Eureka!

Is it not a Eureka moment for India, when a chief minister (the ablest they say) says our children are malnourised only because of figure consciousness? How sweet! Imagine a child aged 2 or 4 looking at our zero figure, Kareena Kapoor and dreaming to be like her? Or the boys like Salman Khan? Or let us imagine that it is their mothers who are making these poor ones starve in order to attain the zero figure. If so, damn these mothers!

 It is surprisingthat the chief minister of Gujarat, Narendra Modi, who is considered a shrewdadministrator, well on top of the problems in his state, as well as a possible contender for the prime minister’s post, has blundered on the issue of malnutrition. In an interview to The Wall Street Journal, an American news daily, he has attributed his state’s high rates of malnutrition to vegetarianism and to the figure conscious Gujarati girls. He has reportedly said, ‘The middle class is more beauty-conscious than health-conscious –that is a challenge.’ While Modi may not be entirely in the wrong when heblames these factors for the shocking state of malnutrition in Gujarat, theseare surely not the primary reasons.

He also says that it is because of vegetarianism. But in this case how about Punjab?

There are more vegetarians in Punjab than in Gujarat and yet Punjab, along with Kerala and north east states like, Manipur, Mizoram and Sikkim are the states where there are less malnourished children.

It must be hard to swallow the truth since India has been up in the chart since years for having the most malnourished under-5 children. We are way up above the poorest African countries too!

The World Bank estimates that India is ranked 2nd in the world of the number of children suffering from malnutrition, after Bangladesh (in 1998), where 47% of the children exhibit a degree of malnutrition. The prevalence of underweight children in India is among the highest in the world, and is nearly double that of Sub-Saharan Africa with dire consequences for mobility, mortality, productivity and economic growth.^[

Now let us look at the Infant Mortality Rates or the number of Infants dying under one year of age per 1000 births in the same year.

Even here, states like Gujarat which claims development paints a dismal picture. One can download the Family Statistics Report 2011 to get the complete picture.

Health is wealth. The nation's wealth lies in it's citizens and if good health cannot be provided to our furture generation then this nation will continue to lag behind in every other area of development.

The effect of undernutrition on young children (ages 0-8) can be devastating and enduring. It can impede behavioral and cognitive development, educability, and reproductive health, thereby undermining future work productivity. Since growth failure occurs almost exclusively during the intrauterine period and in the first two years of life, preventing stunting, anemia, or xerophthalmia, therefore calls for interventions, which focus on the very young.

Whether or not children are well-nourished during their first years of life can have a profound effect on their health status, as well as their ability to learn, communicate, think analytically, socialize effectively and adapt to new environments and people. Good nutrition is the first line of defense against numerous childhood diseases, which can leave their mark on a child for life. In the area of cognitive development, "when there isn't enough food, the body has to make a decision about how to invest the limited foodstuffs available. Survival comes first. Growth comes second. In this nutritional triage, the body seems obliged to rank learning last. Better to be stupid and alive than smart and dead" (Sagan and Druyan).

But then the paradox is that a section of the society is facing obesity too.

Hope Modi realizes that his state too ranks pretty high in the obesity list (7th in the country). 

So who is beauty consious? Himself?

Source:

http://www.unicef.org/nutrition/index_statistics.html

http://apps.who.int/nutrition/landscape/report.aspx?iso=IND&rid=161&template=nutrition&goButton=Go

http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTCY/EXTECD/0,,contentMDK:20207804~menuPK:528430~pagePK:148956~piPK:216618~theSitePK:344939,00.html

Human Development Report 2011

http://www.millenniumpost.in/NewsContent.aspx?NID=7412

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_narendra-modis-beauty-pill-hard-to-swallow_1735020

http://www.indexmundi.com/map/?t=0&v=2224&r=xx&l=en

http://www.globalhealthfacts.org/data/topic/map.aspx?ind=48

http://www.who.int/healthinfo/EN_WHS2012_Full.pdf

Onam Wishes....

A very happy Onam!

Since we do not have a holiday out here for Onam, the elaborate sadhya will have to wait until Friday. Until then I had mini sadhyas for dinner. This way some of the items like ingicurry (long shelf life) can be made in advance. Tomorrow I shall have to make a few items to complete the sadhya on the banana leaf (if the same has not run out in the stores). This made me wonder why we never attempted to eat in the banana leaf while in Kerala since it is available in the backyard. Next time I plan to eat often in the banana leaf. If not anyone else I am sure our daughter will keep me company since she loves a good spread on the banana leaf. I know a friend who refrigates the  banana leaf and then packs rice in this to be eaten at home. Just like the "pothi chore" that we have during train rides. She says it brings back sweet memories and the taste is great too.

Yesterday we celebrated Onam at our work place by making instant payasam. It turned out to be tasty and today we hope to have a real sadhya with a repeat of the paysam. There is one more malayalee with me. The payasam did boil over :) One had to do with the kettle to make the payasam.

The children in our building have been creative. Lack of flowers did not deter them from making a "pookalam" without flowers.

At least the children are outside doing something instead of watching the crap in the TV. If they were in Kerala, they could have walked around and collected the flowers for the pookalam but here they would need to buy them from the stores.

Anyway, I could see that they were thoroughly enjoying the activity. It does look like a "kolam" but for the moment it is their pookalam.

Air power

Yesterday this news caught my eyes...

Tata Motors successfully tests air powered cars

 

The Indian car maker has completed testing of 2 air powered cars that run on, as the name suggests, compressed air.

Still in prototype stage, the car based on AirPod technology, can attain speeds in vicinity of 65km/h. The air required for propulsion is either sucked in while driving using electric motors or you need to drive into a air pumping station for your fill of Air.

 CNET says thus:

The company, which built the 'world's cheapest car' and then covered it in gems and also makes terrifying war vehicles completed testing on two vehicles that are powered by compressed air back in May. A joint-venture with MDI, the prototype-stage 'AirPod' cars apparently cost just €1 per 200km, or £0.00631899077 per mile.

CNET also calls this car a Robot Ladybird. Yea it sure looks like one!

Those who might be thinking if this idea is viable let me tell you how this car works:

First, energy has to be stored in it by squeezing the air tightly using a mechanical air compressor. Once the compressed air is released, it expands. This expanding air can be used, for example, to drive the pistons that power an engine. The idea of using compressed air to power a vehicle isn't new: Early prototypes of an air-powered vehicle go back to the middle of the 19^th century, even before the invention of the internal combustion engine.

The first air cars will almost certainly use the Compressed Air Engine (CAE) developed by the French company, Motor Development International (MDI). Air cars using this engine will have tanks that will probably hold about 3,200 cubic feet (90.6 kiloliters) of compressed air. The vehicle's accelerator operates a valve on its tank that allows air to be released into a pipe and then into the engine, where the pressure of the air's expansion will push against the pistons and turn the crankshaft. This will produce enough power for speeds of about 35 miles (56 kilometers) per hour. When the air car surpasses that speed, a motor will kick in to operate the in-car air compressor so it can compress more air on the fly and provide extra power to the engine.

Another advantage of air cars is that the fuel should be remarkably cheap, an important consideration in this era of volatile gas prices. Some estimates say that the cars will get the equivalent of 106 miles (171 kilometers) per gallon, although compressed air will probably not be sold by the gallon. A more meaningful estimate is that it may take as little as $2 worth of electricity to fill the compressed air tank, though you'll also need gasoline to power the electric motor that compresses air while driving.

Now the first disadvantage would be the speed. But for most Indian roads 65 km/hr is good. We were fined when we went above 70 km per hour. It happened on our way back from Trivandrum via the MC road and while we were near Pandalam. We had just taken a turn and were stopped by the highway police. They fined us IRS 300/- and did give us a reciept. We did have company since many were caught that day.

According to the Web site Gas 2.0, an air car in the United States would create about .176 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per mile based on the average mix of electric power sources during refueling. By comparison, a Toyota Prius Hybrid, which combines a battery-powered electric motor with an internal combustion engine, generates about 0.34 pounds of carbon dioxide per mile. So, while the air car is not quite pollution free, it still represents an improvement over one of the most popular hybrid cars on the market [source: Nuccitelli].

And now the latest:

"Tata Motors (an Indian car manufacturer) is changing things up with the first car to run on air, the Airpod. The Airpod's technology was originally created in France at Motor Development International but has since been bought by Tata in hopes of bringing it to the Indian consumer car market. With virtually zero emissions and at the cost of about a penny per kilometer, it is definitely one of the most environmentally and economically friendly vehicles in the world. The tank holds about 175 liters of compressed air that can be filled at special stations or by activating the on-board electric motor to suck air in from the outside. Costing about $10,000, this car could beat out most smart cars from the market."

 

So is it time to look for our fortune else where? I mean, if air is going to power a few cars wont oil become less rewarding? 

Anyway, let me wish the Tatas the very best since it is one Indian company that I have much faith. 

I did it!

Yes I did it!

It maybe a small achievement for many but for me it is a major one.

I learned to swim!

Now dont say bah!

It all started when daughter wanted to go for swimming classes.

I have always wanted to learn; in fact it was one dream which I never knew when and how I shall possess. Being an Aquarian, I have an affinity towards water but at the same time I was terrified to put my head down under the water. I used to dread even the water theme parks and once I remember how my head went under water and I was terrified.  Having grown up in the high ranges with only streams and small pools and the climate not so conducive for swimming, I never had a chance to acquire this life skill. So it was a chance that I took. The first day itself taught me that it was a daunting task. I was terrified of going under the water.

The first class taught us the leg movement while holding onto the side bars but I think one should also be taught to put the head under water and breathe out. It is from the net that I learned that only this shall take away the fear of water. I found that those who started with me had gone ahead and were already swimming in deep water just like my daughter. It was easy to give up but I did not want to. I learned to swim with the help of the board. Actually when one puts the head and the upper part of the body inside the water, the leg comes up naturally and then the leg movement is easy. But for people like me who was terrified of water, this was not an easy task.

But I did it finally and now I need to practice.

Needless to say that this has given me much happiness and contentment. It also adds to my confidence level. Guess when one is over 40 (wink!) even learning such a skill which might come naturally to others is a great one!

But the only part that I dont like about swimming is the chlorinated pool. I wish they find other means to purify the water. Someone says, rubbing coconut oil on your body may lessen the absorption of chlorine which incidentally is not good for your health.

I look forward to my next class with lots of enthusiasm.

Either quit or scrap the CAG

Each scam the Auditor General unearths seems to be bigger than the earlier one, yet the ruling party is so thick skinned that no action is forthcoming.

Each time the ordinary citizen hopes that the culprits will be brought to justice but instead it is the CAG which takes the blame. I think there is only one solution for this problem. Scrap the CAG so that Indian citizens shall never hear of another scam. At least let us have some peace of mind.

Earlier if it was Kapil Sibal, now it is our PM who is discrediting the CAG.

The Prime Minister's point is that the CAG has computed onthe basis of allocation of 57 mines but out of these, 31 coal blocks belong tothe period prior to 2006. He also says the amount of loss projected by CAG was "misleading" as calculations had been done on the basis of Coal India prices and private players have different cost parameters.

This brings to my mind the most important question; how do these politicians escape jail? Raja is already out and we saw how his homecoming was celebrated. He was received like a hero!

 To answer this please watch this video clip (if you have not watched it already) where everything is explained very well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HIudxeqFuz8

Nitin Gupta (Rivaldo) is a stand-up comedian & is an alumnus of IIT Bombay (Chemical Engg) and founder of Entertainment Engineers.

Here he is seen performing for the students at the S. P. Jain College and the subject is the CWG, 2G and other scams - the Archimedes Principle and Newton laws are a brilliant take why nobody gets caught in the scams in India

 He talks about Archimedes law of buoyancy. 

Any minister fully or partially immersed in corruption is pushed up by a buoyant force equal to the weight of the money he displaces. 

In short, he is never caught.  Unfortunately this same money is used up yet again to garner votes from the citizens when election comes around. Everything is hushed up and he emerges as the only hero capable of governing his constituency.

Today we read that Sonia Gandhi has found  a place yet again in the Forbes list of most powerful women. 

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton placed second,followed by Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff, making the top three spotsunchanged from last year. Sonia Gandhi, president of the Indian NationalCongress, was at No. 6.

But if you are wondering if our PM has ever found a place anywhere in the list of the most powerful men, then he is nowhere in the picture. So the question is how did this come by? How and why is Sonia the most powerful when she is only the party president? She even beats Michelle Obama! The following caught my eyes.

The list named women involved in policymaking, entertainment, technology and nonprofit organizations, among other fields. They were ranked according to influence, the amount of money they control or earn, and media presence.

As for Mrs. Clinton,

Ms Clinton was applauded for her handling of crises such as the release of a trove of diplomatic cables by the anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks.

Can you think of anything that Sonia can be credited for? In fact has she taken the podium to answer any question from the media or the voters?  

She is powerful only because of the money she controls.

Let this government resign or let the judiciary do it's job in a better manner.

The nightingales of Kerala..

They are still on the rooftop, threatening to jump to their deaths.

As the country celebrated Independence Day, three nurses on strike Wednesday threatened to commit suicide by jumping off their hospital's terrace.
The three nurses readied to make the suicidal jump as the strike by a section of the nurses in Kothamangalam Mar Baselious Hospital, numbering around 100, entered its 114th day

The three nurses are deep in debt and this action has been taken out of mere desperation since one of the nurses have not been able to pay back the dues for the educational loan taken for her studies. With a meagre salary and trying to make ends meet, the bank was getting ready to seize one of the nurses' house as part of recovery proceedings.

Among the main demands made by the nurses include the implementation of established working hour norms, shift system and cessation of dismissal of nurses by management under the pretext of some contract conditions.

How did this come about in a state like Kerala where the daily wages of a labourer runs from 400 to 600 IRS per day? Even a household help if hired from an agency has to be paid between 5,000 to 7,000 IRS per month.

 It is not that these hospitals are not making profit. Every in patient hospital bill has this funny entry on it "Nurses service charge".  Is it because most of them are from the fairer gender that they are ignored thus? Here in Kuwait the story is very different since the nurses are being paid well. In fact they are the lucky ones who get increments frequently. I guess it must be because their service is valued out here. It is the case in US and Europe too.

It is also amusing to find that this hospital is run by the Church. This injustice can be resolved by the members of the Church itself. Or is the Church only to be visited on Sundays and to be forgotten on the rest of the days?

Kerala CM silent on Kothamangalam nurses' suicide threat

16 Aug 2012, 1310 hrs IST

Kerala News: THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy refused to react to the strike staged by nurses of the Mar Baselios Hospital in Kothamangalam. Chandy kept silent when reporters asked his opinion on the issue.

One wonders when the CM shall break his silence. Or is he allowed to take only the confession cubicle?