What is this new H3N2 Flu ?

What is H3N2?

H3N2 is a subtype of the Influenza A virus, which can cause seasonal flu in humans. It was first identified in the late 1960s and has since caused numerous outbreaks around the world. It is While some symptoms of Covid-19 and H3N2 are the same, the incubation period for the H3N2 virus may be much shorter than that of Covid-19.

How long does the infection last?

The infection caused due to the H3N2 virus lasts five to seven days and the fever starts going away after three days. However, the coughing can persist for up to three weeks.

What are the symptoms?

H3N2 flu is typically characterized by symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. In severe cases, it can lead to pneumonia, needing hospitalization, and rarely even death, particularly in vulnerable populations such as the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems.

Is there any treatment for the flu?

The flu does not need any specific treatment as it is mostly self containing. Symptomatic medicines for fever, cold and cough are given. Antibiotics are not effective and not recommended.

Are vaccines available?

The H3N2 virus is known for its ability to mutate rapidly, which makes it difficult for vaccines to provide complete protection against it. Therefore, flu vaccination is recommended each year to help reduce the severity of illness and prevent transmission of the virus. However, the Advisory Committee on Vaccines and Immunization Practices have said that the influenza vaccine in India has not been recommended for Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) yet.

How long with this epidemic last?

Flu is mostly a seasonal virus and the spread should subside as the temperatures rise in summer.

Here are some dos and don'ts regarding H3N2:

Do's:

-Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, especially before eating or touching your face.

-Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue or your sleeve when you cough or sneeze, and dispose of tissues immediately.

-Stay home if you are feeling unwell to avoid spreading the virus to others.

-Seek medical attention if you experience severe symptoms such as difficulty breathing, chest pain, confusion, or severe dehydration.

Don'ts:

-Don't touch your face, especially your mouth, nose, and eyes, as this can increase the risk of infection.

-Don't go to work, school, or public places if you have the flu, as this can spread the virus to others.

-Don't share personal items such as towels, toothbrushes, or utensils with others, as this can increase the risk of transmission.

-Don't take antibiotics for the flu, as they are not effective against viral infections.

-Don't ignore symptoms of the flu, especially if you are in a high-risk group or have other co-morbidities, as prompt medical attention can help prevent complications.

The Malwala Palace

 The Malwala Palace was built way back in early to mid 1800s and was situated on the road leading towards east from Charminar, just about 200m from the famed monument. It was constructed in a mix of contemporary Mughal and carvings of ethnic Rajasthani style. It retained the brilliantly unique style of Hyderabadi architecture with an intricately carved wooden pavilion and was probably one of the only two or three such palaces in Hyderabad to feature such carvings. 

The palace was home to the Revenue dept under the Nizam of Hyderabad's rule and was titled 'Daftar-e-maal' in its initial days that led to its name. Raja Dharam Karan and Raja Shyam Karan were the prominent people to have made it their abode amongst the Mathurs who form a sizeable number in Hyderabad. They were inhabited close to the palace but have now spread across the city (and the world, I must say).

The Malwala Palace or the Shivraj Bahadur ki Devdi , as it was referred to locally, has a special place in my heart as it was my naani-ka-ghar and I spent quite some time there during my childhood. We stayed barely 5 minutes walk away from the place and so passed it regularly on our way. I have seen it in splendour but not in full glory. As per the many elders of our family, it was a sight to behold when it was being maintained and with all the Khandils and jhoomars lit up. 

It gave a striking appearance as you walked from the Charminar eastwards. The main arch gate (the only part that remains today) was majestic. It inspired awe as one passed by.

The inner courtyard was no less grand with a large dalaan with a fountain in the centre leading up to the elevated portal with intricately carved pillars.

While I have never seen the palace in glory, there is one photo that shows its real richness.

And this pic when the Late great film star Dilip Kumar Saab visited the family at the palace. 

A few more photos to show its beauty.

And this was the version I remember seeing.

Later it was being used as a community and wedding hall for functions of the Mathur community. Indeed, my parents did get married in the same palace.

Coming back to my naani-ka-ghar, my mom grew up in the part circled in the image below. The house itself was wonderfully beautiful. The roof was high with solid wooden beams supporting it and a flooring that was made of such beautifully intricate small sized ceramic tiles arranged in gorgeous patterns. And that windowed balcony is something I still remember fondly. The view of the Charminar one got when we peered out of those balconies was breathtaking. And the cycle-rickshaws that went about ferrying people and goods across town as one looked down onto the street below. Auto-rickshaws had just started finding a foothold in the old city but the manual versions ruled the roads.

And just out of the above frame to the bottom left was a small shop that rented out cycles for 50p an hour (in my time). We used to hire for a couple of hours and went around exploring the old city.

Alas, the palace was sold off to a local businessman/politician and is gone now after it was razed down behind closed doors and a case is still going on in the courts considering it was a designated heritage structure.

What is left of it today..

 

 

To end, sometime back, I found this wonderful sketch of the Malwala Palace in all its glory!

* All images googled. Copyright with their respective owners.

Easily remove unwanted system apps without root

 One of the biggest grouse that people have against Xiaomi's phones is the presense of advertisements and huge bloatware, or the number of unwanted apps that form part of its MIUI custom skin.

We have seen a simple method to get rid of ads on any phone. Now let us remove these unwanted apps. Normally for removing system apps, one would need root access, but here is a simple method. This method can not only be used in Xiaomi, but in any android phone as well, regardless of the manufacturer and android version.

Step 1 : Use native Uninstall Tool

Use native Uninstall Tool to remove whatever is possible. Go to the Settings > Apps and click on Uninstall at the top. This will now show you a list of apps that can be uninstalled by the user on the phone. This will include apps installed by the user as well, so you will have to select which unwanted apps you need to uninstall.

Once you are done with this step, you will now have only the system apps to be uninstalled.

Step 2 : Install adb, fastboot and drivers on your computer

A. For Windows computer, please download and install the Minimal ADB and Fastboot Tool application.

B. For Ubuntu/Debian users, open terminal and install adb & fastboot.

Use these commands one after the other:

sudo apt update

sudo apt-get install adb

sudo apt-get install fastboot

sudo apt-get install android-tools-adb android-tools-fastboot

Once this is done, your computer is ready for action.

Step 3 : Enable USB Debugging on your phone

To remove system apps, we need to connect to the ADB or Android Debug Bridge and so we need to enable USB Debugging on the phone.

A. Enable Developer Options. These are hidden developer settings in your phone and need to be enabled. Go to Settings > About Phone. You will find a field called MIUI Version. Continuously tap on the same seven times and then you will get a heads up message that Developer Options have been enabled. (In many other phones, you will need tap seven times on 'Build Number')

B. Enable USB Debugging. Go to Settings > Additional Settings > Developer Options. In this you will have to enable USB Debugging, Install via USB, USB Debugging Security Settings. Once you enable, you will be shown a warning and then asked to accept. You will need to Accept these to enable USB Debugging.

(The warnings are shown because you are making system level changes)

Connect the phone to the computer using a good quality cable. You will get a pop up in your phone requesting to allow connection to the computer. Allow/Accept. Allow Windows to install any drivers it needs to in the background. It might take 2-3 minutes.

In some MIUI versions, you will be asked to connect to create and connect to a Mi Account before USB debugging gets activated. You can use your email or phone to create the same and link your phone to the Mi Account through Settings > Mi Account.  

Once done your phone is connected to your computer in USB Debugging mode.

Step 4 : Connect using ADB and use the following commands.

In Windows, open the installed Minimal ADB and Fastboot Tool. In Ubuntu, open Terminal.

A. Check for ADB connection

Type the following command

adb devices

This will show a list of adb devices connected to the computer. You will see a device code listed. It should show description as device. If proper authorization is not given, you will see description as Unauthorized or Unrecognized.

Then type  

adb shell

Now it will display shell@phonecodename. This means you have entered adb shell to continue your commands.

B. List all app packages installed. This is an optional step if you want to know the type of packages installed. Type

pm list packages -f

This will give out a full list of all app packages.

pm list packages -s displays a simplified list.

Note that each app package will be listed as 'com.android.xyz' or 'com.miui.pqr' format. You can make a list of all the packages that you need to uninstall. Remember that you should remove only those that do not affect your android system to work properly. Otherwise your phone will stop working properly. So remove only the ones you are confident will not affect the phone.

The app package name can also be obtained by checking the app details in Settings > Apps > XYZ App.

C. Uninstall unwanted packages. To remove the packages, type

pm uninstall -k --user 0 package name

Replace 'package name' with the actual package name of the app you want to remove.

It will take a few seconds to work and will give a Success or Failed message. Remember to type the code and not copy-paste from here as that might pop-up errors.

D. Codes for common MIUI bloatware

AntiSpam

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.antispam

E-mail

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.email

Facemoji Keyboard for Xiaomi

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.facemoji.lite.xiaomi.gp

Feedback Services

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.bugreport

Games

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.xiaomi.glgm

GetApps 

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.xiaomi.mipicks

Mi Drop

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.xiaomi.midrop

Mi Pay

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.mipay.wallet.in

Mi Payment

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.xiaomi.payment

Mi Recycle

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.xiaomi.mirecycle

Mi Roaming

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.virtualsim

Mi Video

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.videoplayer

MSA - MIUI System Ads

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.msa.global

Music

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.player

Notes

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.notes

Recorder / Sound recorder

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.android.soundrecorder

Scanner

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.xiaomi.scanner

Screen Recorder

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.screenrecorder

SIM Activation Services

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.xiaomi.simactivate.service

Wallpaper

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.miwallpaper

Weather

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.weather2

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.providers.weather

Yellow Pages

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.miui.yellowpage

Some other apps that are not used by many. Remove only if you do not use these. Facebook Lite is an official app available on the Play Store and uses less data and battery than the official facebook app.

Google Duo

pm uninstall -k --user 0 om.google.android.apps.tachyon

Google Play Games

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.play.games

Google Play Music

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.music

Google Play Videos

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.videos

Talkback

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.google.android.marvin.talkback

Facebook Apps

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.facebook.appmanager

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.facebook.services

pm uninstall -k --user 0 com.facebook.system

By following the same method, any app can be removed from your phone.

Once you are done, head back to Developer settings and disable USB Debugging. Or even disable Developer settings.

Note: Screenshots & Images would be added soon!

How to register for Covid Vaccine in India

This is a short step by step guide to register for COVID-19 Vaccine in India.

This guide shows how to register on the Cowin website and also how to book an appointment at your nearby vaccination center.

Registration opens at 9am on Monday, 1st March, 2021.

Register at http://cowin.gov.in

Vaccination is open for citizens above 60 years of age and all citizens above 45years who have co-morbidities. 

Update (March 1st, 10.20am):

Follow this: Open Cowin Registration page. Wait for 1 minute till entire page loads in the background. Then enter your mobile number and again wait for 20 seconds. Then click on GET OTP.

Once you get the OTP, enter the same and click Register. Wait for 1 minute. Do not keep clicking again and again. The site needs some time to connect to the database and get back. 

Patience helps.

Update (March 1st, 10.20am):

While many people have complained about the website not working and have not even even received their OTPs, some have managed to sneak in and have been lucky enough to get registrations done.

Plz do not hit the refresh button as it further adds to the server clog. Just give it some time and it should settle. 

Update (1st March, 8am):

The link to register on the CoWin website is https://selfregistration.cowin.gov.in/. (Will work after 9am)

Update (1st March, 6am):

The location wise list of all Govt and Private Vaccination centres is now available on the above Cowin website. You can search by typing in your area name. Location is also shown on the map.

Follow these step-by-step procedures to register. 

The Govt has clarified that the CoWin App will not support registrations. Only Cowin Website will.

Currently India is using Serum Institutes-Oxford-AstraZeneca COVISHIELD and Bharat Biotech COAXIN for vaccination. Both these are extremely safe and can result in only mild sife effects like light fever or arm pain or itching at injection site. 

Two doses will be given at 28 day intervals. Once both the doses are done, you will be able to download the COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate from the website and also the app. 

List of Hospitals empanelled to give COVID19 vaccine

List of Hospitals for COVID-19 Vaccine in Telangana 

* Co-morbid conditions in 45-59yr old patients needs a prescription at the time of vaccination on a doctor's letterhead with stamp. The following conditions if present, make one eligible for the vaccine. 

Block Ads on phone without root

It is normally thought that any ad-blocking app or software on your android phone works only when the phone is rooted or has a custom rom.

To a certain extant, this is true. However, there is another method by which every advert on your phone gets blocked, including those in the UI-(as in case of some custom UIs like Xiaomi / Redmi / Poco phones' MIUI and Realme / Oppo phones , and also those ads within any other app or websites opened in the browsers. These days, even Samsung has started adding ads within their UI.

This is the easiest method to block all ads on your android phone.

This method should work on most phones. The idea is very simple and easy. All you need to do is route your internet traffic via a private DNS that blocks ads like Adguard.

Navigate to the the Network Settings page in your Settings panel. At the bottom of the list you will find the Private DNS entry. Just enter the private dns url dns.adguard.com in that and save. That's it. You're done. No more ads on your android phone!

However, in some custom UIs like MIUI, this native android setting is hidden. There are some free apps that can show up the same.

Install QuickShortcutMaker app from the Google Play Store. 

Scroll to the Settings option in the Activites tab and find:

com.android.settings.Settings$NetworkDashboardActivity

You might also try to sear for 'mor'. Once you find it, click on it and 'Try' it. The option will open the Private DNS entry box where you can enter the private url dns.adguard.com

That's it. You should be done.

Alternative to Adguard:

Instead of using the Adguard DNS, you can also use dot.tiar.app as the private dns. The method to use remains same as above.

Shakuntala Devi - Movie Review

 

Hey folks, this is technically not a review, but basically my views on the movie.

• Movie was decently made but I felt a slight disconnect with flashbacks not placed together in the best way for my liking.
• Vidya Balan could have been given a slightly different look. Too boring to see her in the same avatar in movies, ads, interviews... yawn.
• Her dialogue delivery and acting seemed eerily close to what she did in The Dirty Picture. In both cases, the character was strong willed and travelled places. If someone mixes the scenes from the two movies, it might get difficult to distinguish sometimes.
• I kind of empathised with the daughter. Even though SD must have had the best interests in her mind, it wasn't the route most mothers should take. There was a communication failure and Sanya's characterization was telling and probably the best in the movie.
• The climax scene with the firang attornees seemed to be a sham and I doubt if it did take place thus in real life. If it was a departure from reality, then it could have been scripted better.
• The guy who played Shakuntala's husband too did a great job, while Amit Sadh needs to emote better. He won't be playing the Breathe detective everywhere.

Overall, I felt it was good that I did not have to spend 200 bucks on a movie ticket and 500 on popcorn in a theatre. 

The Match Fixers XI

Since everyone is coming up with this XI and that all time XI, here's my humble attempt at an all time Match Fixers XI. 

All time Match Fixers XI

Herschelle Gibbs: One of the finest openers to play The modern cricket game. Aggressive and saves as many runs on the field as he scores. 

Salman Butt: Just when the world started to look upto him as a reliable opener, he decided to play traunt. Still walks into the side. 

Lou Vincent: Very u predictable but extremely talented. Got so many chances but threw, nah - sold, his wicket away! 

Mohd. Azharuddin: Can walk into many normal cricket XIs on his day. Brilliant player, great fielder. 

Hansie Cronje: Astute man, on and off the field. Dogged batsman and decent dibble dabble bowler. Will captain this side. 

Ajay Jadeja: One of the best limited overs players for his country, adding to the list of fantastic fielders. 

Umar Akmal: The real weak link in the side. Can be a fantastic batsman and and a sidey wicket keeper. Can be replaced by the standby players if Vincent takes on the gloves. 

Manoj Prabhakar: Genuine all-rounder. Can even open the batting or come one down if needed. Real floater in the side. Can provide the masala quotes too. 

Mohd. Asif: Undisputed talent and brilliant bowler. Not sure why he resorted to shady activities when he could do anything legally with the ball. He had mesmerized most batsman across the globe. 

S. Sreesanth: Brilliant bowler, but he's in the team more for his penchant to work up the opposition and provide histrionics. Wanted to take Amir but he and Asif opening the bowling would have been boring. 

Danish Kaneria: Quality leggie and genuine No. 11. Can pick wickets as well as keep scoring at bay. 

12th man : Shakib Al Hasan: Fantastic all rounder. He's been left out since Jadeja, Cronje and Prabhakar provide the all rounder role and he's in the run for a minor offense unlike the others. Still if need be on slower pitches, he and Kaneria can be deadly.

Manager: Gurunath Meiyappan

Shaandaar Shit !

Thanks to some generous friends, we were gifted passes to spend a few hours in INOX! Unfortunately, the box office was going through a lean patch and the only movie we could watch in the day time with good seating available on a Sunday was this grand shit! (Talvar, we had seen as you might realise from the previous post.)

Anyways, this is a story of two insomniac bores who were made to have similar tastes so that they could fall in love and sleep together (literally) ! Well, they could well have dozed off if they had seen the movie earlier.

 

All said and done, it is a brilliantly made movie. You just have to leave your brains at home. (Yes, at home - coz otherwise, you wouldn't buy tickets for this movie.) Its more a childish movie than anything. Whether it is the dialogues or the story or the inanity of the entrire 'show off' drama, it has to be written by someone who has the IQ of a seventh grader, if not less. Or, they were trying to impress Rahul Gandhi.

Acting is pretty decent, in fact I'd say very good. You need good acting skills to act as unnatural as the characters in the movie. Its the only positive side of the movie - the popcorn and coke aside!

The movie brings us back to THE QUESTION I asked a good 7 years back! 

A moon and seven stars to the movie! Din mein chaand taare dikha diye!

The Sword of Impetitude

Too late in the day to publish a review, but nevermind.. here it goes!

Everyone in the country and their bitter halves who have ever tuned onto news channels know about the Aarushi Talwar - Hemraj double murder. A lot has been said, written, discussed and debated about the case. Most people would know details better than many of the investigating officers. The script is basically what has been reported of the case by the media, plus a little more from the 'other' side.

The film, itself, is a brilliant docudrama narrating the story from a dual point of view with the same scenes being shot in different perspectives of narration. This itself points to a clear and well written screenplay. The dialogues are crisp and to the point. The ones by the main protagonist of the movie (Ashwin Kumar, played by Irfan Khan) are justifiably the best - with some dry and some caustic humour interspersed. The 'Dharmpracharak asan' term used for the missionary position is as brilliant a word play as you would ever get in a bollywood movie, mainstream bollywood movie at that.

I have a feeling that the motive behind the movie was to show the injustice done to the parents of the dead girl who are now languishing in jail. Quoting from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Boscombe Valley Mystery, "Many men have been hanged on far slighter evidence," "So they have. And many men have been wrongfully hanged.". However, in this particular case, it did appear to the viewer - and was emphasised by Irfan's character in the brilliant climax debate - that it was quite obvious that the wrong people had been sentenced. The court gives a decision based on the evidence collected and evidence shown by the investigating team. The court did not do much wrong. The investigating team fucked up royally! On multiple counts. If the chief aim of the movie was to show the shabby state of affairs our so called investigating teams do, then the movie is a huge success.

The actors were chosen perfectly, the characters were brilliantly named. Hell, so was the movie! Acting is top notch by the entire cast. If you have not yet seen the movie, do so. 

Raaaaj...

Back to routine

1. Aussies thrashing the Poms.

2. The Great Indian Cricket Team getting sucker-punched in its face by the Saffers. Of course, its not IPL!

3. Someone gets up and says he'll carry on Brian Lara's legacy.

Book review: Chanakya's New Manifesto

Chanakya's New Manifesto
Author: Pavan K Verma
Number of pages: 248
Price: Rs. 295

I love the way the author has placed his facts and figures that make up the way the succesive governments have treated this country since Independence and the rebuttal he has put forth as his new manifesto.

The author has been significantly inspired by the Arthashastra, though he belongs to the new world and writes for it. He has given a new manifesto that could transform the nation if followed.

The nation is in a crisis. "Between the hopes of 1947 and the challanges of the twenty-first century", claims the author, lies a story of stagnation and growth. He has laid emphasis on a few aspects that concern the nation and bringing about a change in those could mean a change towards a healthier nation.

Governance, Democracy, Security, Corruption and the creation of an inclusive society are the pivots that Chanakya's New Manifesto balances on. The New manifesto is nothing short of a constitution on those issues and if in an idealistic world, these would have led to the country top-notching in all fields. A lot of us know these things would be good, but are they practical?

Take for example:

"4.13 Our Defence sector needs a better command-and-decision making structure. It is axiomatic that our defence forces must remain under civilian control. But this does not mean that the leadership of our armed forces is systemically marginalised in vital strategic decisions.

Any educated and politically aware citizen will know that its too idealistic to be true. Our politicians would die before letting the defence sector off their hands. That's where the moolah is, after all. And you are generally not accountable to the common man as it pertains to national security.

The chapter on Creation of an Inclusive society has a lot going for it. The author spells out most of the stuff that we need to do brilliantly. However, just eliminating illiteracy, poverty and malnourishment is like applying a pain balm on an aching muscle. You are trying to treat the symptom without getting to the root cause. I have always maintained that the overpopulation of this country is the single largest cause of most of its, maybe all of its, greatest troubles. The author has not really gone on to say it directly - that the same needs to be tackled, and how. This I feel is the single biggest drawback in the New Manifesto. Failure to highlight one of the major hindrances in our progress.

When what talks about what needs to be done, things can go subjective, hence what I feel may not be the same that the author does. Still, I feel, that the author has skimmed a few things in his new manifesto.

Pavan K Varma has surprisingly written it in a text book style, and that may not derive the interest of the youngster from the university. It is more in the line of a research scholar or a journalist or a political science student. Or the Uncle who keeps badgeoning the government listening to Arnab Goswami.

And the problems of this nation are much more than what Chanakya's new manifesto aims to solve. Somewhere down the line, one gets the feeling that we have read the stuff someplace. And the feeling that the author has left us without reaching a conclusion. Enjoyable read nonetheless.

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!

Book Review: Accidental India

Accidental India: A History of the Nation's Passage Through Crisis and Change
Author: Shankkar Aiyar
Number of pages: 352
Price: Rs. 695

An engaging narrative of how the country came about its most interesting transitional policies or agendas if one can call them so, this book is a must read for those who look towards a better future for India.

Although set in the past, this book is a glorious salute to the men and the policies that made India a name to reckon with in the world of International economics, and is an effective pointer to what best we can do to make the country prosper in the future times.

From being an agrarian economy to the technology behemoth, transitioning across the decades with slow but succinct growth patterns, the book follows the path taken by this country in a gripping manner.

The author knows his facts well. Figures even better. Although I may not be in a position to ratify their correctness, as an observer, they appear pretty accurate. And being a seasoned journo, I'm sure, he won't fib facts and numbers. And the fact that he has placed his facts in very well depicted chapters of Indian history makes the reading all the more pleasureable. 

I personally loved the Soup Kitchen for the Soul and the Da Vinci code chapters which talk about the Mid-day Meal scheme and the Right to Information Act, to mention only a couple of them. Given a random topics and asked to pick out a few that moulded the nation's growth, I'm sure not many would have zeroed in on simple yet far reaching topics like Dr Verghese Kurien's Amul White revolution which is depicted as The Milky way or the rather contentious nationalization of banks pioneered by the Indira Gandhi regime or even the genial Lal Bahadur Shastri giving a push to fill India's grain godowns.

And it is good to note that the author has not taken up topics like the Bofors or Mandal Commission or the Babri Masjid demolition and harped on more positive growth aspects of this country. The author has also looked into the future to talk about what lies ahead of us. However, what the author has elaborated upon were the disturbing circumstances, the crises under which the reforms took place. The Indians act bold only with their back to the walls was well known in cricketing parlance - Eden Gardens 2001 a fine example - but the same is actually true of the nation and some of the glorious revolutions that took place in the country. While Steve Waugh's Aussies were on a ride steamrolling everyone in their path, two brave men showed them the finger salute and turned it all around. The author was well placed to unearth the pledging of our gold reserves to the Brits to repay our debts. We were at a pawn-broker selling our family jewellery. And then decided to fight against the odds, open up reforms under the guidance of a pouting premier and a turbaned financier. Such are the logs that the author has put on paper.

I thought of cataloging this book to a single genre and failed miserably. History, tick. Facts, tick, Politics, tick. Industry, tick, Governance, tick. Ideals, tick. Research, tick. Hell, it even will tick if I classify it as a post-doctoral thesis!

I would surely recommend this book to everyone. Especially to most of the socially unaware, educated, working, earning female population of this country. 

This review is a part of the Book Reviews Program at BlogAdda.com. Participate now to get free books!

Silk at 158

Its been more than 10 days that its been away from me, and the most recurrent memory I have of it is the silky smooth handling at 158. Yes, 158kmph is the top speed of the soon-to-be-released Tata Indica Vista D90. And it felt smooth as silk at that speed.

I did a constant 150kmph for over 10 minutes and there were hardly any speed variations. The inbuilt computer does a fantastic job of guaging the terrain changes and applies adequate power to overcome those to help maintain a near constant speed. The accelerator was also extremely comfortable and responsive. So, here is a short burst about the car:

External Features:

It maintains the same trim of the Indica Vista which derived from the Indica V2. The premium black top is the only additional feature. I'm not sure if its the best colour to put on a car top in a hot country like ours. But it does add some zing to the appearance of the car. The triple barrel headlight also has its design sourced straight from the earlier version, which is not a bad thing after all. A bit of chrome here and there adds to the cool look of the car.

Internal Features:

First thing that strikes you before entering is the rehashed colour scheme giving a slightly upmarket look. But the moment I felt the same, the feeling vanished. It was not the best quality plastic used and on closer look, did give me a cheaper feel. My Santro which sells at half the rate of this car has a better quality plastic.

The seats were very well designed and placed and the backlit dashboard was good. The cool feature was the Driver Information system with time, temperature, speed, fuel left in tank, mileage readings. These were not accurate, but gave a decent estimate.

The A/C was quite powerful and cooled the car quite efficiently. The stereo system was a double din system equipped with full bluetooth, USB and Aux inputs. I could connect my mobile to the system using the bluetooth. I also could do the same using the Aux cable that I had. A charger input was also present in the console.

There was some thought given to driver and passenger comfort and two cup holders were present. The fully automatic power windows were controllable from the individual doors as well as the master control at the drivers'. The driver's door console also had remote adjustment for side view mirrors which was a great feature.

There was adequate leg room for both the front and back seats. Another cool feature was that the foldable back seats were in 40-60 config which allowed one to fold a part of the seat only. Many manufacturers put in a 50-50 config which allows seating for only one person. In this 40-60 config, two people could comfortably sit when the shorter part was folded. The boot was quite spacious too.

Driving:

Driving the VistaD90 was superfun. The seating height, controls and other parameters were very nice.

The start was not too noisy. Gear shifts were a bit harsh, but thats probably due to the new gearbox and should smoothen out with use. The car was a bit sluggish on the lower speed lower gear movements, and that might not earn it most points in heavy bumper-to-bumper traffic, but when given the go above 30-40kmph, even on city roads, it performed beautifully in the 3rd and 4th gears.

To test the car's handling and speed runs, I took it to the Nehru Outer Ring Road of Hyderabad and floored it. The 5th gear is a pleasure. Its extremely smooth to drive on and very responsive even at speeds of 140+. The company advertises its max speed as 158 and it did not go any faster than that. There was absolutely no vibration and the handling at that speed was awesome. The braking too was good and smooth and there were no jerks. I took it off road for a mile and the suspension was found a little wanting in that field, but hey, its not what the car is meant for.

Overall, the driver would have a good time on roads with sparse traffic, but would not be very happy in city traffic.

Ratings:

External Look: 7
Internal Feel: 7
Comfort: 8
Driver Comfort: 8
City Drive: 5
Long Drive: 8
Fuel efficiency: 7
Value for money: 6

This is a review as part of the Sponsored Reviews program of Blogadda.com

Governmental Mahabharat !

A hilarious account of what happens in this country!

A Team comprising of a Writer, a Producer, a Director, etc applied to the Government of India for financial assistance with the script to produce a Movie on Mahabharata.

All of them committed suicide later and the reason will be very obvious once you have read the reply from Govt.

Dated ............ .........

Subject: Mahabharata

To: The Writer, Film Director & Film Producer, Mumbai

Ref: Film story submitted by you, regarding financing of films by Government of India , Your letter dt. ............ . ......... .

The undersigned is directed to refer the above letter and state that the Government has examined your proposal for financing a film called ''Mahabharat' . The Very High Level Committee constituted for this purpose has been in consultation with the Human Rights Commission, National Commission for Women and Labour Commission, in addition to various Ministries and State Governments and have formed definitive opinions about the script. Their observations are as below:

1. In the script submitted by you it is shown that there were two sets of cousins, namely, the Kauravas, numbering one hundred, and the Pandavas, numbering five. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has pointed out that these numbers are high, well above the norm prescribed for families by them It is brought to your kind attention that when the Government is spending huge amounts for promoting family planning, this will send wrong signals to the public. Therefore, it is recommended that there may be only three Kauravas and one Pandava.

2. The Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs has raised an issue whether it is suitable to depict kings and emperors in this democratic age. Therefore, it is suggested that the Kauravas may be depicted as Honourable Members of Parliament (Lok Sabha) and the Pandava maybe depicted as Honourable Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha). The ending of the film shows the victory of the said Pandavas over the said Kauravas. The ending may be suitably modified so that neither of the Honourable Members of Parliament are shown as being inferior to the other.

3. The Ministry of Science and Technology has observed that the manner of birth of Kauravas is suggestive of human cloning, a technology banned in India . This may be changed to normal birth.

4. The National Commission for Women has objected that the father of Pandavas, one Sri Pandu is depicted as bigamous, and also there is only one wife for the Pandavas in common. Therefore suitable changes maybe made in the said script so that the said Sri Pandu is not depicted as bigamous. However, with the reduction in number of Pandavas as suggested above, the issue of polyandry can be addressed without further trouble.

5. The Commission for the Physically Challenged has observed that the portrayal of the visually impaired character 'Dhritharastra' is derogatory. Therefore the said character may not be shown as visually impaired.

6. The Department of Women and Child Development have highlighted that the public disrobing of one female character called 'Draupadi' is objectionable and derogatory to women in general. Further the Home Ministry anticipates that depiction of such scenes may create law and order problem and at the same time invite strong protests from the different women forums. Such scenes may also invite penal action under SITA (Suppression of Immoral Traffic Act), therefore they may be avoided and deleted from the film.

7. It is felt that showing the Pandava and the Kauravas as gamblers will be anti-social and counter-productive as it might encourage gambling. Therefore, the said Pandava and Kauravas may be shown to have engaged in horse racing. (Hon. Supreme Court has held horse racing not to be gambling)

8. The Pandavas are shown as working in the King Virat's employment without receiving any salary. According to the Human Rights Commission, this amounts to bonded labour and may attract provisions of The Bonded Labour System (Abolition) Act, 1976. This may be corrected at once.

9. In the ensuing war, one character by name Sri Abhimanyu has been shown as fighting. The National Labour Commission has observed that, war being a hazardous industry, and the said character being 16 years old, this depiction will be construed as a case of child labour. Also there is no record of his being paid any compensation. This may also be deemed to be violatory of the provisions of The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986 and Minimum Wages Act, 1948. Such references in the film may be removed.

10. The character 'Sri Krishna' has been depicted as wearing a peacock feather. The peacock is our National Bird and wearing dresses made from peacock feather is an offence under the Wild Life Protection Act, 1972. This may not be depicted.

11. Smt Maneka Gandhi has raised very serious objection for using any elephants or horses in war scenes, since there is every scope for mistreatment and injury to the said animals. The provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1890 and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Amendment) Act, 1960 would be applicable in the instant case. Suitable changes may be made in the script to address the objections raised.

12. In pursuance of the Memorandum of Ministry of Finance regarding austerity measures, it is informed that in the battle field sequences, only ten soldiers may be allowed for each side. Also, all the characters may be shown to have obtained a valid licence under the Arms Act, 1959 as well as the Indian Arms Act, 1878.You are therefore requested to modify the script along the lines indicated above and resubmit it to the undersigned at the earliest for reconsideration.

Sd/-

Under Secretary

This was received as an email forward. Original writer unknown! Read, Enjoy, Share!

The ''Just Married, Please Excuse'' Contest

Yashodhara, whose blogs I often read silently, is out with a book with the above quoted title and she's now up with a contest for we bloggers. And since I've been itching to pen something on this blog for quite sometime, I guess rejigging some old memories would result in no harm!

This was just a week after our wedding after all the requisite customs were done with. We finally got the green signal for our honeymoon. I was pretty much sure I did not want to go abroad for one, as there were so many places to discover in this magnificient country of ours. And well - on a honeymoon - sight-seeing is best done indoors! So Simla it was. And being December, it would be lovely cozying up in the chill!

Being a railway fanatic, I wanted to book up a First AC coupe on a Rajdhani, but the idea of a 24 hour journey on train was vehemently and unceremoniously vetoed and so I think we flew Indigo from Hyderabad to Delhi. The better half was in a good mood, having gotten over the million rituals and away from the maddening crowd. The fact that I consciously prevented my eyes from darting towards the air-hostesses helped. The two hour flight was spent in whispering sweet nothings and getting her toe-ring jewelry off the feet and into the hand bag!

Wifey never was nor is a fan of road journeys. And that helped the railfan in me. She agreed to travel from Delhi to Kalka by a regular train and of course she easily agreed to do the scenic Kalka-Simla Narrow guage train run by the Shivalik Deluxe!

When I entered the Old Delhi railway station for the first time, I pinched myself and confirmed that I was still on earth and not yet in hell. I could just imagine what wifey was going through. Anways, we waded past the fish-market that the station had become and finally reached the spot where our train was supposed to land up! Now, we were booked up on the overnight run of the Kalka Mail that would its way from Howrah to Delhi. This train is a treat for a railfan what with its multiple change-of-configurations and loco changes. It arrived with a dirty red Howrah WAP-4 loco and I was disappointed. I was expecting the state-of-art brand new white monster WAP-7 loco that had been recently added to the Indian Railway's fleet. The loco was allotted to sheds in North and East India initially and I'd never ever seen one with my eyes down south. I took the disappointment of not having that loco with a positive view of getting to have more of wifey in my thoughts than the loco and boarded the train with a smile. Wifey had strictly instructed me not to leave her for a minute and since I did not want to disappoint her, I made myself forget that I was a railway enthusiast.

We chatted till late in the night and then dozed off. We were a little late when we reached Kalka, but there was more than half an hour left for Shivalik's departure. Just when we had disembarked from the Mail, came the melodious tones of the loco. It was not a sound I was familiar with. It was a new loco. And there I spot it.. a white loco at the head of the rake. Wifey, wait a minute; and off I ran with my camera and immersed myself in the pleasure of having seen my first WAP-7 loco when there was another short tweet from across the platforms! Ah, the puny little sky blue ZDM-4 which was to haul our Shivalik to Simla!

I returned to the wife to find a different woman there. Smile on face and twinkle in the eye replaced by frown on face and anger in the eye! The love was left on the broad guage track and the sulk had joined us on our journey up the narrow!

Lips sealed, smoke bellowing from the ears, killer looks from the eyes was what wifey threw at me. I must have said a thousand sorrys as the Shivalik wound its way through the pine covered hills and dark tunnels. The night lamps were going off as the day broke and the sun shone ever so lightly onto the large windows of the D4 coach of the Shivalik.

The Shivalik has only one halt on its entire run and that is at Barog, a wonderful station! The weather was brilliantly bright and it was extremely cold. Then they served hot breakfast on the train. That did the trick and the frown returned to her bag and the smile came out!  Simla provided us another great treat. It received its first snowfall of the season the day we reached!

Wifey still freaks out when reminded of this incident! She says that I left a newly wed wife for an hour and went away somewhere! A lil exaggeration is fine I guess, if it brings a smile on her face.

Please excuse, I was just married. But been a railfan since years!

I. Ill.

I. Ill.

Cold. Cough. Body pain. Fever.

Ambedkarism, my foot!

The Father of the Great Indian Constitution must be turning in his grave today at the sight of the gross distortion of his ideals in making our society abolish the medieval and archaic system of untouchability and low castes.

What Ambedkar wanted was equality for all.

What Ambedkar wanted was abolishment of caste system.

What Ambedkar wanted was brotherhood amongst all.

What Ambedkar wanted was a society that was one.

He drafted the constitution with an aim to do just that, bring about a reign of equality.

But man being man and the politician being the politician he is, distorted all of Baba Saheb's ideals for his selfish benefit and made the term equality vanish from our society. Ambedkar wanted all castes to be equal; our politicians want them divided. They create a vote-bank of upper, lower, middle, left, right, centre and what all type of castes are possible, lure them into fighting against their own brethren.

A couple of screenshots from the Indian Constitution's official website.

The Preamble promises to secure Equality of Status and Opportunity to all citizens.

The Fundamental Right to Equality mentions Prohibition of Discrimination on grounds of caste and Equality of opportunity in matters of public employment.

This was the vision of the Great Baba Saheb.

Today's politicians have completely changed that. For their own selfish means, they have brought about the Reservation revolution. They have divided the country on basis of caste and religion. They have created the General class, the backward castes and the scheduled ones. They have removed equality of citizens in all areas and created a discriminatory scenario across the country.

Two kids who geow up together sharing all joys and sorrows suddenly find themselves in a couldron of inequality. One from a Backward caste and one Forward. Supposedly. In all other aspects they are equal. They look similar, they grew up similarly, their parents are similarly educated and employed. They reside in similar apartments. They drive the same model of car.

Entrance exam time. Equality. Both get very similar ranks.

Admission time. Gross inequality. One gets a plum seat in a posh college, the other relegated to a non-descript one on the city outskirts with limited facilities. Is this equality? Is this what the Father of the constitution envisaged?

You have created a barrier when there was none, you bloody politicians.

You have no right to celebrate the Great Baba Saheb and his Jayanti.

I dare the Supreme Court, which passes random orders taking into cognisance petty news articles to do anything in this regard. 

I know its wishful thinking. Baba Saheb did not know that!