Rowdy or Howdy - Fathers

Earliest of protest that I remember having studied in our history class is that against Simon Commission - It was opposed by Nehru, Gandhi, Jinnah, the Muslim League and Indian National Congress because it contained seven members of the British Parliament but no Indians. Indians saw it as a violation to their right. Prominent Indian nationalist Lala Lajpat Rai led a protest in Lahore, suffered a police beating during the protest, and died of his injuries on 17 November around 1928 a fortnight later. It was lead under the chairmanship of Sir John Simon. The commission arrived in British India to study constitutional reform. One of its members was Clement Attlee, of the Labour Party, who became committed to Indian independence by 1934 and achieved that goal as Prime Minister in 1947 in the granting of independence to India and Pakistan. The outcome of the Simon Commission was the Government of India Act 1935, which is the basis of many parts of the Indian Constitution and called for "responsible" government at the provincial level in India and in 1937 the first elections were held in the Provinces.

Protest leading to human life is bad, but in case the protesters are considered, it's beneficial, undoubtedly as the views would normally be contradictory, both cannot be implemented.

Pradipta Debnath wrote - as part of Jadavpur University protest
My city Kolkata today 💙

A parade so historic, it scared the fascists.
People so united, it broke the partitionists.
No sticks, no stones, no breaking any bones,
No cartridges, no blood, only songs atone.
The sky, a touch of red,
Underneath her stood, no fear, no dread,
The children of Jadavpur, the voices that rage,
Protecting the glory of her profound tutelage.

A resistance against fascism, the resistance against RSS-BJP-ABVP!! This was in India.

2 power-soaked megalomaniacs met each other's match on 22nd September at Houstan while 50k cheered on and 20 k protested outside. This clearly tells us a good bit about the power of critical thinking and how each think the other to be bigots and hypocrites. Many stood with pride out in the sun, drenched in honest sweat, outside the NRG stadium, in Houston, with prefabricated posters, T-shirts, flags, etc. which they belived to be the moral side of history, while the evil danced to the tunes of the devil inside the opulence of the NRG stadium. The presence of Khalistanis (Sikh separatists) soured the tenor of the protests, involving people of many country and religion. People used the hashtag #AdiosModi to ask Modi to go back and serve up; "Stop Hindutva Fasciscm" “the butcher of humanity”, ‘Real Hindus don’t lynch’and ‘Hinduism is real, hindutva is fake’, “Modi, Modi you can’t hide, you committed genocide”. Some posters compared Modi to Hitler and some slogans compared RSS to the Ku Klux Klan. They thought after being bitten by the Texas bug, tourist PM from India might never again want to step outside of India!!

Narendra Modi on 22 September did address "Shared Dreams, Bright Futures", Texas India Forum. The event seemed to be a PR dream with Modi seeking a standing ovation for the abrogation of Article 370 and asking people to vote for Trump again using his own campaign slogan — ‘Abki baar, Trump Sarkar’. That the bhakts were a wealthy and zealous lot was more than apparent, after the event attendees were gleefully talking about the “josh” of the event, one of the main man behind the 'Modi Howdy' mega event was said to be Shri Soumitra Gokhale, RSS Vishva Vibhag Pramukh, Sangha Pracharak for the last 20 years; who did his MS from US and is a bachelor. The resisters were flabbergasted, and wondered how smoothly he lied about the economy. Nothing he said could have been farther from the truth! For Modi moments from Houston would always remain a part of memory. (Which moment's, I wonder?) He thanked all those who came for the #HowdyModi programme. The event was lively, showcasing the special features of Indian culture and accomplishments of the Indian diaspora. There was also the 'Making of Father 2.0' for our Nation/India.

(Picture Courtesy - FB)

Story do not end here.

Gates Foundation staffer Sabah Hamid resigned from the foundation after realising it was willing to award Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi annual Global Goalkeeper award despite his increasing authoritarian grip on power, infliction of state violence and communication shutdown in Kashmir. Asian performers are organised “Fuck Modi: Noise for Kashmir”, a benefit held in Brooklyn, New York, that brings together artists, protestors and activists, aiming to give the Prime Minister what they call “a true New York welcome filled with opposition demonstrations”. There has been created a FB page - Coalition Against Fascism in India.

Narendra Modi on 25th September addressed Gates Foundation Award and Business Forum in New York and on 27 September in his United Nations address; he mentioned on behalf of 130 crore Indians celebrating 150 years of Mahatma Gandhi's birthday; how with majority, he was re-elected in a developing nation, who believed in inclusiveness and consider all as one and have always wanted the welfare of the world, which align with UN Peace keeping mission, we are the residents of that country which has given the world not yudh (war) but buddh, and message of peace. We are against violence, which is the biggest challenge that humanity face today. Vivekananda in World Parliment of Religion requested for - Harmony and Peace, and he too prayed for the same.

Of many two important incidents in the backdrop:

For 10 years the USA & UK had banned Modi for his complicity in the 2002 Gujarat pogrom. The Godhra Train Burning was an incident that occurred on the morning of 27 February 2002, in which 59 people including 27 women and 10 children were burnt to death, and 48 others were injured in a fire inside the Sabarmati Express train near the Godhra railway station. The victims were Hindu pilgrims who were returning from Ayodhya after a religious ceremony at the disputed Babri Masjid site. The train was attacked by a mob of around 2,000 people. After some stone-pelting, four coaches of the train were set alight, trapping many people inside. It was found that the fire was arson committed by a mob of 1,000 to 2,000 people while some claimed that the fire had been an accident. A court convicted 31 Muslims for the incident and the conspiracy for the crime. The event is widely perceived as the trigger for the Gujarat riots that followed, which resulted in widespread loss of life, destruction of property and homelessness. Estimates of casualties range from the official figures of 790 Muslims and 254 Hindus, to upwards of 2,000 casualties. Modi was the Chief Minister of Gujarat then. The moment he ascended to power in India and became the Prime Minister the ban was lifted. Have pondered on this often.

Kashmir entered its 48th day of blockade by the Indian government, on abolishing article 370 giving special status to a state in India. In the year 1846, Kashmir was sold along with its people in a very humiliating deal, known as the Treaty of Amritsar. The East India Company sold Kashmir to Maharaja Gulab Singh for a sum of Rs 75 lakhs (approximately $104,167 in 2019) as one-time payment as well as some goats of ‘approved breed’ and a few Pashmina shawls that were to be presented to the British Government annually. In the postcolonial period, there was imprisonment of Sheikh Abdullah in 1953, gradual dilution of autonomy over many decades, and rigging of elections in 1987, and now this. How it plays, and pays is a scary thought, Many across is encouraging the lifting of the remaining restrictions temporarily imposed and to maintain the rights and fundamental freedoms of the affected population.

Need of the hour is a peaceful solution, in full respect of their international Human rights obligations. In a moment of rising tensions in different regions around the world, no one could afford another escalation in Kashmir. Regional cooperation in South Asia is now more essential than ever, and peaceful solutions is the need of the hour.

When soldiers climb to up Siachen glacier, evey soldier, Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian, bows his head and prays towards a solitary igloo as he trudges past, asking God to keep him safe. Inside the igloo, is a Geeta, a Koran, a Bible and the Granth Saab. But a reminder that man is one, and as they say in the Vedas, ‘Vasudeva Kutumbakam', the whole world is one family. Incongruous.

Evangelists, Islamists, Communists, some hindus and Sikhs from across the world is on one side and RSS/BJP supporters, and those who are Pro-Modi- As they keep fighting and protesting, against each other - There are also the third kind, who do see the good as well as bad in both the groups and wish and pray for world peace and harmony - Genuinely. Not a disguise.

We keep focusing on external enemies. But the dreadful enemy is within. Once upon a time, then Father of the nation was shot by an extremist by name Nathuram Godse, an advocate of Hindu nationalism, the editor of a daily, Hindu Rashtra; who believed Gandhi to have favored the political demands of India's Muslims during the partition of India, it is believed that he plotted the assassination with Narayan Apte and six others. From https://www.outlookindia.com/website/story/why-exactly-did-godse-kill-gandhi/293200 - below paragraphs:

" Devdas replies: "Then why did you do it?"

Nathuram says "the reason is purely political and political alone!" He asks for time to explain his case but the police do not allow this. In court, Nathuram explained himself in a statement, but the court banned it. Gopal Godse reprints Nathuran's will in an annexure to his book. The last line reads: "If and when the government lifts the ban on my statement made in the court, I authorise you to publish it."

So what is in that statement? In it Godse makes the following points:

That he respected Gandhi and "above all I studied very closely whatever Veer Savarkar and Gandhiji had written and spoken, as to my mind these two ideologies have contributed more to the moulding of the thought and action of the Indian people during the last thirty years or so, than any other single factor has done."

Godse felt about Gandhi that "the accumulating provocation of thirty–two years, culminating in his last pro–Muslim fast, at last goaded me to the conclusion that the existence of Gandhi should be brought to an end immediately. Gandhi had done very well in South Africa to uphold the rights and well–being of the Indian community there. But when he finally returned to India he developed a subjective mentality under which he alone was to be the final judge of what was right or wrong. If the country wanted his leadership, it had to accept his infallibility; if it did not, he would stand aloof from the Congress and carry on his own way."

This led to thought of action against Gandhi because, in Nathuram's view, "against such an attitude there can be no halfway house. Either Congress had to surrender its will to his and had to be content with playing second fiddle to all his eccentricity, whimsicality, metaphysics and primitive vision, or it had to carry on without him."

The other charge is that Gandhi helped create Pakistan: "When top leaders of Congress, with the consent of Gandhi, divided and tore the country – which we consider a deity of worship – my mind was filled with direful anger. I bear no ill will towards anyone individually but I do say that I had no respect for the present government owing to their policy which was unfairly favourable towards the Muslims. But at the same time I could clearly see that the policy was entirely due to the presence of Gandhi."

There is a problem with Godse's argument and it is this. He thinks Gandhi was enthusiastic about dividing India when everything in history tells us the case was the opposite. He says Gandhi was a tyrant in Congress but also says Gandhi fasted to get the Congress to see his point of view. Why would a tyrant need to do anything other than just command? Nathuram objects to Gandhi's final fast (against India's refusal to release funds to Pakistan), but that was after India went back on its promise. It was Gandhi who made India act correctly and decently in that instance.

Little of what Nathuram says makes sense by way of logic. It is, contrary to his statement to Devdas, not politics that shaped his actions. It was his hatred of the secular ideology of Gandhi, the true Hindu spirit, that he is finally opposed to, having been brainwashed thoroughly by the RSS."

Godse believed in Akhand Bharat (entirety of pre-Independence India being one country). Modi absolutely does not, and it shows. He is more in tune with the majority of modern-day Indians who are really glad that partition happened. If you recall, Godse was the opposite. After Gandhi died, his ashes were immersed in every river of India, except the Indus. Godse died asking that his ashes be kept until reunification of India happened, after which he wanted them to be immersed in any Pakistani river. According to him these were the only Indian rivers left uncontaminated by Gandhi’s ashes. Modi is very much the opposite of all this.

Godse was a total Swadeshi-booster. In fact, he had a commercial establishment called “Swadeshi Stationery Shop.” In this, he and Gandhi were similar. Modi is different from both. He is very much someone that wants to trade with the world.

The reality is that Godse-Gandhi-Modi are all very different from one another



Like minded people are all bound by a sacred thread of solidarity for resistance. "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead

Strategy, Strategic Planning & Employee Engagement

(With Ideas and learnings from an article read in Linked in by Willie Pietersen - 'Why Strategy Is in Trouble'?; Study Material and daily work experience)

Strategy is about harnessing insight to make choices on the effective deployment of scarce resources with the aim of creating competitive advantage. Strategy is the key to convert our dreams into reality. Strategy is the basis - combined with execution excellence it will lead to great success.

To be useful, a strategy must produce a set of specific deliverable by answering four questions; it is not simply a process of open ended choice-making:

1. What are our key insights about the external environment?
2. In which arenas will we compete?
3. What will be our winning proposition and key priorities? - This is the central deliverable of strategy and not value proposition as value is a relative concept not absolute
4. How will we implement our strategy?

Strategy is about doing the right things, it is about insights, ideas and external perspective. Planning is about doing things right. It is about numbers and logistics and is internally focused.

We need a dynamic process of continuous learning and renewal - a way to refresh the answers to the four questions. A method to achieve this goal called Strategic learning devised by Willie Pietersen involves four steps mirroring the four deliverable - broadly divided into two viz:
Strategy creation and Strategy implementation - learn, focus, align, execute. Steps in Strategic Learning: The leadership process can be explanined as below; The sequence is crucial, elements do not work in isolation. Each step builds on the prior one and confers power on the next step:

Strategy Creation:
1) Learn : Conduct a situation Analysis to generate insight into the external environment and the company's internal realities. Situation analysis is the intelligence system that informs all the subsequent steps.
2) Focus: Translate these insights into your competitive focus, winning propositions and key priorities. It is the core of strategy. The winning proposition is the central animating idea that guides all an organisation's decisions and activities.
Strategy Implementation:
3) Align: The total organization and energize your people behind this strategic focus.
4) Execute: Implement your strategy and experiment with new ideas. Interpret the results and continue the cycle.

Strategic learning is not only a procedure. It is a way of thinking. "Strategy is not just about what we think, but how we have thought it"

Vital Strategy disciplines are outside in approach, need involvement, Simplicity and communication.

Three levels that firms commonly develop organisational strategies for are:
1) Corporate or Multi Business
2) Competitive or Business and
3) Functional/Within Business

In Today's competitive environment, organizational strategies must be dynamic. It is not determined by firm's initial move but by its anticipations and preparedness. Key elements of Strategic Planning are:

1) Environmental Analysis -

This involves evaluation of major interests and covers both internal environment to understand Strength and weakness and external environment to know opportunities and threats. SWOT analysis also known as Current state Analysis takes the strategic planning to the next level of focus with the help of TOWS Matrix in particular by identifying relationships and developing strategy to match strength with opportunities, overcome threat and reduce weakness and to use opportunities to reduce weaknesses.

A variety of external factors that make up an organisations business environment are:

- Legal and Regulatory Factors
- Market Forces, Industry, Trend and Competition (Michael Porter developed a model examining the 5 forces viz - Bargaining powers of suppliers and buyers, threat of New entrants and Substitute products and Rivalry among existing competition. Three generic strategies to gain competitive advantage are cost leadership strategy, differentiation strategy and focus strategy.
- Technology changes
- Stakeholder groups and their social concerns
- Globalization

An internal capability analysis helps to ensure that the organization has the resource, skills and processes to reach its strategic and tactical goals. Conceptually it has two phases

- Establish snapshot of the present state and identify gaps
- Make decisions about closing the critical gaps considering the cost of developing new capabilities against the potential payoffs.

2) Prepare Master Strategies - It involves preparation of long term Vision, Mission, goals and objectives.

Vision is a brief statement of what an organisation will do for future generations and how it wants to be perceived.

Mission answers why are we in the business. Expresses how the organization will continuously move towards its vision.

Goals both strategic and tactical summarize what the organization hoses to achieve in order to fulfill its mission and achieve vision. i.e. states desired end result

Objectives provide details or actions required to support goals.

3) Tactical Plans are developed which are of short range like operational plans, budgets.

Some common planning tools and techniques are situational analysis, PEST analysis, scenario planning, competitive analysis, contingency planning, and BCG Growth share Matrix. Created by Boston Consultancy Group, BCG growth share matrix is and effective analytical tool. An organisation ranks its business units (or products) on the basis of relative market shares and growth rates and places them into one of the following four quadrants naming them Stars, question marks, cash cows and dogs. A company should have portfolio of products with different growth rate and Market share and is a function of balance between cash flows. High growth products required cash flow to grow and low growth rate generates excess cash, both needed simultaneously.

Strategy thus plan to match an organisations strengths with the opportunities in the market place to accomplish its desired goals over the short and long term. It moves from creating a general big picture with the help of master strategies and then gets into the specific details with tactical plans.

The key is to translate the strategy into a compelling leadership message to win hearts and minds and repeat endlessly....

Strong Employee Engagement depends on a clearly articulated strategic vision. Two factors that drive employee engagement are: the opportunity to focus on the most important task and feeling connected to a higher purpose.

In case the above factors are not considered, organisation's strategy development process will be mired in a fog of complexity and confusion.

Sleeping on Jupiter by Anuradha Roy

A Booker nominated novel with central plot as sexual abuse of children and homosexuality, began interestingly, but was not gripping as it went by - the ending of the book is dark and leaves you with your imagination to interpret in your own way, not sure it that is why after chapter 5, they go directly to Chapter 18. 

The main character is Nomi, a child victim of civil strife in an unspecified northeastern state in India, is orphaned, rescued, and then abused by a god man, “Guruji,” in an ashram. She escapes and is adopted into a Norwegian family, who returns to contemporary India to make a documentary about temple festivals, and Nomi is able to make peace with her past., then there is the young temple priest, Badal, secretly in unrequited love with Raghu, an errand boy in a tea stall in the seaside temple town of Jarmuli in India’s hilly and coastal northeast. The story also includes three elder women—Latika, Vidya, and Gouri—who befriend Nomi on the train. Nomi’s assistant, Suraj, a frustrated filmmaker with seemingly progressive views and a hidden violent temperament. There are several other supporting characters as well, who give us a flavour of life in India eg. Johnny Toppo with his songs, all the characters do come here at one point or the other. How they meet - several unconnected people and lives intersect for a few days is what the novel is all about.

“Jarmuli radiated outward to Asia, the world, the solar system, the universe — it was every child’s incantation in school, and even now, when [Badal] wanted to be out of the reach of his aunt and uncle, he dreamed of living on Jupiter and sleeping under its many moons.”

As I have enjoyed the other two of the four books written by her, didn't really enjoy this one may be because, I had such high hopes for it or because this is not a feel good novel - as it addresses tough subjects such as war, violence, abuse, and child molestation.

The Jury is still Out on Bank Mergers

Thanks to Anand Kochukudy and The Kochi Post team - this is what was published:

https://kochipost.com/2019/09/19/the-jury-is-still-out-on-bank-mergers/

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A sound, robust and resilient financial system is a prerequisite for a modern economy. Weeks ago, the Modi government announced the mega merger of 10 Public Sector Banks (PSBs) into four, in a bid to consolidate and create stronger banking entities. Meanwhile, India’s growth rate has decelerated for five straight quarters to its weakest level since 2013, and the economy is crying out for reforms.

Reforms are an on-going process. This year marks the 50th anniversary of bank nationalisation, arguably the biggest structural reform introduced in the financial sector during the post-Independence period.

Evolution of banking in India

Post-Independence, India inherited a system where small private banks proliferated—56 per cent of all bank deposits in 1947 lay with the 81 scheduled and 557 non-scheduled private banks. These private banks were lopsidedly concentrated in the provinces of Madras, West Bengal and Bombay. Between 1947 and 1955, there were 361 instances of bank failures, with many depositors losing their life savings as well as their faith in the banking system.

It was in this backdrop that new laws of banking regulation, capital adequacy, licensing and inspection were enacted followed by a phase of liquidation and amalgamation, which brought down the number of scheduled banks to 71 and non-scheduled banks to 20, by 1967. The Government of India issued the Banking Companies (Acquisition and Transfer of Undertakings) Ordinance. Within two weeks the Parliament passed and it received presidential approval on 9 August 1969.

Government nationalised the 14 largest commercial banks with effect from the midnight of 19 July 1969. These banks contained 85 per cent of bank deposits in the country. A second round of nationalisations of six more commercial banks followed in 1980. The stated reason for the nationalisation was to give the government more control of credit delivery. With the second round of nationalisations, the Government of India controlled around 91 per cent of the banking business of India. Social Welfare was one of the main objectives of nationalization of commercial banks—Agricultural sector, small and cottage industries were in need of funds for their expansion and further economic development.

The liberalisation of the nineties

In the early 1990s, the Narasimha Rao government embarked on a policy of liberalisation, licensing a small number of private banks. These came to be known as new generation tech-savvy banks, and included the Global Trust Bank (the first one to be set up), which later amalgamated with Oriental Bank of Commerce; IndusInd Bank, UTI Bank (since renamed Axis Bank), ICICI Bank and HDFC Bank. This move, along with the rapid growth in the economy of India, revitalised the banking sector in India which has seen rapid growth.

Until the 1990s, the nationalised banks grew at a pace of around 4 per cent, closer to the average growth rate of the Indian economy. The new wave ushered in a modern outlook and tech-savvy methods of working for traditional banks. All this led to the retail boom in India. People demanded more from their banks and received more.

With state policies shifting towards liberalisation and privatisation in the last three decades and with the entry of new private sector banks, the dominance of PSBs has been on a decline. The share of PSBs in the total assets of the scheduled commercial banks, which was over 80 per cent in 1997-98, declined to around 70 per cent by 2007-08, and further to below 66 per cent in 2017-18.

In the immediate aftermath of the global financial crisis in 2007-08, which had exposed the dubious financial practices of private multinational banks, both deposit mobilisation and credit flow of the public sector banks in India had witnessed a phase of higher growth compared to the private sector banks.

Since 2011-12 though, the deposit and credit growth rate of the PSBs declined progressively, with the private sector banks and Non-Banking Finance Companies (NBFC) gaining in market share at the cost of the PSBs. Why did this happen?

With declining corporate profitability after 2011-12, loan defaults became the norm with the private corporates offloading their losses onto the PSBs. This phenomenon was termed as ‘riskless capitalism’ by a former Governor of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

In this context, successive doses of capital infusion by the government have not been able to improve the capital ratios of the PSBs significantly. PSB recapitalisation under the present dispensation has been more of a taxpayer funded bailout of the loan-delinquent corporates and fraudsters. The process so far has not been very effective in yielding timely Non-performing Assets (NPA) recovery. The average recovery rate is currently 43 per cent, which implies 57 per cent haircut for the banks.

Mergers as a quick-fix

Although it doesn’t qualify as a reform, mergers have been seen as a tool to tackle the problem of NPAs. In 2017, India’s largest lender, the State Bank of India (SBI), merged with five associate banks and the Bharatiya Mahila Bank to enter the league of the world’s top-50. The government allowed state insurer Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC) to take over IDBI Bank, the worst performer in terms of bad loans.

Last year, the government had merged Mumbai-based Dena Bank, Bengaluru’s Vijaya Bank with Bank of Baroda (BoB) from Vadodara, Gujarat. The merged entity, with total assets of over Rs14 lakh crore ($190 billion), will be India’s third-largest lender behind the State Bank of India and HDFC Bank. One of the reasons for choosing these three banks was that the two stronger ones will be able to absorb the weaker entity—Dena Bank.

With the merger announcement on August 30, the number of PSBs has come down to 12, including the State Bank of India and Bank of Baroda. Oriental Bank of Commerce and United Bank will merge into Punjab National Bank to form the nation’s second-largest lender; Canara Bank and Syndicate Bank will merge to form the fourth-largest; Union Bank of India will amalgamate with Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank to be the fifth-largest and Indian Bank will merge with Allahabad Bank to be the seventh-largest public sector bank. Six PSBs will remain independent: Bank of India, Central Bank of India, Indian Overseas Bank, Uco Bank, Bank of Maharashtra and Punjab and Sind Bank.

The merger proposal will first have to be approved by the Board of Directors of the three banks. Then the government will prepare a plan to be vetted by the Union Cabinet and both houses of parliament. The process can take up to a year.

Mergers, if implemented well, will bring synergy. This would help lower operational and funding costs and strengthen risk management practices for banks. As a result, operational efficiency could go up significantly. This would also bring about governance reforms through the streamlining of appointment process, effective control mechanisms and increased compliance. The merged bank could become a strong competitive bank with economies of scale, network synergies, low-cost deposits and subsidiaries, and the possibility of greater outreach and expansion.

On the other hand, many experts have dismissed PSB mergers and disinvestments as non-solutions which will only serve to further weaken the PSBs. What is required is a major course-correction, they say. We need to wait and watch. Some of the banks should perform better post the merger and some might not be able to synchronise and just wither away. It will take a minimum of three years to know the outcome. The jury is still out on this one.

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Not included was:

Basel III or Basel 3 released in December, 2010 is the third in the series of Basel Accords. These accords deal with risk management aspects for the banking sector. These Norms were to be partially implemented from March 31, 2015 in phases and to be fully implemented as on March 31, 2018.

Basel III (or the Third Basel Accord or Basel Standards) is a global, voluntary regulatory framework on bank capital adequacy, stress testing, and market liquidity risk. ... It is intended to strengthen bank capital requirements by increasing bank liquidity and decreasing bank leverage.

There was lot of decisions on banking and Economy, and plans that Arun Jaitley wanted to implement. But his ill health being a constraint, the mantel was passed on to Nirmala Sitaraman, as they were three members involved in the decisions viz. Arun Jaitley, Nirmala Sitaraman and Manohar Parrikar; and other two members were unwell soon after.

Basel 3 measures aim to:

Improve the banking sector's ability to absorb ups and downs arising from financial and economic instability
Improve risk management ability and governance of banking sector
Strengthen banks' transparency and disclosures
Thus we can say that Basel III guidelines are targeted at to improve the ability of banks to withstand periods of economic and financial stress as the new guidelines are more stringent than the earlier requirements for capital and liquidity in the banking sector.

India’s government-owned banks are not ready to meet BASEL III norms. They fall short of the required capital requirements. Media reports suggest India’s state-run banks need Rs 2.4 lakh crore capital by 2019 to meet the norms. This is a huge task, considering that the banks have a lot of bad loans on their books—loss-making loans that may not be paid. In fact, the total bad loans on the 40-listed banks in India amount to Rs 3 lakh crore.

Like banks P&L's (Interest Earned, Other income - Interest Expended, Other expenses) , they cry - IO-IO.

Indian banks remain compliant with the key components of the Basel capital framework, minimum capital requirements in Pillar 1, supervisory review process in Pillar 2, and market discipline in Pillar 3.

All commercial banks in India, excluding regional rural banks, come under the Basel-III regulations. Commercial banks, which dominate the Indian banking system, account for approximately 87% of total banking system assets. Public sector banks, with a market share of 73% banking assets and 82% of bank branches, play a major role in the Indian financial system.

Foreign banks account for about 6% of the Indian banking sector, according to the Basel Committee.

Jet, Set, Go...

Generation today, is blessed with the potential to see the world from thousands of feet up in the air, and be in any part of the world they want to be in, in a short while - even sky is not the limit today.

This year in the World Airline Awards, which was held on Tuesday 18th June 2019 in the Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace du Bourget at the Paris Air Show, Qatar Airways was awarded the worlds Best Airline; which fascinated me, as it was the first airlines that I traveled in. Airline leaders and top airline management from across the globe attended the event to receive their 2019 Awards. How well have some of the airlines upgraded themselves with amazing facilities, and world class luxuries even when LCCs (Low Cost Carriers) have become dominant players. Largest Airlines have always been in and from Americas, metrics has generally been based on either available seat miles or revenue, the top positions were shared by, American Airlines Group formed in December 9, 2013, by way of merger of AMR Corporation, the parent company of American Airlines, and US Airways Group, the parent company of US Airways. American Airline was formed as the Air transport division of Aviation corporation, one of the oldest and earliest venturers. Southwest Airlines formed in 1967 also being the world largest low cost carrier; United Airlines, Inc. a founding member of the Star Alliance, the world's largest airline alliance with a total of 28 member airlines and Delta Air Lines who acquired North west airlines, of the “big four” US airlines - That title of being largest went from Delta to United to American to Soutwest, but remained with US, and why not?

Orville and Wilbur popularly known as The Wright brothers – were two American aviation pioneers generally credited with inventing, building, and flying the world's first successful airplane. In 1903, their first successful flight in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina marked the beginning of the aviation industry. During the initial days the public thought it was too dangerous. Biggest factors in the growth of the air transportation industry were the development of a mail transport system by the U.S. Postal Service, it's use in the World war, and Charles Lindbergh successfully solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean. In 1928, a leading air transport company was created as a holding company by Boeing and its air transport division, United Aircraft and Transportation Corporation. But then it was the beginning of modern airplanes. Epics have flying fights, Ravana's Pushpak Viman, earlier the kites, were used not only for fun but also to test the weather, and for later development of balloons and gliders. The first hot air balloon by two French inventors were the first recorded flights. Today, the aviation industry is divided along three lines viz. Commercial, General and Military. It is grown from an estimated 9 million passengers to 1.5 billion passengers in 2001; and 4.1 billion passengers in 2007 in 41.9 million commercial scheduled flights, so this clearly excludes the charted flights. An organisation which helps by providing a stable air fare structure and smooth working of International airlines system is IATA (International Air Transport Association) headquartered in Montreal, Canada, founded in 1945; another equally important organisation from the same location called ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) ensures the safety of flying.

India being a strategic location was an important stop over for air-services and was one of the first countries to take to aviation, with first mail flight from Allahabad Exhibition ground to Naini Junction on 18th February 1911. J.R. D. Tata set up the country’s first airline in their aviation department way back in on 15th October 1932 called Tata Airlines; In 1952 civil aviation was nationalized but JRD remained its chairman of AI until 1978. Airlines of India operated Air India (AI) Internationally and Indian Airlines (IA) as domestic airlines. In 1982 Vayudoot emerged; finances jointly by AI and IA was introduced. In 1968 it was top airlines, now it is the world’s third most dangerous airlines. In 2004-14 some questionable decisions were made contributing to the destruction of AI. Ratan Tata when stepping down as the chairman in Dec. 2012 mentioned about ‘destructive competition’ here. Overseas, people go bankrupt or companies go bankrupt. Here they never do. They continue to be sick and still operate. Then they are operating to kill you. Finally Tata’s make reentry – as a minority partner in Air Asia in 2014 as well as in a joint venture with Singapore airlines they announce the launch of their airline named Vistara.

My Uncle was all excited to accompany his daughter to US, flight tickets were booked almost six month before for the 22nd of May, all arrangements done, though on 17 April 2019, Jet Airways temporarily suspended all flight operations indefinitely after its lenders rejected its plea for emergency funds, potentially bringing the curtains down on what was once India’s largest private airline; there were rays of hope. Unfortunately he could not travel; when it was expected that they have lost the ticket fair, Jet announced the return of customers money after months. A hard lesson learned late was booking with a credit card will allow you to get your money back if your travel company ceases operations, travel insurance, depending on the policy, will reimburse you if you need to pay for additional flights or hotels if you’re stranded. At its peak, Jet operated over 120 planes and well over 600 daily flights had roughly around 16,000 employees, intense competition from low-cost carriers, like Interglobe-owned IndiGo and SpiceJet Ltd, together with higher oil prices, hefty fuel taxes and a weak rupee piled pressure on the airline leaving behind a loss of more than ₹13,000 crore; total liabilities amounting to more than ₹15,000 crore. Lenders have been trying to sell the Jet as a going concern, but without much success and A consortium of 26 banks led by the State Bank of India (SBI) has approached the National Company Law Tribunal (NMCLT) to recover dues worth more than ₹8,500 crore. Details of insolvency Proceedings are all published in their web site. Wondering what would be the reaction of Thakiyuddin Abdul Wahid (Taki) now?

Taki one of the 11 children of Mussaliar from Odayam in Trivandrum; Kerala with his elder brother Nasiruddin started business in 1980 East West Travel and Trade Links Private Limited. In 1989, under a new Open Sky Policy, the government began issuing air taxi licences for capacity building of Indian aviation sector. Countries first private flight operated on 28th Feb 1992. Jet airways took to sky in May 1993. By mid-1995 East West’s expansion plans were thwarted, insider information was gather by hook or crook, competition was heating up, rivals were poaching its staff. On 13 Nov 1995 Thakiyuddin Abdul Wahid, MD of East West Airlines; which was the first private airlines was shot. Mumbai police and Indian intelligence agency suspected that the airline was involved financially with Dawood Ibrahim, his name was the top target of Choota Rajan, Dawood’s rival don. Jet air led by Naresh Goyal was also a suspect. In June 1997; last flight of East West touched down in Mumbai. Fortunes of Jet Airways started to soar. With the suspected underwold links, hijacking on IC-814 from Katmandu to Kandahar in Afghanistan and the bizarre incident of arms drops in Purulia in West Bengal, one of the key question was which ministry should provide security clearance to air operators – Home affairs or civil aviation. Home affairs – it was decided, who put an end to intelligence inquiries into Jet Airways dubious funds and its promoter’s links to underworld. Goyal had friends in all the right places. They were denied permission to fly to US stating links with Al Qaede company. In January 2006 they took over Air Sahara. By 2009-10 many of the India’s cattle shed airports were overhauled and private businessmen entered the aviation business, reaping rich rewards. Today IndiGo and SpiceJet are key players, as of March 2019, there are 103 operational airports in India. As of July 2018, 620 airplanes were in-service in the fleet of scheduled Indian operators and is further expected to grow to 1,100 planes by 2027. The Government of India has launched regional connectivity scheme named UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) to make flying affordable for common man.

When Vijay Mallya entered the Air passenger transport business, there was rumors of Mr. Mukesh Ambani also trying to enter the air-travel business and he had shown an interest in acquiring the Air Deccan air-lines of Captain Gopinath. To preclude the possibility of Mukesh Ambani of acquiring the Air Deccan air-lines, Vijay Mallya acquired the Air Deccan air-lines without getting it properly evaluated. It appears Vijay Mallaya was sold a lemon. Vijay Mallya had hired his airlines staff, the Pilots, Air-hostesses, stewards, aircraft maintenance engineers, and other support staff at substantially higher salaries than the other airlines were paying. Giving full service, meals included, at economy rate fares, could not have been a successful business model. Business training of Vijay Mallya had been in liquor business, where profit margins are huge and account practices were not stringent. The same practice was carried over in the airlines business. Managers had authority to spend large sums of money. This model could sustain in liquor business where margins are huge but not in the cut-throat business of air-travel running on razor-thin margins, if not on out right loss. This sure was a recipe for failure and fail it did. But not before he running up loans of thousands of crores to the PSU banks.People bask in the glory of IPL, various teams sponsored, flights all operating in full swing, hunt for Kingfisher calender girls, while the employees are unpaid, their family members are even forced to commit suicide, ruthless business tactics, politically influential businessmen, politicians who are on the take, ambitious upstarts and shady players were highlights of the post economic liberalization era.

Overall, Airline Industry is fast growing, but not many players here are making profits. Failure is a means of learning, progressing and becoming more creative. Don’t deal with failure as it did not happen or blame someone else. That would be wasted opportunity. Take action to make a difference. Positive ones. At times people are prepared to go to a great extend to protect their ego at the expense of their own long-term success, this is called ‘self-handicapping’. Self-esteem can cause us to jeopardize learning if we think it might risk us looking anything less than perfect. What we really need is resilence, the capacity to face failure and to learn from it. Ultimately, that is what growth is all about.

Through seeking we learn and know things better. The first and most important issue is to create a revolution in the way we think about failure and growth. Hope this industry will generate job opportunity in the days to come and would be an economic booster.


(Three books viz. An Introduction To Travel And Tourism By Pran Nath Seth, Pran Nath Seth, Sushma Seth Bhat; Black Box Thinking by Matthew Syed and A Feast of Vultures - Josy Joseph , discussions with innumerable people and data from net, helped me develop this article.)

A Feast of Vultures - Josy Joseph

The hidden Business of Democracy in India By Josy Joseph ; I simply loved this book.

Briefer: India a complex web, you can do practically anything. Courts are crowded and expensive, police corrupt and cruel, politicians busy to grab power, media far too urban. When press dare to publish something, they get defamation notice. India is a rich county of too many poor people; around 70% of its population live in rural areas. Billionaire blithely build home on razed orphanage. For every reported scandal, there is a bigger, far worse story behind the scenes. Everything is on sale, all you need are the resources to engage the right facilitators.

Section 1 – The Middlemen – Most flourishing Industry. Can get birth certificates, organize government subsidy, manipulate contracts or throw a government out. They are Individuals, trusts or Tax Havens.

1. Mr Fix-it down the street – represents political leaders and other influential people at the bottom rung of the middlemen’s network. They are intermediaries between ordinary citizens and inefficient/corrupt governments. They assist the poor by getting things done, so they can focus on their day job, and not go around, pay bribe and waste time. Intermediaries find rhythm between government and ordinary people and make money.

2. The Mighty Typist – For example Mathai, Dawan and George, for Nehru, Indira and Rajiv; they are the closest aid, and know everything in and out happening in the mighty world. After BJP lost power and Ajay Singh his official position with Mahajan, the young confidant’s life took another turn. In 2004, he surprised the business world by taking over a defunct private airline with valid Air Operating Certificate and launched spicejet.

3. Arms and the Middleman – Several economies officially permit lobbying with the government. Their task is not to pay bribes or manipulate. But Indian middlemen do all this and more, though India has not formally recognized lobbying nor does it allow agents in government contracts. Every aspect of economy where the government has a role is trapped in high level corruption. In arms sales Choudhrie’s – brothers Sudhir, Amrit and Rajiv - footprints can be seen in China, Indonesia, Israel, several European nations and African countries. They are admired, loather for their ability to swing deals and for scuttling those of competitors. The Nanda family captures the all on sale ethics of Indian Society starting from Admiral Sardarilal Nanda, followed by Suresh and Sanjeev Nanda. Their business in India have significant investments from Mauritius, BVI’s. HDW scandal, VVIP helicopter scandal, latest being Adani group promoted by Gautam Adani allegedly taking out Rs. 5,000 crores to tax havens, using inflated bills for the import of power equipment from South Korea and China. Inspite of the constitution of special investigation team (SIT) in 2014 there has been no credible evidence of bringing back black money.

4. The Insiders and the Outlaws appear and disappear depending on the party in power. The only case in which the agency was able to establish at least a part of the cash trail was in the Bofors scandal, but there, there were no convictions. In fact, flip-flops by the CBI were very stark through the entire investigation, drawing allegations of political manipulations. In February 2007, when Ottavio Quattrocchi, the key accused in the scandal, was arrested in Argentina, the CBI put up a half-hearted effort and India failed to extradite him. In fact Delhi Trial court in march 2011 added that while the bribe in scandal was only Rs. 64 crore, CBI had spend Rs. 250 crore on the case, Quattrocchi died of heart attach on 13 July 2013 in Milan. In recent years two son in laws have been under public scrutiny. Ranjan Bhattacharya and Robert Vadra. Vadra purchased agricultural lands and got permit to convert them for commercial purpose for DLF.

Section 2 – The very Private Private Sector – India is the land of endless opportunities.
5. Battle for the skies – On 13 Nov 1995 Thakiyuddin Abdul Wahid, MD of East West Airlines was shot. Mumbai police and Indian intelligence agency suspected that the airline was involved financially with Dawood Ibrahim, his name was the top target of Choota Rajan, Dawood’s rival don. Jet air led by Naresh Goyal was also a suspect. Taki one of the 11 children of Mussaliar from Odayam with his elder brother Nasiruddin started business in 1980 East West Travel and Trade Links Private Limited. In 1989, under a new Open Sky Policy, the government began issuing air taxi licences for capacity building of Indian aviation sector. Countries first private flight operated on 28th Feb 1992. Jet airways took to sky in May 1993. By mid-1995 East West’s expansion plans were thwarted, insider information was gather by hook or crook, competition was heating up, rivals were poaching its staff.

6. Anatomy of a Murder – Ruthless business tactics, politically influential businessmen, politicians who are on the take, ambitious upstarts and shady players were highlights of the post economic liberalization era. June 1997; last flight of East West touched down in Mumbai. Fortunes of Jet Airways started to soar. There was crisis at all levels of the Indian democracy – the oligarchy that is India’s political class, the power of money to swing decisions, the meek regulatory systems that are bent and broken regularly by business interests, the elite’s blatant disrespect for laws and norms, and eventually the disappearance of even a semblance of morality from public life. It would be a miracle if democracy survives and flourishes. If it dies, it would be the final outcome of a collective conspiracy.

7. The Fly by might Operator – With the suspected underwold links, hijacking on IC-814 from Katmandu to Kandahar in Afghanistan and the bizarre incident of arms drops in Purulia in West Bengal, one of the key question was which ministry should provide security clearance to air operators – Home affairs or civil aviation. Home affairs – it was decided, who put an end to intelligence inquiries into Jet Airways dubious funds and its promoter’s links to underworld. Goyal had friends in all the right places. They were denied permission to fly to US stating links with Al Qaede company. In January 2006 they took over Air Sahara. By 2009-10 many of the India’s cattle shed airports were overhauled and private businessmen entered the aviation business, reaping rich rewards.

J.R. D. Tata set up the country’s first airline; In 1952 civil aviation was nationalized but JRD remained its chairman of AI until 1978. In 1968 it was top airlines, now it is the world’s third most dangerous airlines. In 2004-14 some questionable decisions were made contributing to the destruction of AI. Ratan Tata when stepping down as the chairman in Dec. 2012 mentioned about ‘destructive competition’ here. Overseas, people go bankrupt or companies go bankrupt. Here they never do. They continue to be sick and still operate. Then they are operating to kill you. Finally Tata’s make reentry – as a minority partner in Air Asia in 2014 as well as in a joint venture with Singapore airlines they announce the launch of their airline named Vistara.

Section 3 – The Big League – Ultimate beneficiaries of the Indian democracy, who sit so high above us, they are practically out of sight.

8. Masters of the Game – Business magnates are increasingly occupying seats in parliament and state legislatures. They seek direct access to the highest class of power. Vijay Mallaya, Parimal Nathwani for Reliance, Anurag Thakur son of BJP senior leader, interesting how he becomes president of BCCI, Badal family of Punjab, Ravi Shankar Prasad to name a few. Malllay in ‘Power of a Billion’ mention, ‘A Nation that prides itself in modern self-sufficiency; is it real for a few-and a dream for all?

9. League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Nation’s biggest flags are now hoisted after Jindal do the poor in Raigarh know? Agrawal’s and the Vedanta group flourish.


10. A house for Mr. Ambani – With Antilia do the Ambanis hope to sever their links to the poverty and squalor of their homeland and raise a new civilization? Ambani brothers were at the Vanguard of the industrialists and other luminaries who helped Narendra Modi sanitize his image of the stigma of the Gujarat pogrom of 2002. When DOT opened its auction site for allotting 4G spectrum little know Internet service provider, Infotel Broadband Services Pvt. Ltd. Promoted by Mahendra Nahata, who agreed to pay 71,000 times his companies turnover a whopping Rs. 12,847.77 crores for a national licence. Within hours of the close of bidding Infotel was taken over by Mukesh Ambaini’s RIL group. CBI started probing Adarsh Apartment scam, charge sheet on 2G spectrum scandal was filed, Adani campaign was picking up pace. As seen from election spends, Indian political parties exist more in the black market than in the open .

Hindi Divas

The beauty of my motherland undoubtedly lies in her unity in diversity. You see it all around the landscape, cast, creed, religion, language. She was believed to be a rich land where golden sparrow nested on every tree.

Unfortunately, over a period of time there were intruders, looters and traders trying to take away whatever they can and want and leaving behind a mark memorable adding to the beauty and diversity of this country. They helped us become a unified nation but also created a divide, for which there were many sacrifices.

Unification came with many challenges including many of the princely states wanting to remain independent, creation of legislation, deciding on the national capital, many still unresolved. One of the major decision taken was to create a linguistics division of states, which again was a matter of great debate. As there was no consensus in having a common national language it was decided that Hindi would be the official language, followed by English for a foreseeable period considering the number of people using it. Sanskrit would have been preferred but many did not know or understand the language, except for elite few.. Given that the decision was made on a 14th of September, that day was considered to be Hindi Divas.

Tamilnadu is one state which objected to Hindi for long time coz they wanted a respectable place for Tamil, which is one of the oldest language in the world. We need to preserve our cultural heritage. Giving a special historical recognition for Tamil would be a good move to begin with.

Hindi is already our official language but by instigating it as 'national language' all over again to compel every citizen of India to learn it comes with a motive.It is not said anywhere or not been declared but from childhood it has been taught widely in school is Hindi hamari rashtra bhasha hai. Well, that's kind of similar to we having national bird too. A lie is a lie. Not sure if it was part of NCERT books.But these were taught in schools in 80s and 90s. Who was responsible for it then?


India has diversity in multiple levels. We are already unified in our diversity but to bring in something of this sort now is to bring in regional conflicts which will end up diverting people focus away from other grave issues of present. Strongly believe bringing this up now has different motive.

Having national language is good and we actually represent India with Hindi, it is by default our national language. It is already been used and taught widely in our country. Slowly when things changed,every state also slowly accepted and adapted but they bring up something of this sort again to rub salt on the wounds which is unacceptable and creates unnecessary Chaos. Probably that was their intention, to divert the attention of the masses. Should we fall a prey to that?

Not necessarily but for me it is like UK opting out of EU Treaty. As my vision is towards one-ness of all.

True it should be organic. Strongly feel we should have a national language. I’ve great respect for our diversity but what’s the harm in agreeing to something that can bring us closer and make us feel united. If Hindi is taught across India - it can be a single language that can bind us together. Hindi is not my mother tongue either. But I won’t take offense in it being made a National Language.
It's not just people south of India but good part of Northeast and interiors of rest of India, people don't speak Hindi. They speak dialects of their province. For Instance my friends from Maharashtra say I will not assert that I come from Maharastra, so I’ll only speak in Marathi. Google says, about 41% of the Indian population speak Hindi. What’s the harm?
Regional languages will continue to flourish- they will and must continue to be taught in schools. Just like we had English as first Language, Hindi as second and then Marathi.

The irony is we have no problem accepting English which is not even a native language.

Fix. M. Fast - Upma's for every day

This was the common breakfast almost all the days. Many people tend not to like Upma's but if properly made - its yummy, and better to have a side dish like coconut/tomato chuttney, sambar and/or pickle. Papad and Boiled bananas are added delicacy. Smoothie/Tea/Coffee of your choice is an added bliss.

Carrot/Onion/Potatoes/Tomatoes/Pumpkin/Beans/Capsicum are the common vegetables that we could add to most Upma based on availability/taste.

The basics normally are same - Heating oil in a pan, adding mustard seeds, urad dal/lentels, curry leaves, greeen chilly + vegetables+ salt+Main ingredient+ Water if needed + Garnish ( Coriander leaves/dry fruits/ghee/peanuts)

1) Broken Wheat Upma (My mother's favourite):
In pressure cooker, add 1/4th cup broken wheat along with 1/2 cup water. Pressure cook on high for 3-4 whistles and lower the heat and leave it on low for 2 minutes. Turn off the flame and allow the pressure to release naturally. In a pan, add a teaspoon of ghee. Once the ghee is warm add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds sputter, add torn curry leaves to the pan along with 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric powder. Can add grated/cooked carrots as well.

2) Bread Upma (My father's favouriteand one of my recipes published in Indian express some 20 years before ):

Heat oil in a Kadai, lower the flame and add the mustard seeds, allow them to splutter, next add urad dal and allow it to roast until the urad dal is browned. Add the ginger garlic paste, green chillies, chopped onions, chopped capsicum and saute for about a minute and a half. Once the onions are softened, add the tomatoes, and cook until the tomatoes turn mushy. Now add in the garam masala powder/chaat masala powder and saute until all the flavours combine. Add salt for taste, Once done finally stir in the cut bread pieces and toss gently. Saute until the bread pieces are coated well with the masalas. Check the taste and spices and adjust accordingly. Turn off the heat and garnish the bread upma with coriander leaves.

3) Vegetable Rave Upma (My Hubby's favourite):
In a saucepan; boil 3 cups of water along with salt and a dash of sugar if needed; In paralled heat oil in heavy bottomed pan on medium heat; add mustard seeds, half urad dal seeds and allow it to crackle. Stir in the onions, ginger, asafoetida, curry leaves and green chilies and sauté until onions are tender. Add the carrots and beans (Either you can cook them here, or pressure cook and add them here) Stir in the one cup semolina and roast along with the onion mixture until you get the light roasted aroma. Gradually pour the hot water into the above mixture and continue to stir in the process. Turn the heat to low, cover the pan and allow the Rava Upma to cook and steam in the heat. Keep stirring occasionally to avoid lumps. This will take about 10 minutes. Keep it covered for 5 minutes after switching it off. Sooji Upma Recipe With Coconut/Tomatoes/Tamrind are also yummy provided it is moist and there are no lumps :

4) Vegetable Semiya Upma, (My In-Laws favourite)

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy bottomed pan; add mustard seeds and allow it to crackle. Add in the urad dal and allow it to roast until it turns into a light brown colour. Next add onions, ginger, curry leaves and sauté for about a minute. Now add in the vegetables and saute until lightly they are cooked yet have the crunch in the bite. This will take about a minute.
At this stage add in the roasted 2 cup semiya, cinnamon powder, cardamom powder, turmeric powder, sugar, red chilli powder, and salt to taste, Sprinkle approximately 1 cup of water on the vermicelli mixture and stir. Turn the heat to low, cover the pan and simmer for 10 minutes until you notice that the water is almost absorbed. After a few minutes, open and stir the upma mixture, you will notice the semia getting steamed and cooked. Depending on the type of vermicelli used, you might need to add another 1/2 cup of water to cook the upma. At this stage keep adding a little by little, cover the pan and allow it it steam on medium heat. Check if the Semiya is cooked (it should soft and cooked when tasted). Once again to the softness test, the vermicelli should still be noodle like and not soggy sticking together. At this stage if you feel it needs more cooking, then sprinkle only 2 tablespoons at a time and cover and simmer. Once cooked, turn of the heat and keep the pan covered with the upma for about 5 minutes. This will incorporate all the ingredients well into the upma and bring out delicious flavors and textures. Finally turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice, chopped coriander leaves and a tablespoon of ghee for added flavour. (Tomato Semiya upma are yummy too)

5) Poha (Batata{Potato}/Onion) (My sisters favourite)

Add 1 tsp sugar and ¾ tsp salt on soaked poha and mix gently. In a large kadai heat 2 tbsp oil and roast 2 tbsp peanuts on low flame. Roast until the peanuts turn crunchy, keep aside, in the same oil, splutter 1 tsp mustard, 1 tsp cumin, pinch hing and few curry leaves. Further add 1 onion, 2 chilli and saute well, saute until onions shrink slightly without browning, further, add ¼ tsp turmeric and saute well. Add in soaked poha and mix gently until everything is combined well. Cover and simmer for 5 minutes or until the flavours are absorbed well. Also add 2 tbsp coconut, 2 tbsp coriander and 2 tsp lemon juice. mix gently. Finally, enjoy kanda poha topped with some sev. (You can add cooked potatoes to this with onion - which is my favorite. In case some at home have gastric issue, we can also use carrot/pumpkins.

6) Andhra Style Coconut Flavored Rice Upma:, grind soaked for 3 hours and drained 2 cup idli rice, along with freshly grated coconut, dry red chillies, make a coarse mixture with 1/4 cup of water. Set aside. Heat a heavy bottomed vessel and add coconut oil. Once the oil is hot, add urad dal, chana dal, curry leaves, dry red chillies and groundnuts. Once they all turn light brown, crunchy, add the coarse coconut and rice mixture into the pan and mix it. Keep it closed and cook for about 20 minutes on low heat. Adjust water if needed. Stir with a ladle every 5 minutes or so. Keep it closed and cook until the rice gets cooked and water is absorbed.

7) Ragi Flour Upma make a thick batter out of one cup ragi flour, salt and beaten curd in a bowl. The consistency of the batter should be that of an idli batter. If needed add little water to get the thick pouring consistency. You will need approximately 3/4 to 1 cup of water. Heat a pan/kadai and add ghee. Do the tempering of mustard, urad dal, green chillies, ginger, asafoetida and curry leaves. Allow the urad dal to turn golden brown and crisp. Transfer the Ragi Pachchai Maa Puli Upma batter to the pan with the tempering and cook till it absorbs all the moisture and becomes grainy and little crispy. Cook on medium heat. It takes about 3 to 4 minutes for it to become grainy and cooked. If you feel the Ragi Puli Upma is too dry, you can sprinkle some water and cook it further. Keep the pan covered and mix a couple of times in between and serve the Pachchai Maa Puli Upma immediately. { Traditionally rice flour is first mixed with the sour curd and after seasoning, cooked on a medium heat to get the grainy consistency. Along with seasoning of mustard, chana dal, urad dal, asafoetida, green chillies, ginger and curry leaves is an heirloom recipe of Tamilnadu.

8) Sabudhana Kichadi: Soak two cup of sago overnight and drain the water in the morning. In a large wok, fry mustard seeds, add a fistful of roasted peanuts, three finely-chopped boiled potatoes and a few chopped green chillies. Stir them in the wok, for a few minutes, then add salt, coriander powder. Finally sprinkle some finely chopped coriander leaves on the fluffy sabudana. Turning off the heat, cover the wok with a lid and keep a weight on it for a few minutes, allowing the sabudana to steep in all the ingredients. Then remove the lid and sprinkled a few teaspoons of lemon juice on the preparation.

Best out of Left overs:
1) Puttu Upma: With Scrambled Eggs, heat oil in a kadai on medium heat, add the mustard seeds and allow them to crackle, next add the cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle. To this add urad dal and saute till it turns into a light brown colour. Now add green chilli, curry leaves, turmeric powder and crack open the egg and scramble it for about half a minute. Once the eggs are nicely scrambled, add the crumbled puttu. Add salt and mix well. Sprinkle some water and mix well. Close with a lid and cook on low flame for a minute. This will make the puttu softer.

2) Vadai Upma Recipe: Break the vadas with your hands and make it appear like crumbs. Heat a wok/kadhai on medium flame, add the oil, once the oil is hot, add hing, mustard seeds, bengal gram dal, red chilli and saute well. Add green chillies, onions and let it fry for a minute. Add onion, salt, turmeric and let it cook well. Add curry leaves and let it cook for a minute. Add the crumbled vadai and mix well. Let it cook well for 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves.

3) Idli Upma: Heat a teaspoon of oil in a heavy bottomed pan; add in the mustard seeds and allow it to crackle for a few seconds.Then add in the split urad dal and allow it to roast and turn light brown in color.Once the dal is roasted we will add in the chopped onions, the ginger, green chillies and curry leaves. Saute on medium heat until the onions are transparent. Once tender we will add in the turmeric powder and the crumbled idlis and some salt to taste.Sprinkle a little water so the idlis don't get too dry, you want them to be moist and flavorful when the upma is done. Stir all the ingredients well. Turn the heat to low, cover the pan and allow the idli upma to simmer for about 3 to 4 minutes.
After 3 to 4 minutes, add in the chopped coriander leaves and stir well to combine. Turn off the heat and serve the Idli Upma hot.

4) Egg Idiyappam Recipe: Heat oil a pan, add the cumin seeds; when it begins to sizzle add in very finely chopped green chillies, curry leaves, chopped onions and saute till onion turns golden brown. At this stage stir in the beaten eggs, steamed carrots, turmeric powder and allow it to cook for a minute or two until the eggs gets a scrambled texture. Finally add the cooked Idiyappam, salt and mix lightly without breaking the Idiyappam.Garnish the Egg Idiyappam fresh coriander.

5) You could try this with all types of left over Chapatti/Rotting/Parattas as well.

6) For Non Vegetarians, Upmas can been made yummy by adding the left over chicken/mutton/beef/fish or any other curry/roast/stew.

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Others:

Playing the Matrix - Mike Dooley

In 'Playing the Matrix' A program for Living Deliberately and Creating Consciously; Mike Dooley tries to drive home the point, Life is not something that happens to you. You happen to life. You came first. ......The back cover:

Divided into 7 chapters with Notes from The Universe, the book covers:

1) Understanding "Miracles":

To Perform Miracles:
i) Possess intention to achieve desired end result and
ii) Humbly, if naively, physically move in the desired direction

The stunning similarity between digital GPS navigation and the seemingly miraculous mechanics behind every manifestation are we need to:
i) Program Destination
ii) Put in gear and drive - Even though you don't know "how", you must nevertheless do something.

You enter the Bermuda Triangle of Manifesting when you insist upon or attach your hopes to the following end results:
i) Details - Don't wast your time pining for unimportant details. All details are unimportant. You may want them, don't insist upon them.
ii) Hows - Surrender and let go of how you think or how you may want, your dream to come true - these are the "cursed hows"
iii) Specific People - Release yourself of any expectations you may have for the specific behavior of specific people.

Your default settings are to thrive, to live in abundance with grace, style, ease, health and all that your heart desires. The steps that will get you there are easy. We need to know our part.
i) We don't have to know all things to know our self and how to create change.
ii) Notice that we are a streaming manifestor. Don't worry on how this is done, just notice.
iii) Thoughts become things, words give you wings.
iv) Believing the illusions are "real" ignites passion, inspires dreams and sparks adventure.


2) The Matrix:

Two reasons for our hits and misses are:
i) Misunderstandings
a) Our power and responsibilities
b) The flow of all manifestations
ii) Contradictions - The Nuances
a) Not knowing what we really want
b) Attaching to the details
c) Messing with the "cursed hows"

Some of the most important lessons concerning the Matrix are:
i) The need to micromanage one's life stems from a failure to understand life's magic.
ii) Wisely defining our dreams is a huge factor in whether they can come true.
iii) By having general end results, a more effortless approach to creating change emerges.
iv) All you've ever learned about living deliberately can still be used with just a few tweaks.
v) Your happiness is key to sparking great tangible and intangible changes in your life.

3) Knowing what you (Really) want:
i) You already know exactly what you want, when you keep it general.
ii) When you keep it general, you shoot past your own known objections.
iii) When your end results are general, you never have to doubt, second-guess, or quit- failure becomes impossible.
iv) The more general your end results, the faster and easier they'll manifest.
v) Let your highest life priorities for change help you choose where to begin.

4) Getting into the details: The second step of three for playing the Matrix. Realize your idea of awesome details, limited to your life's experiences, would always pale in comparison to what divine intelligence might have in store for you, based upon the direction you give it with your end results.
i) Details are visualized to get you excited about your end results, not to be your end results.
ii) There's always more than one right answer, path, possibility, partner, or nuance. So, insist upon none or you exclude all other.
iii) When you insist upon any detail, you exclude a virtually infinite number of better ones.
iv) When details become end results, you're actually messing with the cursed hows.
v) Make your menu lists - tall, dark, and handsome, whatever - just don't attach to them.

5) Taking Action: Life is such a precious, fleeting gift. When it comes to formulating the action steps you'll be taking, consider those things that long ago thrilled you, because chances are they still do.
i) Taking action summons resources, emboldens beliefs, and avails you of life's magic.
ii) For every step you take, the Universe takes 10,000
iii) Sometimes knocking on one door forces another to open
iv) What you do is not as important as that you do it.
v) By trying many paths, you automatically navigate around invisible limiting beliefs.
vi) Never stop asking for help, trying new directions, responding to conditions, innovating, evolving - stay in motion.
vii) The more you enjoy and can afford what you do, the more specific you can be.
viii) Always consider your unique strength, likes, and preferences when formulating each pathway you'll try out.

6) Expedited Delivery You are inclined to succeed with default settings for success and happiness through the roof in every area of your life.
i) Approach creating change as play, not work; as fun, not mandatory.
ii) Thinking positive thoughts is never enough; you must act on those thoughts.
iii) A tip on legend making: Do what you most want to do and do it your way.
iv) Every single challenge of your life bears a gift, "lucky" you.
v) Playing make-believe is the fastest way to believing, and believing is the fastest way to receiving.

7) The Time of Your life
i) This is it, right here, right now, as good as it's going to get.
ii) Practice the art of selfish service.
iii) Your life is awesome, in part, because of your present challenges.
iv) The secret to living the life of your dreams is to indulge now to any degree you can.
v) Happiness does not mean you've settled for less; it signals you're ready for more.

Sharyn! Can't Thank you enough for recommending this wonderful book! This is amazing -wow!

Yet to complete some of the 'To do's'

Fix M. Fast - Recipe's for Sweet Tooth.

The massive extent of what we presently take for granted was captured by the late Carl Sagan, famed scientist and astronomer, who wrote the book Contact that later became a movie starring Jodie Foster.

"If you wish to make an apple pie from scratch....You must first invent the universe"

Typically, we think scratch means, what? Organic apples from farmer's market, right? There's so much more necessary to have a mere, lone apple, before even getting to the pie crust! All of which is given to us, as if miraculously, without effort.

- So Says Mike Dooley in his book "Playing the Matrix " ; chapter "Understanding Miracles"

Keeping aside the fact that Miracles happen to us every moment and we fail to notice/understand it - including ourselves, let's get back to the food, no, I am not here to give the recipe for apple pie as it is not a Fix.m. Fast.

We need to preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C),melt the butter in a saucepan, stir in flour to form a paste add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer. Place the bottom crust in pan. Fill with apples, mounded slightly. Cover with a lattice work crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft. It takes almost 1.5 hours to be done, with one hour of cooking. OMG.

Circumstances required that sweets be served, by 6 am in the morning, freshly cooked. Icing was one was not supposed to taste it. An interesting challenge for a novice. Not just one day - 4 consecutive days. Thought it advisable to pen them down, as a ready reference for future needs. So below were some of the Fix.M.Fast tries:

1) Rava Kesari (Sheera): {There could be subtle differences between the two viz. Milk being used for Sheera and water for Kesari and at times the quantity of sugar being lesser for Sheera although the lines have blurred with different versions and many cooks}

Fry the required dried fruits (cashews/raisins) in ghee keep aside and roast 1 cup rava in the same ghee, it should not become brown. In parallel take 3/4th cup sugar in a sauce pan, add saffron if available, add 2.5 cup water, heat sugar solution to rolling boil. Carefully pour the sugar-saffron solution in the ghee-rave mixture in a steady stream and slowly, break lumps. When the mixture starts thinckening, add fried dried fruits and cardamom powder. Keep it covered for 5 minutes to allow it to steam.

2) Carrot Halwa:

Mix well and pressure cook 500 gms grated carrot (4 to 4.5 cups) 2 cups full fat milk, half cup sugar, 4 tablespoon ghee, 1 tablespoon raisins (kishmish), sliced or chopped dry fruits on a low flame for one whistle, and keep it till pressure settles down on its own. Remove the lid, stir the mixture and begin cooking again till the mixture thickens adding half teaspoon cardamom powder.

3) Sweet Pongal: Fry the required dried fruits (cashews/raisins) in ghee keep aside and roast 1/2 cup rice and 1/3rd cup moong lentils in the same ghee, it should not become brown.Pour 3 cup water and pressure cook for 5 whistle. Once pressure settles add brown sugar or powder jaggery , crushed cardamom+clove powder and roasted dry fruits. Pongal will thicken as it cools down, so if the mixture looks thick add hot water.


4) Semiya Kesari: Fry the required dried fruits (cashews/raisins) in ghee keep aside after roasting 1 cup Vermicelli till it becomes golden brown. Now to the same kadai add 2 cup water , 2 table spoon saffron water, once water starts boiling, add roasted semiya and stir well till it gets cooked, add half cup sugar to this and mix well and continue to cook for further 5 minutes; add in 1/4th tsp cardamom and roasted cashew and raisins. Mix well.

5) Green Gram (Moong) Sweet Sundal: Dry fry half cup green gram till its colour changes slightly and nice aroma comes out. Soak the fried gram in water for 6 hours/overnight; wash the soaked gram and cook it in a pressure cooker with 1.5 cup water for two whistles; drain the excess water; add half cup jaggery powder, a pinch of cardamom powder, coconut gratings and mix it well. Remove from stove.

6) Sweet Aval/Poha: In a strainer, rinse 1/2 cup poha in water for a couple of times, strain very well; add one chopped banana, 1 to 2 tablespoon, jaggery, 1 tablespoon grated coconut. We can also add warm milk.

7) Kozhukattai /Modak/Steamed Rice Dumpling: Boil one cup of water with salt. Add the boiled water to one cup rice flour and mix it with a wooden spatula/spoon. Knead until it forms a smooth dough. Keep it aside for 5 minutes or till it is warm enough to handle. Knead the dough and make it into a soft ball. Melt 150gms jaggery with ¼ cup of water and strain it. Add the coconut to the filtered jaggery & mix well. Add ghee and cook till the liquid is dried up. Add crushed cardamom clove and remove from fire. Make medium size balls out of the dough. Take one ball at a time and place it in your palm. Press it with the other hand and make it thin. Start folding it inwards in such a way that you get a cup shape. Place 1-2 tsp of the filling, cover it and roll it back into a ball. Repeat the process with the rest of the dough and filling. Steam the kozhukattas in appachembu/steamer for 9-10 minutes on medium flame. Keep it covered for 1 more minute. Serve warm.

By the grace of Almighty and blessings, it indeed was a miracle that they turned out Yummy.

Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time

Brian Tracy gives simple and easily acted-upon suggestions for stream lining and maximizing your productivity. The title itself, Eat That Frog!, refers to completing the biggest, ugliest task you may have on your plate on any given day. If you do whatever that is first (the frog), in the morning when you're at your most energetic and before anything else distracts you, then at least you can say you got something done today. Most everything else will seem almost easy by comparison... at least, that's the theory.

The ability to concentrate single-mindedly on most important task, to do it well and finish it completely, is the key to great success, achievement, respect, status, and happiness in life. The key to success is action. Practice is the key to mastering any skills.

His chapter summaries on conclusion are a good resource to review. It says, the key to happiness, satisfaction, great success, and a wonderful feeling of personal power and effectiveness is for you to develop the habit of eating your frog first thing every day when you start work.

Fortunately, this is a learnable skill that you can acquire through repetition. And when you develop the habit of starting on your most important task before anything else, your success is assured.

Here is a summary of the 21 great ways to stop procrastinating and get more things done faster. Review these rules and principles regularly until they become firmly ingrained in your thinking and actions, and your future will be guranteed.


1. Set the table: Decide what you want. Clarity is essential. Write out your goals and objectives before you begin.
2. Plan the day in advance: Think on paper. Every minute you spend in planning can save time in execution.
3. Apply the 80/20 rule: 20% of activity produces 80% of the results: Concentrate effort on top 20%
4. Consider the consequences: of your 20% activities
5. Practice creative procrastination: put off things of low value
6. Use the A B C D E Method continually: prioritize
7. Focus on key result areas: concentrate on results you HAVE to have - ASK - What one skill, if I developed and did it in an excellent fashion, would have the greatest positive impact on career?
8. The Law of Three: Identify and focus on the top three before anything else
9. Prepare thoroughly before you begin: get set up to get things done
10. Take it one oil barrel at a time: do it one step at a time
11. Upgrade your key skills: sharpen your sword to do more and better
12. Leverage your special talents:do things you are good at wholeheartedly
13. Identify your key constraints: get rid of bottlenecks, choke points
14. Put pressure on yourself: think like you are on vacation tomorrow
15. Maximize your personal power: work hard at your best times of day
16. Motivate yourself into action: look at the positive now and move on
17. Get out of tech sinks: tech stuff can be time killers
18. Slice and dice the task: break it down, do one piece. Use 'salami slice' or 'Swiss Cheese' technique into action. Don't delay! Try today.
19. Create large chunks of time: to focus on certain things
20. Develop sense of urgency: move fast on key tasks
21. Single handle every task: start and fully complete most imp't task

The Three Ds of New Habit Formation: Decision, Discipline and Determination.

To stop Procrastinating, make a decision to develop the habit of task completion. Discipline yourself to practice the principles learned until they become automatic. Back everything with determination, until the habit is locked in and become a permanent part of Personality.

Time Management is really life management, personal management. It is realy taking control of the sequence of events. Time Management is taking control over what you do next. And you are always free to choose the task that you will do next. Your ability to choose between the important and the unimportant is the key determinant of your success in life and work. Effective, productive people discipline themselves to start on the most important task that is before them.

Garbhodhaka Ocean

Garbhodhakaśāyī Vishnu is realized as the father of Brahmā who appeared from His navel and hence Garbhodakashayi Vishnu is also called Hiraņyagarbha. Hindu Cosmo Map is Garbhodhaka Ocean, which appears to be as follows:

Sun -) Moon -) Group of Stars -) Shukra -) Budha -) Angaraka - ) Brihaspati -) Shani -) Saptarishi -) Dhruvaloka

Shukra: is a Sanskrit word that means "lucid, clear, bright". It also has other meanings, such as the name of an ancient lineage of sages who counselled Asuras in Vedic mythology. Shukra is the root of the word 'Shukravara' or Friday in the Hindu calendar.In medieval mythology and Hindu astrology, the term refers to the planet Venus, one of the Navagrahas.

Navagraha means "nine celestial bodies" in Sanskrit and are nine astronomical bodies as well as deities in Hinduism and Hindu astrology. These are the Sun (Ravi), the Moon (Soma), Mars (Mangal), Mercury (Budh), Jupiter (Dev Guru/Brihaspathi), Venus (Shukra), Saturn (Shani), Solar (Rahu) Eclipse, Lunar Eclipse (Ketu)

" Suriaya, Somaya, Mangalaya, Budayacha, Gurusukra Sanibiascha, Rahave, Kedhave Namaha. "

Budha appears as a deity in Indian texts, often as the son of Soma (moon god, Chandra) and Taraka (wife of Bṛhaspati, Jupiter god). The mythology of Budha as a deity is not consistent in Hindu Puranas, and he alternatively is described as the son of goddess Rohini (a daughter of Daksha) and god Soma. It is a Sanskrit word that connotes the planet Mercury. Budha is the root of the word 'Budhavara' or Wednesday in the Hindu calendar.

Angāraka - one who is red in colour also called Mangala, Raktavarna, Bhauma/Kuja (son of Bhumi),Lohitānga (Loha also means Iron, so could also mean Iron Bodied), Bha - shining - The word Mangala is ancient, first appearing in the Rigveda (pre-1000 BCE), and mentioned by grammarian Patanjali (~2nd century BCE), but not as an astrological term, rather to mean "auspicious-successful" (siddha) structure in literary arts. Mangala is the root of the word 'Mangalavara' or Tuesday in the Hindu calendar. Also is the name for Mars, the red planet, in Hindu texts. His origins vary with different mythological texts; in some, he is the son of Bhumi, the Earth Goddess and Vishnu, born when he raised her from the depths of water during the time of the Varaha avatar. Another thought is that he is born from Shiva's sweat or blood drop. He is also a god of war, celibate and sometimes linked to god Karttikeya (Skanda).

Bṛhaspati refers to different mythical figures depending on the age of the text. In ancient Hindu literature Brihaspati is a Vedic era sage who counsels the gods, while in some medieval texts the word refers to the largest planet Jupiter. Rigveda Hyme 50, Book 4 say he is the one who drove away darkness, is bright and pure, and carries a special bow whose string is Rta or "cosmic order" (basis of dharma/Dharmashastra). While the manuscripts of Brihaspati Smriti (Bṛhaspatismṛti) have not survived into the modern era, its verses were cited in other Indian texts. Brihaspati has a second meaning and refers to Jupiter. It became the root of the word 'Brihaspativara' or Thursday in the Hindu calendar. Brihaspati was married to Tara. In medieval mythologies, Tara was abducted by Chandra. Tara bore a son, Budha (planet Mercury).

Shani refers to the planet Saturn, and is one of the nine heavenly objects known as Navagraha in Hindu astrology. He is the God of Justice in Hindu mythology and delivers results to all, depending upon their thoughts, speech and deeds (karma). Shani is the basis for Shanivara . Shani is considered inauspicious and is feared for delivering misfortune and loss to those who deserve it. He is also capable of conferring boons and blessings to the worthy, depending upon their karma.


Saptarishis - The original seekers Saptarishis are the hierarchy working under the guidance of the highest creative intelligence, Paramatma. The present batch of the Saptarishis are Kashyapa, Atri, Vasistha, Vishvamitra, Gautama Maharishi, Jamadagni and Bharadvaja. They bring down to the earth the required knowledge and energies to strengthen the processes of transition (pralaya). They are naturally the most evolved 'light beings' in the creation and the guardians of the divine laws.

Different lists appear; some of these rishis were recognized as the 'mind-born sons' (Sanskrit: मनस पुत्र, manasputra) of Brahma, the representation of the Supreme Being as Creator. Since these seven rishis were also among the primary seven rishis, who were considered to be the ancestors of the Gotras of Brahmins, the birth of these rishis was mythicized.

In ancient Indian astronomy, the constellation of the Big Dipper (Ursa Major) is called saptarishi, with the seven stars representing seven rishis, namely "Vashistha", "Marichi", "Pulastya", "Pulaha", "Atri", "Angiras" and "Kratu". There is another star slightly visible within it, known as "Arundhati". Arundhati is the wife of Vashistha. Vashishtha and Arundhati together form the Mizar double.

Stars of Saptarishi (Ursa Major) with their Indian astronomical names
As per legend, the seven Rishis in the next Manvantara will be Diptimat, Galava, Parashurama, Kripa, Drauni or Ashwatthama, Vyasa and Rishyasringa.

1) Atri:

Seer in Vedas, Husband of Anusuya, Father of Dattatreya, Dervasa and Soma.

2) Vashishtha:

Owner of Kamadhenu, Royal priest in Ayodhya, Perceptor to Rama and Bhishma, Yoga Vashishtha attributed to him.

3) Kashyap:

Author of Rig Veda, Husband of Diti, Aditi, Danu, Kadru, Vinata etc.. Father to Gods, Demons, Yakshas, Nagas etc.

4) Gautam:

Seer in Vedas, Husband of Ahalya, Ancestor of Kripacharya, Attributed to ledends of Triyambakshwar and Godavari river

5) Bharadwaj:

Vedic Sage, appears in both Ramayana and Mahabharata, Father of Sage Garga, Dronacharya. Grandfather of Kubera (Maternal)

6) Vishwamitra:

Kshatriya turned Rishi, gave Gayatri Mantra. Father of Shakuntala, Grandfather of Bharat (after whom the country is named)

7) Angiras:

Author in Rig Veda. Father of Brihaspati and progenitor of Angiras clan. Both Bharadwaj and Gautam are Angiras.

In addition, Sage Bhrigu (father of Shukracharya and author of Bhrigu Samhita) SAge Jamadagni (father of Parashuram), Sage Pulatsya (Grandfather of Ravana) are considered Saptarishis by some texts.

Matsya (fish) rescues the Saptarishi and Manu from the great Deluge

The pole star (Dhruvaloka) is the central pivot of the universal planetary system SB Canto 4 The polestar, called Dhruvaloka, is the pivot of this.

Understanding Dhruvaloka - By His Divine Grace A.C.Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
Dhruvaloka, or the polestar, is the abode of Lord Vishnu within this material world. Upon it there is an ocean of milk, and within that ocean there is an island known as Shvetadvipa. It is clearly indicated that this planet is situated above the seven planetary systems of the r.s.is , and because this planet is Vishnuloka, it is worshiped by all other planetary systems. Although the polestar existed before its occupation by Dhruva Maharaja, it had no predominating deity. Dhruvaloka, our polestar, is the center for all other stars and solar systems, for all of them circle around Dhruvaloka just as a bull crushes grains by walking around and around a central pole. Dhruva wanted the best of all planets, and although it was a childish prayer, the Lord satisfied his demand. A small child may demand something from his father which his father has never given to anyone else, yet out of affection the father offers it to the child; similarly, this unique planet, Dhruvaloka, was offered to Maharaja Dhruva.
To read the entire article click here: https://goo.gl/5odl40

Dhruvaloka, the abode of Lord Viṣṇu within this universe, is situated 1,300,000 yojanas from the seven stars. In the planetary system of Dhruvaloka are the planets of the fire-god, Indra, Prajāpati, Kaśyapa and Dharma, all of whom are very respectful to the great devotee Dhruva, who lives on the polestar. Like bulls yoked to a central pivot, all the planetary systems revolve around Dhruvaloka, impelled by eternal time. Those who worship the virāṭ-puruṣa, the universal form of the Lord, conceive of this entire rotating system of planets as an animal known as śiśumāra. This imaginary śiśumāra is another form of the Lord. The head of the śiśumāra form is downward, and its body appears like that of a coiled snake. On the end of its tail is Dhruvaloka, on the body of the tail are Prajāpati, Agni, Indra and Dharma, and on the root of the tail are Dhātā and Vidhātā. On its waist are the seven great sages. The entire body of the śiśumāra faces toward its right and appears like a coil of stars. On the right side of this coil are the fourteen prominent stars from Abhijit to Punarvasu, and on the left side are the fourteen prominent stars from Puṣyā to Uttarāṣāḍhā. The stars known as Punarvasu and Puṣyā are on the right and left hips of the śiśumāra, and the stars known as Ārdrā and Aśleṣā are on the right and left feet of the śiśumāra. Other stars are also fixed on different sides of the Śiśumāra planetary system according to the calculations of Vedic astronomers. To concentrate their minds, yogīs worship the Śiśumāra planetary system, which is technically known as the kuṇḍalini-cakra.

Brahma-saṁhitā ( post-vedic Samhitas {Samhita literally means "put together, joined, union", a "collection", and "a methodically, rule-based combination of text or verses". Samhita also refers to the most ancient layer of text in the Vedas, consisting of mantras, hymns, prayers, litanies and benedictions.} are: Ashtavakra Gita, Bhrigu Samhita, Brahma Samhita, Charaka Samhita, Deva Samhita, Garga Samhita, Gheranda Samhita, Kashyap Samhita, Shiva Samhita - The Brahma Saṁhitā is a Sanskrit Pañcarātra text, composed of verses of prayer spoken by Brahma glorifying the Supreme Lord Kṛiṣṇa or Govinda at the beginning of creation) says as follows:
yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ
rājā samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa-tejāḥ
yasyājñayā bhramati sambhṛta-kāla-cakro
govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi
“I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, under whose control even the sun, which is considered to be the eye of the Lord, rotates within the fixed orbit of eternal time. The sun is the king of all planetary systems and has unlimited potency in heat and light.” This verse from Brahma-saṁhitā confirms that even the largest and most powerful planet, the sun, rotates within a fixed orbit, or kāla-cakra, in obedience to the order of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

SB Canto 4
The polestar, called Dhruvaloka, is the pivot of this universe, and all planets move around this polestar.
SB 4.29.42-44, Purport: All the great sages mentioned in this verse have their planets near Brahmaloka, the planet where Lord Brahmā resides along with four great sages—Sanaka, Sanātana, Sanandana and Sanat-kumāra. These sages reside in different stars known as the southern stars, which circle the polestar. The polestar, called Dhruvaloka, is the pivot of this universe, and all planets move around this polestar. All the stars are planets, as far as we can see, within this one universe. According to Western theory, all the stars are different suns, but according to Vedic information, there is only one sun within this universe. All the so-called stars are but different planets. Besides this universe, there are many millions of other universes, and each of them contains similar innumerable stars and planets.

Now is'nt that interesting? Other than this - and important point in Hindu Philosophy, which is being mentioned here, as a question came to my mind as to why Earth don't feature in Navagraha is :

Pancha Bhoota or Pancha Maha-Bhoota which are, five great elements, also five physical elements, is a group of five basic elements, which, according to Hinduism, is the basis of all cosmic creation. These elements are: Prithvi/Bhudevi (Hindi: पृथ्वी, Earth), Apas/Varuna/Jal (Hindi: अप्, Water), Agni (Hindi: अग्नि, Fire), Vayu (Hindi: वायु, Air), Aakash/Dyaus (Hindi: आकाश, Aether). These elements have different characteristics and these also account for different faculties of human experience. In ayurveda and Indian philosophy, the human body is considered to be made of these five elements.

The pancha bhoota are associated with a sense which is perceived by sense organ in human being. Below table gives details of associated sense, sense organ, and other attributes of elements.

Bhoota (Element) Associated Sense Associated Sense Organ Perception mode Associated Finger
Akash/Dyaus (Space) Sound Ear Heard Middle Finger
Vayu (Air) Touch Skin Heard, Felt Index Finger
Agni (Fire) Sight/Color Eye Heard, Felt, Seen Thumb
Jal/Varuna (Water) Taste Tongue Heard, Felt, Seen, Tasted Little Finger
Prithvi/Bhumi (Earth) Smell Nose Heard, Felt, seen, Tasted, Smelled Ring Finger


The seven Chakras in the human subtle body are associated with these five elements.

Chakra Bhoota Characteristic
Muladhara Chakra Prithvi Stability, Support
Swadhishthan Chakra Jal Joy, Well-being
Manipura Chakra Agni Wisdom, Power
Anahata Chakra Vayu Compassion
Vishuddha Chakra Akash Trust, Creativity
Ajna Chakra Akash Knowledge, Intuition, Dignity
Sahasrara Chakra Akash Oneness


Vastu shastra emphasizes on the placement of five elements in specified direction and the balance of these elements determines the condition of the associated structure.

Bhoota Associated Direction Characteristics
Akasha/Dyaus East Expansion, enhancement
Vayu/Pavan North Movements, joy, happiness
Agni South Power, confidence, fame
Jal/Apas/Varuna West Spirituality, ideas, thoughts, healing
Prithvi/Bhumi Center, Diagonal Stability, peace and harmony