Ambanis' Fortunes Plummet

The share prices have been tumbling in recent past for both the Reliance groups, led by the billionaire brothers Mukesh and Anil Ambani, and the analysts put the blame on a string of controversies surrounding them for many months now. On the other hand, a host of Tata group firms have grown stronger, in terms of stock market valuation, while shrugging off overall bearish sentiments in the broader market and even some controversies related to them.

As per the latest market value of individual groups,the Tata group ranks on the top with Rs 4,40,000 crore, and bigger than the combined figure of the two Ambani groups together at about Rs 3,67,000 crore. It is followed by Mukesh-led Reliance group at second position with about Rs 2,85,000 crore. The Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group (R-ADAG), which ranked third after the Mukesh-led RIL group and Tatas a year ago, does not figure even among the top 10 groups now.

Source: www.business-standard.com, June 19, 2011

The reason for the downswing in the fortunes of the Ambani brothers is largely because of continual spats between the two, leading to reduced investor confidence in their companies.

After Dhirubhai Ambani’s demise, the long drawn ugly fight for control saw the credibility of the Ambani’s slip in the market. End result, the Reliance group, which always had the interests of ordinary shareholders as its primary focus, took a beating. Not just that, in the years that followed, the two brothers bitterly competed with each other and tried to sully each others images.

Having significant presence in the stock markets, any whisper about the activity between the Ambani brothers or change in their relationship moves markets.

We can only hope that at some point both Mukesh and Anil realise the harm they are causing to the Indian economy. If they could work towards a cordial relationship and have at least a loose working association, they could forge a formidable partnership.

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.

Michael Jackson Still ‘King Of Pop’

As time approaches the two year anniversary of Michael Jackson's untimely death, the iconic pop star remains at the top of the charts. 'Hollywood Tonight,' a song off the first posthumous Jackson album 'Michael,' released in December, tops the Billboard Dance/Club Play Chart this week. Jackson is now tied with Enrique Iglesias with the most No. 1 songs on this particular chart, with Prince close behind with seven chart-toppers.

Source: www.theboombox.com, June 3, 2011

Pop music changed tenor and beats and a trend was set when Michael Jackson thrilled audiences with his 1982 album, ‘Thriller’. Wearing a distinctive black sequin jacket and golf glove decorated with rhinestones, he debuted his signature dance move, the ‘Moonwalk’, which became the walk of life for many teenagers at that time.

And his popularity has only increased in the two years following his death. Such was the impact of his musical legacy, his talent and his persona that his presence can still be felt in the daily music world. This lovable, child-like, controversial legend has timeless appeal and he will be remembered and mourned for a long time.

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.

Lady Gaga In ‘Retarded’ Controversey

Pop superstar Lady Gaga has offended mental health campaigners by referring to her critics as 'retarded'. The 25-year-old said the word in an interview with NME magazine, when asked about her recent hit single 'Born This Way'. Responding to claims that the song is similar to Madonna's 'Express Yourself', the Judas singer said: "Why would I try to put out a song and think I'm getting one over on everybody? That's retarded." A spokesman for Mencap then said: "It's an unfortunate choice of words, particularly from someone so influential."

Source: www.metrolyrics.com, April 21, 2011

After the furore generated by her usage of the word ‘retarded’ Lady Gaga apologised profusely saying that she had made an honest mistake.

While it was politically incorrect to use the word ‘retarded’, we have to understand that finally, Lady Gaga is an entertainer, not a political leader or an acclaimed intellectual. She has expressed herself in commonly used slang, which any average person would. Agreed, she could have selected a better word. But, don’t you think it is too much to expect? The fact is, people love being offended simply for the attention is receives.

Just one observation about all this ado over nothing- the celebrities are disposable, the gossip is priceless!

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.

Pakistan's Match-fixing Legacy

“I gave a warning that there should be no match-fixing. I am keeping a close watch. If any such thing happens, we are going to take action,” Mr. Malik said two days ahead of the game in Mohali that will showcase one of the world’s most intense sporting rivalries.

Source: www.thehindu.com, March 28, 2011

Having drawn flak from all quarters of Pakistan for tarnishing the image of his country's cricket players with the nasty "match-fixing" brush, Interior Minister Rehman Malik is now trying to mend fences, blaming the media for twisting his statements. It is this same man who had told the media sometime ago that the Taliban will enter India to disrupt the World Cup matches!

But that apart, in a country that has been riddled with corruption right since its inception, it is only natural that this plague will raise its head in sports. The Pakistani military takes away most of the wealth of the country, leaving very less to be spent on civil society. Hence it is only too natural that a citizen, be he a sportsman or otherwise, will make whatever money he can for himself.

And again, in comparison to cricketers from their neighbour India, Pakistani cricketers make a pittance. In India, the game is well sponsored and the Indian cricket board makes good enough money to pay its players well. Pakistan does not have the industry and private-sector economy which India has, and hence poor sponsorship.

The match-fixing game is controlled by Asian mafia who are quite serious about their business. The network is spread via middlemen to corrupt cricketers. These men know how to entrap young cricketers via the odd gifts, then money and even sexual favours. Add to this the fact that Pakistan's dressing room is unusually hierarchical. The junior has to conform if he is not to be dropped. And, there is no going back once you have taken the money or have been photographed in a compromising position.

It is, therefore, not surprising that Pakistan's cricketing history is rife with match-fixing allegations.

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.

Ban The Burqa?

French President Nicolas Sarkozy intention to rid France of facial coverings worn by Muslim women was realized on Tuesday when the French Senate voted to outlaw all such veils in public spaces. The vote is regarded as eliminating a threat to France’s secular values and another step towards integrating Europe’s largest Muslim population.

Source: frontpagemag.com, September 17, 2010

Hesse, a state run by Chancellor Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats, on Wednesday became the first German region to ban Muslim face veils for public sector workers. Hesse Interior Minister Boris Rhein announced it was “not acceptable as public sector workers are obligated to have neutral religious and political views”. A poll last year showed 61 percent of Germans favoured a burqa ban.

Source: www.blogs.reuters.com, February 3, 2011

Freedom of lifestyle choices is the basic tenet of democracy. The symbolism of the burqa, whether it represents subservience or anything else, is philosophical mulling! If Muslim women want to wear burqas, it is their prerogative and it is as okay as women’s prerogative to wear strapless evening gowns to ball-parties the name of fashion. And in any case, if someone chooses to be subservient, then that is a choice too!

Having said that, let me put forth that I am in favour of banning the burqua for all the right reasons. There is the issue of security. The burqua must be banned because it conceals the identity of the person wearing it. Who knows, who is behind that burqua, a ‘subservient, harmless, god-fearing Muslim woman’ or a ‘cold-blooded, indoctrinated terrorist hiding a bomb’. Hence, covering your body from head to toe is okay, but you must show your face for identification. Also billowing garments must be banned as they can conceal objects of destruction.

Security is an overriding concern for all nations, far more important than any single religious practice. Infact, there must be some common international code for conduct in public places and all nations must implement it, regardless of how many religions this code of conduct offends.

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.

'Unworthy' Deemed Universities

The Human Resource Development Ministry has sent final notices to the 44 deemed universities that were found “unworthy” of the tag by P.N. Tandon review panel. Centre has asked all these universities to give a satisfactory explanation on the deficiencies pointed out by the review panel. Many of these universities have inadequate infrastructure and faculty and do not qualify for the deemed university status. This is the last chance for these institutes to retain their 'deemed university' status.

Source: www.indiaeducationreview.com, January 28, 2011

A very welcome step from the HRD Ministry!

The strength of a nation is its youth. Quality of education cannot be compromised if India has to make an impact on the global power map. We need good technologists, economists, businessmen, thinkers and policy makers to take the country to a leadership position in the world.

Strong and fair regulating bodies are necessary to ensure smooth functioning of all national development sectors. The eduction sector comprises of government and private run institutions. Both should be under the scanner. Regulating bodies must take a physical audit of all the institutions rather than be satisfied with data provided by them.

Any university has to get approval from the UGC before starting its operations. The fact that 44 deemed Universities have been served notices is an eye-opener on the manner in which they would have got approval to conduct their business and issue degrees. In India, most deemed universities are started by private trusts constituted by politicians. An investigation needs to be carried out on the approval committee that gave a go ahead to each of these universities. This will sent a strong message to future experts on the committee that they should not be working under political or other pressures.

India will reap the benefits of good governance in its education sector in the long run. The key to it is stringent criteria, regular audits and appropriate action. Let us hope that the HRD ministry is now able to take action in a reasonable time frame, without letting dubious institutions slip out of any loopholes!

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.

Another terror alert!

Indian authorities have deployed thousands of security personnel following warnings that Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistan-based militant group, is planning an attack over the New Year weekend. Police officers and paramilitaries were on high alert across the country, including in India's financial capital, Mumbai, Indian officials said. House-to-house searches were under way in some areas of the city, which was attacked by Lashkar-e-Taiba in November 2008. Airports and railway stations, the city of Ahmedabad in the western state of Gujarat and the popular beach resort state of Goa were also on high alert following the warning, said to be based on "human" intelligence and received in recent days. Most of the locations covered by the alert had been visited by David Headley, a Pakistani-American and member of Lashkar-e-Taiba who travelled widely in India before the Mumbai attack.

Source: www.guardian.co.uk, December 28, 2010

India has been plagued with myriad problems, but none as devastating as the problem of cross-border terrorism. No simple solution can be offered. The government must be on high alert at all times, improve intelligence and tighten security processes.  But these are only reactionary measures. Countering terrorism requires a comprehensive solution, one that involves policy changes, systemic reforms and tough implementation.

Police and other security forces reforms

• Improving the salary and benefits of security forces is extremely important. Facilities like good schooling for children, housing and adequate retirement benefits will enhance the ‘national sense’ in the people who are going to cover our backs. Patriotism and the sense of sacrifice cannot be cultivated on an “empty stomach”, especially when you can see your political bosses stuffing themselves!
• The police force must be equipped with high quality armour, weapons and other gear so they can effectively counter well-funded and techno-savvy terrorism.

Legal reforms

• A strict law must be passed to control and bring to book the activities of every organisation in the name of religion or charity. Security agencies must be empowered to periodic review and monitor these organisations.
• We, as citizens, must also co-operate in the processes that provide us security. Every citizen must have National Identification Card with a biological code, and produce it on demand without any ado.
• Where terrorism is concerned, quick judicial action and severe punishment are necessary. Once caught and interrogated, judicial action should be finished as quickly as possible. Quick deliverance of justice will ensure that terrorist organisations do not get the opportunity to free their imprisoned fellows through routes like hijack or kidnap.

Education system reforms

• The entire nation must have a common education syllabus up to high-school. This way, a common history, compulsory languages and a common ethos can be cultivated among children.  Religious bodies should not be allowed to open institutions of basic schooling, and religion should not be taught in schools; religious education must, entirely, be a personal and private matter, to be dealt with at home.
• Ideally, every adult youth, male or female, must be conscripted in to the army for a minimum period. However, there are infrastructural and resources issues involved in this. Hence, at least NCC training during the three years of college must be made compulsory.

Policy Reforms

• Vote bank politics must take a back seat to long term perspective on this issue. When it comes to national security, investigating agencies should be given complete independence and support by the all political parties.
• After the Mumbai Terror attacks, we have seen the lack of co-ordination and brick batting among the top security and intelligence spy agencies of our country (Navy, RAW, etc.) There has to be a common framework designed for these different authorities to come together on sharing information, planning and action, including disaster management.

Terrorism must be eliminated wherever it exists. It is an on-going process and cannot be successful without the support and everyday involvement of all the citizens of the country.

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.

Painless Execution

A shortage of sodium thiopental, a fast-acting barbiturate and general anesthetic used in lethal injections of death-row convicts, has delayed several executions throughout the U.S. and reignited a long-standing debate over the combination of chemicals used to carry out capital punishment. Most recently, Arizona inmate Jeffrey Landrigan was executed Tuesday night only after a delay caused by a legal battle over the source and quality of the sodium thiopental used as part of the lethal injection.

Source: http://www.scientificamerican.com, October 27, 2010

The lethal injection is a  three-drug cocktail consisting of barbituric, paralytic and toxic agents.  Sodium Thiopental is used to induce unconsciousness, purportedly to spare the prisoner pain and suffering from the other two drugs. Pancuronium bromide (Pavulon) is administered second. Pavulon causes paralysis in less than a minute, including the paralysis of respiritory (breathing) muscles. The third drug administered is potassium chloride, which stops the heart, causing cardiac arrest. Beginning at the injection site, potassium chloride can be excruciatingly painful.

The debate is, is  Capital Punishment by lethal injection really quick and painless? If the dose of the short-acting thiopental has diminished by the time potassium chloride is administered, the prisoner will be subjected to unbearable pain, but unable to express it due to being paralyzed by the Pavulon. So far, the FDA has avoided any ruling on the cocktail's efficacy in delivering a merciful death.

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.

'Chak De' Hockey!

Hockey players, who added a new feather to India's crown by winning the Asian Champions Trophy in China, refused to accept the "too little" prize money - Rs 25,000. During their felicitation in Delhi, the players refused the prize money offered by Hockey India claiming that the incentive is "too little to fetch even a decent playing kit". The players led by Captain Rajpal Singh turned down the prize money which created a new controversy in the country.

Source: news.oneindia.in, Setember 14, 2010

The year was 2007. Cheerleaders danced to the beats of a Bollywood song as India was about to script a nail-biting finish against Pakistan in the cricket T20 World Cup final. With tricolor flags in hand, almost every Indian spectator was gripped with the spirit of patriotism. And all this while, little did cricket fans realize that intensity was coming from the song ‘Chak De India’, filmed on Hockey, a sport very different in its administration, handling and following.

Hockey is the national sport of India. It is a sport that made the nation proud, having the most successful hockey team in Olympic history with 8 gold, 1 silver, and 2 bronze medals. It is also a sport that went on to witness one of its most unfortunate days when India failed to make the cut at the 2008 Olympics for the first time in 80 years. It is a sport that shook the collective conscience of an entire country as one controversy after another surrounded its administrators. And it is also a sport whose achievers are today languishing in poverty.

There are many reasons for the failure of Indian Hockey on International stage for the past few years. There are few sponsors who want to invest in hockey. Sub-standard facilities for the players, bad conditions of fields, and poor infra-structure are other features. Will this sport be reduced to just a forgotten game?

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.

Octopaul As Pet?

When Netherlands and Spain were getting ready for the finals, the entire world was anxiously waiting for the final word from Paul the Octopus. After making accurate predictions during the FIFA World Cup, the eight-legged wonder has outlived the euphoria and continues to capture everybody’s imagination. No wonder, pet shops too are flooded with queries about octopus as a pet. This is the World Cup fever. "We are struggling to figure out where we can source octopuses from," said Shekhar Hake, who runs Pet Paradise in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai. "They are very difficult to get. We have contacted exotic fish suppliers and breeders and are asking whoever we can." Ram Sarup, owner of Live Pets World in Connaught Place, has received over 10 phone calls in two days enquiring about octopuses. 

Source: Times of India, July 17, 2010

Look at where have we finally reached in 21^st century. We address an Octopus as an oracle and then few days down the line it becomes a fetish to own one, to be even slightly associated with what had once become an icon.

Keeping an exotic animal is illegal if the species is not Indian. In such a case, it would be covered under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) or the import laws. If the animal is an Indian species, it would be covered by the Wildlife Protection Act. Many exotic animals have very distinct needs that can only be provided by their natural environment. The appropriate habitat, food, and social stimulus needed are not fully understood by humans. Hence, human contact and captivity can be hazardous to such animals.  

The octopus inhabits many diverse regions of the ocean, including coral reefs, pelagic waters, and the ocean floor. It is an extremely intelligent and sensitive creature. A minor change in the nitrate content of aquarium water would be enough to kill it. Keeping an octopus as pets is not a good idea as it grows out of size very fast and can also be dangerous.

The ethical issues of keeping an exotic pet are vast. We have to ask ourselves whether it is morally right to deprive the the octopus or, for that matter, other exotic creatures of their natural abode and ecosystem, just to serve a fleeting human fancy.

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.

Another Model Kills Herself

Bollywood actress and Indian model Viveka Babajee, 37, was found dead today. She allegedly hanged herself from a ceiling fan in her suburban Mumbai apartment. According to The Calcutta Telegraph,  the former Miss Mauritius title holder and one-time face of Coca-Cola and Kama Sutra ads in India, suffered from severe depression. 

Source:zeenews.india.com, June 26, 2010

A 30-year-old former model on Sunday allegedly committed suicide at her residence in suburban Versova, police said. Natasha Padbidri, who did a few modelling assignments some years ago, hanged herself by dupatta in the bedroomof her flat in Petricorn building this afternoon.

Source: times of India.com, July 11, 2010

Indeed, in the past two years, a hauntingly high number of models have taken their own lives. It'simportant to recognize the "extremely high-pressure environment" that models exist in. In a looks-obsessed industry, when you’re successful, you’re surroundedby people who have a financial interest in your career. Agents may not necessarily look very kindly on the notion of taking time off, even to deal with an obvious mental health problem.

Viveka and Natasha are just two names in an ever-growing list of recent model suicides, loaning credence to what Jezebel contributor and ex-model JennaSauers posited: “Suicidal models are fashion’s worst trend.”

© Sujata Khanna. All rights reserved.