Mumbai – The City Of Dreams.
To the tourists of the World, welcome to a land called Mumbai, share the experiences of the City, you will love to make your Homeland. It can be referred to as the First City of India, the Urbs Primus of Indus , a city that is discussed internationally with fervour for its cosmopolitan taste, its traditional roots , its resilient economy, the rich heritage and legacy it bequeaths. Being the Financial Capital of India, the city is accounted in international summits and arguments with much zest as comparable to London or Paris. The real estate here is more precious than even New York and Tokyo, as of today.
So, step out to feel the essence of Mumbai, grab its beauty, let the city grow on you and take back home those memories to treasure till the time you come to visit it again!
The history……
Following the first war of Independence in 1857, the East India Company was accused of mismanagement, and Bombay reverted to the British crown. It is an archipelago of seven islands. The city initially belonged to the fisherfolk – the ‘Koli’ Community. The community survived trading and living along the vast coastline. The archipelago was ruled by Hindu Rajas until 1401, when the Muslim rulers ( known as the Sultans then) invaded their territories and conquered the lands. The Muslims further surrendered to the Portuguese in 1534. They coined the name “Mumbadevi” after the local deity of the city. It later came to be called as Mumbai, the British referred to it as Bombay. The city is called upon by both the names even to this day.
Places to visit……
The city offers you plenty of options in terms of places to visit par you preferences. We begin with:
Gateway of India
This 26 metres high stone archway is the first landmark of Mumbai a visitor sees when arriving at it by the way of the Arabian Ocean. Designed by Writtet in the 16th century Gujarat style, it was built to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary to India in 1911.
Chowpatty Beach
A popular beach where celebration of festivals such as Coconut Day and the Ganesh Chaturthi immersions take place. It also stands a host to a number of kiosk selling the local chat – namely sev puri, the preferred pani puri and kulfi.
The Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus
This is the city-structure which sports the Gothic architecture which is the legacy left by the British Raj. The most exquisite Railway Station that the Nation beholds.
Nehru Science Center
This Centre upholds the scientific aspects and the technological dimensions of the city. It is located at Worli.
Malabar Hill
This plush area of Mumbai, the Malabar Hill has attractive residences, including the Chief Minister's house and a palatial state guest house. Here also, are the ruins of Walkeshwar temple build sometime between 810 and 1260 AD. Hence, it is also known as Walkeshwar even today.
Rajabhai Tower
Built in the19th century Gothic style on the university campus, the 79 metres high clock tower commands a fine view of the city. The tower also houses the university library.
Mahalaxmi Temple
An important Hindu temple dedicated to the goddess of wealth. Devotees throng this temple to seek her blessing.
Best time to be here…..
The Mahalaxmi Race course hosts its racing season during the months of November to April. As an international city, Mumbai boasts of the Mumbai Festival every year in the month of January. This year the extravaganza which portrays the art and culture of the metropolis, attracted huge crowds during the span of 15th – 31st January. The ongoing Kalaghoda festival sports the exuberance of the city. The vintage car exhibition during this period is a must watch for avid car lovers.
The winters in the city are cool and romantic. As a visitor it would be preferable to avoid the rainy season which starts from mid-June to September months. Lord Ganesh being the city’s beloved diety, Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with pomp and splendour. The city then showcases its religious dimension in the most beautiful fashion. The festive season reaches an acme during Navratri and Diwali. The New Year is welcomed with great enthusiasm. So, the best time to be in the city would be during the winter months.
Art and Culture…
Mumbai boasts of a cosmopolitan culture and upholds the values of fraternity and brotherhood. The people here refer to themselves as “Mumbaites”.
The city is a connoisseur of artistic subjects. The Prithvi Theatre displays the best talent on-stage while Jehangir Art Gallery exhibits the artistic genius dwelling in every Mumbaite. The city is home to the Indian Film Industry. Yes, Bollywood has seen its birth and development in this very metro. The Filmcity at Goregaon, Kamal Amrohi studios and R.K. Studio is where all the “Lights, Camera and Action” takes place.
How to get here….
Access to Mumbai is easy and well – defined over the airways, roadways and the railways. Mumbai has an international airport. Air India and several international airlines operate flights to connect Mumbai to various cities of the world. Indian Airlines and many private airlines domestically connect Mumbai . Being the headquarters of the Central and Western Railways, regular trains link Mumbai with all major cities like Aurangabad, Bangalore, Calcutta, Delhi, Goa, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Nagpur and Trivandrum. Mumbai is well-connected to major tourist locations in the countries by means of Expressways.
Food……
While Mumbai boasts of Hilton and The Taj, roadside eateries will give you the authentic spice of the City food. The “Vada-Pav” is something you cant afford to miss. Old fashioned foot and cycle tiffin carriers ( called as the “dabawallas”) bear the lunch for the working class of the city. There are also plenty of gourmet speciality restaurants.
The city has been ripped by terror attacks and its lifeline has been blasted several times in the past years. Yet, the city awakes. Let’s not take its resilience for granted. Let’s hope and pray that the city becomes an enjoyable destination for the globetrotters and a safer abode for the locals. This city truly deserves applause for its immense fortitude.
For the tourist, the best way to feel the city is by breathing the same air that 14 million of its population breaths, criss-crossing their paths as they hurry to their workplaces at distant suburbs and return home trying to keep up to the pace of the city.
You can’t help falling in love with the city; the magnanimous city will draw you to her charms.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
The Divine Connection
The Divine Connection
What good is the body without the soul? It is like prayers without devotion or loving without emotion. Spiritualism allows us to communicate with the inner soul, the subconscious mind or the supreme power which lies within oneself. Many people believe that such power cannot be in the possession of the mortals, it remains under the ownership of the Divine, the Almighty, who we generally refer to as ‘God’.
I believe in every human does rest the eternal prowess. The inner soul needs to be awakened as it waits for your call. Only then will it be able to guide your actions. Once enlightened, the soul has the Divine message which helps the naïve human lead a purposeful life. Such an enlightened being, never hurts the fellow soul. He upholds the virtues of humanity, is serene and composed under pressure. He can never go wrong, because he has complied with the divine message. He will not hate his enemy, but will unconditionally love his kin. He knows no malice; he will pardon the wrong-doer and commit no sin. He will be the ‘One’, who you and I with all reverence call God. It hence follows that god lies within each and every one of us. The futility of the human being lies in the fact that he keeps looking for his God, which dwells in himself.
In our past paced lives, we fail to invoke the soul, who keeps waiting for our call. Hence, our actions are guided by the mind and not the soul. This perhaps explains why we cannot feel one with the lord, or one with our own self. They say, “To err is human, to forgive is Divine”. Probably the biggest mistake made by the human was to demarcate himself from the divine. He failed to recognize the inherent divinity bestowed on him by his creator. He never realized that he was worthy to be called as the God’s child. He allowed the mind to take control of his action, which was guided by treachery, vengeance, lust and malevolence. He began hating the fellow human. The consequences of this hatred are dire. The world today is a victim of terrorism. The virtues of brotherhood serve no purpose as the mind here is not emancipated. We live in a world where we are subjected to break-neck competition. Every individual is an arch-rival; we have to out-do him to survive. The definition of living has changed. Life has become a measure of ones success. Our mottos are defined by our flamboyant aspirations. We seek no solace, but wealth; in the pursuit what we lose is not just sleep but our health. When character can be our biggest possession, we chose to count on our riches. We are never satiated with what we have. We are driven by lust of power and greed.
In the transit, man lost his connection with his lord. Hence, he resorted to religion which defines the form of the lord, lists a set of prayers to recite and hymns to chant. Then this religion further fragmented. People took pride in calling themselves Hindus, Christians or Muslims. Constitution of many countries gives to its citizens the ‘Right to exercise any Religion’. But in this process, man differentiated the Lord, single entity which guards the world. Every religion preaches of love and affection for a fellow human being, upholds the values of tolerance and emphasizes on having faith in goodness. The purpose of every religion is to allow its follower to lead a life of serenity and good deeds. Still, we have terrorism in the name of ‘Jihad’ and vote banks for the sake of ‘Hindutva’. No religion speaks of violence as a means to make ends meet. Yet the naïve human chose to trust his ignorance and in the process has committed one sin after the other. He has exploited the very existence of his creator. He fails to realize that his every action is accounted for and one day he will have to pay the price as well as bear the fruits of each kind of his deed.
We live an era when the budget of a country allots large funds for its defence and security. The security system of a country fails due to repeated attacks of terrorism, communal riots and dastardly acts all committed in the name of religion. Religion today does not remain an instrument to seek the divine connection; instead it has become a deterrent in the path of human evolution. It has allowed the human to drift away from his inner soul, which had been the very purpose of instituting it.
In times when the world is ravaged by war, where hatred and evil persist, it is imperative to enlighten the inner soul and follow the divine commandments; for these alone will allow us to be a part of one world which practices the religion of Humanity; a world which is not torn into fragments by religion and extremist philosophies. If mankind still fails to realize the futility of war in the name of religion, he will soon build a path for self destruction and a day will soon come when the very existence of the human being would be questionable.
What good is the body without the soul? It is like prayers without devotion or loving without emotion. Spiritualism allows us to communicate with the inner soul, the subconscious mind or the supreme power which lies within oneself. Many people believe that such power cannot be in the possession of the mortals, it remains under the ownership of the Divine, the Almighty, who we generally refer to as ‘God’.
I believe in every human does rest the eternal prowess. The inner soul needs to be awakened as it waits for your call. Only then will it be able to guide your actions. Once enlightened, the soul has the Divine message which helps the naïve human lead a purposeful life. Such an enlightened being, never hurts the fellow soul. He upholds the virtues of humanity, is serene and composed under pressure. He can never go wrong, because he has complied with the divine message. He will not hate his enemy, but will unconditionally love his kin. He knows no malice; he will pardon the wrong-doer and commit no sin. He will be the ‘One’, who you and I with all reverence call God. It hence follows that god lies within each and every one of us. The futility of the human being lies in the fact that he keeps looking for his God, which dwells in himself.
In our past paced lives, we fail to invoke the soul, who keeps waiting for our call. Hence, our actions are guided by the mind and not the soul. This perhaps explains why we cannot feel one with the lord, or one with our own self. They say, “To err is human, to forgive is Divine”. Probably the biggest mistake made by the human was to demarcate himself from the divine. He failed to recognize the inherent divinity bestowed on him by his creator. He never realized that he was worthy to be called as the God’s child. He allowed the mind to take control of his action, which was guided by treachery, vengeance, lust and malevolence. He began hating the fellow human. The consequences of this hatred are dire. The world today is a victim of terrorism. The virtues of brotherhood serve no purpose as the mind here is not emancipated. We live in a world where we are subjected to break-neck competition. Every individual is an arch-rival; we have to out-do him to survive. The definition of living has changed. Life has become a measure of ones success. Our mottos are defined by our flamboyant aspirations. We seek no solace, but wealth; in the pursuit what we lose is not just sleep but our health. When character can be our biggest possession, we chose to count on our riches. We are never satiated with what we have. We are driven by lust of power and greed.
In the transit, man lost his connection with his lord. Hence, he resorted to religion which defines the form of the lord, lists a set of prayers to recite and hymns to chant. Then this religion further fragmented. People took pride in calling themselves Hindus, Christians or Muslims. Constitution of many countries gives to its citizens the ‘Right to exercise any Religion’. But in this process, man differentiated the Lord, single entity which guards the world. Every religion preaches of love and affection for a fellow human being, upholds the values of tolerance and emphasizes on having faith in goodness. The purpose of every religion is to allow its follower to lead a life of serenity and good deeds. Still, we have terrorism in the name of ‘Jihad’ and vote banks for the sake of ‘Hindutva’. No religion speaks of violence as a means to make ends meet. Yet the naïve human chose to trust his ignorance and in the process has committed one sin after the other. He has exploited the very existence of his creator. He fails to realize that his every action is accounted for and one day he will have to pay the price as well as bear the fruits of each kind of his deed.
We live an era when the budget of a country allots large funds for its defence and security. The security system of a country fails due to repeated attacks of terrorism, communal riots and dastardly acts all committed in the name of religion. Religion today does not remain an instrument to seek the divine connection; instead it has become a deterrent in the path of human evolution. It has allowed the human to drift away from his inner soul, which had been the very purpose of instituting it.
In times when the world is ravaged by war, where hatred and evil persist, it is imperative to enlighten the inner soul and follow the divine commandments; for these alone will allow us to be a part of one world which practices the religion of Humanity; a world which is not torn into fragments by religion and extremist philosophies. If mankind still fails to realize the futility of war in the name of religion, he will soon build a path for self destruction and a day will soon come when the very existence of the human being would be questionable.
Marred by Death
Marred by Death
After a tiring day of submissions and tests at college, I reached home late in the evening. Just then my phone screamed to life resounding the doleful number- “I still”. On line was a friend who trembled as he informed me of the death of a common friend. I felt my reflexes go weak. “Are you sure you know what you are saying?” I feebly repeated. By the end of a minute or two I was convinced that she was really gone…….. gone forever…….never to return……..in the laps of eternal sleep……never to wake up again……
Why, when, how…….I never asked anything, just pondered over the fact that something so dire can also await a twenty year old. The tender age when your eyes look starry when you think of that special someone, they swell with ambition when you dream to reach the stars and are jubilant every time they see the dear ones who can identify the dreams captured in them. How can those eyes be shut so abruptly? How can those dreams be marred by something as brutal as death?
It was just a year or two ago when I had last seen her. She was so full of life! We were standing in the same queue to collect our forms to complete an admission process. She looked pretty, any stranger would turn back to notice her. We shared the same bench in school, played scrabble in the vacations. She had lots of toys, dolls and a two-storeyed bed. Her brown eyes had shone with delight when she got selected to be a part of the dancing troupe in a bollywood film. She was a graceful dancer. She was a pampered child but not really spoilt for choices….and today she was gone.
This brought me closer in understanding the finality of death. Death comes as one fatal blow; it never gives you another chance. How can you console her parents? They have not lost their daughter; but lost all their aspirations and dreams associated with her. What words of condolence would you offer her mother who would have harboured images of her daughter looking her best as a bride, ever since she turned twenty? Can one imagine the grief of a father who is always biased towards his daughters? How can it really happen that a person who brought cherished memories to them for twenty innocent years just walk out of their lives? Why was she blessed with just twenty years of life? Did god decide to not show her the darker side of a mature life? Was “He” really justified in taking this decision?
My grief had turned into fear. What if life just runs out of my soul? There are so many impending decisions to be taken, so many expectations to be met. A few more moments would not serve my purpose. I need many more years to face the challenges that “life” will offer me. I am really afraid of death. I would hate to call myself unfortunate if things don’t really work out the way I wanted, because somewhere I know I am luckier than ‘her’, because I can still breathe, still dream and still live! I cried incessantly. I was not left with much to do. I prayed to god so that her soul rested in peace, begged Him to give her parents and kin enough strength to face it all and thanked him earnestly for giving me a brand new life, every single day!
After a tiring day of submissions and tests at college, I reached home late in the evening. Just then my phone screamed to life resounding the doleful number- “I still”. On line was a friend who trembled as he informed me of the death of a common friend. I felt my reflexes go weak. “Are you sure you know what you are saying?” I feebly repeated. By the end of a minute or two I was convinced that she was really gone…….. gone forever…….never to return……..in the laps of eternal sleep……never to wake up again……
Why, when, how…….I never asked anything, just pondered over the fact that something so dire can also await a twenty year old. The tender age when your eyes look starry when you think of that special someone, they swell with ambition when you dream to reach the stars and are jubilant every time they see the dear ones who can identify the dreams captured in them. How can those eyes be shut so abruptly? How can those dreams be marred by something as brutal as death?
It was just a year or two ago when I had last seen her. She was so full of life! We were standing in the same queue to collect our forms to complete an admission process. She looked pretty, any stranger would turn back to notice her. We shared the same bench in school, played scrabble in the vacations. She had lots of toys, dolls and a two-storeyed bed. Her brown eyes had shone with delight when she got selected to be a part of the dancing troupe in a bollywood film. She was a graceful dancer. She was a pampered child but not really spoilt for choices….and today she was gone.
This brought me closer in understanding the finality of death. Death comes as one fatal blow; it never gives you another chance. How can you console her parents? They have not lost their daughter; but lost all their aspirations and dreams associated with her. What words of condolence would you offer her mother who would have harboured images of her daughter looking her best as a bride, ever since she turned twenty? Can one imagine the grief of a father who is always biased towards his daughters? How can it really happen that a person who brought cherished memories to them for twenty innocent years just walk out of their lives? Why was she blessed with just twenty years of life? Did god decide to not show her the darker side of a mature life? Was “He” really justified in taking this decision?
My grief had turned into fear. What if life just runs out of my soul? There are so many impending decisions to be taken, so many expectations to be met. A few more moments would not serve my purpose. I need many more years to face the challenges that “life” will offer me. I am really afraid of death. I would hate to call myself unfortunate if things don’t really work out the way I wanted, because somewhere I know I am luckier than ‘her’, because I can still breathe, still dream and still live! I cried incessantly. I was not left with much to do. I prayed to god so that her soul rested in peace, begged Him to give her parents and kin enough strength to face it all and thanked him earnestly for giving me a brand new life, every single day!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Personal Finance
Personal Finance
The global economy is in shambles, so is the state of our national finances. The Centre has ‘monetised’ Rs. 66,946 crores this year due to the rising gap between revenue and expenditure. In simple terms, the UPA Government is facing falling tax revenues and huge election expenditure this year. Hence, it is printing currency notes like crazy – Rs. 66,946 crores to bridge the gap between revenue and expenditure.
During my attempt to understand the current situation, what I could retrieve is that with so much money sloshing about in the economy, the net result is often higher inflation after a lag. So, the dramatic drop in inflation from nearly 13% in August to over 5% now will not be a reason to celebrate. The inflation dragon has presumably gone into hibernation and will return with an enormous thud.
At this juncture, the investment avenues for a salaried person have drastically reduced. The real estate companies have posted their worst quarterly results in December, 2008, with an aggregate 71% fall in net profit. The sector has declared that the old projects are not selling, new ones will bring cash only next year. This provides with us with limited returns in the infrastructure sector.
It is necessary to understand that money has a time value. The notion that a rupee today is preferable to the same rupee in future is intuitive enough for many to grasp. This brings in the concept of “prudence”. The simplest tools in finance are often the most powerful. It is imperative for an individual to feel financially secure at any stage in his life. A simple question like, how perfect is your financial planning will raise eyebrows of many. Majority of the working youth don’t have investments, savings or planning on their priority list. The banking and finance sector, though suffering a sub-prime crisis offers a plethora of investment vehicles: Mutual Funds, Stocks and online Trade, Debt instruments, Fixed Deposits and Personal Insurance.
The basic purpose of investment is to ensure that your money grows at a rate greater than that of inflation, that’s how you can create wealth. An investment choice is made by taking into account the considerations on the basis of which is evaluated your risk profile:
If you belong to the age group of 25-30 years, your risk taking capability is relatively higher than the others. Your areas of investment can be Equity, Stocks and Mutual Funds. These sectors require taking a high risk but provide for higher return on your investments. In general, the formula governing an individual’s share of investment in the Equity sector is:
% Equity = ( 100- age of the investor )
It is advisable to get a Pension Plan in the very first year of you permanent job. This ensures accumulation of a corpus which will meet your monetary requirements post the retirement age. When you start investing early, the accumulation ( or vesting period ) phase of your money increases. The second phase of a Pension Plan is Annuity, wherein you start receiving the accumulated amount as per your choice i.e. in the form of monthly or annual installments.
If you are a novice in the investment market, refrain from stock trading without proper guidance. Mutual Funds can be a relatively safer alternative to predict the capricious stock market. A Systematic Investment Plan ( S.I.P ) is the best choice to begin with. In the recent times, MFs come with an insurance cover and don’t charge any entry load ( the fees to enter the trade market ). Hence 100% of your investment goes into buying the units of the Company as per the NAV ( Net Asset Values ) which differs every month. MFs are generally open-ended i.e. an investor can enter the market any time. In the close-ended schemes, the Company declares the NAVs of the units and declares a deadline for the investors to file in their folios. The investor is granted a fixed number of shares / units as per the Company’s discretion. These schemes are also called as Initial Public Offerings ( IPO). If you have a limited corpus, then opt for mid-cap fund as compared to small or large-cap.
For a person above 30 years of age, children’s education, family, health becomes a priority. Hence, the risk-taking capacity is substantially reduced. An insurance is now recommended at this stage. It is again of two types:
1. Traditional Plan: It assures guaranteed low returns ( about 8% ) and premium payment commitment for the entire tenure in which insurance cover is provided.
2. Unit Linked Insurance Plan ( ULIP ) : they are similar to Mutual Funds except that they come with an insurance benefit. They serve the dual purpose of security + investment. Yet, various charges ( Premium Allocation Charges, Fund Management Charges (FMC), Mortality Charges ) are something to watch out for. A company provides for various under funds under this scheme in which the investor can invest his annual premium. The funds vary in the percentage investment option of the investor in sectors like debt and equity. The premium payment term is generally for 3 years and the insurance cover can be sustained over a longer period as per the selected tenure on the payment of yearly charges.
Health, Children’s Education and Pension Plans are available under the ULIPs. Premium can be paid as a singly or as yearly installments for the fixed tenure.
Insurance also gives you the advantage of tax-rebates at the time of filing your IT- Returns. The revised slabs for annual taxable income are :
Females : above Rs. 1,35,000/-.
Males : above Rs. 1,00,000/-
Senior Citizens : above Rs. 1,85,000/-.
The tax rebate is applicable under section 80C.
It is important that you have an access to your money in the time of need. This brings in the concept of “Liquidity”, wherein assets are converted to cash. Gold is a preferred liquid asset for its time-value. MFs and ULIPs also offer you flexibility as far as withdrawals are considered.
To conclude, I would say that financial planning needs to personally undertaken by every individual. It provides us the much needed security during crisis. My only suggestion to one and all – invest wisely and live well!
The global economy is in shambles, so is the state of our national finances. The Centre has ‘monetised’ Rs. 66,946 crores this year due to the rising gap between revenue and expenditure. In simple terms, the UPA Government is facing falling tax revenues and huge election expenditure this year. Hence, it is printing currency notes like crazy – Rs. 66,946 crores to bridge the gap between revenue and expenditure.
During my attempt to understand the current situation, what I could retrieve is that with so much money sloshing about in the economy, the net result is often higher inflation after a lag. So, the dramatic drop in inflation from nearly 13% in August to over 5% now will not be a reason to celebrate. The inflation dragon has presumably gone into hibernation and will return with an enormous thud.
At this juncture, the investment avenues for a salaried person have drastically reduced. The real estate companies have posted their worst quarterly results in December, 2008, with an aggregate 71% fall in net profit. The sector has declared that the old projects are not selling, new ones will bring cash only next year. This provides with us with limited returns in the infrastructure sector.
It is necessary to understand that money has a time value. The notion that a rupee today is preferable to the same rupee in future is intuitive enough for many to grasp. This brings in the concept of “prudence”. The simplest tools in finance are often the most powerful. It is imperative for an individual to feel financially secure at any stage in his life. A simple question like, how perfect is your financial planning will raise eyebrows of many. Majority of the working youth don’t have investments, savings or planning on their priority list. The banking and finance sector, though suffering a sub-prime crisis offers a plethora of investment vehicles: Mutual Funds, Stocks and online Trade, Debt instruments, Fixed Deposits and Personal Insurance.
The basic purpose of investment is to ensure that your money grows at a rate greater than that of inflation, that’s how you can create wealth. An investment choice is made by taking into account the considerations on the basis of which is evaluated your risk profile:
If you belong to the age group of 25-30 years, your risk taking capability is relatively higher than the others. Your areas of investment can be Equity, Stocks and Mutual Funds. These sectors require taking a high risk but provide for higher return on your investments. In general, the formula governing an individual’s share of investment in the Equity sector is:
% Equity = ( 100- age of the investor )
It is advisable to get a Pension Plan in the very first year of you permanent job. This ensures accumulation of a corpus which will meet your monetary requirements post the retirement age. When you start investing early, the accumulation ( or vesting period ) phase of your money increases. The second phase of a Pension Plan is Annuity, wherein you start receiving the accumulated amount as per your choice i.e. in the form of monthly or annual installments.
If you are a novice in the investment market, refrain from stock trading without proper guidance. Mutual Funds can be a relatively safer alternative to predict the capricious stock market. A Systematic Investment Plan ( S.I.P ) is the best choice to begin with. In the recent times, MFs come with an insurance cover and don’t charge any entry load ( the fees to enter the trade market ). Hence 100% of your investment goes into buying the units of the Company as per the NAV ( Net Asset Values ) which differs every month. MFs are generally open-ended i.e. an investor can enter the market any time. In the close-ended schemes, the Company declares the NAVs of the units and declares a deadline for the investors to file in their folios. The investor is granted a fixed number of shares / units as per the Company’s discretion. These schemes are also called as Initial Public Offerings ( IPO). If you have a limited corpus, then opt for mid-cap fund as compared to small or large-cap.
For a person above 30 years of age, children’s education, family, health becomes a priority. Hence, the risk-taking capacity is substantially reduced. An insurance is now recommended at this stage. It is again of two types:
1. Traditional Plan: It assures guaranteed low returns ( about 8% ) and premium payment commitment for the entire tenure in which insurance cover is provided.
2. Unit Linked Insurance Plan ( ULIP ) : they are similar to Mutual Funds except that they come with an insurance benefit. They serve the dual purpose of security + investment. Yet, various charges ( Premium Allocation Charges, Fund Management Charges (FMC), Mortality Charges ) are something to watch out for. A company provides for various under funds under this scheme in which the investor can invest his annual premium. The funds vary in the percentage investment option of the investor in sectors like debt and equity. The premium payment term is generally for 3 years and the insurance cover can be sustained over a longer period as per the selected tenure on the payment of yearly charges.
Health, Children’s Education and Pension Plans are available under the ULIPs. Premium can be paid as a singly or as yearly installments for the fixed tenure.
Insurance also gives you the advantage of tax-rebates at the time of filing your IT- Returns. The revised slabs for annual taxable income are :
Females : above Rs. 1,35,000/-.
Males : above Rs. 1,00,000/-
Senior Citizens : above Rs. 1,85,000/-.
The tax rebate is applicable under section 80C.
It is important that you have an access to your money in the time of need. This brings in the concept of “Liquidity”, wherein assets are converted to cash. Gold is a preferred liquid asset for its time-value. MFs and ULIPs also offer you flexibility as far as withdrawals are considered.
To conclude, I would say that financial planning needs to personally undertaken by every individual. It provides us the much needed security during crisis. My only suggestion to one and all – invest wisely and live well!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Civic Duties
CIVIC DUTIES
They form a set of “do’s” and “donts” which are conveniently ignored by a majority of citizens. The attitude is a result of the current generation never being exposed to captivity and bonding. They have over the years breathed the free air and thoroughly exploited the privileged rights delineated by the Constitution. The efforts required to turn overleaf and understand the basic and the simplest of duties, were never put in.
At this juncture, when the lapses of the Government, breakdown in Parliamentary and Constitutional machinery are so evident and coming to the forefront, its easy to realize that youth awakening is the need of the hour. As citizens of the nation, as members of a Constituency ( assuming that many of us have bothered to get ourselves enrolled and are going to exercise the less exploited “Right to Vote” ) , it is duty to repay the society which allows us to live freely ( though not securely, kindly forgive me for the pun ). Now, there is no need brooding over security lapses which are inevitable in a country which houses a substantial fraction of the world population.
“Easy” Steps that we can take for the betterment of a Nation, so worthy of our love and concern, are enlisted below:
• The most important one, forgive the Government. Stop cribbing about its policies, price-hikes, politics, etc.
• Voice your opinion and make sure you are heard. The media is at your disposal – press, radio, the blogosphere and Viewspaper ofcourse!
• Vote for the impending elections. Atleast get your documents ready to procure your voter-identity card; so that you don’t miss out on voting for the elections henceforth.
• The next time you see over-zealous / jilted lovers painting the walls with their love in vermilion red ( scribbling heart shapes with arrows to depict pain), kindly stop them. Request them to exhibit their art-work in their homes, so that even their parents get to know of the same! Let your city walls and city-transport look clean and enviable.
• Be a diligent traveler. If you find anything suspicious about a fellow passenger, do inform the security personnel. The helpline numbers are on display in most of the public places.
• Take the efforts to register police helpline numbers in your phonebook.
• The government has empowered you to stop a fellow from spitting or littering on roads. P.S. This stunt to be performed only if the fellow in question is not more that three times your size and you are not held off-guard!
The next set comprise of “duties” which can be graded as moderate on a scale of difficulty.
• Casting your vote doesn’t serve your purpose completely. Pat your back for realising the importance of voting. But now its time to pass on this realization and create awareness. Spread the word of “duty” by joining public rallies and online forums.
• As an educated individual, understand the importance of learning. Be a part of community service programmes undertaken by various Non-Governmental Organizations. They train college students to take lessons in BMC Schools.
• Donate blood and save lives. Blood donation can be done by a healthy individual over 18 years of age, once in every three months. The Government recognizes this noble action of yours and certifies you for the same.
• Take tuition classes for your maid’s child. Donate books, clothes and toys to the underprivileged children of the society.
• Close that tap when you are done with brushing your teeth. Switch OFF the lights when not in use. It is not that difficult! Just realize the need to contribute to power saving when we are facing a crisis in the supply of the same.
Having successfully performed the above set of duties, it will be easy for you to execute these most arduous tasks.
• Respect every fellow being in the society, be gentle person in the truest sense. But do raise your voice against violence and injustice.
• Help your needy neighbour.
• In this world ravaged by war, hold out your hand to embrace the philosophy of brotherhood and fraternity.
• Practice the religion of Humanity; and I assure you that the world will be a better place to live in!
If the above duties are thoroughly performed by majority of the youth today, we will realize that we are a part of an alert and responsible township. Taking the strings of the governing system in your able hands is the next best step to be taken.
The list of duties is amended greatly to answer the hour’s calling.
Dear Citizen,
Perform these simple duties.
Be a part of the Renaissance.
The Nation beckons you……
They form a set of “do’s” and “donts” which are conveniently ignored by a majority of citizens. The attitude is a result of the current generation never being exposed to captivity and bonding. They have over the years breathed the free air and thoroughly exploited the privileged rights delineated by the Constitution. The efforts required to turn overleaf and understand the basic and the simplest of duties, were never put in.
At this juncture, when the lapses of the Government, breakdown in Parliamentary and Constitutional machinery are so evident and coming to the forefront, its easy to realize that youth awakening is the need of the hour. As citizens of the nation, as members of a Constituency ( assuming that many of us have bothered to get ourselves enrolled and are going to exercise the less exploited “Right to Vote” ) , it is duty to repay the society which allows us to live freely ( though not securely, kindly forgive me for the pun ). Now, there is no need brooding over security lapses which are inevitable in a country which houses a substantial fraction of the world population.
“Easy” Steps that we can take for the betterment of a Nation, so worthy of our love and concern, are enlisted below:
• The most important one, forgive the Government. Stop cribbing about its policies, price-hikes, politics, etc.
• Voice your opinion and make sure you are heard. The media is at your disposal – press, radio, the blogosphere and Viewspaper ofcourse!
• Vote for the impending elections. Atleast get your documents ready to procure your voter-identity card; so that you don’t miss out on voting for the elections henceforth.
• The next time you see over-zealous / jilted lovers painting the walls with their love in vermilion red ( scribbling heart shapes with arrows to depict pain), kindly stop them. Request them to exhibit their art-work in their homes, so that even their parents get to know of the same! Let your city walls and city-transport look clean and enviable.
• Be a diligent traveler. If you find anything suspicious about a fellow passenger, do inform the security personnel. The helpline numbers are on display in most of the public places.
• Take the efforts to register police helpline numbers in your phonebook.
• The government has empowered you to stop a fellow from spitting or littering on roads. P.S. This stunt to be performed only if the fellow in question is not more that three times your size and you are not held off-guard!
The next set comprise of “duties” which can be graded as moderate on a scale of difficulty.
• Casting your vote doesn’t serve your purpose completely. Pat your back for realising the importance of voting. But now its time to pass on this realization and create awareness. Spread the word of “duty” by joining public rallies and online forums.
• As an educated individual, understand the importance of learning. Be a part of community service programmes undertaken by various Non-Governmental Organizations. They train college students to take lessons in BMC Schools.
• Donate blood and save lives. Blood donation can be done by a healthy individual over 18 years of age, once in every three months. The Government recognizes this noble action of yours and certifies you for the same.
• Take tuition classes for your maid’s child. Donate books, clothes and toys to the underprivileged children of the society.
• Close that tap when you are done with brushing your teeth. Switch OFF the lights when not in use. It is not that difficult! Just realize the need to contribute to power saving when we are facing a crisis in the supply of the same.
Having successfully performed the above set of duties, it will be easy for you to execute these most arduous tasks.
• Respect every fellow being in the society, be gentle person in the truest sense. But do raise your voice against violence and injustice.
• Help your needy neighbour.
• In this world ravaged by war, hold out your hand to embrace the philosophy of brotherhood and fraternity.
• Practice the religion of Humanity; and I assure you that the world will be a better place to live in!
If the above duties are thoroughly performed by majority of the youth today, we will realize that we are a part of an alert and responsible township. Taking the strings of the governing system in your able hands is the next best step to be taken.
The list of duties is amended greatly to answer the hour’s calling.
Dear Citizen,
Perform these simple duties.
Be a part of the Renaissance.
The Nation beckons you……
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Telly-Tales
Telly – Tales
Watching the television can be a strenuous activity at times. This can be essentially experienced if you are not a diligent follower of the prime time soaps aired on Hindi channels.
When you are on a vacation, the time in hand to scan through the 110 channels provided by your cable T.V. operator ( or CAS, Tata Sky, etc,etc..), is conveniently large. During one such endeavours, I managed to catch a high-end claim – Star One was swelling in pride to declare that their serial “ Dil Mil Gaye”..( please forgive the spelling errors, if any..) is back on air. Now, if you stand to be a complete stranger to the novel concepts which come ‘back’ as sequels, without having a fair understanding of the events that took place earlier , you are bound to develop an instant misconception ( as instant as the instant idli mix ). It is justified if you seem to believe that Dil Mil Gaye would be a rosy romantic affair scripted to run for a minimum period of 18 months. This average run-time of T.V. serials is greatly enhanced by the relentless “Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhie Bahu Thi”. As far as my memory goes, I remember ‘Mihir Virani’ melodramatically dying when I was in my Std. 7. This nation-stirring event occurred almost two years after the serial was a high TRP grosser with ‘Tulsi’ becoming a household name. Next year, I will become a first attempt Engineering graduate..( this information relayed just to ease the process of evaluating the run-time period of this benchmark epic.) Today, the ‘Virani family’ contains almost 5 generations with a minimum of one person belonging to every era. I cease to believe that ‘ Ba’ is a real human being, she is an eternal heavenly body. Well, I don’t know what happened post Mihir’s death ( he came back to life in the subsequent years without the super-natural forces playing any role.) as I discontinued my viewership. As per grapevine, he is believed to have one legal wife, one extra-marital affair and about 3-4 children whose biological roots remain a mystery to one and all ( including Ms. Ekta Kapoor ). Aforesaid are the declared assets of Mr. Mihir Virani. Trust the viewers to have lost track of a soap which is forced to continue to lather for a massive period of some 7,8 or 10 years.
Back to ‘Dil Mil Gaye’ , it is about interns practicing in a plush hospital called ‘Sanjivani’. It is unfair to judge a serial after watching just one episode, but I couldn’t help myself from drawing the following conclusions. The interns don’t look as if they have really cleared any medical CET to get into a medical college. Its again unwise to judge someone by their looks, but its difficult to imagine them as medical professionals who have been rigorously trained over a period of 4 years. Their topics of discussion include – how to get some nurse hooked up with a senior doctor, or which colour suit to gift to a prospective girlfriend. They loiter around the hospital corridors releasing red and white heart-shaped balloons, the excuse for the celebration being Valentine’s day. I wonder if KEM and AIIMS have such recreational facilities for their students. The small town girl ( the ideal protagonist- ‘chote shaher ki ladki’) wears the most lavish salwaar suit and the trendiest make-up. None of them read books, or discuss a patient’s case. Probably all of them have profound knowledge to tackle any case that comes their way and so don’t have to revert to books time and again. Their presence in the cafeteria is far too obviously long than that in hospital wards. Occasionally they hold a thermometer in their hand, otherwise a writing pad and a pen is all that the doctors at Sanjeevani need! You might as well mistakenly take them to be reporters..but they are interns ( would-be doctors in the truest sense!).The stethoscope is perennially wound around their necks, which could have been aptly replaced by headphones. Most of the time they hold the X-Ray reports high up in their hand pretending to understand something, other times they engage themselves in frivolous activities. They don’t utter names of medicines or disorders either.
Such a showcase of behaviour by the doctors treated to be only next to God in our society, only helps you realize that your initial conclusions are absolutely flawless. The script of the story nowhere revolves around the life of an intern who at times has to face Ramadoss and has no time to breathe, forget the frequent lovey-dovey encounters. The patient’s ‘dil’ or case seems to be the last worry for the doctors at Sanjeevani.
“Jassi” amidst the saas-bahu operas brought a new lease of life to the small screen. Yet, having being inspired by “ Ugly Betty” , it did lack originality. If originality comes in form of ‘Dil Mil Gaye’, then I would pray that our authorities resign from the arduous task of thinking and just be inspired!!!!
Watching the television can be a strenuous activity at times. This can be essentially experienced if you are not a diligent follower of the prime time soaps aired on Hindi channels.
When you are on a vacation, the time in hand to scan through the 110 channels provided by your cable T.V. operator ( or CAS, Tata Sky, etc,etc..), is conveniently large. During one such endeavours, I managed to catch a high-end claim – Star One was swelling in pride to declare that their serial “ Dil Mil Gaye”..( please forgive the spelling errors, if any..) is back on air. Now, if you stand to be a complete stranger to the novel concepts which come ‘back’ as sequels, without having a fair understanding of the events that took place earlier , you are bound to develop an instant misconception ( as instant as the instant idli mix ). It is justified if you seem to believe that Dil Mil Gaye would be a rosy romantic affair scripted to run for a minimum period of 18 months. This average run-time of T.V. serials is greatly enhanced by the relentless “Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhie Bahu Thi”. As far as my memory goes, I remember ‘Mihir Virani’ melodramatically dying when I was in my Std. 7. This nation-stirring event occurred almost two years after the serial was a high TRP grosser with ‘Tulsi’ becoming a household name. Next year, I will become a first attempt Engineering graduate..( this information relayed just to ease the process of evaluating the run-time period of this benchmark epic.) Today, the ‘Virani family’ contains almost 5 generations with a minimum of one person belonging to every era. I cease to believe that ‘ Ba’ is a real human being, she is an eternal heavenly body. Well, I don’t know what happened post Mihir’s death ( he came back to life in the subsequent years without the super-natural forces playing any role.) as I discontinued my viewership. As per grapevine, he is believed to have one legal wife, one extra-marital affair and about 3-4 children whose biological roots remain a mystery to one and all ( including Ms. Ekta Kapoor ). Aforesaid are the declared assets of Mr. Mihir Virani. Trust the viewers to have lost track of a soap which is forced to continue to lather for a massive period of some 7,8 or 10 years.
Back to ‘Dil Mil Gaye’ , it is about interns practicing in a plush hospital called ‘Sanjivani’. It is unfair to judge a serial after watching just one episode, but I couldn’t help myself from drawing the following conclusions. The interns don’t look as if they have really cleared any medical CET to get into a medical college. Its again unwise to judge someone by their looks, but its difficult to imagine them as medical professionals who have been rigorously trained over a period of 4 years. Their topics of discussion include – how to get some nurse hooked up with a senior doctor, or which colour suit to gift to a prospective girlfriend. They loiter around the hospital corridors releasing red and white heart-shaped balloons, the excuse for the celebration being Valentine’s day. I wonder if KEM and AIIMS have such recreational facilities for their students. The small town girl ( the ideal protagonist- ‘chote shaher ki ladki’) wears the most lavish salwaar suit and the trendiest make-up. None of them read books, or discuss a patient’s case. Probably all of them have profound knowledge to tackle any case that comes their way and so don’t have to revert to books time and again. Their presence in the cafeteria is far too obviously long than that in hospital wards. Occasionally they hold a thermometer in their hand, otherwise a writing pad and a pen is all that the doctors at Sanjeevani need! You might as well mistakenly take them to be reporters..but they are interns ( would-be doctors in the truest sense!).The stethoscope is perennially wound around their necks, which could have been aptly replaced by headphones. Most of the time they hold the X-Ray reports high up in their hand pretending to understand something, other times they engage themselves in frivolous activities. They don’t utter names of medicines or disorders either.
Such a showcase of behaviour by the doctors treated to be only next to God in our society, only helps you realize that your initial conclusions are absolutely flawless. The script of the story nowhere revolves around the life of an intern who at times has to face Ramadoss and has no time to breathe, forget the frequent lovey-dovey encounters. The patient’s ‘dil’ or case seems to be the last worry for the doctors at Sanjeevani.
“Jassi” amidst the saas-bahu operas brought a new lease of life to the small screen. Yet, having being inspired by “ Ugly Betty” , it did lack originality. If originality comes in form of ‘Dil Mil Gaye’, then I would pray that our authorities resign from the arduous task of thinking and just be inspired!!!!
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Paunch
Paunch
Stand with your back straight and push your neck very slightly forward, look down at your feet, by moving your eyeballs. If your vision is not eclipsed by the protrusion of a nasty mass in the abdominal region, then you have prevented yourself from acquiring the ownership of a ghastly disgrace- “the Paunch”. I say this because the world today is taken by a storm by the concept of ‘thin is in’ and it isn’t a juvenile crime to bear a full-fledged paunch. Believe me friends, having a noticeable paunch can be more shameful than being caught red-handed in drug-trafficking !!
The rounder the belly, the wealthier the man, is now a bygone. Today, the global citizens call themselves health-conscious. There is more than just a marginal difference between health-conscious people and health freaks. The most dreaded activity of these health freaks is standing on the weighing scale. A slight deviation ( in the +ve direction ) from the subsidized number of kilograms might traumatize them for perhaps the next 13 days. If they wake up in the morning to realize that they have lost 650 gms or more, they get a high which an avid drinker will not relish even after several pecks of the finest vodka. It is difficult for me to picture them further losing weight in the measure of kilograms, as that may result in their total disappearance from the face of the earth. That reminds me of ‘anorexia’. Now, the difference between anorexia and malnourishment is that, the former is a health statement ( analogous to fashion statement ) and the latter one is a health disorder. Models, who walk the ramp…( lets call them the ‘classy dahlings’) are anorexic and street children (..the regular earthlings ) are malnourished.
Having a paunch has its own set of limitations. You have to safely ignore the ‘looks’ of the ‘toned’ elements of the society. Loose-fitting clothes suddenly become the must-haves of your wardrobe….a measure taken to prevent some major faux-pas. Figure-hugging clothes are meant for those whose figures are not disfigured!! Next, remember that when posing for a picture, avoid a side profile of your complete self. It will only make you appear less attractive ( greek god that you are!). If you are used to taking deep breathes and then holding onto them, till your tailor registers your ‘vital-statistics’ for assembling your new wardrobe, then BEWARE,,, it can be a gruelling task to squeeze yourself in those clothes ( stitched in accordance with the misleading waistline ). It can also give you an impression of having expanded by an inch and a half more since the time of your visit to the tailor and the delivery of your new clothes with an improved size!! So, just whole-heartedly accept the paunch…and be yourself.
After all, it gives you a chance to revamp your style…( now that the tee’s don’t fit you, …kurtas have to cover up ). Having a paunch (already) enables you to crash all your calorie counters without feeling guilty. It also allows you to curtail expenses on footwear, as anyways the feet are nowhere to be seen.., thanks to the paunch coming midway. So, why splurge on boots??? Instead buy belts that can be wound around your larger circumference, that vividly stands out. The paunch makes you look less vulnerable and can help you in making space for yourself while taking the public transport. It is understood that there is no scope for a fourth seat if 2 out of 3 people sitting on a bench in a train compartment, have a fair sized paunch.
But, that does not mean you disregard the bitter fact that “YOU” are gaining weight (extra weight….to be precise ). The paunch cannot be a belonging you will long to behold, caress or treasure. A bit of exercise and a controlled diet can restore the ‘make-up’ of your stomach. It is essential to realize the importance of healthy living because a toned and fit body along with a razor-sharp mind does give you a true sense of well-being.
Nevertheless…..the jubilation of playing ‘tabla’ on that very paunch is inexplicable!!!!
Stand with your back straight and push your neck very slightly forward, look down at your feet, by moving your eyeballs. If your vision is not eclipsed by the protrusion of a nasty mass in the abdominal region, then you have prevented yourself from acquiring the ownership of a ghastly disgrace- “the Paunch”. I say this because the world today is taken by a storm by the concept of ‘thin is in’ and it isn’t a juvenile crime to bear a full-fledged paunch. Believe me friends, having a noticeable paunch can be more shameful than being caught red-handed in drug-trafficking !!
The rounder the belly, the wealthier the man, is now a bygone. Today, the global citizens call themselves health-conscious. There is more than just a marginal difference between health-conscious people and health freaks. The most dreaded activity of these health freaks is standing on the weighing scale. A slight deviation ( in the +ve direction ) from the subsidized number of kilograms might traumatize them for perhaps the next 13 days. If they wake up in the morning to realize that they have lost 650 gms or more, they get a high which an avid drinker will not relish even after several pecks of the finest vodka. It is difficult for me to picture them further losing weight in the measure of kilograms, as that may result in their total disappearance from the face of the earth. That reminds me of ‘anorexia’. Now, the difference between anorexia and malnourishment is that, the former is a health statement ( analogous to fashion statement ) and the latter one is a health disorder. Models, who walk the ramp…( lets call them the ‘classy dahlings’) are anorexic and street children (..the regular earthlings ) are malnourished.
Having a paunch has its own set of limitations. You have to safely ignore the ‘looks’ of the ‘toned’ elements of the society. Loose-fitting clothes suddenly become the must-haves of your wardrobe….a measure taken to prevent some major faux-pas. Figure-hugging clothes are meant for those whose figures are not disfigured!! Next, remember that when posing for a picture, avoid a side profile of your complete self. It will only make you appear less attractive ( greek god that you are!). If you are used to taking deep breathes and then holding onto them, till your tailor registers your ‘vital-statistics’ for assembling your new wardrobe, then BEWARE,,, it can be a gruelling task to squeeze yourself in those clothes ( stitched in accordance with the misleading waistline ). It can also give you an impression of having expanded by an inch and a half more since the time of your visit to the tailor and the delivery of your new clothes with an improved size!! So, just whole-heartedly accept the paunch…and be yourself.
After all, it gives you a chance to revamp your style…( now that the tee’s don’t fit you, …kurtas have to cover up ). Having a paunch (already) enables you to crash all your calorie counters without feeling guilty. It also allows you to curtail expenses on footwear, as anyways the feet are nowhere to be seen.., thanks to the paunch coming midway. So, why splurge on boots??? Instead buy belts that can be wound around your larger circumference, that vividly stands out. The paunch makes you look less vulnerable and can help you in making space for yourself while taking the public transport. It is understood that there is no scope for a fourth seat if 2 out of 3 people sitting on a bench in a train compartment, have a fair sized paunch.
But, that does not mean you disregard the bitter fact that “YOU” are gaining weight (extra weight….to be precise ). The paunch cannot be a belonging you will long to behold, caress or treasure. A bit of exercise and a controlled diet can restore the ‘make-up’ of your stomach. It is essential to realize the importance of healthy living because a toned and fit body along with a razor-sharp mind does give you a true sense of well-being.
Nevertheless…..the jubilation of playing ‘tabla’ on that very paunch is inexplicable!!!!
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