.  The past gives us courage and it protects us. We can not only see the sacrifices that have been made for us by those in the past but we can use that to protect ourselves now and in the future. It is a gift that our ancestors bestowed upon us, a great gift. The present is here and the place whe...

India faces a huge decline in Government revenues and growth of income for at least two quarters as the Coronavirus hits economic activity of the country as a whole. A fall in investor sentiment impacts privatization plans, government and industry. Economies of about 100 countries have been destroyed out of which some of them have asked for monetary help from IMF.  There is a big shift in the world economic and the share market witnessed crashes day by day. Fear of corona virus has restricted the movements of the people. They are not even going out to buy essentials thus effecting the economy of the world as a whole.  The lockdown in India have a sizable impact on the economy mainly on consumption which is the biggest component of GDP. It has disrupted the global supply chains and this is generating spill over effects throughout different levels of supplier networks. This will impact countries that are strong exporters (no output for their local companies), but also those that...

In the modern world, meditation is a word that has come to be used loosely and inaccurately. That is why there is so much confusion about how to practice it. People use the word meditate when they mean thinking or contemplating, others use it to day dreaming or fantasizing. However, meditation is not any of these.    Meditation is a precise technique for resting the mind and attaining a state of consciousness that is totally different from the normal waking state. We can fathom all levels of ourselves and finally experiencing the center of consciousness within. It is a science, not a part of religion means that the process of meditation follows a particular order, has definite principles and produces results that can be verified.  Very little of mind is cultivated by our formal education system. The part of mind that dreams and sleeps - vast realm of the unconscious which is the reservoir of all our experiences - remains unknown and undisciplined, it is not subject to any...

When I asked this question people often get confused, as to how to answer. Knowing your value is an emotional subject. It is easy to identify when you don't feel valued, respected or appreciated but knowing your value is rather different.  In my view, self worth is defined as the sense of one's own value or worth as a person. I think that is one part of it but the other aspect is being able to understand how much of a difference you have made in any given situation with the contribution you have made. Keep in mind that no one is perfect that's why pencils have erasers. In order to be clear on this, I give following seven points that can indicate to know your value - 1) Having positive self esteem - Self esteem is confidence in one's worth or abilities.  You are satisfied in the work you deliver and your sense of professionalism. You like and have a great relationship with people. I think that without positive self esteem it would be difficult to know your value.  2) Sel...

We (self and wife) visited Belgium and stayed at Brussels last year at my Daughter's place who is working as a Sr. Research Scientist there. During our stay, we had a chance to visit  Aachen, a border city of Germany, situated at the border of Belgium and  Germany (145 Kms.) away from Brussels - A very nice place for Tourists and Shopping.  On the way, I saw a very good number of Windmills revolving around in the open fields. I was told about the usage of windmills which were admirable. A view of the following will be better able to understand the working, use and benefits of Windmills  Wind turbines can turn the power of wind into electricity which we use to power our homes and businesses. They can be standalone, supplying just one or a very small number of homes or businesses, or they can be clustered to form part of a wind farm. A wind turbine uses the power of wind to create electricity.  Each turbine consists of a set of blades, a box beside them called nac...

Peace and security is an essential factor of human life. A peaceful and secure environment is critical to every society since it affects all aspects of economic and social development in a country, and is necessary to realization of Human rights. There is a plenty of authority for the view that, in a chaotic and bloodthirsty world and the threat of violence are the essential building blocks for peace and stability.  Though in the ancient world, from China to Greece to Rome, military might was regarded as essential for maintenance of international order. War is not the only way to bring peace. There are many alternative ways such as negotiating to terms which are reasonable to both the countries, hence resolving the problem. There shall always be a win-win situation. Some terms shall be accepted by one party and some by the others.  Take a look at our two world wars. They have proved that wars cause major suffering and in fact, the only reason that World War I ended was that mo...

In ancient times, the ability to memorize was a prized skill. Memory is an active, subjective, intelligent reflection process of our previous experiences.   When I started writing my blog on May 23, 2018, I never thought of recollecting my memories and write about them. With the passage of time, while I was  searching for new topics to write about, I have thought and now attempted to say something thing about self.  School Time Memories - My first memory goes back to time when my mother dropped me at the school on first day, I started crying as that was my first day which I have to spend at my own in the company of unknown children. This later got sorted out within next few days.  It was the school that made me realize that I am worth something, that I can be someone. Later,  I find it correct as the saying goes - That 'in the school learn as much as you can while you are young, since life becomes too busy later' as you don't have to be the best at everythi...

Since its foundation in 1945, United Nations was considered as an instrument to face the most relevant global challenges emerging in the international system. Its structure and foundation was designed to curtail the negative effects of globalization, like spread of transnational threats, grant peace and security.              As the world power has changed and the range of problems has increased, UN system has failed to adapt. This has left the UN without the political, financial (concerning money management) or resources needed to do enough to deal with the  issues we now face. .    It has been seen that UN cannot interfere with the internal affairs of the country in as far as the Human rights violation is concerned. Though many times UN had proved to be successful in addressing a number of global issues in he past, it has revealed some deficiencies and weaknesses thereby making member states call for reform in terms of its structu...

A timezone is a region of the globe that observes a uniform standard time for legal, social and commercial purposes.  Time zones tend to follow the boundaries of countries and their subdivisions instead of strictly following longitude because it is convenient for areas in close commercial or other communication to keep the same time.  Prior to the late nineteenth century, timekeeping was a purely local phenomenon. Each town would set their clocks to noon when the sun reached its zenith each day. A Clock maker or Town clock would be the "official"time and the citizens would set their pocket watches and clocks to the time of the town. Travel between cities meant having to change once pocket watch on arrival. However, once railroads began to operate and move people rapidly across great distances, time became much more critical. In the early years of railroads, the schedules were very confusing because each stop was based on a different local time. The standardization of time was...

A Hybrid attack is a blend of both a Dictionary attack method as well as a brute force attack. This means that while a dictionary attack method would include a word list of passwords, the brute force attack would be applied to each possible password in that list.        A hybrid cyber attack involves more than just a single threat vector. For example, it can include deceptive email to deliver malware, and then DDoS  (Distributed-denial-of-service) to complicate recovery from a malware attack, as also to disrupt normal traffic of a targeted server. This type of attack enables online criminals to carry out their crimes and then hide their tracks.   Hybrid threats incorporate a range of unique combinational threats specifically designed to target the attacked country's vulnerabilities. The instigator of a hybrid warfare is a state or a group of states that choose a non-conventional approach to warfare. The adversary selects from the whole menu of tactics ...