Do it yourself

Thought for the day "Encourage your own curiosity; pursue the problems based on that." —James Mirrlees (Scottish, 1936-) Word for the day Makebate (n) A person who causes contention or discord. Malice towards none Why can't BJP just accept that AK is CM of Delhi and cooperate with him to improve life of the people living in Delhi! First random thought this morning Adi Godrej group is reportedly opposing the proposed acquisition of their Vikhroli land for Mumbai-Ahmadabad bullet train project. So far the opposition to the ambitious project had come from farmers and opposition parties. This is the first instance an industrialist (that too someone who always sounded highly impressed by PM Modi) has opposed the pet project of the prime minister. This may signifies either of the following: (a)    Industrialists want everything but wouldn't give away even a small piece of land lying vacant for 100ye...

Thought for the day When things begin to go bad, the perception of people makes it worse. —James Mirrlees (Scottish, 1936-) Word for the day Ullage (n) The amount by which the contents fall short of filling a container, as a cask or bottle. The quantity of wine, liquor, or the like, remaining in a container that has lost part of its contents by evaporation, leakage, or use. Malice towards none If the government can convince that "nominal growth" is the "real growth", and raise inflation to 6%, we will definitely have sustainable double digit growth.   First random thought this morning While 24X7 news channels are scaring people by showing images of furious floods across the country, the official IMD data indicates that about 50% of country has received normal rains so far this season. The rest of the areas are either dry or inundated. As the monsoon progress has slowed considerably, last week, on...

Thought for the day "Shadow owes its birth to light." —John Gay (American, 1685-1732) Word for the day Debonair (adj) Courteous, gracious, and having a sophisticated charm. Malice towards none While in Delhi, Congress leaders, especially P. Chidambaram, are clamoring for reduction in taxes on fuel, their government in Karnataka has announced 2% hike in tax rates for petrol and diesel.   First random thought this morning Tata Nano was once hailed as revolution by many. It was celebrated as the best example of Indian Jugaad (low cost innovative solution); and marketed as most affordable mobility solution for rising middle class of India. After a massive controversy was raised in West Bengal, the original location for Nano's production, the plant was shifted to Gujarat near Ahemdabad. The then Gujarat government marketed it as harbinger of its business friendliness. In June 2018, Tata Motor produced...

Thought for the day "Those who in quarrels interpose, must often wipe a bloody nose." —John Gay (American, 1685-1732) Word for the day Fizgig (n) A type of firework that makes a loud hissing sound. Malice towards none Is Arun Jaitely batting for dilution of "Prevention of Corruption Act", or just suggesting some corrective amendments?   First random thought this morning The world is anticipating serious trade disruption, that may potentially lead to a recession. It that does happen, emerging markets will be badly affected.   In spite of whatever, NITI Aayog and other experts feel, India may not be insulated from a global contagion. Domestic situation not looking great either. Fiscal management requires day to day monitoring. CAD is expanding. INR and yields conditions worsening. Amidst all this, no one knows who is FM of the country. The Finance Ministry website says, its AJ whereas people...

First random thought this morning A portion of the railway foot over bridge in Mumbai collapsed in Mumbai. Last year also a bridge had fallen in Mumbai. It is totally unfortunate to note that the concept of preventive maintenance to the civil structures is still not very popular in India. At the core of this apathy is perhaps our total disregard for the value of human life and right to people to live with dignity. Thought for the day "Fools may our scorn, not envy, raise. For envy is a kind of praise." —John Gay (American, 1685-1732) Word for the day Kakaesque (adj) Marked by a senseless, disorienting, often menacing complexity: Malice towards none Delhi government wants to teach happiness to school children!! What are you scared off? A chance conversation with a reputable fund manager and a small group of businessmen was quite perplexing. They discussed the political scenario at length. In the view ...

Thought for the day "On the choice of friends, Our good or evil name depends." —John Gay (American, 1685-1732) Word for the day Buttery (adj) Like, containing, or spread with  butter . Malice towards none Why both Ex Finance Ministers are trying so hard? First random thought this morning Another overloaded bus has fallen in deep gorge in Uttrakhand, claiming about 50 precious lives. Anyone who has travelled to hills of Uttrakhand and Himachal Pradesh by road is well aware that most of the public busses, autos, and taxis run overloaded there. Speeding and driving under influence of alcohol is also not uncommon. The point is "why the enforcement agencies who allow this life threatening practices to continue for a small gratification and elected representatives (including ministers) who ignore such practices to please the strong transporter lobby should not face serious criminal charges for each such mishap. Celebration for vanity sake One...