Wednesday, July 30, 2008

Application form to be filled fro contesting Indian Elections

Application Form To Be Filled For Contesting Indian Elections

----------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Name of Candidate : _______________________



2. Present Address
(i) Name of Jail : _______________________
(ii) Cell Number : _______________________



3. Political Party : _______________________
(List ONLY the Last Five parties in the Chronological (Order)



4. Sex: [ ]
A - Male
B - Female
C - Mayawati

5. Nationality: [ ]
A - Italian
B - Indian

6. Reasons for leaving last party (circle one or more)

A - Defected
B - Expelled
C - Bought out
D - None of above
E - All of above

7. Reasons for contesting elections (circle one or more)
A - To make money
B - To escape court trial
C - To grossly misuse power
D - To serve the public
E - I have no clue (if you choose "D, attach Certificate of Sanity from a Recognized Government Psychiatrist)

8. How many years of public service experience do you possess?
A - 1-2 yrs
B - 2-6yrs
C - 6-15yrs
D - 15+yrs

9. Give details of any criminal cases pending against you (Use as many Additional Sheets as you want)

10. How many years have you spent in Jail? [ ] (Do not confuse with question
A - 1-2 years
B - 2-6 years
C - 6-15 years
D - 15+years

11. Are you involved in any financial scams? [ ]
A - Why not
B - Of Course
C - Definitely
D - I deny it all
E - I see a foreign hand.

12. What is your Annual Corruption Income? [ ]
A - 100-500 Crores
B - 500-1000 Crores
C - Overflow... (Convert all your $ earning from Hawala etc to Rupees)

13. Do you have any developmental plans for India in mind? [ ]
A - No
B - No
C - No
D - No

14. Describe your achievements in space provided: [_________]
Thumb Impression of candidate (Not that of the person who filled the form)

Tuesday, July 29, 2008

Sparking Red Wine in a Plastic Bottle or a Pouch

Little birdie told me that some environmentalists in west are creating a hue and cry over the use of glass bottles for wine and liquor packaging. They say these bottles are heavier than plastic bottles and more energy is consumed to transport heavier bottles. They advocate that glass bottles used in wine packaging are not environment friendly, rather they contibute to excesss usage of energy. They have gone on record to propose the use of plastic bottles and pouches for wine and liquor packaging. The wine packaging industry has already started replacing the wodden corks used in champagne and some wine bottles with normal caps.
Its hard to imagine red wine in a plastic bottle or our your premium scotch in a silver pouch. The environmentalists the adverse effects of plastic bottles and pouches on wine and liquor guzzlers in regions like Punjab. A group of friends will sit together in a local "Ahata" to cut a pouch rather than a bottle. People will reserve liquor pouches in the hood of their cars than the bottles, worse still what happens to our drawing rooms bars. Hard to imagine how will a Jack Daniel plastic bottle look like or will Johnnie Walk with the pouches.
There are other bigger and more grave issues concerning our environment and there are a trillion ways how we can save energy , but please spare the bottles, we Punjabi can't really live without our daily dose of "Daru ki batli".

Friday, July 25, 2008

The hullabaloo about Zero % Agency Commission

(Sum's take on reduction in agency commission to zero by international and domestic airlines in India)

TAAI invites its delegates and members to London, UK to discuss, evaluate and formulate policies for the zero agency commission era confronting the travel industry this November in their annual convention. There are over 2000 IATA agents and about 14000 non-IATA agents in India. A sector which till last year was booming being part of the sunrise sector of the economy is under a direct threat of being washed away or being ruined by a Tsunami of zero commission structure being implemented by the airlines. It employs a large chuck of people requiring medium to low levels of entry level education standards and promotes entrepreneurship by means of its 14000 non IATA agent network, bulk of which are small and medium enterprises managed and run by individuals in every nook and corner of the country. The employment potential of the industry is unmatched in terms of providing solutions for disguised unemployment, self employment and proves as a catalyst for generating employment in other sectors like transport, tour operators, hotel industry, tourism industry etc.

Of late the industry is under a threat (at least a perceived threat) of being subdued by the zero commission structure being implemented by the airlines. The succession to zero % commission is a part of structured reduction in commission by international and domestic airlines over a period of last 8 year from 9 % to 7 % and then to the current commission structure of 5 %. The commission was reduced to 5 % a couple of years back and an understanding was reached by the airlines with the trade associations to reduce it to zero by 2009. Bulk of the travel agents at the time of reduction in commission to 5 % failed to realize the threat of a future 0 % commission regime and failed to change their business models. The worst affected are the ones who are now searching for an alternate business plan when they are almost amidst the storm. I perceive it as an opportunity and not as a threat and I strongly believe that some sound planning renewed business plans and cost effective professional service travel agents will continue to rule the roost.

Let’s conduct a SWOT of the Travel Industry at the crucial juncture of this commission alteration:



Strengths

1. The main strength of travel trade is that even today the online travel market and online airline websites accounts for less than 5-8 % of the total ticket sales in India.
2. The Indian passengers continuance to depend on traditional travel agents is a big plus for this industry
3. The credit sales of airline products still holds good with the traditional travel agents (by traditional travel agents I mean the one’s with indigenous ownership and office based offline sale of products/ services)
4. Passengers in India depend on a travel agent to get his expert advice for arranging his travel.
5. India is a country where visa services and other ancillary services is a big market. Normally a passenger depends on a travel agent to arrange a visa besides tickets and other formalities. India is unlike western countries where visa is not required for most of the countries.
6. Credit card and Internet density is still low in semi urban and rural areas and areas like Punjab, which account for 40 % of traffic at Delhi airport holds the key for travel trade.
7. The travel agent’s bargaining power with the airlines still remains strong as bulk of the business is still generated through travel agents.

Weaknesses

1. The trade bodies like TAAI, TAFI and IAAI and not integrated and not very strong at the national level. They are divided amidst politics and often fail to present a united front for key and common issues. Some trade bodies are also accused of playing at the hands of the airlines. Most of these bodies are centralized with low levels of decentralization.
2. The industry is still in an unorganized stage which poses problems of faulty business models and low levels of professionalism
3. Failure of the industry to keep pace with the times and develop alternate business plans
4. Most of the IATA agents in India are ticketing agents and their failure to serve a range of other services is posing a risk to their survival
5. The non-IATA agent base of 14000 agents is totally unorganized and not regulated and their role in the entire industry is still unknown. They threaten the survival of the registered agents.
6. Low levels of trained professionals and lack of professionalism is hurting the industry
7. High degree of competition in the absence of any entry or regulatory barriers is creating excess capacity in the industry. Margins too have shrunk due to competition.
8. Mushrooming of unscrupulous and fraudulent people who are cheating people on the pretext of illegal immigration and human trafficking are giving a bad name to the industry and hurting the overall confidence level of people on traditional travel agents.

Opportunities

1. The opportunities lie in getting organized and creating core competencies by economies of scale and reducing costs.
2. With the advent of E-Ticketing there is an opportunity to rework staff requirements and reduce costs in staffing.
3. Reduction of commission to zero will introduce the concept of transaction fees which will find favor among the corporate clients
4. There is an opportunity in creating an effective and successful business model based on transparency in earnings and reduced costs of operation.
5. There is plenty of scope for consolidation in the market. In the event of zero commission structure airlines may introduce bulk buying of seats wherein big consolidators and consortiums will benefit. Also overriding commissions like PLB and Boarding Incentives will be increasingly used by airlines to market their products.
6. There is a big opportunity in promoting, selling and functioning as a travel agent by introducing all other ancillary services like hotel reservations, cruises, insurance, visa, destination counseling, event management, MICE etc in the product portfolio.
7. Reduction in commission will serve as a deterrent for new entrants in the market and may even clean up the market with withdrawal of some players. This will check unscrupulous competition in the market and bring some order.



Threats

1. The biggest threat is from within the industry. The small and medium sized travel agencies face threat from online travel agencies and consolidators (both B2C and B2B) which are backed by venture capitalists and corporate houses and can go the extra mile by giving hefty discounts and undercutting fares to bring their brand value. They consider undercutting cost as a part of their investment.
2. The other big threat is from low margins by means of transaction fee, which will be implemented to replace the commission structure.
3. The real threat in zero commission eras comes from a situation wherein airline starts marketing the fares directly to the customer through their websites. In such a situation a ticket which cost “x” amount to the passenger on the airline website, will also cost the travel agent “X” amount. The travel agent will resultantly sell that ticket at x+ transaction fee, which will certainly be more than what the airline sells directly to the passenger. In such a situation there may be a temporary or permanent shift of passengers from the travel agents to the airlines.
4. With a global slowdown, high inflation and high interest rates the disposable income of people is low and this is adversely affecting the industry. Prolonged period of slow down might trigger panic in this industry which is witnessing a paradigm shift in terms if its revenue model.


Conclusion

The travel industry has hit an air pocket with global economic slow down and proposed reduction of agency commission to zero. From the airlines perspective, they need to work more closely with the agents than ever before and explain to them the rationale behind the reduction of commission; besides giving them confidence that travel agents remain the biggest distributions channel for the airline products. Travel agents need to reinvent their business models and besides looking at ancillary services they need to shun the image of being a ticketing agent. They need to take up the role of travel consultants and counselors. Using the technology to their advantage, agents need to reduce cost and develop an effective and cost effective model of doing business.

The actual impact of the reduction in commission on the travel industry will not be felt before the end of next fiscal during which the risk bearing capacity and patience of the travel industry will be put to test. Lets hope the churning of this industry brings out some “Amrit”.

"So where the bloody hell are you"

(Sum's take on global economic slowdown and airline industry scenario)
“So where the bloody hell are you” (slogan of Tourism Australia) aptly applies to the situation of the airline industry these days as it scouts for airline passengers in an era of global slowdown and dwindling airline numbers. According to some industry experts it never has been this bad and the economic forecasts are not looking any good either. Part of the blame can be attributed to the usual business cycles as the sudden slowdown and adjustments made by airline industry post 9/11 followed a period of recovery which lasted another couple of years. This was the time the airlines across the world were shaken by increased security and insurance cover charges which was in turn levied on the passengers in terms of insurance surcharge and thus started the regime of surcharges, levies and taxes which at present are accounting for more than the fare component, if not the same (at least in the international travel). The period of peak and plateau for the global airline industry was fairly short and buoyed by GDP growth figures of world economy coupled with emerging economies of BRIC countries, airlines put their best foot forward and aircraft orders came in thick and plenty.

The decline was even stepper as the credit and housing credit crisis in US triggered fears of a slowdown. China’s economy showed signs of overheating and slowdown fears soon translated in to a real time situation. Although the global slowdown is not as bad as the feared previous ones, but as per analysts and experts it is expected to last much longer. Add to these slowdown figures increasing inflation on account of rising food and commodity prices worldwide and crude shock which came in light of fears of invasion of Iran by US, dwindling supplies from Iraq and speculation in oil futures, you’ve got a perfect recipe for a blockbuster aviation industry downturn story.

But as industry and business the world over are expected to go through such down turns and slow down, it is important to see and evaluate how the airline industry is handling such a situation. Every airline is making a huge hue and cry over rising crude and resultant accumulated losses, but such a thing easily could have been averted by hedging fuel and this situation is clearly a case of failed planning and forecasting rather than an unforeseen situation. Even a simple management graduate could have guessed a global slow down after a period of rally and stage of plateau. Failure to plan for a slow down, when planning aircraft purchases and not cutting down costs and hedging fuel should be seen as a case of lost opportunity in this industry.

The situation is still not as bad as viewed and portrayed by many. There may be job losses and cut in schedules but such measures are in concurrence with a slowdown in any industry. There may also be consolidation in the industry, but that is need of the hour and only big global players and alliances can create core competencies and bring effectiveness in operations to reduce cost and increase viability for an airline in a global recession.

There is a big opportunity awaiting the airline industry in the future, but there is an urgent need to plan and the entire industry to work together for solutions of a problem which will confront them more often than not in the future – the problem of fuel. The business of airline is based on a non renewable source of energy and pressures like the current oil shock will be more visible and sudden in the future years when the supplies of fuel will dwindle. Huge investments are at stake and delivery orders are placed for the next 10 years. Boeing and Airbus will be working at full capacity to full fill the orders but is any one taking leaf from the current situation and thinking about how to fuel these aircrafts.

One possible opportunity wasted is the effectiveness, organization, composition and working of global airline alliances, which I shall discuss in the next blog.

Tuesday, July 22, 2008

Planning a Vacation ( Try "Stayacation")

(Sum's turn to plan a perfect family vacation for you and your family)
What's on your mind this summer...Rising Crude prices, exorbidant airfares, high inflation, high interest rates, low disposable incomes, no salary hikes, no bonus, falling share prices, money stuck in property, rising emi's or a vacation which entails being with your family, enjoying the fine things in life, late mornings, beach chair, chiiled bear, homely food, pool side barbeque, a place to stay which gives comforts of a home. Welcome to "Stayacation", a vacation starting at Rs.1/- * (all taxes, extra, surcharges, hidden costs included).
In this high interest, high inflation, high crude prices era, what better than beetting the vacation blues with some innovative thinking and sound planning. Bring out the travel planner in you and plan a "Stayacation" (a vacation at home or nearer to home). Spend your vacations at home and plan it to be one of your best and most memorable vacations. Following inputs might help:
1. Start by asking your self the following questions:
How often you have spent your free time at home (apart from your Sundays)?
How often have you spent your time home not watching TV or not being busy in household chores?
How often did you had the time to drop your daughter for a dancing class or play cricket with your son and his friends in your backyard?
How often did you watch life as it pass by you?
The answer lies in "Stayacation"
2. Create a vacation at home in your backyard, buy artificial inflatable pools (easily available in different sizes to suit your butts), a beach chair, an umbrella and some suns cream. Spend you time doing things you would normally do when on a vacation, whether its catching up on your sleep or going to a water park in town, cooking exotic dishes, playing tambola and cards, playing cricket with your son (rope in your wife or daughter, they'l love it too), having a chilled beer relaxing on a beach chair or simply sitting with your family and discussing things on and on and on. Your family will love the time you spend together and the pictures and the movie you make on will make this "Stayacation" memorable.
3. If you are a group traveller try and rope in another family for a stayacation at your home and couple it by spending a couple of days at their home. This will create an element of interest and the group will bond well and enjoy together. Engage in group activities like the age old antakshari, my favorite games likes ludo or money and if you want a nice relaxing spa experience , create the same in you bathroom with some aromatic candles, nice lighting, rose petals and hire a "masseauer" for a nice relaxing massage.
4. Plan sightseeing tours and shopping trips in between for places nearby and activities like an evening dinner at a theme restaurant or a dance party arranged at house can be good option. Role plays (not the ones like on chat) - husband plays son, son plays wife, wife plays son and daughter plays nani maa can be fun too.
5. Hire some good DVD's of movies you always wanted to catch up and do things you always missed in life (gardening for some, reading for others, sleeping still for the rest)
6. A simple idea of arranging a "Stayacation" can be so interesting to discuss and plan fro the entire family. Rope in everyone to contribute with their ideas and make it look and feel like a true vacation.
The mileage and addulation which you'l get from your family for this "Stayacation" which will be much more than a vacation where thousands and lacs go down the drain. The time spent by parents with their children is a luxury these days and what better than having a luxurious holiday with those you love. Your children will not stop talking and discussing their "Stayacation" with their friends when they get back to school and your wife will be envied lot in the neighbourhood kitties for perfecting a family holiday.
You'l go back to work happy too with smiles on your familie's faces without burning a hole in your pocket. Kudos' ! ! ! "Stayacation" is here to stay.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

The airlines are suffering, but the order books of Boeing and Airbus are bulging

IT IS usually axiomatic that when your customers are in trouble, you are too. But at this week’s biennial Farnborough airshow, the aviation industry’s biggest bash this year, that was not how it looked. With the exception of a few airlines from the Middle East, for which high oil prices are helping to fund an expansion, airlines are in deep trouble. According to IATA, their trade association, if fuel costs stay at present levels, the world’s airlines will lose over $6 billion this year.
The pain is greatest in America where competition is fierce, many planes are old and fuel has to be bought with weak dollars. But just about everybody is hurting. Martin Broughton, the chairman of British Airways, said this week that the airline was “up to its neck in perhaps the biggest crisis the aviation industry has ever known” and was responding by cutting flights. Even Cathay Pacific, one of the most efficient operators in the hitherto booming Asia-Pacific market, issued a profit warning on July 2nd. A number of Indian carriers also look vulnerable.
Yet despite the mounting crisis within the airline business, the mood at Boeing and Airbus, the two firms that own the market for large commercial aircraft, is oddly sanguine. During past downturns in what has always been a highly cyclical industry, the planemakers have suffered along with their customers. But this time, they think it might be different.
One reason is that both still have bulging order books with production backlogs that will take years to work through (see chart). Boeing’s head of commercial aircraft, Scott Carson, predicted this week that new orders would continue to outstrip production, so that its $271 billion backlog, the largest in its history, will continue to grow. The same is true of Airbus. Its total order backlog is more than 3,700 planes, the equivalent of about six years’ production. Its chief salesman, John Leahy, was hoping to end the week with another 200 orders in his pocket.
Both Boeing and Airbus insist that so far there have been virtually no cancellations. Airbus is even planning a 15% increase in production by 2010, though it says it is now reviewing that decision. Mr Leahy admits he has been calling customers to sound them out. “I don’t want to build a plane next year they don’t want,” he says. But his bleakest scenario is that the airlines’ woes could cut the backlog by 27%, which would still not affect production for several years.
One reason the planemakers are bullish is that neither is dependent on the hard-hit American market. “We’re fortunate because, unlike in other cycles, only 10% of our backlog is in America,” says Boeing’s chief executive, Jim McNerney. Another reason is that demand for new, more fuel-efficient aircraft has never been greater. The latest versions of the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737, the single-aisle workhorses for which demand is strongest, are up to 40% cheaper to run than the vintage planes some American airlines still use.
But the airlines want more from Boeing and Airbus. Although the current version of the 737 is only ten years old, it was designed to catch up with the now 20-year-old A320. And despite the industry’s boasts about technical progress, a new A320 delivered next year will be only marginally more efficient than one delivered in 1988. That is worrying for early A320 customers, such as Air France-KLM, which would normally expect to see a double-digit gain in operating-costs when it replaces a 20-year-old plane. Even the Americans, who are desperate to get rid of their old gas-guzzlers, are worried that they will be buying old technology.
Unfortunately for the airlines, Airbus and Boeing have recently confirmed that the date for producing successors to their single-aisle planes is receding. A year ago, the new aircraft looked as if they might enter service in 2015. Now, both are saying that 2018 is more likely, at the earliest—and their reasons for delay are almost identical.
First, there are those fat order books. As of July 1st, Airbus had an order backlog of 2,634 A320-class planes, and Boeing’s backlog of 737s was 2,243. Why replace an aircraft that you cannot make fast enough? Second, both Boeing and Airbus are having their financial and engineering resources stretched by other projects, which are also important to the airlines. For Airbus, the priority is to ensure that its larger A350 is delivered on time in 2013. Boeing has little spare capacity for anything other than getting the badly delayed 787 flying and into the hands of impatient customers as quickly as possible. Even when it manages that, it may decide to concentrate on updating the 777, which will be threatened by the 350-seat A350-1000, due in 2015.
The third reason is that neither manufacturer believes that the advances in technology have yet been made to justify the expense of developing a new narrowbody. Airbus talks about a “technology pot” that is still only “half full”; Mr Leahy says that they are “waiting for the engine guys to wow us.” Mr McNerney adds that the airlines want a 15% efficiency improvement over the very advanced 787—something that they cannot yet accomplish. Philippe Jarry, head of market development at Airbus, claims that airlines “could get a 15% efficiency gain tomorrow” if they ended their “frequency frenzy” by operating fewer flights. “We refuse to carry on our shoulders the misery of the industry,” he says.
Is the duopoly getting just a bit cosy? One new aircraft that was announced at Farnborough was the Bombardier CSeries, a 110- to 130-seat jet that will enter service with Lufthansa in 2013 and will compete with the smallest versions of the A320 and 737. With a fully composite wing and Pratt & Whitney’s new geared-turbofan engine, the CSeries should cut operating costs by 15% compared with similar-sized aircraft. Boeing and Airbus will have to decide whether they are willing to cede a small but important slice of the market to the Canadian interloper. The airlines will be hoping it is just the wake-up call they need.

Friday, July 18, 2008

Airlines stocks could be attractive

Aviation fuel prices: the logic of supply-demand. Airline stocks could be attractive
This is the Perspective from Centre from Asia Pacific Aviation

The world’s economy is not homogeneous, but it is increasingly a continuum. So, when the US Fed’s Ben Bernanke talks in negative terms, as he did yesterday, about the US economy, his words do not necessarily apply to the rest of the world. But one effect of the statement was to drive down oil prices by some USD9, even while the US dollar fell again - suggesting some hope for airline fuel prices.
High oil prices, whether or not they are really being pumped by speculation, are certainly affected by a built-in price push due to uncertainty about supply, as well as a sentiment that demand elsewhere in the world remains strong. So long as that situation remains, airlines will suffer. But a price turnaround to the downside could be almost as rapid as the recent rise if sentiment shifts substantially, in an increasingly fragile market. Even a USD20 fall in global oil prices would cause airline stocks to surge.
The bottom line of the supply-demand equation is that the price should at some stage reflect underlying demand in the market. And, if demand softens as economies slow, the simple next step is: the price should come down. That at least is the logic. Until now, that logic does not seem to have applied, as the cost of a barrel of crude went through the ceiling.
In his half yearly presentation to the US Senate, Bernanke yesterday most pointedly raised the joint spectre of credit softening, along with inflation. This is the economic manager’s nightmare, as the tool of lower interest rates, producing a lower dollar, only fuels inflation. But to increase interest rates to slow inflation risks further dampening economic activity, and so on.
As the Fed Chairman said yesterday: "The possibility of higher energy prices, tighter credit conditions, and a still-deeper contraction in housing markets all represent significant downside risks to the outlook for growth." However, "the currently high level of inflation, if sustained, might lead the public to revise up its expectation for long-term inflation," which could stimulate "an unwelcome rise in actual inflation over the longer term.”
In many other parts of the world – notably the fastest growing aviation regions, the Middle East and Asia – inflation is in fact currently the biggest fear, while economic slowdown is only just appearing on the horizon. Governments of countries from the Gulf, through south Asia to China are currently grappling with inflation rates that still disguise, or even temporarily offset major signs of economic slowdown. So interest rates are being forced upwards.
The Gulf states and India already have double digit inflation, economic tiger Vietnam’s is in the high twenties and the gap between China’s GDP growth and its inflation rate is now wafer thin. The fast growing economies of South America and eastern Europe are feeling similar pressures.
So long however as the major non-US economies are still showing consumer strength, actual global fuel consumption remains high. But once the signs emerge of economic slowdowns elsewhere, oil price sentiment must surely shift. And, as we have seen recently, there is a high dose of sentiment in the existing price, suggesting that the price could drop as quickly as it rose, once that point is reached.
Yesterday, US contrarian billionaire investor, Wilbur Ross, put down USD80 million to help save Indian LCC, SpiceJet, awash in the sea of red ink that is India’s airline business. He may be taking a longer term view of the market. But, for others looking at an inflated oil price, the potential exists for a quick upside, as global economies cool.
Watching the inverse correlation between airline share and oil price fluctuations recently, the short term view could have merit.

Thursday, July 17, 2008

Overconfident India

Indians are complacent about the perils of multi-lateral diplomacy
(International perspective of India's messed up situation - Economist's view)

IT CAME like monsoon rain, after a head-aching spell of summer heat. On July 7th, ending months of mixed messages and tiresome speculation, Manmohan Singh, the prime minister, said that India would press ahead “very soon” with a controversial policy: a civil-nuclear co-operation agreement with America.
This would give India access to nuclear fuel and technology, despite its refusal to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. In a country with massive energy needs, and pretensions to global-power status, that would be momentous. Only, the deal is not yet done: it needs approving by the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency, the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) and America's Congress. Winning their blessings before President George Bush's term expires next January will be tight.
Not that you would necessarily know this from Indian media coverage of the saga. Most Indian commentators—including those within the ruling Congress party—appear to have concluded that, now that Mr Singh has plumped for it, despite opposition from his government's parliamentary allies, the deal is a dead-cert.
They may turn out to be right. Mr Bush will certainly push hard for it. But with several other NSG members having expressed concerns, and the attitude of China, India's great rival, still unknown, the deal's safe passage cannot be assumed. Then again, it is unsurprising that so many Indians do assume it. A pronounced feature of their country's rapid emergence is the awesome self-confidence—and sometimes hubris—it inspires in Indian breasts.
No visitor to the country can fail to be impressed by this. Its English language newspapers—admittedly, read mainly by a prospering minority—would never let them. They have long tended towards triumphalism—notwithstanding more sober recent headlines, inspired by high inflation and a plunging stockmarket. Thus, the latest foreign acquisition by “India Inc.”, as the country's private sector is known, is a sure-fire splash. On editorial pages, Indian economists have long predicted China-style, double-digit economic growth for their country.
Opinion polls—which tend to represent the views of relatively-rich city-dwelling Indians—also make rousing news. A survey of global attitudes, released last month by the Pew Research Centre, found that a higher proportion of Indians felt positive about their national economy than all except Chinese and Australians (though the proportion of sunny Indians, at 62%, was 12% down on the previous year).
Indeed, they have had lots to be cheered by. Over the past three years, India's economy has grown at a magnificent average of 9% a year. And the private sector—whose foreign investments last year exceeded those made in India by foreign firms—has led the charge.
As has been widely reported, the fruits of India's economic rise are rich and varied. The country's massive armed forces are modernising. The diplomatic corps is swelling. India's revered cricketers, who were never so rich and pampered, are doing consistently better than they have ever done before.
But, impressive as these successes are, they do not augur the imminent global dominance that many Indians seem to expect. Foreign visitors to India are also invariably impressed by its dreadful problems: the ever-present poor; perilous and congested roads; disorderly and congested airports; the moronic regulations still imposed by the state.
So, what makes Indians so buoyant? Perhaps, relief: that the dark decades of soaring population growth, inching economic growth and intractable poverty, are finally over. No doubt, too, some prominent Indians are a little naive about the realities of multi-lateral diplomacy and ill-informed about the paths to development that others have trod. With little opportunity to travel, and a whole world within their borders, Indians have tended, until relatively recently, to be rather inward-looking—unlike the country's vast and thriving diaspora.
Perhaps, too, there may be something about living always in a crowd that encourages loud and overconfident opinion-giving. Or maybe, in their national subconscious, Indians have calculated that audacity, however unfitting at the time, simply works for them. It is certainly a feature of their brilliant entrepreneurism: another national characteristic—exhibited in teeming slums as well as in corporate boardrooms.
As for the nuclear deal, Indians' blithe faith in its chances may stem from something else altogether. The Pew Research Centre found that Mr Bush's approval rating in India was “still astonishingly high” at 55%. In fact, Indians were the only people sampled who rated Mr Bush more highly than they did Vladimir Putin, Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy. So, perhaps they know something the rest of us don't?

How to abolish a dirty, low-status job

(Sum's take of manual scavenging of human faeces - a dirty, low-cost job, which is a curse on our society and nullifies all our claims of equality)

On my recent visit to my massis's place in Phillaur (a small township near Ludhiana, known for a Punjab Police training centre) I happened to come across a familiar face - "Prema". As a kid I used to spend my winter vacations at Phillaur and in the process got familiar with the place. It is a small rickety town near Ludhiana in Punjab. Here goes my blog starring in lead "Prema".

PEOPLE cross the street to avoid Prema, a wrinkled-faced old woman dressed in a cherry-red salwar kameez. It is the wide iron pan and wire brush she carries that mark her out as someone to be avoided: these are the ancient tools of the “manual scavenger”, a euphemism for those who clean up the faeces from houses that lack flushing toilets.


Manual scavenging was banned in 1993 by a law that also forbade the unplumbed toilets that necessitate it. But implementation has been slow. So several hundred thousand scavengers are still at work. A recent report by Delhi University found more than 1,000 in the capital doing a job that in effect renders them dalits—untouchables, as they used to be known. After Prema has finished her morning’s work—for which she earns 75 rupees ($1.73) of extra spending money a month—she scrubs herself clean with soap. But she is still treated as a pariah: “Shopkeepers drop the rice to me; they won’t touch me,” she says.


I get shivers down my spine thinking of a life as low in status as "Prema's". It also raises a question in my mind are we right in getting such low status jobs done from other people simply because we are able to take advantage of their unpriviledged status and their need for money. Some may argue that such munual toilets are cost effective, but my economist brain says if you invest a little in a low cost portable severage kit for getting flushing toilets (easily avaibale at sanitary stores) you are doing yoursef, your family a lot good in terms of health and you are contibuting your bit in abolishing such petty and dirty low status jobs. Also if you add up her salary of Rs.75 per month, you'' recover the cost of getting a flush toilet in a few years. Next time a "Prema" comes to your house for cleaning your manual toilets, think about being in her shoes for a while; I promise you, you'l not eat anything the the whole day.

Wednesday, July 16, 2008

Australia customized 15 day itinerary

(Travel Down Under - Sum's style....ideal Aussie Itinerary ...customized by Sum')


15 Day Itinerary of Australia

Day 1 – Cairns

Explore Cairns. It is an ideal setting off point for two of nature’s most magnificent ecosystems – The Great Barrier Reef and the Rainforests. Check in Hotel Country Comfort Sunlodge (4 Star) or Hotel Fig Tree Lodge. (4 Star). Fig Tree Lodge is also famous for its steak and seafood and Irish Bar.

Post Lunch go for “Tjapukai by Night” which gives an opportunity to interact with and sense the true spirit of indigenous Australia at the Tjapukai Aborignal Cultural Park. Enjoy a superb buffet dinner and dance show held in the Boomerang Restaurant allowing for photo opportunities with the Tjapukai dancers.

Day 2 – Cairns / Kuranda

Take the century old Cairns – Kuranda scenic train to the picturesque village of Kuranda located North West of Cairns, set in a lush rainforest on the edge of the Atherton Tablelands. A must see is the Bird World and Australian Butterfly Sanctuary in this day trip and check out the Kuranda Cillage and Markets – a great place to buy original souvenirs. On way back from Kuranda have your dinner at any of the good restaurants on the Shields Sreets (Verdi’s or Red Ochre Grill are good picks)

Day 3 – Fitzroy Island

Head to Fitzroy Island which is one of the 600 continental high island on the Great Barrier Reef. It is a rare un-spoilt gem just 4 kms from the mainland of Cairns. Stay in Chalet style accommodation in the Hunt Island Resort and enjoy activities like scuba diving, island round sea kayaking, snorkeling. This continental island offers beautiful coral within snorkeling distance of the shore.

Catch up on a beach party at the Raging Thunder Beach Bar (on Fridays and Saturdays only)



Day 4 – Moreton Island (Tangolooma Wild Dolphin Park)

Catch a flight from Cairns to Brisbane by Virgin Blue flight and take a 75 minutes catamaran from Brisbane to the Tangolooma Wild Dolphin Resort on Moreton Island, where you can whale watch, hand feed dolphins, feed wild pelicans, scuba dive at a sunken wreck site or enjoy the thrills of tobogganing.

Day 5 – Gold Coast ( Lamington National Park)

Drive from Brisbane to Gold Coast, a region well known for its climate, beaches, shopping and nightlife. Travel to Lamington National Park, the Gold Coast Hinterland and join a guided walk focusing on the unique Australian birds in the area.

Catch this exciting dinner show, featuring Aussie horsemanship and life on a cattle station, complete with daring stunts, wild horses and stampeding cattle. Set in a 1000-seat arena, it includes a 3-course dinner and drinks.

Day 6 – Sydney (Darling Harbour and Opera House)

Fly from Gold Coast airport to Sydney. Stay in a hotel near Darling Harbour (Crown Plaza Darling Harbour or Novotel Harbour Plaza). Visit the Opera House behind the scenes area and see for your self how the Opera Theatre scenery dock and the Orchestra Pit. It also takes you on stage in either the Concert Hall or the Opera Theatre, and pass the rehearsal rooms and dressing rooms. Watch a show at the opera house (Play your part, Pearl fishers and House in Focus are some on the shows currently going on)

Day 7 – Sydney / Hunter Valley (Hunter Valley Resort)

Drive to Hunter Valley Wine Country which is about 2 hour drive north west of Sydney. Cessnock is the gateway to the Hunter Valley. It is the oldest winemaking region in Australia. There are more than 110 wineries in the valley. It is a place that is well known for world class cuisine & hospitality as well as for its world famous Shiraz and Semillion wines.
Visit Hunter Resort Home the Wine Country's First Micro Brewery
The Bluetongue Brewery at the Hunter Resort is the first micro brewery in the Hunter Valley wine country.
At the bar, you can see the brewery which is separated by a glass wall. Many styles of beer are available including the unique Alcoholic Ginger Beer, the sensational premium Lager and the full flavored ales.

Wine Tasting
· With over 110 wineries in the area, there’re so many choices of vineyards to visit and taste the locally produced wines. Majority of the wineries are open daily between the hours of 9am/10am to 5pm.
· The Mill (Tuscany Wine Estate): This restaurant received rave reviews for its good food and wines. Serving tapas style food, wood fired pizzas and other casual dining options. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner at Tuscany Wine Estate.


Stay at Hunter Resort (4-star)

A small family owned & run 35 room resort with great food, wine and accommodation. Has its own 30 year old vineyard.

Day 8 : Sydney to Southern Highlands (120km / 1 hour 15 minutes)

Wollongong (64km / 40 minutes)
Start your drive south from Sydney using the Princess Highway. Stop by at Bald Hill and take in the breathtaking view here. Also, watch out for hang-gliders or para-gliders. Visit the magnificent Nan Tien Buddhist Temple, a key religious cultural centre and the largest Buddhist Temple in the Southern Hemisphere. For happy hours, Five Islands Brewery is the place for a quick drink. The only beach micro-brewery in Australia, this restaurant is also a great lunch or dinner stop. Then, the Princess Highway to the township of Kiama.

Kiama (37km / 20 minutes)
A pretty seaside town. Drive past this harbour town (good for a toilet / lunch break) but do not miss the famous geographical feature: the Kiama Blowhole with its towering shoots of water cutting through the foreshore's rock! For gift or souvenir ideas, check out the quaint shops at Kiama Terrace.

Robertson (38km / 40 minutes)
From Kiama, head towards west inland towards the town of Berry / Robertson. Robertson is a tiny little town that lines the main highway (more like a two lane road). Look out for the shop that says "Famous Robertson Meat Pies" - yummy hot black pepper pies on sale here!

Statford Park Lavendar Gardens (15 minutes)
Tour the extensive gardens, watch distillation and aromatherapy demonstrations and pick up some lavender products at the Farm gate store. Don’t miss the favorite Sparkling Honey Nectar non-alcoholic wine.

Fitzroy Falls (18km / 15 minutes)
Fitzroy Falls is a national park with little river inlets and cascading waterfalls, a refreshing break from the road. Stop over at the Fitzroy Falls National Park Visitors Centre where you can go for a short walk to view the waterfalls or else sign up for a short guided tour.From Fitzroy, it is a short easy drive towards the main country townships of Berrima or Bowral for your overnight.

Berrima (32km / 30 minutes)

Bowral (12km / 10 minutes from Berrima)

Driving into Berrima is a bit like stepping back into a time-portal and hurling yourself back to the country life in the 1930s. You can find great antique shops here, pretty stores that sell handmade crafts / produce or even cafe shops for Devonshire Tea. At Bowral, you can find range of goodies from exotic homewares to fashion stores to crafts.
Overnight at Bowral or Berrima.






Day 9: Bowral to Canberra (204km / 2 hours)

Moss Vale (20 km / 15 minutes) - Optional overnight
With extra time to spare, we would recommend that you extend a night's stay at the Tugalong Outback Station for a taste of real farm life; horse-riding, clay pigeon shooting and abseiling.

The Station is located near the township of Moss Vale.
Use the Hume Highway to Goulburn.

Goulburn (86km / 50 minutes) - one of the finest wool growing areas of Australia.Take a break at Goulburn, the main attraction here is the Big Merino, a 15.2m high replica of the merino ram, which provides, literally a "sheep's eye view" of the city.Handicraft woolen goods, souvenirs and sheepskin products are also available here. Take the Federal Highway to Canberra.

Overnight Canberra (98km / 55 minutes)

Discover Canberra's unique planned city layout, visit the miniature village - Cockington Green and check out stately monuments such as the War Memorial and the stunning and internationally acclaimed architectural building; the Parliament House.

Day 10: Canberra to Albury (369km / 3 hours 30 minutes)

Start the day early, it is going to be quite a long way with numerous attractions to stop for. Take the Bourton Highway to the township of Yass.

Yass (85km / 45 minutes) - Centre of a flourishing wool districtThe town boasts fine historic buildings, offers water sports and hiking activities and also arts and crafts shops.From Yass, head towards Binalong, then Wombat, and use the Olympic Highway to get to Young

Young (105km / 1 hour 5 minutes) - The Cherry Capital of AustraliaThere are some 130 orchards here producing a large portion of Australia's cherry crops. Prune factory or orchard tours are available. The vibrant Cherry Festival is held every November, but there are other ongoing festivals between the months of September - November. Take the Olympic Way.

Wagga Wagga ( 139km / 1hour 20 minutes) - Relaxed country town In Wagga Wagga, you can head for the various art galleries, parks/gardens, theatres or clubs. From Wagga Wagga, take the Olympic Way to Albury.

Overnight: Hanericka Farm
By the time you reach Hanericka Farm, it will be in the late afternoon. To be able to enjoy the authentic farm stay experience, you will need to set aside 2 nights at this fully operational wheat/sheep/cattle farm stay with varied farm activities.

Day 11: Hanericka Farm (40km / 20 minutes)

Activities include: pony riding, sheep shearing, cow milking, crop harvesting or even country style cooking - a real taste of life on an Australian Farm!

Alternative Route: Snowy Mountains
From Wagga Wagga, you may wish to take the Snowy Mountains Highway towards Cooma in the snowy/ski region, with an overnight at Thredbo Alpine Village. The snow & ski season is from June to early October. In the summer months from November to March, available activities include fly-fishing, mountain biking, guided walks, canoeing and golfing! From Snowy, take the Snowy Mountains Highway and head towards Wagga Wagga.

Day 12 - Hanericka Farm to Albury (40km / 20 minutes)
Major stopover town between Sydney & Melbourne. On the way to Albury, stop over at unique pub / hotel Ettamogah Pub & Winery, a pub built as a replica of popular Australian cartoonist, Ken Maynard's creation. From Hanericka Farm, you may wish to continue your drive towards Echuca and then onto Melbourne, which is some 2 hours drive away.

Day 13 – Melbourne (Yarra Valley)
Just an hour’s drive east of Melbourne lies the Yarra Valley, home to numerous wineries with many nationally and internationally award-winning wines. Immerse yourself in experience in wine estates and get to know the intricacies of wine tasting and wine making. Enjoy a traditional lunch with the unique wine at any of the wine yards. Stay in Ainsworth Estate which is a Boutique vineyard and accommodation comprising three modern executive style apartments.

Day 14 – Perth ( Stay in Mundurah)

Take a flight from Melbourne to Perth. The first stop is Marapana Wildlife World. Continue on into Mundurah for a unique experience. Try your hands at catching blue manna crabs. Hire a boat and all the gear locally and put your skills to test. In the evening relax on the foreshore or beach with some local fish and chips and enjoy a Guinness. Stay in Yalgroup Eco Park on the Beach which is in Mundurah area nested amidst dunes on Melros Beach. Mundurah is about 1 hour drive from Perth.

Day 15 – Perth (Swan River Cruise)

Discover the delights of the Swan River cruising between Perth and the port of Fremantle. Tea and Coffee is served as your Captain points out all the sights including the beautifully restored Swan Brewery at the foot of the Kings Park, Royal Perth Yatch Club. Stay in a Hotel in Perth (Preferably Hotel Grand Chancellor or Hotel Ibis)

Enjoy your dinner in the “Shung Fung on the River’ Restaurant which overlooks the Swan River.

Day 16 – Return Flight

Catch your return flight from Perth to head back to your home country.