I was travelling from Satara to Pune by ST bus. The bus was going through ghat section. Resting my head against window pane, I was looking outside aimlessly. With every turn of bus, the outside scene was changing bringing into focus new hillside with small shrubs, trees and exposed rocks without giving any time to capture the details. Thoughts came to my mind about my home from where I started and imaginary pictures started getting formed about the destination where I would reach. The mind was in a fluid state where past and future events were getting mixed with the changing scene I was observing.
Bus was carrying me bodily but my mind was wandering here and there without any hindrance giving a sense of my being at every moment. I remembered having read that Maxim Gorky used to sit on the bank of Volga at night and see the moving water which was giving solace to him of laborious life in daytime. What he might be thinking at that time ? Was it similar to my thoughts. He was stationary, water was moving, whereas I was moving and outside nature was stationary but the state of mind in both cases was similar.
I just glanced around me. Most of the passengers were staring somewhere without any particular attention. They might be thinking about variety of places and events with their minds traveling in different directions. Bus was carrying all of us bodily from Satara to Pune but the everybody’s mind was traversing different terrains in the same time frame.
Just think of body and mind locations on time scale. In the universe, earth is a small negligible lump of matter. Our bus and we are still small specs of dust in that lump. When we are moving from Satara to Pune there is change in our location but we are also moving on timeline of our lifespan becoming older every moment.
If somebody tries to log this movement of body on physical and time scale, he can draw a graph of human being in terms of location and time in the entire life span and link it to global coordinates and timescale. One could document a person's occupation of space and time from birth to death. This will be unique for every person. My travel from Satara to Pune also will be part of my life span and can be marked on such a graph. Suppose we attempt to record each and every instance in life and location of the body, this could become complete description of that person. However, how one can draw a graph of thought process from birth to death.
Writing an autobiography is a crude attempt of highlighting some parts of life.
If we presume that all men are alike, it is possible that people at different times and locations might be thinking exactly same things or more precisely in similar state of mind. Hence we experience many times that our thoughts match with our own thoughts at some other time or many thought expressions others have described in their writings.
How a human brain remembers and records all the events in life and still keeps ample free space to acquire new information and store mind impressions about events. After a lapse of long time since that bus journey, I can still recall the same experience with visuals. May be my mind is composing the pictures with similar scenes which I had obseved some other time.
A single molecule of DNA does record and retain the historical development of species. Change in memory storage of DNA in one’s lifespan might be insignificantly small but does make a change in DNA. Thus the nature has evolved a miraculous method of storing large amount of data chronologically in a very small spec of matter. We know that scientists are finding historical evidences and knowledge about extinguished species from their DNA.
Who knows, it may be possible to unearth the information about my journey from Satara to Pune and changes in my body and mind during that period from my DNA in future time, if, of course, it is preserved up to distant future.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
New Brave World
Long time back, I had read ‘New Brave World’ a novel by Aldus Huxley which depicted a possible future with mass production of conditioned people designed for specific tasks. Just as one acclimatizes bacteria, little children are forced to cultivate specific habits, capabilities, liking and disliking. The horror of such new brave world showed the evils of human greed and neglect of humanitarian values by capitalist forces. The novel 1984 by George Orwel on the other hand showed similar fate to individual freedom when socialist forces gain power and control over society.
Both these authors have cautioned the world against cruel overpowering of individual’s freedom by big organizations. Still, it seems to me that the world is moving steadily along the same route of disregard of human freedom and humanitarian values, which may lead the society from group of creative, free and happy individuals to bandwagons of slaves of some cadre controlled by some powers and fighting with each other.
Due to globalization, the western corporate culture in coming in big way to India and has shaken the traditional roots of stability in social and business life. The overzealous welcome to foreign big corporate industries with lucrative offerings of agricultural land through special SEZ system seems to have assumed indispensable need for development. Financial poverty has opened new avenues for big organizations to grab development projects in cities and interiors through BOT where small competitors are automatically eliminated. Nobody looks into the economics and profitability of these projects as capital funding is not required. The big industries also raise the capital through people for such projects, they grow in size and strength and do irreparable damage to local small industries and organizations.
The corporate sector converts its personnel into polished, greasy parts of their gigantic machine. These parts play a role assigned to them, but do not have independent functional ability. They are totally dependent on the employer. The propaganda machinery of corporate creates client base from mass media which is mesmerized by the wealth, infrastructure and lofty advertisements. The effectiveness and capacity of the personnel in large corporate isd mainly due to support of large well proven branded systems and protocols. They are least affected by outside environment and economical factors.
If the corporate is in loss, it is concealed so smartly that people, shareholders, employees and consumers remain completely ignorant about the real status. Collapse of such corporate suddenly creates great impact on economy, employment and social prestige as it happened in case of Lehman Brothers.
Small businesses on the other hand are constantly exposed to demand – supply variations, price fluctuation, taxes and customer choices. The personnel employed in small business have to be alert and active to counter the difficulty, compete the competitor and pursue the customer. But people do not support small businesses as they can’t stand in competition with corporate business as regards quality, wages, infrastructure, prestige and advertisement warfare.
Still these same small businesses are tough and flexible enough to survive in adverse economical environment. They retain the human vigor, freedom, provide local employment and are in tune with the local social fabric and economic level. They do no harm to agricultural lands and nature so aggresively and do widely dispersed and distributed development. Hence to my mind, instead of moving towards new brave world, India should concentrate on growth and stability of small businesses. It should give protection to small industry’s survival, encourage cooperation and collective progress keeping their own identities rather than attempting to replace them with big corporate industry.
Both these authors have cautioned the world against cruel overpowering of individual’s freedom by big organizations. Still, it seems to me that the world is moving steadily along the same route of disregard of human freedom and humanitarian values, which may lead the society from group of creative, free and happy individuals to bandwagons of slaves of some cadre controlled by some powers and fighting with each other.
Due to globalization, the western corporate culture in coming in big way to India and has shaken the traditional roots of stability in social and business life. The overzealous welcome to foreign big corporate industries with lucrative offerings of agricultural land through special SEZ system seems to have assumed indispensable need for development. Financial poverty has opened new avenues for big organizations to grab development projects in cities and interiors through BOT where small competitors are automatically eliminated. Nobody looks into the economics and profitability of these projects as capital funding is not required. The big industries also raise the capital through people for such projects, they grow in size and strength and do irreparable damage to local small industries and organizations.
The corporate sector converts its personnel into polished, greasy parts of their gigantic machine. These parts play a role assigned to them, but do not have independent functional ability. They are totally dependent on the employer. The propaganda machinery of corporate creates client base from mass media which is mesmerized by the wealth, infrastructure and lofty advertisements. The effectiveness and capacity of the personnel in large corporate isd mainly due to support of large well proven branded systems and protocols. They are least affected by outside environment and economical factors.
If the corporate is in loss, it is concealed so smartly that people, shareholders, employees and consumers remain completely ignorant about the real status. Collapse of such corporate suddenly creates great impact on economy, employment and social prestige as it happened in case of Lehman Brothers.
Small businesses on the other hand are constantly exposed to demand – supply variations, price fluctuation, taxes and customer choices. The personnel employed in small business have to be alert and active to counter the difficulty, compete the competitor and pursue the customer. But people do not support small businesses as they can’t stand in competition with corporate business as regards quality, wages, infrastructure, prestige and advertisement warfare.
Still these same small businesses are tough and flexible enough to survive in adverse economical environment. They retain the human vigor, freedom, provide local employment and are in tune with the local social fabric and economic level. They do no harm to agricultural lands and nature so aggresively and do widely dispersed and distributed development. Hence to my mind, instead of moving towards new brave world, India should concentrate on growth and stability of small businesses. It should give protection to small industry’s survival, encourage cooperation and collective progress keeping their own identities rather than attempting to replace them with big corporate industry.
Dark side of Autonomy
We are always pleased with shining moon in the sky and admire its beauty, but we forget there is dark side of the moon we have not seen. The same thing is happening for institutes attaining autonomy.
The new education policy is in favor of allotting autonomy to prestigious institutions. This policy was welcomed by all educationists who believed the necessity of authority and flexibility for offering new courses and framing syllabus as per the needs of market. It also ensured competition for excellence and quality education.
Administration is extra burden
Nevertheless it appears that the autonomy is rejoiced as achievement instead of responsibility to provide additional administrative services necessary for managing autonomy. Autonomy without appointment of separate administrative staff is counter productive and hampers the very education process. Generally senior and high qualified teachers are assigned duties of educational administration may it be admission, appointment of examiners, conducting examination or processing and declaring results.
Loss of good teachers and their use as bad administrators
As these are additional duties and are very crucial for institute, the teachers have to spend lot of time for the new activities. Naturally, they cannot pay attention or spare time for study, research or consultation activities in their field of expertise. The teachers are not generally not properly trained or mentally prepared to do administrative jobs. This creates a sense of loss or frustration in academically ambitious teachers and they seek outside job opportunities of their interest. In order to reduce the teaching load of seniors who are assigned administrative posts, new visiting lecturers are appointed on clock hour basis. These new teachers are not experienced, get less salary and their job also is not secure. Naturally the quality of education being imparted by institute reduces due to autonomy.
University is good example of separating administration and teaching
University has all necessary administrative setup to plan courses, frame syllabus through committees, conduct examinations, regulate admission criteria, declaration of results and award of certificate. All the works are outside the scope of actual education or teaching which is the core of any educational system. In order to impart quality education, there is a need of qualified, experienced and dedicated staff. Just like production and office administration are two separate but essential components of industry, education and administration of education system are two distinct activities. In India, we have central examination boards which keep uniformity of standards, security and impartial assessment of students. Giving authority of framing syllabus and setting question papers to individual institute is not advisable on many counts.
Though the new autonomous institutes might be boasting for their quality education, the acceptance final product by the industry and society is the real acid test. Mere name, past history or extravagant infrastructure is not going to qualify the student if real education aspect is neglected by these autonomous institutes.
The new education policy is in favor of allotting autonomy to prestigious institutions. This policy was welcomed by all educationists who believed the necessity of authority and flexibility for offering new courses and framing syllabus as per the needs of market. It also ensured competition for excellence and quality education.
Administration is extra burden
Nevertheless it appears that the autonomy is rejoiced as achievement instead of responsibility to provide additional administrative services necessary for managing autonomy. Autonomy without appointment of separate administrative staff is counter productive and hampers the very education process. Generally senior and high qualified teachers are assigned duties of educational administration may it be admission, appointment of examiners, conducting examination or processing and declaring results.
Loss of good teachers and their use as bad administrators
As these are additional duties and are very crucial for institute, the teachers have to spend lot of time for the new activities. Naturally, they cannot pay attention or spare time for study, research or consultation activities in their field of expertise. The teachers are not generally not properly trained or mentally prepared to do administrative jobs. This creates a sense of loss or frustration in academically ambitious teachers and they seek outside job opportunities of their interest. In order to reduce the teaching load of seniors who are assigned administrative posts, new visiting lecturers are appointed on clock hour basis. These new teachers are not experienced, get less salary and their job also is not secure. Naturally the quality of education being imparted by institute reduces due to autonomy.
University is good example of separating administration and teaching
University has all necessary administrative setup to plan courses, frame syllabus through committees, conduct examinations, regulate admission criteria, declaration of results and award of certificate. All the works are outside the scope of actual education or teaching which is the core of any educational system. In order to impart quality education, there is a need of qualified, experienced and dedicated staff. Just like production and office administration are two separate but essential components of industry, education and administration of education system are two distinct activities. In India, we have central examination boards which keep uniformity of standards, security and impartial assessment of students. Giving authority of framing syllabus and setting question papers to individual institute is not advisable on many counts.
Though the new autonomous institutes might be boasting for their quality education, the acceptance final product by the industry and society is the real acid test. Mere name, past history or extravagant infrastructure is not going to qualify the student if real education aspect is neglected by these autonomous institutes.
Monday, October 27, 2008
माझा भारत - आपला भारत
संदर्भ - दीपावलीनिमित्त प्रसिद्ध झालेल्या ज्ञानदीप दिवाळी अंकातील संपादकीय
दिवाळी अंकास मराठी साहित्य परंपरेत एक महत्वाचे स्थान आहे. महाराष्ट्रात एरवी फारसे वाचन न करणारा माणूसही दिवाळी अंक अगत्याने वाचतो. ज्ञानदीप दिवाळी अंक काढण्यामागे सर्व वाचकांचे लक्ष ‘आपला भारत’ या संकल्पनेकडे वेधण्याचा ज्ञानदीपचा प्रयत्न आहे.
यंदाची ही दिवाळी भारतापुढे अनेक नव्या समस्या व आव्हाने घेऊन आली आहे. समस्यांवर मात करून आत्मविश्वासाने व एकदिलाने राष्ट्र उभारणीचे कार्य केल्यास भारत सर्व जगात बलशाली व आदर्शवत् ठरू शकेल मात्र लोकशाही आणि राष्ट्रीय भावनेकडे दुर्लक्ष झाले तर देशाची अधोगतीही होऊ शकते हे भारताच्या प्रत्येक नागरिकाने समजून घेणे व त्याप्रमाणे जबाबदार वर्तन करणे आवश्यक आहे.
भारताला आज अनेक समस्यांनी घेरले आहे. दुर्दैवाची गोष्ट म्हणजे यातील बर्याच समस्या आपणच निर्माण केल्या आहेत. समस्यांची यादी मोठी आहे पण महत्वाच्या समस्यांचा विचार खाली केला आहे.
फुटीरता वा एकात्मतेचा अभाव - जात, धर्म, प्रांत, भाषा यांच्या भिंती अधिक बळकट होऊ लागल्या आहेत. आर्थिक वा राजकीय स्वार्थासाठी या भिंतींचा उपयोग आपले वेगळे गट करण्यासाठी होत आहे. या गटांतील संघर्ष वाढू लागले आहेत व त्याचा देशाच्या एकात्मतेवर व परस्पर विश्वासावर विघातक परिणाम होत आहे.
व्यसनाधीनता - दारू व तंबाखू वा तत्सम मादक पदार्थांचे सेवन समाजात, मुख्यत्वे युवावर्गात वाढत असून त्याला खोट्या प्रतिष्ठेचे वलय प्राप्त झाले आहे. दारू सेवनामुळे अनेक गरिबांचे संसार उध्वस्त होत आहेत. कौटुंबिक स्वास्थ्य बिघडून आर्थिक नुकसान होत आहे. सध्याचे कायदे त्यावर प्रतिबंध करण्यास कुचकामी ठरत आहेत. समाजात गुन्हेगारी, हिंसा, अपघात व भ्रष्टाचार वाढण्यासही ही व्यसने मोठ्या प्रमाणात कारणीभूत आहेत.
अंधश्रद्धा- धार्मिक अंधश्रद्धेने आपल्या समाजास पूर्वीपासूनच जखडून टाकले आहे. वैज्ञानिक पद्धत अजून आपल्या पचनी पडत नाही. केवळ अंधश्रद्धा नाही तर सामाजिक व राजकीय क्षेत्रातही नव्या अंधश्रद्धेचा उदय झाला असून व्यक्तिपूजेस अनन्यसाधारण महत्व प्राप्त झाले आहे. पक्षाचा वा सामाजिक विचारसरणीचा चष्मा लावूनच नागरिक प्रत्येक घटनेकडे पहायला शिकला आहे. लोकांच्या सामूहिक सदसद्विवेकास सर्वश्रेष्ठ मानणार्या लोकशाहीऎवजी काही व्यक्ती वा गटांनी केलेली हुकुमशाही आपल्याला पहायला मिळत आहे. आपल्या जातीचा, धर्माचा, भाषेचा, पक्षाचा वा गटाचा अतिअभिमान, आपल्या हक्कांसाठी दुसर्यांच्या हक्कांची पायमल्ली, राष्ट्रीय संपत्त्तीचे नुकसान, लूटमार व हिंसा अशा लोकशाहीशी पूर्णपणे विसंगत गोष्टींना समाजात पाठिंबा व यश मिळत आहे ही खेदाची गोष्ट आहे.
आर्थिक दिवाळखोरी - सारे जग आज आर्थिक मंदीत सापडले आहे. भारतात आर्थिक मंदीबरोबरच आर्थिक असमानताही पराकोटीला गेली आहे. कर्जबाजारी शेतकर्यांच्या आत्महत्या ही न थांबवता येणारी व राजकीय फायद्याची गोष्ट वनत आहे.पाश्चात्य संस्कृतीतील उपभोगवादाचा पगडा समाजावर वाढत आहे. नवी कार्पोरेट संस्कृती छोट्या उद्योगांना मारक ठरत आहे.
पर्यावरणहानी - लोकसंख्या वाढ व बेरोजगारी यामुळे मोठ्या शहरांत अनेक पर्यावरणीय समस्या निर्माण झाल्या आहेत. उर्जा संकट अधिकाधिक तिव्र होऊ लागले आहे. प्रगतीसाठी औद्योगीकरणाची भारताला गरज आहे मात्र जमिनी व निसर्गसंपदेच्या हानीमुळॆ नव्या औद्योगीकरणाला विरोध होत आहे.
दहशतवाद - या सर्व समस्यांबरोबरच दहशतवादाने भारतात उग्र स्वरूप धारण केले असून सर्वसामान्यांची सुरक्षितता धोक्यात आली आहे. बाजार, धार्मिक स्थळे व गर्दीची ठिकाणे दहशतवाद्यांचे लक्ष होत आहेत.
या सर्व समस्यांवर यशस्वीपणे मात करावयाची असेल तर प्रखर राष्ट्रीय वृत्तीची जोपासना हॊण्याची नितांत गरज आहे. व्यक्तीपेक्षा विचाराला, पक्षापेक्षा राष्ट्रीय हिताला, अंधश्रद्धेपेक्षा वैज्ञानिक सत्याला महत्व दिले पाहिजे. ‘माझा भारत - आपला भारत’ ही भावना प्रत्येकाच्या मनात रुजली पाहिजे व तसे जबाबदार व समर्पण वृत्तीने कार्य करण्याची प्रेरणा निर्माण झाली पाहिजे.
दिवाळीचे चारही दिवस आपल्याला याचीच आठवण करून देतात. नरकचतुर्दशी म्हणजे अमंगळाचा नाश. अमंगळ हे अस्वछतेला जसे लागू पडते तसे वाईट व्यसने व विचार यांनाही लागू केले पाहिजे. लक्ष्मी पूजन म्हणजे चांगल्या मार्गाने व स्वकष्टाने मिळविलेल्या संपत्तीचा सन्मान व तिच्या योग्य उपयोगाचा वा विनियोगाचा संकल्प. पाडवा म्हणजे नवी आव्हाने स्वीकारण्याची तयारी. भाऊबीज म्हणजे सर्वाविषयी बंधुभावाची व आपुलकीची भावना.
वरील सर्व समस्या भेडसावत असतानादेखील भारताने काही नेत्रदीपक प्रगती केली आहे हे लक्षात घ्यावयास हवे. माहिती तंत्रज्ञान क्षेत्रात भारतीय उद्योग व भारतीय तरूणांनी जागतिक पातळीवर नेतृत्व मिळविले आहे. संस्कृती, अध्यात्म व योगविज्ञान यात भारत जगाला मार्गदर्शक ठरत आहे. अणुसंपन्न राष्ट्रगटाशी अणुकरार करून उर्जाक्षेत्रात प्रगतीच्या नव्या पर्वाची सुरुवात केली आहे. चंद्राकडे ‘चांद्रयान-१’ सोडून अवकाश क्षेत्रातही भारताने आपले स्थान उंच केले आहे.
ज्ञानदीपच्या या दिवाळी अंकातील साहित्य यातील काही दृष्टीने उद्बोधक ठरेल असे वाटते.
दिवाळी अंकास मराठी साहित्य परंपरेत एक महत्वाचे स्थान आहे. महाराष्ट्रात एरवी फारसे वाचन न करणारा माणूसही दिवाळी अंक अगत्याने वाचतो. ज्ञानदीप दिवाळी अंक काढण्यामागे सर्व वाचकांचे लक्ष ‘आपला भारत’ या संकल्पनेकडे वेधण्याचा ज्ञानदीपचा प्रयत्न आहे.
यंदाची ही दिवाळी भारतापुढे अनेक नव्या समस्या व आव्हाने घेऊन आली आहे. समस्यांवर मात करून आत्मविश्वासाने व एकदिलाने राष्ट्र उभारणीचे कार्य केल्यास भारत सर्व जगात बलशाली व आदर्शवत् ठरू शकेल मात्र लोकशाही आणि राष्ट्रीय भावनेकडे दुर्लक्ष झाले तर देशाची अधोगतीही होऊ शकते हे भारताच्या प्रत्येक नागरिकाने समजून घेणे व त्याप्रमाणे जबाबदार वर्तन करणे आवश्यक आहे.
भारताला आज अनेक समस्यांनी घेरले आहे. दुर्दैवाची गोष्ट म्हणजे यातील बर्याच समस्या आपणच निर्माण केल्या आहेत. समस्यांची यादी मोठी आहे पण महत्वाच्या समस्यांचा विचार खाली केला आहे.
फुटीरता वा एकात्मतेचा अभाव - जात, धर्म, प्रांत, भाषा यांच्या भिंती अधिक बळकट होऊ लागल्या आहेत. आर्थिक वा राजकीय स्वार्थासाठी या भिंतींचा उपयोग आपले वेगळे गट करण्यासाठी होत आहे. या गटांतील संघर्ष वाढू लागले आहेत व त्याचा देशाच्या एकात्मतेवर व परस्पर विश्वासावर विघातक परिणाम होत आहे.
व्यसनाधीनता - दारू व तंबाखू वा तत्सम मादक पदार्थांचे सेवन समाजात, मुख्यत्वे युवावर्गात वाढत असून त्याला खोट्या प्रतिष्ठेचे वलय प्राप्त झाले आहे. दारू सेवनामुळे अनेक गरिबांचे संसार उध्वस्त होत आहेत. कौटुंबिक स्वास्थ्य बिघडून आर्थिक नुकसान होत आहे. सध्याचे कायदे त्यावर प्रतिबंध करण्यास कुचकामी ठरत आहेत. समाजात गुन्हेगारी, हिंसा, अपघात व भ्रष्टाचार वाढण्यासही ही व्यसने मोठ्या प्रमाणात कारणीभूत आहेत.
अंधश्रद्धा- धार्मिक अंधश्रद्धेने आपल्या समाजास पूर्वीपासूनच जखडून टाकले आहे. वैज्ञानिक पद्धत अजून आपल्या पचनी पडत नाही. केवळ अंधश्रद्धा नाही तर सामाजिक व राजकीय क्षेत्रातही नव्या अंधश्रद्धेचा उदय झाला असून व्यक्तिपूजेस अनन्यसाधारण महत्व प्राप्त झाले आहे. पक्षाचा वा सामाजिक विचारसरणीचा चष्मा लावूनच नागरिक प्रत्येक घटनेकडे पहायला शिकला आहे. लोकांच्या सामूहिक सदसद्विवेकास सर्वश्रेष्ठ मानणार्या लोकशाहीऎवजी काही व्यक्ती वा गटांनी केलेली हुकुमशाही आपल्याला पहायला मिळत आहे. आपल्या जातीचा, धर्माचा, भाषेचा, पक्षाचा वा गटाचा अतिअभिमान, आपल्या हक्कांसाठी दुसर्यांच्या हक्कांची पायमल्ली, राष्ट्रीय संपत्त्तीचे नुकसान, लूटमार व हिंसा अशा लोकशाहीशी पूर्णपणे विसंगत गोष्टींना समाजात पाठिंबा व यश मिळत आहे ही खेदाची गोष्ट आहे.
आर्थिक दिवाळखोरी - सारे जग आज आर्थिक मंदीत सापडले आहे. भारतात आर्थिक मंदीबरोबरच आर्थिक असमानताही पराकोटीला गेली आहे. कर्जबाजारी शेतकर्यांच्या आत्महत्या ही न थांबवता येणारी व राजकीय फायद्याची गोष्ट वनत आहे.पाश्चात्य संस्कृतीतील उपभोगवादाचा पगडा समाजावर वाढत आहे. नवी कार्पोरेट संस्कृती छोट्या उद्योगांना मारक ठरत आहे.
पर्यावरणहानी - लोकसंख्या वाढ व बेरोजगारी यामुळे मोठ्या शहरांत अनेक पर्यावरणीय समस्या निर्माण झाल्या आहेत. उर्जा संकट अधिकाधिक तिव्र होऊ लागले आहे. प्रगतीसाठी औद्योगीकरणाची भारताला गरज आहे मात्र जमिनी व निसर्गसंपदेच्या हानीमुळॆ नव्या औद्योगीकरणाला विरोध होत आहे.
दहशतवाद - या सर्व समस्यांबरोबरच दहशतवादाने भारतात उग्र स्वरूप धारण केले असून सर्वसामान्यांची सुरक्षितता धोक्यात आली आहे. बाजार, धार्मिक स्थळे व गर्दीची ठिकाणे दहशतवाद्यांचे लक्ष होत आहेत.
या सर्व समस्यांवर यशस्वीपणे मात करावयाची असेल तर प्रखर राष्ट्रीय वृत्तीची जोपासना हॊण्याची नितांत गरज आहे. व्यक्तीपेक्षा विचाराला, पक्षापेक्षा राष्ट्रीय हिताला, अंधश्रद्धेपेक्षा वैज्ञानिक सत्याला महत्व दिले पाहिजे. ‘माझा भारत - आपला भारत’ ही भावना प्रत्येकाच्या मनात रुजली पाहिजे व तसे जबाबदार व समर्पण वृत्तीने कार्य करण्याची प्रेरणा निर्माण झाली पाहिजे.
दिवाळीचे चारही दिवस आपल्याला याचीच आठवण करून देतात. नरकचतुर्दशी म्हणजे अमंगळाचा नाश. अमंगळ हे अस्वछतेला जसे लागू पडते तसे वाईट व्यसने व विचार यांनाही लागू केले पाहिजे. लक्ष्मी पूजन म्हणजे चांगल्या मार्गाने व स्वकष्टाने मिळविलेल्या संपत्तीचा सन्मान व तिच्या योग्य उपयोगाचा वा विनियोगाचा संकल्प. पाडवा म्हणजे नवी आव्हाने स्वीकारण्याची तयारी. भाऊबीज म्हणजे सर्वाविषयी बंधुभावाची व आपुलकीची भावना.
वरील सर्व समस्या भेडसावत असतानादेखील भारताने काही नेत्रदीपक प्रगती केली आहे हे लक्षात घ्यावयास हवे. माहिती तंत्रज्ञान क्षेत्रात भारतीय उद्योग व भारतीय तरूणांनी जागतिक पातळीवर नेतृत्व मिळविले आहे. संस्कृती, अध्यात्म व योगविज्ञान यात भारत जगाला मार्गदर्शक ठरत आहे. अणुसंपन्न राष्ट्रगटाशी अणुकरार करून उर्जाक्षेत्रात प्रगतीच्या नव्या पर्वाची सुरुवात केली आहे. चंद्राकडे ‘चांद्रयान-१’ सोडून अवकाश क्षेत्रातही भारताने आपले स्थान उंच केले आहे.
ज्ञानदीपच्या या दिवाळी अंकातील साहित्य यातील काही दृष्टीने उद्बोधक ठरेल असे वाटते.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Smoking banned. Good beginning.
Government of India should be congratulated for taking a bold decision of banning cigarette smoking in public places. The decision will go a long way in curbing this fashion tagged habit in young community to look modern and carefree. It will also strengthen efforts to educate them about its ill effects and be responsible for others right to breathe in smoke free environment.
The main culprit is the Nicotin in tobacco. Tobacco chewing also is equally dangerous to health and must be banned. Mere public awareness or health education is not enough to curb this age old habit in many people. There should be law for restricting or banning production, distribution, sale and consumption of tobacco.
Both cigarette and tobacco chewing are injurious to health but liquor consumption is not only injurious to physical health but affects mental health also. It ruins the economy of poor, worsens family relations and promotes violence. Still, government is keeping shut mouth policy as regards banning this greatest evil habit. The reason seems to me, the income to government through taxes levied on liquor.
If the liquor is banned, this income will be lost, but then, many poor families will be rehabilitated. Most of the news items relating to accidents, violence, atrocities or even terrorism or suicide attacks reveal that the persons committing crime were under influence of liquor. Liquor addict is ready to do anything to get the liquor, and the person under its influence doesn’t know or can’t understand the consequences of his actions. This leads to behavior prompted by only desire or temporary emotion.
Mahatma Gandhi gave a call for total ban on liquor, but that call got transformed into convenient and lucrative prohibition policy based on licensing and permits to liquor shops and consumers. It also distinguished legal and illegal brands of liquor. To my mind, legal or illegal, country or foreign liquor are all dangerous and do no good to well being of the person and affects badly his personal behavior.
Being a democratic country, government probably thought that the decision to ban liquor shop should be taken by voting. In Maharashtra, the decision to have liquor shop in village is vested with voting by women. This decision, though looks just, provides ways for manipulating voting by influence of power or money. I wish to ask a simple question. What is the propriety of voting in deciding an inherent undesirable thing as bad. Which woman or for that matter even any sensible person in the village will endorse liquor consumption. Some people argue that liquor acts like tranquilizer or physical need of workers and poor. It is totally wrong to advocate or permit use of liquor by them instead of educating them about its ill effects.
With the ban on smoking, my hopes have brightened that some day liquor also will be banned totally by the government and one of the main cause of unhappiness and poverty in low income group people will be eliminated.
The main culprit is the Nicotin in tobacco. Tobacco chewing also is equally dangerous to health and must be banned. Mere public awareness or health education is not enough to curb this age old habit in many people. There should be law for restricting or banning production, distribution, sale and consumption of tobacco.
Both cigarette and tobacco chewing are injurious to health but liquor consumption is not only injurious to physical health but affects mental health also. It ruins the economy of poor, worsens family relations and promotes violence. Still, government is keeping shut mouth policy as regards banning this greatest evil habit. The reason seems to me, the income to government through taxes levied on liquor.
If the liquor is banned, this income will be lost, but then, many poor families will be rehabilitated. Most of the news items relating to accidents, violence, atrocities or even terrorism or suicide attacks reveal that the persons committing crime were under influence of liquor. Liquor addict is ready to do anything to get the liquor, and the person under its influence doesn’t know or can’t understand the consequences of his actions. This leads to behavior prompted by only desire or temporary emotion.
Mahatma Gandhi gave a call for total ban on liquor, but that call got transformed into convenient and lucrative prohibition policy based on licensing and permits to liquor shops and consumers. It also distinguished legal and illegal brands of liquor. To my mind, legal or illegal, country or foreign liquor are all dangerous and do no good to well being of the person and affects badly his personal behavior.
Being a democratic country, government probably thought that the decision to ban liquor shop should be taken by voting. In Maharashtra, the decision to have liquor shop in village is vested with voting by women. This decision, though looks just, provides ways for manipulating voting by influence of power or money. I wish to ask a simple question. What is the propriety of voting in deciding an inherent undesirable thing as bad. Which woman or for that matter even any sensible person in the village will endorse liquor consumption. Some people argue that liquor acts like tranquilizer or physical need of workers and poor. It is totally wrong to advocate or permit use of liquor by them instead of educating them about its ill effects.
With the ban on smoking, my hopes have brightened that some day liquor also will be banned totally by the government and one of the main cause of unhappiness and poverty in low income group people will be eliminated.
Global Knowledge Integration based on Family Community
Too much information is becoming main hurdle in the knowledge development. Structurally all the information may be classified as parallel or hierarchically branched with current, historic or futuristic time stamp. Majority of such information is just replication with minor subjective changes with little addition to knowledge database. Information items are linked with each other like components of trees in a group of forests. Tree has components, it has evolutionary history and postulated future. However one tree is not linked with other tree. In case of information database no such restrictions are present. Thus topological network structure cannot represent truly, the information database.
The family tree database seems to be the better model to explain information schema. Family has history, current state and future. It has well defined structure with both parallel and relational links. Brothers and sisters or sons and daughters are parallel linkages, whereas father, grandfather is a hierarchical linkage. Every marriage links two families and expands the scope. The entire society can be represented as a forest with interconnected trees, each having its own history, current state and future.
Organization of information in the form of such a family tree database shall be ideal knowledge integrator. However, the task of linking all information in a logical way is a vast task. Fortunately, however, people have affection about their family. Blood relation is the strongest bond linking individuals together in family cluster. By providing a free facility to build family tree with unlimited space and variety of data modules, people can be involved voluntarily to participate in global knowledge integration task. Each family has a history, it has geographical references, it gives linkages to people who build knowledge. Thus people will be prompted to record and upload the literary, art, science and technology contributions of their forefathers. There will be free portal for individuals to compile their own family tree studded with information bits like genes linked in the DNA. On the back end, there will be a strong knowledge integration software, which will classify and link the information bits silently into a comprehensive database removing parallel and redundant information and creating well organized knowledge base for some selected specific topics.
Development of such a database is a challenging task. Typically family tree databases can form a base layer, over which knowledge databases will be configured for specific categories. These databases will have to be linked with existing knowledge bases which are well organized.
Information retrieval from such knowledge database will provide superior and comprehensive solution to the queries rather than present listings provided by present search engines.
The family tree database seems to be the better model to explain information schema. Family has history, current state and future. It has well defined structure with both parallel and relational links. Brothers and sisters or sons and daughters are parallel linkages, whereas father, grandfather is a hierarchical linkage. Every marriage links two families and expands the scope. The entire society can be represented as a forest with interconnected trees, each having its own history, current state and future.
Organization of information in the form of such a family tree database shall be ideal knowledge integrator. However, the task of linking all information in a logical way is a vast task. Fortunately, however, people have affection about their family. Blood relation is the strongest bond linking individuals together in family cluster. By providing a free facility to build family tree with unlimited space and variety of data modules, people can be involved voluntarily to participate in global knowledge integration task. Each family has a history, it has geographical references, it gives linkages to people who build knowledge. Thus people will be prompted to record and upload the literary, art, science and technology contributions of their forefathers. There will be free portal for individuals to compile their own family tree studded with information bits like genes linked in the DNA. On the back end, there will be a strong knowledge integration software, which will classify and link the information bits silently into a comprehensive database removing parallel and redundant information and creating well organized knowledge base for some selected specific topics.
Development of such a database is a challenging task. Typically family tree databases can form a base layer, over which knowledge databases will be configured for specific categories. These databases will have to be linked with existing knowledge bases which are well organized.
Information retrieval from such knowledge database will provide superior and comprehensive solution to the queries rather than present listings provided by present search engines.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Why history repeats itself?
First before proceeding further, let me ask you. Do you agree with above statement?If no, then look at the history of wars from Ramayan, Mahabharat to second world war, rise and fall of empires, love and hate stories, crimes and heroic deeds. Nothing changes: same patterens, same reasons and same consequences.
Convinced ? OK Let us now find the reason.
With the power of ingenuity and scientific analysis, man has tried to solve the mystery of nature, built many sciences, explored vast universe and on the minute scale electrons, nature of matter and energy. The only principle which guided him in this pursuit is unfalliable cause and effect relationship. He understood that for every event in nature there is a necessary and suffient cause and nothing occurs without cause. The earlier false beliefs of acts of god soon withered away and paving way to development of science on strong footing of cause-effect phenomenon.
However, ironically man fails to conceive that same rule applies also to every enent and behaviour in every aspect of life. Thie reason for this situation, in my opinion, is that man is so much engrossed in planning for future that he has no time to search history and learn from it. Probabaly he thinks that the situations are changed and old examples will not be appicable to current situation.
He is totally wrong. History stores wealth of knowledge for handling events of all times with predictable outcomes. His failure to learn from history and mold the future differently is the reason why history repeats itself.
Convinced ? OK Let us now find the reason.
With the power of ingenuity and scientific analysis, man has tried to solve the mystery of nature, built many sciences, explored vast universe and on the minute scale electrons, nature of matter and energy. The only principle which guided him in this pursuit is unfalliable cause and effect relationship. He understood that for every event in nature there is a necessary and suffient cause and nothing occurs without cause. The earlier false beliefs of acts of god soon withered away and paving way to development of science on strong footing of cause-effect phenomenon.
However, ironically man fails to conceive that same rule applies also to every enent and behaviour in every aspect of life. Thie reason for this situation, in my opinion, is that man is so much engrossed in planning for future that he has no time to search history and learn from it. Probabaly he thinks that the situations are changed and old examples will not be appicable to current situation.
He is totally wrong. History stores wealth of knowledge for handling events of all times with predictable outcomes. His failure to learn from history and mold the future differently is the reason why history repeats itself.
Mahatma Gandhi - The great legendary guide for tomorrow's world
Atleast, on this auspicious day of his birth anniversary, let us understand our great leader and philosopher, Mahatma Gandhi.
He not only gave an ideal nationalism to India which is a perfect combination of Secularism, Hinduism and Socialism, he pioneered basic axioms for nationalism for every country on the globe.
His love for humanity, nature, his own religion and simplicity in life together with firm belief in non-violence made him the idol for all time.
His thoughts are very essential today, when the world is facing insecurity, violence and evils of capitalism on global scale and planet earth is in danger due to human activities.
Freedom of India through non-violent social movement was his greatest achievement in his life which gave a new strength to non-violence and trasformed it into an effective and nondestructive instrument for achieving any change, be it a social, political or environmental.
During the last sixty years the India has swayed far away from the those cherished ideals.
We must give some credit to our former rulers for establishing comprehensive administrative and legal infrastructure for governing such a vast country with intricate diversity in language, culture, social and economical status. Our great forfathers have laid strong ethical grounds in the social culture and peaceful coexistence. Many leaders stregthened the nationalism and created urge for freedom.
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar laid the foundation of Indian constitution with democracy and social equity as basic ingradients.
But what we find today?
The same words democracy and social equity are being interpreted for political and personal gains.
We forget that success of democracy depends on discipline. All political parties endorse democracy but infortunately fail to follow the essential prerequisites coming with it.
1. Resposibility - Constitution grants freedom of speech to citizen, but does not permit instigating speech against any person, religion or group. One must respect other's freedom of speech. Even if some person's views are not not aggreable or derrogatory to social fabric, only non-violent, non-disruptive methods can be permitted to express disapproval.
2. Law - No citizen is allowed to take law in hand. There is a legitimate legal system developed for addressing grievences of people. Hence disruptive activities, destruction of national property, road blockages have no place in demcracy. No man is above law. Anybody who instigates lawless activities has no right to talk about democracy.
3. Honesty - You should be honest with your own ideals. This word has become only of historic importance. Old retired people tell the stories of honesty and idealism. Now the people shift from one party to other party overnight, evenif the ideals of the other pary are totally opposite to earlier party. Unfortunately followers are honest with the leader and they also shift their loyalties with the decision of leader within minutes.
4. Freedom from prejudice -
Any fact or event should be analyzed without any predujice and only in the national interest. However, it is observed that opinions are made on who or which party has initiated it. This distorts the picture and separates the society in different groups evil to each other.
We find oppressed people resorting to strikes, fast or those in deep truble or frustation even suicides. Many a times, political parties, instead of suggesting and helping the government to solve the problem try to use such issues to blame the other parties.
Rampant corruption is the root cause of the failure of democracy and administration in India. Many a times, I wonder, how India is still steering ahead and preserving democracy. Is it die to helplessness of common man or universalisation of corruption. India's progress path is full of manmade hurdles, though essential for keeping track in proper direction, but unfortunately most of the times it is motivated to gain political advantage.
Every political party has atleast one favorite 'ism'. Congress - Secularism, BJP- Hinduism, Communists - Socialism. Role of other parties to represent aspirations region or sectors of society have also assumed importance in national decision making but their philosophies seem to be transient based on situation. Though every party keeps Nationalism and democracy at the top of agenda, their action is only in the line of their 'ism'. Parties are desperate to enroll their followers only for attaining power. Decisions are taken on number strength and power politics. Vhips are issued to keep members bound to political party. It is surprising that no leader of any party takes objection to huge digital banners proclaiming loyalty and birthday wishes with self portraits of local leaders at every corner of city. In fact, they demand it. It is merely confirm vote bank. There is no freedom to act otherwise making discussions a mere farce. This is not implied in true and fare democracy. As a matter of fact, every decision should be taken only on the basis of National interest.
If the situation has to improve there is a need to free the common citizen from any particular dogma and free to form his opinion on his own assessment. Democracy and progress will be possible if free, unprejudiced and responsible citizens form the majority of voters in elections.
What we really need is strong Indian Nationalism tailored by our great leader Mahatma Gandhi, which includes essence of all three 'isms' plus my nation attitude. Secularism ensures equal status to all religions, Hinduism, which is the broadminded religion of majority of citizen and true faith in any other religion can foster honesty and love for mother earth, socialism which has social upliftment and empowerment as the main goal. All these constitute the true national spirit of India.
Let us hope we follow the footsteps of this great leader and develop India rising above our personal or sectoral gains and lead the world for peace and prosperity in future.
He not only gave an ideal nationalism to India which is a perfect combination of Secularism, Hinduism and Socialism, he pioneered basic axioms for nationalism for every country on the globe.
His love for humanity, nature, his own religion and simplicity in life together with firm belief in non-violence made him the idol for all time.
His thoughts are very essential today, when the world is facing insecurity, violence and evils of capitalism on global scale and planet earth is in danger due to human activities.
Freedom of India through non-violent social movement was his greatest achievement in his life which gave a new strength to non-violence and trasformed it into an effective and nondestructive instrument for achieving any change, be it a social, political or environmental.
During the last sixty years the India has swayed far away from the those cherished ideals.
We must give some credit to our former rulers for establishing comprehensive administrative and legal infrastructure for governing such a vast country with intricate diversity in language, culture, social and economical status. Our great forfathers have laid strong ethical grounds in the social culture and peaceful coexistence. Many leaders stregthened the nationalism and created urge for freedom.
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar laid the foundation of Indian constitution with democracy and social equity as basic ingradients.
But what we find today?
The same words democracy and social equity are being interpreted for political and personal gains.
We forget that success of democracy depends on discipline. All political parties endorse democracy but infortunately fail to follow the essential prerequisites coming with it.
1. Resposibility - Constitution grants freedom of speech to citizen, but does not permit instigating speech against any person, religion or group. One must respect other's freedom of speech. Even if some person's views are not not aggreable or derrogatory to social fabric, only non-violent, non-disruptive methods can be permitted to express disapproval.
2. Law - No citizen is allowed to take law in hand. There is a legitimate legal system developed for addressing grievences of people. Hence disruptive activities, destruction of national property, road blockages have no place in demcracy. No man is above law. Anybody who instigates lawless activities has no right to talk about democracy.
3. Honesty - You should be honest with your own ideals. This word has become only of historic importance. Old retired people tell the stories of honesty and idealism. Now the people shift from one party to other party overnight, evenif the ideals of the other pary are totally opposite to earlier party. Unfortunately followers are honest with the leader and they also shift their loyalties with the decision of leader within minutes.
4. Freedom from prejudice -
Any fact or event should be analyzed without any predujice and only in the national interest. However, it is observed that opinions are made on who or which party has initiated it. This distorts the picture and separates the society in different groups evil to each other.
We find oppressed people resorting to strikes, fast or those in deep truble or frustation even suicides. Many a times, political parties, instead of suggesting and helping the government to solve the problem try to use such issues to blame the other parties.
Rampant corruption is the root cause of the failure of democracy and administration in India. Many a times, I wonder, how India is still steering ahead and preserving democracy. Is it die to helplessness of common man or universalisation of corruption. India's progress path is full of manmade hurdles, though essential for keeping track in proper direction, but unfortunately most of the times it is motivated to gain political advantage.
Every political party has atleast one favorite 'ism'. Congress - Secularism, BJP- Hinduism, Communists - Socialism. Role of other parties to represent aspirations region or sectors of society have also assumed importance in national decision making but their philosophies seem to be transient based on situation. Though every party keeps Nationalism and democracy at the top of agenda, their action is only in the line of their 'ism'. Parties are desperate to enroll their followers only for attaining power. Decisions are taken on number strength and power politics. Vhips are issued to keep members bound to political party. It is surprising that no leader of any party takes objection to huge digital banners proclaiming loyalty and birthday wishes with self portraits of local leaders at every corner of city. In fact, they demand it. It is merely confirm vote bank. There is no freedom to act otherwise making discussions a mere farce. This is not implied in true and fare democracy. As a matter of fact, every decision should be taken only on the basis of National interest.
If the situation has to improve there is a need to free the common citizen from any particular dogma and free to form his opinion on his own assessment. Democracy and progress will be possible if free, unprejudiced and responsible citizens form the majority of voters in elections.
What we really need is strong Indian Nationalism tailored by our great leader Mahatma Gandhi, which includes essence of all three 'isms' plus my nation attitude. Secularism ensures equal status to all religions, Hinduism, which is the broadminded religion of majority of citizen and true faith in any other religion can foster honesty and love for mother earth, socialism which has social upliftment and empowerment as the main goal. All these constitute the true national spirit of India.
Let us hope we follow the footsteps of this great leader and develop India rising above our personal or sectoral gains and lead the world for peace and prosperity in future.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Suggestions to fight terrorism - Reduce casualties by proper crowd management
We often see the crowds overflowing the road with no access to rescue teams if some mishap occurs. You can visualise the Rathyatra in Puri, Ganesh procession in Mumbai or many such ceremonies in various parts of country. Eventhough police claim to have proper traffic control and security and rescue readiness, it becomes physically impossible to reach the spot for anybody leave apart the police vehicles, firefighting vans or ambulence. The result is high number of casualties just by stampade.
Proper crowd control and management is necessary to provide some discipline for the crowd. A small strip of road along the length must be kept empty by raising barricades for easy deployment of rescue teams. Eventhough road width for procession or congragation is somewhat reduced, it is essential for protection of life of many people which may loose their lives only due to unruly mob.
Police and medical teams should be located on all crossroads with necessary vehicles and other facilities.
A national debate with brain storming sessions and people participation should be initialised to combat terrorism.
Proper crowd control and management is necessary to provide some discipline for the crowd. A small strip of road along the length must be kept empty by raising barricades for easy deployment of rescue teams. Eventhough road width for procession or congragation is somewhat reduced, it is essential for protection of life of many people which may loose their lives only due to unruly mob.
Police and medical teams should be located on all crossroads with necessary vehicles and other facilities.
A national debate with brain storming sessions and people participation should be initialised to combat terrorism.
Nationalise all explosives
( please read my earlier blog " Strong info-structure needed for fighting terrorism." )
The terrorism breeds on easy and uncontrolled access to explosives and explosive component materials.
Explosives are mainly used in construction industry and contractors purchase explosives in open market, store in insecure godowns and give them to workers for excavation activity.
Minor explosives are crackers used for entertainment and are easily available to anybody.
If all explosive materials and products are closely monitored and tagged by RFID like tracking device, the source and men behind explosions can be easily tracked.
Banning use of explosives and relying only on nonexplosive manual methods will increase employment but will not be economical and efficient.
If all explosive operations are nationalized.; ie not only manufacture, storage, distribution, but its actual use also only by employees of national corporate body, better and effective security can be provided.
Thus any excavation work of other work needing explosives can only be handled by designated staff.
I hope if this arrangement is made mandatory for all countries by UNO or international body to fight terrorism, we can significantly reduce terrorist bomb explosions by miscreants.
The terrorism breeds on easy and uncontrolled access to explosives and explosive component materials.
Explosives are mainly used in construction industry and contractors purchase explosives in open market, store in insecure godowns and give them to workers for excavation activity.
Minor explosives are crackers used for entertainment and are easily available to anybody.
If all explosive materials and products are closely monitored and tagged by RFID like tracking device, the source and men behind explosions can be easily tracked.
Banning use of explosives and relying only on nonexplosive manual methods will increase employment but will not be economical and efficient.
If all explosive operations are nationalized.; ie not only manufacture, storage, distribution, but its actual use also only by employees of national corporate body, better and effective security can be provided.
Thus any excavation work of other work needing explosives can only be handled by designated staff.
I hope if this arrangement is made mandatory for all countries by UNO or international body to fight terrorism, we can significantly reduce terrorist bomb explosions by miscreants.
Monday, August 11, 2008
The Google Story - Book Review
Google was founded in 1998. Within a short span of 10 years, it has become a world leader in internet, surpassed big giant of search engines, Yahoo, threatened Microsoft empire and reached global dimensions. The founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page started Google when they were Ph.D. students at Stanford University in computer science. Larry held the CEO title and Sergey was president and chairman, the arrangement made by the flip of coin. They both had a crazy idea to download entire information available on the internet.
According to John Hennesy, Stanford’s president, the environment at Stanford promotes entrepreneurship and risk taking research. In September 1998, when Sergey Brin and Larry Page presented their search engine before Stanford university faculty and students, the senior professor Dennis Allison admired them for holding fast to their dream of changing the world. “They are really driven by a vision of how things aught to be and not to make money.” Allison said. “ The idea of digitizing the entirety of the universe and making it work is something nobody was willing to tackle but lots of people knew needed to be done.”
In. Page’s words ‘ Optimism is important. You have to be a little silly about the goals you are going to set. We should have a healthy disregard for the impossible. You should try to do things that most people would not. ”
Google’s success is the result of the untiring constant struggle of the founders against all odds to achieve a goal that was almost unconceivable but with a desirable and noble purpose of free knowledge dissemination at the core. Brin explained that research for about three years before actual launch of search engine led to development of page rank algorithm which was revolutionary as compared to normal search engines which relied merely on frequency of words. With this innovative idea of page ranking, the Google search engine became very effective in providing instant access to information on any subject available on the internet.
They started building the massive network of computers with stripped down ordinary PCs, disks and memory. They used free operating system Linux. As these machines did not have built-in-safeguards like super computer and were prone to failure, they devised software to bypass the nonworking machines. They also ensured redundancy by storing copies of information on different computer clusters.
Danny Sullivan’s online newsletter helped google to spread the word globally without spending money on advertising. Google ranked the advertisements on the basis of key words in relevance to subject of search, and limited the ads to text based ads locating them in right one third portion of main search result page instead of disturbing popup and animated ads. Google introduced image search as new feature. It struck a deal with AOL, Earthlink and Ask Jeeves. Instead of fixed rate for ad display, google started more realistic charge on the basis of number of clicks on the ad.
Google office provided 20% time for their employees to just explore and try new ideas. This helped to get bottom-up innovation. By utilizing this opportunity, Krishna Bharat of Google research group, developed application of his story bank idea to link online news items. Google pioneered search facility in different languages. Google search provided answers to all queries, even mathematical calculations.
With introduction of Gmail, google expanded the reach of advertisements in all the private messages also. Initially it created controversy as regards breach of privacy protection. Same thing happened when Google launched satellite mapping and navigation services.
Google has entered in the realm of Microsoft and is providing free document and spreadsheet services online. Microsoft has proposed to acquire Yahoo for gaining strength in internet field. But it seems Google is playing a major role in maintaining Yahoo’s independent status to keep its supremacy in internet world.
The Google Story is the living example of dedication and continued struggle of men who succeeded in achieving their magnificent goals.
The Google Story
David A. Vise with Mark Malseed
MacMillon ( 2005)
According to John Hennesy, Stanford’s president, the environment at Stanford promotes entrepreneurship and risk taking research. In September 1998, when Sergey Brin and Larry Page presented their search engine before Stanford university faculty and students, the senior professor Dennis Allison admired them for holding fast to their dream of changing the world. “They are really driven by a vision of how things aught to be and not to make money.” Allison said. “ The idea of digitizing the entirety of the universe and making it work is something nobody was willing to tackle but lots of people knew needed to be done.”
In. Page’s words ‘ Optimism is important. You have to be a little silly about the goals you are going to set. We should have a healthy disregard for the impossible. You should try to do things that most people would not. ”
Google’s success is the result of the untiring constant struggle of the founders against all odds to achieve a goal that was almost unconceivable but with a desirable and noble purpose of free knowledge dissemination at the core. Brin explained that research for about three years before actual launch of search engine led to development of page rank algorithm which was revolutionary as compared to normal search engines which relied merely on frequency of words. With this innovative idea of page ranking, the Google search engine became very effective in providing instant access to information on any subject available on the internet.
They started building the massive network of computers with stripped down ordinary PCs, disks and memory. They used free operating system Linux. As these machines did not have built-in-safeguards like super computer and were prone to failure, they devised software to bypass the nonworking machines. They also ensured redundancy by storing copies of information on different computer clusters.
Danny Sullivan’s online newsletter helped google to spread the word globally without spending money on advertising. Google ranked the advertisements on the basis of key words in relevance to subject of search, and limited the ads to text based ads locating them in right one third portion of main search result page instead of disturbing popup and animated ads. Google introduced image search as new feature. It struck a deal with AOL, Earthlink and Ask Jeeves. Instead of fixed rate for ad display, google started more realistic charge on the basis of number of clicks on the ad.
Google office provided 20% time for their employees to just explore and try new ideas. This helped to get bottom-up innovation. By utilizing this opportunity, Krishna Bharat of Google research group, developed application of his story bank idea to link online news items. Google pioneered search facility in different languages. Google search provided answers to all queries, even mathematical calculations.
With introduction of Gmail, google expanded the reach of advertisements in all the private messages also. Initially it created controversy as regards breach of privacy protection. Same thing happened when Google launched satellite mapping and navigation services.
Google has entered in the realm of Microsoft and is providing free document and spreadsheet services online. Microsoft has proposed to acquire Yahoo for gaining strength in internet field. But it seems Google is playing a major role in maintaining Yahoo’s independent status to keep its supremacy in internet world.
The Google Story is the living example of dedication and continued struggle of men who succeeded in achieving their magnificent goals.
The Google Story
David A. Vise with Mark Malseed
MacMillon ( 2005)
Monday, July 28, 2008
Strong Info structure needed to fight Terrorism
The terrorist attacks by planting bombs in busy streets, markets, places of pilgrimage and places of national importance have posed a serious threat to security of citizens in mega cities of India. The failure of government machinery to prevent, curb and track down the culprits have exposed lack of necessary mechanism and infrastructure for collecting and compiling information from all possible sources, effective monitoring , strict vigilance and quick action. In India, the problem is more severe due to high population, multitude of languages, more occasions and places of people coming together and cosmopolitan nature of crowd. It is high time that government develop elaborate info structure to combat with such unidentifiable disruptive forces.
About Terrorists
We should realize that terrorists are ordinary human beings. They have feelings. They have ideals, aspirations and lust for power, money and success. They are victims of false propaganda by vested interests. They are confident about their network, support and leadership. They know that they can freely move in the city, hire any vehicle and park their vehicle anywhere without any identity. People in general are too liberal to oblige request of parking vehicle or guarding luggage without ascertaining identity. They may use innocent people, children, or poor with false promises, money or liquor to carry out an act which my seem to be inconspicuous. May be that the terrorists themselves are doing such work under influence of liquor (which prevent natural feelings of compassion and kindness) or under threat to their family or blackmail. It is necessary to investigate all such possibilities, educate and warn the people to remain vigilant.
Immediate Steps
The earlier terrorist acts, their methods, their network, their financial sources and linkages should be studied. The social forces which support such activities publicly should be closely monitored. Internet, TV channels and print media should not be allowed to publish instigative, provocative and communal talks, messages or articles. Any political, social or religious organization which promotes, advocates or justifies violence should be banned by law. Every organization must follow democratic norms for expressing their views without resorting to violence or destruction of property. No body should be allowed to take law in their hands even for just cause. All such messages, feedbacks and opinions should be removed from the archives. At the same time there should be heavy punishment for terrorists, instigators, helpers and their supporters.The process and measures taken for tracking terrorists should not be given undue publicity before the entire network and base of such activities is destroyed. The identity of witnesses of informers should not be disclosed.
Personal Identity
It is necessary that each person must be identifiable and registered in some giant database where his history and whereabouts can be investigated. In USA, there is social security number for every citizen. India has record of citizens in the form census data but as far as I know there are no records for individuals. There should be access to various databases kept by public utility services like banks, hospitals, electricity, water supply, telephone, mobile networks, hotels, schools and colleges. Majority of such information is in hard copy format and in different languages. Networking of such information sources should be given high priority.
Materials and Vehicles
Whatever is true for people holds good for compilation of data regarding explosives, materials and equipments found in bombs, their manufacture, transport, storage, all type of vehicles including bicycles. All vehicles must be registered with transport authorities with data regarding vehicle number and owner address. It should be made compulsory for all auto rickshaws, taxies and buses in big cities to keep registers like in lodges where each commuter will have to put his name and signature personally. This will immensely help in identifying the persons.
Monitoring Traffic
Security and vigilance cameras with automatic snapshot mechanism at regular time intervals should be provided at all places of congregation like market places, bus stands, railway platforms, pilgrimage centers and tourist places, entrance gates of important offices, meeting halls and at traffic signals. There should be sufficient manpower to constantly view and compile snapshots in backup files. Strict watch should be kept and registers checked of liquor shops and lodges. House owners should be asked to fill information about their occupants and tenants in prescribed format.
Methods of Investigation
Innovative methods can be employed to find culprits. It is observed that many novel and effective ideas have been explained in number of fiction books and detective novels. For example in ‘Overload’ novel by Arthur Healy, there is information how electric power company tracks down terrorist through feedback forms sent along with electricity bills. Many more ideas can be found in other books, movies and on internet. There is a need of compilation of all these ideas to get proper clues and devise proper investigation plan. It is essential however, that a secure channel should be established by government to collect such data from public. Top secrecy should be maintained about the information so compiled and media channels should not be given access to it.
Appeal to Citizens
It is necessary to build mutual respect, harmony and brotherhood in society. All citizens should consider it as a national responsibility and obligation to help the government in this war against unknown and unidentifiable but organized crime against humanity.
About Terrorists
We should realize that terrorists are ordinary human beings. They have feelings. They have ideals, aspirations and lust for power, money and success. They are victims of false propaganda by vested interests. They are confident about their network, support and leadership. They know that they can freely move in the city, hire any vehicle and park their vehicle anywhere without any identity. People in general are too liberal to oblige request of parking vehicle or guarding luggage without ascertaining identity. They may use innocent people, children, or poor with false promises, money or liquor to carry out an act which my seem to be inconspicuous. May be that the terrorists themselves are doing such work under influence of liquor (which prevent natural feelings of compassion and kindness) or under threat to their family or blackmail. It is necessary to investigate all such possibilities, educate and warn the people to remain vigilant.
Immediate Steps
The earlier terrorist acts, their methods, their network, their financial sources and linkages should be studied. The social forces which support such activities publicly should be closely monitored. Internet, TV channels and print media should not be allowed to publish instigative, provocative and communal talks, messages or articles. Any political, social or religious organization which promotes, advocates or justifies violence should be banned by law. Every organization must follow democratic norms for expressing their views without resorting to violence or destruction of property. No body should be allowed to take law in their hands even for just cause. All such messages, feedbacks and opinions should be removed from the archives. At the same time there should be heavy punishment for terrorists, instigators, helpers and their supporters.The process and measures taken for tracking terrorists should not be given undue publicity before the entire network and base of such activities is destroyed. The identity of witnesses of informers should not be disclosed.
Personal Identity
It is necessary that each person must be identifiable and registered in some giant database where his history and whereabouts can be investigated. In USA, there is social security number for every citizen. India has record of citizens in the form census data but as far as I know there are no records for individuals. There should be access to various databases kept by public utility services like banks, hospitals, electricity, water supply, telephone, mobile networks, hotels, schools and colleges. Majority of such information is in hard copy format and in different languages. Networking of such information sources should be given high priority.
Materials and Vehicles
Whatever is true for people holds good for compilation of data regarding explosives, materials and equipments found in bombs, their manufacture, transport, storage, all type of vehicles including bicycles. All vehicles must be registered with transport authorities with data regarding vehicle number and owner address. It should be made compulsory for all auto rickshaws, taxies and buses in big cities to keep registers like in lodges where each commuter will have to put his name and signature personally. This will immensely help in identifying the persons.
Monitoring Traffic
Security and vigilance cameras with automatic snapshot mechanism at regular time intervals should be provided at all places of congregation like market places, bus stands, railway platforms, pilgrimage centers and tourist places, entrance gates of important offices, meeting halls and at traffic signals. There should be sufficient manpower to constantly view and compile snapshots in backup files. Strict watch should be kept and registers checked of liquor shops and lodges. House owners should be asked to fill information about their occupants and tenants in prescribed format.
Methods of Investigation
Innovative methods can be employed to find culprits. It is observed that many novel and effective ideas have been explained in number of fiction books and detective novels. For example in ‘Overload’ novel by Arthur Healy, there is information how electric power company tracks down terrorist through feedback forms sent along with electricity bills. Many more ideas can be found in other books, movies and on internet. There is a need of compilation of all these ideas to get proper clues and devise proper investigation plan. It is essential however, that a secure channel should be established by government to collect such data from public. Top secrecy should be maintained about the information so compiled and media channels should not be given access to it.
Appeal to Citizens
It is necessary to build mutual respect, harmony and brotherhood in society. All citizens should consider it as a national responsibility and obligation to help the government in this war against unknown and unidentifiable but organized crime against humanity.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Nuclear Energy - A must for Sustainable Development of India
Solar electricity is not available in sizable amounts and the costs of collecting solar power are exorbitantly high as compared to thermal power plants using coal and so called clean energy from hydroelectric projects. Damage due to hydroelectric power stations on Ganga river prompted Dr. Agrawal to do indefinite fast. His critic of dams elaborates the impact of such dams on the environment. Rising oil prices have icreased the cost of energy. Thermal power plants create air pollution and flyash problems and add to global warming.
At the same time, demand of energy is increasing. Development depends on energy. The present energy crises in India is much severe. Increasing demand, high cost of energy and inadequate energy production has crippled the growth of industries and overall development of India. High cost of pumping have affected agriculture. Frequent loadshading is depriving people of light and comfort. Gas and other fuel costs have become un affordable to common man.The only practical and viable option is nuclear energy. There are lot of misconceptions about the nuclear power in general public and people are afraid of devastating effects of Atomic bomb and Chernobyl like accidents due to improper safeguards. They do not know that modern science and technology has made the nuclear energy production very safe, cheap and fully controllable. Recent advances in fusion technology has opened new avenues for energy production without threat to environmental quality. France, once strong opponent of nuclear energy is now heavily dependent on muclear energy for its energy requirements. Hence, immediate establishment of nucleatr power plants and expansion of existing units is a pressing need to come out of this precarious condition. What we lack is the import of new technology, materials and huge initial capital investment for setting up such plants.It is necessary that scientists and engineers should create awareness and educate people of these realities.
India’s nuclear energy program began in the 1950s with a great deal of involvement of the United States through the Atoms for Peace program, including helping build and providing nuclear fuel for the nuclear reactor in Tarapur, as well as through scientific cooperation.
After 1974, when India tested its first nuclear device, the US formed the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), to oversee sales of nuclear material. In 1978 the US Congress passed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act but the US continued to provide some nuclear fuel to India under a 1963 treaty with India until 1980.The US had to stop supplying fuel under its own laws, and passed the responsibilities on to others. In 1992 the NSG limited sales of nuclear technology and materials to non-Nuclear Weapons States only if their nuclear reactors were under full scale safeguards implemented by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). France continued to provide nuclear fuel to India until it too adhered to this provision in 1996. China and Russia have supplied India with nuclear fuel after this period.
India plans on expanding the amount of electricity generated by nuclear energy to 20 GWe by 2020 (this is from nuclear plants already under construction). Except that we have a lack of Uranium. Most of our Uranium is low quality, except some newly discovered deposits that have as yet to be mined. Our plants are running at under 40% capacity when they could be running at above 90%. In another words we are paying more than twice the costs of electricity generated by nuclear energy because we are stopped from buying nuclear fuel because of NPT and NSG guidelines.
In August 2007, India and the United States reached a bilateral agreement on civilian nuclear cooperation. The deal would lift the U.S. moratorium on nuclear trade with India, provide U.S. assistance to India's civilian nuclear energy program, and expand U.S.-Indian cooperation in energy and satellite technology. India would be eligible to buy U.S. dual-use nuclear technology, including materials and equipment that could be used to enrich uranium or reprocess plutonium. It would also receive imported fuel for its nuclear reactors. U.S. companies will be allowed to build nuclear reactors in India and provide nuclear fuel for its civilian energy program.
India has always committed for non proliferation of nuclear weapons and there is no harm in allowing international regulations for monitoring production of nuclear power for civilian peaceful purposes.
U.S.-India Nuclear Cooperation Treaty will go a long way in ensuring sustainable development.India should not remain isolated in a world surrounded by nuclear-power nation states
The present opposition to U.S.-India Nuclear Cooperation seems mainly a political move. I was reminded of the Arthur Hailey's novel " Overload" which was written in 1979. It describes the energy crises in California, struggle of the electric power plant engineer to ensure power supply and opposition to power plants in USA by environmentalists misled by "Friends of Freedom" with political motive.
I do not belong to or favor any party but I am of the opinion that, the present government has taken a wise decision at this critical juncture risking its own survival in the interest of the nation.
It is my sincere appeal that all political parties should rise above political gains and support this move as it will enable India to become self sufficient in energy production, accelerate development, improve economy without hampering environmental quality.
It is the responsibility of the environmental engineers to encourage use of non conventional energy and as responsible citizens to help the governmemt in meeting the challenge of acute energy shortage.I appeal to all environmentalists to come forward and support Nuclear Cooperation for preserving our environment and promoting much needed development of energy sources in India and ensure that all environmental safety norms are followed while producing nuclear energy.
Dnyandeep foundation wishes to play an active role in dissiminating the knowledge about Nuclear power, safeguards and environmental management necessary and its impact on meeting energy needs of India.
Reference - www.envis.org
At the same time, demand of energy is increasing. Development depends on energy. The present energy crises in India is much severe. Increasing demand, high cost of energy and inadequate energy production has crippled the growth of industries and overall development of India. High cost of pumping have affected agriculture. Frequent loadshading is depriving people of light and comfort. Gas and other fuel costs have become un affordable to common man.The only practical and viable option is nuclear energy. There are lot of misconceptions about the nuclear power in general public and people are afraid of devastating effects of Atomic bomb and Chernobyl like accidents due to improper safeguards. They do not know that modern science and technology has made the nuclear energy production very safe, cheap and fully controllable. Recent advances in fusion technology has opened new avenues for energy production without threat to environmental quality. France, once strong opponent of nuclear energy is now heavily dependent on muclear energy for its energy requirements. Hence, immediate establishment of nucleatr power plants and expansion of existing units is a pressing need to come out of this precarious condition. What we lack is the import of new technology, materials and huge initial capital investment for setting up such plants.It is necessary that scientists and engineers should create awareness and educate people of these realities.
India’s nuclear energy program began in the 1950s with a great deal of involvement of the United States through the Atoms for Peace program, including helping build and providing nuclear fuel for the nuclear reactor in Tarapur, as well as through scientific cooperation.
After 1974, when India tested its first nuclear device, the US formed the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), to oversee sales of nuclear material. In 1978 the US Congress passed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Act but the US continued to provide some nuclear fuel to India under a 1963 treaty with India until 1980.The US had to stop supplying fuel under its own laws, and passed the responsibilities on to others. In 1992 the NSG limited sales of nuclear technology and materials to non-Nuclear Weapons States only if their nuclear reactors were under full scale safeguards implemented by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). France continued to provide nuclear fuel to India until it too adhered to this provision in 1996. China and Russia have supplied India with nuclear fuel after this period.
India plans on expanding the amount of electricity generated by nuclear energy to 20 GWe by 2020 (this is from nuclear plants already under construction). Except that we have a lack of Uranium. Most of our Uranium is low quality, except some newly discovered deposits that have as yet to be mined. Our plants are running at under 40% capacity when they could be running at above 90%. In another words we are paying more than twice the costs of electricity generated by nuclear energy because we are stopped from buying nuclear fuel because of NPT and NSG guidelines.
In August 2007, India and the United States reached a bilateral agreement on civilian nuclear cooperation. The deal would lift the U.S. moratorium on nuclear trade with India, provide U.S. assistance to India's civilian nuclear energy program, and expand U.S.-Indian cooperation in energy and satellite technology. India would be eligible to buy U.S. dual-use nuclear technology, including materials and equipment that could be used to enrich uranium or reprocess plutonium. It would also receive imported fuel for its nuclear reactors. U.S. companies will be allowed to build nuclear reactors in India and provide nuclear fuel for its civilian energy program.
India has always committed for non proliferation of nuclear weapons and there is no harm in allowing international regulations for monitoring production of nuclear power for civilian peaceful purposes.
U.S.-India Nuclear Cooperation Treaty will go a long way in ensuring sustainable development.India should not remain isolated in a world surrounded by nuclear-power nation states
The present opposition to U.S.-India Nuclear Cooperation seems mainly a political move. I was reminded of the Arthur Hailey's novel " Overload" which was written in 1979. It describes the energy crises in California, struggle of the electric power plant engineer to ensure power supply and opposition to power plants in USA by environmentalists misled by "Friends of Freedom" with political motive.
I do not belong to or favor any party but I am of the opinion that, the present government has taken a wise decision at this critical juncture risking its own survival in the interest of the nation.
It is my sincere appeal that all political parties should rise above political gains and support this move as it will enable India to become self sufficient in energy production, accelerate development, improve economy without hampering environmental quality.
It is the responsibility of the environmental engineers to encourage use of non conventional energy and as responsible citizens to help the governmemt in meeting the challenge of acute energy shortage.I appeal to all environmentalists to come forward and support Nuclear Cooperation for preserving our environment and promoting much needed development of energy sources in India and ensure that all environmental safety norms are followed while producing nuclear energy.
Dnyandeep foundation wishes to play an active role in dissiminating the knowledge about Nuclear power, safeguards and environmental management necessary and its impact on meeting energy needs of India.
Reference - www.envis.org
Saturday, June 21, 2008
News blogs and photos on Save Ganga Movement
All News, blogs and photos on "Save Ganga Movement" are being published in Save Ganga section of www.envis.org. It also includes "Critic of Dams" by Dr. Agrawal elaborating various aspects of environmental impact of dams on Ganga river.
Please send links to related blogs and news for their publicity on the site.
Please send links to related blogs and news for their publicity on the site.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Living the dreams of young - Birth of Dnyandeep
Starting a business after retirement has given me immense pleasure if not wealth.
Imagine a child dragging grandfather to run with him and the expression of joy and caution on the face of grandfather struggling to balance his feet to match the pace of child.
That is exactly the state of my mind right now. At Dnyandeep, I am surrounded by young ambitious and impatient budding emtrepreneures, who are wondering, why I am afraid and not so aggressive as them in busines promotion. While arguing with them I get new energy and joy of childhood which was lost in lifelong engagement in routine service. I feel satisfaction that I could sow the seeds of business dream in their minds.
I had taught engineering management to students for number of years as an outsider without direct exposure to realities in business. I motivated students to become entrepreneures painting rosy pictures of wealth, freedom and prestige that come with successful business.
Still, I found that most of the students had ambition of getting high paid job in corporate companies in big urban centres. Many ended up in joining government jobs and few dared to enter the business world on their own. Once entered in service, the money, security and promotion prospects tempt the person in continuing the service and make business entry more difficult.
I had an inner urge to start my own business but the circustances did not favor jumping into it when I graduated. I accepted job of a teacher and got fully involved in it as any other person and nurtured knowledge seeking as goal of life.
Towards retirement, when my most of the responsibilities were completed I thought of giving a real try to my cherished dream and started my company. My wife also supported me fully and provided a much needed cautious control over my enthusiasm and hasty decisions.
My wife had an experience of small partnership business of computer education, Suyash Computers, which she handled successfully with two young computer savvy partners. However, it was closed after the partners got involved in other profession.
This time, we were serious and decided to start a formal business as private limited company. Giving appropriate name to company was not a problem as our house name 'Dnyandeep' depicted our intention in full perspective.
Thus was the birth of Dnyandeep Infotech Pvt. Ltd. in Nov. 2000 , just three years before my retirement.
The crises of managing business started surfacing from very first day and some how have persisted in one one form or other till today. But it gave a rare sensational experience which lacked completely in service.
... to be continued
Imagine a child dragging grandfather to run with him and the expression of joy and caution on the face of grandfather struggling to balance his feet to match the pace of child.
That is exactly the state of my mind right now. At Dnyandeep, I am surrounded by young ambitious and impatient budding emtrepreneures, who are wondering, why I am afraid and not so aggressive as them in busines promotion. While arguing with them I get new energy and joy of childhood which was lost in lifelong engagement in routine service. I feel satisfaction that I could sow the seeds of business dream in their minds.
I had taught engineering management to students for number of years as an outsider without direct exposure to realities in business. I motivated students to become entrepreneures painting rosy pictures of wealth, freedom and prestige that come with successful business.
Still, I found that most of the students had ambition of getting high paid job in corporate companies in big urban centres. Many ended up in joining government jobs and few dared to enter the business world on their own. Once entered in service, the money, security and promotion prospects tempt the person in continuing the service and make business entry more difficult.
I had an inner urge to start my own business but the circustances did not favor jumping into it when I graduated. I accepted job of a teacher and got fully involved in it as any other person and nurtured knowledge seeking as goal of life.
Towards retirement, when my most of the responsibilities were completed I thought of giving a real try to my cherished dream and started my company. My wife also supported me fully and provided a much needed cautious control over my enthusiasm and hasty decisions.
My wife had an experience of small partnership business of computer education, Suyash Computers, which she handled successfully with two young computer savvy partners. However, it was closed after the partners got involved in other profession.
This time, we were serious and decided to start a formal business as private limited company. Giving appropriate name to company was not a problem as our house name 'Dnyandeep' depicted our intention in full perspective.
Thus was the birth of Dnyandeep Infotech Pvt. Ltd. in Nov. 2000 , just three years before my retirement.
The crises of managing business started surfacing from very first day and some how have persisted in one one form or other till today. But it gave a rare sensational experience which lacked completely in service.
... to be continued
Monday, May 5, 2008
Hospital Website
Every hospital should have its own website giving all information about the hospital activities. A database of doctors, surgeons and other skilled human resource available in the hospital should be displayed, facilities should be highlighted and patient care provisions and general health care instructions can be included on the website . Special web pages with contact mail facility and interactive message board for each doctor and specialist connected with hospital will enhance utility of website for interaction with patients and other doctors.Information about case studies in typical complex situations with photo gallery can help in building confidence in patients about health service provided by hospital.
Full-fledged development of such site would enhance the image of hospital and serve the patients along with generating significant financial resources through supply of information to doctors, education to students and advice to patients.
The site can get financial support by non committal advertisements from medical firms and instrument suppliers and would not pose a burden of financial liability on hospital.
Full-fledged development of such site would enhance the image of hospital and serve the patients along with generating significant financial resources through supply of information to doctors, education to students and advice to patients.
The site can get financial support by non committal advertisements from medical firms and instrument suppliers and would not pose a burden of financial liability on hospital.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Web modules for educational institutes
The websites of educational institutes in India, generally include typical information like history, departments, faculty, admission procedures and a picture gallery. However, these websites can neither serve the student community as regards their day to day functioning nor can provide effective control for the management over teaching-learning process. The brochure type websites give cursory information to new students and they can be highly impressed by the education system being implemented by the college, if the web site is equipped with modern web service tools and high interactivity. Following web modules developed by Dnyandeep Infotech Pvt. Ltd. will greatly enhance the utility of website and make the web site truly interactive.
1.Site Plan linked Information (SPI) :
Students aspiring for taking admission to engineering college generally refer to the website or printed brochure to select the college. However, very often these do not include map-linked information about the institute. Such facility is generally provided in websites of foreign universities. The location map along with the index plan is necessary for indicating the access route and transport facilities. Infrastructural facilities like main office building, classrooms, hostels, playground and other amenities also should be shown on map with context sensitive information. Inclusion of these features would be very useful in educating the students about the institute infrastructure in an effective manner.
2. Open Access Library :
The search for required book or reference material is the most time consuming and difficult job for the students or teachers. Accessibility of entire database of college library on the net will help students and research workers to get the required material in less time. Moreover, they can reserve the book by submitting the requisition request. The librarian can display new books and ask for suggestions about purchase of books. The library may have textbooks, reference books, magazines, journals, CDs, VCD, DVDs, etc. The facility can be extended by putting abstract, index or content pages for correct choice.
Librarian can monitor the issue of books and can send messages for early return if there are queries by other readers. The college can use this facility for resource generation through supply of photocopied (Xerox) text material from the requested book with annual subscription charges.
3. e-Circular :
The display notice boards do not serve the required function due to various reasons. The vast campus may require many notices at different locations. The target audience may not read them and there is no confirmation that the notice has reached the desired person.
e-Circulars eliminate all these difficulties and provide a very systematic way of storing, categorizing notices and collecting feedback information. It will have login security and multi department feature.
4. Institute Level Private Network Communication (ILPNC) :
ILPNC is a special module envisaged by Dnyandeep after reviewing difficulties and bottlenecks in traditional practices in implementing effective college administration. The conventional communication systems fail to provide effective and timely responses in educational institutes because of large no. of students, numerous departments, various laboratories, different cadres of teachers and administration requirements. The problems further get complicated due to the time targets of admission, examination and evaluation. Communication Network if properly designed can effectively solve all these difficulties and provide total control on information flow and compilation of data for correct decision making.
The ILPNC system is designed such that the data entry shall be easy and fast by multi user facility, whereas the retrieval of information and summary reports is restricted by access permissions which can be administered centrally by management.
There is a provision to implement data entry part of the system through intranet if necessary and convenient for any institute but total control is essentially kept through remote web server. In metropolitan cities where students residence and college are distant apart or the students taking admission are from remote areas, this facility shall be very helpful for the students to communicate with the college.
5. Proctor System :
Proctor system is essential for all institutes where students from different places take admissions. In this system, teachers are allotted a group of students for whom they will act as local guardians from the time student gets admitted to the time the student passes the final examination in the institute.
Proctor system gives all information about the students e.g. local and permanent address, performance record and bio-data, social and financial conditions, personal problems and difficulties. Proctor acts as a counseller to student in all matters like local guardian and serves as a link between student and institute. Student shall feel free and relieved to interact with proctor through secured web service and will get assistance to problems like ragging, mishaps, family problems, illness etc. Provision of such module will enhance confidence of parents in the well being of students in the institute. Module is designed in a way such that, information of student will not be accessible to any other person other than proctor and there is bilateral communication facility between the two. The system also provides facility with password protection for the parents to view the attendance and performance of student and have communication with the proctor.
6. Alumni Website :
If the college has large alumni and there is a separate association registered for alumni then it is advisable that a separate website in the name of alumni should be launched. However, for all other colleges a subsection of Mini Alumni Website in the main site will suffice. This will include the database of past students with search facility, registration form, achievements, feedback, news and list of donors, board of directors and activities of the association if registered.
7. Community Service and Business Development
College can provide a service and consultation platform for interaction with society, industry and professionals to conduct surveys, undertake research projects and provide awareness and education programs by using student resource. This not only will enhance the image of college and serve the community but will provide training and financial help to needy students.
1.Site Plan linked Information (SPI) :
Students aspiring for taking admission to engineering college generally refer to the website or printed brochure to select the college. However, very often these do not include map-linked information about the institute. Such facility is generally provided in websites of foreign universities. The location map along with the index plan is necessary for indicating the access route and transport facilities. Infrastructural facilities like main office building, classrooms, hostels, playground and other amenities also should be shown on map with context sensitive information. Inclusion of these features would be very useful in educating the students about the institute infrastructure in an effective manner.
2. Open Access Library :
The search for required book or reference material is the most time consuming and difficult job for the students or teachers. Accessibility of entire database of college library on the net will help students and research workers to get the required material in less time. Moreover, they can reserve the book by submitting the requisition request. The librarian can display new books and ask for suggestions about purchase of books. The library may have textbooks, reference books, magazines, journals, CDs, VCD, DVDs, etc. The facility can be extended by putting abstract, index or content pages for correct choice.
Librarian can monitor the issue of books and can send messages for early return if there are queries by other readers. The college can use this facility for resource generation through supply of photocopied (Xerox) text material from the requested book with annual subscription charges.
3. e-Circular :
The display notice boards do not serve the required function due to various reasons. The vast campus may require many notices at different locations. The target audience may not read them and there is no confirmation that the notice has reached the desired person.
e-Circulars eliminate all these difficulties and provide a very systematic way of storing, categorizing notices and collecting feedback information. It will have login security and multi department feature.
4. Institute Level Private Network Communication (ILPNC) :
ILPNC is a special module envisaged by Dnyandeep after reviewing difficulties and bottlenecks in traditional practices in implementing effective college administration. The conventional communication systems fail to provide effective and timely responses in educational institutes because of large no. of students, numerous departments, various laboratories, different cadres of teachers and administration requirements. The problems further get complicated due to the time targets of admission, examination and evaluation. Communication Network if properly designed can effectively solve all these difficulties and provide total control on information flow and compilation of data for correct decision making.
The ILPNC system is designed such that the data entry shall be easy and fast by multi user facility, whereas the retrieval of information and summary reports is restricted by access permissions which can be administered centrally by management.
There is a provision to implement data entry part of the system through intranet if necessary and convenient for any institute but total control is essentially kept through remote web server. In metropolitan cities where students residence and college are distant apart or the students taking admission are from remote areas, this facility shall be very helpful for the students to communicate with the college.
5. Proctor System :
Proctor system is essential for all institutes where students from different places take admissions. In this system, teachers are allotted a group of students for whom they will act as local guardians from the time student gets admitted to the time the student passes the final examination in the institute.
Proctor system gives all information about the students e.g. local and permanent address, performance record and bio-data, social and financial conditions, personal problems and difficulties. Proctor acts as a counseller to student in all matters like local guardian and serves as a link between student and institute. Student shall feel free and relieved to interact with proctor through secured web service and will get assistance to problems like ragging, mishaps, family problems, illness etc. Provision of such module will enhance confidence of parents in the well being of students in the institute. Module is designed in a way such that, information of student will not be accessible to any other person other than proctor and there is bilateral communication facility between the two. The system also provides facility with password protection for the parents to view the attendance and performance of student and have communication with the proctor.
6. Alumni Website :
If the college has large alumni and there is a separate association registered for alumni then it is advisable that a separate website in the name of alumni should be launched. However, for all other colleges a subsection of Mini Alumni Website in the main site will suffice. This will include the database of past students with search facility, registration form, achievements, feedback, news and list of donors, board of directors and activities of the association if registered.
7. Community Service and Business Development
College can provide a service and consultation platform for interaction with society, industry and professionals to conduct surveys, undertake research projects and provide awareness and education programs by using student resource. This not only will enhance the image of college and serve the community but will provide training and financial help to needy students.
Rich Dad Poor Dad
Rich Dad Poor Dad is a very interesting book. It is told as story of two Dads which in my perspective, exactly points out the difference between service oriented vision of most of the Indian students and business oriented vision in American youth.
Poor Dad is like a typical father in middle class Indian family who expects the child to study hard, get degrees, find lucrative job, get promotions, stick to job and save money to build a secure old life. It represents middle class Indian mentality. Due to stiff competition, few succeed in getting high salaried job. But their dreams of becoming rich, seldom come true as there are so many takers whenever the savings accumulate, like govt, income tax etc. and he remains a middle class or at the most upper middle class citizen.
Rich Dad represents family head in America who expects his child to become young entrepreneur.He deliberately exposes his child to real world, prompts the child to study how the money moves, how to get money, take risk, grab opportunity, increase assets than liability. He creates urge and desire in child to become business owner, do job initially to earn money not to be used as secure saving for future but as capital seed for his business.
True business man knows that desire increases liability and so he spends money not in luxury consumable items or property which invites tax cuts but for investing in projects he knows which will reap benefits.
He doesn’t learn himself to become expert and smart. He is on lookout for hiring smart people who will earn money for him and remain satisfied with good salary.
Rich do not work for money. Money works for them.
Asset is what puts money in your pocket and liability is that which demands money from your pocket now and then.
Can we learn some lessons from Rich Dad Poor Dad book and motivate our students to become entrepreneurs, There are many student owned businesses in America. Lets Go is a big corporation run by students. There are student associations not for merry making and election politics like in India but real business clubs for helping the fellow students in starting business. If we have to become superpower and world leader, it cannot be achieved by turning out service oriented graduates but by adopting strategies aimed at producing business builders and owners like in America.
Poor Dad is like a typical father in middle class Indian family who expects the child to study hard, get degrees, find lucrative job, get promotions, stick to job and save money to build a secure old life. It represents middle class Indian mentality. Due to stiff competition, few succeed in getting high salaried job. But their dreams of becoming rich, seldom come true as there are so many takers whenever the savings accumulate, like govt, income tax etc. and he remains a middle class or at the most upper middle class citizen.
Rich Dad represents family head in America who expects his child to become young entrepreneur.He deliberately exposes his child to real world, prompts the child to study how the money moves, how to get money, take risk, grab opportunity, increase assets than liability. He creates urge and desire in child to become business owner, do job initially to earn money not to be used as secure saving for future but as capital seed for his business.
True business man knows that desire increases liability and so he spends money not in luxury consumable items or property which invites tax cuts but for investing in projects he knows which will reap benefits.
He doesn’t learn himself to become expert and smart. He is on lookout for hiring smart people who will earn money for him and remain satisfied with good salary.
Rich do not work for money. Money works for them.
Asset is what puts money in your pocket and liability is that which demands money from your pocket now and then.
Can we learn some lessons from Rich Dad Poor Dad book and motivate our students to become entrepreneurs, There are many student owned businesses in America. Lets Go is a big corporation run by students. There are student associations not for merry making and election politics like in India but real business clubs for helping the fellow students in starting business. If we have to become superpower and world leader, it cannot be achieved by turning out service oriented graduates but by adopting strategies aimed at producing business builders and owners like in America.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Retired People– Untapped Resource of Knowledge
While in Houston with my son, I utilise my time in reading books available freely in library. Last week, I came across an interesting book 'The writer within you' written by Charles Jacobs, retired CEO of Newspaper group. He has given a step by step guide on Writing and publishing for retired people. He gave numerous references and highlighted words of wisom at every stage.I read the book from cover to cover and influenced by his idea of motivating and guiding the retired people to write. He has also started a website retirement-writing.com to spread the message. I liked his idea as it synchronised with my stream of thought. I registered as user on the website and downloaded a free document on how to write a fiction.
I imagined the vast knowledge potential being wasted in India in the form of retirement system based on age and not on capability. I contacted him by mail and congratulated for the novel idea and wonderful job he has done. In reply to my mail, he expressed desire to publish the book in India if some publisher is ready to do so.I felt that his book needs to be translated in Indian languages, and many writers will be ready to take up such job if permitted by author.
Particularly in field of education, this potential can easily be tapped by following his idea. Every educational institute in India is in need of experienced teachers. Retirement of teachers creates a gap at higher level which is generally filled by fresh graduates with no or little experience. Appointment of retired teachers on honorarium or clock hour basis gives a partial solution as many retiring teachers do not want to accept such responsibility requiring physical attendance in the institute. Few teachers engage themselves in private education, social work or develop new interests. But, majority of retired teachers spend their remaining life period without using their acquired skills and knowledge.The members of his family, his friends and neighbors are not in need or interested in using his knowledge. This leads to suppression and blocking out of his capacity.
A system can be developed to provide avenues for these teachers to participate in education activities like examinations, syllabus formation, writing books, translation work, training programs or student guidance projects, research and development work, interaction with current teachers.
If we succeed in it, the vast knowledge store in these retired teachers can be put to use to strengthen entire education system and shall provide retired teachers some financial support, respect and satisfaction of contributing to noble cause of education which was their main occupation in active service period. The government and educational institutes should form action group to develop a comprehensive plan with objective of building a financially sound and sustainable organization for harnessing this untapped educational resource. Web technology should be used to provide the core support and communication platform.
This thought that 'government or somebody else should do this job', represents a typical Indian mentality. Why not follow the example of Charles Jacobs, who tried to bring his vision into reality? In America, I observed that people do not wait for the government to do impliment new idea. They convert it into a business. A casual search on the net will reveal that these individuals (or professional associations formed by them) have established their business in cyber world as it is the effective and low cost, low resource demanding technology.
It occured to me that I can do the job through Dnyandeep websites. While collecting data for Sahitya Sammelan website, we had a fair knowledge of Marathi writers world. Dnyandeep is planning to start Translation service on mymarathi.com and can be linked to promote writing by retired people. The message must spread across all languages in India and should be extended to all fields where experience is source of knowledge. This will take time but will get materialised someday by somebody, because, it is the pressing need and opportunity with sure success.
Friday, April 25, 2008
e-Bussiness through website
Requirement of e-Business has posed a new challenge before traditional business industry. Industry in India is not yet prepared to face such a challenge. There is need to
undertake major project to create awareness and educate the industry about the importance of web technology and gearing up the business with it.
“ Every manager carries around in his head a set of biases, assumptions and presuppositions about the structure of the relevant industry, about how one makes money in the industry, about who the competition is and isn’t about, who the customers are and aren’t, which technologies are viable and which aren’t and so on…” - Peter Drucker
These are the main stumbling blocks which limit their vision and obstruct inflow of warning signals from changing environment and resist the change in system. This inertia is percolated to lower cadres of organization and it becomes difficult for business to respond to the new requirements and grab the opportunities unfolded or overpower new competitors.
The website of industry can provide interaction with vendors, suppliers, customers and build IT brand image for the company. All MNCs’ and successful industries in India have their strong presence in cyber space.
Martin T. Focazio in his new book 'the e-factor' suggests a normal website budget of $20000/- minimum for a business at single location having 100 employees.With e-commerce capabilities such as shopping and catalog management the cost may be $50000 to $60000. For companies with multiple locations and full integration, websites can range from $250,000 to $4 million or $5 million. Focazio further mentions that 33% of initial budget should be allocated every year maintenance and improvement of website. Unless it is considered as normal marketing cost like advertisement, the website will not yield expected results.
What is budget of Indian industries for website in this context? Even if we replace $ with Rs., still it is not spent by these industries. They consider it as one time business, hardly changing the contents or keeping it updated. How then our industries will cope up with global compition?
The Corcoran Group, a New York City real estate company earned $4.5 million in sales initiated through their website in the first year and it grew to $ 60 millon in two years
Though in India, due to less number of connections,slow internet speed and low internet awareness, such spectacular results may not be apperent. But the situation is changing fast and global companies are ready to take advantage of this opportunity due to their high money power and technical supremacy.
Dnyandeep is committed to provide guidance and services needed for the industries to meet this new challenge.
Role of e-Architect for future education system
Future educational institutes will require strong and sustainable infostructure instead of infrastructure and shall be managed as e-business. Design of such infostructure shall be done by new creed of professionals called as e-architects.
SRM (Student Relation Management) would be main guiding principle and effective service to student (education) would be the at the focus for building necessary infostructure and employing service providers (faculty and administrative staff).
Evaluation of product shall be in the hands of employers. Education may be totally sponsored and designed by employers to meet their demand. Students shall be at liberty to join courses from different service providers ( educational institutes ) and choose the employer after completion or they may join specific facility sponsored by the employer of their cherished profession.
Their shall be tough global competition to attract students.Students shall evaluate and compare the quality and content of courses, capability of faculty and decide which courses should be joined to get necessary expertise for negotiating with future employers. This would be similar to the present practice of comparing the products on internet and then going to shop that provides best offer.
Employers shall open guidance centres for students for helping them in selecting proper courses. They may offer salary beforehand for meritorious students. Just as Dell usherd the era of direct to customer, some employers may provide predesigned education service package with attractive paybacks.
Traditional education experts and consultants will be replaced by e-architects who will be strong in IT skills, know the modern business management systems and have studied present education system. Both educational experts and IT professionals can lean the tricks of trade of other discipline to become e-Architect for future educational institutes.
The management of present educational institutes is too busy in their routine duties and do not find enough time to study changes in global scenario and plan for future sustainance. A special task force should be formed with help from outside consultants to do blue print planning for IT enabled administration and distance education. The task before such committee would be to compile baseline data regarding resources available with institute, SWOT analysis in the light of global trends, development of detailed plan with schedules, milestones,roles and rsponsibilities, communication and feedback systems and self correcting mechanism to keep the progress in desired direction. Achievement goals should be decided not on availability of resources and present constraints but on future demand requirements and opportunities.
Monday, April 21, 2008
India's Vision - Education to All
Govt. of India has allocated huge financial resources to achieve the goal of providing education to all.It is a wise decision as the future world power will be in the hands of the country who controls global education system. India has a fare chance of becoming world leader in this respect due to large population with considerable human resource in education field.
However, educational institutes in India are far lagging behind foreign institutes in adopting new educational systems, advances in web technology and student centric approach.Unless we change this scenario, it is difficult to attain our objectives.
It is absolutely urgent and necessary to evaluate and understand how foreign schools, colleges and universities are modernising their educational systems through web technology and e-governance, focussing on interactive learning and expanding global reach.
With WEB 2.0, there is a paradigm shift in web technology. The users have become the masters of websites and not the website owners.This has reflected in business and customers are controlling business. Just as customer is the most important element in business, student is the most important element in education. Students should be given central role in e-governance of educational institutes.
At present, the status of web echnology in educational field in India is far from satisfactory. Very few institutes have their presence on web. Those who have their websites, they are mostly designed as information brochures which deal with history, building photos and course information. Many a times, these websites are only to fulfil statutory requirements, not updated and hide factual conditions. The websites of foreign educational institutes give prime importance to faculty-student interaction and have main focus on students - Current students, past students and future would be students. They are closely monitoring progress in web technology and are renovating their systems to remain in line with student's changed expectations.
Adoption of web technology can reduce the cost of education through networking and sharing, can enhance quality of education and develop a capability of global reach. Educational institutes in India should give a serious thought to this changed requirements. If they do so, it will be possible for India to excel in this field also and achieve goal of Education to All on global scale instead of limited to India.
Adobe and Google moving towards Global Virtual University
Adobe has developed excellent virtual education tools through flex technology which can provide real life education experience with far more effectiveness, easy accessibility, global participation possibiliies for teachers and students.
Google is building capabilities for students to create the infrastructural environment they like with landscape, 3 D buildings, virtual libraries with instant accessibility to all information not only through books but all sources.
Adobe and Google may take lead and enter in education business which will be the greatest global business in future. Yahoo, Microsoft and IBM also are gearing up to enter this race.
We are now protecting our educational institutes by law through rigid examination system and certification pattern, but the day is not far off that the private industries and future employers will just consider capability and knowledge rather than formal degrees and certificates. The global competition for quality will force the industries to reexamine their too much reliance and prerequirement of formal degrees. This may lead to major lay off to those who have been recruited on high paid jobs based only on degrees.
Under such circumstances, what would be the future of educational institutes who are thriving only on infrastructural extravagance? There will be tough competition for teachers also, as only tech savvy and effective teachers would be needed, and they will be available from global market not only from academic field but any walk of life as knowledge and experience would only be the recruting criteria. And the selection and thereby appointment of teacher will be in the hands of students.
Education then will be freed from all artificial bondages of rules and regulations, would be available to anybody who wants it, would be affordable and would be governed by real need of society and industry.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Extravagant Infrastructure for Educational Institute- Is it necessary?
It is observed that private educational institutes in India are spending huge amounts on building spectacular infrastructure with modern facilities comparable to business houses. These include high profile buildings, reception rooms, gardens and landscaping. Such investment is welcome only if primary attention is given to educational resources and employing good, motivated teachers and maintaining high educational standards.
Unfortunately, it is observed that these vital aspects are neglected. For example, if library building is specious, air conditioned and with attractive interior design, it is no value if it lacks books and latest journals and has librarians with no interest or experience. Computer lab with large number of computers but without the necessary software or network support or are not accessible to students. Workshops and laboratories with costly equipment and instruments but without well trained operators and curators. Teachers and faculty recruited only to satisfy the statutory requirements.
Such institutes might be succeeding in creating good impression about the educational standard of the institute in society and getting more students enrolled,but I must warn that this may be disastrous not only for students and their future employers but also may pose a serious threat to the survival of such institutes in the light of global high quality requirements in education.
India has a high tradition of quality education. International community believes high standards of education in India. Shantiniketan has earned reputation as place of true learning, where the classes are conducted under tree shade. Our forefathers believed in trueness of purpose, discipline, hardwork, sacrifice and seclusion of worldly pleasures as essential for learning. Rama, Krishna and all kings of worldly wealth spent considerable time of their life in forest learning from teachers who were constantly in pursuit of knowledge.
Where are we now ? Ironically advanced countries are trying to follow our abandoned traditions to improve their educational systems and we are blindly following their rich, leisure oriented outfits which are unnecessary and increasing the cost of education instead of quality.
Treat Education as Serious and Healthy Business
Present Scenario in India
1. Education has turned into a corrupt business with every component failing in one or other respect.
2.Students, Parents, Teachers, Administrators of educational institutes and society in general are pursuing their own goals without understanding the impact of their behaviour on the effectiveness and quality of education.
3. Considering Education as a serious and healthy business can achive win-win situation to all concerned.
4. It is necessary to study global scenario, changed expectations, modern teaching techniques and careful planning to transform present push pull changes in education system to objective oriented and financially sound business.
5. Invasion of education system with business motives by foreign universities is at the doorstep through virtual universities with luring promises.
6. It is therefore necessary to study their capabilities and have self appraisal our education system.
1. Education has turned into a corrupt business with every component failing in one or other respect.
2.Students, Parents, Teachers, Administrators of educational institutes and society in general are pursuing their own goals without understanding the impact of their behaviour on the effectiveness and quality of education.
3. Considering Education as a serious and healthy business can achive win-win situation to all concerned.
4. It is necessary to study global scenario, changed expectations, modern teaching techniques and careful planning to transform present push pull changes in education system to objective oriented and financially sound business.
5. Invasion of education system with business motives by foreign universities is at the doorstep through virtual universities with luring promises.
6. It is therefore necessary to study their capabilities and have self appraisal our education system.
Software for Child Labour Survey
Government of India has enacted law to prohibit child labour, however it is observed that many children are still being forced to leave education and engage in jobs of heavy labour work and even in hazardous environments. SEDT, a social organisation in Parbhani did survey of child labour and a software was developed by Dnyandeep to analyse the data. The results revealed large anomaly in Govt figures and actual number of children engaged in child labour.
Software for Village Information System
Rural Development plans often do not yield desired results due to insufficient information about the present situation and real requirements of villages. Development planning and allocation of funds at District level by governmental and semi-government agencies depends to a large extent on the socio-political leadership instead of need based priority.
Village information system software is developed by Dnyandeep to collect all relevant data from the village as regards income, land holding, employment, education, health, standard of living, earlier utilization of development funds up to family level. The project was implemented for Kerwadi village and the data was analyzed for assessing needs of development. Salient features of software are:
a. Software is in Marathi with Visual Basic having backend support of MS Access was developed for the Central Govt rural survey project undertaken by a Social organization SEDT, Parbhani. There is a provision of summarizing the reports at Taluka and District levels.
b. Software gives choice and complete flexibility to the user in designing and extracting reports as per requirement.
c. Exhaustive data from each family in village was collected and analyzed for various purposes with statistical inferences, charts and graphs. The report of survey was presented in District Collectors conference in Aurangabad.
d. It is hoped that the implementation of this project in all villages will help planning and make the task of assessment of fund utilization quite easy.
Village information system software is developed by Dnyandeep to collect all relevant data from the village as regards income, land holding, employment, education, health, standard of living, earlier utilization of development funds up to family level. The project was implemented for Kerwadi village and the data was analyzed for assessing needs of development. Salient features of software are:
a. Software is in Marathi with Visual Basic having backend support of MS Access was developed for the Central Govt rural survey project undertaken by a Social organization SEDT, Parbhani. There is a provision of summarizing the reports at Taluka and District levels.
b. Software gives choice and complete flexibility to the user in designing and extracting reports as per requirement.
c. Exhaustive data from each family in village was collected and analyzed for various purposes with statistical inferences, charts and graphs. The report of survey was presented in District Collectors conference in Aurangabad.
d. It is hoped that the implementation of this project in all villages will help planning and make the task of assessment of fund utilization quite easy.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
लेखन व्यवसाय- आंतरराष्ट्रीय स्थिती
हे आपणास माहित आहे का ?
१. भाषांतराचा दर आंतराष्ट्रीय बाजारपेठेत शब्दाला ३ ते ५ रुपये आहे.
२. व्यावसायिक लेखक व भाषांतरकार तासाला ३० ते ६५ डॉलर (सुमारे १२०० ते २५०० रु.) एवढी फी आकारतात.
३. एका फुलस्केप पानातील मजकुराचे भाषांतर करण्यास २५० डॉलर फी आकारली जाते.
४. जाहिरातीतील मजकुरासाठी यापेक्षा कितीतरी जास्त पैसे देण्यास व्यावसायिक तयार असतात.
५. ’घोष्ट रायटींग’ म्हणजे दुसर्याच्या ( नेते, उद्योगपती इत्यादी ) नावावर लिहिणे, यामध्येही मानधन खूप जास्त असते.
५. वर्तमानपत्रे, मासिके, वेबसाईट, पुस्तके प्रकाशित करणार्या व्यावसायिकांना भाषांतरकारांची गरज लागते.
१. भाषांतराचा दर आंतराष्ट्रीय बाजारपेठेत शब्दाला ३ ते ५ रुपये आहे.
२. व्यावसायिक लेखक व भाषांतरकार तासाला ३० ते ६५ डॉलर (सुमारे १२०० ते २५०० रु.) एवढी फी आकारतात.
३. एका फुलस्केप पानातील मजकुराचे भाषांतर करण्यास २५० डॉलर फी आकारली जाते.
४. जाहिरातीतील मजकुरासाठी यापेक्षा कितीतरी जास्त पैसे देण्यास व्यावसायिक तयार असतात.
५. ’घोष्ट रायटींग’ म्हणजे दुसर्याच्या ( नेते, उद्योगपती इत्यादी ) नावावर लिहिणे, यामध्येही मानधन खूप जास्त असते.
५. वर्तमानपत्रे, मासिके, वेबसाईट, पुस्तके प्रकाशित करणार्या व्यावसायिकांना भाषांतरकारांची गरज लागते.
Saturday, April 12, 2008
भारतातील लेखनव्यवसाय
भारतात अजून साहित्य लेखनाला फारसे महत्व दिले जात नाही. नवोदित लेखकाला चांगली कथा, कविता वा अन्य लेखाच्या प्रसिद्धीसाठी प्रकाशकांची मनधरणी करावी लागते. सर्व हक्क विकूनदेखील लेखकाच्या हातात पानाला ३० ते ५० रुपये एवढे कमी मानधन मिळते. हौसेपोटी स्वत:ची पदरमोड करून एखाद्या लेखकाने स्वखर्चाने पुस्तक प्रसिद्ध केले तरी त्याला ते पुस्तक विकणे दुरापास्त होते. भेटीदाखल पुस्तके वाटून लेखकाला आपली हौस भागवावी लागते. त्यामुळे लेखन हा व्यवसाय म्हणून कोणी स्वीकारू शकत नाही. आंतरराष्ट्रीय बाजारपेठॆत मात्र लेखनाला फार महत्व आहे व चांगल्या लेखकाला आपल्याकडल्यासारखी केवळ प्रसिद्धी व मान न मिळता उत्तम धनप्राप्ती होऊ शकते.
सध्या इंग्रजी शिक्षण पहिलीपासून देण्यास सुरुवात झाली आहे. इंग्रजीत प्राविण्य मिळविल्यास आज इंजिनिअर वा वैद्यकीय पदवीधारकांना जे महत्व आहे तेवढेच महत्व इंग्रजीत लेखन व्यवसाय करणार्यास मिळू शकेल. मग अशा विद्यार्थ्यांनाही परदेशात मागणी येईल. भारतात इंग्रजी साहित्याचे भारतीय भाषेत भाषांतर करण्यास भरपूर वाव आहे. कारण बहुराष्ट्रीय व भारतातील मोठ्य़ा उद्योगांना त्यांच्या उत्पादनांची स्थानिक भाषेत जाहिरात करण्यास, माहितीपत्रके व नियमपुस्तके बनविण्यासाठी भाषांतरकारांची गरज लागते.
भारतातील जे उद्योग व व्यवसाय आतापर्यंत स्थानिक बाजारपेठेवर अवलंबून होते त्यांना या श्रीमंत स्पर्धकांपासून धोका निर्माण झाला आहे. त्यावर मात करण्यासाठी त्यांना आपल्या उत्पादनांच्या दर्जात व सेवेत सुधारणा कराव्या लागतील. पण त्याबरोबरच परराज्यातील व परदेशातील ग्राहकांपर्यंत पोहोचण्यासाठी त्यांनी इंग्रजीचा आधार घेण्याची आवश्यकता आहे. स्थानिक उत्पादने व व्यवसाय यांच्या माहितीचे इंग्रजीत भाषांतर करण्यास यामुळे प्रोत्साहन मिळून आंतरराष्ट्रीय बाजारपेठेत स्थान मिळविणे येथील उद्योगांना शक्य होईल. आज भारतीय भाषेतील लेखक अनेक असले तरी इंग्रजीत लेखन करणार्या व्यक्ती हाताच्या बोटावर मोजण्याइतपत कमी आहेत. ही स्थिती बदलणे जरूर आहे.
सध्या इंग्रजी शिक्षण पहिलीपासून देण्यास सुरुवात झाली आहे. इंग्रजीत प्राविण्य मिळविल्यास आज इंजिनिअर वा वैद्यकीय पदवीधारकांना जे महत्व आहे तेवढेच महत्व इंग्रजीत लेखन व्यवसाय करणार्यास मिळू शकेल. मग अशा विद्यार्थ्यांनाही परदेशात मागणी येईल. भारतात इंग्रजी साहित्याचे भारतीय भाषेत भाषांतर करण्यास भरपूर वाव आहे. कारण बहुराष्ट्रीय व भारतातील मोठ्य़ा उद्योगांना त्यांच्या उत्पादनांची स्थानिक भाषेत जाहिरात करण्यास, माहितीपत्रके व नियमपुस्तके बनविण्यासाठी भाषांतरकारांची गरज लागते.
भारतातील जे उद्योग व व्यवसाय आतापर्यंत स्थानिक बाजारपेठेवर अवलंबून होते त्यांना या श्रीमंत स्पर्धकांपासून धोका निर्माण झाला आहे. त्यावर मात करण्यासाठी त्यांना आपल्या उत्पादनांच्या दर्जात व सेवेत सुधारणा कराव्या लागतील. पण त्याबरोबरच परराज्यातील व परदेशातील ग्राहकांपर्यंत पोहोचण्यासाठी त्यांनी इंग्रजीचा आधार घेण्याची आवश्यकता आहे. स्थानिक उत्पादने व व्यवसाय यांच्या माहितीचे इंग्रजीत भाषांतर करण्यास यामुळे प्रोत्साहन मिळून आंतरराष्ट्रीय बाजारपेठेत स्थान मिळविणे येथील उद्योगांना शक्य होईल. आज भारतीय भाषेतील लेखक अनेक असले तरी इंग्रजीत लेखन करणार्या व्यक्ती हाताच्या बोटावर मोजण्याइतपत कमी आहेत. ही स्थिती बदलणे जरूर आहे.
भाषांतर - गरज व व्यवसाय संधी
मराठीतील अपार साहित्यसंपदा जागतिक स्तरावर पोहोचविण्यासाठी त्याचे अन्य भाषांत भाषांतर वा रुपांतर होणे आवश्यक आहे. महाराष्ट्राबाहेर राहणारे मराठी बांधव हे कार्य अधिक सुलभतेने करू शकतील कारण त्यांना मराठी साहित्याची जाण असतेच शिवाय स्थानिक भाषा व तिची वैशिष्ठ्ये माहीत असतात. असे भाषांतर मोठ्या प्रमाणावर झाले तर मराठी साहित्य सर्वदूर पोहोचेल व त्याचा येथील साहित्यिकांना फायदा होईल. मराठी साहित्य अधिक समृद्ध होण्यासाठी इतर भाषांतील साहित्याचे मराठीत भाषांतर वा रुपांतर करणे तर महाराष्ट्राबाहेर राहणार्या मराठी बांधवांना अधिक सोपे जाईल. युनिकोड अक्षरसंच वापरून संगणकावर मराठी मजकूर लिहिणे सोपे झाल्याने आज इंटरनेटवर फार मोठ्या प्रमाणावर लोक आपले विचार मराठीतून व्यक्त करू लागले आहेत. निश्चित योजना व योग्य व्यासपीठ मिळाले तर केवळ अभिप्राय, गप्पा वा चर्चा एवढ्यापुरताच याचा उपयोग न राहता त्यायोगे मराठी साहित्यात मोलाची भर पडू शकेल. मायमराठी या संकेतस्थळावर या उद्देशाने स्वतंत्र भाषांतर विभाग सुरू करण्यात येत आहे. महाराष्ट्राबाहेर राहणार्या मराठी लोकांचे सक्रीय सहकार्य मिळाले तर ते त्यांच्यासकट सर्वांनाच लाभदायक ठरेल.
या कार्याला व्यावसायिक संदर्भही आहे. आज जागतिकीकरणामुळे जाहिरात व प्रसारमाध्यमांसाठी मराठीत लेखन व भाषांतर करण्याची गरज वाढली आहे. महिला, विद्यार्थी व शिक्षकांना याद्वारे आर्थिक लाभ मिळविण्याच्या अनेक संधी उपलब्ध झाल्या आहेत. सध्याच्या जागतिकीकरणाच्या युगात
मराठी साहित्य व उद्योग यांच्या प्रगतीसाठी मराठीचे इंग्रजीमध्ये भाषांतर करण्याचा व्यवसाय वृद्धींगत होण्याची गरज आहे. ज्ञानदीप आपल्या मायमराठी डॉट कॉम या संकेतस्थळावर असा विभाग सुरू करीत आहे. असे कार्य व्यवसाय म्हणून करणार्या परदेशातील काही मराठी व्यक्तींनी यात सहभागी होण्याचे व नवोदितांना सर्व ते मार्गदर्शन करण्याचे मान्य केले आहे.
या कार्याला व्यावसायिक संदर्भही आहे. आज जागतिकीकरणामुळे जाहिरात व प्रसारमाध्यमांसाठी मराठीत लेखन व भाषांतर करण्याची गरज वाढली आहे. महिला, विद्यार्थी व शिक्षकांना याद्वारे आर्थिक लाभ मिळविण्याच्या अनेक संधी उपलब्ध झाल्या आहेत. सध्याच्या जागतिकीकरणाच्या युगात
मराठी साहित्य व उद्योग यांच्या प्रगतीसाठी मराठीचे इंग्रजीमध्ये भाषांतर करण्याचा व्यवसाय वृद्धींगत होण्याची गरज आहे. ज्ञानदीप आपल्या मायमराठी डॉट कॉम या संकेतस्थळावर असा विभाग सुरू करीत आहे. असे कार्य व्यवसाय म्हणून करणार्या परदेशातील काही मराठी व्यक्तींनी यात सहभागी होण्याचे व नवोदितांना सर्व ते मार्गदर्शन करण्याचे मान्य केले आहे.
Translation – Potential Big Business
In the new age of globalization, effective communication and information exchange have assumed a new dimension and translation services seem to attain a big business status in near future. In the Indian context, this is more apparent as multinationals are trying to enter local markets and expand their customer base. Up till now the local markets are protected from foreign products and services due to language barrier as most of the people do not know English and rely on the salespersons who can talk their language.
Now the situation is fast changing and soon multinationals will employ translation services to create advertisements and service centres to provide local language support. Creative writing will translation will help writers in becoming financially sound. This will increase imports and would help MNCs.
Indian industries should encourage and sponsor the translation services for translation of information from regional language to English for exporting their products and services.
Translation of books also may become a lucrative business. Students and teachers can take up this profession which will help Indian industry while earning.Educational institutes should take a lead and form links with industries and writers for developng this new potential business.
Now the situation is fast changing and soon multinationals will employ translation services to create advertisements and service centres to provide local language support. Creative writing will translation will help writers in becoming financially sound. This will increase imports and would help MNCs.
Indian industries should encourage and sponsor the translation services for translation of information from regional language to English for exporting their products and services.
Translation of books also may become a lucrative business. Students and teachers can take up this profession which will help Indian industry while earning.Educational institutes should take a lead and form links with industries and writers for developng this new potential business.
साहित्य आणि साहित्यिक
किती योगायोग पहा. मी नुकताच साहित्यिक या विषयावर ब्लॉग लिहिला.
’इ सकाळ’ मध्ये आज खालील बातमी वाचली आणि माझ्या मताला पुष्टी मिळाली. खरंच प्रत्येकाने रोज काहीतरी लिहीत राहिले तर साहित्य समृद्ध हॊईल.
लेखन कुणाची जहागिरी नाही - महेश भट
मुंबई, ता. ११ - ""लेखन ही कुणाची जहागिरी नाही. तेव्हा ज्याच्याकडे शब्दभांडार आहे किंवा ज्याला लिहिता येते त्यानेच लिहिले पाहिजे असे नाही. तर जो जगतोय, जो अनुभवतोय, तो लिहू शकतो आणि जेव्हा अशी पुस्तके लिहिली जातात तेव्हाच त्यात जीवनाचा अस्सल गंध अनुभवता येतो,'' असे विचार सुप्रसिद्ध सिनेदिग्दर्शक महेश भट यांनी व्यक्त केले. वैशाली हळदणकर लिखित "बारबाला' या आत्मचरित्राचे प्रकाशन आज भट यांच्या हस्ते करण्यात आले, त्यावेळी ते बोलत होते.
’इ सकाळ’ मध्ये आज खालील बातमी वाचली आणि माझ्या मताला पुष्टी मिळाली. खरंच प्रत्येकाने रोज काहीतरी लिहीत राहिले तर साहित्य समृद्ध हॊईल.
लेखन कुणाची जहागिरी नाही - महेश भट
मुंबई, ता. ११ - ""लेखन ही कुणाची जहागिरी नाही. तेव्हा ज्याच्याकडे शब्दभांडार आहे किंवा ज्याला लिहिता येते त्यानेच लिहिले पाहिजे असे नाही. तर जो जगतोय, जो अनुभवतोय, तो लिहू शकतो आणि जेव्हा अशी पुस्तके लिहिली जातात तेव्हाच त्यात जीवनाचा अस्सल गंध अनुभवता येतो,'' असे विचार सुप्रसिद्ध सिनेदिग्दर्शक महेश भट यांनी व्यक्त केले. वैशाली हळदणकर लिखित "बारबाला' या आत्मचरित्राचे प्रकाशन आज भट यांच्या हस्ते करण्यात आले, त्यावेळी ते बोलत होते.
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
साहित्यिक
या जानेवारीत सांगलीत मराठी साहित्य संमेलन भरले होते. त्यावेळी काही साहित्यिकांना आपण इतर सामान्य लोकांपेक्षा वेगळे वा श्रेष्ठ आहोत असे वाटत असावे अशी शंका आली. माझ्यामते साहित्य म्हणजे लिखित स्वरुपातील माहिती. कोणताही माणूस जे लिहितो ते साहित्यच असते कारण तो आपले विचार व आपल्या भावनांना स्थायी स्वरूप देत असतो. तसे पाहता सर्वच लोक साहित्यिक असतात. आपण पाहतो की साध्या संवादात सामान्य माणूसही अतिशय मार्मिक, अर्थवाही बोलतो. मात्र ते लिहिले जात नाही. सतत लिहिण्याची सवय असणारा व लिहिलेले सर्वांसाठी प्रसिद्ध करणारा तो साहित्यिक अशी व्याख्या करणे अधिक योग्य ठरेल.
’दिसामाजी काहीतरी ते लिहावे’ हा संत रामदासांचा उपदेश प्रत्येकाने मानला तर अमाप साहित्याची निर्मिती होईल. शिवाय लिहिणार्याला साहित्यिक असा मान मिळेल. पण यापेक्षा महत्वाचे म्हणजे त्याच्या साहित्यामुळे त्याचे व्यक्तिमत्व चिरंतन होईल. फार वर्षांपूर्वी मी आणि माझा मित्र शिराळकर सांगलीतील प्रसिद्ध हिंदुत्ववादी नेते कै. का. भा लिमये यांना भेटायला गेलो होतो. त्यावेळी त्यांनी आम्हाला सतत लिहित रहा असा संदेश दिला होता याची आठवण झाली. ते म्हणाले ’माझ्यापेक्षाही माझा एक मित्र छ्त्रे माझ्यापेक्षाही खूप बहुश्रुत व हुशार होता. मात्र त्याला लिहिण्याचा कंटाळा होता. दुर्दैवाने त्याचे ऎन उमेदीत निधन झाले. त्याच्याबरोबर त्याची सारी विद्वत्ताही नाहिशी झाली. आज त्याचे नाव कोणालाही माहीत नाही. मात्र मी लिहीत असल्याने लोक मलाच मॊठा विचारवंत मानतात.’
आज ब्लॉगच्या सोयीमुळे कोणीही आपले विचार सहज प्रसिद्ध करू शकतो. त्याचा फायदा घेऊन प्रत्येकाने साहित्यिक व विचारवंत व्हायला हरकत नाही.
’दिसामाजी काहीतरी ते लिहावे’ हा संत रामदासांचा उपदेश प्रत्येकाने मानला तर अमाप साहित्याची निर्मिती होईल. शिवाय लिहिणार्याला साहित्यिक असा मान मिळेल. पण यापेक्षा महत्वाचे म्हणजे त्याच्या साहित्यामुळे त्याचे व्यक्तिमत्व चिरंतन होईल. फार वर्षांपूर्वी मी आणि माझा मित्र शिराळकर सांगलीतील प्रसिद्ध हिंदुत्ववादी नेते कै. का. भा लिमये यांना भेटायला गेलो होतो. त्यावेळी त्यांनी आम्हाला सतत लिहित रहा असा संदेश दिला होता याची आठवण झाली. ते म्हणाले ’माझ्यापेक्षाही माझा एक मित्र छ्त्रे माझ्यापेक्षाही खूप बहुश्रुत व हुशार होता. मात्र त्याला लिहिण्याचा कंटाळा होता. दुर्दैवाने त्याचे ऎन उमेदीत निधन झाले. त्याच्याबरोबर त्याची सारी विद्वत्ताही नाहिशी झाली. आज त्याचे नाव कोणालाही माहीत नाही. मात्र मी लिहीत असल्याने लोक मलाच मॊठा विचारवंत मानतात.’
आज ब्लॉगच्या सोयीमुळे कोणीही आपले विचार सहज प्रसिद्ध करू शकतो. त्याचा फायदा घेऊन प्रत्येकाने साहित्यिक व विचारवंत व्हायला हरकत नाही.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Belief and Prejudice
It may sound unrealistic, but I feel our belief and prejudice are governed to a large extent by our own ego and envy and distort the true nature of information.
It is very difficult to control ego and envy and very few people can achieve it. The reason being ego and envy are contagious diseases. The nearby person can sense ego and envy if not in words, in face and actions, no matter how you try to hide it. The person sensing it despises it, but ironically, these two evils get rooted in his own mind.
It is necessary therefore, to ignore ego and envy of other person rather than react to it, as the reaction itself develops self-ego.
One should be strict about himself but lineant about others. He should understand that people in general have ego and envy naturally as inherent characteristic.
Man always justifies his thinking and actions. We like those people who strengthen our ego, agree with our views and support our actions and console us for our failures by blaming others or the factors not in our hand. But we should understand that it is their strategy and in no way reflects their true feelings.
It is more important what others say about you rather than you say about yourself. Others, while talking to you will never expose what they really feel about you. They reveal their feelings about you to third person considering what he may like to hear. These are only strategies adopted by people to keep good relations with others.
Astrologers refine this normal phenomena to effective technique for creating trust and belief in the mind of customer. The mind reading and not star position based calculations give them this capability.
Prejudice is the environment created by previous experiences. It distorts the information that comes in mind through our senses. If prejudice is intentionally created ( nurtured) by developing habit through hard work like learning by formal education, the information gets blended into knowledge, but if it is through false promises and temptations, it turns into belief. Information, awareness, advertisement and propaganda can be considered as steps in developing prejudice.
Thus ego and envy of persons can be manipulated to change their thinking and behavior of persons to one’s advantage and therefore, it is necessary to examine its impact on information received before forming opinion about anything or any person.
Happiness lies in heart. It depends on how clean and pure, you keep your mind, control ego and envy.
Religions have developed a novel and effective way to remove ego and envy by assigning undisputable supremacy to God declaring it to be representation of pure mind. They also invariably emphasize that God can be found every person’s heart, if he can remove the darkness created by ego and envy.
It is very difficult to control ego and envy and very few people can achieve it. The reason being ego and envy are contagious diseases. The nearby person can sense ego and envy if not in words, in face and actions, no matter how you try to hide it. The person sensing it despises it, but ironically, these two evils get rooted in his own mind.
It is necessary therefore, to ignore ego and envy of other person rather than react to it, as the reaction itself develops self-ego.
One should be strict about himself but lineant about others. He should understand that people in general have ego and envy naturally as inherent characteristic.
Man always justifies his thinking and actions. We like those people who strengthen our ego, agree with our views and support our actions and console us for our failures by blaming others or the factors not in our hand. But we should understand that it is their strategy and in no way reflects their true feelings.
It is more important what others say about you rather than you say about yourself. Others, while talking to you will never expose what they really feel about you. They reveal their feelings about you to third person considering what he may like to hear. These are only strategies adopted by people to keep good relations with others.
Astrologers refine this normal phenomena to effective technique for creating trust and belief in the mind of customer. The mind reading and not star position based calculations give them this capability.
Prejudice is the environment created by previous experiences. It distorts the information that comes in mind through our senses. If prejudice is intentionally created ( nurtured) by developing habit through hard work like learning by formal education, the information gets blended into knowledge, but if it is through false promises and temptations, it turns into belief. Information, awareness, advertisement and propaganda can be considered as steps in developing prejudice.
Thus ego and envy of persons can be manipulated to change their thinking and behavior of persons to one’s advantage and therefore, it is necessary to examine its impact on information received before forming opinion about anything or any person.
Happiness lies in heart. It depends on how clean and pure, you keep your mind, control ego and envy.
Religions have developed a novel and effective way to remove ego and envy by assigning undisputable supremacy to God declaring it to be representation of pure mind. They also invariably emphasize that God can be found every person’s heart, if he can remove the darkness created by ego and envy.
Monday, March 17, 2008
मी वाचलेली मराठी पुस्तके
मी वाचलेली मराठी पुस्तके
१. शामची आई - साने गुरुजी
२. मी कसा झालो, कर्हेचे पाणी, साष्टांग नमस्कार, डॉ. लागू, तो मी नव्हेच - प्र. के. अत्रे
३. व्यक्ती आणि वल्ली, बटाट्याची चाळ, अपूर्वाई, हसवणूक - पु. ल. देशपांडे
४. ययाति, अमृतवेल - वि. स. खांडेकर
५. मधली स्थिती, पण लक्षात कोण घेतो - ह. ना आपटे
६. लाख मोलाचा जीव, क्लोरोफॉर्म - अरुण लिमये
७. हाय - सौ. पटवर्धन
८. युगंधर, पैस, दुपानी - दुर्गा भागवत
९. गारंबीचा बापू - श्री. ना. पेंडसे
१०. नाथमाधव यांच्या ऎतिहासिक कादंबर्या, वीरधवल
११. माझी जन्मठेप - स्वा. सावरकर
१२. एक होता कार्व्हर - वीणा गवाणकर
१३. अग्निपंख - अब्दुल कलाम
१४. दौलत - ना. सी. फडके
१५. सलाम - मंगेश पाडगावकर
१६. आंबराई - कवि गिरीश
१७. इडली आर्किड आणि मी - विठ्ठल कामत
१८. कुणा एकाची भ्रमणगाथा - गो. नी. दांडेकर
१९. स्वामी - रणजित देसाई
२०. मृत्यंजय - शिवाजी सावंत
२१. राजा शिवछत्रपति - ब. मो. पुरंदरे
२२. झाडझडती - विश्वास पाटील
२३. संपूर्ण बाळकराम - कोल्हटकर
२४. एरंडाचे गुर्हाळ, चिमणरावांचे चर्हाट - चिं. वि. जोशी
२५. गीताई - विनोबा भावे
२६. बाबुराव अर्नाळकर यांची पुस्तके
२७. सत्तांतर - व्यंकटेश माडगूळकर
२८. पंचकन्या - मालतीबाई किर्लोस्कर
२९. गोष्टी माणसांच्या - सुधा मूर्ती ( अनुवादक- लीना सोहोनी)
३०. गोठलेल्या वाटा -
३१. हाक मायमराठीची
३२. एका यक्षाचे अक्षयगान, सांगली आणि सांगलीकर - अविनाश टिळक
३३. आभाळमाया - जोशी
३४. नववे रत्न - प्रा. क्षीरसागर
३५. सांगलीच्या पाऊलखुणा - चिंतामणी सहस्रबुद्धे
१. शामची आई - साने गुरुजी
२. मी कसा झालो, कर्हेचे पाणी, साष्टांग नमस्कार, डॉ. लागू, तो मी नव्हेच - प्र. के. अत्रे
३. व्यक्ती आणि वल्ली, बटाट्याची चाळ, अपूर्वाई, हसवणूक - पु. ल. देशपांडे
४. ययाति, अमृतवेल - वि. स. खांडेकर
५. मधली स्थिती, पण लक्षात कोण घेतो - ह. ना आपटे
६. लाख मोलाचा जीव, क्लोरोफॉर्म - अरुण लिमये
७. हाय - सौ. पटवर्धन
८. युगंधर, पैस, दुपानी - दुर्गा भागवत
९. गारंबीचा बापू - श्री. ना. पेंडसे
१०. नाथमाधव यांच्या ऎतिहासिक कादंबर्या, वीरधवल
११. माझी जन्मठेप - स्वा. सावरकर
१२. एक होता कार्व्हर - वीणा गवाणकर
१३. अग्निपंख - अब्दुल कलाम
१४. दौलत - ना. सी. फडके
१५. सलाम - मंगेश पाडगावकर
१६. आंबराई - कवि गिरीश
१७. इडली आर्किड आणि मी - विठ्ठल कामत
१८. कुणा एकाची भ्रमणगाथा - गो. नी. दांडेकर
१९. स्वामी - रणजित देसाई
२०. मृत्यंजय - शिवाजी सावंत
२१. राजा शिवछत्रपति - ब. मो. पुरंदरे
२२. झाडझडती - विश्वास पाटील
२३. संपूर्ण बाळकराम - कोल्हटकर
२४. एरंडाचे गुर्हाळ, चिमणरावांचे चर्हाट - चिं. वि. जोशी
२५. गीताई - विनोबा भावे
२६. बाबुराव अर्नाळकर यांची पुस्तके
२७. सत्तांतर - व्यंकटेश माडगूळकर
२८. पंचकन्या - मालतीबाई किर्लोस्कर
२९. गोष्टी माणसांच्या - सुधा मूर्ती ( अनुवादक- लीना सोहोनी)
३०. गोठलेल्या वाटा -
३१. हाक मायमराठीची
३२. एका यक्षाचे अक्षयगान, सांगली आणि सांगलीकर - अविनाश टिळक
३३. आभाळमाया - जोशी
३४. नववे रत्न - प्रा. क्षीरसागर
३५. सांगलीच्या पाऊलखुणा - चिंतामणी सहस्रबुद्धे
Books I read
I am a great fond of books and kept on reading all sorts of books ( Marathi and English) This is the partial list of books I read which have enriched my thinking and helped me understand the world around me. I have given links to book reviews o references I found on the net for some books, though I plan to write my own reviews some other time.
a) Philosophy
1. Story of philosophy - Will Durant
Best book on history of philosophy. I learnt the principles of western philosophy from this book. More from net
2. Being and Nothingness – Sartre
A brilliant and exhaustive analysis of nature of our existence More from net
3. Inquiry into Human understanding – Hume
Difference between our perception and truth More from net
4. Science is not enough – Vannevar Bush
5. Nature of physical world
6.
b) Novels
1. Fountainhead – Ayn Rand
Excellent novel of young architect who revolted against established traditions and designed structures of novelty. Novel explains how society suppresses such innovations and forces mediocracy.More from net
2. Atlas Shrugged – Ayn Rand
Brilliant novel advocating freedom. It states that the progress is done by few talented individuals but they are not allowed to enjoy the benefit. It suggests the plight if all these intelligent persons take asylum in scret place and stop the work. It criticizes nationalization policy and socialism. More from net
3. We the living – Ayn Rand
Story of love traingle in communist country.
4. Wheels – Arthur Hiely
Automotive industry in America
5. Overload
Power crises and disruption activities by environmentalists and left parties
6. Final Diagnosis
A comparison between knowledge through experience and modern medicinal practice
7. Hotel
Hotel industry
8. Money Changers
Inside story of banks
9. Grapes of wrath
Nobel prize winner novel depicting the impact of industrialization and displacement of farmers in USA
10. Roots
Tracking the origin of black people to Africa. Narrates the harassment and brutal treatment by invaders and sufferings.
11. The thorn birds
Novel of the farmer family with detailed description of nature, and social culture Australia in 19th century
12. Midnight Children – Salman Rushdi
Childhood and social changes in India during partition
13. Man who came from cold
Spy story indicating use of men as pawns in game of espionage
c) General
1. Science fiction books by Asimov
Very good stories on science fiction
2. Odissy 2000 – Arthur Clerk
3. Imagination unlimited
4. I am OK, you are OK
Transactional analysis – Parent , Adult and Child behavior
5. Games people play
Psychological habits formed in human relations
6. Rich dad poor dad
Falacy in common belief that study and learning will make one rich
Comparison of common man and businessman
7. Prison Diary – Jayprakash Narayan
His experience in jail and description of his fight against emergency.
8. My several worlds – Perl Buck
Travel and life in china and other developing countries
9. Netscape story
Very interesting story of building Netscape browser with students from university
10. The HP way
Growth Hawlet Packard company from Guarage experiments to corporate
11. Who says elephant can’t dance
Gestener’s analysis of IBM’s failures and transformation he made in mindset of workers and emphasizing customer orientation
12. At speed of thought – Bill Gates
Early efforts of Bill Gates to create awareness about internet and his speculations about future growth of company
13. India 2020 – A. Kalam
Dream of building India strong and as a world power
14. My childhood – Maxim Gorky
The poverty and social life in Russia
15. Mother – Maxim Gorky
Struggle of common citizen in war
16. Exodus
Sufferings and determination of jews during deportation
17. Direct from Dell
Innovative approach by dell to reach customers directly
18. I am Iaocoka
Personal politics in high places of Ford company, birth of christeler car company
9. 1984- George Orwel
Imaginary picture of slavery of common man in future if communist revolution succeeds
20. Animal farm – George Orwel
Falacy in communist principles in administration by ironical story of animals revolting against man
21. Collapsing universe
Asimov’s scientific explation of universe, stars, big bang, black hole and similar concepts
22. Ana Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
Social love story in Russian soil.
23. Two on a tower –
Young astronomer and woman in love with him. What i liked most is the dedication and persuit of the scientist. More from net
24. New brave world
Story of growing human beings as robots designed for specific task
25. Rebecca
26. Lolita
27. Waste makers
28. Small is beautiful
29. God of small things
30. War and peace
31. Short stories by Chekov
32. Journey around the world in 80 days
33. Lost horizon
34. My universities – Maxim Gorky
35. Stolen white elephant and other stories – Mark Twain
36. Stolen harvest – Vandana Shiva
37. Future shock – Alwin Toffler
38. e - factor
39. Making money in cyberspace by Edwards and Linda Rohrbough
40. lessons from the Edge - Matthews and dennis
41. The new market leaders by Fred Wiersema
42. The writer within you - Charles Jacobs
43. Write more Sell More - Robert Bly
44. e-Business, Roadmap for success by Dr. Ravi Kalakota and Marcia Robinson
To be continued ---
a) Philosophy
1. Story of philosophy - Will Durant
Best book on history of philosophy. I learnt the principles of western philosophy from this book. More from net
2. Being and Nothingness – Sartre
A brilliant and exhaustive analysis of nature of our existence More from net
3. Inquiry into Human understanding – Hume
Difference between our perception and truth More from net
4. Science is not enough – Vannevar Bush
5. Nature of physical world
6.
b) Novels
1. Fountainhead – Ayn Rand
Excellent novel of young architect who revolted against established traditions and designed structures of novelty. Novel explains how society suppresses such innovations and forces mediocracy.More from net
2. Atlas Shrugged – Ayn Rand
Brilliant novel advocating freedom. It states that the progress is done by few talented individuals but they are not allowed to enjoy the benefit. It suggests the plight if all these intelligent persons take asylum in scret place and stop the work. It criticizes nationalization policy and socialism. More from net
3. We the living – Ayn Rand
Story of love traingle in communist country.
4. Wheels – Arthur Hiely
Automotive industry in America
5. Overload
Power crises and disruption activities by environmentalists and left parties
6. Final Diagnosis
A comparison between knowledge through experience and modern medicinal practice
7. Hotel
Hotel industry
8. Money Changers
Inside story of banks
9. Grapes of wrath
Nobel prize winner novel depicting the impact of industrialization and displacement of farmers in USA
10. Roots
Tracking the origin of black people to Africa. Narrates the harassment and brutal treatment by invaders and sufferings.
11. The thorn birds
Novel of the farmer family with detailed description of nature, and social culture Australia in 19th century
12. Midnight Children – Salman Rushdi
Childhood and social changes in India during partition
13. Man who came from cold
Spy story indicating use of men as pawns in game of espionage
c) General
1. Science fiction books by Asimov
Very good stories on science fiction
2. Odissy 2000 – Arthur Clerk
3. Imagination unlimited
4. I am OK, you are OK
Transactional analysis – Parent , Adult and Child behavior
5. Games people play
Psychological habits formed in human relations
6. Rich dad poor dad
Falacy in common belief that study and learning will make one rich
Comparison of common man and businessman
7. Prison Diary – Jayprakash Narayan
His experience in jail and description of his fight against emergency.
8. My several worlds – Perl Buck
Travel and life in china and other developing countries
9. Netscape story
Very interesting story of building Netscape browser with students from university
10. The HP way
Growth Hawlet Packard company from Guarage experiments to corporate
11. Who says elephant can’t dance
Gestener’s analysis of IBM’s failures and transformation he made in mindset of workers and emphasizing customer orientation
12. At speed of thought – Bill Gates
Early efforts of Bill Gates to create awareness about internet and his speculations about future growth of company
13. India 2020 – A. Kalam
Dream of building India strong and as a world power
14. My childhood – Maxim Gorky
The poverty and social life in Russia
15. Mother – Maxim Gorky
Struggle of common citizen in war
16. Exodus
Sufferings and determination of jews during deportation
17. Direct from Dell
Innovative approach by dell to reach customers directly
18. I am Iaocoka
Personal politics in high places of Ford company, birth of christeler car company
9. 1984- George Orwel
Imaginary picture of slavery of common man in future if communist revolution succeeds
20. Animal farm – George Orwel
Falacy in communist principles in administration by ironical story of animals revolting against man
21. Collapsing universe
Asimov’s scientific explation of universe, stars, big bang, black hole and similar concepts
22. Ana Karenina – Leo Tolstoy
Social love story in Russian soil.
23. Two on a tower –
Young astronomer and woman in love with him. What i liked most is the dedication and persuit of the scientist. More from net
24. New brave world
Story of growing human beings as robots designed for specific task
25. Rebecca
26. Lolita
27. Waste makers
28. Small is beautiful
29. God of small things
30. War and peace
31. Short stories by Chekov
32. Journey around the world in 80 days
33. Lost horizon
34. My universities – Maxim Gorky
35. Stolen white elephant and other stories – Mark Twain
36. Stolen harvest – Vandana Shiva
37. Future shock – Alwin Toffler
38. e - factor
39. Making money in cyberspace by Edwards and Linda Rohrbough
40. lessons from the Edge - Matthews and dennis
41. The new market leaders by Fred Wiersema
42. The writer within you - Charles Jacobs
43. Write more Sell More - Robert Bly
44. e-Business, Roadmap for success by Dr. Ravi Kalakota and Marcia Robinson
To be continued ---
Customers
The rules of game have changed. Customer is not now the receiver of the goods and services industries are offering.
"The customer is going to grab control of the process, and we are all going to salute smartly and do exactly what the customer tells us if want to remain in business." - Robert Eaton, Chairman, chrysler Corporation
Customers should value us more than they do our competitors. Customers are not interested to know that you have used advanced technology or how much time money or resources you have put in to produce the product. They only see whether it is cheaper and meets their requirements than the similar products offered by your competitors. Our product or service must satisfy the customer requirements. Customer should become our salesman. Complaints of customers always should be welcome as they suggest improvement product quality, function or service provided. If you neglect the complaint you are not only loosing that customer but are creating canvasser against you and you are providing salesman to your competitor without any effort by the competitor. Many unsatisfied customers never complain but coolly turn to your competitor.
Getting unanimous feedback from every customer regularly is essential for self appraisal. It is also necessary to communicate with them the company’s progress, new products and plans and achievements. If we can get comparative feedback about our company as well as our competitors, we can objectively analyze the our standing in the market and we can get important clues for improving ourselves. It is necessary therefore to get unbiased opinion of our clients and customers. This work can be done through third party delegation or by supporting independent market survey by consumer organizations, NGOs or educational institutes.
The company should have focus on customers and their changing demands and future requirements. They should have trust in company’s commitment and performance and should be encouraged to participate in expansion of market through offering them discounts, special privileges and incentives. This strategy is more effective as the new customers get needed assurance about product or service from old customers.
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