WTO Global trade Talks – Geneva

The WTO talks, to foster world trade failed on tuesday. India and China did not find the aggrement good to help the farmers and hence did not comply to it. Kamal nath played a major role.

What is WTO talks:

The first session of WTO talks started in 2001 to bring a consensus among the world counties about how trade practices can be carried out so that it is a win-win situation for all the countries. This recent failure after 7 years since its inception is an indication of the changes in the world economy, with India, China & Brazil emerging as the powerhouses. 

Essentially this essense of WTO talks was that the European Union and U.S. would lower farm subsidies and tariffs in exchange for China, India, Brazil and other emerging economies opening up their markets for industrial goods like chemicals and cars.

Why did the talks fail:

India & China were asking for Special Safegauds Mechanism (SSM) for the developing countries if imports had to be increased which was not agreed upon by the US. SSM would enable developing countries to raise agricultural tariffs to protect their farmers in case of a surge in imports. US did not agree on the Asian countries’ right to impose emergency tariffs to protect their farmers .

Earlier  U.S. capped its trade-distorting farm subsidies at $14.5 billion.  What does this mean? US provides subsidies to its agricultural sector, thus the production of goods is at a subsidised rates and the price of their goods do not get affected due to import policy/rules of US. Thus farmers in US gain from the subsidies.  Over the weekend,  India and China doubled their opposition, India’s trade and commerce minister, Kamal Nath, and then Chinese diplomats, refused to compromise with the U.S.  In particular, we demanded a rule that would allow them to impose special tariffs if imports surged in certain products like sugar, cotton and rice.

US wants India and China to open up markets for agricultual goods which they produce at a large quantity as a result of hge subsidies provided by the US. We did not agree to this because, if we open the market locally produced agricultural goods may not seek profits as a result of huge supply. If imports surge in India, the farmers will be affected, which leads to many farmers quitting agriculture and .. less production in india… agriculture occupation gets affected…. imports needs to increased ..  and world countries might capitalise on it… we do not want this situation. And thus we wanted to a rule to impose tariffs on certain goods if imports needs to be increased.

Thus unless US reduces its susidies or SSM is agreed that would help the interest of india , china and other developing counties, the deal may not go on.

At this point in time, Commerce Minsiter has tried to protect the farmers and agricultural occupation in India and several other countries (almost 100). It is not a US vs India/China. It is only that India/China were leading the discussion.

What if WTO talks fail?

It is also a blow to the world economy in terms of trade practices at a age when all developing countries are looking for globalisation. This WTO aggrement would have opened global markets for trade of various products and commodities, …… BUT farmers in developing countries had to be taken care of….

But certain other african nations grieve, as they would have benefitted from the deal in terms of banana and cotton exports from poor nations.

One point came to limelight in the talks:

“DEALS ARE NO LONGER MADE ONLY BY RICH COUNTRIES. THE EMERGING MARKETS HAVE TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT. DEALS CAN’T BE MADE FOR THE SELF INTERST OF RICH NATIONS”

INDIA SEEMS TO EMERGE AS A POWERFUL COUNTRY. BUT WITH POWER COMES GREATER RESPONSIBILITY.

Bangalore Bombs – Adugodi

July 26 2008.

Time:11:30 AM

I had to be confined to work yesterday (25 july ) but did not control my curiosity to know where the adugodi bomb was planted. I decided go and take a look at the crime scene. I went to the bakery where i usually buy some snacks and enquired about the crime scene.

My house is just opposite to adugodi traffic police station/vijaya bank. The bomb had been planted less than 25 meters from adugodi traffic police station on the way towards adugodi signal junction. It was just in front of a construction site and bus stand. A pan shop functions close to the place and today it was functioning as usual. The place was cordoned with a police vehicle standing close by. The place was as normal as always used to be.

I returned back home to find no power in my house. The usual power shedding process in Bangalore. My mobile laughed at me (my baby smiling ring tone), my friend at the other end said “News channel are reporting another bomb was defused near forum and the all roads leading to forum was closed” . I walked out of my house to find it out myself.

Time:12:00 PM

As i walked past the police quarters and close to adugodi police station, i saw a lot of people crowded over the place. On nearing them I found there were a bomb detecting and a defusing squad. Smelling dogs were resting inside a sumo, probably they were the ones who would have sniffed the danger. The squad was relaxing, so i thought things were under control. I walked towards forum to find if the roads were closed. I came to know the live bomb was diffused close to the staples showroom junction , right opposite to the hyderabadi biriyani… Opps few lives and injuries averted. Thanks for the squad who had put their life in line for the public.

Thinking of the almighty i started walking further and  this is what i noticed.

Employees of HP was standing outside and smoking – as usual, People entered star bazaar to shop – as usual, the security in star bazaar handing a metal detector and checking people and vehicles – not usual, the road side orange juicewala making juice for his customers – as usual, the corn wala steaming corn -  as usual, people flocking forum for purchase/time pass – as usual, i crossed the road to enter the road which leads to koramangala and as i did the pizza boy zoomed passed me almost running me over – something very usual, group of friends chatting and having fun in coffee day – as usual, Vodafone functioning as usual, SBI,ICICI, AXIS ATM’s crowded as usual…..The road was functioning as usual.

Forum, Koramangala, Hosur road.. functioning normal as of 14:00 Hrs 26^th July 2008.

Bangalore Bomb Blast

Date – 25 July 2008

Time: 2:30 P.M. I was walking into my office campus when one of security personnel over his mobile phone said “Adugodi la onthu” (one in Adugodi). I got curious as, that is the place i live in bangalore. I enquired the guy when he updated me on the blast that is rocking the IT capital. I saw security beefed up in my campus.

Time 2:45 PM. Colleagues in my floor were  nervous to hear such a incident, which is entirely new to the city. They were calling up home/friends/relatives to say “i am safe” .So did i. My phone suddenly became more active than ever, a considerable number of calls from considerate people and a few SMS. Head of our facility called us over the intercom to provide moral support and to detail on the do and donts. Appreciate it. As time past things settled down in office and was back to normal. But i am still curious where in adugodi was the blast and how the city is responding to the emergency.

Time 4:00 PM. I still do not have a big update on the blasts except for Internet news. I start writing this blog. May the soul of the deceased rest in peace and those who are injured recover soon.

Bangalore was once termed as “Pensioners Paradise” , “Garden City”. It used to be a place where people leave peacefully, in a climatic condition which suited most of the retired people. Now it had grown manifold that it can no more be called as “Pensioners Paradise”. It has become a cosmopolitan city. Men and Women flockfrom all over the country to work in bangalore which has become a IT HUB of india. Bangalore can be used as a barometer for indian economical growth. Bangalore rocks in growth , but today bangalore rocked in bomb blast. I hate to write this ‘A first of its kind in bangalore – Serial blast”.

IS BANGALORE A SOFT TARGET?

The blast seemed to be of low intensity. Gelatin sticks had been used for the blast. Thankfully the casualities are less. BUT A BLAST HAPPENED IS HAPPENED. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? WHAT IS THEIR MOTIVE? HAS BANGALORE BECOME A SOFT TARGET.

(Who knows my lateral thinking mind also says “IS THIS DONE FOR ANY POLITICAL MILEAGE” as the blast is of low intensity and was at places of low interest in terms of companies, residential class, government offices, etc..) . Just a thought.

Its time that the authorities sit up and notice what needs to be done to safe gaurd the city for reasons more than one.

• Safety of people
• India’s economical Growth
• Cut down terror activity in this peaceful city (if any)

People safety comes first as no individual is less or more important than other.

Incidents like this will create panic amoung organisations/employees. Employees from different parts of india may want to return back which may affect the functioning of the organisations and invariably the profits which leads to downfall in the growth and possibly economy. MNCs would not want to open up operations in the city (which is already over priced) and may look for other options (read countries). This will lead to the rising economy of the country itself.

If terror groups had infiltered into the city, which was never a case, this has to be removed as soon as possible to help the peaceful garden city to function peacefully.

Lets hope and pray the almighty that is will be the first and last incident of the kind.

Parliament – Glorified

July 22 2008, the day of recokning for the Ruling congress lead UPA govenment, as a non confidence motion was passed since LEFT left the alliance and SP joined UPA ..blah… blah… blah….

There were 545 MPs who was entrusted with the job to vote for or against the government. This voting was a result of Nuclear deal, thanks to the indifference of LEFT and BJP.

N-Deal is devised for national interest. This is primarily devised to suffice the energy needs in india. Though LEFT & BJP opposed saying, the current terms is not good for the nation. BJP went on saying they will not scrap the deal and would renogotiate it. It is to my belief these parties did not function under national interest. If BJP knew what is best for india, why did it not join hands with the government to create and reach a fair deal. why are they more concerned about toppling the govt. The role of a opposition party is not to find instances to topple a government, but to assist for the good of the people. They have to critizise either good or bad and help acheive common goals.  

If these parties understand they are nominated to serve the country and even if they are concerned about growth of the nation, this TRUST VOTING would not have taken place. IF SOMEONE DO UNDERSTAND, THANKS & HATS OFF TO YOU.

(Who knows.., there would have been the same situation even if BJP was executing the deal and UPA the opposition party).

Lets talk specific about the deal and the MPs. I am confident of the fact that only 10 -20% of the 545 would know what “N-DEAL” is, why is it been created and why the nation needs it…. (How would they know…, they have no power cuts , they have enough fuel to travel in A/c cabs, chartered flights, least would they understand the effect, with a few execptions). On this day they tarnished image of themselves that one would go any extent to gain power . Power for money. How many know what is the power capacity of india.. ok at the least How many know what is their monthly power bill.

Most importantly, It would be interesting if someone (might be a TV or newspaper) could report the educational qualifications of our MPs. It would hurt to digest for the wise and the learned. It is not that one has to be educated to understand issues , but one needs to empathise the needs of people. There had been great leaders and reformers who had done good to the people. But gone are those days. This is an era of globalisation, where the country’s image is decided by the representatives of the country (read Pres, PM, Ministers). The recent prez speech had less attendees in the Mexico parliament. On the contrary Abdul kalam, was a great impact & influence on his foreign visit.

IT IS HIGH TIME THE HOUSE HAD LEARNED & QUALIFIED STRATEGIST.

A students’ past is analysed (like FIR) even before gaining entry into a college, a individual needs graduation to get atleast a clerical job, but politicians are the only group who need no qualification.

• WHO NOMINATED THEM?
• HOW DID THEY GAIN ENTRY TO THE HOUSE OF PEOPLE.
• IS THIS THE CASE EVEN IN THE STATE RULE?
• WHAT DIFFERNCE DID THEY MAKE TO YOUR LIFE?
• WHAT DIFFERNCE DID THEY MAKE TO THIS COUNTRY?

WHO’S MISTAKE IS THIS?  – ITS MINE. ITS YOURS. – ITS OUR MISTAKE.

Why did we not elect the right person, why did we fail to nominate a right person, are you the right person. Can you do the job. Think dude !!!

We need leaders, reformers, who are charismatic, who can think, who can analyse, who can debate, who represent the democratic nation. Not just dumb, old age men who sit in the hall boasting to be the experienced. I am ready, but can i survive, Certainly not without any backing. So who ?

WE HAVE INDUSTRIALIST, THINKERS, MEDIA PERSONELS,MBAs, PROFESSORS,….. AND tTHEY HAVE TO COME FORWARD AND PLEASE PLEASE COME FORWARD. WE NEED YOU… THE NATION NEEDS YOU.  

We need to create a bandwagon, a band of furturist, thinkers…

We need to create a brand of leaders, a brand new image to the face of the nation, product which is different/brilliant, a pack with quality,a  pack with TRUST, TRUTH AND FAITH.

Airtel – Ad on Paying Bill

I completely enjoyed the new Airtel ad on paying bills for 2 reasons.

• Chemistry between Madhavan & Vidhya Balan… Wow
• the concept of the ad

Needless to say the soothing effect of Rahman’s music

Most of you would have been mesmerised by the ad and i am not going to take you through the sequence or the chemistry.

The one intelligent script by the agency which i loved is when the train enters the tunnel, the same time when madhavan pays his bill.

Reason 1: Vidhya knew madhavan paid the bill just now as there would be no light under the tunnel. So she would have seen maddy pay the bill coz of light from the mobile, for which she reacts by throwing the pillow when maddy says “Long back”.

Reason 2: The signal strength of airtel. Even when they are in a train moving, also when under a tunnel (which suggest either hilly zone or off country) maddy gets a strong signal to pay the bill. This signifies teh extent of service airtel provides.

“Hats off” to the ad agency and the creative director.

Stop Talking Start Doing

I did borrow the term from IBM (hope there is no patent issues). Not that it did not exist in my mind or elsewhere. It is only that it had gained exposure since IBM used it for their campaigns.

What does the IBM advt suggest. To my perception , it is high time people stop talking about wants/donts, haves/nots and would rather do something about it. It makes a big sense to the whole universe. I would at this point categorise human being into 2 types. 1) Male and Female 2) People who sitback and talk (crib) and People who stand up and do something.

Which category do you belong. I would not want to say that i belong to “stand up” category. As like every human i am also sometimes falter to certain features. For most of us “our conscience determine our actions”. Only a very few sacred people have a rational and  thoughts of equallity.

N-Deal. What is it to me?

India -US Nuclear deal. What is it to me?

I am a regular guy, i have no linkages with any political party , nor have i read the N-deal agreement and testimonial..neither i am a negotiator to the deal .I am a regular 27 yr old guy  who reads news daily , tries to keep pace with the world in an urge to know more and not to be left alone in this holy world.

“What the heck if India signs the N-deal or not” was the question i asked myself to find an answer. What is it to me?  I was surprised to find it meant something for me… Yes i also stand benefit from the deal one way or the other.

This is what i understood. “ENERGY”

India is fast growing economy which is a diversified nation which attracts a lot of investment. This has been fueled by the growth in IT sector, manufacturing sector, R&D, Retail., etc., As a result the standard of living of the people have improved. The lower middle class have transformed to upper middle class. The upper middle class to rich and the rich to affluent. Needless to say the poor remain poor, except for some exceptional cases.

As a resultant the consumption of food has increased. Entertainment industry have thrived big time. The sales of cars increased and with that increased the consumption of fuel, the sales of apartment increased and the construction of the same grew manifold. People are caught in the gadget mania which increased the production of the same. The sale of A/c grew and with that increased the consumption of electricity. some X, Y, Z increases consumption of some form of energy increased geometrically. India Shining.

The Demand for energy increases but the supply has not increased to the extent that will satisfy the demand. The oil reserves in the world are fast depleting, the renewable sources of energy may not be sufficient to serve the ever rising energy needs… what will happen if there is less supply of energy than demand.

A common Man

1. Increased energy bills
2. Frequent Power cuts
3. Transportation gets affected
4. etc.,

A common man affected indirectly as the cost of essential goods like clothes, food, increases. Industries do not get enough energy to process/produce goods, … industry lock out leading to loss of job… IT industries consume more energy still affording to pay the cost. One industry thrives, other dies.. Mismatch in the economic states of men next door.. Riots,Confusion and loss of peace.

“THIS N-DEAL WILL PUT TO REST MY IMAGINATION”

N-Deal was initially devised during the BJP rule and the then government wished to sign off the deal with limited advantages (do not ask me what). Now it has been over a period of time the deal has taken a better shape which is for reasons more than one is advantageous for India. This deal helps us to provide a solution for the ENERGY needs of India and it has nothing to do with weapons.

It is to my understanding USofA has gone beyond bounds inorder to help india in this regard. Now a question arises “India already has deal with France and Russia. So why another one and that too with US. Cant we leverage the existing connection and that too France being Prime in N-energy.”

Oops that is a good question to ask… The point is right .. we have a connection with these countries. But NSG provides waivers in trade with these countries,which is not available as of now …which is a high possibilty after the deal as the NSG is governed by US. Also the technology provided by US is superior.

So will India Nuclear capabilities be exposed?

India currently has 22 reactors of which 6 is already commissioned for civilain purpose and 8 has been proposed in after the deal .The remaining 8 will provide support to indian Nuclear weapon prowess. The civilan safegaurds will get the help from US and hence prone to exposed. Otherwise our defence si NOT. And it is to my understanding nowhere in the aggrement do it talk of defence exosure.

So the Point is more energy production by means of better technology and better trade practices. N-Deal helps India to Shine.

So why LEFT is opposing. My personal opinion is that, they have to understand the fact that India needs more enegy and the need is very urgent. I know they are people of principles but these are situations when they should help in india’s growth. I have read of instance in kerala when computers were destroyed when computers came into india big time. Now even they cannot do without a computer. Somewhere, somehow, something has to be done to make them realize this and not to mention the top brass will know this… dont they. OK I AM NOT A POLITICIAN. MY ABOVE COMMENTS HAVE TO BE TAKEN IN GOOD SPIRIT .

N Deal is good for india..for her growth, for her people. FOR YOU AND ME.

What Next?

50 YEARS LATER, URANIUM DEPLETES, OIL DEPLETES, NATURAL GAS DEPLETES, COAL DEPLETES, RENEWANABLE ENERGY NOT SUFFICEINT TO MEET THE ENDS… THE WORLD ENDS TO FUNCTION. LEADING TO WAR OF WORLDS…. SENDS SHRILL THROUGH MY SPINE ….SO WHAT NEXT… ????

THERE IS STILL ONE MORE SOURCE OF ENERGY LEFT OUT  – “EFFICIENCY”

SAVE ENERGY, SAVE THE WORLD. You and Me have the moral responsibility to efficiently consume the energy and save to whenever and where ever needed. We as a species of this world have the obligation to provide better earth to leave for the species after us.

EFFICIENCY (YOU + ME) = ENERGY SAVED FOR HIM/HER.

2008 Wimbeldon Mens final

Its a bit late to post a blog on 2008 wimbeldon mens final, nevertheless better late than never.

It was one of the best finals i have witnessed in this grand slam event. when in the past a few tried to match Fed prowess, last sunday final was destined to be a clash of titans. Little did i realise it would turn out to be the day which it actually ended up in. Did we see a beginning of an end?

On a rain plagued day when play was stopped twice … Feds backhanders was stopped by the net many times. My feeling was Fed was never in his terms, such was the impact Rafa had on him ..which essentially was created over a few years and a handful of finals between these two. Fed should have lost his self belief, i thought he would regain it during the rain break of what he has acheived over the past 5 years, which was not supposed to be.

Rafa was the best on sunday. i am still awe stuck of how much energy and pace he displayed in a match that lasted a few minutes less than 5 hours.  He was brimming with confidence , the skills he displayed matched Fed’s best days. Rafa was in control for most part of the match except during the tie breaker of 3rd and 4th set when Fed-exed his aces.

Rafa has eventually proved he is better off in clay and grass. when Rafa’s progess is adorable, i do not fail to remember the grit and emotion-less but cool and composed fed. Most of us would have witness a star in rising, Rafa should prove himself in the coming years over different seasons in different courts.

Fed is cast away …but is Rafa the new parcel. Time has the answer… Lets wait an watch

iGerminate

Hey bloggers,

This is my first blog in the universe of blogging. I see myself as a seed that is germinating that will grow as a tree to provide shade and fruit.

Having said, i would like you guys to throw some light on effective and efficient blogging.

Just as i was thinking of what to blog, a colleague of mine who crossed by my desk provided some thoughts (Thanks dude) on blogging. My blog space would aim/thrive to carry the best of the happening/events/issues/debates… (Am i sounding too optimistic …time has the answer)

to be continued…

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