The Indian Government Extends Visa-On-Arrival Facility – A Step Likely to Boost Tourism

The Indian government has extended its Visa-On-Arrival (VOA) facility to four more countries, viz. The Philippines, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam (all ASEAN countries).

Before this the government offered this facility in January 2010 to five other countries, viz. Singapore, Japan, Luxembourg, Finland and New Zealand.



Some key features of the said facility –


It will initially be available at the airports of New Delhi, Calcutta or Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai.

It will allow a traveler a single entry facility with a validity of 30 days.

A passenger will have to pay a fee of $60 for availing the facility.

One passenger will be allowed to avail the facility for not more than 2 times in a calendar year. And there must be a minimum gap of 2 months between the two occasions when he will avail the facility.

My “Time-Efficient” Way To Read Newspaper

I love to keep regular track of all that is happening in the world, I mean all those incidents and developments that we collectively call current affairs.

At the same time now-a-days I do not get that much time to devote to reading the daily newspaper. There was a time I used to read newspaper like anything, virtually covering every sentence of every page (note: I said “virtually”). This habit of “eating the newspaper like a hog” was there with me till the beginning of my professional life. And then I realized that I had entered a life where I could not afford to give so much time for newspaper reading. Because in the morning I am in a hurry to get myself ready for the office. And when I come back, that time I like to have some quality time with my family rather than reading the newspaper.

But at the same time I did not want to give up my passion for keeping myself updated of all the latest news across the world, ranging from global politics to Indian corporate scenario.

So I have started following a simple formula, which I think many of you people also follow. And what’s that?

Well, it is actually something very simple. After opening the newspaper I just keep running through all the news. What I mean is that while reading a particular news piece, I never go through the entire news. Rather I quickly go through just the first 2 or 3 paragraphs. And you bet, I manage to get at least a gist of the news from that around 3 paragraphs. And then I quickly rush for another news piece. Sometimes I even manage to gather the basic news just by looking at the headline.

And, in this way I manage to finish the entire newspaper in around 15-20 minutes (sometimes I may take around 30 minutes, though), without compromising on reading any of the news pieces of my interest.

In case I overlook or miss any key part of a news piece, I get it “rectified” through another method. During lunch breaks or coffee breaks at office I discuss various current affairs issues with my colleagues (albeit in a casual manner). And then I manage to gather a key part of a news piece that I missed while going through it in the morning newspaper.

I suppose I am not alone who follows this formula of reading newspaper. Many of you also do the same, right?

Uttarakhand Government’s Blatant Violation Of Indian Forests Protection Act

Uttarakhand’s Lachchiwala reserve forest area is witnessing shameless felling of lush green trees, with the number of felled trees having already crossed 300.

And this massacre of trees is being done at the behest of the state government itself. Reason? Well, it is being done for the development of a herbal garden that will be spread over 5 acres of the forest area. In fact, this herbal garden initiative is reportedly a dream project of the Uttarakhand Chief Minister, Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank.

Unfortunately, the state government has completely overlooked (or given a damn to) this fact that this mindless felling of trees of kukat, kher, semal, sheesham, silver oak and kaju has completely violated the Indian Forests Protection Act of 1927.

Is the Uttarakhand government being run by ministers and bureaucrats who are not adequately aware of the laws of the country? Or is it so that they give a damn to those laws that cross the path of their own ideas and ideologies?

Gujjars’ Quota Agitation: Isn’t It A Contempt Of Court?

I do not know how much right I am. But I personally feel, very strongly, that the ongoing Gujjar agitation for quota hike is a case of contempt of court. Their quota hike demand has been declined not by the Rajasthan government, but by the Rajasthan High Court. And by openly refusing to accept the Rajasthan High Court’s verdict, the Gujjar agitators have shown strong disrespect for the Indian judiciary. And I feel it qualifies, at least to some extent, to be a case of contempt of court.

I would have understood if there were no democratic way to challenge the Court’s decision. But that is not the case. The Gujjar agitators had the opportunity to appeal in a higher court challenging the Rajasthan High Court’s decision. But instead of doing that they went for certain disruptive activities in the name of protests and agitation.

There is another issue that I want to highlight here. One of the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Indian Constitution is the “Freedom to assemble peacefully without arms”. And it is this fundamental right that many pressure groups, etc. use (and exploit) while launching their protest/agitation. And these Gujjar agitators are also using precisely this fundamental right to launch their protests.

However, we often forget that while guaranteeing the fundamental rights, the Indian Constitution has also mentioned that no such right is “unlimited”. And no person/group of people can exercise a fundamental right that will hamper the fundamental right of other people.

By disrupting the train movements the Gujjar agitators are depriving the train passengers of one key fundamental right guaranteed by the same Indian Constitution – “Freedom to move freely throughout the territory of India”.

More significantly, can such an assembly be called a “peaceful assembly” which resorts to activities like disruption of train services, thereby creating so much trouble for so many innocent people?

India’s Parsi Community Is Facing Extinction, Thanks To Their Own Fault

India’s respectable Parsi community – a community to which our country owes so many stalwarts from so many fields – is on the verge of extinction.

So why is the community on verge of extinction? Well, I suppose we all know the reason. The reason is an alarmingly low fertility rate that has been plaguing the community for quite some time now.

But why does the community suffer from such a disturbing fertility rate? I suppose that is also known to more-or-less all of us.

There are mainly two reasons.

The first reason is a general trend of late marriage in the Parsi community. This practice of late marriage naturally impacts the fertility potential of Parsi women, eventually resulting in a steady decline in the Parsi population.

However, the second factor that has contributed to the current status of Parsi population is more significant. It is actually an archaic practice that is, in a blunt language, very unhealthy. It is a practice of strictly precluding a Parsi man or women from marrying outside his or her community. And what will happen if a Parsi person marries somebody from outside his/her community? Well, in that case he/she will face Excommunication. In plain speak, he/she will be banished from the Parsi community.

For several generations the Parsi community has been following this practice of intra-community marriage, and today probably every Parsi man has some sort of blood relation with every Parsi woman. And so the marriage between them will obviously bear the risk of adversely affecting the health of their child.

It is high time that our Parsi friends shed off their flawed idea of ethnic purity, and look beyond their own community for matrimonial relationships. They must remember that no matter how old a custom or practice is, it cannot be more important than the survival of their community. After all, what is the meaning of adhering to a custom when it poses a threat of extinction to the very community that is practicing it?

I earnestly appeal to the elders of the Parsi community to “banish” this archaic custom of excommunicating Parsis who marry people from outside their own community.

The Parsi community has been a very resourceful community for India, and our motherland cannot afford to lose it.

(Note: I sincerely apologise in advance if anything in this write up hurts the religious or ethnic sentiment/emotion of any Parsi friend).

AI Domestic Loses Spot To IndiGo – Another Indication Of Indian Domestic Passengers’ Preference For LCC?

An Indian civil aviation sector watcher may not find it very striking to know that Air India Domestic has lost its 3rd position in terms of domestic market share (the 1st and 2nd positions are held by Jet Airways and Kingfisher respectively).

But it is certainly at least a bit interesting to note that AI Domestic has lost its 3rd position to IndiGo, an LCC (low-cost carrier), and India’s youngest LCC for that matter.

IndiGo had been breathing on AI Domestic’s neck for quite some time, and finally overtook the latter in November 2010.

For some of us it may appear to be just an insipid piece of market data. However, as an ordinary watcher of the Indian civil aviation sector I feel that it is yet another implication that Indian domestic passengers are developing more preference for LCCs. We must not forget that both Jet Airways and Kingfisher have LCCs (JetLite, Jet Konnect, Kingfisher Red). And there are ample reasons to believe that their LCC services have contributed a lot in helping these airlines to occupy the top two market positions.

I feel Air India should introduce a domestic service of its international LCC, AI Express, at the earliest.

Possible Extension Of Deadline For Phasing Out Expat Pilots In India

The Indian government is likely to extend the 31st July 2011 deadline for phasing out expatriate pilots. If that happens, then it will be a great relief for the Indian carriers, who have been very vocal about their dependence on pilots from foreign countries.

The Indian carriers and cargo airlines have said that they will collectively require 2,665 expat pilots till 2015. And they have also made it very clear that in case their demand is not met, then they will be forced to ground a huge number of their collective aircrafts. Needless to say that if that happens, then it will have a very adverse impact on the Indian aviation scenario.

However, while the Indian carriers have lobbied for a 5 years extension for the deadline, the DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) has made a recommendation to the Indian government for an extension of 2 years. And it is a 2 years extension that the government is currently considering, though a final decision in this regard is still pending.

Presence of a huge number of expat pilots is certainly not a comfortable scenario for wannabe Indian pilots with licenses from Indian training institutes, as it severely shrinks their employment opportunities. Under that circumstance, they will certainly not be able to welcome a decision to extend the deadline for phasing out expat pilots.

However, the Indian government certainly cannot afford to have a situation where all the Indian carriers will be forced to ground a huge number of their total aircrafts overnight, eventually resulting in a temporary but serious disorder for the Indian civil aviation market.

Then there is also the question of security. Many Indian airlines fly such aircrafts that can be flown only by expat pilots. And the Indian pilots cannot overnight be given the responsibility of flying those aircrafts until and unless they have picked up the necessary expertise. It is a question of passenger security.

So now the Indian Civil Aviation Ministry has to espouse a balanced approach. On one hand it has to offer the necessary extension as sought by the Indian carriers. But at the same time the government must ensure that the Indian carriers start taking steps so that soon they are able to employ Indian pilots. For example, the carriers may start training Indian pilots on how to fly those aircrafts that reportedly can be flown only by expat pilots.

Do We Have A Tunneled Vision Of Development?

Do we all have a tunneled vision of development, wherein we confuse “development” only and only with “infrastructural and economic development”, while giving little or no importance to the other aspects of human society?

Areas like science & technology, transport, telecommunications, trade & commerce, real estate, etc. are key constituents of human development. There is simply no doubt about it. But they are not be all and end all of human development. Equally important are areas like social cohesion, family values, interpersonal empathy and respect, compassion, camaraderie, etc. In fact, these are probably more important. Because it is these characteristics that help the human civilization to remain humane, rather than turning into just a civilization.

Unfortunately, now-a-days we are only obsessed with economic and infrastructural development, while being almost completely indifferent to the development of humane qualities. Interest in the latter is mostly confined within some research analysts, experts and academicians. When they publish their research papers, reports, etc., highlighting the sorry state of these qualities in the modern world, we just express some “intellectual regret and concern”, and then get back to our usual world of so-called development.

Friends, the humane qualities that comprise the cornerstone of human society are steadily on the wane. And it is high time we addressed that bleak scenario. Otherwise soon our civilization will turn into a civilization like the ones of the aliens of Hollywood sci-fi movies, i.e. a highly (technologically) developed civilization with no room for emotion and other soft feelings.

Let us not forget that an ideal human civilization is neither exclusively head-specific nor exclusively heart-specific. Rather, it adheres to a balanced attitude where both human head and human heart enjoy an equal importance.

Do You Want To Change Train At Rajiv Chowk Delhi Metro Station?

I usually travel by Delhi Metro while going to and coming back from office. And every day while going back to my Noida home from Gurgaon (where I have my office), I have to get down at Rajiv Chowk metro station to catch the Noida bound train from there. It may be mentioned here that Rajiv Chowk acts as the “connecting station” for trains headed towards either Noida or Anand Vihar or Dwarka, the route named “Blue Lines”.

Now, almost everyday at Rajiv Chowk metro station I come across people who want to catch trains headed towards either Noida or Anand Vihar or Dwarka, but are clueless about it. They keep asking people, and run from here to there.

Please permit me to offer some directions to them. I hope it will be helpful for at least few commuters.

You want to board Dwarka bound Train?

That you have to catch from Platform No. 4. After getting down at Rajiv Chowk station, just climb the staircase and go to the upper part of the station. Now ask people about the platform for Dwarka bound train. Or you can ask them about how to reach the Platform No. 4. Once you reach Platform No. 4, just wait for you train.

You want to board Train headed towards Noida/Anand Vihar?

That you have to catch from the Platform No. 3. After getting down at Rajiv Chowk station, just climb the staircase and go to the upper part of the station. Now ask people about the platform for Noida/Anand Vihar bound train. Or you can ask them about how to reach the Platform No. 3.

After you reach Platform No. 3, wait for you train. But remember one thing that it is a common platform for both Noida bound and Anand Vihar bound trains. Both of them pass through this platform, and have a common route till Yamuna Bank station. So before boarding the train, make sure about it that you are boarding the right train.

There is an electronic display board, which displays the destination of the forthcoming train. Keep an eye on the same.

However, if after boarding the train you come to know that you have boarded the wrong train, do not panic. As I have told you that trans headed towards both Noida and Anand Vihar have a common route till Yamuna Bank station. So if you have boarded the wrong train, get down at Yamuna Bank station and wait for the right train.

Remember – If the Yamuna Bank station falls on the right side of the train, then it is a Noida bound train. And if the station falls on the left side of the train, then it is heading towards Anand Vihar.

Sri Lanka Scraps The Tamil Version Of The National Anthem

The Sri Lankan government has scrapped the Tamil version of the island nation’s national anthem – “Sri Lanka Matha”. From now onwards the anthem will be sung in all official and state functions in only Sinhala language.

This is the latest proof of the current Sri Lankan government’s blatantly discriminatory attitude towards the hapless Tamil citizens of that country, for whom Sri Lanka has always been a “step motherland”.

It seems Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa (the CEO of Sri Lanka Pvt. Ltd.) was a very poor student of History at school. Or probably he has never studied History at all. Otherwise he would not have been so poor at learning lessons from the recent History of his country.

All I can say is that the way the ethnic Tamils of Sri Lanka are being discriminated against, the birth of another Prabhakaran is just a matter of time.

Is Gmail Eating Into Yahoo Mail’s E-mail Market Share?

That Yahoo could not succeed as a search engine only because of Google that is well known. In the Internet world there is only one search engine, and that is Google. In fact, we so much identify Internet searching with Google that while suggesting somebody for searching some information in the Internet we rarely say “Search it in the Internet”. Rather, most of the times we precisely tell him “Look for the information in Google”. I feel even Ms. Carol Bartz herself prefers Google to Yahoo while looking for some information in the Internet.

However, while it failed to achieve the desired success in the search engine business, Yahoo had established itself as arguably the most preferred e-mail service provider. Every second person that I would meet used Yahoo! Mail (some of them also had accounts in Rediff, Hotmail, etc. But Yahoo! Mail was their main tool for e-mail communication). Rarely I would come across people who would use other e-mail services, like Hotmail.

However, for last 2 years or so I find Gmail has been fast expanding its hold on the e-mail market. Every second Yahoo! Mail user I know has “logged into” Gmail. And more startlingly, a good number of them have already started using the latter as their premier e-mail communication tool. And yes, let me mention that I have noticed this spread of “Gmail mania” among those people as well who had previously been using e-mail services other than that of Yahoo.

So I was just wondering whether Gmail is pushing Yahoo! Mail to a relatively less significant corner of the e-mail service market, turning it from the “Emperor of e-mail service market” into one of the various “courtiers”?

Gemini USB Optical Mouse – Do You Find It Convenient Enough?

Well, I do not mean to launch any campaign against Gemini USB Optical Mouse. Nor I am trying to malign it.

However, there is one thing that I will like to highlight. Every time I use a computer that has a Gemini USB Optical Mouse attached to it, I find it very inconvenient for use.

So what exactly is my problem with that brand of mouse? Well, actually the left and right keys in this mouse are not prominent. And that makes it difficult for me to have a proper grip, eventually resulting in a nagging problem when I try to click any of the two keys.

I reiterate that I am not trying to spread any bad word about the product. I just felt that I should let the manufacturers know about the inconvenience that I am facing, as it may help them identify some rooms for development.

I would also love to know whether other users of the product face the same inconvenience while using it.

Let’s Ban Diesel Vehicles In And Around The Himalayan Region

The ongoing climate negotiations in Cancun have brought back into focus the debate that whether soot or “black carbon” is contributing to global warming, and having adverse impact on the health of Himalayan glaciers.

Indian Minister of Environment & Forest Mr. Jairam Ramesh has understandably opposed the developed countries’ attempt to include the “black carbon” issue in the main framework of the climate negotiations. It is quite evident that the developed countries have raised this issue to divert attention from their own drawbacks as far as addressing the greenhouse gases emission is concerned. Besides, Mr. Ramesh has rightly pointed out that India’s “black carbon” emission percentage is too negligible to create any serious impact on the environment.

Moreover, it is practically impossible for the Indian government, at least till near future, to restraint certain soot producing practices like burning of wood or cow dung. The poor people of India who are into these practices cannot overnight be provided with any affordable alternative. It is a practical problem that the government of India cannot wish away.

However, if there are reports of soot posing a threat to Himalayan glaciers, then the same cannot be completely ignored. And I feel that the government of India can take at least one step in that regard, which is banning of one soot producing practice in and around the Himalayan region. And the soot producing practice that I am referring to is the use of diesel vehicles.

I know that the government cannot overnight ban the use of diesel vehicles in that region. But it can certainly be done in a phased manner. Initially the government can at least try to restraint the use of such vehicles in that area. Then, slowly but gradually it can go for complete ban.

Of course there are some factors that will hinder the implementation of any such step. One such factor is the inevitable rise in the transport cost in that area if there is a complete shift to petrol vehicles from diesel vehicles. However, hopefully the government will be able to address that as well, through ways like subsidies, etc.

Congrats To India For Showing The Guts To Attend Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony

It is really heartening to know that my beloved motherland India is going to attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony In Oslo (Norway), where the imprisoned Chinese human rights activist Liu Xiaobo will be bestowed with the award in absentia.

The shameless Chinese government had started arm-twisting the various governments of the world, ultimately forcing many of them to decide to give the ceremony a miss.

However, the government of India has remained committed to the age old ethics and values that India stands for, and has decided to attend the award ceremony in full defiance of China’s veiled threats.

I wholeheartedly congratulate our government for this bold step.

Assange – The Information Warrior With A Cause

Our dear Assange, you are a gutsy information warrior with a noble cause

You are the “Internet Knight” who has made all the world powers to suffer such a huge image loss.

We all salute your dedication, determination and courage

You are one of the greatest things to have happened in this Internet Age.

Words fail me to hail you. All I can say is that you are simply great

You will always remain a darling for the global civil society, I assure you mate.

Giving Due Space To Each Other – A Key Constituent Of A Successful Married Life

Must a person force his/her spouse to take interest in something simply because he/she takes interest in it? No. Never.

A husband must not force his wife to take interest in software, simply because he himself is interested about it. Yes, he may try to generate relevant interest in her, but should appreciate it if she keeps showing her lack of interest.

Similarly, a wife must not force her husband to take interest in Western Classical music simply because she herself is passionate about it. Again, she may try to generate relevant interest in him, but should appreciate it if he keeps showing his lack of interest.

In fact, this mutual respect for each other’s liking and disliking should be maintained even at the “micro level”. For example, while spending a Sunday evening at home, the wife may watch a TV programme that she is fond of. But she must not insist her husband to watch the same when he is more interested to spend the time by reading a thriller. Similarly, the husband may watch a sports channel on TV if he loves watching it in his spare time. But he must not insist his wife to join him, when she is eager to play her piano.

Let us not forget that a key constituent of successful married life is giving due space to each other. In plain speak, it means giving your husband/wife the opportunity to just remain himself/herself, free of any compulsion to change so that he/she can “gel” with the spouse. A person should always remember that his/her spouse is married to him/her, and not to his/her hobbies/interests. And therefore the spouse does not have any compulsion to take interest in the latter.

Dear Facebook, I Am So Indebted To You

You help me to find out all my long lost good friends

The people who many years back used to occupy in my life such a prominent place.

You help me keep touch with my beloved friends, cousins and relatives

We keep ourselves updated about our respective lives with so much comfort and ease.

You help me find out wonderful new friends, who share my hobbies and interests

Whether it is blogging, poem writing, reading or chess.

Trust me dear, I love you so much as I am really so indebted to you

I hope you will soon become more interesting after having features that are new.