The Himalayan disaster and the blunders

The tragic devastation caused by nature particularly in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, is so saddening. It has also exposed the deficiencies in India’s disaster management capabilities.

A few years back I had attended a meeting in Delhi convened by the Cabinet Secretary to discuss disaster management. I had submitted a project profile to the Government of India suggesting the formation of a full time National Disaster Management Authority. 

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Medical Colleges: An Addendum

There used to be a joke about a school lab which had no implements. The teacher puts up his thumb and tells the students, “Suppose this is a test tube….” Well, that seems to be what is happening to the mushrooming medical colleges in the country.

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Cards & Curry

A few days back when my brother Jacob called to say that he was planning a ‘Cards& Curry’ session at our Tharavad, Thekkanattu Parayil, Olavipe I was rather stuck. I didn’t know what it meant. Any way, Jacob explained and I told him to go ahead.

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Photos from our garden

Please click here to see the photos.

Diamonds: The Two Sisters from Golconda

Koh-i-Noor and Darya-i-Noor – That is how they are known now. The first means “Mountain of light” and the other, “Sea or Ocean of light”. These great diamonds, amongst the largest in the world, were found in the Paritala-Kollur Mine near Golconda, India, perhaps 5000 years ago. Over the centuries several dynasties had possession of them. They symbolized, power, wealth and glory.

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Dasapushpam

Aerva lanata 

from Wikimedia Commons

 

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