Do it yourself

What is most wonderful? Yaksha asked Yudhishthira “what is most wonderful?” Yudhishthira answered – “Every day numerous living entities are dying and going to the abode of Yama. Yet one thinks/believes one will live forever (Immortal). What can be more wonderful than this?” As the spring was paving way for summers in 2020, the entire country was locked down to prevent the spread of Covid-19 pandemic. A few weeks into the lockdown, the skies became blue; peacocks started dancing on city roads; mountains were visible from long distances; roads were empty; air was serene; a pleasant quietness had replaced the annoying cacophony; many misogynists and patriarchs were helping their wives in household chores; many tech illiterates were quickly leaning to use smart devices for communication, shopping & entertainment; the sentiments of frugality, minimalism, spirituality, & patriotism, etc. overpowered vanity, presumptuousness, pretense, selfishness etc.; and new births and deaths were ...

 The two thousand twentieth year of Christ is coming to an end. This year has been totally forgettable and remarkably transforming at the same time. It reminds me of the title of the autobiography of legendry poet Dr. Harivansh Rai Bachachan – “ क्या भूलूँ , क्या याद करूँ ”. Notwithstanding the all-time high levels of stock market indices in most countries; the global financial system inundated with trillions of dollars in free liquidity; over US$20trn worth of bonds yielding negative return globally; the massive economic and social shock of Covid-19 pandemic has left billions of people in distress. The inequalities of income, wealth and opportunities have risen to new highs. Significant developments have been reported on the front of vaccine development to check the spread of Covid-19 virus. Many countries have already authorized emergency use of some vaccines; and people are being administered such authorized vaccines. Nonetheless, recently a fresh wave of mutated version ...

  After showing some reluctance in the month of September, Nifty has resumed its uptrend and is sprinting rather quickly to regain the Mount 12K. Many global markets are also within reach of their highest levels in the year 2020. There have been numerous factors that have supported the benchmark indices to reclaim most of the ground lost in February –March earlier this year, but in my view, the following five events are particularly noteworthy in Indian context: 1.     The relentless fund raising by the Oil to Consumer behemoth Reliance Industries. 2.     Dramatic changes in the fortunes of healthcare businesses in the wake of the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic. 3.     Revival in demand for IT services, especially due to dramatic changes in the work and travel practices, M&A deals and global realignment of businesses, markets and states. 4.     Strong liquidity in equity market, as many businessmen and professio...

A popular saying is that "the true character of a person is often revealed in the times of crisis". The crisis tests intellect, common sense, resolve, grit, emotions, beliefs, etc. of people, besides highlighting their strengths, weaknesses and vulnerabilities. This applies mutatis mutandis to various organizations and systems also. The present crisis, for example, has highlighted the strong character of the common people of India who are usually financially insecure (poor), less educated (or illiterate), religious (and superstitious), and oppressed. Often derided by the elite as dirty and non-compliant, these people have shown amazing resilience and grit. They have bore the brunt of economic consequences of the disease; faced cruel apathy of the administration & state (and in some cases employers also); have been most vulnerable to fatalities due to COVID-19 infections; and still managed to stay peaceful and non-violent. Thousands of them received anim...

The jokes & memes on coronavirus are now getting stale. The opening of liquor shops and hike in duty on transportation fuel has provided some new fodder to the meme and joke writers. But the new jokes are more ironical than funny. This clearly indicates that the people are now tired & frustrated to the extent that they are now willing to risk their life to get back to their pre lockdown status. The government however appears to be caught in a quagmire. It is finding it extremely challenging to strike a balance between (a) the urgent need to augment resources to compensate for the poor revenue collection in past 5 weeks; (b) to provide meaningful stimulus to the businesses facing unprecedented liquidity, solvency and viability crisis; (c)           support consumers who have lost income; (d) make concessions for the businesses to attract new investment; (e) restore confidence of people who psyche has been damaged; and (f) c...