Commercialization of Healthcare in the Indian context

We live in the times when we're talking about privatizing education, most of our infrastructure is already into it and private companies are molding "India Inc." like never before. So, what about Healthcare ? Wait...Before jumping on to a conclusion lets look at the Indian scenario for a moment. We have a booming economy and have one the highest growth-rates in the world. Despite all that, we are still poor, of course it hurts the ego but its a hard fact. 37% of Indians live below poverty line (acc. to recent data). Now thats a pretty staggering amount, considering our equally staggering population squeezed into a tiny piece of land. Having said that, lets get back to our main agenda here. Would Commercialization be a good idea ? Some of us may frown upon the idea and they're not wrong to some extent. The word "Commercialization" itself is a derivative of the word "Commerce" which as we all know pertains to business, and therfore, to profit-making. Okay, for the other crowd, I'm not saying we have the best Govt. facilities which are more than sufficient for the people but think about this for a moment. Is it right to reap benefits from a people who can't even afford to fall ill ? Of course not, who would want that. But thats what unchecked "Commercialization" would do. If we're even thinking of experimenting with the idea we should, invariably, use a mishmash of the Private and the Public sector. We need the efficiency, hygiene & promptness of the former, as well as the ease of availability, low-cost and better reach of the later. Only then, we can realize the dream of a "Healthy India"...

Physics of the Impossible by Michio Kaku

After a long blog-break,here I am with my very first book-review. Its a book I had read recently, during my tireless venture to expand my reading sphere. The writer is a Professor of Theoretical Physics (specializing in the "String Theory") at the City University of New York. Okay, this guy does sound nerdy but hang on. Now, the best thing about him is his belief in making the concepts of Science more accessible to the general public and he has done a great job so far. This book here, is the best example of his vision. The name does sound dramatic but is perfectly justified in the sense that he has tried to explain the "possible" physics behind the seemingly "impossible" technologies...Technologies that we frequently come across in Star Wars, Star Trek and lots of other Sci-fi movies. Hmmm...So, now that I have a li'l more of your attention, I would like to clarify that you won't find the secrets of Teleportation, Invisbility or Time-travel in there but you'll surely have a very rational view towards the future possibilities of this "Isaac Asimov-ian" world. Being a fan of early Science fiction, he explores these concepts with the pure fascination of a child and the eyes of a physicist. This very unconventional approach strikes a cord with the audience as they are swept into this imaginary world where individual atoms, time, space all seem to have their own personalities, not in a technical way though. We get to see a wide new perspective of the world we live in. He is one of the few authors who has succeeded in seamlessly combining lucidity and abstraction. I call it abstraction 'cause we need to exercise our imagination to see the big picture. And once the sketch is ready, we are in, for good. Hell, who knew Physics could be so captivating !

Quota Rumble

I just watched the recent "Women's Quota" farce on TV. Angry-faced politicians storming out of the Parliament has become a common scene these days. Whatever maybe the policy decision, politicians are liable to show some ethical conduct, after all this is what democracy is all about. Protesting in a cacophonic disruption not only lowers the dignity of the house but also is foolish (because no one can understand your point if everyone goes gaga). Indiscipline has increased even more since the new Lok Sabha speaker Meira Kumar has taken chair. The brats are judiciously using the fact that she is a lady and can (definitely) not shout like Mr. Somnath Chaterjee. Such a high-level of enthusiasm could do much more if shown at the right place for the right cause. Till then ,"Let them shout till they drop !"

The Liberhan Commission Report

And the New Guiness World Record for "the longest time to write a report" goes to "The Liberhan Commission of Inquiry Report" (what else). Well, it is precisely, 16 years and 4 months. Justice Manmohan Singh Liberhan must have become a grandpa by now. On a more serious note, grandpa has done a seemingly impossible task. Simply compiling such a monumental document of 3 volumes comprising of 1000 pages and what with, all the political pressure, could drive a man crazy. What came of such a mountain of information and evidence? Nothing that we already did not know except that our celebrated kavi and former prime minister Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee is a "pseudo-moderate". The chief culprits the RSS, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the BJP are the other "pseudo-moderates". And of course, the star of the show Mr. Kalyan Singh. Well according to the report, he was the one who planned, "created an environment" and instigated the goons who destroyed Babri Masjid. OK, so we have heard what we had to hear. But does it not look a bit odd that the report has come up just when the BJP least need it. I mean, after a disappointing defeat at the centre, this looks like a coup de grace by the congress. We can never know the real game but we do know that the congress has "promised the people that they will propose a bill to prevent communal riots". A neat position the congress is in, ain't it?

Should Pakistan be saved ?

It all started from the Swat valley truce, if you can call it a truce at all. The "Taliban" is the last organisation with which, a government run by sane minds, will make truce. Is this is the beginning of the end of Pakistan ? Well, let us look at the situation from another point of view i.e., from Pakistan's point of view. We have a country which has an unstable government, a not-so-good economy and is a paradise for terrorists. Not only that, it is being taken over by the world's most notorious terrorist group. What should I do if I were the President and these terrorists were threatening to take over my country ? The first thing I would do, instinctively, would be to ask for help. From whom ? Of course from the big brother, the United States of America. But it refuses to help and since it is the world's most powerful country, no one dares to disagree. In such a situation, my second most probable action would be to buy time, be it a truce with the terrorists. So thats it, you see ! The best thing India can do as a neighbouring country is, to watch and learn. Negligence can take us where Pakistan is right now !

About Lee Iacocca

Well it is not "Aya-co-cah", its "Ya-co-cha". Now that we have got the name right lets breeze through the life of another inspiring personality. For those who aren't familiar with the name, Lee Iacocca was the creator of the Ford Mustang. Did that ring a bell ? No, then what about Mark II ? Never mind. Lee Iacocca was the son of Italian parents who migrated to the United States during the 1900s. Named Lido Iacocca, he modified his name to "Lee" because people kept forgetting his unusual name. He got his education from the Lehigh Engineering college and joined Ford. Ford, then run under Henry Ford II (the grandson of Henry Ford himself), was one of the big auto manufacturers of that period, the other two being General Motors and Chrysler. Lee was an instant success as he was hard-working and creative. He spearheaded the Mustang project and they sold almost a million cars the first year. But things did not go as expected. Henry Ford II soon started feeling insecure and started pinning Lee in every chance he got. He never allowed him to work on the Front-wheel drive technology. At last, Lee was fired. Perhaps, he was destined to do greater things, and this gradually proved to be true. Chrysler, then , was going through a very critical financial crisis. It's management approached Lee and asked him to accept the Presidency of Chrysler. He reluctantly accepted the crown of thorns. As if the He was testing his endurance, US was hit by a recession which almost evaporated the automobile industry. Wading through this deep muck, he pulled Chrysler out and established it as the people's favourite motor company. Today, Chrysler is known for its elegant sophistication. Now thats what I call "Life" in top gear !!

Is the third front really necessary ?

First let me tell you what is the third front. In Indian politics right now, we have two fronts-the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) and the NDA (National Democratic Alliance). Each of these fronts is a coalition of several big as well as small parties. Now, there are some other parties besides these parties who are working independently and are even running the state governments. The best example of such a party would be BSP (Bahujan Samaj Party), headed by Ms. Mayawati, the only Dalit Chief Minister in India. The Political scene in India has always been very aggressive and competitive, as there are hundreds of parties involved in the election process. The Election Commission of India has always practised a kind of tolerance towards all parties, just like a father pampers a child. And this is not an unwise decision at all because these parties (most of them regional) cater to the interests of each and every community however small and neglected it may be. This as we may realize is the very objective of democracy. But will these parties be able to form a stable and successful coalition even when they have had no experience in considering the national interests, as a national party has ? Some of us may think, well, why not give them a chance. For now, it isn't the best time for such an experiment. More work is needed to be done in the state level especially towards critical issues such as terrorism and naxalism. There is still a long way to go. It will be some time before we see a Dalit Prime Minister. A chair won't stand till all of it's legs are sturdy !