Archive for the ‘India’ Category
« Previous EntriesNext Entries »Petrol Strikes India – Petrol Pump Stocks Dry
Friday, January 9th, 2009
The petrol stock all over Bangalore is over. I assume this is the case throughout India now. I had been to Almost 7 Petrol Bunks since morning and all the Petrol Pumps had gone dry. There was this one Bunk, near St. Johns Bangalore, that was selling Petrol for Rs. 92/Litre in the afternoon Today. I was in the queue waiting for a chance to fill at least a litre or two to be on a safer side while returning back home. But to my bad luck, stocks got over there too, or may be they were just fooling people and blocked the supply to hike the price for tomorrow. People started arguing with the Bunk Guys, but nothing worked. All were asked to go away. I am sure, tomorrow Petrol will again be sold in the same bunk for more than 150 Rs a Litre. Since everyone needs Petrol, you have no other go but to buy it for the said price.
The scene at the Petrol Bunk was something like the one shown below; There were 3 Huge Queues;
- One for the 4 Wheelers
- One for the Guys with bottles in their hands
- And one more for the Bikes. This was the worst of the three as maintaining a single queue was impossible for Bikers
Who’s behind the Petrol Strike
The Oil Sector Officers’ Association, an umbrella organization of 45,000 employees in public sector oil companies, started an indefinite strike on Wednesday in support of their salary hike demand.
What I observed was most of them were getting their Tanks Full to avoid running out of fuel in case the strike continues. This was creating a problem for others and hence Petrol was getting exhausted very soon in Bunks. Some guys were carrying cans of Petrol and black marketing on the side roads. They were selling at absurd prices of Rs 120 per Liter.
I hope the employees of public sector oil firms call of the strike and restore normalcy throughout India, else there will be chaos and traffic Jams everywhere and this would impact daily life too.
Satyam Fraud – Ramalinga Raju Resigns – Shares Collapse
Wednesday, January 7th, 2009Satyam Computers Chairman Ramalinga Raju Resigned from the Board
“It was like riding a tiger without knowing how to get off without being eaten” summed the IT king, Ramalimgam Raju. For the uninitiated, the news is out. One of the most glaring frauds of Indian corporate market is officially declared. Satyam has been pushed to the cleaners with no immediate redemption is at sight. In what could be a shock reaction and a very correct one at that; the Satyam Shares plummeted to the half way mark amidst reports of rumors turning into validated statements.
Satyam has probably breathed its last for a very long time. The master strategist, the highly
reputed Mr. Ramalingam Raju is the fallen hero. He confessed how the operating figures and the reported figures have been different for the company since a long time now and how the misappropriation was somehow controlled for such time. In the absence of any further path, he had to come out in the open with all the dubious declarations.
The shares have witnessed a fall of hardly precedented 77.69% on a single trading day with the portfolio holders running for timely cover. Oversubscription again is the bane. In this particular context, Satyam has matched strides with the infamous Enron which declared bankruptcy after confessing huge oversubscription. Satyam has showed its worth far more than the actual one, in the books of profit. It has further shown non-existent accrued receipts and blown the profit far over the actual figure.
Such profits have attracted investors for long. Now the idea of having invested in Satyam is like a sour memory for all the portfolio holders. Raju admitted an operating margin fraud to the tune of tenfold overstatement. He confessed to the media how the operating margin of 61 crore is being shown as 649 crore. In such an event, an artificial balance of 588 crore rupees has been used by the company to show steadiness to its investors.
Last Traded Price of Satyam Shares as on 7th January- 39.95 INR
The announcement came at an opportune time and perhaps it is preplanned to let the institutional investors find an honorable exit. Inflated account balances have become an epidemic and lead many to think of reputed organizations as machines of cheating and manipulation. Raju nailed the truth harder on the investors by suggesting that an amount of 1230 crores was being arranged by Satyam by pledging the share of promoters. This was to keep floating somehow. But then, as is the norm with the world, the fuel can only run so long.
Satyam’s books are entirely manipulated but it has not happened for the first time. Enron did it; Lehmann came out in the open. Perhaps this is only the proverbial tip of the iceberg. What happens when something as big as GM or may be DC (looking for liquidation) comes out with something identical. All this leads an investor to think, is money really safe somewhere or are even bank Fixed Deposits jeopardized?
What will become of over 50,000 of employees Satyam has on its rolls if Mr. Ramalingam Raju decides to call it quits without a succession plan in place? Well! The answer floats in the wind.
Antulay Vs Ekta Kapoor
Monday, December 22nd, 2008Congress Vs Ekta Kapoor
Disclaimer: I have no political orientation whatsoever. This article has been written in good humor and should be read in the right spirit.
I don’t know how many of you have been watching the latest serial being telecast on TV, it features Antulay as its star and the Congress party as his co stars. If you haven’t watched it yet, you ought to. This is way way better than the Ekta Kapoor’s soaps on TV. Here is why:
1. For the start, Antulay’s serial doesnot start with K or KK… and it still seems to be doing well.
2. Antulay’s conspiracy theory is much intriguing than the plot of any KK.. serials. This theory spans across counties and borders. It involves it involves gunfire and terrorists, bomb blasts and posh hotels. It is in fact a complete package. On the other hand Ekta’s conspiracy theories are limited to identifying a person from her toe ring after the person has undergone plastic theory or some one plotting to steal someone’s child!! OOF Barbadi! That’s so passé….
3. Like Ekta’s serials everyone knows who is the villain, everyone knows the repercussions. But no one does anything about it. They meet but all these meetings are inconclusive. But unlike the soaps where the villain is not exposed for the greater good of a family, Antulay’s drama involves much larger social and political issues- vote bank! minorities! an entire party!
4. Antulay serial is gripping. In twenty four hours only one portion of the actor is shown. On the contrary Ekta tends to reveal half of the person in one episode of 1 hour starting from the feet and going up to the hips maybe.
5. It airs on all TV channels and all day long. On the other hand, the KK…. Serials are shown only on particular channels and just once a day.
If anyone has more points please add on. We shall send this as an inspiration to Ekta Kapoor. Buck up Ekkkkkta!
Antulay’s Comments
Who is Antulay? A R Antulay is the Union Minorities Affairs Minister and has also served as a Former Maharashtra chief Minister.
What did Antulay say? Antulay’s hinted that ATS chief Hemanth Karkare was killed because he was was investigating the Malegaon bombings in which Hindus (non-minorities) are the main suspects.
Superficially speaking they (terrorists) had no reason to kill Karkare. Whether he (Karkare) was a victim of terrorism or terrorism plus something I do not know.
Karkare found that there are non-Muslims involved in acts of terrorism in some cases. Any person going to the roots of terrorism has always been the target. There is more than what meets the eye.”
These remarks created an uproar in the parliament and he was asked to resign from his post.
Tamilnadu Diploma Examination Results – October 2008
Saturday, December 20th, 2008The Tamilnadu Polytechnic Results for Diploma Exams held in October 2008 have been declared by TNDTE.
Check the results below
http://www.tndte.com/DOTE2/index2.htm
Indian Railway Reservation
Saturday, December 13th, 2008
The Indian Railways Reservation system is a vast one catering to railway bookings throughout India. You can book online railway tickets to and from any destination in India, from not only India but from all over the world as well. And to make things even better, this online Indian Railway Reservation system ensures that the ticket is delivered to your doorstep.
Before the advent of online reservation system, passengers had to visit the nearest reservation centre to buy tickets. However, with the advent of the internet, passengers can not only make bookings, but also check fares, availability of tickets and get alerts about train schedules online.
With the help of the Indian Railways Reservations, you can make advance bookings up to a maximum of 60 days in advance for berths, seats, compartments and carriages. This advance period does not include the departure date. However, in the case of intermediate stations, it is possible to make bookings more than 60 days in advance.
Accommodation is Reserved on First Come First Serve Basis
It is possible for a person to book a maximum of six passengers on a requisition form, if all passengers are travelling to the same destination using the same train. If there are various returns or onward journeys involved, passengers can use more forms.
Berths booked through the Indian Railways Reservation system provide sleeping facilities from 9pm to 6am after which passengers should give room to other passengers if required.
Bookings on Indian Railway Reservation system are carried out according to a logical system, while efforts are made to provide accommodation to people in the same PNR using a first come, first served basis. Although the Indian Railway Reservation system does aim to reserve accommodation, there is no guarantee though and no compensation is awarded for any inconvenience caused.
Senior citizens have concessions
Senior citizens booking tickets in advance through the Indian Railways Reservation system are granted concession. Senior citizens travelling with such tickets have to carry some government institution proof of their age or date of birth and produced when demanded by officials.
Those with confirmed tickets have their berths allotted when the ticket is booked. However those with Reservation against Cancellation (R.A.C.) tickets are provided sitting accommodation for the trip where they may receive berths through last minute cancellations.
It is possible to make online reservations only up to four hours before the departure time, after which reservations have to be made at the station ticket desk before the departure time or on the platform from the ticket conductor, if tickets are available.
Confirm timings before traveling
In case a reserved passenger does not appear at the station at least 10 minutes before departure time, the Indian Railways Reservation system may cancel the reservation and allot the same seat to another passenger on RAC on first come, first served basis.
After making reservations, if there are any enquiries to be made, you will have to quote the PNR number found on the top left hand side of the ticket. Although the departure time may be printed on the ticket, the passenger should confirm times before travelling. There is no compensation available if passengers miss trains because of this.
Petrol Diesel Prices Cut by Government of India
Monday, December 8th, 2008On Friday, Indian government finally announced the long expected cut in the fuel prices. Government has reduced the price of petrol by Rs. 5, whereas, diesel is cheaper by Rs. 3 a liter.
After the cabinet meeting, Petroleum Minister Murli Deora told reports that government took this step in order to ease the present inflation rate and to boost economic growth as high fuel prices have already hit numerous businesses which in turn have effected country economic growth rate.
In June, government raised the prices of petrol, diesel and LPG by Rs. 5, Rs. 2 and Rs. 50 respectively to save oil companies from heavy losses which they were suffering due to the rally in global fuel prices.
Before the latest cut, companies were making a steady profit of Rs. 14.89 a liter on petrol and Rs. 3.03 on diesel. However, they were still losing Rs. 17.26 a liter on kerosene and Rs. 148.89 on every LPG cylinder.
Presently, oil is trading near $ 43.69 mark and many major market gurus believe that it can further go down towards $25 mark in near future due to economic crises which is slowly spreading from one country to another.
Mumbai Attacks – Whose War is This Anyway?
Friday, December 5th, 2008
It is far above our poor power to say anything that can encompass the events and feelings of those dreadful days. A week has passed and the heavy ashes in Mumbai are settling down. We have been choicelessly witnessing a plethora of bitter vivid pictures and news over and over again in the 100 s of news channels we are blessed with. There were different theories from a whole spectrum of individuals, including many I do not personally endorse or believe in. There were feelings in me who badly wanted to be poured out and here I am with a big bunch of words trying to portray how badly a Indian is hurt with the Mumbai Terror Attacks.
There would be a sinking feeling deep in ones heart, if like me, one saw some part of the media hopelessly playing things lightly and straying away from its objective to keep the country united. Answer me this, How many news channels did you happen to see which truly made you feel hurt at the situation as a human being, as a true Indian. First to report, first to be there, first reaction, first explanation, first images . . . .the list seems endless. The list which defies the fact that a true Indian would give a Fuck about who reported the tragedy first [pardon my language]. There were clips from some TV medium where a press reporter held a bag and enlightened us with the fact of how one of the terrorist actually ran towards the Taj Hotel. Come on now guys, it’s of no fucking interest to us of how he ran or what he wore that night. You ve got better news than that to report. And what a shame it is reporting things LIVE and reporting first, the secret plans the brave commandos were undertaking. I do not know how many people it helped, but it definitely helped the terrorists to be updated with the latest operations around them. Every time I saw such third grade, irresponsible news being reported during the three days, I could not stop wonder, it would have been so wonderful like in old times to have one news channel keeping the spirit of Indian-ism with equal intensity.
And there is the audio media radios and the FM’s. I am at my best culture now when I am trying hard to control the flow of abuses and curses coming out from me. I happened to listen to one station while on my way to office. The reason I was so very pissed off that morning was a radio station which was running a contest to win two movie tickets to some silly cinemas if we could SMS our reaction towards mumbai terror to them. There was this guy who was called up and was asked all kinds of questions, if he was stuck in a traffic, how his wife was doing and all stuff, before the god damned RJ asked him how he felt about the situation in Mumbai. Never wanted to know if he won those couple tickets. Irresponsible acts like this from our media definitely aids us in our way of hampering our ability to deal with a situation.
Like every other time, after a major ‘You Know What’ thing, the chain mails/forwards have started coming in the email users community. They sadly bear very disturbing pictures of the victims and their family or they have some pictures/stories of our brave soldiers who put their lives on the line for us. And there are mails which are hell bent on doing an autopsy on the situation and provoke the inherent quality of our Indians to commence the blame game. With images and posters from rallies where people holding big and holding high sayings and shout outs accusing politicians for being the prime responsible for the mayhem.
There would not be an Indian who would like to see more images of people suffering and crying their for their lives. It is unpleasant but if we be true to our conscience we would have answers saying we shall soon be taking the pictures out of our memory very soon. Its very sad to know how these mails and the feelings attached with it will so easily be erased both from the disk as well as our minds. The brave Martyrs would soon be buried deep in our hearts and its not long before we forget that they are the very reason some of us might be seeing the day light today. Instead of holding on to each other with a spirit of being an Indian national, we begin our journey towards an endless path with a small time objective to fire out all our anger on our leaders. Answer me again, will it really please you if you saw the back of a minister taking responsibility and resigning now ? Agreed it would prevent any such further incidents, but now ? when the prime call is to take some actions quickly, do we want a new minister to take over, be briefed, be known of all the measure the former took and you want the process to slow things down ?
After all, who are these leaders, they would have been somewhere reading an article like this and it was you who put them there. Brush up your souls and answer yourself, How many of you who blamed the politicians for being responsible actually used their VETO power. If you have not voted, you have got no rights to finger point at them. Unless the educated fraternity rise and take a wise decision at choosing a right leader the easily manipulable and less educated community would elect the same people over and over again. How many of you reading those just another forward actually thought of doing something about it rather than discussing the mail in the next coffee break and move on.
I know the content here is getting too much over the nose but you have to read this . . .
There’s a well-known myth in India about bodies in the river.
Villagers notice a body floating by, and they take it out of the river and bury it.
Then more bodies float by, and the villagers take them out and bury them.
Soon, so many bodies are floating downriver that the village can’t keep up. They run to the village elder to ask him how to fish all the bodies out.
The elder tells them to stop fishing out bodies, and instead tells them to walk upstream to find out why bodies are falling in the river in the first place. He tells them that unless they stop it, they won’t solve the problem.
They do so, find out why people are dying and ending up in the river, and stop the whole mess.
Until we “walk upstream” and see what is causing the slaughter , and stop it, and act upon and be responsible it will be impossible to stop the bodies flow.
[Myth Courtesy : Internet]
I wish may all the departed souls find heaven and may they all Rest in Peace . After all this, We owe the deceased a promise, atleast a promise, that we will not let their deaths be forgotten without anything positive coming out of it. Each and everyone as an individual is equally responsible and important. Lets look around and see what’s possible to help the increasingly prevalent campaigns to battle insurgents and terrorists openly or clandestinely to an equal footing with traditional combat of our defense. Lets live up to our motherland expectations and be a True INDIAN
- Another Spirited Indian
The Global Indian: Not Just Another Face in the Crowd
Monday, December 1st, 2008If the recent Bharti advert is anything to go by, then Indians are beginning to be perceived in a new and refreshing light! Going back 1500 years ago, the ad claims that it was Aryabhatta who taught the entire world how to count. The father of surgery – Sushruta, the inventor of wireless communication – Jagdish Bose, how 90% of the world’s computers run on a chip made by another Indian Vinod Dham and finally ending with one of history’s greatest figures – Mahatma Gandhi, who won a war without fighting.
Bharti Ad – Proud to be an Indian
httpv://in.youtube.com/watch?v=z53K4d6ncNk
India is truly evolving and the advertisement is just a reflection of changing times, an unshackled India waiting to show the potential that it truly has.
Indians the world over
Whether it is the famous businessman Chatwal and his close association with the powerful family of the Clintons, the heights of power enjoyed by the steel tycoon Mittal in the UK, or even an Aravind Adiga winning the Man Booker Prize this year for his compelling book ‘The White Tiger’, India is leaving an impression all over the world, in almost every sphere and segment. Not just in the literary segment, even in politics, business, economy and films, India is shining like never before! If Shyamalan’s films evoke a sense of respect and awe from Hollywood moviegoers, then it is also a Sunita Williams and Kalpana Chawla who have made Indian women kind proud across the world. Sonal Shah’s recent recruitment into the Obama camp as a drafter of Obama’s high-tech policies speaks volumes of the kind of influence and hold Indians in the US have over the political scenario.
Deep Impact: the movie that may just have changed US mindset
The year 1998 saw the unraveling of a movie that could well have paved the way for Obama winning the Presidential elections this year! In the film ‘Deep Impact’, Morgan Freeman plays the President of the United States of America. Although it is a fact that no matter what role Morgan Freeman touches upon, he does full justice to it, playing a Black President of the US was no mean feat – and yet 10 years down the line we see it happening as a reality in Obama. Maybe Americans have come of age after all, have stopped thinking the White House as only a white person’s domain and have come to accept its true multi-ethnic culture, the potpourri of citizens who come to the US each year in the quest of fulfilling the ‘American Dream’.
Multi-ethnicity in the US: the Indian perspective
Whether it is the number of Patels or Shahs you find in the US, or the number of Punjabi businesspersons there, India is seen everywhere on the global map. If the Silicon Valley is dotted with South Indians in every nook and cranny, the business segment is punctuated with Punjabis, Sindhis, Gujaratis and Marwaris who have come to the country with nothing and made millions. The ‘American Dream’ is not just a fabled myth. It does exist as has been proved repeatedly by the countless Indians who have made it rich and fulfilled their dreams of becoming rich and famous.
Indian fashion: a serious style statement
India is no more the country with camels, leaky-nosed children and poverty strewn everywhere – as has been depicted by so many international programs. On the contrary, today there is another India emerging – one with Abhinav Bindra taking the Gold Medal in the Beijing Olympics, an MS Dhoni captaining India and defeating the indefatigable Australians at every turn, or even an Ujjwala Raut scorching international ramps across Milan, Paris and Tokyo. Yes, the India of old is being replaced with a urban, young and sassy one. The new India appreciates the yuppy life and still has deep reverence for its cultural roots, loves to mix a Levis jeans with a Kolhapuri chappal or Chandelier earrings with a bindi, or chooses to offer pranam to its elders even as it parties into the wee hours of the night! Indian fashion too is taken seriously – and how! Whether it is a Rohit Bal, a JJ Valaya or a Tarun Tahiliani, Rina Dhaka, Ritu Beri or even a Sabyasachi mixing Indian wear with western aesthetics and sensibility – Indian fashion is chic, trendy and oh so wearable!
When Gwen Stefani chose to wear a bindi and pierce her nose in her song ‘Don’t Speak’ little did she realize she would be a fashion forerunner of all things Indian!
Mr. Terrorist, What A Coward You Are!!!
Friday, November 28th, 2008
I had flown in from Hong Kong around 4:00 a.m. on Wednesday 26th November and had planned to leave for Sri Lanka the same night. I had broken journey in Mumbai only so that I could attend the new Parsi Punchayet Board’s meeting with Mr. Nusli and Mr. Ness Wadia. I left Neville House around 9 p.m. and went home for a quick bite before continuing for the airport. As I was about to leave, news about the terror attacks began to filter in. Initially it looked like only two of Mumbai’s best hotels in South Mumbai were under siege. But, soon enough there were reports of two blasts in my own neighborhood in Mazagaon. The taxi that blew up in Andheri was reportedly headed for the International Airport. My travel program reluctantly had to be aborted.
Most of Thursday was spent glued to the television. It was heart wrenching watching the Taj hotel billowing thick black smoke and the leaping flames menacing around the grand dome. Even more heart wrenching was the sight of blood and destruction at Café Leopold owned by family friends – the Dehmeries. Images of many a memorable party that I had enjoyed here with good friends began flashing through my mind. I have always described Cafe Leopold as a Happy and Happening place. But what happened on 11/26 was far from happy.
Material destruction can be compensated for and even rebuilt. But, alas, what about the loss of innocent lives? Can that be compensated for? Can the dead be brought back to life? Whose war are we fighting? What has Mumbai done to deserve this?
And where, pray where, were the defenders of the ‘sons of the soil’ when Mumbai’s sacred soil was splattered with the blood of its innocent sons and daughters?
Yes, I know I am asking too many questions – some rhetorical and some just too uncomfortable. But do we really have answers? I don’t know.
Today on Friday, 28th November I am at my office since morning. Most offices are working but with thinner attendance. Most people are still in a state of shock and disbelief.
I was not born in Mumbai but its the city I grew up in. It’s given me good education, a wonderful career and lots to feel proud about. I love my city very much and therefore I consider all this loss and destruction too personal.
The Taj Hotel and Colaba is situated less than a kilometer away from my office. As I write this, the terrorists are still holed up there and my coming to work today is a symbol of this city’s resilience. Yes, Mr. Terrorist, you have tried to scare me and the rest of the citizens of this great city. But NO, we are not scared.
Yes, Mr. Terrorist, you have succeeded in getting me and everyone else very angry but scared – NO! It’s business as usual and while we mourn for our dead and despise the destruction you have wrecked, we resolve to rise like the proverbial phoenix from the ashes to live another day and face the challenge.
And, Mr. Terrorist, you and your group have been cowards, attacking innocent and defenseless people. You have won no great battle. No medals await you in this life or the next, though you may have been brainwashed and assured about the latter. Of course, you will personally come to know more about this fact when you get there and it’s going to be sooner in your case than most of us, Mr. Terrorist. Those who live by the sword also die by the sword.
In conclusion, Mr. Terrorist, I dare say, the average Mumbaikar is a braver and greater soldier than any one of you. You may be trained as Commandos for Carnage but we have been trained to be Commanders of our own lives. We command care and respect for our fellow human beings. A pity no one ever cared nor will ever care for you, Mr. terrorist!
Yes, indeed this great city shall bloom again. But you, Mr. Terrorist, are doomed!
Rest in Peace Mr. Terrorist and let us live in Peace!
Clued to the call
Friday, October 17th, 2008
Poor people operated for Cataract for free by Dr Narpat Solanki, Project Drishti
In 1975, a 20 year old medicine aspirant from Rajasthan followed the diktat of his father, a chartered accountant and set out to pursue a professional career in medicine. At the end of his graduate study, he sought to specialize in general surgery but was handed out ophthalmology. Today, twenty-two-years on, Dr Narpat Solanki’s professional palate is a tale of what he describes as “My father’s dream and God’s plan; not my cake.”
He is seen in many roles in many places. You may find him in Karnataka’s rural backyards like Chitradurga and Gauribidanur conducting camps, performing surgeries or even screening eyes alongside his team of trained professionals or you may find him in strife-torn Cambodia and fast-developing Indonesia training fellow professionals under the Rotary International banner. If neither, you may find him at his Bangalore-headquartered Mahaveer Eye Hospital – attending to patients, performing surgeries, interacting with an international group of professionals who are training under him and also fulfilling his managerial responsibilities as director of MEH.
And, there is more to “God’s plan or destiny” in his life. In January 1987, the then young professional was only visiting his ailing grandmother in Bangalore and the city simply ended up becoming his home base. While the closely-knit Jain population in Bangalore was only too happy to have one of their own to rely on, to his credit, the man born with a silver spoon in his mouth saw it as a call to serve. Dr Solanki saw to it that his reach broke the barriers of class, community, social and economic. The special camps that he holds for the mentally challenged, the jail inmates and senior citizens, the AIDS and leprosy afflicted are a reflection of the same.
Against Odds
The crust of his work is however Project Drishti, which was started in July 2001 to reach quality eye care to the poor and under-privileged sections of society. It is an effort that has seen Dr Solanki and his 45-member team going to the doorstep of the target population in some 12 districts in the State. Working with the local administration and non-governmental organizations, team Project Drishti has till date screened over 10 lakh(1 Million) people including 1.32-lakh school-going children and conducted about 95,000 free eye surgeries. Almost one-camp-a-day is the order of things at Project Drishti.
The run has been anything but easy. For service-minded professionals, it has been sorrowful to see invaluable infrastructure at the government hospitals in district centers put to little use, while they struggled with the logistics of reaching care to people far off from their operational base. “The assessment of the utilization rate of equipment in district hospitals will reveal a sad story. Hardly 10 per cent of the available eye care infrastructure is put use”, observes Dr Solanki, while also regretting the government’s “lack of openness” in allowing private players to adopt primary health care centers. The least that the government can do is let medical groups and teams like Project Drishti avail its space and infrastructure in the rural limits, he says.
In the large context, Dr Solanki wants to push forward the case for health clinics for students in government-run primary schools. It is an investment in “health consciousness” the government needs to make in the future interests of the country. A health certificate must become as important a qualifying-document as birth certificate, he opines.
Dr Solanki’s work has been recognized and feted aplenty and it includes ‘Karnataka Rajyothsava Award’, the highest civilian award by the government of his adopted state. That is however not to mean rest from work and service. Setting up eye care clinics in rural areas on public-private partnership basis and spreading knowledge by expanding the professional training activities of MEH are the goals for the immediate future.
As he puts it “Service has given me the achievements. We (at MEH) set our own targets and strive to fulfill it 110 per cent.” As an after thought, he adds, “Self confidence is a thing about it. For, when you are working with good intentions, things will see themselves through.”
