Emergence of the incorrupt

In the ocean of democracy we, the common man, are nothing but drops of water. Individually we are weak, insignificant and unaccounted for. But these very tiny drops of water can come together to form waves that can be as destructible as a tsunami. Same can be said about the recent Delhi election results. A party that was established barely two years ago, as an offshoot of perhaps the largest public movement since Independence, is today the ruling party at the capital. When a group of dedicated & self-motivated non-political individuals stepped into the muck of politics, they were initially ignored, ridiculed, defamed and even threatened. But this brave team of revolutionaries knew that the only way politics can be cleaned in this country is when good, honest and visionary individuals step into the arena and take the battering and finally emerge victorious.

Politics has become such a demeaning word in the largest democracy of the world that it has come to be associated with all things wrong and evil. People had no choice but to choose among a bunch of criminals, businessmen and selfish individuals, who were put up as candidates by nearly all the political parties. Such was the rage among the people that when one frail old man raised his voice against corruption, millions of seemingly helpless people broke the threshold of tolerance and came out on streets to protest against corruption and support the anti-incumbency movement.

Out of this wrath, frustration, helplessness and a burning desire to bring about a change, a party that was truly ‘by the people, of the people and for the people’, was born. And today, after two years, this fury of common man has empowered this very young party to penetrate into the walls & barriers set up by system and decades old political parties. Today, a true representative of common man stands tall among the so called elite and political big shots who, until now, had an impregnable grip over power and democracy.

But as they say, uneasy lies the head that wears a crown. With great power comes great responsibility. The true litmus test of the party has just begun. Now, they will have to work hard to stand up to the trust and confidence that people have put in them. The path won’t be easy as once you are in the spotlight, your every move, every decision and every word will be scrutinized and henceforth there will be more criticism & brickbats than acclaims. The same media that hailed you as heroes will now judge you; the same people who until now supported you, will start asking questions. However, true essence of democracy lies in the fact that no person should take his power or position for granted and must constantly deliver. It is hard to reach the top, but harder to stay there. Now is the time to repay faith of the people and give them good governance, justice, security, employment and a clean and corruption free governance. Winning seats is easier than winning hearts.

Despite what happens in the future, Delhi election results have truly portrayed the power of a common man and hope this encourages more people with clean images to enter into politics and drive out the rust and weeds spread all over our system because the government is meant to serve the people and not the other way round.

This article is written by Raju Verghese. Follow him on Facebook here.

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A single rupee or a crore, it is my money.

Whenever a bus conductor or a shopkeeper doesn't give me my change after buying something, an incident that happened few years ago always comes to my mind. I was traveling by bus and there was a boy seated next to me. He seemed very sad and I started conversing with him. His father who is a drunkard has abandoned them. To earn a living and and to take care of his two siblings, his mother had decided to send him to work in Chennai. It seems she too was working as a maid. He was hardly 14 years old. He had tears in his eyes when he told me this.

 All he had was a 100 rupee note his mother had given him. The fare for the ticket to Chennai was INR 56 at that time. The conductor gave him 40 rupees back and told him that he would give the 4 rupees later. The boy was very much anxious to get his money back. Each time somebody paid the conductor for a ticket, the boy would ask if he could get his 4 rupees back. The conductor was annoyed and yelled at the boy. This went on for sometime and I also felt that the conductor was arrogant.  I started an argument with the bus conductor. Finally it erupted into a verbal spat but luckily I got some support from other passengers and finally the conductor gave him the money. The boy was happy and I felt really good for what I did. It doesn't matter if it is just 4 rupees, it was the boy's money and it was a lot for him. If he hadn't told me his story,  I may not have fought with the conductor.

Yesterday at a bakery in Bangalore, I was given a 5 rupee biscuit packet as the guy at the bakery did not have change. I said, I need the change and not biscuits. He said, in that case, I should wait. I didn't have the time and I took the biscuit packet and left. At least the brand he gave was Britannia Good Day. I was bored today and I thought of visiting the bakery again and ordered the same what I ordered the previous day. And the guy asked me if I have INR 5, I said YES and gave him the biscuit packet he gave me the previous day. Boy! You should have seen his face. He picked himself up quickly and said, "No, sir! I cannot take it back from you. I can only take it from a distributor." Poor soul! I victimized him to my verbal diarrhea with a pinch of sarcasm and he took that packet back.

Having done that, I walked back home as if I just conquered the world. And in another similar incident, the guy at a medical shop near my home snatched the World I'd conquered earlier. I asked for a roll of surgical cotton and the shop-keeper said it is INR 20 and I gave him INR 20. What I got back was this cotton roll and 2 Vicks candies. I looked for the MRP on the roll and it was INR 18. I asked him for a receipt and he gave without the slightest hesitation. Well, I forgot for a moment that we live in India. He knows I am not going to a consumer court for this. 

This is the receipt he gave me

I started walking back thinking about buying Economic Times newspaper tomorrow morning for INR 4 when the actual price is INR 3.50 .No one really accepts 50 Paise coins anymore. And here is an article on Economic Times on the same.  If that is so, why ET should fix the price as INR 3.50? Irony just died a thousand deaths. Is it correct to withhold someone else's money or thrust upon him something that he doesn't want to buy? Is this right on our part to silently accept this? That said, ladies and gentlemen, I may not have a story like that boy on the bus, but it is my money, a single rupee or a crore, it is my money.

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Solution to the math problem from Singapore that went viral on the internet

Here is our solution to the math problem from Singapore that went viral on the internet. It is a question from a global math Olympiad for high school children in Singapore.

Check this image for the question

What we need to find is the birthday of Cheryl. Cheryl tells them separately the month and day of her birthday and gives them 10 possible dates.

So, Albert knows the month and Bernard knows the day. 

From the first line of the conversation, 

Albert: I don’t know when Cheryl’s birthday is, but I know that Bernard does not know too.

He says Bernard doesn't know too. Why?

Let us say, if Cheryl told Bernard the day is on 19th, he would have easily got the answer as May without Albert revealing the month. The same applies for the date 18th. Since he says Bernard doesn't know, then she must have told him either July or August, so we can eliminate all the dates from the month May and June.

Now we are left with 5 possible dates and just two months.

Now Bernard says,

Bernard: At first I don’t know when Cheryl’s birthday is, but I know now.

Remember Bernard knows the date and he mentions this.  Out of these 5 options, if the day was 14th, Bernard would not be still knowing but he says, "but I know now." 

Therefore we can eliminate July 14 and August 14. Now we're left with three options July 16, August 15 and August 17.

Now if Cheryl has told Albert that the month was August, he wouldn't be still knowing as there are two dates in August and he just knows the month. But he says, in the last line of the conversation,

Albert:    Then I also know when Cheryl’s birthday is.

That means it must be July 16th.

If you still did not understand, comment us below. We would be glad to help!

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Corporate Golf

Corporate Golf is a term coined for the group of people from corporate world playing Golf on a regular basis, either for fun or for business. They keep the Golf courses busy across the Globe wherever Golf is appreciated. Corporate firms are large organizations with influential decision makers, professionals, high profile personnel and Golf has always been associated with being elite and sophisticated. This is what makes Corporates and Golf go hand in hand. It will suffice to say that Corporate leaders have a great hand behind the growth of Golf worldwide, without them Golf would have remained only a recreational sport. But now it is an industry in itself. 

Golf has an attribute of elegance attached to it and is very popular among the corporates as it gives an opportunity for golfers to interact with each other while playing and it also helps in cracking some lucrative business deals. Golf is considered synonymous with business and probably every second Golfer is playing either to develop good rapport with his senior colleagues or to impress a golf-loving client. And what makes Golf reach the wider audience is that it can be played by people of all ages with differing abilities, a 25 years old young executive can play with his 60 years old High Net Worth Client and sometimes losing a game may be more beneficial than winning it!

Playing golf with friends or in a group helps in healthy exchange of information and communication. Many  strong and healthy business relations start on a Golf Course. The calm mind gives one the peace to communicate strongly and effectively without the stress of an official business setting. One can plan out the entire day's activity even as one is walking around the greens chasing the ball or thinking about the next shot. It teaches how to remain calm under pressure, control temper, think strategically and above all gives a nice and healthy walk on a lush green environment. What else does a corporate guy need? 

Generally, a lot of corporates organize Golf events for their clients and associates to build trust and rapport. A one or two day corporate Golf events are planned, specially managed by professional Golf event management companies, because it is not just about playing and interacting, it is about an experience which the organizers want to give to their invitees. A well-organized corporate golf event is very beneficial as it helps to distinguish your company from the rest and helps in building relationship with new clients and to reinforce the relationship with existing customers.

An event organized by one corporate is an opportunity for the other to participate and it’s a link, which keeps on growing. You play one event, you organize the other, that is how it keeps growing. And for those who are new to the sport, special clinics are organized to teach skills by a certified teaching professional. Apart from these events, a lot of corporate outings are planned as well, from team building initiatives to developing exclusive business leads, from thanking clients to company brainstorming, a corporate has all the reasons to get on to a Golf Course. 

Corporates want to make their clients feel privileged, from customers of a bank to luxury car owners to credit card holders, every corporate has a client to cater to. What best can be there for them than to be introduced to Golf. There are now a lot of operators in the business of corporate Golf tours both domestic and International. Operators from US, UK and Australia plan trips to South East Asia especially Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and vice versa. Corporates are the key players to make Golf a multi-billion dollar industry. They help in sponsoring professional tournaments, corporate events and outings. They travel to various golfing destinations, buy most of the membership, buy equipment and merchandise, sponsor players, contribute to club revenues. 

You name it, they do it for Golf but the question is, why do they do so?

The simple answer is brand recognition and brand recall. This is how Golf pays back to the corporates. Golf sponsorship has become the leading form of corporate branding for companies to deliver awareness campaigns and open up additional markets for them to pursue clients and grow business. Corporates reach out to their target customers by way of international Live TV, print media campaigns, on course branding and signage. Besides associating with the sport is a prestige and honor in itself. The diverse demographics of the golfers make it easy for the corporates to sponsor CEOs to Entrepreneurs to Highly Educated Professionals to Decision makers to HNIs to aspiring middle class. These all are the perfect target customers for any corporate. 

To give you an example, what comes in mind whenever you see Tiger Woods playing? NIKE, isn't it? With time, things change, new players come on top and new sponsors come on board. But the fact is, it is difficult to separate Corporate from Golf, they both go hand in hand. I just need to name few corporates and you will start recalling their association with Golf: ROLEX, ADIDAS, HSBC, FEDEX, ACCENTURE, MERCEDES BENZ, AUDI, BMW, MASTER CARD, AMERICAN EXPRESS, OMEGA, SHELL and METLIFE. These corporates are not only there only for their own benefits but they do organize various charity, fundraising events and take various CSR initiatives to give back to the society. The raised money is given to the NGOs and other related organization working for underprivileged part of the society. 

As per IEG Research, the Worldwide spending on Golf sponsorship is expected to total $1.65 Billion mark by this year. Spending includes sponsorship of professional and amateur sanctioning bodies, tournaments, charity fundraisers, endorsement deals and corporate hospitality. BMW is the most active sponsor of Golf on the worldwide stage. Rolex follows in a close second with deals with 26 percent of properties. Alcoholic beverages and banks are the second and third most active categories, respectively. MasterCard International, Inc. is the most active sponsor in North America while banks are the most active category. 

Corporates play a major role in the development of the game and especially in developing countries like India and Africa where Golf is still in a nascent stage. Apart from just sponsoring events, I personally feel that the corporates should contribute in the development of new Golf learning facilities and infrastructure. Introduction of Golf in schools and colleges is very important. Golf can never grow unless it is taken to the masses. Golf has to become affordable and accessible to attract more customers, which would deliver a better ROI (Return on Investment) and would eventually ensure a strong and long term relationship between Corporates and Golf. 

This article is written by Aashish Vaishnava, CEO and Golf Course Designer at AV GOLF INTERNATIONAL. 

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Have you wondered how Bangalore is very clean?

When the whole nation talks about Swachch Bharat, Bangalore leads the way. How? This is how. They burn the garbage.

What about pollution? Pollution, my foot!

This image was clicked just 50 meters to the left of Manyata Embassy Business Park. Between this and the Business park is a Petrol Pump just 5 meters from here. Who cares about safety or pollution? This scene you can see every day morning. By the end of the day, the city is clean, ain't it?

This image was clicked few meters from the KR Puram bridge. Every day morning, you can see this around 7.30 AM. 

The same place, another view.

This was clicked in Domlur very near to Diamond district. This is under the foot path that is next to the compound of the ISRO housing colony, Domlur.

And this is what is happening in Delhi. Our heartfelt appreciation for CM Arvind Kejriwal for not only promising but acting on impending issues like these. 

We hope the Karnataka Government looks into this issue at the earliest.

And those of you who want to call us AAP supporters or paid newsmen, well, WE"RE NOT!

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MoS V K Singh's remark "Presstitutes" is justified?

We're are not sure, if his remark is justified or not. But, these tweets on PM Modi's shawl by journalists Rana Ayyub and Sagarika Ghose might answer that question. 

It all started with the Shawl Modi was wearing in France. Please refer to the following tweets.

And then a funny thing happened. A fellow twitter user tweeted to Louis Vuitton asking them if they produce such shawls.

Pat came this reply from LV

Realizing the mistake (a deliberate one), Sagarika tweeted back

We are still wondering, how come someone tweet about something, without knowing the real facts?

If this wasn't enough, Mihir Sharma, another journalist joined the band wagon.

And who answered Mihir Sharma now? An IFS officer, Mr. Vivek Kumar

And how did Mihir Sharma react?

Coming back to the title of this post, we're really not sure about it. We leave that to you. You decide!

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Mosquitoes to prevent Malaria!

Yes, you read that right.

Spoiler Alert : This is not a Spiderman like super hero post on insect bite.

We have studied in school, learnt from TV/Newspapers that Malaria is caused by mosquitoes and so did I know until one of my colleagues pulled me around for a discussion about a Malaria research program. A bunch of researchers from Seattle BioMed are conducting a research in the US, where people who have never had Malaria infection will get bitten by Anopheles Stephensi Mosquitoes !!?

These are no ordinary mosquitoes. They are genetically attenuated (weakened) and are aimed to produce immunity in the people who suffer the bite. The science behind this, in simple, is the concept behind the Small pox or a Polio vaccine.  A disease causing microorganism is weakened and injected into human beings to generate immunity. If we remember the life cycle, when a mosquito bites, sporozoites enter the bloodstream, and reach the liver. They infect liver cells, where they multiply into merozoites, rupture the liver cells, and return to the bloodstream and infect the Red blood cells. Scientists genetically modify the sporozoites by deleting critical genes from their DNA, so that upon reaching the liver, they will trigger an immune response, generate immunity and die without causing the infection.

Image Source - Wikipedia

In animal studies, the vaccine has shown 100% efficacy in preventing the infection.  Research in human beings is underway before the vaccine could be approved for use publicly. Of course, it is highly impossible and impractical to immunize large number of people by subjecting them to mosquito bites. The scientists are working their way out to find a large scale manufacturing solution to mass produce the vaccine.

Though treatment is available, no vaccine is currently available to prevent Malaria although several vaccines are in late stage research. The lead in that group is the RTS,S vaccine developed by GSK in collaboration with The Path Malaria Vaccine Initiative which is currently under regulatory review.

A 2014 WHO report on Malaria indicates that globally,

-  3.3 billion people are at risk of being infected with malaria and developing disease (1.2 billion are at high risk [>1 in 1000 chance of getting malaria in a year]).

-  198 million cases of malaria occurred globally in 2013

-  led to 0.58 million deaths ( ~90% of all malaria deaths occur In the WHO African Region of which children aged under 5 years, account for 78% of all deaths)

Drug resistance is a serious concern and many countries have banned the use of oral Artemisinin based mono-therapy medicines to treat Malaria. Unfortunately, India still allows its use as mono-therapy. When did we, Indians, take mosquitoes seriously.

25 April of every year is the World Malaria Day and the WHO is calling for high-level commitment to the vision of a world free of malaria. A mosquito bite might lead to Malaria infection.  Try to keep the surroundings clean and prevent breeding of mosquitoes. Stay healthy!!

This article is written by Anand Prabu. Follow him on Linkedin here. 

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