Alive, even after death

“When your heart stops beating, you'll keep tweeting,” exclaims LivesOn - a new application that will soon allow you to keep posting Twitter updates even from beyond the grave.

Utilizing advanced analysis of your main Twitter feed, to carefully select appropriate subjects, likes, or articles that would have been likely to interest you, posting them on your behalf for your friends to read and Using  intricate knowledge of your on-line character, the application creates a virtual continuation of your personality after death.

Remembering anniversaries, sending birthday wishes, or reminding loved ones of how much you care- so little things yet not one of you would disagree having forgotten them. LivesOn will do it all, even after you leave for your heavenly abode.

This is all like having a kind of ironic legacy but who'd be interested in reading a computer-generated you is a significant question. The growth of "digital legacies" is already throwing up legal and ethical issues. The application may negatively impact the bereavement process and not allow an individual to cope properly. Additionally, it may be open to abuse.

“It offends some, and delights others. Imagine if people started to see it as a legitimate but small way to live on. Cryogenics costs a fortune; this is free and I'd bet it will work better than a frozen head,” Dave Bedwood, creative partner of the app’s developers told the Guardian.

Despite the LivesOn application raising some serious philosophical, moral and ethical questions, don’t you find this computer-generated ghost interesting?

Are you ready for a personal digital after life?

Terror, yet again - a report on Hyderabad Blasts.

“Terrorism is the tactic of demanding the impossible, and demanding it at gunpoint.”

On Thursday, 21^st of February, 2013, terror in one of its many forms struck in Dilsukh Nagar, south east region of Hyderabad. The twin bomb blasts, which have left everyone in great shock claimed 13 lives and injured another 80. The two blasts occurred barely 100 meters apart and near a cluster of bus stand which frequent on the Hyderabad-Vijaywada highway. CCTV footage reveals the movement of five men planting the bombs at both the locations.  A two day high alert was announced post the 19^th of February by the government agencies as a precaution on an attack by Pakistani-based groups to exact revenge on the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru and Mumbai attack convict Ajmal Kasab. As per forensic sources, the blasts have traces of ammonium nitrate and tri-nitro toluene; indicating a hand of the Indian Mujahideen. The bombs also contained huge amounts of iron nails and bolts, joint together with the ammonium nitride with copper wire, making the explosions very powerful. Besides the usual comments and grievances by government agencies and political figures, certain measures have been taken to get to the root and find the accused. As of 23^rd February, 6 individuals have been detained in connection to the blasts; however, none have been arrested or charged. National Investigation Agency (NIA), has been raiding places in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Maharashtra. Various jails where Indian Mujahideen operatives have been lodged have also been enquired to. Mr. Abdul Wasey Mirza, a survivor of the Dilsuck Nagar blast and the Mecca Masjid Blast in 2007 had initially been suspected in having a hand in the same but has been cleared of all suspicion. A team of National Security Guards (NSG) arrived in Hyderabad with a plane provided by the Border Security Force (BSF) for further investigation of the blasts. In Parliament, the union government has faced scathing attacks from the BJP-led Opposition, which says intelligence warnings issed before the blasts were mishandled and ignored. Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde refuted the Opposition’s accusations and said that the government took “necessary steps” but these could not be elaborated for security reasons.

YES, We are proud of our country!

Republic Day, the day when our constitution officially gets 63 years old. Yes, a good occasion indeed. Its going to be a good, cozy winter weekend after all the chill and the biting cold. Time to celebrate, isn't it?
That, quite truly is the description of a republic day. Articles ruing the declining anticipation and interest towards the day are common and so are the articles countering the claims, a new definition of patriotism is in rage. The whole hype and hoolah around this one day, for that matter either 26th Jan or 15th August, as many intellectuals say, is uncalled for. The opulent and ostentatious display of arms and power, speciously hiding beneath it a population of millions still starving still distraught still struggling.

Yet again, the raging question of the scenario, what are we actually celebrating? Do we have anything to raise a toast about? Clearly, going by the negatives above, the underlying sorrow leads us to a seeming no. Obviously, the explanation stated is, how long can we hang on to the glory of the ages bygone? Don't we need to look at the time that stands ahead?

Sure, we do.But to look at everything and to convince yourself of the idea behind it is important, the attribute of 'perception'. An old adage says, a tumbler filled till half its height can be viewed as being half-filled or half-empty, perception is the key.

For long, we have lambasted ourselves as a nation for social vices, economic crisis, political mess and what not. Hypocrisy, corruption, barbarism have been thought to be deeply entwined with our actions and arguments for long. But, let us allow something more hopeful to sneak in within us this winter. This R-Day, lets go beyond the cliché "Why should we feel proud to be Indians?" into the realm of hope, "Why shouldn't we feel proud to be Indians?" Hooking up to the past is regressive but not really when we have so much to look up to what happened a million seasons back, but was so much ahead of its time!

At the mere age of 23 years, when most of us are still figuring out the meaning and mien of of life, there actually walked in flesh and blood, men, by the name of Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev, Rajguru who let themselves be hanged till death, not as a punishment for crime but because they dreamt and fought for the liberation in a country that was debilitated to fight or even speak for itself.

"I AM FREE EVEN IN JAIL"- BHAGAT SINGH

We have traveled long on the trails of time but somewhere, on the way, lost this courage, indomitable will to stand up for each other, against evil, tyranny, crime, till the very last drop of blood and sinew. The current state of affairs in our country has invited flak from all quarters of the world. The land of spiritualism is also in negative light for pompous display of religion, for a handful hate mongers, but this, is also a land that still most peacefully observes the biggest pilgrimage of the world, handling almost a crore people, everyday! Believe it or not, the Mahakumbh Mela is not just a dip in the Ganga and characterized by the parody of brothers who got lost there, but a success story, of unimaginable faith, mythology, brotherhood, belief, that is now also being captured by a team of researchers from Harvard.

YES, We are proud of our country!

We've been born and raised in the soil of this nation, calling it dirty makes you and I dirty. While all of us sleep peace at night there are men just like us who are still wide awake patrolling the borders so that we can open our eyes to a morning with glee, a morning that's free, the same freedom of which we don't leave an ounce without criticism and the same freedom for which that unsung hero on the border lays down his life. The relationships that bind us, binds them too, but with just a slight difference. Love frightens us to not rise, love frees them to fight. This freedom, that is safeguarded by such brave hearts cannot be a minnow in the league of all republics.

YES, we are proud of our country!

Two men look out through the same bar,

One sees the sand, other sees the star.

This very land molds and makes our disposition, character and everything. It depends on us to be elated or embarrassed of our roots, because no matter how far we reach, our identity is deep rooted in the culture and life of this land. Criticism, when allows you to improve is potion and the same when guzzles up your self-esteem is poison. So lets rediscover and redefine the patriot in us this Republic Day. After all, respect and country-love is as much personal as it is external! Reverence starts from us, each one of us! When we believe we matter, the world believes we do! 

Celebrating the Spirit of us, celebrating the spirit of India, in the words of Bankimchandra chatterjee, an ode to the aesthetic and cultural beauty of our motherland-

“I show gratitude to thee, Mother,

Richly-watered, richly-fruited,

Cool with the winds of the south,

Dark with the crops of the harvests,

The Mother!

Her nights rejoicing in the glory of the moonlight,

Her lands clothed beautifully with her trees in flowering bloom,

Sweet of laughter, sweet of speech,

The Mother, giver of boons, giver of bliss.

MOTHER, I bow to thee.”

TWO SCOOPS PLEASE!

Don't be surprised if you smell chocolate or butterscotch or strawberries instead of petrol, the next time you land up at a petrol pump to get your car filled! It isn’t a Christmas miracle, or anything from Willy Wonka’s factory, but soon motorists would be filling up their vehicles with a fuel made up from a compound found in ice cream and household items such as soap and shampoo. Scientists at the University of Manchester have identified a new bio-catalyst which can manipulate hydrocarbon chemicals, found in ice-cream, soaps and shampoos, into ready-to-use fuels in cars. This development could mean fuel for cars or household power supplies could be created from naturally-occurring fatty acids.

Researchers, led by Professor Nick Turner are using synthetic biology to hijack the naturally-existing fatty acids and direct those fatty molecules towards the production of ready-to-use fuel and household chemicals.

The researchers used synthetic biology to hijack the naturally-existing fatty acids and direct those fatty molecules towards the production of ready-to-use fuel and household chemicals and this breakthrough allows researchers to further explore how to create renewable energy from sustainable sources, and the advance could lead to more innovative ways of sourcing fuel from natural resources.

"In our laboratories in Manchester we currently work with many different biocatalysts that catalyze a range of chemical reactions – the key is to match up the correct biocatalyst with the specific product you are trying to make," said Turner. "Biocatalysts recognize molecules in the way that a lock recognizes a key – they have to fit perfectly together to work. Sometime we redesign the lock so that if can accept a slightly different key allowing us to make even more interesting products. In this example we need to make sure that the fatty acid starting materials would be a perfect match for the biocatalysts that we discovered and developed in our laboratories.”

The only serious contender to fossil fuels in the auto industry are electric and hydrogen models, but the former still suffers from perceptions of range anxiety, while the latter is a long way off becoming commonplace on the market due to cost and infrastructure concerns.

With chemical engineers across the globe looking at sustainable alternatives to petrol, the team's announcement could be the breakthrough in creating sustainable biofuels as a serious alternative to petrol and diesel. 

 No wonder, the day isn’t far when the traditional man with a van turns into a man with an ice cream van and ice cream powered cars become a reality.

May Mankind R.I.P.

Its been a tumultuous year with an even more tumultuous end. We saw the unimaginable happening, an evil boisterous dance of inhumanity, cruelty pushed to the farthest boundaries and a sad climax to the sorrowful real story, with the brave protagonist succumbing to the sordid reality of death in the claws of injuries, both physical and psychological. However, what the year ended with was also an unprecedented uprising of the masses, uprising against the heinous act of abuse, uprising against the listless system, mendacious politics, confused laws, mean narrow-mindedness, the habitual process of relegating any moral responsibility on the part of the government, bureaucracy, judiciary etc and against every social attribute that is slowly eroding the sense of security and dignity of individuals in our country.As citizens, these protests, marches to avenge the loss and ensure that the most dreaded punishment is meted out to the perpetrators partially gave the hope that maybe now, before a criminal tries to outrage the modesty or dignity of a woman or any fellow citizen, before he believes he can jump through the realm of justice, he is reminded of the dire consequences.

But in the clamour to make the silent system speak up and the deaf-mute representatives of power rise, what indeed has been pushed into the background , is our own individual responsibilities as citizens. For long we've cribbed about the inefficiency of the administration in punishing the beastly offenders , but have we ever contemplated on the inefficiency of our own selves as a society in stopping the very making of these criminals, ceasing the point of inception of crime? The answer we all know is a vehement NO.

The vent of anger of the mob was largely the political class, the utter failure of the kings in power at communicating any change in the law and order system , but frankly, lets swear to our hearts and ask ourselves, do we really posses the stakes to blame anybody else for the social or political mess? Once in five years, we are required as citizens of this country to go out and exercise our power to vote to select our own leaders as it happens in any quintessential democracy. However, the best we do of the day is sleep till late because it's a 'holiday'.Even if there are some who do go out, they let their votes be influenced by religion, caste, family loyalties and what not. The very first step towards the paralysis of democracy starts here.It is indeed a paradox that a nation of over a billion plus with a whooping educated and efficient middle-class still decides its ruling party only on the basis of the illiterate class, who are often manipulated and fooled to the hilt by specious political promises.

We've let go our right to choose for a long time now and in return have only been plundered of our right to freedom.It is most unfortunate that it takes crimes as disturbing as these to remind us of the anarchy that we've got ourselves into.

The above reference is not an exception.In the social sphere too, right from the slang that we use to the item numbers in films that make crowds go delirious, all are a silent pointer to the stark reality.It is absolutely natural to be very fond of a munni or an anarkali dancing in the most pompous way and with the most stupid backgrounds, it is cool to abuse a friend with a mother/sister slang projecting women as mere objects, but it suddenly becomes alarming when the same item number scene or the slang is enacted on the roads in cities.

We've for long lived in a state of denial and devolvement. The most obviously sane way to protest is to blame the government, police, officers etc etc for the wrongdoings, but to this long list of parties responsible, needs to be added a small word of two letters "we" before many more daminis and nirbhayas fall prey to the cruelism, lust and ignorance that is very much endemic to our own social upbringing.

The moment couldn't have been more apt. Intellectuals, media houses have been incessantly suggesting measures to curb the evil.But the flame that the girl lit should also light up our own conscience before this blame-game turns into a vicious cycle with no ends, and only more and more victims.Let her sleep awaken us from the age old lull of ignorance towards our duties, ethics and everything in general.It is only then that we would have the standards to proclaim, "She lit a FLAME".

National Consumer Rights Week organised by FICCI CASCADE

CASCADE, The Committee Against Smuggling And Counterfeiting Activities Destroying The Economy, is an initiative by The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), which works under the banner of FICCI CASCADE, with the motive of curbing the growing illicit trade in counterfeit, pass offs and smuggled goods, which threaten brands not only in every region of the country but across the globe. Activities like counterfeiting and contra-branding not only damage the integrity of the brand but also dilute the brand owner’s reputation, which further affects the consumers by way of health and safety hazards.

FICCI CASCADE recently celebrated the National Consumer Rights Week by organizing a three day conference, at the FICCI Federation House, New Delhi. The conference  was flagged off on the 18th of December, 2012, with an On The Spot Inter-School Painting Competition, which saw a huge number of kids participating in the same on the given topic of ‘Awareness through Art on Consumer Rights’  The programme was addressed by Mrs. Meenu Chandra, Head, FICCI CASCADE.

The painting competition was followed by a National Consumer Rights Meet, on the 19th of December, which was warmly addressed by Mr. Anil Rajput, Chairman, FICCI CASCADE and the key highlight of the meet was the panel discussion which took place on a major consumer problem ‘The Future of Consumer Rights Movement’. The discussion involved various consumer rights activists from around the country including Mr. Bejon Misra, International Consumer Rights Activist, New Delhi ; Dr. Anant Sharma, President, Consumers Action and Network Society, Jaipur ; Dr. Amit Wanchoo, President Rotary Club, Srinagar ; Ms. Preeti Joshi, Consumer Affairs Research & Education Center, Ahmadabad ; Mr. Ashim Sanyal, Consumer VOICE, Delhi ; Mr. Arun Kumar Misra, President, Indian National Consumers Federation, Lucknow.

The three day conference culminated on the 20th of December, 2012, with a special address on, ‘Building a Consumer Rights Movement-Empowering The Consumer Of Today’, by Dr. Pankaj Agarwala (Additional Secretary, Department of Consumer Affairs) and Dr. A. Didar Singh (Secretary General, FICCI). The session began with Ms. Naina Lal Kidwai (President, FICCI) presenting the audience with the motive behind FICCI and CASCADE, wherein she spoke of campaigns like ‘Jaago Grahak Jaago’ and how important it is for today’s consumer to be well aware of what they are buying.

Then, Dr. Pankaj Agarwala enlightened the audience on how the growing pace of technology has increased the contribution level of the service sector in India, perhaps calling for an increased range of goods that need standardization getting services also in the same loop. He also mentioned of increasing the level of quality of the products in order to achieve greater productivity. He also mentioned that DCA will shortly launch an online system to file consumer suits. This will enable consumers to fill complaints from the comfort of their home and they won't have to stand in long queues for hours. Dr. Pankaj Agarwala’s opinion on whose responsibility it is to make sure that the best goes to the customers is neither of the government nor of the industry, but that of the government and the industry together. In his words, safety of the consumers is not like a singles match with the government and industry on either sides, but that of a mixed doubles match.

Dr. Agarwala also mentioned as to how a particular standard is set. Taking an example of the beverage industry, he said that a registered (authorised) firm cannot have its drinks sold in odd litres, that is to say that it could be 250 ml of a particular drink for Rs. 20, but not 249 ml of the same drink at the same price. In other words, any company has to follow the set standards, where it may sell more (in times of campaigning) or same quantity at the same price, but not less quantity at the same price. This ensures that a consumer achieves complete value of what he is paying, hence maintaining their satisfaction level and avoiding counterfeiting (by other fake/ local firms).

A lot of enlightening views were also shared by Dr. A. Didar Singh, who believed that due to practices such as counterfeiting, smuggling, etc. discussed above it is the consumer which is eventually made to suffer. Dr. Singh mentioned how out of all the 70+ verticals which FICCI works with in various areas, CASCADE is one of the most important issues it is dealing with, today. He also shared his views on why government data is important for further processing of reports by FICCI and how they contribute a great deal in ensuring the safety of the consumers both in terms of quality and also financially.

The conference saw the release of a report on the Socio-Economic Impact of Counterfeiting and Smuggling on 7 major sectors of the Indian economy. This report is strategically important because of the fact that it's the first report ever prepared in Indian that revolves around the issue of counterfeiting and smuggling and its impact on the economy. Dr. Singh ended his point by saying that there has been an urgent need of acknowledging such work in Asia, including India, even though it has for long been happening in other countries like the USA and Europe.