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.