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Reasons why Indians can't build Facebook?
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Marketing 101: You don't need it!
Sitting in the room, staring at the purple cracked walls and murmuring to his hear what appeared to be the poignant ode to his feelings, Kunal cried. It was his mother’s birthday.
Loss had come his way and caught him off guard when his life was on its mighty best and success had filled his eyes with pride and arrogance, not substantial but yet noticeable.
Disclaimer 1: This article was written by me for a Business and Economy magazine and since it was written a month ago, some things might have become a little redundant.
Much has been debated upon the recent rise in petrol prices all over the country and while the causes are being attributed to the internal and/or external economic variables, ultimately it is the common man’s suffering. He does not understand the reasons which news channels quote, nor the analysis that newspapers offer forget watching Bloomberg or ET now to track the situation and try to rationalize this.
This, on part of government is a huge PR failure that people do not understand what is going on in the economy but this is matter of another discussion altogether. With my own research, consultation with the economic czars and further digging under the newspaper articles, I present here in common language the different reasons why the economy is plunging more and more into slowdown and why the inflationary trends never seem to leave the essential commodities like petrol.
This can be started with taking two variables that directly affect the petrol pricing. First one is Brent crude pricing because it is the most general indicator of petrol price trends across the world and the other is dollar prices because India is a heavy fuel importer.
The dollar prices have touched their all-time intraday high level of rs56.52 per dollar just a few days ago and this adds to the problems for the country.
The prime reason behind the free fall of Rupee against Dollar can be attributed to the Eurozone crisis which has resulted in loss of investor sentiments and a search of safe havens by investors, unlikely to fall in emerging economies like India.
But, attribution to the single factor doesn’t gives us the complete picture and in my perspective it is more due to the logjam created through current account and fiscal deficits.
The fiscal deficit for the year 2011-2012 stood at Rs5, 21,980 and it is targeted at Rs5, 13,590crores for the 2012-2013. This deficit makes the borrowing necessary, which in turn raises the interest burden for the government and the most of the budget allocation goes to this ‘planned expenditure’. The oil subsidy is one of the major constituents of the deficit and according to a team of financial analysts, “The oil subsidy for the year 2012-2013 is estimated to be Rs43, 580crores. But we project the losses suffered by OMCs for the current year, this subsidy will come out to be Rs1, 14,000crores.”
Current account deficit is increasing on daily basis and additional burden is falling on government to arrest this falling trend so that importers can be protected from the havoc. It can be quantified in view of the fuel prices as:
“Every one rupee fall in the value of the Indian currency against the dollar requires an increase of 0.77 rupees/liter in the retail price of gasoline, while every dollar decline in delivered prices of Singapore gasoline means prices need to go up by 0.34 rupees. “
The oil marketing companies have lost around Rs. 4300Crores for selling petrol below the cost in the last six months.
The other variable in this context is the Brent crude prices. Brent crude oil is a specific type of oil which is generally lighter and called ‘sweet crude’ because of low sulfur content.
North Sea Bbrent crude was discovered in the early 1960s. It is now sourced primarily by the United Kingdom, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands and Germany. Brent crude oil is not as light or as sweet as its counterpart, West Texas Intermediate oil.
If recent macroeconomic trends are something to go by, Brent crude prices have been falling continuously and a stage has been reached where supply outpaces demand. This has been possible due to new efficient drillingtechniques, discovery of new oil fields and other measures to cater the ever increasing demand.
But these falling prices, too fail to lower the price of crude oil in the country. It seems incomprehensibleat first but the trend is directly related to dollar prices which are on all time high and thus, nullifyingall the lowering in Brent crude barrel prices.
Thus, the onus of the petrol prices comes to the government policies finally. Careful circumspection and observation reveals that not only the government is failing at taming the global pressures well and this is ultimately resulting in national economic turmoil. Problems like large current account deficit, drying up of capital inflows, political logjam and the constant danger of the economy slipping into double dip.
This is another harm of being in a democratic state like India which runs on coalition government and hence a measure like lower taxes on petrol all over the country is a far sighted dream but once executed, it can prove to be a worthwhile step which can arrest both, inflation and free fall of Rupee.
Noted economists like our very own P.M and F.M are working day in and day out to bring the economy back on track but with the IIP growth coming to a halt, it seems highly doubtful in the near future.
The need of the hour is to stop non plan expenditure and introduce not just one but a series of robust steps and initiatives which open up the Indian economy to foreign investors, companies and governments and the concept of liberalization can finally be implemented.
Growth of the industry can primarily be the factor of utmost importance in the GDP growth and hence more measures like 49% FDI are also necessary to emerge from the finance minister’s table.
But, there are a lot of game plays in this so called ‘policy paralyses’. The United Progressive Alliance government in its second term has already suffered a huge setback in terms of recent state elections and the pressure mounted up by the parties in opposition and coalition just doesn’t seems to be easing any sooner.
Hence, government is finding itself in a fix to whether play for the chair or play with it. In other words, a bold economic policy will bring the country back on track but a well spread public loathe is on the cards which can even result in premature elections that are due in 2014. Moreover, saving the chair cannot serve too well in the long term either.
Hence, it is fight for not just the government but for every one of us to choose, at our own levels between what’s right to do and what’s right for us.
Disclaimer 2: A price rise of Rs.5 is coming your way the next week! Fuel up. 
*****
Probably its the treason,
that’s the reason.
Behind the agonies of our mind..
were made there in our
Soul, to be free as air comes gushing removing the bind.
*****
Inexplicably dark,
Yet
Unfathomably bright,
This reason may occur,
To the man of might.
Wonder in the air
Comes only near,
Hiding in the war ,
Surreal since ever,
Bleak light making it far.
*****
It went ahead
And never came
Life became clouded
It never rained.
Reality transpires through the breaking winds
Polluting the soul
Of its worthy sins.
Never been easy, to realize
It’s a dream. Just a dream.
*****
Every once in a while when I picked up a newspaper the news horrified me. Every once in a while, when I watched TV the reality struck me and every moment when I wondered over living in Delhi, the issue pinned me.
If being a guy, I can have so much problems with the rapes and the sexual harassment that goes on openly these days in our lovely capital, it is an unimaginable havoc for a girl.
But then, guys and the patriarchal thinking are the sole culprits behind it and thus, change has to come from among us only.
My contribution to the change, to this cause was Safe Delhi. A campaign started over Facebook poised to soon become a revolution of raging youngsters who want to defend and protect an innocent girl’s rights.
Here is a brief introduction to the same:
Everyone is aware of the bad condition of the city in terms of safety and security of women. You know it must be bad when it earns the title of ‘rape capital of the country’. If anyone seems unaware or indifferent it is the administration and police.
SAFE Delhi aims to do exactly that. Build a united front of citizens who not only demand answers but also seek to get concrete measures taken in the direction of women’s safety. This initiative was launched on Facebook with the primary thought behind it being that in today’s day , there can be no better way of reaching out to the youth than social networking sites. The philosophy behind such an initiative, made up and run mostly by college students, is that the power of the youth is untapped in our country. Once a formidable front is formed, it would be impractical for anyone to ignore our voice and unintelligent, to deny us our rights.
The proposed course of action is to launch a mega program to draw in the youth to our initiative. Apart from online work, this will include sessions with NSS and WSDCs of various DU colleges and getting support from local RWAs. The demands range from seeking functional police help lines to asking for increased police patrolling, mandatory presence of female constable in all PCRs etc.
This is a student/youth initiative which needs popular backing to be able to demand any action or question the authorities. Have a look at SAFE Delhi on Facebook and decide if you want to be a part of this initiative which seeks to make Delhi a better place to live in.
The time is ripe and its NOW, that we take some action that makes our future a little happier and safer. I request you all solemnly to please have a look on our page and make your call.
I was sitting on the station bench when the gleaming metro lights came rushing inside from the tunnel and the loud noise of the horn sent shivers down the spine as the metro just parked at the platform. What happened next was an everyday sight, nothing special about it. A huge mass of people were struggling with each other, some wanted to come out of the metro to proceed to their destination and others’ destination went along the path of the metro. This made me realize the never-ending misery of a metro traveler and how it increases as the summer arrives. People leave all sorts of public and even personal travel to bask in the comfort of AC travel in metro along with no hassles of jams though you can’t eat in metro. Pun intended.
The next thing I knew was that I was left behind on the same bench in the whole tussle and I was now struggling with my own thoughts to decide upon whether Delhi summers are actually worth it. Isn’t Delhi an annoying city when it goes through summers?
Answer to the questions can be a single word, No. Delhi is one of the most glorious cities of not just India but world and it cannot lose its sheen in any weather that comes its way.
I personally rant a lot about scorching heat in Delhi but when it comes to my heart it never wants to go away. There are a few things I observed about Delhi summers.
1. Relationships Adhesive: “When things are going wrong, you need the right people.” Every mother gives solace to her children when they come back home after a long hot day, same is the case with every one of our loved ones whom we love even more when we spend a day out in the summers of Delhi. Summer is the best time to mend old bonds and make new ones.
2. Self-Improvement: “World frustrates you a lot, and all you can do then is look inside.” A day in Delhi summers can teach anyone how incapable they are to handle heat (read problems of life). It not only acts as a mirror for physical strength but also helps in imparting the importance of mental strength and virtues like patience, perseverance and hard work.
3. Conversation starter: This one is my personal favorite. Walk around any busy street, alley or even public transport and you will find people talking at length about the way heat is killing them and how the monsoon is still far away. Only fact that you will fail to realize is that these people were complete strangers minutes ago. It fascinates me to see people bond over the problems, talk and discuss and then sometimes, depart in their own directions or sometimes a lifelong friendship or bond is created. All thanks to the shining sun.
4. Savory Delights: Summer brings with itself a lot of delicacies to Delhi. Mango is everyone’s favorite while ice creams are a must-have after every family dinner. Long walks are rarely completed without an original ‘matka kulfi’ and long drives are all about drinking cold drinks and sherbet. Life is so much delicious in summers. City is filled with fruits to eat, juices to drink and experiences to share.
5. HOLIDAYS! Summers are the time when all the schools and colleges are closed in Delhi and children and youth have a gala time. This is the best time to explore city as people are present in masses with their friends and family and it gives the feel of being in a nice, happy crowd. Smiling faces can be seen all over as youth goes out at nights and evenings to celebrate and movie theaters run full houses even at the mornings.
Summers are beautiful. And we cannot ignore the way romance was linked to those rising sun and summer days in old times. Once love blossomed in the shades of trees and streets hiding from the sun. It is just our impatience and technology which has made us averse to any change in our surroundings. To me, Delhi is the best place to be in summers and it always will be.
“Those who do not see the difficulties, never actually get to taste the rewards.”
Happy summers!
There are a lot of things in this world, that motivate me or maybe you too. Some of them are achievements of the past, reward of the future but most important of them all is : Fun in the present.
I learnt this gem on hearing this beautiful song. When am a bit low or life doesn’t seems to be going on as I wanted it to be, this song never fails to motivate me again. I feel refreshed and full of energy. A watch daily can work wonders.
Share your views about it.
‘The very basis of analysis is the paralysis.’ This is the statement which sparked off a debate between me and my friend while we were discussing economies last night.
He was making a point about the way Indian economy is progressing is satisfactory enough for the situation and there is no need to worry as we are going to be the world’s no.1 economy by 2050. I was not ready to believe it so easily and decided to dig a little deeper and put my knowledge to application here.
This statement made me think a lot and after some thoughts I realized quite a few nuances about the current trends.
India is slowly marching on the path or progress, this is proved not by the GDP growth rate, but by the social and economic issues it faces. No frog faces a competition when it’s in the well. India is hence out in the open and going strong to face issues such as inflation and corruption head on.
Maintaining a satisfactory growth rate among all this is a commendable task.
The real problem arises when we start comparing ourselves to china which in no way is a good thing to do. China’s history is as different from India as Africa’s from United States. China has been no doubts, going through this miraculous period of growth but it comes at a price. Almost 3 generations have been ruined there working hard all around the year, just to ensure that the products built in china are the most efficient and cost effective. Children have been virtually forced to take up sports in school so that they guarantee meddles in Olympics and world stage. This is not all. A survey of scientific literacy for 2010 by the China Research Institute for Science Popularization (CRSP) gave China a mark of 3.27 percent, meaning that only three out of 100 Chinese citizens on average possess scientific literacy, China Youth Daily reported.
This shows, that all has been not good for the nation now having the best nuclear program, manufacturing world’s best companies’ latest phones, gaining top spot at the Olympics and at the same time countering problems like overpopulation, a huge economy and wealth divide.
Coming over to India, Things have been comparatively good. The era where Chinese were losing their sleep and struggling for food was the era where culture was flourishing in our country. People were enjoying Bollywood movies, reading English novels and a few scientists were busy making their own missiles. Lack of interest in Indians to go for Indian army has also hampered our defense capabilities. This proves the fact, that even after there were internal conflicts, rising prices and corruption cases, we have had some smooth decades out there.
And right now, the struggle phase is catching up. We are having corruption, our sports are lacking behind, population explosion is at all time high, stock markets are highly volatile and the whole world is watching with glued eyes to see how we perform. It’s pressure at its mighty best, a great opportunity for us to shine. After seeing the unrest after an average union budget and the great applause to the refreshing rail budget I hold optimism that we really can go beyond all our past glories and current troubles. We can go to unseen heights and get unfathomable laurels.
It would just take an optimistic and daring attitude. Of not shying away from troubles, bearing the problems and finally making our mark when nobody else expects us to!
“Be the change you wish to see in the world.” – M.K. Gandhi
You are more than welcome to share your views.
More we live, more we learn. Something that seems natural and obvious isn’t quite true this time.
‘Changes’ , Oxford defines it as ‘an act or process through which something becomes different’. I don’t agree.
Change is not an act in itself, it is the name given to the activities that are unconventional and non-routine. You can’t say am changing to imply that you are developing new habits and patterns.
Change has been always used as a veil to hide the details. I realize it when people say the line ‘I am going through changes’ or ‘Life is changing’ when they are asked about what’s going on with them. This makes them pass away the question easily not needing to dole out the details anymore.
‘Change’ is also a shield, when you make mistakes you blame it on the change. Change is the process that made you do different things and they turned out wrong. So, the culprit… Change itself.
From Ministers to their secretaries, change is what figures in their failure reports. Even children use the change of a teacher as an excuse to less grades.
What bothers me here, is not the excuse but the habit that we have cultivated of blaming things to the process and not ourselves. Change is good, it can be bad too. But, hardly anyone makes his credit go to the ‘change’. It is usurped like the land inherited and the faults are thrown out to the processes, Change is just one of them.
When we fail, continuously, our excuses also fail and a change is needed. Not of the excuses but in the habits. Blame has to go and action has to come.
Realization dawns when we go the hard way, get some beating and then only, the lesson gets concrete in our mind.
My last word here would be a friendly advice:
“Change, But don’t blame it for your faults. It’s who you change.”
Would love to know your views. :-)
Thank you so much Sayed. Glad you liked it. Do look around and read other posts too. :)
Thank you so much Sayed! Am glad you liked it. Have a look around and let me know which ones of my a
Mayank jain simply Superb!! u got it.. u changed my views. :)
Thanks a lot Puneet. Am glad that you liked my work. Keep coming back for more.
"life became clouded, it never rained........" beautiful lines!!!
Thanks a lot for the appreciation! Keep coming back for more. :)
Good Mayank. Appreciated. Though I've never resided in Delhi, somehow the impression of the city tel
Thanks a lot for the appreciation Richi. I would request you to see my other posts too and let me kn
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