The world is facing the problem of greed.
Greed of bankers who gave away undeserved loans to earn bonuses
Greed of politicians who sell airwaves, coal, games etc.
Even Greed of government employees who harass the common man for basic services
Greed of the voters who vote to elect wrong people for personal benefits (ex their caste members to rule over other castes.)
Well, I have nearly covered everyone as greedy (including myself) So If greed is the problem then there is no solution as we all are greedy (Of course for different things ranging from tangible: that latest mobile, jewelry, car to intangible: affection, praise).
Fortunately greed is not the problem But "greed to have things I don't deserve" is the problem
Let me illustrate:
A man's action is governed mostly by what is accepted and appreciated in society.
So when a society accepts ethics as the measurement of a man's position He acts ethically (OR at least it deters him from acting unethically) So incidence of crimes is less
When a society makes money alone (No matter from where it came from) as the standard of a man. He is bound to earn money whatever the means. Does this strike you as the reflection of today's society?
I must say "To me It seems a lot of resemblance to today's society."
So, Can The Bhagwad Gita offer any solution to this problem of insatiable greed ?
It says: "Work is its own reward"
How does that solve the problem?
It stops people comparing each other on the basis of Who earns what? and sets work/action as the standard of a man. Would you agree this is a better standard ?
It also creates a constructive competitive environment When demolishing the opposition is not your main concern but Your work/action (i.e. serving the customer/ behaviour towards others) is your focus. Your business model ensures brand loyalty, less stress for workers and higher productivity.All this accumulates to sustainable business models.
Don't you think everyone would be served better if we start acting on "Work is its own reward" ?
Saturday, October 27, 2012
Friday, October 26, 2012
The idea of government setting circle rates
It is a common truth now a days that government rates of circles do not reflect the prevalent rates being paid for properties.
It begs to question, What do the government rates achieve then?
Simply they help the property dealers to save on stamp duty (which is paid as a percentage of cost of property) and encourage underhand dealings resulting in accumulation of black money.
A good example of low government rates is revealed in the purchasing of properties by Robert Vadra at government specified rates while market valuations are multiple times over.
Reference: http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/clean-chit-to-vadra-on-land-row/article4034449.ece?homepage=true
What is the solution of the situation?
It is a difficult situation
Option 1: Government as the ultimate provider:
Under the current circumstances the housing demand is multiple times the supply thus people are ready to pay multiple times the price set by government.
The situation requires increase in fair cost housing projects by government instead of selling land to private developers who create little housing and sell at exorbitant cost. This requires the government to evaluate the performance of government housing projects by the number of houses created and it must fulfill the demand.
This option is not working because the government is not focussed on achieving targets of housing. Perhaps people need to wake up their local representatives from the lethargy and stop tolerating living in slums.
Option 2: A more market based approach with government as facilitator:
People can directly purchase plots of land and property developers just provide the service of construction. For this government should enable common man to purchase land easily, electricity and tap water installation should be accountable.
This is a better solution as it requires only reform in certain parts of government mainly the water works, land and electricity department.
It begs to question, What do the government rates achieve then?
Simply they help the property dealers to save on stamp duty (which is paid as a percentage of cost of property) and encourage underhand dealings resulting in accumulation of black money.
A good example of low government rates is revealed in the purchasing of properties by Robert Vadra at government specified rates while market valuations are multiple times over.
Reference: http://www.thehindu.com/news/states/other-states/clean-chit-to-vadra-on-land-row/article4034449.ece?homepage=true
What is the solution of the situation?
It is a difficult situation
Option 1: Government as the ultimate provider:
Under the current circumstances the housing demand is multiple times the supply thus people are ready to pay multiple times the price set by government.
The situation requires increase in fair cost housing projects by government instead of selling land to private developers who create little housing and sell at exorbitant cost. This requires the government to evaluate the performance of government housing projects by the number of houses created and it must fulfill the demand.
This option is not working because the government is not focussed on achieving targets of housing. Perhaps people need to wake up their local representatives from the lethargy and stop tolerating living in slums.
Option 2: A more market based approach with government as facilitator:
People can directly purchase plots of land and property developers just provide the service of construction. For this government should enable common man to purchase land easily, electricity and tap water installation should be accountable.
This is a better solution as it requires only reform in certain parts of government mainly the water works, land and electricity department.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Who controls me?
When people say "The system is rotten.You cannot change it."
I believe they put the onus of changing the system on anybody except themselves, creating a false sense of security for themselves "I am good but system does not change by one man. So I don't try to reform the system." They cede their control to system and hence their destiny too.Speaking of Destiny, We all see the corruption around us (and its ill-effects) because nobody complained about it and now every government department has people who claim right to bribe for work they should be doing.But Should it be so? .
I do realize it will take time to reform the system but like a chinese philosopher said :
A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
- Lao Tzu
The big question is "Will you try? knowing fully well that you have to strive hard Because there are vested interests against transparency"
What will you earn from trying? You will be benefited from improved governance and your future generations too. Do remember :)
Someone's sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago. - Warren Buffett
Locus of control
Developed by Julian B. Rotter in 1954
Locus of control is a theory in personality psychology referring to the extent to which individuals believe that they can control events that affect them.
Locus of control can be
- either internal the person believes they can control their life
or
- external meaning they believe that their decisions and life are controlled by environmental factors which they cannot influence.
Example of internal locus of control
Individuals with a high internal locus of control believe that events in their life derive primarily from their own actions;
for example, if a person with an internal locus of control does not perform as well as they wanted to on a test, they would blame it on lack of preparedness on their part. If they performed well on a test, they would attribute this to ability to study.
External locus of control:
If a person with a high external locus of control does poorly on a test, they might attribute this to the difficulty of the test questions. If they performed well on a test, they might think the teacher was lenient or that they were lucky.
Inserting row(s) and column(s) in Excel 2007
To insert row
a two-step process that is quite convenient:
Step 1: Shift+SpaceBar = Select the current row
Step 2: Ctrl+Shift+PlusSign = Insert row(s)
To insert column
Use
Step 1:Ctrl + spacebar = Select the column
Step 2: Ctrl+Shift+PlusSign = Insert column (s)
To insert multiple rows/columns
Just select multiple rows/columns in step 1 using arrow key down
Illustration:How to insert multiple rows
Step 1: Shift+SpaceBar = Select the current row
Step 2: Use down arrow key to select appropriate number of rows you want to insert above
Step 3: Ctrl+Shift+PlusSign = Insert row(s)
Illustration:How to insert multiple columns
Step 1:Shift+SpaceBar = Select the current row
Step 2: Use down arrow key to select appropriate number of rows you want to insert above
Step 3: Ctrl+Shift+PlusSign = Insert row(s)
Alternative way
Alt-i, r = insert row
Alt-i, c = insert column
If you want to repeat and do more of each, you could just hit F4.
a two-step process that is quite convenient:
Step 1: Shift+SpaceBar = Select the current row
Step 2: Ctrl+Shift+PlusSign = Insert row(s)
To insert column
Use
Step 1:Ctrl + spacebar = Select the column
Step 2: Ctrl+Shift+PlusSign = Insert column (s)
To insert multiple rows/columns
Just select multiple rows/columns in step 1 using arrow key down
Illustration:How to insert multiple rows
Step 1: Shift+SpaceBar = Select the current row
Step 2: Use down arrow key to select appropriate number of rows you want to insert above
Step 3: Ctrl+Shift+PlusSign = Insert row(s)
Illustration:How to insert multiple columns
Step 1:Shift+SpaceBar = Select the current row
Step 2: Use down arrow key to select appropriate number of rows you want to insert above
Step 3: Ctrl+Shift+PlusSign = Insert row(s)
Alternative way
Alt-i, r = insert row
Alt-i, c = insert column
If you want to repeat and do more of each, you could just hit F4.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
V for Vendetta
If you have watched 'V for Vendetta'. Enjoy this
Else
Consider watching 'V for Vendetta' and enjoy this conversation.
Evey(suspiciously): Who are you?
V: Who? Who is but the form following the function of what,
and what I am is a man in a mask.
Evey: Oh, I can see that.
V: Of course you can. I'm not questioning your powers of observation.
I'm merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a masked man who he is.
Evey: Oh, right.
Else
Consider watching 'V for Vendetta' and enjoy this conversation.
Evey(suspiciously): Who are you?
V: Who? Who is but the form following the function of what,
and what I am is a man in a mask.
Evey: Oh, I can see that.
V: Of course you can. I'm not questioning your powers of observation.
I'm merely remarking upon the paradox of asking a masked man who he is.
Evey: Oh, right.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Silence is golden
Reacting to the charges on Robert Vadra, Congress party spokesman Rashid Alvi said if the IAC wanted they could approach the court.
On whether the IAC planned to approach the courts, Mr. Kejriwal shot back, “If the courts have to run the government, then the government should resign.”
Well said! Let the government field this question But I am sure it would respond to documented evidence with silence.After all people forget quickly like they have forgotten the Lokpal bill (currently in cold storage with parliamentary committee poring over it). That is why they say "Silence is golden".
On whether the IAC planned to approach the courts, Mr. Kejriwal shot back, “If the courts have to run the government, then the government should resign.”
Well said! Let the government field this question But I am sure it would respond to documented evidence with silence.After all people forget quickly like they have forgotten the Lokpal bill (currently in cold storage with parliamentary committee poring over it). That is why they say "Silence is golden".
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Dear government
Here is an interesting P Sainath article on Government exemption of Taxes on Diamond and gold.
Corporate socialism's 2G orgy
P. SAINATH
The Union budget writes off Rs.240 crore in corporate income tax every single day on average — the same amount leaves India each day in illicit fund flows to foreign banks.
In six years from 2005-06, the Government of India wrote off corporate income tax worth Rs.3,74,937 crore — more than twice the 2G fraud — in successive Union budgets. The figure has grown every single year for which data are available. Corporate income tax written off in 2005-06 was Rs.34,618 crore. In the current budget, it is Rs.88,263 crore — an increase of 155 per cent. That is, the nation presently writes off over Rs.240 crore a day on average in corporate income tax. Oddly, that is also the daily average of illicit fund flows from India to foreign banks, according to a report of the Washington-based think tank, Global Financial Integrity.
The Rs.88,263 crore covers only corporate income tax write-offs. The figure does not include revenue foregone from higher exemption limits for wider sections of the public. Nor higher exemptions for senior citizens or (as in past budgets) for women. Just income tax for the big boys of the corporate world.
Pranab Mukherjee's latest budget, while writing off this gigantic sum for corporates, slashes thousands of crores from agriculture. As R. Ramakumar of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) points out, the revenue expenditure on that sector “is to fall in absolute terms by Rs.5,568 crore. Within agriculture, the largest fall is to be in crop husbandry, with an absolute cut of Rs.4,477 crore.” Which probably signals the death of extension services, amongst other things, in the sector. In fact, “within economic services, the largest cuts are to be in Agriculture and Allied Services.”
Even Kapil Sibal cannot defend the revenue losses as notional. For the simple reason that each budget sums up these numbers clearly in tables within a section called ‘Statement of Revenue Foregone.' If we add to this corporate karza maafi, revenue foregone in customs and excise duty — also very largely benefiting the corporate world and better off sections of society — the amounts are stunning. What, for instance, are some of the major items on which revenue is foregone in customs duty? Try diamonds and gold. Not quite aam aadmi oraurat items. This accounts for the largest chunk of all customs revenue foregone in the current budget. That is, for Rs.48,798 crore. Or well over half of what it takes to run a universal PDS system each year. In three years preceding this one, the customs write-off on gold, diamonds and jewellery totalled Rs.95,675 crore.
Of course, this being India, every plunder of public money for private profit is a pro-poor measure. You can hear the argument already: the huge bonanza for the gold and diamond crowd was only to save the jobs of poor workers in the midst of a global economic crisis. Touching. Only it didn't save a single job in Surat or elsewhere. Many Oriya workers in that industry returned home jobless to Ganjam from Surat as the sector tanked. A few other workers took their own lives in desperation. Also, the indulgence for industry predates the 2008 crisis. Industry in Maharashtra gained massively from the Centre's Corporate Socialism. Yet, in three years before the 2008 crisis, workers in the State lost their jobs at an average of 1,800 a day.
Returning to the budget: There's also the head of ‘machinery' with its own huge customs duty concessions. That includes surely, the crores of rupees of sophisticated medical equipment imported by large corporate hospitals with almost no duty levied on it. The claim of providing 30 per cent of their beds free of charge to the poor — something that has never once happened — is an excuse to dole out these ‘benefits' (amongst others) to that multi-billion rupee industry. Total revenue foregone on customs duty in the present budget: Rs.1,74,418 crore. (Which does not include export credit-related numbers).
With excise, of course, comes the standard claim that revenues foregone on excise duty translate into lower prices for consumers. There is no evidence provided at all that this has actually happened. Not in the budget, not elsewhere. (Sounds more like the argument now making the rounds in some Tamil Nadu villages that nothing was looted in the 2G scam — that's the money translating into cheaper calls for the public). What is clearly visible is that the write-offs on excise directly benefit industry and business. Any indirect ‘passing on' to consumers is a speculative claim, not proven. Revenue foregone on account of excise duty in this budget: Rs.1,98,291 crore. Clearly more than the highest estimate of the 2G scam losses. (The preceding year: Rs.1,69,121 crore).
Also fascinating is that the same classes benefit in multiple ways from all three write-offs. But how much does revenue foregone under corporate income tax, excise and customs duty add up to across the years? We have baldly stated budget figures for six years starting 2005-06, when the total was Rs.2,29,108 crore. To the current budget where it is more than double that sum at Rs.4,60,972 crore. Add up the figures since 2005-06 and the grand total is Rs.21,25,023 crore. Or close to half a trillion U.S. dollars. That is not merely 12 times the 2G scam losses. It is equal to or bigger than the Rs.21 lakh crore sum that Global Financial Integrity tells us has been siphoned out of this country and illegally stashed away in foreign banks since 1948 ($ 462 billion). Only, this loot has happened in six years starting 2005-06. The current budget figure for these three heads is 101 per cent higher than it was in 2005-06 (see Table).
Unlike the illicit fund flows, this plunder has a fig leaf of legality. Unlike those flows, it is not the sum of many individual crimes. It is government policy. It is in the Union budget. And it is the largest conceivable transfer of wealth and resources to the wealthy and the corporate world that the media never look at. Oddly, the budget itself recognises how regressive this trend is. Last year's budget noted: “The amount of revenue foregone continues to increase year after year. As a percentage of aggregate tax collection, revenue foregone remains high and shows an increasing trend as far as corporate income tax is considered for the financial year 2008-09. In case of indirect taxes, the trend shows a significant increase for the financial years 2009-10 due to a reduction in customs and excise duties. Therefore, to reverse this trend, an expansion in the tax base is called for.”
Rewind a year further. The 2009-10 budget says the same thing in almost identical words. Only the last line is different: “Therefore it is necessary to reverse this trend to sustain the high tax buoyancy.” In the current budget, the paragraph is absent.
This is the government that has no money for a universal PDS or even an enhanced one. That cuts anyway meagre food subsidies from the largest hungry population in the planet. That, at a time of rising prices and a great food crisis. In a period when its own economic survey shows us that the daily average net per capita availability of foodgrain for the five year period 2005-09 is actually lower than it was in 1955-59 — half-a-century ago.
Reference:http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/columns/sainath/corporate-socialisms-2g-orgy/article1514987.ece
Courtesy: P. Sainath
Monday, October 1, 2012
Musings of a befuddled programmer
The reason some people are heartless today is because they cared too much at some point in life.
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