Saturday, April 24, 2010

Hang Ketan Desai Till Death

Ketan Desai, the President of Medical Council of India or MCI has been arrested, after being caught red handed while taking a bribe of Rs 2 crores.

MCI is the organization that regulates medical education in India. And one of its chief functions is to give government recognition to a medical college (and the medical degree offered by it) after being satisfied with the latter’s infrastructure, quality of teaching, etc.

In fact Mr Desai had asked for the bribe in exchange of giving government recognition to a Punjab-based medical college.

It is taken for granted that Mr Desai and his associates have already given that government recognition, in exchange of hefty amounts, to various such medical colleges which are not able to impart appropriate medical education. But the students who will pass out of these colleges will be able to boast government recognized medical degrees, and will be approached by innocent people at the time of need. And just imagine the type of treatment those doctors will offer.

By fiddling with medical education, Mr Desai has actually fiddled with human life. So I feel the case should not be treated as one of just corruption and bribery. Rather, it should be treated as a case of deliberate attempt to mass murder.

And then will it be too much to demand a death sentence for this scoundrel?

Friday, April 23, 2010

UNESCO Declares Bengali To Be The World’s Sweetest Language

UNESCO has declared the Bengali language to be the sweetest language of the world.

Bengali is one of the major languages of India, and the main language in the state of West Bengal in eastern India. It is the mother tongue of the Bengali community of India, i.e. the community to which I belong.

Bengali is also spoken in the tiny country of Bangladesh, a neighbouring country of India. In fact, in Bangladesh Bengali is virtually the sole spoken language, and enjoys the status of the National Language.

I have always been so proud that I have such a sweet as well as rich language as my mother language. And today that pride got a huge booster.

However, my pride in and love for my language will never make me look down upon any other language of this world. Rather, I have (and will always have) a huge respect for every spoken language in this world, as each of them has enriched the human civilization in one way or the other.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

DGCA Orders Grounding Of Paramount Airways

Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered the grounding of Paramount Airways, the Coimbatore-based regional carrier.

So what is Paramount’s fault? Well, as per civil aviation guidelines, it is mandatory for a scheduled operator (national) to maintain a minimum strength of five aircrafts.

And unfortunately, Paramount (which earlier had five aircrafts) was of late operating with just one aircraft.

Quite naturally DGCA had no option except to order the cancellation of Paramount’s license.

The airlines has now moved the Delhi High Court against DGCA’s order. Let’s see what happens now.

Monday, April 19, 2010

The “Volcano” Chaos For Air Travel – A Possible Lesson For ICAO?

The recent chaos in the global air travel, caused by an Icelandic volcanic eruption, probably established this point that there must be a guideline and/or plan of action to counter such incidents that may occur in the future.

Needless to say that this guideline or plan of action will be global in nature, with the airlines of every country being ready to adhere to it. And it is to be monitored by a global aviation body. And when we think of such a global aviation body, we have only one choice – International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the UN body concerned with the global aviation issues.

I feel ICAO should take this incident as a research study, and formulate one such plan of action that can be effectively used in case any such incident occurs in the future, disrupting the global aviation. Yes, that plan of action will not be able to rectify the situation. But it can at least alleviate the impact of the situation, thereby alleviating the harassments of the concerned air travelers.

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Indrajit Hazra's Crap in Hindustan Times

What is one of the main reasons that always keep The Times of India ahead of its rival Hindustan Times? Simple. Every article that you will find in Times of India (TOI) has a basic quality, a standard. On the other hand in Hindustan Times (HT) you will often come across articles that are nothing but craps.

One such latest crap that I came across other day was the article "End with a Bong, not a whimper" (link - http://www.hindustantimes.com/rssfeed/columnscricket/End-with-a-Bong-not-a-whimper/Article1-531387.aspx) by Indrajit Hazra, a funny looking man with a funny face that only his mother can love.

In that article this guy has discussed IPL, and has actually focused on KKR's poor performance in the same. And while doing so, he has completely focused on criticizing Ganguly, as a player and captain.

He certainly has the right to criticize Ganguly. After all it is true that KKR has failed in the IPL, and everybody has the right to criticize the hapless captain of the team.

But what was disgusting was that while criticizing Ganguly and his performance, this audacious (and seemingly uncultured) person has unnecessarily focused on Ganguly’s ethnicity (i.e. his Bengali ethnicity), and has also shown (albeit indirectly) lack of disrespect for the Bengali community as a whole.

I post some samples here –

First, the heading – “End with a Bong, not a whimper”

Second – “I don’t see why I can’t say a few cathartic words in response to the post-defeat outbursts of the Bengali man’s dream of a Bengali man: KKR skipper Dada Moany.”

Third – “Not with a bang, but a frustrated Bong who says he could have won Shah Rukh Khan the tournament if he had ten more…..”

Just a look at these samples can make one understand how the person – in the garb of criticizing Ganguly – has actually tried to poke a fun at the Bengali community. As I said that every person has the right to criticize anybody, be it Ganguly or anybody else. But while doing so there should be no attempt to show any disrespect to his community. That is an extreme level of impudence that can be expected only from an ill-bred guy like this Indrajit Hazra. That will immediately give a communal colour to that discussion, which is bound to make people from that community to be emotional. It is for this reason that Bengalis get so emotional when people criticize Ganguly, as we find them that his critics do not perceive him merely as an Indian cricketer, but as a “Bengali cricketer”.


At the end of the article (read crap) Hazra has expressed his hope that Ganguly will not start tweeting. I will love to tell Hazra that if we can bear the burden of Hazra’s so-called articles, then we can certainly bear with Ganguly’s tweets.

God knows what type of family this person has come from, that he can so unabashedly make such cheap remarks to win some cheap claps from some equally uncultured people. It is not his fault that he is so uncultured. The problem actually lies with his blood.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Kingfisher Launches 2 New International Routes

A good news for the Indian civil aviation sector is that the private air carriers are constantly trying to upgrade themselves, in terms of infrastructure and service capacity.

Just recently Kingfisher Airlines launched 2 new international routes – Mumbai-Bangkok and Delhi-Bangkok.

The airlines will be operating in these routes through Airbus A320 aircrafts.

The Mumbai-Bangkok flight will offer connectivity with cities, such as Nagpur, Ahmedabad and Indore.

The Delhi-Bangkok flight will offer connectivity with cities, such as Jaipur, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai and Patna. It will also have Hong Kong in its route network.

IndiGo Planning Hefty IPO

IndiGo – the Indian Low Cost Carrier (or budget carrier) with largest market share – is planning a hefty IPO of around Rs 2000 crores. Some reputable bankers including Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse have been appointed for the purpose.

The company seeks to raise some funds for expansion, which is actually a heartening news for domestic air travelers. A budget carrier is mainly meant for the middle class section of the society, and air travelers from that section of the society will eagerly await an expansion of one of their favourite airlines. Because the expansion means more service deliverability for that company, which ultimately means more gains for the middle class air travelers of India.
As of now IndiGo has 25 aircrafts. Let’s see how far they can go.

Good luck Mr. Aditya Ghosh. Please go ahead! Wish you all the best!

Friday, April 16, 2010

Swiss Airline Renews Code Sharing Agreement With Air India

There has been a positive development for the troubled Indian carrier Air India, with Swiss International Airlines renewing a code sharing agreement with the latter.

By virtue of this agreement, to be effective from 18th April 2010, Air India will be able to do business in some areas where it does not have any fleet presence, by using the fleets and crew of Swiss International Airlines.

Needless to say that it will be a good booster for Air India’s business prospects. Firstly, it is always great if an airline’s service capacity gets bigger in comparison to its infrastructure. Secondly, through this agreement Air India is getting an opportunity associate itself with a prominent brand like Swiss International Airlines.

Hopefully Air India will be able to make full utilization of the business prospects (as well as brand enhancement prospects) to be offered by this agreement.

Besides, Air India management may also think of using the example of this agreement with Swiss International Airlines to enthuse other major global airlines to sign similar agreements with them.

Thursday, April 15, 2010

Jet Airways Retains No. 1 Position, Consecutively For The 6th Month

Jet Airways, along with its low-cost subsidiary JetLite, has retained its No. 1 position in the Indian civil aviation arena, consecutively for the 6th month. The airlines achieved this honour by capturing 26.1 percent of domestic market share in March 2010.

The 2nd and 3rd positions have been occupied by Kingfisher Airlines and Air India, respectively.

Congrats Jet!

Monday, April 12, 2010

Darjeeling – The Shangri-La In Eastern Himalayas

Protected by the mighty Mt. Kanchenjunga, and caressed by green carpets of tea gardens

Darjeeling is such a beautiful place, even with its thick fog and rains.

The beloved homeland of proud and self-respecting peoples, such as Lepchas, Bhutias and Nepalis

It is a land of amazing beauty, a land also endowed with eternal charm and peace.

Come here to witness how snow-covered mountains are bathing themselves in fast flowing chilly winds

Come here to observe the thrilling scene of vivacious rivers swiftly flowing through the surrounding rocks and greens.

Come here to relish a colourful flora, which comprises varieties of trees, flowers, plants and orchids

Come here to experience a rich fauna, ranging from Red Panda to singing birds and butterflies.

Come here to know about Mountaineering, one of the world’s top sports and many peoples’ craze

Come here to see the spectacular Darjeeling Toy Train, the wonder recognized by the UNESCO as an object of world heritage.

Come here to know about the cultivation of tea, which might be your favourite beverage

Or come here just to have an idle vacation, and spend some leisurely days.

Whatever may be your interest and objective, come to this astounding land before it is too late

Otherwise, who knows, not visiting Darjeeling might become your life’s greatest regret.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Will US Aviation Firms Set Up Bases In India?

It is really worth watching whether US aviation firms decide to set up bases in India.

During his US tour the Indian Civil Aviation Minister Mr. Praful Patel appealed to the US aviation firms to establish manufacturing bases on the Indian soil, and also to invest in the Indian aviation infrastructure, such as airports.

In fact, US Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood have told Mr. Patel that US aviation firms are impressed with the growth curve of the Indian civil aviation sector, and will love to contribute to the same.

Now let’s see whether the US firms will choose to witness the Indian aviation sector’s performance from a distance, or whether they will love to be a part of the notable growth that this thriving Indian sector is achieving.

Indian Government Mulling A National Commission For Aeronautics

The Indian Government is reportedly mulling a National Aeronautics Commission, which will act as the umbrella organization for all research and development activities. A proposal to this effect has been submitted to the Government by Aeronautical Society of India (AeSI).

This key information was shared with the media by the Chairman of Kingfisher Airlines, Mr Vijay Mallya, who is also the President of AeSI.

Mr. Mallya claimed that having an umbrella organization for all research and development activities would enhance the growth potential of the aeronautical sector.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

BA-Iberia Merger Forms Europe’s 3rd Largest Airlines

British Airways (BA) has signed a merger deal with Spain’s Iberia to form Europe’s third biggest airlines. The merger will come into life under a new holding company called International Airlines Group, boasting of 408 aircrafts and flying to 200 destinations.

Till the last development, there has been no communication on fleet reduction and staff cuts. However, such developments have always taken place after all similar airlines mergers in the past.

SpiceJet and IndiGo To Fly Abroad

For quite some time Jet Airways and Kingfisher Airlines have been the only two private airlines to fly abroad. But now they have to share the honour with two more players - SpiceJet and IndiGo.

The two airlines have already got the go-ahead from the Indian Civil Aviation Ministry. Now they are awaiting the completion of the necessary procedural formalities, to be conducted by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. Both the players have fulfilled one criterion, i.e. having a minimum fleet size of 20 aircrafts. And both of them will soon achieve the other criterion, i.e. having a track record of conducting domestic operations for 5 years, uninterruptedly.

Notably, neither of the two players is eyeing far away destinations, like Europe and US. Rather both of them have their focus on South Asian region.

Good luck, guys. Wish you people all the best.

India Proceeds Towards Elite Mobile Technology Arena

So at last the bidding for 3G mobile technology spectrum has started in India? It’s really so thrilling!

In fact, it is something that should have happened long back. Already around 130 countries of the world are using 3G mobile technology, and India is going to be one of the last countries in the world to embrace the same. And that is not only embarrassing, but also quite surprising. Apart from being an emerging economy, which is already well-respect across the world, India is also known for having witnessed a notable telecom revolution. And Indians are also known to be connoisseurs of technology and gadgets as a whole, with telecommunications being one of their special areas of interest.

In this backdrop, it is certainly astonishing that we have been so late in moving towards this latest mobile technology. It is actually not only a question of national prestige and status, but also a question of offering latest mobile technology to a certain community (i.e. the Indian community) which genuinely deserves the same.

Anyways, better late than never. Now just let’s wait for the day that will witness the actual introduction and initiation of 3G mobile technology in our country.

And yes, right now we should decide that we will not be late in embracing the 4G mobile technology.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Some Unquotable Quotes

Quote 1

Never judge a person’s behaviour/action in isolation. Rather, try to understand the circumstances under which he has behaved or acted in that way. You may find 100 reasons to justify his behaviour/action, no matter how much unacceptable it may have been apparently.


Quote 2

If you dislike somebody, then neither pretend to like him nor overtly display your disliking. Both the approaches are unsustainable, and you cannot carry any of them for a long time unless in rare cases.



Quote 3

The best way to deal with a tragedy or trauma? Try to make a productive use of the lessons learnt from that experience. The eventual satisfaction may enable you to accept the unfortunate incident.


Quote 4

How a person will be treated by the society is not always determined by his own actions. An ordinary person, with no notable contributions, may enjoy love and reverence simply because he or she is the son/daughter/wife, etc. of a respectable personality.

Similarly, a person of no unsavoury character or background may be hated (or at least disliked) by people, simply because he or she is related to a person who is hated or disliked by the society.



Quote 5


Every second person you come across is like a mirror, who will reflect the treatment that you will extend to him. Treat him with love and respect, and he is very much likely to give you back that love and respect. Treat him with audacity, and he is likely to give you back that audacity unless he has any compulsion.

Usually the behaviour that you get from the other person is actually the reflection of your own behaviour towards him.


Quote 6

You cannot term a person “an escapist” merely because he is avoiding a problem. An escapist is a person who knows how to solve the problem, but does not have the guts to implement that solution. But that person is not an escapist who is avoiding the problem not because he lacks the guts to solve it, but because he does not know the way to solve it in the first place.


Quote 7

The negative outcome of being too much humble – Proud and haughty people will look down upon you, as they will perceive you as a very ordinary person.

The positive outcome of being too much humble - Nice and kind people will be sympathetic to you, as they will perceive you as a very ordinary person.


Source: The heart-felt realizations of an ordinary blogger.

Sikkim – The Fairy Tale Land That This World Is Lucky To Have

On the lap of snow-white mountains – amidst lush green forests and crystal clear rivers – there lies a fairy tale land

Named Sikkim, it is a land that in the true sense is amazing, magnificent and grand.

Boasting of rich and colourful folk cultures, courtesy its indigenous communities

Sikkim also has a marvelous religious appeal, being a key hub of Buddhist practice.

It is a spectacular land that personifies beauty, enigma, mysticism and myth

It is a piece of land that this world is genuinely fortunate to have been endowed with.