ranjan

The impact of coronavirus pandemic in the financial year of 2020-21 would erode all the economic value that Indians have added in the last 16 months - a full fiscal year of 2019-20 and the preceding four months. Large informal sectors, weak institutional capacity and incomplete registries of the poor make it difficult to reach the needy.      The great contraction of Indian economy would affect 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 never seen such unprecedented in its recent history.  It would also effect the ability of State Governments to spend on welfare schemes, which have mushroomed since the economy was liberalized in the 1990s. Governments have limited fiscal sources to support. Though agriculture remains more or less unaffected by the coronavirus as on today, it cannot offset the slump in sect...

Cryo-electron microscopy breaks a key barrier that will allow the working of proteins to be probed in unprecedented detail. By achieving Atomic resolution using Cryogenic-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) the working of Proteins that cannot be easily examined by other imaging techniques e.g. X Ray crystallography, be understood. The number of protein structures being determined by Cryo- electron microscopy is growing at an explosive rate.  Cryo-EM is a decades old technique that determines the shape of flash-frozen samples by firing electrons at them and recording the resulting images. Advances in technology for detecting the ricocheting electrons and in image-analysis software catalysed a 'resolution revolution' that started around 2013. This led to protein structures that were sharper than ever before - and nearly as good as those obtained from X Rav crystallography, an older technique that infers structures from diffraction patterns made by protein crystals when they are bombard...

 A Super Power is a state with dominant position exercised by its extensive ability to exert influence or project power on a global scale. This is done through the means combined of economic, military, technological and cultural strength as also the diplomatic and soft power influence. Russia, France, UK, USA and and China are often referred as great powers due to their Economic and Political dominance of the global arena. These five nations are the only states with veto power on UN Security Council.    Today Indians are hoping like never before that the country is on the verge of a great turnaround. Because it remains a fact that God gives you nuts but does not crack them for you. It is also difficult to brush under the carpet a fact that Indians have great brains. Therefore, we on our own, can produce atomic bomb, created enormous telecom infrastructure and a mark in the software. There are few must-haves without which India story may not happen. These are - 1.  Pu...

As  Human being, we want to feel safe in relationships. feel physically safe in our world.   Therefore, we have developed a belief that if we are respected, we will be safe. But there is a difference in our approach when we strive for safety and we strive for respect. There is also a difference between demanding respect and commanding respect - and there are also alternatives to "respect" for feeling safe.  To demand respect is to tell others, "you will respect me" or otherwise threaten or punish those who do not act according to your wishes. To command respect is to have others observe and admire your actions of their own volition. The underlying desire of having respect feeling safe and in control.  Here are four habits which helps in commanding more respect - 1.  Be worthy of respect - This first point is obvious. This means that - Don't  miss deadlines, Show up on time, Follow through on promises. Make sure all your work is high qual...

While urban demand for consumer products remains sluggish worldwide, rural markets are growing faster than ever in some of the largest emerging economies, where rural residents report being more optimistic about future wage increases than their urban counterparts.  In some countries, rural side has already begun to outstrip demand in the cities.  India, the fastest growing economy in the world and with over 1.25 billion consumers of food and beverages is the fifth largest sector in manufacturing. What's more, rural Indians are trading up. Commodities are giving way to branded products, and more expensive goods are replacing entry-level versions, as consumers gain more disposable income. Their increased purchasing power is largely due to the steady migration of manufacturing jobs to the countryside.   Many corporations are recognizing this enormous opportunity and stepping up efforts to gain a strong foothold in India's rural markets. But they are meeting with mixed r...

Emotional intelligence helps the person in effective decision making and build relations with the society. It is a very important skill in leadership. It has five main elements - self regulation, self awareness, motivation, empathy and social skills. It is enumerated  through deep listening to oneself and  listening to others. Such emotional intelligence influences the kind of relations one shares with its environment and people.  Public servants have to deal with various situations involving tolerance, empathy, dedication, trust and compassion which require strong level of emotional intelligence to deal with the situation. Emotional intelligence matters and if  cultivated affords one the opportunity to realize a more fulfilled and happy life.  The emotional brain responds to an event more quickly than the thinking brain. People tend to become more emotionally intelligent as they age and mature.    In today's world, one has to focus on the following fo...

 This week is the 75th anniversary of the United States' nuclear attack on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, on 6th and 9th August, 1945. The attack on Hiroshima on 6th August, 1945 killed estimated  90,000 to 1,20,000 people who died either instantaneously or over the following weeks and months from injuries and acute radiation sickness, the result of damage to bone marrow and the intestinal tract.  The bomb leveled 3 days later on Nagasaki on 9th August, 1945 claimed another 60,000 to 70,000 lives. These estimates are rough because there were no bodies left near the hypocenter. The heat and energy literally vaporized the closest persons. Many bodies were swept out to sea with the tides,after dying burn victims sought relief in Hiroshima's rivers.  Within six weeks of the bombings, three U.S and two Japanese expert teams were at work in both cities to study the biological impact of the radiation. Their objectives differed. Japanese were trying to understand the medical effect...

Behavioral change approaches have increasingly gained ground in policy making as they aim to influence how people behave and make decisions. These policies require for an understanding of the psychology of corruption, and second a holistic approach to influence both the mind and environment in which the individual make decisions. Corruption at all levels of societies is a behavioural consequence of power and greed.  The majority of corruption cases in the world involve some form of  contracting. This comes as no surprise as contracts are the main vehicles to spend Govt's budgets. We tend to see corruption in contracting  as a technical problem, when it actually is a behavioral one. The obvious path to address a technical problem is to insist on legal reform. Checklists, adopting standardized laws, or implementing a new E-procurement system do not suffice. Taking human behavior out of the equation does not make Govt. less vulnerable to corruption. It just displaces the ...

Nuclear testing has often been used as an indicator of scientific and military strength, and many tests have been overtly (without concealment or secrecy) political in their intention, most nuclear states publicly declared their nuclear status by carrying out a nuclear test. The effects of a nuclear explosion are much more destructive and multifaceted than those caused by conventional explosives.    The end of World War II marked the beginning of the atomic age, when a number of states launched the nuclear arms race. The beginning of the atomic age marked the outset of nuclear weapons testing, which is responsible for radioactive contamination of a large number of sites worldwide. Nuclear tests were conducted in all environments, namely in the atmosphere, underground and underwater. Atmospheric nuclear weapons testing involved the release of considerable amounts of radioactive materials directly into the environment and caused the largest collective dose from man-made sour...

War has played a major role in Human history, the fact which we prefer to forget. The central puzzle is why states fight wars when an ex post outcome - terms of a peace agreement - comes at the cost of fighting the war. The war primarily start when the leaders begin to think or do is right. Some aspire for land or trade with other countries which are not ready to give. These leaders want to achieve what they desire forcibly due to which a new Government forms and its economy builds a new form of depression. These type of wars symbolize the people to kill or to be killed. Leaders think they have to take away the resources, people and land of other country. It is nothing but robbery. Greed of power, money, land and resources along with the fear of others that they might conquer the nation will allow the person or country to begin the war. The leaders have disregard for human life since they do not feel that human life is valuable. War starts and continues till any treaty meant for pe...

The economy is the start and end of everything. You can't have successful education reform or any other reform if you don't have a strong economy. A strong economy begins with a strong, well-educated workforce. No economy can succeed without a high quality workforce, particularly in an age of globalization and technical change.Economic growth is the white whale that politicians, economists and business leaders have been chasing across the sea of economic policy for decades. Economy and environment are the same thing. That is the rule of nature. In the new economy, education, information and motivation is everything. A free economy and strong communities honor the dignity of every person, rewarding effort with justice, promoting upward mobility, and building solidarity among citizens. When we replace a sense of service and gratitude with a sense of entitlement and expectation, we see the demise of our relationships, society and economy. The economic owning c...

Ego is essentially the sense of being a separate being from the rest of the world takes credit for accomplishments and blame others for what goes wrong. It can express just as easily as a sense of  superiority, or a sense of being injured, as a sense of importance or a sense being neglected. The ego,however, is not what you really are. The ego is your self-image, a social mask, is the role you are playing. Social mask thrives on approval. It wants to control, sustained by power, because it lives in fear. Inflated egos are the type of people who - 1, Who do not enjoy seeing others receive credit. 2. Never see the skills of someone else as superior to their own. 3. Must be out front, all the time. 4. Are poor communicators. Can talk but do not communicate with other people well. 5. Cannot step aside and let someone else use his talents and skills. 6. Do not understand and accept a Teamwork approach to the tasks at hand. 7. Would see the task they are involved in fail if they do not r...

Infectious disease forecasting aims to predict characteristics of both seasonal pandemics and future pandemics. Accurate and timely infectious disease forecasts could aid public health responses by informing key preparation and mitigation efforts.  The predictive model learns from historical data to help predict who will develop acute respiratory distress syndrome,a severe outcome of Covid-19. Despite the advances in medicine, infectious diseases are leading causes of death worldwide, especially in low income countries. With the advent of mathematical tools, scientists are now able  to better predict epidemics, understand the specificity of each pathogen, and identify potential targets for drug development. Artificial intelligence and its components have been widely publicized for  their ability to better diagnose certain types of cancer from imaging data. It is to cover series of applications selectively chosen as to how Artificial intelligence is moving in the field of ...

AI major gains are likely to focus on productivity, efficiency, automation and costs, enabling consumers and businesses to capitalize on Digital Economy. AI has the potential to create a new basis for economic growth and to be a main driver for competitiveness and job creation.  Digital business is a general term used to refer to the production of goods and services  based on  digital technologies to automate business processes. Some denotes a digital business as working  social networks and with clouds. Among the fundamental properties of digital business, it is worth noting the possibility of copying and distributing information without losing its accuracy and with  it the opportunity to create many modern technologies, called Digital Technologies due to the use  of digital representation of information therein. In a digital format, these properties appear especially brightly, precisely because the information is not distorted when transferred from one me...

Self reliance is the ability of being able to rely on oneself for one's needs. A country which is not self reliant is sometimes forced to do certain things against its will and principles simply because the benefactors have said so. Many Asian and African countries normally find it quite difficult being self-reliant. These countries largely rely on foreign donors in order to provide basic needs for their people.   In order to make India a truly self- reliant and self- confident, public investment in Education, Human capability and Research and Development has to increase. Opportunity for country like India is huge  in terms of wealth creation. That's the reason India is an attractive economy for investors. The parameters that convince to be self sufficient in the long term are Raw materials/input materials. India needs to incentivize its companies to take advantage, both for design and manufacturing. A smooth transition will be difficult in the short run. In the long run...

The health of all life on the planet is connected. The Covid 19 outbreak starkly reminds us of a basic fact that cannot be ignored.A multidisciplinary approach integrating and funding experts in animal, ecosystem and human health is urgently needed. Ignorance concerning coronavirus abounds. Benjamin Franklin advised in 1736 that " An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure". Viruses that inhabit wild animals can infect domesticated animals, and similarly live stock diseases can decimate the last wildlife population. Large proportions of the world still fail to implement global sanitary standards in livestock production and trade in animals and their products. Large scale urban consumption of wildlife knows no standards and can never be considered sanitary and safe. Humans everywhere are at risk. Waiting to act until a disease infects a human is too late.      In a mere four months, the world has been brought down to its knees by a previously unknown virus. But C...

After weeks of the spread of Covid 19 pandemic and widespread lockdown, we must take stock of how the crisis has disrupted the strategic decision-making framework for organisations and try to build a new one to look beyond the immediate crisis.  The following three horizons framework  approach illustrates how organisations sustain growth, while maximizing the future opportunities for growth. Horizon one represents those core businesses most readily identified with the company name and those that provide great profits and cash flow. Here the focus is on improving performance to maximize the remaining value. Horizon two encompasses emerging opportunities, including rising entrepreneurial ventures likely to generate substantial profits in the future but that could require considerable investment. Horizon three contains ideas for profitable growth down the line, like small ventures, research projects, pilot programs or minority stakes in new businesses. Time should be tr...

Man is the most insane species. He worships an invisible God and slaughters a visible Nature without realizing that the Nature he slaughters is this invisible God he worships. The Planet is our one and only home. We have no other choice - we must care for it. It is the air we breathe and the atmosphere that makes earth livable - and it is under threat from humanity. Only after the last tree has been cut down. Only after the last river has been poisoned. Only after the last fish has been caught, only then you will find that money cannot be eaten. We are living on this planet as if we have another one to go. Earth provides us enough to satisfy every man's needs, but not every man's greed.  Humans are the only creature in this world, who cut the trees, make paper from it and then write, "Save trees" on it. When it comes to global warming, everybody wants to change but nobody wants to change himself. If the bees disappear off the surface of the globe them Man would h...

The nature of time is something to be kept in mind in understanding its place in the foundations of physics.Look deep into the nature, and then you will understand everything better. To be in a relationship with nature means to live in harmony with the natural world, respecting the laws of nature. Laws of nature are true descriptions of the world. Nature is our best friend as we live on the planet Earth which is surrounded by Nature. It provides us with the resources to live here, water to drink, food to eat, pure air to breathe and land to stay, animals, plants for other users for better and good life. Nature is the most precious gift given by God to us to enjoy. We should understand its worth and value and try to maintain its natural shape.   All problems result from the violation of natural law, problems of national health, crime, the economy, education and the environment - all problems plaguing individual and national life have their origin in the widespread violation ...

The new decade started out as any other but rapidly unfolded into a scenario that the world will remember for decades to come. Europe and western world viewed as isolated incidence of a novel Coronavirus which dotted across neighboring Asian countries - as swine and bird Flus in the past- took the world by force as the first months of the year rolled on. By mid-March 2020, Europe was the epicentre of Covid 19 and it came in full force. The crisis presents an opportunity to prevent it in time of next emergency. The virus spread, through the inevitable consequences of Globalization from Asia to Europe and beyond at a rapid pace and within three months the world neared one million cases as healthcare systems struggled to carry out the sudden burden. This unraveled Europe throughout, as hospitals scrambled for respirators that weren't there, for Intensive care unit beds as they overflowed and to stock enough Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for healthcare providers to do their ...