Congrats To French Authorities For Gunning Down Abdelhamid Abaaoud

Hearty congrats to French police and security personnel for their success in finding out and then gunning down Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the blood sucking vampire who reportedly played the main role in orchestrating the terror attack in Paris.

While the trauma suffered by the families of Paris attack victims is irreparable, this development will undoubtedly offer some relief for their pain.

Now it is time for all of us, irrespective of our religious/ethnic/national backgrounds, to join hands and offer all sorts of moral support to all the entities and powers which are fighting day in and day out to wipe out the devils of ISIS and Al Qaeda from their areas of stronghold, through various means like air strikes. It is not the right time to evaluate the US led air strikes on the ISIS and Al Qaeda strongholds of Middle East in the context of ethics, principle and values. We will get enough time to have those intellectual discussions if the civilized world survives the threat it faces from these radical Muslim organizations. First we should focus on this survival.

Now let the world unite and offer devastating blow to all those scoundrels who are inflicting injuries to the human society (including people from the same religion that these terrorists claim to champion), thus bringing extreme embarrassment for the innocent followers of one of the oldest religions of the world.

The wolves of ISIS and Al Qaeda are so obsessed with bloodshed. OK, let’s not disappoint them. For long they have bathed in the blood of human beings. Now let them bath in the blood of wolves, i.e. the blood of their own. 

KV Gautam: The Best Motivational Speaker in New Delhi

Recently I got to attend a corporate event organized by a large FMGC firm in New Delhi.  I expected the usual boring corporate lectures. However, I was blown away by the experience. The key event was a motivational speech by KV Gautam. He impressed me very much by his motivational talk.

The motivational talk by KV Gautam lasted for 1 hour. He talked about the importance of staying positive in tough times. He also talked about the importance of bonding and trust in a team. No need to say the audience was spell-bound. Gautam spoke with conviction and motivated people present there. He also narrated a couple of events from his own life which made the talk even more interesting. He received a standing ovation at the end. I have heard several motivational talks. But this was the best.

I also came to know that Gautam is also going to deliver a talk at TED event this year. I came to know this on his website http://www.motivationalspeakergautam.com

India's Forex Reserves Cross $300 Billion Mark

It is a good news that India's foreign exchange reserves have witnessed a jump of a staggering $5 billion, with the total reserves now crossing $300 billion. 

It may be noted that it is after 2 years that India's forex (foreign exchange) reserves have reached this level. Last time they touched this $300 billion plus mark was way back in December 2011. 

Two main factors to which this achievement has been attributed are - a.) selling og the Indian govt's 9 per cent stake in Axis Bank, and b.) buyback of forex that were given to oil companies in 2012. 

Now let's hope that we are able to make an effective use of this kitty.

WHO Declares India To Be Polio Free

It is really so heartening that World Health Organization (WHO) has declared India and 10 other Asian countries to be Polio free. This recognition comes after a long phase of hard work, with the countries concerned deserving a huge applause.

The other Asian countries that received this long cherished recognition include Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Maldives.

It may be noted that now virtually all the countries from the Indian Sub Continent have officially become polio free, with only two countries from that region that still await that achievement are Pakistan and Afghanistan. 

The Occasionally Populist Stand Taken By The Indian Media

I mean no offence. But I feel (I may be wrong) that our media (both national and regional) sometimes behaves like a cheap politician. While covering a sensational issue it first tries to guess the popular view on the same, and then covers that issue exactly in the way people want it to be covered, telling readers/audience exactly those things which are in sync with their view. And the media does not mind toeing the popular view even if that dilutes the neutrality and even accuracy of the news coverage.

Our media must always remember that it is supposed to educate and enlighten people, rather than behaving like a grocery store aimed at supplying people exactly what they demand.

Nevertheless, at the end of the day I perceive our media as one of the best in the world, and carry huge respect for certain publications, TV channels and online news portals, which I consider to be really high class (if not world class).

Sikkim Declared "The best region to visit in 2014" by "Lonely Planet"

It was thrilling to know that Sikkim - the picturesque north eastern state of India - has been declared "The best region to visit in 2014" by "Lonely Planet", the prominent global travel guide followed by travel enthusiasts across the world.

Sikkim is fortunate to be blessed with a heavenly beauty (like many other states and regions of India). But tapping that beauty in a smart and innovative manner is a different thing, which requires passion, imagination and dedication. The Sikkim Govt has done it successfully, and it deserves hearty congrats from everybody. This honour has come as a result of Sikkim’s strong focus on developing its tourism sector, with its dedication being reflected from facts, such as being the first Indian state to espouse a proper eco-tourism policy formulated by US and Japanese experts.

It may be mentioned that while making its selection, “Lonely Planet” has expressed appreciation for the community-based tourism model successfully developed by the state.  

Nokia Launches Lumia 2520 - Its First, And Probably The Last, Tablet

Nokia has launched Lumia 2520, its first Windows tablet.

Incidentally, it may be the Finnish major’s last tablet as well, as its hardware unit is going to be taken over by Microsoft.

In this context it may appear a bit surprising that Nokia’s Lumia 2520 poses a direct competition to Microsoft’s Surface 2 tablet.

The event that entailed the launch of Lumia 2520 also witnessed the launch of two six inch phablets named the Lumia 1520 and the Lumia 1320, and three handsets under the Asha range, named the Asha 500, Asha 502 and the Asha 503.