Politicians often talk of black money parked in Swiss Banks but always fail in their exercise because they are not honest in their utterings.They made unprecedented hue and cry before last general election on huge amount of black money parked in Swiss Banks but politicians of all parties became almost silent after the declaration of election result. What they say and what they mean to do is always different. India is still rated rate as one of the top corrupt nations and one of the top ranking hunger inflicted state of the world even though Indian leaders claim and feel proud of achieving comparable GDP growth in the economy and said to be decoupled with global recession or global financial meltdown.
As a matter of fact rulers of this country could not stop increasing trend of corrupt practices in the system and continuous rise in formation, use and promotion of black money in the country and hence they cannot force foreign country to declare name of Indians who have parked money in Swiss bank. Similarly when investing agencies like CBI, ED, Vigilance, IT officials and other regulating agencies are themselves corrupt they cannot stop spreading cancer of corruption in the Indian body system.
(When rulers themselves are corrupt they cannot endanger their own money parked in either Swiss Bank or in Indian financial and real estate sector. When our rulers cannot stop Indian brand of terrorist known as Maoist or naxals on some plea or the other they cannot dream of stopping foreign based terrorist carrying out terror attacks on India.)
It is rightly said by the great writer Munsi Pre Chand.
"Jab Rakchak hi Bhakchak Ban jaye to vinash nishchit Hai"
When almost every minister at Center and almost every minister in each State government is indulged in making money through corrupt means, when officers in general are involved in corrupt game played by politicians and when all authorities entrusted with the duty of stopping and removing corruption from the system and finally unearthing ill earned money are busy in making money through corrupt means who will make serious efforts to unearth money held in Swiss Bank.
Persons or group of person who have kept their black money in Swiss Bank are none other than politicians and government officers. When top officers and top ministers are corrupt one cannot imagine of businessmen and professionals abiding by Indian rules and following rule of ethics. It is government officers and politicians who make survival of honest service men, honest businessmen and professionals difficult and force them to manufacture black money and share with them to live peacefully. Honesty has rather become curse for government servants as well as businessmen and professionals.
Black money is not only in Swiss bank, it is parked in banks in India too. Black money is concealed in form of gold, land and building, apartment, big bazaars, farm houses, private professional colleges and in almost all big houses. Black money is visible to all whose eye is not jaundiced with the decease of black money. Nine out of ten multi storied residential building and commercial complex in Metros and big towns are constructed by ill earned black money only. It is open secret. As such it is not necessary to focus attention on money parked in Swiss Bank and make politics out of it but is more important to focus on black money parked in India and which is visible in India itself.
It is necessary for almost all politician and officers working in government and government departments to introspect and look into their heart whether they are really honest. Politicians in general cannot afford contesting and winning an election without the help of black money received from businessmen and at the same time without the indirect support of controlling officials none of the businessmen can imagine of tax evasion.
Without the support of corrupt officers, none of the contractors in India can carry out their tendered allotted work. More than fifty percent of value of contract work allotted by government to contractors is consumed in distributing commissions to corrupt officers and politicians. Ministers cannot even organize a rally without the financial support from local corrupt officers, black money of rich businessmen and professional.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Monday, November 1, 2010
Top 10 events that may end the human race
Meteor collisions, disease, famine, nuclear war, natural disasters, cosmic catastrophe? Is the end upon us or are we just being paranoid?
The end, whenever it occurs, could take several forms. Which one is most likely?
10) Oil Crash
Some doomsayers predict an "Economic Hiroshima," or peak oil crisis, where fossil fuels dry up, triggering an economic meltdown followed by the collapse of the agricultural system and mass starvation. Please tell me French fries aren't an agricultural product.
9) Cyberterrorism
In the old days, if you wanted to be a terrorist, you needed explosives. Today, all you need is an iPad. With the click of a mouse, baddies - whether religious zealots, political activists, or mischievous teenage hackers - can deploy nefarious computer worms that bring down power plants, hospital equipment, even nuclear facilities. The threat is such that the U.S. military is planning to quadruple its cyber-warrior force. And by cyber-warrior we mean 19-year-old Bill Gates in fatigues, armed with a USB stick, and a Doritos party pack.
8) A New Disease
According to John Leslie, author of The End of the World: The Science and Ethics of Human Extinction, not only are many deadly diseases developing immunity to our best drugs, but global warming could thaw out some virulent disease from the past, such as the 1918-1919 flu - which killed 50 million - and new viruses could even filter down from outer space.
7) 2012
Where will you be Dec. 12, 2012? That' s the last day on the Mayan long-count calendar and some think it will be the last day on anyone's calendar & that the sun will erupt in a super-storm and destroy all life on Earth. In the movie 2012, people face volcanic eruptions, typhoons, and melting glaciers. But maybe the Mayans just wanted to give us a reason to party.
6) Nuclear Catastrophe
As unstable states like Pakistan and North Korea expand their nuclear programs, the risk of nuclear war is as great as it's been since the disbanding of the Soviet Union. Whether humans could survive a nuclear winter - the severe cold and diminished sunlight that scientists predict would follow such a war - has been the subject of much scientific debate. Given that cockroaches would be among the few survivors, extinction in this case might be seen as a bonus.
5) Global Warming
Not everyone agrees with Greenpeace on how much humans are to blame for global warming, but in the last decade, climate-related disasters such as flooding and droughts have affected 2.4 billion people. It's thought that global warming could eventually turn Earth into a planet like Venus, where, according to author John Leslie, greenhouse-effect temperatures are sufficient to melt lead Hot.
4) Overpopulation
The world population is growing by about 74 million a year. The UN predicts it will reach nine billion people in the next 40 years, and those are just OctoMom' s grandkids. Overpopulation could eventually lead to crop failure and starvation.
3) Cosmic Doom
Perhaps our fate is in the stars. It's commonly believed that dinosaurs became extinct after a massive asteroid hit the earth 65 million years ago; many think that if Shoemaker-Levy had hit Earth instead of Jupiter, we'd be goners. (Bruce Willis? We might need you again.) Other cosmic threats include black holes and the heat death of the universe.
2) Superhuman UprisingIf humans get overzealous with genetic modification, could we accidentally engineer an organism that rapidly reproduces and takes over the earth? Scientists have created, for example, "super mice" that can run at great speeds for a long time, and while they stress that applying such science to humans would be wrong, it's never stopped anyone before. This debate is escalating into a fight.
1) Robots Replacing UsI wish I was just making stuff up at this point, but here goes & some have posited that nanotechnology could lead to grey goo -- out-of-control self-replicating robots that could consume all living matter on Earth. Nothing even close to grey goo exists today, but Eric Drexler's 1986 non-fiction book Engines of Creation outlined a worst-case scenario in which these bacteria-like nanomachines destroyed the biosphere. Can I stop now?
Monday, October 18, 2010
Is Ratan Tata’s $50 million to Harvard Business School a case of misplaced generosity?
It’s not the last we will hear of the balance of power gradually shifting eastwards – towards emerging economies, as the western world grapples with a financial crisis of monumental proportions. But a news headline from the week gone by gives credence to that oft repeated rhetoric. At a time when corporate houses across the west are cutting down on endowments that run world class institutions like Harvard University, India’s most respected corporate honcho Ratan Tata, outgoing chairman of the diversified Tata Group, stepped in and made a splash with his $50 million gift to Harvard Business School, his alma mater.
Tata isn’t alone. Anand Mahindra of M&M made a $10 million donation to Harvard a few days ago. As did Nandan Nilekani, founder of Infosys, by signing a $5million cheque to Yale. Given that Indian corporates aren’t exactly known for their philanthropy, these are gestures that should evoke a sense of huge empowerment for India – a third world country having the muscle to support global institutions is not a joke after all!
But many in India probably think this is a case of misplaced generosity. Not surprising, especially at a time when education in the country is being part funded by World Bank loans and with government schemes that are struggling to provide nutritious mid-day meals to incentivize children to come to school. There are other glaring statistics too that could perhaps justify how our infertile, and hopelessly outdated education system needed this money more than Harvard did. Public education in India is a catastrophe – let’s face it, and given that 90% of our graduates are unemployable, corporate India should have been all the more forthcoming with its help.
Some have been. Most haven’t!
While the Tatas mentor iconic institutions like TIFR & TISS, corporate interest in education has largely been economic and not driven by corporate social responsibility.
But should corporate social responsibility of an organization be limited to the geographic boundaries of its country, determined by poverty charts and need of funds? Or should giving a thrust to centers of excellence be an equal priority, notwithstanding the fact that some need it more than the others?
Universities like Harvard are breeding grounds for innovation and talent and they ought to be supported. Every big original idea you can think of from the last decade, be it Google, Facebook or Apple has sprung from America, often from the stimulating atmosphere provided by these universities. Few Indian universities have a culture of encouraging ideas, and cheap political stunts like introducing reservations have all the more compromised their ability to excel. So it’s hardly surprising that the private sector doesn’t want to put its money in there.
I am sure the day we have an institution half as good as Harvard, Ratan Tata will write a cheque for twice the amount he gave Harvard! The question is, will that ever happen?
Saturday, October 16, 2010
2010 Commonwealth Games
The 2010 Commonwealth Games, officially known as the XIX Commonwealth Games, were held in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. A total of 6,081 athletes from 71 Commonwealth nations and dependencies competed in 21 sports and 272 events. It was the largest international multi-sport event to be staged in Delhi and India, eclipsing the Asian Games in 1951 and 1982.
The opening and closing ceremonies were held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, the main stadium of the event. It was the first time that the Commonwealth Games were held in India and the second time it was held in Asia after Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 1998. The official mascot of the Games was Shera and the official song of the Games, Jiyo Utho Bado Jeeto, was composed by celebrated Indian musician A.R. Rahman.
Initially, several concerns and controversies surfaced before the start of the Games. Despite these concerns, all members of the Commonwealth of Nations participated in the Games. A widely-praised opening ceremony helped improve the image of the games. The concerns which were raised during the buildup to the Games were largely eclipsed by strong performance by Indian athletes, smooth running of the sporting events and a "spectacular" closing ceremony. At the closing ceremony, the president of the Commonwealth Games Federation declared that Delhi had hosted a "truly exceptional Games".
| XIX Commonwealth Games २०१० राष्ट्रमण्डल खेल | |
|---|---|
 Logo of 2010 Commonwealth Games | |
| Host city | New Delhi, India |
| Motto | Come out and play |
| Nations participating | 71 Commonwealth Teams |
| Athletes participating | 6,081 |
| Events | 272 events in 21 disciplines |
| Opening ceremony | 3 October |
| Closing ceremony | 14 October |
| Officially opened by | Prince Charles, Prince of Walesand Pratibha Patil, President of India |
| Athlete's Oath | Abhinav Bindra |
| Queen's Baton Final Runner | Sushil Kumar |
| Main Stadium | Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium |
| Website | cwgdelhi2010.org |
Costs
The initial total budget estimated by Indian Olympic Association in 2003 for hosting the Games was 
16.2 billion (US$364.5 million) but escalated official total budget estimation in 2010 became 115 bn ($2.6 B), which excludes non-sports-related infrastructure development in the city such as airports, city beautification and roads. Business Today magazine estimated that the Games cost 300 bn ($6.8 bn).The 2010 Commonwealth Games are the most expensive Commonwealth Games ever.
16.2 billion (US$364.5 million) but escalated official total budget estimation in 2010 became 115 bn ($2.6 B), which excludes non-sports-related infrastructure development in the city such as airports, city beautification and roads. Business Today magazine estimated that the Games cost 300 bn ($6.8 bn).The 2010 Commonwealth Games are the most expensive Commonwealth Games ever.Mascot
The official mascot for the 2010 Commonwealth Games is Shera, an anthropomorphised tiger. His name comes from "Sher", a hindi word meaning tiger (Hindi "Bagh" means tiger. However, Sher is colloquially used for both lion and tiger). The logo and the look for the games were designed by Idiom Design and Consulting.There is one song for Shera also composed by the popular composer of INDIA the song contains initiative "Shera Shera"
Official song
The official song of the 2010 Commonwealth Games Jiyo Utho Bado Jeeto was composed and performed by the Indian musician A. R. Rahman. The song's title is based on the slogan of the games, "Come out and play". The song is penned by Mehboob in Hindi with a sprinkling of English words.
Medal table
Only the top ten nations by medal rank are shown in this medal table. Nations are ranked first by count of gold medals, then silver medals, then bronze medals. For the full medal table, see the main article.
Host nation India
Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Australia | 74 | 55 | 48 | 177 |
| 2 |  India | 38 | 27 | 36 | 101 |
| 3 |  England | 37 | 60 | 46 | 143 |
| 4 |  Canada | 26 | 17 | 33 | 76 |
| 5 |  South Africa | 12 | 11 | 10 | 33 |
| 6 |  Kenya | 12 | 11 | 9 | 32 |
| 7 |  Malaysia | 12 | 10 | 14 | 35 |
| 8 |  Singapore | 11 | 11 | 9 | 31 |
| 9 |  Nigeria | 11 | 8 | 14 | 33 |
| 10 |  Scotland | 9 | 10 | 7 | 26 |
| Total | 272 | 274 | 282 | 828 | |
Participating nations
There are 71 nations participating at the 2010 Commonwealth Games. As Fiji is suspended from the Commonwealth, it has been banned from participating in the Games.Rwanda is fielding a team for the games for the first time after becoming a Commonwealth member in 2009. Numbers of athletes are shown in brackets. Tokelau was initially expected to compete, but did not do so.
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Venues
Events are taking place at twelve competition venues. A total of 20 training venues are being used in the Games. Of these 20, one is used for archery; three for aquatics; two for lawn bowls; two for netball; eight for rugby sevens, including seven venues within Delhi University; two for shooting; one for squash; two for table tennis; one for weightlifting, three for wrestling and two for tennis.
The Commonwealth Games Village will provide accommodation and training for athletes of the Games, and will be open from 23 September to 18 October 2010. It is located along the east bank of the River Yamuna, in proximity to competition and training venues as well as city landmarks, and is spread over an area of 63.5 hectares (157 acres). Comprising five main zones—the Residential Zone, the International Zone, the Training Area, the Main Dining and the Operational Zone—the Games Village, which is a non-smoking zone, is universally accessible particularly to accommodate para-sport athletes.
There are three main non-competition venues in the Games, besides the Commonwealth Games Village (see above); namely the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee Headquarters (OC CWG Delhi 2010), the Main Media Centre, and the Games Family Hotel, Hotel Ashok.
Concerns and controversies
| “ | ...when 46% of India's children and 55% of women are malnourished, does spending billions of dollars on a 12-day sports event build national pride or is it a matter of national shame? | ” |
—Miloon Kothari, leading Indian expert on socio-economic development | ||
Several concerns were raised over the preparations of the Games and these included excessive budget overruns, likelihood of floods in Delhi due to heavy monsoon rains, infrastructural compromise, poor living conditions at the Commonwealth Games Village, delays in construction of the main Games' venues, the withdrawal of prominent athletes, widespread corruption by officials of the Games' Organising Committeeand possibility of a terrorist attack by militants.
The 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi was criticized by several prominent Indian politicians and social activists. One of the outspoken critics of the Games is Mani Shankar Aiyar, former Indian Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports. In April 2007, Aiyar commented that the Games are "irrelevant to the common man" and criticized the Indian government for sanctioning billions of dollars for the Games even though India requires massive investment in social development programs.In July 2010, he remarked that he would be "unhappy if the Commonwealth Games are successful".
Concerns raised by Aiyar were echoed by several others in India. Initial concerns about the 2010 Commonwealth Games included delays in completion of projects, poor construction standards, corruption by Games' Organising Committee officials and possibility of a terrorist attack. The Indian media also alleged that Games' Organising Committee officials were involved in serious corruption and these allegations included acceptance of bribe during the process of awarding construction contracts for the Games' venues. The Commonwealth Games Organising Committee on 5 August 2010 suspended T S Darbari (joint director in the organising committee) and Sanjay Mahendroo (deputy director general in the organising committee) following the report of the three-member panel which was probing the financial irregularities related to the Queen's Baton Relay. Organising Committee treasurer Anil Khanna resigned from the post in the wake of allegations that his son's firm had secured a contract for laying synthetic courts at a tennis stadium. On September 23, The Daily Telegraph UK showed photographs taken of child labour working on the Games sites. There was also multiple cases of items being rented for the 45 days for more money than it would cost to actually buy the item. e.g., 72 golf carts were hired for 4.23 lakh (US$9,517.5) each, when they could have been purchased for 1.84 lakh (US$4,140) each.
4.23 lakh (US$9,517.5) each, when they could have been purchased for 1.84 lakh (US$4,140) each.Central Vigilance Commission (CVC), an apex Government of India investigative agency, released a report highlighting financial irregularities in up to fourteen Games projects. As per CVC report, in total 129 works in 71 organisations have been inspected. The preliminary findings include — complete lack of involvement of the city and the community at large, award of work contracts at higher prices, poor quality assurance and management, and award of work contracts to ineligible agencies.
Weeks before the start of the Games, Indian media outlets highlighted the poor construction standards at several of the main Games venues. In late September 2010, the president of the Commonwealth Games Federation remarked that the Games Village were far from completion and needed a "deep clean" and New Zealand's chef de mission even claimed that the Games might not take place given the amount of work to be done. The concerns came to media attention in late September 2010 after media outlets began reporting on "filthy and unlivable conditions" and taking photos of paan stains and excrement in living quarters at the games village. Just a day after these remarks, a footbridge near the Nehru Stadium collapsed injuring 27 and seriously injuring five. On 22 September 2010, the wrestling stadium's false ceiling caved in; however, there were no reported injuries. After the start of the games, a large scoreboard at the rugby stadium toppled over. Security concerns were highlighted by an Australian TV crew from the Seven Network who claimed to have walked past security with a suitcase containing a dummy bomb and its detonator on 15 September, although the veracity of the claim has since been challenged. Concerns of a terrorist attack were also raised following a gun attack that took place outside the Jama Masjid on 19th September 2010. However, the Indian authorities stated that the shooting was a "one-off incident".
In the opening ceremony, the chairman of Organising Committee, Suresh Kalmadi, faced further embarrassment when he was booed by the Indian spectators at the start of his welcome speech. The crowd atmosphere otherwise was fine, especially when they offered a warm applause to the neighboring Pakistan squad despite the tense relations between India and Pakistan.
More than dozens of athletes from Australia and England, mainly swimmers, have reportedly fallen ill. Initially, concerns were raised over the quality of water in the swimming pools of the SPM Complex, but other competing teams, including South Africa, reported no such illness. Additionally, the Australian team's chief doctor, Peter Harcourt, ruled that the "chances of the [Delhi] pool being the cause of the problem is very remote" and praised the hygiene and food quality in the Delhi Games Village. He suggested that the Australians swimmers could have contracted the stomach virus during their training camp in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
In another incident, three Ugandan officials were injured when the car they were travelling in hit a security wheel stopper at the Games village. The chairman of the Games' Organising Committee, Suresh Kalmadi, apologized to the Ugandan High Commissioner to India for the freak car accident.
AT THE END
Marred by series of controversies in the build-up, the Delhi Commonwealth Games got the ultimate pat on the back from the CGF chiefMichael Fennell, who declared the mega-event as "truly exceptional".
Delivering his address during a spectacular and colourful closing ceremony, Fennell said, "Today, we bring down curtains on 19th CWG Delhi. Delhi, you have delivered a truly exceptional Games.
"Security, transport and other services have been of highest quality. The venues were world class and it was a truly outstanding show by the athletes."
"The athletes have demonstrated their skills and sporting personalities brought different cultures together. Athletes from 71 countries contested for 826 medals in the true spirit of friendship. Several Commonwealth Games records were broken, including two world records. Some have created new national records," he added.
Fennell said the "successful" hosting of the Games will leave behind a rich legacy for Delhi.
"The Organising Committee overcame all obstacles and presented a successful Games. Delhi has now a rich legacy, the wold class venues and improved city structure. It has presented itself as a world class city. The world will have a better understanding of this wonderful country and its potential now," said the Jamaican.
"Now we set our eyes on 2014 Glasgow Games and look forward to athletes participating in all events in large numbers," said Fennell.
Fennell thanked the Centre and Delhi government for providing the necessary resources and the OC for the hard work in delivering the Games.
"I thank the Organising Committee, led by Mr (Suresh) Kalmadi and (Delhi Chief Minister) Sheila Dikshit for the hard work they have put in. I also thank the Delhi and the national governments for the resources they have provided," he said.
Fennell also named Jamaican woman triple jumper Trecia Smith for the David Dixon Award, given to the outstanding athlete of the CWG based on their performance, fair play and overall contribution to their team's participation in the Games.
Delivering his address during a spectacular and colourful closing ceremony, Fennell said, "Today, we bring down curtains on 19th CWG Delhi. Delhi, you have delivered a truly exceptional Games.
"Security, transport and other services have been of highest quality. The venues were world class and it was a truly outstanding show by the athletes."
"The athletes have demonstrated their skills and sporting personalities brought different cultures together. Athletes from 71 countries contested for 826 medals in the true spirit of friendship. Several Commonwealth Games records were broken, including two world records. Some have created new national records," he added.
Fennell said the "successful" hosting of the Games will leave behind a rich legacy for Delhi.
"The Organising Committee overcame all obstacles and presented a successful Games. Delhi has now a rich legacy, the wold class venues and improved city structure. It has presented itself as a world class city. The world will have a better understanding of this wonderful country and its potential now," said the Jamaican.
"Now we set our eyes on 2014 Glasgow Games and look forward to athletes participating in all events in large numbers," said Fennell.
Fennell thanked the Centre and Delhi government for providing the necessary resources and the OC for the hard work in delivering the Games.
"I thank the Organising Committee, led by Mr (Suresh) Kalmadi and (Delhi Chief Minister) Sheila Dikshit for the hard work they have put in. I also thank the Delhi and the national governments for the resources they have provided," he said.
Fennell also named Jamaican woman triple jumper Trecia Smith for the David Dixon Award, given to the outstanding athlete of the CWG based on their performance, fair play and overall contribution to their team's participation in the Games.
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