Cars - Petrol Vs Diesel

Cost: Diesel cars are expensive between Rs. 1 - 2 lakhs depending upon model in hatch back and entry level sedan models.

Mileage: At current 2016 prices, diesel cars mileage is generally 30-40% higher than petrol model. Petrol cars fuel expenses would be 40% more than diesel cars for city driving and 30% for highway driving.

Fuel Prices: About 20 years ago diesel price used to be half of petrol price. However, ever since the deregularisation of diesel prices, the gap between prices of petrol & diesel has come down from Rs.21/litre in 2013 to around Rs. 11/ litre in 2016, i.e. less than 15%.

Monthly running:  Natural choice is a petrol car. But if your average monthly running is higher than 1,200-1,500 km a month purchasing of a diesel car would be economical.

Other Factors: Servicing costs, costs of spare parts and insurance costs are higher for diesel cars than petrol ones. Right from the cost of oil replacement to the battery and clutch plate, etc. all cost more in case of diesel cars. Also, the noise, vibration and harshness levels of petrol cars are lower than that of diesel cars. While diesel engines save with no spark plugs but they do get turbochargers which will push up maintenance costs.

Holding period: While one can hold the petrol car up to 10 years with reliability of usage, diesel cars can be held for about 7 years at the best.

Resale value: Diesel cars  depreciates much faster than petrol cars. After 3 years, while petrol cars gets you about 60% of purchase value, diesel can get you at best 50% of purchase value, in the secondary market.

Pollution: Petrol driven vehicles are easier on the environment.

Conclusion: If your average usage is less than 1,500 kms per month PETROL CAR with lower capital cost, higher fuel costs and lower servicing, spares & insurance costs is suggested. If your average usage is more than 1,500 kms per month DIESEL CAR with higher capital cost, lower fuel costs and higher servicing, spares & insurance costs would prove beneficial.

My View:
About 20 years ago, Maruti was making only petrol cars and diesel cars were preferred only by taxi operators. The advent of CRDI diesel cars offering  improved pickup, higher power, lower fuel consumption and reduced vibrations as well as lesser maintenance costs consumers preference shifted towards diesel vehicles. Today diesel cars share is as much as 40-50% of market. Maruti's lobbying for price preference for petrol cars and restrictions on diesel cars was not heeded to by central government.

With rapid increase in number of cars, year after year, cities are flooded with diesel cars increasing traffic congestion, non availability of sufficient parking in public places and above all pollution levels have crossed alarmingly to higher levels especially in Delhi. Despite banning 15+ year old cars, promoting CNG and banning SUVs with 2L+ capacities have only controlled the pollution growth rates only but pollution levels remained at higher levels. Reducing diesel & petrol price gap didn't yield much result. Now there is thinking to ban diesel cars & diesel SUVs throughout the country which will definitely happen sooner or later first in cities and rest of the country later.

As a responsible citizen, people should voluntarily opt for lower polluting, smaller or optimal power petrol cars only and contribute minimal pollution and help save environment.

Donald Trump wins 45th Presidential Election 2016 - What it means for India?

Donald Trump wins 45th Presidential Election in USA

• Trump’s immigration policies, especially as he has spoken of putting up border walls, stopping immigrants from entering the country and ending the use of the H-1B. 
• It is likely that the future policies will start looking inward and slow down international education exchanges and student mobility.
• There may not be any need to worry as higher education in USA is a trillion dollar business for the American economy and India is the second highest in terms of sending students there. “They need us more than we need them.” 
• Interestingly Telugu students in US universities numbering around 30,000 adds to US economy about one billion dollars, every year. All Indian students about 150,000 spends $5 billion in US universities.
• Career advancement is one of the prime motivations for Indian students to study in the US. Trump’s anti-immigrant stance may create stricter visa and immigration policies that may make it even more difficult for students to come to the US and find internship and job opportunities.
• After Brexit, US elections have shown that nationalist viewpoints are gaining momentum. This will prompt visa and immigration policies to limit transition from education to employment opportunities. 
• Trump may remove restrictions on drug imports. This will benefit Indian generic drug companies. India contributes to nearly a third of all drugs sold in the US and this is unlikely to change, given the thrust on affordable health care.

My View:

Although Trump made controversial and inconsistent statements about India and China in regard to students, jobs, H1B etc. with his 'nationalist' and 'anti globalisation' pronouncements, he may not act in haste because what ever he does it not only hurts India but also hurts US equally. Getting approvals from Congress and Senate is not an easy task for him. But many of his followers with 'Jobs for Americans' agenda are emboldened with his pronouncements and sooner or later these might take shape and are detrimental to Indians. See the confidence of Chinese who states that 'let him hurt China at America's expense' and their market indices are stable today while world indices witnessed volatility.

Pollution in New Delhi

During past one week New Delhi experience 17 times more pollution with dangerous consequences. Delhi govt closed schools for 3 days. The pollution is described as smoking 5 packs (50 no's) of cigarettes a day. In addition to high automobile pollution, burning of millions of tonnes of agriculture waste by farmers in adjoining fields in UP, Haryana on which there is government regulation is the reason.

• Agriculture waste could be used for generating power and dealing with ash & smoke with technologies to restrict to statutory levels.
• Dust on the streets could be handled by spraying water and increasing green cover and using recycled sewerage water for watering the greenery.
• Grow plants in all government lands.
• Make it mandatory to earmark 30% land for tree plantation in all future housing layouts.
• All polluting industries in Delhi should be moved out of NCR and strict pollution control measures enforced including stone crushers and brick kilns.

Automobile pollution could be tackled ...

• Strengthen and subsidise metro and public transportation.
• Ban all SUVs and diesel cars.
• Limit petrol cars engine capacity to maximum of 1600cc.
• 2 Wheelers (four stroke petrol engine) below 100cc should be encouraged. 
• Ban 2 wheelers with engine above 150cc. 
• All vehicles should be retired within 10 years.
• All buses, mini buses & school buses must run only on CNG.
• Promote battery powered small cars with incentives and subsidies.
• Ambulances should run only on petrol.
• Multi occupancy car travel should be encouraged.
• Share car to work by 3 or 4 people should be encouraged and campaigned.
• Diesel generator sets should be replaced with battery powered inverters. Also eliminate power cuts and interruptions.

My View:

Concentrated development is very cheap model of development suitable for countries with small population. Distributed development is also an option but very expensive. Developing multiple cities/towns development is another feasible option. In a populous country like ours limiting consumption and controlling wastage and emissions should be mandatory and made culpable & cognizable offence.

PM Modi announces demonetization of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 currency notes

PM Modi announces demonetization on Nov 08, 2016.

PM Narendra Modi said the move was aimed at curbing the negative impact of fake currency, black money, corruption and terrorism on the nation's economy. New notes of Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 would be released and circulated soon.

Pakistani spy agency ISI was pumping counterfeit notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 to finance terror activities within, even earning a handsome profit of around Rs 500 crore per annum in the process. While RBI spends Rs 29 to print a Rs 1,000 note, terror financiers incur a cost of Rs 39 per ever Rs 1,000  – but manages to sell it in India through various illegal channels at Rs 350-400.

While the told reasons are impressive and in the interest of the nation the untold reasons are purely political.

The principle untold reason is UP Elections scheduled for Feb/Mar 20017, just few months away. The recent UP Election survey has put Mayawati in the lead, BJP just able to achieve 170/402 and followed by Samajwadi Party in the forth coming UP General Elections slated for Feb/Mar 2017, paving the way for formation of coalition government by Samajwadi Party, Mayawati and Congress thus relegating BJP to opposition benches. Samajwadi Party and Mayawati had access to lots of black money for election spending and for BJP it would be an uphill task to form minority government. The recent surgical strikes by Indian Army on Pakistan based terrorist camps has its telling effect on BJP fortunes improving in UP election prospects but still falling short of absolute majority for BJP. Now with demonetization effectively disarming rivals Samajwadi Party and Mayawati will push BJP prospects towards absolute majority. This would also nullify any possibility of Samajwadi Party, Mayawati and Congress forming coalition government thus relegating BJP to opposition benches.

Govt notifications and Circulars dated Nov 08, 2016.

The devastating immediate effects are felt by near zero business in all shops & establishments, Malls and dwindling state government revenues. Upset KCR met Governor and expressed his displeasure due to projected revenue loss of Rs. 3,000 crores per month which effects salary payments, funding on going projects & new projects on drawing board. Ironically TS govt is solely dependent on revenues from Hyderabad city which are either real estate or commercial & other taxes with black money as its base, which will vanish immediately and recovery is slow process and will reach different levels. Realizing that he is too small to take on Modi, his office denied having spoken this matter with Governor following day. I don't think CM meets Governor just to have a cup of tea ignoring all teething issues.

My View:
Aside political gains for BJP, demonetization of Rs 1000 and Rs 500 currency notes effectively evaporated the entire 'silly money' in the hands of corrupt politicians, corrupt officials and unscrupulous businessmen that has been parked in real estate and housing markets. 

In India, every body talks bad about black money and tax evasion and there is no body who doesn't deal with black cash and evades tax at every opportunity. This reminds me of Dhirubai Ambani challenging members of FICCI in 1970's, who hasn't dealt with him for profit, if he was unscrupulous.

The other good & bad effects are

• BJP disarmed cash rich (silly money) opponents Samajwadi Party and Mayawati in the forth coming UP elections improving its own chances of winning.
• Corrupt politicians, corrupt officials and unscrupulous businessmen hoarding gunny bags of black money are left with waste paper not even worth toilet tissues.
• Real estate deals have collapsed especially in secondary small deals market hurting small players. Real estate recovery will take at least six months and will never be the same again.
• Real estate will become affordable to some middle class people for some time at least.
• Property valuations with 50:50 white & black have lost valuations by more than 50% and owners are impoverished.
• State government will end up losing lots of money towards stamp duty collections of real estate deals.
• While black money hoarders & users are not more than 10% population, remaining people are subjected to enormous difficulties during the transition at toll gates, small shops, small traders small people who doesn't use cards at all and depend only on cash transactions, non availability of small change. Added to the infrastructure in banks & post offices is grossly in sufficient to process currency exchanging/depositing for genuine 90% people. Daily wage earners life is severely disturbed during this transition which may last about 2 months for no fault of theirs.
• While urban people are less dependent on cash with usage of cards & net banking, rural population is solely dependent on cash only. For no fault of theirs they need to go nearest town for exchanging currency and if lucky they will be successful same day else they may have to make several trips before completing exchanging.
• Almost all retired & old people keep about a lakh of rupees at home for managing medical emergencies. They would be subjected to make a trip to bank for depositing this old money and later with drawing new currency. In the intervening period they would be cash less.
• All contractors etc will general disburse lots of cash as weekly wages to their laborers. These laborers weekly earnings will get delayed and consequently even their food will get effected.
• The list could go on and on. 
• The rich seemingly might lose some money (earned effortlessly with manipulations and connections) and continue to live in comfort and the losses any way they will make it good again and, it is the poor and middle class who would bear the burden of the process and its defects arising out of politically motivated gimmicks and adventures.
• Jaitley and Urjit Patel could have done some research to mitigate the process burden on poor, middle class, rural people, pensioners & senior citizens, patients, traveling public and daily wage earners are least effected. 
• The benefits highlighted by Modi, Jaitley & Co are just imaginary and exploded where as real benefits could be far less to the nation especially after discounting negative effects. If all this cash goes into our banking system, as highlighted by Jaitley, it may or may not generate more taxes to exchequer, but banks runs the risk of collapsing with falling prey to vultures like Mallaya etc around.
• Recall January 1978 Janata Party demonetizing Rs.1,000, Rs.5,000 & Rs.10,000 notes and I never felt any positive effect except that Indira Gandhi & Congress leaders lost all their cash meant for political expenditure. However, she returned to power within two years despite loosing all silly money.
• Finally, even though government is empowered to take hard decisions in the larger national interest, subjecting common people especially vulnerable classes to unbearable hardship is neither appreciable nor pardonable.
• Bulk of the corruption money is in gold & diamonds, real estate, benami bank accounts or in foreign country accounts which is safe now. How Modi will attack this? No answer. Let us see.
• If Modi & Jaitley were about black money menace and corruption, they would have demonetized Rs.500 & Rs.1000 notes and and replaced them with Rs.50, Rs.100 & Rs.200 notes only proving difficult for corruption transactions and hoarding that money as well. Demonetization of Rs.500 & Rs.1000 notes had definitely eliminated black money stocked but replacing with Rs.500 & Rs.2000 notes will aid generation of black money & corruption deals and hoarding much easier in future. A loophole deliberately left for their own convenience but will be helpful to all scoundrels.
• Worst of all is that our consumption market is mostly driven by spending black money and never white money. Consumption market will shrink by almost 50% resulting in loss of state revenue, loss of GDP, loss of jobs etc leading to immediate deflation followed by stagflation and managing these are not as easy as managing inflation.  Economic spiraling down at times could result in collapse of economic systems and even country.

Politically motivated gimmicks will usually yield partial results.
The told reasons are different and real underlying reasons are different.

Self-Made Man - No Such Thing

• Do you view yourself as a self-made man or woman? If you do, you may want to take another look in the mirror. What’s wrong with the “self-made” theory? Everything. If your pride, ego, arrogance, insecurity, or ignorance keeps you from recognizing the contributions of others, then it’s time for a wake-up call. If your hubris is overwhelming your humility then the text that follows is written just for you.
• Real leaders don’t take credit, they give it. While I take complete responsibility for all my failures and shortcomings, I take very little credit for my own success. 
• Virtually all of the good things that have happened to me over the years have been the result of the collaborative efforts of many. 
• Most mature people not suffering from delusions of grandeur tend to share this perspective. Leadership isn’t about self-serving behaviors; it’s about service beyond self. It’s not about you, and when it becomes about you, trouble is not too far away.
• All the “self-made man” propaganda floating around business circles is patently false. The myth of the self-made person is so ridiculous that it shouldn’t require shattering. 
• Look at legends of success stories like Bill Gates, Michael Dell, Richard Branson, Mark Cuban and a host of other inspirational stories. While I don’t question for a moment the legendary success of the aforementioned, I do question whether said success was solely a matter of “self.” Behind every success are significant investments and contributions by some if not all of the following people: family, friends, associates, protagonists, antagonists, advisors, teachers, authors, mentors, coaches, and the list could go on.

There is no such thing called 'Self made man/woman'.
Everybody is made up of several others. 

My View:

Proclaming that "I am a self made man/woman" simply means ignoring & insulting people, known and unknown, who have contributed to your growth and success. 

Dr. Satish Dhawan was Chairman ISRO in the year of 1975. APJ Abdul Kalam was the director of a SLV mission, the mission failed to launch the satellite in the orbit. Instead it was put into Bay of Bengal. Satish Dhawan being the chairman at the time, called Abdul Kalam and conveyed to press "We failed! But I have a very good trust in my team that next time we will be succeeding for sure". This surprised Abdul Kalam as the blame of the failure was taken by the chairman of ISRO. The next mission was prepared and launched successfully on 1980. At this moment of success, Satish Dhawan told Abdul Kalam to attend the press meet without his presence. When the team failed, he took the blame. But when the team succeeded, he redirected the success to his team, thus portraying the picture of a true leader as cited by APJ Abdul Kalam. 

As a tribute to leadership of Satish Shawan, Sriharikota High Altitude Range (SHAR) was renamed as Satish Dhawan Space Centre in 2002.

Islam: Adultery, Polygamy and Talaq

• Islam allows a sex explicitly between a Muslim man and his slaves. And also requires the execution of consenting adults participating in "illegal" sexual intercourse.
• Islamic law (Sharia) requires that adulterers be put to death.  Women are executed far more often, since they are presumed to bear the burden of sexual responsibility. Rape victims are sometimes convicted if they speak out. Under Sharia law if four male witnesses cannot be found to confirm the victim's rape claim, reporting a rape means a confession of adultery.
• A Muslim man can marry as many as four women and have sexual relations with an unspecified number of slaves as well. 

Quran: 4. Sura An-Nisa' (The Women)

• Anytime a wife is not menstruating, a Muslim man may divorce his wife by saying, "I divorce you, I divorce you, I divorce you," effectively throwing her out on the street and leaving him free to obtain a new wife. It is a controversial practice called the talaq or "triple-talaq."
• A disobedient wife can be replaced. A man can only have up to four wives, but he can rotate as many women as he pleases in and out of the lineup.
• Under Islamic law, once a marriage is consummated, a wife has no right to divorce her husband without his permission, even though she may be cast out at will for any reason. Some Islamic scholars believe that it isn't right to do this in one sitting. They say that there should be a period of time between the "three strikes."
• Women's rights groups in the Muslim world are waging an uphill battle to prevent governments from recognizing the triple talaq - with some success in the more moderate countries; however, it will always be honored by Islamic courts.
• The truth is that Islam is not a religion of peace and it is not like other religion. Sometimes the truth isn't comfortable. Sometimes the truth offends.  But it is far better that we offend others than lose our children's future.
• Islamic law is absolutely incompatible with true democracy. It is a theocratic system with Allah alone at its head. Allah's law is interpreted by a ruling body of clerics. There is no room for a secular political system in which all people are treated as equals.
• Democracy is a man-made system, meaning rule by the people of the people. In Islam, rule is for Allah and it is not permissible to give legislative rights to any human being. Democracy is at war with Islam and its followers, effectively sanctioning violence for the cause of Sharia. Democracy, freedom, and human rights have no place in Islam.
• The Quran is full of direct and indirect, implicit and many times explicit indications that show that the establishment of the Islamic order is a requirement on Muslims whenever possible. If a Muslim believes that there is any human being who has the right to make laws other than Allah then obviously this is total divergence from the path of Islam. Or any person who believes that secularism is superior to the law of Allah, he's violating the basic Quranic tenets.
• True Islam permits neither elections, nor democracy.
• Islam is not simply a belief about God.  Islam is a word that means submission.  Islam is a set of rules that define a social hierarchy in which Muslims submit to Allah, women submit to men and all non-Muslims submit to Islamic rule.  
• Don't judge Islam by the Muslims that you know, and don't judge the Muslims that you know by Islam.
• It's far easier to act as if critics of Islam have a problem with Muslims as people than it is to accept the uncomfortable truth that Islam is different.
• The Western world has decided that polygamy devalues a woman's worth. In Islam, however, a woman's worth is often the sum of her sexual value to her husband.

To know more of Islam, Quran & Muslims visit https://www.thereligionofpeace.com/

My View:

Islam has many aberrations, in today's civilized context which many educated Muslims agree in private. Islam was best religion in the circumstances of 16+ centuries ago. But fundamentalist Muslims taking shelter under distortions of Islamic provisions for all their fanatic attitudes, is totally unacceptable. Today almost entire world is democratic with secularism, equality, merit and human rights as guiding spirit. But Islam in conflict with these principles. The present practices by Muslims in the name Islam namely Polygamy, Women submission, Barbaric punishments, disregard to democracy, secularism etc are not only unacceptable but also condemnable.

Muslim man divorcing wife by pronouncing "Talaq" thrice is unlawful and unacceptable in a civilized society. Marriage is sacred and divorce could only be granted by learned judge after careful examination and after ascertaining reconciliation unfeasible, after some cooling period of six months. Instant divorcing is atrocious especially when it is allowed for Muslim men and prohibited for Muslim women.

India, a pluralist nation, has a constitution with secularism, equality, merit etc as its guiding principles. And Muslims in India must respect and comply with these provisions like all other religions and races in the country. In matters of public life, enforcement of constitution must be taller than religion(s) including Islam. Under the aegis of constitution all humans are equals irrespective of religion, caste, creed, color or any thing. Muslims can't practice certain provisions of Islam which are in conflict with the constitution.

"Islam is the  best religion and Muslims are the worst people"

Habeus Corpus for producing Naxal leader RK

Habeus Corpus writ filed in HC by Naxal leader RK's wife

Naxals or Maoists wearing lethal weapons smuggled from other countries, living away from society in jungles and commanding people at their will and ruthlessly killing people not obeying them and also policemen encountering them are nothing but terrorists. There is no such thing called 'foreign terrorists' and 'Indian terrorists'. Both are anti-nationals and enemies of the civilized world.

You see the audacity of the naxal leader RK's wife Padma and civil liberties leaders Varavara Rao & co. On one hand they defy constitution and laws of the land creating terror among tribals on some pretext or other and when caught by police they expect police treat them with all civil rights honored. Suddenly they remember that Naxals are also citizens of this country and approach courts and human rights commissions for their well being. HC commenting that Naxals or otherwise, government must provide security to all citizens is simply obnoxious. What about the rights of the victims of Naxals and families of policemen who are killed by Naxals brutally? Policemen risks their lives in catching them and our blind courts often releases them in accordance with laws of the land. Thus policemen after catching these terrorists has no incentive and produce them in courts for trial etc. which is nothing but farcical. When encounter takes place in forests especially during dark from where police will get eye witness to prosecute them. The easy option for them is kill them under the pretext of self defense.

RK shot into fame when his gang blasted AP CM Chandrababu Naidu's car at Alipiri ghat. But he survived with grievous injuries on Oct 01, 2003 because the car was rugged and bulletproof and above all luck.

How will he & his family feel for letting RK and his rights being upheld by courts.

Group of 40-50 Maoists in military like uniform armed with lethal weapons -- what legitimate activity they are doing in prohibited reserved forests walking 28 km, other than conspiring against the state. Any sane government would challenge them and if they retaliate surely would eliminate them.

It has been policy of all governments to eliminate Naxals for their illegal ans anti-social activities and eliminating them is the only way.


My View:
I do remember in 1976 when Palestine terrorists hijacked Ar France plane and kept 100 Isreali citizens as hostages at Entebbe Airport, Uganda, neither Israeli government nor people of Isreal have shown any interest for exchanging jailed terrorists and ransom amount as demanded by hijackers. They preferred dare devil military rescue operation which had successfully rescued all the hostages except few casualties. Thus they insulated themselves from future hijacks for next 30 years. Prior to Entebbe raid, 2 to 3 hijacks were common every month. A hostage has told the hijacker at Entebbe that "My country doesn't bargain with terrorists". See the clarity and firmness in resolution.

Naxals or anybody, yielding lethel weapons other than licensed by Government are terrorists and must be dealt with iron fist and society must be made secure and safe by eliminating them. Their principles might be noble but their actions are untolerable, unbearable and unacceptable. Courts should be careful while dealing such cases and refrain from the temptations of  'judicial activism'. Courts must refrain making adverse comments on government during the course of hearing is unacceptable nonsense. They should reserve all comments and advise till the day of judgement. They should emulate Justice Jagmohanlal Sinha. Otherwise sooner or later they too could become victims of some terrorists.

Those who doesn't respect 'Constitution of India' 

have no right to seek for protection under its aegis.